Speaker 1: 0:12

what's up, lifehouse fam. Welcome back to the life talk podcast. My name is jarvis and I am back in the seat. Uh, last week we had a little surprise. Uh, I was back. It's been a little bit, but, um, what a joy it is to be back. Uh, today we're joined with more special guests, as always.

Speaker 2: 0:26

Nate, our boy, hey back in the number two seat, co-pilot. You know, we're both number one. We're both number one. I'm one b, though you're one a, I'm one b. I wouldn't be nothing without my co-pilot.

Speaker 1: 0:37

You know what I mean. Um no, I appreciate it we're back with nate and then also we have jason cry they're one of our elders is back again. I feel like he's been a frequent guest in 2025. First three-time appearance, I know.

Speaker 2: 0:49

He's clearly a rock star, or we're desperate and he's the only one to show up.

Speaker 3: 0:53

Yeah, I get to fill C3,.

Speaker 2: 0:54

I guess he's just gullible enough to come talk to us. We haven't chased him off yet.

Speaker 1: 0:58

Yeah, no we love having you on man, it's a blessing Well.

Speaker 3: 1:01

I enjoy being here.

Speaker 1: 1:01

Yeah, we love it. And so today we're going to talk about the next kind of series portion of our Faithfully Different series, which is we invest and kind of just what that means and just taking it, you know, from a biblical perspective, right, and we'll talk about that a little bit, what the world says and kind of how we are to be faithfully different in the way that we invest in just different areas of our lives, and so, yeah, it's going to be an awesome time.

Speaker 2: 1:26

Yeah, and so Life Talk, family journeying through 2025, faithfully different as we move into September. Our theme this month is we invest Really. We are to be moved in our faith, to invest in many ways and I know we'll get into that on this episode. There's a lot of different avenues and ways that that can really take place and form. But Jason bringing us the sermon, bringing us the word this month on this. So, generally, I think, as we were talking, getting prepped for the episode, how would we really define it? Because certainly, in the United States especially, we are the corporate capital of the world. You say invest. Everybody thinks stock markets, thinks financials. How should we, in a Christian, biblical context, really think about investing?

Speaker 3: 2:15

Yeah, that's an interesting word because it invokes all of these financial ideas. But even in a worldly financial realm, the word invest still has undertones of trying to grow right, to create more right. Invest something now so that you get something more back you don't invest to lose something right?

Speaker 3: 2:38

No, not typically You're a bad investor if that's what's happening. So, yeah, there's always this idea of I'm going to put in effort and investment, I'm going to sow seeds now so that I can reap something more later. And biblically, I mean, like we're taught that over and over and over again, this idea of sowing and reaping and investing. And we have a core value here at Lifehouse, right, legacy, investing in the next generation, and that's certainly part of it, and we try to do that well here at Lifehouse. But I think investing is even broader than that, right, and we just think about from a biblical worldview, what does it look like to invest in God's kingdom or to invest in what God is doing right, invest in what God is doing right, what is that going to look like? And what does that look like here at Lifehouse and what can it look like in each of our lives? Right, and I think it's going to look different across the board and we have lots of different ways that we try to partner with God as we invest in people.

Speaker 3: 3:42

Right, this isn't a monetary investment, right? We're not. We're not talking about, okay, how should, how should, um, our life house family invest their, their finances, right? That's a different conversation. You know, go, go, take one of the financial peace classes if that's what you're looking for. But uh, we want to look at how do we spiritually invest specifically in people, right? What does that look like? And one of those things is investing in the next generation older, more mature Christians, spiritually mature, investing in those that are either younger or less spiritually mature. And we can do that lots of ways, right, I think of Team, think of team kid, right, and as these kids are getting older, they're getting poured into by adults, by lifehouse staff. I think of our youth group, right, I think of lyia. Yeah, I think of these opportunities where we have older, more mature, um lifehouse family pouring into those that are younger.

Speaker 3: 4:46

those are still growing, right, and we're using that word growth, like the expectation is that we're gonna see these either young kids, or these teenagers or these, you know, 20 somethings grow right our expectation is that in two, three, five years they're not going to be at the same place, and that part of that growth comes from our investment in them, right week after week month after month, year after year.

