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Speaker: Welcome everyone to
Faith and Purpose podcast.

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Each episode of this podcast contains the
personal testimony of an ordinary person

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transformed by an extraordinary God.

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My name is Kaylin and I'm
here to introduce this podcast

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for my friend Jesse Duke.

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Jesse is a husband, father, author,
life recovery guide, lay counselor,

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and small group leader, but his
most important role is disciple.

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As a disciple of Jesus.

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Jesse created this podcast to help other
believers tell their faith stories.

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We'll be hearing the personal
testimonies of all sorts of people

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who have one thing in common,
Jesus has transformed their lives.

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Jesus used parables because he created
us to learn best through story.

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And as we listen to how God has worked
in others lives, we find encouragement

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and inspiration for our own faith walk.

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Whether you are already a believer or
just a curious seeker, we believe that

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as you listen to these stories, you will
be encouraged on your own faith journey.

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We are sure that God can speak to you
through one of these episodes and that you

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will see that our Heavenly Father truly
works all things together for our good.

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When we simply love and trust him.

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If you are currently going through a
trial, we believe that you will come

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to see that your troubles, heartbreaks,
and failures are not gravestones, but

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stepping stones into new life in Christ.

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Here's Jesse with today's guest.

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MacBook Air Microphone-1: Welcome
everybody to faith and purpose podcast.

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Today I had my friend, Eric
Linden here to tell his story.

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And how you doing today, Eric?

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I am blessed to be here with you, Jesse.

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we've prayed.

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And we've prepared.

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So let's just see what the
Lord has to say through you.

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All right.

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I was born in Decatur, Alabama.

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In 1962.

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And in 1966, my family was highlighted
in the Decatur daily newspaper with a

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father's day photo of me, my mom, my
older sister, all surrounding my dad

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and I Dylan image of a happy family.

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Everyone smiling.

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If only that image would last.

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By the time I turned six,
my parents were divorced.

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During a routine custody weekend
with my dad, my sister and

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I were taken to Birmingham.

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Where we ended up spending
the next three months.

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At the end of that time, I had
been introduced to a woman who

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would become my stepmother.

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And two young girls who
would be my new step sisters.

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I didn't see my mother
again for six years.

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My father kept moving a surround
begin in the California bay area

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over 2000 miles from my home.

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I attended three different first grades is
my father attempted to hide us kids from

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anyone who might be trying to find us.

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From there.

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I lift the typical elementary
school kids live Cub Scouts,

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little league baseball, but.

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There was something lurking.

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Early on in this time, I was suffering
from terror attacks at night.

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I woke up in fear and fright.

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I heard noises and was convinced
that there was someone in

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the house looking for me.

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I woke up at times, literally tingling
with numbness shaken by my nightmares.

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At school, I was distracted.

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My parents were told that it would take a
two by four to get my attention in class.

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At home.

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I walked in fear of upsetting
my stepmother, who would use the

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metal spatula on my backside.

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If I happened to interrupt
her daily nap or.

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Somehow disappoint my father.

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I lived with that pit of your stomach
ache through most of my childhood.

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After four years of this new
family, my father's relationship

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with his second wife decade.

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During the stressful time I asked
my father, if I could call my mom.

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Whom I hadn't either seen or
spoken to in roughly five years.

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My father hit me that night.

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I had a bruise over my eye for months.

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As the marriage spiral that got loud.

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One night, my sisters and I huddled
in a room away from our shouting

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parents and we called the police to
come and end the chaos of the night.

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Soon thereafter, my
father was divorced again.

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That's my father's world crumbled.

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He decided against being
a father any longer.

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He sent his 12 year old
son back to Alabama.

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And into the arms of his mother
and his 17 year old daughter

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was left to fend for herself.

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Life, however, didn't
improve much back into cater.

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My mom had married a guy
she'd met in the bar.

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second marriage for each of them,
meaning I inherited another step

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sister and two step brothers.

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Fortunately, my new stepfather
didn't have custody, but every

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other weekend, our house got
crowded with three new inhabitants.

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Another thing that was different
was that my mother had a job.

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She worked at the local hospital
and I became a latchkey kid.

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My stepfather was a mess.

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He suffered from
depression and alcoholism.

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There were multiple times when he was away
for a few weeks or months for treatment.

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Almost two years into this life
I inherited in you half brother.

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We've got a little complicated because
my mother's alcoholism adversely

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affected her his health at birth.

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I pretty much coasted through life
because I was not the focus of either

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parent and my father ignored me
focused on his third wifi, My mother

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and I attended the same church we
had attended when I was much younger.

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I enjoyed singing in the children's
choir and learning how to read music.

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Around two years after moving back home.

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My mother's marriage was on the rocks.

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My stepfather had become
abusive to both of us.

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My mother took my half brother
and me to Dustin Florida.

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We attended a small church, which
celebrated the working of the holy spirit.

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And that was a catalyst in my
development as a young Christian.

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Living on the coast.

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I love being able to fish and catch crabs.

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Life was really fun.

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I spent every available
minute at the water.

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Then my stepfather came for a visit.

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Next thing.

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I knew my mother was leaving for Decatur.

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Leaving me alone with the associate
pastor of our church and his family.

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Three months later, I finished seventh
grade and I was driven to Pensacola

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and placed on a Greyhound bus for
a 12 hour ride back to Decatur.

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Alone.

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My mother's reunion with my
stepfather did not go well.

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Within a few months, we had packed up
again and headed for a new sanctuary.

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My aunt and uncle's home in Huntsville.

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No more step family.

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However, my half-brother
and I now had two cousins.

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Adjusting to a new extended
family was difficult.

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But a very loving aunt and
uncle softened, this transition.

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My mother half-brother and I lived
with this family for nine months.

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I attended the local high school,
but never fit in very well.

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Being the new kid in town.

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I had no friends gradually.

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I made acquaintances and then friendships.

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Back in the seventies, it was
not a badge of honor for a kid to

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qualify for free meals at school.

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My clothes didn't fit in either.

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And I was a poor kid
in an affluent school.

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I started working part-time at
a grocery store when I was 15.

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I had free access to
cigarettes and adult magazines.

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I learned how to make some poor choices
and there wasn't any accountability.

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My mother was busy at
work and with a toddler.

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And this high school kid will
have to handle things for himself.

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The lady who watched my half-brother
on occasion also had a daughter

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his age, every so often.

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She would ask me to watch her
daughter when she needed a night out.

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I didn't mind.

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I found she had a stash of
marijuana and a doll magazines.

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I fed my budding addictions.

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Although I started high
school as an honor student.

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In may of 1980, I graduated
about middle of my class.

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I was not going to college.

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I was not going to live at home.

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My mother had remarried that April and my.

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Birthday slash graduation
gift was luggage.

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I got the clue.

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I helped my mother move to Ohio and
then drove my 18 year old self from

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there, back to Huntsville, Alabama,
and then to San Francisco to stay

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with my father and his third wife.

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I got a job at a radio shack
and enjoyed working there.

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However, I didn't want to
become a store manager, which

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is what they wanted me to do.

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I ended up joining the Navy.

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That was an awesome experience for me.

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And what year was this?

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Would've been 1980.

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Okay.

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I went in.

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In 1981, right after my 19th birthday.

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Because of my aptitude for electronics,
I qualified for an advanced training

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school and early advancement.

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I began to thrive in an environment
with rules and accountability.

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At the end of six years, I advanced
a first class petty officer.

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And funny thing in bootcamp
I've been offered in ROTC

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scholarship, but I declined.

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After a few more years of growing up, I
decided college would be a good idea, but

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the Navy wouldn't allow me to change my
duty station, where I could attend school.

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So I left after my six year enlistment.

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I was stationed at Jacksonville, Florida.

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I met a woman who happened
to be pregnant by her.

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Ex-husband.

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I was still taken with her.

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And married her.

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Not too many years later,
she was pregnant again.

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But not by me.

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We divorced.

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After my Navy time, I thought I
would be going to work and making

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a lot of money in the middle east.

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But that effort failed.

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I ended up working second
shift at a convenience store.

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I was at a new low.

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I nearly took my life out of desperation.

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It was time for me to
re-embrace my religious life.

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I found a welcoming church.

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I made some friends.

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It took on some responsibilities.

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Grew a little spiritually.

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And met the woman of my dreams.

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While at this church, I had an
encounter with Christ and holy spirit.

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I attended a Cursio weekend where I
was immersed in a conditional love.

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My reunion with my faith did
not end many of my problems.

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But it did provide a foundation
and source of support.

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My messed up childhood did not
leave me with many effective

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or healthy coping mechanisms.

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In my new church home, I learned
more about unconditional love.

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I learned how to study the Bible and
I learned that there was still quite

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a bit of baggage attached to me.

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Before our church priest would marry
me and my wife to be, we both spent

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intensive prayer times with friends.

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We were breaking the bonds of past
hurts, harms mental and physical.

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I invited the beautiful woman.

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I mentioned earlier to prayer
and praise meeting held at a

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friend's house on a new year's Eve.

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I proposed on Valentine's day.

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We were married just two months later.

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I was 33 years ago.

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After a few years of marriage,
we struggled with infertility.

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But God had a plan.

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We followed the path for adoption,
completed a home study with all

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the interviews and inspections and
waited for a birth mom to choose us.

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Whiting and praying.

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Eventually a young lady living in
the same Alabama town where I had

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attended high school, picked us.

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This began the seven month
journey to the birth of our son.

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We were so blessed to be able
to stay with my aunt and uncle.

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That's the time for the Perth approached.

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And we were at the hospital
when he came into the world.

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Less than a week later, the Jobson
adoption judge sealed our adoption and

00:12:56.317 --> 00:12:58.207
we were free to return home to Florida.

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The next few years were a whirlwind.

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My wife was able to quit her job
and focus on being a full-time mom.

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And I focused on my job
and going to night school.

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Things were challenging
because my wife was the primary

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breadwinner when we were married.

00:13:16.897 --> 00:13:19.597
And it took me 10 years to
complete my four year degree.

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I made up for it by completing
my masters since 16 months.

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What that doesn't describe is
the burden that, that placed on

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my wife being mom, stand in dad.

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Caring for my mom who had
chosen to move nearby.

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It was about this time that my maker
coping skills or lack thereof impacted the

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health of our home and our relationship.

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It was easier for me to hide
at work, pleasing my bosses,

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getting raises and promotions.

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Than to deal with the growing
emotional friction at home.

