Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Sometimes, God does something in your life that just doesn’t make any sense. He may take something away or put you in a new position that you don’t feel like you’re qualified for. He may move you across the country, or change the demographic of the people you thought you were called to minister to. But at the end of the day, God’s plan supersedes yours, and that’s something Ryan Raleigh has learned. In continuing his summer takeover series, Josh is joined by Forerunner’s K-2nd grades Coach Ryan “Big Red” Raleigh to talk through how he heard about Forerunner, why he joined the team to mentor kids without fathers, how God has used his experience to heal him of his own wounds, and ultimately why he chooses to be a coach at Forerunner.
Purchase the You Can Mentor book:
You Can Mentor: How to Impact Your Community, Fulfill the Great Commission, and Break Generational Curses
youcanmentor.com
Purchase the You Can Mentor book:
You Can Mentor: How to Impact Your Community, Fulfill the Great Commission, and Break Generational Curses
youcanmentor.com
Creators and Guests
What is You Can Mentor: A Christian Youth Mentoring Podcast?
You Can Mentor is a network that equips and encourages mentors and mentoring leaders through resources and relationships to love God, love others, and make disciples in their own community. We want to see Christian mentors thrive.
We want to hear from you! Send any mentoring questions to hello@youcanmentor.com, and we'll answer them on our podcast. We want to help you become the best possible mentor you can be. Also, if you are a mentoring organization, church, or non-profit, connect with us to join our mentoring network or to be spotlighted on our show.
Please find out more at www.youcanmentor.com or find us on social media. You will find more resources on our website to help equip and encourage mentors. We have downloadable resources, cohort opportunities, and an opportunity to build relationships with other Christian mentoring leaders.
You can mentor is a podcast about the power of building relationships with kids from hard places in the name of Jesus. Every episode will help you overcome common mentoring obstacles and give you the confidence you need to invest in the lives of others. You can mentor.
Speaker 2:Hey, mentors. Just a reminder about the You Can Mentor book. It's titled You Can Mentor, How to Impact Your Community, Fulfill the Great Commission, and Break Generational Curses. The whole point of this book is to equip and encourage mentors with new tools and ideas on how to make the most of their mentor mentee relationship. If you're a mentor, hey, go pick it up.
Speaker 2:And if you're a mentoring organization, pick some up for all of your mentors. If you would like to order mass copies, like more than 20, send an email to me, zach@youcanmentor.com, and we will get you guys a special price. But go and pick up that book. It's good. You can mentor.
Speaker 3:Welcome back to the You Can Mentor podcast. My name is Joshua Manning. Again, I'm sure you know by now that I am not a typical host, but I am doing my own little summer takeover because, well, as the editor, I can. Zach and John by now definitely know about the the podcast. I've heard really good feedback from them.
Speaker 3:They've given it the green green light. They're just like,
Speaker 4:go for it.
Speaker 3:You know, here's a couple of notes, but it's been great. Today, I'm joined by Ryan Raleigh. He's a k through 6 coach. Ryan, how are you doing? I'm doing good.
Speaker 3:I'm doing good. Also known
Speaker 4:as coach Big Red. Oh, yeah. Coach Big Red. Totally. Yep.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 4:We're also My favorite title. But yeah.
Speaker 3:That's your favorite title? Yes. As opposed to some of the other dicknames that we went over in Step Thrucks.
Speaker 4:Yes. Yes. Oh my gosh. Yes.
Speaker 3:What were some of those dicknames?
Speaker 4:Daddy long legs, anything with red in it.
Speaker 3:I mean Except for big red.
Speaker 4:Except big red is my favorite.
Speaker 3:That's your favorite?
Speaker 4:Tiny red. It's like, but
Speaker 3:Why would why would anybody call you tiny red?
Speaker 4:I don't know. I I was a lot smaller back then.
Speaker 3:Fair enough.
Speaker 4:Yeah. Fair
Speaker 3:enough. I guess we do need to give the listeners some context for why big red is your favorite. Yes.
Speaker 4:I mean, I'm tall. I have long curly red hair.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 4:And all the kids call me coach Big Red.
Speaker 3:So Sounds like
Speaker 4:it's my favorite now. Yeah. My friends even call me coach Big Red now because of the kids.
Speaker 3:Oh, yeah. Some of the other coaches.
Speaker 4:Yeah. The coaches and people at, like, college
Speaker 3:Oh, yeah. Right? And church. Yes. You've got people just calling you Big Red.
Speaker 4:Yes. Yeah. I don't even know if some people know my name is Ryan anymore, but that's okay.
Speaker 3:Well, everybody here knows that you are Ryan because that's how I introduced you. Yes. But, yeah, thank you so much for being on the podcast today. No. I'm excited.
Speaker 3:I'm excited. I think it's gonna be a good conversation. Yeah. Yeah. So, Ryan, the first thing I'm gonna ask is why don't you give us kind of it's a 2 part question.
Speaker 3:The first is who is Ryan? Like, you know, what are your hub streams, hobbies? Yeah. Like, just introduce us to you. Who are you?
Speaker 3:And then the second part of that is why don't you give us kind of a snapshot of the role you have at forerunner
Speaker 4:Okay.
Speaker 3:As well as, like, what exactly forerunner is about? Because as I've been recording these episodes, we haven't really covered that. And while Steven and Beth were hosts on the on the mentor you can mentor podcast and work at forerunner, and they have referenced that a lot. I don't know that anybody has really been like, this is who forerunner is. So why don't you give us just an overview of who you are as well as who and what forerunner is and does and their mission, things like that.
Speaker 3:Awesome.
Speaker 4:Well, I'm I'm Ryan Rolly, coach Big Red. I really I mean, I grew up in the Richardson area. I grew up around Steven and a lot of the 4 Runner staff actually, And so it's just very much like family, but I grew up in a Christian household. My mom loves the Lord, but I had a divorced family. And so I saw the effects of living in a single parent home, living with an absent dad, and I just kinda grew up that way, but I saw my mom's genuine love for the Lord, and I really I mean, I've just piggybacked off of that as many kids do for years, and then I found him myself loving myself now.
Speaker 4:And I've, like, devoted myself to him. And in that, I've devo devoted myself to doing whatever he calls me to do, and I've felt called to go into some, like, vocational ministry. You have no idea. I mean, when the Lord's got you, he's got you. Yeah.
Speaker 4:That's true. He'll take you anywhere. But, yeah, just feel called to ministry and then recently felt called to forerunner, and it's just been so sweet. I love loving on the Lord by loving others. Mhmm.
