January 13, 2025 • 20 mins
Teaching children apologetics prepares them to engage thoughtfully with their faith and defend it against skepticism. This episode highlights the importance of parents equipping their children with critical thinking skills about their beliefs, using resources and personal experiences to foster a supportive learning environment.
• Understanding the concept of apologetics
• Importance of teaching apologetics to children
• Resources available for teaching kids about faith
• Personal journeys and their impact on faith education
• Strategies for engaging young adults in Bible study
• Encouraging skepticism and open discussion in family settings
• Using personal experiences for teaching opportunities
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
as you talk to parents and as you share,
especially with apologetics.
I believe that every singleparent should be teaching their
children apologetics, like Idon't care what nobody say, yeah
, children need to be taughtapologetics.
So how would you help parentslearn apologetics, to teach
(00:33):
their children apologetics?
Speaker 3 (00:36):
yeah, if that makes even our audience.
What is apologetics like?
Speaker 2 (00:40):
so apologetics is.
It's the word that's used forthe biblical principle of having
an answer ready, of showingyourself approved.
And apologetics now has becomelooking into the Bible from many
different lenses the historicallens, the scientific lens, the
archaeological lens.
(01:00):
It's looking into the Bible forits what's?
The college word Historicity Ifeel like Ruben used that word
before but looking into theBible for its historical
accuracy and looking into italso for logic.
What does the logic say aboutthis thing?
(01:21):
What does the logic say aboutthis thing?
You know, if, if logic holdstrue and history shows true,
then it must be true.
You know.
So I looked into severaldifferent resources.
Um, if I'm, if I'm not mistakenand I could be wrong um,
there's a, there's a preacherout there, david Jeremiah, I
think he has like a children'sapologetics.
But just, you know you can, youcan Google some of this stuff
(01:43):
as far as um children'sresources for apologetics.
But just, you know you can, youcan Google some of this stuff
as far as um children'sresources for apologetics.
You know, as a parent, my thingto my kids, you know, has
become okay, let's look into thehistory of this thing together.
You know, if you, if yougenuinely have a question okay,
let's, let's sit down and, youknow, look into the history of
(02:04):
this thing together, because Ican tell you all day long that's
.
You might just be like, okay,well, that's just dad being dad,
yeah, he's smart, whatever,whatever.
But no, no, no, I, I want youto see it for yourself, I want
you to put eyes on it so youknow you're to your point, or
it's rather to your question.
You know, apologetics islooking into um, looking into
(02:24):
the Bible and being able to havean answer for biblical skeptics
and saying, you know, hey, thisis not only biblical, but extra
biblical sources say this, thisand this you know, yeah, and
it's a way to um defend the wordof God as well.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Right, cause there's a lot of false narratives, false
information out there, becausewe live in a world where
information is everywhere,Absolutely, it's easily
accessible, we have access to it.
There's also misinformation,absolutely Right, so that's why
I said the Bible is the sourcethat one could go to.
Once you start engulfing andgetting into the word of God,
(03:04):
man, that stuff could teach yousomething.
Yeah, but I know you, you knowI like how you brought up
apologetics and I'm glad you'reapologetics, because we need
more apologetics of folks thatcould defend the word of God and
also speak truth.
But you wasn't always like this, as you mentioned.
Yeah, and I like to always behonest with my audience and
(03:26):
always let them know.
Like, hey, being a Christian isnot easy, and you said it, but
there's things that we have togo to or through in order to get
to where we're at.
So where are you at right now?
So I know you left the church.
So I know everybody have awilderness moment.
We have our wilderness moments,we have our highs and our lows.
So, in addition to that, yousay you left the church and and
(03:48):
I'm going back to the initialquestion because, um, I think
it's interesting, because Idon't want people to think that
you got saved, then you left thechurch, then you went on this
quest to be an apologetics.
I also want people to like no,no, like he went through some
stuff too, as all of us, we allgo through stuff, cause I think
(04:08):
the things that we go through,the prunings, you know, the
trials and tribulations that wego through and to, is really to
draw us closer to God.
Yeah, so I know you are on firenow for the Lord is especially
the knowledge that you have forChrist and and like, as a parent
, I would want my child to havetheir own personal relationship
with God.