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I started taking roles, which
caused me to travel frequently, even

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overseas and for extended periods.

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As our son entered the
middle school years.

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He began to act out and
even challenge his mom.

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Soon he was out of control.

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However, my avoidance of
home life wasn't healing.

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It.

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It was our commitment to God
and our vows, which caused us

00:14:19.957 --> 00:14:21.547
to seek prayer and counseling.

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One time.

00:14:23.347 --> 00:14:26.797
My wife was at breakfast with our
priest and a friend of his Glen Ellison.

00:14:28.327 --> 00:14:31.357
Glenn and his wife, Sheila
run an organization called

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the parent help center.

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My wife, boohooed her way through
breakfast and the telling of our story.

00:14:39.547 --> 00:14:42.187
A few weeks later, my wife
and I attended a parent help

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center workshop over a weekend.

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A couple of words about Glenn.

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He's a former Marine.

00:14:50.107 --> 00:14:53.437
He played college football for
Arkansas and then the Marine Corps.

00:14:54.877 --> 00:14:56.137
And the Oakland Raiders.

00:14:59.347 --> 00:15:02.947
Even in his advanced stage today,
he's still an imposing figure.

00:15:03.977 --> 00:15:06.707
for the next four or five
years, our family was a fixture

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around his organization.

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Learning how to parent an impulsive child.

00:15:11.417 --> 00:15:12.947
Learning how to love him again.

00:15:13.547 --> 00:15:15.347
And learning how to love each other again.

00:15:16.997 --> 00:15:19.547
This group uses a family camp scenario.

00:15:19.637 --> 00:15:21.707
So parents can watch other parents.

00:15:22.217 --> 00:15:24.887
Model effective parenting skills.

00:15:25.487 --> 00:15:28.787
And see that their child can
actually demonstrate respect.

00:15:29.057 --> 00:15:31.817
A good work ethic and
control their temper.

00:15:33.827 --> 00:15:36.737
We embraced this lifestyle to
the point where we frequently

00:15:36.737 --> 00:15:39.287
volunteered for family camp weekends.

00:15:40.367 --> 00:15:43.487
We facilitated parent support
groups and became trained

00:15:43.487 --> 00:15:45.257
facilitators in the curriculum.

00:15:47.057 --> 00:15:48.767
One more thing about this group.

00:15:49.217 --> 00:15:53.267
At the end of the camp weekend, children
are reunited with their parents.

00:15:54.137 --> 00:15:56.417
In an emotional and uplifting scene.

00:15:57.407 --> 00:16:02.087
Glenn often gives his testimony,
shares, get in Bibles and leads, many

00:16:02.117 --> 00:16:04.247
children and adults to salvation.

00:16:05.597 --> 00:16:08.507
Restoring peace to our home
was helpful in restoring.

00:16:09.857 --> 00:16:10.457
Peace.

00:16:10.697 --> 00:16:11.957
In our relationship.

00:16:12.857 --> 00:16:13.757
And with our son.

00:16:14.477 --> 00:16:17.687
Our son completed high school
with multiple certifications

00:16:17.687 --> 00:16:19.007
and now lives and works.

00:16:19.427 --> 00:16:20.627
In the DC area.

00:16:21.527 --> 00:16:25.127
And I will have the honor to officiate
his wedding in a couple of months.

00:16:33.047 --> 00:16:34.277
About my faith journey.

00:16:35.627 --> 00:16:37.637
It seems, I've always known about God.

00:16:39.167 --> 00:16:42.707
But it's only been over the last
five years ago where I've fully

00:16:42.707 --> 00:16:46.247
embraced the idea that we're
not called to rules or ritual.

00:16:46.997 --> 00:16:48.347
But to relationship.

00:16:49.967 --> 00:16:54.167
The foundation that idea probably
came from being at a liturgical church

00:16:54.197 --> 00:16:57.857
for so long, where I relied on the
priest to tell me what the Bible says.

00:16:58.547 --> 00:16:59.657
I read the lectionary.

00:17:00.407 --> 00:17:01.037
Every week.

00:17:01.037 --> 00:17:03.287
So I must be getting the word of God.

00:17:04.967 --> 00:17:07.607
A teacher, I follow reminds
her readers frequently.

00:17:07.607 --> 00:17:10.787
How important it is that we
read the Bible for ourselves.

00:17:11.447 --> 00:17:14.927
And to use caution when relying
on someone else's interpretation.

00:17:15.677 --> 00:17:18.407
We need to let scripture
interpret scripture.

00:17:18.767 --> 00:17:20.897
And not lean on man's understanding.

00:17:22.517 --> 00:17:25.787
I have grown to be a
daily reader of his word.

00:17:26.717 --> 00:17:29.177
This is so critical for my faith walk.

00:17:29.657 --> 00:17:31.547
I need that daily bread.

00:17:32.567 --> 00:17:36.047
I'm in the third year of
daily reading, in addition to

00:17:36.047 --> 00:17:37.817
various small groups, I attend.

00:17:38.687 --> 00:17:42.527
God is using my hunger for
his word to help feed others.

00:17:43.367 --> 00:17:46.187
This year, I was asked by our
pastor to lead the outreach.

00:17:46.187 --> 00:17:49.247
Our church sponsors at a local
assisted living facility.

00:17:50.327 --> 00:17:53.417
I have the privilege to share a
monthly message of faith with these

00:17:53.417 --> 00:17:55.787
residents, share communion with them.

00:17:56.417 --> 00:17:57.407
And pray with them.

00:17:57.827 --> 00:17:59.027
It's such a blessing.

00:17:59.567 --> 00:18:02.867
And I also go there one evening a
month with a community praise band.

00:18:04.077 --> 00:18:05.337
And that's all I was led to.

00:18:05.657 --> 00:18:06.077
MacBook Air Microphone-2: Okay.

00:18:06.077 --> 00:18:06.647
That's great.

00:18:07.037 --> 00:18:08.867
Thank you for sharing all that.

00:18:08.897 --> 00:18:10.577
And I got a few questions for you.

00:18:11.567 --> 00:18:14.597
Not in any particular order,
but I do want to ask you.

00:18:14.875 --> 00:18:15.775
MacBook Air Microphone-1:
when we're growing up with.

00:18:16.045 --> 00:18:16.705
We swear.

00:18:16.735 --> 00:18:18.235
We'll never be like our parents.

00:18:19.705 --> 00:18:25.375
So when we have a kid, it turns out
most people do end up parenting.

00:18:25.375 --> 00:18:27.145
Like their parents parented them.

00:18:27.735 --> 00:18:29.985
not exactly, there's always some kind of.

00:18:30.288 --> 00:18:31.638
Subconscious.

00:18:32.008 --> 00:18:35.338
repeating what we learned
when we were kids going on.

00:18:36.058 --> 00:18:39.038
And, I kinda I've experienced
that and I wonder, do you.

00:18:39.228 --> 00:18:40.068
to experience that?

00:18:41.308 --> 00:18:43.498
I hadn't really thought about it, but.

00:18:44.338 --> 00:18:48.898
When I was 12 years old and shipped
back to Alabama from California.

00:18:49.418 --> 00:18:50.588
My dad.

00:18:51.055 --> 00:18:52.495
Wrote me maybe.

00:18:52.985 --> 00:18:54.335
Two or three letters.

00:18:54.845 --> 00:18:56.465
In the next five or six years.

00:18:57.305 --> 00:19:00.095
I saw him twice when I
had gone to go visit.

00:19:00.635 --> 00:19:02.615
My grandmother, he showed up.

00:19:03.335 --> 00:19:04.625
I didn't have any idea.

00:19:04.625 --> 00:19:05.285
He would be there.

00:19:05.975 --> 00:19:12.155
And I wonder if I was mirroring that
behavior when I was sorta hiding from

00:19:12.155 --> 00:19:14.855
my family, with my work and my travel.

00:19:15.695 --> 00:19:16.385
In school.

00:19:18.135 --> 00:19:20.265
When I played little league as a child.

00:19:21.165 --> 00:19:25.875
I was literally afraid to see my dad
in the stands to see him out there

00:19:25.875 --> 00:19:27.809
because  I didn't want to disappoint him.

00:19:28.559 --> 00:19:30.059
I knew I had to be.

00:19:31.019 --> 00:19:34.409
As good as any other kid out there,
regardless of my skill level.

00:19:35.759 --> 00:19:39.509
And if I disappointed him, life
was going to be difficult at home.

00:19:41.579 --> 00:19:44.249
Fast forward to my son
playing little league.

00:19:45.059 --> 00:19:47.879
Even though I was in night
school that weekend school.

00:19:48.659 --> 00:19:52.739
I was still able to be one of the coaches
on this little league team for four years.

00:19:52.949 --> 00:19:57.329
And I thoroughly enjoyed interacting with
the other coaches, interacting with him.

00:19:58.319 --> 00:19:59.009
And.

00:20:00.629 --> 00:20:03.329
I think I was able to share with him that.

00:20:03.779 --> 00:20:06.479
Sports can be competitive
and they can be fun.

00:20:06.479 --> 00:20:09.479
And you don't have to worry about
your dad coming down on you.

00:20:09.479 --> 00:20:10.769
If you miss a fly ball.

00:20:11.769 --> 00:20:14.139
one of the other things
I wanted to give him.

00:20:14.829 --> 00:20:18.009
That I didn't have growing
up with some stability.

00:20:18.889 --> 00:20:21.199
We were living in Jacksonville.

00:20:22.339 --> 00:20:26.539
In a kind of nice area in town and
he got to play little league for.

00:20:26.989 --> 00:20:28.429
The Ortega little league.

00:20:29.029 --> 00:20:29.509
Group.

00:20:30.339 --> 00:20:34.959
And because I never had the opportunity
to grow up with the same kids.

00:20:35.919 --> 00:20:39.279
I wanted him to have that
opportunity that I had missed.

00:20:39.489 --> 00:20:41.079
and that meant that.

00:20:42.429 --> 00:20:43.059
Aye.

00:20:43.659 --> 00:20:44.919
Didn't change jobs.

00:20:44.919 --> 00:20:47.589
I worked for the same employer
for 34 years because I

00:20:47.589 --> 00:20:48.789
didn't want to change towns.

00:20:48.879 --> 00:20:49.809
I had offers.

00:20:50.349 --> 00:20:53.379
I had offers to go work
in all sorts of places.

00:20:54.909 --> 00:20:55.299
But.

