Evangelist,Rome Mead Delivers A Testimony Of Rescue, Restoration, And Calling

We share Rome’s raw testimony of father wounds, rebellion, a near-fatal high, and the night he crawled to the altar as work, comfort, and pride gave way to surrender. From pastoring and coaching to breaking generational curses, the story moves from labels to a steady life with God.

• early life without a present father shaping rebellion
• church attendance without surrender versus true conversion
• health scare from laced marijuana and juvenile detentions
• structure from Challenge Academy and leaving home to survive
• unexpected return for a funeral and a revival that stayed open
• conviction, costly choice to stay, and full surrender at the altar
• first steps after salvation, new work, and mother’s salvation
• marriage, prophetic encouragement, and two unexpected sons
• coaching and mentoring youth as purpose and healing
• calling to preach, pastoring four years, growth in youth ministry
• warnings about hell, urgency of repentance, and daily grace
• Acts 3 and Lazarus: rise, be loosed, and help the hurting
• near-fatal highway spin reminding of God’s protection
• mending relationships, breaking cycles, new identity in Christ

Support the show: “If you’d like to support the show, you can support it through PayPal slash HOR421… or go through our website… Everything’s recorded at the 421 Studio. For contact information and studio needs, email HOR421Ministries@gmail.com or call 239-849-1502”

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome, Announcements, And Support Info
• 1:17 Guest Introduction And Purpose
• 2:45 Early Life Without A Father
• 6:20 Church Upbringing Without Surrender
• 9:05 The Laced Marijuana Health Scare
• 12:15 Juvenile Detentions And Challenge Academy
• 16:30 Running From Trouble And Leaving Town
• 19:20 Sioux City Success And A Sudden Loss
• 22:15 The Revival That Wouldn’t End
• 25:50 Wrestling With Conviction And Work
• 28:40 Crawling To The Altar And Surrender
• 31:15 New Start, New Work, And Family Saved
• 34:05 Marriage, Miracles, And Children
• 37:20 Mentoring Troubled Youth Through Coaching
• 40:10 Called To Preach And Warnings About Hell
• 44:05 Relatability, Father Wounds, And Healing
• 49:10 Breaking Generational Curses At Home
• 53:15 Pastoring Years And Youth Ministry Growth
• 57:55 Finding A Church Home And Support
• 1:01:50 Coaching Restored And God’s Timing
• 1:04:45 The Beautiful Gate: Rise And Walk
• 1:09:20 Lazarus Unbound And True Freedom
• 1:13:10 Labels, Perseverance, And Daily Grace
• 1:17:10 A Vivid Dream Of Judgment
• 1:22:30 Prodigal Grace And Coming Home

Transcript

SPEAKER_03: 0:30

Hey, it's Gio Steady. You're listening to the 421 Show. Hey, go check out our website at H O R 421 Show.buzzprout.com for all your latest content and information. You can listen to the show on Apple or Spotify or what platform you're choosing. I got a short announcement. John the Middleton will be hosting a free Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving Day at the lodge in front of the Cloverport Clinic for our local. If you'd like to support the show, you can support it through PayPal slash HOR421. Or you go through our website as HOR421 Show.bussprout.com. For all your studio needs, you can email at HOR421 Mysteries at gmail.com. Phone number is 239-849-1502.

SPEAKER_01: 1:17

Devil Wisp Little Lie.

SPEAKER_03: 1:20

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord. This is your host, Jenny, and we have a special guest with us today, and he's going to be sharing his testimony. I know a little bit about it. I've heard it because I know his mom. And I've heard her mom share her testimony. And I've heard a little bit about this brother. And I tell you, I'm excited to hear what God has done for him, where God has taken him and where God is taking him. Praise the Lord. I'd like to introduce you, Rome Mead.

SPEAKER_06: 1:43

First of all, I just want to say thank you so much for having me on the on the show today. When I first came in, it was just awesome, man, the way you got set up and just such a cool feel.

SPEAKER_03: 1:52

I try to make it, you know, just comfortable for everybody, you know.

SPEAKER_06: 1:56

Well, you're doing that for sure. And uh I'm excited to be here. Thank God for the opportunity. Thank you, sir, for having me too. Yes. Uh so I guess we'll just get right into it. Yeah, kick it off. Yeah. So uh like you said, my name is Rome Mead, and I'm originally here from Harlan County, Kentucky. Um I live in Lee County, Virginia now. Um, and I'm here today to just give my testimony and talk about what the Lord has done in my life. Because if you know me prior to uh who I am today, then you know the Lord has done a lot.

SPEAKER_02: 2:25

Yes.

SPEAKER_06: 2:26

And uh really, really begin to to do some things in my life. And but we'll start way from the beginning, uh, at the very beginning of of my life, because I think that's where everything started at. So day one, the moment That's how that's how I tell my test.

SPEAKER_03: 2:40

I can't tell it from here. I gotta tell it from you know the beginning.

SPEAKER_06: 2:43

Oh, yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_03: 2:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 2:45

So for me, it starts in, you know, day one at the hospital. I mean, the day I was born, uh, mother had me very early uh in her life. She was 18 years old, and my dad didn't show up to the hospital. So from the very beginning of my life, I didn't have that father figure in my in my life. You know, my grandfather played that role. Um, but you know, deep down inside growing up, I would always say it never bothered me. It never really caused any issues. I didn't care, you know, just kind of go through the emotions of it. But you know, deep down inside, I I really wanted my dad to be there in my life. And, you know, growing up a couple times, I think we had that uh that time of connection, I guess you would say, to where we tried to maybe make things work. I would reach out to him, you know, we would sit down, we'd talk, and I'd go out of town with him or something. But you know, I can I can't count more than four or five times that that actually happened. So, you know, I think it started early in my life just a state of rebellion and just getting in trouble and you know, skipping school, not obeying teachers, and uh getting sent off. Numerous times um I was sent off to the ridge, uh, which is in Lexington, Kentucky. I was sent to the Appalachian Children's Home, which is in Barbersville, Kentucky, um, a detention center. I went down to the Bell County Detention Center for Juveniles. So multiple times I was being sent off because I mean teachers administration um just didn't want me around. And I and I I don't blame them because I was just rebelling and just doing my own thing, and my life was spiraling out of control. And so I guess, you know, not having my father in my life, it really did shape some stuff that was going on inside of me, and it was very hurtful. And even today, I you know, I don't talk about it much to many people. I may even get emotional talking about it because even to this day I pray that the Lord would some way somehow restore that relationship between me and him. Um, but it just caused me to just go down a bad, bad road. And I can remember specifically growing up in church, you know, mother always took me to church, my grandmother went to church uh up at Spencer's and there in Smith, and it was wonderful. I learned to play the guitar up there, and you know, Spencer would let me sit on the stage and play the guitar. So I knew the Lord and I knew about the Lord, but for me it was more of just out of obligation attending church because you know, mother made me go. Going to Sunday school in Veronica's class, who was a big help in my life, by the way. She may not know it, and maybe she she'll hear this one day, but she really shaped my life.

SPEAKER_03: 5:23

She was a good person.

SPEAKER_06: 5:24

Yes, what she taught me in in Sunday school and just how she never gave up on me. And even to this day, if she sees me out in public, she tells me how proud she is of me. So I'm very thankful for the people that God has placed in my life along the way, even when I didn't notice it.

SPEAKER_05: 5:38

Right.

SPEAKER_06: 5:38

Uh God knew what he was doing. But so I I went to church and I knew the Lord, but I never really submitted my life to him. I went to the altar a couple times and and kind of just prayed and and and told the Lord to forgive me and I would do better. And maybe I did for a day or two, but I never really submitted my heart to Jesus. And, you know, before I go on in my testimony, I just feel led right here to talk about that for a minute, you know, going to the altar and and just praying, but then having no change in your life is just a routine. Right. I I mean you're nothing's being accomplished. And that's what I was doing was just going to the altar and praying and getting back up and and not changing anything. My life wasn't it wasn't going in the direction the Lord would have it to go in the way that I knew to go. Because I I like I said I growing up in church, I knew how to live. Um excuse me. And so I I got into some some some pretty bad trouble when I was about 15 years old. Um I had met up with a friend who had some some marijuana, and I was starting to get into drugs, starting to get into alcohol, and I'd smoked marijuana many times before, and I liked the way it made me feel and the time, and and well, I got a hold of this specific batch of marijuana, and it was laced with. Now check this out, it's crazy. I tell people this story all the time, they they think I'm crazy, but this is this is the truth. It was laced with raid bug spray. And they had what they had done was they took that raid bug spray and they sprayed it all over that that marijuana and they stuck it back in the oven, they baked it in so it was dry, and I didn't know this. And I smoked that with a friend of mine, and and I began to just spiral out of control that night.

SPEAKER_02: 7:22

Oh, I bet.

SPEAKER_06: 7:23

I I remember going and laying in the floor next to my mother. She was she had fell asleep on the couch watching her show, and I laid next to mother on the floor, and I felt like I was falling through the floor. Uh, my heart was beating a thousand miles per minute. I I thought my my chest was gonna explode. Uh, long story short, they ended up taking me down to the hospital. Uh I go into the hospital, they they hook me up to an EKG, and and they say, Hey, this child is having a mild heart attack. 15, 16 years old. I can't I can't remember exactly. Um, I probably should have died that night. And the Lord had his hand upon me. And, you know, I come out of that and I knew I knew the Lord had touched me. I I knew God had was the one that, you know, ultimately caused me to not die that night, and he and he kept his hand on me. But, you know, it wasn't enough for me. I I don't want to say it wasn't enough, but it wasn't a moment in my life where that that switch flipped. And I said, I've got to serve the Lord, and just continued to spiral out of control. Um that's when I got sent to the Appalachian Challenge, or I'm sorry, the Appalachian Children's Home in Barberville. And I went down there and done my time, and you know, I come back and still just skipping school. And I think at this point I dropped out. So I'm probably about seven. No, I'm I'm about 16, and I end up dropping out of school when the recruiter over here at the at the uh Appalachian Challenge Academy, he calls me and and I meet up with him and we talk. Well, I end up going through that academy. Now, as far as like getting in trouble and you know, going to jail, things like that, because I'd been in jail a couple times too, but that really had helped me a lot um and really kind of put me on a good path, but I still didn't know Jesus.

