Hot Takes & Holy Things

What happens to your faith when no one is making you go to church anymore? In this episode of Hot Takes and Holy Things, hosts Jarvis Koyate, Cole Bearden, and Jake Kimbrell tackle a timely question: why do so many students drift from church after high school? Centered on the idea that “high school graduation is not church graduation,” the conversation explores the shift from inherited faith to personal responsibility. The hosts reflect on how independence can feel freeing but also carries weight, especially when it comes to staying connected to a church community. They unpack common reasons students disconnect, from viewing church as just a phase to never fully making their faith their own. Drawing on personal experiences and biblical insight, including the example of Priscilla and Aquila in Acts 18, they challenge students to see new seasons not as an ending, but as an opportunity to stay rooted and step into a new role. Listen in for a thoughtful and inspiring look at what it means to carry your faith forward!

Key Points From This Episode:

An update from our hosts, including golfing, donations, and Mother’s Day gifts.
Today’s word of the day: “SALTS” and a debate of its meaning.
Student shoutout: Celebrating a student from Family Church Downtown for inviting friends and building church community.
Today’s hot take: high school graduation is not church graduation.
Why so many students drift from church after high school.
The shift from inherited faith to making faith a personal decision.
Independence after graduation and the weight of spiritual responsibility.
How treating church as a phase leads to disconnection.
Personal examples of staying rooted in church through college.
Biblical example in Acts 18: Priscilla and Aquila staying rooted through change.
Using new seasons as opportunities to find and build church community.
Moving from consuming church to contributing to it.
This week’s challenge: explore church options and reflect on what you value in one.

Quotes:

“High school graduation is not church graduation.” — Jake Kimbrell [00:14:39]

“We don't actually understand the weight of that independence. We don't understand how heavy that burden is to carry.” — Jake Kimbrell [00:16:27]

“Why do so many students disconnect from church after graduation?” — Cole Bearden [00:17:06]

“Your faith is your faith. It’s not your parents faith, it’s not your grandparents faith, it’s not your small group leaders’ faith, it’s yours. You've got to make the decisions on how you're going to prioritize church in your own life.” — Jarvis Koyate [0:18:09]

“Don’t simply just be a consumer at your church, but be a contributor.” — Jake Kimbrell [00:26:09]

“Don't let fear hold you back from finding community as you're going to college and as you're having to get plugged in and find a new church on your own.” — Jarvis Koyate [00:27:37]

Being the Church Out There w/ John MacTaggart

Wed, 06 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

John MacTaggart on LinkedIn

Episode 08: Being the Church ‘Out There’ with John MacTaggart

We cannot just live out our faith within the church walls; we have to embody it outside the church, too! In this episode of Hot Takes and Holy Things, Jarvis Koyate, Cole Bearden, and Jake Kimbrell are joined by Family Church student Pastor, John MacTaggart, to discuss today’s hot take about the importance of being the church ‘out there’. As always, we start with our Word of the Day Segment before shouting out our student leader at Family Church in the Farms. Pastor John goes on to share a personal story of a student who massively impacted his faith, and he talks about how we can define being the church ‘out there’ and the power of embodying God’s love for us in the way we interact with the world. He even touches on the tension students may face between identity and performance and discusses how faith and ‘works’ can complement each other, instead of competing with each other. Finally, we discuss how students can practically share the Gospel and live out everyday, ordinary, radical faithfulness. If you want to be inspired to be a ‘doer’ of the Word, not just a ‘hearer’, then this is for you, so be sure to tune in now!

Key Points From This Episode:

Introducing today’s guest, John MacTaggart.
Today’s word of the day: Larping.
A shoutout to a high school student leading at Family Church in the Farms.
Why you cannot only live out your faith within the walls of the church.
The disconnect students feel between their beliefs and the way they live their lives.
Pastor John tells us about the impact a student had on his faith during his youth.
What it means to be the church ‘out there’ and the power of embodying God’s love.
Identity versus performance and how faith and ‘works’ can complement each other.
How to live this out practically and how students can share the Gospel.
Today’s challenge for students: plan a Church event ‘out there’ with your student pastor.

