From New Age Seeking to Christian Awakening: A Journey of Faith with Jordan Roche

Imagine the impact of a life-altering realization, one that shifts your spiritual compass from New Age exploration to a profound Christian awakening. This is the journey Jordan Roche bravely navigates in our latest episode. The once health coach and spiritual seeker opens up about his personal transformation, revealing how a quest for deeper meaning led him to challenge established norms and ultimately find solace in his newfound faith. With touching anecdotes about his grandmother and a friend named Diane, Jordan exemplifies the profound influence of authentic role models on our spiritual paths.

As we traverse the evolving landscape of faith in modern society, this episode doesn't shy away from the tough questions. Why are so many disenchanted with traditional church experiences? Can spirituality coexist with the pressures of social media, or the enchantment with contemporary phenomena like witchcraft and astrology? Jordan and I tackle these queries head-on, discussing the necessity of churches to present unadulterated truth tempered with love, and the transformative effect of a community that earnestly confronts the real-world issues facing its congregation.

The conversation culminates with practical wisdom for fostering a personal relationship with God amidst a world where distractions abound. Jordan emphasizes the importance of gender-specific support groups and the clarity that faith provides in discerning love from lust, identity, and orientation. He extends a warm invitation to our listeners to engage with him across social media platforms and teases an upcoming book designed to light the way for those seeking spiritual guidance. Join us for an episode that promises to inspire, challenge, and uplift you on your own journey of faith.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 1:00

My guest today is Jordan Roche. Jordan is a podcaster and Christian life coach. He started with health coaching, but was on the side of New Age spirituality, searching for more and hungry for the humans who had followed God and further away from him and from their actions. We welcome Jordan to the podcast. Well, it's so good to have you on the show today, Jordan. How are you doing?

Speaker 2: 1:26

I'm doing great. I'm so happy to be here.

Speaker 1: 1:28

Good to be here. It's good to have a conversation with you.

Speaker 2: 1:32

Yes, definitely.

Speaker 1: 1:33

Well, let's get a chance to get to know you a little better, and the audience as well. So what's the best piece of advice you've ever received?

Speaker 2: 1:45

The best piece of advice I've ever received was actually probably this week. Um, so it's funny. But I was like this is perfect timing. But, um, I so I was just like kind of wondering where God wants me to go next. And a friend of mine was like, well, if you had a year left to live, what would you do? You know, because for so long I've just felt tied to other people and, like as a people pleaser, I do what other people need me to do and kind of fulfill a position for them, because I feel like they need me to be in that position. And I was like, but what is God telling me to do? Where does God need me right now? And so that was really a great piece of advice.

Speaker 1: 2:33

That is good. I like that. So what'd you come up with?

Speaker 2: 2:36

Yeah, I think I'm going to be changing a lot of things in the near future. I think I'm going to be changing a lot of things in the near future. I just was praying about it last night and I had this dream that kind of confirmed it. So I need to talk to some people and see if it aligns with everything. So big changes might be coming soon.

Speaker 1: 3:01

Exciting stuff there. I like that. Yes, definitely yeah. When God tells you to do something, he does kind of throw off your plans that you had going before he talked to you.

Speaker 2: 3:13

So yeah, yep, he sure does.

Speaker 1: 3:15

I'm always curious, jordan, who are some people in your life who have been maybe an inspiration to you, or just someone that's been impactful, if someone you want to give, if people want to give a shout out to you thank you for their impact in your life.

Speaker 2: 3:31

So definitely like growing up, I would say, my grandmother. She was kind of the most godly example of a woman, you know, and very elegant and modest and just so kind Like she always brought joy to so many people and so she's definitely a big part of like my journey and who I am. But more recently, I would say, my friend Diane, who actually just gave me that advice. Just gave me that advice. She is so amazing and has really been a huge part of like my spiritual growth and just knowing that there's so much more than we even know about God and what he, who, he is, you know, and there's just so many like the church is only so much and then there's just like a whole nother world you know.

