 The Bible says if anyone is in Christ, they're a new creature. Do you realize that you are a new creature and it is a new day to serve the Lord? Thank you for joining us today on Hope Today. I'm Tom Hollis. I'm here with Sydney. Sydney, we have a great guest coming up. Yes, I'm really excited because coming up on Hope Today, the story behind a former child model who's now making music that reflects her faith. In a moment, you'll hear and meet Asela Kirk, hear about her journey and get a taste of her music too. She's 18 years old. And I just want all of us just to stick around and encourage her because you know, one thing I think it is so beautiful is when we think about when we were teenagers, when we think about we were young, I was not focused on making music or doing things for God, but I just think it's so beautiful that she's a beautiful young woman. Her heart's on fire for God and she's making music to inspire others. I think it's fabulous. And I'm like really excited to have a conversation with her today. It is wonderful and I have to go way back to think back to that age. But I remember when I was that age and serving God and people that I thought were old, my age now, they would say, oh, it's so nice to see young person serving the Lord. What is, it's wonderful because there's so many things that can pull us and draw us, take our attention away from God, especially when you're young and the whole world is opening up before you. There's all these different paths you can take, but Asela is choosing that path of following Christ. Yeah, and I think it's so beautiful talking about the path of choosing Christ. So if you have a young child, a grandchild or somebody you're mentoring, definitely encourage them to watch this story and this conversation we're gonna have with Asela because I think it is so important. In this day of age, we know I cannot imagine what it would be like, Tom, to be a teenager during this generation with social media, with everything that's going on in the world and the pressures that they face. But for young people, and I see there's so many of them that are making a statement. I'm like, I'm gonna follow Jesus, I'm gonna be open about my faith. I think it is truly beautiful. It is wonderful. And yeah, there are so many different things and pressures that are on young people today. If you are feeling pressure, I started off by saying that when we're in Christ, we're a new creature. But man, some of those old things try to hang on to us. Maybe that's you today. If you need prayer, you need something, you need someone to help take you to the throne of the Lord. You can call our number, it's there on the screen. There'll be a prayer partner there waiting to pray with you. Well, our guest today is a rising Christian star and a teenage girl who's been working in the entertainment business since she was a young girl. Estella Kirk is passionate about sharing her faith music and recently she released a new project called Running on Low, where she takes listeners on a journey of finding hope through heart moments in life. Estella, we are so glad to have you with us today. Thank you so much for having me. It's such an honor to be able to come on here and just share my story with you guys and just talk to you guys today. Oh, we're so glad to have you with us. And so before we dig into your story, can you tell us a little bit about you? And I think it is so beautiful. Your name is Estella, how your parents named you and it means star. So tell us a little bit about you. Thank you. Yeah, so I started out doing music around seven years old. So super little, nobody in my family actually does music. It's just me. But I actually started out doing pop music, which I soon began to feel wasn't my path. And I just felt that God was really leading me to Christian music. So at 13, I just decided to do Christian music and I created an EP. And ever since then, I've just been on fire for the Lord and just chasing what he has for me. Estella, I think that is absolutely phenomenal to be 13 and just be so sure that knowing that like, I'm going to follow Jesus, I'm going to create music for him because you could have made, you know, gone all different paths and way. Can you just share how you found God, how Jesus became a part of your life? So it was really through church, just that typical like going to church camp and doing worship at my church. But when I really connected with God was when I was doing Christian music, like even my mom would say, you know, like you sing the best when you're doing Christian music. And I was like, yeah, I know, but I just kind of fought it for a little while. I think like we all do, we can just turn away from what we know God's plan is for our life. So I did fight it for a little bit, but I just couldn't fight any longer and I had to do Christian music and I created my EP called Bright Side. And then now I've created an album called Running on Low, which is my favorite project so far. That is truly beautiful and credible. I mean, you are 18 years old and you have two albums already under your belt. I mean, what an amazing accomplishment. And to tell them just curious, because you just