WEBVTT NOTE This file was generated by Descript 00:00:09.690 --> 00:00:13.110 Speaker 6: Welcome everyone to Faith and Purpose podcast. 00:00:13.870 --> 00:00:19.049 Each episode of this podcast contains the personal testimony of an ordinary person 00:00:19.069 --> 00:00:21.810 transformed by an extraordinary God. 00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:25.640 My name is Kaylin and I'm here to introduce this podcast 00:00:25.650 --> 00:00:27.180 for my friend Jesse Duke. 00:00:27.790 --> 00:00:33.259 Jesse is a husband, father, author, life recovery guide, lay counselor, 00:00:33.740 --> 00:00:37.820 and small group leader, but his most important role is disciple. 00:00:38.260 --> 00:00:39.710 As a disciple of Jesus. 00:00:40.190 --> 00:00:44.280 Jesse created this podcast to help other believers tell their faith stories. 00:00:44.830 --> 00:00:48.630 We'll be hearing the personal testimonies of all sorts of people 00:00:48.630 --> 00:00:52.560 who have one thing in common, Jesus has transformed their lives. 00:00:53.465 --> 00:00:57.555 Jesus used parables because he created us to learn best through story. 00:00:57.985 --> 00:01:02.775 And as we listen to how God has worked in others lives, we find encouragement 00:01:02.785 --> 00:01:05.075 and inspiration for our own faith walk. 00:01:05.564 --> 00:01:09.935 Whether you are already a believer or just a curious seeker, we believe that 00:01:09.955 --> 00:01:14.244 as you listen to these stories, you will be encouraged on your own faith journey. 00:01:14.544 --> 00:01:18.954 We are sure that God can speak to you through one of these episodes and that you 00:01:18.954 --> 00:01:23.044 will see that our Heavenly Father truly works all things together for our good. 00:01:23.380 --> 00:01:25.290 When we simply love and trust him. 00:01:25.990 --> 00:01:29.360 If you are currently going through a trial, we believe that you will come 00:01:29.360 --> 00:01:34.150 to see that your troubles, heartbreaks, and failures are not gravestones, but 00:01:34.180 --> 00:01:36.750 stepping stones into new life in Christ. 00:01:37.180 --> 00:01:39.170 Here's Jesse with today's guest. 00:01:50.939 --> 00:01:54.259 Speaker: Welcome everybody to Faith and Purpose podcast. 00:01:54.939 --> 00:01:55.969 My name is Jesse Duke. 00:01:56.399 --> 00:02:00.909 And today I have my longtime friend, Jim Renfrow, to tell his story. 00:02:01.419 --> 00:02:02.749 How you doing today, Jim? 00:02:02.749 --> 00:02:03.829 Speaker 2: I'm doing fine, 00:02:05.929 --> 00:02:10.646 Speaker: Well, I already know parts of your story, but I just wanted to get it 00:02:10.656 --> 00:02:13.086 down in audio for other people to hear. 00:02:13.086 --> 00:02:15.236 So, I'm looking forward to it. 00:02:16.296 --> 00:02:18.976 So, tell us, when and where you were born. 00:02:20.426 --> 00:02:24.806 Speaker 2: I was born in 1936 in, down between Lakeview and Nichols. 00:02:25.816 --> 00:02:26.896 I was born at home, 00:02:29.356 --> 00:02:30.366 1936. 00:02:30.886 --> 00:02:32.306 Speaker: You were born in a house? 00:02:32.356 --> 00:02:33.406 Born in a house. 00:02:35.136 --> 00:02:37.496 And how about, brothers and sisters? 00:02:37.686 --> 00:02:39.526 Speaker 2: I had one brother and one sister. 00:02:39.526 --> 00:02:44.056 My sister was 10 years older than me, and my brother was 12 years older than me. 00:02:44.846 --> 00:02:47.513 I was sort of like an only 00:02:47.513 --> 00:02:47.894 Speaker: child. 00:02:47.894 --> 00:02:49.916 So you were the baby of the family? 00:02:49.916 --> 00:02:50.019 I 00:02:50.019 --> 00:02:50.641 Speaker 2: was the baby of the family. 00:02:52.341 --> 00:02:53.971 Speaker: And what was your childhood like? 00:02:54.511 --> 00:02:58.031 Speaker 2: Well, I guess, looking back on it, I think I 00:02:58.031 --> 00:02:59.641 maybe was like the only child. 00:02:59.641 --> 00:03:03.491 I might have been a little spoiled, but, I didn't think I was at the time. 00:03:04.905 --> 00:03:09.575 Speaker: So you were born in Dillon County, South Carolina. 00:03:09.655 --> 00:03:09.955 Right. 00:03:10.215 --> 00:03:14.825 And, when I say what was your childhood like, I mean, did you run the streets? 00:03:14.825 --> 00:03:16.355 Did you live in the woods? 00:03:16.395 --> 00:03:18.105 Did you grow up hunting and fishing? 00:03:18.105 --> 00:03:18.875 What was your life? 00:03:19.135 --> 00:03:24.215 Speaker 2: I grew up, we had a, I lived on a tobacco farm and I worked 00:03:24.215 --> 00:03:26.295 in tobacco when I got big enough. 00:03:26.685 --> 00:03:30.945 About six years old, I started dragging tobacco with a mule on a flat drag. 00:03:32.040 --> 00:03:34.180 And I stayed in the woods fishing. 00:03:34.180 --> 00:03:39.640 I did a lot of fishing and, didn't do much hunting until I got up about 11 years old. 00:03:39.850 --> 00:03:42.020 I got my first gun. 00:03:43.090 --> 00:03:45.710 But, I stayed outside most all the time. 00:03:46.613 --> 00:03:46.853 So 00:03:46.853 --> 00:03:47.073 what 00:03:47.093 --> 00:03:47.383 Speaker: was 00:03:47.383 --> 00:03:48.243 Speaker 2: your first gun? 00:03:49.133 --> 00:03:52.298 It was a 410 Singleboro. 00:03:53.018 --> 00:03:53.568 Speaker: Me too. 00:03:56.828 --> 00:03:59.338 Well, what about school? 00:04:00.688 --> 00:04:01.578 How did that go? 00:04:02.178 --> 00:04:06.038 Speaker 2: I started off in the first grade in Nichols, South Carolina. 00:04:06.038 --> 00:04:08.848 I got along pretty good. 00:04:08.848 --> 00:04:10.528 Made fairly decent grades. 00:04:11.008 --> 00:04:14.628 I didn't like school that well, but I did pretty good. 00:04:15.718 --> 00:04:21.308 with my grades and all, through the 7th grade, and, I loved baseball. 