1 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:15,360 What's up guys? My name's Alexis, your host of 2 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:18,760 Praises in the Pod, and I am so excited to be here with Jessica 3 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:20,560 Cox. We are going to be talking about 4 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:23,640 her testimony and all the things that God has done in her life. 5 00:00:24,080 --> 00:00:25,760 We're going to start off in prayer and then we're going to 6 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:27,920 jump right in. So here we go, Lord Heavenly 7 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:30,840 Father, just thank you for today and all your many blessings. 8 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:33,600 Dear God, thank you for this conversation that me and Jessica 9 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:36,320 has had already before we even recorded. 10 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:39,560 Lord God, you are just so intentional about every little 11 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:43,920 thing and we thank you for just all of your blessings and all of 12 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:46,520 the things that you're doing that we have no idea about. 13 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:51,080 Lord God, we just pray that you speak to us and through US today 14 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:53,920 and ultimately this episode glorify you. 15 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:56,840 Jesus, we love you and thank you for all that you're doing. 16 00:00:56,840 --> 00:00:58,320 In Jesus name I pray. Amen. 17 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:00,360 Amen. Let's jump in, girl. 18 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:02,640 Yeah, I feel like we have been talking. 19 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:04,920 We already hit our word count, but we're going to talk some 20 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:05,440 more. We're going. 21 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:08,280 Keep chatting. Yes, this time more about you. 22 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:13,520 OK, I know which I I think I prefer what chatting about you. 23 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:18,560 I know most people do Well if you do not know Jessica is a 24 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:23,400 pastor's wife of the Grove. Y'all have been booming like I 25 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:26,560 have just seen. The Grove is just expanding. 26 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:28,680 Y'all are doing so much and we're going to get there. 27 00:01:28,960 --> 00:01:31,480 But I just wanted to go ahead and give a little context of who 28 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:35,600 you are and the ministry about the well and how I come to know 29 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:38,960 you kinda. I know you, you didn't know me, 30 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:42,280 but ladies, this is just an incredible ministry that y'all 31 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:44,960 gather once a month. Y'all just let people get up 32 00:01:44,960 --> 00:01:46,640 there and talk and not just get up there. 33 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:49,960 You plan it, but people just talk about what God has done in 34 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:52,920 their lives just like this, and it's just a way where we can all 35 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:56,240 come together so. I love it because it opens the 36 00:01:56,240 --> 00:02:01,640 door for women who may not get up and preach a message that can 37 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:06,880 share their story and someone who that may be the first time 38 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:10,639 anybody's ever heard their story before is in that setting. 39 00:02:10,759 --> 00:02:15,720 Yes, I love it because Jesus taught us through parables and 40 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:20,200 those are the things, testimonies that really honestly 41 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:23,080 encourage us. You walk away feeling like OK, 42 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:26,520 Father, if you can do that for them, Yep, then I can trust you 43 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:28,840 right here. I mean, I mean, literally that's 44 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:32,160 what this is built on. Because I was like, I want real 45 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:36,120 women that are really relatable, you know, that are going to the 46 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:39,480 same things as so many other women, but we don't hear from 47 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:42,880 them because we're just hearing, you know, from the pastors or or 48 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:46,200 women speakers, you know, that actually are in full time 49 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:48,640 ministry, whatever. I wanted to give a platform for 50 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:53,800 just everyday women that love the Lord and the Lord has saved 51 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:57,720 and changed them. I think too, sometimes we forget 52 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:02,520 that God is still active in moving and the miraculous is 53 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:05,520 still happening. It looks different than it did 54 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:11,160 2000 years ago, but he is still active in moving and changing 55 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:12,080 lives. Amen. 56 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:15,560 You know what I also just thought about earlier, you were 57 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:18,760 saying this is similar. It kind of goes hand in hand 58 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:21,000 about how our testimony is always evolving. 59 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:23,840 It is always changing. Just because my testimony was 60 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:27,480 something two years ago, God's still moving and doing 61 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:30,280 miraculous things in our lives where our testimony is 62 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:33,200 constantly changing. Like we shouldn't just be 63 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:36,760 sitting in that same season, you know, we're growing so. 64 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:41,840 It's a relationship and honestly, we don't want to be 65 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:47,200 stuck in a testimony that isn't evolving and changing because 66 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:51,800 we're going to have new hurdles to jump and challenges to face, 67 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:55,960 and we're going to continue to watch God's faithfulness and so. 68 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:58,280 Yeah, let's jump into your childhood. 69 00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:02,440 OK, let's. Let's talk about your testimony. 70 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:07,160 Where where do you start? I mean, your family dynamics. 71 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:09,400 Did you grow up with Christ? No, like talk. 72 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:12,760 Tell us a little bit about that. OK, I grew up with a single mom. 73 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:16,640 We lived with my grandparents till I was about 5. 74 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:20,760 And I think this is such an important part of my story 75 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:26,360 because my grandparents and my mom had radical salvation and 76 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:30,600 life change before I was born. And so that really was the 77 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:36,400 backdrop of my childhood is really like hearing stories from 78 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:40,800 my grandparents, from my mom of life before Christ and life 79 00:04:40,840 --> 00:04:44,760 after. And so that radical life change 80 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:51,240 from an early age was taught and seen and experienced. 81 00:04:51,280 --> 00:04:55,160 And so my mom was saved when she had me. 82 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:59,680 She was not saved when she was pregnant with me. 83 00:04:59,840 --> 00:05:04,200 And so that was a process of moving back home, getting 84 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:09,320 involved in church. I think, you know, my mom going 85 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:14,720 back to church as a single mom in the 80s, just the humility of 86 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:19,200 there weren't very many of them. You know, it's not like she had 87 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:25,440 a group of single moms. She was putting herself in a 88 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:31,600 place of vulnerability, being a single mom in a church culture 89 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:34,560 so. Now, so do you. 90 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:37,000 I hate when people ask me this question. 