said, you know, talking earlier, you said you had this like fire for the Lord and just this passion for singing for God. What is it like for you when you have those moments when it's just you and God alone and you're just making music? Oh wow, it's truly the most amazing experience and it's so special to just have that real relationship with God. Just to have someone that you can go and you can talk to no matter what's going on in your life, there's been so many times where I just, I didn't know who to talk to or I didn't know who to turn to but I've always had God and through music and through writing, I've been able to express those feelings and just be able to talk to God freely through music. I love what you're saying, being able to talk to God because we know it's about having a relationship with Jesus when we're walking through hard times or we're dealing with struggles and something that you like are open about that dealing with like self-esteem and fear and just different things that I know that's really common for people that are teenagers or any age, so can you just talk to us about how God even helps you walk through that as well? Yeah, so through social media, we all know that teenagers, especially teenagers go through just hours of scrolling online and hours of scrolling on social media. So I wanted to create music that would help teens not feel as imperfect when they're scrolling on social media. Someone I'm not really talks about that which is one of my favorite songs on the Running on Low album. It just talks about waking up in the morning and just feeling all of this self-doubt and all of these feelings. But in the end, it talks about being able to look to God for confirmation in where we find our worth and where we found our value and just being able to talk about those issues and being real with teens is just, that's what keeps me going, that's what keeps me creating music. Well, I love that, Estella, you're a voice for your generation and I think a lot of us, we don't really, like I know like speaking of social media, like I was going into college when it was like Facebook and everything just started exploding but just growing up with it as a young age, what would you say, we have a lot of parents or aunts, uncles that are watching that may have teenagers, what would you say are some things that they need to be aware of what a teenagers are facing today that we may not be understanding or realize? Well, with social media, it's just so easy to make a picture look perfect and even if it doesn't at all, I mean, everything on social media that you see is such a highlight reel and just what other people want you to see. So it's very important to know when like you're scrolling through social media that it's not necessarily real and it's okay to have flaws and it's okay to be imperfect because that's just how it is. So it's just important to know that though. Yeah, it's important to know like who we are in our creator and just having that in him. And then Estella, you actually like something that's very interesting is that even early on as a young girl when you were seven years old that you've been in the limelight for all of your life, working in the entertainment industry being a model. We have a couple of pictures that we want to show that going through. So can you tell us about this, how old you are and where you are? Goodness, I was probably like 10 in this and I, this was a long time ago. I think I was in Europe actually in this but I could be wrong. And I think there's another pick and there's you as well. Yes, this one I was like eight years old. I loved this photo shoot. It was so dark and mysterious. It was awesome. And then here's the one, here's the one in the stage, singing. Yes, this one, I was actually 13, so. Oh wow, 13. And then here you are again, singing. Yes, this is at the House of Blues, I believe. So that was really awesome. Such a fun experience. And here's the most recent picture of you like singing. Yeah, this was in Nashville. Yes. That's awesome. Just like seeing how like you have been, like God has opened a door and has called you to like the arts and entertainment but it's just truly beautiful that like God is really using you through your music. And I know, Tom, like you have a question you wanna ask us. I do, I was wondering about you lead worship and have done with like the Young People's Choir but also in the main church service. What does God speak to you when you lead worship? How is that different from when you're singing one of your songs? What does God speak to you? And what do you feel from God when you're leading worship? I absolutely love leading worship because I'm able to do it as a community and like with other people. So that's really awesome. And I think just being able to connect with other believers and through music as well has been super special. But just having that intimate one-on-one time with God has been just amazing with my walk with God and it's just been able to help me so much to get closer to God. And yeah, it's been amazing to be able to lead worship. And in another way that you are leading worship that is not necessarily in the church but you're