The following program
discusses sensitive issues
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related to addictive behavior.
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Parents are
cautioned that some material
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may be too candid
for younger children.
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Welcome back.
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We're talking about, you know,
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I'm supposed to
be out of prison.
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You know how do we do
that in a psychological sense.
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And God finds us
in the darkest places
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and nothing scares Him.
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He's bigger than all of that
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and that's my
favorite part of recovery
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and recovery
stories and testimony.
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So we were talking to Buddy.
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Buddy's bringing
his friend Bryan up.
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But I'm looking at the cafe
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and I want to just
say hi to everybody.
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My friend from
Australia is here.
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We've got Abigail here with us.
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And we got Lemuel.
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Lemuel, you do prison ministries
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and you know these guys.
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So I want to make
sure that I say hi to you.
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And what do you think
about what we're talking about?
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You know what,
it's so cool to be here.
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I really
appreciate the opportunity.
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You know when I
was in prison, Cheri,
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I wanted to reach out
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and share with the
people in the world
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to not come the way I came.
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You know and that desire of
what these brothers are doing,
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they've been locked
up, they've been there
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and so now they're
bringing true freedom.
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They're bringing it full circle.
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They're come full circle from
being a convict and an inmate,
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like you were a heroin addict.
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Now you're sharing
hope with the world.
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These brothers go consistently
back to the county jail
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where they started
their journey to prison
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to share hope with
all those young people.
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And they don't get discouraged
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when they see the
same guy coming back again.
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You know they don't
say, "Hey, I told you,
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you know, you
didn't get it right."
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And so they're sharing
the love of God in real terms.
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So it's just really
huge. It's a blessing.
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It's absolutely incredible.
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And thank you for
joining us in the cafe.
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It's a blessing to be here.
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So, Buddy, you
were talking about,
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you know, that
moment where you knew
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that God had stepped in
and that you had surrendered.
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But you-- you're
still in solitary.
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You know what I
mean? I'm still there.
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And so I want
you to tell us how--
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what God--how God got
you from there to here
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and then introduce Bryan,
'cause you guys have a ministry
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and I would love
to hear Bryan's--
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a little bit about Bryan's story
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and definitely about
what you're doing now
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and the passion of your heart.
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All right.
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Yeah, when I was at the Supermax
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like I said I surrendered my all
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and I knew I
couldn't do it myself.
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And I had to just
give in and I did.
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I thank God that
I did because I--
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where else could
I go like I said.
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But you never let anyone
have control in your life.
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I mean, you know, I'm
thinking about this kid,
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that says I am actually in
control and I'm gonna do it
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and I'm gonna run the program
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and I'm gonna play the system
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and I'm gonna come in and
do all those kind of stuff.
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And now you have a God that says
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I want you to
surrender that to me.
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That could not have
been an easy step or was it?
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Were you that broken?
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I was so broken
that I had no peace.
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I mean I was so
miserable that I knew
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that my next step was death.
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So I had to turn to Him.
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And I thank God for the
people that were praying for me.
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So I gave it all to
Him and I just said,
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"Lord, here, I'm a
mess, clean me up."
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And when I did that it
was just a burden left me.
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I mean I knew
that He was in control.
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I was no longer in
control and I knew it.
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Did you feel, when
you turned it over to God
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did you feel any
sort of condemnation?
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I have to say that I
knew the Word enough to know
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that no matter what I've
done that He had forgiven me.
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And I knew that and He will.
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No matter what we've
done, He forgives us.
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So I knew, 'cause I
was raised in a church.
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So I knew that
He had forgiven me
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no matter what I've
done once I give it to Him.
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So condemnation, no.
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The devil would try to
get me into condemnation
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but I knew I was free.
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I was--my sins were
wiped away and I knew it.
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So I thank God
that He is a loving God
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and He put that love in my heart
and I started loving others
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that I despised and everything,
my desires started changing.
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And then I ended up--
they moved me from there
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to different maximum security
prisons there in Virginia.
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I went to three more--two more
and then they moved me back.
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Finally I was there 5
years, moved me back to Indiana.
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The Lord knew
what was gonna happen.
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See, so I went back
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and it was just so much
of a coincidence I guess.
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I go there to this prison,
they move me back to Indiana
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and there all the main
people that I'd dealt with,
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there they all started coming.
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So it was like a
setup. Exactly, they know you.
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We're gonna hustle again. Right.