91 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:40,720 So maybe, but we'll see. But like, did you know your dad? 92 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:43,600 Did you know who your dad was? Or like, did you have any 93 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:48,040 relationship at all with him? No, OK, I've met him maybe three 94 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:49,480 times. The two. 95 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:53,520 The past two times I've met him, it was me reaching out once in 96 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:57,600 high school, went to lunch with him. 97 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:01,680 Super awkward. You know, I think in my mind I 98 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:06,240 had made-up this romantic. Yeah, we're going to love each 99 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:09,560 other. You know, it's my dad and I 100 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:14,240 left, so not not feeling that way at all. 101 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:18,680 I met him again in college. I reached out again, we went to 102 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:22,600 dinner. And since then I haven't had any 103 00:06:22,840 --> 00:06:26,560 contact. And it's not that there's any 104 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:33,600 hard feelings there. I just don't really have a need 105 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:37,920 for that relationship that that makes sense when my mom got 106 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:41,080 married when I was 5 and he adopted me. 107 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:45,240 And so that really is my dad. And so at this season 108 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:48,560 especially, I'm not saying God's not going to take me to that 109 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:53,640 place eventually, but I don't have lots of space to think 110 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:59,960 about developing a relationship with a grown man who, yeah, you 111 00:06:59,960 --> 00:07:01,000 know. I get that. 112 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:04,200 I mean, I was adopted by my stepdad when I was in middle 113 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:05,920 school. I was a little bit older, but 114 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:08,120 prior to that I didn't really have a relationship with my 115 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:12,720 biological father. And so with that, do you feel 116 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:18,280 like a lot of insecurities come from that or maybe attention 117 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:20,600 from men or anything in your life? 118 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:25,000 I know you know, we do sometimes have those feelings and trying 119 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:30,920 to figure them out so. I don't know if that was so much 120 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:32,440 of it. I lived with my grandparents 121 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:35,440 till I was 5 and I was really close to my grandfather. 122 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:41,160 So that I think there was a lot of security in my relationship 123 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:43,720 with him. He really did. 124 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:47,560 I can remember as a little girl asking him, like, will you be my 125 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:50,080 dad until God sends me a new one? 126 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:54,280 And yes. And at that season, he, my 127 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:57,400 grandfather was an alcoholic when my mom was growing up. 128 00:07:57,400 --> 00:08:01,800 But at that point him and my grandmother had both been saved 129 00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:06,560 so they were very different than how my mom experienced them in 130 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:09,880 her childhood. And he did. 131 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:16,000 My grandfather was so precious and really did love and adore me 132 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:21,160 in the sweetest way. So I don't know if the attention 133 00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:25,800 from males so much. I think where I can see it in 134 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:29,840 adulthood is just a fierce independence. 135 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:32,840 I can remember when Gabe and I first got married, that was 136 00:08:32,919 --> 00:08:37,480 absolutely a like a source of contention with us. 137 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:45,360 Is I really, in my mind, was independent and could do it. 138 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:47,760 Does that make sense? It does because I feel the same 139 00:08:47,760 --> 00:08:50,560 way. Like I never wanted someone to 140 00:08:50,560 --> 00:08:52,560 think that I had to depend on them. 141 00:08:52,560 --> 00:08:56,360 Like, but that was part of my childhood too, of like I was 142 00:08:56,360 --> 00:09:00,040 scared my mom was going to relapse or my parents were going 143 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:03,600 to split or something like that. Like, and so I always wanted to 144 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:06,440 be in control of that. Like I'm, I'm independent. 145 00:09:06,440 --> 00:09:08,920 I got I got this now, you know, so. 146 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:12,680 OK, so but you and Gabe y'all get together pretty young, 21 147 00:09:12,680 --> 00:09:14,480 right around there. Yeah. 148 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:17,800 Now did you date prior a little bit or like. 149 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:21,240 Yeah, OK, wait, then being Gabe date prior to that? 150 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:24,440 Well, no date like. Yes, I did. 151 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:26,640 I have a serious boyfriend in high school school. 152 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:32,120 We both went to Georgia and I broke up with him pretty quick 153 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:37,960 after getting starting college and after that relationship, I 154 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:42,760 was steadily My prayer was I want to know that I know like I 155 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:47,120 I don't want to really die. Around and play these games, 156 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:49,880 Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I did date a couple of guys 157 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:56,280 after that, but nothing serious to the point of I think I might 158 00:09:56,280 --> 00:09:57,520 marry them. You know what? 159 00:09:57,520 --> 00:10:01,600 I skipped a part. OK, now I know you were raised 160 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:06,760 in a in a Christ filled home, but when did you actually like 161 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:13,440 ask Christ into your life? I can always remember having a 162 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:16,480 love for the Lord like from a young age. 163 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:21,120 And I think this is also important for my story is the 164 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:25,120 church that I grew up went and when I was little was such a 165 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:27,760 gift. And obviously sometimes you 166 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:31,080 don't see it until you're an adult and you look back like 167 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:34,760 man, what an amazing church to grow up in. 168 00:10:35,120 --> 00:10:38,640 One of the things I loved about the church I grew up in, it was 169 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:44,520 in Fulton County, so in Atlanta area, very diverse and it was 170 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:49,240 non denominational. I can a lot of the kids that I 171 00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:54,280 grew up in with at church or in ministry of some sort today, 172 00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:58,200 which I think speaks volume absolutely about that ministry. 173 00:11:00,160 --> 00:11:04,760 And so I grew up in church, loved the Lord. 174 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:12,880 I think there was a season in high school of rebellious, but 175 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:16,160 still, you know, when you're like, really just straddling the 176 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:20,400 fence, like, I really love the Lord, but I want to see what the 177 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:25,040 world has to offer in college. I spent a lot of time before I 178 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:26,680 left for college and high school. 179 00:11:27,760 --> 00:11:30,440 Man, I had some crazy friends in high school. 180 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:34,040 And I say that because I have a daughter who's a junior now. 181 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:37,000 And I think your friends are amazing. 