00:20:56.349 --> 00:21:00.819
It was more important that my
son had the opportunity to have.

00:21:01.749 --> 00:21:04.149
A chance to criminal put
the same set of friends.

00:21:04.509 --> 00:21:04.749
Yeah.

00:21:06.279 --> 00:21:09.309
And it was a sacrifice for me.

00:21:09.879 --> 00:21:12.039
In my work world.

00:21:14.049 --> 00:21:15.909
But I would never change.

00:21:16.389 --> 00:21:17.529
How I did that.

00:21:17.609 --> 00:21:20.999
I would never chase a job out
of state or in another town.

00:21:21.719 --> 00:21:23.609
And take my son out of that community.

00:21:24.419 --> 00:21:29.189
it sounds like Your experience of moving
from one house to another from one.

00:21:29.549 --> 00:21:31.439
Family situation to another.

00:21:32.579 --> 00:21:33.179
you did.

00:21:33.329 --> 00:21:36.959
You wanted to make sure that
nothing like that happened.

00:21:37.859 --> 00:21:41.549
By the time I was 18,
I had moved 18 times.

00:21:43.499 --> 00:21:45.029
And how many times did your son.

00:21:46.709 --> 00:21:47.399
Twice.

00:21:48.629 --> 00:21:48.869
Yeah.

00:21:48.959 --> 00:21:49.859
Echo at six.

00:21:51.479 --> 00:21:54.629
That worked out and God was
so good through all of that.

00:21:55.092 --> 00:21:57.522
Life will never be
perfect on this side of.

00:21:57.762 --> 00:21:58.212
Heaven.

00:21:58.902 --> 00:21:59.652
But God.

00:22:00.012 --> 00:22:02.742
Is so faithful that he gave us.

00:22:03.702 --> 00:22:06.342
Friends and relationships.

00:22:07.092 --> 00:22:10.962
And when we didn't have the answers,
God puts somebody in our path.

00:22:12.402 --> 00:22:16.032
Growing up with a rebellious
teenager was tough.

00:22:16.812 --> 00:22:20.562
And he was so good at playing
one parent against the other.

00:22:20.832 --> 00:22:21.102
Yeah.

00:22:21.552 --> 00:22:27.262
And because of my upbringing and my
wife's upbringing, We didn't know

00:22:27.262 --> 00:22:31.042
how to play from the same playbook,
much less the same page sometimes.

00:22:31.252 --> 00:22:31.882
And.

00:22:32.572 --> 00:22:34.222
Our son ate our lunch.

00:22:34.882 --> 00:22:36.592
When we attended that.

00:22:37.702 --> 00:22:39.952
Parent help center weekend conference.

00:22:41.902 --> 00:22:43.492
My wife and I weren't talking.

00:22:44.902 --> 00:22:46.282
But we went there for him.

00:22:46.672 --> 00:22:49.192
Because we knew that we had to
get something straight and our

00:22:49.192 --> 00:22:52.882
relationship with him, if he was
gonna have any chance for success.

00:22:53.002 --> 00:22:56.302
And what Glen and Sheila
told us that night was.

00:22:56.795 --> 00:23:00.545
We have to get to the point
where we're doing daily

00:23:00.545 --> 00:23:02.525
displays of love and affection.

00:23:03.695 --> 00:23:05.975
Positive strokes and consistency.

00:23:06.005 --> 00:23:09.905
Those are the three legs of the stool
that they talk about in that platform.

00:23:11.243 --> 00:23:14.663
I was not at a point in my life where
I could tell my son I'd love to.

00:23:17.153 --> 00:23:19.193
I was hurting so badly.

00:23:19.673 --> 00:23:21.233
Yeah, I was angry at him.

00:23:21.233 --> 00:23:22.493
I was angry at my wife.

00:23:22.493 --> 00:23:23.963
I was angry at everything.

00:23:26.573 --> 00:23:29.753
And had it not been for Glenn and Sheila.

00:23:30.533 --> 00:23:35.543
And the parents who had been through
that lifestyle change before we had.

00:23:36.893 --> 00:23:38.663
Our marriage wouldn't have survived.

00:23:38.663 --> 00:23:40.433
I don't think Kendall would have survived.

00:23:40.433 --> 00:23:42.533
I think he would've gone
off the deep end and.

00:23:44.243 --> 00:23:46.313
Explored the areas of.

00:23:49.553 --> 00:23:50.963
Situations it would not have.

00:23:51.773 --> 00:23:53.243
Worked out very well for him.

00:23:53.543 --> 00:23:53.903
But.

00:23:54.623 --> 00:23:58.883
Because we stayed in that
lifestyle for many years, Kendall

00:23:58.883 --> 00:24:00.593
had immediate accountability.

00:24:01.403 --> 00:24:04.103
If he didn't earn his checks for.

00:24:04.793 --> 00:24:07.073
Showing respect work ethic.

00:24:08.213 --> 00:24:11.483
If he didn't earn enough checks,
he earned a trip back to camp.

00:24:11.573 --> 00:24:15.113
And so there was just this
continuous reinforcement of

00:24:15.623 --> 00:24:17.183
these are our house rules.

00:24:17.933 --> 00:24:21.143
You're free to choose not to
do it, but you're not free

00:24:21.143 --> 00:24:22.613
to choose the consequences.

00:24:22.643 --> 00:24:23.033
Right.

00:24:24.023 --> 00:24:25.553
Being able to.

00:24:26.873 --> 00:24:27.833
Course correct.

00:24:27.863 --> 00:24:29.903
Our relationship with my wife.

00:24:30.473 --> 00:24:31.253
Of course, correct.

00:24:31.253 --> 00:24:32.093
Our son.

00:24:34.043 --> 00:24:36.293
We were able then to.

00:24:37.283 --> 00:24:38.783
Help other parents.

00:24:39.053 --> 00:24:40.463
And so I have.

00:24:41.303 --> 00:24:42.143
Hosted.

00:24:43.553 --> 00:24:47.873
Parent support groups every week
for years in that community.

00:24:48.743 --> 00:24:49.943
we're not involved anymore.

00:24:49.943 --> 00:24:52.763
We were on the board of
directors for seven years.

00:24:53.433 --> 00:24:55.413
we supported them financially.

00:24:56.013 --> 00:24:57.363
And it is.

00:24:57.963 --> 00:25:01.353
Something that literally changed our lives

00:25:01.763 --> 00:25:04.103
MacBook Air Microphone-3: Well, it's
funny that you mentioned Glenn Ellison.

00:25:04.673 --> 00:25:07.373
When you've heard him at the
national day of prayer here on may.

00:25:07.613 --> 00:25:07.973
Island.

00:25:08.973 --> 00:25:13.653
he spoke this year and it reminded
me that my friend Mike self.

00:25:13.836 --> 00:25:17.263
Who's on one of the earlier
episodes of this podcast.

00:25:17.463 --> 00:25:21.783
Had given me his name and number and said,
you gotta get this guy on the podcast

00:25:21.903 --> 00:25:23.733
and I've been putting it off because.

00:25:24.273 --> 00:25:26.703
He just seemed like such a busy guy.

00:25:27.363 --> 00:25:28.563
You know, and I know he's got.

00:25:29.643 --> 00:25:31.113
A really great program.

00:25:31.113 --> 00:25:33.873
MacBook Air Microphone-4: So now that
you've praised him so highly, I've

00:25:33.873 --> 00:25:35.913
just got to get him on the podcast.

00:25:36.333 --> 00:25:36.903
And I'm going to do.

00:25:37.686 --> 00:25:40.476
MacBook Air Microphone-1: He is a busy
guy, but he's got a heart for God, a

00:25:40.476 --> 00:25:42.846
heart for families, a heart for kids.

00:25:44.256 --> 00:25:45.516
Honestly, when I met him.

00:25:46.086 --> 00:25:47.406
I was scared to death of him.

00:25:47.646 --> 00:25:51.306
that Friday night we're
in this church classroom.

00:25:51.306 --> 00:25:51.456
And.

00:25:52.206 --> 00:25:55.926
He's telling us how screwed up we are
as parents and we're not doing it right.

00:25:55.926 --> 00:25:57.786
And I'm here to teach you
how you're going to do it.

00:25:58.446 --> 00:25:59.196
Yes, sir.

00:25:59.286 --> 00:25:59.946
Mr sir.

00:26:01.187 --> 00:26:02.297
The Marine came out.

00:26:02.344 --> 00:26:05.494
But he is a close dear friend of mine now.

00:26:05.764 --> 00:26:05.974
Yeah.

00:26:06.034 --> 00:26:08.944
And I couldn't say that
if I didn't trust him.

00:26:09.499 --> 00:26:10.969
I trusted him with my wife.

00:26:10.969 --> 00:26:12.529
I trusted him with my son.

00:26:12.919 --> 00:26:14.809
I trusted him with our family.

00:26:15.829 --> 00:26:16.369
And.

00:26:17.449 --> 00:26:19.549
God worked on mighty work through him.

00:26:19.739 --> 00:26:20.369
MacBook Air Microphone-5: Yeah.

00:26:20.519 --> 00:26:20.999
You know,

00:26:21.779 --> 00:26:22.589
We just don't.

00:26:22.889 --> 00:26:24.059
There is no class.

00:26:24.359 --> 00:26:27.949
On parenting, you know, that we can
take Before we have kids and there

00:26:27.979 --> 00:26:29.749
ought to be, you know, I'm thinking.

00:26:30.376 --> 00:26:30.796
Man.

00:26:30.946 --> 00:26:33.976
I bet you every couple has to relearn.

00:26:34.096 --> 00:26:34.606
What.

00:26:34.696 --> 00:26:38.686
Billions of people have had to
learn and raising kids over.

00:26:39.346 --> 00:26:40.486
Over the centuries.

00:26:41.056 --> 00:26:43.666
And it just, it doesn't
need to be that way.

00:26:43.696 --> 00:26:44.026
I mean.

00:26:44.476 --> 00:26:47.646
If, uh, Newly married couple.

00:26:47.886 --> 00:26:50.986
Or even before they're married,
if they could take some kind

00:26:50.986 --> 00:26:52.816
of curriculum, like Glen's.

00:26:53.366 --> 00:26:53.906
that would.

00:26:54.017 --> 00:26:57.107
Probably solve a lot of
the troubles in this world.

