 And you're in Christ Jesus, you are in the Lamb's book of life and that is some great hope and great news that we have today and every day. We're so glad you're joining us for hope today. I'm here with Amy Schaefer and Corey Langford and we are just really excited for what we're going to be talking about stories, tell us about our incredible guests that's coming up, Corey. Oh my goodness. The guest that we have today is going to be so exciting that we have Jonathan Evans. He is the chaplain for the Dallas Cowboys and so many other things that he's going to tell us about. We are so excited to talk about this. His book is amazing. I've always have been reading it with me. It's been wonderful and I cannot wait to get into this. This is so exciting. You know, we have a responsibility to tell stories, to tell the stories of faith, to tell the stories of the Bible. It's not okay that just we get it in our generation and it's one and done. He is the God of generations, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And there is no greater power, Sydney, than that of telling a story. It's incredible. One thing I just think about, you know, if Jesus was, you know, he had a profession here on earth, I've heard. I think TD Jakes once said is that he would be a story maker. He would be a filmmaker because he is all in the business of writing our stories. And you know, one thing that we can be so excited about is that I love that it says before any day was written, it came, or before any day came to be, it was written for me and that's in Psalms and I love that scripture so much because we know that God, our Father, is writing our stories, writing our book. And we're just believing even for you today that you're in a new chapter, you're in a new season, so you need to celebrate all that God is doing. So I just, I love this conversation stories. Stories are my favorite things in the whole wide world is to tell stories. And it's really exciting too because, you know, God will speak to you in a very unique way about how he wants you to deliver the gospel. I know for years of my life, I was always a storyteller. I was always a writer as a young man and I always felt kind of weird sharing the gospel the way that I wanted to share it. But God is giving people unique ideas, unique visions of how to present the gospel. And in this interview today, we're going to talk to Jonathan about his unique way of delivering the parables of Jesus in such a wonderful way that impacts children, specifically my children as well. And I'm excited that they're excited about it. I know two words we always say in the house is story time. And you understand about that pretty soon. So listen, our next guest is a mentor, author, speaker and former NFL fullback who treasures his relationship with Christ along with the opportunity to use his life to glorify God. Jonathan Evans currently serves as the chaplain for the Dallas Cowboys and co-chaplain for the Dallas Mavericks. He's also a gifted writer who has recently released a new book called Stories from the Storyteller, which features modern retellings of the parables of Jesus teaching young people important biblical truths through fun family adventures. Hey, check out this awesome trailer that goes along with this series. Hey, parents, are you looking for something safe, healthy, biblical and entertaining for your kids to watch? Better yet, are you looking for a kids show that will literally help them learn what Jesus talks? Then look no further than stories from the storyteller. Awesome. This is great. Join the Evans family as Jonathan leverages the ministry of Jesus to teach life lessons to his five children through everyday activities and family adventures, seemingly normal activities, such as a fun family cooking competition, camping in the great outdoors, a trip to a theme park or a hands-on homeschool activity turned into hysterical adventures and epic teachable moments. Y'all feeling my rhymes? Nice moves, guys. Jonathan and Kanika follow up the Days of Ends with a bedtime Bible lesson that connects their experience to the teachings of Jesus in a way their children will never forget. We are safe. We are secure. We are strong. We are wise when we build our lives on the rock of God's word. That's cool. Whenever the kids realize they are about to hear the stories from the storyteller, they'll be begging for bedtime. And that means storytime. Shall we first please? That was a long ride home. Buckle up and get ready for some great laughs and some epic adventures. Your family is going to love this new series. Did you save the Ted? I thought you did. The book and series looked amazing. Jonathan, it is so good to have you here with us on hope today. And I'm glad to be here, Corey. Thank you so much for having me. Absolutely. Listen, I'm excited. You can see how I'm smiling. And the reason I'm smiling so big about this particular book is because I got the opportunity to read it to my kids. And I have a one year old daughter and a two year old son. And just being able to read this to them and just the excitement. We love telling stories at night, but reading this to them. And one of the wonderful things I love about it is at the end, that QR code at the end of every chapter takes us to a phenomenal cartoon. I think it's absolutely amazing. Listen, thank you. This is wonderful. I want you to just talk about the book and talk about your experience, your story. Just go ahead and flow into that. Yeah, well, you know what? I started, you know, as you mentioned on the chaplain for the Cowboys, and I did a series for them called Stories from the Storyteller. And I just went