Quotes:

“The simplest definition that we have for [being the church ‘out there’] is simply loving other people. – To me, that’s the key to Christian growth.” — John MacTaggart [00:18:14]

“True spirituality is when we start to understand God’s love for us, and as our knowledge of that expands, it begins to shift the way that we think about other people.” — John MacTaggart [00:18:35]

“We’re so used to working for things that we think we have to work for grace.” — John MacTaggart [00:22:40]

“It’s His kindness that leads us to repentance. It’s what He’s done. – We’re not trying to earn God’s grace; we’re living from it.” — John MacTaggart [00:23:25]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Matthew 5:16

Romans 1:16

Larping Definition

Family Church | South Florida Church Campuses

Family Church Network

You’re Not Just Skipping Church, You’re Weakening The Body!

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Episode 07: You’re Not Just Skipping Church, You’re Weakening The Body!

We’re back with another episode of Hot Takes and Holy Things with your hosts, Jarvis Koyate, Cole Bearden, and Jake Kimbrell. Today, they dig into why your church attendance actually matters. They kick things off with Jarvis’s full-circle asthma story, then jump into a fun Starbucks vs. Dunkin’ debate and share some student shoutouts. The main takeaway is simple: showing up matters, and when people don’t, it impacts the whole church community. They unpack why the “lonewolf” Christian mindset is a dangerous game to play and help students rethink how they view Sunday morning, encouraging them to make it a priority. From there, they explore different ways to get involved through serving, how to recognize your own spiritual gifts, and wrap up with a challenge for the week. Thanks for tuning in!

Key Points From This Episode:

Jarvis tells listeners about this week’s full-circle asthma story.
The great date’s topic: Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts?
Shouting out to our graduating senior students.
Today’s Hot Take: Why your church attendance matters.
Why church attendance and school attendance are not the same.
A dangerous game to play: the lone wolf Christian.
How students should be thinking about church.
Why refusing to use your gifts can hurt both the church and you.
Cole breaks down why they’re so passionate about church attendance.
How to figure out what your spiritual gift is.
Applying our family values to be present in all areas of our lives.
We look at different ways students can get involved in serving on Sunday mornings at church.
Our challenge to students for this week!

Quotes:

“If you're not at church, then you're not only affecting yourself and your own spiritual health, you're also affecting the people that you attend church with.” — Cole Bearden [00:10:05]

“Doing the Christian walk on your own is a dangerous game to play.” — Jarvis Koyate [0:11:14]

“I think the devil loves isolation. I think the devil loves it whenever, like, you know, you're alone, and he can tempt you alone. And that I think one of the biggest weapons we have to fight against the devil is the people around us.” — Jake Kimbrell [00:11:58]

“Instead of thinking of church like school, where my attendance really only affects me or impacts me, we really need to think about church more like a team and more like sports.” — Cole Bearden [00:13:05]

“[We’ve got to] make Sunday morning a priority.” — Jarvis Koyate [0:21:40]

Longer Quotes:

“When we don't show up to church, we're hurting the body and the family that we're a part of because all of us have a role to play. All of us have gifts that God has given us that impact the team or the church or the family, the body that we're a part of when we attend church on Sunday mornings.” — Cole Bearden [00:13:45]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

1 Corinthians 12

The Heart of Christian Dating: Guidance for Students w/ Kristin Scroggins

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Episode 06: The Heart of Christian Dating: Guidance for Students w/ Kristin Scroggins

Today on Hot Takes and Holy Things, we’re joined by Kristin Scroggins, speaker, author, and the heart behind a beautiful, thriving family. She’s a mom of eight and grandma to seven, building a legacy of love, strength, and unwavering support. She’s here today to dig into the heart of Christian dating and share her insights and wisdom on the hot take from today’s episode: Christians should only date other Christians. Tune in to hear more, including our word of the day segment, our student shoutouts, and how programs like Advance can have a true and lasting impact on our students. Plus, we dive into God’s purpose for dating, why it should ultimately point toward marriage, and the risks of being unequally yoked. We also unpack the danger of looking to relationships for what only the Lord can provide, the importance of spiritual maturity, and how to discern whether someone is truly aligned with your faith—all while challenging students to root their identity in Christ and pursue accountability in community.