00:26:57.107 --> 00:27:00.047
I know I made plenty of
mistakes as a parent thinking

00:27:00.047 --> 00:27:01.337
I was doing the right thing.

00:27:02.057 --> 00:27:06.077
And my wife, of course, she was
thanking, Sheila's doing the right thing.

00:27:06.077 --> 00:27:07.337
And then we just kinda.

00:27:07.997 --> 00:27:11.527
Did the best we could and,
that's all, most people do.

00:27:11.747 --> 00:27:13.727
MacBook Air Microphone-6: But,
you know, like, like we have.

00:27:14.597 --> 00:27:17.087
Churches have like premarital counseling.

00:27:17.117 --> 00:27:19.037
That's always great.

00:27:19.037 --> 00:27:20.357
I think it'd be great if it was.

00:27:21.197 --> 00:27:26.017
Pre-child counseling and training
To get both parents on the same

00:27:26.017 --> 00:27:27.817
page and agreeing to the same.

00:27:28.657 --> 00:27:30.937
Way to, to raise a child.

00:27:30.997 --> 00:27:34.047
And rather than just stumbling
through it and fighting over it.

00:27:34.150 --> 00:27:35.020
when the child.

00:27:35.247 --> 00:27:36.207
Comes along and.

00:27:36.357 --> 00:27:37.167
And starts to.

00:27:37.350 --> 00:27:39.750
Act out in natural ways,

00:27:39.820 --> 00:27:42.100
MacBook Air Microphone-7: And
there probably is something like

00:27:42.100 --> 00:27:43.780
that, but I'm unaware of it.

00:27:44.660 --> 00:27:48.380
Anyway, I guess we all just think we
know what we're doing, but finding out

00:27:48.410 --> 00:27:49.820
the hard way that would really dumb.

00:27:50.807 --> 00:27:53.417
MacBook Air Microphone-5: And
so I think it would be really

00:27:53.417 --> 00:27:54.977
helpful if we had some kind of.

00:27:55.027 --> 00:27:55.927
Pre child.

00:27:56.005 --> 00:27:59.455
training available before
we have children anywhere.

00:27:59.485 --> 00:28:00.715
That's just my opinion.

00:28:01.676 --> 00:28:02.456
MacBook Air Microphone-1:
What do you think about.

00:28:03.146 --> 00:28:04.376
Every time.

00:28:04.886 --> 00:28:06.986
Our son could drive a wedge between us.

00:28:06.986 --> 00:28:07.796
He knew we won.

00:28:08.036 --> 00:28:08.366
Yeah.

00:28:09.386 --> 00:28:12.446
So if I asked if he asked me for
something and I didn't give him the

00:28:12.446 --> 00:28:14.336
answer he want, he'd go ask his mom.

00:28:15.536 --> 00:28:17.906
We fell into that trap for so long.

00:28:18.446 --> 00:28:21.416
Yeah, until we were conditioned
to say, what did your mother say?

00:28:21.656 --> 00:28:22.856
Or what did your father say?

00:28:23.906 --> 00:28:26.336
Because then he would either
have to tell the truth or lie.

00:28:27.356 --> 00:28:30.986
And if he's telling the truth, he's
violating one of the house rules.

00:28:31.016 --> 00:28:31.916
If he's telling a lie is.

00:28:32.366 --> 00:28:33.716
Violated one of the house rules.

00:28:35.606 --> 00:28:38.876
You can choose what you want to
do, but you're not choosing to

00:28:38.876 --> 00:28:40.166
free to choose the consequence.

00:28:40.196 --> 00:28:40.526
And.

00:28:41.186 --> 00:28:44.096
Once that became part of our vocabulary.

00:28:44.246 --> 00:28:45.986
Yeah, things changed.

00:28:46.530 --> 00:28:48.390
And Glenn's program told you that?

00:28:48.460 --> 00:28:49.120
vocabulary.

00:28:49.240 --> 00:28:49.600
Yeah.

00:28:50.830 --> 00:28:51.160
Yeah.

00:28:51.506 --> 00:28:54.266
there's a movie about that camp.

00:28:54.663 --> 00:28:56.073
It's called camp success.

00:28:56.123 --> 00:28:58.463
It's available on Amazon.

00:28:58.710 --> 00:29:00.926
it  streams on several
different platforms.

00:29:01.286 --> 00:29:03.926
Do you listeners to this podcast?

00:29:04.766 --> 00:29:06.416
Are we going to be looking for that?

00:29:06.836 --> 00:29:09.236
Camp success on Amazon prime.

00:29:09.776 --> 00:29:10.526
Okay.

00:29:10.856 --> 00:29:11.426
Aye.

00:29:11.580 --> 00:29:14.760
Actually went out to audition
for a role in that movie.

00:29:15.570 --> 00:29:19.620
But I was also, I was already
cast in a play in Fernandina

00:29:19.620 --> 00:29:20.730
at the community theater.

00:29:21.300 --> 00:29:25.680
And so since I couldn't stay long enough,
I wasn't able to get the audition.

00:29:26.970 --> 00:29:29.760
But Glen did have me sit
down in front of the camera.

00:29:30.150 --> 00:29:32.190
After they had wrapped up recording.

00:29:33.150 --> 00:29:33.720
And.

00:29:34.770 --> 00:29:38.970
Gave me some time on camera to
talk about how that lifestyle

00:29:38.970 --> 00:29:40.440
change effected our family.

00:29:40.740 --> 00:29:42.780
so I'm the last snippet in that movie?

00:29:42.900 --> 00:29:45.150
So after the credits roll, you'll see me.

00:29:45.270 --> 00:29:45.870
Okay.

00:29:45.990 --> 00:29:46.920
I'm going to look for you.

00:29:47.454 --> 00:29:49.104
let me ask you about.

00:29:49.854 --> 00:29:52.464
You started applying scripture.

00:29:53.184 --> 00:29:55.984
A few years ago, It became
more important to you and.

00:29:56.744 --> 00:29:59.594
How did that come about and how
do you, how did you implement it?

00:29:59.954 --> 00:30:04.574
I had read the Bible and Ben
and part of small groups as

00:30:04.574 --> 00:30:06.914
a young adult and growing up.

00:30:07.254 --> 00:30:07.704
But.

00:30:07.804 --> 00:30:08.794
It wasn't.

00:30:08.958 --> 00:30:13.758
Until for four or five years ago that
I really began to see a change in all.

00:30:14.087 --> 00:30:16.337
The reason I'm convinced that happened.

00:30:17.357 --> 00:30:18.527
It's because.

00:30:19.817 --> 00:30:21.227
At our current church.

00:30:21.857 --> 00:30:23.417
At the end of every service.

00:30:23.897 --> 00:30:25.037
We say a prayer.

00:30:25.487 --> 00:30:28.727
Everybody's encouraged to say this
prayer along with new believers or

00:30:28.727 --> 00:30:30.707
somebody who's coming to faith in.

00:30:31.187 --> 00:30:32.057
In the service.

00:30:33.227 --> 00:30:35.747
And it's asking the holy spirit.

00:30:36.317 --> 00:30:38.297
To keep you a hunger for his word.

00:30:38.837 --> 00:30:42.317
If you have a hard time cracking
your Bible open on a daily basis.

00:30:42.767 --> 00:30:45.137
Ask, and it will be given to you.

00:30:46.547 --> 00:30:49.787
I have a new found hunger for his word.

00:30:50.837 --> 00:30:54.077
There is not a day in at least
the last year and a half.

00:30:54.077 --> 00:30:57.287
I have not picked up his
word every single day.

00:30:58.037 --> 00:30:59.867
It's part of a structured Bible study.

00:30:59.867 --> 00:31:01.577
We read through the Bible every year.

00:31:01.937 --> 00:31:04.247
I'd done a different one
before this platform.

00:31:04.817 --> 00:31:05.177
But.

00:31:06.587 --> 00:31:08.597
He is so faithful.

00:31:09.337 --> 00:31:11.047
his word cannot go forth.

00:31:12.187 --> 00:31:13.957
Without creating something good.

00:31:14.257 --> 00:31:18.517
And so the more I spend time in
his word, the more my hunger grows.

00:31:18.937 --> 00:31:21.037
I have read more books.

00:31:22.477 --> 00:31:23.497
Alright, long time ago.

00:31:23.497 --> 00:31:24.547
It used to be said.

00:31:25.027 --> 00:31:30.187
If fuchsia show somebody your checkbook
they'll know what's important to you.

00:31:30.637 --> 00:31:32.287
Checkbooks are passe these days.

00:31:32.287 --> 00:31:32.557
Yeah.

00:31:34.117 --> 00:31:35.557
You will look at my library.

00:31:35.587 --> 00:31:35.947
You'll see.

00:31:35.947 --> 00:31:37.217
What's important to me, hi.

00:31:37.727 --> 00:31:40.307
I become a full gracious reader.

00:31:41.087 --> 00:31:46.227
I read into, so in addition to
reading our Bible, as we've done a

00:31:46.227 --> 00:31:48.597
revelation study earlier this year.

00:31:49.077 --> 00:31:52.617
That was quite a bit of reading because
you read the same chapter a couple

00:31:52.647 --> 00:31:55.737
of times before he feel like he got
an idea of what's going on in it.

00:31:57.357 --> 00:31:57.687
But.

00:31:58.677 --> 00:32:02.367
God is continuing to
reveal himself in his word.

00:32:02.367 --> 00:32:07.047
And in the words of others in a way
that I can understand it's given me a

00:32:07.047 --> 00:32:11.697
new heart for him, a new heart for his
word, and you understanding of his word.

00:32:13.107 --> 00:32:15.127
And three years ago.

00:32:16.237 --> 00:32:17.467
Coming up on four years ago.

00:32:17.467 --> 00:32:18.307
Now, when.

00:32:18.437 --> 00:32:19.757
I was in Jerusalem.

00:32:19.817 --> 00:32:24.407
I saw this neat little t-shirt that
had similar to what's on your delete.

00:32:24.497 --> 00:32:25.967
It had the star of David.

00:32:26.597 --> 00:32:28.457
The menorah and the fish.

00:32:28.607 --> 00:32:30.797
And it said Romans 11, 17.

00:32:30.827 --> 00:32:32.357
And I'm thinking what's all that about.

00:32:33.377 --> 00:32:34.757
Not read this before.

00:32:35.927 --> 00:32:40.967
But if you read Romans 11, 17 now,
As a child of God, you begin to

00:32:40.967 --> 00:32:44.897
see, this is just one more time
that God is telling you that you

00:32:44.897 --> 00:32:46.877
have been grafted into his family.

