Martin Family Christmas Special 2025

Summary

Deepen with Pastor Joby Martin

Episode: Martin Family Christmas Special 2025
Date: December 25, 2025
Host: Pastor Joby Martin
Guests: The Martin Family

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Overview

This special Christmas Day edition of "Deepen with Pastor Joby Martin" brings listeners inside the Martin family's holiday traditions, memorable moments, and faith journey. Featuring candid stories, playful banter, and honest reflections, the episode offers a relatable look at family dynamics, change, faith, and traditions within the household of the Church of Eleven22's lead pastor. Listeners will enjoy rapid-fire holiday questions, funny family anecdotes, and thoughtful encouragements as the family navigates life, ministry, and personal growth.

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Family Holiday Traditions & Memories

Christmas Favorites (00:17–06:55)

• Real vs. Fake Tree:

  • Family consensus is a fake tree, due to convenience, allergies, and wanting to put it up early.
  • Gretchen shares childhood memories of cutting cedar trees on the family farm, despite being allergic.
    • Gretchen: "Every year, I would get so sick, and we still always had cedar trees, but we cut down a cedar tree. It was the ugliest tree ever, but my dad put it up." (01:49)

• Present Opening Style:

  • Joby prefers "one at a time" to savor the experience, while Gretchen is okay with some organized chaos.
    • Joby: "I just don't know what anybody got. So that's when it's revealed...it's a surprise for me. All four times." (02:47)

• Timing of Christmas Morning:

  • The family now starts festivities later than when their kids were small. Presents and breakfast stretch into lunchtime.

Favorite Christmas Movies (04:06–05:54)

• Joby: "Die Hard all the way."
• Reagan: "The Santa Claus."
• JP: "Home Alone...and I like The Grinch too."
• Long discussion about the Jim Carrey Grinch and the lengths he endured in makeup.
  • Host: "He had to go through, like, torture hostage training with the military because of how hard the suit and the makeup was." (04:48)
• Gretchen prefers "Four Christmases" and "The Holiday."
• The family loves classics like "The Christmas Story."

Best and Worst Christmas Presents (05:54–09:21)

• Favorite Memory:
  • The family agrees: getting their dogs was a top gift and memory.
    • Reagan: "The dogs...I liked watching my dad ride his motorcycle in his robe." (06:02)
• "Worst" Gift:
  • Gretchen received a mattress one year, which didn't go as planned despite good intentions.
    • Joby: "It was a sleep number...it adjusts to you and does all the things...She was mad about it." (07:27)
  • JP and Joby defend their choice, Gretchen jokes about trying out mattresses.

Traditions & Family Dynamics (09:21–14:40)

• Tradition Adjustments:
  • As a pastor’s family, consistent traditions are hard due to church responsibilities and seasonal changes.
  • One tradition: visiting Daruma Japanese Steakhouse after Christmas Eve services—although this is getting harder due to crowds.
  • The family only did matching pajamas once: "We took a picture and that was it."
• Favorite Christmas Songs:
  • Joby: "Merry Christmas from the Family" (a humorous country song) (10:55)
  • Gretchen: "Maybe It’s Cold Outside," but only the original, and "Last Christmas" by Wham.
  • Reagan: "White Christmas," despite never having seen snow in Florida.
• Hot Takes:
  • Florida never feels like Christmas physically to Gretchen.
    • Gretchen: "Florida will never, ever feel like Christmas to me physically, you know?" (12:24)
  • JP: Christmas Day "kind of boring" after presents; playing Fortnite is a highlight.
• Movie Opinions:
  • Joby: "Polar Express is the creepiest movie I've ever seen in my whole life." (14:17)

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The Jaguars & The Super Bowl Dream (14:42–19:00)

• The Martins discuss their excitement about the Jaguars' successful season and Super Bowl hopes.
  • Joby: "If the Jaguars go to the Super Bowl, we're going." (16:22)
  • JP: "Super Bowl. Jacksonville." (15:23)
• Discussion about potential Christian artists at an alternative halftime show, media rumors, and generational perspectives on music and halftime shows.

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Life Updates & Family Rhythms (21:00–32:40)

JP and Reagan's Year in Review (21:00–24:50)

• Reagan: Now a sophomore in high school, recently got her license, enjoys the freedom but is a "speed demon" according to her mom via Life360 app.
• JP: Moved back to Jacksonville, planning to travel for ranching and guiding across the Midwest and Canada as part of Fellowship Adventures, as well as working at the church.

Life as a Ministry Family (25:29–34:36)

• Busy Season:
  • Gretchen and Joby describe their current season as incredibly busy but good, enjoying when the family can be under one roof.
  • Joby values that, despite church growth and travel demands, home life is strongest: "If things weren't good at home, it wouldn't even matter, you know?" (26:17)
• Touch Points as Kids Get Older:
  • Finding family connection gets harder as children get more independent.
  • Family dinners and retreats are rare and precious moments.
    • Joby: "The four of us, it's usually just dinners, man. Which is. It's probably only like once a week where it can happen." (28:48)

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Looking Ahead: 2026 Hopes & Changes (30:24–34:36)

• JP: Excited for his travels with Fellowship Adventures; grateful for mentorship and new skills.
• Gretchen: Turning 50 in 2026—hasn’t planned celebrations, but marks it as a milestone.
• Reagan: Choosing to be homeschooled junior and senior years for flexibility and more family/church involvement; wants to travel with parents more, considering attending Liberty University.
  • Reagan: "A big part of, like, most of the times that my dad is home is when I'm at school...I'll be able to travel with my dad a lot more, which will be good." (32:18)
• Family Favorites:
  • Retreat center getaways and family dinners are top quality-time picks.
    • Reagan: "Sometimes we'll just have dinner together, and it's really nice, just, like, talking...small moments catching up like that." (34:19)

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Family Culture: Fun, Trust, and Faith (34:36–44:21)

Humor and Fun

• The Martins pride themselves on not taking themselves too seriously; they love jokes, sarcasm, and inside humor.
  • Joby: "We have a pretty lighthearted...we’re a very sarcastic family." (35:08)
• The "fun one" is debated—Gretchen claims it, JP pranks Reagan, and inside jokes about JP’s punching dummy "Bob" abound.
  • Gretchen: "I walk out in the garage...it scares me...Holly...texts me: there's someone naked in your garage. No, that's Bob." (37:08)

Personal Faith Growth (37:51–44:21)

• JP: Consistent mentoring sessions with former youth group leader, Josh, have deeply impacted his faith.
  • JP: "We meet every week we can, and we just talk for like three hours in a coffee shop." (37:58)
• Reagan: New friendships and involvement at camp and St. John’s campus have built her community and faith.
  • Reagan: "Having that community has really helped me." (38:14)
• Joby: Daily disciplines and small faithful steps matter; "incremental steps over time have an exponential impact." (39:45)
  • Joby: "There’s no easy button to your walk with Jesus."
• Gretchen: Learned to release control of her children's futures, trusting God's unique path and timing for each.
  • Gretchen: "The Lord had to reveal to me that I'm not in control of our kids’ future." (40:46)

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Final Encouragement & Reflections (44:21–51:07)