SPEAKER_03: 9:07

That's a I had something similar to that. You know, I was you know, I was given a few choices, you know, the the boys' home or this or that, you know, and I took Rotzy in school and that structure that they offered, I didn't know Jesus. Yeah, but that did that did life altering, and it's still with me today.

SPEAKER_06: 9:28

Absolutely. Yeah, I mean, the impact that the Challenge Academy left on my life is still with me today. I mean, just your everyday manners, respects how you carry yourself, how you walk throughout the day, you know. Um I I mean it really did put me on the right track, but I didn't know the Lord. And, you know, we really do live in a time where so many people believe that, well, I'm a good person and I do this, and you know, I donate my money in the tithe plate, and I attend church, and you know, that's not enough.

SPEAKER_03: 9:56

No.

SPEAKER_06: 9:56

You have to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. There has to be that moment in your life where you say, Lord, here I am, I submit myself to you, and then you get up and you actually submit yourself to him and you live that life according to the scriptures. And I hadn't had that moment. So, you know, I I think maybe a couple years down the road, and I'm getting to the big picture here in just a moment, but I'm driving down the road, I'm working in Berea, Kentucky, and like I said, I I was doing I was doing really good, but still just you know, I guess that Kwood in me, the the doo whack was still there. Right, yeah. I didn't have no license, no insurance. Um excuse me, I had license, I didn't have tags, I didn't have insurance on my vehicle. And I get pulled over, I try to run from the cop. Well, that did not set well with him when he finally got me to stop.

SPEAKER_02: 10:48

Oh, I bet.

SPEAKER_06: 10:48

And he ate me out of the car, and I ended up going to jail, and uh I made a decision that if I don't get away from this area, that I I'm gonna either I'm gonna be dead, I'm gonna be in jail, or they're gonna find me in a ditch. Something something is not this is not gonna be good. I've and and I heard that my whole life, and um, you know, we don't uh we don't really realize now that I'm older, I realize how important it is to speak life into people that even even are rebellious.

SPEAKER_02: 11:16

Yes.

SPEAKER_06: 11:16

Um I mean you can call it like it is, but at the end of the day, it you gotta speak life into people because that I hold on to that. I'm 31 years old now, and you know, for 31 years of my life, well, 21 I would I would say, uh before I got saved, that always stuck with me. And um so I get pulled over, I end up going to jail, you know, I do a few nights in jail, whatever, I get out and I end up leaving. And I end up in Pasadena, Texas. I've got family in Pasadena, Texas. And I was out there and and I was doing I was doing really good. Um wasn't getting in any trouble, had had a vehicle, a lot, a lot of good things was going good for me there, but I was having a hard time finding work. So mother had moved to, and I'm probably 19 at the time, and mother has moved to, no, I'm sorry, I'm 20. Mother has moved to Sioux City, Iowa, and with my aunt and a couple other people. So from here in Harlan, that's about 2,000 miles. It's about a 15-hour drive. Um, so it's it's a long ways away.

SPEAKER_02: 12:17

Yes, it is.

SPEAKER_06: 12:18

Um, and I decided that I was gonna go to Sioux City, Iowa. Now, this is where this is where my my testimony really begins to kick in. This is where God begins to do something in my life.

SPEAKER_02: 12:28

Awesome.

SPEAKER_06: 12:28

And I'm working in Sioux City, I'm making really good money, I have a really good job, I have my own house. Uh well, mother and I, we share, you know, we're splitting the rent and stuff, but but we've got a house. Um everything is going wonderful. And I get a phone call. And my uncle, Dave, um, he has passed away. He's had a heart attack at the old boat dock here, and he's passed away. So I, you know, I call work, I say, hey, my uncle's had a heart attack. I'm gonna go back to Harlan. Uh I'm I'm requesting a few days off from work, and uh, I hope it's okay. Like I feel like I don't want to drag it out or anything.

SPEAKER_03: 13:05

No, you got your time. Go.

SPEAKER_06: 13:07

Good deal. Uh so I call work. Hey, I need to go down there. I'm gonna visit the funeral. Absolutely, man. Go, you know, go see your family, uh, go to the funeral, visit with them. Well, I get down here, and Kenny Clem, you know Kenny, and a lot of other listeners are going to end up knowing Kenny. Um, he is in probably at this point like a three and a half month revival at the foot of Kwood Hill at the old pool hall. And people, you know, had been being saved, the Lord was really moving. And then it kind of took it kind of took maybe like a standstill, I guess you would say. Not many people were getting saved, and but Kenny really felt like I need to keep going. I don't know why, but I need to keep having these services. So I if I'm remembering this correctly, he's three, four months into this revival and it gets cold outside. So he has to move up to the little creek hole in his church. Uh, Pastor Gary Grubbs. And I remember I I attended one of the services up there, and I was supposed to go back. Now I'll probably get emotional because this is just what the Lord has done for me in my life.

SPEAKER_02: 14:12

Right.

SPEAKER_06: 14:13

It was so unexpected because, like I said, I never had that God moment. I know that God had his hand upon my life, but I never really experienced a genuine move of his spirit in my life. But I was gonna go to church that night, leave out the next day, go back to Iowa. Well, he preached, and man, I felt the conviction of God on my life. Uh Jesus, the Spirit of God was pulling on me so hard. And, you know, just like a lot of us do, I I never went to the altar.

SPEAKER_05: 14:44

Right.

SPEAKER_06: 14:44

Got up and went home and started packing my stuff up, and I really felt like maybe I should stay one more day. Just maybe go, maybe go to one more service. I'll get my Jesus in, I'll go back to Iowa, and everything will be all right, you know?

SPEAKER_02: 14:58

Yeah, of course.

SPEAKER_06: 14:59

And a lot of people believe that. A lot of people believe you just go to church and everything's gonna be okay. You gotta know him. And uh, excuse me, I know I've said that a couple times, but you have to know him. And so I I end up calling my work back and I said, Hey, I need an extra day, but I'm gonna drive straight through and I'm gonna come to work. I'm gonna be there, I promise. And they're like, Okay, we're gonna give you another day. You know, a lot has happened. And I went back to a second service, and again, I mean, from the moment I I guess the conviction never stopped. All through that night leading up to the service uh the next day, I felt that. And again, I held on to the back of the pew, gave an altar call, and I got up and I left. So now I'm really going back, because if I don't go back, I'm in trouble. So I can anyways, I start feeling the Lord even more, and I know I'm supposed to go to that altar and pray. But how how do I go to the altar and pray and go back to Iowa and and find a church? And you know, I'm I'm not doing all of that. I've been there and I'm not gonna do all of that. And well, anyways, I call them again. So it's the third time I've called, and now they're saying, Listen, if you're not at work tomorrow, you're fired. Uh you you better get here. And and you know, I'm making really, really good money. This is in like 2014, and I am making very good money, living a very good life, so I've got a decision to make. And ultimately I just decided, you know what, I'm I'm going to church. Amen. And I went to Gary's church that night, and Kenny preached his heart out, and he preached on if your garment is not spotless, if it is not white as snow, you will not inherit the kingdom of God. And I could remember clutching the back of that pew because I knew this, I'm going, this, and I, but I didn't, my flesh did not want me to go.

SPEAKER_02: 16:54

Right.

SPEAKER_06: 16:55

And I ended up falling to my knees in the back of that church, and I crawled to the altar, and I laid in that altar and I said, God, I've known you my entire life, but I haven't known you in a sense of a relationship. Right. And and Lord, I don't know how to serve you the way that you want me to. I've tried this before, but I know this time is different. And if you will help me to walk the way that you want me to walk, I promise you, and I made a promise to God that day that I intend to keep. I will never, I'll never turn my back on you, and I will serve you for the rest of the of my days. Right. And sure enough, I got out of that altar that night, and I felt just an overwhelming sense of of peace and comfort in my life. Now, what am I gonna do? I'm saved, that's that's good, and that's all, but now now what am I gonna do? Because I've left my job, I don't have nowhere to live, I mean I'm I might be in trouble here. And I I continue going to that revival. Well, Kenny ended up telling me that I was the one. I was the one that God held that revival open for when everybody else said shut it down, when only when it went from a hundred people attending to four or five people a night, and everything.

SPEAKER_03: 18:09

Ain't it amazing how God reaches out to just one person?

SPEAKER_06: 18:12

Yes. And you know, it takes me back to the scripture. He leaves the 99 for the one, and he did that for me. Right. Just a couple people were coming, and Kenny said, I gotta keep going.

SPEAKER_02: 18:20

Yeah, keep it.