outside of the four walls is like through your music and your professional career. So let's talk about your latest project, running on low. Tell us about the inspiration behind it. So with running on low, I just wanted to talk about how sometimes we're just running through life but we're running on low because we're not always running with God. We can just get so ahead of ourselves and just start running and chase after this dream. But if it's not with God and if God isn't with you, then it's not worth it. And we're not gonna get anywhere by running. So I just wanted to create an album that kind of talks about that. And I think through someone, it kind of talks about my life to be honest. This album does through someone I'm not and through the woods. And all of these songs are really, really special to me and I am just so beyond excited that I get to share it with you guys and that it's finally out as well. And so I know in just a moment we're gonna go to your video through the woods but can you tell us, I mean I think it's so beautiful what you're saying just like you have so much wisdom. I just wanna share that with you as an 18 year old girl just knowing the importance of walking with God with being with God allowing him to lead us on our lives. And so can you just tell us where we go to through the woods your music video what it means and the inspiration behind it? Yeah, so through the woods I just really wanted to talk about walking with God. So in the music video I'm actually walking through the woods but it's like walking through all of these troubles and these problems that we have but with God and finding God at the end. So it's kind of like the light at the end of the tunnel. Well, we love that. So right now we're gonna go to Estella Kirk's video through the woods. Take a look. Feel the weight fall off my shoulders Devil in my mind rolling over Made me believe this dream was hopeless Cause what good is a girl It's gonna get you when you can't choose Where you're far, where you're landing Even though his plan is perfect But you can't have the good without the bad Cause what good is a girl It's gonna get you when you can't choose Where you're far, where you're landing Even though his plan is perfect But you can't have the good without the bad Thank you so much for just sharing your music and just your story with us. It was truly an honor to have you with us today. Thank you guys so much for just letting me share my story and just being on here today. Thank you. Yeah, it was our honor and positive. And you are interested in a song that you can't sing without. If you are interested in Estella's music, you can go to our website. We'll have a link and how you can get connected at ctvn.org. And her album is called Running On Low. So, so beautiful, Tom. I just love just, it's just like so inspiring to see such a beautiful young person who has a heart for God just truly walking out their dreams. Well, what a bright light. What a bright light she is for Jesus. And again, her name Estella means star. So there's certainly a lot of analogies we can tie to that. Mostly being that bright light in the dark places. And you just saw the music video about going through the woods. And we've all been through that wilderness time, haven't we? And even as you read the Old Testament, there was a whole time of Israel being in the wilderness. And the way out of the wilderness has always been to draw close to God, to draw near to God, to hear what the Spirit is saying, to follow after His footsteps. You know what? He knows the way out of your wilderness. He knows the way out. And you may be right now saying, I don't know. I don't know where to turn. In fact, there's somebody watching right now. You feel like that person in the wilderness and you can't see the path. You know how you can get stuck deep in the woods. You can't see the path. You can't see which way to go. In fact, you can even feel like you're just walking in circles. You're like, oh, I've seen these trees before. I'm going around the same hill every time. God has the way out. He has the path out for you today. Will you follow it? Will you draw close to Him and say, Lord, I've followed my own way and it's just got me back to the same place again and again. Lead me out. You know, Sidney, she mentioned in the song that holding a grudge, about holding a grudge and how it feels like the right thing to do, but it's not the right thing to do. It's the thing that keeps us back and holds us back. Forgiveness is a key to getting out of that wilderness. It truly is a key to getting out of the wilderness. And even as you were talking to Him, what God was just even reminding me of is just like her song through the woods. He was writing about one of my favorite characters in the Bible is Enoch. And it's in the Book of Genesis and it's a really short piece about him. But I love that he said he walked with God and Enoch wishes taken up. And I just think about that, being able to walk with God. That I think about even Jesus. He is the way. It is about His pathway. And there was a time recently, like even watching that music video, just reminded me of I was going through the woods. I was in