Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Speaker A: He is with us.
Merry Christmas.
God is with us.
Merry Christmas.
[00:00:16] Speaker B: Welcome to day seven of the NextGen Advent podcast. I have two special guests with me here today who happen to be cousins and are going to help us think through and really kind of process what does it mean to be a promise Keeper, and how does that tie into the fact that God is with us? And so before we go any further, I'd love for them to introduce themselves. What is your first name and your grade?
[00:00:39] Speaker C: I'm Olivia and I'm in sixth grade.
[00:00:43] Speaker B: All right, Olivia, and what is your name?
[00:00:45] Speaker D: I'm Micah and I'm in fourth grade.
[00:00:47] Speaker B: All right, so we have our fourth and sixth grade cousins here today to help us lead us through this. And so, Olivia, as you think about Christmas, what is something about Christmas time that you're excited about?
[00:00:59] Speaker C: I'm excited when our family comes together and on Christmas Eve, and then we open some of the. Most of the gifts because then on Christmas, our day's really packed and stuff, so we don't really have time, so we open.
[00:01:12] Speaker B: Got it. So most of the presents are Christmas Eve, then.
[00:01:15] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:01:16] Speaker B: That's fun. Micah, how about you? What are you excited for about Christmas?
[00:01:19] Speaker D: Jesus birthday.
[00:01:21] Speaker B: Jesus birthday. Yeah.
[00:01:22] Speaker D: And presents.
[00:01:23] Speaker B: Yep. Both good things.
[00:01:24] Speaker D: Spending time with your cousins and family, that is fun.
[00:01:27] Speaker B: That sounds very fun. All right, and so when you guys think about Christmas, what is something that you like to do at Christmas that is more fun to do or just better to do with people than to do by yourself?
[00:01:38] Speaker C: I think it's more fun to do with people than just by myself is open gifts. Like, especially when I give. When our family gives gifts to other people, like, their reaction to stuff and how they love it, it is not.
[00:01:51] Speaker B: As, like, I don't think it's as fun to give someone a gift if you don't get to watch their reaction.
[00:01:55] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:01:55] Speaker B: Right. That's half the fun.
[00:01:57] Speaker C: Because my cousins in West Virginia, I don't really get to watch the reaction because they're so far away.
[00:02:01] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. Micah, what do you think is more fun to do with people than on your own?
[00:02:06] Speaker D: Presence.
[00:02:07] Speaker B: Presence, yeah. What part of it? Just, like, the opening or seeing. Like, what do you enjoy?
[00:02:11] Speaker D: All of it.
[00:02:12] Speaker B: All of it. The whole shenanigan.
[00:02:13] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:02:14] Speaker B: Yeah, that's a thing. All right. And so one of the things we're talking about continually this Advent season is we're seeing how God is with us. When you guys imagine that God is with you, where do you imagine that he is? And how do you imagine. Like, how do you Remember that he's with you.
[00:02:29] Speaker D: He's like, everywhere. And how we know he's there is the Bible and.
Yeah, that's it.
[00:02:47] Speaker B: Yeah. So he's everywhere. Right. And you know that because God's word talks about that and has taught you that. What do you think, Olivia?
[00:02:56] Speaker C: I think by, like, when my. When our teachers teach us about Bible, I think that, like, the stories that they tell us about Jesus and stuff, I think that he's always there. And I feel like every time I do, when I do stuff, he's just right next to me, always with me and stuff. So.
[00:03:11] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. So you have people in your life that are kind of like helping you to remember that. Right. And kind of like speaking that truth over you continually. I love it. All right, we're going to dig into our passage today. And so we're going to be looking at two Samuel, chapter seven. And we're going to kind of just really focus in on verses 12 and 13. And Micah is going to go ahead and read those for us.
[00:03:31] Speaker D: When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up after you as your descendant who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
[00:04:00] Speaker B: All right, so this is like a promise, right? He's making a promise for what's about to happen. Abraham had enough faith to leave his old way of life and take his family on a journey of promise. Moses led the people of Israel out of captivity and created a new nation under God. David was called a man after God's own heart. David was far from perfect, and he was extremely human and had many sinful choices in his life. But however, his heart for God was never questioned. And in 2 Samuel 7, we find the story of David's desire to build God a house of worship. David recognized that while he had house, God was being worshiped in a tent. And this troubled David because it said in the message that the king was more valuable than God. This is what it means to have a heart for God. And in this passage, God made a promise to David. David's rule and kingdom would never end. On the surface, the difficulty with this promise is that the kingdom of Israel did eventually fall. But what God promises often comes out differently than we expected.
God fully kept his promise because the lineage of David went all the way to Jesus Christ, the true and eternal king of not just Israel, but the world. This means that the ultimate kingdom that never ends was brought about Through David's lineage, God keeps his promises.
So Olivia and Micah, when we think about this, what are a few things that you know about King David and why do you think God chose to bless David in these specific ways?
[00:05:26] Speaker C: So me and Micah both came up with these answers. So we know that David and Goliath, we know that David and Goliath and we both thought that God chose him and these special ways and stuff because God, David did what God always asked him to do. He always believed even in the rough times where he thought it was really rough and maybe he didn't want to, but he did it anyways. And yeah, he always believed in him.
[00:05:58] Speaker B: Yeah. So like David, Goliath, that's kind of like a gigantic story, right? That's like what just happened there. And God obviously gave David favor to be able to defeat Goliath in that way. And you're right, like David, no matter what it was in, whether it's like you're looking at this giant. Right. Or you're looking at this like temple that you want to build or all these different circumstances, he's. He's trying to do what the Lord wants him to do. And you can see his heart is just for him. And so we see that God continues to bless David with, especially in Goliath, with like victory and to be overcoming and what that looks like.