SPEAKER_06: 18:21

And uh Kenny ended up employing me. I got to work with his crew, so I was making money here in Harlan, so I had a job, and uh ended up ended up living uh with my aunt for a little while, and then mom ended up coming back home, and she ended up giving her heart to the Lord through all this process. So she's saved, I'm saved, and I'm living with mom, and everything's going really good, and then uh I'm in church, and of course, my wife, so if she when she listens to this, she's gonna laugh about it because I had talked to her a couple times before, and she says that I just blew her off. Like I just started up a conversation and then just kind of exited the conversation and left her standing. Well, this last time that I talked to her, because I it was crazy because a few years prior to that, I was actually in church at at Kwood, and she came over and she sung a song. Uh John had her sing a song, and I t I told my mother that night, I wasn't saved or anything, but I was at church because that's what we do. I'm gonna marry her one of these days, and mom's like, Well, you're you're just crazy. But anyways, I I ended up talking to her, and so we get to talking back and forth, we end up going on a date, um, and I end up marrying the love of my life, and Haley has been such a blessing to me because she keeps me in line. You know, like I said, I'm I'm still from K-Wood, and we say that as a joke, but listen, you can get a boy out of K-wood, but you can't get Kwood out of the boy. Right. And she keeps me in line and and makes me walk the line. We've got two beautiful boys, and I want to talk about that for just a minute, too. When we were trying to have our first child, the doctors told there's an issue there. You're not you one of you all have an issue, you're probably not gonna have children. We've been trying for about a year. And it was no, it was, I mean, probably the next week. Hadn't told anybody. And um Connie right here in Gray's knob, she ends up coming up to Haley and prophesying that God was going to bless her womb and he was going to feel it. Nobody knew, you know, what was that that that what the doctors had said, and sure enough, we ended up getting pregnant with Jackson, and then he was six months old. Now we're not supposed to be able to have kids, and she gets pregnant with Kyler. So we've got I'm married now, I've got two little boys, uh, work in the school system, and I get to work with kids who are troubled like I was. So God took my circumstances and my issues and that I had to go through, and I walked through that and I learned some lessons so that now I can help these kids, and I'm coaching, you know, coach football, coach basketball, so I'm all around these kids that and I see it every day. Kids who are going down the same exact path that I was going down. And I just really wish that uh and here comes the emotions that they could understand how wonderful it is to serve Jesus. And you know, I think a lot of kids think that, well, I have to give this up or I have to give that up. No, you may have to give some things up, but what you gain in Christ Jesus is it is I'm having the time of my life serving the Lord. He's been the the greatest thing to ever happen to me. And you know, uh the biggest thing that he's ever done for my life was called me into ministry to preach. And you know, I I'm not supposed to be a preacher. Yeah, I'm supposed to be in jail, dead or laying in a ditch somewhere. Um well that's what everyone said, anyways, but and God has a tendency to take the unqualified and qualify them for the call that he has placed on their life.

SPEAKER_02: 22:04

Yes, he does.

SPEAKER_06: 22:05

And and Lord knows I'm not worthy um of the call, but he thinks I'm worth it, and I want to steward that and I want to do the best that I can to please him and to lead other people to Jesus. Because JD, here's the thing is there's so many people around us that are broken, that are hurting, that are that are going to die lost and go to a devil's hell. And we don't preach on uh, you know, collectively as the church, we don't preach on hell enough. And and here's the truth is hell is real. Yes, and hell is hot, and you can be a good person, you can live a good life, but if you don't know Jesus Christ at an altar of repentance, one day you will close your eyes and you will open them up in a devil's hell. And I'm striving to one day stand before Jesus and hear him say, Enter in, my good and faithful servant.

SPEAKER_03: 22:56

You know, you was talking about ministering to the youth and ministering to these boys and these girls. You know, when I was out in sin, I always wanted to connect with somebody that had something similar to me. Never could find somebody, church or not, that that had something that I can relate to. Yes. And then, you know, Christ had come into my life, and and this is what this podcast is about, is to share those relations with you, to let you know that you know there's somebody out there that's going through the same thing that you're going through.

SPEAKER_05: 23:29

Sure.

SPEAKER_03: 23:29

Or close to it. You some are worse and some are not. But we all have that same we all have that walk, and we want to relate to somebody. I think that's the reason why we we try to find certain people to relate to, either bad or good. Most of the time, like you, I ended up always hanging out with a bad crowd instead of the good crowd. Yeah, I didn't mean to interrupt you, but yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 23:51

But I you know, and like I said, that that you know, just not having that father figure in my life, it was like I was always attracted uh to the people who I thought would be a good father figure. Because once once the grandfather passed away in 2009, I I I started navigating towards that bad crowd.

SPEAKER_03: 24:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 24:10

Um I had to find a sense of something uh to to feel that I definitely can relate to you on the father thing.

SPEAKER_03: 24:16

And I didn't realize it until I'd gotten older how much a father plays in the role, you know, in the home. And if the father's not there, then it's chaos. Yes. Just for the I mean, if the father's not saved or saved, it don't matter. Chaos is going to creep in the door automatically. Absolutely. I think it's better if the father is saved, but you know, I didn't have a father figure and I lashed out, I did all those things, you know, and and um I could say, well, I'm in a good place now, but it was the heavenly father that took me in and adopted me. Yes. And and made me who I am today and taught me what it was to be a son. Because I never had that growing up.

SPEAKER_06: 24:58

Right. And that's where I was, you know, that's what I was getting to there too, is that void of not having the the the father figure in my life once once grandfather passed away, that was met in a moment at the altar, yeah, Little Creek Holliness Church. And I truly mean that. And and if you're not a believer, you you don't understand when we say when we say how he fills that void, but he did. Like all those empty places in my life that I was trying to fill with with drugs and alcohol and and just rebellion, getting in trouble, skipping school, doing something, I think I think I wanted the attention. And and it's not that I I intentionally wanted to be a bad person or a bad kid, I just wanted the attention. I want it whether it was good or whether it was bad, I wanted that attention in my life. And uh, but when when I accepted Jesus into my heart, he filled that void. Yes. And I know without a shadow of a doubt that I have a heavenly father that I can call upon at any given moment, any given time of the day, no matter what I'm going through, whether it's good, whether it's bad, I can call on him, and he will be there to answer that call. And that's what I love about serving the Lord so much is when everybody else forsakes you, when everybody else leaves, when nobody believes in you, he's there.

SPEAKER_03: 26:17

Are you seeing it stronger now since you have your boys in your life? Yes. I mean, just how much you play a role in their lives. Yes.

SPEAKER_06: 26:25

And that's that trauma that I, you know, went through as a kid, and people like we gotta stop overlooking what kids say they're going through.

SPEAKER_03: 26:35

I I don't mean to like you know, knock on somebody, but you know it wasn't like at the beginning, like Christ said, you know, divorce. I mean you know, don't do it. Yeah, I mean, you know, because it because it does that that little bit plays a hardship on your kids. Yes, it does.

SPEAKER_06: 26:53

And like there's times that like I can get I can get frustrated and get angry with my own kids and and get louder than I want to get. And like, so you know, I I won't hide it. Like I'm a firm believer in discipline. Like like my kids know I can just give them the look and they know it's time to straighten up because I don't want them I don't want to give them one inch that they might be able to walk down that road, but they know that I love them.

SPEAKER_03: 27:20

I talked to my sister not too long ago and we was talking about growing up. Believe it or not, we say it now, but how much of that discipline I wanted. Yeah, oh absolutely. I really wanted that discipline and I didn't get it. Because at the age of twelve, I was doing what I wanted to do. Yeah. And and and it's like, why? Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 27:39

So I I I'm like you said, twelve, thirteen years old, I'm still in mother's car. Yeah. Just so that I just so that I could get the attention uh when I got home. And so like that with my own kids now, I have to I catch myself at times and I say, Lord, help me to be a really good dad, um, and a good father like you've been to me, and help me to show compassion and and uh long suffering and gentleness, meekness, kind, you know, the fruit fruit of the spirit, and it's gotta start right there in the home.

SPEAKER_03: 28:10

It's not meant for the mother to play the father's role if the father's not and I know there's good things happen to, you know, and bad things happen to people, you know, and there is death in people, and it does happen. But I think when that happens, though, there's a difference in the woman. Yeah. But when when the father just leaves for selfish or vanity reasons, that's where the that's where all the trauma starts.

SPEAKER_06: 28:37

It is. And God bless mother because Yeah, bless my mom.

SPEAKER_03: 28:42

I love her to death, but man.

SPEAKER_06: 28:43

I know she went through the ringers with me and my me and my sister Samantha. And and if you're listening to this and you know, pray for her, she needs she needs to come to her. Yeah, definitely. She knows God, and she needs to come to she needs that God moment like I had to where she fully submits to the Lord. I know that, and I say it with a you know, joking a little bit, but I know that my mom had it because she was out working two jobs, sometimes three at a time, and still couldn't meet ends meet. Like she won't mind me saying this. I've said it before, it's just the reality of who we are and what we, you know, the struggles that we went through. But I could remember it being really cold outside, um, snow on the ground, and you know, we had windows busted in the house because we just that was us, it was kids, just doing stupid stuff, and and then the electric would get cut off, and me and my sisters would be you know snuggled up under a blanket, four or five blankets, just trying to stay warm. My mom was out working, and I remember specifically one time, you know, uh breaking into a house, um, and I wasn't in there for their I wasn't trying to get their TV, I wasn't trying to get their PlayStation, I was trying to get bread and baloney or something for for me and my sisters, and because I I didn't want to call mom and say, hey, we're out of food, because she's working already, and no doubt she would have came. She would have been right there with whatever we needed, but you know, she was trying to do the best that she could. So you know, it was it was rough growing up. And I don't want to stop I was thinking about this the other day, is I don't want my kids to have to go through some of the stuff that I went through.