00:32:48.287 --> 00:32:50.987
You read it and numbers,
you read it and Deuteronomy.

00:32:51.867 --> 00:32:53.397
he talks about the Sojourner.

00:32:53.397 --> 00:32:54.537
Who's going with you.

00:32:54.807 --> 00:32:56.247
That's who we are now.

00:32:56.277 --> 00:32:58.257
We are the Sojourner going with him.

00:32:59.307 --> 00:33:00.267
With his people.

00:33:01.097 --> 00:33:02.687
MacBook Air Microphone-8:
Yeah, let me read that.

00:33:02.747 --> 00:33:06.547
I love, let me just,
Back up to, uh, verse.

00:33:06.767 --> 00:33:07.547
16.

00:33:07.780 --> 00:33:13.000
Romans 11, 16, and 17 and 18.

00:33:13.060 --> 00:33:13.420
All right.

00:33:14.530 --> 00:33:14.950
Okay.

00:33:15.310 --> 00:33:17.530
This is from the new living translation.

00:33:17.997 --> 00:33:22.287
And since Abraham and the other
patriarchs were holy, their

00:33:22.287 --> 00:33:24.327
descendants will also be holy.

00:33:24.927 --> 00:33:28.887
Just as the entire batch of
dove is holy because the portion

00:33:28.887 --> 00:33:30.417
given as an offering as holy.

00:33:31.167 --> 00:33:34.707
For if the roots of the tree are
holy, the branches will be too.

00:33:35.427 --> 00:33:39.027
But some of these branches from
Abraham's tree, some of the people

00:33:39.027 --> 00:33:41.037
of Israel have been broken off.

00:33:41.667 --> 00:33:42.987
And you Gentiles.

00:33:43.407 --> 00:33:47.307
Who were branches from a wild
olive tree have been grafted in.

00:33:47.877 --> 00:33:50.067
So now you also received the blessing.

00:33:50.097 --> 00:33:52.737
God had promised Abraham and his children.

00:33:53.397 --> 00:33:58.347
Sharing and the rich nourishment from
the root of God's special olive tree.

00:33:59.277 --> 00:34:02.637
But you must not brag about
being grafted in to replace the

00:34:02.637 --> 00:34:04.077
branches that were broken on.

00:34:04.647 --> 00:34:07.047
You're just a branch, not the root.

00:34:09.577 --> 00:34:11.017
MacBook Air Microphone-1: and
why do we need the root that's,

00:34:11.017 --> 00:34:12.007
where we're nourished from?

00:34:12.007 --> 00:34:17.797
So we are grafted in to that olive
tree and we get the rich nourishment.

00:34:18.187 --> 00:34:20.617
From Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.

00:34:22.237 --> 00:34:23.587
Those are our grandparents.

00:34:24.137 --> 00:34:26.777
We as believers.

00:34:27.467 --> 00:34:32.717
Don't have to become Jewish to
embrace our Jewish ancestry.

00:34:33.083 --> 00:34:33.473
And.

00:34:33.795 --> 00:34:39.375
It is so cool that when I was working
in Israel, back in 2019, I had picked

00:34:39.405 --> 00:34:42.885
up enough Hebrew words to where I
could quote something from one of

00:34:42.885 --> 00:34:46.725
the songs, because I had learned it
through one of the songs I listened to.

00:34:47.985 --> 00:34:52.605
And I'm talking to one of my good Jewish
friends who is a believer, but not.

00:34:53.235 --> 00:34:54.285
Active in his faith.

00:34:54.405 --> 00:34:57.375
He grew up in synagogue in temple.

00:34:58.065 --> 00:35:00.015
But he doesn't practice his faith.

00:35:01.125 --> 00:35:02.205
And I told them Yehuda.

00:35:04.215 --> 00:35:05.565
And I said it to him in Hebrew.

00:35:06.855 --> 00:35:12.675
And I said all will come and bow
before the Lord, our God focus.

00:35:12.675 --> 00:35:14.445
He is greatly to be praised.

00:35:15.795 --> 00:35:19.315
I said it in Hebrew to him and he just,
his eyes just playing a bit, almost like.

00:35:21.025 --> 00:35:27.725
You said that so well, and it's
all about that wild olive tree

00:35:27.725 --> 00:35:32.045
being grafted in, we are called
to make them jealous by our faith.

00:35:32.135 --> 00:35:32.615
Oh yeah.

00:35:33.095 --> 00:35:36.365
And if I can speak to
them, quoting fair Bible.

00:35:36.545 --> 00:35:36.785
Yeah.

00:35:36.965 --> 00:35:39.185
As to why I believe in.

00:35:39.695 --> 00:35:41.735
The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

00:35:42.135 --> 00:35:46.725
Maybe I can get a war a way to help
them to understand that your shoe a.

00:35:47.625 --> 00:35:49.785
Is Isaiah 53.

00:35:50.205 --> 00:35:51.105
Personified.

00:35:52.815 --> 00:35:53.385
And.

00:35:54.135 --> 00:35:55.455
Before I retired.

00:35:56.295 --> 00:36:00.825
I'm on these conference calls with guys
in Israel and before everybody else is

00:36:00.825 --> 00:36:03.645
on the call, I might have a conversation
with one of the two of the guys.

00:36:04.485 --> 00:36:06.165
And I'll ask him if I can pray for him.

00:36:06.215 --> 00:36:07.535
I'll tell him what's going on.

00:36:07.745 --> 00:36:09.425
I'll tell him where my faith comes from.

00:36:11.105 --> 00:36:14.045
And it's a boldness that
I never had in me before.

00:36:15.110 --> 00:36:16.880
Would you read the part of Isaiah?

00:36:17.150 --> 00:36:19.850
The three that you are referring
to is for the listener.

00:36:20.997 --> 00:36:22.077
I'm going to read a bunch of it.

00:36:23.817 --> 00:36:25.797
Who has believed our message.

00:36:26.217 --> 00:36:29.187
To whom has the Lord
revealed his powerful arm.

00:36:30.597 --> 00:36:32.877
My servant grew up in the Lord's presence.

00:36:32.877 --> 00:36:36.327
Like a tender green shoot,
like a root in dry ground.

00:36:36.987 --> 00:36:40.017
There was nothing beautiful or
majestic about his appearance,

00:36:40.077 --> 00:36:41.907
nothing to attract us to him.

00:36:42.777 --> 00:36:44.997
He was despised and rejected.

00:36:45.987 --> 00:36:47.277
How did the Pharisees treat him?

00:36:49.077 --> 00:36:52.287
A man of sorrows acquainted
with deepest grief.

00:36:53.257 --> 00:36:55.447
who became sin on our behalf?

00:36:57.517 --> 00:37:00.097
We turned our backs on him
and looked the other way.

00:37:00.097 --> 00:37:02.467
He was despised and we did not care.

00:37:03.415 --> 00:37:04.975
Because it follows Slater.

00:37:05.833 --> 00:37:08.743
And we thought his troubles
were a punishment from God, a

00:37:08.773 --> 00:37:13.393
punishment for his own sins, but
he was pierced for our rebellion.

00:37:14.203 --> 00:37:16.693
Crushed for our sins.

00:37:17.623 --> 00:37:20.023
He was beaten, so we could be whole.

00:37:20.833 --> 00:37:21.763
He was whipped.

00:37:22.273 --> 00:37:23.923
So we could be healed.

00:37:24.313 --> 00:37:26.833
all of us like sheep have straight away.

00:37:26.863 --> 00:37:29.413
We have left God's
paths to follow our own.

00:37:30.403 --> 00:37:32.203
Yeah, the Lord laid on him.

00:37:32.653 --> 00:37:33.853
The sense of assault.

00:37:34.213 --> 00:37:36.913
so there's competing school
of thought in Israel.

00:37:37.513 --> 00:37:38.953
In Jewish history.

00:37:40.003 --> 00:37:42.103
If there is a tangible.

00:37:42.163 --> 00:37:43.683
Your shoe,  savior.

00:37:44.403 --> 00:37:46.983
Or if Israel itself yeah.

00:37:47.313 --> 00:37:48.963
Would be the savior.

00:37:49.203 --> 00:37:52.143
And that goes down a rabbit hole about.

00:37:52.383 --> 00:37:54.243
Oral Torah and things like that.

00:37:54.243 --> 00:37:57.573
That's really outside of the scope
of conversation like this, but.

00:37:58.233 --> 00:37:58.623
Aye.

00:37:59.583 --> 00:38:03.903
Have been so blessed to maintain
relationships with France and Israel.

00:38:04.473 --> 00:38:09.063
They know I'm a believer in your shoe, but
they also know, I believe in their God.

00:38:09.303 --> 00:38:09.693
Yeah.

00:38:11.143 --> 00:38:15.013
there's so much ignorance
in the world and then.

00:38:15.313 --> 00:38:17.953
Obviously, because Satan's
the God of this world.

00:38:19.093 --> 00:38:22.843
Like back during the
Holocaust, They excuse for.

00:38:23.383 --> 00:38:24.823
Hitler and tilling.

00:38:24.913 --> 00:38:28.153
It did use was that they killed Christ.

00:38:28.483 --> 00:38:32.923
And that's such a distortion
of Christianity that is just.

00:38:34.153 --> 00:38:38.483
It can only come from Satan, And then
there's people that say, the Romans

00:38:38.483 --> 00:38:41.033
killed Jesus and the Jews killed Jesus.

00:38:41.063 --> 00:38:43.613
Not realizing that God says it right here.

00:38:43.643 --> 00:38:47.693
God sent him To die for
each one of us in this.

00:38:48.323 --> 00:38:49.943
everybody who would ever be born.

00:38:50.843 --> 00:38:53.483
He died for all of us
and that God sent him.

00:38:54.203 --> 00:38:55.583
To that he chose that.

00:38:56.903 --> 00:39:01.313
And as soon as we can embrace what
that means to us individually.

00:39:02.453 --> 00:39:05.693
We then get to be able
to grow in his grace.

00:39:06.173 --> 00:39:07.733
And we begin to understand that.

00:39:08.123 --> 00:39:09.533
That had to happen.

00:39:09.953 --> 00:39:13.073
So God could forgive us
and we could walk in grace.

00:39:13.746 --> 00:39:19.386
Let me go back just out of curiosity,
how did you as a Christian.

