Stephen McWhirter: Healed And Whole | Life Today

April 7, 2026 | 27:29

The singer and author of “Radically Restored” shares his rough road to Jesus and the inspiration behind his song “Come Jesus Come.”

#PersonalStory #Testimony #Abuse #Trauma #Hurting #BrokenHeart #Brokenness #Pain #Despair #Healing #Restoration #Drugs #Addiction #Hatred #Anger #HolySpirit #Change #Transformation #LoveofGod #Jesus #Convert/Conversion #Grace #Forgiveness #Bitterness #JamesRobison #BettyRobison

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Life Today with James Robison | Stephen McWhirter: Healed And Whole | Life Today | April 7, 2026

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Male announcer: the following program is sponsored by friends
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Of life outreach international and the friends
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And partners of tbn.
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Stephen mcwhirter: i would see him physically, violently abuse
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My mom for most of my childhood.
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Announcer: the trauma of an abusive household hardened
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Stephen mcwhirter to any mention of jesus.
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Stephen: at a young age, you know, i just decided, well, if
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God's real, he's not good, and i don't want anything to do with
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This jesus guy.
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And so at a very young age, my earthly father and my heavenly
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Father became the villains in my story.
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Announcer: god broke through pain
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And radically restored him, next.
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[music]
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Randy robison: welcome to "life today," i'm randy robinson, and
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I have a guest for you.
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Many of you have heard stephen mcwhirter.
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Over 100 million views just on one song.
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He's a dove award winner, a grammy nominee, but he has not
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Just a great voice, but a great testimony.
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So i'm excited for you to hear that today.
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It will encourage you wherever you're at.
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Maybe you have a loved one that is far from god.
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When jesus shows up, it changes everything, and you're gonna
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Hear about it.
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Stephen, welcome to "life today."
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Stephen: ah, it's good to be here, man.
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Thanks for having me.
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Randy: how long have you been--how long since you came
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Out of--
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Stephen: stopped doing bad things?
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Randy: stopped doing, yeah.
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Stephen: never, no, i--yeah, it's been over 20 years since i
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Gave my life to jesus.
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Randy: did you ever think you'd be the place that you're at on a
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Christian tv show standing in front of people?
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Stephen: no, furthest thing from it.
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I thought i'd be dead or in prison or something like that.
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That sounds dramatic, but it's totally real.
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Randy: so, take us back, because you grew up a preacher's kid,
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Like me.
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Stephen: yeah, i don't know if it's worse or what, but an
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Evangelist's son, so ek, i guess, but you know, my dad was
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A traveling evangelist, and we would go from church camp to
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Church camp, but the guy that i saw get up and preach on a
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Pulpit was different than the guy i saw behind closed doors.
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I would see him physically, violently abuse my mom for most
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Of my childhood, and there was a lot of trauma in that, right?
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But at a young age, you know, i just decided, well, if god's
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Real, he's not good, and i don't want anything to do with this
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Jesus guy.
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And so at a very young age, my earthly father and my heavenly
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Father became the villains in my story.
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And so at 11 years old i started smoking, drinking, marijuana,
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That kind of stuff.
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By the time i was 15, it was cocaine, pills, i'm selling
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Drugs, you name it.
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By the time i was 17, i was a full-out crystal meth addict,
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And i was using every day for many years, and throughout this
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Time, i was the guy who hated christianity, hated jesus, like
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Would have cussed you out if you mentioned his name around me or
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Tried to knock you out, because i told you, you know, i was a
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Meth addict, so i weighed like 100 pounds, so if i threw my
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Whole body at you, you might have got a paper cut, you know
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What i'm saying?
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But, you know, but god was after me, man.
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People were praying for me, i mean, really praying for me to
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Come to jesus.
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Randy: were you singing during this time?
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Stephen: i was in metal bands screaming my head off, you know,
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Like that every night, people beating themselves up in front
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Of me, but yeah, i was--music's kind of always been there,
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You know?
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But, yeah, i mean, and these people were praying for me, and
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I believe, you know, god, like was after me, right?
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Randy: yeah, well no, yeah, absolutely.
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I mean, the hound of heaven, right?