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And they're there
at this exact prison.
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I mean the main
people and here I am
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and yeah, they're coming to me.
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And, you know,
hey, Buddy, what's up?
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And, you know, and I'm--
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but I had to let him know
right off, here is what's up.
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I'm a changed
man. That's no longer--
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But they say. It's like
that's no longer who I am.
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Right, and then a
lot of people say that,
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you know, but you got--
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they got to see it themselves
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and then they seen
it and they realized
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hey, he's for real
and they respected that.
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So the Lord knew I had to get
rooted and grounded which I did.
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I stayed in the
Word and I had some guys
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that really helped me out a lot
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and while I was
there in Virginia.
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And so I got
rooted and grounded.
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I didn't go and
stand those temptations,
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'cause I had--I was rooted,
I was grounded, you know,
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'cause, man, the devil comes,
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he comes to try to
take that Word out of you
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before it gets too deep.
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'Cause he knows once it gets
so deep he's lost it, right?
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Somebody says to me,
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why in recovery do I
need to get into the Bible?
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And I tell them, 'cause
that's where the promises are.
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That's where your
strength's gonna come from.
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When the--when God
says, "I will lift your head.
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I will sing over
you while you sleep.
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I forgive your
sins. Confess to me.
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Ask me anything,"
all that kind of stuff
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as if we don't
know-- it says it in there
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if we don't
know what Christ did,
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what His blood covers,
the sacrifice He made for us
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then we don't know to hold
on to it when we're struggling.
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And so what you said I think
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is one of the most
important things in recovery is
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I got to know what it says,
not what somebody tells me.
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It says open the
book, read it myself.
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And then I can
stand against anything
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that the devil's
gonna throw at me,
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anything that my
own addictive thinking
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and addictive head
is gonna throw at me,
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'cause I can go to the Word
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and just recite it
as I'm being changed.
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Yeah, that's what it's
about, is renew your mind
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and that's what I had to do
and so I was in the Word deep
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and I was ready to withstand
any temptation that come my way.
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So while I'm there in
Indiana I ended up getting out,
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I stayed about
another year and a half,
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so a total of about
22 years in institutions.
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I got out on parole.
I get out off parole.
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I did 2 years parole
and then while I'm on parole
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the miracle is I
ended up going to the jail
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and they allowed me to go
down there to do jail ministry
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and I was in my
own parole. No way.
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Because usually on
parole they don't let you.
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Right. Yeah, so
that's a miracle in itself.
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So I go down there.
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They knew, you know,
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the Lord let them know
that I was a changed man
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and that they knew that I
can give hope to the others
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there because
they knew how I was.
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And those same guys, you know,
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they're going through the same
things I was and there is hope.
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So they allowed me. And
you speak that language.
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I mean you speak their language.
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They know that
you're from the same place.
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And is that where you met Bryan?
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Yes, I knew Bryan from before
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when I was out in '89
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for the 5 1/2
months, I explained to him.
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I had met him then.
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Yeah, he was down in the jail
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when I started
doing jail ministry
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and I got to see him
down there and speak to him.
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And he was coming
to church services
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and that's where I
ran into Bryan again.
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So, Bryan, what's your story?
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My name is Bryan. I
had a good childhood.
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I mean both parents, you know,
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wealthy parents I
mean a great childhood.
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I started drinking
about 15 and got let into just
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drinking more and
more and more and then--
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'Cause when you
started it was just,
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I'm just gonna party. Right.
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Yeah, I didn't even do
any drugs to start off.
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I just drank. I hated drugs.
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And then I started
experimenting little bit
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with some drugs here and there,
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some weed and then I
got end up to weeding
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and doing coke
and stuff like that.
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And then I had
something happen in my life.
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My girlfriend died in a fire
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and it changed
my life, you know.
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I mean then I started
really getting into deep drugs
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and it just went
haywire, you know.
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I started shooting
drugs, you know, anything,
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I can get coke mostly on
it, just out of control with it.
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There's a point
in our addictions
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that sometimes
we're out there partying,
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we're out there using but
when we're trying to mask pain,
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we have to kick up the level
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of what we put in
our body way high.
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And so it sounds
like after her death,
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you just--it's like
I just need to escape.
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I'll just take
whatever. Right, right.
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It just kept
getting more and more,
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but you know how that goes.
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I mean you do a
little bit to kill the pain
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or kill the
thoughts of your mind.