00:04:21.308 --> 00:04:25.085 We had a baseball team in Mecklenburg, and, I played on the 00:04:25.465 --> 00:04:29.985 high school baseball team when I was in the 7th grade, and, wait, you 00:04:29.985 --> 00:04:33.255 Speaker: were in the 7th grade but you played on the high school team? 00:04:33.295 --> 00:04:33.315 Yeah. 00:04:34.495 --> 00:04:36.065 So they recruited you, huh? 00:04:36.680 --> 00:04:40.290 Speaker 2: Well, we all practiced together and all of it. 00:04:40.290 --> 00:04:42.366 We didn't have but one thing, that was the high school. 00:04:42.366 --> 00:04:43.988 We didn't have anything to do with varsity. 00:04:43.988 --> 00:04:44.430 You didn't 00:04:44.430 --> 00:04:46.170 Speaker: have enough people to have more than 00:04:46.580 --> 00:04:46.640 Speaker 2: that. 00:04:46.640 --> 00:04:46.900 Right. 00:04:47.740 --> 00:04:51.040 But I moved to the Lakeview School in the 8th grade. 00:04:52.370 --> 00:04:56.150 And, I didn't get along good with, under other, with the management. 00:04:56.150 --> 00:05:00.695 I had a, Major problem with the baseball coach. 00:05:01.685 --> 00:05:06.475 When I first went there, I was practicing with the team, but we had a falling out. 00:05:07.025 --> 00:05:11.255 I never played baseball in high school, on the high school team, or football. 00:05:11.255 --> 00:05:14.245 I'd never even seen a football game until I went to Lakeview. 00:05:14.745 --> 00:05:15.155 Speaker: Wow. 00:05:15.365 --> 00:05:20.695 so did you have any other interests in life besides, baseball and, Fishing? 00:05:21.685 --> 00:05:24.246 Speaker 2: Well, I got a car when I was in 8th grade. 00:05:24.876 --> 00:05:29.666 in order for me to go to school in Lakeview, I either had to walk about a 00:05:29.666 --> 00:05:35.496 little over a mile to make the bus, and my dad brought me a 1950 Willys Jeepster, 00:05:36.406 --> 00:05:42.806 and I drove it to school when I was in Lakeview I enjoyed taking on cars, Before 00:05:42.836 --> 00:05:49.496 then, I had a 32 Chevrolet stripped down, and I used to work on it a lot, and I 00:05:49.746 --> 00:05:55.756 learned to rebuild the engines back when I was in the 8th and 9th grade in school. 00:05:57.086 --> 00:05:57.376 But, 00:06:00.376 --> 00:06:06.736 I enjoyed, I did I began the quill hunt when I was in about the 8th grade and 00:06:06.736 --> 00:06:11.216 9th grade, and I bought me a dog and, Me and this friend of mine, we hunted 00:06:11.216 --> 00:06:14.826 together in all our spare time, and of course we fished in the spring and 00:06:14.826 --> 00:06:21.966 summer, but when I got to Lakeview and started, I didn't care much about school. 00:06:21.966 --> 00:06:25.496 I cut school a lot, and I didn't make real good grades, 00:06:26.436 --> 00:06:28.976 and but, I've had a lot of fun. 00:06:28.976 --> 00:06:32.187 I wasn't that bad of a dude at that 00:06:32.187 --> 00:06:32.546 Speaker: time. 00:06:32.726 --> 00:06:38.416 So you know this is called Faith and Purpose Podcast, so my question is what, 00:06:40.426 --> 00:06:42.196 what were your childhood memories like? 00:06:42.216 --> 00:06:46.336 Were you exposed to, faith or religion 00:06:46.816 --> 00:06:47.016 Well, 00:06:48.406 --> 00:06:52.636 Speaker 2: from the time I was big enough to go, went to church with my mom. 00:06:52.646 --> 00:06:55.326 My mom was a Baptist and my dad was a Methodist. 00:06:55.326 --> 00:06:57.006 I went to church with my mom. 00:06:58.196 --> 00:07:00.146 But, I never, I didn't learn much. 00:07:00.646 --> 00:07:00.976 Probably. 00:07:01.886 --> 00:07:07.206 Did more talking than I did listening, but but I did go to church, maybe not 00:07:07.206 --> 00:07:09.116 ever, but we were fairly faithful I'd say. 00:07:10.156 --> 00:07:12.506 Maybe three out of four Sundays we went to church. 00:07:12.506 --> 00:07:12.676 Speaker: huh. 00:07:13.636 --> 00:07:17.096 Speaker 2: But I didn't really care much about, didn't really know much 00:07:17.096 --> 00:07:24.546 about the Bible and, and, didn't really care much about no one at the time. 00:07:24.596 --> 00:07:26.676 I guess living out in the country and. 00:07:28.921 --> 00:07:32.381 And working with farmhands, and that's all I had to play with. 00:07:32.381 --> 00:07:39.961 I lived six miles from Nichols and six miles from Lakeview, so 00:07:39.961 --> 00:07:43.247 I was right in the middle of it. 00:07:43.247 --> 00:07:46.239 I had a lot of fun when I joined. 00:07:46.389 --> 00:07:47.359 It wasn't all bad. 00:07:48.889 --> 00:07:52.529 Speaker: So your life was pretty much working on the farm. 00:07:52.779 --> 00:07:52.819 Right. 00:07:54.609 --> 00:08:02.669 Hunting, fishing, baseball, cars, you, I get, you enjoyed cars and I 00:08:02.669 --> 00:08:04.609 understand you raced them for a while. 00:08:04.789 --> 00:08:05.069 Yeah, but 00:08:05.119 --> 00:08:06.109 Speaker 2: that was later on. 00:08:06.299 --> 00:08:06.879 Speaker: Okay. 00:08:08.139 --> 00:08:12.219 Speaker 2: But, anyway, I met my wife when I was in the eighth grade 00:08:12.399 --> 00:08:17.599 and, we started dating, in the eighth grade, a little, just maybe. 00:08:18.949 --> 00:08:23.609 I had to, I had, the only time I could go off was one time a week, and, with 00:08:23.619 --> 00:08:30.739 her, and, she, and then on Sunday, I either go to WBTU on Sunday night, 00:08:31.279 --> 00:08:36.539 Bible, whatever they want to call it, but anyway, I either had to go to the 00:08:36.539 --> 00:08:40.329 church with her, or I either had to stay at home and talk with her at her house. 00:08:40.489 --> 00:08:40.799 Speaker: huh. 00:08:41.429 --> 00:08:44.819 Speaker 2: But, We, I think the fact that I didn't get that I didn't play 00:08:44.819 --> 00:08:50.459 ball much in high school I look back on it now I've regretted it most of my life 00:08:50.459 --> 00:08:55.759 and felt like I had, been mistreated for not playing but, I look back on 00:08:55.759 --> 00:08:57.159 it now as a blessing because probably 00:08:59.189 --> 00:09:01.829 if I'd have been playing ball, I might not have fell in love 00:09:01.829 --> 00:09:03.649 and got married when I was 16. 