Words to the Church & Families

• Joby: Stay faithful in the "small deposits" of faith, even when life is not as expected—God is always working.
  • Joby: "Just hang in there, get up one day at a time, be faithful, trust God, and He will make your path straight." (46:09)
• Gretchen: Reject perfection; embrace God's pursuit of your kids and yourself.
  • Gretchen: "It's not about being perfect...God's not pursuing you to get to them. Like, God has to pursue them, and you have to let it happen. And it might not always look the way that you think it's going to look." (46:40)
• JP & Reagan: The value of older mentors, group leaders, and supportive faith community for teens.
  • JP: "Stay connected with your group leader or try to find older people that are smart and doing the right thing." (48:28)
  • Reagan: "My group leader...her name’s Kendall...I don’t think I would be wanting to go to Liberty for college if it wasn’t for her." (48:43)
• Joby (gratitude):
  • "As a family, we want to say thanks to the church of 1122. We are so blessed by this community of people. It is our great honor and privilege to serve..." (49:18)

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On Faith and Family:
  • "There’s not that we don’t have any kind of secret sauce at the house that made my kids love Jesus and made our marriage work. It’s just kind of the normal everyday. You just get up, love God, try to love each other. When you screw up, say you’re sorry, repent, and go at it again." - Joby (39:45)
• On Parenting:
  • "The Bible says train up a child in the way they should go, not the way you want them to go." - Joby (43:09)
• On Release of Control:
  • "The Lord had to reveal to me that I’m not in control of our kids’ future." - Gretchen (40:46)
• On Fun:
  • "We don’t take ourselves very seriously." - Joby (34:45)
• On Community:
  • "We get to have presence because people here are generous…we just, I just don’t have enough words to express how grateful for you we are for this church family." - Joby (49:18)

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Notable Timestamps

• 01:49 – Gretchen’s childhood Christmas tree story
• 02:47 – Why Joby prefers presents opened one at a time
• 06:02 – Favorite Christmas memory: getting the dogs
• 07:27 – Story of gifting a mattress
• 10:55 – Joby’s favorite Christmas song
• 12:24 – Gretchen on Florida never feeling like Christmas
• 14:17 – Joby’s take on Polar Express
• 16:22 – Jaguars Super Bowl optimism
• 21:18 – Reagan on getting her driver’s license
• 25:29 – Family describes their current busy season
• 28:48 – Family touch points: “usually just dinners”
• 32:18 – Reagan on choosing homeschool for flexibility
• 34:19 – Reagan on simple dinners as valuable connection
• 37:58 – JP’s mentors shaping his faith
• 39:45 – Joby on the power of spiritual habits
• 40:46 – Gretchen: learning to trust God with her kids’ futures
• 43:09 – Joby on biblical parenting
• 46:09 – Joby’s closing advice on faithfulness

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Tone

The episode is warm, humorous, candid, and encouraging, laced with gentle sarcasm and honest vulnerability, reflecting a genuine, down-to-earth family committed to faith and togetherness.

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Closing Prayer (50:42)

• Joby closes with a heartfelt prayer of gratitude and blessing for the church and family, emphasizing reliance on Jesus.

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Summary prepared for listeners seeking the spirit and substance of Christmas in the Martin household—full of real-life, laughter, and a faith that grows through the ordinary.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to Deepen with Pastor Joby Martin. The Church of 1122 is a movement for all people to discover and deepen a relationship with Jesus Christ. And we're praying this message helps you deepen your relationship with him. Now let's dive in.

[B]

All right. Merry Christmas, Martin family.

[C]

Merry Christmas to you.

[B]

Y' all are the Christmas family. And so this is fun to do it on Christmas day because you really love Christmas.

[D]

I do love Christmas.

[B]

Has everybody always loved, like, is Christmas everybody's favorite holiday? Always and forever, for sure.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

Gretchen, was it yours before Joby, or like.

[C]

Yeah, I've always loved Christmas the most.

[E]

For sure.

[B]

All right, so we're gonna do some rapid fire Christmas themed questions. Do you have a real tree or a fake tree?

[E]

Fake. Fake.

[B]

Now, y' all are, like, hunters. You're, like, nature people.

[D]

It's not our call. G makes that decision.

[F]

100. Yeah.

[D]

So one time, one of those little pine needles fell off a tree, and then she heard it land in the middle of her sleep, and she couldn't go back to sleep because the house was demolished. It was a mess.

[C]

No, that's not it.

[D]

That's kind of close.

[C]

Kids with allergies when they were little kind of started it.

[B]

Jv that's not.

[F]

I don't ever remember complaining about it.

[C]

I don't know. No, you didn't complain about it. We just had to deal with it. But also, yes, they're messy. And I like to put the tree up earlier than a real tree will allow, because when the needles start falling, it's gotta go. And if that's before Christmas, there's a problem.

[B]

That is a problem.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay, but you're from Virginia. Did you grow up, like, cutting down your own tree?

[C]

We did sometimes. I remember one specific time my brother and I went. Cause we grew up on, like, a small farm, and we went out in the woods and cut down our own cedar tree. We always got cedar trees, and I think I was allergic to them. Every year, I would get so sick, and we still always had cedar trees, but we cut down a cedar tree. It was the ugliest tree ever, but my dad put it up.

[B]

Yeah, that's definitely unconventional.

[C]

It was not a pretty tree at all.

[B]

I wonder if you have an allergy theme. Like, maybe your childhood was then bleeding into your.

[F]

I don't know.

[C]

Maybe. Yeah.

[B]

Okay. Do you open presents one at a time or all at once?

[D]

One at a time, the proper way.

[C]

That's a Joby thing.

[B]

Okay. You would. You would open all at once if.

[C]

I would let everyone open a present together at one time. It's fine with me. Like, the chaos of, like, just being done in five minutes, I don't like that. But he's like, everyone watch mom open her present, and everyone watch Franken open her present.

[D]

I just don't know what anybody got. So that's when it's revealed.

[F]

Yeah.

[E]

It says from all of our.

[D]

Oh, look. So it's a surprise for me. All four times.

[B]

It's so fun. It's like, four times.

[C]

That's true.

[F]

That is true.

[D]

And then, Dude, Christmas Day is so boring. Like, once you get it all, you're just kind of. We were talking about it today. We need to start later this year and stretch so you can take up.

[B]

More of the day.

[C]

Yeah. Maybe sleep in a little since we're older.

[D]

Yeah, Reagan, I still sleep in.

[E]

I don't know what y' all are talking about. I sleep in.

[B]

Yeah. Okay, that's a good one. What time do you start the festivities on Christmas Day?

[C]

It's very different now than it was five years ago, even. I think we were just talking about this today. I think last year, by the time we were done with presents and cleaning up all the wrapping paper and everything, it was probably lunchtime. So not too early.

[F]

Yeah, it's probably earlier than lunchtime. It's probably, like, 10.

[C]

It wasn't. I promise. Because I remember it was time to eat lunch, and I was like, oh, oh, already lunch? Because I think we stopped and had, like, a breakfast break. I don't know. My memory is not good these days.

[B]

Okay, what is everybody's favorite Christmas movie?

[D]

Die Hard all the Way.

[B]

Have you watched it already?

[D]

Not this year.

[B]

Okay. Do you have it planned? You have.

[D]

I don't. I might not get to it this year. Oh, I have a lot going on.

[B]

You definitely are going on three days before Christmas when we're recording this and you're about to preach six services in two days.

[D]

Yeah.

[E]

Yes.

[B]

All right, Reagan, what's your favorite Christmas movie?

[E]

I like the Santa Claus.

[B]

Oh, yeah. It's a good one, jp.

[F]

I like Home Alone, and I like the Grinch, too.

[B]

Love the Grinch.

[F]

The Grinch is a good one.

[E]

A great one.

[C]

The Jim Carrey Grinch. Yeah.

