The following program
discusses sensitive issues.
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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 to the New Journey
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where you'll
meet real life people
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with real life testimonies
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and real life
working ministries for Jesus.
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I'm your host Aaron Chancy.
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Come join us on The New Journey.
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Welcome to the New Journey.
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We have with us
today, Pastor Ricky Wade.
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Pastor Ricky Wade has
been on the program before
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but we're bringing him back
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because he's going to talk to us
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about something very
important in a Christian walk.
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Part one, we're going to talk
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about his recap
of his testimony,
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part two, we're going to
talk about his transformation
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and part three of this program
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we're going to talk
about getting involved.
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So let's jump right in it.
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Pastor Wade, we
welcome you on to the program.
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Thank you, it's a
pleasure to be here.
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All right, all right. So
let's jump right into it.
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Let's do a recap
of your testimony.
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Tell us what you
used to get involved in?
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How you changed your
life, things like that?
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Just prior to
graduating from high school,
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I had already made
plans to join the military.
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So I spent four
years in the Navy
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and when you're in the
military a lot of times,
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and I'm going back, this
was back in 1987 to 1991.
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A lot of our spare or
free time was spent drinking.
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Okay.
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So a lot of alcohol involved
on a consistent regular basis.
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Well, if you continued to
do behaviors over and over,
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they will
eventually turn into a habit.
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So after just a four
year stint in the military,
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I had become
accustomed to drinking alcohol
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on regular basis.
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Okay, okay.
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Whenever I got out
went to college began...
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Well, dove back into
a life of smoking pot
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and we had tried
other drugs as well,
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but I didn't use
them on a regular
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and frequent basis.
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Crystal meth was
something that really kind of
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caught on the West Coast
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and then it trickled
to some of the small towns
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all the way over
here on the East Coast.
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Okay.
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I tried crystal,
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I didn't
particularly cared for it.
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Had hallucinated a
couple of times on LSD.
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Never did try
coke, so that's basically
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what I had been involved in.
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But marijuana was just the drug
of choice, that and alcohol.
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Okay.
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So, before long though
if you continue to mess
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with the devil, he'll
begin to mess with you too.
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That's true, that's true.
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So what did all of this lead to?
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And also for those who
may not have seen the program
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you were on before, tell
us where you're from as well?
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I'm from
Portland, Tennessee. Okay.
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Which is where
Kentucky, Tennessee
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has their camp meeting,
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a little place
called Highland Academy
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is where they
have their campground.
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So I grew up in that area.
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Me and my wife Christy,
we both, our whole lives
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we lived basically in Portland.
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Okay.
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So did you grow up
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in the
Seventh-day Adventist Church?
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I did. Okay.
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But by the time I
was 15, 16 years old,
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there had been some changes.
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I wasn't going to the private
Adventist school anymore.
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I had transferred
over to public school
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and this is really
a good, a good reason
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to plug Adventist education.
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We need to stay within
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our Adventist educational system
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because there's
a lot of benefits,
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you know, you don't
realize that you're doing
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some of the compromises
that you might be doing
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until you're already in it
and then you're used to it,
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you're accustomed
to it, it's a habit
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and you don't even
think twice about it.
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Yeah, that's true.
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So, I'm very much in
support of Adventist education,
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but I also think that
which is a different story,
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I think that we
should include others.
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I think that it should
be more of a ministry tool
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instead of kind
of an inclusive tool
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just for Adventist kids.
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Okay.
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So you were involved
with the drug, the LSD,
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the marijuana things like
that and eventually you ended up
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catching a charge.
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Talk to us about the charge?
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I arranged for some
friends to break into my house
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while we were going on vacation.
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Hold on, hold on.
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You said you
arranged for some friends
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to break into your house.
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Tell us why you arranged that?
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The whole intent was
just to collect an insurance,
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you know, turn in a claim
and then just collect bucks
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and just a few things
be missing in all actuality
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but, you know,
you claim everything
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that you can think of.
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Okay.
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The young guy that I
had asked to do this,
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he got caught.
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He pinched me.
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So he wore a mic, he recorded
some of our conversations
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after the fact and...
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Okay.
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As a result I
caught a class C felony.
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And the big thing
about felonies though is that
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should you ever end
up in that situation,
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pray that you don't.
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Pray that you follow
the path of righteous.
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But if you stray and you
end up in that situation,
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make sure that you're
going to get everything
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on the front end
because expungement
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really does not happen
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if you try to get
it on the tail end.
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Okay, okay.
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Now you said you
got a class C felony.
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Can you explain
what a class C felony is
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and what was the
results of that class C felony?
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A, B, C, D, and E
felonies are the range of them.
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You can get a class E
felony in some states for,
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on a motorcycle for
popping a wheely in traffic.
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Okay.
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So a class A felony
is premeditated murder.
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So class C is just
kind of middle range
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and the reason that
I got a middle felony
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is because of
the amount of money
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based on what I was
claiming was stolen.
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Based on that amount
that's how you get tagged
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with one or the other.
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Okay, so out of
that, did you come out
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with probation, parole,
did you have to do any time,
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how did that work out?
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I came out with probation.
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Parole is if
you've already gone in
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and you're actually serving time
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in the penitentiary
and then you come out,
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that's parole.
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So I just got probation.
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I got a million
hours of community service
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where they want you
to go do silly things,
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just character building things.
