Stephen McWhirter & David Pollack: From Brokenness to Breakthroughs | Takeaways with Kirk Cameron

June 15, 2026 | 53:20

Join Kirk Cameron to discuss pressing issues Christians are facing with compassionate, well-informed guests, and together, find actionable takeaways that we can use today, this week, and this month to bring more of Heaven to Earth.

#Singer/Songwriter #Author #Brokenness #Breakthrough #Addiction #Freedom #Transformation #Inspirational #Grace #Strength #Redemption #KirkCameron

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Takeaways with Kirk Cameron | Stephen McWhirter & David Pollack: From Brokenness to Breakthroughs | Takeaways with Kirk Cameron | June 15, 2026

- there's a famous quote that says, when you reach the end of
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Your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.
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It serves as an encouraging statement about persevering
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Through tough times.
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But when you feel like you cannot hold on any longer, the
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Biblical perspective is to stop relying on your own strength and
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Trust in god's.
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In 2 corinthians 12, verse 9, god says, my grace is sufficient
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For you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness.
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My guests today, stephen mcwhirter and david pollack,
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Will share personal stories of going from brokenness to
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Breakthroughs, experiencing the sufficiency of god's grace and
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Strength when they needed it the most.
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- i fell to my knees, gave my life to jesus, quit everything,
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Went from addiction to redemption, from meth addict to
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Worship leader.
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From death to life, man.
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- it made me realize that my god wants a relationship with me.
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And it's amazing what happened.
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When i slowed down and i talked to him and i got still, he
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Talked back.
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It's coming up on takeaways.
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♪ (music playing) ♪
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- my first guest was a meth addict and a wounded preacher's
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Kid who had a radical encounter with jesus.
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Today, singer-songwriter stephen mcwhirter travels the world
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Leading worship and sharing his testimony.
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His song, come jesus come has amassed over 100 million views,
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Has been performed by c.c.
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Winans and gospel legend shirley caesar, just to name a few.
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He shares his journey in his new book called radically restored,
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How knowing jesus heals our brokenness.
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Man, thanks so much for coming on takeaways.
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Dude, this is great.
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So you have a pretty compelling story, and i think this is going
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To be very encouraging for so many people and for parents who
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Children who have walked away from jesus or who have felt so
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Hurt by people in the church that they resent anything having
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To do with the gospel.
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You were a preacher's kid, and you didn't have the upbringing
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That many people would expect.
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What happened when the lights went down and your dad came home
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Out of the public eye? - yeah.
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I mean, you know, people say pk, preacher's kid, right?
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I think my dad was technically an evangelist.
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So i guess ek, that's my new thing.
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But we traveled a lot and we would see him at revivals and,
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You know, all these different things.
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And he would get up and preach about jesus.
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But behind closed doors at home, we would see this man physically
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And violently abuse my mom.
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And i witnessed this my entire childhood, just really
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Traumatic stuff.
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And so at a very, very young age around, you know, i decided that
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If god's real, he's not good.
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And i don't want anything to do with this jesus guy.
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So my heavenly father and my earthly father were literally
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Like the villains in my story.
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And yeah, it's all that.
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Just to see all that, i think i know that deep down it
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Created this narrative in me that was like, forget all that.
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I'm just gonna blow my life up.
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So 11 years old, man, i was smoking, drinking marijuana.
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By the time i was 15, cocaine, pills, i'm selling drugs.
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By the time i was 17, i became a full-out crystal meth addict.
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I was using every day for many years.
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And during that time, i'm confident because of what i was
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Brought up around.
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I hated christians, hated jesus.
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Would have cussed you out, you know, if you mentioned his name
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Around me.
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So yeah, it was a dark time and there was just a lot of
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Resentment, a lot of wounds there from my dad.
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But, you know, people were praying for me because prayer
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Works, by the way.
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That sounds like a duh thing for christians, but it really,
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Really does.
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My mom was praying.
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My sweet mom was praying.
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My grandma was praying.
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I believe the lord was after me because somebody came and
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Offered me this book called the case for christ by lee strobel,
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You know lee.
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And so this is probably the most miraculous part of my story
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Because i didn't cuss anybody out and cause a scene.
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I was just like, cool, whatever, giving this stupid book.
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Fast forward, it's like three o'clock in the morning.
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I'm in this room.
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I have drugs on the side table next to me.
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Nobody's playing a piano softly and quietly in the corner,
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Creating an atmosphere.
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And i just remember, as i'm reading lee's book going, oh, i
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Think i believe this, that jesus really rose from the grave.
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Like the resurrection, like the case for the resurrection of
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Jesus just really struck me.
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And i'm like, wait, if this is real, then i want to give you my
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Life. i want to quit all this.
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Like i want to, but there's no way i can do it.
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I don't know who i am without all this darkness.
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And i just remembered when i said, i want to, but i can't.
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I had this thought that i knew was from the lord, not me,
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Right? and it was, stephen, you won't do it.
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I'll do it.
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And i know this now.
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I didn't know it then, but it's ephesians 2.8, right?
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You're saved by grace.
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This isn't something you can boast about, but a work of god.
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He does it.
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But there's something you and i get to do.
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And it's, jesus says in john 6.29, the only work the father
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Asks of you is to believe.
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And in that moment, when i heard that thought, you won't do it,
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Stephen, i'll do it.
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I believed, like i really took god at his word.
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And i fell on my knees, gave my life to jesus, quit everything,
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Went from addiction to redemption, from meth addict to
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Worship leader, from death to life, man.
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And it's really wild to me because that was like the
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Beginning of my story.
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And there's more, of course, but to be here now with this book,
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Right, that we're sitting here looking at, you know.
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Hold it up for the people.
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No, i'm just kidding.
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But to be here with this book, forward written by lee strobel,
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To think about it just from this perspective, 20 years, somewhat
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Years ago, a meth addict in a room reading this book
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About jesus.
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And maybe the lord might say to me then, he didn't, just saying,
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Hey, one day you'll write a book.
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And the guy whose book you're reading will write the forward.
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And i'm going to use your story to reach more people like you.
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Because it's not about me being a famous author.
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It's literally about advancing the kingdom.
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Because if anything i learned from that night,
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Reading that book and holding onto that moment.
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And yet we're on a tv show right now and i've got songs.
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God's real. it's all real.
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Jesus is lord. people matter.
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You know what i mean?
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So at the end of the day, i'm just praying that that's
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What happens.
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Somebody reads that book.
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- man. - and i get to write their foreword someday.
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- stephen, i think perhaps the most miraculous part of this
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That i'm looking at right now is your ability to distinguish
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Between the jesus representative that your father claimed to be
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And the real jesus that you were willing to embrace with all of
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Your heart, surrender to, make yourself vulnerable to when you
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Were so deeply injured and traumatized by someone who
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Called themselves his representative, your dad and
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An evangelist.
