Welcome back to the Overcover Podcast. I am your host, Jedda Kalopez. Thank you guys so much for choosing to watch and listen to this episode. Today, I have very special guests which I'm excited to share with you. Guys. This might be a little bit more personal. I don't know exactly where this conversation is going to go because I just want to be as vulnerable and honest as possible. But they are my pastors Justice and Maria Coleman of
Freedom Church. To be honest, I've kept Freedom a secret from people in general, and maybe that's a bad thing, and I'm sorry, but because I've like, I find it such a sacred space and a home that I would like to keep it protected. I don't keep it away from my friends because you know, everybody needs salvation. I don't have a selfish and I'm like, I don't want the whole world to know where I'm going or you know,
follow me. But last week I talked about it with the person that actually invited me, to not invite me, but showed me freedom. His name is Dom and he goes. He's part of whatever you do on Mondays with the boys.
Oh we call it man code Monday. Yes, we have a boot camp Forgot.
Yes exactly. He says that he's been going there whatever. But anyways, it has been an amazing space for me. And as like I talked, prior, finding a church and calling it a home has been very traumatizing. You know, grew up in Hispanic churches. Like how I explained, it is very and I have a very dominant Latin community watching and I know you're Latina too, and you.
Know, get a little street. I have three kids and wife. When I get up from the seat, they can take my seat, how's it? And they go and I go, give my seat and they go, Dad, that's the Mexican rule. They take my seat and I and I have nothing to say because I guess I'm not allowed to just take seats and they can take my seat. It's the rule. It's the rule.
But it is like and I'm sure you guys are familiar, and I'm sure that people that have gone to Freedom to have shared their experiences in Hispanic churches. But long story short, it is very hard to connect with pastors and for you guys to be in my home and my space today means a lot to me.
So thanks what an honor.
You guys have busy schedules, so honored, and you know, you guys have a whole church to run, manage and all that, Like I get it. But sometimes growing up it felt like they were unreachable, like they were the celebrities that you couldn't go and talk to them, or that they wanted something.
From you, you know, and the two opposite vibes that Jesus would put out exactly, like if Jesus was the pastor of the church, or if he was leading a community of faith, he would be the most approachable person, right, and he wouldn't be trying to take from you who be trying to get exactly right. He wouldn't try to be served, He would try to serve right like the two opposite vibes tend to be associated sometimes with pastors.
Which exactly which is why I feel so comfortable and safe with you guys, even with the minimal conversations that we've had, Like you guys have made it so relatable and so again comfortable to be in a church and to be I don't want to say, like like you can you don't have to be the most holiest person in that room, like you like, it's you guys, don't shove it down. Their throats are like tithe, tithe, tithe either like or you know, demanding certain things like you
guys just make it a safe space. And I want to know, like, as pastors or even as your guys' experience is opening up a church, have you made that a point intentionally or was it just kind of how it flowed or you know what, what was the main thing that you guys wanted to make a difference for freedom?
Well, so I was trained in a Hispanic church. So my wife's dad was.
The past He really wants to be Hispanic.
Okay, guys Africa. Jeez, guys, my back hurts because someone give me some vapor rub I need to see. Yeah, well are you want to say correctly? Yeah? Yeah, So I was trained at Hispanic church. I was like, I was really, I think, the only white guy in the church. But loved it so much, loved all the people. Didn't love going to church for two hours though, two and a half hours sometimes three. How long were church services when you grew up?
They were long. We would have these things called yes right, yes, there all night vigil Yeah, there all night worshiping which is great.
No food, just fasting, praying menu though in the morning, yeah, candles, candles pretty much.
Candles. It was just dark worshiping, just the whole night. Man.
Yeah, so I didn't like the long services. That was the only thing. I I also didn't like have to wear dress clothes every week.
Yeah.
So I got to do the announcements every week, which you know in the Hispanic church, that's kind of the big deal, right we did you give the announcements. It's not exactly preacher from the Bible, but if you get to say, you know, the youth croup fundraisers coming up or And I remember I showed up and uh, I had vans on, like checkered vans, and I gave the announcements, and afterward my pastor called me in his office and he's like, hey, you know, we're just gonna have Sister
so and so do the announcements from now on. And I was like, man, okay, and I walked out, and then I walked back in and I said, Pastor ca asked you a question, is this because I was wearing vans today and not dress shoes, And he's like yeah. I was like, I actually went to go pick up some kids and bring them to church on the way here, and I was in a hurry. I was like, if I wear dress shoes, can I still do the announcements? He's like you, and then he bestowed back, He bestowed
upon me the right to do so. The long services and the wearing dress clothes was the only other than that. Other than that, I loved every single thing else about church. I still love church to this day. I've seen so many lives changed. You're just tell me about your life being changed at church. And I just think that when you get the right people around you, right and you focus on the right things, and for us that's Jesus man, a lot of amazing things can happen because you're going
the same direction as people. You kind of have a goal to transform together to be this best version of yourself, which, by the way, is how God already sees us, so he's helping us with that. So yeah, I think I didn't start a church with Maria saying how are we not going to do things? Because sometimes people are like they start our church, because it was like, Hey, I love all this, but I want to make sure to
do this other version. I just wanted to have a church where people who were far from God could come. And we started a church in our apartment with seven friends. I mean, Marie can tell you the story on that. But it was not about being not about being something that we wasn't like doing something new or better.
I think too.
We both grew up in church, so we were used to certain traditions and things that were so programmed in us that we didn't even think about them. It was
just how things have always been. Yeah, And so when we were going to start the we were young, we were twenty six years old, and we really went on like a quest to just read the Bible and was like, what are the things that just are true to like the early Church, the things that like, you know, why do we pass communion in gold plates with red felt on the bottom?
Like where did that come from? Gold plates that are not real gold? Like it would make sense if it was, Like I remember the first time the gold plate came by, I'm like that looks heavy, heavy, and I'm like, oh, this is this is a fake gold plate.
So then we just started thinking, like what what's the simplest form of the message of Jesus, And like if we took everything elsewey, what are the things.
That we have to get right right?
You know what I mean, what are the things that kind of because we grew up in churches and we loved them, but we realize our friends that were far from Christ, they felt like they couldn't come in, They felt alienated, they felt like, I'm gonna burn when I walk in, and.
My friend's still tell me that.
You know, the traditions just kept people away, and so we just were so burdened. We're like, we have we know the answer.