through the parables of Jesus Christ for that season. And I remember thinking about it and the Spirit just kind of dropped on me. And this is really a children's series that he gave me that I did as a series for the Dallas Cowboys. And so I started thinking about how I can really in, you know, 2021, 2022, 2023, this kind of this era that we live in, how can I really impact kids in a way that they are impacted most? And I said, well, my kids are always begging to watch TV or all parents know these screens that they have. And I said, well, I can I can give them a book, but I can also give them a cartoon to where they would be able to read the stories of Jesus Christ based on modern illustrations of real life things that have happened in my family. And they can actually at the end of their reading, you know, watch a cartoon that goes along with what they just read. And so they're getting two things. They're getting the the the learning from the reading, but they're also getting the learning from from what they love to do. Watch the cartoons. You know, we used to have to wait till Saturday morning to watch cartoons. They can watch it all day long anytime they want. And so it was just bringing together these these worlds where, you know, when we were growing up, you know, our parents would take us in at night, maybe read us a story or tell us a story. I was like, well, let me use this tool as an opportunity for parents to connect with their kids for kids to be excited with what their parents are bringing to them, but also so that they can connect around the faith and the word of Jesus Christ. And so it was just an opportunity to burn all of these worlds together. And for me, I wanted to have the opportunity to do ministry with my family. You know, my kids always watch me do ministry. They watch me do speak from the stage or they'll come to a cowboy's chapel with me and they will sit there and watch. But this was also an opportunity for them to be a part of the ministry that they always watch. And so my kids, that all of the voiceovers and the cartoons, you know, they were a lot of the illustrations and the ideas. You know, they had to get up early and ride with their dad and their mom to go do certain things that relates to the cartoons to build it. And now they're watching other young people be impacted by it. And so it's good for me to have them as a part of the ministry so that they can learn that what they do can also be of impact to. And so it's just been a great thing that God has dropped on my heart and in a creative way to present the stories of Jesus Christ and the gospel of Jesus Christ for young kids so that they can connect with it. Remember it and eventually be able to teach it to their friends themselves. Wow, listen, that is so incredible that you started out teaching it to grow men and then God speaks to your heart and says, you know what, this is parables for children. And I love what you said specifically about they've watched you do ministry, but then you created something that interwoven them into the family system and ministry amongst each other. Because when I hear the voices of the kids, I get so excited because me being a studio person and doing audio recordings of things, I know that that's a lot of work. So what started speaking to you? What started prompting you to make that shift to say, I need to create this book? Well, you know, growing up with my dad, Dr. Tony Evans, Dr. Lois Evans, you know, they always sat us around the table and every night for dinner, my dad would tell my mom that cooked for two reasons. Number one, because he can't cook and number two, because he can't cook. So she would get a meal together and have us sit around the table for dinner on Monday through Thursday. We would go out to eat sometimes on Friday and he would use dinner time not just for eating, but for leading. And that's when he would tell us stories. That's when he would pull out the Bible and tell us the stories of Jesus Christ. That's when he would in my mind would ask us questions, get into our business and and really peer into our souls. And we all four of my siblings, my three of my siblings, his four of us, remember that and then from the table to the teaching. Now over the years, as we were growing up, he would get us more involved in the church, more involved in his ministry. Him and my mom's ministry. So we began to get involved in the things that we were learning around the table during what we would call story time. And so taking that model that him and my mom gave us, knowing that me and all of my siblings are in ministry, but it's because they didn't just talk about it. They lived it and they included us in the ministry that they had. And so I wanted to take that blueprint onto my family. We sit around the table, we tell stories, we play board games when we're sitting around the table, we turn all the technology off so that me and my wife can focus with our kids and have that time. We we pass the Bible around and have everybody read a verse and tell them and tell me what what they think it means. And so we have that time with them. But then I wanted to take them from the table to the teaching. How can they now teach others what they learn in a way that's connected to their generation? And so I wanted them to be a part of it, just like my parents made me a part of it, because it goes a long way when you hear it. You're not just a hearer of the word, but you're a doer of the word. And so I wanted to make sure that I wouldn't diluting my kids by having them hear it and listen to it, but never participate in it. And so taking that blueprint from one generation to their