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And then it has to
become more and more and more.
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Then I started going to prison.
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I got arrested and
jailed a few times.
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Then I went to
prison. I got out.
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Then my--I got my younger
brother into it, you know,
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and then he ends up
dying OD'ing in 2002.
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Then I'm in and out of prison,
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you know, 12 years old.
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Is there a point in your
life that you just thought,
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you know, if I
hadn't lead him in there,
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into this lifestyle
would he still be alive?
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Did you deal with
any of that stuff?
00:09:27.94\00:09:29.43
Up until the day I
understood what Jesus--
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how Jesus is, you know,
00:09:31.33\00:09:32.77
up until that
day, 4 years, 5 years,
00:09:32.80\00:09:35.49
6 years ago, you know,
00:09:35.52\00:09:37.01
up until then I
carried the guilt, you know.
00:09:37.04\00:09:39.37
I mean, you know
how the devil is.
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He weighs you
down with it. Right.
00:09:41.47\00:09:44.15
And I'm in and out of
prison, you know, in and out.
00:09:44.18\00:09:47.53
And then I get out
and I am sitting there
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and I decide to give up
with the shooting the drugs
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and the drinking but I'm
still eating a bunch of pills.
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Well, then I'm working 7
days a week and I get back in.
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Alas, I made a mistake
and I let somebody come over
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and I used to make a
lot of drugs, you know, meth
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and he wanted to make some
00:10:13.48\00:10:14.85
and I wanted to get
some of the product,
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the meth to trade
for pills, you know.
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And it all went haywire.
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And I ended up in jail
and I was sitting there
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and I'm facing 50
years, you know, and--
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Wow, 50 years. Yeah.
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You're gonna--you're thinking
you're gonna die in there.
00:10:30.52\00:10:33.18
Right, and the way
that I was, you know,
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I thought, man, this
can't go on like this.
00:10:36.78\00:10:41.44
So I decide--I was
raised in church as a 14 year--
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like 14 years in church
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so the seed was
in there, you know.
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Thank God, thank God
my parents did that for me
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because, you know,
when we go to do ministry
00:10:53.01\00:10:55.42
we're in together, you know,
00:10:55.45\00:10:57.36
people are like "are you
doing any good, you know?"
00:10:57.39\00:10:59.89
Nobody is--it's
not really any affects.
00:10:59.92\00:11:02.37
It's like--but it is
because we're planting seeds,
00:11:02.40\00:11:04.58
you know, and
those seeds will prosper
00:11:04.61\00:11:06.50
and they will
come forth someday.
00:11:06.53\00:11:07.93
You know the Bible
says that, you know.
00:11:07.96\00:11:10.93
And you knew that
because of your own life.
00:11:10.96\00:11:13.09
Because my life was like that
00:11:13.12\00:11:14.49
and Buddy's life
was like that, you know.
00:11:14.52\00:11:15.89
It was planted in there
and when we hit rock bottom
00:11:15.92\00:11:18.67
then the seed
came forth, you know.
00:11:18.70\00:11:21.02
We knew where to go.
We knew where to turn.
00:11:21.05\00:11:22.62
We turned to the Lord.
00:11:22.65\00:11:24.52
When you hit rock bottom
and you've been there you know
00:11:24.55\00:11:27.47
that there's nowhere to go.
00:11:27.50\00:11:30.91
You can't run anymore.
00:11:30.94\00:11:32.31
So you're sitting there
and decide--did you pray?
00:11:32.34\00:11:35.77
Did you just say,
"God, you know, I'm done?"
00:11:35.80\00:11:38.80
Yeah, I prayed to Him
and I thought, you know,
00:11:38.83\00:11:42.87
man, whatever--
'cause I had so much anger,
00:11:42.90\00:11:46.27
so much
hostility, so much animosity
00:11:46.30\00:11:48.97
built up inside of me, you know,
00:11:49.00\00:11:50.76
that I just wanted
something different, you know.
00:11:50.79\00:11:54.12
And I thought, you know what,
00:11:54.15\00:11:55.52
even if I don't
get out I don't care.
00:11:55.55\00:11:56.92
You know, I mean I
just want to be free.
00:11:56.95\00:11:59.25
I want to get
free on the inside.
00:11:59.28\00:12:00.87
And I just prayed, you
know, and I thought, man,
00:12:00.90\00:12:03.67
if I can just keep these
Ten Commandments in my life,
00:12:03.70\00:12:07.19
you know, 'cause I
didn't know anything
00:12:07.22\00:12:08.59
about a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ.