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If i could just roll back the story a little bit and ask you,
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When you were...
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Reaching for the drugs, when you were reaching for the alcohol,
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And all of the other coping mechanisms for your pain, what
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Was it that you were looking for, looking back now?
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- you know i think, for me, when i think back on it, because in
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The moment, you're just doing something.
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You're not even thinking, but i could look at it now and go, oh,
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Yeah, i was numbing. i was...
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Trying to fill this desire for something good, to feel good, to
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Bury trauma, because you can't underestimate the effect of a
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Parent on your life, especially your father, you know?
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Especially when that person represents this thing that's
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Supposed to be good. right.
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Here i am in this place where i'm trying to fill this void
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With what i think is good or what's going to make me feel
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Good or make me forget about it.
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And, you know, it's like moses going up in the mountains.
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He says, show me your glory.
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And god says, i'll let all of my goodness go before you.
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He's the source of good.
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So even all those years fighting all that, trying to feel good to
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Get past all this trauma, it was never the real thing.
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He was the real thing.
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Always the source.
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Of goodness that i was seeking, that we all seek in some way
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That only he, not to sound trite, but only he can like
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Fill, right?
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And again, i totally recognize, like to have that guy as my dad
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And to give my life to jesus, i'm just like the worst person
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To argue with about whether god's real or not, because i
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Know what he can do.
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I know him.
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Through his word, i've spent enough time with the lord to go,
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Oh. - what helped you make that, cross over that chasm?
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What helped you get from, i've heard my dad say this stuff my
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Whole life, and yet i know it was manipulative, or at least it
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Was, maybe at times it wasn't, maybe he was, you know, it was
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True what he was saying, but he wasn't living it with my mom and
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With me, to saying, i'm reading christ.
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Case for christ i believe that jesus actually rose from the
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Grave but believing something true about jesus's resurrection
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To me like is that all it took to get you there or was it
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Having something to do with god's love for you. - i think if
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We all think about it like when you give your life to jesus like
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A lot of people i've met because i speak a lot of addiction
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Recovery stuff and a lot of places where people were really
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Dark spots and then come to jesus when you're in that
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Moment, you give your life to jesus, it feels like this sudden
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Thing. but really, when you start to look back over your
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Story, you start to see all these little breadcrumbs of
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Where he was like working and fighting for you, trying to
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Get to you.
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And now this moment makes a lot of sense.
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Is that correct for you?
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And what i mean is like you start to go, all this time i was
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Fighting all this stuff, he was there and i kind of knew it, but
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I didn't react on it.
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Like i ran from it.
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- yeah. and were you able to separate that i can be a
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Christian follower of christ?
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And yet still like put my dad's behavior in a
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Category that makes sense in my worldview?
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- i don't mean to laugh like it's funny.
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I mean, like it's, yeah, you're right.
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It's crazy.
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That's a longer conversation, which we can get to in a minute,
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But it's about the power of forgiveness and what it means to
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Like, i'm convinced that.
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On this side of eternity, one of the most significant jesus-like
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Things you and i could do is to actually forgive people, to
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Actually forgive legitimate wrongs.
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- why did you decide to forgive your father after all he had
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Done to you and to your mom?
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- yeah, you know, when i gave my life to jesus, we can get into
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This in a minute, but like when i gave my life to jesus, this is
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My sensei moment, okay?
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It's like a pebble in the ocean.
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Like that moment that becomes a ripple of like effect of a
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Tsunami that becomes a tsunami of like grace and restoration
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That starts hitting parts of your life that you weren't even
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Thinking about.
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Because you were just kind of like, oh, cool, i'm saved.
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I'll get a job and be sober.
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God's like, no, no, we're going to build the kingdom through
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Your life.
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And we're going to hit some things that you didn't even
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See coming.
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And forgiving my dad was one of those things.
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And as i share the story, i'll just say, not easy. right?
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But forgiveness, and i need to set some context around it, like
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Honestly, so we can do that in a minute because i don't want to
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Just say, oh, i just forgave him because there's more to it
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Than that.
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And the way it happened and the what god did is so significant
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That it did, again, it highlighted for me, man,
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Forgiveness is one of the most powerful things we can do.
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- i want to drill down deep on that as soon as we come back.
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And when we come back after the break, we're going to talk more
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With stephen about how far god will go to save you.
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And then later in the program, college football analyst david
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Pollack is going to share how to intentionally live life through
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Faith, discipline, and resilience.
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Stay with us.
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- i had a two-year period of surgeries and neck braces
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And halos.
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And i finally, you know what's amazing is i finally got
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Still enough.
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To actually hear from god.
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♪ (music playing) ♪
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♪ (music playing) ♪
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- stephen, we've been talking all about your story and i want
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To shift to your ministry now.
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And what would you say is the heart of the message that you
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Want to get out to people through your worship music?
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- oh, man, i'm pretty simple.
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Like my desire is that i, this is going to sound like a very,
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Like i'm saying this, like it's a soundbite, but i hope
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I disappear.
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And it's just you and jesus, right?
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That's kind of the win.
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And i even kind of have like a thesis statement for
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Everything i do.
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It's like worshiping jesus and leading others to him.
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It's funny, you know, we'll talk about, you know, forgiving
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My dad.
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But it's funny, my dad was an evangelist.
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And today, when i share my story and i do like altar calls, we
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See like 20% of every room come to jesus.
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And i'm like, really?
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Am i kind of a little bit of an evangelist too?
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That's hilarious.
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And so we see a lot of salvations.
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In one year alone, we saw 40,000 salvations where we were doing
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Just ministry.
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And so, yeah, i mean, for me, it's...
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Very simple.
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Worship him because he's real.
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He's worth it.
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And he deserves it.
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And tell as many people about him and lead as many people to
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Him as possible.
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That's it.
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- you never could have written this script for yourself.
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In a million years, you couldn't have written this story.
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- no. no, i couldn't have.
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- and it's so great.
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And it's just painful, difficult, but better than any
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Other story that could have been your life.
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And now you're helping people come to find jesus in a real and
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Authentic way.
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It's been wild, man.
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Let's go back a moment and talk about your decision to forgive
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Your father.
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It was not easy.
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What happened?
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- so like i said, you know, i gave my life to jesus.
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I was like, this is great.
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I'm good, right?
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And as i'm reading this bible and it's real to me, i'm like
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Believing what i'm reading.
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One of the things i see a lot in there is forgive your enemies.
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And i'm like, oh, okay, well, who's my enemy?
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Oh, it's my dad.
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That's a crazy realization to have, right?
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And so i just kind of knew the lord was calling me to forgive
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My dad.
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I was like, boy, this is terrible.
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I do not want to do this. this is awful.
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I drive out to see my dad at my parents' house.
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My dad's sitting in the quintessential lazy boy, you
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Know, and i'm like, hey, we need to talk.