00:39:19.626 --> 00:39:23.616
Gets turned on to study and did the.

00:39:24.276 --> 00:39:26.586
Abraham and the blessing of Abraham and.

00:39:28.506 --> 00:39:30.036
That's such a fun story.

00:39:30.136 --> 00:39:32.506
My wife wanted to go on a tour to is real.

00:39:34.276 --> 00:39:35.806
I had no interest at all.

00:39:35.806 --> 00:39:37.726
And this is about 2018.

00:39:38.596 --> 00:39:38.986
That's it.

00:39:39.386 --> 00:39:40.496
your sister wants to go.

00:39:40.496 --> 00:39:42.146
Why don't you just book a tour with her?

00:39:42.236 --> 00:39:44.906
So they did, they booked a
Paul Wilbert tour to go over.

00:39:45.506 --> 00:39:46.646
In 2019.

00:39:48.356 --> 00:39:50.576
I was working out in Colorado.

00:39:50.636 --> 00:39:51.836
I was on business.

00:39:52.586 --> 00:39:53.816
And I got an email.

00:39:54.086 --> 00:39:55.556
Came across my desk.

00:39:57.326 --> 00:40:01.886
And it said that the company that I
was working for was looking for to

00:40:02.366 --> 00:40:06.206
lean continuous or lean six Sigma
continuous improvement engineers.

00:40:06.746 --> 00:40:09.776
To take a temporary position in Israel.

00:40:10.956 --> 00:40:14.796
I was a lean six Sigma black belt, a
continuous improvement practitioner.

00:40:15.996 --> 00:40:16.806
And.

00:40:17.406 --> 00:40:20.736
Is that well, let me call
Jan and see what she says.

00:40:21.876 --> 00:40:22.356
When she said.

00:40:22.666 --> 00:40:23.326
yes.

00:40:25.106 --> 00:40:29.066
I put my name in the hat and I was
one of two people selected to go

00:40:29.066 --> 00:40:31.286
spend quite a bit of time in Israel.

00:40:31.826 --> 00:40:35.756
So I was able to fly her out there and
she lived in the hotel with me in Haifa

00:40:35.786 --> 00:40:38.186
off and on Over the period of half a year.

00:40:38.830 --> 00:40:39.550
And.

00:40:40.103 --> 00:40:42.863
I knew as soon as I landed there.

00:40:43.470 --> 00:40:45.750
That something was
different about that land.

00:40:46.260 --> 00:40:47.460
I didn't know what hit me.

00:40:48.060 --> 00:40:52.200
But the longer I was there and the
more I learned about that land and.

00:40:53.250 --> 00:40:54.720
I had a rental car.

00:40:54.720 --> 00:40:58.170
So I was able to drive around and
experience all sorts of stuff.

00:40:58.200 --> 00:41:01.350
Plus living in the culture and
living with the people, our

00:41:01.350 --> 00:41:03.210
hotel had a synagogue in it.

00:41:03.210 --> 00:41:06.410
And We learned what Shabbat is all
about because every Friday night

00:41:06.410 --> 00:41:10.850
that place was packed with observant
Jews, starting their Shabbat.

00:41:12.110 --> 00:41:14.360
And it was about that time that.

00:41:15.200 --> 00:41:17.780
We started observing
Shabbat in our hotel room.

00:41:18.620 --> 00:41:21.890
So we'd light the candles and we'd have
the holler bread in our hotel room.

00:41:22.672 --> 00:41:24.772
I feel like contemporary.

00:41:25.372 --> 00:41:28.432
Christianity has done
such a disservice to.

00:41:29.362 --> 00:41:30.592
The old Testament.

00:41:30.832 --> 00:41:31.582
Yeah, good point.

00:41:31.612 --> 00:41:33.292
And when God spoke his.

00:41:34.162 --> 00:41:35.272
Commands.

00:41:35.872 --> 00:41:40.942
The fourth one makes just as much sense
to its audience, original audience.

00:41:41.992 --> 00:41:43.222
As all the others.

00:41:43.732 --> 00:41:48.262
Why do we pick that one out of our
vocabulary as contemporary Christians?

00:41:48.592 --> 00:41:51.862
Because we're Americans and
we believe in horrible work.

00:41:53.362 --> 00:41:54.892
And so does our father.

00:41:55.522 --> 00:41:57.952
Our father equipped us to do
all of that hard work, but

00:41:57.952 --> 00:41:59.542
he also said, you know what?

00:41:59.572 --> 00:42:01.972
You're all just going
to take a day of rest.

00:42:02.182 --> 00:42:02.422
Yeah.

00:42:02.752 --> 00:42:05.452
And once we learned how to embrace that.

00:42:06.125 --> 00:42:08.135
Even more peace came into our home.

00:42:08.165 --> 00:42:10.535
One of God's appointed times his Mo D.

00:42:10.625 --> 00:42:13.415
He promises us that he will visit us.

00:42:13.495 --> 00:42:15.145
if we will make time for him.

00:42:15.505 --> 00:42:16.675
He will visit us.

00:42:17.335 --> 00:42:19.075
You want to get to know his peace?

00:42:20.335 --> 00:42:21.715
Make an appointed time with him.

00:42:21.775 --> 00:42:23.095
Keep his appointed time.

00:42:23.365 --> 00:42:24.595
Are you saying Shabbat?

00:42:24.645 --> 00:42:25.665
is that a point?

00:42:25.725 --> 00:42:26.625
That's one of them.

00:42:26.685 --> 00:42:26.955
Yeah.

00:42:27.945 --> 00:42:32.655
And if you read about the feasts
in the old Testament, Never does

00:42:32.655 --> 00:42:35.745
anywhere in the new Testament say,
all right, we're done with that one.

00:42:35.845 --> 00:42:37.735
In fact, our savior Jesus, you're sure.

00:42:38.695 --> 00:42:41.845
Was celebrating the Passover pace off.

00:42:42.745 --> 00:42:45.775
When he spent his last
few days in Jerusalem.

00:42:45.985 --> 00:42:46.345
Yeah.

00:42:46.465 --> 00:42:51.235
So if it was good enough for him, I
think I'll keep up doing that myself.

00:42:52.765 --> 00:42:54.805
But so all of this got me started.

00:42:54.915 --> 00:42:57.885
I also learned that generations ago.

00:42:57.955 --> 00:43:00.625
I descend from, a Jewish man.

00:43:01.195 --> 00:43:05.005
Who, Has verified his roots
go back all the way to Aaron.

00:43:06.505 --> 00:43:09.535
I am of the priestly
lineage through my mother.

00:43:10.405 --> 00:43:12.835
But because I'm not a male of a male.

00:43:13.255 --> 00:43:16.435
That w that wouldn't inherit, but
it's still, and it doesn't matter.

00:43:16.435 --> 00:43:18.025
Anyway, we're already grafted in.

00:43:18.505 --> 00:43:20.215
It's just, I've got a few extra genes.

00:43:22.075 --> 00:43:26.395
And so I fell in love with some
of the music that I was hearing.

00:43:26.725 --> 00:43:27.055
Yeah.

00:43:27.175 --> 00:43:27.865
And.

00:43:28.945 --> 00:43:32.425
When I got home, I could watch YouTube
videos at the music and they show

00:43:32.425 --> 00:43:35.035
the transliteration on the screen.

00:43:35.275 --> 00:43:39.985
And so I could sing along with the
words in Hebrew and see the English.

00:43:40.345 --> 00:43:41.125
Letters.

00:43:42.025 --> 00:43:45.145
That's how I learned
the first from Psalm 96.

00:43:45.655 --> 00:43:46.075
But.

00:43:46.285 --> 00:43:49.495
there's so much passion
in the messianic music.

00:43:50.545 --> 00:43:54.355
I it's almost all I listened to
anymore, but that's what got me started.

00:43:54.385 --> 00:43:56.005
I wanted to learn more Hebrew.

00:43:56.935 --> 00:43:59.335
And it has blessed me.

00:43:59.785 --> 00:44:01.315
Not because I want to be Jewish.

00:44:02.155 --> 00:44:03.565
I don't want to be a Hebrew.

00:44:04.195 --> 00:44:05.795
although I am, I've
been through the water.

00:44:05.795 --> 00:44:07.925
I've been baptized that
does make me a Hebrew.

00:44:09.095 --> 00:44:12.485
Are you talking about because you're
baptized into the Christian faith.

00:44:12.485 --> 00:44:13.565
You're grafted down.

00:44:14.155 --> 00:44:17.635
if you look up Hebrew, it means that
you've passed through the waters.

00:44:17.755 --> 00:44:18.415
Oh, okay.

00:44:18.625 --> 00:44:25.105
So when the tribes of Israel were leaving
Egypt and they passed through the red sea.

00:44:26.125 --> 00:44:28.915
It wasn't until after they
had passed through the waters

00:44:28.915 --> 00:44:30.295
that they were called Hebrews.

00:44:30.505 --> 00:44:31.555
Oh, I didn't know that.

00:44:33.165 --> 00:44:35.445
MacBook Air Microphone-9: Well, let
me just ask you, what do you think.

00:44:35.585 --> 00:44:40.145
Is going on with all this
antisemitism in the world.

00:44:40.655 --> 00:44:42.185
Today, of course, it's always.

00:44:43.055 --> 00:44:43.805
Been in the world.

00:44:44.165 --> 00:44:46.325
But what is going on?

00:44:46.325 --> 00:44:48.425
It seems totally insane.

00:44:49.744 --> 00:44:50.164
MacBook Air Microphone-1: I don't.

00:44:51.034 --> 00:44:51.784
Have.

00:44:52.088 --> 00:44:52.958
All of the answers.

00:44:52.958 --> 00:44:55.658
I've got some that have
resolved in my own mind.

00:44:56.438 --> 00:45:00.268
One of them are accuser knows the
book better than many of us do.

00:45:00.568 --> 00:45:00.868
Yeah.

00:45:01.258 --> 00:45:03.328
And he knows God's plan.

00:45:04.398 --> 00:45:05.388
I think where.

00:45:06.738 --> 00:45:12.168
The inquisition failed where
forced conversions failed.

00:45:13.008 --> 00:45:14.508
Where Hitler failed.

00:45:14.928 --> 00:45:16.908
Where Intifada has failed.

00:45:17.688 --> 00:45:20.388
Where Hamas and Hezbollah have failed.

00:45:21.138 --> 00:45:22.158
It's because.