Speaker 3: 5:16

Uh, that that the kids that are graduating from the youth group right, they're seniors in high school and they're going off to bigger and better things. They were once in team kid, right, and who they were spiritually in team kid hopefully isn't the same as what they are as they're graduating from high school, as they've been year in and year out through. You know these different programs that we have where people are investing in people. So I mean, that's just one way of doing it. That's a few things that we have at Lifehouse, but I still think there's a broader idea of investing in God's kingdom. But that's certainly one way that we are trying to partner with what God's doing.

Speaker 1: 6:00

Yeah, and I think it is an interesting what God's doing, yeah, and I think I think it is an interesting. I think often fear plays a part in investment in some way right, like people feel maybe inadequate or, um, you know, not equipped to play the part of the investor ultimately. I mean, I think you see that with the side, with your relationships, I mean I don't, I don't know enough, I can't disciple someone you know Um, maybe kind of talk about that, just like as, just like as people are thinking about investing the fear aspect and maybe overcoming the fear or maybe really pushing through the fear, because we are not all equipped enough for all of the different areas, and so kind of just talk about that a little bit maybe.

Speaker 2: 6:39

Yeah, I would even throw a comment on that. Just to keep the financial analogy, the reason people don't achieve the returns is because they're risk averse. You know, like God doesn't call us to be comfortable or not to grow, you know. So a lot of people are risk averse because either, like Jarvis you said, being fearful or feeling inadequate. You know. So sorry, I just wanted to toss that thought into that.

Speaker 3: 7:02

No, I completely agree. I think there's probably many people in our church family maybe some listening to this that are going. That sounds great, but like I'm not the guy, that's not me, I don't know enough, I don't, I don't have the time, I don't have the talent, I don't like. I see all these other people doing it Good for them yeah.

Speaker 3: 7:23

Something like gifting, yeah, something like gifting. And I would just encourage anyone who is having those kinds of feelings that for one you're not inadequate, because anyone who is leaning on God, leaning on the Holy Spirit, it's ultimately his work. Yeah Right, my wife says all the time she feels so inadequate, anytime she's talking or trying to communicate something, but over and over and over in a meeting that we'll be having, she's sitting there going what am I even going to add to this conversation, to this discussion? And then she'll have this train of thought, this idea, something to add that nobody else either had thought of, or a different way of framing something that is really really crucial in the discussion. And afterwards she goes well, that wasn't me, I wouldn't have said it that way anyway. Like that's not the way.

Speaker 3: 8:17

I think it just kind of came to me and it came through the Holy Spirit. Like the Holy Spirit does that work? So as we step out, as we take steps of faith, like God will, will partner with that step of faith. That's how faith works, right. We we take a step, knowing that God will back us up. He'll be there, because that's the kind of God that we serve. That's who he wants us to be. He wants us to take those steps, even though it's fearful, even though we feel inadequate. We take a step of faith and then we watch as God meets us there and fills in all the gaps Right. I think of a Moses who who said over and over again when God said hey time to step up, he had all the excuses in the book right, he had he had all the excuses, I can't talk.

Speaker 3: 9:06

had he had all the excuses, I?

Speaker 1: 9:07

can't talk and I'm I'm not, like I'm, I'm a fugitive and like you don't want me, no one's gonna listen to me.

Speaker 3: 9:10

Yeah, yeah at the end of the day, he was like you know what, just send somebody else and you know he had so many inadequacies and god used him. Yeah, like he was a mighty leader. God can use anybody. So I would just encourage anyone who's listening like take a step and jump in, whether that's in like youth or the kids, or in like an LYA, or in our connect groups or discipleship. We have all these discipleship opportunities right. There's so many ways to invest in another human being right In relationships, and I would just encourage you to do it Like step out and try it and watch God work.

Speaker 2: 9:59

Well, I'm even, you know, thinking of the parable of the talents you know like we talked about God has given you.