Speaker 4:That's good. That's a big part of forerunner. Honestly, when I was first introduced to forerunner, I was like, oh, it's just a children's ministry and didn't really think much of it. And now that I've been through it for a year, I I know so much more that it is it is the furthest thing from just a children's ministry. 4 Runner in one statement is where boys become men of God.
Speaker 4:Mhmm. We hear it every day. We say it every day, but it's true. They're transforming, growing, flourishing into men of God that they couldn't be, I believe, without 4 Runner. I think, like, these kids without 4 Runner would be completely different men.
Speaker 4:And I think because of the program, they're they're becoming men of God and men of respect, men of integrity, men of leadership, all these
Speaker 3:things we say daily. Yeah. The 5 traits.
Speaker 4:It's, like, rudimentary in our head, but it's it's core to who these who these boys will be one day. Mhmm.
Speaker 3:And I
Speaker 4:think it's changing a generation of kids to where we'll see, like, fatherlessness and single parent households. Like, we're we're a part of changing that, and it's just been so cool. But forerunner really in one statement is where boys become men of God. They walk in lonely. They walk in scared.
Speaker 4:They walk in desperate, and we give them something that changes their life, and it's just it's amazing. It's changed my life. 4 Runner has changed my life as a grown adult. I've become a man of God because of 4 Runner, and I think k through 6, 6 through 12, like, everybody in program is becoming more and more a man of God just because of the program itself. It's been beautiful.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I I agree, and I think every coach agrees as well. I mean, everybody that's been on here, Caitlin and Joel, Taj, you know, some of some of the best coaches. I mean, let's be real. Like, this year's coaching squad was like
Speaker 4:Unfiled. Yeah. It was No competition.
Speaker 3:Exactly. Last
Speaker 4:year. They
Speaker 3:were fired.
Speaker 4:Sorry. A year before? Right. The team was crazy.
Speaker 3:This team well, I think within that, what I mean by that is it's like, yes, we were really tight knit my 1st year. Right?
Speaker 4:Yeah. With
Speaker 3:Yeah. Caleb was here. We had Holden was here. Oh. Zoe was here.
Speaker 3:You know, a bunch of Zoe's amazing. A bunch of former coaches were here, and they've since moved on and and gone on to do other things. And, well, not Holden. He came back.
Speaker 4:So He did come back.
Speaker 3:He'll he'll be on on the podcast soon. So you guys will definitely wanna catch that episode. Yeah. But, yeah, like, the the squad last year was was great. Yeah.
Speaker 3:But I don't think that I experienced as tight knit, like, supportive community as a squad, you know, as as a coaching squad of us being in the trenches together as I did this year. Right?
Speaker 4:That's so awesome.
Speaker 3:This year, it was I mean, between things of, like, just watching k through 6 in the in the few minutes that I would be there every day, you know, picking up snacks or whatever, just like seeing the way you guys were interacting and and being respectful to each other, but also joking around, right, and having a good time
Speaker 4:Yes.
Speaker 3:And, you know, taking digs at each other, but also, like, everybody knew that it was
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:You know, that it was good natured. And then being like, from there and then, like, coming back after the van route to see you guys still there, like decompressing from the day or doing highs and lows or whatever, having a meeting, and then like us just being able to integrate into that and feel like it wasn't just us like inserting ourselves into Yeah. A staff meeting. It was just us coming and hanging out, and we were all talking about the same
Speaker 4:thing. Family. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah. It was it was family. And I think that was something that I really experienced
Speaker 4:Yes.
Speaker 3:This year was that forerunner is family. Yes. Right?
Speaker 4:Yes.
Speaker 3:And I know in corporate America, like, that becomes kind of a trigger word of, you know, if you're interviewing and the interviewer is like, yeah, this organization, we're family around here. Like, that's a big red flag typically. It's a big turnoff. It's a big red flag, but I think, like, it's the selling point for 4 Runner. It's because that our is that our staff is a family
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Because we are there for like, we know we're there for each other. We're supporting each other, things like that. I mean, even just today before we hit record on the podcast, like, I was telling you that I was moving Yeah. Out of Flower Mound and moving into Richardson, which I'm excited about. Yeah.
Speaker 3:But, like and without me even having this ask, you're just like, hey, do you need help?
Speaker 4:It's what family does.
Speaker 3:Right. It's what family does. And it's like that's Why
Speaker 4:wouldn't I?
Speaker 3:Exactly. And that's and that's what forerunner does is we're like, we're there for each other because we believe that those relationships change lives. I mean, that's the core number one Yes. Value at forerunner is that relationships change lives. We exist.
Speaker 3:Beautiful. Yeah. We exist to help boys become men Yes. Or lead boys into becoming men really and men of God, but we do that through the power of relationship. Right?
Speaker 3:Like, honestly, I mean, with k through 6, I don't I don't know how you guys do it because you have 35 or 40 boys
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And every single one of you knows every single one of their names and who they are and what their fears and hopes and dreams are.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And keep it straight, and you can meet every single one of their emotional needs simultaneously. And I'm sitting there going like, we have on average 12 kids at the junior high on a day, you know, in daily attendance. Yeah. And I have trouble meeting every single one of their needs Yeah. On a daily basis.
Speaker 3:So I'm just like, how do you guys do that? Like It's it's challenger.
Speaker 4:Yeah. It I found out a a couple weeks into 4 Runner because you're completely correct. Like, all the coaches, we love each other a little bit too much. Like, it's
Speaker 3:Too much.
Speaker 4:We're, like, together all the time.
Speaker 3:Hanging out outside of program.
Speaker 4:Hanging out outside of program. It feels weird when you have to leave early when it's literally after you clocked out. Like, it's just Yeah. That's how family works is it feels weird to leave. And it's it got knit in like, I remember a couple weeks in, we went to dinner after.
Speaker 4:You know? Pretty regular thing with, like, 1st semester because we weren't busy. We're all, like, we're all family at that point.
Speaker 3:Wait. The k through 6 went to dinner Yes. And we weren't invited?
Speaker 4:No. Y'all totally were. I don't know, like, where the invite went, but I think y'all are totally invited. I I do not remember. It wasn't me.
Speaker 3:But I do not remember ever getting invited to this dinner.
Speaker 4:Now you're invited. So this is a formal invite to come to dinner after program, but we had it, like, 3 weeks after program or something like that. It was very short. And the whole dinner, I'm not joking, the whole dinner, we were talking about the kids.
Speaker 3:That doesn't surprise me at all.
Speaker 4:It hit me. It hit me. This is not just work. Like, I'm not going to get paid for this. Like, I am.
Speaker 4:That sounds weird. I'm I'm I'm not going to get paid. Yeah. I'm going to love on these boys. And it hit me that every coach in our program believes the same thing.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 4:And that whole I mean, we were at dinner for 2 and a half, 3 hours, and the whole conversation was the boys and we made a joke after, like, we're still working. You know
Speaker 3:what I mean?