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Okay, okay.
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Now you eventually got part
of your record taken care of.
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Talk about that? Sure.
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In 2014, I was able to
file a petition to the court
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and I got my rights reinstated.
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So if you catch a felony charge,
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you no longer have the rights
of a normal American citizen.
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You can't work at
any government job,
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you can't hold public
office, you can't vote,
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you can't be caught
with guns or weapons.
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So when I got those reinstated,
I got all of my rights.
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So this is the first time
that I've been able to vote
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since Ross Perot ran.
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Oh, wow. Okay.
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So what's the difference between
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getting your rights reinstated
versus getting them expunged?
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Expunged is there's
absolutely no record.
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I still have a
record, so when I went to get
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my voter
registration card this time,
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I had to present
some of the court papers
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to let them know that
my rights were reinstated
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and I did have the
right to vote again.
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Okay.
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Now, through the drugs,
through the class E felony
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that you received,
the class C felony,
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I'm sorry, that you received,
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what was the point in
your life that made you decide,
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you know what, I
need to make a change.
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I had already made the changes
is the unfortunate thing,
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but I was straddled the fence.
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I was kind of a
lukewarm Christian,
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there's no kind of to it,
I was a lukewarm Christian.
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To the surface appearance,
to everyone that saw me
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I was this
Christian that looked like
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I was full of zeal, you
know, I was a true Pharisee.
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I was thumping
the law and was trying
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to correct everybody else
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while outside of
the public picture
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I was still doing
what I wanted to do.
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Okay, okay.
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Now, you eventually changed
your life, you're pastoring
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in the
Seventh-day Adventist church,
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you have a
three church district.
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Let's transition over to
the transformation process.
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Talk about that?
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Transformation is where
you take it to the next level.
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Okay.
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When you're baptized,
you're supposed to come up
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out of the water a new
man or a new woman, right?
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Yeah, correct.
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And so this new
man and this new woman
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has allowed Christ to
come into their heart.
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Okay.
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You're now
connected to the vine.
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But the death of the
old man means that I'm...
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If I have temptations,
I'm not going to chase them
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because I have faith
and a new power in my life.
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I'm no longer
controlled by the devil.
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So even if I
stumble and fall and I sin,
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I'm going to ask
God first to forgive me
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but then to give me the power
to overcome it from then on.
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Okay, okay.
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Now do you think with
the transformation process,
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do you think a lot of
people in their Christian walk
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struggle with
really understanding it?
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I do.
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And I think that just based
on maybe people's prayer life,
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you can see this.
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When we pray, the Bible
says that if I believe it
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and it's
according to God's will,
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so anything that
would bring Him glory
00:09:34.20\00:09:37.17
that He's going to answer.
00:09:37.21\00:09:38.54
Okay.
00:09:38.57\00:09:39.91
But we don't see a
lot of people laying hands
00:09:39.94\00:09:42.84
on someone that sick
and they become well,
00:09:42.88\00:09:46.85
we don't see
those types of miracles.
00:09:46.88\00:09:48.45
We occasionally hear stories
of people speaking in tongues
00:09:48.48\00:09:52.32
where they
overcome a language barrier,
00:09:52.35\00:09:54.42
but for the most
part we don't see
00:09:54.46\00:09:56.86
tons of answered prayer.
00:09:56.89\00:09:58.26
And I think that if our faith,
our confidence in God's Word,
00:09:58.29\00:10:03.87
if our faith was
stronger, then I think
00:10:03.90\00:10:07.27
that we would see
a lot more change.
00:10:07.30\00:10:10.84
Okay, okay.
00:10:10.87\00:10:12.21
You know, you and
I can both fake love,
00:10:12.24\00:10:15.31
peace and kindness
and long suffering,
00:10:15.34\00:10:19.11
but do we do these
things because we love Jesus
00:10:19.15\00:10:22.25
or are we doing them
because somewhere it's bringing
00:10:22.28\00:10:25.35
self gratification to me?
00:10:25.39\00:10:26.72
Yeah, that's true, that's true.
00:10:26.76\00:10:28.09
Now talk about the
transformation process
00:10:28.12\00:10:29.52
in your own life
and how it can relate
00:10:29.56\00:10:31.66
to another person's
life who has been involved
00:10:31.69\00:10:34.83
in a life of crime, a
life of drugs and things,
00:10:34.86\00:10:37.33
and now wants to
make that change,
00:10:37.37\00:10:39.00
"Look, I'm fed up with it.
00:10:39.03\00:10:40.37
I'm tired of
chasing these drugs,
00:10:40.40\00:10:43.14
I'm tired of chasing fast money,
00:10:43.17\00:10:44.51
I'm tired of chasing women,
00:10:44.54\00:10:45.87
I'm tired of
being incarcerated."
00:10:45.91\00:10:47.31
Talk about the
transformation process
00:10:47.34\00:10:48.98
for that individual
going from that lifestyle
00:10:49.01\00:10:52.01
now into the church?
00:10:52.05\00:10:53.45
Yeah, I believe that for someone
00:10:53.48\00:10:55.08
that has been involved
in that whole cycle of life
00:10:55.12\00:10:58.82
that you first
need to find a church
00:10:58.85\00:11:00.79
that wants to invest in you.