Speaker 2: 10:04

Maybe it's one, maybe it's five, maybe it's 10, but he's giving you something and he calls us all to, like you just said, step out to use your talents, to invest them so that there's a return. So there's that growth. And you know, certainly in a spiritual warfare context, you know, Satan likes us when we're comfortable not not doing those things, not moving forward because we're not doing our part to grow in the faith. So I think, yeah, we've talked about growth as a key word. And how are we investing? Because we're given time, we're given talents, we're given. You know, getting away from the financial analogies, you know God's put people around us to or into. So how much are we willing to invest? Do you wake up every day? You know your feet hit the floor. How can I invest this day that I've been given for God's glory or for his purposes? And there's so many ways to do that. So how are you walking forward in those those ways?

Speaker 1: 11:00

Yeah, what for you, jasonason, have been some of the maybe most beneficial ways that people have invested in you, that maybe they can be obvious or just like man. This happened to me like I was invested in this way, because I think in my own life we're like I didn't know they were investing in me and looking back, you're like man. They were they were.

Speaker 2: 11:22

They were definitely doing that. They know, they knew what they were doing.

Speaker 1: 11:25

you know yeah, Um and yeah. So what are some of the instances I think it's helpful to listen to, to know that it's not just a formal Sunday morning you got to sit down in a class and teach a kid a thing, Um. But there are many different ways, as you mentioned already, that they don't even involve teaching. You don't have to teach anything correct.

Speaker 3: 11:42

You can invest in other ways yeah, yeah, over the over my life. When I just reflect on people that have invested in me, I first think about my mom and dad, right, and how they intentionally invested in my spiritual maturity growing up. Um, I think about, uh, some of my youth leaders, right, and I know you're saying like not formally, but those people, yeah, like year after year, poured into me and my peers, yeah, in ways that I didn't appreciate at the time at all. Yeah, but looking back, I'm like they spent so much time and energy and not just like when I think about, um, my youth leaders when I was like a teenager.

Speaker 1: 12:32

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3: 12:34

And the most impactful times, the things that impacted me, the memories that I have, weren't a classroom, it wasn't a Wednesday night, it wasn't a Sunday morning, it was the times when we went camping.

Speaker 3: 12:48

It was the times when we went on bike rides, it was the times when we were sitting around like a campfire and just talking about life or something happened and I'm just, like you know, talking to my youth leader about it. Yeah, it was those moments right, where things happen while you're on one of those trips or one of those retreats and like you have to deal with it with a youth leader, right, it was those moments where I felt the most invested. Looking back and then moving forward in my life, I had some amazing peers as I got into, like college age that we were investing in each other, um, and a couple key like older adults that again like, like you said, um, I didn't realize it at the time, again, like you said, I didn't realize it at the time but these key people that were a little older than you, that kind of just pulled you into their life.

Speaker 1: 13:45

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 13:46

Right, and, before you know it, you're living life with them, watching them go through situations, navigating that yeah. Watching them, parent watching them, deal, deal with things, and then you're starting to ask them questions and just having, you know, real discussions and um, just talking about life and navigating that with someone else yeah, it's so integral, like yeah, I mean, I think of that.

Speaker 1: 14:16

You made that youth comment. Like I remember right out of high school being involved in the youth group and it's a, it's a challenge. Like when you're in it, you're like, okay, I'm just, but when you're serving in it I disciple. A couple of guys who have served in the youth group and just they're like man, like I don't know if I want to keep doing this, like I feel like they're not even listening to me, I feel like they're not, like I'm there for no reason or all the different things. And I often say like man, a youth group is an investment that you don't necessarily see in the moment.

Speaker 1: 14:46

Return on like that's the long ball, like you're playing a long ball with yeah you're there in, like you said, week in, week out and just being available, and then, when they're 25, they'll look back and be like, oh man, that youth leader. He played a huge part in my life because I was able to say and this is what I'm struggling with today Like, all right, hey, I've been a little crazy today and he's kind of correcting me and I didn't really like that, but it's what I needed in the moment, you know like, and so it's hard, but it's without it. I think people fall and aren't often pulled back up in a lot of instances, if that makes sense. Yeah, so yeah, it's pretty wild.

