The phenomenon of
GYC is that normal
00:00:12.13\00:00:15.36
young people started
it without a captain or
00:00:15.36\00:00:18.60
without a administrator
telling us what to do,
00:00:18.60\00:00:21.56
from normal young
people. How many of you are
00:00:22.36\00:00:26.10
normal, please raise your hands?
00:00:26.10\00:00:27.73
Good to see so many abnormal
00:00:29.66\00:00:31.30
people in this
hall. Today we have a
00:00:31.30\00:00:34.96
normal young
person here. His name is,
00:00:34.96\00:00:37.73
what's your name?
Delthony. Delthony and
00:00:38.50\00:00:41.60
Delthony where are you from?
00:00:41.60\00:00:43.33
What's your background?
I was born in Jamaica,
00:00:43.33\00:00:46.20
grew up in
Jamaica. Born in Jamaica,
00:00:46.20\00:00:47.20
that's pretty
normal friends and when was
00:00:47.20\00:00:49.26
your first GYC?
My GYC was 2006 right
00:00:49.26\00:00:53.63
here, 2006 here. By every word.
00:00:53.63\00:00:55.90
By every word. Yes.
Okay, have you been to
00:00:55.90\00:00:58.30
the GYC in between?
Through the internet.
00:00:58.30\00:01:01.30
Yes, through the internet. Yes.
00:01:01.30\00:01:02.40
Oh! That's very
normal, that's a very normal
00:01:02.40\00:01:04.00
thing to do, okay,
good. Well, Delthony, why
00:01:04.00\00:01:06.46
are you here? Why do
we have you upon stage
00:01:06.46\00:01:09.23
in front of all
these abnormal folk,
00:01:09.23\00:01:10.93
what do you have to
present? What's going
00:01:11.23\00:01:12.90
on in your life?
Well, I now live in the
00:01:12.90\00:01:14.60
Bahamas. Okay. And
we started. And normal
00:01:14.60\00:01:18.40
Bahamas folks are
here also, good, okay.
00:01:18.40\00:01:21.50
Bahamas youth
initiative for Christ.
00:01:21.50\00:01:23.46
Okay, did you guys get
that, Bahamas initiative,
00:01:23.83\00:01:26.00
Bahamas youth.
Youth. Yes, youth, youth.
00:01:26.00\00:01:29.80
Bahamas youth
initiative for Christ.
00:01:29.80\00:01:31.30
For Christ, okay,
what is all about?
00:01:31.30\00:01:32.76
After my first
GYC, you know many of us
00:01:33.60\00:01:36.76
we felt to impress
that something needs to
00:01:36.76\00:01:38.43
happen like this in
the Bahamas where we live.
00:01:38.43\00:01:40.40
Okay. And Lord's
willing it started back in 2009.
00:01:40.60\00:01:46.43
Okay. We just stated
to meet and we had our
00:01:46.43\00:01:49.23
first inaugural
session in April of this year.
00:01:49.23\00:01:51.96
Okay. It was a
wonderful experience at
00:01:52.20\00:01:54.56
the end of it, the
Lord blessed more than we
00:01:54.56\00:01:55.96
could ever think,
young people to rededicate
00:01:55.96\00:01:58.56
their lives in
Baptism. Amen. Some went up to
00:01:58.56\00:02:00.83
school for
training, as Bible workers and
00:02:00.83\00:02:03.06
evangelists and the
Lord has been blessing
00:02:03.06\00:02:04.76
since then. Amen,
amen. Is this something
00:02:04.76\00:02:07.63
that GYC gave you
$4.3 million to go to the
00:02:07.63\00:02:10.96
Bahamas and start
this project on your own,
00:02:10.96\00:02:12.63
is that what
happened? Well, $4.3 million
00:02:12.63\00:02:15.60
worth of
inspiration. Amen, amen, amen,
00:02:15.60\00:02:19.30
how many people
are in the Bahamas?
00:02:19.50\00:02:20.63
The population is
over 300,000. 300,000 and
00:02:21.36\00:02:24.00
what is the mission
that BIYC, BYIC, BYIC,
00:02:24.00\00:02:32.70
wants to
accomplish? Well, we want to be
00:02:32.70\00:02:35.93
evangelist for
Christ, empowering young
00:02:35.93\00:02:38.80
people to take this
message throughout the,
00:02:38.80\00:02:42.06
what we say the nooks
and crannies out of the
00:02:42.06\00:02:44.40
Bahamas, to get
the word out for the
00:02:44.40\00:02:46.80
preparation of
God's return. Amen, amen,
00:02:46.80\00:02:48.96
you have some young
people here with you
00:02:48.96\00:02:50.30
if you would like to
introduce them to all of us?
00:02:50.30\00:02:52.16
Well, with us today
are Juan, this is Juan
00:02:52.16\00:02:55.40
Dorsey, Juan Dorsey
and Gabriella Roker.
00:02:55.40\00:02:57.60
Juan attended the first
BYIC and he has a little
00:02:58.53\00:03:01.26
bit of his testimony
he'd like to share with us.
00:03:01.26\00:03:02.90
Okay. Share us
testimony what happened?
00:03:02.90\00:03:04.46
At your first, your conference?
00:03:04.46\00:03:06.23
Okay, well, in
the nutshell, raised
00:03:06.80\00:03:08.63
Adventist, as a teenage
drifted away starts to let
00:03:08.63\00:03:12.53
the glitter and glamor
secularism outshine the
00:03:12.53\00:03:15.20
beauty of belonging to
God, but the Holy Spirit
00:03:15.20\00:03:17.93
never gave upon me.
He led me back to the
00:03:17.93\00:03:20.00
church, my home
church and it was there
00:03:20.00\00:03:21.90
that I heard about BYIC
there to be camp meeting.
00:03:21.90\00:03:24.73
Once I heard about it I
definitely knew that this
00:03:26.30\00:03:27.96
was somewhere that
the Holy Spirit wanted me
00:03:27.96\00:03:29.50
to be and when I
got there he used the
00:03:29.50\00:03:31.93
speakers Phillip Sizemore,
and Ivor Myers to speak
00:03:31.93\00:03:35.93
to my heart. Ivor he
just inspired me to flew,
00:03:35.93\00:03:38.76
more of my light
shine for Christ and Phillip
00:03:38.76\00:03:41.53
inspired me to come
and experience life.
00:03:41.76\00:03:43.23
And as a result of
going there I was re-baptized.
00:03:43.63\00:03:46.03
I enrolled at the Lay
Institute for evangelism
00:03:46.50\00:03:48.53
and I also shared
my experience with Gaby
00:03:49.13\00:03:52.86
and she will go on and
tell you her testimony.
00:03:53.60\00:03:56.46
Okay, Gaby, what's
the story here afterwards?
00:03:56.46\00:03:58.76
Well, as a lot of
people know I did not attend
00:03:59.13\00:04:02.10
the camp meeting at
BYIC but Juan I have
00:04:02.10\00:04:04.86
met with Juan
the Monday after that
00:04:04.86\00:04:06.73
weekend and my life
has not been in same since.
00:04:06.73\00:04:09.33
He told me how good
of an experience it was.
00:04:09.73\00:04:12.26
He was re-baptized
and I've never seen
00:04:12.26\00:04:14.13
someone so on fire for
the Lord before and it's
00:04:14.13\00:04:16.80
been like truly a
blessing and I started
00:04:16.80\00:04:19.93
going door to
door knocking with this
00:04:19.93\00:04:21.83
young, with his
group of young people and
00:04:21.83\00:04:23.66
then I went to some
revelation seminars and
00:04:23.66\00:04:26.43
I was re-baptized and
that inspired my father
00:04:26.90\00:04:29.76
to even be re-baptized
and it's been like a real
00:04:29.76\00:04:32.83
blessing and then I
enrolled at the live
00:04:32.83\00:04:35.70
program as well that
Juan told me about and
00:04:35.70\00:04:38.70
it's been a real
blessing to experience life
00:04:38.70\00:04:41.40
because it's been
a real life changing
00:04:41.40\00:04:43.30
experience and
Phillip Sizemore has been a
00:04:43.30\00:04:46.80
blessing as well
because his family was generous
00:04:46.80\00:04:49.10
enough to bring me
to GYC and the Lord has
00:04:49.10\00:04:52.36
been showing me so
much like His love and
00:04:52.36\00:04:55.10
grace, and my life
will never be be the same.
