121 Stories - Leading as a Father
A Christian man shares the story of leading his family.
Ethan Payne
Apr 4, 2020 4m
In this message a Christian man shares how he came to know Jesus through the youth groups at his church when he was growing up in difficult family situation. Now he has come full circle and is volunteering in youth ministry while raising his family to serve Jesus. Video recorded at Grapevine, Texas.
TranscriptionmessageRegarding Grammar:
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
Ethan Payne: 00:00 Hello, hello, Raelynn come here.
Ethan Payne: 00:06 I would say the religious part of my life growing up, you know, aside from talking with my grandmother and her kind of just praying for me and over me, I grew up in a community with a lot of strong believers and I was kind of just going with the flow. I'd go to church from time to time, kind of when I had to, but just wasn't really, you know, walking in a way that was obedient to the Lord. Kind of more so just was going through the motions.
Ethan Payne: 00:37 My parents, you know, kind of had a rough patch early on and had divorced by the time that I was in middle school. And, you know, that was just kind of the start of when I kind of strayed in regards to, you know, I was really being selfish. I was battling with kind of issues of just control, wanting to do things my way, just kind of, because some of the things that I had dealt with. You know, growing up and feeling like I had to be the one to make sure that I kind of stayed the course, and things were going all right.
Ethan Payne: 01:05 And then when I was in middle school and in high school and I'd get invited by friends, or go to the local youth events at the church, just to kind of hang out. You know, it was kind of turned into a nice escape for me just, you know, to kind of get away from some of the things that were going on at home. And it just, you know, kind of brought it ease, you know, we had Wednesday night events, Sunday evening events, and we just had a lot of fun. And it was kind of the first time where I really started to, you know, kind of hear the gospel in a different light.
Ethan Payne: 01:34 You know, when I met my wife, Jamie, we are engaged and then shortly after married, and we're coming up on buying our first house and started to talk about having kids. And, you know, she had just mentioned how in so many different occasions, she was just experiencing the gospel through others, and had come home and told me that she really wanted to find a church home. And we talked about it and tried a couple of churches, and she came home one day from the gym and was invited to 121, she had met a gentleman at the gym named Ross.
Jamie Payne: 02:03 So I was working out one day at Lifetime, and I was talking to a trainer, and just so happens that a man was looking over at us as we were talking about church. And I was like, what is this man looking at? And he came over to us and he said, hi, I'm Ross Sawyers, I'd love to invite you to a church on Sunday, to 121. And so I went down to my office and I said, Ethan, we've got to go check out this church.
Ethan Payne: 02:29 So we've been at 121 now for about five or six years. And you know, since joining the church, we got plugged in, we got invited to a live group. We just kind of started walking, and doing life, with other believers inside the church. And then through that life group we met Jermaine Arphul who, you know, asked us if we'd be willing to help out with the middle ground. And it, you know, it kind of just tugged on me, you know, being that, you know, doing those things at school, myself, going to youth events is when I first kind of really got plugged in and started hearing the gospel. To then turning back around, and getting to serve in that capacity. So, you know, volunteering and helping with him on Wednesday nights. And then also, you know, just having the opportunity to be part of the connections team and greeting of the church on Sunday mornings also.
Jamie Payne: 03:09 I look at my husband who works so hard and works long hours and travels a lot, but every Wednesday he makes sure that he's at home on time, and that our family is going to serve.
Ethan Payne: 03:24 You know, it's one thing to be saved and be obedient to the Lord, but it doesn't stop there. You know, we want to be an example for our kids, we want them to see us serving well, loving others. And so it's nice to be able to, you know, bring them to church, not only to experience the gospel, but then also see how we serve when we're not in service and giving back to the connections team, giving back to the students, helping out with the hospitality on Wednesday nights. Just, you know, showing them that when you enter the kingdom of God, you do lean back and pull others along, and serve and be part of the church body.
Jamie Payne: 03:57 There's nothing more beautiful than watching our kids get to watch that.
Recorded in Grapevine, Texas.
Ethan Payne: 00:06 I would say the religious part of my life growing up, you know, aside from talking with my grandmother and her kind of just praying for me and over me, I grew up in a community with a lot of strong believers and I was kind of just going with the flow. I'd go to church from time to time, kind of when I had to, but just wasn't really, you know, walking in a way that was obedient to the Lord. Kind of more so just was going through the motions.
Ethan Payne: 00:37 My parents, you know, kind of had a rough patch early on and had divorced by the time that I was in middle school. And, you know, that was just kind of the start of when I kind of strayed in regards to, you know, I was really being selfish. I was battling with kind of issues of just control, wanting to do things my way, just kind of, because some of the things that I had dealt with. You know, growing up and feeling like I had to be the one to make sure that I kind of stayed the course, and things were going all right.
Ethan Payne: 01:05 And then when I was in middle school and in high school and I'd get invited by friends, or go to the local youth events at the church, just to kind of hang out. You know, it was kind of turned into a nice escape for me just, you know, to kind of get away from some of the things that were going on at home. And it just, you know, kind of brought it ease, you know, we had Wednesday night events, Sunday evening events, and we just had a lot of fun. And it was kind of the first time where I really started to, you know, kind of hear the gospel in a different light.
Ethan Payne: 01:34 You know, when I met my wife, Jamie, we are engaged and then shortly after married, and we're coming up on buying our first house and started to talk about having kids. And, you know, she had just mentioned how in so many different occasions, she was just experiencing the gospel through others, and had come home and told me that she really wanted to find a church home. And we talked about it and tried a couple of churches, and she came home one day from the gym and was invited to 121, she had met a gentleman at the gym named Ross.
Jamie Payne: 02:03 So I was working out one day at Lifetime, and I was talking to a trainer, and just so happens that a man was looking over at us as we were talking about church. And I was like, what is this man looking at? And he came over to us and he said, hi, I'm Ross Sawyers, I'd love to invite you to a church on Sunday, to 121. And so I went down to my office and I said, Ethan, we've got to go check out this church.
Ethan Payne: 02:29 So we've been at 121 now for about five or six years. And you know, since joining the church, we got plugged in, we got invited to a live group. We just kind of started walking, and doing life, with other believers inside the church. And then through that life group we met Jermaine Arphul who, you know, asked us if we'd be willing to help out with the middle ground. And it, you know, it kind of just tugged on me, you know, being that, you know, doing those things at school, myself, going to youth events is when I first kind of really got plugged in and started hearing the gospel. To then turning back around, and getting to serve in that capacity. So, you know, volunteering and helping with him on Wednesday nights. And then also, you know, just having the opportunity to be part of the connections team and greeting of the church on Sunday mornings also.
Jamie Payne: 03:09 I look at my husband who works so hard and works long hours and travels a lot, but every Wednesday he makes sure that he's at home on time, and that our family is going to serve.
Ethan Payne: 03:24 You know, it's one thing to be saved and be obedient to the Lord, but it doesn't stop there. You know, we want to be an example for our kids, we want them to see us serving well, loving others. And so it's nice to be able to, you know, bring them to church, not only to experience the gospel, but then also see how we serve when we're not in service and giving back to the connections team, giving back to the students, helping out with the hospitality on Wednesday nights. Just, you know, showing them that when you enter the kingdom of God, you do lean back and pull others along, and serve and be part of the church body.
Jamie Payne: 03:57 There's nothing more beautiful than watching our kids get to watch that.
Recorded in Grapevine, Texas.
Read More