182 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:38,720 Yeah. These are good. 183 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:42,080 You are. So grounded and your friends are 184 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:44,040 so grounded and it's such a gift. 185 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:50,080 Yeah, I did not have that. There was not like minded 186 00:11:50,680 --> 00:11:56,680 believers that I was spending my time with and so before I left 187 00:11:56,680 --> 00:12:01,040 for Georgia, I really prayed. Father, please send me some 188 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:06,880 friends who love the Lord and he was so faithful to do that. 189 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:11,280 I was at Georgia and a sorority, Gabe. 190 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:15,400 We didn't know each other at this point, but was in ministry 191 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:19,240 school. And today I have more friends 192 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:23,800 that were that are in full time ministry than Gabe does because 193 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:29,760 so many have gotten out. And so God surrounded me by a 194 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:38,440 sweet community of girls, women who love the Lord and lived it. 195 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:40,560 Yeah. That's awesome because they're 196 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:46,120 like, we need community. I was like, I, I stress this 197 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:49,360 every episode and I know people are sick of hearing it, but you 198 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:51,080 don't need to be doing life alone. 199 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:53,800 He doesn't call us to be doing life alone. 200 00:12:53,800 --> 00:12:57,040 Like we need to find those equally yoked friendships. 201 00:12:57,040 --> 00:12:58,280 We talked about that in marriage. 202 00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:01,280 We need to do that same thing with the other women. 203 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:08,320 I think we unpacked this like 2 months ago at the well that our 204 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:13,920 culture is so counter to a lot of the word of God and in one 205 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:17,720 area it's community. A lot of the Old and New 206 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:23,640 Testament is written with the backdrop of we live in community 207 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:27,200 with people. Well, our culture today sets you 208 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:29,960 up where you literally do not have to leave your home. 209 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:34,400 Your groceries can be delivered, you can work from home. 210 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:40,440 You are without it. Like you can be alone all the 211 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:44,200 time and function where in other times in other parts of the 212 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:49,360 world that's not available. Well, you know, Speaking of the 213 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:52,640 Georgia and around that time frame, that's when you and Gabe 214 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:55,120 get together. So tell us a little bit about 215 00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:58,720 that, how this all transpires into a relationship and just 216 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:01,240 dating and all of the things under that umbrella. 217 00:14:01,240 --> 00:14:06,800 OK, so I when I moved to Athens, my mom and dad moved from 218 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:11,040 Newnan, where I grew up, to Griffin and I came home for the 219 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:13,760 summer. I think this was my sophomore, 220 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:18,160 the summer of my sophomore year, and Gabe was doing an internship 221 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:21,320 at at the church that my mom and dad were going to. 222 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:23,400 Oh, wow. So I jumped in. 223 00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:27,600 I'm home for the summer, jumping in with the young adults 224 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:31,240 ministry that they had. And so I met Gabe that way. 225 00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:39,520 We met, we talked a little bit for a short season right after 226 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:44,120 that, and I was still in Athens. He was at Southeastern 227 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:50,080 University in Lakeland, FL. After that I go back to Athens, 228 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:59,440 he goes back to Lakeland and I finish out my first semester of 229 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:02,840 my junior year. During that summer that I was 230 00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:08,360 home and in Griffin, I really felt like a strong pulled to 231 00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:15,760 full time ministry and was going back and forth on what that like 232 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:18,800 where do I go, what do I do? OK, I'm at Georgia. 233 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:24,640 There was a ministry program at that church at the time and so I 234 00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:28,560 had met with them, talked about transferring to the ministry 235 00:15:28,560 --> 00:15:34,240 school there and then Southeastern, I had talked to 236 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:39,000 the admissions office there about transferring there. 237 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:43,400 So that was spring semester, junior year. 238 00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:49,720 I transferred to Southeastern. Gabe was there, but we were not. 239 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:52,520 We didn't date. Did y'all talk at all? 240 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:56,280 Like did you tell? That I'm coming like to Lakeland 241 00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:58,280 or no? Not really. 242 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:03,360 We weren't talking. Gabe I, the pastor at Griffin, 243 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:06,880 his daughter was at Southeastern, and that was going 244 00:16:06,880 --> 00:16:13,680 to be my roommate. She was in a pod with Gabe's 245 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:16,720 sister, so Gabe's sister was down there too. 246 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:21,280 So I moved in January. Lauren is, in essence Gabe's 247 00:16:21,280 --> 00:16:24,680 sister, one of my roommates. And she, she's one of the. 248 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:26,360 Children's. OK. 249 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:29,520 I was there that night, too. Yes, I heard that one. 250 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:35,440 So Lauren was there, but Gabe and I did not have. 251 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:38,120 I mean, we saw each other, but we weren't. 252 00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:42,760 Yeah. Talking after that, that was a 253 00:16:42,760 --> 00:16:45,680 tough semester for me. I was ready to go back to 254 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:49,040 Athens. OK, So that was my first taste 255 00:16:49,040 --> 00:16:54,120 of ministry from the standpoint of I would have rather been in 256 00:16:54,120 --> 00:16:58,760 Athens with the people who were lost, knew they were lost, and 257 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:01,600 didn't pretend to be anything different than that. 258 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:05,599 And so that semester was tough because you're in Chapel with 259 00:17:05,599 --> 00:17:10,920 people and then you see behind the curtains of how they're 260 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:12,440 living their lives. And it was hard. 261 00:17:13,800 --> 00:17:16,640 So I went back to Georgia. I did a semester at 262 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:20,200 Southeastern. I took all my core Bible classes 263 00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:25,400 and then went back to, so pretty much that semester in terms of 264 00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:31,080 graduation didn't count. So go back to Athens When I go 265 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:37,080 back to Athens, in a crazy turn of events, Gabe came to visit a 266 00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:41,520 friend in Atlanta. They drove up to see me in 267 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:43,640 Athens. Gabe and I started dating. 