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And that's a beautiful thing, but the trauma there, i mean, i
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Get it.
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Fortunately, you know, the guy that everybody's seeing on tv
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With my dad of the evangelist is the guy you have at home.
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Now, he's not perfect, and you have to kind of reconcile that,
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But to put god onto our earthly fathers is a thing that a lot of
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People do.
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In other words, we have an imperfect earthly father, we
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Think god's, in your case, the villain.
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How did that break in you?
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Stephen: yeah, you can't underestimate the significance
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Of a parent's role in your life, right?
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And many of us do.
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We see our parents, or we see not just our parents, we see god
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Through these broken people, and we say that's what god's like,
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But he's the source of goodness, it's not just something he does.
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When moses goes up in the mountain, he says, "show me
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Your glory."
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Of all that god could have said, he said, "i'll let all my
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Goodness go before you."
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If you've ever wanted something good in your life, you've wanted
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God and didn't know it, it's him, he's the source.
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I didn't know that then, i didn't even believe it.
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I thought that i should want what god wants for my life
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Because it's good for him, but it's a bummer for me, right?
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So i should want it, but i didn't understand that he's
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The source.
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Randy: what changed it?
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Stephen: well, you know, as i said, people were praying for
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Me, and somebody came and gave me this book called "the case
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For christ" by lee strobel.
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Lee wrote that great book that's about, you know, evidence for
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The resurrection of jesus.
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Now, having told you how much i hated jesus, and if anybody out
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There watching knows what i'm talking about, that person that
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You look at him, you go if there was ever an enemy of the cross,
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It's that guy, that was me.
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So this is the most miraculous part of the story, because when
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They offered me the book, i didn't like cause an episode and
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Kick him out of my house.
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I was like, cool, whatever, give me this stupid book, and threw
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It in this room.
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Fast forward, 3 o'clock in the morning, nobody's playing music
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Softly in the corner, making everything i say sound more
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Spiritual, you know?
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But it's the kindness of a very real god.
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I mean, i had drugs on the side table next to me.
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It is seemingly the most impossible place for somebody to
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Get saved, might even be offensive to some.
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But in this room i knew god was there.
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Like, i knew he was in the room, and i just remember being like,
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God, i wanna give you my life, i wanna quit all this addiction,
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All this darkness, all this anger, all this depression.
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I've known for so long, god, i want to, but there's no way, i
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Can't do it.
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And you have to understand at this point i've been in
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Addiction for almost, you know, 12 years, over 11 years.
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I couldn't imagine who i was without this, you know?
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This world that i've built around myself.
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So when i said god i want to, but i can't, i meant it, and he
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Knew it, and in a thought more powerful than words, i knew the
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Holy spirit was speaking something into me that changed
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Me for the rest of my life, and it was this, "stephen, you won't
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Do it, i'll do it."
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And i didn't know it then, i know it now, this is ephesians
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2:8, you're saved by grace, this isn't something you can boast
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About, it's a work of god, he does it.
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Now, there's something we can do.
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John 6:29 says the only work the father asks of you, this is
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Jesus saying this, the only work the father asks of you is
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To believe.
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Randy: believe, that's right.
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Stephen: and in that moment, that's what i did.
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I mean, i took god at his word, i believed him like i believe
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I'm breathing air right now, randy, you know?
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And i fell on my knees, and i gave my life to jesus, and i
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Went from addiction to redemption, from meth addict to
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Worship leader, from death to life, ugly crown on the floor,
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Boogers coming out of my nose, and i just--the rest
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Is history.
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I literally went from this moment in this room where i quit
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Everything overnight, which people hear that, and they say
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You can't, you don't--i've had some people say you can't
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Say that.
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Oh, i can't lie either, this is what happened, but i will say
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This, be encouraged.
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If you're seeing this, and you're somebody who's struggling
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In addiction or whatever it is, if it takes you 6 times, 11
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Times, whatever it is, and you fall at the feet of jesus, and
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You mean it, he's gonna use your story to draw people to him,
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Because if you read the gospels, jesus never healed anyone the
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Same way twice.
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Every story has a purpose, so be encouraged by that.