We have hope.
His name's Jesus, and we experienced him through this this place called the church, and it's beautiful, but there's like this wedge. So how do we get the wedge out of the way so that anyone can come experience Jesus? And so that was kind of like our quests in the beginning. It's like what things are necessary and what things aren't, what things are biblical.
This friend who had really really bad mental health struggle, and I remember actually he called me one night when when he had kind of come to the end of his rope literally, I mean it was and you know, I'm like, I gotta get this guy's life. I mean, I just know if I can just get them in church, you know. And so he's finally came out of like obligation like fine, I'll come. You know, you were there for me and my trust stuff, this moment type of thing.
So I bring them in like so many times, I'm like leaning over your shoulder, like explaining what we're doing, like this part means this and this is why we do this. And I realized, Wow, we have made something that's supposed to be so uncomplicated complex for people. And they're like dawned on me because I was like God never intended faith to be complicated. This is supposed to be the most simple thing, not easiest thing. It's not easy to follow Jesus. Being a Christian is the hardest
thing you'll ever do. But he gives you the Holy Spirit to help because it's hard. But we we do make things unnecessarily complicated. And like we were doing. I remember what we were doing, and he's like, I need a cigarette, And he got up and left and went outside smoked. He never came back, you know, but I remember he showed up with like because he had tattoos all the way down to his ankle, his wrists, and he had like he had like a flannel all the
way down. He was hiding all the tattoos, and like he felt so uncomfortable. And I'm like, I wonder what would happen if we could just get all of these barriers out of the way and just let God do what God wants to do when he loves somebody. I think, I think even to this day, I'm still kind of doing that at Freedom. I'm like, do we need to do that? Is that? Frankly? Is that making things more complicated for people? You know? So that's why our church
service is like only an hour long. Maybe because I have add I don't know, but I feel like an hour is good, you know what? An hour of power? Yeah, I call.
It, which I like and appreciate, which even like parts of me, my little growing up. I'm like, maybe you can go just a little bit longer, a little bit more, But.
Then I'm like, no, then it's just like it's better if you like want more and you have to leave as opposed to like.
But honestly, you guys are ladies, and I'm sure you love to sing songs, and you know my friends that I bring for my jiu jitsu class or from wherever they don't want to sing. You know, I'm just like when I'm saying next to them singing, which is awkward. I'm just next to another dude just singing, you know. I'm just like, hey, it's almost over. It's almost over, like always someone we're on.
And I like what you mentioned, and you it's constant thing that you make it uncomplicated, because yeah, I not only do does the Bible get a little bit complicated for some and it's meant to be uncomplicated, but exactly think others how everyone every other person views Christians or let's say in this case me growing up pastors, they've made it complicated, you know, like again like being unreachable or the word like it's just when you're talking about
a preaching or one verse and then the whole preaching is about something different about condemning you for certain things, and it's just like it pushes people away or the
way that people live. And I feel like once you can dive deep into the word and you start realizing, like we're obviously born sinners, we're going to be sitting, we're going to be doing this, but it's we have God's grace, and I think a lot of people forget that, and or there's also the ones that take advantage of God's grace and kind of just let's just going to keep sitting in God's use.
Perception of pastors. Oh, this is where I started interviewing you. I do every time, dude. The last time I was on a podcast was like, Hey, this is not your problem. I'm down a week. So yeah, do you think in your that's a generational thing like older pastors and the way they were raised and stuff, or do you think that's a why do you think that seems to be kind of the standard.
It's generational way and honestly cultural.
Right, So in Hispanic culture there is a culture of honor, honor, Right, you honor? Do you respect your elders, you honor your family? And so I think that plays a heavier hand in a Hispanic church. Yes, I think it plays a role in all churches. And I think that people do put pastors on a pedestal. Right, they don't put themselves. Maybe they put themselves, but some people will go like, oh, they're God's people, or.
Like Catholics, when you walk into a Catholic church, you know the.
Priest.
The priest has a whole little entrance, and like it's just then they or in Christian ones, they take security. They're surrounded by security, and it's kind of just like like I don't think it's meant to be.
Like that, well I think where that comes from.
Sorry to get all Bible on us, but.
You know, the Christian faith is a sect of Judaism, right. The Messiah came out of Juicuit, right, which is eastern. And the more east you go on the map, the more important honor is to society. Right, So whether it's Japanese culture, Asian cultures, or it's whether it's Jewish nature, so everything is about honor or it's about shame. Right. So you're like Solomon has a famous line in Proverbs, your reputation, Your reputation is more important than silver or gold.
So like what people think about you, what people think about your family. Right, So like that's why that's why God would say he would bless to the thousandth generation or curse to generate, right, because for them it's like not about me, it's about my family, making my mom and dad look good, making our family name important. So it could be you could take something that like that and put that into church and it and it have a little bit of momentum with it because the practices
are all kind of associated with honor shame. So and then if you look at Hispanic churches, it just kind of fits because in Latin culture that there's already an honor kind of dynamic there, right, or a shame dynamic, right so, and the same thing with Catholic Church. There's a lot of honor and shame there. So it all kind of like there's a little bit of like momentum there because of the roots of the Christian faith for good for bad.
So we're gonna go on a quick break and we'll be right back with justice and Maria. Welcome back, you guys. It makes sense. And I didn't know. Yeah, I didn't know that the whole going I haven't going to look into I started a Bible college, by the way, Yeah I do online.
Yeah no, you didn't. Are you doing the apologetics course or are you doing the theology course?
Theology doing my course?
Awesome?
You know, just not in person because I missed, I missed the cutoff or whatever. Oh awesome, But either way, I started, but I started learning.
Little things and I'm just like, next TIMEE on this podcast, when your body back, I'm gonna I'm gonna ask you. I'm gonna ask you if you're still doing it all right?
I got to complete all three like yes, little thing like if not, it's gonna bother me. So I worry. I'm going to do it and hopefully somebody else does
it like I can inspire the people. No, But the whole point of why I started it was because if I'm going to be in and you know, you guys taught me this, you know, but you guys showed me that, like how am I supposed to bring people more if I don't know what I'm reading or what who God is or understanding on And the first thing that I learned was also in order to understand myself, I have to understand God. And even then, like we're not wholly going to understand.
Him, well said, Well said? Do you feel like the Bible is complicated for people?
I look, and I'm gonna be honest. I would only read it because I felt like I had to, Like.