00:11:00.82\00:11:02.86
Many churches have
jail and prison ministries
00:11:02.89\00:11:05.86
and they love felons as
long as they're locked up.
00:11:05.89\00:11:10.43
But you need a church
that is going to invest in you
00:11:10.47\00:11:13.77
when you get out
because if not it's very likely
00:11:13.80\00:11:17.41
that you'll go back
into that same group
00:11:17.44\00:11:19.47
and some of your old
habits will resurface,
00:11:19.51\00:11:22.38
you'll just embrace them,
00:11:22.41\00:11:23.75
that's just
comes natural to you.
00:11:23.78\00:11:25.98
So, you know, you
want to find a church
00:11:26.01\00:11:28.42
that has a
faithful group that studies
00:11:28.45\00:11:31.62
that can offer you activities
that would help you transition
00:11:31.65\00:11:36.89
into a new way of life.
00:11:36.93\00:11:38.59
So come Friday night,
well, that's a big active night
00:11:38.63\00:11:42.30
for people that
aren't Christians.
00:11:42.33\00:11:44.20
Yeah, in the club
scene, things like that.
00:11:44.23\00:11:45.57
So we need to find a
group that we can do something
00:11:45.60\00:11:48.87
with on Friday night
and church needs to be
00:11:48.90\00:11:51.37
meaningful whenever I get there.
00:11:51.41\00:11:53.04
Yeah.
00:11:53.07\00:11:54.41
I don't want to go to sleep,
I can sleep at home in my bed.
00:11:54.44\00:11:58.08
So church needs
to be meaningful,
00:11:58.11\00:11:59.95
it needs to have fellowship,
it needs to have warmth,
00:11:59.98\00:12:03.22
and sometimes
we don't have that.
00:12:03.25\00:12:04.59
I think that it's easy
enough to transition a church
00:12:04.62\00:12:08.22
into that but...
00:12:08.26\00:12:09.59
Okay, okay.
00:12:09.62\00:12:11.93
My biggest thing was just
giving my life over to Christ.
00:12:11.96\00:12:15.56
"Christ, whatever
you say I'm going to do."
00:12:15.60\00:12:18.73
Okay.
00:12:18.77\00:12:20.10
Now let me ask you
something with that
00:12:20.14\00:12:21.47
because I have a lot of
parents who come to me and say,
00:12:21.50\00:12:24.47
"You know what,
can you talk to my son,
00:12:24.51\00:12:25.87
can you talk to my daughter?
00:12:25.91\00:12:27.24
He, she was involved in
things that you're involved,
00:12:27.28\00:12:29.01
that you used
to be involved in."
00:12:29.04\00:12:31.91
And what parents it
seems want to know sometimes
00:12:31.95\00:12:34.78
is what made you want to change,
00:12:34.82\00:12:37.49
I'm speaking of
myself and what do I think
00:12:37.52\00:12:39.82
can help that child
to want to make a change.
00:12:39.85\00:12:42.72
So do you think that a
person has to hit rock bottom
00:12:42.76\00:12:45.69
or what do you think
that person has to come
00:12:45.73\00:12:48.70
to the point of to
say, "You know what?
00:12:48.73\00:12:50.70
It's time that I
make a change in my life.
00:12:50.73\00:12:52.27
I need to make that
transition from the streets,
00:12:52.30\00:12:55.20
from this type of lifestyle
00:12:55.24\00:12:56.77
over to this type
of lifestyle now."
00:12:56.81\00:12:58.91
Yeah, and I believe
that a parent can want it
00:12:58.94\00:13:02.24
for their child for all day long
00:13:02.28\00:13:04.91
but until that
individual wants it.
00:13:04.95\00:13:07.02
There's not going
to be a lot of change.
00:13:07.05\00:13:08.92
I may change in
your presence again
00:13:08.95\00:13:12.05
but I'll be straddled the fence
00:13:12.09\00:13:13.62
and I'll have my one foot
much deeper in that lifestyle
00:13:13.66\00:13:18.69
than what I may even
want you to know, you know,
00:13:18.73\00:13:21.33
at some point
you may get to the...
00:13:21.36\00:13:23.26
You may get to
an area in your life
00:13:23.30\00:13:25.10
where you don't
care whether people know
00:13:25.13\00:13:26.70
that this is, this
is just me, accept it.
00:13:26.74\00:13:28.60
Exactly.
00:13:28.64\00:13:29.97
But when somebody
begins to want it,
00:13:30.01\00:13:31.84
that's when you need some
of these backup support groups,
00:13:31.87\00:13:34.48
they need to come in.
00:13:34.51\00:13:35.84
And I had one
individual start sharing
00:13:35.88\00:13:38.01
some information with me,
shared an amazing facts tract
00:13:38.05\00:13:40.75
and then I began doing
Bible studies on Friday night.
00:13:40.78\00:13:44.25
I had two or three people,
they would come to my house.
00:13:44.29\00:13:47.06
And so three
people were studying
00:13:47.09\00:13:49.32
just with one individual,
00:13:49.36\00:13:50.69
but that's the
kind of investment
00:13:50.73\00:13:52.59
that we need
church members to do.
00:13:52.63\00:13:55.13
It's not the pastor's job.
00:13:55.16\00:13:56.50
The pastor's job is to
train you how to do it.