Speaker 2: 15:20

Yeah, it's very important, for sure really investing into the lives of other people. Like we said, it's not about money, it's not about that numbers game, but and I think you you hit on it it's doing life together, walking with people, investing in them in a, you know, sustained way. You know, a lot of times we think, oh, like you guys said, it's like I'm teaching something, so I gotta download this information. A lot of times you don't remember what you're the greatest mentors in your life, like a lot of times you don't remember necessarily things they said, but you remember how they made you feel that they, you, were important, that they were there for you.

Speaker 2: 15:59

That you were a priority to see you develop. So I think to me that's especially as we're talking like what investment looks like in, you know, strong christian context. So I don't know if you have any thoughts on that or kind of how we can tangibly do that. I think, like you said, if people feel underqualified for that, how would you encourage them to start investing in some way?

Speaker 3: 16:25

I mean, I feel like, just like we said before, you have to take a step out, and it doesn't have to necessarily be something that you're comfortable with, right. And it doesn't have to be something formalized, right, Maybe it's. Maybe it's saying you know what? I just want to grab a cup of coffee with another guy, Right? Maybe it's peer to peer first.

Speaker 1: 16:48

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 16:49

And you're like I just need to, I need to find one or two people to build relationship with. Okay, and if you're, if you're listening to this and you're like that sounds great, but who do I ask? Like I don't know, I'm just supposed to walk up to someone randomly on a Sunday morning and say, hey, do you want to go get coffee? I mean, you could do that, um, but we also have resources here, right, like, nate, you, you facilitate a lot of that. Someone could come to you and say, hey, I'd love to meet with one or two guys. Right, get coffee, talk about life, study through something, whatever you know. Is there anybody looking for that?

Speaker 2: 17:29

oh, yeah and when you learn where you are in life, what you do. That's a blessing at life house, you know, we do have. We are blessed with so many people from so many walks of life.

Speaker 2: 17:39

You know, as you get to know the congregation there's somebody who's walked through what you've walked through, there's somebody who's probably been in your shoes can really help you and that you can connect with. So yeah, we're definitely as a why it's as a church body to facilitate those connections. Exactly like you say, getting into those relationships, whether it's a small group offering those, whatever you're struggling with too, you can get into those discipleship relationships and you're going to bring something to that table. You will, we always say too, even if you've been walking a little while but you've never discipled anybody, you'll grow as much from investing in that relationship as they do from you. A lot of times, if nothing else, you learn more because you have to come prepared, and so that might be a good segue. We talked the importance of investing into others, but how do we also view spiritually investing in ourselves, not so much in the cultural self-centeredness, but how do we invest in our personal faith and our personal walk? You know what'd you say?

Speaker 3: 18:40

Yeah, I mean I think that comes along with a lot of the the other things that we've seen already in this year's study. Right, we have focused on things like being in God's word. We've we've focused on prayer, we've focused on um, these ideas, that, these ideas that really build our relationship with Christ, which is so pivotal. I mean we have to be growing so that we can we need to be poured into so we can pour out to other people, so it shouldn't be lost on us that it it is important to be investing in our relationship with the Lord. And that happens, I mean it it feels oftentimes when we get to this point in the conversation. It it feels almost too you know too wrote to say, well, read, read your Bible and pray, but like that's what you do.

Speaker 3: 19:33

Right, like if I asked someone who was a professional athlete, like what are the best things to do to get better at hitting a baseball? You swing.

Speaker 1: 19:43

You swing a bat a lot of times.

Speaker 3: 19:45

Yeah, you hit a baseball over and, over and over again. You just do that thing a lot of times. There's not a magic bullet, there's not all these fancy ways to get better at hitting a baseball, to get better at playing a piano, you just play the piano. Right? There's basic practice. That's important, right, and that's no different in our Christian walk, right? If you want to know the Bible, you have to read the Bible. So read the Bible.

Speaker 1: 20:17

And I think of, too, that same sports analogy as I was thinking about it. It's like they're learning key factors to help them be better at doing the thing that they're doing.

Speaker 1: 20:25

And so often people will get to the point of I can't really invest in myself because I don't know how to read the Bible or I don't know how to pray or whatever that might be. And it's like, how do you learn to do that? Like you just learn the tips and the ideas and you listen to other people and you ask questions. And I mean, like it's not just, I guess you should, even if you don't know how to read the quote, unquote, how to read the Bible, sit down and just read.