268 00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:47,280 I think that was August of my senior year. 269 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:51,720 Wow, so long distance. We dated long distance our 270 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:55,560 entire relationship. So I was in Athens, he was in 271 00:17:55,560 --> 00:18:00,680 Lakeland until he graduated that December, and he took a youth 272 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:06,080 pastor position in Arkansas. Oh, so there was that. 273 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:11,120 Yes, you know, I do love when couples at the beginning when it 274 00:18:11,120 --> 00:18:13,920 is long distance because that is when you really learn 275 00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:16,840 communication. That is when you become like, 276 00:18:17,120 --> 00:18:20,920 get a good rhythm of how to communicate and learning more 277 00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:22,960 about each other because you're not just with each other all the 278 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:24,440 time. I don't know, you know, I don't 279 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:25,760 know. You don't, you don't agree with 280 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:27,360 that. OK, I don't know. 281 00:18:27,360 --> 00:18:29,760 I've never dealt with that. So every time I hear story I'm 282 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:32,160 like man y'all must have had to learn how to communicate. 283 00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:37,200 Now, I think we both were pretty confident of this. 284 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:38,000 Is it? Yeah. 285 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:40,240 You know, So we got engaged in February. 286 00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:43,280 So it was quit. Started dating in August, got 287 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:48,520 engaged in February. He was in Arkansas and I 288 00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:53,080 graduated in May. We got married in September and 289 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:57,280 I moved to Arkansas. Boom boom, yes, all the big. 290 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:01,320 Life changes at one time. You know, we always talk about 291 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:04,000 military people getting married quick and stuff like that. 292 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:06,040 Pastors do, too. Yeah, they do. 293 00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:07,520 They do because you know you know. 294 00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:10,840 When you know, you know, and then you're making decisions on 295 00:19:10,840 --> 00:19:14,000 do you continue dating long distance or do you get married 296 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:14,880 then? Yeah. 297 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:17,840 So it was a crash course. Yeah, I'm so. 298 00:19:17,960 --> 00:19:20,280 And you're young. Oh, we're babies, Yeah. 299 00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:27,280 And we were in a really tough church environment. 300 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:30,960 I can remember telling Gabe, like, listen, just so we're 301 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:34,160 clear, you know, that I would never choose to go to church 302 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:39,360 here if you weren't on staff, which was a that was time that 303 00:19:39,360 --> 00:19:45,720 it was just the environment was really unhealthy. 304 00:19:46,280 --> 00:19:49,960 And so we got pregnant really quick. 305 00:19:50,120 --> 00:19:53,920 We got married in September. I think I found out I was 306 00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:58,240 pregnant in January. OK, So while on birth control, 307 00:19:58,240 --> 00:19:59,240 yes. Like, OK. 308 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:01,400 Oh, wow. I'm thinking I'm going back to 309 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:04,160 school. I'm going to get my counseling 310 00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:06,320 degree. I wanted to be a Christian. 311 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:10,200 Kid, isn't it so fun how we have all these plans for ourselves? 312 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:15,680 Like a five year plan before really, we hadn't even been 313 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:17,800 around each other that much. We just. 314 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:20,640 Yeah. Just started dating. 315 00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:22,680 Really. So how long were y'all in 316 00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:26,320 Arkansas and at this? Church Gabe was there for two 317 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:28,640 years. I was there for a little bit 318 00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:31,600 less than two years. Oh, you moved home first, or you 319 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:33,280 moved well? Oh, you worked at the church 320 00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:35,600 too? No, he moved to Arkansas before 321 00:20:35,680 --> 00:20:36,120 I that's. Right. 322 00:20:36,200 --> 00:20:37,800 Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's right. I got a little confused. 323 00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:38,080 Sorry. Yeah. 324 00:20:38,360 --> 00:20:40,520 No, you're like, wait. Wait, what? 325 00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:43,640 This is really y'all really didn't like that turn no. 326 00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:46,400 But. You know, it's a stepping stone. 327 00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:49,920 You know, you grow in those seasons where God puts us in 328 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:52,600 these deserts, it feels like. But you probably learned a lot 329 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:54,520 about yourself in this. We learned. 330 00:20:54,880 --> 00:21:00,600 And a lot about Christ much. And I think that it gives us a 331 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:02,760 gratitude for where we are today. 332 00:21:02,760 --> 00:21:04,760 Then we wouldn't have. Yeah, that's good. 333 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:06,200 We. Would just assume. 334 00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:09,600 That all churches are like this and this is just the way it is. 335 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:14,440 And because we've experienced another side, we know. 336 00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:16,240 Yeah, it's. Not. 337 00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:20,800 And so we're so grateful for this season, even more so 338 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:25,640 because we have seen hard, yeah. So we had a. 339 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:30,520 Baby, that was such a source of joy for us, and a season that 340 00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:32,800 was. Hard. 341 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:34,720 Yeah, it was hard. What? 342 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:38,400 So after this Arkansas season, do y'all stay there? 343 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:40,160 Do y'all move? Do you go to another church? 344 00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:41,600 Where? Where does it go from there? 345 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:45,920 OK, so from there. We actually moved to Alabama for 346 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:53,560 short season of applying for jobs in ministry and we get a 347 00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:55,520 youth pastor position in Warner Robins. 348 00:21:55,800 --> 00:21:59,760 So that's what brought us OK. OK, so y'all get to Warner 349 00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:02,760 Robins and is this at another church? 350 00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:04,560 Yes. OK, so this is another church 351 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:07,720 when we'll get to the Grove, I guess, because that's a while. 352 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:09,360 That's a while from. Now, Right, Correct. 353 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:11,120 OK. So tell us a little bit about 354 00:22:11,120 --> 00:22:12,960 that season because I know you have a lot more kids. 355 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:16,040 You have a lot more kids, which really? 356 00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:20,720 You know, I think. There's this crazy part of my 357 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:27,320 story, and right before we got married, I go to the doctor, get 358 00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:32,280 on birth control, and I remember being in line waiting for that 359 00:22:32,280 --> 00:22:36,200 prescription to be filled. And I prayed this crazy prayer 360 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:40,440 where I'm like, OK, Father, I don't know what your will is. 361 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:44,520 I'm going to take birth control, but I just give you permission 362 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:49,160 to have your way with Gabe and I in regards to kids. 363 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:53,480 It was just one of those things like I just, it's a vivid memory 364 00:22:53,480 --> 00:22:56,400 of giving God permission right there. 