So what was that moment in timethat you went through I almost
(04:31):
want to say hell and hot waterin order to be like, ok, god, I
finally understand now.
Now you develop that Like, whatwas that moment in time that
you actually developed arelationship with God?
Like you finally got to knowyour Savior, even though you got
saved, but you had to gothrough things and be like, oh
now, because it's different foryou Because, like you said, you
(04:53):
was raised in a church, so forme it was different.
When I obeyed the gospel, Iautomatically took off.
I'm like God, you did this forme, like you know.
So for you it was differentbecause you was raised with it,
you know, for years.
You know so like years, youknow.
So, like what was that momentin time where you had your
moment where you was like, wowgod, I finally get it, and you
actually developed thatrelationship with christ?
Speaker 2 (05:10):
so it started um, and it's not.
It sounds funny, but you know,as as we like to say, we were
drugged.
You know, we were drugged askids.
We were drugged to church, wewere drugged here.
We're drugged everywhere.
So I was uh, so I was uh, soI'd I'd went clubbing.
(05:35):
I got home at like foursomething in the morning on a
saturday night, uh, into sundaymorning, excuse me, four o'clock
in the morning, sunday morning.
I got home I'd still smell likecigarette.
I still smell, smell like theclub you know, yeah, and I don't
even remember how old I was,but I was still under my
parents' roof and my parents, mymom, my mom came in, you know,
knocking on the door.
I didn't answer cause I wasknocked out.
So she came in, she woke me upand she was like hey, it's time
(05:59):
for church.
Oh, your salvation had been myresponsibility.
You decide what you want to do.
And I'm just like so you're notgoing to make me get up and go.
(06:23):
She was like no, you haveclothes in your closet, you have
a car.
You figure it out.
Your soul is up to you.
Now You're old enough to knowhow old were you at this time.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
If you recall, in your early 20s.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Yeah, in your 20s, yeah, 20s, yeah I might have
been because I was in.
I was in college at the time,but I was, I was close okay,
around that time okay to live,to stay at home, so I was
probably early 20s I'm helpingthe 20 year olds.
Yeah, so it was probably early20s.
You know I was.
I was trying to do both.
I would go to church, right, Iwould go to church, right, I
would go to church, go throughthe motions and everything, and,
uh, you know, saturday nightI'm, you know, saturday night I
(07:01):
was doing my thing, I was goingto the club or whatever.
And then Sunday morning try toget it right, you know, you know
if I'm, you know, just beingtransparent, I remember there
was one, there was one Sunday,where I got up, you know, went,
dragged myself into church, Ididn't realize that I was on the
schedule to serve.
It's so bad, I didn't realize Iwas on the schedule to serve,
(07:22):
right, right.
So I'm up on stage and I'msitting right next to Ray and
I'm like I can't hear.
It's club music.
It's loud, wow.
So club music.
It's loud, wow.
So I I couldn't hear.
And I said I had my hair, youknow, I had my locks back then
and my hair smelled likecigarette smoke, cigarette smoke
and weed smoke from being inthe club.
I'm like this is this is notgood, right, right.
(07:47):
But when my mom put it to methat way, your, your soul is
your responsibility.
Now I was like, oh, that's abig responsibility, right, right
.
So I began to take it a bit moreseriously then, and then I've
been put in situations where sothat was step one board, have
(08:11):
you know, having a kid, uh,having a child out of wedlock.
Then then I married her, Imarried the girl, and you know
the questions about faith.
And then step two was, um, theyhad started to do young adult
ministry, they had started to doyoung adult meetings, they
started to do yam, yeah, and youknow, in its early phases we
(08:32):
were going from church to churchand then, you know, ray had
asked me hey, I want you toteach one.
And I started, I startedsweating, like you were on the
phone.
Immediately, I started sweatinglike, oh, ok, yeah, yeah, I'll
do it.
And I had to study to know whatI was talking about.
(08:56):
Yes, yes, yes.
And then through that, you know,even in terms of dealing with
my wife, because at the time,you know, at my wife, at the
time, she really wasn't feelingchurch, she didn't understand
why I had to go as frequently asI went, right, right, so then,
when yam came up, it was like,no, I gotta do this.