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By the way, this is not a scene you'd put in a movie.
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It's not cool.
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It's awkward.
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- and does he know that you came to christ? - yes.
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At this point, he knows i've come to christ, all that.
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And i'm like, hey, we need to talk.
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He's like, okay.
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And i'm like, oh, i want to forgive you for everything that
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You did, all this stuff, which, by the way, talking about what
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He did was like a no-no.
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Like, it's so, so crazy, right?
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You're not allowed to do that.
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Just forget it.
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And by the way, at this point in my story, my dad hadn't
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Physically abused my mom since i was like 11 years old.
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And i'm in my early 20s at this point.
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Now, i do not condone it that my mom stayed with him.
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I honestly say what you want.
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I wish she would have left him, right?
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But she didn't.
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She stayed with him.
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And if you're not safe, you hear this, get safe.
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But she stayed with him.
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Some years later here, he still hadn't touched her, but it was
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Still, i just couldn't stand him, right?
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I just couldn't forgive this thing that we just...
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Tended like didn't happen.
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- yeah, no one talked about it.
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- and so here i am talking to him about it.
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So he's looking at me like reality is cracking.
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And i'm like, hey, i just want to say i forgive you.
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And he looks at me, goes, oh, ok.
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And i'm like, there's no beam of light on my shoulder or birds,
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You know, flying in the room.
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It was just awkward.
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And i think i was like, ok, cool. bye.
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Get my car and drive off.
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Fast forward.
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My fiance, who's my wife now, we've been together.
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Since we were kids, man.
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So it'll be almost 30 years next year.
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And at this time, she's my fiance.
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She's like, hey, i want your dad to baptize us.
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I'm like, that is the stupidest idea i've ever heard.
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Fine, whatever.
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On our way to get baptized, my wife and i getting the worst
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Screaming, cussing match you've ever seen on our way to
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Get baptized.
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We probably should have drove faster, but we did get there.
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We knew like something was trying to keep us.
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We get there.
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It's beautiful.
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My dad does this thing.
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My mom tells me that night, my dad wepted.
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All night at the thought that god could maybe mend all that he
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Had broken.
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Fast forward a little bit more.
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We're about to get married.
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My wife's like, hey, i think your dad should perform our
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Wedding ceremony.
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I'm starting to think this marriage isn't going to work
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Out, right?
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My dad performs a wedding ceremony.
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It's beautiful, all that.
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Fast forward at the time, if you're not talking right now,
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Kurt, my dad's passed from cancer 12 years ago
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Or something.
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You know, when somebody's in hospice, right?
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And they have cancer.
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They're in a coma.
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They're in the hospital. okay.
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This is a real difficult time.
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And nurses are telling you and doctors are telling you, hey,
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They can't respond, but they hear you.
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So let them know it's okay to go.
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And normally, because people are holding on, you know, normally
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They will pass in these scenarios.
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Well, we'd been doing this for a couple of weeks, literally with
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My dad.
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And i'm in this room with him alone one night.
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I'm watching him struggle to breathe.
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And i go over and i'm thinking about what peter says to jesus
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When he says, hey, how many times should i forgive my enemy?
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Seven times?
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That seems like a lot.
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Jesus says, no, seven times 77.
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Like, don't count, right?
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Just do it.
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And i'm like, okay.
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So i lean into my dad one last time on this side of eternity.
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And i said to him, dad, i love you.
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And i really do forgive you.
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And in that moment, he took his last breath, literally.
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I knew right then, like what i told you a minute ago was, oh my
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Gosh, this forgiveness stuff is no joke.
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On this side of eternity, this is probably one of the most
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Jesus-like things you and i can do.
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Now, did i do it then?
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And will i have to keep doing it maybe seven times, 77 times on
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This side of eternity? yeah.
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But forgiveness is about a legitimate debt that you and i
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Get to rip up because it's like drinking poison thinking it's
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Hurting the other person, right?
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And the part on them is repentance is, which by the way,
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Everybody thinks, oh, if i tell, if i repent, everybody's going
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To know the terrible thing i did, i'm going to be
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Canceled, right?
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And the bible, every time repentance is mentioned, there's
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Like blessing connected to it.
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What i mean is like god's trying to get you to turn away from
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This thing that's hurting you.
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Turn to life.
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When peter says in acts 3:19, 20, he says, repent so that the
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Time of refreshment will come from the lord.
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There's something good he's trying to lead you into, but you
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Can't make somebody do that.
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All you can do is take that debt and rip it up.
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That doesn't always mean you're going to be in a relationship
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With them.
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As a matter of fact, maybe you shouldn't, right?
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That doesn't always mean you're going to be, they're going to be
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In your world, but you can take that debt and rip it
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Up. - man. yeah.
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- how is your family involved in your ministry today?
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- i'm running a sweatshop.
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No, i'm just kidding.
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You know, we have three boys, 21, 18, soon to be 12.
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They're amazing.
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My wife is, this is all we do is ministry full-time, music
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Full-time, trying to see people come to christ full-time.
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One of my kids is a worship leader, the other one
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Helps me, like, just praying for people and commenting on youtube
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And travel stuff.
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And it's a lot of fun.
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And then i have an 11-year-old who just walks in a room and
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Goes, boop, boop, boop, and then boop, boop, boop, goes back out.
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- i'm hungry, bring me food.
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- he's gonna, i don't know, he's probably gonna be president, i
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Don't know.
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But, yeah, it's great, man.
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They're awesome.
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Stephen, what would you say to somebody who might be listening
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Right now who is struggling with addiction?
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And something you are saying is resonating with them.
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- yeah one of the things i like to say to people like that is
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Because you might think, i know who i am like i figured me
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Out i've lived enough life or this broken person is just who i
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Am i promise you that's not the real you.
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The real you is the you in christ.
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That's the real you, right?
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And, you know, you're meant to be fully alive.
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It's not just a nice thought.
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Jesus said it in john 10:10.
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I've come that you might have life and have it to the full.
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And not only that, often the size of the attacks on your
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Life, like you just feel like that person that's been beat up
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A thousand times.
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Often the size of the attack on your life speaks maybe to the
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Size of your kingdom destiny.
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Like how important you are to jesus.
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I'd be trying to take you out too.
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So, yeah.
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Well, i always just say, talk to him.
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Like, i'm not going to sit here and talk you into it.
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Just like i did at three o'clock in the morning.
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Just see if he's real.
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Talk to him.
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I'm not going to try to talk you into it.
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He's god.
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He's pretty good at this.
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I'll share the gospel with you.
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And then you go to him and say, hey, if you're real, i want to
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Give you my life.
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And i'm ready to walk away from all this, and i need you to help
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Me do it.
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I think i know him well enough to know that he'll listen when
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You do that and meet him.