[B]

You know, I just read an article about the training that Jim Carrey had to go through. You read this?

[C]

No, I listened to your podcast.

[B]

Oh, we talked about it.

[C]

Yeah.

[E]

Oh, my gosh.

[B]

And he had to go through, like, torture hostage training with the military because of how hard the suit and the makeup was. To wear. And he would have to wear it for like 18 hour film days. And he talked about it was like, very traumatic experience for him.

[D]

It took him like three hours to put it on.

[C]

Yeah. And the smoking thing, I don't understand, though.

[B]

Yeah, they made. What did we say? They made him, like, smoke cigarettes. I don't get that. I guess that's like a hostage tactic of some sort. Yeah, I don't know. I don't get that. Okay. What's your favorite Christmas movie?

[C]

It's between two. Four Christmases.

[B]

Good one.

[C]

And the holiday.

[B]

You're a rom com.

[E]

Yeah. Yeah.

[C]

Well, yeah, I am for the most.

[D]

Four Christmases has the best line in it when Robert Duvall's like, spoilers what I did. She's like, you cheated on her every second. He's like, I gave her a roof overhead. Meals to eat. Spoiled her. That's my favorite part.

[B]

Nobody. This isn't a Christmas vacation. Family.

[D]

We love that, too.

[B]

Okay. Yeah, we just watched that last night.

[C]

I mean, so many movies. Like, the Christmas Story is good. It's a good classic. We sometimes put that on on Christmas morning and watch it and just have it running while, you know, while we're opening presents, but.

[B]

All right. Favorite Christmas memory or present that you've gotten?

[E]

The dogs.

[B]

The dogs.

[F]

Yeah, the dogs is a really good one.

[B]

Y' all really peaked at the dogs.

[E]

I think I liked watching my dad ride his motorcycle in his robe. Yeah, that was pretty good. That was a good one.

[C]

That was a good one.

[B]

Couldn't even put regular clothes on.

[D]

There's no time.

[E]

Slippers and robe.

[D]

There's no time. My favorite when we gave them the puppies is that Reagan, because we got it on video and she, like, hugs it. She almost starts crying. She's like, these are ours. Like, to keep. No, we rented them for the day, so get all the petting in you can.

[B]

And that would be the answer to the next question. Worst Christmas present.

[E]

No.

[B]

Gretchen, what's your favorite Christmas present or memory?

[C]

So my favorite memory is them getting the dogs. For sure. My favorite present was last year. I had. Was it last year I had, like, the biohacking Christmas where I got the sauna, the red light, the Oura Ring Wellness Christmas. The wellness Christmas.

[E]

I loved it.

[C]

It was great.

[B]

That's so good. What's your. Oh, yours is the motorcycle for sure.

[D]

Harley Davidson.

[B]

Okay. Worst Christmas present. It's okay to offend your family members.

[C]

I got a mattress one year.

[D]

Oh, no, that was me and jp. We came out, we thought we crushed.

[E]

No they texted. They were like, reagan, we have a perfect idea. We're going to get her a mattress. And I was like, I don't think like I was trying to let them down easy. Being like, I don't think they were like, no, that's what she wants. That's what she want.

[D]

I was like, it was very. It was a sleep number. It was like the whole thing. Because I think, because Gretchen's always convinced she doesn't sleep good. And I thought, let's just put a little empirical evidence on this and just see. And I'm gonna get the kind that adjusts to you and does all the things. And then it just. She was mad about it.

[C]

You have to try out a mattress.

[D]

No, this can be whatever you want it to be, though.

[C]

It was a glorified air mattress. It was like the. It was a sleep number bed, but it was like a glorified air mattress.

[B]

Not only the principle of the mattress, but also. You didn't like the one that they chose.

[C]

No, but. No. Yeah. Cuz we. We still have a sleep number mattress. But it's a very nice one. Very nice one. And they got the discount up. This one was not slightly used, but I'm Kid jokes.

[B]

Oh, that's a funny one. Okay, who else? Worst Christmas present.

[D]

I can't think of a. I can't.

[E]

Think of one either of a worst.

[D]

Some of our wonder.

[C]

Welcome, kids.

[D]

The church of 1122 gives some doozies. I'm not going to name any particular because they're all with a lot of heart and spirit, you know.

[B]

And I can actually say one for you because so long ago that if they still come here. Honestly impressive. But it was like the day before Christmas or Christmas Eve, knock on the door of the offices and someone dropped off a bag of barbecue takeout from this place in South Carolina.

[D]

Let's go.

[B]

They had driven it down so it just like Barbie had been sitting in their car. A special gift for the Martin family that didn't make it to your Christmas.

[C]

Thank you.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

It's the irony that nobody has a bad gift. But Gretchen is really fitting.

[D]

So that's when I quit buying gifts for her. I. We like on our own. We do the team approach now. So, you know, the girls that I work with, we do like a whiteboard session and we do ideas and they. And then Gretchen has learned from Reagan and she just sends me the links to all the things and so I just order them. So that's it.

[B]

Okay. Favorite Christmas tradition.

[D]

It's kind of hard to Have Christmas traditions when you're a. Yeah. Church family behind this. You know what I mean? I mean, we're here and I think.

[E]

Things, especially with how much of the church is growing, things are changing so much all the time every year. So it's like different every year.

[B]

Okay, so what about like season as a whole? Maybe not like Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, but is there anything y' all do every year, every December or something?

[C]

I will say the one Christmas tradition that we've tried to hold to. We probably won't do it this year. And last year was so such chaos that we almost left was after the last Christmas Eve service. We'll go to Daruma Japanese Steakhouse. Oh, yes. But I think it's the only place open in this general area. And everyone is literally a two hour wait. There's. You can't even get in the door. And I think everyone wants to do that tradition with their family because, you know, it's like. I don't know. I don't know why. I mean, but we, we've done that. That's been a little bit of a tradition for us. We probably won't this year.

[B]

Are you a Christmas jammy family?

[C]

No, not.

[B]

No. Matching pajamas.

[D]

I think one time we did it once, it was pretty dumb.

[C]

We took a picture and that was it. Yep.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

We're not jammy people anyway. We just like sweatpants, T shirt kind of people.

[B]

Okay. Favorite Christmas song. Well, do you like Christmas music one?

[E]

Oh, yeah. Okay. I do.

[B]

She's like, I'm not the scrooge.

[C]

Yeah.

[E]

Like so many.

[D]

Mine's called Merry Christmas from the Family.

[F]

That's a really good one.

[D]

It's the best. You want me to sing it?

[E]

Please, you sing it.

[D]

Mom got drunk and dad got drunk at our Christmas party. That's how it starts off.

[B]

Fun.

[D]

It's great.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Is that country?

[D]

Very, very. But it's the funniest thing ever. Well, you should download it.

[E]

It's awesome.

[B]

It's fine for this.

[D]

It's got some praise and worship in there. Oh, we've got some confession.

[C]

Got some. Oh, wow.

[D]

Definitely. My parents convenience store growing up. Yeah. But it completely reminds me of Christmas in South Carolina.

[C]

Mama gets out of jail or something.

[D]

Yeah, it's a different one. You're conflating the perfect country western.

[C]

Sorry, sorry, sorry.

[D]

Yeah, the same kind of theme. You're in the right genre.

[C]

Oh, geez.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

What's your favorite, Gretchen?

[C]

I have so many, but my favorite traditional Christmas song is probably. Well, not traditional. It's. Maybe it's Cold Outside. Love it. But only the traditional one, not the new one that they changed the lyrics because that's stupid.