Speaker 1: 20:55

Like there are ways that you can learn to study more in depth and more real and more you know practicing really the practice of it. So you don't have to be alone, I mean, you don't have to just push through and I'm not getting nothing, that I'm just keep reading Like there are ways to work through inductive Bible study and different things like that, and that's why you have a coach right.

Speaker 3: 21:09

Like people don't know how to swing a bat, don't just pick it up and all of a sudden become good at it, like you need a coach to tell you, hey, get your, get your elbow up, or like, make sure your your feet are turned in, or whatever.

Speaker 3: 21:19

Like someone has to coach you along the way and at some point along that journey you can look back and say oh, man, bud, you got to like put your hands together a little bit more, or like choke up a little or get your elbow up, because I heard that a hundred times from my coach you can start pouring downstream right to those that were in your shoes a couple years ago. So, yeah, maybe one of the things here is like, if you're still sitting there feeling inadequate, you're like, well, I don't know what to do, I don't think I could pour into anyone. Well then, get poured into right, get into a discipleship relationship. Right, reach out. We'll get you paired up with someone and, after being discipled for a little while, you'll be able to turn around and then pour into someone else because you will grow and as you grow then you'll be able to turn around and and pour back out like downstream.

Speaker 2: 22:15

Yeah, I think a key thing, too, is being willing to invest the time in terms of everything we've just talked about that practice swing.

Speaker 2: 22:23

It means you go to the batting cage, you make an hour and you do it now and it takes effort. You know, I think in our again, we're in a highly distracted society. It's easy to like time flies, doom scrolling, all of these things. Are you willing to invest the time to put yourself in that and spend the time with the Lord and with others to allow the growth to happen, both personally? And you know, everything we've talked about investing in others takes time. You know your five minute conversation.

Speaker 2: 22:52

you're not going to grow and that's not much of an investment into others if it's like, well, I got five minutes for you, what's your question? And give a canned answer. But what are you struggling with? Or what are you reading the Bible that you're not understanding? Or maybe we pray together? What is it that we can invest time? I think that's always such.

Speaker 2: 23:13

Satan is so against our busy culture of like time is hard to find, you know, we're always too busy for it. So, being an investment, I think really that being a key, and I don't know if, maybe, if you've seen good, bad as a teacher, you know you're always investing into your students, and with varying levels of response, I'm sure, but you know, again, we varying levels of response, I'm sure, but you know, again, we're kind of like who are the best? You know you talk about people poured into you. So maybe times when you saw the most personal growth, what kind of moved you to invest time or talents, you know how did you kind of see that? Or God moving? I know you shared a great, you know, Christy, being in meetings. You know how can we have the heart change to invest in ourselves and others.

Speaker 3: 23:55

That's a good question. Um, I mean, I would start with prayer, because our heart doesn't change on our own. Like I can't really change my heart, but I can recognize that I need a heart change. So if I'm at that point, if I'm like, okay, my heart's not right, I need it to change, I want to be able to take these steps and invest, but I know I'm not there, then it's got to start with prayer, asking God to change my heart, to reframe and realign the way I think about his kingdom priorities in my life, cause it's probably a big deal. Then I probably have priorities that aren't in line.

Speaker 3: 24:34

If I can't find any time to invest in God's kingdom. There's probably a priority issue, which means my heart needs changed in that lane. But it's going to take prayer, it's going to take um sacrifice and saying, okay, god, I'm, I'm willing to lay some things down, but I need you to change my attitude, my heart posture. Otherwise I'm just going to keep saying over and over again I don't have time, I don't have time, I don't have talent. You can get stuck in that place.

Speaker 3: 25:05

So it's got to start with God doing something in us to desire to invest in somebody else. If you have a desire to invest in God's kingdom, you're going to find ways to do it. Like, at the end of the day, we find ways to do things that we love. If, if, if your heart is turned towards the things of God, you will find time to do it Right and you'll sacrifice things that then don't mean as much anymore. And I've had to journey through a lot of that Right. I've had to let go of a lot of things that sucked up my time, that I thought were really important, and now, looking back, I'm like you, dummy, why did you think that was important?