SPEAKER_03: 30:18

Um, you know, I think I think that's one thing that stops me from having a family, you know, and I I l I I have a somewhat relationship with my dad now and my mom's relationship and I had mended before she had passed. But I think that's what stopped me the most though with having you know a family and starting a family is because I don't want to end up like them. I don't want to go through that that extreme to where I have to leave because of my own demons. Yeah. And I can't support because I know what it's like to get into the cupboard and there's nothing there, or there's one box of macaroni and cheese or one pack of ramen noodles. But you know, it's I I just I didn't want to go and put people or anybody through that.

SPEAKER_06: 31:03

Yeah. And like we started getting creative with the the ramen noodles and grill some hot dogs and throw them in there, and for us that was a fine meal sometimes.

SPEAKER_03: 31:12

And I could I could I can relate to that.

SPEAKER_06: 31:15

That's uh I mean it's crazy because I I mean even today I'll do that sometimes. I guess it's just because of what I come up on.

SPEAKER_03: 31:22

I'll I I'm 48, I still do it.

SPEAKER_06: 31:24

I like it. Yeah, I like the the grilled hot dogs in with the ramen noodles and the mac and cheese. Uh but you know I I just want to be able to provide for my kids and and take care of them because it it it ends with me. Like and let me explain what I mean by that is that generational curse that I feel like was on my life, my family's life, like it's stopping with me. My kids are gonna graduate high school, they're gonna, if they decide to go to college, whatever they do, they're gonna be successful in life. And you know, I can't force my kids to serve the Lord. Um I can until they turn 18 and they win and they will whether they like it or not. That's right. Um, you know, one of these days, I I just pray that I have been a good enough role model and a father to them that they don't have to go down the road that I went down. They don't have to experience what it's like to be confined behind a jail cell or in a group home or and be told when and when you can go to the bathroom, make a phone call. Like I want them to live. The Bible says that who Christ sets free is free in death.

SPEAKER_03: 32:33

Amen.

SPEAKER_06: 32:34

And it it's it's beyond the spirit too. I mean, they're not I don't want them to have to be bound up in those things. And um, so God has done a lot in my life, and Lord knows I still have my struggles, and they're still working on me every single day. Yes. But you know, just like the song says, amazing grace. I was I was once blind, but thank God now I see.

SPEAKER_03: 32:56

You know that little that scripture where you teach a child, you know, and then it won't depart from it.

SPEAKER_00: 33:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 33:01

You know, what little bit my grandmother taught me growing up was about as much church as I got in my life. Yeah. That was enough for me to call upon the Lord that night that I got saved in '97. And I called upon God and He moved.

SPEAKER_06: 33:16

Yeah. So, you know, that reminds me of, you know, when I was pastoring in Middlesbrough, we had a we had a fantastic. That's that's another thing, you know, that I'd lift out of my testimony there, is not only did God call me to preach and minister, but I pastored for almost four years there in Middlesbrough.

SPEAKER_05: 33:30

And right.

SPEAKER_06: 33:30

We seen great growth and people being saved, baptized. I mean, God done them those those four years were very special because I seen a lot of lives changed who are still to this day serving the Lord.

SPEAKER_02: 33:42

That's what it's all about.

SPEAKER_06: 33:43

Doing great, great things for the Lord. Some of them called into ministry. One of them's pastoring, uh, young man that was saved under my ministry, is uh and in our youth group is pastoring the church over there now. So you know, a lot of great, great things took place, and we had a fantastic, and I get we start talking about kids, my kids specifically, and I get hung up on it. I'm just so proud of them, but we had a great youth ministry and a great um children's ministry. Right. I mean, I that's something that I really put a lot of emphasis on, put the right people in the right position.

SPEAKER_03: 34:15

That's our next generation. Yes, that's the next church.

SPEAKER_06: 34:18

And you know, it was fantastic. Yeah, it was wonderful. I mean, kids being filled in the spirit. Um, God was doing awesome stuff. And then when we felt the call back to evangelism and we left pastoring, it was very hard for me and my wife to find a church that was going to please us and what we wanted to pour into our the people we wanted to pour into our kids, and we struggled with that, and we ended up at two different churches, and we youth pastored at one, and you know, we really tried to we was kind of given the reins with that and the youth group it exploded. I mean, we had five kids and it went to like 40.

SPEAKER_02: 34:53

Wow.

SPEAKER_06: 34:53

God was doing awesome things, kids being saved, Vincent Free, delivered, uh filled in the spirit, just amazing stuff, but like we never could find that that that children's ministry uh for our kids, and I'm so thankful to be back at Kwood. And you know, I'm gonna shout them out right now because Rebecca Barger and and Kaylee um is she what's her last name now?

SPEAKER_03: 35:19

I'm not I'm not good with uh Austin and Kaylee.

SPEAKER_06: 35:22

So they are they're doing such a good job with my kids because you know Jackson comes home and uh after church or something, I'm very specific with, hey man, what'd you learn at church today? Yeah. And and he'll say, Well, I learned this and give me details on it, and he'll tell me, and I'm I'm talking scripture that like he he's quoting scripture at six years old. And Kyler, you know, he's more laid back chill, he's five years old, he's just kind of laid back and chill, but he's like, Daddy, I'll tell you one thing, Jesus loves me and I love him, and I'm like, we're doing something right. And thank God for that because the life that that I was brought up in, my kids don't have to see that. Right. And and they're doing a wonderful job. The the children's ministry is fantastic. Um, of course, Pastor John, best preacher on the planet, and I I'll say it until the day I die. I mean, he can tear it up.

SPEAKER_03: 36:14

I think I struggled a lot too when I was wanting to find a different church that that I find a church that was willing to work with me with the ministries that I do, because I've got two or three things that I do, you know, one this podcast, and the church has definitely held up, you know, their end of it, supporting me a hundred percent. And it's awesome, you know, and then the music ministry that I do, you know, that that I might not be there one Sunday or one Wednesday, you know, because I'm somewhere else ministering. And yeah, I definitely can relate to you on my yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 36:44

It's just it's awesome, man. It's an awesome feeling to to know that ultimately at the end of the day, I'm in the hands of the Lord. Yes. And and his will is being done in my life. Yes. And um, you know, I I wasn't gonna get into this, but dude, we got time to get it.

SPEAKER_03: 37:03

Yes, you got believing time to get it.

SPEAKER_06: 37:05

Just a couple minutes here, but like I I I love to coach. Okay. For me, it is. It's it's God, it's family, then ministry, and then outside of you know, minister ministering and and my ministry is like my my thing to do is coach. And I wasn't able to really coach um the last couple years in basketball, and God just restored that, and I watched him do that. And so not only did I get to go back to coaching again, um, but I got a promotion, got moved up to the high school, so I'm coach coaching at the high school level now. And you say, What's that got to do with your testimony? Is because it was in God's timing, yes, and he knew how he knew how much I love that. And when when you submit your life to the Lord and you do what he wants you to do, he will give you the desires of your heart. That's Christian.

SPEAKER_02: 37:56

He will.

SPEAKER_06: 37:57

And it and it got to a point to where it was basketball, God, family, yeah, ministry. And he had to reshape some stuff in my life and get me back to a point to where those priorities were straight, and now that they are, it's just it's just awesome that that what God is doing in my life. But you know, I'm I wanted to share uh some scripture too tonight.

SPEAKER_03: 38:21

Please do.

SPEAKER_06: 38:22

And uh, you know, it's found in the book of Acts, and it talks about the man that was laying by the beautiful gate, and people were going in and out of church and passing him by every day while he shook his can for money, and I'm paraphrasing, of course, but every day people would go by and they keep dropping money and just keep on letting him do the things he was doing. And I feel like I I was like that man spiritually paralyzed at one point in my life. And the Bible says that Peter and John, they're full of the Spirit. They've just come out of Acts chapter 2, out of the upper room. They're filled full of the Spirit. Peter's just preached, and thousands of people have been added to the church. He, I mean, he's on fire for the Lord. And he walks by this man and he tells him, he shakes his can at him, and he says, You know, you got any money? And like I said, I'm paraphrasing here, and Peter looks at him, and Peter says, Silver, silver and gold have I not. But what I do have in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, get up and walk. And here's what here's what I love is the Bible said that Peter took his hand and picked him up. And how many people That's the key. How many people are just waiting for somebody to take them by the hand and lift them up? And you know, we gotta quit playing, we gotta quit playing games with the devil.

SPEAKER_03: 39:41

Amen.

SPEAKER_06: 39:42

We gotta quit, you know, entertaining because some people listen, here's the truth. Some people like the misery because they like the company that it brings.

SPEAKER_03: 39:49

Amen.

SPEAKER_06: 39:50

And some we just need a boldness like Peter, and we need to just grab them by their hands, pick them up, and say, You don't need the mat anymore. The mat was a place of comfort. The mat was a place of of this is who I've always been, this is who I'm always gonna be. But when he got off of that mat, meaning he got out of the situation which he thought he was confined to, the scripture says that the man began to run and jump and leap and had joy in his heart. He ran into the church, and the people said, Is this not the man who was sitting outside by the be I feel the Holy Spirit? Is he is this not the one who was sitting out there just begging us for money 20 minutes ago? That's right. And here's the thing is the church kept passing him by, throwing money in there, and just going on into the building and just doing their own little thing, right? Getting their own little blessing, and then walking right back by him as they left. We we we've got to quit doing that as a church.

SPEAKER_03: 40:43

Well, you know, you was talking about, you know, Peter reached down and grabbed his hands. Who did Christ tell to loose? You know, Lazarus. Yes. He he did the work, but he told the crowd to loose them. Yeah. Least, you know, because they some people can't pick themselves up. Right. They've been beaten and battered so much and so many chains. We've got to help them.