generation is how it is how it works. And so that's what God gave me. And that's what we did. Wow, you you just said a lot, you just said a lot because I don't think a lot of ministers or ministries or people that's in ministry with families understand the significance of making sure that there's that time with your family and with God together and not just, hey, we're going to Bible study at the church and we're doing all this at the church. When we go home, we don't really talk about God and that legacy that your father instituted and your mother instituted in the lives of you all and you're all doing phenomenal ministry all over the world. It has created a legacy for you to teach for your children and they will never forget the impact of what is happening right now. That is amazing. That I just I believe that there's a special blessing on managing the ministry within the household. How do you feel like that has impacted you with doing ministry inward before doing it outward? Well, I think that's the most important thing. You know, God starts with the family, Adam and Eve, people multiply and he wants to have the visible manifestation of who he is all over the earth. Even when he says, go, you therefore make disciples. That's Christ likeness. So the the the the the plan of God doesn't change throughout all the scripture. He gets to Revelations 22 and you have perfect people in a perfect place with a perfect God. And so that means that at that time, everyone is just like him. It goes back to his original intent before sin. And so what our job is as parents is not for us to have not for us to have a lookalikes, but for him to have a lookalikes through us. That just happened to look like us as a as a secondary benefit. And so and so I take that seriously. And one thing I want to encourage is the environment that I set up in the things that I do, even though they're extremely important, aren't that aren't necessarily the determiner. They're helpful, but they're not the determiner of of of how my kids turn out. There's a lot of parents who say, well, I did all that. You know, I still am praying for my kids because they have gone wayward. Well, it's important to understand that, you know, God is a perfect God. He's a perfect father. He gave Adam and Eve a perfect environment and they still messed it up. And so we can't be better than God. The kids still make their own decisions. But what we can do is do what God tells us to do and be fruitful the most like what we can do is pray and realize that we're stewards and not owners and give our kids over to God while putting them in the best opportunity and best environment, just like he did for Adam and Eve, based on his word. And then they have to learn just like all of us did. And I did how to carry that relationship with them for themselves. And so I want to encourage all of the parents to continue to do the best that you can pray because ultimately God walking with them, showing them and giving them the experiences of his redemption, his forgiveness, his delivery is how they'll turn to him coupled with your participation as a parent. So we have to participate and be full land on what God has called us to do from the very beginning. Donna, just love what you're sharing this wisdom that you're pouring out and how you're being a steward and you're cultivating like this the atmosphere of God in your home. And can you just share a story of how it's impacted your children, how you've just seen God move in the midst of them as well? Well, you know, I share the story of my oldest because she's my first and that Kelsey, you know, and that's when I was in the phase of, OK, I need to do this, I need to do that, very regimented, because I had an inkling or I thought that if I can make things a certain way, then that should kind of determine outcomes. And it doesn't really work like that. And I learned that not only with God teaching me that, but teaching me that practically through my first child, Kelsey is a great girl. We have great times with her. She's my artist. She loves to sing, color, dance, draw anything but go to school. So we're working on that. But, you know, there are some things that we're working on, you know, when it comes to most parents, when it comes to technology, when it comes to apps, when it comes to music, now that she's 14 years old, she's my oldest, when it comes to, you know, culture. And so we're stewarding her heart around culture and around all of these different things. And she doesn't understand why she has to have time limits on her phone and all, you know, all of these different things that we're stewarding. But it's not just us, you know, we take her to great Christian camps like Pine Cove and our youth group and all of these different things to continue to steward. But one thing I learned is it's not it's not first and foremost for me to get frustrated or to react based on decisions that she makes. It's for me to continue to sit with the fruits of the spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self control so that she sees in me what I'm saying to her. A lot of times we get so frustrated with culture that our kids get wrapped in or the technology or the apps that they don't see in us what we're asking of them. And that contradicts itself and just creates a more hostile environment in the home. And so what I try to do is show those fruits of the spirit. Well, as of recently, she has really, me and my wife kind of, you know, looked at each other like, whoa, this is this is impressive. Like she is really submitting herself to the process and beginning to enjoy not being like everybody else, not having