00:09:03.719 --> 00:09:04.749 Speaker: okay. 00:09:06.109 --> 00:09:08.609 let's see, y'all met in the 8th grade. 00:09:08.659 --> 00:09:09.739 What grade was she 00:09:09.739 --> 00:09:10.019 Speaker 2: in? 00:09:10.029 --> 00:09:13.629 She was in the, no, I guess I was in the 9th grade. 00:09:13.629 --> 00:09:14.439 She was in the 8th grade. 00:09:15.719 --> 00:09:18.174 Speaker: Okay, so you were 16, she was 12. 00:09:18.444 --> 00:09:18.984 15 00:09:18.984 --> 00:09:23.544 Speaker 2: When we got married, she was in the 11th grade and I had missed, I 00:09:23.544 --> 00:09:27.024 had dropped a bunch of sub, I was in the 11th grade too when we got married. 00:09:27.534 --> 00:09:27.984 Speaker: Okay. 00:09:29.231 --> 00:09:30.431 Speaker 2: it was kind of a trend. 00:09:30.431 --> 00:09:35.031 In my school at that time, there was five couples that got married 00:09:35.031 --> 00:09:40.881 within a two year period and, and while in high school and Nette myself 00:09:40.881 --> 00:09:42.471 was the first two that got married. 00:09:42.471 --> 00:09:45.561 And then, there was four other couples that got married. 00:09:47.391 --> 00:09:48.401 Long back in that time. 00:09:49.441 --> 00:09:51.411 And you couldn't go to school if you were married. 00:09:51.411 --> 00:09:54.421 So we got kicked out of school when we found out we were married. 00:09:54.868 --> 00:09:55.608 suited me too. 00:09:56.098 --> 00:09:57.198 Speaker: How did you get married? 00:09:57.718 --> 00:09:58.538 Did you elope? 00:09:58.908 --> 00:09:59.858 Speaker 2: Yeah, we, Florence 00:10:02.893 --> 00:10:08.403 was the judge of probate in Dillon, so naturally we couldn't go there to get 00:10:08.403 --> 00:10:14.590 married, because he wouldn't work, so we went to Florence and, we went to the 00:10:14.860 --> 00:10:20.641 judge of probate's office in Florence on a Friday afternoon, before basketball. 00:10:20.641 --> 00:10:24.651 I played basketball in high school and, we got our marriage license and we talked to 00:10:24.651 --> 00:10:31.229 this lady and It worked in judge's office, and uh, she told us she would marry us 00:10:31.229 --> 00:10:33.189 on Sunday if we'd come to her house. 00:10:33.199 --> 00:10:39.412 She was a New Republic, but anyway, on the way home, I was in the biggest 00:10:39.412 --> 00:10:46.282 hurry, trying to get back in time to play basketball, and the highway patrolman got 00:10:46.282 --> 00:10:52.502 after me, and Florence Lee, he stopped me about 15 miles off of that down near 00:10:52.502 --> 00:10:58.827 the river, He asked me why, what I was in search of her for, and I told him 00:11:00.187 --> 00:11:03.877 My dad was in the hospital in Mullins and I was in a hurry to get there. 00:11:04.937 --> 00:11:06.797 And he said, who's that with you? 00:11:06.817 --> 00:11:07.927 And I said, my sister. 00:11:07.927 --> 00:11:13.017 Anyway, he let me go. 00:11:13.087 --> 00:11:14.337 He said, you slow down. 00:11:15.167 --> 00:11:18.287 He didn't charge me anything, just didn't let me take it, let me go. 00:11:18.527 --> 00:11:20.727 We made it back in time for the basketball game. 00:11:22.477 --> 00:11:28.187 Speaker: So you went to Florence to get the marriage certificate and then you 00:11:28.187 --> 00:11:28.917 Speaker 2: went back? 00:11:29.057 --> 00:11:31.227 We went back on Sunday afternoon. 00:11:32.527 --> 00:11:38.437 And, got married and then we come home and I had to take her home that 00:11:38.437 --> 00:11:42.007 night cause we didn't have permission to go in the evening and the night. 00:11:42.067 --> 00:11:47.357 but anyway, I believe it was the following Monday we went to school. 00:11:47.457 --> 00:11:52.537 Both of us went to school and this man in Lakeview had, seen 00:11:52.537 --> 00:11:54.427 in the Florence Morning News. 00:11:55.227 --> 00:11:59.527 They used to publish the marriage license on the paper and, he saw it and he 00:11:59.527 --> 00:12:01.962 went to Florence Mom and told us that. 00:12:02.872 --> 00:12:04.482 It's on that gymkit Merritt said. 00:12:04.482 --> 00:12:09.412 I saw the Merritt glasses and she didn't know it up to that time, I don't think. 00:12:09.412 --> 00:12:14.062 But anyway, we went to school that morning and the principal has come 00:12:14.062 --> 00:12:17.512 talking to her, told me I couldn't go to school because Merritt had to leave. 00:12:17.572 --> 00:12:18.072 we let Merritt go. 00:12:18.892 --> 00:12:22.412 We left together and went back to my granny's house and got her some 00:12:22.412 --> 00:12:25.872 clothes and then we went to my house and started fixing us a bedroom. 00:12:26.422 --> 00:12:26.752 boy. 00:12:27.072 --> 00:12:29.352 That was a good time, a good point in my life. 00:12:30.502 --> 00:12:30.762 that's 00:12:30.782 --> 00:12:31.362 Speaker: wonderful. 00:12:31.432 --> 00:12:33.412 how old were both of you at that time? 00:12:33.412 --> 00:12:33.702 Florinette 00:12:33.732 --> 00:12:36.802 Speaker 2: was 15 and I was 16. 00:12:38.102 --> 00:12:40.732 We got married on February the 8th, 1953. 00:12:41.792 --> 00:12:41.942 My 00:12:44.722 --> 00:12:50.642 first child was born, On December the 19th, 1953. 00:12:51.742 --> 00:12:53.882 And, Florida was still 15. 00:12:54.792 --> 00:12:57.542 But I had a birthday on July the 4th. 00:12:57.542 --> 00:13:00.275 she had a birthday on, October 13th. 00:13:02.635 --> 00:13:04.125 That was before Frankie was born. 00:13:04.125 --> 00:13:06.254 She was 16, when Frankie was born. 00:13:06.935 --> 00:13:12.585 And I had already had one on the 4th of July, so we were 15, we were 16 and 17. 00:13:13.925 --> 00:13:17.755 Speaker: Now, did y'all attend the church at that time? 00:13:18.615 --> 00:13:19.925 Speaker 2: Lord, that went over Sunday. 00:13:19.925 --> 00:13:20.525 I didn't go. 00:13:21.045 --> 00:13:21.675 I didn't go to church. 00:13:21.675 --> 00:13:27.565 We, I didn't, she went by herself, because I didn't go anywhere. 00:13:29.894 --> 00:13:31.454 There's a lot that happened between. 