pod 11 - pt 1 -pt 1

Seb and Jesse welcome Ben on their podcast. Ben shares his story of growing up in a Christian family, experiencing loss, and finding faith in God. He talks about the importance of trusting God in all circumstances, even in the midst of pain and dark times. Ben emphasizes that faith is not just about having an idealistic life, but about trusting God no matter what. He also discusses the role of the church and how God works through people to support and care for others. Ben and the hosts reflect on the story of Peter walking on water and how doubt is a part of the journey of faith. They highlight the need to rely on God and not on our own understanding. The conversation touches on the process of having faith in every decision and the importance of constantly remembering that God is with us. Am I starting or am I starting? Um... I need to remember. You just start. Alright. Is it good? Yep. I'm Seb. And I'm Jesse, and welcome to the Sinister Safe Podcast. And today we have Jesse Foster, Ben, on the podcast with us. So pumped. Yeah. So excited. It's so good to have you, Ben, on the podcast. We're so glad. And we're so ready to hear your story and how you came to know Jesus. But how's your day been today? It's been awesome, boys. It's an absolute honour to be here on the podcast with you guys. I've been listening along and just hearing some incredible insights from you both. And I've just got to say from the outset, I'm inspired by you guys. I'm inspired by your faith in God and the way that you just live that out every day. But I've had a great day. Even better now that I'm here. So good. That's so good. Well, today we're going to be speaking about aspects of hope and also faith connected to your testimony. But the first question we have for you is throughout your testimony and getting to know Jesus, how have you seen how your faith in Him has kept you going, basically? Yeah, well, look, my story is I grew up in a Christian family, but my mum passed away from cancer when I was 11 years old. That kind of led to a spiral in our family where my dad had a gambling addiction through my teenage years. But he overcame that and we really got back into church, got connected to God again as a family, which was so cool to see. But then he got remarried and life was doing really well. Anyway, went overseas to the Philippines with his amazing new wife and over there was in an accident and he died suddenly when I was 18 years old. And so all of those kind of like chains of events were dramatic and kind of crazy in their own right. But through it all, the constant has been God. I've always felt like I could put trust in Him, felt like His presence was there, felt like the church was strong during that time and there was so many amazing people that supported us and looked after us as well. So for me, it's been a journey of not always with faith, the circumstances being ideal, but always knowing God has been present. I think that's an important thing about faith, because we think faith is just going to be, oh well, life's great and it just gets better and better and better all the time. Sometimes faith takes us through some really dark times, but faith is actually just trust. It's trusting God, not just the circumstances. So that's been my story. I'm just learning to trust God no matter what the season is in the good times and the bad. That's so cool. I think one thing with faith and also connected to that that God's been showing me lately is if you look at disciples and even your story, we all have faith to get to that ending, to that part where it's everything is good in life. We all have that thing we long for. Even the disciples, they had faith in that, but having the process, the process of having faith in every single decision before that is so important. It says in the Bible that the narrow gate is the gate you choose, but it doesn't all of a sudden turn open when you walk into it. It's a narrow gate every single day to choose God and keep stepping in faith with that. It's so cool to see how in your life you had your goals and you had that plan, and there were definitely times where it would have been shifted and pushed around, but even in those processes, you still had the faith. It wasn't just to get there. It was also in every single decision on the way to that outcome as well. I think it's a journey. We just don't have faith in faith. Our faith is in God. It's trust in Him. I think our seasons and our circumstances change dramatically in life, but the constants of God's love and His peace and the hope that we have in Him, that's always there, and I think we've got to be careful that we don't just chase just living this dream idealistic life all the time, but just keep putting our trust in God. I think that's the important thing. Look at the disciples. They trusted Jesus. They chose to follow Him, but they didn't know where that was going to end up. That led them to a whole bunch of pain and crazy seasons in life and some of the best times and some of the worst for them. They had the ups and downs, but they learned to trust God. I think sometimes going through pain actually teaches us to trust God and helps us to get to know an aspect of God that we don't know sometimes just through the good times as well. That's