365 00:22:56,400 --> 00:23:01,160 And listen, he heard me. He heard me because you can get 366 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:02,600 this. Prescription, but it really 367 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:04,960 doesn't matter. But we're going to have. 368 00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:12,880 A baby really quick and so we moved to Warner Robins and in 369 00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:17,920 June I found out I was pregnant with my second probably in 370 00:23:17,920 --> 00:23:26,000 September that year and then had Owen and April were youth 371 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:34,200 pastors just rocking and rolling and then had Eli the following 372 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:37,440 June. So I had three under 3. 373 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:42,360 Under 3. We and listen, I look back and 374 00:23:42,360 --> 00:23:48,560 think Gabe and I were on some type of crazy crash course for 375 00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:52,040 life. Really just walking through at a 376 00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:58,680 young age, a lot of life coming at you fast and marriage was 377 00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:00,400 tough. That's what I was about to ask. 378 00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:04,400 What does the marriage portion of this like, 'cause you're in 379 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:07,280 full time ministry, you know y'all are rocking and rolling 380 00:24:07,280 --> 00:24:13,200 with that aspect but like how is the effects the heaviness of 381 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:17,360 life maybe and being a mother young too and many like how is 382 00:24:17,360 --> 00:24:19,360 y'all's marriage at this point financially? 383 00:24:20,120 --> 00:24:21,080 I was. Staying home. 384 00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:28,920 And so financially it was so tight and so there were so many 385 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:31,800 stresses. We had no family close. 386 00:24:32,320 --> 00:24:37,720 And so it wasn't, we weren't having date nights, you know, we 387 00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:46,280 were doing a lot of survival, a lot of making it happen and so. 388 00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:52,280 It was I. Think I look. 389 00:24:52,280 --> 00:24:54,520 Back Gabe and I were having this conversation the other day 390 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:59,000 because we're about to do like a marriage event at church and 391 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:01,440 marriage is such a big deal and I. 392 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:06,880 It's 1. Of the main ways for us in our 393 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:12,800 life that we have really felt spiritual warfare take place is 394 00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:16,920 over our marriage and the reason is is because it's a great. 395 00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:21,120 Great value. Yeah, it's a big deal. 396 00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:23,920 Our marriage is a big deal for us. 397 00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:27,800 It's a big deal for our kids, our family, and the ministry 398 00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:32,720 gods called us too. And so I think as a young mom 399 00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:36,920 and a young wife, I don't think I realized the amount of 400 00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:39,600 spiritual warfare that was over our marriage. 401 00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:44,520 I can look back and see absolutely the enemy wanted. 402 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:47,600 To take it out. Early. 403 00:25:48,120 --> 00:25:54,560 And so it was hard. You know, I think one of the 404 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:58,880 things that I'm just so grateful for for both of us is that we're 405 00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:02,920 willing to come back to the table over and over and over 406 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:08,360 again in the hard things and forgive and learn and grow. 407 00:26:08,360 --> 00:26:13,440 And neither of us are the same people that we were year one. 408 00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:16,720 Probably the same. Person last year, you know, 409 00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:19,080 because we're supposedly. Growing, yes. 410 00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:21,680 You know, we were talking about this me and my girlfriend that 411 00:26:21,680 --> 00:26:23,800 comes on here, Abby, she's our Co host. 412 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:28,440 And so she we're talking about this in life group of just 413 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:31,280 acknowledging spiritual warfare for what it is. 414 00:26:31,280 --> 00:26:34,360 And like, I wish I could have seen that spiritual warfare that 415 00:26:34,360 --> 00:26:37,520 was on my marriage, you know, Oh yes, years ago, because we were 416 00:26:37,520 --> 00:26:41,240 riding in the car more recently and I knew that we were under 417 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:43,920 attack at that moment, like trying to get us distracted 418 00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:47,080 before we went to church before because my husband want to drop 419 00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:49,640 me off at the door and he was like, you can go. 420 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:53,280 I'm not Yeah, and I had to like bite my bite my tongue because 421 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:56,080 I'm like, I've noticed that spiritual warfare. 422 00:26:56,080 --> 00:26:58,440 So it's like, man, if we could now what? 423 00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:03,160 We, yeah, wish we knew now then. No. 424 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:05,400 You got it, you got it. Y'all know? 425 00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:08,720 Y'all know? Yeah, so and I think too. 426 00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:14,280 For most women, the battle isn't our in our mind, that's where 427 00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:19,640 the warfare is taking place. And so the enemy is going to try 428 00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:20,680 and divide. Yeah. 429 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:26,440 And seeing him as the enemy and not our spouses, Yeah. 430 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:30,960 Plays a huge. Part in like, even in our homes, 431 00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:33,920 like peace. The. 432 00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:35,600 Enemy does not want. Us to have peace. 433 00:27:35,960 --> 00:27:41,640 So when you see his hand at play, being able to identify it 434 00:27:41,640 --> 00:27:45,160 for what it is and battle the right way, that's good. 435 00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:51,240 That's good with that, you know, just the kids and just growing 436 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:54,040 but acknowledging y'all went through some tough times then 437 00:27:54,880 --> 00:27:58,360 when do y'all kind of get to the Grove? 438 00:27:58,360 --> 00:28:01,960 I know the four walls are more newer, but when does that 439 00:28:02,080 --> 00:28:05,720 mission and that vision try to transpire? 440 00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:09,560 Kind of transpire? I think we both had said we. 441 00:28:09,560 --> 00:28:12,720 Never wanted a church plant. I'm pretty certain we were both 442 00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:17,120 like if there's one thing that we don't want to do, it's church 443 00:28:17,120 --> 00:28:19,960 plant. Both of us felt called to 444 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:23,560 ministry. Probably. 445 00:28:24,280 --> 00:28:28,200 I felt it even in high school I can remember walking with one of 446 00:28:28,200 --> 00:28:32,600 my friends mom's and telling her I felt called to full time 447 00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:36,280 ministry and I remember her saying you don't have to work in 448 00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:38,480 a church to be in full time ministry. 449 00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:44,680 Which absolutely I heard 100%, but I knew it was going to be in 450 00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:47,080 a church. I get that because I tell. 451 00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:48,520 People that all the time, they're like, you could have 452 00:28:48,520 --> 00:28:52,320 kept doing ministry in beauty cells and I'm like, no doubt 453 00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:55,160 about it. But I knew the call on my life 454 00:28:55,160 --> 00:28:56,640 was to be at a church. Like, I don't know. 455 00:28:56,640 --> 00:28:59,920 I don't know how to explain it. You just know it. 456 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:04,920 Even that even, you know, going back to did you date in high 457 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:06,960 school? I can remember my boyfriend in 458 00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:10,400 high school telling me one time, I'm never going to be a pastor. 