Speaker 4:Like, we're still at that work mindset, but it's because
Speaker 3:It's because we love the boys.
Speaker 4:Yes. And it's because it's become family. Yeah. And when, like, the boys have been on my mind more than anything else, and I've got a lot going on, but it's become family too. Like, how much I think of my actual sister, I'm thinking of a kindergarten boy that skinned his knee and wondering if his mom took care of it or not.
Speaker 4:Like, it's just it's insane. It's insane.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I mean, I've I found myself doing the same thing. I mean, we're, you know, what, 3, 4 weeks into
Speaker 4:Sadly.
Speaker 3:Into summer. Yeah. Yeah. Sadly. Yeah.
Speaker 3:We're 3, 4 weeks into summer, so we're on break. Yeah. The full time staff is still working and and strategizing and whatnot, but that is one of the interesting conundrums of being a grade coach or a site lead Yeah. In the after school mentoring program. Oh, I guess that's another thing we should talk about is how foreigner helps boys become men of God.
Speaker 4:But Let's do it.
Speaker 3:Yeah. We will. And so, you know, we're we're on break because when there's no school, we don't have you know, when there's no school to be an after school program for, there's Yeah. You know, we there's no program. And so we don't have technically jobs Yeah.
Speaker 3:Over the summer. Yeah. And every single one of us We're still thinking about boys. Thinking about the boys. Still praying over them.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Still thinking about the boys, still praying about them. I mean, I had a kid just at, like, the last week of program who came in with bug bites all over over his arms. Yeah. And I'm sitting here
Speaker 4:still worried.
Speaker 3:I'm still worried about it. I'm still, like, you know, has this been taken care of? Yeah. Even though at the end of the day, like, there's literally nothing I can do for this kid from a physical standpoint because I can't give him anything. Even at the time, I couldn't give him anything.
Speaker 3:Right? We're not allowed to administer medication, but, you know, I'm still sitting there going like, has this been taken care of? Is he okay? His mom can take
Speaker 4:care of it.
Speaker 3:Exactly. Yeah. And I think that just shows like how much we genuinely love these boys, and you you hinted at it. Yeah. Like, we don't go to get paid.
Speaker 3:Right? There are there are people out there who show up to their job because it's a job. Right? They don't actually really like their job or whatever. It's like, no.
Speaker 3:Every single one of these coaches and even our full time staff is here because we believe in the mission, we believe in in the program, and we believe in what we're doing. Yeah. Right? We we believe that we're making a difference and that we are looking ahead to the next generation and pouring into the next generation where, you know, you had you had said we're trying to end the cycle of fatherlessness. Right?
Speaker 3:We're we're not doing that by like trying to put fathers into kids' lives. No. We're pouring into them so that they don't become We're making fathers. We're making fathers. Right?
Speaker 3:One of the lines in the the manhood declaration, which is something we say every single day, it starts with an with I am a man of God, and it's just a it's like 15 or 16 or 17 identity statements.
Speaker 4:It's changed my life.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I mean, it's changed my life.
Speaker 4:I'm I'm a 20 year old man.
Speaker 3:It's changed my life. Exactly. Yeah. And one of the lines there is I will be a godly husband, father, and leader. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Right? And, like, that is our vision for them is that they will be godly husbands, fathers, and leaders because that's who they are.
Speaker 4:So good.
Speaker 3:Right? Yeah. That's who God has called them to be. And so we're pouring the that identity into them, and we're reinforcing that identity into them. Yeah.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, I think it's just so powerful.
Speaker 4:It's been insane. Yeah. I I think too we're we're not just because I've told a lot of people about 4 Runner. Right. Like all my friends, my family.
Speaker 4:If you know me, you know about 4 Runner. I love talking about it. But in telling them there's been some people, you know, I am doing life with people, some people that don't believe in the Lord. Yeah. And some people like, I got asked, are you just indoctrinating kids?
Speaker 4:And I thought it was a very interesting question, but I I feel like it's not only are we teaching them how to believe in Jesus Christ, which we are. Unashamed. Yeah. Like, we are teaching them how to believe in Jesus Christ. We're not
Speaker 3:ashamed of the gospel. No.
Speaker 4:Absolutely not. But not only are we teaching them how to believe in Jesus Christ, we're teaching them that Jesus Christ believes in them.
Speaker 3:Oh, that's so good.
Speaker 4:Like, bro, there's been some days, like, I'm trying not to get emotional. There's been some
Speaker 3:days I probably will get a crowd of this broadcast.
Speaker 4:That I come in and the the 400 manhood declaration, like, I needed it.
Speaker 3:Mhmm. Yeah.
Speaker 4:And I'm reading it going, oh my gosh. Like, I'm a man of God. You think, like, God thinks I'm a man of God. God knows I'm gonna be a godly husband, father, and leader.
Speaker 3:I'm a man after God's own heart. I'm strong, fearless,
Speaker 4:and courageous.
Speaker 3:That's tough.
Speaker 4:As a kid, if you get that stuck in your head that God believes in me, you can do whatever you want. Like, you can go for it. You can actually be who you wanna be. Yeah. And it's it's changed my life because, yes, we're teaching them about Jesus, but we're teaching them what Jesus thinks about them.
Speaker 4:And it's been, like, I've learned so much about how the Lord views me Yeah. In just teaching these kids. Like, Hey, this is what this is what God believes about you. He believes you're gonna be a man of God. He believes you're gonna be a godly husband, a father, and leader.
Speaker 4:You know how hard that is to accept without a dad? Like Yeah.
Speaker 3:Oh, I mean, I don't because Yeah. I did have a dad, but
Speaker 4:I got like, just being in that as a kid, you feel gypped. You're like, okay. I didn't get a dad, so I can't be a dad. And the Lord is so strong on, like, those kids of you didn't get a dad, but you can be the dad you didn't get. And it's I think it's insane.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I think it even goes further than that. I think it's not you can. It's you will.
Speaker 4:You will. Yes.
Speaker 3:You will be the the dad you didn't have, and that to me just speaks like if you look at scripture, if you look at the Bible, like, all throughout the Old Testament, the New Testament, literally the whole Bible, like, you can open basically open a page and point and the person that's on that page was not qualified for what they were called
Speaker 4:to do.
Speaker 3:Like, God is in the practice of using incredibly broken people Yes. With one exception. God is in in the practice of using incredibly broken people He
Speaker 4:loves
Speaker 3:it. To redeem their story in the very thing that they're broken in. Yes. Right? Yes.