so good. I've started thinking a lot of people, after they lose someone or go through a trial like that, they become really bitter towards God and stuff like that, but I guess in that sense after your mum and dad passed away, what was your perspective on God and how did you stay strong in your faith? That's a great question. I don't think it was always like, gee, I feel great and I really feel like reading my Bible and praying today and trusting God. There were definitely some dark days and some moments where I just questioned God, why would you let this happen? I don't understand it. It was like the wind was knocked out of me and you're just trying to get your bearings again. There were definitely some moments there, but I think what I saw during those times is even when I was like, God, where are you in this? I don't understand this. I always found that God's church and His people were always so strong during that time and loving us and looking after us and caring for us in real and practical ways. It was kind of impossible to deny that God wasn't still working through people and supporting us and working in those situations. Even when it felt like, I feel like He's distant and I don't understand it. It was still like, but I can see evidence of God working through the people around us. I love that about God that He chooses to use us. He chooses to work through people to encourage one another and care for people and sometimes we can look at a crisis and just think, I don't understand it, but when we start to see all of God's answers in it, like you see a tragedy but you see an ambulance on the way there or a police officer on the way there or different things that are on the way to help and support and you're like, it was kind of like that, like the church was like that in those moments. They were offering support, coming to us, caring for us at a time where it's just like, you're trying to get your bearings and it felt like a crisis, but God was in all of those things as well. Yeah, and I love that about God that I think it's one of those things that was just a step by step and then more and more you just felt more comfortable to open the Bible, pray and I think in all of it, I still, even though I was confused and unsure, I still was like, I know God's there. Yeah, it's so cool. Yeah, wow. Amazing. Yeah, I think it's hard to remember God is there sometimes as well. Like even look at Matthew, when he was walking, I mean not Matthew, Simon Peter when he was walking on water, like Jesus was in front of him and he still forgot that he was there and he still ended up, like he started drowning as well. And how many times do we go through situations where we're like, oh what is happening and we're starting to drown and we don't even remember that God is with us 24-7. I think we were speaking about it recently and it was how, God only came when he actually called for him as well, like we have to call for God in those situations but it was as soon as he saw the waves and the wind that he actually fell and started drowning as well. I think sometimes with faith, it's that constant reminder that God is there. It's that constant reminder to step into what God has for us. And even if there is wind and even if there is waves that are troubling us and moving us around, the longer we have our faith and the more we have our faith in God, the quicker we'll get closer to him and then we can be walking on water for him in our faith and it's just, it's so cool. It's definitely easier said than done but it's so cool to see when we do have that faith, how he works. And as well, as soon as he starts sinking and he cries out to Jesus, it says immediately, immediately Jesus reached out his hand and picked him back out of the water. So it's not like when we call from him he'll make us wait, but he'll immediately take us out of the trouble that we're in. I kind of like that doubt is a part of that journey of faith as well like we're all trying to grow and I find that story encouraging about Peter, you know, that he stepped out, walked on the water, but then he began to sink as well because it reminds me that we all at times fail, we all at times can doubt and go through things and that's part of our journey of faith, just learning to trust God and to grow in God in every single season. I think if he just got up and just did this catwalk on the water and it was like everything was all perfect we'd be like, oh gee, why can't my life be like that? But I love that he kind of had those moments as well and as you said Seb, in his weak moments Jesus was straight there, he helped him out when he needed and when he called out to God and it's a good reminder for all of us. I think it's also a reality check that we can't do it without him and if we're constantly trying to do our decision it's more having faith in our own capabilities and not having faith in what God can do in situations. There's always that verse, I don't remember where it is but it's about leaning on God, not your own understanding and he'll make your path straight. But if we're always doing our way, that's when our path goes a little bit wonky and a bit out there sometimes. I think it's a real reminder of that story that with faith it comes only through God and not through anything else and