Speaker 1: 4:29

Exactly.

Speaker 2: 4:31

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 4:33

That's Nihon, the people who come alongside you just the right time in your life to kind of even give you words that maybe you weren't expecting, but they're so impactful.

Speaker 2: 4:41

Yes, yeah, definitely.

Speaker 1: 4:45

So tell us about your personal journey. I'm curious kind of where you've been and where you're headed, and as you tell us kind of where you come from yeah.

Speaker 2: 4:55

Definitely so. I mean I grew up in a Christian home but it was lukewarm. I mean I grew up in a Christian home but it was lukewarm, and I really fell away from the church because of people in my life and got into New Age spirituality and had a lot of health problems that kind of drove me further into that. But because of the false sense of security there, um, I really felt like you know, helping right, like that's why a lot of people stay in it and get into that loop, and so I actually had seven herniated discs in my back and among a lot of other health issues going on, and I was starting to question authority at that point, because I was going to medications and listening to the people in my life who had authority.

Speaker 1: 6:02

Sure.

Speaker 2: 6:04

Like I normally would. Yeah, and everything was getting worse and I was like wait a minute. So then I started questioning, like obviously, doctors and medications and and solutions with all of that. But then it kind of continued and continued and luckily, you know, I started questioning the people who said they were Christian in my life.

Speaker 1: 6:35

Sure.

Speaker 2: 6:36

Because, like they would say one thing and be kind of hypocritical and not live what they're telling me to do, and so you know that led to the rebellion.

Speaker 2: 6:50

Right and yeah, which I think a lot of people experience, which is unfortunate. But but, yeah, so with the coaching. Um, but, but yeah, so with the coaching. I was in the health coaching on the new age side of things with like yoga and meditation, and you know now I'm still in the nutrition and all of that, but I really focus on prayer and the power of that and and the and the deepness and power that God has. That, like I said, isn't really talked about as much in church.

Speaker 1: 7:42

Right as you think about that journey you were on and you said you know people who were Christian. They weren't living the't living the lifestyle that they were, they were professing. How did, what, did God teach you as you were going through those, those, maybe that personal faith struggle? I would call it wrestling, to kind of say what's true and what's not. How do you, how'd you unpack and get back to what really was true?

Speaker 2: 8:00

So I, actually I, I, I was like seeking him. I cause I always kind of felt like I was. I think I had a relationship with him, even though it was the demons in my life at the time, and I just knew that because I had been raised in the church, like I knew that God existed and I knew that he loved me and I wanted that relationship. I sought that relationship but I wasn't doing it right and I started to read my Bible and the first time that I tried reading my Bible I got to in Genesis, God created every green herb and I was like cool, he's okay with me smoking weed and so, and I kind of went back into the world. But then he pulled me back and I actually was listening to a podcast called Heaven and Healing that just exposed so much deception and I related so much to everything she was saying, was saying, and I was just like I'm mind blown and started reading my Bible and I was actually on a road trip where I really do feel like Satan was going to kill me, Like I was rebellious and I said every red flag, I was like I can do it, it's fine. It was like so much pride I.

Speaker 2: 9:49

I did not have the finances but I was like, oh, manifestation, it'll come when I need it, you know. And and then my car was an older car, had not gotten new tires or brakes in a long time and the road trip that I was taking like wasn't planned. I didn't really have any places, I was staying fully booked or anything fully booked or anything. And um, even along the trip, my GPS was saying, like where I was headed into the desert, said heat, heat, yeah, yeah, Said said heat advisory, and like people were dropping dead, Like.

Speaker 2: 10:42

So it was not a good environment that I was going towards and I thankfully end up at a church with my mom's friend in Texas, literally in the center of the United States. I was 17 hours from where I was and 17 hours from where I was going, and I was at this service and they kind of were talking about, you know, like so many things that related to what was going on, and but also like a leap of faith, and I was like is my leap of faith that I need to keep going, you know? And so it was like so much deception I can't but um, but then I actually did continue into San Antonio, where that's where God was like, and so I was going to be going to this park to go eat my lunch that I had prepped for myself. And I pull up and my GPS tells me to turn into this church parking lot.