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Randy: and, you know, i've seen with whether it's healing from
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Trauma or freedom from drug addiction, all the things that
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We struggle with, i've seen the instantaneous, and i've also
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Seen that long walk like the israelites took from their
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Deliverance from slavery in egypt, to get to the promised
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Land they had to go through a desert, and it's because god had
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To teach them, so it doesn't--
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Stephen: i may have quit drugs overnight, but there was still
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Plenty of other messed-up things to deal with me for years to
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Come, but you know, probably the craziest thing is this.
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You give your life to jesus, right?
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It's like a pebble in the ocean in that moment that begins to
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Ripple out and becomes like a tsunami of grace and restoration
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Hitting parts of your life you would have never imagined.
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I knew that god was calling me in this moment to forgive
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My father.
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Now, at this moment, my dad hadn't physically like abused my
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Mom or anything like that for over almost, you know, 10 years,
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11 years, that did not matter to me.
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I honestly wish my mom would've left my dad, which you'll see in
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This book, right?
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But she didn't for whatever reason, and if you're not safe,
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Get safe if anybody's hearing this, i don't condone it, but
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She stayed with him, and i knew i needed to forgive him.
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I went to forgive my dad.
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It was not a--it's not a moment you'd put in a movie, okay?
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'cause i was--it was super-awkward.
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I was just like, hey dad, we gotta talk, i forgive you for
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All the things.
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He looks at me like a deer in headlights, and it's like, okay,
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Thanks, and i leave the room.
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It was just totally awkward.
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There's no beam of light or a bird on my shoulder.
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It was just weird, right?
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And fast forward, i knew god had done something, though, beyond
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What i experienced that moment.
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My fiancée, which is my wife now, said, "hey, i want your dad
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To baptize us."
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And i'm like, i hate this idea, okay.
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On our way to get baptized, my wife and i got in the biggest
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Screaming, cussing match ever on our way to get baptized.
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We knew god was up to something.
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We go, my dad baptizes us.
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My mom tells me later that my dad wept all night, because he
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Was thinking can god actually restore what i've broken?
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Fast forward a little bit more, my fiancée, about to be my wife,
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Wants my dad to perform our wedding ceremony.
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I'm starting to think this marriage is not gonna work
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Out, randy.
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Anyways, my dad does it.
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Now, at this point, at the point of this interview with you right
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Now, my dad's been passed from cancer, gosh, 12 years ago or
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Something, and i sat in the hospital room with him as--the
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Hospice, and he's in a coma.
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You know that point where people--if you know anybody
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That's ever gone through this, they're in the state of a coma
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For some time, and the nurses and the doctors will tell you,
00:10:44.400 --> 00:10:47.103
Hey, tell them it's okay to let go, and they usually will pass
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Not too long after that.
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It's a really difficult moment.
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We've been doing this with my dad for a week or so, and i was
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The only person in the room with him at one moment, and i see him
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Struggling to breathe, and i think about when peter comes to
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Jesus, and he says how many times should i forgive someone
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Who's done something wrong?
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Is it seven times?
00:11:09.625 --> 00:11:10.960
That seems like a lot.
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Jesus is like, no, 7 times 77, you just do it, you don't stop,
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You let it be complete, and you let it keep going.
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So, i leaned into my dad one last time as he's in a coma,
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With tears in my eyes for real, i just said, "dad, i love you,
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And i forgive you, really," and he breathed his last breath in
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That moment and left this--soul left his body.
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And in that moment i knew that god was like--the most
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Jesus-like thing you and i can do on this side of eternity is
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To forgive.
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It doesn't mean we condone things, but it means we take a
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Debt, a legitimate debt that somebody owes us, and we rip
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It up.
00:11:51.000 --> 00:11:52.368
That doesn't always mean you're gonna be in a relationship with
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That person.
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That doesn't mean you have to keep doing life with them, but
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The most like jesus you can be is to actually forgive.
00:11:58.174 --> 00:12:02.478
Randy: yeah, well, that's the greatest miracle that we have
00:12:02.478 --> 00:12:05.481
That jesus performed, because sin is what keeps us separated
00:12:05.481 --> 00:12:09.118
From god, and when jesus came in and said that he had the power
00:12:09.118 --> 00:12:12.254
To forgive our sins, that's how we're--we are radically
00:12:12.254 --> 00:12:16.158
Restored to god.
