Trusting the Process

About The Podcast

When Payton Linder appeared on The Redeemed Man in 2023, he’d joined The Redeemed’s small groups looking for understanding and direction for a life upended by the COVID pandemic. He’s since become the Small Groups Coordinator at The Redeemed to help guide men on their own challenging journeys. This week Payton talks with founder Paul Amos about how the ministry saw his faith restored and the opportunities that vulnerability presents.

Show Notes

Timestamps

Discussion

1. Payton describes two different times when his life was suddenly upended—first when he was discharged from the Navy sooner than he’d planned, and later when the COVID pandemic hit. Think back to a time in your life when long-term plans you’d made were thrown into disarray—when, as Payton puts it, it felt like God “pulled the rug out from underneath you.” Did you feel aimless or cut adrift? Were you depressed? Did you ever lash out in anger? What were the ways—either healthy or unhealthy—you responded to that suddenly changed situation, and who eventually helped you find a sense of purpose or direction? Isaiah 41:10, Proverbs 3:5-6
2. As a young man, were you raised to believe that honesty and vulnerability were healthy, or that they made you less of a man? How did that teaching affect you positively or negatively once you were grown and building a life of your own? 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
3. What are some aspects of your life right now that seem pretty close to perfect—that might make other men think, “Man, he’s got it all figured out”? Have you ever felt reluctant to open up to other people about your problems or insecurities because you were afraid they’d think, “HIs life can’t possibly be that bad”? 1 Samuel 16:7, Galatians 6:2
4. When you first heard about The Redeemed and its small in-person and online groups, what were the factors that made you most reluctant to participate? What (or who) finally prompted you to overcome those doubts and give the groups a try? Hebrews 10:24-25
5. What were your expectations of The Redeemed when you started participating and sharing in small groups, and how has your actual experience compared to those expectations? Was there ever a point when you were hoping you could find a “quick fix” for your problems or insecurities? Psalm 37:7
6. If you were a regular churchgoer before you joined The Redeemed, how has your relationship with your church changed since you started participating? If you didn’t go to church regularly when you joined, how has your view on church attendance changed? Ephesians 2:19-22