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- i think that that is the biggest miracle that takes place
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In the universe, and it takes place over and over and over.
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When people are at that place of brokenness and at the end of
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Themselves and they see that they can't put the pieces back
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Together, that they also have responsibility in this.
00:22:36.946 --> 00:22:39.849
It's not just everybody else's fault and what they did to me.
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It's also what's inside of me that's breaking me and
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Offending god.
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And i was an atheist and just anybody coming to christ, i
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Think is the hugest miracle in the whole world.
00:22:52.161 --> 00:22:54.664
And god can do it.
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And he does it beautifully every single time.
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It's so cool to me that you can sing and that you can write and
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That you can do it all so well.
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Your song, come jesus come, has been viewed over 100 million
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Times, just been covered by other people.
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And you've won a huge dove award and gospel worship song.
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What does that feel like to have that kind of an impact globally?
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- i mean, it's funny.
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People that write a song that's doing what that song is doing
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Typically will go, ok, i got to write another one. -yeah.
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- it's like never enough. yeah.
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It's just like the real thing.
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- how will i ever top that?
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How will i ever top that?
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- that's the first thing you think.
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I'm thinking, oh, my gosh, i can't believe i have one that's
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Doing that.
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You know, it's awesome.
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Because my wife and i, six years ago, it's a six-year-old song.
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And it just won, like, grammy this year.
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Because my wife and i, six years ago, were in our basement.
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Weeping, crying at the piano with my bible open, learning
00:23:53.055 --> 00:23:57.693
What it means to long for jesus to return.
00:23:57.693 --> 00:23:59.595
And here we are today watching the lord use this song to draw
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People to him, to put a longing in their heart for him to come
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Or for him to come to earth again, to return as king, or to
00:24:07.670 --> 00:24:11.641
Come into their lives, to give their life to jesus.
00:24:11.641 --> 00:24:13.776
It's wild, man.
00:24:13.776 --> 00:24:15.011
- what's the one takeaway you want people to get from
00:24:15.011 --> 00:24:19.715
This book?
00:24:19.715 --> 00:24:22.018
- why would you ask that?
00:24:22.018 --> 00:24:23.653
There is absolutely nothing and no one that jesus cannot
00:24:23.653 --> 00:24:28.758
Radically restore.
00:24:28.758 --> 00:24:30.092
And i'm not just saying like a soundbite, like some people come
00:24:30.092 --> 00:24:32.528
At that and they go, i don't know.
00:24:32.528 --> 00:24:33.863
That's nice.
00:24:33.863 --> 00:24:35.031
But this thing that i'm dealing with is so broken.
00:24:35.031 --> 00:24:36.198
This wound that i have is so bad.
00:24:36.198 --> 00:24:37.867
The cycle is never ending.
00:24:37.867 --> 00:24:41.103
Not for jesus.
00:24:41.103 --> 00:24:42.305
It's real.
00:24:42.305 --> 00:24:43.005
- yeah. that's awesome, man.
00:24:43.005 --> 00:24:44.340
Thanks so much.
00:24:44.340 --> 00:24:45.675
Thanks for coming on.
00:24:45.675 --> 00:24:46.576
- thanks for having me.
00:24:46.576 --> 00:24:47.677
- and thanks for writing this book.
00:24:47.677 --> 00:24:49.211
We need it.
00:24:49.211 --> 00:24:50.446
After the break, david pollack is going to remind us how
00:24:50.446 --> 00:24:52.481
Important it is to make each and every day count.
00:24:52.481 --> 00:24:55.318
So don't go away.
00:24:55.318 --> 00:24:57.320
♪ (music playing) ♪
00:24:57.320 --> 00:25:02.003
♪ (music playing) ♪
00:25:02.003 --> 00:25:09.532
It's great having my next guest with us, former nfl player and
00:25:09.532 --> 00:25:13.102
Espn college football analyst, david pollack.
00:25:13.102 --> 00:25:15.938
He recently launched the family goals podcast with a focus on
00:25:15.938 --> 00:25:20.176
Faith, family, and sports.
00:25:20.176 --> 00:25:22.678
He also has a new book.
00:25:22.678 --> 00:25:24.146
It's called everyday counts.
00:25:24.146 --> 00:25:26.082
Start where you are, use what you have.
00:25:26.082 --> 00:25:28.985
And do what you can.
00:25:28.985 --> 00:25:30.086
David, thanks so much for coming on takeaway.
00:25:30.086 --> 00:25:31.454
- appreciate you having me on, big dog.
00:25:31.454 --> 00:25:32.989
- yeah, this is really great.
00:25:32.989 --> 00:25:34.957
I love the approach that you take in your book to just
00:25:34.957 --> 00:25:40.162
Handling tough things and appreciating every day, having
00:25:40.162 --> 00:25:44.066
An attitude of gratitude, even when things are difficult
00:25:44.066 --> 00:25:48.704
And hard.
00:25:48.704 --> 00:25:50.039
- well, i mean, i think that the older you live on this earth,
00:25:50.039 --> 00:25:52.942
You realize that it's not if, it's when.
00:25:52.942 --> 00:25:54.844
Like, if you're not in a storm, i got bad news.
00:25:54.844 --> 00:25:57.213
One's coming, right?
00:25:57.213 --> 00:25:59.181
We've learned that, like, god is for us, though, even in those
00:25:59.181 --> 00:26:02.551
Storms. and god is for us.
00:26:02.551 --> 00:26:04.153
And every time we come out of them, like, how many times do we
00:26:04.153 --> 00:26:06.656
Come out of something and we're just like, man, like, i am so
00:26:06.656 --> 00:26:08.824
Grateful that i went through it.
00:26:08.824 --> 00:26:10.159
And just learning the compassion and empathy that comes with
00:26:10.159 --> 00:26:13.629
Those struggles, it's what makes us a better believer.
00:26:13.629 --> 00:26:16.599
It's what makes us a better friend.
00:26:16.599 --> 00:26:18.134
It's what makes us a better spouse.
00:26:18.134 --> 00:26:19.602
And so, you know, these trials are a part of god's plan to
00:26:19.602 --> 00:26:23.606
Teach and to reveal things to us that otherwise, because i don't
00:26:23.606 --> 00:26:26.442
Know about you, man, like, i get very...
00:26:26.442 --> 00:26:28.444
And everything's going great and my reliance on god isn't what it
00:26:28.444 --> 00:26:32.148
Needs to be sometimes and so i want whenever i have those
00:26:32.148 --> 00:26:35.985
Moments it's like okay like i remember like i know what this
00:26:35.985 --> 00:26:39.588
Is this is hard this is difficult but god proves his
00:26:39.588 --> 00:26:42.825
Goodness over and over again he proves that he's for us like
00:26:42.825 --> 00:26:46.062
Plans for to prosper us and be successful he's not he's not
00:26:46.062 --> 00:26:48.898
Trying to take us down a horrible road just for fun like
00:26:48.898 --> 00:26:51.967
There's a method to the madness. - yeah i believe that, although
00:26:51.967 --> 00:26:55.938
I think it's so much harder to live that out and trust god that
00:26:55.938 --> 00:27:00.109
That's what he's doing when things are super hard.