00:12:08.62\00:12:10.93
I just knew that--
00:12:10.96\00:12:12.33
He started with me
with the Ten Commandments.
00:12:12.36\00:12:14.21
He said pay attention to these.
00:12:14.24\00:12:15.61
These will set you free.
00:12:15.64\00:12:17.90
Don't lie, don't steal,
00:12:17.93\00:12:19.30
don't sleep
around, put Me first.
00:12:19.33\00:12:21.51
And it was like
all of a sudden--
00:12:21.54\00:12:22.91
I think that He starts with us
00:12:22.94\00:12:24.48
some times with
that kind of stuff,
00:12:24.51\00:12:26.97
'cause we don't
know about relationships.
00:12:27.00\00:12:28.77
Who taught you
about relationships?
00:12:28.80\00:12:30.48
You know anything about,
you know, I just thought,
00:12:30.51\00:12:32.46
man, if I could just--
00:12:32.49\00:12:33.86
if I just keep
these Ten Commandments,
00:12:33.89\00:12:35.32
you know, I'll never come back.
00:12:35.35\00:12:36.72
When I do get out some
day, I'll never come back.
00:12:36.75\00:12:39.66
And then as I started
reading the Bible, you know,
00:12:39.69\00:12:42.75
I found out that
it's not just a book.
00:12:42.78\00:12:45.09
If you look at it
like that it is a book
00:12:45.12\00:12:46.83
but if you've realized
that there's--it's a life.
00:12:46.86\00:12:49.05
You know what I mean?
00:12:49.08\00:12:50.45
If you realize that the
Jesus Christ is the Word--
00:12:50.48\00:12:52.94
The living Word of God. Amen.
00:12:52.97\00:12:54.86
Then you start to realize hey,
there's hope in here, you know.
00:12:54.89\00:12:59.43
There's more to
it than just a book.
00:12:59.46\00:13:01.31
It's actually
living Word, you know.
00:13:01.34\00:13:03.75
And we just
start-- I started praying,
00:13:03.78\00:13:07.48
reading and reading and then--
00:13:07.51\00:13:10.88
I love--I was
doing Proverbs one time.
00:13:10.91\00:13:13.87
And it said beware of
the person that wants to,
00:13:13.90\00:13:16.66
like wants to invite you
into their house to party
00:13:16.69\00:13:19.00
or to be loose or do whatever
and I'm thinking, you know,
00:13:19.03\00:13:23.34
I was surprised that how
many things in the Bible--
00:13:23.37\00:13:26.61
beware of the person
that winks their eye at you.
00:13:26.64\00:13:28.31
Don't go over here,
there's somebody that's actually
00:13:28.34\00:13:31.15
hustling or planning evil.
00:13:31.18\00:13:32.55
But there is a lot of
stuff that was in there
00:13:32.58\00:13:34.04
that I didn't know as an addict
00:13:34.07\00:13:37.16
that I thought how
cool was that, you know.
00:13:37.19\00:13:39.15
So even Old, New Testament
00:13:39.18\00:13:40.75
you will find things in
there to live your life by.
00:13:40.78\00:13:43.93
So you literally turn it
over, start changing in jail.
00:13:43.96\00:13:49.20
You come in and
you're meeting with him.
00:13:49.23\00:13:52.60
Did you meet with him
while he was still in jail?
00:13:52.63\00:13:54.86
Yes, I was going
with the chaplain there
00:13:54.89\00:13:58.24
doing jail
services with him at first
00:13:58.27\00:14:00.55
and then I ended up getting
my own services after that,
00:14:00.58\00:14:04.19
but yeah, I was
there seeing him.
00:14:04.22\00:14:05.78
He was coming to
the church services.
00:14:05.81\00:14:07.68
So, you know, I'm gonna guess
that you didn't get 50 years.
00:14:07.71\00:14:12.14
No, I didn't. You're here.
00:14:12.17\00:14:13.87
Do you know what that means?
00:14:13.90\00:14:15.40
That's another
part of the testimony
00:14:15.43\00:14:17.85
that how good God
is, really is, you know,
00:14:17.88\00:14:20.45
because when I go
to court the first day
00:14:20.48\00:14:22.26
and it's called an arraignment.
