#74 – How Questions and Stories Shape Faith

Welcome to season eight of Presently Engaged with Mandy Pallock. Here you’ll find short, friendly, Jesus-focused encouragement to live intentionally right where you are. And now for your host, Mandy Pallock. You know that I love a good question.

Asking questions and listening well can take every relationship you have deeper. In this season, we are diving deep into questions in Scripture because as we look to the Bible, we look to the very best source. We will then end the podcast with a Scripture reading anchoring us in the truth of God’s word before you go on with your day. This will give us the opportunity to center our minds on Jesus and our hearts on his word because lives will change as we engage with God’s word.

I wonder if you could help me with something. Would you consider texting this podcast right now to a friend or to someone that you’re mentoring? Listen in and then join me at PresentlyEngaged.com. I am so grateful for your time and glad that you are here because you friend are making a difference.

Welcome back to Presently Engaged, the podcast where curiosity leads us to deeper connections and meaning and mentoring and faith. I’m your host, Mandy Pallock, and today we’re exploring a beautiful pattern woven throughout Scripture, how questions and memorials work together to pass faith from one generation to the next. The model for this podcast, Presently Engaged, is that you’ll find short, friendly, Jesus-focused encouragement to live intentionally right where you are. So take a moment and consider where you are.

Where are you physically? Where are you emotionally? Where are you spiritually? As you listen to this episode, I invite you to be present and engage in the moments Jesus is bringing your way right now.

You are here. Let’s be present together. Have you ever held an old family photograph, turned it over in your hands, and asked, who is this? Or maybe your child once pointed to a strange object on your bookshelf and asked, what’s that for?

I have a little canoe figurine sitting on my bookshelf. It may look like a pretty decoration, but it’s an object that my husband Peter gave me when he asked me to marry him, symbolizing his desire and request that we would be in the same boat together, rowing together in the river of life. So what looks like a pretty little figurine on a bookshelf becomes a story of romance and legacy and interest when I share that story with my kid. Moments like these are sacred opportunities, questions that open the door to deeper stories and richer meaning and lasting legacy.

And today we’re going to walk through a few key moments in Israel’s history, moments when God designed visible reminders that invited curiosity. He knew that when his people remembered his works and retold his story, their faith would grow strong and be passed on. So whether you’re parenting, mentoring, or simply sharing the spiritual culture in your home or community, I call that discipleship, you’re involved in discipleship, and this episode is for you. Let’s begin not in Genesis this time, but in Egypt.

In Exodus 2, verses 23 through 25, we read that the Israelites groaned under slavery. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God, and God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel, and God knew. Their cry wasn’t polished or eloquent.

It was desperate, and it reached to heaven. That raw, guttural cry became the spark of their deliverance. God responded not only by sending Moses, but by setting in motion a story of redemption filled with symbol timing and design, a story meant to be told again and again. Fast forward to the night before their escape from slavery in Egypt.

God gives precise instructions for the first Passover, how to mark their doors, how to prepare the meal, what to wear. But right in the middle of these logistics, he embeds a teaching strategy. Let’s look at Exodus 12, 25 through 27. And when you come to the land that the Lord will give you, as he promised, you shall keep this service.

And when your children say to you, what do you mean by this service? You shall say, it is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when he struck the Egyptians, but spared our homes, and the people bowed their heads and worshiped. Did you catch that? That phrase, when your children ask.

The Passover meal wasn’t just a ritual, it was a relational moment designed to raise questions. God built curiosity into the very structure of this tradition and this worship. The table became a classroom and the meal became a memory. That one phrase, when your children ask, became the foundation of the Jewish faith formation.

In every generation, children at the Passover table still ask those four questions. Why is this night different from all other nights? Those questions, they’re simple, but they represent something profound. God made curiosity part of the faith formation.

Instead of monologues, God designed dialogues. Instead of rote recitation, he chose tangible experiences that you could taste and smell and touch and see and pass from one to another. Unleavened bread, bitter herbs, reclining postures, all these experiences to invite wonder. Questions create space for discovery.

That’s exactly what we see here. God using the natural curiosity of children to transmit eternal truth. Eternal truth for you and me, even today. Now, fast forward to Joshua 4.