Key Points From This Episode:

We are introduced to today’s guest, Kristin Scroggins.
Our word of the day segment: Calm.
Shoutout to Rachel Fader & all of our engaged students (on Sundays and in the week!)
Mrs. Kristin shares how our three big events, like Advance, shape students’ lives.
Jake shares a personal dating story (and why no one in the 6th grade should be dating!)
Today’s hot take: Christians should only date other Christians.
They dig into the real reasons why dating should happen.
Reasons why people go outside of God’s design for dating.
Mrs. Kristin shares her thoughts on what’s more important: who you’re dating or who you’re becoming.
What happens when relationships try to replace what only the Lord can provide.
We discuss the question: when is someone ready to date?
They unpack what could happen if you, as a Christian, date a non-Christian.
What Mrs. Kristin is concerned about as a parent: what kind of company are they attracting?
Advice on how to get out of a relationship that isn’t the right one for you.
Our weekly challenge to our students: start a group Bible reading plan.

Quotes:

“[Our] big three programs — [are] giving our students opportunities that we can’t possibly provide as [parents] on our own. To give them the confidence to share the gospel, to give them opportunities to do that, to pray for people, even to get rejected. It builds character, and it shows them how important all of this is.” — Kristin Scroggins [0:10:45]

“I think that the conflict that I think a lot of people feel is the standards of dating have dropped significantly, but I think the expectations of dating have climbed through the roof.” — Jake Kimbrell [00:15:51]

“There's only one reason for why we should be dating. There's only one reason that the Bible shows us for why we should be dating, and it's that dating is for marriage. — God's design for dating is that it leads to marriage.” — Cole Bearden [00:16:41]

“Dating doesn't create health. It confirms it.” — Jake Kimbrell [0:23:56]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

2 Corinthians 6:14 NKJV

Matthew 6:21 NKJV

Screens vs Scripture: Who’s Really Shaping You? w/ Grace Ann Williams

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Episode 05: Screens vs Scripture: Who’s Really Shaping You? w/ Grace Ann Williams

Are your students spending more time on screens than in Scripture? What is that doing to their identity and habits? In today’s episode of Hot Takes and Holy Things, the hosts are joined by Grace Ann Williams, student ministry admin for the Family Church Network, to unpack the idea that screens may be shaping students more than God’s Word. From leaderboard updates in the Word of the Day segment to eye-opening stats on screen time, the conversation explores how social media fuels distraction and forms “distracted hearts.” The episode wraps with practical steps like app fasting, managing notifications, and refocusing on God’s Word, challenging listeners to memorize Scripture and find their identity in faith, not online validation.

Key Points From This Episode:

An introduction to our guest speaker: Grace Ann Williams.
Scoreboard update and Word of the day: Frame Mogging.
Student Shoutout: To those being The Church out there.
The Hot Take: Are our students being shaped more by screens or by scripture?
Jarvis shares some statistics about students and their screens.
Grace Ann highlights areas where the Bible should shape our lives, but where social media often takes over instead.
Our thoughts on how social media is impacting identity among students.
Grace Ann shares where her mind goes in scripture when she thinks about reflection and meditation.
How often we should be going to scripture: It’s about frequency.
What students can take away from today’s conversation on navigating the tension between screens and scripture.
A challenge to our students: memorize Psalm 19:14.

Quotes:

“Frame mogging. The actual definition is when someone is physically bigger than another person and takes the spotlight away from them.” — Cole Bearden[00:06:29]

“Our students pick up their phones on average about 113 times a day – and [get] over 200 notifications from an app a day. – Your phone isn't just something that you check every time. Your phone is actually something that's shaping you.” — Jarvis Koyate [0:09:49]

“I think social media is also shaping the habits that our students are engaging in.” — Grace Ann Williams [00:13:03]

“When it comes to these conversations about social media and good things to God things, the best place that we can go back to and ground ourselves, is in the scriptures.” — Jake Kimbrell [00:15:52]

“Social media, while it promises us connection, it's really disguised as distraction.” — Jake Kimbrell [00:18:42]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Matthew 13 ESV

Psalm 19:14 ESV

Psalm 1 ESV

Maybe You Should Question Your Salvation w/ Jimmy Muir

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Episode 04: Maybe You Should Question Your Salvation w/ Jimmy Muir

