A Former Foster Kid Finds God—and Community

About The Podcast

Few people would envy David Petty’s childhood—he entered the foster system almost as soon as he was born, suffered abuse as a child, was adopted but thrust back into the foster system at age 16. Those foster parents, though, modeled for him a truly devoted kind of faith that helped him build the kind of relationship with God he’d long been seeking. Now a social worker in Nashville who leads small groups for The Redeemed, David talks about his life journey and the impact it’s made on him as a man and a father in this week’s episode. He and Nate Dewberry also offer insights into how men can build community through ministries like The Redeemed while still staying active in their churches.

Show Notes

Additional Resources

Communion with God by John Owen

Immanuel Nashville

Timestamps

0:00 — Intro

2:51 — David’s story—adoption, the foster system, and finding the Lord

9:56 — What men can do to support foster kids and their families.

14:00 — How David’s foster experience informs his perspectives on fatherhood and race

20:14 — The inner turmoil and external challenges men face after divorce

27:46 — David’s current church and the community it’s helped him create

32:48 — Participating in a men’s ministry while still staying plugged in with your church

42:56 — What’s David reading these days?

Focus Verse

He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.
— Acts 10:2

Discussion

1. Have you ever spent time in the foster system? If so, how did that experience shape the person you are today? If not, have you ever known someone who was a foster child? Did they ever talk in detail about what their life was like? What kind of impressions did you draw about the foster system based on what they told you?
2. Thinking back to your formative years, who was someone who practiced their faith in a way that left a positive impression with you? What were some of the things they did that you admired or appreciated? Did their example prompt you to put more time or effort into your own faith journey? Matthew 5:13-16
3. Think of a time in your life when you spent a great deal of time around people of a different race, ethnicity, or culture. Were you in this situation by choice, or were you assigned there because of a work or military assignment? What did you learn from the experience? Did you have any negative impressions of that race/culture that were dispelled by your experience living around them? Revelation 7:9-12
4. Have you ever been divorced or separated? Was the divorce/separation something you initiated, or was it your spouse’s decision? What would you say is the greatest challenge you faced after that separation? Was there anything you did to recover from or cope with the situation that you now wish you’d done differently?
5. Were you a regular member of a church before you started participating in The Redeemed’s small groups? If so, what prompted you to seek out The Redeemed? Were you simply looking for different opportunities or perspectives, or was there something you felt you needed that the church wasn’t providing? Do you still participate actively in both your “home church” and The Redeemed?
6. If you weren’t a regular churchgoer before getting involved with The Redeemed, was there a reason you didn’t have a church you called your own? Has your experience with The Redeemed prompted you to seek out a church where you can attend regularly and deepen your spiritual journey? Hebrews 10:25