Everybody, what is going on? You know what time it is. You're listening to join the Journey podcast with your host, Emma Daughter.

Thanks for joining. My name is Wes Butler, and I'm so honored to be filling in for our friend Emma Daughter for a couple of episodes of the podcast.

I've had the privilege of serving as one of the pastors here on our staff at Watermark for the last 18 years,

and I've gotten to see the Spirit of God do some amazing things in the life of our church over

that time. It really is a humbling privilege to get to serve our church and community in this

way, and it is equally humbling to get to serve you all on the podcast today. Luke 10 actually

is one of my favorite chapters in all the Gospels, which is something that

Emma didn't know when she asked me to tackle this episode. So let's dive in, see what the Lord has for

us. I'd like for us to start by asking you to reflect on a moment that I imagine many of us share.

Do you remember being dropped off for college? I know not everyone has had this experience, but maybe you can relate to and maybe remember

something similar to it.

Like the first time you drove by yourself after getting your license or maybe even the

first time your parents left you at home by yourself when you were little, but old enough

to not burn the house down while they were out.

This is fresh on my mind because just a

few days ago, I dropped off my oldest child for his freshman year at Oklahoma State University.

Go pokes. On our tear-filled drive back home, my wife and I tried to take ourselves back to when

our parents dropped us off. And what we remember about that moment. Now, truthfully, that was over 25 years ago

for us. So our memories are a little more foggy than they once were. But as a parent dropping

off my son, I am more keenly aware now of how blissfully ignorant I must have been then. And how

the joy and the excitement of the new adventure and new friends and

new freedoms likely prevented me from seeing the dangers, troubles, and challenges that lay ahead of me.

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