459 00:29:10,800 --> 00:29:12,200 And I'm like, well, you don't know. 460 00:29:12,560 --> 00:29:16,440 I mean, you could who knows who knows what, But I think even in 461 00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:21,600 that season of rebellion, it was in there like I knew. 462 00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:28,720 And so we were at this season, Gabe had been a youth pastor, he 463 00:29:28,720 --> 00:29:34,000 had been an executive pastor. And then we had done a satellite 464 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:42,480 church in Macon and we were there for one to two years where 465 00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:46,720 Gabe was doing executive pastor and kind of like a campus 466 00:29:46,720 --> 00:29:50,680 pastor. That church ended up closing and 467 00:29:50,680 --> 00:29:54,200 making and it was a season for Gabe. 468 00:29:54,600 --> 00:29:59,880 Gabe and I really praying and fasting over OK, what is what is 469 00:29:59,880 --> 00:30:05,320 this next season look like? So we had gone to Alabama and 470 00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:09,360 toured some different places looking at church planning in 471 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:14,320 Alabama. And again, that was not we, 472 00:30:14,320 --> 00:30:20,720 that's not what we wanted to do. And so in that season of praying 473 00:30:20,720 --> 00:30:24,680 and fasting, we also visited churches, which was so good for 474 00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:28,600 us because we had been in ministry the, our entire 475 00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:31,440 marriage. And so that was just a sweet 476 00:30:31,440 --> 00:30:36,680 season of being able to go and sit and receive and, you know, 477 00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:40,360 go to churches and know what it feels like to be a first time 478 00:30:40,360 --> 00:30:42,920 guest somewhere because we haven't done that as a married 479 00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:44,440 couple. And that is one of the. 480 00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:48,320 Reasons why I love coming to the well, like truly just coming to 481 00:30:48,320 --> 00:30:50,680 the Grove because I've been one way and everything else too. 482 00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:53,960 But like just walking into a church that's not your church 483 00:30:53,960 --> 00:30:56,000 home when you're on staff at a church. 484 00:30:56,320 --> 00:30:59,080 Because when I go to church, there's some there's a good bit 485 00:30:59,080 --> 00:31:01,800 of time that I'm having to be pulled out of service or like, 486 00:31:01,840 --> 00:31:06,240 you know, I'm having to do jobs and things and, you know, I just 487 00:31:06,240 --> 00:31:09,680 get to come just be a church, you know, person and sit and 488 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:13,320 just dwell in his spirit. And so like, I love it. 489 00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:17,840 So I've can only imagine like in that season of figuring it out 490 00:31:17,840 --> 00:31:21,040 and being in your marriage and just being able to go together 491 00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:22,760 and sit, sit. And what did you? 492 00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:24,920 Like, what did you like? What did you think? 493 00:31:24,920 --> 00:31:28,480 You know, that was the first time we had ever sat in that 494 00:31:28,480 --> 00:31:32,600 seat or go into a church and nobody spoke to us. 495 00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:37,120 And knowing what that felt like, it things that your eyes are 496 00:31:37,120 --> 00:31:41,080 open to that when you're in ministry, sometimes you just 497 00:31:41,080 --> 00:31:44,400 lose sight of it because you're not sitting there. 498 00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:45,920 You don't know what it feels like. 499 00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:49,920 And so those were things that we carried with us. 500 00:31:49,920 --> 00:31:52,520 Yeah, I was going to say you. Probably took no, like you 501 00:31:52,640 --> 00:31:56,280 probably didn't see necessarily the Grove yet, but you were 502 00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:58,640 preparing. God was being intentional, like 503 00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:01,680 letting you see all this so you could know what to take to your 504 00:32:01,680 --> 00:32:03,200 church. Oh, absolutely. 505 00:32:03,200 --> 00:32:07,800 It was a sweet season and so during that season of praying 506 00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:12,320 and fasting and visiting churches, we had some friends 507 00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:16,840 who came to us and said, hey, if you decide to church, plant 508 00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:19,840 here. We'd love to do it with. 509 00:32:19,840 --> 00:32:23,200 You and so that was on the table as something that we were 510 00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:27,280 praying and fasting over and we started in their living room. 511 00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:29,800 The olfs. We did our first. 512 00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:33,280 I mean really it was more like a Bible study because there were 513 00:32:33,280 --> 00:32:36,800 four adults and Joe had six kids. 514 00:32:36,880 --> 00:32:39,320 I was about to say. Y'all had a lot of kids. 515 00:32:39,520 --> 00:32:44,160 I was pregnant. So we had nine kids and I was 516 00:32:44,160 --> 00:32:48,720 pregnant. And so from there we ended up 517 00:32:49,040 --> 00:32:53,440 renting a party room at Rigby's. Did you know you could rent a 518 00:32:53,440 --> 00:32:56,880 party room at Rigby's service? Oh wow. 519 00:32:57,080 --> 00:33:03,760 It was the most. Humbling season of stripping 520 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:10,600 everything that we had known about church, and that was the 521 00:33:10,600 --> 00:33:15,480 sweetest, I bet. I bet just the intimacy of that 522 00:33:15,600 --> 00:33:19,160 of like starting in a living room and then just I bet you 523 00:33:19,160 --> 00:33:22,760 know you that big blessing of just being able to rent A room 524 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:26,720 and have church there and then just being in that and just 525 00:33:26,720 --> 00:33:29,960 appreciating the growth already. OK, so. 526 00:33:29,960 --> 00:33:32,640 We started in Rigby's. There's no worship. 527 00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:35,960 OK, we do YouTube worship videos. 528 00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:39,600 OK, Love it. 1. Of Jill's boys would bring his 529 00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:45,560 TV, we'd set it up. We would do worship off of 530 00:33:45,560 --> 00:33:48,560 YouTube. Listen with the ads that was 531 00:33:48,560 --> 00:33:53,440 before YouTube or you could have premium or you could skip ads. 532 00:33:53,840 --> 00:33:57,160 So there may be an ad between your worship songs and you've 533 00:33:57,160 --> 00:34:02,480 got no control over it. So the very first service we had 534 00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:07,000 in Rigby's, I was in charge of picking our worship set. 535 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:08,679 OK. And I. 536 00:34:08,679 --> 00:34:11,280 Accidentally put the same song in there twice. 537 00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:13,960 Don't know how it happened and so. 538 00:34:13,960 --> 00:34:16,560 Here we. Are and Gabe's looking at me and 539 00:34:16,560 --> 00:34:20,560 I'm like, just sing it again. I mean, I don't know the Holy 540 00:34:20,560 --> 00:34:22,920 Spirit wanted. Y'all to sing that again and 541 00:34:22,920 --> 00:34:26,600 dwell in it? Let's never know that. 542 00:34:26,600 --> 00:34:32,840 Season broke us of every preconceived notion we had of 543 00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:36,880 what church was going to look like and I go back I'll tell our 544 00:34:36,880 --> 00:34:41,480 staff listen we had YouTube worship videos and the presence 545 00:34:41,480 --> 00:34:47,360 of God would meet us and Rigby's nothing like nothing to us after 546 00:34:47,360 --> 00:34:52,600 that felt impossible. The we one of our first services 547 00:34:52,600 --> 00:34:54,600 there. I mean, this is raw. 548 00:34:55,040 --> 00:34:59,680 OK, Who goes to church like this? 549 00:34:59,680 --> 00:35:03,600 You know, who is like, hey, we're going to church at 550 00:35:03,600 --> 00:35:05,440 Rigby's. I'd love for you to come. 551 00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:12,160 And people came and it was round tables because, again, it's like 552 00:35:12,160 --> 00:35:13,160 a party room. Yeah. 553 00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:16,120 And Gabe sitting on a stool after we do our YouTube worship 554 00:35:16,120 --> 00:35:20,160 videos. And most times I was doing 555 00:35:20,160 --> 00:35:25,480 nursery deal with our children's pastor, but I remember that 556 00:35:26,240 --> 00:35:29,240 first service, I was in there, we probably had the kids in 557 00:35:29,240 --> 00:35:31,200 there with us. We probably hadn't broken up 558 00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:35,200 into nursery and children yet. And there was a lady sitting at 559 00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:39,480 one of the round tables, just tears pouring down her face. 560 00:35:40,080 --> 00:35:45,440 And I'm like, OK, father, if this is what it looks like, just 561 00:35:45,440 --> 00:35:50,560 raw, OK, here we are. I trust you. 562 00:35:51,120 --> 00:35:53,920 I trust you that if you can meet us here. 563 00:35:55,080 --> 00:35:58,520 In the most. Unlikely way to do church. 