00:13:33.543 --> 00:13:41.743 53 in 1970, and, I, I had never drank a beer or anything until I was 21 years old. 00:13:41.743 --> 00:13:47.093 I started sipping a little on beer, and I never smoked a cigarette. 00:13:47.283 --> 00:13:51.403 I'd smoked, rabbit tobacco, and I'd roll, I had rolled me some old tobacco 00:13:51.603 --> 00:13:55.103 that was cured in the barns, and just, it burnt, it was awful, and I 00:13:55.103 --> 00:13:58.693 didn't want to smoke, but anyway, I started smoking when I was 21, too. 00:13:59.793 --> 00:14:03.533 And I started drinking a little, and I got, actually got a little worse. 00:14:04.723 --> 00:14:09.357 And, back in, and into the sixties, I started drinking a lot. 00:14:10.507 --> 00:14:13.217 And, I, I started racing in the sixties. 00:14:13.217 --> 00:14:19.657 And I started racing for four, five, six, seven years. 00:14:20.167 --> 00:14:22.407 And, just kept drinking a little more and more. 00:14:22.407 --> 00:14:25.547 And I got pretty bad long in the late sixties. 00:14:26.787 --> 00:14:31.087 And, right before, before they had never even threatened to leave me at 00:14:31.097 --> 00:14:35.117 no point, you know, she put up with me that, that might have been part of my 00:14:35.117 --> 00:14:36.877 problem, she put up with me too much. 00:14:36.877 --> 00:14:44.447 But, anyway, I come home, it was right, about a week, two 00:14:44.547 --> 00:14:45.837 weeks before Thanksgiving. 00:14:47.377 --> 00:14:52.897 I was pretty drunk and I got cutting up and got violent and started throwing 00:14:52.897 --> 00:14:57.387 things around and well, it kind of first time in her life she broke down 00:14:57.387 --> 00:14:59.367 and went and crying and I slapped her. 00:14:59.367 --> 00:15:03.500 So the only time I'd ever touched her, because I wasn't a, I wasn't a 00:15:03.505 --> 00:15:07.147 wife beater, I was a whole lot worse than a wife beater because I probably 00:15:07.147 --> 00:15:09.067 did hurt more harm with my mouth 00:15:09.831 --> 00:15:10.761 But anyway. 00:15:12.031 --> 00:15:17.091 I left, and when I come back in that night, lay down, the police locked me 00:15:17.091 --> 00:15:22.334 up, put me in jail, and I stayed in jail all the way through Thanksgiving. 00:15:22.891 --> 00:15:27.137 And, when I got out of jail on Thanksgiving for that, file for divorce, 00:15:30.237 --> 00:15:31.617 we stayed separated 00:15:33.697 --> 00:15:36.207 through Christmas and through, Up until 00:15:38.277 --> 00:15:39.667 April the 7th. 00:15:39.667 --> 00:15:43.767 I had this friend at work, that I worked with, that had been witnessing 00:15:43.777 --> 00:15:46.037 me for years, for 10, 15 years. 00:15:46.087 --> 00:15:51.387 He used to go to ballgames with me and he'd come, all the races were a race. 00:15:51.787 --> 00:15:54.587 Anyway, He kept wanting me to go to church. 00:15:54.707 --> 00:15:57.007 And, of course I didn't care nothing about church. 00:15:57.062 --> 00:16:01.247 and, while I, while we were separated, I got thinking, I guess the Holy Spirit 00:16:01.307 --> 00:16:06.257 started dealing with me and I told him one day at work, I said, next time you 00:16:06.257 --> 00:16:09.407 see your preacher, make me a appoint with him, all that, I'm, go talk with him. 00:16:09.407 --> 00:16:09.917 One night 00:16:12.927 --> 00:16:16.467 when I got home work that evening, him and his pastor was sitting in the yard. 00:16:17.057 --> 00:16:19.217 Well, I, I was stopped. 00:16:19.217 --> 00:16:20.972 Thorn it, bought her a trailer and. 00:16:21.392 --> 00:16:22.812 They were living in a mom's yard. 00:16:22.812 --> 00:16:25.622 She had too many children to stay in the house. 00:16:26.792 --> 00:16:29.372 She had put copper in her mom and dad's yard. 00:16:29.372 --> 00:16:34.412 And, I would stop by the old, the house we lived in before, before we got 00:16:34.702 --> 00:16:36.612 separated was right across the road. 00:16:36.692 --> 00:16:39.842 And I'd stop over there and the kids would come over there and we'd talk. 00:16:39.902 --> 00:16:42.532 And I'd talk with the kids, play with them a while. 00:16:42.532 --> 00:16:44.222 And then I'd go on down to my mom's. 00:16:45.657 --> 00:16:51.167 Spend the night, but the preacher had pulled up and admitted that the boy that 00:16:51.167 --> 00:16:56.327 was witness to them, and we sit in the car and talk for a long time, an hour 00:16:56.327 --> 00:17:01.517 or two, I reckon, and I told him, I kept telling him, I said, I know I need 00:17:01.517 --> 00:17:03.367 to clean up and start going to church. 00:17:03.437 --> 00:17:05.807 And he said, Jim, you don't have to go to church. 00:17:05.947 --> 00:17:07.087 You don't have to clean up. 00:17:07.087 --> 00:17:10.607 You need to accept Jesus Christ as your son. 00:17:11.407 --> 00:17:14.197 He said, I said, I know, but I got to keep drinking. 00:17:14.197 --> 00:17:15.567 And he said, you don't have to quit. 00:17:15.567 --> 00:17:17.227 I said, man, you must be crazy. 00:17:17.647 --> 00:17:20.577 They think that I don't have to do nothing. 00:17:20.757 --> 00:17:22.547 He read the scripture to me. 00:17:23.487 --> 00:17:28.107 It's, Jesus died for us while we were yet sinners. 00:17:28.277 --> 00:17:31.667 And he said, you don't, you turn your life over to Jesus. 00:17:31.837 --> 00:17:32.757 If you mean business. 00:17:32.982 --> 00:17:37.766 He'll take the strong, direct taste away from you, and 00:17:37.766 --> 00:17:39.652 then you clean up after that. 00:17:40.152 --> 00:17:42.252 But you don't have to do it before you get saved. 00:17:42.972 --> 00:17:43.232 So 00:17:43.282 --> 00:17:47.599 Speaker: you just assumed that you had to get cleaned up 00:17:47.629 --> 00:17:48.619 before Jesus would accept you. 00:17:48.619 --> 00:17:49.039 I felt 00:17:49.039 --> 00:17:51.129 Speaker 2: like I definitely needed to do different from what I was 00:17:51.129 --> 00:17:52.629 doing before I got in and out. 00:17:54.829 --> 00:17:57.899 I said, if that's what I got to do, I want to do it right now. 00:17:57.899 --> 00:17:59.099 I don't want to wait till Sunday. 