00:04:55.10\00:04:57.26
Now I want you guys
to. I don't if you caught
00:04:58.23\00:05:00.13
this right, so here is
a normal, normal person.
00:05:00.13\00:05:03.43
He comes to GYC,
he starts a youth
00:05:03.43\00:05:08.16
conference, okay,
and then what happens is
00:05:08.16\00:05:11.20
one of the attendees comes in.
00:05:11.20\00:05:12.50
He has the life
changing experience.
00:05:13.03\00:05:14.60
He goes out and
reaches out to someone else.
00:05:14.93\00:05:16.60
She has a life
changing experience and as she
00:05:17.00\00:05:18.90
comes back to GYC to
share the life changing
00:05:18.90\00:05:21.13
experience to all
of them of us. Amen.
00:05:21.13\00:05:23.16
This is the GYC
engine, amen. Amen.
00:05:23.16\00:05:25.20
This is the
grassroots move, there's no one
00:05:25.20\00:05:26.70
incharge except for
one person, who is in the
00:05:26.70\00:05:28.90
heavenly sanctuary on our behalf
00:05:28.90\00:05:30.53
and who is that
person? And if these young
00:05:30.53\00:05:33.63
people can do this,
who else can do this?
00:05:33.63\00:05:36.30
Maybe some of us are
called to start our youth
00:05:37.10\00:05:38.76
conferences, some of
us are called to empower
00:05:38.76\00:05:41.16
our local
churches, some of us are just
00:05:41.16\00:05:43.40
called to be good
Seventh-day Adventist
00:05:43.73\00:05:45.40
Christians in our
homes. Are you inspired?
00:05:45.40\00:05:47.73
Thank you so much
for your testimony,
00:05:48.93\00:05:50.16
thank you so much
for your time here.
00:05:50.16\00:05:51.40
Thank you.
Brothers and sisters we are
00:05:52.03\00:05:54.90
privileged to here
today, I'm going to be
00:05:54.90\00:05:57.73
introducing my good
friend Jarod Thomas.
00:05:57.73\00:06:00.06
He is one of
the few people that,
00:06:00.83\00:06:02.83
has attended GYC
since 2002 by show of hands,
00:06:02.83\00:06:07.73
I don't know if I
can do this. Can I ask?
00:06:07.73\00:06:09.20
How is there anyone
here in this, in this
00:06:09.20\00:06:11.73
ginormous hall, who
attended GYC in 2002?
00:06:12.06\00:06:19.20
Amen. I only saw
three of you. Good, good,
00:06:21.86\00:06:25.56
okay, 2002 some
normal young people
00:06:26.46\00:06:28.86
got together and
we started a youth
00:06:28.86\00:06:30.66
conference called
GYC, we never I mean
00:06:30.66\00:06:33.03
speaking behalf of
the founders, we never
00:06:33.03\00:06:34.60
thought it would end
up something like this,
00:06:34.60\00:06:36.50
I mean praise the
Lord for where it is now,
00:06:36.50\00:06:38.70
and we look forward
to how the Lord will use
00:06:38.90\00:06:40.86
this movement in the future.
00:06:40.86\00:06:41.93
Jarod Thomas has been
at every GYC since then.
00:06:42.53\00:06:44.80
He is currently the
director for iCampus,
00:06:45.06\00:06:47.33
he is a wonderful
friend, he makes a mean
00:06:47.80\00:06:52.00
chilli, he's got two
kids; Gracie and Charlie and
00:06:52.00\00:06:56.10
today he will be sharing
his testimony with all of
00:06:56.10\00:06:57.83
us and his prospective
is actually sort of a
00:06:57.83\00:07:00.06
unique one and we
will be blessed from it.
00:07:00.06\00:07:03.16
Before he speaks
I'm gonna ask Sofia
00:07:03.46\00:07:05.16
Tsatalbasidis to
come up and she is already
00:07:05.50\00:07:07.63
here and she will be
singing a song for us.
00:07:07.63\00:07:10.40
All at once He walked beside me
00:07:33.36\00:07:36.73
Like He'd been there all along
00:07:36.73\00:07:40.96
Not a stranger but a Father
00:07:41.30\00:07:45.30
Who can sense
when something's wrong
00:07:45.66\00:07:50.56
And He answered all my questions
00:07:51.70\00:07:55.60
He understood my fears
00:07:56.43\00:07:59.63
That somehow
vanished now that He was here
00:07:59.93\00:08:07.50
Can't you see who walks with you
00:08:08.30\00:08:14.20
Can't you hear
who speaks your name
00:08:14.76\00:08:18.90
Can't you feel
something stirring in your heart
00:08:19.16\00:08:26.53
How His words
ring strong and true
00:08:27.33\00:08:31.70
Like a once familiar strain
00:08:31.70\00:08:35.56
Can the paths we
follow from now on be the same
00:08:35.56\00:08:46.06
I could not bear
for Him to leave me
00:08:52.40\00:08:55.80
So I begged Him please to stay
00:08:56.10\00:09:00.06
Spend the evening, a few moments
00:09:00.33\00:09:04.10
Before He went His way
00:09:04.50\00:09:08.93
Then like a host He
stood and blessed me
00:09:09.90\00:09:13.53
Broke the bread
and poured the wine
00:09:13.90\00:09:17.86
Then I knew there was something
00:09:17.86\00:09:20.10
there I recognized
00:09:20.10\00:09:24.30
I can see who walks with me
00:09:24.63\00:09:30.30
I can hear who speaks my name
00:09:30.66\00:09:34.63
I can feel
something stirring in my heart
00:09:34.63\00:09:41.16
How His words
ring strong and true
00:09:42.33\00:09:46.36
Like a once familiar strain
00:09:46.56\00:09:50.00
And I know I'll
never be the same
00:09:50.00\00:09:55.90
I can see And from that moment
00:09:57.70\00:10:04.43
in time I felt
the emptiness subside
00:10:04.43\00:10:09.06
And all the wonder of
creation shining through
00:10:09.40\00:10:16.20
And for that
first time in my life
00:10:16.56\00:10:20.70
I really looked into His eyes
00:10:21.10\00:10:24.96
And saw eternity
and suddenly I knew
00:10:24.96\00:10:35.26
I can see who walks with me
00:10:37.43\00:10:43.56
I can hear who speaks my name
00:10:44.06\00:10:48.10
I can feel
something stirring in my heart
00:10:48.10\00:10:55.36
How His words
ring strong and true
00:10:55.90\00:10:59.93
Like a once familiar strain
00:10:59.93\00:11:03.60
And I know I'll never
be the same I can see.
00:11:03.80\00:11:17.90
Good morning GYC. Good morning.
00:11:29.63\00:11:31.93
It's a pleasure to be
with you here this morning,
00:11:32.33\00:11:36.16
actually its this afternoon.
00:11:36.16\00:11:37.46
I can remember
back about a year ago,
00:11:39.86\00:11:44.50
as a result of
circumstances that
00:11:47.73\00:11:49.30
started about six
months beforehand.
00:11:49.30\00:11:52.03
I wound up on a
15 passenger van,
00:11:53.13\00:11:56.90
headed from
Knoxville, Tennessee to the
00:11:58.26\00:12:02.93
mountains of
Southern California, nonstop
00:12:02.93\00:12:06.90
and the goal was to
attend this conference
00:12:08.46\00:12:11.80
called GYC that
there was some buzz about
00:12:11.80\00:12:15.13
but not many people
knew really what it was.
00:12:16.06\00:12:19.03
I met new friends,
friends that I still
00:12:20.06\00:12:22.90
cherish today. I went
to an awesome workshop,
00:12:23.43\00:12:27.70
I think it was
one of five workshops,
00:12:27.70\00:12:29.70
our decisions weren't
that tough back then to
00:12:29.70\00:12:31.96
decide which
workshop you're going to.
00:12:31.96\00:12:34.23
I started meetings
with a woman who would
00:12:35.46\00:12:37.50
become my wife.