564 00:35:59,160 --> 00:36:04,000 You've got this. And so soon after that, Gabe's 565 00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:09,600 working construction. God had. 566 00:36:09,720 --> 00:36:13,920 Before this, we had sold a house that we had some money saved and 567 00:36:13,920 --> 00:36:17,960 we're completely out of any kind of debt that really we were able 568 00:36:17,960 --> 00:36:22,200 to live on that Gable took a construction job making $10.00 569 00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:23,480 an hour. Does that make you sweat? 570 00:36:24,280 --> 00:36:27,880 It makes me with three kids too. And I'm pregnant. 571 00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:30,680 I'm pregnant. We're about to have 4 kids. 572 00:36:30,680 --> 00:36:35,120 Gabe's making $10.00 an hour doing a job that listen is true 573 00:36:35,120 --> 00:36:36,840 to us. He couldn't be. 574 00:36:37,040 --> 00:36:39,200 More I'll equipped to do. OK. 575 00:36:39,200 --> 00:36:41,600 I like not listen. No, he's not. 576 00:36:41,680 --> 00:36:44,320 Yeah, that was not his lane. It's not like he had a 577 00:36:44,320 --> 00:36:46,600 background in that and he's stepping back into it. 578 00:36:47,040 --> 00:36:50,240 It is like desperation. We need to stop. 579 00:36:50,240 --> 00:36:54,320 Then let's do construction. Yeah, that sounds fun. 580 00:36:56,080 --> 00:37:03,880 And so we're early in this. We're at Rigby's and we go to a 581 00:37:03,920 --> 00:37:08,640 church planners conference. It was an overnight event in 582 00:37:08,640 --> 00:37:15,800 Birmingham, AL. And you, they give you tips and 583 00:37:15,800 --> 00:37:19,000 tricks to church plan. And, you know, there's so much, 584 00:37:19,280 --> 00:37:22,080 there was so much good information that we learned 585 00:37:23,080 --> 00:37:24,560 those few days that we were there. 586 00:37:24,560 --> 00:37:28,480 But part of it is they, you know, assign you to somebody who 587 00:37:28,480 --> 00:37:32,080 looks over like what your plans are or what you're already doing 588 00:37:32,080 --> 00:37:35,320 and gives you some advice on how to move forward. 589 00:37:36,040 --> 00:37:42,280 And so his advice to us was stop meeting, really, there's like a 590 00:37:42,280 --> 00:37:45,320 list of things you never want to do in a church plant. 591 00:37:45,320 --> 00:37:48,040 We're doing them all. You know, like we didn't have 592 00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:51,800 live worship. There was so many things that on 593 00:37:51,800 --> 00:37:55,560 paper, it's not what you do. This isn't how you start a 594 00:37:55,560 --> 00:37:58,200 church. It's not, it's not going to 595 00:37:58,200 --> 00:38:00,960 succeed. And so really, honestly, when I 596 00:38:00,960 --> 00:38:04,680 say there was a list, there was a list and we were pretty much 597 00:38:04,680 --> 00:38:07,480 doing all the things that you're not supposed to do. 598 00:38:07,480 --> 00:38:12,120 And so his advice was, listen, stop meeting, take a year, 599 00:38:12,400 --> 00:38:16,400 fundraise, you know, raise X amount of dollars and then 600 00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:18,800 launch the right way. Or you can do it. 601 00:38:19,880 --> 00:38:22,760 Yeah, you should. And so that car ride home, 602 00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:28,400 listen, I'm big and pregnant. Where you feel so defeated like. 603 00:38:28,400 --> 00:38:30,360 OK. What are we going to do here? 604 00:38:30,360 --> 00:38:31,760 Are we going to continue to meet? 605 00:38:31,840 --> 00:38:34,160 Are we going to go back to these people who are coming to the 606 00:38:34,160 --> 00:38:38,320 round tables and really experience in the presence of 607 00:38:38,320 --> 00:38:42,320 God in the most unlikely way that, hey, it doesn't look good 608 00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:44,840 on paper, So yeah, we're not going to meet. 609 00:38:45,480 --> 00:38:51,000 And so that car ride was quiet, and I'm not super quiet. 610 00:38:51,920 --> 00:38:53,600 But Gabe. Is quiet. 611 00:38:53,600 --> 00:38:58,960 Gabe's A processor and I'm a verbal processor, so typically 612 00:38:58,960 --> 00:39:02,480 I'm trying to let's talk this, you know, that car ride was 613 00:39:02,480 --> 00:39:08,200 quiet and we decided. We can't do that. 614 00:39:08,280 --> 00:39:09,960 Yeah, we. Can't stop. 615 00:39:10,120 --> 00:39:12,000 Meeting, well, it's just putting God in a. 616 00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:16,480 Box, you know, like that list of saying, oh, because you're doing 617 00:39:16,480 --> 00:39:20,120 all this that would be like because of my past, I can't be 618 00:39:20,120 --> 00:39:23,080 used for Kingdom work, you know, so it's just like that would 619 00:39:23,080 --> 00:39:26,680 make me so I'll you know, but there is. 620 00:39:27,240 --> 00:39:30,080 There are some things that I'm sure on the outside looking in 621 00:39:30,080 --> 00:39:32,440 it, they're like don't ever do that. 622 00:39:32,520 --> 00:39:37,600 Don't do YouTube worship videos with with ads with Budweiser ads 623 00:39:37,600 --> 00:39:40,000 in between. OK, it will. 624 00:39:40,640 --> 00:39:45,880 Kill the spirit. But it didn't, and so we kept 625 00:39:45,880 --> 00:39:49,280 meeting. And then in September of that 626 00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:53,880 year, we moved to Central Georgia Technical College, and 627 00:39:53,960 --> 00:39:59,080 we were there for eight years. We rented the auditorium there 628 00:39:59,280 --> 00:40:01,320 and we would set up on Saturdays. 629 00:40:02,120 --> 00:40:05,600 And. Did Portable Church for eight 630 00:40:05,600 --> 00:40:08,080 years. That's a long time. 631 00:40:08,080 --> 00:40:11,040 That's a long time. But you knew that God was. 632 00:40:11,040 --> 00:40:13,680 Moving and y'all just didn't feel then. 633 00:40:13,960 --> 00:40:17,360 Did y'all not just not get an opportunity to move yet or y'all 634 00:40:17,360 --> 00:40:20,560 were just being still in no knowing that he had a plan? 635 00:40:21,760 --> 00:40:25,200 Or were y'all actively? Looking to move and be so we 636 00:40:25,200 --> 00:40:26,400 were looking to. Move. 637 00:40:26,400 --> 00:40:31,560 But we were also really wanting financially the church to be in 638 00:40:31,560 --> 00:40:34,360 a healthy place. Yeah, where we were not in a ton 639 00:40:34,360 --> 00:40:37,080 of debt. That was really important to us 640 00:40:37,080 --> 00:40:41,200 because we had done ministry before where we'd been in a 641 00:40:41,200 --> 00:40:44,720 church that had been in a lot of debt, and it really became the 642 00:40:44,720 --> 00:40:49,520 focus of ministry. And that was from the gate. 643 00:40:49,520 --> 00:40:53,360 Something that we were passionate about was we we did 644 00:40:53,360 --> 00:40:56,680 not want money to drive the ship. 645 00:40:57,520 --> 00:41:02,000 We wanted to be in a place where financially we were healthy and 646 00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:03,560 ministry could be ministry. Yeah. 647 00:41:04,400 --> 00:41:09,600 One of the things early that was a consistent prayer for us when 648 00:41:09,600 --> 00:41:13,240 we started was we wanted to be in a church. 649 00:41:13,280 --> 00:41:19,400 At that point, we had four kids where our kids grew up and saw 650 00:41:19,400 --> 00:41:25,480 life change where it wasn't religious, that they were able 651 00:41:25,480 --> 00:41:32,520 to watch God transform a life. That as people come and get 652 00:41:32,520 --> 00:41:37,040 saved in the sanctification process, that they are able to 653 00:41:37,040 --> 00:41:39,400 see people go from death to life. 654 00:41:39,840 --> 00:41:46,280 And that has been God has been so faithful that my kids, even 655 00:41:46,280 --> 00:41:49,800 if they don't recognize it right now, you know, because I have 656 00:41:49,800 --> 00:41:52,000 three teenagers right now. You don't know what you don't 657 00:41:52,000 --> 00:41:53,840 know. You know when you're thinking, 658 00:41:54,040 --> 00:41:57,520 you think it's the most dangerous age because they think 659 00:41:57,520 --> 00:42:03,360 they know everything and they're naive about a lot of things, but 660 00:42:04,240 --> 00:42:10,200 they don't even know and see it as a gift probably that they are 661 00:42:10,200 --> 00:42:12,880 surrounded by. I've changed. 662 00:42:13,080 --> 00:42:15,480 It becomes normal, if that makes sense. 663 00:42:15,520 --> 00:42:17,600 Well, it takes me back to the. Season where y'all were in 664 00:42:17,600 --> 00:42:22,400 Arkansas where you had to experience that to know how good 665 00:42:22,400 --> 00:42:25,160 of what you have now. One of our pastor sons, he just 666 00:42:25,160 --> 00:42:28,560 graduated and went off to college and he's trying to he's 667 00:42:28,560 --> 00:42:31,560 up at liberty and he's trying to find his church home and he's 668 00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:34,360 like bouncing from church and he's like, Oh my gosh, like I 669 00:42:34,360 --> 00:42:36,560 can't find like how it's like, yeah. 670 00:42:36,880 --> 00:42:40,240 And Jim's like he's never experienced another church. 671 00:42:40,240 --> 00:42:43,280 Like he thinks that other churches are just this, you 672 00:42:43,280 --> 00:42:47,560 know, this this is how it of yeah, you know, but it's so nice 673 00:42:47,560 --> 00:42:50,360 that y'all your kids have that. That's such a testimony in 674 00:42:50,360 --> 00:42:54,080 itself of being able to experience that life at such a 675 00:42:54,080 --> 00:42:56,080 young age and be able to grow in that. 676 00:42:56,400 --> 00:43:00,120 Oh it. Is one of those the parts of 677 00:43:00,120 --> 00:43:02,200 this journey that I'm the most grateful for? 678 00:43:02,640 --> 00:43:05,200 Obviously I'm grateful for our church. 679 00:43:05,200 --> 00:43:10,680 I'm grateful that I get to continually look around and see 680 00:43:10,680 --> 00:43:13,800 God transform a life. And just like we were talking 681 00:43:13,800 --> 00:43:16,040 about with testimonies, it's continual. 