[B]

I know. But don't have time to get into it.

[C]

We don't have time to get into that. I love Wham. Last Christmas.

[B]

Yes.

[E]

Great.

[C]

Love that song. It's very single.

[B]

Rc, you got a favorite, probably White.

[E]

Christmas, which is kind of funny because I've never experienced a White Christmas in my whole life because I grew up in Florida. But.

[B]

Okay, let's talk about that a little bit. You talked about how you are channeling snow here.

[C]

Yes, I am. Now, what's.

[B]

So I want to know everybody's hot take on Christmas.

[C]

Florida will never, ever feel like Christmas to me physically, you know?

[B]

Also see previous comments that were at a church. So, like, you don't really have a chill. There's not like you can go anywhere on Christmas.

[C]

Yeah. For the record, it's 75 degrees outside and I'm.

[B]

You're gonna ski. Sweater and a beanie. It's adorable. It is adorable.

[F]

We went sledding in Tallahassee last year.

[C]

Oh, yeah, that's right.

[B]

Oh, there was snow.

[C]

Snow.

[F]

Remember?

[C]

It snowed once in Tallahassee last year.

[D]

Wow.

[B]

It was like, probably ice, right?

[F]

Or good snow.

[D]

Wow.

[F]

Good snow. Good slopes.

[E]

Good slopes. I think the most snow I've ever seen is we went to.

[D]

Sorry.

[E]

We went to Utah once, and there was like a little pile of leftover snow. And that's it. That's all I got.

[C]

We went in June.

[E]

In June, and it was like, just hasn't quite. It was like up on a mountain. Hasn't quite melted away yet. So that's it.

[B]

Anyone else have a hot take on Christmas? An unpopular opinion?

[E]

Well, my dad already said this, but I think Christmas Day, like, besides presents, it's kind of boring. It's kind of just like you open your present, you're like, okay, what do we do now?

[D]

Just like, yeah, I know. And there's always NBA basketball on, which is a waste of time. So.

[B]

Yeah.

[E]

Why.

[B]

Why is there no football? You know how they have the Thanksgiving Day games. Why are there not, like, a traditional Christmas Day?

[C]

Isn't there?

[F]

There is.

[C]

Dallas plays always on Christmas Day, don't they?

[D]

Is it lighter, though?

[F]

Yeah, it's in the afternoon, but there's. Yeah, Fortnite on Christmas is pretty fun.

[D]

What does that mean?

[F]

Just playing Fortnite on Christmas.

[B]

Like, maybe like a presence.

[C]

He has his own tradition.

[F]

Yeah, it's a.

[B]

He's like, that's my favorite tradition.

[F]

Play Fortnite Yeah, it's all snowy and you don't know if you played, but.

[B]

Okay, well, I bet a lot of people listening are like, yeah, I'm sure.

[C]

They probably already know because they play what's your haunted?

[D]

I love most Christmas movies. I love Elf and I love Four Christmases and I love all those things. Polar Express is the creepiest movie I've ever seen in my whole life.

[B]

Oh, okay.

[D]

It's like these zombie people, like, they try to make their faces look so real and they're like, are you on the track? They like, don't move their lips when they talk.

[C]

And it's like the computer.

[D]

It's weird, man.

[C]

I don't know stuff before it actually got good. And it's creepy.

[D]

Creeps me out.

[C]

Yeah, it is creepy.

[B]

Yeah. Okay, so before we get into it, I feel like we just have to talk about the Jaguars.

[D]

Let's go.

[B]

It's a good year to be a Jaguars fan.

[D]

It's a Christmas miracle.

[B]

A true Christmas miracle. Now you are. You. You're die hard fans. And I'm looking at the two of you. The girls, not so much. Right? Not. But.

[C]

But still.

[B]

Jags fans.

[C]

Yeah. I love to see them win. I think it's great.

[B]

But you didn't go stand in the rain.

[C]

No. For.

[D]

Have you been to a game this year?

[C]

I haven't.

[D]

What?

[C]

I know.

[E]

I don't think.

[B]

Have y' all been to every home game?

[D]

J.P. and I, everyone. I've been in town.

[F]

Yeah.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay. So what do y' all think?

[F]

I think we're looking great.

[D]

Super Bowl.

[F]

Yeah. Super Bowl. Jackson.

[B]

Are you being serious, though?

[F]

Yes.

[B]

You. You dead serious. Think we could go to the Super Bowl?

[F]

Oh, yeah.

[D]

If we play like we played against the Broncos. If we play that we've played the last four weeks for sure. Because we went. We went two mile high. They've got supposedly the best defense. It's louder, it's packed. It's as big of a game as we've played in outside of a playoff game in the last forever altitude issues. And it was not too big for the Jags. I mean, you know, fault start here, there at the beginning, and then we start rolling and rolling and rolling. Trevor's playing out of his mind. Liam is like the perfect coach for Trevor, and he knows it. The culture that they built. Now I get the opportunity to spend a little bit of time down there with those guys. You know, Baselli's a big lem between tour and so super fun. Super fun to see. Go Jags.

[F]

I know Go Jags.

[B]

Go Jags. I mean, if the Jaguars go to.

[D]

The super bowl, we're going.

[B]

You are you really?

[D]

Well, there's no doubt. Yeah.

[C]

I mean, we could get an in town playoff game, right?

[D]

Yeah, for sure.

[C]

Playoff game. We could get a home game.

[D]

No doubt. Get ready, Mark Calendar super bowl this.

[F]

Year in San Francisco.

[D]

San Francisco, Yeah.

[B]

Now, aren't they doing an alternate. Are they doing the alternate halftime show? A bunch of Christian artists, I've heard.

[D]

I don't know if it's happening.

[B]

I don't know what the status of.

[D]

It is, but Yeah, I don't keep up with.

[C]

I thought all that was AI Generated.

[B]

Please.

[C]

I did. I mean, I didn't think it was real. I had no idea that that was real. I thought. I thought a bunch of like Christians were like generating that and making it a thing. I would love for it to be, though.

[D]

No, they want to do like a family friendly, you know.

[C]

I think that would be amazing.

[D]

Yeah.

[F]

Veggie Tales halftime.

[D]

No, not like that.

[E]

But like, I thought it was going to be.

[C]

But it like Brandon Lake and Force Frank. Force Frank and a couple of secular people coming in with them, right?

[D]

Yeah. But then there's drama. There's always drama.

[B]

Always drama.

[D]

So then like TB USA started getting involved and. And then it was like, oh, no, that one's going to be too political. So now we have the like two alternative ones and then. Yeah. You know what I'm saying?

[C]

I know.

[D]

So it gets weird.

[F]

Bad Bunny. It is.

[C]

That's everything.

[E]

That's what I thought. I thought it was going to be Bad Bunny.

[B]

No, he is he. The super bowl half.

[E]

And then it's just like.

[B]

Do you all listen to Bad Bunny?

[D]

I've never heard of him before.

[E]

I don't know.

[C]

I didn't know it was a he.

[B]

Okay, So. I know. Isn't that kind of funny?

[C]

No.

[B]

Yeah. So who is if. If no one. We represent like multiple generations here. Who is listening to him?

[E]

Well, I know who he is, but he just.

[F]

It's like club saying.

[B]

Yeah, okay.

[F]

Kind of.

[B]

I like when they do the throwback.

[E]

Well, it's Super Bowl.

[B]

You can't sing halftime shows.

[C]

Me too.