00:13:56.53\00:13:58.50
But then, you know, we
need our members to get involved
00:13:58.53\00:14:02.14
and that's easy
enough, you can find people.
00:14:02.17\00:14:03.91
And we're going to talk about
getting involved in a second.
00:14:03.94\00:14:06.41
And you know, one of
the things that you said
00:14:06.44\00:14:08.04
that was interesting just
now is that the individual
00:14:08.08\00:14:10.85
has to want to do
it for themselves,
00:14:10.88\00:14:12.28
they have to want to
make the change for themselves
00:14:12.31\00:14:14.52
because looking at my own life,
you know, I didn't want it,
00:14:14.55\00:14:18.05
I didn't want to
change enough for myself.
00:14:18.09\00:14:19.52
Yeah, a lot of people wanted me
to change but I didn't want to.
00:14:19.55\00:14:22.39
I still love the fast
money, I love the drugs,
00:14:22.42\00:14:24.79
I just love the...
00:14:24.83\00:14:26.16
I don't know why you love
it because it's a lot of misery
00:14:26.19\00:14:27.63
most of the time, I spent
a lot of time incarcerated
00:14:27.66\00:14:30.40
but I love it and
it wasn't until for me
00:14:30.43\00:14:33.37
I hit rock
bottom at 25 years old
00:14:33.40\00:14:35.60
where I said, "You know what?
00:14:35.64\00:14:36.97
It's time to make a change.
00:14:37.01\00:14:38.34
I'm fed up with
this and I'm ready to...
00:14:38.37\00:14:40.48
I'm ready to get out of
this circle of foolishness."
00:14:40.51\00:14:42.84
So I agree with that.
00:14:42.88\00:14:44.21
And now what I
want to talk about,
00:14:44.25\00:14:45.58
okay, so the
person has been out there,
00:14:45.61\00:14:47.45
they've made that
transfer into the church,
00:14:47.48\00:14:49.88
the transformation
process and now we want to talk
00:14:49.92\00:14:52.35
about getting involved.
00:14:52.39\00:14:53.76
How do we get a person involved
00:14:53.79\00:14:56.02
and why should
they get involved?
00:14:56.06\00:14:57.43
Sure.
00:14:57.46\00:14:58.79
And I think the
easiest way to get individuals
00:14:58.83\00:15:00.96
in a church involved is
simply to find something
00:15:01.00\00:15:03.83
that they like to do.
00:15:03.87\00:15:05.20
Okay.
00:15:05.23\00:15:06.57
I love to give Bible studies,
00:15:06.60\00:15:08.07
I had gone to Arise
and David Asscherick
00:15:08.10\00:15:11.31
and his team had showed
me how to do Bible studies.
00:15:11.34\00:15:14.31
Okay. So I love to do that.
00:15:14.34\00:15:16.44
And a friend was like,
"Would you like to get involved
00:15:16.48\00:15:19.71
in jail and prison ministry?"
00:15:19.75\00:15:21.88
And I really thought,
"No, that's not for me,
00:15:21.92\00:15:24.59
you know, I may have the felony
but I'm just a cut above that."
00:15:24.62\00:15:29.52
Yeah. Wow.
00:15:29.56\00:15:30.89
And through jail
and prison ministry,
00:15:30.93\00:15:33.66
I came to a realization
00:15:33.70\00:15:35.36
of what
transformation needed to be.
00:15:35.40\00:15:37.07
Okay.
00:15:37.10\00:15:38.43
It can't be something
that I'm just involved
00:15:38.47\00:15:40.50
in during church.
00:15:40.54\00:15:41.87
It needs to be my
way of life every day
00:15:41.90\00:15:45.24
for the rest of my life.
00:15:45.27\00:15:46.61
Yeah, definitely, definitely.
00:15:46.64\00:15:47.98
So I got involved in
jail and prison ministries
00:15:48.01\00:15:50.45
and then baptism
just started to flow.
00:15:50.48\00:15:52.41
So I suggest
whatever it is that you like,
00:15:52.45\00:15:55.55
you can find
other people that aren't
00:15:55.58\00:15:58.09
Seventh-day Adventists,
maybe aren't even Christians
00:15:58.12\00:16:00.89
and get to know them.
00:16:00.92\00:16:02.26
You don't have to
show them doctrinal stuff
00:16:02.29\00:16:04.46
to get to know somebody.
00:16:04.49\00:16:05.83
They don't even have to
know that you're an Adventist,
00:16:05.86\00:16:08.13
but just let them know
that there's something in you
00:16:08.16\00:16:11.87
that makes you different
than the rest of the world.
00:16:11.90\00:16:13.90
Yeah, definitely.
Now let me ask you this.
00:16:13.94\00:16:15.57
You know, people come
into the church all the time,
00:16:15.60\00:16:17.91
they were out there,
they change their life,
00:16:17.94\00:16:19.27
they come in.
00:16:19.31\00:16:21.04
They're on fire and
then next thing you know
00:16:21.08\00:16:23.35
in a couple of
weeks they fizzle out
00:16:23.38\00:16:25.08
and they're right
back out the door.
00:16:25.11\00:16:26.95
In your opinion why do you think
00:16:26.98\00:16:28.92
that this may be
happening so much?
00:16:28.95\00:16:31.12
I think that possibly
it's because your churches
00:16:31.15\00:16:33.62
aren't warm enough
to keep them there.