00:45:22.311 --> 00:45:22.851
God.

00:45:23.301 --> 00:45:24.891
Told us in his word.

00:45:25.341 --> 00:45:28.041
He will keep a remnant
of his people around.

00:45:28.558 --> 00:45:29.218
And.

00:45:29.531 --> 00:45:30.641
Satan.

00:45:31.551 --> 00:45:32.241
I did.

00:45:32.241 --> 00:45:33.591
I really don't like using.

00:45:34.701 --> 00:45:35.481
Uh, name.

00:45:35.751 --> 00:45:38.641
Just rather call him by what he
is, and he's just the accuser.

00:45:39.151 --> 00:45:39.391
Yeah.

00:45:39.811 --> 00:45:40.981
I think that.

00:45:42.851 --> 00:45:46.571
you just look at what's happened
since October 7th, how much hate.

00:45:47.111 --> 00:45:50.531
Has been stirred up against
a population of people.

00:45:51.421 --> 00:45:54.721
Whether you consider a rifle or unjust.

00:45:55.501 --> 00:45:57.781
Just the sheer volume of hate.

00:45:57.931 --> 00:45:58.201
Yeah.

00:45:58.261 --> 00:45:59.521
That has been launched.

00:46:00.661 --> 00:46:04.441
That's because hate is one
of the strongest emotions.

00:46:05.251 --> 00:46:07.501
And that's what the accuser's stirring up.

00:46:08.161 --> 00:46:10.321
It's Hey, it happens in our politics.

00:46:10.381 --> 00:46:10.651
Yeah.

00:46:11.071 --> 00:46:12.751
It happens in religion.

00:46:13.261 --> 00:46:15.301
It happens in cultures.

00:46:15.481 --> 00:46:15.961
Yeah.

00:46:16.241 --> 00:46:16.781
Jesus.

00:46:17.351 --> 00:46:19.301
Satan was the God of this world.

00:46:19.351 --> 00:46:20.521
So obviously

00:46:20.571 --> 00:46:23.241
If we're not tuned in to the real God.

00:46:23.331 --> 00:46:26.241
We're going to be
deceived by the false God.

00:46:26.742 --> 00:46:28.392
That's all he has is deception.

00:46:28.452 --> 00:46:28.932
Anyways.

00:46:29.532 --> 00:46:30.432
It's all in our.

00:46:30.942 --> 00:46:35.502
Human minds that we get so screwed up,
but he knows how to work it though.

00:46:35.622 --> 00:46:35.982
Yeah.

00:46:36.102 --> 00:46:38.262
He's been deceiving people since day one.

00:46:38.332 --> 00:46:40.732
actually, So shortly thereafter.

00:46:41.642 --> 00:46:43.982
so did just go back to
your personal story.

00:46:44.012 --> 00:46:45.512
What was your master's degree?

00:46:45.962 --> 00:46:47.612
I got a master of business.

00:46:47.882 --> 00:46:48.632
From J U.

00:46:49.382 --> 00:46:50.702
Oh, Jacksonville university.

00:46:51.512 --> 00:46:51.842
Awesome.

00:46:51.932 --> 00:46:52.772
Yeah, it was.

00:46:53.502 --> 00:46:55.452
I really wonderful experience.

00:46:55.532 --> 00:46:58.742
I worked for a company that
really took care of people.

00:46:58.802 --> 00:47:00.782
They paid for all of my undergrad.

00:47:01.382 --> 00:47:02.282
And who.

00:47:02.552 --> 00:47:05.522
About 20, 30% of my masters.

00:47:05.762 --> 00:47:06.602
but it was worth it.

00:47:06.602 --> 00:47:09.452
It gave me a foot to the next level and.

00:47:10.232 --> 00:47:13.052
It's what allowed me to
retire as early as I did.

00:47:15.702 --> 00:47:16.062
let me.

00:47:16.722 --> 00:47:19.842
Ask is just in light of your
whole story and we'll start

00:47:19.842 --> 00:47:21.162
wrapping things up here, but.

00:47:21.762 --> 00:47:23.352
Just listening to your story.

00:47:23.402 --> 00:47:24.692
You've been through a lot.

00:47:25.361 --> 00:47:27.221
And you had a rough childhood.

00:47:28.111 --> 00:47:30.451
you struggled to make it in this world?

00:47:30.511 --> 00:47:31.861
Thank God for the Navy, huh?

00:47:32.521 --> 00:47:33.391
Absolutely.

00:47:34.261 --> 00:47:36.181
as you look back on your life, you.

00:47:36.511 --> 00:47:37.591
How do you see.

00:47:38.491 --> 00:47:39.091
God.

00:47:39.121 --> 00:47:39.661
At work.

00:47:39.901 --> 00:47:40.171
Yeah.

00:47:41.011 --> 00:47:42.661
how do you experience.

00:47:43.111 --> 00:47:48.721
Your life now in relation to your past,
that's actually a question that I've

00:47:48.721 --> 00:47:51.001
been able to find a good answer for.

00:47:51.258 --> 00:47:53.088
And over the last few years.

00:47:54.528 --> 00:47:56.718
Because I grew up.

00:47:57.198 --> 00:47:58.338
Blaming my dad.

00:47:58.578 --> 00:47:59.658
Blaming my mom.

00:48:00.738 --> 00:48:02.958
Because my dad was absentee.

00:48:02.988 --> 00:48:04.788
He dragged me out to California.

00:48:05.328 --> 00:48:08.768
I lived in a really toxic
environment for years.

00:48:09.368 --> 00:48:11.618
Move back across the
country to live with my.

00:48:12.428 --> 00:48:14.648
Alcoholic mother and
her alcoholic husband.

00:48:15.578 --> 00:48:16.208
And.

00:48:17.218 --> 00:48:19.108
My mother was incapable.

00:48:19.378 --> 00:48:19.978
Of.

00:48:20.264 --> 00:48:21.494
Being a mother to.

00:48:21.784 --> 00:48:24.874
a young teenage boy that she
hadn't seen for six years.

00:48:25.084 --> 00:48:25.444
Yeah.

00:48:25.984 --> 00:48:29.194
She wasn't prepared for it
emotionally, physically, financially.

00:48:29.511 --> 00:48:30.861
And my dad wasn't helping out.

00:48:31.338 --> 00:48:34.908
I look at the situation and
I look at how I responded.

00:48:35.328 --> 00:48:36.738
How depressed ICOT.

00:48:37.084 --> 00:48:39.754
Yeah, 13 year old boys
don't need all SIRS.

00:48:40.654 --> 00:48:41.464
I'm just telling ya.

00:48:42.304 --> 00:48:46.714
As an older adult now I
have finally figured out.

00:48:48.034 --> 00:48:48.634
That.

00:48:49.834 --> 00:48:53.284
Neither of those parents are
responsible for who I am now.

00:48:54.304 --> 00:48:57.544
It's my relationship with my
Lord and savior that has helped

00:48:57.544 --> 00:48:59.044
me get to where I am now.

00:48:59.344 --> 00:49:00.394
He has gifted me.

00:49:00.394 --> 00:49:01.264
He's given me.

00:49:02.554 --> 00:49:06.664
Insights things that have allowed
me to be who I am, has given me

00:49:06.664 --> 00:49:10.174
the freedom to learn how to serve
him in multiple ways, whether it's

00:49:10.174 --> 00:49:11.974
working in a prison ministry, which.

00:49:12.394 --> 00:49:14.404
Leading praise and worship groups.

00:49:14.674 --> 00:49:15.994
Being a handyman.

00:49:16.894 --> 00:49:17.884
And getting to help out.

00:49:18.754 --> 00:49:20.464
Customers who were in their eighties.

00:49:20.524 --> 00:49:20.884
Yeah.

00:49:21.724 --> 00:49:23.284
I have had to learn.

00:49:24.094 --> 00:49:26.554
To forgive my mother and my father.

00:49:27.964 --> 00:49:30.184
For every perceived hurt.

00:49:30.514 --> 00:49:31.354
that I've had.

00:49:32.584 --> 00:49:37.024
Why would I ever think that I
would have a perfect parent?

00:49:37.804 --> 00:49:40.774
Because even if I had a perfect parent,
I wouldn't have been a perfect child.

00:49:40.804 --> 00:49:43.924
So it doesn't matter that crap
that I had to come up through.

00:49:45.964 --> 00:49:52.174
What I came through is a testimony that
God can use anyone for his purpose.

00:49:54.574 --> 00:49:58.054
Where you may have just answered it,
but my next question is going to be.

00:49:58.504 --> 00:50:02.974
What if you had a one bit of
advice that you could pass on to.

00:50:03.844 --> 00:50:05.224
Anybody out there listening.

00:50:05.314 --> 00:50:06.714
Say a young man who's.

00:50:07.584 --> 00:50:07.854
Evan.

00:50:08.434 --> 00:50:09.514
parental troubles.

00:50:11.164 --> 00:50:12.034
What would you say?

00:50:12.891 --> 00:50:15.141
I tried to allude to that earlier.

00:50:15.201 --> 00:50:17.931
And I think it has to do with us.

00:50:18.138 --> 00:50:19.218
Embracing.

00:50:19.338 --> 00:50:21.348
God's love for us first.

00:50:21.648 --> 00:50:23.418
Because we can't.

00:50:24.648 --> 00:50:28.968
Forgive someone else until we know
what it feels like to be forgiven.

00:50:29.928 --> 00:50:32.268
We need to know just how much.

00:50:33.348 --> 00:50:36.348
God loves us how real it is.

00:50:37.008 --> 00:50:39.648
And once we can internalize that.

00:50:40.458 --> 00:50:43.308
We can begin to see
those who have heard us.

00:50:43.508 --> 00:50:46.388
As people who are just as loved by God.

00:50:46.988 --> 00:50:49.868
So we need to learn how to forgive
them and know it's not easy.

00:50:50.258 --> 00:50:51.608
'cause we carry Hertz.

00:50:51.608 --> 00:50:52.538
We carry burdens.

00:50:52.538 --> 00:50:54.398
We carry pain since cars.

00:50:55.728 --> 00:50:57.948
Sometimes some scars are generational.

00:50:59.178 --> 00:51:01.518
And we need, God's help
to break through that.

00:51:01.938 --> 00:51:05.778
We need this power of the holy
spirit to break those tethers that.

00:51:06.798 --> 00:51:08.838
Keep us chained to our history.