[B]

I think those are so fun.

[E]

Yeah.

[C]

I like when they bring the old artists back.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

Didn't they have all like 90s gangster rappers?

[B]

Yes. And it was so fun.

[D]

Yeah. It's great too, because then they can't just sing their original lyrics. But can you imagine all the kids of. Of all the Gen Z or say like, oh, dude. And then they look the song up. And they're like, hey, wait, you listen to what?

[C]

And you think my stuff's bad?

[D]

It is. Yeah.

[C]

Seriously, it's crazy.

[D]

Good news is about your terrible music is you can't understand what they're saying. So it's just mumble rap now? Reagan hates rap.

[E]

I hate rap.

[B]

Oh, really?

[E]

So much.

[D]

There's a hot take.

[B]

That is a hot take.

[E]

Yeah.

[B]

What kind of music do you listen to?

[E]

Anything that isn't rap. Literally. I will listen to any song that's not rap.

[C]

She loves 90s music.

[D]

Did everybody check out their. You know how apple music, like, did your little update on your.

[E]

I taught him what that was.

[D]

Oh, we. A couple nights. We had a little date the other night, and that's what we did. We looked through, like, who you listen to the most and all of that. My number one was Chris Stapleton, and my number two was Guns N Roses. Something like that.

[B]

That makes a lot of sense for you.

[C]

You heard me on stage together.

[B]

What were your top artists?

[E]

My number one, even for each month, was Harry Styles. And then my number two was Elevation Worship. So.

[D]

Such a Christian.

[B]

Such a good Christian. Did you do yours?

[C]

No, I wasn't there.

[D]

We should do it. I need to do it now.

[B]

Jp, did you do yours?

[F]

No.

[B]

Do you know what's your go?

[E]

Show you how to do it.

[B]

Look, she's doing it right now.

[F]

I can't actually remember my top five this year.

[B]

Are you a big country guy?

[F]

Yeah.

[E]

Yeah, yeah.

[F]

Okay.

[B]

It's unfair. I have young kids. It really warps your algorithm. Yeah, yeah. Like, your top is just embarrassing, and then you're really face to face with.

[E]

I have friends that.

[B]

Wow. We listen to that song.

[E]

I have friends that like, nanny and it was like, her top song or her second song was Baby Shark.

[B]

Oh, gosh, that's horrible. That's on my. Do not play.

[D]

Go to their mom was Stephen Wilson Jr.

[E]

Okay.

[D]

Oh, the reveal. The big reveal.

[E]

Top, it's the offspring.

[D]

Oh, my God.

[B]

It's what?

[C]

The Offspring.

[D]

The Offspring to pieces.

[C]

That's not the Offspring.

[D]

That's not. What do they sing?

[B]

That would be the craziest thing.

[C]

No, that's not the Offspring.

[B]

She's an alternative.

[E]

Gone away. Pretty fly. You know that song?

[C]

Pretty fly for a white guy.

[E]

Yeah.

[B]

Gretchen.

[C]

Oh, my God. It's my workout playlist.

[B]

I love this.

[C]

I don't believe that's the only time I listen to music is my workout.

[E]

Other than that, she's listening to podcasts. I bet it has, like, top listen to Podcasts on here somewhere.

[C]

All the things I listen to when I was, like, 20 listen, I still listen to.

[D]

I know.

[B]

Me too.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

All right, moving on from music and the Jags. Go Jags. One more time. Let's catch up a little on life. It's been a year since we were all together, so JP And Reagan, catch us up. What have you been up to the last year? Where are you at now? What's going on in your life?

[E]

Me?

[F]

Yeah, go ahead.

[E]

I'm a sophomore in high school now, and I got my license. I can drive now.

[C]

And, boy, does she drive.

[E]

I drive a lot because I'm always in St. John's because I go to St. John's campus, but. Yeah.

[B]

How's the driving life?

[E]

It's good. It's very freeing. I feel like I don't have to, like, constantly ask people for rides. I like that.

[B]

Yeah. That is. Are you a responsible driver?

[E]

Very. I go very slow.

[C]

Oh, my gosh. I know that's not true.

[D]

Mom is a professional Life360 watcher now. Are you aware of Life360?

[B]

Yes.

[D]

Okay.

[C]

Yeah. And I see that little, little Speed demon going 80 down 295. I'm like.

[E]

I just get a text, and It'll be like, 85.

[B]

And I'm like, gosh, that's impressive. Now, I did. I asked Reagan if she would pick me up to go to lunch, and she was like, I don't know if you want to get in the car with me.

[C]

No, I didn't say that.

[B]

Yes, you did.

[E]

No, I think you asked when I first got my license.

[B]

Or like, the week before you got it.

[E]

It was like. No, I. I didn't start practicing until, like, the month before I got my license. Barely.

[B]

My mom's making me go to driver's ed. I was like, I feel like that's the best choice.

[E]

Yes. Oh, my gosh. That was so.

[D]

We never gave JP A lesson. We bought him a car and just gave him the keys, and he drove home on 95 from the retreat center, and we didn't even think about it. We're like, the difference. Peace. With Reagan, it was almost like teaching a baby to walk. It's like we'd be at the end of the street going, come to me. Come to me. She does good, though. She's driving good.

[E]

I'm very good at driving.

[D]

Yeah.

[E]

I was in the car with JP for the first time with me driving, and he was freaking out the whole time.

[F]

No, I wasn't. That was when dad got in the car.

[E]

I think everyone was freaking out except for me, so it's okay.

[F]

Maybe.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

This is a. I mean, that's a big year. To go from not driving to driving is definitely a big year.

[E]

Yeah. All right.

[B]

What's up with you?

[F]

I'm no longer living in Tallahassee. I'm living in Jack's for now. And then I was soon to be living in the Midwest for a little bit.

[B]

Oh, wow.

[F]

Canada and then back to the Midwest, so very cool.

[B]

What are you gonna be doing out there?

[F]

Some, like, ranching, guiding, stuff like that.

[B]

Wow, that's hardcore. Well, not for you, but everybody else listening.

[F]

It'll be fun.

[D]

That's cool.

[F]

It'll be fun.

[B]

Is it going to be freezing cold?

[F]

Parts of it I'll be. I leave in April, so when I get there, it won't be too cold, and then it'll warm up and. But I'll be in South Dakota in the winter.

[B]

So are you going to be able to visit him?

[D]

Yeah, it's with Jeff Moore and Fellowship Adventures.

[C]

Oh.

[D]

You know, so it's a guiding ministry, you know, outdoor adventure ministry, hunting, fishing, that kind of stuff. So, yeah, he'll be turkey hunting in.

[F]

The spring in Nebraska, fishing in Canada in the summer, and then pheasants in South Dakota in the winter and maybe a little bit of deer hunting back in Nebraska.

[B]

Wow. So do you. Will Jacksonville be your home base and you just go and come back, or do you have a different home base?

[F]

No, I live there.

[B]

Oh, wow. Very cool.

[D]

Little bunk house.

[B]

And you're forgetting that you've been working at the church.

[F]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

The highlight of your year. Please.

[D]

She sees you at staff meeting.

[B]

Yeah, of course. I know. It's awesome. Well, I think it's awesome. How do you think it is?

[F]

It's awesome. Yeah, I move a lot of stuff.

[B]

He told us one day that he labeled air conditioning units and had the time of his life doing it.

[F]

Yeah.

[D]

Well, you got on top of all of our campuses.

[F]

Not all of them, just this one. But there's a lot going on on top of this one.