It's the right thing to do.
Check it out, Christian, I got to read my Bible today, check it off my list. But I understanding what I was reading, and then you said this Sunday obviously the soap method, which I have done at other churches before, but I couldn't really just like imagine reading a chapter and then all the whole chapter is naming all the kids and everybody's kids and the son of this, and I'm just like, how am I supposed to dissect this?
Right?
Whatever?
But so I would get only there was an app or a bible that you I feel.
Like what really shifted for me was also my relationship with God. Like I like I felt like because I had these situations with pastors, like it was if it was this hard getting connected with the pastor imagine getting connected with God. So I started switching in and really just I told myself this year, this is my year of surrender, Like I'm not like in any type of control, Like I don't know what I don't I don't know what my plan is for work once this podcast podcast ends,
what am I gonna do? Like I don't know. It's exciting, you know, it's yeah, it's nerve wrecking. And I'm a control freak, Like I I micromanage. And I told myself, like, you know what I'm at full surrender, and what am I How am I gonna learn or what am I gonna see? How am I gonna know? That the Spirit is talking to me like if I don't.
Do great, thank you no.
And my ultimate thing is like, Okay, I'm not the most perfect Christian and the most perfect I don't think anybody is. But if I have this platform, if I'm able to bring people to do something like, how am I gonna teach them correctly or show them correctly if I don't even know what I'm reading or what the Bible tells me. So that's why I started the Bible College.
I'm like, I have to under that I'm a nerd, like you know, I just I like to just I need to know things, and for my family too, Like that is one of the main things that I'm praying for this year. You know, We've been surrounded by everyone in my family's spiritual, not Christian, very two different things. Do I my glad that maybe that God is like the base the core, yes, of course, but the ideas of like you know, the rocks and the numerology and
mentioning of like Freemasons and all this stuff. Like obviously we all know, like it just doesn't it's not gonna like it can't happen. You can't mix the two. So that is one of the things that I'm praying for. And it's like, you know what, like I need to do this in order to bring it to them, you know, the same way that my sister did it for me. My older sister is the one that actually, you know, me and her were committed to going to church. We
would spend hours there. We wouldn't get home till one in the morning, and that would be in Woodier.
Oh wow, so we lived where the girls are prettier there.
Is my my uncle was a pastor there, and I'm grateful because obviously that's where my faith started and began, and you know, it felt like home because it was family. But then things happen, you know, you grow up and then just life and stuff and I just moved on. But yeah, I was a worship I was part of the worship team. I was part of the dance team.
Like I would serve whoa you used to lead worship?
I would I wasn't a leader.
But yeah, you were on the band, but you're not on my band. Wait a minute, an tell you we got four services a weekend, and you're not You're not saying we need that, we need you to need this gift.
Okay, but let me tell you because I would go to another church and you weren't allowed on the team if you did X y Z outside of the church.
Gotcha, gotcha.
So it was like I'm not holy enough or I'm not like it's I get.
Eaten alive for my decision. For people are always like pastors criticized me so much, I mean for everything, But dude, I'm always like, I don't like I think that if someone's got a gift, like that might be the way that they learn how to connect with God is with the gift. Because you said something so wise. You said like when we get to know who God is, then we find ourselves. Right, And that's the exact opposite of
what the world says. Right, Like all the advice we've heard growing up was like go into the world and go find yourself.
I need a year to go find myself.
And always telling people you're not as lost as you think, Like you don't need to go somewhere to go find yourself. When you encounter God, you when you get to know God, right, you are made in his image, all of us are. So you get to know more about him, you start to realize, oh, he's designed me for something, Like I was made for a purpose. He says in Proverbs that God makes nothing without a purpose. Everything God makes has
a purpose. So when we start to get to know God, we start to realize, oh, wait a minute, I'm here for a purpose. He's designed me for something. These gifts that he's given me, these interests, he's given me, the things that I'm good at, even the things that I'm not good at. Right, my personality, a lot of these are all things that God is like put together for his purpose. Right. But what we do is we start going like, what's God's plan for my life? And what's
my plan and my plan? And we forget that, Like there's no quicker way to get lost than to start focusing on yourself like that exactly. But when you get to know God, it happens faster than you know. It's like, oh, I made in his image. He's made me for a purpose, and everything starts to come together. So I always tell people, don't go into the world to find yourself. Find God. He's your creator, you know. It's your his image, you're made and he will he'll help you find it. Yeah,
and that's such a great day. I've been a part of so many people discovering their purpose. Like the guy right now who's teaching, one of the new teachers in our Bible college, Like he was an atheist two years ago. Oh wow, right, and he was just like he's a teacher and he just was so he was so analytical and cerebral and like so brilliant, and he just kept doing the search and he's like, there's got to be
more to this, more to this. And he was reading all these anti Christian atheist stuff just trying to disprove God. He like this, this is not satiating. I know there's something. He winds up leading himself to the idea that there's a creator. Okay, there's intelligent design behind this. And he starts going through the Bible. He's like, man, the Bible is trustworthy. This is a miracle. Then he gets all the way to Jesus and he's like, man, Jesus actually is God come to earth, you know. And he gets
the whole thing. And now he's in this purpose. He's teaching, he's taking other people along that journey. But how many of us like go through a tough time and then we go, Man, if I was God, I never would have let that happened to me. I never would have let that happened to me. Where was God when that happened to me? But it's so shortsighted of us because we have to see that God can take even the worst things that happened to us and he can use
those for his absolutely goodness. I agree he cannot waste the pain. You know people are all the time is like everything happens for a reason, and people criticize me because I go I don't think so. I don't think everything happens for a reason. I don't think because my best friend died from an overdose when I was nineteen that God did that or that happened for a reason. I think that what happened at nineteen was I turned my life over to God because I thought God can
do something with my life. And use the word surrender, right, I surrender to God, and now I can be used for a purpose, or that pain can be used for a purpose. But to start saying that God did that for a reason is a pretty awful thing. To tell people, right, so everything doesn't happen for a reason, but it could happen for God's purpose if we'll let it, if we'll
give it to God, you know. And so helping people find the purpose oftentimes has to do with looking at your gifts, looking at your pain, looking at these things that have happened in your life, and go, wait a minute, if God can do anything, what could he do with all of this?
Exactly?