Have you ever wondered if you should question your salvation? Today on Hot Takes and Holy Things, we welcome one of our dear pastors, Jimmy Muir, to discuss whether or not you should question your salvation. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about the differences between healthy questions versus harmful doubt and why we think you should question your salvation in a healthy manner. We delve into why fear and anxiety surrounding faith need to be substituted with the word of God (truth), before discussing where you can learn about this issue in the Bible. Pastor Jimmy goes on to share why he believes wrestling with these issues of salvation actually brings you closer to God and reminds you what your salvation is actually dependent on. Finally, our guest leaves listeners with some words of wisdom about the importance of facing your difficult questions. Thanks for listening!

Key Points From This Episode:

Our highs since the last time we recorded.
Introducing today’s amazing guest, Jimmy Muir.
Today’s Word of the Day: ‘Jestermaxer’.
Our Student Shoutout: Students who went canvassing.
Providing spiritual clarity about whether you should question your salvation.
Helpful questions versus harmful doubt and the differences in the fruit each produces.
The importance of substituting fear and anxiety with truth.
Where students can go to answer some of their questions about salvation.
What your salvation is dependent on: God’s love and grace.
Why you shouldn’t ignore the questions that come up on this topic.
Today’s challenge: Put the phone away!

Quotes:

“If you’re a student [who] wrestles with this [question of salvation], it’s not an abnormal thing to question and wonder.” — @JimmyMuir [0:16:13]

“I think the fact that you’re concerned about [salvation] and this is on your radar is a very, very, very good sign that the Holy Spirit is at work in your heart and in your mind.” — @JimmyMuir [0:16:58]

“You are worth saving because you are made in the image of God, He loves you, and He wants to save you. And that’s what your salvation is dependent on, not on your ability to live up to it.” — @JimmyMuir [0:17:59]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Romans 7

Ephesians 2:8-9

‘Jestermaxxer’ Meaning

The Spiritual Playbook for Student Athletes

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Episode 03: The Spiritual Playbook for Student Athletes

What if you’re physically in your prime and winning on the field, but spiritually exhausted and running on fumes because you’ve prioritized physical conditioning over the spiritual training and armor you need for the real battle? Today’s episode of Hot Takes and Holy Things explores the intersection of athletics and faith. Hosts Jarvis Koyate, Cole Bearden, and Jake Kimbrell dive into the reality of being physically strong but spiritually drained when sports take priority over your relationship with Jesus. They unpack the tension student athletes face and why it often leads to a struggle balancing faith and sports commitments. The hosts break down supporting scriptures to help students find their true center, Jesus, share three key questions, and offer a challenge to set up a personal faith training program, showing how Jesus can transform their lives.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Story time with Uncle Jarvis: a sports story.

• The great debate: Apple Music or Spotify?

• Today’s Student Shoutout: reigning girls’ soccer state champions.

• Student athletes: in shape physically but exhausted spiritually.

• We see the tension our student athletes are feeling.

• The struggle of balancing our faith and sports commitments.

• What the bible teaches us about our faith in sports commitments.

• Jesus calling us to surrender.

• Training plans: three questions to ask yourself to see if you are training your faith.

• Today’s challenge: creating your training plan.

Quotes:

“Today's hot take is our student athletes are in shape physically but exhausted spiritually.” — Jarvis Koyate [00:08:37]

“Our students physically, they’re in their prime, but spiritually, they're running on fumes.” — Jarvis Koyate [0:09:34]

“Our students, they're out there grinding for a starting spot, grinding to be as successful as they can in their sports, but we're not really doing the things to guard our hearts. And so maybe you would say that our student athletes are physically winning, but spiritually they're fading.” — Jake Kimbrell [00:09:46]

“And here's the truth. Faith was never meant to be squeezed in or around sports. Faith is meant to be the foundation that shapes how you play, why you play, and who you become through your sport. It's not about choosing between faith and sports, it's about choosing who sits at the center.” — Cole Beardan [00:11:16]

“Our students, while they're in shape physically and they're physically strong, they're fading spiritually because they're going into a war unarmed.” — Jake Kimbrell [00:14:10]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