00:14:22.29\00:14:23.66
They're reading off my
charges and the prosecutor says
00:14:23.69\00:14:26.34
up to 20 years
this charge carries.
00:14:26.37\00:14:28.19
The judge says. "I'm
gonna give you 50 years."
00:14:28.22\00:14:30.96
Oh, no, he said,
and the judge said,
00:14:30.99\00:14:32.61
"The only plea I'll
accept from you Mr. Myers
00:14:32.64\00:14:35.04
is if you plead to 20 years,
00:14:35.07\00:14:36.59
I'll take no
other plea bargains."
00:14:36.62\00:14:38.16
And the prosecutor is like,
00:14:38.19\00:14:39.58
"No I won't file. I
bet you. I'll give you 50."
00:14:39.61\00:14:42.88
So I'm like okay, you know.
00:14:42.91\00:14:45.44
Because they
know-- they know you.
00:14:45.47\00:14:47.19
They know your
history, they know your record.
00:14:47.22\00:14:49.43
It's not this is not the
first time you've been in court.
00:14:49.46\00:14:52.63
There had been one
and it was for meth.
00:14:52.66\00:14:54.73
So I mean and they've
been wanting to give me
00:14:54.76\00:14:56.26
for a lot of years for
they just couldn't, you know.
00:14:56.29\00:14:58.68
And so when they got me
there were--it was gonna be over
00:14:58.71\00:15:02.06
and I fought it for like
a year, almost two years.
00:15:02.09\00:15:06.06
But see how good God
is that He works it out,
00:15:06.09\00:15:08.82
that the same
prosecutor and the same judge,
00:15:08.85\00:15:11.47
almost 2 years later the Lord
touches the prosecutor's heart
00:15:11.50\00:15:16.49
and he just hands me
5 1/2 year plea bargain.
00:15:16.52\00:15:20.61
Because he knows the
changes that happened.
00:15:20.64\00:15:22.07
He can see them.
00:15:22.10\00:15:24.03
And it's amazing to me,
'cause I've worked with people
00:15:24.06\00:15:26.21
in the court systems
since I've been in recovery
00:15:26.24\00:15:28.44
and they said,
sometimes when somebody
00:15:28.47\00:15:30.13
surrenders to God
and that change happens
00:15:30.16\00:15:32.62
you could see it
in every, every cell.
00:15:32.65\00:15:35.47
You could just see
it. You know it's real.
00:15:35.50\00:15:37.66
And they know
that you were changed.
00:15:37.69\00:15:39.63
Yeah.
00:15:39.66\00:15:41.76
Well, mostly the
Lord, you know, I just--
00:15:41.79\00:15:44.00
I think He
touches, softened his heart,
00:15:44.03\00:15:46.66
you know, because He
hadn't seen the change yet.
00:15:46.69\00:15:49.32
I mean and he thought
I was just saying that,
00:15:49.35\00:15:51.53
you know, that I
had changed my life.
00:15:51.56\00:15:53.43
And I go on to
prison and I get out--
00:15:53.46\00:15:58.81
well, when I'm in prison
00:15:58.84\00:16:00.21
and I'm getting ready to
get out I meet this guy, Jay.
00:16:00.24\00:16:02.69
He's a pastor in West Fulham.
00:16:02.72\00:16:04.14
He was like "What do you
want to do when you get out?"
00:16:04.17\00:16:06.76
I said "I'll tell
you what I'm gonna do.
00:16:06.79\00:16:08.16
I'm gonna go
back down in the jail
00:16:08.19\00:16:09.56
and I'm gonna be
part of the ministry."
00:16:09.59\00:16:10.96
He's like "Well, that's awesome.
00:16:10.99\00:16:12.36
I hope you can, you
know, but, you know,
00:16:12.39\00:16:14.32
you have to wait 2
years before you can go back
00:16:14.35\00:16:16.83
into an
institution after release."
00:16:16.86\00:16:18.84
And I said, "No,
00:16:18.87\00:16:20.24
the Lord really put on my
heart that's what I'm gonna do."
00:16:20.27\00:16:22.34
He's like "All
right, all right."
00:16:22.37\00:16:24.28
I think that
God has a plan. Yes.
00:16:24.31\00:16:26.75
And it's weird
when you feel that,
00:16:26.78\00:16:28.72
from your bottom of your
heart you think, you know,
00:16:28.75\00:16:30.39
I know that that's the
way it's supposed to be,
00:16:30.42\00:16:31.96
but I believe that God is
gonna call me to stand here.
