Episode Transcript
[00:00:13] Speaker A: Hey, welcome, everyone, to Jonathan's Leftovers. This is the bonus segment where we who have been filling your plate with, golly, wisdom, some great things on being a good father, husband. We're just improved and enhanced, a follower of Jesus Christ. This is where we give you a little bit more of that practical wisdom. You can find this bonus episode on Wednesdays comes out Wednesday mornings on your favorite podcast platforms that could be Spotify, Apple, you name it. You can find Jonathan's Leftovers, which tie into Tuesday's main episode. If you want to find us and reach out to us again, the Jonathan Project podcast, gmail.com. that is our email address. Again, the Jonathan Project podcastmail.com Jason, what are we going to give as far as some leftovers today?
[00:01:01] Speaker B: No, I love. So we talked about, you know, dads, and we talked about being that leader, learning to be that leader. The thing about leadership is it's right. Like it takes time. Being that the actual leadership style that we talk about being true is transparent leadership. And yeah, your apps are authentic leadership. And you are going to make mistakes, but just don't stay in that mistake. Get up and get going and, you know, get back up. Get yourself re centered. Your kids, your kids need to know that you laugh. They need to know that it's okay to laugh. They need to know it's okay to smile. And they also need to know it's okay to make a mistake and come back. Right? Like, you're a dad. You're not going to walk on water. That's why every picture of a dad in the pool, he's trying to catch his kids and he's in the pool, right? Yeah, yeah. He's not walking on the water. We're going to make mistakes. So I thought that was really good. And I loved how, you know, when you said this during the episode, Colby, you said you're going to ask your kids to go against the grain. Yeah, you absolutely are. You better stand there with them and be in their corner. So as a dad or a single mom, you got to be in their corner with them. You got to be that coach, you know, and that's, that's, that's what you got to be. You got to be there. It's got to be that consistent voice.
[00:02:18] Speaker A: No, I love that, Jason. It kind of ties into something I wanted to give the folks here in this bonus was, you know, there is tons of research and I know from all the schooling that you've been through, you know this as well. But it is shocking how big of an influence and impact dads have, especially when it comes to faith. Right. If the father is the first in the family to become a Christian. We've talked about this in other places, but it's good to remind everyone. 93% of the family follows. Okay, that's not denigrating. There are tons of us that came to faith through moms and people filling in the gap. But that's not really the original architect plans. You know, 93% of the family follows. When. When dad's first mom, 17% of the family follows again. If only the father attends shirts, 67% of those children would continue to attend. Over half of them. Right. So all that to say with these numbers and statistics is impact beyond just your children? You're influencing future generations of your family. Right. I think about Genesis 18 and 19. For I have chosen him that he may command his children, his household after him, to keep the way of the Lord. That is early on right up front in the Bible. Hey, dads, you have some special responsibility. You have this legacy of faith, if you would. And just as much as you passed on your biological DNA and all those traits. And sometimes you look at him like, man, this kid is stubborn. And I wonder where he got that from. You are doing the same with your spiritual DNA. And you will see, where you didn't pray, they won't pray. Where you did pray, they will pray. It's the same. And you can't bifurcate it, you can't change it. You have a responsibility. You have to be engaged in the weight and the impact that you carry is tremendous.
[00:04:03] Speaker B: Yeah. Think about that. 93%. 93% Chance of your kids coming to no cry, of your family coming to no cry. I bet if you had a 93% chance of winning the lottery, you'd be taking a trip to Georgia or Tennessee to get a ticket. Right? I bet you would.
[00:04:20] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:04:21] Speaker B: Bet at all, right?
[00:04:22] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:04:23] Speaker B: Why are you not doing the same thing with your kids? It's a better reward longer than, you know, winning the lottery. I mean, broke every but.
[00:04:33] Speaker A: And you do.
[00:04:33] Speaker B: And you know, when your kids are. They're going to face things. I was sitting there and I was thinking about the parable of the sower, right. You. And I was kind of looking it up.
And Jesus talks about this and he says, look, you know, they sowed seeds and some fell by the wayside, the birds came and ate them. And it talks about some fell on stony places and some fell in thorns. Right. And some just the sun dried them up. Your kids are going to hit every single one of those environments, right? They're going to have influences just like those birds, right? And you're going to cast out that. So you're going to cast off that seed. And there's, there's going to be tons of influencers that are going to say, hey, you don't really need that. Isn't it funny when I get someone back and this, that and the other, and they're going to be running around chasing the shiny object, which is popularity, right?
And they're going to go, they're going to, you're going to ask them to go into some dry places because they're not going to be like other kids. They've got a destination and they got a goal, right. They may even be in places that are like, thorny environment. Hey, parents, I don't know if you're, if you're out there and you hadn't crossed this bridge yet. Middle school is the worst time for kids.
[00:05:43] Speaker A: Yes, we are in that fight right now.
[00:05:46] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. It's horrible, right? Like, think of all the parents whose kids went through such a hard time in middle school. Here you are, that consistent voice that says, I love you and I'm here. And God puts you there for a reason, right? Like you're guiding them through that stone. And you are. You provide that good fertile ground at home, just like that sower of the seed, right? And I think we do. We have that powerful voice as a parent, as a dad, but that powerful voice has to point back to Christ.