the Riverview Park that's in Pittsburgh on the north side of the city. And I just had this time I was walking on the pathway and God was just really speaking me to like just walk with me. I had no agenda. I had no time. Like I was just walking in the wilderness. I was like, I have no idea where I'm going. But I think in these seasons, it's no matter what you are going through and you're facing through, I think God ultimately, He's a God that He wants to walk with us. He wants to speak with us. He wants us to be intimate with us. And when you are walking side by side with God, it is amazing, the revelation, the wisdom that He will drop, what He will speak. If there's a certain situation, if there's a certain problem, just take that time to walk with God. And He will show you, He will speak to you how to handle the situation, how to deal with the situation. Because oftentimes, I think, Tom, we take things on ourselves and we use like, we're going into our soulless place, but we need to listen to our spirits and connect with God so we know what He's saying and what He's speaking. Well, we can always respond out of a fleshlier soulless way. We can always respond out of our emotions. Emotions are fine, but we shouldn't be led around by our emotions. God's created us as emotional beings, but they need to be under His Lordship as well. Because we can respond out of that negativity or that soulless place, as Sidney mentioned, where we come out and we're like responding, not with really God's intent. What is God going to do to show you where that path is? Again, you know, Sidney, as anybody who's watched this show knows that I bicycle a lot, my wife Jean and I do. When the trails around Pittsburgh, there's a lot of them, but when they were first being built, they were bits and pieces. And we'd have to find another piece. And I can remember one time we got off, we got onto the road, we were with my son and we're going through this park and we were like, there's got to be, I know the trail is here, and my son kept going and he yelled. He's like, hey, I found it. It was up a hill, you know? So that pathway, you've lost it, but it's there. God has that pathway for you. So just keep following after him. Get through the dense part of the trees and you're going to come back out to that path. And you know what, God, maybe you messed it up. Maybe you say, I was on a really good path that I was following the Lord, but I got into sin. I got away from the Lord. I got out of fellowship. What's he going to do now? You know what? He's going to lead you on. He doesn't lead you back. He's going to lead you on to where that path is now. I just think even the theme of just the path, because I think a lot of us, we all go off this offbeaten path. We've all gone down different places. I just think in my life, man, time and time again, especially as a teenager, especially when I was in my 20s, there's different things that I walk through, different experiences that I had that I could have gone one way or the other, but it's so amazing that even in the midst of my failings, even in the midst when I was going the wrong way, that God would just re-route me and redirect me and be like, okay, daughter, I need you to go left. I need you to go right. I need you to go this way. And maybe that's you today, that maybe you've been watching this whole time and you're like, you know what? You guys are talking and it sounds really good, but you don't understand how bad I messed up. You don't understand how deep and dark that I got into that place. You don't know what I have done, but can I just tell you that God is the one that he will reach down in the pit. It doesn't matter how far off-track that you've gotten. It doesn't matter how you veered away. He is a God of grace. He is a God of mercy and the Lord loves you so much that he says, you know what? Walk out, you follow my leading. Sometimes they think a lot of times we don't like to talk about it, but he will allow us to follow these pits and into these places and to reach the end of ourselves so that we will get to that place where we're like, God, I'm crying out to you. God, I'm so sorry. God, show me the way. So today, if that's you, ask God, show me the way. And the way is only through Jesus. Jesus Christ is the way. When you accept Him as your Lord and Savior, when you walk alongside of Him and you make a choice and a decision to say, you know what? I am leaving my life behind. I am putting all of this aside to follow you, Jesus. It's amazing what he will begin to do, what he begins to unravel. He'll show you the cycles and the patterns and the pathways that you've taken that have taken you into a pit of destruction. But God, He is your deliverer and He is your defender. And so today, will you accept Jesus today? Will you say, Jesus, thank you that you are the way and the truth in the life and that you died for me? That Jesus paid the ultimate price for you so that you could experience freedom and that you could walk on a new path, a path of life, a path of hope, a path of healing, a path of deliverance. If that's you today, give us a call at our prayer line at 888-665-4483. We have prayer partners that