00:16:33.66\00:16:35.92
Churches, it doesn't
matter whether they're,
00:16:35.96\00:16:38.99
what race they
are, it doesn't matter
00:16:39.03\00:16:41.16
what size they are.
00:16:41.20\00:16:42.53
You can have a
church of 10 people
00:16:42.56\00:16:44.43
and there can oftentimes
be just a click, you know,
00:16:44.47\00:16:47.40
this is our little church family
00:16:47.44\00:16:49.17
and we'd like you to come
00:16:49.20\00:16:50.71
but we don't know
how to fit you in.
00:16:50.74\00:16:52.94
So, and you don't have to
rush to get somebody involved.
00:16:52.97\00:16:56.78
Yeah.
00:16:56.81\00:16:58.15
They'll be
sharing their testimony
00:16:58.18\00:17:00.88
and their
witness, and so you begin
00:17:00.92\00:17:03.08
to help them
expand their witness
00:17:03.12\00:17:06.52
and as their testimony grows,
00:17:06.55\00:17:08.69
then hopefully it
will encourage the church
00:17:08.72\00:17:11.36
to become a
little bit more active
00:17:11.39\00:17:13.16
and then everyone gets blessed.
00:17:13.19\00:17:15.06
Okay, praise the Lord.
00:17:15.10\00:17:16.43
From your personal
experience how much of an impact
00:17:16.46\00:17:19.10
do you think getting
involved have for you
00:17:19.13\00:17:21.20
coming into the church,
coming back into the church?
00:17:21.24\00:17:23.57
I wanted to be involved
00:17:23.61\00:17:25.74
from the time
that I got re-baptized.
00:17:25.77\00:17:29.58
And when I caught the
felony charge, you know,
00:17:29.61\00:17:32.31
the church put
sanctions against me,
00:17:32.35\00:17:34.65
it was kind of a
big public ordeal,
00:17:34.68\00:17:36.48
I'm on television,
"Ricky Wade gets arrested."
00:17:36.52\00:17:40.26
So, you know, I had
all the shame and regret.
00:17:40.29\00:17:45.09
I wasn't sorry at
that point, you know,
00:17:45.13\00:17:47.96
I was only sorry
for the consequences
00:17:48.00\00:17:49.86
and sometimes maybe
that's what prevents our life
00:17:49.90\00:17:52.53
and our faith from growing
because we aren't truly sorry.
00:17:52.57\00:17:56.47
We just wish
that the circumstances
00:17:56.50\00:17:58.74
weren't so heavy upon us.
00:17:58.77\00:18:00.51
Okay. So...
00:18:00.54\00:18:05.11
If you can just deepen
your relationship with the Lord
00:18:05.15\00:18:09.85
by studying the Bible
and praying a little bit,
00:18:09.88\00:18:11.99
I think that it'll lead you
to exactly where you need to be.
00:18:12.02\00:18:14.39
Okay, okay.
00:18:14.42\00:18:15.76
Now you're a pastor
of three churches now.
00:18:15.79\00:18:18.23
What led you from
growing up as Adventist,
00:18:18.26\00:18:21.20
getting involved in
drugs, having a felony,
00:18:21.23\00:18:23.87
getting involved in
church but then feeling
00:18:23.90\00:18:25.87
called to the ministry?
00:18:25.90\00:18:27.24
David Asscherick preached a
sermon at Kentucky-Tennessee
00:18:27.27\00:18:30.71
camp meeting one year.
00:18:30.74\00:18:32.07
Okay.
00:18:32.11\00:18:33.44
He made the appeal
call, I wasn't meeting,
00:18:33.48\00:18:36.14
I felt an extreme conviction,
I felt a heavy burden.
00:18:36.18\00:18:40.65
Souls weren't a
part of my Christian walk
00:18:40.68\00:18:42.78
and I wanted
this burden for souls
00:18:42.82\00:18:45.09
and whenever he made the
appeal that's what lit the fire.
00:18:45.12\00:18:48.49
Okay.
00:18:48.52\00:18:49.86
And just to...
00:18:49.89\00:18:54.16
By then I'd already
had my felony conviction.
00:18:54.20\00:18:56.40
So when he made that
call, I made the commitment,
00:18:56.43\00:18:59.23
"Lord, if you will
seriously just open up the door,
00:18:59.27\00:19:02.24
I don't know what
you want me to do."
00:19:02.27\00:19:04.37
So I went to Arise,
started doing Bible work,
00:19:04.41\00:19:07.88
South Central
Conference picked me up.
00:19:07.91\00:19:10.28
This year is the
70th year anniversary
00:19:10.31\00:19:12.31
for South Central
Conference and I'm the first
00:19:12.35\00:19:15.08
and only Caucasian guy,
00:19:15.12\00:19:16.45
only white boy in South Central,
00:19:16.48\00:19:19.19
so I'm grateful
to President Edmond
00:19:19.22\00:19:23.46
and the rest of this conference
for what they're doing.
00:19:23.49\00:19:26.73
You know, they're
trying to expand ministry,
00:19:26.76\00:19:29.03
trying to involve everybody,
00:19:29.06\00:19:31.03
and so I'm really
grateful for that.