The Israelites have crossed the Jordan River on dry ground, a second miracle of deliverance, and then God tells Joshua. He says, take up each of you a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, what do these stones mean to you? Then you shall tell them, so these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.

Again, that divine pattern, a visible reminder, a curious child, a sacred story. God could have required a formal creed or a detailed lecture. Instead, he asked his people to stack stones. Because God knows how memory and meaning work, it moves forward through stories and tangible reminders.

He created us to remember through senses and stories, and those stones weren’t just rocks, they were conversation sparks and starters. They connected future generations to past faithfulness. Every stone whispered, God was here, God acted, God saved. You and I, we may not have a pile of Jordan River rocks in our living room, but I bet you have something close.

Look around your space right now, a valued photo, a dog-eared Bible, an antique camera, a travel keepsake, a handwritten recipe, a piece of artwork, a calorie shell. Every object holds a story. Now, I’m not suggesting that you hold on to clutter just because it might be a great conversation starter someday. I am suggesting that we can curate wise intentional moments, even through the memorials we feature in our homes and in our lives.

Every story can become a stone of remembrance. So here’s a simple challenge for us this week. Identify a stone, choose one item that carries meaning, a reminder of God’s faithfulness or your family’s story, and craft a question. Imagine someone pointing to it and asking, what’s that?

Why do you keep that? And be ready with a story. It might kick off with something like, let me tell you about the time God showed up, or this reminds me of a promise we’re still holding on to, or this helps us remember who we are and where we’ve come from. This friend is how faith travels from heart to heart through real stories in response to genuine curiosity.

And even if you don’t see the curiosity, I guarantee you that those young hearts are listening. And if you’re a parent or grandparent or mentor or small group leader, this practice is gold. Create an environment where asking is safe and answering is relational. You don’t need a theology degree.

I’m really glad for that. You simply need presence and honesty. Because the next time someone notices that object and asks about it, it’s not just small talk. You are on sacred ground.

God didn’t just command his people to remember. He designed for curiosity to keep those memories alive. When a child asks why, or a friend wonders, how did you know God was real? That’s an opportunity, a doorway, a chance to tell the story again.

Because faith that is remembered is faith that is repeated. And faith that is questioned is faith that grows strong. So this week over dinner or coffee or Lego building or a board game, try one family question. What object that you can see right now reminds you of God’s faithfulness?

Just ask it as a conversation starter. What object that you can see right now reminds you of God’s faithfulness. You could also keep it simple and ask a question by holding up an object and saying, does anyone remember the story behind this? Just one question over one meal.

That is how stories start. That is how memories are made. It’s worth repeating. Faith that is remembered is faith that is repeated.

And a faith that is questioned is faith that can grow strong. God always used tangible reminders, stones, meals, altars to help his people remember his faithfulness. And sometimes those reminders show up in the most unexpected places like a Sunday morning children’s service. At our church, whenever children join the main service, we have a moment everyone looks forward to called stump the pastor.

Music starts playing, the kids come jumping onto the stage, and one of them is holding a paper bag with something hidden inside, an object the pastor has never seen before. The pastor reaches in and with everyone watching, wondering what he’ll find this time. Sometimes he’ll pull out a toy figurine. I’ve seen a shoelace and a Rubik’s cube and a pacifier.

I’ve seen a stuffed animal, a key chain and even a chocolate bar. And then comes the challenge. Right there in real time, the pastor has to take that random object and connect it to a truth about God. And you know what?

Every single time he does. And I’ve learned something I cannot forget. There is no part of creation that doesn’t point back to its creator. Psalm 19 says the heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

So take a cue from stump the pastor and let it change how you see your everyday surroundings. Now, when I pick up a misplaced toy or a mug from a favorite trip or a cozy throw blanket, I can pause and ask, how does this object remind me of Jesus? Because when we slow down long enough to ask that question, the ordinary becomes extraordinary. You are redeeming your time with disciple making moments.

Our shelves and drawers and homes are full of these modern memorials. Everyday objects that whisper, God was faithful right here. This reminds me of God’s goodness here. This reminds me of God’s kindness and sovereignty here.

So here’s another gentle challenge this week. Pick up one object nearby. It could be something that sits unnoticed on a shelf or tucked away in a drawer and hold it in your hand and think and pray. And then ask, what truth does this remind me of?