would love to connect with you and to pray with you and to be with you as you begin this new journey with Jesus today. You know, Sidney, as you were praying and leading people, it reminded me of an illustration I heard many years ago about fact, faith and feeling, about how there's a fact of Jesus Christ that He died for you, that He cares for you, that He loves you, that He has a plan and purpose for you. And that's like the, it was a train and that's like the locomotive. That's the thing that drives that train. That's the thing that really is important, that fact, okay? Now, faith is how we energize that, okay? Faith's like the coal car, the second thing, right? It's how we energize that and we take advantage and take ownership of that salvation that He has given us, that's those facts. It's by our faith. And you know what? Feelings that are very, very important, they come later. They come, they come, you may, when you accept the Lord, I did, when I accepted the Lord, I had this tremendous sense of feelings, tremendous sense of forgiveness. Not everybody does, but as you continue to get the main thing, the main thing, follow after Christ, you begin to know Him, you begin to see those feelings, they come afterward and begin to have that relationship with Him, that love relationship, that caring relationship that you know, hey, no matter what's going on, we heard Estella say it, that she was able to hang on to those things, even when there's all the pressures that are going to happen to a teenager, she was able to hang on to the truce of who she knew God was. That's what God has for you today. And you know, even I remember studying some time ago that God was just really speaking to me about what faith it looks like, you know, and one thing that in the beginning, I know like sometimes when we like look at Jewish, like our, you know, Jewish roots of our faith and you start studying, it's really amazing that, did you know even in the beginning that God always intended for us to be able to hear Him, that by hearing the Lord, by hearing by what He was saying, that was walking in a place of obedience so we would know where to go. That is like the foundation of our faith, that Jesus even says, my sheep know my voice. And so today, we just encourage you, maybe it has been a really long time, you're like, I don't even know if I'm hearing God, I don't even know if I'm going that right way with God, but can we just encourage you today, take that time to just sit and to listen and it sounds like a whisper, a lot of times it might sound like just like yourself talking, but God will reveal because He wants you to know His voice. In this season, in this hour, in this time that we're walking through in our country and our nation and our world, it is so imperative that we know the voice of the Lord, that we know what He's speaking, that we know what He's saying because He wants to speak to us to give us direction. So when we're going the wrong way or we're going this way, He wants to lead us into that place. And so today, we just encourage you after the show or if you're watching whatever time it is that you would take a moment to just sit and be still and hear God what He has to say for you today. Because when I tell you when you're able to hear the voice of the Lord and He'll say things to you, there's been times in my life God has spoken things and it seems so foolish to what the world would say or the wisdom of the world. But God, when He speaks, it is life. And He is not a man that He should lie nor a son a man that He should repent. When He says it, He will do it. He will promise it. So today, we just encourage you to get in the presence of the Lord and to hear what He has to say especially for you today. Absolutely. The Bible says that you will hear a voice behind you saying, this is the way. Walk in it. So God has that for you. You know another way you hear God's voice, the scriptures. When you read those scriptures, when you study them, when you ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten you, to illuminate your heart, it begins to, you begin to dig in and begin to say, wow, there's so much there. There's so much I didn't know. There's so much God wants me to know. And when He begins to build those foundation blocks of following Him in your life, and then you begin, as Sidney said, to begin to hear and recognize the voice of God. What an adventure it is. What an adventure to follow after God. It's the greatest adventure. God is not boring. God is the opposite of that because He is the most interesting person in the universe. And you know what? He has an interest in you as a child, as a follower, as a co-heir with Christ of all the things and good things that He has for you. Have a great day as you follow Him today. On Tomorrow's Hope Today, discover the power of prayers to strengthen your soul. Author Karen Moore shares ways to refresh and improve our prayer lives, which can guide us into God's presence and help us experience a more intimate relationship with Him. That's tomorrow on Hope Today. Television t-shirt, where'd you get it? I am so glad that you asked. 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