00:12:16.158 --> 00:12:17.827
So, yeah, absolutely.
00:12:17.827 --> 00:12:19.195
I wanna show people your book real quick, because i didn't
00:12:19.195 --> 00:12:21.130
Mention it at the top, "radically restored."
00:12:21.130 --> 00:12:24.433
This is stephen's story.
00:12:24.433 --> 00:12:26.202
You can pick it up wherever you get books.
00:12:26.202 --> 00:12:28.671
I love the foreword, it's by lee strobel, great guy, right?
00:12:28.671 --> 00:12:31.440
Stephen: i read lee's book, man.
00:12:31.440 --> 00:12:32.808
I gotta tell you, imagine going back 20 years to the guy in that
00:12:32.808 --> 00:12:35.477
Room, 3 o'clock in the morning, and being like, hey--like god's
00:12:35.477 --> 00:12:39.281
Like, "hey, 20 years or more from now you're gonna write a
00:12:39.281 --> 00:12:41.517
Book, and the guy whose book you're reading will write the
00:12:41.517 --> 00:12:44.787
Foreword, and i'm gonna use your story to reach more people."
00:12:44.787 --> 00:12:48.390
This is the kingdom.
00:12:48.390 --> 00:12:49.758
Randy: okay, now god's using your music to reach a lot of
00:12:49.758 --> 00:12:51.694
People, and there's one song in particular that has really made
00:12:51.694 --> 00:12:56.832
An impact, "come jesus come."
00:12:56.832 --> 00:12:58.234
I would love to send you over to our other set
00:12:58.234 --> 00:13:01.103
And let us hear that song, can we do that?
00:13:01.103 --> 00:13:03.239
Stephen: sure.
00:13:03.239 --> 00:13:04.673
Randy: all right, this is "come jesus come"
00:13:04.673 --> 00:13:06.275
By stephen mcwhirter.
00:13:06.275 --> 00:13:08.444
[music]
00:13:08.444 --> 00:13:13.349
♪ sometimes i fall ♪
00:13:13.349 --> 00:13:18.954
♪ to my knees and pray ♪
00:13:20.389 --> 00:13:24.159
♪ come jesus come ♪
00:13:27.696 --> 00:13:31.467
♪ let today be the day ♪
00:13:33.836 --> 00:13:38.073
♪ sometime i feel ♪
00:13:40.843 --> 00:13:45.314
♪ like i'm gonna break ♪
00:13:47.483 --> 00:13:52.321
♪ but i'm holding on ♪
00:13:54.189 --> 00:13:58.093
♪ to a hope that won't fade ♪
00:14:00.663 --> 00:14:04.600
♪ come jesus come ♪
00:14:07.703 --> 00:14:12.608
♪ we've been waiting so long ♪
00:14:13.976 --> 00:14:19.648
♪ for the day you return ♪
00:14:20.749 --> 00:14:24.753
♪ to heal every hurt ♪
00:14:24.753 --> 00:14:27.957
♪ and right every wrong ♪
00:14:27.957 --> 00:14:34.496
♪ we need you right now ♪
00:14:34.496 --> 00:14:39.668
♪ come and turn this around ♪
00:14:40.903 --> 00:14:46.308
♪ deep down i know ♪
00:14:48.243 --> 00:14:51.814
♪ this world isn't home ♪
00:14:51.814 --> 00:14:55.084
♪ come jesus come ♪
00:14:55.084 --> 00:15:00.956
♪ come jesus come ♪
00:15:01.757 --> 00:15:05.661
♪ one day he'll come ♪
00:15:08.430 --> 00:15:12.501
♪ and we'll stand face to face ♪
00:15:14.803 --> 00:15:18.841
♪ come and lay it all down ♪
00:15:21.510 --> 00:15:24.980
♪ 'cause it might be today ♪
00:15:27.816 --> 00:15:31.220
♪ the time is right now ♪
00:15:34.857 --> 00:15:39.628
♪ there's no need to wait ♪
00:15:41.397 --> 00:15:46.135
♪ your past will be washed ♪
00:15:48.203 --> 00:15:52.508
♪ by rivers of grace ♪
00:15:54.743 --> 00:15:58.814
♪ come jesus come ♪
00:16:01.450 --> 00:16:05.921
♪ we've been waiting so long ♪
00:16:07.623 --> 00:16:14.096
♪ for the day you return ♪