That's not a primary
00:12:37.50\00:12:42.40
purpose of GYC by
the way for those of you
00:12:42.40\00:12:45.16
who are hopeful of
that. We knew each other
00:12:45.16\00:12:49.60
before for the
record and on Saturday night
00:12:49.60\00:12:54.30
I sat in this
meeting, I heard this preacher
00:12:57.70\00:13:01.20
and he made an appeal
and he appealed to give
00:13:03.03\00:13:08.20
your life to
ministry, full time ministry
00:13:08.20\00:13:10.76
and I went forward
in that appeal and since
00:13:12.93\00:13:16.76
that time or shortly
there after I've spent my
00:13:16.76\00:13:22.50
days in full time
ministry for the Lord.
00:13:22.50\00:13:24.80
So I am aware of
the atmosphere here,
00:13:25.96\00:13:34.36
the possibilities,
the things that take place
00:13:35.10\00:13:37.63
here, the life transforming
00:13:37.63\00:13:40.00
experiences that
you can have here
00:13:40.00\00:13:43.30
because I've
experienced that myself
00:13:44.26\00:13:46.00
and if you're a first
time GYC attendee I hope
00:13:46.00\00:13:51.43
you make the most of
your time while you're here.
00:13:51.43\00:13:54.00
So, I take this time with
you seriously this morning.
00:13:56.20\00:13:58.43
This morning I will
be sharing my personal
00:13:59.06\00:14:00.46
narrative and I have to
tell you before we begin
00:14:00.46\00:14:03.16
that it's not something
that I really like to do,
00:14:03.16\00:14:06.33
in fact, it's
something that I really dislike.
00:14:08.23\00:14:10.63
And I'll give you
fair warning I'm an
00:14:17.10\00:14:18.56
emotional creature,
okay, I will shed a few
00:14:18.56\00:14:22.30
tears, I'll sniffle
little bit because I'm talking
00:14:22.30\00:14:25.83
about some things that
are very close to home,
00:14:25.83\00:14:27.90
but I hope through
everything that the Lord
00:14:31.33\00:14:33.26
will bless you and
that He will help you and as
00:14:33.26\00:14:37.60
well as myself
prepare for what God has in
00:14:37.60\00:14:41.06
store for all of us.
I like to invite you to
00:14:41.06\00:14:45.33
pray with me as we
begin. Father in heaven,
00:14:45.33\00:14:50.56
Lord we pray that in
this time that we have
00:14:54.23\00:14:57.93
together that you
would shock us to our senses,
00:14:57.93\00:15:02.70
that you would do
something for us this
00:15:04.70\00:15:06.40
morning that is
impossible for us to do
00:15:06.40\00:15:11.93
of ourselves in our
own power, in our own
00:15:13.43\00:15:17.43
strength of our
accord. Please bless us,
00:15:17.43\00:15:21.56
send your spirit to
comfort us this morning
00:15:21.56\00:15:24.33
to convict us of sin
and righteousness and the
00:15:25.20\00:15:29.63
judgment to come we
pray in Jesus name, Amen.
00:15:29.63\00:15:34.63
I was born in a
small town in Southeastern
00:15:38.53\00:15:42.73
Nebraska, very
inauspicious beginnings.
00:15:42.73\00:15:46.36
When I was 5-years
-old, we moved from
00:15:50.16\00:15:52.83
that town I was born
in about 5,000 people to
00:15:53.30\00:15:56.60
the neighboring
town it's about 187,
00:15:56.60\00:16:00.73
I think is that
what it says on the sign,
00:16:00.73\00:16:03.16
so we downgraded. I
lived across the street
00:16:03.16\00:16:07.86
from my grandmother.
My sister and I spent a
00:16:07.86\00:16:13.76
lot of time over
there with her, she was a
00:16:13.76\00:16:17.06
saintly woman, a
woman that I have a lot
00:16:17.06\00:16:20.26
of respect for today,
and we would play in her
00:16:20.26\00:16:24.10
house and I could
remember this back bedroom.
00:16:24.10\00:16:28.43
It seems like it
was always cold, she had
00:16:29.80\00:16:32.30
this thing it was like
a snake full of, like a
00:16:32.30\00:16:37.73
bean bag snake.
You don't talk about
00:16:37.73\00:16:39.60
it you put it under
the door and that way,
00:16:39.60\00:16:42.00
you don't have to heat
these rooms that aren't
00:16:42.00\00:16:43.96
being use so we
played with that and then we
00:16:43.96\00:16:46.73
would go into the
room. This is room that my
00:16:46.73\00:16:50.03
aunt and my mother
shared when they were
00:16:50.03\00:16:53.56
growing up in that very house.
00:16:53.56\00:16:55.16
And my sister and I
would go into that room
00:16:55.86\00:16:57.46
and we'd dig through
the doors and we pulled
00:16:57.46\00:17:01.20
out some of the
junk and some of the old
00:17:01.20\00:17:03.26
things of my aunt and
my mother had left behind.
00:17:03.26\00:17:07.13
I can remember pulling
my aunt's old retainers
00:17:10.86\00:17:13.33
out and putting
them in our mouths.
00:17:13.33\00:17:14.90
But there was one
thing that strikes me more
00:17:22.13\00:17:26.63
than anything else
that's picking up this little
00:17:26.63\00:17:29.30
white Bible. It had this
chapped leather interior,
00:17:29.30\00:17:35.63
exterior rather
and a zipper, I could
00:17:35.63\00:17:38.93
remember pulling back
that zipper and opening
00:17:38.93\00:17:42.00
the zipper to that
Bible. As we open it up,
00:17:42.23\00:17:47.40
it was full of stickers.
00:17:47.40\00:17:48.86
And those stickers
were given for faithful
00:18:01.53\00:18:03.56
attendance in Sabbath school,
00:18:03.56\00:18:05.93
I turned the page,
00:18:09.00\00:18:09.96
the Bible had my
mother's name in it.
00:18:17.26\00:18:18.83
Well, my mother
didn't go to church,
00:18:21.86\00:18:23.46
my grandmother did,
she faithfully attended
00:18:25.40\00:18:29.16
Sabbath services, and
it was through her that my
00:18:29.93\00:18:34.70
sister and I at a very
young age we were first
00:18:34.70\00:18:39.23
exposed to Seventh-
day Adventist church,
00:18:39.23\00:18:41.26
very small, rural
church it had Sabbath school in
00:18:41.60\00:18:46.33
the basement. I can
still remember the smell of
00:18:46.33\00:18:49.70
the heavy humid
air of that basement.
00:18:50.06\00:18:54.66
I can remember felts,
going through felts for
00:18:55.36\00:18:58.26
the first time. My
father didn't always like
00:18:58.26\00:19:03.10
us to go to church
because he worked on
00:19:03.10\00:19:04.63
the road, he traveled
a lot, when he get home
00:19:04.63\00:19:07.60
he want us to
spend time together as a
00:19:09.20\00:19:11.40
family, so he
didn't always go to church,
00:19:11.40\00:19:14.96
and we didn't go
to church we had this
00:19:16.00\00:19:19.16
books at home,
maybe you're familiar with
00:19:19.16\00:19:20.96
these books. We
had a set of red books
00:19:20.96\00:19:24.43
I think there was
a volume 5 and they
00:19:24.43\00:19:27.53
came with a red
plastic book of cassette tapes.
00:19:27.53\00:19:31.56
And I could remember
sitting on the floor of a
00:19:32.26\00:19:36.43
little trailer
house, Southeastern Nebraska
00:19:36.43\00:19:39.70
and open up this
cassette tapes and put
00:19:39.70\00:19:43.06
them in a play and
I hear things like,
00:19:43.06\00:19:45.90
Samuel, you know
what I am talking about?
00:19:47.43\00:19:51.36
Cling clong, cling clong
like small donkey's hoofs.
00:19:53.53\00:19:56.13
I read these stories
to my daughter today.
00:19:58.63\00:20:00.56
My aunt bought us
the set of the book,
00:20:01.63\00:20:04.10
she bought us, we had
uncle Arthur's bedtime
00:20:04.10\00:20:05.96
stories so they were
some religious flavor
00:20:05.96\00:20:12.16
just a little bit in our home.