You know, nervous, nervous as Iwas, I still had to do it.
So, immediately startedsweating, I studied and I'm like
(09:20):
this just feels right, Wow.
And I and I had to be honestabout that.
It just it.
It felt like what I should bedoing, not not necessarily
preaching and teaching, but juststudying, just studying god's
word and getting closer to godand being able to answer these
questions that some of thesepeople might have had.
Yeah, so, you know, I taught, Itaught that.
(09:43):
You know, one of the I taughtthe one that I was supposed to
teach, and there was, there wasa, uh, there was a muslim girl
there and she had questions andI'm like, okay, what is this?
You know, what does this mean?
And we kind of had, you know,we she kind of held her
questions for for after and youknow, but through my dealings
(10:04):
with God questions and mydealings with, at the time, my
wife's parents, I was alreadykind of on that journey of
studying, so I had a way toanswer her questions and I'm
like that felt really good.
Wow, you know that that feltbetter than you know going to
the club, that felt better thanliving it up.
That felt better than you knowjust knowing that what I'm doing
(10:29):
is could be making God proud.
Wow, I was like, oh man, wow,you know, and I'm not going to
lie, I've had ups and downs.
I've had, you know, my, youknow moments, you know since
then.
But moments like that havealways brought me back to say
(10:51):
that's, that's where it's reallyat Right, right.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
You know.
That's where it's really at,man.
Right, right, amen.
Haven't you heard that, arjo?
I tell people, the Word of Godchanged people, man, because I
used to be a clubber too.
But when I got in the church infact I went in front of the
club preaching the gospel I saidthis is the same club that
tried to take me out.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
I'm going to go in front of the club and preach the
gospel.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
But yeah, man and man , thank you again for your
transparency, because I wantpeople to understand that when
you get in the church you knowyou don't change overnight.
It takes a process, it's just.
The thing is, the more and moreyou get into that word and you
get closer to Christ, the lessof the world you want.
You don't need the worldanymore.
It's like you find yourselflike shredding At this point.
(11:31):
It's about making God proud,like you said, like here's your
daddy.
You're like man, dad, I knowyou're proud of it, part of your
son.
You're proud of your daughter.
So again, man, thank you againfor sharing that.
Um, so, I know we're pressingfor time.
Adni, do you got a question ortwo?
Because I got one last question, but I'm gonna let that go
before we, before we go, okay soI'm so happy you shared that,
because devon is about tograduate.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
He's turning 18 in January, so just and he's look
y'all.
I'm proud of my son.
I think I did a great job withhim.
I'm not tooting my own horn,but I believe that through the
grace and mercy of God, Iplanted some great seeds in him.
But he's getting to that pointof I have a girl that I'm
(12:16):
interested in right.
He said she is a member of thechurch.
I'm not sure because I haven'tmet her yet.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
But um, to get him in that space of um studying the
word of God, because he had,like he has not been in church
because that is not a member ofthe body, okay, and that's who
(12:44):
he lives with.
But he understands that he hasa calling and there's that that,
like I can't leave God's hand,I have to stay focused, and
that's just not for Devon, butthat's also for the young adults
that are like I don'tunderstand the word of God.
I really want to study it, Ireally want to grow deeper and
be sanctified, because what youwere sharing was sanctification.
The Holy Spirit was sanctifyingyou as you were studying.
(13:04):
How do we, how do you or how dowe as parents, talk to our
young adults to get them intothe point where they could study
the word and allow the word tosanctify them and get them to
understand their assignment hereon earth?
Speaker 2 (13:20):
That's.
That's one that I'm honestlystill working on because, like I
said, my, my daughter, myoldest, is uh, you know, like I
said, her mom went back to theCatholic faith.
So I'm trying to, I'm trying toget my daughter to understand.
You know certain things aboutthe Catholic faith and certain
(13:43):
things about you know the churchof Christ and and you know that
form of true worship and youknow it's.
It's one of those things whereyou know, back in the days we
got baptized young because wewere simply scared to go to hell
, you know now I don't know ifthat fear is the same Mercy.
