The following program discusses sensitive issues. 00:00:01.36\00:00:03.67 Parents are cautioned that some material 00:00:03.70\00:00:05.47 may be too candid for younger children. 00:00:05.50\00:00:08.47 Welcome to The New Journey 00:00:08.50\00:00:09.84 where you meet real life people with real life testimonies 00:00:09.87\00:00:12.64 and real life working ministries 00:00:12.67\00:00:14.01 for Jesus Christ. 00:00:14.04\00:00:15.38 I'm your host Aaron Chancy. 00:00:15.41\00:00:16.75 Come join us on The New Journey. 00:00:16.78\00:00:18.11 Welcome to The New Journey. 00:00:48.14\00:00:49.48 We have an exciting testimony today 00:00:49.51\00:00:51.11 from a young man by the name of Jermaine Bentley. 00:00:51.15\00:00:53.18 Jermaine, we want to thank you for being on the program. 00:00:53.21\00:00:54.98 It's a pleasure, thank you for having me. 00:00:55.02\00:00:56.72 All right, now you're from Louisville, Kentucky. 00:00:56.75\00:00:58.85 Tell us about Louisville. 00:00:58.89\00:01:00.32 Yes, Louisville is not a big city, 00:01:00.36\00:01:03.96 but it's not a small city, so right there in the middle. 00:01:03.99\00:01:06.70 You know, just enough to do, if you want the city life, 00:01:06.73\00:01:08.66 you can have that 00:01:08.70\00:01:10.03 but also a good place to raise a family also. 00:01:10.07\00:01:12.43 Now I don't know much about Louisville. 00:01:12.47\00:01:13.80 I have only been there one time in my entire life. 00:01:13.84\00:01:17.11 What is the atmosphere of Louisville like? 00:01:17.14\00:01:19.77 Because, of course, you have sports there, 00:01:19.81\00:01:22.41 you have crime, 00:01:22.44\00:01:23.78 you have pretty much everything that any city has. 00:01:23.81\00:01:26.31 But what are the various things 00:01:26.35\00:01:27.72 that a lot of people seem to get into, 00:01:27.75\00:01:29.08 young black males get into in Louisville. 00:01:29.12\00:01:30.82 Like I said, 00:01:30.85\00:01:32.19 like what you touched on, sports is big, 00:01:32.22\00:01:34.52 especially basketball, 00:01:34.56\00:01:36.02 also the street life is huge there too. 00:01:36.06\00:01:38.33 Okay. You know, so it's like, 00:01:38.36\00:01:39.69 you know, either you're going to be playing sports 00:01:39.73\00:01:41.06 or you're growing up, 00:01:41.10\00:01:42.43 you know, doing the street thing. 00:01:42.46\00:01:43.80 Okay. 00:01:43.83\00:01:45.17 Now talk to us about your early home life. 00:01:45.20\00:01:46.74 What was it like growing up? 00:01:46.77\00:01:48.10 And did you come from a religious background? 00:01:48.14\00:01:49.87 Ah, growing up at home, 00:01:49.90\00:01:51.24 it was pretty cool starting out, 00:01:51.27\00:01:52.61 you know, I had both parents in the household starting out, 00:01:52.64\00:01:55.41 but towards, 00:01:55.44\00:01:56.78 you know, my pre-teen, teen years, you know, 00:01:56.81\00:01:59.08 my mother was raising us as a single parent, 00:01:59.11\00:02:01.95 just three of us, 00:02:01.98\00:02:04.39 definitely grew up in a Christian household, 00:02:04.42\00:02:06.62 grew up Baptists, 00:02:06.65\00:02:07.99 so we went to church every Sunday. 00:02:08.02\00:02:09.59 Now you said you started out in a house 00:02:09.62\00:02:11.39 with your mother and your father, 00:02:11.43\00:02:13.19 they eventually went separate ways. 00:02:13.23\00:02:15.23 And I've heard many stories of young people 00:02:15.26\00:02:18.93 who are affected in a negative way by their, 00:02:18.97\00:02:22.40 you know, parents going separate ways. 00:02:22.44\00:02:23.97 And sometimes, oftentimes, it leads them down, 00:02:24.01\00:02:26.78 you know, a troublesome type of lifestyle. 00:02:26.81\00:02:30.01 How did that affect you personally 00:02:30.05\00:02:32.85 when your mother and father separated? 00:02:32.88\00:02:35.32 It definitely affected me in a way that, you know, 00:02:35.35\00:02:40.06 it led me to get in trouble at times and stuff like that 00:02:40.09\00:02:42.12 because I didn't, 00:02:42.16\00:02:43.49 you know, felt like I didn't have my father 00:02:43.53\00:02:45.03 to kind of check me on certain things 00:02:45.06\00:02:46.39 and stuff like that. 00:02:46.43\00:02:47.76 But it really wasn't in a way that I really went astray 00:02:47.80\00:02:50.37 into the streets or anything like that, 00:02:50.40\00:02:51.73 but I knew I was, 00:02:51.77\00:02:53.10 you know, looking for that male figure, 00:02:53.13\00:02:55.17 a male that... 00:02:55.20\00:02:56.54 You know, what was it like, what is it like to be a male. 00:02:56.57\00:02:59.34 You know, a black male, 00:02:59.37\00:03:00.71 and the streets were just showing me 00:03:00.74\00:03:02.08 that at some point sometimes. 00:03:02.11\00:03:03.45 Yeah, definitely. 00:03:03.48\00:03:04.81 Now your story is a little bit interesting 00:03:04.85\00:03:06.48 because most of the people that come on the program, 00:03:06.51\00:03:09.75 they have been in the streets real hard, 00:03:09.78\00:03:11.29 they've used drugs, sold drugs, 00:03:11.32\00:03:12.99 been incarcerated, a number of things like that. 00:03:13.02\00:03:15.89 But for you, 00:03:15.92\00:03:17.26 you didn't get involved in a lot of thing 00:03:17.29\00:03:19.13 that your peers got involved in. 00:03:19.16\00:03:21.33 And I wanna talk about why you didn't. 00:03:21.36\00:03:24.80 And, you know, a lot of times, it's praised because, 00:03:24.83\00:03:28.14 you know, a person who has been out there 00:03:28.17\00:03:29.54 in the streets, they come back into the church, 00:03:29.57\00:03:32.54 they've changed their life 00:03:32.57\00:03:33.91 and people are wowed by their testimony, 00:03:33.94\00:03:36.04 but yours is a bit different. 00:03:36.08\00:03:37.41 And when I first met you a couple of years ago, 00:03:37.45\00:03:39.41 I was wowed by your story 00:03:39.45\00:03:41.25 because growing up in Louisville, 00:03:41.28\00:03:42.92 you didn't get involved in a lot of things 00:03:42.95\00:03:45.59 that your peers got involved in. 00:03:45.62\00:03:47.62 What kept you from getting into a lot of things 00:03:47.66\00:03:50.23 that your peers got involved with? 00:03:50.26\00:03:51.86 Like I said, my mom... 00:03:51.89\00:03:53.23 Like I said, I grew up in a Christian household, 00:03:53.26\00:03:56.16 you know, when I was younger, my mom always told me, 00:03:56.20\00:03:58.20 you know, "Believe in Christ and believe His word." 00:03:58.23\00:04:00.80 You know, that kind of stuck with me. 00:04:00.84\00:04:02.34 And I one of the realest things I ever heard, 00:04:02.37\00:04:04.01 you know, that anybody could, especially at a young age, 00:04:04.04\00:04:06.34 you know, my mother telling me 00:04:06.37\00:04:07.71 that I can't get you into heaven. 