00:16:31.99\00:16:35.59
That's what I said.
00:16:35.62\00:16:36.99
I said I believe
00:16:37.02\00:16:38.39
the Lord's
gonna open up the door
00:16:38.42\00:16:39.79
because that's
what He's telling me.
00:16:39.82\00:16:41.19
And a week after I am out
I'm going back down to the jail.
00:16:41.22\00:16:44.27
And how did that happen
because that's unheard of?
00:16:44.30\00:16:46.47
It really is unheard of,
00:16:46.50\00:16:48.01
because they don't
want you sneaking drugs in.
00:16:48.04\00:16:49.88
They don't want you
playing all that kind of stuff.
00:16:49.91\00:16:51.92
They know that
that's really common.
00:16:51.95\00:16:53.36
So they really
have those timelines
00:16:53.39\00:16:55.71
to avoid people
doing that kind of hustle.
00:16:55.74\00:16:58.33
And yet they said, "Go ahead,"
00:16:58.36\00:17:01.55
because they bought the
fact that you have changed.
00:17:01.58\00:17:04.59
Yeah.
00:17:04.62\00:17:05.99
The jail commander,
you know, and the chaplain,
00:17:06.02\00:17:10.18
they're like man,
this guy has changed.
00:17:10.21\00:17:13.96
So in the--we have
like 5 minutes left.
00:17:13.99\00:17:17.61
So and I would
love to just stay on
00:17:17.64\00:17:19.59
everybody's story
because I-- my favorite thing,
00:17:19.62\00:17:22.39
most favorite
thing is God's grace.
00:17:22.42\00:17:24.60
The fact that He looks
at us, we are guilty as sin.
00:17:24.63\00:17:28.54
We deserve all
of the punishments
00:17:28.57\00:17:30.23
that come our way.
00:17:30.26\00:17:31.63
We should not be
welcome back into the society
00:17:31.66\00:17:33.99
and God says, "I want you
to leave all of that behind.
00:17:34.02\00:17:36.57
I want to cover
everything that you've done
00:17:36.60\00:17:38.52
with the blood of
Christ and I want to show you
00:17:38.55\00:17:41.20
who I created
you to be originally
00:17:41.23\00:17:42.89
and you are going to stand
00:17:42.92\00:17:44.52
in the presence of a
holy God full of joy."
00:17:44.55\00:17:47.50
And I just think
how does he do that.
00:17:47.53\00:17:49.49
I would love to stay on that
00:17:49.52\00:17:50.89
but I want to
cover your ministry,
00:17:50.92\00:17:52.39
Buddy, and even
your shirt that you wore,
00:17:52.42\00:17:55.14
"I seek the
Most High," you know,
00:17:55.17\00:17:57.85
instead of "I seek to get high."
00:17:57.88\00:17:59.95
You know I love that
and you designed that
00:17:59.98\00:18:03.04
because that's
your heart right now.
00:18:03.07\00:18:04.92
Yes. So what is your ministry?
00:18:04.95\00:18:06.99
How did you form it?
Tell us a little bit about it.
00:18:08.94\00:18:12.34
Educate us on what
you're doing. All right.
00:18:12.37\00:18:14.87
I started--I was with
chaplain for about a year.
00:18:14.90\00:18:19.13
Then I asked him could I
do my own and they said yes.
00:18:19.16\00:18:22.82
So I just
started going every week
00:18:22.85\00:18:24.84
down to the jail on
Sunday to do services
00:18:24.87\00:18:28.80
and then there in a week's time
00:18:28.83\00:18:30.20
I get to go and
talk to the guys,
00:18:30.23\00:18:31.94
call him out and get
with them personally.
00:18:31.97\00:18:34.71
And then Bryan, he
started coming with me,
00:18:34.74\00:18:39.67
probably about
3, 3 1/2 years ago.
00:18:39.70\00:18:42.71
Did you think they were gonna
okay him when he just got out?
00:18:42.74\00:18:46.33
Well, here's
another miracle, I mean,
00:18:46.37\00:18:48.24
because I was
thinking, you know,
00:18:48.27\00:18:50.31
you always think, ain't no way.
00:18:50.34\00:18:51.85
That's against the
rules, that's against--but,
00:18:51.88\00:18:53.93
you know, God worked it out.