00:17:59.099 --> 00:18:00.179 I want to do it right now. 00:18:00.389 --> 00:18:06.409 So, uh, we went, me and him and my friend went into the camper with Floor Net. 00:18:06.609 --> 00:18:09.019 And I got on my knees in there. 00:18:10.204 --> 00:18:13.824 In the kitchen in that cafeteria, I asked Jesus Christ to come into my 00:18:13.884 --> 00:18:18.674 life and I promised him, I said, Lord, if you'll save me, I promise I'll 00:18:20.164 --> 00:18:21.964 serve you the rest of my life, mother. 00:18:22.734 --> 00:18:27.054 And anyway, I meant business with him and the girl didn't know 00:18:27.054 --> 00:18:31.164 enough about me to know that I didn't make that kind of promises. 00:18:31.614 --> 00:18:33.954 So she told me after the preacher left. 00:18:35.059 --> 00:18:39.519 And I could, we could get back together, so I spent my first night I'd spent 00:18:39.519 --> 00:18:41.309 with her since Full Thanksgiving. 00:18:42.599 --> 00:18:46.959 And I was happy, and I remember, she had devotion every night. 00:18:46.959 --> 00:18:50.819 I used to lay in the bed sometime in the next room drunk, half drunk, 00:18:50.899 --> 00:18:53.289 and hearing them have devotion. 00:18:54.459 --> 00:18:58.629 I think all that stuff like that came back to me and people that had witnessed to 00:18:58.629 --> 00:19:00.499 me for 20 years before then and all that. 00:19:00.499 --> 00:19:06.099 So a lot kept coming back when I got hurt as the Holy Spirit was dealing with me. 00:19:07.349 --> 00:19:11.919 But anyway, I got saved on April the 7th, 1970. 00:19:13.199 --> 00:19:15.539 And my marriage started working its way back together. 00:19:16.169 --> 00:19:17.329 We got back together. 00:19:18.389 --> 00:19:20.649 Been a lot of, good things happen since then. 00:19:21.194 --> 00:19:25.344 Speaker: how many children did you have at that time in 1970? 00:19:25.974 --> 00:19:26.594 Speaker 2: we had eight, 00:19:28.624 --> 00:19:32.964 eight children, and when I got, after I got saved, we had three more born. 00:19:34.744 --> 00:19:35.124 Wow. 00:19:35.204 --> 00:19:39.094 But, I've lived, I've had, I haven't been good by no means, but I've lived, 00:19:40.264 --> 00:19:44.804 I've been a happy person since the day I got back with my wife, and 00:19:44.854 --> 00:19:46.404 I haven't had a drink since 1970. 00:19:48.759 --> 00:19:52.799 Speaker: So after you got saved, did you start going to church? 00:19:52.909 --> 00:19:53.359 Yeah, 00:19:53.909 --> 00:19:53.959 Speaker 2: I went. 00:19:54.679 --> 00:19:57.959 I forgot what day of the week that was, but it was maybe Wednesday or 00:19:57.959 --> 00:20:02.489 Thursday, but I went to church Sunday and made a proclamation of faith. 00:20:02.489 --> 00:20:07.149 Went up, went to the altar and the church welcomed me. 00:20:07.179 --> 00:20:12.069 I want, I, my throne had been a member of the First Baptist Elected for years. 00:20:13.254 --> 00:20:15.904 But she was willing, and we talked about it, she was willing to go to 00:20:15.904 --> 00:20:17.414 church with me where I wanted to go. 00:20:17.604 --> 00:20:22.334 So we joined, I joined the church, and then later on, we could say 00:20:22.334 --> 00:20:23.464 later she joined the church. 00:20:23.564 --> 00:20:26.244 All the children that were members of the First Baptist 00:20:26.244 --> 00:20:28.634 joined the Pioneer and Baptist. 00:20:30.014 --> 00:20:30.734 what was the name of the church? 00:20:30.944 --> 00:20:33.084 Pioneer and Baptist Church in Floyddale. 00:20:34.704 --> 00:20:36.204 And that's up near Dillon. 00:20:36.454 --> 00:20:37.124 Speaker: Oh, okay. 00:20:37.977 --> 00:20:41.284 Speaker 2: But, anyway, a lot of other things I could have 00:20:41.284 --> 00:20:43.594 told, but That's the boring part. 00:20:44.604 --> 00:20:47.454 Speaker: what has your life been like since, 1970? 00:20:47.464 --> 00:20:48.764 How did it change? 00:20:48.994 --> 00:20:53.024 Speaker 2: Oh, it changed, I just, I really don't believe I ever cared, I 00:20:53.024 --> 00:20:56.764 look back on my life and I don't think I cared about anybody but myself. 00:20:57.554 --> 00:20:58.784 I love my children. 00:20:58.864 --> 00:21:03.754 I've, I took up a lot of time with my boys and my girls too, 00:21:03.804 --> 00:21:05.524 but not like I should have. 00:21:06.974 --> 00:21:12.644 But since then it's been, It's just been a wonderful, I've had, me and my wife 00:21:12.644 --> 00:21:14.534 have had some wonderful time together. 00:21:14.534 --> 00:21:17.664 Me and the children have had some wonderful time together. 00:21:19.044 --> 00:21:21.994 it's just been a wonderful life since 1970. 00:21:23.268 --> 00:21:28.231 Speaker: So I know, that your whole family would get together every 00:21:28.241 --> 00:21:35.281 holiday, 4th of July week at Oceanau, and then Thanksgiving and Christmas 00:21:35.351 --> 00:21:43.461 and, So you have, all of your children are very close to you and Florinette. 00:21:44.291 --> 00:21:46.261 Of course, tell us about Florinette. 00:21:46.291 --> 00:21:49.411 What, how did, How did she influence your life? 00:21:50.301 --> 00:21:53.871 Speaker 2: She probably had more influence, I think she had more influence 00:21:53.871 --> 00:21:55.881 on my life than any other one person. 00:21:55.931 --> 00:21:59.811 Because she, when I was drinking, I tried my best to get her to 00:21:59.811 --> 00:22:01.301 ride around with me and drink. 00:22:01.381 --> 00:22:04.521 She would never take a drop, drink a drop of anything. 00:22:04.521 --> 00:22:07.021 And when I was drinking, she wouldn't ride with me. 00:22:08.231 --> 00:22:13.691 And, she was just a, she spent most of her life, Doing things for other people. 