00:51:09.438 --> 00:51:11.628
Yeah, and we need to learn how to forgive.

00:51:12.538 --> 00:51:16.858
I think that's maybe why Jesus
included is so prominently in the

00:51:17.278 --> 00:51:18.838
what's called the Lord's prayer.

00:51:19.166 --> 00:51:23.756
So seems to be a fundamental
spiritual principle.

00:51:24.716 --> 00:51:26.426
So one thing I was talking about.

00:51:26.966 --> 00:51:29.156
Just want to revisit the Shabbat.

00:51:31.646 --> 00:51:33.746
The power of Shabbat.

00:51:34.526 --> 00:51:36.866
For me was learning about.

00:51:37.226 --> 00:51:37.946
Peace.

00:51:38.816 --> 00:51:39.956
Learning about Shalom.

00:51:41.876 --> 00:51:43.646
I grew up hearing the word Shalom.

00:51:44.576 --> 00:51:45.596
just meant peace near.

00:51:45.926 --> 00:51:49.886
Those are the two finger salute
piece, It wasn't until I studied it.

00:51:50.036 --> 00:51:55.496
And I looked at some mid rash,
some Hebrew commentary on it.

00:51:56.186 --> 00:51:59.546
Where you begin to
understand what that word.

00:52:00.026 --> 00:52:04.166
Truly means to someone in the
culture to whom it was spoken.

00:52:05.196 --> 00:52:09.156
one of the books I read recently was
reading the Bible with rabbi Jesus, and

00:52:09.156 --> 00:52:11.586
it helps put you in context with so much.

00:52:12.096 --> 00:52:12.936
It's written.

00:52:13.296 --> 00:52:13.986
You've got to remember.

00:52:14.976 --> 00:52:17.736
Jesus and his disciples didn't
have a new Testament to read.

00:52:17.879 --> 00:52:22.229
All they knew was Torah
the writings, the profits.

00:52:23.249 --> 00:52:26.249
And so that's why once you understand.

00:52:26.939 --> 00:52:30.299
The old Testament, so much of what
you read in the new Testament.

00:52:30.329 --> 00:52:31.739
It's just repeat.

00:52:32.099 --> 00:52:32.459
Yeah.

00:52:32.739 --> 00:52:34.269
it's just incredible.

00:52:34.689 --> 00:52:35.019
But.

00:52:35.589 --> 00:52:40.149
Learning about what Shalom
meant to the original hearers.

00:52:41.229 --> 00:52:41.799
When.

00:52:43.389 --> 00:52:46.359
Moses and Aaron are coming
down from Mount Sinai.

00:52:47.469 --> 00:52:48.969
And God tells Moses.

00:52:50.169 --> 00:52:53.619
This is how you are to
place my name on my people.

00:52:55.599 --> 00:52:57.009
And he goes through there's prayer.

00:52:57.999 --> 00:52:58.959
And at the end of it.

00:52:59.199 --> 00:53:00.639
The last word is Shalom.

00:53:00.639 --> 00:53:01.929
And what did that word mean?

00:53:02.499 --> 00:53:03.759
It means wholeness.

00:53:04.299 --> 00:53:05.259
It means completeness.

00:53:05.619 --> 00:53:08.379
If anything has been taken
from you, it will be restored.

00:53:09.339 --> 00:53:09.969
That.

00:53:11.019 --> 00:53:13.869
If you're missing something,
it will be provided for you.

00:53:14.619 --> 00:53:19.329
That your crops would yield fruit,
that your laborers would return.

00:53:19.509 --> 00:53:20.289
A prophet.

00:53:20.889 --> 00:53:22.059
All of these things.

00:53:22.569 --> 00:53:25.599
You do a word study on Shalom
and it's more than just.

00:53:26.619 --> 00:53:27.279
God's peace.

00:53:27.279 --> 00:53:27.759
Y'all.

00:53:27.969 --> 00:53:30.759
And it wasn't until I
began to understand that.

00:53:32.789 --> 00:53:36.019
this prayer that Aaron and his
brothers are being instructed

00:53:36.019 --> 00:53:38.119
to pray over God's people.

00:53:39.679 --> 00:53:43.819
It's telling him that God
wants to put his name on them.

00:53:44.239 --> 00:53:45.439
And gift them.

00:53:46.069 --> 00:53:47.299
Everything they need.

00:53:48.469 --> 00:53:48.859
Yeah.

00:53:49.369 --> 00:53:51.499
And by extension us.

00:53:54.259 --> 00:53:58.039
So Sheila is something
that most people really.

00:53:59.089 --> 00:54:01.159
You don't understand that
as a thank you, baby.

00:54:01.159 --> 00:54:04.759
The hard to understand without
having the old Testament,

00:54:04.759 --> 00:54:07.939
such as Isaiah 53, Isaiah 61.

00:54:08.659 --> 00:54:13.759
Psalm 1 0 3, all the benefits
to remember all the benefits as.

00:54:13.819 --> 00:54:18.859
Does show long where we, when we
remember all he's done for us already.

00:54:19.669 --> 00:54:20.359
That's Shalom.

00:54:20.469 --> 00:54:22.119
And we can't really live.

00:54:23.469 --> 00:54:25.869
We can't really experience Shalom.

00:54:26.649 --> 00:54:27.399
Without.

00:54:28.689 --> 00:54:29.739
His presence.

00:54:30.309 --> 00:54:32.289
And we can't do it with a hard heart.

00:54:32.889 --> 00:54:37.329
If we have a hard heart, because we've
withheld forgiveness from someone.

00:54:38.019 --> 00:54:39.519
We'll never know that piece.

00:54:39.849 --> 00:54:43.179
That's why I think it's so important
that we learn how to forgive.

00:54:43.659 --> 00:54:44.349
Yes.

00:54:46.869 --> 00:54:49.479
MacBook Air Microphone-10: Well, it's
about time for us to wrap this up.

00:54:51.239 --> 00:54:54.209
any final words and, uh,
would you pray for us?

00:54:55.486 --> 00:54:57.406
MacBook Air Microphone-1:
Pull up numbers six.

00:54:58.866 --> 00:55:00.516
Then the Lord said to Moses.

00:55:00.996 --> 00:55:04.476
Tell Aaron and his sons to
bless the people of Israel

00:55:04.626 --> 00:55:05.976
with this special blessing.

00:55:11.136 --> 00:55:11.736
Yeah, era than.

00:55:18.306 --> 00:55:18.816
Shalom.

00:55:18.876 --> 00:55:20.226
May the Lord bless you.

00:55:21.276 --> 00:55:22.206
And protect you.

00:55:23.226 --> 00:55:26.526
May the Lord smile on you
and be gracious to you.

00:55:28.086 --> 00:55:30.036
May the Lord show you his favor.

00:55:30.846 --> 00:55:32.376
And give you his peace.

00:55:33.726 --> 00:55:38.016
And whenever Aaron and his sons blessed
the people of Israel in my name.

00:55:39.036 --> 00:55:40.086
I will bless them.

00:55:40.987 --> 00:55:43.793
MacBook Air Microphone-11: Well, I can
think  of a better way to end this.

00:55:43.793 --> 00:55:45.203
Thank you so much here.

00:55:45.586 --> 00:55:46.396
And Shalom.

00:55:47.216 --> 00:55:47.876
MacBook Air Microphone-1: Shalom.

00:55:52.073 --> 00:55:54.273
Speaker 2: We hope you've
been blessed by today's story.

00:55:54.743 --> 00:55:58.463
In case you haven't noticed, there
are no advertisements on this podcast,

00:55:58.823 --> 00:56:00.363
and we hope to keep it that way.

00:56:01.013 --> 00:56:05.153
So if you've heard something that you
think could help someone you know, please

00:56:05.153 --> 00:56:07.293
share it using the link in the show notes.

00:56:08.123 --> 00:56:12.473
Also, if you will give Faith and Purpose a
positive review on your podcast platform,

00:56:12.923 --> 00:56:14.563
you could help more people find it.

00:56:15.173 --> 00:56:19.238
You will probably never know how
that small effort can make a big

00:56:19.238 --> 00:56:22.788
difference in someone's life,
but our Heavenly Father knows.

00:56:23.288 --> 00:56:28.088
Speaking of sharing, if you know a Jesus
follower with a story to tell, please send

00:56:28.088 --> 00:56:30.018
them a link to Faith and Purpose Podcast.

00:56:30.988 --> 00:56:33.148
It may encourage them to tell their story.

00:56:33.548 --> 00:56:35.148
That person may even be you.

00:56:35.618 --> 00:56:38.748
Our only criteria is
that Jesus be glorified.

00:56:39.518 --> 00:56:43.028
Most Christians don't share their
faith because they mistakenly think

00:56:43.038 --> 00:56:47.408
their story is not interesting enough,
or that it's self centered to talk

00:56:47.418 --> 00:56:52.458
about themselves, or that they are not
competent to explain the gospel correctly.

00:56:52.898 --> 00:56:54.158
But none of that is relevant.

00:56:54.548 --> 00:56:57.988
If Jesus has changed your
life, you have a story to tell.

00:56:58.933 --> 00:57:01.343
All of our stories are completely unique.

00:57:01.643 --> 00:57:06.413
No one has a story like yours, and you
may be the only one who can reach someone

00:57:06.413 --> 00:57:08.193
else through telling your experience.

00:57:08.763 --> 00:57:10.133
So don't be intimidated.

00:57:10.463 --> 00:57:15.883
A story is just that, a true account
of your own experience, and no one

00:57:15.893 --> 00:57:17.833
can disagree with your experience.

00:57:18.788 --> 00:57:22.968
When we tell what Jesus has done in
our lives, we are being obedient to his

00:57:22.968 --> 00:57:27.188
command to go into all the world and
preach the gospel to every creature.

00:57:27.588 --> 00:57:31.438
It's not about theology, and it's not
about how interesting or special you are.

00:57:31.778 --> 00:57:33.438
It's all about Jesus.

00:57:34.218 --> 00:57:38.928
So when you're ready to tell how Jesus
has impacted your life, you can let Jesse

00:57:38.928 --> 00:57:42.048
know at his ministry website, jesseduke.

00:57:42.068 --> 00:57:42.328
net.

00:57:42.958 --> 00:57:46.138
There you can download guidelines
that will make it easy to

00:57:46.138 --> 00:57:47.598
prepare to tell your story.

00:57:48.218 --> 00:57:50.658
Thank you for listening today and Shalom.