00:18:53.96\00:18:55.33
He knew it's for real
00:18:55.36\00:18:56.73
and He knew that he
could be a help there
00:18:56.76\00:18:58.17
and me and Bryan's
good teammates together.
00:18:58.20\00:19:00.86
We can relate to a lot of guys
00:19:00.89\00:19:03.49
and the Lord's
really used us down there.
00:19:03.52\00:19:05.25
He turned our
misery into our ministry.
00:19:05.28\00:19:08.77
That's the way I look at it.
00:19:08.80\00:19:10.17
All of our past, so no
matter what we've done,
00:19:10.20\00:19:12.59
you know, God
can turn that around
00:19:12.62\00:19:14.05
and make good out of it
00:19:14.08\00:19:15.45
and that's what
He's doing in our life,
00:19:15.48\00:19:16.85
'cause we can reach those.
00:19:16.88\00:19:18.25
And for people that are watching
00:19:18.28\00:19:19.65
you have had times of remorse.
00:19:19.68\00:19:22.23
So I mean if you
could have changed that
00:19:22.26\00:19:23.63
you would change all that.
00:19:23.66\00:19:25.03
So it's not that you're
saying it's no big deal.
00:19:25.06\00:19:27.34
God is just saying, "I
have carried it for you.
00:19:27.37\00:19:30.25
I died to take
that weight for you."
00:19:30.28\00:19:32.66
And it's not fair, it's not--
00:19:32.69\00:19:34.86
you know I don't
understand it myself
00:19:34.89\00:19:36.61
but He said it's not
that that stuff didn't matter.
00:19:36.64\00:19:39.38
But the penalty went to Christ
00:19:39.41\00:19:42.28
and you were given the
righteousness of Christ.
00:19:42.31\00:19:44.92
And He said, stand
in that righteousness
00:19:44.95\00:19:47.27
regardless of what anyone says,
00:19:47.30\00:19:48.70
regardless of what
the devil himself says.
00:19:48.73\00:19:50.66
I need you to stand. And
that's powerful, powerful.
00:19:50.69\00:19:54.29
Now you're going and taking
that message into someone else.
00:19:54.32\00:19:57.84
You are--
you're even non-profit,
00:19:57.87\00:20:00.96
I mean all of that kind of stuff
00:20:00.99\00:20:02.36
or you-- did you do all that?
00:20:02.39\00:20:04.55
No, we just--it's
just that we go down there
00:20:04.58\00:20:07.22
and do church
volunteer, you know.
00:20:07.25\00:20:09.41
We go and then I ran into Lemuel
and he's really blessed us.
00:20:09.44\00:20:14.54
The Lord has used him
and us to get together.
00:20:14.57\00:20:17.81
He's let us come and
go with him to prison
00:20:17.84\00:20:20.70
and we're possibly going to
be going to some other prisons.
00:20:20.73\00:20:25.29
And it's just a blessing to be
able to go back where you were
00:20:25.32\00:20:28.39
and to go in and say
"Hey, you can make it, too.
00:20:28.42\00:20:31.29
If I can do it,
if Bryan can do it,
00:20:31.32\00:20:32.82
you can do it." Exactly.
00:20:32.85\00:20:34.48
When you go in, Bryan,
and you look at somebody,
00:20:34.51\00:20:38.68
how do you convince
them that you know them?
00:20:38.71\00:20:41.59
Well, I mean because
the language that you talk,
00:20:41.62\00:20:44.14
you know, that I talk
and Buddy talks and he talks,
00:20:44.17\00:20:47.39
you know, it's
different, you know.
00:20:47.42\00:20:49.03
And so they can
feel what we're saying
00:20:49.06\00:20:51.98
and they know we can
feel what they're saying.
00:20:52.01\00:20:54.01
So when we tell them, you know,
00:20:54.04\00:20:55.41
there is hope,
man, we were there.
00:20:55.44\00:20:56.81
You know I was once
in that hole, you know.
00:20:56.84\00:20:58.60
Someone showed
me how to get out.
00:20:58.63\00:21:00.12
And I now feel joy.
00:21:00.15\00:21:02.16
And now I'm full of peace
00:21:02.19\00:21:03.56
instead of hate,
animosity, anger.
00:21:03.59\00:21:05.99
Now it's peace and
nothing beats that, you know.
00:21:06.02\00:21:08.67
There's nothing you can
own everything in the world
00:21:08.70\00:21:11.03
but if you don't have
peace it's meaningless.