Speaker 3:You know, you look at Moses. Moses was a murderer and Terrible leader. A terrible leader. Yeah. He was he was a murderer, a terrible leader, couldn't talk, couldn't was not articulate.
Speaker 3:Like, he had all these insecurities, and God's like, great. You're gonna go lead an entire nation.
Speaker 4:Yep.
Speaker 3:Right? Like, God is in the habit of calling people to do the thing that they don't think they can do. Right? And so that I think translates even more into these boys' lives
Speaker 4:Yes.
Speaker 3:You know, in the sense of you are called to be a godly husband, father, and wife. Yeah. That is your identity. That is what's going to happen. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Like, if you're pursuing God and not trying to do your own thing, which I can tell you from personal experience doesn't work
Speaker 4:Same here.
Speaker 3:Right? It's like if you're if you're actively pursuing God Yeah. He's going to actively pursue you, and he's gonna redeem your story. Yeah. Right?
Speaker 3:You will be a father. You will be the father that you'd never had. Yes. Right? And in some ways, it's like it's actually better that that's the case.
Speaker 3:Yes. Because now you know what you didn't have and what your son or daughter is going to need. And
Speaker 4:and why you're a godly husband, father, and leader. Like
Speaker 3:Also that. Yes.
Speaker 4:There's a certain I think God uses unqualified people because he can take the credit.
Speaker 3:That's good.
Speaker 4:You know what I mean? Yeah. Like, he doesn't he didn't use a good leader to move the Israelites out of Egypt for that leader to be like,
Speaker 3:see. This was all on me. Yeah. Well, I got you this.
Speaker 4:Yeah. No. He used Moses so Moses could literally say, like
Speaker 3:This is not
Speaker 4:I couldn't have done any of this.
Speaker 3:Right. And
Speaker 4:it's the same with our boys. It's the same with me.
Speaker 3:Mhmm. It's the same with me.
Speaker 4:To think that I'm working at a place where I'm mentoring kids just like me beyond me. Couple years ago, if you told me this, I would've just laughed.
Speaker 3:I would like, that's not that's not me.
Speaker 4:Possible. That's not me. That's not what like, but God is so in the details, and he is in the business of qualifying people so he can take the credit.
Speaker 3:That's so good.
Speaker 4:Isn't that crazy? That's
Speaker 3:like Yeah.
Speaker 4:He he loves using people that can't take the credit because their whole lives are just beams of Jesus Christ.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 4:And I think 4 Runner boys, they will be godly husband, father, and leader, not even just because 4 Runner, but they will be godly husbands, fathers, and leaders because of God himself.
Speaker 3:And God taking that credit.
Speaker 4:And he's gonna take the credit. And it's gonna be so beautiful. It's gonna be so it's crazy. It's awesome. And we get to see that every day.
Speaker 3:And we get to plant those seeds.
Speaker 4:Yes. Yes.
Speaker 3:Right? It's And and that is one of the coolest but also the hardest things, right, is to be to be the sower but not the reaper.
Speaker 4:Yes.
Speaker 3:Right? You know, you'll be planting those seeds Yeah. And knowing that it's gonna take years for this this fruit to grow. Yeah. Right?
Speaker 3:We we know that we're pouring into the boys now and that we're pointing them to Jesus every single day and that we're teaching them, you know, like how to love like Jesus loves, how to lead like Jesus leads, how to how to be a man of God. Yeah. But, I mean, a kindergartner is not a man. They're a boy. Right?
Speaker 3:Yeah. And it won't be until in our society they turn 18. Yeah. But it won't be for years that they will be, you know, quote unquote a man. Yeah.
Speaker 3:But we know that in 10, 15, 20 years, they will be a man and they will be a man of God, and they will be living that out because of our investment. Yeah. And there are some days where it gets hard. It's like, why am I doing this?
Speaker 4:Yeah. You
Speaker 3:know, why am I showing up and getting paid for 3 hours of work when you do a lot more than 3 hours of work?
Speaker 4:Yeah. You
Speaker 3:know? Yeah. You kinda hinted at that like going and getting dinner. It's like, we're still working, but we're not getting paid for it. You know, we do more than more than 3 hours of work a day, but we only get paid for the 3.
Speaker 3:It's like, why am I doing this? And then you Yeah. Have to it's the stones of remembrance, right, that the Israelites were commanded to set up. It's like you're looking back and pointing to the little winds
Speaker 4:Yes.
Speaker 3:Right? The winds from the kid. Right? So Yeah. An example of this, I think I've shared this on a previous episode, I think maybe Joel's, was we had a kid where he was up for well, one, program started.
Speaker 3:They all immediately went to the back corner of the room of the library, which, I mean, JT and I are like, okay. There was a fight, and they're watching it on Instagram because that's what happens. Right? It wasn't a fight in program. It was like there was a fight in school.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Yeah. They know about it. They're watching it on Instagram, but they think they're being sneaky.
Speaker 4:Oh, yeah.
Speaker 3:They're not. No. We we we can read the room. Yeah. When you're all huddled around the phone, you're probably watching something you shouldn't be.
Speaker 4:Definitely did that in middle school.
Speaker 3:Right. Yeah.
Speaker 4:Yeah. I was there.
Speaker 3:And so it took some it took some investigating, but we finally figured out who was involved, and it was one of our kids in our program. Mhmm. And he was there that day. And so I pulled him out into the hall, and we're talking about a kid who, like, would never accept responsibility for anything. It was always somebody else's fault or he would just flat out lie, you know, those kinds of things.
Speaker 3:So I pull him out in the hall, and this is a kid who had also been nominated for like student of the week, right, that day. So Of
Speaker 4:course it was.
Speaker 3:And I had found this out from the the front office when I had asked them if they knew anything about a fight. Uh-huh. And so I pulled him out of the hall, and I was like, so I just went and talked to the office. And he's like visibly nervous at this point because I mean, he knows. He he knows what he did, and I know what he did.
Speaker 3:Yeah. But he doesn't know that I know what he did. Right? Yeah. So he's visibly nervous.
Speaker 3:And I was like, you know what they told me? And he's like, what? And I was like, they told me you were nominated for student of the week. And I kid you not, the first thing out of his mouth was, oh, man. And we I got in a fight today.
Speaker 3:I was like, interesting. Let's talk about that.
Speaker 4:Yeah. Right? He tricked him. He definitely tricked him.
Speaker 3:I love you kinda tricked him, but what that did was, 1, he took ownership for his actions Yeah. Right, which is not normal for him. Yeah. And 2, at the end of this conversation, I was like, look. Here's the deal.
Speaker 3:You are going to face a consequence in the program Yeah. Because our actions have consequences, but the school doesn't know. Yeah. Right? They don't know about this fight.