Speaker 1: 12:04

That's weird yeah.

Speaker 2: 12:08

Well, because the park was like the next turn, okay, but uh. But so it like told me to turn. Then I was like, is there a connection? Like is the park connected to the church? How does this? And so I turned out of the parking lot and back in to where I was going to be going. But it looked really sketchy. There was no one there, it was like this dirt road and I was like I'm going to go eat in the church parking lot instead. And and there was this like prayer garden there. And at first I was kind of parked a little bit below where it was up on a hill, and I just hear come walk with me in the garden, my child and I was like, okay, but let me finish this podcast first.

Speaker 2: 13:00

And I heard it again and I was like okay. And so I grabbed my Bible and my journal and I left my phone. I just was like okay. I walked up into the garden and the walkway on the garden, which I couldn't see before, was a cross, and so I was standing on the cross, yeah, and I just felt this overwhelming peace and presence and I was like, okay, what do I do now? You know? Like, why am I here? What do you need to tell me? And so I went, there was this swing. I sat down next to this chair, so it was like I was sitting with him and I didn't know much about the Bible. I didn't know where I should read and I just was like God, wherever these pages turn, I'm going to read. And so the wind blew and opened up and it was in, I believe, first K. It was in first Kings and um Jeremiaheremiah, but the, the area that I was reading was about elijah fleeing to cities of refuge okay yeah, and then um, and then I literally read turn back from where you came wow

Speaker 2: 14:40

and yeah, and I was like, but I have this thing that I need to go to, that I've already committed to, like I'm still in my mind, like in the world, so much and um. So I was like I actually stayed in a parking lot that night of a gas station and then I reread the verses that morning and I was like I need to turn around, you know, and I ended up having my tire blow out on the way home.

Speaker 1: 15:22

Oh no.

Speaker 2: 15:24

And I would have been in the middle of the desert during a heat advisory.

Speaker 1: 15:29

Not a good place to be.

Speaker 2: 15:31

No, no. So he saved me literally from dying in the desert, but also just my soul and like, that podcast I was listening to the whole time was just like so eye opening and just my dad even said when I got back it was like a 180. I was a totally different person.

Speaker 1: 15:57

That's an incredible story of how God intervened in that moment in your life. As you think about the journey you were on, I think so many people who have drifted away from the church find themselves on a different path. What would you say kind of, besides the fact that you were getting bad advice from people who were Christians, are there other things that were kind of also leading you away from the church and from God at that point in time in your life?

Speaker 2: 16:27

Definitely like the people who were, you know, do as I say, not as I do, and like not living as an example, but I think also just society as a whole like was promoting all of these things that are demonic and not of God. And so, you know, as a young woman, you just want to fit in, and especially with social media now it's like, oh, it's trendy to be a witch or it's trendy to do your horoscopes and all this stuff, and like it's just, it's so like backwards, you know. And so I think a lot of just the guidance in my life at that time, like my friends who were, I felt, more mature or like knew more, were doing all those things, and I was like, oh well, like their lives seem pretty good, like let's check this out, you know. And so it's just like a snowball effect of deception.

Speaker 1: 17:40

If you could, if the church could have done something to be more helpful for you. What would that have been?

Speaker 2: 17:47

I think, definitely speaking more of the truth and I was just talking about this with a friend the other day but like the truth about the deception, instead of like having more people into the church. Obviously we want that, but we need to speak the truth versus just, oh, Jesus loves you no matter what you do. You know and he does like, but we got to tell him like, repent and turn from your sins, versus continue living in them.

Speaker 1: 18:23

But I think the church sometimes worries that that message you just said will turn people off and you're saying, no, that's what you need to hear more of, not the watered down. Hey, do the easy thing. It's okay to live your life, enjoy life, it'll be okay, right.