00:04:07.74\00:04:09.11 Yeah, wow. 00:04:09.14\00:04:10.48 You got to know Jesus for yourself. 00:04:10.51\00:04:11.85 So I'm about between 8 and 10 when she told me that. 00:04:11.88\00:04:14.25 And I was like, 00:04:14.28\00:04:15.62 "Man, this is one of the realest things 00:04:15.65\00:04:16.99 that I ever heard. 00:04:17.02\00:04:18.35 You know, and I think from that point, 00:04:18.39\00:04:19.72 I was like, "Man, I got to know Christ for myself." 00:04:19.75\00:04:21.39 And with that, you know, I never really grew up, 00:04:21.42\00:04:23.76 you know, I kind of knew about superstars 00:04:23.79\00:04:25.83 and people I looked up to, 00:04:25.86\00:04:27.20 but the stories of the Bible really, 00:04:27.23\00:04:28.60 those characters really connected to me 00:04:28.63\00:04:29.96 'cause I'm like, 00:04:30.00\00:04:31.33 "Man, if the Lord can move through them, man, 00:04:31.37\00:04:33.80 He could do some things through me too also." 00:04:33.84\00:04:35.60 Praise the Lord, praise the Lord. 00:04:35.64\00:04:36.97 Now you play basketball, 00:04:37.01\00:04:38.67 you said one of the things that people do in Louisville, 00:04:38.71\00:04:41.88 they play sports 00:04:41.91\00:04:43.24 or they get involved in the crime life, 00:04:43.28\00:04:44.71 young black males for the most part. 00:04:44.75\00:04:46.92 For you, you got involved in basketball, 00:04:46.95\00:04:48.88 talk about that experience. 00:04:48.92\00:04:50.25 Man, you know, growing up basketball, 00:04:50.29\00:04:52.05 that was it, like that was what I wanted to do, 00:04:52.09\00:04:54.29 you know, especially living in the neighborhood 00:04:54.32\00:04:55.66 that I lived in, 00:04:55.69\00:04:57.03 I wanted to have a better life for my family. 00:04:57.06\00:04:59.36 You know, if I play basketball, 00:04:59.39\00:05:01.16 this could be the meal ticket out. 00:05:01.20\00:05:02.86 You know, I wanted to play for, 00:05:02.90\00:05:04.30 you know, the University of Louisville 00:05:04.33\00:05:05.67 and then go to the NBA, that was my dream growing up. 00:05:05.70\00:05:08.30 So, you know, that's what I wanted to do, 00:05:08.34\00:05:11.07 I practiced day and night. 00:05:11.11\00:05:12.44 Okay, at what age did you get heavily involved 00:05:12.47\00:05:14.64 in playing basketball? 00:05:14.68\00:05:16.01 Around six. Around six years old? 00:05:16.04\00:05:17.51 Mm-hm. Okay. 00:05:17.55\00:05:18.88 So you were playing basketball, 00:05:18.91\00:05:20.42 you were reading the Bible at a young age, 00:05:20.45\00:05:22.25 getting amazed by a lot of these stories 00:05:22.28\00:05:24.15 that you find in a Bible. 00:05:24.19\00:05:26.15 Do you think that those stories 00:05:26.19\00:05:29.42 and wanting to see God do amazing things in you 00:05:29.46\00:05:32.63 was a real big impact to keep you from doing 00:05:32.66\00:05:35.30 what everybody else is doing around you? 00:05:35.33\00:05:37.83 And I say that for this, 00:05:37.87\00:05:39.63 for me, I was big in the sports, 00:05:39.67\00:05:41.80 you know, just like most young black males, 00:05:41.84\00:05:43.84 basketball, football, 00:05:43.87\00:05:45.21 that seems to be the meal ticket for us. 00:05:45.24\00:05:48.61 And so for me, there was nothing else 00:05:48.64\00:05:52.01 that I could see besides basketball and football. 00:05:52.05\00:05:53.85 Yeah, I had a Bible and I grew up 00:05:53.88\00:05:55.28 in the Seventh-day Adventist church 00:05:55.32\00:05:57.12 and I knew the stories in the Bible, 00:05:57.15\00:05:58.65 had gone to Sabbath school and all these things, 00:05:58.69\00:06:01.02 but they still didn't have as much impact up on me 00:06:01.06\00:06:05.36 that my friends had a impact upon me 00:06:05.39\00:06:07.50 or music had upon me or sports had upon me. 00:06:07.53\00:06:11.00 So how, for you, were the stories of the Bible 00:06:11.03\00:06:14.07 and basketball able to have so much of an impact on you? 00:06:14.10\00:06:17.07 Well, first, you know, I felt like I was never the one 00:06:17.11\00:06:19.94 or the type to really follow the crowd. 00:06:19.97\00:06:21.81 You know, I was always different. 00:06:21.84\00:06:23.18 Even though I was like popular among my peers, 00:06:23.21\00:06:25.95 I was still different, I was still me, 00:06:25.98\00:06:28.02 you know, me, and I was just like, 00:06:28.05\00:06:29.75 you know, like I said, 00:06:29.78\00:06:31.82 the stories of the Bible were just so powerful for me. 00:06:31.85\00:06:34.99 And with basketball being there, I was just like, 00:06:35.02\00:06:37.36 "Man, I'm only me unless Christ shows me." 00:06:37.39\00:06:41.46 So it was just like 00:06:41.50\00:06:44.20 leaning on Him and stuff like that, 00:06:44.23\00:06:45.87 knowing Him, having that relationship 00:06:45.90\00:06:47.24 because for me 00:06:47.27\00:06:48.60 it wasn't just about going to church, 00:06:48.64\00:06:50.94 it was more than just that. 00:06:50.97\00:06:52.31 Like, it was just more than just going to church, 00:06:52.34\00:06:54.31 it was a lifestyle for me. 00:06:54.34\00:06:55.68 Yeah. Okay. 00:06:55.71\00:06:57.05 Knowing Christ was a lifestyle, at a young age, 00:06:57.08\00:06:59.11 I knew that there was a relationship 00:06:59.15\00:07:01.68 between me and Him. 00:07:01.72\00:07:03.05 Okay, okay. 00:07:03.08\00:07:04.42 Now did you play middle school ball, 00:07:04.45\00:07:07.06 high school ball? 00:07:07.09\00:07:08.76 So what levels of basketball did you play? 00:07:08.79\00:07:10.13 I made it from middle school all the way to college, so... 00:07:10.16\00:07:12.93 Okay, now in high school, 00:07:12.96\00:07:15.46 there was an article written about you. 00:07:15.50\00:07:17.73 Talk about that article that was written on you. 00:07:17.77\00:07:20.17 My senior year, 2004, 00:07:20.20\00:07:23.41 the Career Journal was the name of the newspaper 00:07:23.44\00:07:25.04 in that city, did an article on me about, 00:07:25.07\00:07:27.91 you know, standing up for my faith 00:07:27.94\00:07:29.28 and stuff like that. 00:07:29.31\00:07:30.75 In the article, it talked about, 00:07:30.78\00:07:32.55 you know, how the chance to, 00:07:32.58\00:07:33.92 you know, play Division I basketball, 00:07:33.95\00:07:36.18 even get scholarships to play college basketball... 