But you're not going to find that in the world. You're not going to go out there and find that in the world. He's a good God and you can trust him, and we don't understand a lot of the things of what he does. We'll get to ask him one day. But but there's a lot of purpose, I believe. There's the day that you meet Jesus, which is the most exciting day in the world. It's like I'm no longer I'm forgiven of all these things that I've done. And you know, we've all hurt people, we've hit ourselves,
you know, and you're like, wow, like I'm forgiven. But then there's the day that you find out why He saved you. Like there are big things and there's great purposes in store.
For your life, which I feel like I'm in that space right now where like I'm like I've told you guys, I've been Christian since I was twelve. I remember the day that I was saved. But I feel like I'm there's like levels each time. Yeah, like I'm getting to know God in like different areas, like okay, cool, my mom passes away and that same day I still let worship.
Stop it at fifteen, fifteen years old, did your pastor know?
Yeah? That was the pastor was my uncle, my mom's brother.
You're well, hold on, Yeah, your mom passed away.
In a planet on a Sunday. Yeah, and you.
Get a phone call you're fifteen, and then your pastor tells you to lead worship.
No, I didn't tell me.
I still chose to. Oh wow, that's a totally different thing. Yeah, no, no, no, no, no, no, oh my gosh.
I still chose to. We still because at that time that Sunday, it was the plane is lost. We don't know where she's at. It wasn't that she had passed away yet.
So why did you do that that day?
I don't know, I just did.
What do you think I think?
I don't I I think that was the only I just knew that God was the only thing that's gonna maybe bring her back. That was the only like okay, God, Like that was my surrender at that time, Like okay, I mean, you know, this is it. Ultimately it wasn't that. It wasn't that she you know, she didn't come back or whatever. But I still, like I feel like now in this space of my life, I'm twenty seven years old,
like and I feel like I'm I just got saved again. Heck, you know, but I've been like when I'm telling you, I've been like Christian every day. I play my worship music every day, Like, yes, I felt like I've smoked, I've drunk, I've cursed it. You know I've done I've.
Cursed you know what I mean. Like you still curse texta worship team. You can't sing on the worship team. You can't sing, she curses.
But those are things that people have said. And that's my sister too. My sister was a worship the actual worship leader at it at some point.
And where's your sister now?
My sister, Well, one of them lives like down the street right here, but the other one lives.
Pretty far, but she ever come to freedom.
She went one time, but I'll share that after that. After no, not that it was it, but you know, I was just really excited that it was either going to be one of you and then it wasn't.
She came on a day when we weren't preaching.
Yeah, yeah, but I mean it was good. It was good.
Did she like the donuts?
The kids did?
Okay, we get free donuts.
But as I was saying, like, I like, I'm like learning again and again. Is it the same for you guys? Like as pastors like, do you feel like your faith and you know, you guys are growing continually continuously.
I would say that the longer I know Jesus, the sweeter he grows. That's an old hymn and I like quote it all the time.
Beautiful.
I didn't come up with that, but my grandparents used to pay this song like the longer I serve Him, the sweeter he grows, and so there's always more of God available, And the longer I serve him, the deeper relationship gets. But the other thing that is so important to my faith is walking with people that are experiencing Him for the first time.
Oh, yeah, like.
That also reignites my faith because you know when you were married, right, we've almost been married twenty years. That's a long time. Yeah, you know, and like our relationship has deepened and grown in awesome ways. But it's not like when we first met and it was like, oh my God, I can't I have to see him and I you know, it's deeper than that, but it's so stop anyway, So it grows. It's beautiful, there's more of him.
There's always more of God because he's so big. But one thing that is so important to following Jesus as having seeing people have their first moments with him, like getting to be with people when they're baptized or them encountering Jesus for the first time. It like almost makes me like fall in love with him all over again, you know. And so yes, and then paired with like getting to see you know, we get a front row to people seeing you know, getting to see people encounter Jesus.
And that's why we started the church. We were like, we have friends that are lost and need hope and need Jesus and he's everything to us. And so getting to start something and do something where people get to encounter him is just it's wonderful.
I love that. Yeah, I think that's beautiful because it's something so indescribable and I've I feel like, no matter how much we talk about it, people have to experience it for themselves, you know. And that's why like I get like seeing my friends and I'm just like I'm finally you guys are understanding me, like I can see what I'm feeling or you guys know like what this feels like, and you could start paying a touch to the cues like is this like God speaking to you
or is it something else? Like like it brings such like fulfillment and it's like okay, Like then you start feeling like, Okay, I do my job as a Christian, like you know, like I'm I'm doing enough. Although it's not that it's not the idea, but it's like okay, like I don't I could I could say that like wow, like I've I'm doing what God called me to do, like I'm actually fulfilling my purpose instead of just seeing it and not really understanding it.
Or like you know, do you have a purpose statement yet?
What does that mean?
A purpose statement kind of like like a mission statement but a purpose statement for your life where you like, you know, this is what I'm focused on, this is what I was created to do, this is what I'm all about. I don't seems like you're in that spot though, right, Like you said, you're surrendered. You have a lot of things not lined up next year because you're like really open to God leading away and you said you are more of a control freak by nature, and so it's
very hard to trust God without planning things out. Man, I'm excited for you.
Thank you. No, I appreciate it, and you know why, like I chose a surrender too, because I've also you know, get into the next little topic. I've also been single for a while, so I'm like, you know, what, were you married before? No, No, I was. It's you know, but it's just it's been a journey and I'm just I've I was like, you know what, instead of searching for it, I'm just going to let God handle it,
you know. So I kind of want to know, Like there's been this saying or like I've heard people say Christians specifically like you'll know when you know, like you'll just know.