(14:09):
You know it's one of thosethings where I don't even know
if these kids nowadays believethat there is a hell.
So I try my best to encouragemy daughter.
Hey, listen, this was the paththat I took.
I want you to look it upyourself, getting your way.
(14:32):
I want you to look it upyourself, almost look it up like
and the name escapes me, butthere's a famous atheist who
went out of his way to.
He's a famous skeptic who wentout of his way to try to
disprove Christianity.
He wound up becoming aChristian.
He wound up writing someamazing Struggle, struggle,
(14:54):
thank you.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
A Case for Christ right.
It came out in my movie amazingtrouble, Thank you.
Uh, okay, christ Right, it cameout in my movie.
Yes, yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Yes, thank you very much.
I the name escaped me, butthank you, yes.
And he wound up writing someamazing Christian literature.
You know, there's also the, thecold case detective, uh, jay
Warner Wallace, um, who againwas just a skeptic and he began
looking into it and it's like,okay, I don't, I want you to
(15:19):
look into it.
Yeah, you know, look, I wouldalmost, I would almost dare my
kids to look into it anddisprove it and and see and see
what that does for you.
You know what I'm saying,because once you begin to look
into it and you see, hey,there's historical evidence for
this, there's more manuscriptsfor this, for the word of God,
(15:43):
than there is for Shakespearebeing real.
There's more evidence for theexistence of Jesus Christ, of
Nazareth, being real, being born, having died under, you know,
under, caesar being crucifiedand then being seen after he was
crucified and died, you know,than there is for Plato's
(16:04):
existence.
So you know, I would almostdare them to look into it with
the goal of trying to disproveit, you know, and then come back
and let's have thatconversation, but I don't know
if I'm bold enough to say thatto my kids just yet.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Well, they're going to watch this podcast.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Yeah, I'm sure they are they might, but within the
same vein, as a parent, you haveto be open-minded yourself into
hearing their perspective.
Yeah, and then saying, okay, Ihear you, and you kind of have
to use some of those apologeticsstrategies of asking questions.
They call it the Socraticmethod of learning.
(16:47):
You yourself ask the questions,or the Socratic method of
teaching.
You know, you ask the questionto them and let them discover
that answer.
You ask the question to themand let them discover that
answer, because I think our kidsare tired of being browbeat
with.
This is what the Bible says.
This is what the Bible says.
Okay, you know what I'm notgoing to do, that I'm going to
(17:08):
ask you a question.
I want you to answer it.
So I would almost flip it backon them.
You have these questions.
Fine, I have questions of myown.
I like to ask you.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
I like that.
But, adney, we're going to wrapthings up.
But you know, like we alwayssay, we, we always ask our
guests one last question, cause,adney and I know that when
you're in the body we are on amission for Christ, we can, we
for Christ, we honor.
It's not a mission impossible,it's a mission that's possible.
Right, it's a mission that'spossible.
So when we ask our guests, man,you know, what do you want to
(17:45):
be remembered for spirituallywhen God call you back home?
Speaker 2 (17:47):
That's a tough one that is a tough one.
I would say I would want to beremembered for standing up for
my faith.
You know, here's a man, here'smy son, my child, who stood up
(18:11):
for my only begotten son, whostood up for my only begotten
son, who stood up for my word,amen.
You know, in the midst of trial, tribulation and even doubts,
yeah, you know, from those thatwere around him, because I I've
I've had issues, you know, onthe job in times past, where you
know I had somebody trying togive me, you know, some certain
(18:33):
books.
And you know, read, read thisbook and you won't be Christian,
no more.
I'm like man please.
Let's have the conversation whotried to get me to disbelieve in
Christ, and this, that and thethird.
And I'm like, no, no, no,there's this, there's this,
there's this, let's squash that.
And he wasn't my friend anymore.
(18:54):
But but you know, I'm, I'm gladthat I was able to stand, you
know, firm in my faith.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
Amen, amen, all right world.
So there you have it, man.
Thank you again, man RJ, forcoming on to the show.
You know, like Adney and Ialways say we get excited when
folks come on.
Can we just sit back and hearfolks share their God-given
testimonies?