00:07:36.22\00:07:39.42 You know, how through the years, 00:07:39.45\00:07:40.79 colleges have backed off 00:07:40.82\00:07:42.16 because I would not play on the Sabbath. 00:07:42.19\00:07:43.56 Okay. 00:07:43.59\00:07:44.93 It also, you know, showed how I played varsity 00:07:44.96\00:07:47.16 from my freshman year 00:07:47.20\00:07:48.60 to my senior year of high school 00:07:48.63\00:07:50.07 just showing that no matter 00:07:50.10\00:07:51.43 what I wasn't gonna play on the Sabbath. 00:07:51.47\00:07:54.54 You know, I had my coach at the time saying, 00:07:54.57\00:07:58.07 you know, they never seen a kid like this, 00:07:58.11\00:08:00.64 you know, who would stand up for his faith. 00:08:00.68\00:08:02.04 You know, usually kids go out there 00:08:02.08\00:08:04.35 and take the scholarship and play on the Sabbath 00:08:04.38\00:08:05.85 and stuff like that. 00:08:05.88\00:08:07.22 But then the article, even though it said that, 00:08:07.25\00:08:09.52 you know, colleges backed off, 00:08:09.55\00:08:11.29 you know, I wasn't gonna play on the Sabbath 00:08:11.32\00:08:14.92 even if that meant 00:08:14.96\00:08:16.62 that I wasn't gonna be able to play college basketball, 00:08:16.66\00:08:19.13 that was how I made up my mind. 00:08:19.16\00:08:20.50 Now you're mentioning the Sabbath 00:08:20.53\00:08:22.36 but you grew up Baptist. 00:08:22.40\00:08:24.03 At what age did you become a Seventh-day Adventist? 00:08:24.07\00:08:28.40 And how did you become a Seventh-day Adventist? 00:08:28.44\00:08:32.11 How did you learn about Seventh-day Adventism? 00:08:32.14\00:08:34.48 I became an Adventist around age 14. 00:08:34.51\00:08:36.48 Okay. 00:08:36.51\00:08:37.85 I have a big brother, 00:08:37.88\00:08:39.21 he's like six years older than me. 00:08:39.25\00:08:40.58 So he was getting Bible studies, 00:08:40.62\00:08:42.75 you know, him and like 00:08:42.78\00:08:44.12 a couple of my other best friends, 00:08:44.15\00:08:45.49 we all were like... 00:08:45.52\00:08:46.86 They were around his age, but they were like, 00:08:46.89\00:08:48.56 I'm like their little brother too. 00:08:48.59\00:08:49.92 We would always have Bible studies, 00:08:49.96\00:08:51.29 like deep intense studies, talking about the Sabbath, 00:08:51.33\00:08:53.96 you know, arguing Sunday and Sabbath 00:08:54.00\00:08:55.80 and stuff like that. 00:08:55.83\00:08:57.17 I'm just like man, just to see, you know, brothers, 00:08:57.20\00:09:00.07 you know, in the Word, 00:09:00.10\00:09:01.44 knowing the Word and doing it, man, 00:09:01.47\00:09:02.80 it was inspiring. 00:09:02.84\00:09:04.17 Like I said, I had always been into the Bible, 00:09:04.21\00:09:05.54 and that was like, 00:09:05.57\00:09:06.91 "Man, to know my Word like that, 00:09:06.94\00:09:08.28 that was more powerful than anything. 00:09:08.31\00:09:09.74 And I always wanted to be connected like that." 00:09:09.78\00:09:11.81 So, you know, being involved with them 00:09:11.85\00:09:14.18 and, you know, going to Bible studies 00:09:14.22\00:09:15.78 and stuff like that, 00:09:15.82\00:09:18.72 one of the friends 00:09:18.75\00:09:20.09 was at the Adventist church already, 00:09:20.12\00:09:21.46 and he got to do some Bible studies 00:09:21.49\00:09:23.12 and stuff like that in the Book of Revelation. 00:09:23.16\00:09:26.49 It was just like, yo, 00:09:26.53\00:09:27.86 you know, growing up as Baptist, 00:09:27.90\00:09:29.23 we didn't touch on Revelation." 00:09:29.26\00:09:30.60 We were like, "Yeah, hold up, man, 00:09:30.63\00:09:31.97 don't even mess with that." 00:09:32.00\00:09:33.34 That's real right there. Okay. 00:09:33.37\00:09:34.70 Being able to understand Revelation 00:09:34.74\00:09:36.07 and the blessings that Revelation opened up, 00:09:36.10\00:09:39.07 it was just like, "Wow, man, I can't beat that." 00:09:39.11\00:09:40.74 Yeah. 00:09:40.78\00:09:42.11 Okay, now you learned about the Sabbath, 00:09:42.14\00:09:43.91 you're in the Seventh-day Adventist church, 00:09:43.95\00:09:45.28 you get baptized 00:09:45.31\00:09:46.65 into the Seventh-day Adventist church, 00:09:46.68\00:09:48.02 you're playing basketball, the news company, 00:09:48.05\00:09:50.92 they write an article on you, 00:09:50.95\00:09:52.59 how did your team react to you 00:09:52.62\00:09:55.32 not wanting to play basketball on a Friday night? 00:09:55.36\00:09:58.13 How did they take that? 00:09:58.16\00:09:59.49 Well, you know, coach included, they threw jokes, my teammates. 00:09:59.53\00:10:03.43 You know they'd be like, Seventh-day Adventist... 00:10:03.47\00:10:06.10 Are you ready to turn into a werewolf, a vampire, 00:10:06.13\00:10:08.97 or some like that? 00:10:09.00\00:10:10.34 But they'd throw jokes and stuff like that, 00:10:10.37\00:10:11.71 but they knew that there was me. 00:10:11.74\00:10:13.34 You know, they knew what I was going to be about, 00:10:13.38\00:10:16.34 you know, even my coach, 00:10:16.38\00:10:18.71 you know, 00:10:18.75\00:10:20.08 he was getting pressure from the principal 00:10:20.12\00:10:23.42 and the AD of that time to cut me 00:10:23.45\00:10:25.52 from the team and stuff like that. 00:10:25.55\00:10:26.89 You know, I have a meeting 00:10:26.92\00:10:28.26 almost every year talking about, 00:10:28.29\00:10:29.62 you know, we ain't gonna have room for you 00:10:29.66\00:10:30.99 and none like it, but he was like, 00:10:31.03\00:10:32.36 you know, I'm going to play you. 00:10:32.39\00:10:34.16 Yeah. I'm going to play you. 00:10:34.20\00:10:35.53 And it was like, 00:10:35.56\00:10:36.90 you know, I'm gonna stand up for Christ regardless. 00:10:36.93\00:10:38.27 So if you cut me, you know, I understand, 00:10:38.30\00:10:40.37 but you know, he never did. 00:10:40.40\00:10:41.74 It was like the Lord was working through him 00:10:41.77\00:10:43.10 beyond what the principals 00:10:43.14\00:10:44.61 and the AD were telling him to do, 00:10:44.64\00:10:46.68 he allowed me to play. 00:10:46.71\00:10:48.04 Okay, okay. 00:10:48.08\00:10:49.41 How does it... 00:10:49.44\00:10:50.78 I'm really amazed by your story for the simple fact 00:10:50.81\00:10:52.58 that at 14 years old, 00:10:52.61\00:10:53.95 I wasn't thinking about anything 00:10:53.98\00:10:55.58 wanting to do with church, 00:10:55.62\00:10:56.95 but you're studying the Bible, 00:10:56.99\00:10:59.15 you love going to church, and matter of fact, 00:10:59.19\00:11:02.72 only you and your brother are Seventh-day Adventists 00:11:02.76\00:11:05.19 in your entire family, correct? 