00:22:15.081 --> 00:22:16.781 And, she did a lot for me too. 00:22:17.531 --> 00:22:19.251 But she, She loved the Lord. 00:22:19.251 --> 00:22:22.031 And she, She taught a Sunday school class for years. 00:22:22.181 --> 00:22:24.641 But she worked in the Christ Church. 00:22:24.641 --> 00:22:25.791 Three different churches. 00:22:26.941 --> 00:22:29.771 But she just, she enjoyed doing things for other people. 00:22:31.631 --> 00:22:32.881 And she did a lot for other people. 00:22:33.521 --> 00:22:37.441 Not to have a lot of income and a lot of money, but she made do. 00:22:39.771 --> 00:22:41.181 Speaker: tell us about your children. 00:22:42.901 --> 00:22:44.251 Start with the oldest. 00:22:44.691 --> 00:22:45.221 My oldest 00:22:45.251 --> 00:22:46.401 Speaker 2: daughter was Frankie. 00:22:46.401 --> 00:22:57.341 She was born on December the 1953 and, she's my next oldest son was 00:22:57.341 --> 00:22:59.151 Jamie, he was born two years later. 00:23:00.171 --> 00:23:01.751 He was born on April Fool's Day. 00:23:04.031 --> 00:23:07.281 And, But, when they were in school and all, they went on 00:23:07.281 --> 00:23:08.541 mission trips in the summer. 00:23:08.541 --> 00:23:14.171 They spent two summers on an island called San Andres Island in South America. 00:23:14.391 --> 00:23:15.591 Columbia, South America. 00:23:15.591 --> 00:23:22.221 And, but, Frankie Went to college, graduated there, and then she went 00:23:22.261 --> 00:23:26.731 to seminary in Dallas, Dallas, Texas. 00:23:28.061 --> 00:23:33.071 That's where she met her husband, in the seminary in Dallas, Texas. 00:23:34.171 --> 00:23:36.661 And, Jamie my oldest boy, he went to West Point. 00:23:38.051 --> 00:23:39.431 in 73. 00:23:39.671 --> 00:23:44.251 they graduated in 77, and my next oldest was a boy Steve. 00:23:44.251 --> 00:23:48.431 And he went to West Point in, 77, I believe. 00:23:50.561 --> 00:23:51.676 No, that would be right. 00:23:52.716 --> 00:23:58.116 He was, maybe he graduated in 79, so he went four, seven. 00:23:58.116 --> 00:23:58.701 He went from 55, 00:23:58.891 --> 00:23:59.241 Speaker: Uhhuh, 00:23:59.596 --> 00:24:02.526 . Speaker 2: But then he married a, he met a girl in, When he was at West 00:24:02.526 --> 00:24:08.976 Portland, and he got married right after he got out of, graduated from college. 00:24:10.046 --> 00:24:13.616 And then my next oldest boy was, William. 00:24:13.616 --> 00:24:15.051 he went to Clemson then. 00:24:16.761 --> 00:24:19.401 And, he got married right after he got out of college. 00:24:19.611 --> 00:24:22.011 And, the next lady was, 00:24:22.061 --> 00:24:22.561 I guess Lisa. 00:24:22.991 --> 00:24:24.081 My daughter Lisa. 00:24:25.311 --> 00:24:31.111 And she graduated from Winthrop and went to medical, went to, medical 00:24:31.111 --> 00:24:32.651 school and she's a registered nurse. 00:24:35.101 --> 00:24:38.891 She got married, I don't remember what year it was. 00:24:39.281 --> 00:24:40.321 She lived with her husband. 00:24:40.591 --> 00:24:43.251 They had three children, three wonderful children. 00:24:43.351 --> 00:24:45.951 And they got a divorce. 00:24:47.015 --> 00:24:49.135 Next child was Timmy. 00:24:50.475 --> 00:24:53.445 And, he went to Watford College on a football scholarship. 00:24:55.215 --> 00:25:01.190 And Beth was Dex, and and then Claire, she, she got married, and 00:25:01.200 --> 00:25:03.500 she got a bunch of children, anyway. 00:25:04.400 --> 00:25:07.900 the three children that were born after I got saved was Samantha, 00:25:09.040 --> 00:25:15.735 and Benji, and Kyle, all three of them got married after I got saved. 00:25:18.205 --> 00:25:20.055 We just had a wonderful time with children. 00:25:20.055 --> 00:25:23.115 I got 11 wonderful children and every one of them were Christians. 00:25:23.115 --> 00:25:26.835 And, and, they, they just, they've never disappointed me. 00:25:27.105 --> 00:25:28.705 They've been, they're wonderful children. 00:25:29.785 --> 00:25:31.985 My, my girls look after me now. 00:25:32.025 --> 00:25:33.605 I'm too old to look after myself. 00:25:34.265 --> 00:25:36.975 Beth, my daughter Beth cooks for me every day. 00:25:38.350 --> 00:25:43.740 Every evening, and Sam comes by every day to sit, and she does a lot for me, too. 00:25:43.740 --> 00:25:48.080 But they all the girls, Frankie visits me about every week. 00:25:48.160 --> 00:25:51.980 And Lisa does, too. 00:25:52.160 --> 00:25:54.170 They all, they just all look up. 00:25:54.330 --> 00:25:55.610 I get attended to well. 00:25:55.630 --> 00:26:00.650 My, my wife, Thornette, died two years ago, in June. 00:26:00.680 --> 00:26:03.100 And, I've really, I've, I've missed her. 00:26:03.100 --> 00:26:06.740 I don't, I just can't get, I don't want to get over it, but. 00:26:08.830 --> 00:26:11.000 I can't wait to see her one day in heaven. 00:26:12.520 --> 00:26:17.210 Speaker: Well, We have that hope in Christ that we will see our loved ones again. 00:26:17.337 --> 00:26:17.983 Right. 00:26:18.263 --> 00:26:22.329 Right I just want to ask you, 00:26:24.796 --> 00:26:30.010 I'm looking from the outside and I'm seeing you got married when you were 16. 00:26:30.820 --> 00:26:32.340 Flornette was 15. 00:26:32.340 --> 00:26:32.986 Right. 00:26:32.986 --> 00:26:37.260 So y'all never graduated from high school. 00:26:37.260 --> 00:26:38.039 Speaker 2: Right. 00:26:38.220 --> 00:26:43.785 Flornette went to, we both went to, School in Florida. 00:26:43.785 --> 00:26:46.500 Got her GED and went on to went to college. 00:26:46.500 --> 00:26:47.220 Francis Mary. 00:26:47.840 --> 00:26:48.090 Speaker: Oh, 00:26:48.090 --> 00:26:50.389 Speaker 2: okay. 00:26:50.770 --> 00:26:54.720 The night I was supposed to take my test to graduate from the GED, 00:26:54.720 --> 00:26:56.140 I was drinking and I didn't go. 00:26:56.820 --> 00:26:56.960 Okay. 00:26:57.020 --> 00:26:57.920 I said, forget it. 00:26:58.750 --> 00:27:04.623 Speaker: but now you got 11, all of those children have college educations. 