SPEAKER_06: 41:04

And that's where I was going with that. It's like kind of like we're really just talking through both of us here because I was I was getting to that point, was like, that was me at the beautiful gate. That I was Lazarus in the tomb. I loved it because you know, Jesus said, Lazarus, come forth. And as Lazarus came forth, he also told the told him the the clothes, the the lining that was wrapped on him, he had loose itself off of him. Because you can walk out of your tomb and still have the things that were binding you attached to you.

SPEAKER_02: 41:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 41:37

And and Jesus said, get off of him. He's free, he's alive. And and I felt like that's who I was, and people, you know, would try to help me, and and and along the way, but brother Kenny Clem, and I always tell people, like, he was my angel, he was the one that God sent to my me specifically. And Kenny just told me like it was. He said, Brother, if you if your garment is not white as snow, yes, you will not inherit the kingdom of God. And pretty much what he told me was, I ain't got nothing to give you but the name of the Lord Jesus. Get up. Amen.

SPEAKER_03: 42:07

Amen.

SPEAKER_06: 42:07

And and isn't it amazing how Jesus can take his blood and apply it to something filthy and make it white as snow.

SPEAKER_03: 42:16

And not remember your sins no more.

SPEAKER_06: 42:19

No more. They're gone. And and I I'm not who I used to be. And here's the thing is people still label me. You know, people will still I'm ten years into serving the Lord. You colo Shandalala Mota. I feel the Lord. I am ten years into serving the Lord, and there no doubt there's people who still are like, he's gonna fail. We're waiting on it. He's gonna slip up, something's gonna happen. He's gonna he'll go back to drugs, he'll go back to alcohol, he'll he'll go out on his wife, he'll do this, he'll do that. But here's the thing is I made the Lord a promise that night, and I intend to keep my promise.

SPEAKER_03: 42:50

Yes.

SPEAKER_06: 42:51

And I'm not saying that I'm perfect because Lord knows I'm not.

SPEAKER_03: 42:53

No, we're not, but yeah, I understand.

SPEAKER_06: 42:55

His mercy and his grace renews every day, and I need it. That's right. I have to repent every day. I I have no intention on going back.

SPEAKER_03: 43:03

No.

SPEAKER_06: 43:04

And the world can label me uh who I used to be, but what all that matters to me is that I get to stand before him and he says, Enter in, my good and faithful servant. And you know, I I I want to share this as well, is I remember I had a dream when I first got saved. I mean, I probably wasn't saved for a week. And I knew the call of God on my life because I I had heard it my whole life, but it wasn't because people told me that. I knew that I was supposed to preach.

SPEAKER_02: 43:34

Right.

SPEAKER_06: 43:35

If if you're called, God will tell you. He'll let you know. I love what Pastor John says is before God tells you the will he has for my life, he'll tell me first.

SPEAKER_02: 43:47

Right.

SPEAKER_06: 43:47

And I've always loved that quote, but I remember about a week after I got saved, I my my niece said um I heard the voice, or I I was asleep, that's what it was, and I saw Jesus in a dream. And she's like, I couldn't really see him, but I knew it was Jesus. And she was she was young, it was my cousin, not my niece. And um I kind of got jealous, if I'm being honest. And I remember I remember laying, it don't always work out this way either. So, you know, for those who will be listening, is I remember laying down, I said, Lord, you know, I'm serving you now. I'd like I want to see you, I want to, I want to know. And I remember crying while I was praying, and I went to sleep that night. The most scariest dream I'd ever had in my life. You say, Well, you had a dream about Jesus, and it was scary, absolutely heartbreaking. And let me explain. I remember in that dream I was sitting at Spencer Burkhart's church, and I had a friend sitting next to me, and I heard a very loud trumpet, and it it was like someone blew it right in my ear. And I remember spinning around in my seat in the church pew, I was sitting, I tell it was so vivid, like it was the most real dream. I know it was a God thing, because I was sitting in the second pew, first inside seat on the second pew, Gary Ferguson was preaching, and I turned around and looked, and it was like the roof was off of the church. And I feel like I'm at that point in my testimony now to where I gotta share the gospel, and that's what I'm why I'm telling this is the roof was off the church, and I could see outside, and I could see this guy. And I turned and I looked to the person who was sitting next to me, and I said, Well, that's it. Jesus has come back for his church. And so we got up and we walked outside, and when we did, I saw the longest line. I saw people coming from the north, south, east, and west. They were just coming from everywhere. And they were in this line, and it was like a staircase that led up to he up to the heavens, up in the sky, and there was Jesus. I never could see his face. I wish I did, but um, you know, I think about the scripture of Moses hiding himself in the rocks because the glory of the Lord was struck him down. And like, so maybe that's why the Lord never did let me see his face that night, but I seen I knew it was him.

SPEAKER_02: 46:04

Yes.

SPEAKER_06: 46:05

Seen his hair, I I I seen his hands, I seen his body. I never could see his face, but Yeah, I can witness to that. Yeah, and I I remember standing in that line and I was going, Lord, I know I'm gonna find out in a minute. I I said it it's getting ready to be my turn. And this is why the dream was so scary, was because I remember I was like, I'm getting ready to have my turn, but if you can let me know now, like I I know you can let me know right now if I'm gonna make it or not. Right. And in that moment, everything changed. And that line, everybody who was born-again believer had on a white robe and they had the most heavenly glow about them. But JD, there were people who were running around us and they were on fire. And they were screaming to the top of their lungs, and they were they were yelling at me specifically, saying, you know, Rome, Rome, help me. Help me, please, I'm on fire, I'm burning. And I remember weeping in my dream while I stood in that line, and I said, I wish you would have listened to me when I tried to tell you that he was coming back because now it's too late.

SPEAKER_02: 47:09

It's too late.

SPEAKER_06: 47:10

And in that moment I woke up and I was crying in my sleep. I I had already had tears. Um, I mean, my pillow was soaking wet. And I said all that to say this is that call that God has placed on my life to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, it is to tell people that even though they might have to go through struggles and trials like I did, and even though your life may seem like it's been flipped upside down, and yet, listen, we do live in such a chaotic world where people think that right is wrong and wrong is right, and yes and no, and no and yes. Here's the truth sin is sin.

SPEAKER_02: 47:45

Yes.

SPEAKER_06: 47:46

And I rem and I have a job to share that gospel and tell them, regardless of where you come from, what you've been through, what you've seen, what you've done, right? It don't matter who what your last name is, whether you have degrees or not, Jesus Christ is coming back again, and we have a decision to make. Are we gonna serve him or are we not?

SPEAKER_02: 48:09

Right.

SPEAKER_06: 48:09

And for all those who are listening, I I mean, if I could tell you the most important thing that you will ever do in your life is not ra it's not raise a family, it's not work a good job and make money and drive nice cars and have a nice house, it's do you have Jesus Christ in your heart as your Lord and Savior? That's right.

SPEAKER_03: 48:29

And with because because without him You know what's crazy, I was one of those that I walked away from all of that.

SPEAKER_04: 48:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 48:38

And it wouldn't a day goes by that when I walked away from God, when I made that choice, and I remember it like it was yesterday, and I was sitting on that bar stool, and I could remember hearing the voice, so I leave the 99, and I didn't stop hearing that until the day I got I gave my heart back to God.

SPEAKER_04: 48:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 48:56

But I walked away, you know, and if you're out there, people do walk away, and they do walk over that blood, and and I can I can tell you I was one of them, and there is you can walk back to God. Yes. Just don't let it get too far to where you can't. That I think that's that that probably plagues me the most right now, you know, in my life is I I gave it all up just for a little bit.

SPEAKER_06: 49:22

And the blood shed on the cross at Calvary, it draws a bloodline.

SPEAKER_02: 49:28

Yes.

SPEAKER_06: 49:28

There is a line, and it separates the enemy from you. And I've always I've always said this, I don't know where I heard it from, I don't know if the Lord give it to me, but it's something that's always stuck with me, is is that blood that was shed at the cross at Calvary, it is a bloodline, and it separates you from the enemy, and the enemy can come only to the edge of that blood.

SPEAKER_02: 49:50

That's right.

SPEAKER_06: 49:51

And he can nag you, he can pester you, he can whisper things in your life in your ears, he can lie to you, he can try to deceive you, but there's one thing that the devil can't do is he cannot he wouldn't even dare step across the bloodline because I've read the book from Genesis to Revelation numerous times, and JD, I get a fresh revelation every time I read his scripture. Something new will jump out to me. But there's one thing that has never changed, and it's the fact that in the end, Jesus Christ still wins. And if if that bloodline, if that line has been drawn, and and and we step back into the world after we've tasted and seen the Lord is good, it's not the devil, it's us. We've we've walked across it, but here's the good thing is the hand of Jesus Christ is reaching out saying, Come home.

SPEAKER_03: 50:43

Come home.

SPEAKER_06: 50:44

Like the prodigal son, just come home.

SPEAKER_03: 50:46

I didn't feel worthy. It took a while for me to even get to where I'm at today, and still today, you know, the enemy comes at me and tells me I'm not worthy because of the things that I'd done before I got saved and the things I did when I walked away from God. Yeah. And then even the even the enemy tells me, he says, see, you wouldn't saved. You wouldn't saved, you know, uh during that time. Because it was so easy for you to walk away. You know, um yeah, that that haunts me. That that that really does. But you know what? It drives me to it drives my next step, it drives me to where that I I can get behind this mic and I can minister to people. I have people on my show and they're ministering to people. You know, it's just it what drives me because I'm going to make it home someday.

SPEAKER_04: 51:38

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03: 51:39

Yeah, I mean, if I if you know, and I I I if I just be at the gate and pitch a tent and at the gate of heaven, that'll be fine with me too. But I don't want to go to hell. That's right. Because even God has showed me what hell is like. Yes. He showed me here on earth what hell was like, and I'm telling you, folks, it is not a place that you want to go.