00:11:05.23\00:11:06.56 Yes, sir. Okay, talk about that. 00:11:06.59\00:11:11.07 Like, I mean, it was just the passion of that man, 00:11:11.10\00:11:15.64 just being able to know 00:11:15.67\00:11:17.01 who you are in Christ that was big for me. 00:11:17.04\00:11:19.37 You know, like I said, 00:11:19.41\00:11:20.94 nobody knows me better than He does. 00:11:20.98\00:11:25.18 You know, and then seeing my brother, 00:11:25.21\00:11:27.05 you know, from the transformation 00:11:27.08\00:11:28.42 that he had in his life, 00:11:28.45\00:11:29.82 you know, and how he impacted me, 00:11:29.85\00:11:31.19 you know, that guided me and helped me understand like, 00:11:31.22\00:11:33.72 "Well, I want to know Christ for myself." 00:11:33.76\00:11:35.62 And I knew what I was getting into, 00:11:35.66\00:11:36.99 you know, I wanted to let, 00:11:37.03\00:11:38.36 you know, everybody know that this is my decision, 00:11:38.39\00:11:39.86 that this is my life. 00:11:39.89\00:11:41.23 Like I need to know Christ for myself like, okay, 00:11:41.26\00:11:42.80 it goes back to what my mother told me, 00:11:42.83\00:11:45.07 you know, "You got no Christ for yourself." 00:11:45.10\00:11:46.87 It was that relationship building. 00:11:46.90\00:11:48.94 You know, my sophomore year, I tore my ACL, 00:11:48.97\00:11:51.67 you know, 00:11:51.71\00:11:53.04 and I guess that brought me to reality like, 00:11:53.07\00:11:55.34 "Yo, this basketball thing doesn't last." 00:11:55.38\00:11:57.28 Yeah. "Well, Christ lasts forever." 00:11:57.31\00:11:59.31 You know, He was there comforting me, 00:11:59.35\00:12:01.28 you know, guiding me in those times, 00:12:01.32\00:12:02.88 you know, even though when it was hard, 00:12:02.92\00:12:04.32 so I learned how to pray at a young age, 00:12:04.35\00:12:06.42 read at a young age, but not only that, 00:12:06.45\00:12:08.09 you know what I'm saying? 00:12:08.12\00:12:09.46 I took it... 00:12:09.49\00:12:11.49 It was real. Okay. 00:12:11.53\00:12:12.86 You know, it wasn't easy, but it was grand. 00:12:12.89\00:12:15.16 Yeah. Okay. 00:12:15.20\00:12:16.73 Now do you think that... 00:12:16.77\00:12:20.30 And this is an important question 00:12:20.34\00:12:21.67 because some people feel 00:12:21.70\00:12:23.17 that when it comes to basketball 00:12:23.20\00:12:25.04 that it cannot be used for ministry. 00:12:25.07\00:12:27.58 How do you feel about basketball 00:12:27.61\00:12:29.94 being used as an avenue 00:12:29.98\00:12:31.88 to bring people into the church? 00:12:31.91\00:12:33.82 And I say that because I coach a basketball team 00:12:33.85\00:12:36.99 and, you know, 00:12:37.02\00:12:38.35 we have different people on the team 00:12:38.39\00:12:39.72 who are not members 00:12:39.75\00:12:41.36 of the Seventh-day Adventist church, 00:12:41.39\00:12:42.86 but they come to church, 00:12:42.89\00:12:44.23 they play on the team and they learn about Adventism. 00:12:44.26\00:12:46.93 And for this, 00:12:46.96\00:12:48.30 this is a lot of times the only way 00:12:48.33\00:12:50.20 that they may learn about the truth of the Bible. 00:12:50.23\00:12:55.37 For you, in your opinion, 00:12:55.40\00:12:56.74 how do you feel about basketball 00:12:56.77\00:12:59.07 being used as a tool to get young people to Jesus? 00:12:59.11\00:13:02.68 Man, I just believe 00:13:02.71\00:13:04.05 that you got to let the Spirit lead. 00:13:04.08\00:13:05.68 The Holy Spirit, you know, guide on that. 00:13:05.71\00:13:08.28 I feel like we are all, we all are gifted, 00:13:08.32\00:13:11.92 we have different talents and everything like that. 00:13:11.95\00:13:13.39 And, you know, 00:13:13.42\00:13:14.76 you just got to ask the Lord to guide you. 00:13:14.79\00:13:16.52 I don't see, you know, 00:13:16.56\00:13:17.89 when you're playing sports and stuff, 00:13:17.93\00:13:19.26 you have the opportunity to reach out. 00:13:19.29\00:13:21.03 You know, I have teammates, 00:13:21.06\00:13:22.40 you know, who didn't know 00:13:22.43\00:13:23.77 how to pray and stuff like that, 00:13:23.80\00:13:25.13 they would ask me to pray for them, 00:13:25.17\00:13:26.50 you know, on the outside of that stuff, 00:13:26.53\00:13:27.87 you get to have conversations that you might not have. 00:13:27.90\00:13:30.11 You know, the opportunity 00:13:30.14\00:13:31.47 would just come up to him or something like that. 00:13:31.51\00:13:33.38 But you have equal ground, 00:13:33.41\00:13:35.08 you have equal time that you meet them, 00:13:35.11\00:13:36.64 but then you also can apply, 00:13:36.68\00:13:38.08 you know, the Lord and stuff like that. 00:13:38.11\00:13:39.48 But, you know, the ultimate goal is to like let them know 00:13:39.51\00:13:43.22 that, you know what I'm saying, that God is bigger than sports, 00:13:43.25\00:13:45.52 but you can still play it but know who is number one. 00:13:45.55\00:13:48.46 Okay, okay. 00:13:48.49\00:13:49.82 Had you not gotten into basketball, 00:13:49.86\00:13:51.89 what do you think you would have gotten into? 00:13:51.93\00:13:53.90 Had you not been this star basketball player 00:13:53.93\00:13:56.06 in Louisville, 00:13:56.10\00:13:58.03 maybe you didn't even have an interest in sports, 00:13:58.07\00:14:00.24 but had you not gotten into basketball, 00:14:00.27\00:14:02.57 what do you think you would have gotten 00:14:02.60\00:14:03.94 into in the streets of Louisville? 00:14:03.97\00:14:05.41 I think I would have got a little bit more active 00:14:05.44\00:14:06.78 in the streets. 00:14:06.81\00:14:08.14 You know what I'm saying? 00:14:08.18\00:14:09.51 I would have had, you know, probably dived 00:14:09.54\00:14:10.88 into a little bit of some stuff, 00:14:10.91\00:14:12.25 but I think, you know, like I said, 00:14:12.28\00:14:13.98 I always had built a relationship 00:14:14.02\00:14:15.35 with Christ, man, 00:14:15.38\00:14:16.72 so I think that the tug of Spirit, 00:14:16.75\00:14:18.09 it was the way... 00:14:18.12\00:14:19.45 I'm not saying 00:14:19.49\00:14:20.82 that I wouldn't have got involved in anything, 00:14:20.86\00:14:22.19 but I still think 00:14:22.22\00:14:23.56 I would have been doing stuff in the ministry. 