Speaker 3:So ball is in your court. Yeah. Right? I'm not going to tell you what to do. Whatever you say in the when I ask this question is what we'll do.
Speaker 3:I will say, okay. But the ball is in your court. You have 2 options. Option 1 is we go inside and you do your consequence and we move on with program. Option 2 is you can go downstairs.
Speaker 3:You you can say, hey, coach Josh. Let's go downstairs. I wanna tell the front office about the fight, and we will go do that and come back and do your consequence and move on with program. Yeah. I was like, ball is in your court.
Speaker 3:You can do whatever. I'm not gonna tell you what to do. And he thought about it for a second, and he was like, I wanna go tell him.
Speaker 4:Come on.
Speaker 3:And I'm just like you you start to see the growth in those kids. Right? And knowing that they have a very long way to go, but it's tiny victories. And it's Come on. Those kinds of stories that Good.
Speaker 3:Like, you hold onto in the hard days when you're sitting there going like, I just had 3 kids getting in a fight, and I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know how to respond in this moment. And, you know, going back to the idea of, like, God using people who are not qualified, like, that's my story. I mean, I'm freaking trained for production, right, podcast and sound engineering, lighting design. I'm glad.
Speaker 3:Not, yeah, not kids. Yeah. Right? And it's like half the things that happen in program, I'm sitting there going like, I don't know what I'm What am I doing? I don't yeah.
Speaker 3:I'm like, I don't know what to do. I don't know what I'm doing, and it's my responsibility to know what I'm doing because I'm the one in charge.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Right? JT is there, yes, but I'm the one who does the discipline Yeah. Because it's I'm the site lead. Yeah. So it's like, you know, in those moments, I'm like, god, I don't know what I'm doing.
Speaker 3:So I'm, you know Yeah. The the old Carrie Underwood song, she's take the
Speaker 4:wheel off. Yes. Yes. But it he gets the credit.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Exactly. He gets the credit.
Speaker 4:He gets the wheel. He gets the credit.
Speaker 3:Exactly. Because I know that in those moments, there is nothing I can do And he loves that. This better.
Speaker 4:Yeah. I think God eats that up. Like, he's he's absolutely he's just so excited when we have no clue what we're doing. Yeah. I think his, like, favorite I truly believe this.
Speaker 4:I think his favorite two phrases are I don't know and I love you.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 4:I think those are his two favorite phrases because a lot of times paired, I don't know, but I love you, It's like sweet, sweet sound.
Speaker 3:I would posit that another one is probably I trust you. Yes. I don't know, but I trust you.
Speaker 4:Yes.
Speaker 3:Right?
Speaker 4:He loves it.
Speaker 3:You know, the idea of, like, God, I don't know why you're putting me Yeah. In this position to go mentor kids in, like, Highlands, but I'm a trust you. Yeah. Exactly. Well, that's that's how I got involved with 4 Runner.
Speaker 3:Right? Was Steven called me Yeah. And was like, I I no. It wasn't even that. He's like, I need you to go to a camp.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I was like he's like, I need you to chaperone a bunch of junior high and high school students to a camp. Right?
Speaker 4:Wow.
Speaker 3:And we got down there, and it was not at all what we were expecting or what Darius was expecting. And the counselor got assigned to our group that day. He had had like 3 hours of prep work, and, of course, he's also used to, like, church youth groups.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Right? We are not a church youth group.
Speaker 4:No. We're not.
Speaker 3:Not at all. Right? And so he had no idea what to and he's also, like, the whitest person in this group. It was it was me who's very white. It was him who was very white, and then it was our entire group who is minority groups.
Speaker 3:Right? And so we're like very much we're like we're sticking out. Yeah. And he's also like 18, 19, 20. He's in college.
Speaker 3:Right? So he's like, I don't know what I'm doing. I'm sitting there going like, I was asked 3 days ago to do this. Yeah. I don't know what I'm doing.
Speaker 3:So he and I, that very first night of of camp, we're sitting there going like, God is obviously doing something.
Speaker 4:Yes.
Speaker 3:I don't know what it is.
Speaker 4:No clue.
Speaker 3:No clue, but he's doing something. So we both were just like, okay, God. You want us here for a reason because you made it happen. So whatever you're doing right now Yeah. Let's go for it.
Speaker 3:Yeah. It's like we have nothing but faith at the moment because that's Nothing. All we have. Like, we literally couldn't have anything else if we wanted to. So whatever you're doing right now, like, I'm I'm a just sit back and, like Yes.
Speaker 3:Let you let you lead because I don't know what you're trying to do.
Speaker 4:No. And that's that's exactly my story at forerunner.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 4:I like, just a little bit of background, I have been going to college for ministry.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 4:And so when you get to college for ministry, what do they tell you? Get involved in ministry. Yeah. And so I'm going into college for adult ministry, and they tell me, hey, get interns, like, out the wazoo. Don't sleep.
Speaker 4:Just get interns and, like or internships.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 4:And I'm like, okay, awesome. I'll do that. I've had 7 or 8 internships in the last year and a half. And I well, not anymore because of 4 Runner. But be before 4 Runner
Speaker 3:4 Runner's a full time internship.
Speaker 4:Yes. Yes. It is. Thank the Lord. But I have all this, and then 4 Runner comes to DBU, and I meet Oscar.
Speaker 4:I meet Darius. I meet Quinn, and they all I asked them was, hey. Y'all work under Stephen Murray. Right? And they were like, yeah.
Speaker 4:And I was like, y'all wanna hear some tea about Stephen Murray?
Speaker 3:Oh, I wanna hear the tea about Stephen Murray.
Speaker 4:Not on the podcast. I don't have bad news. But, no, I love Stephen. But I just I just joked around about Stephen for probably 30 minutes. And then they asked, hey, would you ever be interested?
Speaker 4:And I told them no. I was like, no. I'm going into adult ministry. I'm building my resume for adult ministry. Why would I go work at a children's ministry?
Speaker 4:And then
Speaker 3:Because it's not a children's ministry.
Speaker 4:Yeah. Because it's not a children's ministry. Amen to that. But then I've I got, what is it, 2 or 3 internships
Speaker 3:Mhmm.
Speaker 4:For last year, start of my sophomore year. And, actually, one of them was very high paying. And so I was like, okay. I'll just go with that one. You know?
Speaker 3:Just That makes sense.
Speaker 4:Spilling my guts here on the podcast. But it was high paying, so I was looking at that one. And then, randomly, I get a call from Steven. It's like, hey. I don't know if you'd ever consider this, but here, here's here's what it would be.
Speaker 4:Here's what you would be doing. And I was sitting with 4 options, one of them being 4 Runner. 4 Runner was the 4th option to me.
Speaker 3:And so It was the only man on the totem pole.