to go where everybody else goes, not having to listen to what everybody listens to and kind of herself choosing to come under that authority. But that was a long process of me teaching myself and also teaching her through through actions. And my wife teaching her what's best for the future of her life. And God always knows best, not anyone else. And so that's not the specifics of it, but everybody gets that and understands, especially if you have teenagers. But it's just a process of seeing that those roots become fruit. And I'm really enjoying that with my oldest daughter right now. Jonathan, I have a 15 year old. And so I so, you know, I'm in that exact same spot with you. You know, we are here in Steeler Nation and we love to tell the stories of the old, especially, you know, when we played the Dallas Cowboys, we love to tell that story. And I can almost picture the logo behind your head right now. But what is your favorite story from the storyteller and why? Oh, that's a good question. It's a hard question, probably the hardest question in the day because there's so many of them, because most of the stories, I mean, people wouldn't know unless I said it, but most of the stories are illustrations of things that happen in our family. And listen, all parents know, even if you're not a parent, you have nieces and nephews or you're a grandparent, you know that your kids give you great laughs and great stories. And so this is a lot of stories that are funny, that kids can get involved in. But I guess one of my favorites would be one of the stories at the beginning is the story of the talents, you know, we go to an amusement park and Camden and Kyler want their tokens all up front to go play in the arcade. And I tried to get them to space it out, to wait, to hold on, to slow down, but they were adamant. So as a part of teaching them, I said, OK, I'll let you have them. I knew what they were going to do. They didn't think they were going to do it, but I knew they were going to do it. They wouldn't spend all their tokens in 10 minutes. And they threw those things out and then came to me for more. And I just laughed at them. I said, I told you to wait, to walk with me and space it out. But you wanted your inheritance up front. And so actually, this is the prodigal son. And let me go back to the prodigal son. It's not the talents. It's the prodigal son. So that would be my favorite one is that they took the inheritance up front. They squandered it all. But at the end, I forgave them and still gave them a party. And so that is literally what happened. And so it connects with that biblical story of the prodigal son and Luke 15. And so it's a fun thing to watch. And not only are there QR codes at the end of the piece chapter, that just gives you a snippet of the cartoon. The full cartoons are on right now, media that are much longer than what you get in the book. And they're also on YouTube for now, but we're about to come out with an act very soon. So keep checking in on that. That's the stories from the storyteller app where all of the cartoons will just live there and they can watch it whenever they want. Wow. Listen, that is so incredible. I'm giddy like a little kid right now. I really am because as I'm reading it, you know how, you know, when you're doing things with your kids, you're looking at them to see how the response is. And just to see the smile on my son's face and the excitement. And then when we watch the cartoon afterwards, it's like, oh, we get we get a treat. Afterward, we get to watch TV, you know, it's so, so exciting. And I know that God's hand is just continually on you. We've been going through the different stories. We've been camping in the stories. One of my favorites was the candy situation with your daughter, Kelsey, with the little. Now, was that true? Did that really happen? Yeah. Well, this one, this one was kind of like when you do in the movies, it's a true story, but they kind of add a little bit to it. She didn't literally put a vacuum in her sleep. But what she does do is she does she will go ahead so that she can get the most candy and put it in and then leave scraps for the other kids around that season. And so I'm we're able to take that and do something with it is great. Well, well, listen, Jonathan, what I want you to do at this moment is I just feel that the hand of God is just really on you. And I want you to pray for families, I want you to pray for parents right now who may be struggling right now to figure out a way to reach their kids impactfully. So so just go ahead and take a moment to just let God speak through you and pray for everyone who's watching. Absolutely. Family father, we love you. And I give you the praise and glory for who you are. We pray for these parents, Lord. There may they have some that are like the prodigal son, Lord, that have gone astray and we pray for your hand in their life. We pray for your hand in their their their teaching. We pray for their hand in your hand in their time that they spend with their kids, but also for the kids that they're unsure about that that have gone a different direction and made different choices. Lord, we pray, Lord, that they would continue to sit in you and realize that if they cast their cares upon you, you will sustain them. That the Bible says, come to me, all you who are even heavy laden and I will give you rest or trust in the Lord with all of your heart because he the one who makes your path straight. So you're saying cast, come and trust. That's our responsibility. But you're also saying you'll take responsibility after that. So Lord, we pray, Lord, that your hand will be on