185: Jay Holland and the Goodness of God

Jay Holland is a pastor, author, and podcaster. His podcast is called Let’s Parent on Purpose. As a youth pastor, he realized that more spiritual formation happens in the home than during time at church gatherings. So he started his podcast to empower families to make better disciples. Today, Jay shares the story of stepping out in faith when the Lord asked him to, questioning God when his wife died, and struggling through his cancer with his son. Through it all, Jay points to the goodness of God’s grace in his life. He’s learned to trust as he traveled through the darkest parts of the journey.

Listen to Jay’s story now!

Stories Jay shared:

• Starting his podcast, Let’s Parent on Purpose to help families
• Growing up in a Christian family in West Virginia
• Praying for salvation as a young child
• Going to AWANA as a child
• Meeting his future wife on the first day of his senior year of high school
• Getting involved in Bible Study in college
• When the Lord asked him to leave the Air Force Academy
• Struggling with pregnancy and how that challenged his faith
• Finally having a baby girl
• The “spiritual meat grinder” while his wife’s health deteriorated
• The night his wife Christy died
• Nurturing healing for sometime and moving to Nashville
• Meeting Emily and finding love again
• Moving to South Florida
• Thinking his child had pneumonia and receiving a leukemia diagnosis instead
• How people rallied around them during treatment

Great quotes from Jay:

When you’ve got a good father, it’s natural that you’ll want to go to God.

I always had a tenderness toward Jesus.

I know where God is in the darkness.

At bottom, Jesus was the rock.

When the bomb goes off, it’s too late too find the people you need in your life.

In the midst of darkness and sadness, Jesus is doing a work.

Resources we mentioned:

• Jay’s website and podcast, Let’s Parent on Purpose

Related episodes:

• Tricia Lott Williford and How God Works in the Waiting
• Markus Watson and How Suffering Transforms
• Jim Barnard Finds Hope in Suffering in Community

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