Speaker 3: 25:43

That should have been priority number, like 53. And I had it too, you know, Um, but it has to come through prayer. Prayer it has to come through god doing a work. We can recognize that we need to change, but we just continually go to god and ask him to to do that work.

Speaker 2: 26:01

Yeah, I think something you said too, jarvis, and thinking about what you said, jason, it's the long game you know, like investing is to bring back in the financial. You know you don't do much. Again, it creates the stock market like fast returns, you know dot com bubbles, all these kind of things. Like fast growth.

Speaker 2: 26:20

But, true, like a Warren Buffett. You mentioned financial peace and helping with that ministry. It's a long game. You know you're investing a little bit and the growth comes over time and I think that's an eternal perspective of do you want to grow closer to the Lord and have that eternal perspective and invest in it? You know, invest in the relationship with the Lord and with others and it takes little deposits over time. You know those relationships that you've talked about. So I think that's hugely key of our perspective and the choices you make is really important how we view that investment and the priorities. You know, if your priority is that and I think that's we talk about sanctification that's God preparing us for what he wants for us. You know the direction we want to go, so I'm sure you see that again as a teacher and students like it's not that just get it one day. It's that investment you have to make teaching over time, not just get it one day.

Speaker 1: 27:12

It's that investment you have to make, teaching them over time. I think too, sometimes investing in people is, like you said, risk, and so I think often it takes you being the Lord places people in our heart all the time. Right, a lot of the guys I disciple is because when I saw them, I was like they need to be invested in, and who else is going to do it? Oh, no, I saw them, I was like they need to be invested in, and who else is going to do it? Oh, no one. Okay, I am, you know. And so asking, taking kind of the bold approach and be like hey, is anyone discipling you? Are you meeting with anybody? No, okay. Well, hey, I would love to meet with you and just talk through the Bible and just, you know, teach what it looks like.

Speaker 1: 27:47

And so often I think people don't disciple because they just don't ask and they want people to come and ask them, like, oh, can I disciple you? And it's like well, or can you disciple me, or whatever. That is like you have to on both ends. If you're someone who wants to be discipled or someone, or you want to disciple someone, there has to be some aspect of I want to invest in you, or can you invest in me? And taking the chance of being told no? You know what I mean, because if not, you just don't, you're just not going to ever have anyone, you know. So it's super important. And so we have a couple minutes left. It feels like it's flown.

Speaker 2: 28:24

This is awesome. It's been a good conversation. Jason's on. We're like, oh, where does this time go? Great conversation.

Speaker 1: 28:34

About two minutes left. What kind of maybe last minute encouragement. If you had to kind of sum it up in a couple sentences, what would you encourage someone to take away that they can maybe take in and do today, tomorrow, or begin to pray?

Speaker 3: 28:43

about I would. I would say, come back to this marathon mentality, right, that that the, the prize is, in many ways, a long way off. You may not see yourself or someone else growing along the way, but you know that there's something really important at the end of that road, um, and that God, in his word, cares very much about people investing in his kingdom and his work and the things that he's doing. We see it littered throughout scripture. We see Jesus himself investing years into these disciples who, for all accounts, were nobodies. Right, like, why would you invest in these guys? You could have picked better guys, but he does, um. So, knowing that God is in the business of investing for the long term, we should want to join him in that. Yeah, right, and just knowing that there's a prize, there's a goal far down the road that's really, really worth it and go for it. Yeah, be willing to take a risk. Yeah, jump in there. That's good.

Speaker 1: 29:50

And Jason, thank you so much. Risk. Yeah, jump in there, that's good. And Jason, thank you so much. Man, it's been a pleasure. You're welcome, as always, it always is, so we look forward to having you on for the fourth time in 2025. Hopefully. I'll have to get that one on the schedule. Whenever that is, we'll figure it out.

Speaker 2: 30:05

Thanks a lot. Thanks for tuning in to the Life Talk podcast. If this episode encouraged you, please be sure to like, comment, subscribe and leave a review so others can find this content as well, and we'll look forward to seeing you next Monday for another great episode.