So, we appreciate you so much,but all right world.
So remember to like, share andsubscribe.
I didn't say that in thebeginning, so hopefully they get
it towards the end.
(19:24):
Remember that Jesus Christ, heis the King of Kings and he's
the Lord of Lords.
Be blessed.
as you talk to parents and as you share,
especially with apologetics.
I believe that every singleparent should be teaching their
children apologetics, like Idon't care what nobody say, yeah
, children need to be taughtapologetics.
So how would you help parentslearn apologetics, to teach
(00:33):
their children apologetics?
Speaker 3 (00:36):
yeah, if that makes even our audience.
What is apologetics like?
Speaker 2 (00:40):
so apologetics is.
It's the word that's used forthe biblical principle of having
an answer ready, of showingyourself approved.
And apologetics now has becomelooking into the Bible from many
different lenses the historicallens, the scientific lens, the
archaeological lens.
(01:00):
It's looking into the Bible forits what's?
The college word Historicity Ifeel like Ruben used that word
before but looking into theBible for its historical
accuracy and looking into italso for logic.
What does the logic say aboutthis thing?
(01:21):
What does the logic say aboutthis thing?
You know, if, if logic holdstrue and history shows true,
then it must be true.
You know.
So I looked into severaldifferent resources.
Um, if I'm, if I'm not mistakenand I could be wrong um,
there's a, there's a preacherout there, david Jeremiah, I
think he has like a children'sapologetics.
But just, you know you can, youcan Google some of this stuff
(01:43):
as far as um children'sresources for apologetics.
But just, you know you can, youcan Google some of this stuff
as far as um children'sresources for apologetics.
You know, as a parent, my thingto my kids, you know, has
become okay, let's look into thehistory of this thing together.
You know, if you, if yougenuinely have a question okay,
let's, let's sit down and, youknow, look into the history of
(02:04):
this thing together, because Ican tell you all day long that's
.
You might just be like, okay,well, that's just dad being dad,
yeah, he's smart, whatever,whatever.
But no, no, no, I, I want youto see it for yourself, I want
you to put eyes on it so youknow you're to your point, or
it's rather to your question.
You know, apologetics islooking into um, looking into
(02:24):
the Bible and being able to havean answer for biblical skeptics
and saying, you know, hey, thisis not only biblical, but extra
biblical sources say this, thisand this you know, yeah, and
it's a way to um defend the wordof God as well.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Right, cause there's a lot of false narratives, false
information out there, becausewe live in a world where
information is everywhere,Absolutely, it's easily
accessible, we have access to it.
There's also misinformation,absolutely Right, so that's why
I said the Bible is the sourcethat one could go to.
Once you start engulfing andgetting into the word of God,
(03:04):
man, that stuff could teach yousomething.
Yeah, but I know you, you knowI like how you brought up
apologetics and I'm glad you'reapologetics, because we need
more apologetics of folks thatcould defend the word of God and
also speak truth.
But you wasn't always like this, as you mentioned.
Yeah, and I like to always behonest with my audience and
(03:26):
always let them know.
Like, hey, being a Christian isnot easy, and you said it, but
there's things that we have togo to or through in order to get
to where we're at.
So where are you at right now?
So I know you left the church.
So I know everybody have awilderness moment.
We have our wilderness moments,we have our highs and our lows.
So, in addition to that, yousay you left the church and and
(03:48):
I'm going back to the initialquestion because, um, I think
it's interesting, because Idon't want people to think that
you got saved, then you left thechurch, then you went on this
quest to be an apologetics.
I also want people to like no,no, like he went through some
stuff too, as all of us, we allgo through stuff, cause I think
(04:08):
the things that we go through,the prunings, you know, the
trials and tribulations that wego through and to, is really to
draw us closer to God.
Yeah, so I know you are on firenow for the Lord is especially
the knowledge that you have forChrist and and like, as a parent
, I would want my child to havetheir own personal relationship
with God.
So what was that moment in timethat you went through I almost
(04:31):
want to say hell and hot waterin order to be like, ok, god, I
finally understand now.
Now you develop that Like, whatwas that moment in time that
you actually developed arelationship with God?