00:19:31.07\00:19:32.90
But, you know, when you want
to serve God and you ask Him,
00:19:32.93\00:19:39.47
He says, "The workers are
few," and so if you want to work
00:19:39.51\00:19:42.88
and you're willing to
submit, He'll open the door.
00:19:42.91\00:19:45.61
So I went from Bible
worker to pastor and...
00:19:45.65\00:19:47.62
Okay.
00:19:47.65\00:19:49.15
I had just graduated
this last May with a degree
00:19:49.18\00:19:53.92
from Andrews, so
I've got my master's
00:19:53.96\00:19:56.22
in pastoral ministry...
00:19:56.26\00:19:57.59
Okay, praise the Lord.
00:19:57.63\00:19:58.96
And this three church district
is just another blessing,
00:19:58.99\00:20:03.03
I mean, three
churches is a lot of work.
00:20:03.06\00:20:04.40
Yeah, definitely. But
it's just time management.
00:20:04.43\00:20:07.20
Once everyone realizes that
00:20:07.24\00:20:09.70
what a pastor should be
doing is training his people.
00:20:09.74\00:20:11.74
Okay.
00:20:11.77\00:20:13.11
Train them how to serve
God too and then your churches
00:20:13.14\00:20:15.41
will grow because
that's God's will.
00:20:15.44\00:20:17.01
Okay.
00:20:17.05\00:20:18.38
So you have a church not
just, not just speaking of you
00:20:18.41\00:20:21.22
but in general,
you have churches
00:20:21.25\00:20:23.39
who are close by prisons.
00:20:23.42\00:20:27.06
And they want to get
involved but they're scared
00:20:27.09\00:20:29.99
to get involved
in prison ministries
00:20:30.03\00:20:32.19
or not really sure
00:20:32.23\00:20:33.56
what kind of ministries
they want to get involved with,
00:20:33.60\00:20:35.73
but they know that
they need to do something.
00:20:35.76\00:20:38.23
So how do you go about training
the church to get involved
00:20:38.27\00:20:41.50
in prison ministry
or ministry period,
00:20:41.54\00:20:44.14
and even those who
are coming into the church
00:20:44.17\00:20:46.37
so that they're
active in the church?
00:20:46.41\00:20:47.74
Sure.
00:20:47.78\00:20:49.11
I think that some
of the first steps
00:20:49.14\00:20:50.48
or maybe meeting with
the mayor of your city.
00:20:50.51\00:20:52.61
Okay.
00:20:52.65\00:20:53.98
And just trying to find
out what some of the needs
00:20:54.02\00:20:56.22
of the city might be.
00:20:56.25\00:20:57.65
Do you have single moms,
00:20:57.69\00:21:00.02
maybe that can be
your ministry focus.
00:21:00.06\00:21:02.49
Do you have individuals
00:21:02.52\00:21:04.96
that English is
the second language,
00:21:04.99\00:21:08.00
they need a GED.
00:21:08.03\00:21:09.36
Basically make
anything a ministry.
00:21:09.40\00:21:10.73
Yeah, because the whole
point is to help somebody
00:21:10.77\00:21:14.87
where there is a need and then
allow God to open those doors
00:21:14.90\00:21:17.87
so that you can begin to share
00:21:17.91\00:21:19.74
the love of
Christ with everybody.
00:21:19.77\00:21:21.11
Okay, okay. And
that's very important.
00:21:21.14\00:21:23.88
I know for me when I
came back into the church,
00:21:23.91\00:21:26.18
I really needed to get
involved because I felt like
00:21:26.21\00:21:29.22
if I didn't get involved
with something that, you know,
00:21:29.25\00:21:32.12
I just go right
back out the door.
00:21:32.15\00:21:33.52
That's right.
00:21:33.56\00:21:34.89
And I think when
you stop one thing,
00:21:34.92\00:21:36.39
you need to put
something else in its place
00:21:36.42\00:21:38.33
because if you don't,
then the devil will definitely
00:21:38.36\00:21:40.43
find something for you.
00:21:40.46\00:21:42.00
And so the
individuals that you've seen,
00:21:42.03\00:21:44.00
that you've worked with,
what have you seen for them
00:21:44.03\00:21:46.87
has been some of
the biggest struggles
00:21:46.90\00:21:48.90
that they've had with
being, staying in the church
00:21:48.94\00:21:53.54
with getting
involved in the church,
00:21:53.58\00:21:55.14
and remaining in that
transformation process
00:21:55.18\00:21:58.35
and allowing them to do the work
00:21:58.38\00:21:59.71
because so many people I see,
00:21:59.75\00:22:01.35
they said, it says,
"Well, I messed up today,
00:22:01.38\00:22:03.22
I messed up tomorrow and
I messed up the next day.
00:22:03.25\00:22:05.02
Well, God doesn't want me."
00:22:05.05\00:22:06.39
So what can we do for that
individual that believes that
00:22:06.42\00:22:10.23
that he's saying that
says, "You know what,"
00:22:10.26\00:22:12.73
say to them
that, "You know what,
00:22:12.76\00:22:14.90
despite that you mess
up God still loves you."
00:22:14.93\00:22:17.67
What can we say
to that individual
00:22:17.70\00:22:19.03
to not decide to
just walk out the door
00:22:19.07\00:22:20.84
because they messed up?
00:22:20.87\00:22:23.64
Ultimately Jesus died
00:22:23.67\00:22:26.11
while we were still yet sinners.