[00:06:17] Speaker A: Yes, absolutely, Jason. And I think that, you know, what I'll say is my final kind of thoughts here in Jonathan's Leftovers is that there are five kind of things that stand out to me as I think about the journey of my two kids who have now come to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, you know, and as someone's listening to us, they listen. Go back and listen to the main episode that was recorded on Tuesday. You know, I would say the number one thing that you got to start with is teach them scripture and to commit to memory. Psalms 119:11 says, I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. That's the first line of understanding that defense is you can recall Scripture. That doesn't mean that you know every single verse, but you should be able to recall scripture and, and defeat the words that are coming at you. Words carry life and death. That's what we're taught, right. You can help them memorize little simple verses and show them how you apply them when something goes wrong, for example. And like, oh, this plan that I had goes wrong. Well, Jeremiah 29:11 says that for all of us who accepted Jesus Christ, he knows the plans for us and he has plans for our good, not to harm us, right? Train them how to pray. Number two. We talk about prayer quite a bit here, but it is a nuclear weapon in the spiritual world. It can tear down strongholds, it can break through, it can change a person. Jason has said this many times in different contexts of some of our own conversations. But we might not be able to change a person, but I know somebody who can in a second, and that's Jesus. So teach them to pray. That is not a ritual. It's not something we just do when we eat or when I close my eyes. It is building a relationship just as much as I think about in the business world, if you're training a new employee. And this is our number three thought for me, encouraging a growth mindset. Or if you're with soldiers, you know this, right? You start them from. They came from the mama's house where they didn't. How to know how to fold a bed or wash their tail, right? And teach them how to employ a weapon system and destroy the enemy. You have to do the same thing with your children, right? You have to teach them that trials and tribulations are going to come. I don't know how to tell you guys, we're going out to this field problem. It's going to rain and it's going to suck. Translate that to my house. There's going to be things that absolutely go sideways, relationships, heartbreak. But you have something that helps you be consistent. That is called your faith. And it grows every time you see how the Lord builds you, right? Growth, mindset and your faith. Take the time to get away from Monday Night Football. I'm a huge football fan, as Jason knows. But take the time away during football season or whatever else, golf, whatever your thing is, shooting, whatever it is, man, and answer those deep questions. Spend that time answering those deep conversations with your kids that they're yearning. They believe it or not. Even if they're the angry teen, they want you to have them with them. You know, what do you think about God? What's the hardest part about being a Christian? What are your friends saying about being a Christian? Ask those questions. Not from a point of trying to solve it. And I know that's hard for us is that. But just encouraging those conversations. And Jason shared a really good thing that he had with his son. I'll let him talk about it here in a second. As far as having a deep conversation. Then last number five, leading by example again, I couldn't say this enough. We said it in the main episode, role modeling. You are that. We all have examples that we follow whether we want to admit it or not. You could be following some celebrity, and I know a lot of folks out there, they can tell you everything about. Pick a celebrity. I'm not gonna throw a name out. You pick one, they can tell you all about it. But you ask them about, hey, well, what was the Sermon on the Mountain? They look at you like you have five heads coming out of you. Right? So lead by example, right? Because that's what your kids will remember. Jason, over to you for, you know, your final thoughts.
[00:09:54] Speaker B: No, I think you. You absolutely. You're right.
Set the standard like you're. When you're. You are teaching your children now what it's like, and that's where you got to set the standard. You gotta. You gotta drive your anchor into the ground. This is what I'm gonna stand, and it needs to be Jesus Christ. Is it going to be easy? Absolutely not. You are at enmity with the world, okay? But you chose the winning side in the middle of the parade right now, and your kids are going to be.
So I. I absolutely agree with what you had to say. Got to. Words count. The Bible counts. When you talk about scripture, I think about how Adam and Eve first started out. It was just that little bitty variant where he goes. Where she said, now, if I touch it, I'll die. If I touch, you know, the fruit, I'm going to die. And Satan goes. Did he really say that? He said not to eat of it, right? So when she does that and she. She touches it, she doesn't die. It's that seed of death right there. So that's why words count. That's why no in scripture. Get in there and figure it out with your kids together. Right? I encourage you all to do that.
[00:11:05] Speaker A: Yes, sir.
[00:11:06] Speaker B: Over to you, Cole. Appreciate it.
[00:11:07] Speaker A: No, man. Always fun with my partner in crime here. If you enjoy Jonathan's leftovers, you can download this on Wednesday mornings from your favorite platform. That might be Spotify, that might be Amazon Music, YouTube Music, you name it. You can find Jonathan's leftovers. Also, please go back and listen to Tuesday's episode, which comes out every Tuesday main episode at 6am on your same favorite platforms, where we're talking about this topic in a lot more depth, which is moving towards Christ. Right? That ultimate goal. You can also download the free devotional, which you will find in this episode. Description. Again, if you're looking for something practical, you know, another guy that's out there, he wants it. And the best part is, it is cheaper than Starbucks coffee or Duncan. It's free. Something you'll never find at those two places, Right? So please, go out there, download that, enjoy that. If you're looking for prayer, you're looking for us to come out, have a good time with you, engage with you, encourage men, just have some good fellowship. Please reach out to us at the Jonathan Project podcast gmail.com Again, the Jonathan Project podcast gmail.com and we look forward to seeing you guys next week. Jason?
[00:12:16] Speaker B: Nope. Appreciate it, man.
[00:12:18] Speaker A: All right, talk to you guys later.
[00:12:19] Speaker B: Bye.