00:20:12.16\00:20:14.96
My grandma would
read us these books.
00:20:17.43\00:20:19.93
When I was 9, our
family moved to the
00:20:20.50\00:20:22.46
great state of
Colorado, the following year,
00:20:22.46\00:20:25.50
my grandmother who
had early on married
00:20:26.26\00:20:30.70
a non- Adventist,
my mother, actually my
00:20:31.10\00:20:33.20
grandmother and
great grandmother were the
00:20:33.20\00:20:34.63
first
Seventh-day Adventists in our
00:20:34.63\00:20:35.73
family, baptized by
a young preacher by the
00:20:35.73\00:20:39.53
name of Gideon
Hass. Actually we had the
00:20:39.53\00:20:42.16
privilege of
meeting with the guy who
00:20:42.16\00:20:45.26
baptized the first two
Adventists in our family,
00:20:45.26\00:20:48.36
pretty awesome experience.
00:20:48.90\00:20:50.46
My grandma, she
moved out with us to
00:20:53.56\00:20:56.03
Colorado and it's a
good thing she did because
00:20:56.03\00:20:59.66
she helped provide
some stability in our home.
00:20:59.66\00:21:03.06
Not long after are the
location maybe a couple
00:21:03.86\00:21:06.30
of years, my mom was
burdened with the crises
00:21:06.30\00:21:11.90
and some things came
to light that she hadn't
00:21:13.33\00:21:15.13
told anyone. My
mother was a victim of sexual
00:21:15.13\00:21:19.73
abuse while she was
at school, when she was
00:21:20.20\00:21:26.23
very young. She
never told anyone
00:21:26.23\00:21:30.66
her whole life.
Now she's approaching
00:21:30.66\00:21:34.13
her middle ages and
crisis sets in, and this
00:21:34.13\00:21:40.40
set off, triggered
a series of different
00:21:41.30\00:21:45.70
events that I
can remember, I can
00:21:45.70\00:21:47.23
remember going to
Christian counselors
00:21:47.23\00:21:50.66
with my mom and
sitting in the waiting
00:21:51.50\00:21:53.50
room and sometimes going inside.
00:21:53.50\00:21:55.33
I can remember her talking to my
00:21:55.90\00:21:58.13
grandmother, I can
remember her saying
00:21:58.13\00:22:00.73
things like I
don't know if I even
00:22:00.73\00:22:03.33
remember how to pray anymore.
00:22:03.33\00:22:05.66
I remember these
books coming into our house,
00:22:10.90\00:22:13.73
great big volumes
with the blue spine,
00:22:13.73\00:22:16.43
one had Jesus
picture in front of it.
00:22:17.36\00:22:19.56
I can remember starting
listen to Christian radio,
00:22:22.13\00:22:24.30
I can remember the
first time I had a veggie hot
00:22:24.96\00:22:30.00
dog out of the can.
Now I remember eating like
00:22:30.00\00:22:34.90
little Vienna
sausages. There weren't big,
00:22:34.90\00:22:36.76
that is a reason
why they call them big
00:22:36.76\00:22:38.00
franks because
normally hot dog in a
00:22:38.00\00:22:40.70
can about that long
and I remember taking my
00:22:40.70\00:22:44.16
first bite and
not knowing what to do
00:22:44.16\00:22:45.80
with this thing like
it was some cruel joke.
00:22:45.80\00:22:49.33
And I can
remember down the road.
00:22:55.60\00:22:57.43
Our family started
to go to Seventh-day
00:23:00.43\00:23:01.90
Adventist church. My dad brought
00:23:01.90\00:23:05.26
a sport coat and a tie,
00:23:05.26\00:23:07.70
we started to
attend church regularly.
00:23:11.10\00:23:15.10
I can remember making
the decision of my own
00:23:16.73\00:23:18.86
accord to quit playing
football and baseball so
00:23:18.86\00:23:22.20
I could attend
church on Sabbath.
00:23:22.20\00:23:24.50
It's probably in the 5th
grade when that happened.
00:23:25.93\00:23:28.70
Eventually my
mother was baptized,
00:23:30.83\00:23:32.66
when she was baptized,
I was baptized with her,
00:23:32.90\00:23:35.43
shortly thereafter my sister,
00:23:35.83\00:23:37.40
my father were baptized.
I knew that the changes
00:23:37.40\00:23:41.66
that were taking place in our
00:23:42.03\00:23:43.26
family were good changes.
00:23:43.26\00:23:45.10
We were hiking
every Sabbath almost
00:23:46.26\00:23:48.93
in the summer
time. We had new friends.
00:23:48.93\00:23:51.86
I would occasionally
do special music for
00:23:52.70\00:23:54.70
church with a
friend, my friend Ben who
00:23:54.70\00:23:57.03
was in church.
There were some really
00:23:57.03\00:24:02.10
positive things
that were happening.
00:24:02.10\00:24:04.10
I can remember
walking down the Isle of the
00:24:05.56\00:24:07.60
church with my father
collecting the offerings,
00:24:07.60\00:24:11.70
is it Dicken or
the Junior Dicken.
00:24:11.70\00:24:13.43
My father is no
longer in the church today.
00:24:17.10\00:24:19.13
There were things
that just didn't add up
00:24:25.10\00:24:26.70
though in our
home. From an outside
00:24:26.70\00:24:32.06
prospective it
would look like we had
00:24:32.06\00:24:34.06
everything together
at least mostly together
00:24:34.06\00:24:37.33
but there were things
that just didn't add up.
00:24:40.06\00:24:41.60
My father's
temper didn't go away,
00:24:42.50\00:24:43.93
my temper didn't go
away, I can remember
00:24:45.56\00:24:47.10
tearing doors off of
their hinges in anger
00:24:47.10\00:24:50.10
as a young man, there
was stress in my parents
00:24:51.00\00:24:56.56
marriage, we would
attend weekly services.
00:24:56.56\00:24:59.50
We would attend
Friday night Bible study,
00:24:59.50\00:25:01.63
church on Sabbath, gym
night, Saturday nights,
00:25:02.33\00:25:05.50
sometimes it felt like a game.
00:25:07.73\00:25:09.30
We're just going
through the motions
00:25:11.50\00:25:12.86
and sometimes it
felt like everybody
00:25:14.33\00:25:16.10
was just playing the game.
00:25:16.10\00:25:17.43
You know what the
game is built upon,
00:25:22.23\00:25:25.43
by the way you know
what I'm talking about.
00:25:27.43\00:25:28.60
This game that we
play, it's the charade in
00:25:33.06\00:25:35.63
playing church, it's
predicated by this idea
00:25:35.63\00:25:38.96
that everybody else
has it together but me.
00:25:40.03\00:25:42.06
In order to fit in I've
got to at least pretend like
00:25:45.53\00:25:50.03
I have it together
too, to lie isn't it?
00:25:50.03\00:25:53.63
You ever fallen in that trap,
00:25:54.46\00:25:56.83
you don't have
to raise your hand.
00:25:57.90\00:25:59.00
My mother did her best
to keep things together,
00:26:04.33\00:26:06.26
we had devotions I
can remember around,
00:26:07.00\00:26:09.03
in the breakfast
table, my mom made
00:26:09.96\00:26:13.36
incredible
sacrifices so that my sister and
00:26:13.80\00:26:16.43
I could attend local Seventh-day
00:26:16.43\00:26:18.40
Adventist School. We
started attending the
00:26:18.40\00:26:20.06
Adventist School
in the 7th grade.
00:26:20.06\00:26:22.33
It was about that
same time that I started to
00:26:23.63\00:26:27.40
experiment with
drugs, start smoking pot,
00:26:27.40\00:26:31.63
alcohol came into the
picture, about that time
00:26:33.23\00:26:35.96
my parents divorced
so now I'm living with my
00:26:35.96\00:26:38.90
father, my sister
said, hey, I am gonna stay
00:26:38.90\00:26:40.80
with mom, I said
well, you know who is gonna
00:26:40.80\00:26:42.63
go with dad. So I
stick with my dad.
00:26:42.63\00:26:45.90
My dad works a full
day, I get off to school,
00:26:46.80\00:26:50.30
I go home. There
is nobody around.