00:16:14.096 --> 00:16:18.367
♪ to heal every hurt ♪
00:16:18.367 --> 00:16:21.270
♪ and right every wrong ♪
00:16:21.270 --> 00:16:27.976
♪ we need you right now ♪
00:16:27.976 --> 00:16:34.183
♪ come and turn this around ♪
00:16:34.183 --> 00:16:39.822
♪ deep down i know ♪
00:16:41.457 --> 00:16:44.560
♪ this world isn't home ♪
00:16:44.560 --> 00:16:48.063
♪ come jesus come ♪
00:16:48.063 --> 00:16:53.702
♪ come jesus come ♪
00:16:54.536 --> 00:17:00.109
♪ come jesus come ♪
00:17:00.943 --> 00:17:07.449
♪ come jesus come ♪♪
00:17:11.053 --> 00:17:16.725
[music]
00:17:17.559 --> 00:17:33.442
Randy: wow, stephen, man, where'd that come from?
00:17:27.569 --> 00:17:37.146
Stephen: my wife and i literally sat in our basement in 2020
00:17:37.146 --> 00:17:40.983
Weeping and reading revelation, the last chapter.
00:17:40.983 --> 00:17:44.686
That was during the pandemic, so maybe we were like this feels
00:17:44.686 --> 00:17:47.523
Like the end time, let's cram for the test, right?
00:17:47.523 --> 00:17:50.459
But we were in revelation 22, verse 20, where jesus says,
00:17:50.459 --> 00:17:54.963
"behold, i'm coming soon."
00:17:54.963 --> 00:17:56.832
And then right after it says come lord jesus, and we were
00:17:56.832 --> 00:17:59.668
Worshiping and just weeping, and we were singing what was the
00:17:59.668 --> 00:18:02.671
First verse of that song and all this stuff, and we were learning
00:18:02.671 --> 00:18:05.474
What it means to like really long for jesus to return, like
00:18:05.474 --> 00:18:08.377
To love people better here and now towards that day, to build
00:18:08.377 --> 00:18:11.647
Things that matter more here and now towards that day.
00:18:11.647 --> 00:18:14.550
And we ended up finishing the song off with some really good
00:18:14.550 --> 00:18:17.019
Friends of ours, hank bentley, bryan fowler.
00:18:17.019 --> 00:18:19.221
That was 6 years ago, right?
00:18:19.221 --> 00:18:21.356
At the time i was with a record label, and i brought them a
00:18:21.356 --> 00:18:23.725
Song, and i was like, "man, i feel like god's breathing
00:18:23.725 --> 00:18:25.561
On this."
00:18:25.561 --> 00:18:26.895
And they're like, "nah, we'll pass."
00:18:26.895 --> 00:18:28.263
And they actually dropped me from my deal.
00:18:28.263 --> 00:18:29.665
We will not mention who they were.
00:18:29.665 --> 00:18:31.033
They dropped me from my deal like a couple of weeks later.
00:18:31.033 --> 00:18:32.634
I'm like, "okay, jesus, i just-- i guess this is just you and
00:18:32.634 --> 00:18:35.237
Me," right?
00:18:35.237 --> 00:18:36.572
And so that's what i did, singing to jesus.
00:18:36.572 --> 00:18:38.607
But we were putting like, you know, clips on tiktok and
00:18:38.607 --> 00:18:42.311
Instagram and all these things, and at one point, like 4 years
00:18:42.311 --> 00:18:46.048
Later after me just not giving up on what god wanted to do with
00:18:46.048 --> 00:18:49.117
The song, and i mean i sent it to radio people, all kinds of--
00:18:49.117 --> 00:18:51.053
Crickets, nothing, and just some acoustic version of me singing
00:18:51.053 --> 00:18:55.090
Goes viral, and next thing you know we're starting to get like
00:18:55.090 --> 00:18:58.293
100 million views of this song, it's crazy.
