Tim Pollard teaches 3rd graders at Tulip Grove Baptist Church. He’s passionate about helping kids dig deep into Scripture, which he pursues through his daily work as leader of the Explore the Bible: Kids team. Tim lives with his wife and daughters in Mount Juliet, TN.
At Explore the Bible we have a great resource called Explore the Bible On Location. These videos are hosted videos and from time to time we hear from churches who want to know a little bit more about our hosts. Over the next few months, we are going to give you a little glimpse behind the scenes of Explore the Bible On Location and let you meet our hosts. We’ve asked them a few questions and thought you might enjoy getting to know them a little bit more.
ETB: Tell us about yourself.
Kaileigh: I was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and grew up in the small town of Wagoner, Oklahoma. I have one younger brother, Kolton. My family and I moved to Nashville when I graduated from high school and I attended Belmont University where I majored in Music Business. I love to sing, tap and clog dance, act, and play fiddle. I also LOVE to read. My favorite book is Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.
ETB: If you could travel anywhere you wanted, where would you go?
Kaileigh: I would love to visit Italy!
ETB: What is your favorite childhood memory?
Kaileigh: When I was 4 years old, my parents and I took a trip to Florida. We got to our hotel pretty late and I asked if I could go swimming. I must have known the answer would be no, but, to my surprise, my mom not only said I could go swimming but that I could go swimming in my regular clothes! I thought that was just about the coolest thing in the world and I’ve never forgotten it.
ETB: As a kid, who was someone in your church/in the faith you looked up to?
Kaileigh: I have always really looked up to my mom, Gayle. She is such a Godly woman and has been such a rock for our family my whole life. She’s the biggest reason I know Jesus as my Savior. I have also always looked up to a lady named Jo Musser from Hulbert, OK. She has one of the kindest hearts of anyone I’ve ever known. She loves people unconditionally and always was so encouraging to me. She recently reached out to me to share that her church in Tahlequah, OK uses the Explore the Bible curriculum and has been so encouraging about my involvement with Explore the Bible.
ETB: How did you come to know the Lord?
Kaileigh: I grew up in the church learning about Jesus, but when I was 8 years old, I remember talking to my mom and dad on their bed one Sunday morning and feeling like something was missing. We were in between churches at the time, so my dad was leading us in our own Bible study that morning. I started crying because I felt this void that I didn\’t fully understand. My mom explained again what it meant to put my faith in Jesus and it was as if I was hearing it for the first time. I knew He was what I was missing. I accepted Christ that day sitting on my mom and dad’s bed and I’ve never been the same since!
ETB: Tell us about your church and how you serve there.
Kaileigh: I am a member of a church in Hendersonville, TN. I have been involved with the music there for several years and love it. I teach 5th-grade Children’s Choir on Wednesday nights and enjoy singing on the Praise & Worship Team or in the Adult Choir on Sunday mornings. I love getting to praise the Lord through song and teaching kids how to do the same!
ETB: What is your favorite Bible verse? Why?
Kaileigh: Philippians 4:6-7. One thing I struggle with a lot is fear and I worry about things way more than I should sometimes. This is not what the Lord wants for us because He has not given us a spirit of fear. These verses are such a beautiful reminder that God cares about everything in our lives and I can talk to Him about anything and everything. The God of the Universe knows me and cares about the smallest details of my life! These verses remind me how loved I am by my Savior.
ETB: Tell us about a recent lightbulb moment you had while studying Scripture.
Kaileigh: I’ve always been a little confused by Luke 14:26-27. How could I ever \’hate\’ my mom!? My dad!? The last couple of years, the Lord has really been teaching me the meaning of these verses. I think if I\’m being completely honest, I have spent a lot of my life caring more about what my mom thought than what the Lord thought (even though I believe many times those went hand-in-hand). The Lord has been showing me that I am His child. As an adult, I answer only to Him. Although I love and respect my mom more than anyone else in this world, I know that if there is something I feel the Lord is leading me to do that she maybe doesn\’t understand or approve of, I have to follow what the Lord wants over what she wants. My love for God should make the love for my mom look like hate. He must come first in my life, even over the family I love dearly. For a family as close as mine is, sometimes that’s hard, but that’s part of what He’s teaching me right now and I\’m thankful.
ETB: What is God teaching you right now?
Kaileigh: Lately, God has been reminding me that He can redeem anything. All of my mistakes, my family’s mistakes, our heartache, missed opportunities, expectations, wasted time, fear, etc. My family and I have been going through a lot over the past year and it’s easy to feel like things will never be right again or that things are ruined forever. While I believe there are consequences for our actions, I also believe in the power of redemption. The Lord really DOES work all things together for the good of those who love Him. I believe He can use anything to achieve His will.
ETB: What’s something about God that amazes you and draws your heart to worship?
Kaileigh: One thing that amazes me is that the God of the Universe knows my name. Not only does He know my name, He knows the number of hairs on my head! I think sometimes we take that knowledge for granted. That always draws my heart to worship!
ETB: Why do you enjoy helping kids explore the Bible?
Kaileigh: Kids have always held such a special place in my heart. Their innocence and ability to learn make them so precious and it has always been incredibly important to me to teach children about Jesus and to encourage them in this life.
ETB: What’s your funniest or favorite ETB moment?
Kaileigh: Probably the funniest ETB moment was watching Joel try to clog and watching him interact with my clogging students. I love getting to do sessions with Joel! I get a good ab workout from laughing so hard! Ha!
As far as my favorite ETB moment goes, I really enjoyed getting to sing My Jesus I Love Thee during the recording studio session. That really is one of my all-time favorite songs!
ETB: Have you met any ETB kids? What was that like?
Kaileigh: Yes! My home church in Muskogee, OK uses the Explore the Bible curriculum and I had the opportunity to visit with them when I was home this past summer. We watched that week’s session and they had the chance to ask me anything they wanted, from things about Explore the Bible and Joel to personal questions. It was so special getting to talk directly to the kids I talk to on camera each session and to hear how much they enjoy the videos.
ETB: What’s your biggest hope for the kids watching OR If you could say one thing to the kids watching, what would it be?
Kaileigh: My biggest hope for the kids watching is that they will hear and take to heart the message we share. I want them to know that following Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior was the best decision I’ve ever made and it will be the best, most important decision they will ever make as well. I want them to know how loved they are by God and how much I believe they will be used for the good of the Kingdom of God!
Check out Explore the Bible for Kids HERE!
Tell It Again!
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