00:26:50.50\00:26:52.56
So not only am I
starting to make bad
00:26:54.60\00:26:56.66
decisions but I have
less and less supervision.
00:26:56.66\00:26:59.53
This continued
into academy, I got
00:27:00.60\00:27:03.16
suspended my
freshman year for suspicion of
00:27:03.16\00:27:06.06
using drugs.
Sophomore year came around
00:27:06.06\00:27:11.50
in academy, same
thing happened and I said,
00:27:11.50\00:27:14.80
you know, this is
a waste of my time.
00:27:14.80\00:27:16.46
I pay big bucks to
come to this school and they
00:27:17.73\00:27:20.63
want to make me take
urine analysis test to
00:27:20.63\00:27:25.60
prove that
everything is on the up and up,
00:27:25.60\00:27:27.36
so forget it. So I left
the Seventh-day Adventist
00:27:27.80\00:27:32.46
school system and I
went into the public
00:27:32.46\00:27:35.90
school system.
Shortly after that I dropped
00:27:35.90\00:27:41.43
out completely, I
lived with my father,
00:27:41.43\00:27:45.26
I worked full time.
There was a period of
00:27:46.23\00:27:50.30
time when my
father was rarely around,
00:27:50.30\00:27:52.63
he met a woman, I think
she was a bartender or a
00:27:52.63\00:27:55.93
waitress at some
bar up in the mountains.
00:27:55.93\00:27:58.00
He would come home
from work and shower
00:27:58.90\00:28:01.36
and go up to the mountains.
00:28:03.10\00:28:04.16
I would get home and
not see him, go to work
00:28:04.36\00:28:06.76
at the health food
store in the evenings
00:28:06.76\00:28:08.86
and we would
totally miss each other,
00:28:11.96\00:28:13.46
sometimes for two
weeks I wouldn't see my dad.
00:28:13.46\00:28:15.80
Sixteen years
old, have people over,
00:28:16.96\00:28:19.76
have parties in the
house, get myself in
00:28:20.33\00:28:22.76
trouble and then after
I dropped out and I was
00:28:22.76\00:28:25.83
working full time, I
worked in a local health
00:28:25.83\00:28:28.23
food store, urban
health food store in Denver.
00:28:28.23\00:28:32.50
You guys familiar
with some of the culture in
00:28:34.53\00:28:36.66
these kind of
hipster, health food stores.
00:28:36.66\00:28:40.36
You know I am talking
about kind of edgy and
00:28:41.43\00:28:44.20
maybe a little
weird to some of you.
00:28:47.53\00:28:48.80
I was one of the
weirdos, this proved to
00:28:50.90\00:28:55.70
be a pivotal point in my life,
00:28:55.70\00:29:00.60
I became a vegetarian.
00:29:02.40\00:29:03.56
I started to do more drugs.
00:29:06.43\00:29:07.83
I was an avid urban bicycle
00:29:09.43\00:29:11.70
commuter, I took pride in that,
00:29:11.70\00:29:13.40
I started to
grow some dreadlocks.
00:29:15.10\00:29:17.00
I got involved in
the body modifications
00:29:18.30\00:29:21.46
scene, so I was
piercing, I was stretching,
00:29:21.46\00:29:25.70
I was started to
implant things under my skin,
00:29:27.30\00:29:29.96
hanging out with
a friend of mine,
00:29:31.23\00:29:33.36
I visited him at
the record stores,
00:29:33.36\00:29:35.00
his name was Jay,
he had the big whole
00:29:36.00\00:29:38.86
wholes in ears you
see ever once in a while.
00:29:38.86\00:29:40.70
He had padlocks in
the holes in his ears.
00:29:41.20\00:29:43.46
Just pushing out
into this extreme culture.
00:29:45.30\00:29:50.13
It was at this
health food store that I met
00:29:51.40\00:29:53.40
a young lady, if
you could call her that.
00:29:53.86\00:29:57.30
We got to know each other.
00:30:00.73\00:30:01.90
She became my girlfriend.
00:30:02.90\00:30:04.40
I thought she was a nice girl.
00:30:05.80\00:30:07.23
She went to an
alternative school.
00:30:07.23\00:30:08.83
She was into
ballet and other dance.
00:30:10.13\00:30:12.26
Was at her house one
evening and that's the
00:30:13.83\00:30:16.20
first time I met
this kid name Eddie.
00:30:16.20\00:30:17.86
Eddie was a street kid,
kind of dirty, you could
00:30:17.86\00:30:21.60
smell him, his
hair was messed up.
00:30:21.60\00:30:25.00
I think his hair was
actually green at the
00:30:25.00\00:30:26.53
time when I met
him, and we were sitting
00:30:26.53\00:30:29.90
around in the
living room and he pulled
00:30:29.90\00:30:31.73
something out of
his pocket and he said,
00:30:32.20\00:30:34.56
hey, see my big bird spoon,
00:30:34.56\00:30:36.00
so I looked at his
spoon and it was spoon at big
00:30:41.93\00:30:44.50
bird on the end of it, great.
00:30:44.50\00:30:47.23
Eddie goes into the
bathroom and he was in
00:30:49.56\00:30:52.00
there for a longtime
and he comes out and his
00:30:52.00\00:30:54.60
eyes were about that big around.
00:30:54.60\00:30:56.00
Eddie was a junkie
and it was then that
00:30:57.26\00:31:00.40
I learned of my girlfriend's
00:31:00.40\00:31:02.30
experimentation with heroin,
00:31:02.70\00:31:04.13
and I was kind of an extreme guy
00:31:07.53\00:31:09.36
and not long after
that I was using it too.
00:31:11.93\00:31:15.43
This is a year after leaving
00:31:16.90\00:31:18.73
Seventh-day Adventist School.
00:31:18.73\00:31:20.20
I don't know if we have
any administrators here,
00:31:26.13\00:31:28.66
maybe you're a teacher.
I believe in Seventh-day
00:31:30.33\00:31:36.13
Adventist education as
a high school drop out.
00:31:36.13\00:31:38.80
In God's providence, I wind up
00:31:40.46\00:31:42.23
eventually
working in an academy.
00:31:42.23\00:31:44.30
Teachers take
your job seriously.
00:31:48.70\00:31:50.86
You never know
where some of these young
00:31:56.23\00:31:57.90
kids that God has entrusted
to our care are gonna go.
00:31:57.90\00:32:04.43
For the next few
years I just floated around.
00:32:09.70\00:32:11.73
I did my own thing,
started to work with my father.
00:32:13.13\00:32:16.46
My father was in
the building trades so
00:32:16.46\00:32:20.00
I went to work
with him, worked 40 hour
00:32:20.23\00:32:24.26
work week so I could
do whatever I want to
00:32:24.26\00:32:26.76
do on the
weekends. When I was 19,
00:32:26.76\00:32:33.43
a subtle shift
began to take place.
00:32:35.20\00:32:37.60
Now I only said
because of the things
00:32:38.76\00:32:42.10
that I had
learned in Bible study.
00:32:42.10\00:32:44.76
In the Daniel, in
the Revelation studies at
00:32:46.13\00:32:47.83
our church, you know,
I had an understanding
00:32:47.83\00:32:51.73
at least superficially
of this book, and that's
00:32:52.53\00:32:56.26
etiology that we
teach at the Seventh-day
00:32:56.26\00:32:58.26
Adventist Church,
rooted in scripture.
00:32:58.26\00:33:00.36
And I always told
myself as I see these
00:33:00.96\00:33:03.10
things that the Bible
talks about, Revelation
00:33:03.10\00:33:06.30
chapter 13, I knew
that stuff, when I was
00:33:06.30\00:33:10.13
working in the health
food store I made sure
00:33:10.13\00:33:11.76
my boss wouldn't
schedule me on Saturday.
00:33:11.76\00:33:13.70
I was out Friday night
late, but I didn't work
00:33:14.60\00:33:18.00
on, actually I
worked one time, I switched
00:33:18.00\00:33:20.26
because I felt bad
because the girl had a
00:33:20.26\00:33:21.93
birthday so I switched with her.