00:18:58.293 --> 00:19:01.063
And so it was really a longing for jesus to return.
00:19:01.063 --> 00:19:04.299
Randy: interesting, you know, and here's the beauty of it.
00:19:04.299 --> 00:19:06.702
Jesus, when he left, he sent the holy spirit to be with you, so
00:19:06.702 --> 00:19:10.272
The holy spirit's with you.
00:19:10.272 --> 00:19:12.608
If you want someone to pray with you, we've got people who would
00:19:12.608 --> 00:19:16.245
Love to just pray with you, but god is with you, he hasn't
00:19:16.245 --> 00:19:18.981
Left you.
00:19:18.981 --> 00:19:20.349
He'll never leave you or forsake you.
00:19:20.349 --> 00:19:22.050
That's the beauty of what jesus has done for us.
00:19:22.050 --> 00:19:24.586
But again, that phone number right there, if you just wanna
00:19:24.586 --> 00:19:27.222
Talk to somebody, pick that up.
00:19:27.222 --> 00:19:29.691
But i wanna show you an opportunity to be the expression
00:19:29.691 --> 00:19:34.062
Of god in this world to help heal every hurt.
00:19:34.062 --> 00:19:39.067
You can do that today.
00:19:39.067 --> 00:19:41.036
By following christ's example, reaching out and saying to
00:19:41.036 --> 00:19:44.706
Someone that we care and we're gonna put our faith into action.
00:19:44.706 --> 00:19:50.279
We want you to be a part of a $600,000 project, because that's
00:19:50.279 --> 00:19:55.617
What it'll take to renovate this hospital.
00:19:55.617 --> 00:19:59.221
We're calling it the hope for children project, because that's
00:19:59.221 --> 00:20:03.225
Exactly what it is.
00:20:03.225 --> 00:20:05.127
Randy: i want you to take a look at those two children.
00:20:05.127 --> 00:20:08.096
When you look at the before, you see how difficult it is for
00:20:08.096 --> 00:20:13.201
Those children.
00:20:13.201 --> 00:20:14.569
I don't know how they're walking, but they get around.
00:20:14.569 --> 00:20:16.805
But you know what?
00:20:16.805 --> 00:20:18.240
It's difficult.
00:20:18.240 --> 00:20:19.608
When you see those after pictures, the children running,
00:20:19.608 --> 00:20:24.279
That is such a beautiful picture of what's happening right now
00:20:24.279 --> 00:20:28.950
With our partners there in zimbabwe at that hospital.
00:20:28.950 --> 00:20:32.554
But listen, they need more space, they need more surgical
00:20:32.554 --> 00:20:38.760
Rooms so that they can accommodate more children.
00:20:38.760 --> 00:20:41.463
Those doctors are so dedicated.
00:20:41.463 --> 00:20:45.300
Those brothers and sisters in christ with you and i who are
00:20:45.300 --> 00:20:48.570
Followers of jesus, the first thing they do with a child who's
00:20:48.570 --> 00:20:52.741
Coming in for surgery is they pray with them.
00:20:52.741 --> 00:20:56.645
They share god's love in word and deed.
00:20:56.645 --> 00:21:01.550
I love those doctors who say we are tools in god's hands, and
00:21:01.550 --> 00:21:05.987
You know what?
00:21:05.987 --> 00:21:07.356
Their skill, their time, their expertise, they give freely.
00:21:07.356 --> 00:21:12.961
Those children, the families of those children, they don't pay a
00:21:12.961 --> 00:21:17.866
Thing for those surgeries.
00:21:17.866 --> 00:21:19.668
Their lives are changed because of the love of god and the
00:21:19.668 --> 00:21:24.206
Support of people just like you.
00:21:24.206 --> 00:21:27.376
You can give hope, you can give a new opportunity at life for so
00:21:27.376 --> 00:21:35.817
Many children.
00:21:35.817 --> 00:21:37.552
Will you do it right now?
00:21:37.552 --> 00:21:38.920
We really need to hear from you.
00:21:38.920 --> 00:21:41.490
Go online, go to the phone, make the best gift that you can.
