Hot Takes & Holy Things

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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 

Family Church Students on Instagram 

Family Church Students Linktree 

Family Church 

Family Church on Instagram