00:14:23.59\00:14:24.93 Okay. 00:14:24.96\00:14:26.29 How much of an effect do you think 00:14:26.33\00:14:27.86 that media has on young people today? 00:14:27.90\00:14:30.37 And not just the sports world, 00:14:30.40\00:14:31.73 but in terms of the different music, 00:14:31.77\00:14:34.47 the different things 00:14:34.50\00:14:35.84 that, you know, young people like to watch. 00:14:35.87\00:14:37.84 How much of an impact do you think that this has? 00:14:37.87\00:14:39.97 And I ask because, for me, speaking of myself, 00:14:40.01\00:14:43.61 music was very big for me. 00:14:43.65\00:14:46.51 Secular hip hop music was very big for me. 00:14:46.55\00:14:49.38 And I saw over a period of time 00:14:49.42\00:14:51.49 how it was just changing me from the inside out. 00:14:51.52\00:14:54.39 And, you know, I would literally, 00:14:54.42\00:14:56.93 I wouldn't just... 00:14:56.96\00:14:58.86 Some people would say, 00:14:58.89\00:15:00.23 "Well, it's just "entertainment," you know. 00:15:00.26\00:15:03.06 But for me, I would internalize the lyrics, 00:15:03.10\00:15:07.10 you know, and I would live out these things 00:15:07.14\00:15:09.77 and, you know, it really impacted my life. 00:15:09.80\00:15:12.34 How much of an impact do you think 00:15:12.37\00:15:13.71 that media has on young people in the decisions 00:15:13.74\00:15:16.38 that they make on a day-to-day basis? 00:15:16.41\00:15:18.25 Media has a big impact, you know. 00:15:18.28\00:15:20.42 And like what you said, it had an impact on me. 00:15:20.45\00:15:22.35 You know, towards, 00:15:22.38\00:15:23.72 you know, tugging on things like that, 00:15:23.75\00:15:25.09 especially in music and movies and stuff, the enemy, 00:15:25.12\00:15:26.99 you know, Satan, he knows what he's doing. 00:15:27.02\00:15:28.69 He moves through these avenues of music 00:15:28.72\00:15:31.23 and these movies and stuff, 00:15:31.26\00:15:32.59 they set the philosophy in the young people's mind 00:15:32.63\00:15:34.00 and stuff like that. 00:15:34.03\00:15:35.36 And it is huge, you know, you see it nowadays, 00:15:35.40\00:15:37.83 you know, a lot of people, 00:15:37.87\00:15:39.50 you know, they don't know who God is, 00:15:39.53\00:15:40.87 they give this bad picture of who God is. 00:15:40.90\00:15:43.37 They think that He is this mean dictator 00:15:43.41\00:15:45.27 and stuff like that. 00:15:45.31\00:15:46.64 I thought that for a little bit of time too. 00:15:46.68\00:15:48.01 He doesn't even exist. Yeah. 00:15:48.04\00:15:49.38 And so they get there 00:15:49.41\00:15:51.11 and not knowing the true and living God is, 00:15:51.15\00:15:53.62 what He's trying to do in our lives 00:15:53.65\00:15:55.38 and stuff like that, it's huge. 00:15:55.42\00:15:56.99 You know, in shaping a man and stuff. 00:15:57.02\00:15:58.65 When you keep hearing it over and over again, then it grows, 00:15:58.69\00:16:03.19 especially if you're not getting fed the truth. 00:16:03.22\00:16:05.43 Yeah, definitely. 00:16:05.46\00:16:06.80 Now you played middle school basketball, 00:16:06.83\00:16:09.50 high school basketball, 00:16:09.53\00:16:10.87 what did you do after you played high school basketball? 00:16:10.90\00:16:12.67 Where did it take you after that? 00:16:12.70\00:16:14.40 I did get a scholarship at the La Sierra. 00:16:14.44\00:16:17.21 I played a year of ball there 00:16:17.24\00:16:19.71 and then I ended up leaving a year 00:16:19.74\00:16:22.31 after that and finished 00:16:22.34\00:16:23.68 my basketball career at Kentucky State University. 00:16:23.71\00:16:25.71 Okay. 00:16:25.75\00:16:27.08 Now had the opportunity 00:16:27.12\00:16:28.45 ever presented itself for the NBA, 00:16:28.48\00:16:32.12 how do you think you would have reacted to that, 00:16:32.15\00:16:33.76 especially not being able to play 00:16:33.79\00:16:35.66 or not desiring to play on the Sabbath? 00:16:35.69\00:16:39.36 Well, you know, like I always say, 00:16:39.39\00:16:41.06 you know, probably I'd be in a contract 00:16:41.10\00:16:43.87 that I won't be playing on the Sabbath 00:16:43.90\00:16:45.33 or anything like that. 00:16:45.37\00:16:47.44 You know, the opportunity would have came, 00:16:47.47\00:16:49.44 I would have went for it 00:16:49.47\00:16:50.97 but as long as they would have been all alright with me 00:16:51.01\00:16:55.78 not playing on the Sabbath, but other than that, 00:16:55.81\00:16:57.85 you know, I'm fine with where I'm at now though. 00:16:57.88\00:17:00.62 Okay, for young people today, 00:17:00.65\00:17:04.42 who, you know, they're tossed and turned 00:17:04.45\00:17:06.55 by so many different things out there. 00:17:06.59\00:17:08.76 In your opinion, 00:17:08.79\00:17:10.13 what do you think that 00:17:10.16\00:17:11.49 they need to allow happen 00:17:11.53\00:17:14.20 for them to get focused on doing what's right? 00:17:14.23\00:17:16.30 Because like I said, your story is amazing, 00:17:16.33\00:17:19.13 you know, you've been reading the Bible 00:17:19.17\00:17:20.77 since eight years old, even younger, 00:17:20.80\00:17:22.60 and into church things. 00:17:22.64\00:17:24.67 You don't find that. Let's be real. 00:17:24.71\00:17:26.98 You don't find that in this day and age. 00:17:27.01\00:17:29.21 I can't name you probably a single individual, 00:17:29.24\00:17:31.45 single young person that I know 00:17:31.48\00:17:33.35 that is really honestly interested in church 00:17:33.38\00:17:36.82 or interested in God. 00:17:36.85\00:17:38.19 Most young people are interested in money, 00:17:38.22\00:17:41.02 girls, guys, whatever, 00:17:41.06\00:17:43.89 playing sports, nothing to do with God. 00:17:43.93\00:17:45.86 You know, anything apart from God 00:17:45.89\00:17:47.46 because God is seen as being "boring." 00:17:47.50\00:17:50.03 But what do you think in your opinion, 00:17:50.07\00:17:51.47 based on your situation growing up, 00:17:51.50\00:17:53.80 would help young people 00:17:53.84\00:17:55.17 to get more focused in doing right, 00:17:55.20\00:17:57.61 in making better decisions in life? 00:17:57.64\00:18:00.28 Just basically helping the young people 00:18:00.31\00:18:03.75 definitely groom into their talent, 00:18:03.78\00:18:05.81 their gift that the Lord has blessed them with, 00:18:05.85\00:18:07.35 you know, embracing that and letting them know 00:18:07.38\00:18:09.75 that they are something to the church, 00:18:09.78\00:18:12.82 that they do bring something to the table, 00:18:12.85\00:18:14.32 that God has so much for them to do, 00:18:14.36\00:18:18.83 you know, and build a relationship, 00:18:18.86\00:18:20.20 don't just be pushing church, 00:18:20.23\00:18:21.93 you know, but push it as a relationship building. 