00:21:41.490 --> 00:21:45.193
Announcer: many children in africa are born with severe
00:21:46.528 --> 00:21:48.864
Deformities or suffer life-altering injuries,
00:21:48.864 --> 00:21:51.767
Conditions like club feet, windswept legs, and untreated
00:21:51.767 --> 00:21:55.203
Fractures force them to live in pain because help is out
00:21:55.203 --> 00:21:58.640
Of reach.
00:21:58.640 --> 00:22:00.008
But you can offer healing today.
00:22:00.008 --> 00:22:02.210
Our mission partner in zimbabwe runs a children's hospital now
00:22:02.210 --> 00:22:06.081
At capacity and in urgent need of renovation and expansion.
00:22:06.081 --> 00:22:10.385
With a $600,000 goal and only a short period of time to raise
00:22:10.385 --> 00:22:14.055
The necessary funds, your best gift today helps children
00:22:14.055 --> 00:22:17.993
Receive the surgical care they need at no cost to the families.
00:22:17.993 --> 00:22:21.930
Together we can heal precious lives and reveal the love
00:22:21.930 --> 00:22:25.567
Of jesus.
00:22:25.567 --> 00:22:26.902
With a gift of any amount, we'll send you the "global impact of
00:22:26.902 --> 00:22:30.338
Life" journal, featuring inspiring photos from
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Life's outreaches.
00:22:33.408 --> 00:22:34.743
This beautiful journal is a reminder that your prayers and
00:22:34.743 --> 00:22:37.579
Partnership are making a global difference.
00:22:37.579 --> 00:22:40.782
With your gift of $126 or more, you may request "a life of
00:22:40.782 --> 00:22:45.387
Compassion" coffee table book, capturing life outreach's heart
00:22:45.387 --> 00:22:48.857
For the world.
00:22:48.857 --> 00:22:50.192
Each page pairs timeless bible verses with vivid mission field
00:22:50.192 --> 00:22:53.829
Photography, making god's word visible in action.
00:22:53.829 --> 00:22:58.133
Finally, please consider a gift of $1,026 to help with the
00:22:58.133 --> 00:23:02.404
Expansion of operating rooms so children are no longer turned
00:23:02.404 --> 00:23:05.807
Away and request life's beautiful bronze sculpture, the
00:23:05.807 --> 00:23:09.511
Good shepherd.
00:23:09.511 --> 00:23:10.879
Please call, write, or make your gift online today.
00:23:10.879 --> 00:23:13.915
Randy: i do hope you're going online, get on the phone, make
00:23:16.918 --> 00:23:18.520
The best gift you can, we need to get this done.
00:23:18.520 --> 00:23:21.523
It will bless many people, and it'll only happen because
00:23:21.523 --> 00:23:24.359
Of you.
00:23:24.359 --> 00:23:25.727
Stephen, man, thanks for spending a little time with us,
00:23:25.727 --> 00:23:27.863
Sharing your voice with us.
00:23:27.863 --> 00:23:29.197
Stephen: thanks.
00:23:29.197 --> 00:23:30.565
Randy: if somebody wants to check out the book, kind of see
00:23:30.565 --> 00:23:32.200
What you're about, what's a good website for you?
00:23:32.200 --> 00:23:34.202
Stephen: go to radicallyrestoredbook.com.
00:23:34.202 --> 00:23:36.538
That'll get you to all things me.
00:23:36.538 --> 00:23:39.174
Randy: yeah, all all good things, man, thank you.
00:23:39.174 --> 00:23:41.710
Hey, i appreciate you guys being here as well.
00:23:41.710 --> 00:23:44.713
Come back, we've got more encouragement for you
00:23:44.713 --> 00:23:46.982
On "life today."
00:23:46.982 --> 00:23:48.350
[music]
00:23:50.085 --> 00:23:55.757
Anita phillips: hi, friends, my name is dr. anita phillips, and
00:23:55.757 --> 00:23:58.560
I'm a trauma therapist, but i'm also a disciple of jesus.