[D]

I don't know if I've ever been. I went up there one time.

[B]

I ain't going up there. Okay, Joby and Gretchen, how would y' all describe the season that you're in as a family?

[C]

Busy. If I could sum it up in one word, very busy.

[E]

It's.

[C]

It's good to have all four of us under one roof again, I think most of the time. But. But it's been very busy. Joby's Been traveling a lot, so that's been. I mean, we're used to him traveling, but this has been a lot more than normal. So that's. You know, every three or four days, Reagan will come out of her room, she'll pop out of her room, be like, where's dad? Well, he's cross country again, but. Sorry you missed him.

[B]

They're driving around in St. John.

[E]

Missed you.

[C]

I know, I know. So it's busy, but it's good. It's a good season, so.

[F]

Yeah.

[D]

I mean, yeah, we're full bore, man. Ultimately, the best thing going on is I have a wife that loves me and healthy kids that love the Lord, so what more could you ask for? I mean, church stuff's going great, you know, I mean, we talk about it. Of all the measurables, everything here is just up and to the right, but if things weren't good at home, it wouldn't even matter, you know? And so we got a few. We got a couple things coming up all together real soon, so that'll be fun. We got a trip together out west to the. Going to San Francisco.

[B]

Very fun.

[D]

And, yeah, we got some cool stuff planned for next year, so it's exciting.

[B]

The Matt Carter on one of the deep ins recently, he said this thing that I haven't stopped thinking about how when your kids are really little, you have six to seven touch points with them an hour, and then you end up having. As they get older, it spreads out, and you end up having six to seven touch points. I think he says, like a week. So how do y'.

[C]

All.

[B]

I mean, now with two drivers and everything? Like, how do you. What are the touch points as a family of four? What are those rhythms that kind of bring you guys together amidst busy schedules? You look excited.

[C]

Oh, goodness.

[D]

What are you. What do you think?

[C]

Apparently, one of them is really funny.

[D]

Have giggles.

[F]

We definitely don't have a six to seven touch.

[B]

Oh, my gosh.

[C]

Yes. I was waiting for it. I was waiting for it. I was waiting for.

[D]

It's ridiculous. It is infiltrated. Everything.

[E]

No.

[B]

Like, we went to see Christmas lights. It's on people's yards.

[C]

Yes. It was in the.

[F]

We talked about Colby. I have to name drop Colby because I told him I would. Last year, we opened the podcast talking about Colby's mullet.

[D]

Oh, yeah.

[F]

If y' all remember.

[D]

Okay.

[F]

It was you.

[D]

Yeah.

[F]

Yeah.

[D]

But is it back?

[F]

I was. No, I was at their house last yesterday watching the Jags game, and they have a six, seven Christmas ornament.

[D]

Wow.

[E]

I'm sure they do.

[D]

Look at them.

[E]

Ms. Janice.

[F]

So there you go.

[E]

They're. It's not even as much them, it's. Their parents are obsessed with 6, 7.

[B]

So it's still very much a thing. Yes, everyone's still saying it. When is it going to die?

[C]

It was in the boat parade.

[B]

Never going to die.

[E]

It's never dying.

[B]

Okay, back to. How do the four of you with your six to seven touch points?

[C]

Back to the question.

[D]

The four of us, it's usually just dinners, man. Which is. It's probably only like once a week where it can happen. I mean, it's just the reality of ministry life, you know, Tuesday Reagan has students and Wednesday she leads a group. And a lot of times on Tuesday and Wednesday, JP's working up here, like moving stuff for students. And Thursday we have service, you know, and. And that's just what it is. So we don't really have a built in schedule anymore.

[C]

Not weekly.

[D]

We just can't. We just have to like. So tonight we're all hanging out, you know, individually, JB and I connect. We hunt together and we do stuff around sports. Like we go to jazz games, we watch college football together, that kind of thing. And then with Reagan, I just have to take her on dates because it's not like she does not love to sit down and watch sports with us at all.

[B]

What do y' all do when you go on a date?

[D]

We just go to dinner and whatever she wants to do, you know, Shopping. Yeah, yeah, I take her shopping. Just let her get whatever she wants.

[C]

I do think something that we do as a family and we haven't been able to do it as much as just because of travel schedule is we like to go up to the retreat center together. I think that's a fun time for family. Yeah.

[D]

So yeah, we spent all of Thanksgiving there together as a family. That was cool. And then we were supposed to be out of town and then weren't able to go for some reasons and so we just kept staying there. I just called the girls and said, don't put anything on my schedule. And so even though it's been, it's really busy, I had like, it was like two and a half weeks where it was just us, you know.

[E]

Wow.

[D]

Yeah, it was great.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

Really great.

[B]

Okay, so looking into 2026, is there anything you guys are really excited about that's coming up in the next year? I mean, jp, holy cow, you're going to be all over the place.

[C]

That'll be fun.

[D]

I'm excited for him on that I mean, you know, it's a ministry environment, which is really cool. He's going to be around a bunch of ministry folks and some godly people with fellowship adventures. And honestly, the things that he'll just learn to like. He'll be able to plan our food plots when he gets back. And, you know, I mean, he'll work hard. That's pretty exciting. And Jeff Moore's one of my best friends, so. Yeah, to be under his influence will be great.

[C]

It'll be a great experience.

[D]

Yeah, man.

[C]

I turned 50 next year. That's a big one for me.

[B]

Crazy. I know.

[D]

It's.

[B]

Are you guys doing anything for it?

[C]

I don't really want to do anything big, so I have no idea.

[B]

A huge party. That's not yourself.

[C]

Not really. No. I don't. We might go to the retreat center or something. I don't know. So it's the week of Easter. My birthday is April 1st, so Easter is that week. It's my birthday on a Wednesday, and then Christmas is right after that. So it's a hard week to go away or do anything. So I'm not sure what we're.

[B]

Wow. Big Year.

[C]

There's a big year.

[D]

So 50.

[C]

I'm 50.

[D]

Stretch.

[C]

I cannot stretch. Y' all don't get it. It's okay. Saturday Night Live. Let's get.

[E]

I'm gonna be homeschooled.

[B]

Oh.

[E]

I'm gonna be doing online school for.

[C]

Junior and senior year.

[E]

Junior and senior year?

[B]

Yeah. You excited about that?

[E]

I'm really excited about that.

[B]

What excites you about it?

[E]

Being homeschooled? Being at home?

[D]

Yeah.

[E]

I just. I feel like that's a big part of, like, most of the times that my dad is home is when I'm at school. And so that, like, interferes with a lot of time that I could spend time with my family, and it can make that a lot easier. And I'll be able to travel with my dad a lot more, which will be good.

[D]

Yep. I never go anywhere by myself. I always take a travel companion, as you know, and so the places where it makes sense. And since Gretchen won't be tied down to a regular high school schedule, then they can both come, you know.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

It's great. So you look. I mean, I'm doing a men's conference in Nashville, and so we'll spend a weekend there, and they'll come with me, and we'll start just hitting the road together. While JP's cleaning pheasants.

[C]

Yeah. Because her school will be on demand, so she'll be able to do it wherever, you know.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

Through Liberty University. So when she. If you graduate there, too, and she thinks she wants to go to Liberty.

[E]

I do. I am, like, 99% sure I want to go to Liberty.

[D]

Yeah. I'm the other 1%, so.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

It's just a long ways away. That's a great school.

[B]

It is so far away.

[D]

I love. It's good.

[C]

It's close to my parents.