SPEAKER_06: 51:58

No, it's not. And you know, the scripture today is more relevant in our lives than it ever has been in history. Um, you know, we look at some we don't, you know, some people look at the scriptures as uh a historical event that, you know, I don't really pertain to us anymore, but you know, God knew when He inspired when He inspired His Holy Scriptures, he He knew, especially about the prodigal son, he knew that 2,000 years down the down the road later, whoever it may be, that maybe they do step away. Maybe they do slide, maybe they do slide away from God's grace and and and go back to their old lifestyle, but he put that there for a reason because it's a reminder to us today that regardless of if we have allowed the enemy to lie to us and and cause us to step away, that we can come back home. I mean, he you know, the prodigal son, he went out, he spent all of his money and was got to the point, the lowest of points, to where he was eating out of the pig's food. Yeah. I in the in and he's he's sleeping with pigs, he's dirty, he's stinky, he's it's it it shows us a representation of how how dirty and unclean our lives can become when we turn away from the Lord. But when he got home, he expected to go to his father and say, you know, I'll be I'll be your servant. I'll I'll clean the floors, I'll I'll do whatever you need me to do. Just please let me come back home. And what does the father do? I like to picture it like this. Now, this isn't, it doesn't say it like this in the Bible. I'm paraphrasing a little bit, but I like to think that maybe, you know, in modern day terms, the father would have been sitting on his porch in his chair, just waiting on his son to come. He hadn't given up on him.

SPEAKER_03: 53:45

No.

SPEAKER_06: 53:46

And when he seen him at a distance, the Bible said that he ran to him and he embraced him and he hugged him and he gave him this ring and he told the servants, go get the the the biggest.

SPEAKER_02: 53:57

Yes.

SPEAKER_06: 53:57

We're about to have a feast because my son has come home. And he thinks, well, I'm just gonna go and I'm gonna clean the floors and I'm gonna do the dishes because I don't want to live in a pig pen anymore. And the king said, I got a place for you at the table. He said, I have a place for you at the table. And here's the thing is if you don't know Jesus and you've never given your life to him before, there's a place for you at the table. If you've known him and you've walked away from the Lord, there's a place for you at the table. And it's as simple as calling on the name of Jesus.

SPEAKER_03: 54:28

I say his old man went home shouting. Oh, you went to sleep that night shouting, woke up at night shouting.

SPEAKER_06: 54:34

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03: 54:35

My son's made it home.

SPEAKER_06: 54:37

And and it's not a hit just a historical event that took place. Yes, it's relevant now.

SPEAKER_02: 54:43

Yes.

SPEAKER_06: 54:43

And maybe you're listening to this and right now you feel that tug on your heart, then run, run home. Because the father is waiting for you. Yes. And he will accept you with open arms.

SPEAKER_03: 54:55

Yeah, it don't matter what we've gone through. You know, some went through worse and some went through just a little bit. God loves you. Absolutely. And that's what it's all about. And when you do make that choice to come home, because that is the one choice you've got to make. Yes. That because see, God can't make that for you. He's got you've got to make that choice. And all you have to do is call upon the name of the Lord, and that's all you got to do, just say Jesus. And you know, and then then you've got enough brothers and sisters there that can help you and pick you up and show you what to do, how how to do it, and how to walk.

SPEAKER_06: 55:28

I'm so glad you said that too, because how often are even as Christian, are Christians, are we struggling with something that we need really need to go get deliverance from? Like we need to go to the altar, we need help. And how many times do we not go because we're afraid that our brothers and sisters will look down upon us? I promise you, if they're if they're a born-again believer, they would be nothing less than tickled pink.

SPEAKER_03: 55:51

I think that's one of the biggest, one of the biggest struggles in our churches today is that the enemy tells, oh, don't tell them what you're going through because they're either going to scorn you, they're going to laugh at you, they're going to mock you, or they're just nobody here knows what you're going through. And there's I guarantee you, out of 50 people, there's at least one person in that church that can help you. All you have to do is Submit. Submit. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 56:14

And I mean that's scriptural too, is is you know the Bible said confess your faults. Yes. One to another. And then why do we do that? To judge each other? No. Do we do that to to have a pity party? No. We do that because somebody's going to help me.

SPEAKER_03: 56:32

Like Peter, you don't have to have silver and gold. That's right. You've got you've got something that's a lot better than that. Yeah. Reach up and grab them and pick them up and show them that.

SPEAKER_04: 56:41

That's it.

SPEAKER_03: 56:41

And that I mean, that's what it's all about. Because see, when I was out in sin, when I walked away from God, I cried. Inside, I was wailing. Help me somebody. And I watched church people walk by day after day, knowing they knew what I was doing. I didn't hide what I was doing. I was sitting on the bar stool. You know, I from from Monday to Sunday, and you know, I'd wake up drunk. I'd go to bed drunk. I'd wake up drunk. And this was a constant with me. I did that for a long time. Yeah. And just reaching out to people. Even in my drunkenness, I'd still watch those people go by and I was like, I mean, I need help.

SPEAKER_04: 57:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 57:20

And then I was reaching out to the people I was partying with. They wasn't helping me.

SPEAKER_04: 57:24

That's it.

SPEAKER_03: 57:25

They would comfort me and pat me on the back. They'd do me for a minute or two. But when I got home though, I tell you that's when the really crying started.

SPEAKER_06: 57:33

Yep. And aren't you glad that you I can say this because I'm there too and I know. Yeah. Aren't you glad that you are in a place now in a church that genuinely reaches out to help people like that?

SPEAKER_03: 57:45

I've been serving God since 97, and I can say just a few churches on hand, on one of my hands, that I can count that I've never felt I felt the love that we have in our church. I mean, and and the reach out and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_06: 58:02

I mean it's home. Yes. I mean, I I've been there now, I think I think we're going maybe on six almost six months that we've been back, and like I still am in awe at the fact that I'm home.

SPEAKER_03: 58:15

I I've you know, I I've not, you know, it's at our church and I'm happy for it, you know, and and and I give God all the glory, but I can tell you when I went there for a revival, I was drawn to that revival. And I was like, I've never been drawn to a revival unless I go play it one.

SPEAKER_04: 58:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 58:38

I couldn't get it off of me. And then I thought, well, I'm gonna go back and see and see. And next thing you know, I was sitting there and I was attending the church, and I'm asking John, you know, to join the church, and you know, and one thing led to another. I'm on the worship team and and and the church supports me a hundred percent with this, and and I thank God for it. And like you said, uh just our message, you know, just our last service that we had, I sit there and I'm like, God just talked to me. I I mean, I've been fed in churches, don't get me wrong. Right. But God talks to me.

SPEAKER_06: 59:14

I started to say that too. It's you know, it's easy to sit here and say, you know, because we go to church there, it's easy to say, man, that's a great church. But it is. And here's the thing is like yeah, there's some there's some places that you know you think, golly, but there's also there's there's so many good Christian people out there.

SPEAKER_03: 59:34

It's that old saying where the birds of a feather flock together. Yeah. I think, you know, I know that's not scripture, but I'll tell you what though, I think everybody in that church familiarizes themselves with each other and we've got the same goals. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 59:48

And we're broken. Like if you look if you look across the congregation, you know. We're broke. Yeah. I mean, you have people who come from um from the background of being an addict. Being a drunk, of being a prostitute. Yes. You have the background of okay, let's let's go a step further because nobody ever talks about this. You have the background of people who are been raised in church, who have been there their whole life and know the Lord. Yes. And they've seen so many great miracles. They've seen the Lord move and do great things. Like we have a combination of so many different people that if if if you're living a life, if you're around, if you're around the Harlan area, especially, I know this goes out across many pl uh platforms and around the world, but like if you're looking for a place, there's a place that you can come to and and be accepted and loved and and the word of God will be preached to you. And maybe you're not around. But listen, there's so many good Christian people out there, and there's good places, and and it's time to come home. Yes. Whether you've been whether you've ever been there or not, it's time to come home, and that's through the arms of Jesus.

SPEAKER_03: 1:00:55

I guarantee you there wherever you're at, there's a church.

SPEAKER_06: 1:00:57

Oh, absolutely.

SPEAKER_03: 1:00:58

And God will put you right where you need to be.

SPEAKER_06: 1:01:12

And I don't mean our church, I just mean the church in general. It's just, but that's just not the case. Like I said, I know there's some places out there and it's kind of like, you know, well, it's obvious, but there's so many good people and and genuine people who love Jesus and follow him. There's a lot of good people out there, a lot of good churches that want to see people who are broken come home.

SPEAKER_03: 1:01:36

I mean it I mean I'm I'm watching people, you know, the congregation help people.

SPEAKER_04: 1:01:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 1:01:42

And that's what it's all about. And you know, we've been talking about that, you know, and and they're stepping up to the plate, and I'm telling you, and I I'm I'm up on the pulpit watching, and I see it.

SPEAKER_04: 1:01:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 1:01:53

And it's just and it's not just adults, it's little kids. Absolutely. You know, we ha we had a girl that she probably wouldn't eleven or twelve years old, she got up with the mic and and she started testifying how that you know the enemy was telling her to go grab the knife and you know, commit suicide, you know, and then uh how the Lord had delivered her at a young age and helped her. Yeah. It's just not the adults getting helped, it's the kids because it all stems around from, you know, like with their testimony, it starts when we're young. Yeah. You know, and you're talking about the man that laid there at the gate, you know, there was stuff in my life. It's been traumatic in my life. It's that haunts me today, and I know what it like to have an affliction for 40 some years. I'm 48 now. And just now the Lord is helping me to lift this off of me and show me how to deal with this. Absolutely. And I I wish to God that I had somebody back, you know, back in early, you know, back in the 90s, early 2000s. Yeah, but I think that's one the church really needs to reach out to people and they would have that same experience that we're having in our church.