So you know, we have a podcast. Yes, it's called The Uncomplicated Podcast, and people ask questions and then we talk about them and we you know, and the audience is we try to make the audience like not Christians right, like try to just kind of make it right Christian and Jason, I guess you'd say whatever. And I am telling you the number one questions that we get is dating questions. Dating and marriage questions. We get that all day long. And look, by the grace of God, we've
been married almost twenty years. I do think we have a great marriage. I mean, clearly after what she just said. You know, I know that I love her more than she loves me. You know, not true. She's a little hot and cold over here. I'm always hot. Yeah, but yeah, I think that people who are twenty seven years old, like yourself or maybe even whatever age, there's like this sense like, Okay, as exciting as it is to have
all the different relationships are be be free. Like there's a lot, there's like a deep kind of like I want to be a mom. I want to have kids, you know, I want to I want there's just something in all I'm not in all of us, not in all of us. But remember that story in the Bible where God created this peron world. And then but Adam was by himself. Remember, He's like, then God made this and it was good. And he made this and it
was good, and he made this one was good. And then the first thing that wasn't good was he goes, it's not good for man to be alone. Remember, and that's not just about marriage, that's about in general we need to have people around us, right. But for him it was like, all right, let's team you up with somebody. And the truth is that God is he is a team in a way. He's a father, he's a son, he's the Holy Spirit. So he is a relationship. So there's something about like becoming a reflection of God or
something about like serving and loving another person that changes you. Right. So the whole marriage thing is a pretty awesome thing. And it's like, I feel like a lot of people they see it on the outside, They're like, I want to be married because I don't want to be alone, right, And sure, that's there. I'm trying to just affirm that like anybody who's watching who's like, hey, is it weird? I want to get married because I don't want to be alone.
That's the oldest story the whole Bible. That's not a bad thing, right, But the other day, my my my friend of mine was marrying somebody and they weren't they weren't that into them, and I was like, I don't, are you sure you should be doing this? And I'm like, well, there's nothing worse than being alone, and I like grab my heart. I was like, yeah, there is something worse than being alone marrying the wrong person. I was like,
don't do that, you know. And so yeah, for your question about like marriage and stuff like that, we have hours and hours of these questions and we love it because I think that's a big question everybody asks, you know, and I don't think that you're incomplete though without.
Something No, no, no, of course not no. And I don't feel that way, which is which is a great place to be. I've just learned that obviously, this is my season of preparation and you know, God's preparing me for that time and same vice versa, Like I'm huge on praying for whoever my partner's going to be, my husband, like still be in like the same way preparing him me. I hope he's at church on a Sunday, you know, whatever. No, that's what I want to know. Did you know how
did you know it was him? Because I know you gave him a hard time.
She tried to break up me. Yeah, like you know twice. Get this letter on my face.
So my story in short, was I used to be like into guys right, like the idea of love getting carerried. I was boy crazy and always thought like, oh, this could be the one because I grew up in church hearing there was the one, right and that's not a biblical term, but the one is a thing we heard often. I'm at church camp is the one up here? Like, And so I was always into someone kind of and I just I was in a relationship he was into himself more than he was into me. Broke my heart.
Then I rebounded into the same thing, and I I just remember being so just. I had no self worth. My heart was broken. And then that's when the enemy lies to you and was like you're worthless, no one will ever love you. And then he just has to lie to you once and then you just have to cycle those thoughts in your head. And so here I am just broken, feeling like dirt, and the Lord spoke to me and it was actually through someone. I was at this church event for my friend and I was
just volunteering. I was in Bible College and we had to get volunteer hours and so I was like ushering people. And it was a pastor from a different country and he was praying for people and the line was over and I was there, just okay, line's over, thank you, and he was like, can I pray for you? And I was like sure, and he put his hand on my head and like I just instantly felt the love of God and I don't like people touching me, so it was I knew it was the Lord because it
wasn't like normally I'd be like, don't touch it. And he put his hand on my head and he was just like you've been hurt by two men. And he started reading my mail and I was like, oh no, what is he gonna say it? And I just begin to like cry and he's like, but the Lord wants you to know that he's preparing a man for you, and like this man will not hurt you. And he just went on and I was like, man, God loves me so much that there are people that are like
going through like real trauma. Yet he loves me so much that he's going to speak to my little like broken heart. And I just walked out and made a decision that like I wasn't going to date anymore for a season, that like God told me he was preparing someone for me, and I was going to trust that and I wasn't going to like serial date anymore. And so I went on a journey, and let me tell you, that was not fun. All my friends were like engaged,
they were all like in serious relationships. So on Saturday nights, I was like at home, I'm like, Okay, Lord, am I supposed to like read the Bible? This is lame? I am, you know, like I love you, but like, please honor this time that I'm living.
I feel lonely and.
Lame right now, Jesus.
And I mean that season felt long. It probably wasn't as long as it felt. And then I think I went on like one date. My friend was like, Hey, this guy's great, blah blah blah. And then I just went out once and I was like, hey, this he's great, but this isn't it right? And so then it wasn't like I wasn't dating, because I.
Even you didn't even date him because he had front row tickets to usher Kanye West. This time I had.
I had tickets to usher Kanye.
Tickets.
We met like the.
Next quesh she saw John Legend before he was even John Legends true row.
Anyway, we're gonna go on a quick break and we'll be right back with Justice and Maria. Welcome back you guys.
So then I I met him and we were friends for almost a year. Like I was super tracted to him, but I was just like, I actually value him so much more as a friend that if we let it get romantic, I was worried it would ruin it. And so we just kind of pushed our feelings aside for a while. And then my grandma would be like, you guys are in love, and I'm like, no, Grandma, we're not, like we're best friends.
And I mean, well, you heard something and you're saying the same thing about like being prepared. Yeah, I think that's important to have that mentality. Every time God uses somebody in the Bible, he prepares him first, think about it. Like Adam and Eve. Adam had to name all the animals in the garden, take care of the garden, and take care of before he met before God could trust him with a woman. Yeah, I mean that's kind of crazy to think about. He didn't create him at the
same time. And then you go to the next one. It's like Noah right, building that arc, you know, all that, all that he'd prepare, all that before he was entrusted with like a whole new world. Right. And then you have Abraham. Right, he got this promise that he would be the father of many nations and his wife, but his wife didn't even have a baby till like one hundred something. Crazy. He had to wait like so many years, just keeping trusting that God, you know. So he's being prepared.
So I think when God makes us wait, it's actually preparation.
Yeah.
And a lot of times we think you could probably wait without being prepared, but that would be a waste a waiting season and a preparation season or probably the same thing.
Yeah, And I think that that's exactly what I'm in right now. And I kind of just want to be that example also for others, because I feel like people just take whatever they take love or the attention and whatever feels good, right, whatever feels okay, uncomfortable.
And I would say that time of preparation did help me make decisions because there was a moment where I was like, I'm madly in love with this guy. But then I was like, there's some things about your life at this moment that like, God's taken me this direction, and I don't see you heading.
There go to church. I was like a Christian who didn't go to church.