Speaker 4:Yeah. No, no. It was not top 3.
Speaker 3:Hashtag sorry Steven.
Speaker 4:Yeah. Sorry Steven. But it was bottom 4 out of 4, and I'm sitting with the Lord, talking to him, Hey, Lord, what do you want for my next year? And he said, I want you to work at 4 Runner. And I was I was very angry.
Speaker 4:I was like, that doesn't make any sense. I I know how to do adult ministry. I don't know how to do this. And he said, exactly. I wanna take you somewhere.
Speaker 4:And so I start at 4 Runner, and he has told me over the over the past year, I am not trying I am doing more than building your resume. I'm doing something in your heart that's more powerful than your resume. And it has been that. Like, this year has been incredible, but it's been filled with, I have no clue what I'm doing. And I went from adult ministry dealing with, like, divorced families, dealing with, like, young adults going through some huge stuff to literally being the kindergarten class where we're talking about, like, you get you scrape your knee, and it's an all day conversation.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So
Speaker 4:I was totally out of my ballpark, but I think it was because God wanted to take all the credit, and he really has. It's been yeah. It's been so cool.
Speaker 3:Yeah. You said, like, the Lord had invited into invited you into this because he wanted to take you somewhere. Yes. Do Do you have an idea of what that is? Because I I definitely relate to that too of, like, this idea of an invitation into something unknown because he was calling me to do something.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Or in my case, it was sacrifice something. Yes. But I'm curious what well, I'm curious if that has been revealed to you of, like, what exactly he was, like, leading you into or inviting you into.
Speaker 4:Yeah. I think it's funny that you say unknown. It was completely it was he took me back. He took me back to when I was a kid Mhmm. And healed a lot of things about being a son of a fatherless home that I didn't know I needed healing from, that I'd just put a Band Aid
Speaker 3:on. Wow.
Speaker 4:And I it's actually like, forerunner has been more counseling than anything. Like,
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 4:Sitting in front of a kindergartner, them just telling you about their life, having fatherless home is the best counselor in the world for me. Right.
Speaker 3:You
Speaker 4:know? It's healed so much. But he took me into the unknown of the known of my past. Like, I know I grew up without a dad, but I didn't know that I didn't believe that he believed in me. And I didn't know that I was really weary about becoming a dad.
Speaker 4:I didn't know, like, all of these big things, and I come into 4 Runner, and I'm sitting across from a 6 year old, and that 6 year old's telling me what I didn't know I had to deal with. Yeah. And it's been it's been incredibly it's been incredibly hard. The 1st semester, I was like, oh my gosh. I'm a wreck.
Speaker 4:Like, I'm a mess. I don't know what I'm doing. Like, why are you revealing all of this stuff? And 2nd semester, it's just been so healing and fruitful. And it's I mean, the kids have healed more in me than I think I could ever heal in them.
Speaker 4:Yeah. But, yeah, that's where
Speaker 3:you took me. Yeah. It's like the 1st semester was a lot of facing the reality of your life. Yeah. And the 2nd semester was like, okay, God, here's all the broken pieces.
Speaker 3:Yes. Yeah. What do we do with it? Yeah. Right?
Speaker 3:Yeah. Yeah. I can I can relate to that too? Like, I've seen that in myself as well because, I mean, I did have 2 parents in the home Yeah. But they were not the most emotionally present parents.
Speaker 3:Yeah. And so my relationship with them was and still is very strained. In many ways, I feel or I felt like I raised myself in terms of like meeting my own emotional needs.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Right? And so mentoring and mentoring the junior high students in particular, because that's where a lot of my own negative coping behaviors came from was about their age. Yeah. Mentoring them has been very redemptive and healing for me
Speaker 4:It's insane.
Speaker 3:Because it becomes this whole thing of the student is telling you something, and you're like, Wow. That's exactly my story. And then you get to sit there and you get to ask yourself, what was the thing that I didn't have that I needed? Yeah. And then you get to meet that.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Right? You get to be that person for this kid. You get to show them that they care or that you care, that you're going to be there, that you see them, that you value them, that you hear them. Right?
Speaker 4:Have you ever I've given so much advice. I mean, you give advice every day at 4 o.
Speaker 3:Oh, yeah.
Speaker 4:It's like a daily thing. I don't know. I still don't know half of what I said. Like, it's just completely the Lord on some stuff.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 4:But I've given some advice, and I've, like, heard it out of my mouth, and it's been advice for me. Mhmm. Like, I'm telling this 6 year old, you know, like, it doesn't hurt that bad. Like, you can you can get through this. You can heal with the Lord.
Speaker 4:Like, all of this stuff. And I'm crying now because I'm like, oh my gosh. I needed that advice. Yeah. I needed I needed that quote, unquote, parenting.
Speaker 4:I needed that, quote, unquote, mentoring. And it's been so healing to even hear what I know, like, intellectually about certain situations, but what I haven't received.
Speaker 3:Mhmm. Yeah. And what I haven't taken deep. It's yeah. Honestly, that's been a lot of these podcast episodes.
Speaker 4:Wow. Come on.
Speaker 3:Like, I kid you not. I mean
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:The what, you know, I mean, what did we do before we started? We prayed. Right?
Speaker 4:And I
Speaker 3:was like, God, be present here. Right? And in every single one of these episodes, first of all, they don't go anywhere close to where I thought they were going. We're not talking the Lord. Right now, we're not talking about anything that I had planned, but I'm okay with that because, 1, it's like, again, kind of the, you know, God, whatever you're whatever you wanna do, I'm here for it.
Speaker 3:Right? It's full surrender. Yeah. But the other part of that is, like, I then have to go and edit these episodes
Speaker 4:Yes.
Speaker 3:And I actually listen I have to listen to what is being said as opposed moved by it. Right. As opposed to like, right now, we're having the conversation and we're you know, you're responding and I'm responding and you're responding and I'm responding. We're having a conversation, and that is impactful. Yeah.
Speaker 3:But at the same time, I like when I when I go and edit now I'm It's a whole different It's a it's a different perspective because I'm not involved in the conversation. Yes. I am just absorbing at that point. And there are things that Caitlin has said, that Joel has said, that Taj has said. Yeah.
Speaker 3:We've already recorded JT's episode. He's gonna be in a few weeks. Yeah. You know, there are things that every single coach has said. Bailey, there are thing things that every single coach has said that I'm like It's
Speaker 4:marked you.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I'm like, wow. That that was fire. That, like, I needed to hear that in that moment. Yeah.
Speaker 3:And even there are still things that I'm like I still, like, go back and I'm like, this was really encouraging. I know this was really encouraging. I need to refresh on that truth. Yeah. Even my podcast episode with Steven where he interviewed me It's just powerful.