00:27:04.633 --> 00:27:05.793 How do you think that happened? 00:27:06.673 --> 00:27:07.913 Speaker 2: They were just smarter than me. 00:27:09.221 --> 00:27:10.881 They weren't wild like I was. 00:27:10.961 --> 00:27:11.561 Thank the Lord. 00:27:11.561 --> 00:27:12.421 Praise the Lord for that. 00:27:13.451 --> 00:27:21.281 Speaker: I just, I think it's remarkable, all 11 of your children are believers 00:27:21.311 --> 00:27:23.201 and they graduated from college. 00:27:23.201 --> 00:27:26.101 They have successful careers and families. 00:27:26.541 --> 00:27:30.821 Wonderful families, and so how many grandchildren do you have? 00:27:30.821 --> 00:27:31.111 We got 00:27:31.131 --> 00:27:35.568 Speaker 2: 48 grandchildren, and Counting the grandchildren and the great 00:27:35.568 --> 00:27:37.698 grandchildren, we got 107 right now. 00:27:40.904 --> 00:27:45.544 Speaker: as we're recording this is Christmas Eve 2024. 00:27:47.014 --> 00:27:50.934 So you, you're just blessed to have this big family and, 00:27:50.984 --> 00:27:56.294 I can, I just want to say, looking from the outside, I can see how it 00:27:56.334 --> 00:28:02.004 wasn't you that did all this, you attributed it all to, to God, to Jesus. 00:28:02.559 --> 00:28:09.579 The floor net that, you have all these children, grandchildren, great 00:28:09.969 --> 00:28:11.919 grandchildren, they're all doing well. 00:28:12.409 --> 00:28:18.439 it's just like your whole life has been, led by God, by the Holy Spirit. 00:28:19.399 --> 00:28:22.139 Speaker 2: Well, if there's any credit to be given to my children, my 00:28:22.139 --> 00:28:25.729 family, you can give it all to Floor Net because She raised them up there. 00:28:26.169 --> 00:28:26.349 Yeah. 00:28:26.434 --> 00:28:26.934 All to go. 00:28:27.069 --> 00:28:32.274 We, I never, my, none of my children, all of them never got 00:28:32.274 --> 00:28:33.684 up on Sunday morning to see 'em. 00:28:33.684 --> 00:28:34.674 We were going go to church. 00:28:34.874 --> 00:28:36.434 they just got up and started dressed. 00:28:36.434 --> 00:28:37.634 They knew ever wanted to church. 00:28:37.639 --> 00:28:37.909 Yeah. 00:28:37.909 --> 00:28:39.074 And they wanted to go to church. 00:28:39.254 --> 00:28:40.514 They learned to love to go to church. 00:28:40.514 --> 00:28:42.164 It wasn't like they were forced to go. 00:28:42.164 --> 00:28:42.704 Yeah. 00:28:43.824 --> 00:28:47.064 But she just lived a life around them and 10 treated them. 00:28:49.034 --> 00:28:50.294 she's a wonderful lady. 00:28:50.724 --> 00:28:56.154 Ain't many people that raise children over there, and she could do it. 00:28:56.924 --> 00:29:01.724 She raised them up in the Lord's house, and she read scripture to 00:29:01.724 --> 00:29:06.504 them every day, and every night, on a devotion, and she'd look. 00:29:08.184 --> 00:29:12.409 If there's any credit to be given, Give it all to her because she deserves it. 00:29:12.609 --> 00:29:13.869 I don't deserve any of 00:29:14.379 --> 00:29:14.409 Speaker 3: it. 00:29:16.169 --> 00:29:19.479 Speaker: Well, you probably did a lot more than than you'll 00:29:19.479 --> 00:29:21.742 admit to after you got saved. 00:29:23.012 --> 00:29:30.476 But let me ask you, now in 2024, You're still living between 00:29:30.486 --> 00:29:33.736 Lakeview and Dillon, South Carolina. 00:29:34.196 --> 00:29:34.866 What do you, 00:29:34.916 --> 00:29:38.986 what kind of advice would you have for young people today? 00:29:39.206 --> 00:29:43.516 Anybody who, might be off track like you were? 00:29:44.336 --> 00:29:48.676 Speaker 2: it's, if, I think if a person could just realize that you don't have to. 00:29:49.746 --> 00:29:50.636 Clean up your life. 00:29:50.636 --> 00:29:51.936 You can't clean up your life. 00:29:51.936 --> 00:29:55.036 You got to turn it over to Jesus Christ and he'll clean it up. 00:29:55.966 --> 00:29:59.566 And Jesus Christ made this ultimate sacrifice for us. 00:29:59.596 --> 00:30:08.481 And he died for our sins and you don't have to, all you gotta do is it is, 00:30:08.541 --> 00:30:12.396 turn your life over to him and ask him to come into your life and save you. 00:30:12.401 --> 00:30:17.236 And things things will begin to change and it'll be different. 00:30:17.236 --> 00:30:22.611 And, and there's nobody done enough bad that they can't be saved. 00:30:24.201 --> 00:30:26.521 Yes, it is. 00:30:27.151 --> 00:30:31.071 Sometimes it's, if you got an addiction, it is hard to, you have 00:30:31.071 --> 00:30:34.101 to fight it yourself some, but the Lord will take it away from you. 00:30:36.411 --> 00:30:38.571 Speaker: So he took it away from you. 00:30:39.386 --> 00:30:42.596 that reminds me of 2 Corinthians 5. 00:30:42.636 --> 00:30:47.576 17 where it says that when we receive Christ, we become new creatures. 00:30:48.216 --> 00:30:49.436 He makes us new. 00:30:50.216 --> 00:30:51.506 It's not like we have to get. 00:30:51.641 --> 00:30:52.051 We 00:30:52.051 --> 00:30:52.461 Speaker 2: don't 00:30:52.461 --> 00:30:53.281 Speaker: do a 00:30:53.281 --> 00:30:54.511 Speaker 2: thing for ourselves. 00:30:54.691 --> 00:30:55.601 It's all Jesus. 00:30:55.761 --> 00:30:56.171 Speaker: Yeah. 00:30:56.991 --> 00:30:59.261 So it starts with just trusting Him. 00:30:59.291 --> 00:30:59.321 Right. 00:30:59.967 --> 00:31:00.427 Yeah. 00:31:00.914 --> 00:31:03.794 that's the best advice I think anybody could hear. 00:31:06.664 --> 00:31:10.184 Well, is there anything else you want to add before we wrap things 00:31:10.184 --> 00:31:10.404 Speaker 2: up? 00:31:11.604 --> 00:31:15.064 That's just a kind of overview of my life. 00:31:15.064 --> 00:31:17.609 I, I just thank the Lord for saving me. 00:31:17.609 --> 00:31:19.899 I can't wait to get home. 00:31:20.209 --> 00:31:21.589 Go to heaven and see my wife. 00:31:22.629 --> 00:31:23.009 Speaker: Yeah. 00:31:23.009 --> 00:31:24.069 that's going to be great. 