Maybe it’s this reminds me that God provides when I least expect it. Perhaps it’s this helps me remember that God restores what’s broken. It could be this shows that God delights in beauty and detail and then tell someone that story at dinner on a walk in the carpool line. We’ve discovered in our home that the items around us tell stories of God’s faithfulness if we take the time to tell them.

And as our children here and join in those stories, they’re learning that faith and family flourish through curiosity and conversation and they’re learning that they have a part in the story as well. You and I are living memorials. Every answered prayer, every redemption story, every remember when God moment, these are the stones that we stack for those who follow us, those who live with us, those who watch us. And when we tell those stories, we don’t just recall the past.

We reaffirm God’s character in the present. The greatest indicator of what God is going to do is what God has already done. So let’s live expectantly believing that questions will come and be ready with stories that point to the God who saves, the God who provides, the God who redeems, that he’s Emmanuel, the God who is there, God with us. Thank you for joining me today on Presently Engaged.

Remember, every question is an invitation, every story you tell becomes a stone of remembrance. Every moment of wonder points back to the God who hears, delivers, and says when your children ask, you shall tell them. If this episode sparked a memory or inspired a stone of your own, I’d love to hear about it. Tag me on Instagram at mandy underscore Pallock or visit presentlyengaged.com to share your story.

Until next time, stay curious, stay connected, and stay presently engaged. What is the key to guiding young people or strengthening your marriage, friendships, and family wasn’t about having all the answers, but learning to ask the right questions? I’m Mandy Pallock, and I recently hosted a streaming conversation series with 15 Jesus-loving visionaries about what it looks like to build resilient relationships with the people you love the most. You’ll hear from voices like Dr.

Jeff Meyers, President of Summit Ministries, Aaron Davis, and Lori Ferguson-Wilbert award-winning writers and teachers, Dr. Jonathan Rogers, storyteller and author, and Phil Lawler, co-creator of Adventures in Odyssey, and many more. And the feedback has been powerful. The talks were motivating and practical.

One person said it made me think intentionally. Someone else told me that talk encouraged me and the things God is calling me to do. One participant shared, I love how focused the talks were on my relationship with God before focusing on building relationships with others. Friend, these conversations are free to watch, and they’ll encourage you to invest deeply in the relationships that matter most.

So you can find the replay today at curiousconversations.org. That’s curiousconversations.org. And now, back to questions in Scripture. To close, we’ll center ourselves again in God’s Word.

In Matthew 6, Jesus asks eight questions, each one probing our priorities and drawing our hearts back to trust in the Father. He even uses common everyday illustrations of birds and clothes and food to illustrate God’s goodness and faithfulness. Let’s listen together for those questions and memorials as we read. Matthew 6, this is the Word of the Lord.

Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets to be honored by others. Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep babbling like pagans for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

This, then, is how you should pray. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one. For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.

But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do for they disfigure their faces to show others they’re fasting. Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting but only to your Father who is unseen.

And your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moths and vermin destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moths and vermin do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is there your heart will be also.

The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness?

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink or about your body, what you will wear.

Is not the life more than food and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air. They do not sow or reap or store away in barns. And yet, your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any of you by worrying at a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow?

They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon and all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, you of little faith? So do not worry saying, what shall we eat?

Or what shall we drink? Or what shall we wear? For the pagans run after all these things and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. God’s word is for you, friend. Can you imagine not being able to read it or listen to it in your own heart language?

The language that you think in, dream in, and speak in? Biblical is a global ministry, innovating new ways to reach people with the Bible. My husband, Peter, and I have supported their work for almost 10 years, and we’d like to invite you to join us. Biblical’s mission is to end gospel poverty wherever it is found.

So as your heart was blessed by today’s reading of God’s word, please visit Biblical.com to support translating and distributing the Bible in someone else’s heart language. God’s word and people are the two things from this world we take into eternity. Together, we can provide the Bible in accurate contemporary translations and formats so that Bible-less people experience the word of God in a language they understand. Two dollars delivers a Bible to a waiting community.

How might God include your family in translating God’s word, delivering Bibles to frontline churches, and sharing the love of Jesus? Send truth, hope, and God’s word at Biblical.com. And now, as we conclude, a blessing for you from 2nd Thessalonians 1-11-12. May our God make you worthy of his calling and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you and him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.