00:27:00.109 --> 00:27:03.012
So you say it, and i think we all can say amen.
00:27:03.012 --> 00:27:05.948
That's right.
00:27:05.948 --> 00:27:06.615
That's true.
00:27:06.615 --> 00:27:07.416
That's what the scriptures say.
00:27:07.416 --> 00:27:08.617
But what hit your life personally that made you decide,
00:27:08.617 --> 00:27:12.221
I want to write a whole book about this?
00:27:12.221 --> 00:27:13.556
What inspired you?
00:27:13.556 --> 00:27:14.490
- well, i've started to...
00:27:14.490 --> 00:27:15.991
So even when i was an analyst at espn and even when i'm doing all
00:27:15.991 --> 00:27:18.961
These different things, speaking has just been so much fun and
00:27:18.961 --> 00:27:22.465
Getting a chance to speak into people's lives and growing up in
00:27:22.465 --> 00:27:24.934
A community where you're messing up parenting and you're sharing
00:27:24.934 --> 00:27:28.738
It and with a group of believers and you're figuring all this
00:27:28.738 --> 00:27:31.607
Stuff out.
00:27:31.607 --> 00:27:32.975
I'm like, well, you don't really have the opportunity to talk to
00:27:32.975 --> 00:27:34.677
Everyone you meet.
00:27:34.677 --> 00:27:35.644
So an opportunity to share your story.
00:27:35.644 --> 00:27:37.913
I had zero desire to share my story about like all of
00:27:37.913 --> 00:27:41.951
My success.
00:27:41.951 --> 00:27:43.018
Like, there's very little success in the book.
00:27:43.018 --> 00:27:44.954
This is about, like, any "mountaintop" that
00:27:44.954 --> 00:27:48.958
I've reached, guess what happened?
00:27:48.958 --> 00:27:50.559
Boom, something came next that took you right off of
00:27:50.559 --> 00:27:53.329
That mountain.
00:27:53.329 --> 00:27:54.663
And so i think trying to help people prepare and get ready and
00:27:54.663 --> 00:27:57.500
Realize, like, i'm way less concerned what happens to you as
00:27:57.500 --> 00:28:00.402
I get older.
00:28:00.402 --> 00:28:01.537
I'm only concerned about your response.
00:28:01.537 --> 00:28:02.905
Like, what does your response look like?
00:28:02.905 --> 00:28:04.707
That's all we control, right?
00:28:04.707 --> 00:28:06.075
Yeah, interesting.
00:28:06.075 --> 00:28:07.343
Learning those things, it comes with the good, it comes
00:28:07.343 --> 00:28:10.846
With the bad.
00:28:10.846 --> 00:28:12.181
But just kind of being able to share that, being able to give
00:28:12.181 --> 00:28:13.783
Everybody to it.
00:28:13.783 --> 00:28:15.017
But it definitely wasn't about like, hey, i was really
00:28:15.017 --> 00:28:17.119
Good at football.
00:28:17.119 --> 00:28:17.787
This was about this.
00:28:17.787 --> 00:28:18.721
Like football makes a horrible god.
00:28:18.721 --> 00:28:21.457
A horrible god.
00:28:21.457 --> 00:28:22.625
It's a terrible god.
00:28:22.625 --> 00:28:23.893
And so when you dream about something since you were six
00:28:23.893 --> 00:28:26.028
Years old to go be this and you make it and you get to the first
00:28:26.028 --> 00:28:28.864
Round and then one day, one play, one second, it's gone.
00:28:28.864 --> 00:28:32.902
What does life look like?
00:28:32.902 --> 00:28:34.837
And if that's your god, life's going to be really tough and
00:28:34.837 --> 00:28:36.906
Really difficult.
00:28:36.906 --> 00:28:38.207
And so having some takeaways and creating a scoreboard in the
00:28:38.207 --> 00:28:41.577
Book, i think, will help people.
00:28:41.577 --> 00:28:43.412
I love that.
00:28:43.412 --> 00:28:44.713
- david if you could point to one person in your life who
00:28:44.713 --> 00:28:48.751
Inspired you the most in terms of your faith in god and your
00:28:48.751 --> 00:28:54.857
Ability to overcome adversity, who do you think of?
00:28:54.857 --> 00:28:57.393
- i never stepped foot in church a day in my life until i was a
00:28:57.393 --> 00:28:59.728
Senior in high school.
00:28:59.728 --> 00:29:00.996
And i had a neighbor across the street, the greenwoods.
00:29:00.996 --> 00:29:03.432
He invited me to come to a lock-in.
00:29:03.432 --> 00:29:04.967
And you know what that is in the south.
00:29:04.967 --> 00:29:06.302
And i was like, what's a lock-in?
00:29:06.302 --> 00:29:07.636
He was like, come to church and they lock you in.
00:29:07.636 --> 00:29:10.239
I was like, no.
00:29:10.239 --> 00:29:11.273
That doesn't sound fun.
00:29:11.273 --> 00:29:12.641
I have no desire to do that.
00:29:12.641 --> 00:29:13.742
He goes, but he said the magic word.
00:29:13.742 --> 00:29:15.110
He said, hey, we play sports and we stay up all night and they
00:29:15.110 --> 00:29:18.280
Feed you.
00:29:18.280 --> 00:29:19.048
The feeding was the big part.
00:29:19.048 --> 00:29:19.849
- that's right.
00:29:19.849 --> 00:29:20.516
- and i was like, i'm in.
00:29:20.516 --> 00:29:21.584
It's the first time i've ever had a seed planted.
00:29:21.584 --> 00:29:23.252
And then the next thing that happened was hugely important.
00:29:23.252 --> 00:29:25.921
I had a teacher in a public school named mark watson.
00:29:25.921 --> 00:29:28.524
And the way he lived his life, kurt, let me tell you something.
00:29:28.524 --> 00:29:31.493
It was different, bro.
00:29:31.493 --> 00:29:32.828
Like, i could feel it.
00:29:32.828 --> 00:29:34.196
The way he handled me, the way he handled the class.
00:29:34.196 --> 00:29:36.398
He had a jesus sticker on his computer.
00:29:36.398 --> 00:29:37.900
I called him a jesus freak.
00:29:37.900 --> 00:29:39.201
Like, played praise and worship music in between classes.
00:29:39.201 --> 00:29:41.837
And so i tell people all the time, man, like...
00:29:41.837 --> 00:29:45.307
Don't need to memorize scripture inside and out and be able to
00:29:45.307 --> 00:29:48.277
Convey it.