He would just barely given his life to Jesus, so he was cycling out all of this his old life. And I was like, look, I love you, like I'm madly in love with you, but God's taking me this way, and so if you're not coming this way, then this isn't gonna work.
Do you imagine like if you go through a preparation or waiting season and you get so confident, like with you and God and who He's made you to be, that like you can actually make you can say things like that, well, and that was the Lord because I can't. I'm not gonna. I'm not going to satisfy this immediate desire of loneliness or whatever it is, because I don't
need you to complete me. I'm complete in Him. I don't need you to give me the affirmation or tell me who I am he already does that, right, you don't. My identity doesn't come from being in this relationship, Like I'm good, right, And I think if if we could all live like that, like I'm good without them, So when they come into their life, they come to math. I don't need something from you, exactly, But when two people need something from each other, that can be challenging, right,
that can be very challenging. So, uh, it can it can turn pretty bad.
And I think that's what you discover in your season of waiting and preparation, like discovering yourself and like being okay, which is being alone in exactly, and then also understanding what you're waiting for, the type of person that you're waiting for, like if you're not meeting me here or even above me, like I need you to like be better than I need you to have more faith than I do at this moment. You know, like I don't want to feel like I'm the only one that's like.
You don't want to feel like you're pulling him?
AULD tell you so many stories.
Yeah, which is I think that I've learned to appreciate and be patient with myself and understand God in this season although it is very very like it's frustrating.
Girl. If God's got somebody great for you, he is worth the way. Absolutely, you're worth the way.
I thank you so just yes, thank you God going to honor this.
Sure, don't waste the weight. That's the name of the new message just came up. But don't waste the way. That's a good title.
There, you know, there you go. No, but I've also been prophesied of, like you know this is X. Your husband's going to be this man.
Six foot three? What?
You know what? They didn't say that, but I hope so because I'm pretty every.
Girl has a list of all the things? Right?
Is that?
Is that allowed? Are you allowed to make a list of all the things?
I mean a lot of girls have a list.
Look, I feel like it's the desires of our hearts. I put it on a paper. These are the I'm praying for this. I am believing that God will give me. You know, it's fine if one thing's not out there, you know, but these are the things that I want, and I feel like God will fulfill that. Hey I do, I do, I knew whatever I mean. If not, I'm just then God will humble me. Then that's fine.
Hey, you're his daughter and God loves you, and he's going to give his best to his daughter. But he might have to prepare the guy. Maybe the guy's not ready. See I wasn't ready. We're here, I'm still I'm still I'm in a deficit. God's She's still out of my league. It's still a situation where I'm trying to catch up. I got to be the man of God that she deserves, you know.
And I think everyone is worthy and deserving of that, but obviously like understanding that it starts with God first. Yeah, you know, And That's where I'm at right now.
And you said, asked a question, how do you know? Like, yes, you know, how do you know? And everyone goes, you just know?
Right?
I kind of feel like that's true. I mean I knew. I just there's this sense I'll call it maybe the Holy Spirit, even like confirming it is life perfect no, with everything perfect.
No.
But like I always tell people when they're like, how do you know, I'm like, can you live without that secret? And because a lot of the time people are settling, right, they don't be lonely, they want to start their lives, and so they feel like this is the catalyst for that. And I always tell them like can you live without them?
And if they pause for even a second, I'm like, probably not the one, because you have to remember those moments where you're like, I cannot live without this person because marriage is hard, it is hard work, it is sad daily sacrifice, and you have to go back to those moments of going like no, like I would have been heartbroken if I had to live without this person. And so I always when people go I'm not sure if they're the one, I'm like, can you live without them?
And if they're like and they pause, I'm like, maybe maybe they're not the person, because there was a moment where it's like I cannot live without this person in my life. You see, there was a moment I'm madly in love with this.
Okay. I usually keep the podcast a little bit like condensed in short, so well, we're gonna end it a little bit. But I always ask this to everybody, even my friends. We always have like debates, if you could ask God one question, we're getting to the like that's it, we're already there, right, or you already have the opportunity to ask God two questions. What are you asking him? It could be whatever.
First one is how am I doing so far?
Okay?
My being a good steward of what you've given me?
Why do you struggle with feeling like you're like not enough or like you do?
I think in life? The other day I was at the gym, talking to the same gym you go to. By the way, we go to the gym together. I never seen her there, probably because there's a guy section and I'm over in the guy section. I'm in the guy's section, and this guy says to me. He says, because you know, life's a game. And I stopped him and I was like, who told you life's a game? He's like, well, I said, Life's not a game. Life's a test. So we're going to stand before God at
the end of our life, all of us. Everybody's watching here, all of us, and he's going to say what He's going to say, what be with that life? I gave you? I gave you that life? What did you know? We're going to answer for that, And in some level we're going to get a score. On some level, I don't know what it's going to look like. First we have to answer for what we did with Jesus. Like, if we rejected his son, Jesus, that's a bad day, Right,
it's a bad day. You can't expect the story of Jesus to be true like that God would love you so much that he would give you his only son, right, that his son would live with perfectness in this life and then die on the cross on purpose, knowing full well that this was an opportunity to exchange his perfect life for our life full of mistakes and regrets and pain. Right, So this is Jesus volunteered. He gave his life on our behalf for us. Right, our faith is in what
he did. It's not in what we did. It's not like we did good things so we got to heaven. That's not how it works. Is Jesus gave his life for us, and we put our faith in him, and then we lived in response to that. But we didn't earn our way to heaven. Technically, Jesus earned our way to heaven because he did all the things we couldn't do.
So that death on the cross is huge. So if we reject his son, even though he died for us, that day is gonna be a bad day, we say before God, Right, but then the Bible says there's another part to that, So like that's like that right there depends on like am I gonna be with God forever or be away from God forever? But then after that, it's like, now we're gonna move on to the next thing he trust us with. And we don't know what that's like. We don't know what heaven's like. We don't know.
We just know that God's going to restore the whole world. But Jesus tells all these parables about things to look forward to after this life, and he says, well done, good and faithful servant. I trusted you with a little. Now I'm gonna trust you with a lot. I want to hear those words. I want to hear well done, son. You did a good job with what I gave you. You prove I tested you, you proved it. Now I'm gonna put more in your hands. I'm gonna give you more.