00:18:21.96\00:18:24.43 Like this, you know, when you're in a relationship, 00:18:24.47\00:18:25.90 you know, in that, 00:18:25.93\00:18:27.27 you want somebody to care for you 00:18:27.30\00:18:28.64 and love for you and stuff like that, 00:18:28.67\00:18:30.01 let them know 00:18:30.04\00:18:31.37 that's how Christ feels about you. 00:18:31.41\00:18:32.74 You know what I'm saying? He wants the best for you. 00:18:32.77\00:18:34.11 He wants to give you the best and He already knows, 00:18:34.14\00:18:36.58 you know, what's best for you, and just, you know, trust Him. 00:18:36.61\00:18:39.68 Definitely, definitely. 00:18:39.71\00:18:41.05 Do you have any friends, as you were growing up, who, 00:18:41.08\00:18:44.32 you know, they went down the wrong path, 00:18:44.35\00:18:45.82 you went down the right path 00:18:45.85\00:18:47.69 who had they maybe stayed on that right path with you 00:18:47.72\00:18:52.36 would have been in a better situation now? 00:18:52.39\00:18:54.36 And I'm sure you do because, you know, 00:18:54.40\00:18:55.86 growing up in Louisville, it is kind of, 00:18:55.90\00:18:57.43 you know, rough in some areas, but talk about that. 00:18:57.47\00:19:00.87 Well, definitely. 00:19:00.90\00:19:02.44 You know, I have friends that made, 00:19:02.47\00:19:03.81 you know, decisions at a young age 00:19:03.84\00:19:05.67 that I'm pretty sure they probably regret of making. 00:19:05.71\00:19:08.44 That if, you know, 00:19:08.48\00:19:09.81 they had the chance they'd probably, 00:19:09.84\00:19:11.18 you know, turn back from that. 00:19:11.21\00:19:12.55 You know, like I said, 00:19:12.58\00:19:13.92 you know, I got laughed at at times 00:19:13.95\00:19:15.28 for not playing on the Sabbath, 00:19:15.32\00:19:16.65 even going out and stuff like that. 00:19:16.69\00:19:18.02 But I knew that the Lord's hand was, 00:19:18.05\00:19:19.65 you know, it was on me on that, and pretty sure, 00:19:19.69\00:19:22.32 looking back on it, like I have friends, 00:19:22.36\00:19:23.69 you know what I'm saying, they'd tell me that, 00:19:23.73\00:19:25.06 you know, pray for them, 00:19:25.09\00:19:26.43 you know, reach out for them, and stuff like that. 00:19:26.46\00:19:27.86 I read them a Bible verse or something like, 00:19:27.90\00:19:29.23 they connect with them 00:19:29.26\00:19:30.60 because then they know I got that connection. 00:19:30.63\00:19:32.60 But being willing to channel light, 00:19:32.63\00:19:35.07 you know, let them know that, you know, 00:19:35.10\00:19:36.84 "I'm not afraid to let you know that I know Christ. 00:19:36.87\00:19:39.21 You know what I'm saying, I'm still here for you." 00:19:39.24\00:19:40.58 Okay, now getting laughed at, how did that make you feel? 00:19:40.61\00:19:44.75 Because, you know, a lot of people, they... 00:19:44.78\00:19:46.35 You said earlier that you were the type 00:19:46.38\00:19:48.35 that would stand out a lot. 00:19:48.38\00:19:50.39 But for most of us as young people, 00:19:50.42\00:19:52.22 we kind of just blend in, 00:19:52.25\00:19:53.79 you know, we blend in 00:19:53.82\00:19:55.16 with what everybody else is doing. 00:19:55.19\00:19:56.76 But you were willing to take the ridicule 00:19:56.79\00:19:58.76 of being laughed at, 00:19:58.79\00:20:00.63 joked on, 00:20:00.66\00:20:02.10 probably being the brunt of most people's jokes, 00:20:02.13\00:20:04.33 how did that make you feel? 00:20:04.37\00:20:05.70 I embraced it. Okay. 00:20:05.73\00:20:07.07 You know, like I said, I was different, 00:20:07.10\00:20:08.70 you know, I was just willing. 00:20:08.74\00:20:10.07 And I know through the Bible, you know, it takes sacrifices. 00:20:10.11\00:20:13.34 You know, reading about the people 00:20:13.38\00:20:14.71 in the Bible and, you know, 00:20:14.74\00:20:16.08 even Christ, you know what I'm saying, 00:20:16.11\00:20:17.45 sacrificing their worldly lifestyle, man, 00:20:17.48\00:20:19.28 you know, you got to know where you want to be, 00:20:19.31\00:20:21.92 who you're living for. 00:20:21.95\00:20:23.28 You know, I was like, I always thought, 00:20:23.32\00:20:24.65 you know what I'm saying, 00:20:24.69\00:20:26.02 "Seek Him first and all His righteousness 00:20:26.05\00:20:27.39 and all these things would be added unto you." 00:20:27.42\00:20:28.76 Amen. And that mindset was in me. 00:20:28.79\00:20:31.49 And I was just like, "Man, I'm seeking Him first, 00:20:31.53\00:20:33.09 you know, regardless of what y'all say, 00:20:33.13\00:20:34.46 I'm not here to please y'all, 00:20:34.50\00:20:35.83 I'm here to please Him." 00:20:35.86\00:20:37.20 So it wasn't like, you know, I just took it, 00:20:37.23\00:20:39.67 you know, in their way. 00:20:39.70\00:20:42.07 I was just like, "It don't matter. 00:20:42.10\00:20:43.44 I'm not going to follow the crowd 00:20:43.47\00:20:44.81 because I know who I am." 00:20:44.84\00:20:46.17 Praise the Lord, praise the Lord. 00:20:46.21\00:20:47.54 Now you mentioned 00:20:47.58\00:20:48.91 about the different Bible characters 00:20:48.94\00:20:50.41 that you would read about, 00:20:50.45\00:20:52.81 who are some of the ones that really impacted your life? 00:20:52.85\00:20:56.05 Because, you know, oftentimes when people read the Bible, 00:20:56.08\00:20:58.72 they read this book 00:20:58.75\00:21:00.09 that was written thousands of years ago, 00:21:00.12\00:21:02.29 and sometimes when reading it, it's hard to relate, okay. 00:21:02.32\00:21:05.19 This... 00:21:05.23\00:21:06.56 What this person did happened 3,000 years ago, 00:21:06.59\00:21:10.13 and sometimes people have a problem processing it 00:21:10.17\00:21:12.60 in saying, "How does it relate to my situation today?" 00:21:12.63\00:21:16.67 So when looking at some of these characters, 00:21:16.71\00:21:19.37 who did you kind of relate with? 00:21:19.41\00:21:22.44 I related with Joseph. Okay. 00:21:22.48\00:21:24.08 You know, he was young, got picked on, 00:21:24.11\00:21:27.35 talked about stuff like that, but they didn't let him waver. 00:21:27.38\00:21:30.39 And he also had a relationship with Christ at a young age, 00:21:30.42\00:21:33.02 you know what I'm saying. 