1 Timothy 4:8 NIV

Ephesians 6:8-10 NIV

Family Church Network

Does God Care About My Spotify Playlist? w/ Sidney Rushing

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Episode 02: Does God Care About My Spotify Playlist? w/ Sidney Rushing

Music is an incredibly powerful tool for worship, but what if the music we listen to is encouraging us to worship the wrong things? Today, we welcome our very first guest to Hot Takes and Holy Things, Sidney Rushing. Sidney is a four-time NBA champion who leads worship at Family Church Tequesta, and he is here to discuss today’s hot take. In this episode, we begin with a new segment called Word of the Day, where we guess the meaning of a new word (or words) in every episode. We then delve into our hot take of the day: all music is worship music! Sidney tells us all about what it means to actually worship something and why we need to realign our identities to our true purpose, to worship God. He goes on to explain the power of music in shaping our thoughts and feelings, and as a tool of worship, before we help students get practical in assessing the type of music they’re exposing themselves to. Finally, listeners will be challenged to participate in a ‘playlist purge’ in order to figure out what the music we listen to is pointing our hearts towards. Thanks for tuning in!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Welcoming Sidney Rushing to the show.

• Today’s Word of the Day: ‘City Boy’.

• A shout-out to Crew Edwards from Family Church Tequesta.

• Today’s hot take: all music is worship music.

• What it means to actually worship something.

• The importance of redirecting worship back to God.

• Why music is particularly powerful in our lives and worship.

• Asking yourself if the music you listen to aligns with God’s truth and design.

• Today’s challenge: the playlist purge.

Quotes:

“Worshiping something is ascribing it value, either rightly or wrongly, and then responding in that manner.” — Sidney Rushing [0:10:06]

“I think all of us are made to worship – God, but because of the fall, we don’t know who or what to worship.” — Sidney Rushing [0:10:33]

“Both in life and in the Bible, there’s a trend that music has a way of connecting to us emotionally. It connects to our minds and our hearts and bridges them together.” — Sidney Rushing [0:13:00]

“It is wise to notice what messages you’re constantly feeding your mind and your soul because, over time, what you listen to will shape what you think about. And what you think about – shapes what you love.” — Sidney Rushing [0:16:49]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Romans 12:1

Philippians 4:8

Luke 6:45

What Real Friendship Actually Looks Like

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Episode 01: What Real Friendship Actually Looks Like

Welcome to the first episode of Hot Takes and Holy Things, a new podcast for the students of Family Church in South Florida that tackles real questions students are asking and answers them through the lens of God’s Word. In this debut episode, hosts Jarvis Koyate, Cole Bearden, and Jake Kimbrell introduce the heart behind the show and its format of sharing bold “hot takes” and grounding them in Scripture. They begin with their first hot take: many students today don’t actually know what real friendship is. In a world shaped by group chats, social media streaks, and surface-level connections, it’s easy to mistake convenience and popularity for meaningful relationships. Today’s conversation explores why so many friendships feel shallow and temporary, and how Scripture paints a very different picture. Looking at passages like Proverbs 17:17 and Proverbs 27:17, our hosts unpack what real friendship looks like: consistent, truthful, sacrificial, and rooted in a desire to help one another grow closer to Christ. They also challenge students to stop waiting for better friends and start becoming the kind of friend the Bible describes. If you have ever wondered what real friendship should actually look like, this conversation is a great place to start!

Quotes:

“Our students don't have real friends. I would even say it like this: our students don't know what real friendship actually is.” — Jake Kimbrell [00:09:23]

“We live in a world today that is creating shallow, temporary, and convenient friendship.” — Jarvis Koyate [0:10:01]

“I think of a real friendship. I think of someone who's committed. It’s truthful, it's sacrificial, [and] it actually costs you something.” — Jarvis Koyate [0:13:39]

“Real friends don't just make you laugh. They make you better. They push you closer to who God is calling you to be.” — Cole Bearden [00:14:49]

“The way that you get [a real friend] isn't by waiting around, it's by becoming a real friend yourself.” — Cole Bearden [00:17:38]

“For us as friends, we actually have to learn what it looks like to put other people's needs above our own.” — Jake Kimbrell [00:18:23]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Proverbs 17:17

Proverbs 27:17