00:29:48.277 --> 00:29:49.078
You want to memorize scripture.
00:29:49.078 --> 00:29:49.879
You want to put it in here.
00:29:49.879 --> 00:29:51.080
Because you put it in here, where does it come out?
00:29:51.080 --> 00:29:52.248
It comes out right here.
00:29:52.248 --> 00:29:53.549
But i tell people all the time, anybody can invite people.
00:29:53.549 --> 00:29:57.319
My journey started with an invitation.
00:29:57.319 --> 00:29:59.054
And then anybody can do the second thing, live a life
00:29:59.054 --> 00:30:01.423
Worth emulating.
00:30:01.423 --> 00:30:02.725
Like, that is the most important witness we have for christ.
00:30:02.725 --> 00:30:05.461
Like, i'm choosing love.
00:30:05.461 --> 00:30:06.595
I'm not choosing hate, right?
00:30:06.595 --> 00:30:07.997
And that's what really makes a difference.
00:30:07.997 --> 00:30:10.566
And that's how i came to christ.
00:30:10.566 --> 00:30:12.001
Because otherwise...
00:30:12.001 --> 00:30:13.335
I had no clue what a church was.
00:30:13.335 --> 00:30:15.371
I couldn't have told you what baptist was.
00:30:15.371 --> 00:30:16.872
I couldn't have told you what the bible was.
00:30:16.872 --> 00:30:18.874
I couldn't have told you any of that.
00:30:18.874 --> 00:30:21.543
- you talked about an injury, and you speak about your injury
00:30:21.543 --> 00:30:23.646
And other difficulties in your book, everyday counts.
00:30:23.646 --> 00:30:27.249
Who aren't familiar, what was the injury that took you out of
00:30:27.249 --> 00:30:32.221
The game?
00:30:32.221 --> 00:30:33.489
And how did your injury influence your faith in god and
00:30:33.489 --> 00:30:40.763
This new perspective on adversity?
00:30:40.763 --> 00:30:43.399
- well, my injury was, i fractured my c6 and c7.
00:30:43.399 --> 00:30:47.603
And what that means is i broke my neck.
00:30:47.603 --> 00:30:49.905
And one play, my dream since i was six years old, what i wanted
00:30:49.905 --> 00:30:53.509
To do, what i was going to do was gone.
00:30:53.509 --> 00:30:55.678
And it was literally like, what the heck are you going to
00:30:55.678 --> 00:30:58.614
Do, right?
00:30:58.614 --> 00:30:59.481
Like, this is the lifelong dream.
00:30:59.481 --> 00:31:00.616
This is what you wanted.
00:31:00.616 --> 00:31:02.284
This is what you worked for.
00:31:02.284 --> 00:31:03.552
You know, being gone, obviously, that was extremely, it was
00:31:03.552 --> 00:31:06.722
Extremely difficult, but extremely rewarding.
00:31:06.722 --> 00:31:08.991
I had a very transactional relationship with god.
00:31:08.991 --> 00:31:11.961
Like, i'd talk to god in the morning.
00:31:11.961 --> 00:31:14.229
I'd pray before meals.
00:31:14.229 --> 00:31:15.731
I'd kind of holler at him throughout the day
00:31:15.731 --> 00:31:17.733
Occasionally, right?
00:31:17.733 --> 00:31:19.034
Like, and the bible says, be still and know that i am god.
00:31:19.034 --> 00:31:21.704
Never did that.
00:31:21.704 --> 00:31:22.604
Well, guess what?
00:31:22.604 --> 00:31:23.806
When i broke my neck, i had to do it for two years.
00:31:23.806 --> 00:31:25.441
I had a two-year period of surgeries and neck braces
00:31:25.441 --> 00:31:28.477
And halos.
00:31:28.477 --> 00:31:29.845
And i finally, you know, what's amazing is i finally got still
00:31:29.845 --> 00:31:33.282
Enough to actually hear from god.
00:31:33.282 --> 00:31:35.417
And i have so many friends all the time.
00:31:35.417 --> 00:31:36.752
I'm like, i'm not hearing from god.
00:31:36.752 --> 00:31:38.087
I'm not hearing from god.
00:31:38.087 --> 00:31:39.421
I'm like, well, are you talking to god and are you listening
00:31:39.421 --> 00:31:40.956
To god?
00:31:40.956 --> 00:31:41.724
Like, this is a relationship.
00:31:41.724 --> 00:31:42.791
This is, there's a component.
00:31:42.791 --> 00:31:44.593
If you talk to a girl that you're dating only when you
00:31:44.593 --> 00:31:48.163
Feel like it.
00:31:48.163 --> 00:31:48.931
You won't be dating very long.
00:31:48.931 --> 00:31:50.199
That's not going to work.
00:31:50.199 --> 00:31:52.201
And so it made me slow down.
00:31:52.201 --> 00:31:53.535
It made me realize that my god wants a relationship with me.
00:31:53.535 --> 00:31:57.473
And it's amazing what happened.
00:31:57.473 --> 00:31:59.208
When i slowed down and i talked to him and i got still, he
00:31:59.208 --> 00:32:00.676
Talked back.
00:32:00.676 --> 00:32:02.344
And i started to see those things show up in my life time
00:32:02.344 --> 00:32:05.114
And time again when i invited him into my day.
00:32:05.114 --> 00:32:07.049
So it was the best thing that could have ever happened to me.
00:32:07.049 --> 00:32:11.520
I'd take that over a 20-year career with a gold jacket at
00:32:11.520 --> 00:32:14.823
Hall of fame at the end of it because i became a better
00:32:14.823 --> 00:32:16.825
Husband. i became a better son.
00:32:16.825 --> 00:32:20.262
I became a better father.
00:32:20.262 --> 00:32:21.563
Like, to handle adversity and get that at 22, what a gift.
00:32:21.563 --> 00:32:25.200
What a blessing that now has led to down the road, which, you
00:32:25.200 --> 00:32:28.370
Know, writing a book, which i never thought.
00:32:28.370 --> 00:32:30.005
I'm a defensive lineman, dude.
00:32:30.005 --> 00:32:31.173
We're the dumbest people on the field.
00:32:31.173 --> 00:32:32.941
Literally, we are.
00:32:32.941 --> 00:32:34.076
Like, hey, see ball, get ball.
00:32:34.076 --> 00:32:36.278
Ball moves, you go.
00:32:36.278 --> 00:32:37.479
Like, it's that simple, dog.
00:32:37.479 --> 00:32:38.847
That's why they put us on defense.
00:32:38.847 --> 00:32:41.183
- i like keeping it simple.
00:32:41.183 --> 00:32:42.584
- it's stupid simple.
00:32:42.584 --> 00:32:43.719
It's simple, for sure.
00:32:43.719 --> 00:32:45.454
- one of the things i love about your book...