00:33:21.93\00:33:24.23
I had an understanding,
tucked away in the back
00:33:27.50\00:33:30.00
of my mind, and what
triggered some of this
00:33:30.00\00:33:36.06
change in ideas. I
listened to a lot of
00:33:36.06\00:33:39.33
reggae music, I
smoked a lot of pot,
00:33:39.33\00:33:42.56
it's kind of
complimentary with the music and
00:33:43.10\00:33:48.13
I would hear these
references to David
00:33:48.13\00:33:50.96
and to Solomon,
there's this spiritual
00:33:52.00\00:33:54.33
undercurrent in
reggae music and I started
00:33:54.33\00:33:57.06
thinking about
some of those things,
00:33:57.06\00:33:58.60
when a musician
would quote a song.
00:33:58.60\00:34:02.53
Now let me just
make myself clear,
00:34:04.53\00:34:06.13
I don't listen to
reggae music anymore, okay,
00:34:06.13\00:34:08.26
but there was
something that God used,
00:34:10.26\00:34:13.66
perhaps one of the
only avenues and He looked
00:34:15.10\00:34:17.70
down and He spoke
to me through this,
00:34:17.70\00:34:20.40
and then He moved me
on beyond those thing.
00:34:21.76\00:34:25.10
So, I'm not endorsing
that music this morning,
00:34:25.10\00:34:27.56
let me make myself
clear. I think sometimes
00:34:27.56\00:34:30.06
the church, we get
bogged down because
00:34:30.06\00:34:32.26
we see how God could
use something and then
00:34:32.56\00:34:35.46
we decide to use
it ourselves and what
00:34:35.46\00:34:37.40
happens is we
wind-up being more of a
00:34:37.40\00:34:39.33
stumbling block
than of a blessing.
00:34:39.33\00:34:40.86
Are you with me this morning?
00:34:41.46\00:34:42.56
So I started thinking
more about spiritual things.
00:34:46.46\00:34:49.50
It was Christmas of
2000, I was on my way
00:34:50.50\00:34:52.96
home, visited my family over the
00:34:52.96\00:34:56.70
holidays, my grandparents,
00:34:56.70\00:34:58.13
my aunts, my
uncles. And as I was driving
00:34:58.13\00:35:01.73
home I lost
control of my vehicle.
00:35:01.73\00:35:04.86
I was driving a little too fast.
00:35:05.33\00:35:07.63
I rolled my truck
just outside of Lincoln on
00:35:08.70\00:35:10.86
highway 2 for those
of you who are familiar
00:35:10.86\00:35:13.20
with the area. My car is gone.
00:35:13.20\00:35:18.50
My aunt incidentally
is the same aunt who
00:35:20.13\00:35:22.53
bought me those
Bible story books long ago,
00:35:22.53\00:35:25.50
helped me get on a
plane. So I spent, I worked,
00:35:25.50\00:35:28.10
I spent, I
worked, I spent, I didn't
00:35:28.10\00:35:29.60
have any savings.
She put me on a plane,
00:35:29.60\00:35:31.93
I flew home, I
got home, I got sick,
00:35:32.33\00:35:39.03
I couldn't work, I
decided that on New
00:35:39.03\00:35:43.40
Year's eve, I was
gonna drown my sorrows,
00:35:43.40\00:35:46.30
I stayed up all
night. I was on multiple
00:35:49.66\00:35:53.66
different
substances and my girlfriend at
00:35:53.66\00:35:57.53
that time different
girl worked in a bar so as
00:35:57.53\00:36:02.43
soon as it opened,
after all night of partying
00:36:02.43\00:36:05.50
we went, we sat, we
drank in a bar all day.
00:36:05.50\00:36:08.40
I went home, went
into the basement,
00:36:09.33\00:36:14.80
I fell asleep
and I went into the
00:36:16.86\00:36:19.83
deepest depression of my life.
00:36:19.83\00:36:21.63
I called my
girlfriend I was crying.
00:36:26.63\00:36:28.46
She was concerned,
not necessarily for me,
00:36:29.00\00:36:33.20
she was concerned
about other things,
00:36:33.20\00:36:36.16
she thought I was
crying because I had
00:36:36.16\00:36:37.76
aids or
something and are you okay?
00:36:37.76\00:36:40.50
You don't have a disease.
00:36:41.23\00:36:42.36
I said, no I
don't have a disease.
00:36:43.36\00:36:45.36
Girlfriend broke up with
me and now I have nothing,
00:36:48.50\00:36:51.26
so I looked back
on that, that crises.
00:36:52.60\00:36:55.13
God was stripping
me away of all of the
00:36:57.13\00:36:59.50
distraction I had
surrounded myself with.
00:36:59.50\00:37:02.20
I didn't have any
money, didn't have any
00:37:05.60\00:37:07.90
transportation
except when I borrowed my
00:37:07.90\00:37:09.73
sister's car, it was a
little brown Sab with a
00:37:09.73\00:37:11.90
90 percent angel
sticker on the back
00:37:11.90\00:37:14.83
which made me look really tough.
00:37:14.83\00:37:16.43
I didn't have a
girlfriend, all of the
00:37:25.06\00:37:27.43
distractions were
gone and now I'm naked and
00:37:27.43\00:37:30.20
I cried out, I said God
00:37:30.20\00:37:31.66
what am I doing with my life?
00:37:33.36\00:37:35.10
Where am I
going? What am I doing?
00:37:37.13\00:37:39.73
Those thoughts came
to a decision point about
00:37:41.83\00:37:48.46
six weeks later, I was
in the car, I was driving
00:37:48.46\00:37:52.00
home from one of my
local hangouts and I get
00:37:52.00\00:37:54.86
this impression in
my mind, Jarod, what are
00:37:54.86\00:37:58.16
you gonna do with your life?
00:37:58.16\00:37:59.40
Are you gonna keep
going on like you've
00:38:01.16\00:38:03.40
been wasting your
time, are you're gonna go
00:38:03.40\00:38:05.53
back to the way
you were living before?
00:38:05.53\00:38:07.13
Are you gonna make a change?
00:38:07.13\00:38:08.50
Then another
impression came into
00:38:11.73\00:38:13.40
my mind, you need to
call your friend Ben.
00:38:13.40\00:38:15.76
Now this is the guy
that when I quit football to
00:38:16.63\00:38:23.40
come to the Seventh-
day Adventist Church,
00:38:23.40\00:38:25.50
he was the first
friend that I made.
00:38:25.70\00:38:27.33
We went to academy
together, we got kicked
00:38:30.16\00:38:33.70
out of the
academy together, we left
00:38:33.70\00:38:36.50
academy together
and we were in the world
00:38:36.50\00:38:39.93
together, and it
was during that time,
00:38:39.93\00:38:43.76
that I caught wind of
a change that took place
00:38:44.20\00:38:47.80
in his life, he
had a dream of the
00:38:47.80\00:38:49.33
second coming of Jesus Christ.
00:38:49.33\00:38:51.00
In the middle of the night,
00:38:53.36\00:38:54.36
and he started
going back to church
00:38:56.66\00:38:58.46
and he was
re-baptized in the Seventh-day
00:38:59.70\00:39:01.33
Adventist Church.
Well, I said, call you
00:39:01.33\00:39:04.36
friend Ben. That guy
didn't take seriously
00:39:04.36\00:39:06.30
this, oh, you know,
he will be back with us
00:39:07.03\00:39:08.70
again some day. I
met him for dinner.
00:39:08.70\00:39:13.60
I went to church with
him that next Sabbath.
00:39:15.56\00:39:17.86
The Lord introduced
me to whole group of
00:39:18.76\00:39:20.93
people that I was
able to connect with,
00:39:20.93\00:39:23.40
started studying the Bible.
00:39:24.80\00:39:26.06
Six months later I
was re-baptized in the
00:39:28.83\00:39:30.86
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:39:30.86\00:39:32.20
And a month later
I found myself at the
00:39:33.30\00:39:36.20
Amazing Facts
Center of Evangelism,
00:39:36.20\00:39:38.10
getting some
training to find out how
00:39:38.50\00:39:39.96
I could share with other people.
00:39:39.96\00:39:42.13
That's how I
use to end my story.