00:22:26.14\00:22:28.84
And so I think that individuals,
00:22:28.88\00:22:32.98
I love the individual
that is sparkly clean.
00:22:33.01\00:22:35.92
Never, I wish that we
could all be like that
00:22:35.95\00:22:39.05
and I think they've got
the strongest testimony.
00:22:39.09\00:22:42.49
But when you find
somebody that has messed up
00:22:42.52\00:22:45.33
and then you can show
them, "Look, God can take
00:22:45.36\00:22:48.40
the nastiest picture
and He can transform it.
00:22:48.43\00:22:51.40
He can move you to a
different level of life."
00:22:51.43\00:22:54.04
And so the biggest factor
that's going to be involved
00:22:54.07\00:22:56.60
is helping that person feel like
00:22:56.64\00:22:58.77
he's part of the church family
00:22:58.81\00:23:00.74
and if he's not going to be
a part of the church family,
00:23:00.78\00:23:02.81
make him feel that
he's a part of your family.
00:23:02.84\00:23:05.31
Okay. Invite him over.
00:23:05.35\00:23:08.02
Help him, go to his
house, visit on a regular basis,
00:23:08.05\00:23:10.69
develop that
friendship and make sure
00:23:10.72\00:23:12.65
that he has something to do
00:23:12.69\00:23:14.82
that is going to be
different from the activities
00:23:14.86\00:23:17.33
that he used to be involved in
00:23:17.36\00:23:18.79
because if not he'll go back
to finding those old friends.
00:23:18.83\00:23:21.46
If he loves
motorcycles he's going to,
00:23:21.50\00:23:23.50
and his friends
rode motorcycles with
00:23:23.53\00:23:25.43
and you need to...
Get back involved with it.
00:23:25.47\00:23:26.97
Yeah, you need to attach
him to a church group of people
00:23:27.00\00:23:29.34
that ride motorcycles.
00:23:29.37\00:23:30.71
You know, whatever it is
get that individual attached
00:23:30.74\00:23:34.04
to a friendly warm person
that can help walk them along
00:23:34.08\00:23:38.28
and then teach people.
00:23:38.31\00:23:39.65
Yeah, okay.
00:23:39.68\00:23:41.02
Get up and study your
Bible on a regular basis.
00:23:41.05\00:23:42.55
Read the word,
let God talk to you
00:23:42.58\00:23:44.65
and then begin
talking to Him in prayer.
00:23:44.69\00:23:46.65
At first it may be
only a minute or two
00:23:46.69\00:23:48.42
but your muscles
will grow if you use them.
00:23:48.46\00:23:50.46
Definitely, definitely.
00:23:50.49\00:23:51.83
You know, I forgot to
ask you in the beginning
00:23:51.86\00:23:53.43
when you were doing the
recap of your testimony.
00:23:53.46\00:23:55.56
What was that
motivating factor that led you
00:23:55.60\00:23:58.07
to from the Adventist
Church, a Christian home
00:23:58.10\00:24:01.14
into getting
involved with drugs?
00:24:01.17\00:24:04.94
It wasn't peer
pressure because I was the one
00:24:04.97\00:24:07.64
trying to always peer pressure
people into doing things.
00:24:07.68\00:24:11.41
It's just temptation, by
nature we're evil people,
00:24:11.45\00:24:15.35
we're carnal.
00:24:15.38\00:24:16.72
And so it's much
easier to do those things
00:24:16.75\00:24:19.05
than it is to surrender
00:24:19.09\00:24:21.22
and give God
control of your life.
00:24:21.26\00:24:22.82
We all, we all
want to be in control,
00:24:22.86\00:24:24.79
maybe that's why some Christians
00:24:24.83\00:24:26.29
don't have transformation
00:24:26.33\00:24:27.80
because they don't have
confidence in God's word
00:24:27.83\00:24:30.77
and so they never
fully surrender to Him.
00:24:30.80\00:24:33.03
They want to finish the
work but the Bible promises
00:24:33.07\00:24:35.84
that He'll finish the work
if I'll just let Him, right?
00:24:35.87\00:24:38.24
Definitely, definitely.
00:24:38.27\00:24:39.61
So, how long was that time span
00:24:39.64\00:24:41.81
that you were
involved with drugs?
00:24:41.84\00:24:44.75
From the time I was about 17
until probably about 10 years.
00:24:44.78\00:24:50.05
Okay.
00:24:50.09\00:24:51.42
And being that you grew
up in a Christian household,
00:24:51.45\00:24:53.99
how did that
affect that you saw,
00:24:54.02\00:24:55.49
what kind of effect did
that have upon your family?
00:24:55.52\00:24:58.46
The drugs weren't
that big of a deal
00:24:58.49\00:25:00.86
because we wouldn't,
00:25:00.90\00:25:02.70
I wouldn't try to
be very open with it.
00:25:02.73\00:25:04.83
You know, people may have
known that we were running
00:25:04.87\00:25:08.20
and we were the wrong
group to hang around with
00:25:08.24\00:25:10.71
but overall we didn't
let everybody know exactly
00:25:10.74\00:25:17.65
what we were doing
so, and you know, you...
00:25:17.68\00:25:20.32
If you're trying to sell a
little something, you know,
00:25:20.35\00:25:23.99
you try to keep on the
down low as much as possible.
