Hey, Carpool Crew, I'm Pastor Justin. Maybe you're headed to school or just relaxing on the couch or looking out the window, looking at some trees. I love that. I hope you're having an incredible day. Now, you know when somebody at the lunch table makes a joke about church, and everybody laughs, and you laugh too, a half second late, and it doesn't sound like your real laugh? Yeah, I know what that's like. Let's jump in with the one thing I want you to remember for the ride. One true sentence beats blending in. Listen to this from Matthew chapter ten, verse thirty-two. Jesus says, "Everyone who will acknowledge me before others, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven." Okay, so what's going on here? Jesus is sending his twelve disciples out to towns where a lot of people aren't going to agree with them, and He's honest with them about it. He tells them it will be hard. Then He says this. Acknowledge is a fancy word for admit you know somebody. "If you acknowledge me in front of people," Jesus says, "I'll acknowledge you in front of my Father. I'll tell my Father I know you if you say to other people that you know me." So look at what Jesus asks for. He doesn't say, "Win the argument with people who disagree with you." He doesn't say, "Have all the answers." He doesn't say, "Go post on Facebook or Instagram or TikTok so everyone can be convinced." He says, "Don't act like you don't know me." And look at what He promises. He's gonna stand up for you in front of His Father, in front of God. Yeah, you're not the only one at the table who has to be brave. Jesus already said whose side He's on. Now, here's the honest part. Sometimes when you say one true thing, somebody laughs, or the table goes quiet. Jesus told His disciples it would be hard, and He wasn't wrong. But you didn't disappear, and He noticed. Maybe it's the lunch table. Maybe it's a sleepover when someone asks you why you pray before bed. Maybe it's a teammate or a cousin or a kid at your homeschool co-op. Hey, next time this comes up, here's something you can try. Get one sentence ready before you need it. Five words. "I actually do believe that." It's so easy. It's not an argument. Nobody has to fight you about it. Say it once, and then let it sit there. That's acknowledging Jesus, and Jesus said He'll take it from there. Hey, let's go back to the one thing I want you to remember for the ride. One true sentence beats blending in. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. And parents, if you've been liking the podcast, consider subscribing. For less than the cost of a snack run at a gas station, your family could be a subscriber. All the weekend episodes, goodnight psalms, and Carpooling with Heroes of the Bible, plus all of our bonus episodes. I hope you consider it. Now before you go, let's answer this question together. When was a time you stayed quiet and later wished that you hadn't? I'll see you tomorrow on Carpooling With Jesus.