00:21:11.06\00:21:13.67
You know to me because
I've done prison ministries too
00:21:13.70\00:21:17.01
and being able to look at you
00:21:17.04\00:21:19.18
and say good on
you for doing that.
00:21:19.21\00:21:22.29
God bless you for doing that.
00:21:22.32\00:21:23.96
You know 'cause there are
people from their very birth
00:21:23.99\00:21:27.53
that have struggled
with all kinds of things,
00:21:27.56\00:21:30.07
struggled with all
kinds of dysfunctions at home.
00:21:30.10\00:21:33.36
And, Buddy, you
were talking about
00:21:33.39\00:21:34.76
my dad's in and out
of prison, escaping,
00:21:34.79\00:21:37.25
all of that kind of stuff
00:21:37.28\00:21:38.65
and we were set up
almost, some of us from birth,
00:21:38.68\00:21:42.18
to live out the very
lives that we lived out.
00:21:42.21\00:21:44.76
And yet somebody is
saying right in front of you
00:21:44.79\00:21:48.64
that you don't have
to. You don't have to.
00:21:48.67\00:21:51.31
There is a escape hatch.
00:21:51.34\00:21:53.25
There is a God that cares
00:21:53.28\00:21:54.65
and literally can
restore you to sanity
00:21:54.68\00:21:56.41
and you're saying
you got to trust that.
00:21:56.44\00:21:58.97
And it sounds like you wouldn't
do anything else right now.
00:21:59.00\00:22:04.66
Right. I feel content.
00:22:04.69\00:22:06.57
God's got a plan
and I want to follow it,
00:22:06.60\00:22:08.32
'cause I've been off track
and I want to get back on track
00:22:08.35\00:22:11.53
and do His will and
have fun doing it, you know.
00:22:11.56\00:22:15.83
Live a life and
be excited about it.
00:22:15.86\00:22:18.38
That's what it's about.
00:22:18.41\00:22:19.78
I want to say
thank you for coming on.
00:22:19.81\00:22:22.70
Is there anything if I ask
you to just look at the camera
00:22:22.73\00:22:25.95
and say something
to somebody watching,
00:22:25.98\00:22:27.70
'cause they show
this program in prison,
00:22:27.73\00:22:29.39
what would you say to them?
00:22:29.42\00:22:31.09
I would say, no
matter what you've done,
00:22:31.12\00:22:34.25
no matter what
you've got yourself into,
00:22:34.28\00:22:36.55
there is hope, no
matter where you're at today.
00:22:36.58\00:22:39.37
Man, I tell you, I've been there
00:22:39.40\00:22:41.46
and the Lord Jesus Christ
can help you through anything.
00:22:41.49\00:22:44.70
Yeah, you may not be able to
get up out of where you're at
00:22:44.73\00:22:47.96
but spiritually you can.
00:22:47.99\00:22:50.02
You can still have
joy in a Supermax prison.
00:22:50.05\00:22:52.94
No matter where you're at,
no matter what you've done,
00:22:52.97\00:22:55.29
the Lord Jesus
Christ, He will forgive you
00:22:55.32\00:22:57.56
and you will have joy and
peace and you can make it.
00:22:57.59\00:23:00.46
No matter what, the Lord
Jesus Christ is the only way,
00:23:00.49\00:23:03.91
the only escape that I've found.
00:23:03.94\00:23:05.71
And I tell you I will
not regret it for nothing.
00:23:05.74\00:23:08.86
I wish I'd started
sooner, but I tell you, man,
00:23:08.89\00:23:12.33
that is the way. God is good.
00:23:12.36\00:23:14.74
And how long have you been out?
00:23:14.77\00:23:16.65
I've been out 6-- a
little over 6 years,
00:23:16.68\00:23:19.46
almost 6 1/2 years.
00:23:19.49\00:23:20.94
That's different
than 5 months. Yes.
00:23:20.97\00:23:23.21
This is the word
record here. Yeah, amazing.
00:23:23.24\00:23:25.75
We're gonna take a break
and we're gonna come back
00:23:25.78\00:23:27.62
and I'm gonna show you
a program that we wrote
00:23:27.65\00:23:29.86
for this very person
coming in the building
00:23:29.89\00:23:32.53
that needs to know everything.
00:23:32.56\00:23:34.27
Stay with us.
00:23:34.30\00:23:35.67