00:21:33.05\00:21:34.39 Daniel, the three Hebrew boys, I related to that, and Elijah. 00:21:34.42\00:21:38.43 Okay, okay. 00:21:38.46\00:21:39.79 So those are some of the stories 00:21:39.83\00:21:41.16 that really stand out with me, like, 00:21:41.20\00:21:42.53 you know, I really want to take a stand. 00:21:42.56\00:21:43.90 Okay. Now specifically why Elijah? 00:21:43.93\00:21:46.40 I understand Joseph, 00:21:46.43\00:21:47.77 I understand Daniel and the three Hebrew boys, 00:21:47.80\00:21:49.30 but specifically why Elijah? 00:21:49.34\00:21:50.67 Well, I guess because, 00:21:50.71\00:21:52.04 you know, the battle at Mount Carmel, 00:21:52.07\00:21:54.11 the way he stood up for God. 00:21:54.14\00:21:55.58 Okay, so you like those stories where they stand up for God? 00:21:55.61\00:21:57.95 Yeah, yeah. Okay, keep going. 00:21:57.98\00:21:59.75 So that really stood out for me, 00:21:59.78\00:22:01.25 like no matter what, 00:22:01.28\00:22:02.62 even though everybody wanted to go that way, 00:22:02.65\00:22:04.65 you know, thinking that God don't exists 00:22:04.69\00:22:06.39 and, you know, they're following other Gods 00:22:06.42\00:22:07.76 or doing their own thing, 00:22:07.79\00:22:09.12 you know, bringing in today's time. 00:22:09.16\00:22:10.89 You know, everybody won't be about self 00:22:10.93\00:22:12.26 and stuff like that, 00:22:12.29\00:22:13.63 I want to honor my God, no matter what it takes, 00:22:13.66\00:22:15.63 you know, y'all could laugh and do whatever, 00:22:15.66\00:22:17.00 but I know He is real. 00:22:17.03\00:22:18.37 Praise the Lord. 00:22:18.40\00:22:19.73 Now your mother and your father, 00:22:19.77\00:22:21.10 they separated, 00:22:21.14\00:22:22.47 how is your connection with your parents these days? 00:22:22.50\00:22:24.04 Oh, it's pretty good. 00:22:24.07\00:22:25.41 I still have a relationship with my father 00:22:25.44\00:22:27.41 and, you know, my mom, we tight. 00:22:27.44\00:22:29.38 So it's nothing like friction or anything like that, 00:22:29.41\00:22:32.91 but I definitely have connection 00:22:32.95\00:22:34.38 with both of my parents. 00:22:34.42\00:22:35.75 Now you and your brother are the only two 00:22:35.78\00:22:37.42 that are Seventh-day Adventist. 00:22:37.45\00:22:39.25 When you two finally or you finally accepted 00:22:39.29\00:22:43.53 the Seventh-day Adventist beliefs, 00:22:43.56\00:22:45.09 got baptized in a Seventh-day Adventist church, 00:22:45.13\00:22:47.50 how did your parents react to it? 00:22:47.53\00:22:48.96 Because I've heard stories... 00:22:49.00\00:22:50.37 Like I said, I grew up Seventh-day Adventist, 00:22:50.40\00:22:52.13 so I never had to go from Baptist or Methodist 00:22:52.17\00:22:55.10 to Seventh-day Adventism, 00:22:55.14\00:22:57.81 but how did people react in your family 00:22:57.84\00:23:00.54 since nobody else is Seventh-day Adventist, 00:23:00.58\00:23:02.14 how did they react to you 00:23:02.18\00:23:04.41 when you decided to take a stand and you say, 00:23:04.45\00:23:06.35 "You know what, 00:23:06.38\00:23:07.72 I'm going to be a Seventh-day Adventist Christian. 00:23:07.75\00:23:09.08 I'm going to go to this church 00:23:09.12\00:23:10.45 that goes to church on Saturday, 00:23:10.49\00:23:12.35 totally different 00:23:12.39\00:23:13.72 than what I was raised up to do"? 00:23:13.76\00:23:15.32 How did your family react to that? 00:23:15.36\00:23:17.26 In the beginning, it was tough. 00:23:17.29\00:23:18.83 You know, definitely tough 'cause this is new, 00:23:18.86\00:23:20.60 you know, grew up going to church 00:23:20.63\00:23:21.96 on Sundays and stuff, that's all you're taught. 00:23:22.00\00:23:23.90 And it was definitely tough for me at a young age. 00:23:23.93\00:23:26.57 I'm like, man, you know, who do I listen to? 00:23:26.60\00:23:28.84 It's my mother, 00:23:28.87\00:23:30.21 you know, my parents and my family 00:23:30.24\00:23:31.57 that I love Mom, like, I'm dishonoring, 00:23:31.61\00:23:33.61 but at the same time, this is God. 00:23:33.64\00:23:35.24 Well, you know, my mom, like I said, 00:23:35.28\00:23:37.31 told me to follow Christ and be about Him." 00:23:37.35\00:23:39.81 Christ kept the Sabbath, 00:23:39.85\00:23:41.18 you know, Christ did this, Christ did that, 00:23:41.22\00:23:43.45 I got to stand for Him. 00:23:43.49\00:23:44.89 So, you know, it was just like, you know, for Christ I live, 00:23:44.92\00:23:46.62 for Christ I die. 00:23:46.65\00:23:47.99 I got to roll with it. 00:23:48.02\00:23:49.36 You know, if it meant, 00:23:49.39\00:23:50.73 you know, being different from my family, 00:23:50.76\00:23:53.50 it just had to be. 00:23:53.53\00:23:54.86 But over time, 00:23:54.90\00:23:56.23 you know, they start seeing things and stuff, 00:23:56.26\00:23:58.30 you know, the change 00:23:58.33\00:23:59.67 that the Lord was making in my life, 00:23:59.70\00:24:01.04 you know, and it was powerful. 00:24:01.07\00:24:02.40 I mean you can do nothing about 00:24:02.44\00:24:04.31 that when the Lord is moving in your life, 00:24:04.34\00:24:05.67 and they started, 00:24:05.71\00:24:07.04 you know, coming around and stuff like that, 00:24:07.08\00:24:08.41 so it's been a blessing. 00:24:08.44\00:24:09.78 How much of a witness do you think 00:24:09.81\00:24:11.31 your life has been? 00:24:11.35\00:24:12.68 Because not only have you had to stand up 00:24:12.71\00:24:14.45 to your peers, 00:24:14.48\00:24:15.85 you know, your basketball team, 00:24:15.88\00:24:17.22 your friends who didn't quite always understand, 00:24:17.25\00:24:20.19 you know, what you were doing, the decisions you were making, 00:24:20.22\00:24:22.82 but you had to stand up to teachers, coaches, family, 00:24:22.86\00:24:26.70 I mean pretty much your whole life 00:24:26.73\00:24:29.30 has been about standing up to people 00:24:29.33\00:24:31.77 and sharing your faith. 00:24:31.80\00:24:33.17 How much of a blessing do you think 00:24:33.20\00:24:34.80 your witness has been upon others? 