not through our own abilities. Yeah. That's really good, I love that. Another question I have for your testimony is how did the opportunity to become a pastor actually come through your faith? I was part of our local church and local youth ministry in a town called Singleton in the Hunter Valley and so I grew up there and I was just serving in those areas and then I remember one day our senior pastor saying to me, have you ever thought about doing ministry or being a pastor or anything like that before and in my heart I was like, yes, I would love to do that but I was so kind of insecure and shy about it and I didn't want to make a big deal about it. I kind of denied it. I was like, oh no, I haven't really thought about that. Even though I was like, oh that would be a dream to do that. I kind of brushed it off the first time it ever kind of got interesting to me but anyway that conversation came back up again at another point and I was like actually yeah, I would really love to do that and I'd love to do that with my life and do Bible college and go through those things and thankfully the opportunity came up for that. I finished high school and had the opportunity to do essentially like an internship at church and did Bible college and got trained up to take on the leadership of our youth ministry in time and do some chaplaincy stuff in school and so that was kind of like the start for me to get involved and loved it, absolutely loved it. That's so good. Yeah, wow. Yeah, it's crazy. I feel like there's so many times where it's like that faith thing is, oh sometimes we can feel so ashamed of it as well. Like I remember with the podcast for a while I didn't really want to talk to many people about it because I was like, yeah, I'm doing it and it's cool and I would happily speak to about it with like my Christian friends but then my un-Christian friends were like, I don't know if they're going to like everything we say and stuff. I don't want them to have like a weird thought of me. But to see now how many people it's reached and how it continues to reach people is such a blessing and I feel like only God can do that and God's shown me that how we shouldn't limit God through what He thinks He's going to do and how it might affect us but if we actually let God have all the room that's when He can actually work and that's so sick. I love that about you guys with this podcast. You haven't waited until like, oh well let's wait till I'm older or let's wait till I've got more information or wait till I feel like I'm more ready for this. You've gone, you know what, we're going to give this a go in our current life where we are right now as high school students facing, you know, the realities of, you know, day-to-day school figuring out life, figuring out faith. We're going to like we're going to speak up on this stuff now. I think that's awesome because I think a lot of people wait and they're you know, I've got to be wise, I've got to do this. We're all on a journey. We're never going to get to that point where we completely graduate and like I'm good enough and to me it's like similar to the story of Peter. He stepped out under that water not knowing what was going to happen and I think that that's a part of faith. It's being obedient to what God's calling us to do right now and knowing, hey I don't have all the skills and ability all the wisdom to do this but I'm trusting you God anyway that you plus God equals everything you need. Yeah, that's so good. And I think sometimes we're like, we just feel inadequate. But we've just got to trust God with it. That's so cool. Yeah. I think as well when we do, when we miss opportunities from God I feel like we can really get convicted as well. You can feel God is calling you into something and then you're like, oh no I feel like I have to wait till I'm more experienced with this thing or just in general I think when we do miss that then I mean my own experience I feel really convicted. And then afterwards I'm like, oh that would have been such an easy thing to do. It's just in that moment leading up to that where you have doubts and worries if we don't rely on God to persevere through that. I think it's like that leap of faith. I feel like when you actually trust in God you realise that that leap of faith is not even you really taking the leap anymore it's actually God just you leap and then he kind of floats you down and you just land softly and safely and stuff. I feel like in all situations I'm like, oh what's going to happen? How's this going to work out? And I've had that so many times in my life with school like, oh how am I going to get past year 12 or how am I going to get the dream job or the dream university I want to get to? But if I had that leap in faith in God and if anyone has that faith in God and faith like in Hebrews 11 verse 1 I think it's that one. I'll double check but it says that it's confident hope. Faith is confidence in hope and I feel like when we actually have that confidence in hope that I don't know how I'm going to get there or the way it's going to happen or why it would happen or what God has for me but if it's his will it will come. I don't have to worry about the way it's going to work. He's going to do it. I just step into it and it's going to come to