682 00:43:16,040 --> 00:43:18,600 I don't ever want to get to a place in life where I'm not 683 00:43:18,600 --> 00:43:22,520 learning, I'm not growing, and I don't have eyes to see His hand. 684 00:43:22,560 --> 00:43:25,720 Yeah, I want to. I want to see it. 685 00:43:26,320 --> 00:43:30,560 I want to be experiencing. This for the rest. 686 00:43:30,560 --> 00:43:35,000 Of my life, just yearning. For it yeah why it's so bad yes 687 00:43:35,000 --> 00:43:39,320 how OK so eight years there and then do y'all move to your 688 00:43:39,320 --> 00:43:42,880 location now start building how does that so we were. 689 00:43:43,160 --> 00:43:49,680 At CGTC for eight years, we bought lands somewhere in that 690 00:43:49,680 --> 00:43:51,880 process and paid cash for the land. 691 00:43:53,360 --> 00:43:55,560 And. Then started the building 692 00:43:55,560 --> 00:44:02,800 process soon after and got in our building in June of 23. 693 00:44:03,640 --> 00:44:05,800 So we've been there a little over 2 years. 694 00:44:05,920 --> 00:44:08,880 I just like I'm. Media minded, OK, like that's my 695 00:44:08,880 --> 00:44:11,240 job at my church. And so like I'm just thinking of 696 00:44:11,240 --> 00:44:15,960 just the video aspect of just what it looks like to follow 697 00:44:15,960 --> 00:44:19,000 that journey and show where y'all are now and where you're 698 00:44:19,000 --> 00:44:21,760 even going because y'all just bought the new land that's in 699 00:44:21,760 --> 00:44:25,480 front of the church. So God just provided and 700 00:44:25,480 --> 00:44:29,200 provided every step of the way. And it is. 701 00:44:29,200 --> 00:44:32,560 Supernatural We are going through the book of Jonah right 702 00:44:32,560 --> 00:44:37,480 now at church and last week Gabe preached a message about the 703 00:44:37,480 --> 00:44:41,360 miraculous. In the story of Jonah, it is 704 00:44:41,360 --> 00:44:43,920 miraculous that a whale swallowed him. 705 00:44:44,120 --> 00:44:48,920 OK, not every day and. God is still in the. 706 00:44:48,920 --> 00:44:51,120 Business of doing the miraculous. 707 00:44:51,120 --> 00:44:58,040 This is a miraculous story of God's provision that is beyond 708 00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:03,720 anything that we could have imagined in our hearts and 709 00:45:03,720 --> 00:45:05,760 minds. And I can imagine a lot of 710 00:45:05,760 --> 00:45:08,800 things. I still have some, you know, 711 00:45:08,800 --> 00:45:13,640 like crazy dreams of things that I want to see God do, but I 712 00:45:13,640 --> 00:45:18,840 trust and belief that His plan. Is far better and it's like he's 713 00:45:18,840 --> 00:45:22,880 going to make it happen absolutely because if it's God's 714 00:45:23,080 --> 00:45:26,040 will it's God's bill and he's going he's going to make it 715 00:45:26,040 --> 00:45:28,000 happen and we see that in your story. 716 00:45:28,040 --> 00:45:30,880 Oh, 100%, absolutely. Things that. 717 00:45:31,240 --> 00:45:36,480 Don't make sense that shouldn't have it should not have worked 718 00:45:36,640 --> 00:45:40,360 thinking about the. Construction job right Three. 719 00:45:40,360 --> 00:45:44,360 And one on the way. Yes, $10 like God had to provide 720 00:45:44,360 --> 00:45:48,600 there, God did. Supernatural and I think I heard 721 00:45:49,480 --> 00:45:51,800 Gabe was talking about this the other day. 722 00:45:51,800 --> 00:45:55,280 I remember when we started. Like I wish we could see a 723 00:45:55,280 --> 00:45:58,880 snapshot of what 10 years from today would look like. 724 00:45:58,880 --> 00:46:00,200 Oh my, you. Know. 725 00:46:00,720 --> 00:46:04,960 You want it so bad because just tell us, is it going to work? 726 00:46:05,320 --> 00:46:10,880 Like, is this going to be one of those things that we regret? 727 00:46:11,000 --> 00:46:13,120 You know what I'm saying? You don't know in it. 728 00:46:13,720 --> 00:46:16,760 I know this. We didn't take a ton of. 729 00:46:16,760 --> 00:46:21,520 Pictures in those early years, and partly because you don't 730 00:46:21,520 --> 00:46:26,720 know, yeah, you don't know what 10 years from now looks like, 731 00:46:27,480 --> 00:46:32,080 but I would never have wanted to see. 732 00:46:33,360 --> 00:46:36,160 The the snapshot of. What it looks like because the 733 00:46:36,160 --> 00:46:39,120 process and journey with the Lord. 734 00:46:39,360 --> 00:46:40,880 Yeah, depending. On him. 735 00:46:40,880 --> 00:46:44,280 Oh, A. Dependence, that's different 736 00:46:44,280 --> 00:46:48,880 level, A dependence in our marriage, a dependence 737 00:46:49,160 --> 00:46:52,520 financially, a dependence for father. 738 00:46:52,520 --> 00:46:54,960 You grow it, yeah. You do it I. 739 00:46:55,080 --> 00:47:00,920 We're Gabe and I are not some creative like strategic. 740 00:47:02,480 --> 00:47:05,440 Social media. Let's add like there was not 741 00:47:05,440 --> 00:47:08,320 none of that. There was no Facebook page at 742 00:47:08,320 --> 00:47:10,560 first. There was no advertising. 743 00:47:10,560 --> 00:47:14,520 There wasn't sending Flyers out or all the things that they say 744 00:47:14,520 --> 00:47:16,600 to do. Yeah, just word of mouth. 745 00:47:16,640 --> 00:47:19,200 Just word of mouth. God's going to send them guy 746 00:47:19,200 --> 00:47:20,800 early. You do it. 747 00:47:20,800 --> 00:47:24,160 We can't. And I think there's so many. 748 00:47:24,760 --> 00:47:27,240 It's not even just about the church. 749 00:47:27,480 --> 00:47:32,160 It's about a faith and dependence on him that carries 750 00:47:32,160 --> 00:47:35,920 you through whatever the season is you're walking through. 751 00:47:36,000 --> 00:47:38,640 That's good. So we're going to go ahead and 752 00:47:38,640 --> 00:47:40,160 start winding it down a little bit. 753 00:47:40,160 --> 00:47:43,320 And I usually end it the same way every time. 754 00:47:43,320 --> 00:47:45,720 I give you 3 things that you can end it with. 755 00:47:45,720 --> 00:47:49,800 OK #1 maybe you were in the car on the way here and you're like, 756 00:47:49,800 --> 00:47:52,080 I really want to talk about this and I haven't gave you the 757 00:47:52,080 --> 00:47:53,840 opportunity to do so. OK, OK. 758 00:47:54,080 --> 00:47:58,640 Or word of advice. Or what is something that God 759 00:47:58,640 --> 00:48:00,560 has revealed to you more recently? 760 00:48:00,560 --> 00:48:02,720 How would you like to end this episode today? 761 00:48:05,840 --> 00:48:09,560 I would say probably going with the middle one. 762 00:48:09,560 --> 00:48:15,480 OK, the advice is give God the opportunity to show himself 763 00:48:15,480 --> 00:48:20,720 faithful in your life. Like whatever that is like maybe 764 00:48:20,720 --> 00:48:25,000 it's you've never tithed before. Like God in his word says test 765 00:48:25,000 --> 00:48:28,280 me, test him. See. 766 00:48:28,280 --> 00:48:32,320 Like what? Is it that you have that you can 767 00:48:32,320 --> 00:48:38,200 say, yes, I'm going to put this out there and allow you to show 768 00:48:38,200 --> 00:48:41,240 yourself faithful to me because it is such a process in a 769 00:48:41,240 --> 00:48:45,240 relationship. And as you grow and you see, OK, 770 00:48:45,560 --> 00:48:47,480 Father, you've been faithful right here. 771 00:48:47,680 --> 00:48:51,160 I can step here and trust you're going to be faithful here and 772 00:48:51,160 --> 00:48:57,000 start like and really put out some bold big prayers to him and 773 00:48:57,000 --> 00:49:00,920 let him let him show himself faithful to you. 774 00:49:01,040 --> 00:49:04,240 Absolutely. Because if you don't talk to him 775 00:49:04,240 --> 00:49:08,960 and you don't like cry out to him about certain things, that's 776 00:49:08,960 --> 00:49:11,080 when you don't know what he's capable of doing. 777 00:49:11,320 --> 00:49:15,000 Like truly in a relationship, we've talked about this, you 778 00:49:15,000 --> 00:49:17,400 know, about our testimonies being a relationship and 779 00:49:17,400 --> 00:49:19,920 intimate relationship where it's going to evolve. 780 00:49:19,920 --> 00:49:22,520 Think about it, in your marriage, your husband doesn't 781 00:49:22,520 --> 00:49:27,800 just you know, have the same exact temperament or same exact 782 00:49:27,800 --> 00:49:31,760 personality all this over like we evolve in Christ. 783 00:49:31,760 --> 00:49:34,560 So cry out him, let him know your needs. 784 00:49:34,600 --> 00:49:37,440 Let him reveal himself to you. Let him show. 785 00:49:37,440 --> 00:49:41,960 You who he is, Yes, that's good. A girl grow. 786 00:49:41,960 --> 00:49:44,680 From there, I love this because then he's just going to keep, 787 00:49:45,320 --> 00:49:48,320 he's going to keep walking, just revealing more and more. 788 00:49:48,320 --> 00:49:50,080 And more. And then you just yearn for 789 00:49:50,080 --> 00:49:51,960 that. Absolutely. 790 00:49:52,000 --> 00:49:56,960 And then it becomes contagious to those around you who they are 791 00:49:56,960 --> 00:50:00,920 going to look in and see God's faithfulness to you and it draws 792 00:50:00,920 --> 00:50:01,720 them in. Yep. 793 00:50:02,400 --> 00:50:04,840 So this is good. Yes, it. 794 00:50:04,840 --> 00:50:09,000 Wasn't so bad. Was it a little scary still even 795 00:50:09,000 --> 00:50:12,480 after we're done a little? OK, see, we'll see, we'll see. 796 00:50:12,480 --> 00:50:14,760 I know that y'all are going to love this episode. 797 00:50:14,760 --> 00:50:18,880 This has just been so great just to hear your story and how just 798 00:50:19,160 --> 00:50:22,320 y'all have church plant and walked it all the way through. 799 00:50:22,320 --> 00:50:24,920 It's just been awesome. Well guys, I hope you enjoyed 800 00:50:24,920 --> 00:50:28,840 this as much as I have. If you love this, have any 801 00:50:28,840 --> 00:50:31,440 questions about church planning or what that looks like, or 802 00:50:31,640 --> 00:50:34,040 maybe you just have a calling on your life that you want to talk 803 00:50:34,040 --> 00:50:36,400 it through, reach out. We'd love to chat with you. 804 00:50:36,880 --> 00:50:39,360 All right guys, so stay tuned, stay blessed and we'll see you 805 00:50:39,360 --> 00:50:40,440 next week. Bye, yeah.