S5 Episode #11- Krystal Kennard
THE ONE WITH KRYSTAL KENNARD
This week I am honored to welcome pastor, wife, mother, teacher and mentor, Krystal Kennard to the podcast! Krystal’s welcoming, wise and gentle spirit drew me to her the moment I walked into her church last summer. Join us as we dive into a heartfelt conversation about trusting God’s timing, releasing control to The Lord, and believing that His promises are true. We wrap up this episode with a beautiful prayer from Krystal that will certainly bless and encourage your soul, as it did mine.
Krystal in her own words
My name is Krystal Kennard. I am the wife of Barry for 30 years, and the mother of three beautiful daughters, Kamille age 21, Kara age 18, and Kassidy age 13. Barry and I have been in ministry together for 25 years and have always said yes to the calling God has placed on both of our lives. In 2019, I was ordained as an elder in the Church of the Nazarene. Currently, my husband and I co-lead pastor a Nazarene church in central Nebraska.
My Grandpa was a pastor in the Wesleyan church and then my parents raised me in the Nazarene Church. I have been a Christian since the age of 7. While attending our annual holiness camp meeting, I stepped out and walked down the aisle to the altar. Even to this day, the old hymn, “Just As I Am,” floods me with memories of that night, the night I accepted Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. I’m grateful to my parents for the commitment they made to church, and then for instilling into me that invaluable commitment. To this day, my parents are active participants in their church, often the first to arrive and the last to leave. Now, as grandparents, they are modeling this commitment to my children.
Becoming a mother has been one of the most challenging parts of my walk with Christ, as I daily recognize my weaknesses and shortcomings. My call to be a godly woman, mother, and wife, filled with God’s presence, is a daily struggle. My need for Christ is absolute. Time in the ministry has not been easy. One thing has been constant, however, and that has been God’s call on my life. His call is evident, which makes going through the hardships bearable. God is continually showing His faithfulness and I can see Him working around me, in the insignificant and substantial areas of my life. My relationship with Him has grown dramatically through the years. My deepest passion is to disciple, not only my daughters, but also others and myself. Spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and taking up His cross daily, is at the center of my being.
"Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it’."
-Matthew 16:24-25
LISTEN
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Early in their marriage, Krystal and her husband, Barry, were working in education and finance (respectively), when they both separately felt God calling them away from their fields and into full-time ministry. They packed up their lives and moved to Kansas City for Barry to go to seminary. Years later, when Krystal had 3 babies and was working full-time, she decided to go to seminary as well.
It was many years– and lots of hard work– before Krystal entered full time ministry herself. God’s timing and plans often look different than we might expect.
WALKING THROUGH THE VALLEY
Many times throughout her 5 years of seminary, she often wanted to give up. It was a challenging season and she didn’t have a clear vision of how it would all turn out. She continued to say “yes” to God, even though she had no idea what it would look like.
We can’t control so much of life– especially where our kids are concerned. We have to release control of things that we love so much and want to hold so tightly.
We must let it go. We must daily release control to The Lord and learn to trust God anew every single day.
Life is all about Jesus Christ. Every single bit of this life– every single day– is dying to Jesus Christ. We have to love HIM more than anything else. More than your kids, more than your job, more than your wealth, more than your relationships.
In order to do this, we must be in God’s word, we must pray, we must pray with fellow believers. You don’t have to do it alone.
It’s a complete and total surrender of your life, of your will, of your control. Saying, “Jesus, you take all of it.”
God is so good and He will never leave us hanging.
CHARACTER OF GOD
God is the God of Hope. He can be trusted. He keeps His promises.
When you are in the darkest night, or the deepest valley, you can hang on to the hope that God promises. He will never leave you.
When we are caught in worry, God is still there. He is still faithful. No matter what happens, God is still with us.
If we truly believe that God will never leave us and that He is faithful to fulfill His promises, then we should be living free from all fear!
We spend a lifetime learning to trust God.
WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST
There is what culture says you are, what your children say you are, what your friends say you are…. These voices can be very loud. It can be very easy in this era of social media to doubt who you are in Christ.
Your true identity is who you are in the core of your being. It’s who God created you to be. It’s remembering that God created you in His image, so you were created to be like Him. We can know that nothing else should be able to come in and tear us down. We were created beautifully, we were created wonderfully, we are His workmanship. However, so often we do not hang on to these things– we allow the enemy to change who we think we are in the core of our being.
You must remember that you are created in God’s image. You have the authority of Christ in you! You no longer have to give power to the things of this world. The devil has no power over you when you are in Christ!
FINAL THOUGHTS
Encouragement for moms… you don’t have to do it alone. You are not alone. Find a community to encourage you and support you.
Get in the Word and pray Scripture over your family. There is power when we speak the Word of God out loud!
WATCH
There is no video this week. We’re so sorry! Videos will be back next week. :)
CONNECT WITH KRYSTAL
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The Collected Podcast is produced by Jes Biondo and edited by Jacob Early. Cover art designed by Ben Biondo.