me. It's hard to find faith like that sometimes. I've always struggled with it but I think just knowing that all we have to do is step into what he's called and he will just fulfill it for us is so cool. I think the word faith when you look at it in the New Testament and the Greek word for it is which it sounds a weird word but it actually means trust and I think a lot of times with faith we are believing or dreaming for a different outcome but faith is really trusting God and saying God I trust you. I trust my relationship with you. I trust that you are good. I trust that you are in control. I trust that you can do good and the circumstances may change. They may be different to what I expect but I'm still choosing to trust you and I think that that's the beauty of being a disciple of Christ that so much in our world can go wrong. So many things can change. Uncertainty can happen. We can face things in this life that makes no sense but we're not putting our trust in a certain Caesar and we're not just putting faith in faith. We're putting our faith and our trust in God and he never changes. He's always solid. He's always someone we can count on and rely on and I think that's an important thing to know. Yeah definitely. I think it's just crazy how like I feel like one way that I limited God in my life with my faith as well is like oh Jesus he calmed the storm and he walked on water like he's not going to be able to do stuff like me but the same God that worked 2000 years ago in those actions lives in us and is still working today and is still performing miracles and I feel like with faith you can't limit that because one thing that God's been speaking to me about and we've spoken a bit on the podcast is if you're not giving the room for Jesus to actually work in your life and not giving him all your 100% commitment in your faith then he's not going to be able to work 100% in your life either. You actually have to open the space you have to give him the room to actually work as well. I was just thinking about an example because I spoke on Friday at youth and leading up to it it felt like this massive thing and I think I read some verse about peace. I think it's in Ephesians or Philippians. I was just praying all afternoon for peace and as it got closer the size of how big it actually felt diminished. Obviously it's still an important thing for me but the worry that came with it and the anxiousness I could just lay that at God's feet and I think it's a lot easier to be said than done. As you said leaving room for him to work and then actually trusting in him that he'll see us through. That's so good. I was going to ask obviously in life we all have different things that get thrown at us and many different trials we go through and how do you think that we can keep the faith that I feel like I've seen in my own life how I'll have faith into this season like tons and then there'll be another thing that gets thrown, another trial and the same faith, the same God that worked in that separate faith is still working now but why am I struggling so much with this now? How do you think that we can have faith not just in one thing but in every single trial over and over and over again? That's a great question because I think what can happen sometimes is we have big moments that really rock our faith and then we can feel like we rally and we get strong but then sometimes it's like almost like a compound concussion, little things happen and we find ourselves just kind of like spun out and just confused and disillusioned at times as well or discouraged and so I think for me it's like it's a constant reminder that with any relationship you're growing in trust and you're growing in your relationship that is going to help you sustain those really tough and difficult times and so I think when it comes to our relationship with God, one of the biggest keys, which it sounds boring but it's so important, is to be consistent in our relationship with God. Like things like reading the Bible, things like praying, things like listening to what God's speaking to us about, you know, worshipping God, things that seem so basic for our Christian life, they are the most important thing to make sure that they are bedrocks, continually focused on through the good times and the bad times because that's what we can draw from when we're really struggling. I think that's super important that we do that. You know, after COVID a lot of experts did a whole bunch of research in terms of the church and looking at what actually helps create a disciple of Christ and what is the most effective way to create a disciple of Christ and the millions of dollars on research that they spent to find out what that is, they discovered that the greatest way, the most effective way to make a disciple of Jesus is to get people to read their Bible. That's so good. It doesn't seem like crazy spectacular but it seems so basic but actually when you get into the Word of God, when you read it, it transforms you, it changes you, it shapes you, it changes the way you think and the way you respond, the way you act, the way you speak. It's one of the biggest and most effective ways that you can be transformed. I think we can sometimes overlook that. I think that's important, just those basic things.