Speaker 2: 18:41

Exactly, yeah, and I think for me, like where I was I, I would have definitely felt convicted, and I think that's why people wouldn't immediately be like, oh, this isn't accepting, you're judging me. But I think there's a balance between judging someone for those sins and being like I was in your position. I've been there. This is why, like this, I want you to feel what I feel and get off the drugs and get off the alcohol and the sex and whatever it is you know, and and just like the truth in love. And I think that a lot of people are so focused on judging and shamefully saying the truth rather than that truth in love, and there's definitely a balance there.

Speaker 1: 19:36

I love that as you think about kind of your generation. You know the church has a perception of young people. What would you say the biggest misconception the church has about your generation?

Speaker 2: 19:50

Honestly, I feel like the biggest misconception would be the fact that they are not seeking God, because I think they are so much and that's why they're getting into all of these things. Because, you know, in new age spirituality and at, for me, music festivals and and all of these things, like I felt so seen and loved and and more so than I had at the church, like because it felt more judged at the church and it's just a bunch of broken people trying to show each other love and compassion that weren't shown by the church and their families, and like it's so sad. And now at the church that I'm at, they actually are transparent. The elders that I know now tell me about their addictions and about their past and are free and living in that freedom versus, you know, a generation that is just like still feeling their own shame and then judging you for doing the same thing.

Speaker 1: 22:05

Like so. So having the so, not being transparent about the fact that you also had struggles as a young person, you, you felt like having a connection with real people, with real lives, with real problems, is the most helpful thing the church could do. Not hide and mask their problems, but say, yeah, I get what you're going through, Even though you may not directly understand, because we didn't have I mean, I'm almost 60. We didn't have social media, as you guys did, where every single mistake we've ever made is amplified and around the world in a matter of minutes. It took a lot longer for your mistakes to get out there.

Speaker 2: 22:46

So true, and I think that's like such a huge part of it too, because it's like, ok, you're forgiven and you're, you no longer need to carry that shame, but but you posted it and or, like, someone else has this picture of you or this video of you. So, yeah, it's definitely more difficult with that.

Speaker 1: 23:06

I love that. So tell us about the church right now, cause I'm curious. You say you love the church right now because it it is. Are there other aspects about your church that if you could tell the church? This is a model of why I like this church. It may be helpful for those who are listening at any church.

Speaker 2: 23:36

The moment I walked in and like they, the greeters are so amazing, and I actually was late the first time and I like went by myself to the pew and a woman from the greeters team saw me and you know they really focus on if we haven't seen this person before, we need to talk to them and keep them here, basically. And so she like came up and was like is this your first time here? And I was like yeah, and she was like welcome, I'm so happy you're here.

Speaker 2: 24:01

And like give me a hug. She gave me like a little welcome bag and, um, that same day the pastor was preaching about deception and the truth and things that I literally was like Whoa, like um, the the book. The book called conversations with God. He was talking about that and I had recently like read that and thought, you know, oh, this is like cool, like great, god loves us. We can do whatever we want. And so it was just like perfect timing and like so filled with the Holy Spirit, like the presence of the Lord was just in that room and the music, like the worship too, was so powerful. Like the moment I walked in, people were like worshiping God and like really into it and you just feel that. And so I think worship is a huge part of praise, and especially in a world where the enemy has taken over the music industry really and we're worshiping false idols. So why can't we worship God in the same way that we worship them?

Speaker 1: 25:23

Exactly true, I wonder. You know we often talk about how important music style is. Is it the style or is it the fact that people were letting their love for God show through in the worship? I'm always curious. Is it a both and or is it a particular style? To me, no matter what style you're doing, if people know that you are celebrating and worshiping God, whether it's traditional hymns or praise music, it's more about. I can sense the people there really want to be there versus not seeming as though they're happy to be there Is that something that you notice as well?

Speaker 2: 26:07

Definitely, yeah, and because I like there's now that I've, you know, looked because I loved music my whole life and so looking now for more genres of Christian music is so helpful. Because I think you know we kind of like I for my whole life was like I hate rap music and so like vulgar even before I was saved, like it just was raunchy and I was like.