00:25:24.02\00:25:27.66
So, you know,
the family knew that
00:25:27.69\00:25:32.19
that I wasn't on the path
that I should have been on,
00:25:32.23\00:25:34.33
but I would still
be going to church.
00:25:34.36\00:25:35.76
Okay.
00:25:35.80\00:25:37.13
You know I'd be using
drugs, drinking the night before
00:25:37.17\00:25:39.37
and still get up
and go to church.
00:25:39.40\00:25:41.10
Okay.
00:25:41.14\00:25:42.57
But I was, I was
a cold Christian,
00:25:42.60\00:25:44.94
I wasn't even lukewarm.
00:25:44.97\00:25:47.01
And so when the conviction came
00:25:47.04\00:25:50.91
I was ready to
follow a conviction,
00:25:50.95\00:25:52.31
I was ready for
something different.
00:25:52.35\00:25:53.68
Okay, okay. Praise the Lord.
00:25:53.72\00:25:55.05
What I want you to
do, I want you to take
00:25:55.08\00:25:56.42
about a minute or so,
and I want you to talk
00:25:56.45\00:25:57.79
to that
individual who is struggling
00:25:57.82\00:25:59.15
with their Christian walk.
00:25:59.19\00:26:00.52
I want you to
look into the camera
00:26:00.56\00:26:01.89
and talk to that
individual who is,
00:26:01.92\00:26:03.56
who has made the
change in their life
00:26:03.59\00:26:05.96
or trying to make
the change in their life.
00:26:05.99\00:26:07.93
They're
transitioning into the church
00:26:07.96\00:26:09.66
and transitioning
into a whole new lifestyle,
00:26:09.70\00:26:12.67
something totally different
than what they're used to
00:26:12.70\00:26:15.20
and they're struggling.
00:26:15.24\00:26:16.77
But I want you to
talk to that individual,
00:26:16.81\00:26:18.54
give them some
words of encouragement
00:26:18.57\00:26:20.71
to help them press forward.
00:26:20.74\00:26:22.91
Very good.
00:26:22.94\00:26:24.68
When you feel
that point in your life
00:26:24.71\00:26:27.42
where God is calling
you, this is the point
00:26:27.45\00:26:29.82
that you must surrender
00:26:29.85\00:26:31.79
and surrender is kind
of a hard thing at first
00:26:31.82\00:26:33.66
because you don't know exactly
00:26:33.69\00:26:35.02
what it entails but get a Bible,
00:26:35.06\00:26:38.43
find some church
people that can walk with you
00:26:38.46\00:26:41.66
that will lead you
into a deeper relationship
00:26:41.70\00:26:44.23
with Jesus.
00:26:44.27\00:26:46.40
Ask them to pray with you.
00:26:46.43\00:26:47.87
You don't have to be together
physically to pray with people,
00:26:47.90\00:26:50.84
call them on the
telephone, Skype and FaceTime
00:26:50.87\00:26:55.04
and just ask them
to pray for you even.
00:26:55.08\00:26:59.01
You may not even
know how to pray,
00:26:59.05\00:27:00.85
but begin to ask God
to pour into your life,
00:27:00.88\00:27:03.95
begin to have...
00:27:03.99\00:27:05.32
Ask Him to show you verses
in the Bible that are promises
00:27:05.35\00:27:08.89
that you can cling to
that you can hang on to
00:27:08.92\00:27:11.99
and then let your
faith, let your confidence grow
00:27:12.03\00:27:15.36
in what God is saying
00:27:15.40\00:27:17.23
what those
promises are claiming,
00:27:17.27\00:27:19.30
believe that they can
come true in your life.
00:27:19.33\00:27:21.57
And if you begin to
claim those promises
00:27:21.60\00:27:24.21
on a regular basis,
if you begin to believe
00:27:24.24\00:27:27.38
that what God says that
you can take to the bank,
00:27:27.41\00:27:31.21
then your
Christian life will grow.
00:27:31.25\00:27:33.28
You'll begin to
tell your friends,
00:27:33.31\00:27:35.88
the ones that used
to be more like you
00:27:35.92\00:27:38.45
and less like new church friends
00:27:38.49\00:27:40.42
that you have,
you'll begin to want
00:27:40.46\00:27:42.39
to share with them and
begin to want to help them
00:27:42.42\00:27:44.99
to come out of that lifestyle.
00:27:45.03\00:27:46.63
And when you begin
serving other people,
00:27:46.66\00:27:49.00
when you begin serving God,
00:27:49.03\00:27:50.77
that's when your life
will be transformed eternally.
00:27:50.80\00:27:55.30
Praise the
Lord. Praise the Lord.
00:27:55.34\00:27:56.74
Well, Pastor Wade, we
want to thank you once again
00:27:56.77\00:27:58.51
for being on the
program and sharing
00:27:58.54\00:27:59.87
that important
information, I know it would be
00:27:59.91\00:28:02.04
such a great
blessing to many viewers.
00:28:02.08\00:28:03.61
Amen.
00:28:03.65\00:28:04.98
We want to thank you once again
00:28:05.01\00:28:06.35
for tuning in to
another exciting episode
00:28:06.38\00:28:08.45
of The New Journey.
00:28:08.48\00:28:09.82
Until next time, be blessed.
00:28:09.85\00:28:11.22