[D]

It's a wonderful school.

[B]

She'll have a white Christmas.

[E]

I will have one.

[B]

She'll probably be coming back here.

[E]

Probably will be here.

[B]

But you'll at least maybe see snow. Once again, more than your small pile in Utah. Okay. So we asked the congregation. Every year we do this, we kind of put out a little thing of what they want to hear from the Martin family. So we kind of already answered this, but what's your favorite thing to do as a family outside the holidays?

[C]

I would say travel and go to the retreat center together.

[D]

Rain.

[E]

Go to the retreat center.

[F]

Yeah. I like going to the retreat center.

[D]

Yeah, me too. It's my favorite, I think.

[E]

But I think another big thing is, like, it sounds dumb, but, like, sometimes we'll just have dinner together, and it's really nice, just, like, talking. Because, honestly, we, like, we get so caught up in our own lives that it's, like, important to catch up, and it's just, like, small moments catching up like that. That's one of my favorite things also.

[B]

I love it. Okay. How do you build a culture of fun and trust in your home?

[D]

Are you asking me?

[C]

Yeah. Mr. Fun.

[D]

I don't think we take ourselves very seriously.

[C]

We don't.

[D]

You know, like, if we're watching something on television, it's like Reagan's re watching all the old offices. And so we'll, you know, I don't know, we just. We'll play games, and, you know, we just don't. I mean, things can get serious for sure, but we have a pretty lighthearted.

[C]

We're a very sarcastic family, I think.

[D]

What do you think? We're fun.

[C]

We're a fun.

[F]

I agree.

[D]

You're looking at me like I'm crazy.

[F]

No, I'm not. I agree.

[B]

Who's. So who's the lead fun person in the family?

[D]

That's a good question.

[C]

Probably me.

[B]

JP Tries not. Jamie's the only one trying not to laugh.

[C]

Oh, my gosh. Jeffy tells me I'm fun all the time.

[F]

Yeah.

[B]

That's sweet.

[E]

Yeah.

[C]

I feel like I'm funny.

[D]

You are.

[B]

You're definitely funny.

[F]

Yeah.

[D]

Yeah. She has some killer lines.

[B]

She does. Who is it?

[E]

Fun one.

[D]

I don't know. Like, I don't. We don't. It's not like we play pranks on each other and things like that. You know what I mean? Have you seen those videos where, like, the husband and wife constantly drop, like, water balloons filled with.

[B]

Yes.

[F]

And, like, shaving cream. Yeah.

[C]

On each other.

[D]

All that.

[F]

Like Nerf.

[E]

Yeah.

[B]

It doesn't feel like Gretchen's.

[E]

Yeah, no. She would freak out.

[D]

I wouldn't go good at all. Like, how did they pine in the ground?

[C]

The scare pranks are funny, though.

[B]

Funny?

[C]

The wife's laying on the floor, like, with just their heads.

[F]

I used to do that to Reagan.

[D]

Did you?

[F]

Yeah. So I guess I'm the fun one.

[D]

That would be. I don't. The scare pranks wouldn't go good in our house. Can you imagine if you scare jp? He'd punch somebody in the face.

[C]

Yeah, true.

[D]

His natural reaction is, we'll just be sitting in the living room and you just hear. And Gretchen's like, is there like a, like, hoopty car in the hood playing rap? Like, what is that? And JP's out there.

[C]

This punching Bob.

[D]

Yeah. He's got this. He's got this punching bag, but it's shaped like a dude.

[C]

It says Bob on the.

[D]

Bob.

[B]

Like you named him Bob or it came name.

[D]

He's got no arms, no eggs. All he was bob around before. He's just got a head, but it's a face with, like a. With like a flat top haircut. And it's been there for a year. And every time the garage goes up, I'm like, oh, we're being robbed.

[C]

I know. I walk out in the garage to get something and it scares me. I didn't tell you this. Somebody. Holly was driving around the cul de sac to leave. She was at Alicia's house working out. And she comes, goes around the cul de sac and she texts me. She's like, there's someone naked in your junior. She said, I looked in your. I looked into your garage. And she's like, I had to look away really quick because I thought maybe Joey was standing there naked. I was like, no, that's Bob.

[B]

Things we can probably count on. That's right. He's not being naked outside of his house. Okay, what is something that has strengthened your faith individually this year? What's something that strengthened your faith individually this year?

[F]

I'd say meeting with my group leader, Josh or my. My former youth group leader, Josh.

[B]

Yeah.

[F]

What about that we meet. We meet every week we can, and we just talk for like three hours in a coffee shop. Wow, that's good. Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[E]

I met some amazing people, like new friends at camp this year, and I started going to St. John's hanging out with them and just having that community has really helped me.

[B]

Nothing like good friends.

[D]

Yeah. Nothing new for me, man. I've been a Christian for a long time, so it's, you know, small deposits over a long period of time have a cumulative effect. Yeah. And it's not like one time in the Bible necessarily changed anything, but I've been pretty consistent in regards to what folks would call spiritual disciplines for a long time. You know, one of the biggest things for me is having the right team around me here at work, and I spend very little time on things that are outside of my lane. And like this morning, got up, got in the woods, because I'm preaching six services tomorrow and I preach. What is today, Monday?

[B]

Yep.

[D]

Yeah. And so I've just finished preaching yesterday, so I've only got a day to get ready for the sermon. You know what I mean? But that's just been a habit in my life for a long, like, you know, over a decade now of writing sermons in the woods. And so it's just those things. It's just. I think. I think the problem is sometimes people look for, like this. Like this new easy button in their walk with Jesus, and there's no easy button. I mean, like, in our relationship, part of. Hopefully what people see here is our family is very underwhelming.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

We're just normal. We're just normal. You know, I guess not normal in the sense. Well, we're not normal because we're together and we're not crazy. You know what I mean? But we're just a regular family that does regular things. There's not that we don't have any kind of secret sauce at the house that made my kids love Jesus and made our marriage work. It's just kind of the normal everyday. You just get up, love God, try to love each other. When you screw up, say you're sorry, repent, and go at it again. It's just those incremental steps over time have an exponential impact. If you just give it long enough, it's really good. Because I'm in a season. I've told you this in some staff meetings. I feel more tuned in to the direction God wants to give us than I ever have in my entire life. But I'm not distracted by a lot of other things. Even though there's more things on my schedule than I've ever had on my schedule. But that's it. That's what? It's just kind of doing the regular over and over and over and over.

[B]

Yeah, that's good.

[C]

I think for me, the Lord had to reveal to me that I'm not in control of our kids future. You know, I don't know that I ever tried to be in control, but I think there's certain expectations that you have and you put on your children that you don't realize you're putting on your children. Like, you know, JP gave it the good college try and he's like, that's not for me right now. And us having to be like, okay, all right, we're gonna believe that this is what's best for you. And it has been, it has been the best thing for him. I think Reagan coming home to, to homeschool next year, that, you know, I've pushed back on that pretty hard. But it just makes sense with our schedules, with how active she is in the church, because right now she's gone 12 hours a day because she's at school all day. And now she has time to be home and be with the family more and be able to travel with us and do things with us. So I think just learning that, I think God revealing that, hey, you know, I've got this. You don't have. This has been a huge faith builder for me to just be. Be able to say, okay, then let's do this.

[F]

Yeah.

[D]

If you had told me five years ago we'd have a kid not going to traditional four year college and a homeschool kid, I'd be like, what are you talking about? That's not what we do at my house.

[B]

You're who he makes fun of.