00:23:58.560 --> 00:24:02.531
I have many years of education and experience under my belt
00:24:02.531 --> 00:24:05.800
Helping people recover from the things that have hurt them, but
00:24:05.800 --> 00:24:08.937
I did not want to do that work without understanding how god
00:24:08.937 --> 00:24:13.909
Created us, not just how we break, but what we look like
00:24:13.909 --> 00:24:17.879
When we are well.
00:24:17.879 --> 00:24:19.614
And can i tell you, i found the answer in an amazing place, a
00:24:19.614 --> 00:24:24.052
Garden.
00:24:24.052 --> 00:24:25.554
Our bodies, our biology is designed to reflect gardens.
00:24:25.554 --> 00:24:30.959
I wrote all about this in a book called "the garden within," and
00:24:30.959 --> 00:24:34.296
What i found was that god didn't just plant a garden around us.
00:24:34.296 --> 00:24:38.066
He planted a garden inside of us.
00:24:38.066 --> 00:24:40.535
And just as jesus explains in the parable of the sower, the
00:24:40.535 --> 00:24:44.172
Soil of our lives is our heart.
00:24:44.172 --> 00:24:48.510
Our emotional life is the soil of our lives.
00:24:48.510 --> 00:24:52.714
The seed is the word.
00:24:52.714 --> 00:24:54.382
It falls on the soil of our heart.
00:24:54.382 --> 00:24:56.284
The plant that springs up, that's our mind.
00:24:56.284 --> 00:24:59.220
And then the fruit is what we do.
00:24:59.220 --> 00:25:01.656
Seed, soil, plant, fruit.
00:25:01.656 --> 00:25:05.360
Words, feelings, thoughts, behaviors.
00:25:05.360 --> 00:25:09.230
That's how we are designed by god to function.
00:25:09.230 --> 00:25:12.801
And so, if you have been ignoring your emotional life, i
00:25:12.801 --> 00:25:16.638
Want you to stop.
00:25:16.638 --> 00:25:18.073
If your mind has been giving you problems, if you have been
00:25:18.073 --> 00:25:21.309
Having anxious thoughts or worrisome thoughts and you've
00:25:21.309 --> 00:25:24.379
Been just trying to think differently, i want you to work
00:25:24.379 --> 00:25:28.650
On how you feel, because the soil influences the plant.
00:25:28.650 --> 00:25:34.322
Your mind cannot go where your heart has not been.
00:25:34.322 --> 00:25:38.360
I want you to give credence to the sadness or the anger or the
00:25:38.360 --> 00:25:42.697
Fear you may be struggling with, not to say that it is how you
00:25:42.697 --> 00:25:46.001
Will always feel, but be honest about the fact that right now it
00:25:46.001 --> 00:25:49.771
May be how you feel, because when we allow our emotional
00:25:49.771 --> 00:25:53.541
Truth to come to the surface and we let the cry out, we let the
00:25:53.541 --> 00:25:58.146
Tears out, we let the frustration out, we admit that
00:25:58.146 --> 00:26:01.516
Sometimes we're scared and we need to feel safer, suddenly you
00:26:01.516 --> 00:26:05.720
Will find that your mind clears when you allow your heart to
00:26:05.720 --> 00:26:10.692
Be authentic.
00:26:10.692 --> 00:26:12.027
And so, hear me, my brothers and sisters.
00:26:12.027 --> 00:26:14.863
You are amazing gardens, and the heart is the soil of your life.
00:26:14.863 --> 00:26:20.568
I know it sounds crazy, but i promise, if you embrace this
00:26:20.568 --> 00:26:24.372
Truth, it'll change everything.
00:26:24.372 --> 00:26:27.242
Check out this book i wrote called "the garden within."
00:26:27.242 --> 00:26:30.545
It dives deep into this, and i believe it will bring you closer
00:26:30.545 --> 00:26:34.449
To god in your everyday walk.
00:26:34.449 --> 00:26:36.985
I love you so much, and i want you to be well.
00:26:36.985 --> 00:26:40.221
God bless you.
00:26:40.221 --> 00:26:43.925
Announcer: visit lifetoday.org.
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00:27:01.876 --> 00:27:03.211
Because always remember, if serving is beneath you,
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Leading will always be above you.
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Stephen McWhirter: Healed And Whole | Life Today

April 7, 2026 | 27:29

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