And Jesus tells all these stories like that about guys who had money that he left them with and they doubled the money, or they hid the money, or they you know what I mean that all these stories. So that's a question I would ask if I can ask right now, I'd be like how am I doing so far? Because I don't want to get to the end and then be surprised, like, boy, were you off track? Like if I can fix the rest of you know, if
I can do it better, I want to. Man, My heart is to put a smile on my father's face. And you're well done, well done, son.
Nice, well done son. This is a question when we get to heaven.
Yes, and it's okay.
It's like you know one thing and it's probably like a selfish question. But I've always had like a hard
time understanding healing. M So I know faith is a component, but I have lost people to cancer and other awful diseases in my life that had so much faith, right, and so that's always been something I've resolved it, like I know that Jesus is a healer, and we don't get to choose on which side of heaven he heals, Like I think we will be healed one day, but I do want to know, like I'm an equation, girl.
God, what is the equation? Like what was missing?
Or but because I mean, if I could ask him that now, I'd want to see everyone healed. Prain healing over you know, people more and more, So I don't know that would be mine. It would be something about at healing, like why why why? Why are some people healed and not others? But right, that's that's mine.
Yeah, like what yeah, yeah, I get that. Why Like and I've I've come across I mean, if I've I've asked myself this question or at some point it would it would have been like before before, like you know, my new relationship with God, why did you take my mom? Which obviously it wasn't him, but why did you take my mom or both my parents? Like why? Like it was so quick back to back, it couldn't just been a little bit more time, right, you know, but that was I feel like it's the same like why why
me and not them? So but you know, I've come to realize and I've used my pain my paint purpose and creeving and all that, But I like to ask those questions like because you know, we get there and we're just like okay or as a girl TMI, but I'm like, why did Eve have to eat the.
Like you might want to talk about how Adam just wasn't on watch that day, like what's up? Adam.
But it's just keeping real, Like God, why did like why does she do it? Like you knew? Like, oh my god, Adam, there's.
A talking snake going after your wife. You're supposed to be the gardener, bro, supposed to be the protector, Adam.
But you know, as a girl, like every month, I'm just like this, like that's her fault. But yeah, no, But I really appreciate like you guys again making it feel safe and comfortable, well sure, making it feel okay not to be okay or to be like the perfect Christian in order to be accepted into a church or by God in general. And I feel like a lot of people have missed that opportunity and this is a reach, but would you please do the call for the laws in general? For like you're great at it. You both
are great. That's your thing.
Just promise me you'll stay real. You know, that's why people watch you, because you're real. And I don't think the world's looking for perfect Christians. I think they're looking for real Christians for sure. I don't think people is looking for a perfect church. If I find one, i'll tell you where to go. But there's no perfect churches. But there's real churches, you know, there's people who are like i'm here to I'm here because I know I
don't have it all together. And I know because I'm here because I know I'm broken and I need God to heal me, you know. And that's the kind of environment that where you can belong even before you believe. You know, no perfect people allowed. Like if you're giving off that vibe like you got it all together, I don't trust you, you know what I mean, Like that vibe is like I've seen that vibe before and that's
not what we're going for here. And so yeah, you stay real and people will continue to be drawn to your life because in a world of phoniness in Los Angeles especially, Yeah, you're a light because you're so real. So keep it up. And you're getting baptized this Thursday.
Thank you.
Yeah, we found out today.
I am. I am. I don't you know, it's just I just I usually don't say it because a lot of people have, you know, they don't have the best intentions and I'm just but I also know that my God is bigger and greater, so like I take the risk and kind of just put it out there. But yeah, I'm excited. I'm happy.
So baptism you want me to the invitation for Christ if you can.
I just I like to have that opportunity. I've never done it before. I don't do it. I'm not that I don't do it, but I've just never done it. But you know you're great at it. Why does it?
You know? So baptism is what will start? Right? Why would you get baptized on Thursday?
I was telling Maria before we started, I just didn't find I know that it's I felt like it was important where I was going to get baptized, like the church I was getting baptized at, because I feel like we're and I know that's not the main importance. Like like again, like I've encouraged my whole life and I've never been baptized, and I didn't feel like I needed to.
But then I started reading and like, obviously it's important and again I'm in this surrender and then this preparation season in general that I just felt like, okay, like
why not yea? But I did feel like it was important where I got baptized because I needed it to be somewhere that again that I felt comfortable and safe with and that I can be able to call a home and that I'm continually faithfully tithing and where I feel like, you know, also not making it like the church, my god, you know, but this is a space where I connect and that you know where this is the most sacred part of me. This is the core of who I am. And I also believe that starts with
the church for me. So luckily, like I've been able, I was freedom is that space for me and and continues to be that space for me, and like I I want it to be and I again want to be that voice and be rual and to help people later on. And I don't know, I just I feel like again like I'm dying. I'm dying to myself. I'm choosing to die to myself. Every Oh yeah, there is there is taking that class. Oh my god, a lot of work.
The seasons are kind of lining up, right, Like everything in life is like a season, right, So it sounds like you're kind of like I'm going into a new beginning.
Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
So that's really what baptism is, right. Baptism is, like the Bible says, it's like a watery grave. Or a coffin. It's kind of crazy because baptism looks different ways in all sorts, different places. So I think probably half of our churches hispanic. Would you say half our churches is probably?
Would you ever do a Spanish service?