SPEAKER_06: 1:03:01

Yeah. I said, you know, when I was pastor in Millsboro, that was my thing, was I always prayed, God, just you know, grow our church, Lord. You know, uh let us be, let us be a beacon of light, just grow our church, grow our church. And you know, John Pastor John talks about it all the time too. It's like that's not the right way to pray.

SPEAKER_02: 1:03:19

Right.

SPEAKER_06: 1:03:19

And, you know, it I've got to a point to where I said, God, you send the broken, yes, the neglected, the forgot about, yes, the people that nobody else wants, you send them right here and fill this altar with them, yeah, and we'll love on them. And and he done it. Let me tell you, he done it because and I'm not I'm not bragging on a number because you know, ultimately people say it's not about a number. Well, it is because every number represents a soul that's going to heaven or hell. But like God sent broken people who had had so much trauma and devastation in their life, and we were able to witness to them and pour into them. And like I start, like I said when I first started testifying tonight, is some of those people are are preachers now.

SPEAKER_02: 1:04:04

Yes.

SPEAKER_06: 1:04:04

Some of them, like they're not supposed to be. Like I know I said.

SPEAKER_02: 1:04:07

They're on fire for God.

SPEAKER_06: 1:04:09

I said that earlier, but like they're not supposed to be preachers, they're not supposed to be worship leaders, they're not supposed to be deacons and and standing at the front door shaking hands, and they're not supposed to be playing instruments on stage in the eyes of the world. Because they're supposed to be drug addicts and dead in jail and ditches, but God said, I have a plan, I have something bigger, I have something better for your life. It's are you willing to accept that?

SPEAKER_02: 1:04:36

Right.

SPEAKER_06: 1:04:36

And when we get to that point, the things like I just like I was I was talking to my wife about it yesterday on my way to work. I should have died yesterday. So if you're listening to this, you're like, whoa, that's crazy. But like I was traveling down the road. I don't know if you've seen my Facebook status or not, but I was traveling down the road the other yesterday morning, and it was very foggy outside, and a car pulled out in front of me on a four-lane, and I was probably I was really close to them. And I had slammed my brakes, and there was an officer next to me in a car, and he had to slam his and he slid off the road, and and I started doing circles right in the middle of the road in my cobalt, and I there's no way that my car doesn't flip unless the hand of God intervenes. And I'm sitting here today because like the Lord is so good to us and he keeps us out of so many bad situations because no doubt if I would have hit that truck, there's not a doubt in my mind, myself and that person in that truck would have been dead.

SPEAKER_02: 1:05:36

Right.

SPEAKER_06: 1:05:36

Which ultimately would have caused the officer next to us to flip and and you know it could have killed him, took his life as well. But it just goes to show, man, when you serve the Lord and you and you love him, he'll keep his hand upon you. And he did. He and I wanted to testify about that tonight and thank the Lord publicly for that. He really did. He saved my life yesterday. And maybe you're listening or something, and you think, well, maybe you're over exaggerating that a little bit. Well, my car was doing six 65 mile an hour, spinning side, you know, sliding in circles going down that four lane. I come finally come to a stop, and I was facing oncoming traffic, and there was a truck coming right at me at about a hundred yards, too. So, like, I mean, there was a lot of bad that could have happened, but thank God. Yes, thank God for his hand of protection.

SPEAKER_03: 1:06:22

God is good.

SPEAKER_06: 1:06:23

All the time.

SPEAKER_03: 1:06:24

I can account, you know, the many of times that I should have been dead. Yeah. But God still finds it. You know, so James, I'll give you another day. Yeah. I just live day to day.

SPEAKER_05: 1:06:33

That's it.

SPEAKER_03: 1:06:34

I think there was a time in my life I was living minute to minute. You know, I'm not trying to add to the scripture, but there was a time that I was like, Lord forgive me. Lord forgive me. Yeah. Lord forgive me. Because I done so much. It was evil. You know, and that you know, and I was like, Lord, how can you forgive me? Yeah. I walked away from you. That's it. Lord forgive me. Now, you know, I find it, you know, I go down and I start praying before I get I go to bed and and I try to go through my day and and I was going through I think it was last night or the other night, and he says, See James, when you when you serve me and you obey me, you don't have to, you know, ask for forgiveness every every minute. You know. I mean I you know, I my anger will get to me or or I'll get brutish with somebody or you know, I'll lash out, or you know, something, you know, or I'll find myself it's just like Lord forgive me, but it's not as much as it used to be.

SPEAKER_06: 1:07:32

Right. And the more we serve the Lord, it's just what we start to learn about his love. Yeah. And you know, we all we talk about his wrath all the time. And it is and now it is real. I mean, you know, but here's the truth too, is that his mercy renews every day. And I seen a quote last night, it'll probably stick with me for the rest of my life. I hope I don't butcher this. It said, um The hardest time you've ever went through was yesterday.

SPEAKER_03: 1:08:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 1:08:01

Because when you woke up today, you got a brand new beginning in Christ. And that's that's scripture.

SPEAKER_03: 1:08:07

Every day you wake up, his mercy renews every single You're brave doing a quote because I'll butcher a quote in every time I do it. No, no, but that's true.

SPEAKER_06: 1:08:16

Well, that was probably wrong. I probably said it wrong.

SPEAKER_03: 1:08:18

No, I I agree with you on that, though. It sounded really good. Sounded really good. Yeah, brother, I thank you for sharing your testimony. I do.

SPEAKER_06: 1:08:29

I'm thankful. I'm glad to be here, man. This has been awesome.

SPEAKER_03: 1:08:32

Well, I'm glad it's been awesome.

SPEAKER_06: 1:08:33

Just the fact to be able to sit here and talk about it.

SPEAKER_03: 1:08:35

I love though listening to people and and finding how much I relate to them. Yeah. I mean, if you're out there and you're listening, you'd be really surprised how much your neighbor relates to you. Oh, yes. If that I think the key is, though, we just if we would start communing with each other, because see, if we don't commune with God, how does he know? Yeah. I mean, he knows, but he wants us to. So we we learn from God and we learn from the scriptures. You know, as we commune with God, I think we should commune with, you know, our brothers and sisters. I'm not telling you go out there to the world. I'm not telling you go to that every ever Joe. Right. You know, go where you you're you know you're gonna get help. Because if you go to the world, they're gonna help you a different way. Yeah. You know, a kooky way. And uh, but you know, you go to your brothers and sisters, and if they don't know, somebody will know. That's right. And uh God God will direct your path. Because he's he's directed my path on like Lord, I need some help. Now I'm at the point now to where I don't have to call.

SPEAKER_04: 1:09:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 1:09:34

I don't I don't have brothers and sisters on speed dial no more. And and the Lord had showed me not here too long ago. He says, James, so you don't have to speed dial them no more.

unknown: 1:09:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 1:09:44

Yeah, I mean you can go and talk to them, you can get comfort, but you're listening, yeah, you're growing. That's right. You you know, you're reading the scriptures, you're praying, you're doing what you're supposed to. You don't have to say, Forgive me every minute, you know. And uh, and I thank God for it. And and I love going to church and not getting preached on every s every minute. Yes. I mean, don't get me wrong, there's something in that message every time I go, and I thank God for it. But as far as getting, you know, sitting there and you're feeling that emptiness in your stomach, like, Lord, what'd I do? I'm about to get called out here.

SPEAKER_06: 1:10:17

Anthony knows said it best about six years ago. He was preaching. Oh, Anthony. And he said, we he was talking about the the the lengthliness of prayer. Yeah. And you know, you know, we need to pray. We need to get down, we need to really pray and talk to the Lord.

SPEAKER_00: 1:10:33

Right.

SPEAKER_06: 1:10:34

But he's like, sometimes people spend, you know, hour, two hours asking God to forgive them before they ever start praying.

SPEAKER_02: 1:10:42

Yes.

SPEAKER_06: 1:10:43

He's like, let's just live a life to where we could just go right into the throne room of God and just start feeling his presence and and always stuck with me. And now, whenever I find myself praying, you know, starting it off, I always like to I try not to make my prayers routine, but I always do like to say, you know, before I start praying today, Lord forgive me. But, you know, like you said, when I first got saved, it was it was 45 minutes of Lord forgive me for this. Yes, I can't. And here's the thing, is like he could have gave up on me then.

SPEAKER_02: 1:11:11

Yes.

SPEAKER_06: 1:11:12

But he didn't.

SPEAKER_02: 1:11:13

He didn't.

SPEAKER_06: 1:11:13

And no, God'll work with you. Yes, he will. That is so, and I know that's so laid back the way I said that, but like we've been taught and and grew up, especially in this area, that like you mess up and it's over. But like God will work with you.

SPEAKER_03: 1:11:28

He will. He will. And I'll tell you what, I'm a hard person to work with. Yeah. You know, I was one of those kids. Now I know you you teach kids and half of our church teaches kids, but I was that kid that when I walked into school, the teacher said no.

SPEAKER_06: 1:11:42

Same.

SPEAKER_03: 1:11:44

No. That or get out. No, no, Joe. The school that I went to just let me on by and said they put me on a full work program in my 11th grade year and said, You don't have to graduate, Mr. Keith. You're okay. Just go on. You can walk with the rest of your class when you, you know, when they do it. And and I've been I was 40 hours a week, never went to school.

SPEAKER_06: 1:12:05

I I I always tell people I never passed the class, but I never failed a grade.