Like you finally got to knowyour Savior, even though you got
saved, but you had to gothrough things and be like, oh
now, because it's different foryou Because, like you said, you
(04:53):
was raised in a church, so forme it was different.
When I obeyed the gospel, Iautomatically took off.
I'm like God, you did this forme, like you know.
So for you it was differentbecause you was raised with it,
you know, for years.
You know so like years, youknow.
So, like what was that momentin time where you had your
moment where you was like, wowgod, I finally get it, and you
actually developed thatrelationship with christ?
Speaker 2 (05:10):
so it started um, and it's not.
It sounds funny, but you know,as as we like to say, we were
drugged.
You know, we were drugged askids.
We were drugged to church, wewere drugged here.
We're drugged everywhere.
So I was uh, so I was uh, soI'd I'd went clubbing.
(05:35):
I got home at like foursomething in the morning on a
saturday night, uh, into sundaymorning, excuse me, four o'clock
in the morning, sunday morning.
I got home I'd still smell likecigarette.
I still smell, smell like theclub you know, yeah, and I don't
even remember how old I was,but I was still under my
parents' roof and my parents, mymom, my mom came in, you know,
knocking on the door.
I didn't answer cause I wasknocked out.
So she came in, she woke me upand she was like hey, it's time
(05:59):
for church.
Oh, your salvation had been myresponsibility.
You decide what you want to do.
And I'm just like so you're notgoing to make me get up and go.
(06:23):
She was like no, you haveclothes in your closet, you have
a car.
You figure it out.
Your soul is up to you.
Now You're old enough to knowhow old were you at this time.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
If you recall, in your early 20s.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Yeah, in your 20s, yeah, 20s, yeah I might have
been because I was in.
I was in college at the time,but I was, I was close okay,
around that time okay to live,to stay at home, so I was
probably early 20s I'm helpingthe 20 year olds.
Yeah, so it was probably early20s.
You know I was.
I was trying to do both.
I would go to church, right, Iwould go to church, right, I
would go to church, go throughthe motions and everything, and,
uh, you know, saturday nightI'm, you know, saturday night I
(07:01):
was doing my thing, I was goingto the club or whatever.
And then Sunday morning try toget it right, you know, you know
if I'm, you know, just beingtransparent, I remember there
was one, there was one Sunday,where I got up, you know, went,
dragged myself into church, Ididn't realize that I was on the
schedule to serve.
It's so bad, I didn't realize Iwas on the schedule to serve,
(07:22):
right, right.
So I'm up on stage and I'msitting right next to Ray and
I'm like I can't hear.
It's club music.
It's loud, wow.
So club music.
It's loud, wow.
So I I couldn't hear.
And I said I had my hair, youknow, I had my locks back then
and my hair smelled likecigarette smoke, cigarette smoke
and weed smoke from being inthe club.
I'm like this is this is notgood, right, right.
(07:47):
But when my mom put it to methat way, your, your soul is
your responsibility.
Now I was like, oh, that's abig responsibility, right, right
.
So I began to take it a bit moreseriously then, and then I've
been put in situations where sothat was step one board, have
(08:11):
you know, having a kid, uh,having a child out of wedlock.
Then then I married her, Imarried the girl, and you know
the questions about faith.
And then step two was, um, theyhad started to do young adult
ministry, they had started to doyoung adult meetings, they
started to do yam, yeah, and youknow, in its early phases we
(08:32):
were going from church to churchand then, you know, ray had
asked me hey, I want you toteach one.
And I started, I startedsweating, like you were on the
phone.
Immediately, I started sweatinglike, oh, ok, yeah, yeah, I'll
do it.
And I had to study to know whatI was talking about.
(08:56):
Yes, yes, yes.
And then through that, you know,even in terms of dealing with
my wife, because at the time,you know, at my wife, at the
time, she really wasn't feelingchurch, she didn't understand
why I had to go as frequently asI went, right, right, so then,
when yam came up, it was like,no, I gotta do this.
You know, nervous, nervous as Iwas, I still had to do it.
So, immediately startedsweating, I studied and I'm like
(09:20):
this just feels right, Wow.