How is David's heart for God displayed in this passage? What do you think, Micah?
[00:06:34] Speaker D: His heart is displayed in this passage because how he trusted in God and knew he never gives up on God even if the rough times.
[00:06:53] Speaker B: Yep. So he just was like faithful to that. Right. And he never gave up. And we see that his heart is after God no matter what's going on. So tell me about your guys life. When has God kept a promise to you that unfolded in a completely different way than you expected?
What do you think, Olivia?
[00:07:10] Speaker C: God probably sends people to like take care of me or like sends a sign like about stuff. I don't really have something that like unfolded in a completely different way. My sister does, but I don't.
[00:07:25] Speaker B: Well, I think for you, you think about like maybe even all the time. She's like, oh no, I don't have this. And then sometimes like God just provides something. You're like, oh, have you ever been at a sports practice or anything? And you're like, oh, I don't have shorts or I don't have socks or I don't know what this is. And then you're like, oh, but I have some and you can pair all These, Right?
[00:07:42] Speaker C: Yes. That did happen a lot when we played basketball last year.
[00:07:45] Speaker B: Yep, yep.
[00:07:46] Speaker C: Like, I forgot my shorts and stuff. And then one of my friends, like, oh, perfect, I brought another pair.
[00:07:50] Speaker B: Or like, you're thinking in your mind, oh, no, I didn't bring it. I need to call my mom. She has to bring it. Right. And you have a whole story of the way that you think that that need needs to be met. And then God's like, don't worry, girl. Your friend brought an extra pair. Yeah, right. He's got your back. Yeah.
[00:08:04] Speaker C: That happened a lot last year when I'd be like, mom, I don't have this. Oh, no, you need to come now, like, an hour early, because then you're not gonna be on time or something. And then my friend's like. My friend heard me talking to my mom, and she's like, oh, yeah, I remember that. I brought that. Or I had that for you.
[00:08:22] Speaker B: That's, like, a great example, right? Where, like, it unfolds in a completely different way than you expect.
[00:08:25] Speaker C: Friends are special.
[00:08:26] Speaker B: And that's not necessarily like, God didn't promise Olivia, I will make sure you have shorts. But he does say that he's gonna take care of. And he's like. And I want you to see that, like, even in these little details that have to do with, like, having shorts, that's a good thing, to wear shorts and wear bottoms. Right. When you're playing sports. Right?
[00:08:42] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:08:42] Speaker B: Right. And so he's like, I got you. And I have a way of being able to work out details that's different than you expected at the beginning.
And so when we look at, like, our own heart and we look at our own attitudes, and we see maybe someone write a story about Micah's life and write a story about Olivia's life, what words do you feel like they would use to describe you? And what do you feel like when you look at God's promises from your past and your present and your future? What are some of the things that you think that you could do to cultivate a heart for God? Tell me your thoughts.
[00:09:13] Speaker C: I think that, first of all, I could read the Bible.
I could pray.
Worship is another really good thing. I could spread the news of God. Spread how? He's always there, and he helps, and he's just an amazing God. And then also be, like, a leader. Like, sometimes it comes in, like, being a teacher teaching about God. That kind of leads into the other question, other problem, too. So, yeah, kind of being a leader or praying or reading the Bible.
[00:09:42] Speaker B: Yep. I Love that. Micah, what do you think. What do you think you could do today that would help you to cultivate a heart for God worship?
[00:09:49] Speaker D: Pray Bible, read the Bible, tell us.
[00:09:55] Speaker B: About Jesus, and when you read the Bible, Micah, is it just like, okay, boom, did that. That's gonna be magical, and it'll make me a different person. Or, like, what do you do with the words that you read?
[00:10:06] Speaker D: I memorize them.
[00:10:08] Speaker B: Memorize them. Mm. To kind of, like, think through them, like, hmm, I wonder what that means for me.
[00:10:12] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:10:13] Speaker B: Like, kind of process them or maybe talk about them with, like, someone else and kind of, like, go through it. Yeah.
All right. We've enjoyed looking at how God is a promise keeper today, and we see that both King David and God kept their promises, but God is the ul promise keeper and the one who is able, as it says in 2nd Samuel 7, to be able to make David's line be on the throne forever. And so when we look at this, I pray that today our listeners are just able to see what can I do to be able to cultivate my heart for God like David's heart was for God, and to see how the Lord continues to meet us in those moments. And so will one of you just close us in prayer as we wrap up today.
[00:10:52] Speaker C: Dear Lord, I hope that Christmas goes well, and I hope that everyone spends the great time while we're. While Christmas is going, I hope that everyone has a great time with their family and spends. Yeah, spends. Has, like, a great time and has fun and remember that Jesus died for us, and that's why we have Christmas.
[00:11:18] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:11:18] Speaker C: So, yeah. In Jesus name, Amen.
[00:11:20] Speaker B: Amen. All right, can you guys close our podcast today by wishing our listeners Merry Christmas together?
[00:11:25] Speaker C: Merry Christmas.
[00:11:27] Speaker B: All right. Merry Christmas to all of our listeners today. We hope that you have a wonderful rest of your day.
[00:11:44] Speaker A: Star is shining angels sing Our Savior born the hope he brings in a manger the king has come God with us the holy through the silence light breaks through A tiny child A promise true in the stillness heaven's near God with us we shall not fear he is with us Merry Christmas.
God is with us Merry Christmas.
He is with us Merry Christmas.
God is with us Merry Christmas.