[C]

I know, right?

[E]

You're not allowed to anymore because you're making fun of me.

[D]

We're going to prom together, so it's gonna be great. All right.

[C]

I don't know.

[E]

That's not.

[C]

Do they have prom?

[D]

You wait for the parent teacher conference, the living room. I'm more of the. I'm kind of in the administration.

[E]

I'm joking. Yeah.

[C]

So anyway.

[D]

But I'm pumped. I've never been more pumped for my kids. You know what I mean? I mean, you've heard me say this a million times lately, but three John, chapter one, verse four. I have no greater joy than to hear my children are walking in the truth. And so the Bible says, train up a child in the way they should go not the way you want them to go. And when they're old, they won't depart from it. And so that's it. We're just trying to, you know, we're really transitioning as parents, man. You know, it's just like you're in the high discipline, high correction, high coaching phase, and it moves into just influence, you know, as they're figuring out who God's created them to be.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And hearing you talk about. You've talked, shared a couple times, like that desire to control our kids futures. Every mom listening can relate to that on some level. And the more that we can talk about it so that, you know, as I raise young kids, I can start those small things of hoping to one day have kids who. Yeah. Follow the Lord and. Yeah, yeah.

[C]

And ultimately it's out of, like, just the genuine love for your kids and wanting them to succeed or whatever that means, you know, and so it's not anything, you know, that I. I didn't grow. Come from a family where everyone went to college. So it's not like it's ingrained in my brain, but it's just like, well, I guess this is the next step or whatever it is. Like, homeschool was definitely never going to be a part of my story, but it is going to be now, and I'm actually really excited about it.

[D]

Yeah, I'm excited about the minivan Gretchen's gonna get.

[C]

Oh, God.

[D]

Well, we are gonna go with it. I thought you had to get one.

[C]

We are beyond that.

[D]

They have their own cars and the mom and the kids on it.

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[D]

And the dog part of it. And homemade butter. Yeah, Homemade butter skirts.

[C]

Sourdough.

[B]

Homemade butter.

[F]

There's a lot.

[D]

Now we're talking.

[B]

With Bob in the garage. Okay, well, just as we close out, I'd love for y' all to give some final encouragement. And JP And Reagan, just maybe a final thought, like what you would say to the church of 1122. This is your opportunity. You don't have to start. You can think about it for a second.

[E]

Everyone just looked at me. I don't know.

[B]

Well, usually you like to go first. Well, you don't mind going first. I feel like.

[C]

Right.

[D]

Well.

[B]

That'S fine. Okay, who wants to start? Gretchen, you want to start?

[C]

Oh, gosh, I feel like Joby should start, but you probably want him to start. End the whole thing.

[D]

I'll do whatever you want me to do.

[B]

You can start ending if you want to.

[C]

You can start. You can.

[D]

My encouragement to 1122 as we close out the year.

[B]

Head to a new year.

[D]

Man. Just keep. Like I was saying, just keep walking with Jesus. Like, keep small deposits, man. You have no idea. The circumstances you look at might not be exactly where you wanted to be right now, you know, but you think about Luke chapter two. The way it begins is that Caesar Augustus is in charge, and there is this census, and Mary and Joseph don't want to go. They don't want to go. It's very inconvenient, and they don't have the money to go. And she's pregnant, about to have a baby, and they got to go all the way to Bethlehem. They're like, this is not where I wanted to be. And God was in control, fulfilling prophecy, you know, to make all these things come to fruition that he had planned. And this is what we're celebrating. And so there might be some circumstances and situations that you find yourself in, and you just got to know that God is in control. And also, I mean, I would say I'm so proud of you kids. I really am. And there's obviously moments of serious frustration along the way. But the fact that, I mean, honestly, you guys, you both love the Lord, you're in ministry. We didn't make either of you do any of these things. But just when it comes to your marriage, when it comes to your walk with Jesus, when it comes to your parenting, just kind of hang in there, get up one day at a time, be faithful, trust God, and. And he will make your path straight.

[B]

That's good. Well, now someone has to follow that.

[E]

So.

[C]

I guess I would say it's not. I feel like I say this every podcast I do. It's not about being perfect. That's good.

[B]

You know, how many times we need to hear that?

[D]

We hear it every day, especially from you. I think a lot of people have this.

[C]

Well, I think people have this misunderstanding about our family, too. They think we're. We're perfect and we're walking just perfectly with the Lord all the time, and nothing. We never fight. And that's so far from the case. Like, we have the same struggles that everyone else has, and, you know, we fight just like everyone else does, and we struggle with our own faith just like everyone else does. And it's not about being perfect. And like Joby said, you just keep grinding, and you just keep, you know, following after the Lord, and just the Lord will pursue you. If that's the direction that you find yourself in, and if that's the place you find yourself in, the Lord's gonna Pursue you and, like. And you're. For your kids. Like, you don't. You're not pursuing their faith. God's pursuing them, and God's not pursuing you to get to them. Like, God has to pursue them, and you have to let it happen. And it might not always look the way that you think it's going to.

[D]

Look.

[C]

But you just pray. You get on your knees and pray. That's the main thing that you can do as a parent is just pray. Pray for your kids. Pray for their faith.

[D]

Amen. Kids, words of wisdom.

[F]

What are you thinking?

[E]

I'm not. That's why I'm looking at you.

[B]

What would you say to, like, teenagers listening who are trying to figure it out with their faith? What would you say? Or a middle schooler, someone a little bit younger than you?

[F]

I would just say stay connected with your group leader or try to find older people that are smart and doing the right thing. Yeah, it's great to hang out with.

[E]

Yeah, that's important. I think mine's probably the same. My group leader, or she was my group leader all through middle school. Her name's Kendall, and I don't think I would be wanting to go to Liberty for college if it wasn't for her. And, like, everything that she's done in my life. So.

[B]

Yeah, good. Yeah. Mentorship, Very important. Well, who wants to close us in prayer? Does everybody want Joby to do it or who else? Does anyone want to volunteer?

[D]

Before we pray, though, as a family, we want to say thanks to the church of 1122. We are so blessed by this community of people. It is our great honor and privilege to serve, you know, in the way that we get to. But, I mean, we get to, like, have presence because people here are generous. You know what I mean? Like, God has made a way for all of that to happen and the amount of encouragement that we get and high fives and prayers, and there are very, very, very few pastors in this country and in this world that get treated the way we do and the way our family does and the way we're loved and encouraged, and it just encourages us to keep serving. And, you know, we just. I just don't have enough words to express how grateful for you are for this church family.

[C]

Amen.

[B]

And this church loves y'.

[D]

All.

[B]

And I think what you said, seeing how regular you really are, it encourages me. I know anyone listening and watching, it's encouraging to know, like, there are struggles and it's not all sunshine and rainbows. And yet here you are. You obviously love each other, you have fun together, you're following the Lord, and that's the encouraging thing. Not that we have it all together, but the authenticity by which you guys show up with it just matters so much. And so, on behalf of the church, I would say we love y' all big time.

[D]

Amen. Let's pray. Our good gracious heavenly Father, God, we love you more than anything because you love us first. And God, your word says that we love because you first loved us. And so, God, I thank you for my family. And God, I thank you for this church family. God, you were so, so good to us. And Lord, as we stumble our way forward, may it always be in the direction of the voice of the good Shepherd. We pray in Jesus name.

[F]

Amen.

[B]

Amen. Merry Christmas. Thank you for listening to the podcast the End.

[F]

You nailed it.

[A]

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