Speaker 3:Like, we had the conversation. I turned around and edited it edited the that Yeah. Episode that night because it was kind of a full disclosure. That was a, what's the word, like, bailout episode
Speaker 4:Oh, yeah. Yeah. Of there
Speaker 3:was no content. And I was like, I'm happy to just jump on a Yeah. On a Zoom call, and we can Let's
Speaker 2:do it.
Speaker 3:Record an episode. And he's like, really? I was like, yeah. What better story of you can mentor is there than me? Yeah.
Speaker 3:But, like, that was a year and some change ago, and I still go back and listen to that episode because there are things that I said in that episode that I'm like, dang.
Speaker 4:What? Yeah. It's like That
Speaker 3:didn't come from me. Like I'm
Speaker 4:sorry. Who said that?
Speaker 3:Yeah. Because it wasn't me. And it's like, I'm encouraged. I'm encouraged by the things that I said. And I'm like, not and that's not from like an an arrogant or like self aggrandizing thing.
Speaker 3:It's like, no. It's the Lord speaking to me Yeah. Through things that have been said either by myself or another coach. Yeah. And the best part of a podcast is it's all recorded, and you can go back and listen to it however many times you want.
Speaker 4:I wish Forerunner was recorded. Like, can you imagine Right. The revelations that we'd have If
Speaker 3:we just recorded, like, every single conversation, it's Forerunner.
Speaker 4:It's just it's so it's so crazy.
Speaker 3:I mean, in a sense, it is because we have the stories channel. Yeah. Yeah. And that's where we share these things. That's where we share these stones of remembrance, and we use that to encourage each other.
Speaker 3:It's like, you know, hey, this thing happened. And then people are like, oh, yeah. This exact like, I ran into this exact situation, like, last week or something like that.
Speaker 4:Yeah. I remember one of my kids. It's pretty early on, like, 2 months in. Mhmm. So I still I mean, I still have no clue what I'm doing, but even more so 2 months in.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 4:And this we just had trouble discipline wise. And almost every day, I was, hey, bro. Like, let's let's get to where we're going. You know? Kindergartners, the hardest time of the day is lining up.
Speaker 4:I don't know how, but you see that even with adults on 70 5, it's still pretty hard for us to line up. So so it hasn't really changed. But but so every day, we're having this conversation. Hey. Let's move from here to here.
Speaker 4:Let's hey. Let's not hey. Hey. Hey. And one day, he goes, you just hate me.
Speaker 4:And I was like, woah. Woah. Woah. Like, I don't. I don't hate you.
Speaker 4:I really love you. Like, it's only been 2 months, and I think about you all the time. I really love you. And he goes, you just hate me. And so for a couple weeks, he just said, you just hate me.
Speaker 4:Mhmm. You just hate me. Any discipline. You just hate me. And there was a time that I couldn't sleep at night because I could hear this kid going, you just hate me.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 4:You just hate me. And I genuinely thought he believed it. And so every day, I make sure he knows, hey. I know you think I hate you, but you have to know I love you. Like, at the end of the day, that's where I'm at.
Speaker 4:Mhmm. And there was one day he comes over to me. It's like free time. Like, they can do whatever they want. Yeah.
Speaker 4:And he decides to come up to a coach, which is I mean, you're usually getting disciplined by coaches. So
Speaker 3:Why would you choose to go to
Speaker 4:a coach? Yeah. Go up to a 6 four coach that's, you know, watching your every move? But he comes up to me, he tugs me, and he goes, hey, I just want you to know, I know you love me. And it it hit me in a different way because I knew, like, he could say all day long, you just hate me.
Speaker 4:You just hate me. But it was his deflect of, oh my gosh, this guy actually really loves me. And this guy actually is really gonna stay, and this guy actually is gonna pour into my life. And just for him to go, hey. I actually know.
Speaker 4:Like, it's deep inside me. I know you love me. I just it was just a deflect for him, and it revealed so much in me that there's so many people in my life that I put at a distance because I know how much they love me.
Speaker 3:Yeah. And, I mean, from me even I told you I was gonna cry on this podcast. For me, it's like it hits in a different way even then just the, like, the community or the, like, the people physical people in my life. It's like Yeah. We do that to God.
Speaker 4:Absolutely.
Speaker 3:Right? And I do that to God where it's like you just hate me.
Speaker 4:This is too good to be true.
Speaker 3:This is too good to be true or you just hate me or whatever. Yeah. And I think that is part of the reason why Psalm 23 is one of my absolute
Speaker 4:Yes.
Speaker 3:I like, in the process of moving, I kid you not, like, I I found a banner that I had to make for my confirmation in the Lutheran church when I was Lutheran.
Speaker 4:Yes.
Speaker 3:Right. So
Speaker 4:Love Lutherans.
Speaker 3:Yeah. The way the way our confirmation worked was, you know, we went through confirmation. And then confirmation Sunday, we all had our little, like, banner type thing. I think of it kind of like a a coat of arms or whatever in, like, you know, in medieval Europe kind of situation where it's like you have this dedicated thing that displays Yeah. What what family you belong to or whatever.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Same kind of idea. It's just a little banner that they hung up on the walls. With some kind of picture looking thing and the Bible reference. It wasn't or the scripture reference specifically.
Speaker 3:It wasn't like the whole like all of the words. It was just like, oh, you know, John 6:8 or whatever it was, whatever your favorite verse was at the time. Yeah. And mine was Psalm 23.
Speaker 4:Come on.
Speaker 3:Right? And Psalm 23 has been my favorite Psalm for I don't know how long. Yeah. Obviously, the last 15 years because I went through confirmation when I was 14.
Speaker 4:Yeah. Yeah. That's powerful.
Speaker 3:But I think it's gone farther than that
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And has become kind of a life verse for me. And one of the verses in it, and I don't remember off the top of my head which one. It's early. I think it's 2 or 3. I could be wrong.
Speaker 3:But it says, Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Yes. Right? And at face value, that's a little weird because it's like, how does a piece of wood be a comfort? Yeah.
Speaker 3:But again, you gotta remember, like, the Psalms are poetry. Right? It's symbolism. It's, you know, all of these different things. So you look at it and you're like, the rod and the staff are symbols of discipline.
Speaker 4:Yeah. Which is crazy.
Speaker 3:Right? So what that verse is basically saying is you discipline me and that's a comfort to me. Yeah. Right? Yeah.
Speaker 3:The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul, right? The shepherd has a staff because the shepherd uses the staff to guide his sheep.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Right? And the rod and the staff are symbols of discipline. Discipline is not, you just hate me.