00:39:45.90\00:39:47.70
But I've got some more things
00:39:52.06\00:39:53.03
I need to share with you.
00:39:53.03\00:39:54.00
I had some unfinished
business with the Lord
00:39:59.26\00:40:01.16
at that point, sins
that should have been cast
00:40:01.16\00:40:03.93
off were cloaked by this veneer
00:40:03.93\00:40:06.53
of self
righteousness. I was baptized as
00:40:07.03\00:40:10.73
a smoker, nobody
helped me, nobody
00:40:10.73\00:40:13.80
asked me, nobody cleared me.
00:40:13.80\00:40:15.46
I was baptized, I
would drink on occasion.
00:40:16.13\00:40:18.20
I struggled with
relationships from the
00:40:19.56\00:40:22.96
past and pornography.
You know, what I think
00:40:22.96\00:40:28.73
is interesting is that
one of the biggest problems
00:40:28.73\00:40:33.03
that youth that we
have with the church is the
00:40:33.03\00:40:35.83
hypocrisy in the
church. Amen, amen. Right.
00:40:35.83\00:40:38.93
Young people how
are you doing this
00:40:40.30\00:40:41.70
morning with your hypocrisy?
00:40:41.70\00:40:43.06
That thing that I didn't want to
00:40:46.56\00:40:48.50
become is what I turned into,
00:40:48.50\00:40:51.03
it's a shame our
first work is not to leave
00:40:56.20\00:40:59.33
the church because
of hypocrisy, our first
00:40:59.33\00:41:02.26
work is to be real, isn't it?
00:41:02.26\00:41:03.56
Couldn't smoke it out
though that was a good
00:41:08.03\00:41:10.20
thing, at least
not in conceal it,
00:41:10.20\00:41:14.63
it was too hard to
quit but my struggle with
00:41:14.90\00:41:18.16
pornography
lingered and I would like to
00:41:18.16\00:41:21.10
speak to this
directly this morning because
00:41:21.10\00:41:23.86
statistically a
majority of people in this room
00:41:23.86\00:41:26.73
deal with this very
issue. Are you with me?
00:41:26.73\00:41:29.70
I was reading last
night, reflecting about this,
00:41:31.60\00:41:33.76
there is a statement
in the chapter Apostasy at
00:41:34.13\00:41:37.13
the Jordan, in the book
Patriarchs and Prophets.
00:41:37.13\00:41:40.56
I would encourage you
to go back and read the
00:41:41.00\00:41:42.43
whole chapter, she
says, that the very challenge
00:41:42.43\00:41:46.23
that Israel faced
before they were about to enter
00:41:46.23\00:41:48.56
into the promised
land. These Midianite women
00:41:48.56\00:41:50.63
coming into the camp.
Is this one of the same
00:41:50.63\00:41:56.83
problems, sexual
immorality that the
00:41:57.70\00:42:00.13
enemies would use
in these last days.
00:42:00.13\00:42:02.00
The only difference
is women aren't walking
00:42:02.60\00:42:04.03
down the road into
the Israelites camp,
00:42:04.03\00:42:05.66
they're streaming
into your house through a
00:42:05.96\00:42:08.06
broadband connection.
It's a something I dealt
00:42:08.06\00:42:11.60
with, I was first
exposed to pornography
00:42:11.60\00:42:14.50
I was 7-years-old.
That was lower than
00:42:14.50\00:42:17.23
the average at the
time but that's probably
00:42:17.23\00:42:19.00
about average now,
okay, I was addicted to
00:42:19.00\00:42:23.40
pornography, I
can remember I was 12
00:42:23.40\00:42:25.00
years-old, stealing
it from family members,
00:42:25.00\00:42:27.60
from friends. I had,
I had friends at school
00:42:28.00\00:42:30.50
lived next to them,
went into their house when
00:42:30.50\00:42:33.23
they were on summer
vacation, broke into
00:42:33.23\00:42:34.93
their house
actually and just go in,
00:42:34.93\00:42:37.13
I broke in through
the back door and stole
00:42:37.40\00:42:40.43
some pornography
out of their home that
00:42:41.06\00:42:42.36
I knew they had.
Went into a street club
00:42:42.36\00:42:47.03
for the first time
I was 15 years old,
00:42:47.03\00:42:49.40
dysfunction in my
life, so what happens when
00:42:53.43\00:43:00.20
you want to follow
Jesus and you struggle
00:43:00.20\00:43:03.40
with these very
real issues and nobody in
00:43:03.40\00:43:05.73
the church wants
to deal with them.
00:43:05.73\00:43:07.13
Nobody wants to
talk about it, everybody
00:43:10.93\00:43:13.10
wants to play church.
I can remember kneeling
00:43:13.10\00:43:18.40
by my bed at night
I was crying, praying
00:43:18.40\00:43:21.86
Lord, just take away my will.
00:43:21.86\00:43:23.96
I can't make a good decision.
00:43:25.06\00:43:26.30
Nobody taught me the
gospel, nobody taught
00:43:27.56\00:43:31.00
me how to have victory over sin.
00:43:31.00\00:43:32.36
You know we have
programs at GYC this
00:43:33.33\00:43:35.30
year, seminars
designed specifically for you to
00:43:35.30\00:43:39.80
help you with these very issues,
00:43:39.80\00:43:41.00
not pornography in particular.
00:43:41.00\00:43:42.86
But if you are
dealing with these challenges,
00:43:43.46\00:43:45.10
GYC is here to serve
the needs of the youth
00:43:45.10\00:43:47.96
of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:43:47.96\00:43:49.30
Can you say amen? Amen.
00:43:49.30\00:43:50.96
I'm out of time
and that's a shame.
00:43:56.50\00:44:00.36
I'd like to address
this topic specifically more,
00:44:03.46\00:44:05.70
I'm not going to
because I don't have time.
00:44:05.70\00:44:07.63
But let me point you
to a few places that might
00:44:08.10\00:44:09.80
be helpful here at
GYC. We've got a seminar by,
00:44:09.80\00:44:16.33
it's dealing with
binding the wounds,
00:44:19.30\00:44:20.53
it's in your
booklet for people who have
00:44:20.53\00:44:23.90
experienced
abuse. We've got Chad and
00:44:23.90\00:44:26.56
Fadia Kreuzer who
are doing a seminar on
00:44:26.56\00:44:28.56
"Gaining victory
and overcoming sin."
00:44:29.00\00:44:31.56
If you're a young
man here this morning
00:44:32.13\00:44:33.86
and you're living a
double life, I want to
00:44:35.43\00:44:38.60
encourage you to
go to the workshop
00:44:38.60\00:44:40.23
that brother
Angelo Grasso is doing on
00:44:41.36\00:44:44.23
duplicity, you need to be there.
00:44:44.23\00:44:46.83
I can remember talking
to a friend and finding
00:44:48.70\00:44:52.60
out about a
brother of mine who was
00:44:52.60\00:44:54.60
struggling with pornography and
00:44:54.60\00:44:55.73
I kept this a secret and
I talked to this brother,
00:44:55.73\00:45:02.13
actually before that
I said, you know what
00:45:02.13\00:45:04.60
I've got to be real
and I was married at this
00:45:05.63\00:45:08.66
point, but to my wife
I said Beth, I gotta tell
00:45:08.66\00:45:12.86
you something and I
split the beans I said,
00:45:12.86\00:45:18.50
I've been struggling
with this my whole life.
00:45:18.50\00:45:20.13
She said, I know. You can't keep
00:45:20.50\00:45:23.86
anything secret from your wife.
00:45:23.86\00:45:25.26
My brother whose
secret sin had come to
00:45:30.53\00:45:33.16
the forefront and now
he had to deal with it.
00:45:33.16\00:45:35.40
My next call was to my friend.
00:45:35.73\00:45:37.36
Actually it's not
exactly true but we got together
00:45:40.76\00:45:43.70
that very next day,
out going, he said, yeah,
00:45:43.70\00:45:47.23
am having this same problem.
00:45:47.23\00:45:48.90
Sexual sin thrives in secrecy.
00:45:50.36\00:45:53.83
And unless you can
find someone to speak to,
00:45:56.16\00:45:59.53
to hold you accountable, to pray
00:45:59.53\00:46:01.73
with you it will
continue to fester.