Speaker 2: 26:28

I don't want that Like it's, I don't want it. And now there's a few like rap, Christian rap songs that are glorifying God, and I'm like yes, and so I think like it's just based on your personal preference with like the genre, but as long as it's glorifying God and you can tell that it's moving your spirit, like I think that's so powerful, and just like you said, with the people at the church during the service are clearly loving on God. You know and you can feel it.

Speaker 1: 27:03

That's awesome. I'm curious what are you excited about as you think about where you are now compared to where you are now before? What are you most excited about in this phase of your life?

Speaker 2: 27:15

Yeah, Um, most excited is honestly, like just to see where God takes me. Like I said in the beginning, I have kind of been avoiding what he did want because I was afraid of it and like because so my whole life I really I was, since I was a people pleaser I was really scared to be vulnerable and say what I actually wanted and what was in my heart, and so doing that is really is kind of scary for me and, I think, for a lot of people. So I am excited to follow that, that, what God put in my heart, a reason, and see where he takes me and just take a leap of faith.

Speaker 1: 28:05

Amazing If you had a message for people who were where you were before wandering, trying to kind of connect back with God again. What message do you have for those who are still kind of like I know God wants something different for me to my life is now. What advice would you have for them?

Speaker 2: 28:27

My advice would probably be just seek God first above all else. Like, don't, because you can surround yourself with Christians, you can surround yourself with people who say they know God, but that doesn't make you know God, and I think a lot of people do that and focus on oh, I need to be at church every day, I need to go serve, I need to go to this small group, and those are amazing. But you need to know God yourself because we all have our own individual relationship with him and purpose from him, and no one else can tell you that except for God, and and and also just like be sober and vigilant, like sober minded I. I for so long was so, not sober, and I was lost in that time of my life and I think it's so important, in order to have that relationship with God, to have a sober mind. Otherwise, it's just like wishy-washy in there and anxious.

Speaker 1: 29:36

Most definitely If you could describe for the church you were kind of going. What kind of community are people like yourself looking for? What are a couple of things that are really important for that community to have to make someone who is coming back to church feel welcomed again.

Speaker 2: 29:55

Yeah, I think again, with the transparency, so that you don't feel judged or intimidated. But also, um, one thing that recently God like put in my heart from to to do at my church was to get young women together, because we have a a young adults group and we have a youth group. But I think it's so important to have, like, your gender together, without the other one, so that you can really understand what you're all going through, because you know, even though you're around your peers, if they're different genders, you're going to have that. You know you're going to have that. You know. Hold back in your mind to be fully vulnerable and and I think it's so powerful to have strong relationships with, as women, with the other women in your life who are Christian, and talk about those things that you can't talk about with guys and and on the other side, same thing. There, you know it's so important to build that, those relationships versus just seeking a partner, you know Right.

Speaker 1: 31:12

When you, when you mentioned partner. It's interesting I noticed that younger people, especially with the things that the world are kind of teaching and kind of instilling in them, that the whole relationship thing has been kind of thrown upside down, for young people Like guys are having a hard time finding girls who are conservative, who are in terms of their beliefs and want a spouse and want to connect with someone who have a Christian background. Have you noticed that's a big problem with your generation too, that there just seems to be a real lack of how do you find the right kind of spouse, the right kind of mate, cause, cause society has messed that up so badly.

Speaker 2: 31:52

Definitely. I struggled with that myself and for so many years I was like I don't want kids, I don't like, I don't need, I don't want to deal with them. You know all of this. Now, all I want to do is be married and have kids, but, but I think so many people in my generation also don't want to have kids and but they do want to have sex. I think, yeah, and I think society, especially with social media, has really corrupted the order of a relationship and how it should go, and you know that we replace love with lust and people don't even know what a deep, intimate relationship is. They don't actually know what love is. And I think that's why so many people in the younger generation need Jesus, because that's the only way to fully understand love, because he is love, you know, and it's like for me, because, yeah, because for me, I always sought, like love and other people and to be. I always just wanted to be loved and to love someone else and all I really needed was Jesus.