And I and I had to be honestabout that.
It just it.
It felt like what I should bedoing, not not necessarily
preaching and teaching, but juststudying, just studying god's
word and getting closer to godand being able to answer these
questions that some of thesepeople might have had.
Yeah, so, you know, I taught, Itaught that.
(09:43):
You know, one of the I taughtthe one that I was supposed to
teach, and there was, there wasa, uh, there was a muslim girl
there and she had questions andI'm like, okay, what is this?
You know, what does this mean?
And we kind of had, you know,we she kind of held her
questions for for after and youknow, but through my dealings
(10:04):
with God questions and mydealings with, at the time, my
wife's parents, I was alreadykind of on that journey of
studying, so I had a way toanswer her questions and I'm
like that felt really good.
Wow, you know that that feltbetter than you know going to
the club, that felt better thanliving it up.
That felt better than you knowjust knowing that what I'm doing
(10:29):
is could be making God proud.
Wow, I was like, oh man, wow,you know, and I'm not going to
lie, I've had ups and downs.
I've had, you know, my, youknow moments, you know since
then.
But moments like that havealways brought me back to say
(10:51):
that's, that's where it's reallyat Right, right.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
You know.
That's where it's really at,man.
Right, right, amen.
Haven't you heard that, arjo?
I tell people, the Word of Godchanged people, man, because I
used to be a clubber too.
But when I got in the church infact I went in front of the
club preaching the gospel I saidthis is the same club that
tried to take me out.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
I'm going to go in front of the club and preach the
gospel.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
But yeah, man and man , thank you again for your
transparency, because I wantpeople to understand that when
you get in the church you knowyou don't change overnight.
It takes a process, it's just.
The thing is, the more and moreyou get into that word and you
get closer to Christ, the lessof the world you want.
You don't need the worldanymore.
It's like you find yourselflike shredding At this point.
(11:31):
It's about making God proud,like you said, like here's your
daddy.
You're like man, dad, I knowyou're proud of it, part of your
son.
You're proud of your daughter.
So again, man, thank you againfor sharing that.
Um, so, I know we're pressingfor time.
Adni, do you got a question ortwo?
Because I got one last question, but I'm gonna let that go
before we, before we go, okay soI'm so happy you shared that,
because devon is about tograduate.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
He's turning 18 in January, so just and he's look
y'all.
I'm proud of my son.
I think I did a great job withhim.
I'm not tooting my own horn,but I believe that through the
grace and mercy of God, Iplanted some great seeds in him.
But he's getting to that pointof I have a girl that I'm
(12:16):
interested in right.
He said she is a member of thechurch.
I'm not sure because I haven'tmet her yet.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
But um, to get him in that space of um studying the
word of God, because he had,like he has not been in church
because that is not a member ofthe body, okay, and that's who
(12:44):
he lives with.
But he understands that he hasa calling and there's that that,
like I can't leave God's hand,I have to stay focused, and
that's just not for Devon, butthat's also for the young adults
that are like I don'tunderstand the word of God.
I really want to study it, Ireally want to grow deeper and
be sanctified, because what youwere sharing was sanctification.
The Holy Spirit was sanctifyingyou as you were studying.
(13:04):
How do we, how do you or how dowe as parents, talk to our
young adults to get them intothe point where they could study
the word and allow the word tosanctify them and get them to
understand their assignment hereon earth?
Speaker 2 (13:20):
That's.
That's one that I'm honestlystill working on because, like I
said, my, my daughter, myoldest, is uh, you know, like I
said, her mom went back to theCatholic faith.
So I'm trying to, I'm trying toget my daughter to understand.
You know certain things aboutthe Catholic faith and certain
(13:43):
things about you know the churchof Christ and and you know that
form of true worship and youknow it's.
It's one of those things whereyou know, back in the days we
got baptized young because wewere simply scared to go to hell
, you know now I don't know ifthat fear is the same Mercy.
(14:09):
You know it's one of thosethings where I don't even know
if these kids nowadays believethat there is a hell.
So I try my best to encouragemy daughter.
Hey, listen, this was the paththat I took.
I want you to look it upyourself, getting your way.