You know we do translation in here, but you know the other day I said, raise your hand, if you raise your hand, if you grew up Catholic in our whole church, razor hand, you know what I mean? Your if you're so Catholic, these are old raizor had. I mean, it's like, it's like, I'm serious, because you know, our Catholic brothers and sisters same Jesus. They believe in the resurrection toement the whole thing. Baptism, though, can be challenging
for them because their parents did this for them. And so we've walked a lot of people through this because if you're watching this, there's a day where what your parents did for you so special and beautiful and wonderful,
and I don't want to take away from that. We you know, we we do a dedication thing in our church too where we're like, we're going to raise this child to God, and you know, and I want everybody to know this commitment we're making to God, and it's not our child, it's God's child, you know, Like it's a very very powerful thing, right. But as we get older, you know, I was nine, I was twenty. I think I was nineteen, and it was like, hey, I was raised this way, but I need to make this decision
for myself. So that's why I think even though you've never been baptized, it's just that time for you now, because you're like, wow, I'm twenty seven. I understand that it's almost like a decision to say, God, I'm going to live your plan for my life, not my plan for my life. And that's an adult decision. That's an adult decision. So my kids want to give baptized and I'm like, not until you're at least eleven or twelve or you know, because I'm like, you don't know what
you're doing, you know what I mean? You know. So the Bible describes it as like going into a watery grave and you identify with the death of Jesus, but then you identify with the resurrection of Jesus. So in other words, like sometimes you have to die before you can live. Ye, So it's like the old person is dying and the new person. And that's really the language of the Bible, like we are dead in our sins. Jesus says, were lost, and then we're fine found we're blind,
and then we see we're dead and then we're alive. Right, I mean this is that that is like a Jesus called it being reborn. He goes like, that's a complete reborn. So if you're watching this and you've never been born again, you know, you know if you've been born again or not. And what we wind up doing is we wind up looking at like belief systems or religion and we go like, oh, I believe that Jesus is God, and I believe what he did on the cross for the world bring salvation,
and I believe in all that. But you can believe God but not trust God. Trusting God is when you go I'm actually going to give you my heart. Yeah, so I'm going to not live for myself anymore. I'm going to live for you. And when you do that, when you say God, I'm sorry for the things that I've done and you put your faith in Jesus, your next breath is an incredible sensation because you're like, Wow, like it's over. That person is dead, like the old
is dead. The person who did those things and acted that way and thought, that's over now, and you leave that person behind. And now when you're born again, the Bible says, not only are you forgiven of what you've done, but you are filled with the Holy Spirit. See the word for breath in the scripture, both in Hebrew and in Greek, is the same word for spirit. So God puts his spirit in you. So now when you're born again, you're living by the spirit of God, and so he
give helps you all the child. Most people don't want to get baptized because they go, oh, I'm still gonna make these mistakes. I'm still gonna do these things, you know. And a lot of times they come to me and they're like, I need to get everything fixed up and perfect, then I'll get baptized. I hear that all the time, like oh, I need to, I need to I need to get cleaned up, and then I'll get baptized. And I look at them every time, I'm like, no, no, no,
you don't. You don't get cleaned up and then come to God. You come to God and he cleans you up. Right that's the whole purpose of Jesus leaving heaven and come in to Earth. So if you're watching this and you've never like you've never heard the gospel that way, I would just tell you that I would. I would. It would be hard hard for me to believe that you were watching this podcast without God orchestrating this like
he knew you tune in today. Marie and I don't do a lot of podcasts like this, but we just love her so. And the truth is is like, even through this system of like being watching podcasts, whatever, there's like a trusted voice who's saying, hey, listen. I would say that God's been working in your life a lot longer than before this moment. He's been part of every chapter of your story, right, And that's hard to swallow because you're like, well, where was he when this happened?
He was still there. If you were today to say God, I'm sorry for the things I've done, will you forgive me, and you were to trust that Jesus has made that possible, two things would happen. One, you could say goodbye to all the shame and all the guilt of the things that you did today. That would happen today, and then two you would have the Holy Spirit who's with you from here on out, to walk with you into a
new life. God does have a great plan for the world, and he does have things that he wants to do, and he created you for a purpose. But the old person doesn't get to do that. It's the person who I'm gonna I'm gonna let this person die so the person that God intended for me to be can live. So I would just direct you just to pray this prayer today. You would just say Jesus, because when we
pray to God, we pray to Jesus. We don't believe that Jesus is like half God and half man, right, we don't believe Jesus is like a man who like did a bunch of good things and became God. There's a lot of there's a lot of religions believe that, but that's actually not the truth. The truth is not that Jesus is a man who became God. It's that God became a man so that he could be on earth and you could know that you could trust him and see what God is like and see what love
is like. So so God becomes a man and he dies a death on the cross for you and for me that we deserve. And then he rises again. He rises from the grave. That proves that he's God and that everything he said about himself is true. So if you put your faith in that that that Jesus has done everything that you need to be in good standing with God, and you say thank you Jesus for all that you've done, I receive that salvation. I receive that forgiveness of sense. Then in that next moment, you ask
God fill me with the Holy Spirit. So I would pray that whoever's praying that prayer right now, Jesus God, I'm sorry for what I'm done. Will you forgive me? Will you and take a deep breath? Will you film me with the Holy Spirit? Will you fill me with all the help that I need to live a new life? And then you just make them that promise God? From here on out, I'm following you. Are you gonna make mistakes?
Of course? Did you're going to learn from though? Is God going to love you more or less based on those mistakes? Absolutely not. He's looking at your heart right now. He knew you'd be tuning in, and I believe there's people watching right now, who'd say today's the day I'm beginning the rest of my life and you would be born.
Again, Amen, Jesus name, Amen Amen, which as also one of the best decisions I've ever made personally in my life. And again, if you guys need a home, church or somewhere to go, please look into Freedom Say the best that I've you know, I've felt peace and safe there. And they have online services too, right is every service online?
Yeah, on Sunday.
On Sunday I'm an in person no, but online Freedom Church. And I want to thank you guys again so much, thank you because you know, you guys didn't have to, but you guys chose to. And again it is God's purpose in God's fulfillment. And you know, I just I just like seeing God work and actually seeing being here. And I really appreciate you guys very very much because I love again. You guys have been a vessel of God for me.
Can't brag about you for a second. Do you understand how hard it is to talk about faith. It's such a personal thing. People feel like if I talk about that, then it's like putting myself out there. There's nothing harder to do than talk about your faith, and you're doing that on your platform with people that obviously you care about, because you would not be sharing this because you're going to get criticized for this course, you know, and I get criticized all the time, and that's part of it.
But Jesus got criticized more than any of us. So way to go because you didn't have to do this.
And that's the thing, Like, it just I've I've already heard everything, Like there's nothing that anybody can tell me, and I'm just like okay, like whatever at this point, this is the way that I've survived. A lot of people ask me, like, how did you get through this?
Yeah?
Yeah, I just don't have any other answer but God. And if that's the best way, if I can simplify it or uncomplicate it or give the examples of how my life has been saved or what I've gone through to be able to share that story and my testimony, ultimately, like then it's you know what I'm called to do.
It's the purpose, you know, That's why I'm here, That's why God made us and created us under But again, thank you guys so so much, and please, if you guys again, need a church or if you need some type of hope, rewatch the podcast or please head to the social medias.
It is safe.
We're in a safe space. So thank you guys so much. Make sure you guys like, comment, subscribe, and I will see you guys next Tuesday. Overcover podcast is a production of Iheart's Macultura podcast Network.