00:24:34.84\00:24:37.71 Man, I guess it's one of those that you won't know, 00:24:37.74\00:24:40.74 you know, till Christ comes back 00:24:40.78\00:24:42.34 and you see that, you know. 00:24:42.38\00:24:43.95 But I have had, 00:24:43.98\00:24:45.48 you know, people come to me, man, 00:24:45.51\00:24:47.28 and be like, "Man, that was tough 00:24:47.32\00:24:48.88 what you did, man, 00:24:48.92\00:24:50.25 the way that you stand up for your faith 00:24:50.29\00:24:51.62 and stuff like that." 00:24:51.65\00:24:52.99 So it's pretty cool, you know, to have people to be able to, 00:24:53.02\00:24:54.96 you know, pray with them or talk to them about the Lord 00:24:54.99\00:24:56.59 and stuff like that. 00:24:56.62\00:24:57.96 That's been one of the biggest things of that. 00:24:57.99\00:24:59.86 But, you know, I guess I never really, 00:24:59.89\00:25:01.90 you know, felt like, 00:25:01.93\00:25:03.26 you know, people would come to me and be like, 00:25:03.30\00:25:04.63 "Wow, man, that has been a major impact." 00:25:04.67\00:25:06.00 But I won't know until He comes back. 00:25:06.03\00:25:07.37 Yeah, yeah, definitely. 00:25:07.40\00:25:08.74 Now you had a strong mother 00:25:08.77\00:25:10.11 who, you know, taught you to follow the Lord 00:25:10.14\00:25:13.41 and you used basketball. 00:25:13.44\00:25:15.88 Now there are some young people out there 00:25:15.91\00:25:17.58 that don't play sports, 00:25:17.61\00:25:20.15 they don't have a positive influence 00:25:20.18\00:25:21.52 in their life, 00:25:21.55\00:25:22.88 everything around them is negative. 00:25:22.92\00:25:24.62 How can that individual be a Joseph, be a Daniel, 00:25:24.65\00:25:29.66 be an Elijah in that situation? 00:25:29.69\00:25:32.66 In your opinion, what do you think? 00:25:32.69\00:25:34.76 Know Christ for yourself. Okay. 00:25:34.80\00:25:36.36 You know, regardless of what they say, 00:25:36.40\00:25:38.97 you know, go know Him for yourself. 00:25:39.00\00:25:40.90 Don't let nobody else, you know, tell you. 00:25:40.94\00:25:43.04 You got to go experience it for yourself. 00:25:43.07\00:25:44.87 And age, it doesn't matter how old you are. 00:25:44.91\00:25:47.38 Don't let when you get older think 00:25:47.41\00:25:49.24 that this is when you're supposed to know Christ, 00:25:49.28\00:25:50.61 know Christ now. 00:25:50.65\00:25:51.98 Yeah, definitely, definitely. 00:25:52.01\00:25:53.35 Now was there a plan for you 00:25:53.38\00:25:54.98 when you started to read the Bible, 00:25:55.02\00:25:56.48 how you would read it? 00:25:56.52\00:25:57.85 Because I know for myself 00:25:57.89\00:25:59.22 what I would do is when I began to change my life, 00:25:59.25\00:26:01.16 I was committed to two things, actually three things. 00:26:01.19\00:26:03.73 I was committed to praying every day, 00:26:03.76\00:26:05.39 I was committed to reading one chapter 00:26:05.43\00:26:06.80 out of the Bible each day, 00:26:06.83\00:26:08.16 and I was committed to reading one chapter 00:26:08.20\00:26:09.53 out of Patriarchs and Prophets every single day, 00:26:09.56\00:26:11.40 no matter what I did. 00:26:11.43\00:26:12.77 You know, I would even find myself 00:26:12.80\00:26:14.14 later on that day getting high, 00:26:14.17\00:26:15.50 doing something I had no business doing, 00:26:15.54\00:26:17.01 but I was committed to that. 00:26:17.04\00:26:18.61 And as I continued to do that every single day, 00:26:18.64\00:26:20.91 I started to see the different habits just stop. 00:26:20.94\00:26:24.15 What kind of plan did you have yourself on 00:26:24.18\00:26:27.22 in terms of reading the Bible every day? 00:26:27.25\00:26:28.88 Well, just basically, 00:26:28.92\00:26:30.25 like I carry my Bible study packet with me. 00:26:30.29\00:26:33.52 So it's just like... 00:26:33.56\00:26:34.89 That's so hard to believe. I know. 00:26:34.92\00:26:36.89 Because I would write too, 00:26:36.93\00:26:38.26 I used to write rhyme stuff like that, 00:26:38.29\00:26:39.76 so I would write 00:26:39.79\00:26:41.46 and then read and stuff like that, 00:26:41.50\00:26:42.83 so I would carry it with me so I would have those with me, 00:26:42.86\00:26:45.13 you know, to go over. 00:26:45.17\00:26:46.50 And then if I wanted to touch on different stuff, 00:26:46.53\00:26:47.87 I tried to research it in church 00:26:47.90\00:26:49.30 or something like that. 00:26:49.34\00:26:50.67 So you might just be sitting somewhere one day, 00:26:50.71\00:26:52.04 sitting around your friends, 00:26:52.07\00:26:53.41 you just pull out a Bible study lesson, 00:26:53.44\00:26:54.78 pull out a Bible and start working on a Bible, 00:26:54.81\00:26:56.14 right? Yes. 00:26:56.18\00:26:57.51 Wow! That's amazing. 00:26:57.55\00:26:58.88 What I want you to do, 00:26:58.91\00:27:00.25 I want you to take about 30 seconds 00:27:00.28\00:27:01.62 and I want you to look into the camera, 00:27:01.65\00:27:02.98 and I want you to talk to that young individual 00:27:03.02\00:27:05.09 who maybe they want to be a Daniel, 00:27:05.12\00:27:07.09 they want to be a Joseph, they want to be an Elijah, 00:27:07.12\00:27:09.69 they want to be a Jermaine Bentley, 00:27:09.72\00:27:11.43 but they don't have the things around them to do that. 00:27:11.46\00:27:14.53 They don't have that positive influence, 00:27:14.56\00:27:17.73 they may not even have 00:27:17.77\00:27:19.10 that strong determination to read the Bible, 00:27:19.13\00:27:21.24 but they want to just a small amount, 00:27:21.27\00:27:23.64 speak to that young person 00:27:23.67\00:27:25.01 and give them some words of encouragement. 00:27:25.04\00:27:26.68 You know, folks, 00:27:26.71\00:27:28.04 just know that you are different in Christ, 00:27:28.08\00:27:30.05 you know, you're only different only in Him, 00:27:30.08\00:27:32.58 so let Him guide you 00:27:32.61\00:27:33.95 and don't be afraid to stand out 00:27:33.98\00:27:35.52 and know Christ for yourself. 00:27:35.55\00:27:37.39 All right. 00:27:37.42\00:27:39.12 Well, Jermaine, 00:27:39.15\00:27:40.49 I want to thank you for being on the program. 00:27:40.52\00:27:41.99 Like I said, it's a very powerful testimony. 00:27:42.02\00:27:44.09 I don't meet people like you on a regular basis 00:27:44.13\00:27:47.46 who had a determination to want to serve God at a young age. 00:27:47.50\00:27:52.27 So I definitely appreciate you being on the program, 00:27:52.30\00:27:54.80 I know that your testimony will touch many people's lives, 00:27:54.84\00:27:58.27 just all of the blessings to you, okay? 00:27:58.31\00:27:59.64 All right. Appreciate it, Jermaine. 00:27:59.67\00:28:01.01 Thank you. 00:28:01.04\00:28:02.38 Viewers, we'd like to thank you for tuning in once again 00:28:02.41\00:28:03.88 for another exciting program of The New Journey. 00:28:03.91\00:28:06.61 Be sure to tune in next time. Until then, God bless. 00:28:06.65\00:28:09.42