00:32:45.454 --> 00:32:47.256
Also, david, is that you use football terminology and you
00:32:47.256 --> 00:32:50.526
Communicate principles that you learn out on the field and help
00:32:50.526 --> 00:32:53.195
People to navigate through challenges and adversity
00:32:53.195 --> 00:32:55.998
In life.
00:32:55.998 --> 00:32:57.032
So you talk about the 50-40-10 principle.
00:32:57.032 --> 00:32:59.468
What is that?
00:32:59.468 --> 00:33:00.369
And remember, keep it simple.
00:33:00.369 --> 00:33:01.970
Simple.
00:33:01.970 --> 00:33:02.638
Keep it stupid simple.
00:33:02.638 --> 00:33:03.372
- well, that's a good thing.
00:33:03.372 --> 00:33:04.573
I don't know any big words, so i know how to do this.
00:33:04.573 --> 00:33:06.075
Here's what i love about this principle.
00:33:06.075 --> 00:33:08.610
50% of people in any field you're doing, whatever you are
00:33:08.610 --> 00:33:12.548
Doing, you can outwork.
00:33:12.548 --> 00:33:14.016
Like you can outwork, you can leave behind half the world in
00:33:14.016 --> 00:33:18.020
Whatever field you want to pursue by outworking them.
00:33:18.020 --> 00:33:20.889
That's a great percentage to start with.
00:33:20.889 --> 00:33:23.125
40% of people you can out detail, out organize.
00:33:23.125 --> 00:33:25.794
So for example, in football language, like i can take care
00:33:25.794 --> 00:33:28.864
Of my body better.
00:33:28.864 --> 00:33:30.065
I can stretch. i can do yoga.
00:33:30.065 --> 00:33:32.468
I can sleep.
00:33:32.468 --> 00:33:33.802
I can eat good foods, because whatever you put in, right, is
00:33:33.802 --> 00:33:35.737
Going to fuel the machine.
00:33:35.737 --> 00:33:36.705
Like, i can watch more tape than people.
00:33:36.705 --> 00:33:38.907
So that's the 40%.
00:33:38.907 --> 00:33:40.609
So in your work, it'll be different in every field.
00:33:40.609 --> 00:33:42.911
But those are the margins that i can gain by really being
00:33:42.911 --> 00:33:45.848
Organized, detail-oriented.
00:33:45.848 --> 00:33:48.383
Now you've outworked, and now you've out-detailed 90% of
00:33:48.383 --> 00:33:51.653
The world. wow.
00:33:51.653 --> 00:33:52.988
Now there's 10% left.
00:33:52.988 --> 00:33:54.623
Now it's who's going to be a dog, bro.
00:33:54.623 --> 00:33:56.492
Like, who's gonna fight no matter what?
00:33:56.492 --> 00:33:58.260
Who's gonna realize that i'm gonna keep coming forward no
00:33:58.260 --> 00:34:01.063
Matter what happens?
00:34:01.063 --> 00:34:03.198
Which means i'm gonna fail. you think about david.
00:34:03.198 --> 00:34:05.334
Like, all we hear about is the account of david and
00:34:05.334 --> 00:34:08.036
Goliath, right?
00:34:08.036 --> 00:34:09.138
You've heard about that since you were little.
00:34:09.138 --> 00:34:10.472
How many times do you think david hit that stone up against
00:34:10.472 --> 00:34:12.074
A fence in the back where he was living? yeah.
00:34:12.074 --> 00:34:14.776
Just firing, firing, firing, hitting that fence.
00:34:14.776 --> 00:34:17.546
Because then he was ready for that moment when goliath came.
00:34:17.546 --> 00:34:20.582
Right. so i think, you know, 10%, being able to understand,
00:34:20.582 --> 00:34:23.685
Like, failure is a part of the process.
00:34:23.685 --> 00:34:26.989
I'm not going to quit.
00:34:26.989 --> 00:34:28.457
One no leads to a yes.
00:34:28.457 --> 00:34:30.492
Sometimes it's a no, but that means i just got to go slow,
00:34:30.492 --> 00:34:32.861
Right? and we're going to get to that where it's a go.
00:34:32.861 --> 00:34:34.997
But i think that's an easy principle to apply to any walk
00:34:34.997 --> 00:34:38.233
Of life.
00:34:38.233 --> 00:34:39.768
- man, that is so good.
00:34:39.768 --> 00:34:41.937
Because so often we feel like we're up against insurmountable
00:34:41.937 --> 00:34:45.240
Odds. somebody else is going to get this.
00:34:45.240 --> 00:34:46.942
There's no way i'm ever going to make it.
00:34:46.942 --> 00:34:49.211
And you just took out the competition through.
00:34:49.211 --> 00:34:52.481
If i work hard, if i organize and discipline my life, and
00:34:52.481 --> 00:34:56.685
Then i'm just fully committed.
00:34:56.685 --> 00:34:59.388
I'm not backing down and giving up.
00:34:59.388 --> 00:35:01.890
- i love it.
00:35:01.890 --> 00:35:02.824
- man, that's so good.
00:35:02.824 --> 00:35:04.159
I meet people all the time who are excited about a celebrity
00:35:04.159 --> 00:35:09.131
Coming to faith in christ, whether it's a musician or an
00:35:09.131 --> 00:35:12.568
Actor or a sports hero.
00:35:12.568 --> 00:35:16.905
How has your faith impacted your career as a sportscaster,
00:35:16.905 --> 00:35:22.311
As an athlete?
00:35:22.311 --> 00:35:23.679
- well, it kind of goes back to what we talked about earlier.
00:35:23.679 --> 00:35:26.381
Like it's a clear identity.
00:35:26.381 --> 00:35:28.717
It's a clear roadmap.
00:35:28.717 --> 00:35:30.986
You know, learning what god's principles are,
00:35:30.986 --> 00:35:33.021
Learning god's word.
00:35:33.021 --> 00:35:34.923
It's a compass.
00:35:34.923 --> 00:35:36.258
It's a moral compass in my life.
00:35:36.258 --> 00:35:38.126
And it's just been, i think the coolest part to me is when i
00:35:38.126 --> 00:35:42.831
Thought about faith when i was a little bit younger, i was like,
00:35:42.831 --> 00:35:45.400
Man, that's a religious.
00:35:45.400 --> 00:35:47.202
A weird set of rules, like you have to do this.
00:35:47.202 --> 00:35:49.938
Yeah, yeah.
00:35:49.938 --> 00:35:51.306
No, it's really the most freeing thing you'll ever experience in
00:35:51.306 --> 00:35:52.874
Your life.
00:35:52.874 --> 00:35:54.009
Like when you have a relationship with jesus, not
00:35:54.009 --> 00:35:57.246
Only is it cool, which some people think, oh, it's
00:35:57.246 --> 00:35:58.714
Not very cool.