00:31:24.119 --> 00:31:24.329 That's 00:31:24.329 --> 00:31:25.789 Speaker 2: what I think about in the morning. 00:31:25.789 --> 00:31:27.599 Yeah. 00:31:28.859 --> 00:31:32.569 Speaker: So you've been without her for two years and, you're just 00:31:32.569 --> 00:31:34.359 looking forward to seeing her again. 00:31:36.289 --> 00:31:38.719 Well, you're not, you're not just sitting around waiting. 00:31:38.729 --> 00:31:39.599 You're doing things. 00:31:39.599 --> 00:31:44.419 You still go on to your, to church and, fellowshipping and being with your family. 00:31:45.979 --> 00:31:46.209 Speaker 2: Yeah. 00:31:46.239 --> 00:31:47.849 I'm involved in a good church. 00:31:48.804 --> 00:31:50.284 First Baptist in Dillon. 00:31:51.254 --> 00:31:57.554 I'm still enjoying going to church, getting a good Sunday school class. 00:31:59.854 --> 00:32:03.161 I've been on the Deacon Board several times but I haven't 00:32:03.161 --> 00:32:05.685 I'm not on that anymore. 00:32:06.505 --> 00:32:10.425 I'm too old to be anything that, but a nuisance. 00:32:10.475 --> 00:32:15.665 Speaker: But you still get out and hunt and you still do things around the house. 00:32:15.675 --> 00:32:17.655 You still keep yourself pretty busy. 00:32:20.245 --> 00:32:21.945 Speaker 2: That's, I can eat as good as I ever could. 00:32:22.335 --> 00:32:23.345 Speaker: Still eating good. 00:32:26.835 --> 00:32:27.825 Speaker 2: That's about the whole thing. 00:32:29.615 --> 00:32:35.515 Speaker: Well, would you mind praying for our listeners before we wrap things 00:32:35.515 --> 00:32:35.785 Speaker 2: up? 00:32:38.925 --> 00:32:42.225 Father, thank you so much for this day, Lord. 00:32:42.235 --> 00:32:44.545 Just thank you for all you've done for us, Lord. 00:32:44.545 --> 00:32:45.305 Thank you for it. 00:32:45.775 --> 00:32:49.775 This time of the year we thank you for Jesus Christ and what he did for us. 00:32:50.635 --> 00:32:54.375 We thank you that he had to come as a babe before he could come as a savior. 00:32:54.455 --> 00:32:56.280 Lord, we just for this. 00:32:56.280 --> 00:33:01.865 My prayer for everybody, for people that unloaded and up saved 00:33:01.865 --> 00:33:04.615 and Turn your life over to Jesus. 00:33:04.935 --> 00:33:06.985 Just ask Him to come into your heart. 00:33:07.355 --> 00:33:11.245 And He'll, if you mean business, and ask Him to come into your 00:33:11.255 --> 00:33:12.725 life and save you, He'll do it. 00:33:12.895 --> 00:33:16.115 If you'll promise to live for Him the rest of your life. 00:33:16.115 --> 00:33:18.075 Thank you so much, Lord, for saving me. 00:33:18.825 --> 00:33:22.755 Thank you for the wonderful life I've lived, that you've given me. 00:33:22.755 --> 00:33:24.420 I didn't do anything. 00:33:25.110 --> 00:33:29.080 The life you've given me, and thank you for the wonderful wife I had, and 00:33:29.540 --> 00:33:33.810 thank you for giving me the shorts, and I know I'm gonna see her again one day. 00:33:34.120 --> 00:33:36.510 In Jesus name, amen. 00:33:37.290 --> 00:33:37.530 Amen. 00:33:42.302 --> 00:33:44.502 Speaker 7: We hope you've been blessed by today's story. 00:33:44.972 --> 00:33:48.692 In case you haven't noticed, there are no advertisements on this podcast, 00:33:49.052 --> 00:33:50.592 and we hope to keep it that way. 00:33:51.242 --> 00:33:55.382 So if you've heard something that you think could help someone you know, please 00:33:55.382 --> 00:33:57.522 share it using the link in the show notes. 00:33:58.352 --> 00:34:02.702 Also, if you will give Faith and Purpose a positive review on your podcast platform, 00:34:03.152 --> 00:34:04.792 you could help more people find it. 00:34:05.402 --> 00:34:09.467 You will probably never know how that small effort can make a big 00:34:09.467 --> 00:34:13.017 difference in someone's life, but our Heavenly Father knows. 00:34:13.517 --> 00:34:18.317 Speaking of sharing, if you know a Jesus follower with a story to tell, please send 00:34:18.317 --> 00:34:20.247 them a link to Faith and Purpose Podcast. 00:34:21.217 --> 00:34:23.377 It may encourage them to tell their story. 00:34:23.777 --> 00:34:25.377 That person may even be you. 00:34:25.847 --> 00:34:28.977 Our only criteria is that Jesus be glorified. 00:34:29.747 --> 00:34:33.257 Most Christians don't share their faith because they mistakenly think 00:34:33.267 --> 00:34:37.637 their story is not interesting enough, or that it's self centered to talk 00:34:37.647 --> 00:34:42.687 about themselves, or that they are not competent to explain the gospel correctly. 00:34:43.127 --> 00:34:44.387 But none of that is relevant. 00:34:44.777 --> 00:34:48.217 If Jesus has changed your life, you have a story to tell. 00:34:49.162 --> 00:34:51.572 All of our stories are completely unique. 00:34:51.872 --> 00:34:56.642 No one has a story like yours, and you may be the only one who can reach someone 00:34:56.642 --> 00:34:58.422 else through telling your experience. 00:34:58.992 --> 00:35:00.362 So don't be intimidated. 00:35:00.692 --> 00:35:06.112 A story is just that, a true account of your own experience, and no one 00:35:06.122 --> 00:35:08.062 can disagree with your experience. 00:35:09.017 --> 00:35:13.197 When we tell what Jesus has done in our lives, we are being obedient to his 00:35:13.197 --> 00:35:17.417 command to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 00:35:17.817 --> 00:35:21.667 It's not about theology, and it's not about how interesting or special you are. 00:35:22.007 --> 00:35:23.667 It's all about Jesus. 00:35:24.447 --> 00:35:29.157 So when you're ready to tell how Jesus has impacted your life, you can let Jesse 00:35:29.157 --> 00:35:32.277 know at his ministry website, jesseduke. 00:35:32.297 --> 00:35:32.557 net. 00:35:33.187 --> 00:35:36.367 There you can download guidelines that will make it easy to 00:35:36.367 --> 00:35:37.827 prepare to tell your story. 00:35:38.447 --> 00:35:40.887 Thank you for listening today and Shalom.