Speaker 4:No. Discipline
Speaker 3:is, I love you. Yeah. Right? Yeah. Which is something that Bayley used to always say to her kids when she was a coach was, I discipline you because I love you.
Speaker 4:Yeah. It's out of a place of love.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Right. And so just that story that you were sharing, it's like I do that to God. It's like, oh, you just hate me. You just hate me.
Speaker 3:You just hate me. Yeah. And then, have to meditate on like, No, he disciplines me because he loves me. Yeah. He's doing these things because he loves me.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Right? And I think I need to get to that point of like Yeah.
Speaker 4:Don't we all?
Speaker 3:With the kid or with your kid of like, I know you love me.
Speaker 4:I know you love me.
Speaker 3:Right? It's what happens when we get to that place
Speaker 4:Mhmm.
Speaker 3:Of no longer believing the lie. Yeah. You just hate me, and you actually have internalized the truth. You love me.
Speaker 4:Yeah. And it takes it takes perspective. Right?
Speaker 3:Mhmm.
Speaker 4:Like, I tell my kids, my kids are young, but they're smart. Like, they understand a lot more
Speaker 3:Than you think they do. Yeah.
Speaker 4:Than you think they do, which is good and bad. But I tell my kids because there's just a lot of things protection wise as a coach. Like, hey. You can't you can't do that because that's not safe.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 4:But in a kindergartner's eyes,
Speaker 3:they're like, I'll be fine.
Speaker 4:It's fine. You know? Oh, it needs to get a to b. I'll chuck it across the room. It won't hurt anybody.
Speaker 4:But I've taught my kids, hey. This this is why I'm disciplining you. Not disciplining you because I like disciplining you. That's definitely not it. I'm just disciplining you because I wanna keep you safe, and I love you.
Speaker 3:Mhmm.
Speaker 4:And I probably said that 10,000 times, and the 9,999 time, it gets through.
Speaker 3:You know
Speaker 4:what I mean?
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 4:Oh my gosh. But I started to figure out the more I said that, the more, like, they felt in danger, they were coming straight to me.
Speaker 3:Got it.
Speaker 4:Because they knew they knew where their protection came from because they knew where their discipline came from. And that's just been a wild, like, so perplexing to me that the God that disciplines me, he's actually doing it out of protection.
Speaker 3:Mhmm.
Speaker 4:And now I get to run to him. Oh my gosh. You disciplined me, so I'm gonna run to you for protection. And it's like changed my outlook just because of the perspective of me going, hey. I'm a coach.
Speaker 4:I know what's gonna keep you safe. I know even from the like, you're 3 feet tall. I'm 6 4. Like, I can see just a little bit more than you.
Speaker 3:I can see just over your head. I can see, you know, a little bit further from
Speaker 4:the horizon. Gonna happen if you run into the street. You know what I mean?
Speaker 3:Yeah. And I can see the car coming over
Speaker 4:the wall. Yeah. Yeah. And it's just they have to trust my perspective, and I have to trust God's perspective
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 4:And trust that he's guiding me with a rod for a reason.
Speaker 3:Yeah. It's
Speaker 4:been yeah. I love it, and it's giving me perspective every day. I feel like a child. It's awesome.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Man, just it's so good. We we need to start landing this plane. So I do wanna hit the the title of the series, because we have talked for almost an hour. And I could sit here and talk for another 2 hours about all of this.
Speaker 3:I think that is just that is one of the coolest things about Yeah. The coaches coming on and being a part of this is like and us all being family, as you had said
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Is that we could just sit here and talk, right, about anything and especially about God and the things that we're learning, the things that he's teaching us
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Through these boys, which is just wild.
Speaker 4:It's awesome.
Speaker 3:But we do need to land the plane.
Speaker 4:So We're gonna land it. Don't worry.
Speaker 3:Ryan, coach Big Red
Speaker 4:Coach Big Red.
Speaker 3:Why do you show up at forerunner every day? What is the reason that you mentor? Why do you pour into these boys? I think that we've talked a lot about Yeah. A lot of the benefits that mentoring has had.
Speaker 3:Yeah. And I think those are definitely reasons for continuing to do it. But why like, if you were to put it into a succinct answer, what is the why behind you choosing to mentor kids from hard places at 4 Runner in Lake Highlands, you know, boys without fathers.
Speaker 4:I I showed up to 4 Runner because as a kid, I needed a mentor, and I can't imagine passing that opportunity up. Because without a mentor, I completely believe it. I'd be in jail. I would be my life would be a mess. I would be doing who knows what.
Speaker 4:I wouldn't love the Lord. And it was it was a couple guys in my life that said, I'm gonna value you enough to give up some things around me, to be around you. And it was those guys that mentored me, that held me, that stayed with me even when I was, you know you know but people that stayed with me, I needed them, and I can't imagine. Like, God has given me the opportunity to be that for somebody, and I can't imagine passing that up now. The gift that is mentorship, it's changed my life.
Speaker 4:It's redirected my life, and it's brought me close to Jesus. And I can't I honestly can't imagine saying no to having that opportunity in even one kid's life, much less 14 or 15. So Yeah. That's why I show up because I needed it as a kid, and I know there's a group of kids. There's a generation of kids that need it today.
Speaker 3:And it's in a sense, it's like paying it forward.
Speaker 4:Paying it forward. Yeah.
Speaker 3:You got what they are getting. Yeah. And so now you have the opportunity to be that for them.
Speaker 4:Yeah. I can't withhold what I've been given. It's too good.
Speaker 3:It's pouring out the blessing. Yeah. Absolutely. Blessed with a mentor, and so you bless others with a mentor. Yeah.
Speaker 3:It's so good. Well, Ryan, thank you so much for joining us on the podcast today. Do you have any final words of encouragement for our listeners?
Speaker 4:I would just say all of this comes out of loving Christ. Like, you can't do any of this without loving Jesus. He's gotta be the main thing. He's gotta be the only thing. And because he's become the only thing for me, it's been so sweet to do this with him.
Speaker 4:So I would just say, love Jesus with all that you are, and everything else will be added onto it.
Speaker 3:I love that. Yeah. Well, listener, let's coach Ryan. If you've missed everything in this episode, you definitely missed out. You need to just start it over.
Speaker 3:Rewind. Rewind. Start it over. Play it again. Just marinate in the truths that have happened over the last 15 minutes or something like that.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Like, I just I love these episodes. Every single coach has so much wisdom that just from their experiences and and the things, you know, just in in their experiences with the Lord that they're sharing. Yeah. If you've missed everything, you need to go listen to it again.
Speaker 3:But I will leave you with this. You can mentor.
Speaker 4:Yes. You can.
Speaker 3:Go do it. Exactly. Go and make disciples y'all. You can mentor.