Speaker 1: 33:12

Right, I think you made a really interesting point there, I think, because we have gotten away from God being what love is. Love has now been defined by movies, by TV, by music, by social media, and none of those things are lasting and those things are just empty. But if we get back to that connection with God being the source of love and that love flows from him, I think we better connect with each other.

Speaker 2: 33:39

Oh yeah, I, my relationships, like even just friendships and everything like have gotten so much better and deeper since following God, because I am able to be transparent. I don't need to feel shame, I can talk about things I would never have talked about. You know, you know.

Speaker 1: 34:01

Yeah, this has been great. Anything, I haven't asked you that I should have asked you.

Speaker 2: 34:09

Um, I don't think so there. Um, one thing that I did want to mention again with you know, the sex and and and love and how we are so deceived right now is, towards the end of my new ageness and getting saved. I was so confused because of brokenness and people telling me this and that and and my trauma, that I literally had come out as pansexual. I'm like, well, I love everyone, right, like which, I think anyone who, anyone who thinks they're pansexual just needs Jesus, Cause they, they do love everyone. They just don't need to have sex with everyone. And that's where I was. I was like, well, what's the point If I know, I ultimately want to be with a man? Like I don't understand. It was so confused and like I thank God every day because I just I thought I was going crazy. I was like going to be ruining a multiple friendships. It was just like so toxic.

Speaker 1: 35:21

Right, no, that's. That's very insightful. I hadn't thought about that part of it, but I'm glad you mentioned that, because a lot of people do seem very confused about their identity, because their identity is not through God, it's through something else, and if your identity is through your sexuality or your sexual preference, I think you kind of missed the creation of who you really are through God.

Speaker 2: 35:45

Exactly. And when you're a people pleaser and you're just trying to be something for everyone else and then sex gets involved, you will say, oh, I'm this because I just need that love, I just want to be loved, and so if you love me, I'll be this for you, you know. And so, yeah, it's so much, very insightful.

Speaker 1: 36:03

So, jordan, I always like to ask my guests this question what do you want your legacy to be?

Speaker 2: 36:11

I I definitely want to just share the truth. I think my legacy is just sharing my story and truth. I think my legacy is just sharing my story and so many parts of it. Like one of the things I had been avoiding and that God was like you should do this, I need you to do this was was public speaking and sharing my story, because I have so many things that I actually was telling a friend from church and she's like your life sounds like a movie and I was like I didn't realize like that so much had happened. But now that you're saying that I do have a lot I could I could tell people about. So definitely just sharing everything God has done in my life and and to be able to touch other people and make heaven crowded.

Speaker 1: 37:07

That's great. So you have a book right there. Right, you should be writing a book right now.

Speaker 2: 37:13

I actually am, that's great, great minds.

Speaker 1: 37:20

Take a look. Yes, amen, that's great see great minds.

Speaker 2: 37:28

Take a look, yes, amen. Well, jordan, thanks so much for being on the podcast. What can people find you on social media and connect with you? Yes, thank you so much for inviting me and, um, so you can find me on Jordan J-O-R-D-A-N, underscore Roche R-O-C-H-E, and on Facebook, too, jordan Roche. And then I'm also on TikTok and that's Jordy J-O-R-D-E-E, underscore R-E-E-D. But my website also has like a lot of them. So if you go to BeKindToFutureYoucom, you can find a lot of free resources and the links to all of my social media.

Speaker 1: 38:11

Well, jordan, thanks so much and I'm so glad that we had this opportunity to kind of share how God's been blessing you and the journey God's taken you on, and blessings on that book you're writing, and may it inspire other people to start that journey as well, those who have drifted away.

Speaker 2: 38:27

Yes, thank you so much. It's been such a blessing to share with you and hopefully touch a lot of lives.

Speaker 1: 38:32

Me. I hope so.

Speaker 2: 38:35

Yes.