those children who the parents are struggling with, but also on the ones who didn't go astray, like the big brother, the prodigal son, who stayed at the home, that they would have the right attitude when redemption comes. So we pray, Lord, for the family unit and we know, Lord, that as goes the family, as goes the culture, so we pray for marriages. The best way to raise your children is to work on your marriage. And so we pray for the marriage to household, the husband and the wife and the children right now that your restore was broken, that you will bring to health with sick and that you will redeem was lost. We love you and honor your Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Thank you so much, Jonathan, for being with us today. It has been an honor to have you today on Hope Today. Thank you so much. Thank you. Absolutely. Hey, stay with us because when we return in 60 seconds, we're going to look at a scripture that applies to how we as Christians should live out our faith. We'll be right back. Remember your childhood joy and excitement when being invited to a party? You felt valued, included, wanted and ready to have a good time. Bestselling author Bob Goff believes that every day of life can be lived with the same childlike enthusiasm and sense of humor. Inside Love Does, you'll learn that love is a verb, not just a feeling. His insights and joyful reflections will help you discover what it means to live fully alive, even as you serve others. Prepare to encounter remarkable stories from Bob Goff's life as he shares how living and loving to the fullest is the best way to make Jesus known in this world. Request your copy of Love Does when you give your best gift this month. Your gift today will help Cornerstone Television show the life changing love of Jesus through Christ-centered TV programs. Call us at 888-665-4483 or give at ctvn.org slash donate. I just love that interview and the book by Jonathan Evans. His entire family has really shifted the church and the kingdom. And we're just so grateful to have him on today when he just prayed. He said, as goes the family, so goes the culture. And that's where we're at. We're the believers. We are the Christians. We impart these truths to our children. We tell our children these stories of old. They get it, and then they move the kingdom forward to. He also recommended this scripture for you today. Let's look at it right now. In Galatians 2 20, it says, I have been crucified with Christ. And it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me. This is, guys, one of the basic foundational scriptures and belief for us as believers that Jesus came, Jesus died for sinners like us. And so now today it's no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. So maybe today you've never made a decision to ask Jesus into your heart and into your life. Maybe you've never surrendered your life to him. And I tell you what, maybe today you need to have that faith like a child and just believe, get out of your head, get out of overthinking, get out of that mental torment, torture. I'm guilty. I'm not worthy. I'm full of shame and just I'm a sinner. He loves you. Just stop it and just believe like a child, Sidney. Have you ever just had to say, I'm going to have faith like a child. I've got to come to this gospel simply. Yes, I truly have. And I even just think of like, especially during the pandemic, I know, going back a couple of years, but I think for all of us just having those moments when you see that the world is shaking, that things are stopping. And even when it comes to personal pandemics in our own lives, where we don't know what things are going to look like, we don't know how things are going to go. But there has been so many moments when I just crawl into the face of the father, when I just lay myself down and I give it all to Abba God and I know that I am a daughter. I know that I'm the daughter of the most high God. And that's what he simply wants for all of us is to understand that we've been adopted, that we have been grafted in, that he loves us with an everlasting love. I recently read somewhere in Psalms that talks about his love is like higher than the highest heavens. And we don't even know how big and how wide that is. But isn't that amazing? His love for us is immeasurable. So receive that today and know when Christ is in you, he is the hope of glory and helps you to walk out things in this life. Corey, quick last thoughts. Listen, I love what Jonathan had said. He said, we are called to be stewards, not owners. And I think that takes off the anxiety of thinking that it's all about us and it's all about what we have to do. But we are stewarding our children back to God. We are stewarding these opportunities that God has given. We are stewarding the air that we breathe to make sure that that air is giving God praise and giving him worship and reverence. So today, take a moment to say, God, this is yours. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. And we give it to you. We love you. And we thank you for the opportunity to be alive. That's something that I want you all to do today. Thank you for joining us here on Hope Today. I hope you have a fantastic day and wonderful week. Take care. On tomorrow's Hope Today, uplifting and inspiring others to conquer darkness with God's love, Grammy award-winning artist, Victory, discusses her new album, Glory Hour, and how God's light continues to shine even in the darkest of times. Don't miss tomorrow's Hope Today. Cornerstone Television wishes to thank all our faithful viewers, whose consistent prayers and financial support have made this program possible.