(14:32):
I want you to look it upyourself, almost look it up like
and the name escapes me, butthere's a famous atheist who
went out of his way to.
He's a famous skeptic who wentout of his way to try to
disprove Christianity.
He wound up becoming aChristian.
He wound up writing someamazing Struggle, struggle,
(14:54):
thank you.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
A Case for Christ right.
It came out in my movie amazingtrouble, Thank you.
Uh, okay, christ Right, it cameout in my movie.
Yes, yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Yes, thank you very much.
I the name escaped me, butthank you, yes.
And he wound up writing someamazing Christian literature.
You know, there's also the, thecold case detective, uh, jay
Warner Wallace, um, who againwas just a skeptic and he began
looking into it and it's like,okay, I don't, I want you to
(15:19):
look into it.
Yeah, you know, look, I wouldalmost, I would almost dare my
kids to look into it anddisprove it and and see and see
what that does for you.
You know what I'm saying,because once you begin to look
into it and you see, hey,there's historical evidence for
this, there's more manuscriptsfor this, for the word of God,
(15:43):
than there is for Shakespearebeing real.
There's more evidence for theexistence of Jesus Christ, of
Nazareth, being real, being born, having died under, you know,
under, caesar being crucifiedand then being seen after he was
crucified and died, you know,than there is for Plato's
(16:04):
existence.
So you know, I would almostdare them to look into it with
the goal of trying to disproveit, you know, and then come back
and let's have thatconversation, but I don't know
if I'm bold enough to say thatto my kids just yet.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Well, they're going to watch this podcast.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Yeah, I'm sure they are they might, but within the
same vein, as a parent, you haveto be open-minded yourself into
hearing their perspective.
Yeah, and then saying, okay, Ihear you, and you kind of have
to use some of those apologeticsstrategies of asking questions.
They call it the Socraticmethod of learning.
(16:47):
You yourself ask the questions,or the Socratic method of
teaching.
You know, you ask the questionto them and let them discover
that answer.
You ask the question to themand let them discover that
answer, because I think our kidsare tired of being browbeat
with.
This is what the Bible says.
This is what the Bible says.
Okay, you know what I'm notgoing to do, that I'm going to
(17:08):
ask you a question.
I want you to answer it.
So I would almost flip it backon them.
You have these questions.
Fine, I have questions of myown.
I like to ask you.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
I like that.
But, adney, we're going to wrapthings up.
But you know, like we alwayssay, we, we always ask our
guests one last question, cause,adney and I know that when
you're in the body we are on amission for Christ, we can, we
for Christ, we honor.
It's not a mission impossible,it's a mission that's possible.
Right, it's a mission that'spossible.
So when we ask our guests, man,you know, what do you want to
(17:45):
be remembered for spirituallywhen God call you back home?
Speaker 2 (17:47):
That's a tough one that is a tough one.
I would say I would want to beremembered for standing up for
my faith.
You know, here's a man, here'smy son, my child, who stood up
(18:11):
for my only begotten son, whostood up for my only begotten
son, who stood up for my word,amen.
You know, in the midst of trial, tribulation and even doubts,
yeah, you know, from those thatwere around him, because I I've
I've had issues, you know, onthe job in times past, where you
know I had somebody trying togive me, you know, some certain
(18:33):
books.
And you know, read, read thisbook and you won't be Christian,
no more.
I'm like man please.
Let's have the conversation whotried to get me to disbelieve in
Christ, and this, that and thethird.
And I'm like, no, no, no,there's this, there's this,
there's this, let's squash that.
And he wasn't my friend anymore.
(18:54):
But but you know, I'm, I'm gladthat I was able to stand, you
know, firm in my faith.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
Amen, amen, all right world.
So there you have it, man.
Thank you again, man RJ, forcoming on to the show.
You know, like Adney and Ialways say we get excited when
folks come on.
Can we just sit back and hearfolks share their God-given
testimonies?
So, we appreciate you so much,but all right world.
So remember to like, share andsubscribe.
I didn't say that in thebeginning, so hopefully they get
it towards the end.
(19:24):
Remember that Jesus Christ, heis the King of Kings and he's
the Lord of Lords.
Be blessed.
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