SPEAKER_03: 1:12:10

I didn't either. And it and I was like, I don't know how he's doing it. I don't know how he's doing it, but yeah. They just wanted me to just go on and get out of here, buddy. Oh, I've been cussed out by teachers and everything, you know. God, I can remember uh eighth grade. I could tell you her name and everything what she looked like. And she she looked at me and she said, You're the reason, James, that I'm retiring.

SPEAKER_06: 1:12:34

I've heard that quite a few times.

SPEAKER_03: 1:12:37

I I I laugh about it now though. Uh but because I'm not there no more. I'm not that same James no more. Yeah. And uh and the enemy kind of you know branded me as a certain person. You know, he he did the three Hebrew boys like that. You know, he branded them with the name, and you've heard John preach this before. You know, what is their true name? And see, and that's where God is taking me now. Right. He's saying, James, I'm showing you who James is. I'm not showing you all these brandings that the enemy has put up on you as the jokester, as the guy that ain't gonna take nothing. I've got bigger muscles, or I've got a better story, or I can party harder than you, you know, I can run with the best. He says, No, James, I'm showing you who you are and who God made you to be. Right. You know, and and I I when John had preached that message, when our pastor preached that message about the three Hebrew boys and about their name change, you know, that really, really hit home with me because I started to reflect, well, the enemy's been trying to change me since the day I was born. Absolutely. I can recall at the age of five.

SPEAKER_04: 1:13:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 1:13:46

You know, the torment and the trauma that I went through that tried to tell me who I was supposed to be before I was even 19. And I'm sitting behind a mic, you know, you know, ministering to God's people and and telling them the good word, you know, and testifying to them and all that. God's like, this is who you are. Absolutely. This is who I made you.

SPEAKER_04: 1:14:09

Yep.

SPEAKER_03: 1:14:09

Ain't God good.

SPEAKER_06: 1:14:10

He is. And you didn't name drop the teacher, but I'm gonna name drop one. But it's a good thing. It's a good thing. Name drop it. It's a good thing. Connie Davis. Okay. I don't know if you know Miss Davis. She taught it there at Kwood, uh, eighth grade science, and that was one that I can say. She never gave up on me. And uh, and then uh Janie Brock. Uh I don't know if you know Miss Brock. She's working in, she's actually working in Lee County now, so we work in the same school system, and uh she she never gave up on me either. Them two always encouraged me. Talk about name dropping.

SPEAKER_03: 1:14:44

Uh nobody around here would know him, but he he's done passed on. But I tell you what, though, I got to, when I got saved, it haunted me that I gave this man so much trouble in school. And he gave me just back. I mean, he that man was just as mean as me. I mean, to we was mean towards each other. Yeah. And he looked at me and he says, Keith, he says, I I'm gonna get you expelled. And uh, and before when I gotten saved, it haunted me.

SPEAKER_04: 1:15:13

Right.

SPEAKER_03: 1:15:14

And I got to write this man a letter and and apologize to him and explain to him where I'm at and how the Lord is moving for me, and he said, That's what it was all about. Yeah. You know, and uh, and then you knew it wasn't like six or seven months after that he passed away. You know, and I like you know, I I don't know if they'll the family be listening, but you know, his name was Master Chief Dan Dompey. And he was my Rotzi instructor. And I'm telling you, uh that man had such an impact on my life that I still today follow his instructions.

SPEAKER_04: 1:15:51

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_03: 1:15:52

He was literally like a father figure to me. That and we that goes all the way back to our beginning of our conversation, how much a father's role is impacted in a family. And see, that's why Christ said, I'll be the father to the fatherless. Because he knows how much of an impact it is to be a father. Oh, yeah. You know, and and the pastor, when he stands up on that congregation and he's preaching to him, he's preaching to him as a father.

SPEAKER_04: 1:16:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 1:16:21

That's how important it is.

SPEAKER_06: 1:16:22

It is.

SPEAKER_03: 1:16:23

It is, it is so important.

SPEAKER_06: 1:16:25

That'd be such a good topic, too, to just sit down and break down one day. It would. It's how important it is to be to be, if you're a father, be a father. And if you don't have a father, you do have a father in heaven.

SPEAKER_03: 1:16:37

I mean, I I live with my dad. You know, you're talking about, you know, uh making amends with your dad and stuff. And my dad's uh 72 now, and he just now, I know I can probably account on one hand how many times I've seen my dad in my life. Yeah. I went up to my 30s, late 30s, after mommy had passed, that I started having a little bit of a relation with my dad. And when I moved back after walking away from God, it it bothers me. You know, there's there's times that I I'll sit in, I'll sit on the couch or I'm in the kitchen and I'm like, I know why you left. Yeah. I know why you did this. I understand it, but I forgive you.

SPEAKER_04: 1:17:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 1:17:18

And um and I s I still battle with it. Uh even at uh almost 50 years old, I I'm still battling with it. But our men I have a relationship with him now. Not like a father and son should be, but I'm getting to know him. And he's getting to know me. Yeah and we are mending, and we cry together, we laugh together, and we get mad together. You know, we're doing what we're supposed to do, doing now, and I believe my dad's starting to see things as well as I'm seeing things. So you're talking about wanting him to mend relationships. I think God will put there, and when he does, it'll be the right time, and you'll know it, and it will happen. Yeah. And just just know that it can happen overnight, but I know with myself, you know, it it's it's taking time. Yeah. It's taking time.

SPEAKER_06: 1:18:09

You know, I really b before I left uh okay with the first time to go to Middlesbrough to pastor, um, I didn't have the best relationship, and I know he wouldn't care for me sharing this because of of how God has restored it, but I didn't have the best relationship with with my pastor at the time because um I I thought everything should be done the way that I thought it should be done.

SPEAKER_05: 1:18:33

Right.

SPEAKER_06: 1:18:33

And I had ideas and this, and and uh once again it goes back to the father figure, and and you know, pastor was always there for me. Um But God restored that relationship to as well, and and you know, my family's back there and and we're working for the kingdom of God together, and people are being saved, and like it it's just it it will amaze you at what God will do if you'll just trust him and follow his leading because he will restore relationships.

SPEAKER_03: 1:19:04

He will he's he restored my mom's and it took twelve years. And uh I I got to shout at my mom's bedside when she died. Yeah. But it we restored it, it took twelve years, and uh I'll never forget it. Even through the hard times, even during the restoration, you know, my mom's relationship, mine and hers, it was some rocky road. Yeah, but it he it it it's there. The restoration's there. You know, for you and anybody that's listening, it it's coming. Yes, it's definitely coming. Amen. Wow, thank you for being on the show.

SPEAKER_06: 1:19:44

And I'm I'm very grateful.

SPEAKER_03: 1:19:45

I kind of feel things winding down now.

SPEAKER_06: 1:19:47

So I'm very thankful, man. It's been it's been good to just talk about it and and to get it out there. You know, we don't get the opportunity a lot of times to do it in church because, well, that'd be a long time to butt.

SPEAKER_03: 1:19:59

Well, I think this gives the opportunity that people can listen for a little bit, turn it off, go or do what they want to. Because you know, when you're in church, everything's well, everybody there's some people out there that want to be on a schedule. You know, I gotta do this, do this, do that. And there's some people that sit there and listen to you all day long. So you you know, you've been on the pulpit, you you know what it is to battle. Yeah, you know, those spirits coming at you, and you know, but um this gives the liberty.

unknown: 1:20:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 1:20:27

You know, I could always I tell people when they get up here on the mic, they get in this room, I said, There's so much liberty.

SPEAKER_04: 1:20:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 1:20:34

I've never felt so much liberty in my life when I do this. So I I know without a shadow of doubt where God's called me and what he's called me to do.

SPEAKER_06: 1:20:42

Yes. I believe that too, because like I said, it's encouraged me just being here. And so it's been really good, and I'm excited.

SPEAKER_03: 1:20:48

You know, we we always got to be reminded, and I think God shows us though, that we we're to forget, you know, like he forgot our sins and stuff like that. But I think there is a time and a place though where we are to share and go a little bit deeper on what God has done for us and where he's brought us from. Not to go in and boast on the sins that we have done. That's not what we're supposed to do. What we're supposed to do is say, hey, I did come out of a life of drunkenness. Yes. You come out of a life of drugs and alcohol and anger and you know, and all of that. And you know, again, not to boast on, you know, uh, you know, I've I I chased a dragon, you know, I smoked the weed or anything. We we you know, everybody's we've all done it. Yeah. We've all sinned and we've all fallen short of the glory of God. No matter if you told a white liar kid I'll killed a million people, you one sin will send you to hell. It's just court how deep you're willing to go into that sin.

SPEAKER_06: 1:21:40

Right, right.

SPEAKER_03: 1:21:41

And uh so I thank God for allowing you to be on the show.

SPEAKER_06: 1:21:44

It's been great, man. Thank you so much for that. Yes, yes, appreciate it.

SPEAKER_03: 1:21:47

And everybody, that's Rome Mead, and I'll have his email and uh all of his information if you'd like to contact him and send him an email and uh give him a shout out. And uh and I'd love to have the brother back on the show with the word one day, uh, just to deliver the word and have a message, and I I believe that'll happen one day pretty soon.

SPEAKER_06: 1:22:06

Be great.

SPEAKER_03: 1:22:07

And uh I thank God for everything that he has done. I got a few words here to say, and I'm going to mute your mic, and here we go. If you'd like to support the show, you can support it through PayPal slash HOR421 show.buttsprout dot com. Or you go through our website or you go to the PayPal, whatever I said it twisted, but everything's recorded at the 421 Studio. For contact information for all your studio needs, you can email at HOR421 Ministries at gmail.com. Phone number two three nine eight four nine fifteen. Oh two.