00:46:01.73\00:46:04.33
Are you with me?
And it's not just that
00:46:05.20\00:46:08.30
problem. We need to
be held accountable,
00:46:08.30\00:46:12.16
don't we? We need
to be held accountable.
00:46:12.16\00:46:15.13
I'd like to appeal
to this morning GYC,
00:46:16.03\00:46:19.10
it's time to get
real, no more sweeping junk
00:46:19.63\00:46:23.86
under the rug.
Jesus is about to come,
00:46:23.86\00:46:27.06
you believe it? Amen. I
don't think we're ready,
00:46:27.06\00:46:30.26
I don't thing we're
ready. I want to appeal to you
00:46:31.56\00:46:33.83
this morning. If you have been
00:46:33.83\00:46:38.16
stirred by this
message this morning by my
00:46:38.16\00:46:41.23
story, it's been
briefed. I want to encourage you
00:46:41.23\00:46:44.90
to stay seated. If
you've got a struggle
00:46:44.90\00:46:49.60
this morning with sexual sin,
00:46:49.60\00:46:52.66
with hypocrisy,
there's something as the Lord
00:46:53.56\00:46:56.90
looks down on you
and He puts His finger in
00:46:56.90\00:46:59.60
your heart, there's
something that doesn't
00:46:59.60\00:47:00.93
look neat to be
there. If that's you, don't
00:47:00.93\00:47:07.90
raise your hand.
I want to be clear,
00:47:07.90\00:47:14.56
you respond to an
appeal last night when
00:47:17.20\00:47:19.43
our president was addressing
00:47:19.43\00:47:20.66
us praise the Lord.
If you are responding
00:47:20.66\00:47:23.26
this morning when
Thando made an appeal
00:47:23.26\00:47:25.60
to give a year of
your life, praise the Lord.
00:47:25.60\00:47:28.66
We need more of that.
But Daniel didn't need
00:47:30.56\00:47:36.90
an appeal at GYC to
purpose in his heart
00:47:36.90\00:47:40.40
to not sin. Joseph
didn't need a GYC appeal,
00:47:40.73\00:47:47.50
he didn't need a
warm fuzzy experience when
00:47:47.50\00:47:50.66
Potiphar came in
and tried to seduce him.
00:47:50.66\00:47:52.76
Are you with me? GYC
2003, I'm sorry 2004,
00:47:53.33\00:48:02.30
it was GYC number 3.
Pastor David Asscherick
00:48:02.30\00:48:06.10
was up here on Sunday morning.
00:48:06.53\00:48:07.83
He was preaching
and he made an appeal,
00:48:09.80\00:48:11.73
a very specific
appeal, give seven years of
00:48:11.73\00:48:15.93
your life to
reaching the unreached.
00:48:15.93\00:48:19.70
My friend John Baxter
was up here at the front.
00:48:20.83\00:48:23.26
He got a stack of 50
decision cards probably
00:48:24.76\00:48:27.30
too many, 200
people came forward,
00:48:27.30\00:48:30.20
totally unprepared for that.
00:48:32.13\00:48:33.66
If you want to read
the sermon you can read it
00:48:33.66\00:48:36.03
in this book, you can
get it at the GYC booth,
00:48:36.03\00:48:39.16
it's in there. You
can read through the
00:48:39.76\00:48:41.96
appeal and you can
read through the result.
00:48:41.96\00:48:44.20
I called John
Baxter and I said, brother,
00:48:45.26\00:48:47.16
what was the outcome of that?
00:48:48.33\00:48:49.63
This was just a few weeks ago.
00:48:49.63\00:48:50.96
How many people
came? How many people
00:48:52.83\00:48:57.20
followed through? Less
than 5 followed through
00:48:57.20\00:49:01.16
on their decision.
Some of you are most likely
00:49:01.16\00:49:06.66
in this room. What are we doing?
00:49:06.66\00:49:11.43
Friends, I believe
we need less ostentation
00:49:14.06\00:49:16.63
and more
personal priority in this
00:49:16.63\00:49:18.10
movement and I am
not saying that when
00:49:18.10\00:49:21.86
Dr. Walsh gets up
here and preaches the word
00:49:21.86\00:49:24.46
and makes an appeal
not to come forward.
00:49:24.80\00:49:27.10
If the spirit is
talking you come forward,
00:49:27.10\00:49:29.66
don't hold back
but when you go back to
00:49:30.73\00:49:33.46
your hotel room tell somebody.
00:49:33.46\00:49:35.56
Say you know what I
made a decision today
00:49:36.46\00:49:39.00
to follow Jesus and
I'm not going to turn back.
00:49:39.00\00:49:42.10
Last year I was sitting
in the back with my wife
00:49:50.60\00:49:52.50
and again it was
Pastor Dave and he was
00:49:54.76\00:49:56.70
making an appeal and
I watched the young man
00:49:56.70\00:50:00.73
sitting in front of me,
he was fiddling with an 99
00:50:00.73\00:50:03.70
set game on his iPod
the whole conference.
00:50:03.70\00:50:06.03
His friends got up
and went for an appeal
00:50:15.50\00:50:17.43
and he stood up, he
put his iPod away and he
00:50:18.20\00:50:20.80
said where are we going?
00:50:20.80\00:50:22.86
GYC, where we
going? What are we doing?
00:50:28.20\00:50:31.93
What are we doing
here? Do you want to step it
00:50:32.56\00:50:37.00
up this morning
GYC, lets get real.
00:50:37.00\00:50:42.46
Do you want to be
real this morning GYC?
00:50:44.40\00:50:46.33
Don't come forward,
stay in your seat and
00:50:47.33\00:50:50.56
bow your heads with
me. I say Lord, in the
00:50:50.56\00:50:54.83
quietness of your
heart say Lord, I wanna be
00:50:54.83\00:51:00.56
real, I wanna go
deeper, I wanna make real
00:51:00.56\00:51:08.63
decisions not based on emotion.
00:51:08.63\00:51:12.10
Not because my
friends are going forward,
00:51:13.10\00:51:15.26
but because I
sense your call and when
00:51:15.63\00:51:18.76
I make those
decisions this week I'm gonna go
00:51:18.76\00:51:23.53
home and I'm gonna
tell somebody and I'm
00:51:23.53\00:51:26.93
gonna say brother,
I'm gonna say sister
00:51:26.93\00:51:29.50
let's keep it real, hold me
00:51:32.33\00:51:34.70
accountable to my decision.
00:51:34.70\00:51:36.00
If this is your
prayer, say those words in your
00:51:36.93\00:51:40.53
heart and bow your
heads with me as we pray.
00:51:40.53\00:51:44.26
Father in Heaven, we
desire to be real this
00:51:44.26\00:51:50.36
morning, to walk in
your spirit, not just to
00:51:50.36\00:51:55.60
come to GYC
wearing a suit and looking
00:51:55.60\00:51:57.93
good on the
outside. Not as whitewashed
00:51:57.93\00:52:01.16
sepulchers or cups
that are clean only on the
00:52:01.16\00:52:05.20
exterior, but
did you transform us?
00:52:05.20\00:52:08.43
Lord, I pray for the
appeals and I pray for
00:52:10.76\00:52:15.60
the young people here
who hear this appeals.
00:52:15.60\00:52:18.60
I pray that these
decisions are made,
00:52:21.20\00:52:23.36
that they would be done
in sincerity and in truth
00:52:24.20\00:52:27.73
and that by your
spirit we would follow
00:52:27.73\00:52:30.10
through on them.
Lord you've told us
00:52:30.10\00:52:31.90
through your
messenger there all of our
00:52:31.90\00:52:33.33
promises are like ropes of sand.
00:52:33.33\00:52:35.16
Help us not to rely
on our own strength we
00:52:37.03\00:52:40.00
pray and move us
forward as a movement
00:52:40.00\00:52:43.53
that we would not
only grow in numbers but we
00:52:43.73\00:52:45.60
would grow in
depth, in character and in
00:52:45.60\00:52:48.73
determination accomplishing
the work that you send
00:52:48.73\00:52:52.03
us to do, we pray
in Jesus name, amen.
00:52:52.03\00:52:56.26