00:35:58.714 --> 00:35:59.715
Like you got to do this, you got to do that.
00:35:59.715 --> 00:36:00.749
It's not strickening, it's freeing.
00:36:00.749 --> 00:36:02.251
It allows you to understand the world in such a better way.
00:36:02.251 --> 00:36:06.755
Like when you read god's word and you realize what goes in,
00:36:06.755 --> 00:36:10.659
Like this is not something that everybody wanted to be true.
00:36:10.659 --> 00:36:14.162
And even when i started to study the scriptures back in the day
00:36:14.162 --> 00:36:16.865
And i was meeting with people, i was like, wait a minute, because
00:36:16.865 --> 00:36:19.034
I'm a natural antagonist and i'm a natural contrarian.
00:36:19.034 --> 00:36:23.405
I was like, you're telling me this is real.
00:36:23.405 --> 00:36:25.040
How do i know it's real?
00:36:25.040 --> 00:36:26.375
And they're like, well, how do you know george washington was
00:36:26.375 --> 00:36:28.210
The first president?
00:36:28.210 --> 00:36:29.278
I'm like, because it's in the history books.
00:36:29.278 --> 00:36:30.412
He's like, this is a history book.
00:36:30.412 --> 00:36:32.681
Like, we've got access to the greatest history book ever
00:36:32.681 --> 00:36:35.150
Written, most transcribed, most scrutinized.
00:36:35.150 --> 00:36:37.486
Like, the fact that we have access to that and we get to
00:36:37.486 --> 00:36:41.023
Take it in, and it is a playbook.
00:36:41.023 --> 00:36:42.891
Like, it's a playbook for our life.
00:36:42.891 --> 00:36:44.426
In any situation that we get in, we have an answer.
00:36:44.426 --> 00:36:47.696
We have an out.
00:36:47.696 --> 00:36:48.797
It doesn't look like everybody else.
00:36:48.797 --> 00:36:50.299
And so i think just i love to be able to share the joy that comes
00:36:50.299 --> 00:36:54.636
With the relationship, like the freeing that comes with the
00:36:54.636 --> 00:36:58.140
Relationship and seeing so many of my friends and my family.
00:36:58.140 --> 00:37:00.709
Leading my mama to christ was the coolest day ever, dude.
00:37:00.709 --> 00:37:03.578
Like baptizing her was so cool.
00:37:03.578 --> 00:37:05.714
And it was good.
00:37:05.714 --> 00:37:06.915
It goes back to mark watson and my teacher.
00:37:06.915 --> 00:37:08.583
She called me when i was a senior in college and she was
00:37:08.583 --> 00:37:11.153
Like, this is all going crazy.
00:37:11.153 --> 00:37:12.554
It's all going nuts.
00:37:12.554 --> 00:37:13.388
Like, how do you deal with this?
00:37:13.388 --> 00:37:15.090
And i'm like, i don't.
00:37:15.090 --> 00:37:17.526
This is how i deal with it.
00:37:17.526 --> 00:37:18.794
And i walked her through, we walked through scripture and
00:37:18.794 --> 00:37:21.129
Just one of the coolest things.
00:37:21.129 --> 00:37:22.397
So to watch my family and the joy that we've had and the
00:37:22.397 --> 00:37:25.600
Roadmap it's laid out for us, it's been crazy.
00:37:25.600 --> 00:37:27.636
- that's so good to hear.
00:37:27.636 --> 00:37:29.905
And that's been my...
00:37:29.905 --> 00:37:32.607
Personal experience, too, coming out of atheism
00:37:32.607 --> 00:37:34.343
Into christianity.
00:37:34.343 --> 00:37:35.711
What seemed like a wet blanket on all of the fun or a new list
00:37:35.711 --> 00:37:39.147
Of rules to keep turns out to be the very thing that brings you
00:37:39.147 --> 00:37:44.086
Life and sets you free.
00:37:44.086 --> 00:37:46.021
That's awesome.
00:37:46.021 --> 00:37:47.422
I want to unpack more in your new book right after the break.
00:37:47.422 --> 00:37:50.525
We're going to continue to talk with david about navigating
00:37:50.525 --> 00:37:53.228
Difficult seasons and how he saw god working through those
00:37:53.228 --> 00:37:57.032
Tough days.
00:37:57.032 --> 00:37:58.200
We'll be right back.
00:37:58.200 --> 00:37:59.634
♪ (music playing) ♪
00:37:59.634 --> 00:38:05.006
♪ (music playing) ♪
00:38:05.006 --> 00:38:11.381
We're back with motivational speaker and host of see ball,
00:38:11.381 --> 00:38:14.951
Get ball sports podcast, david pollack.
00:38:14.951 --> 00:38:18.287
He's discussing his latest book, every day counts.
00:38:18.287 --> 00:38:21.190
See ball, get ball.
00:38:21.190 --> 00:38:22.425
- i love it.
00:38:22.425 --> 00:38:23.426
- i like how you smiled when you said it.
00:38:23.426 --> 00:38:24.560
- i loved it.
00:38:24.560 --> 00:38:25.194
Keep it simple.
00:38:25.194 --> 00:38:26.062
Don't complicate it.
00:38:26.062 --> 00:38:27.063
- that's exactly why.
00:38:27.063 --> 00:38:28.531
I was like, that's the most me thing ever.
00:38:28.531 --> 00:38:30.299
Like, not a lot of thought process.
00:38:30.299 --> 00:38:32.969
I'm not that smart. just talk ball.
00:38:32.969 --> 00:38:33.636
- yeah, well, well, well.
00:38:33.636 --> 00:38:34.971
He's unassuming.
00:38:34.971 --> 00:38:36.639
He's actually very smart.
00:38:36.639 --> 00:38:37.607
And this book is incredible.
00:38:37.607 --> 00:38:39.242
And it's got so many practical principles, like the three r's.
00:38:39.242 --> 00:38:42.645
What are the three r's for life?
00:38:42.645 --> 00:38:44.213
And why are they helpful?
00:38:44.213 --> 00:38:45.515
- once i developed a system, man, it changed everything.
00:38:45.515 --> 00:38:48.851
First off, i got to be selfish in the morning if i'm going to
00:38:48.851 --> 00:38:51.454
Be selfless the rest of the day.
00:38:51.454 --> 00:38:52.989
I'm doing it first, bro.
00:38:52.989 --> 00:38:54.123
There's no excuse. ok.
00:38:54.123 --> 00:38:55.458
Like it's got to be done in the morning.
00:38:55.458 --> 00:38:56.793
So it's 20 minutes to the sauna to listen to god and to get
00:38:56.793 --> 00:39:00.096
Still every single morning.
00:39:00.096 --> 00:39:01.297
That's how my morning starts.
00:39:01.297 --> 00:39:02.932
And the three r's bring god into my life.
00:39:02.932 --> 00:39:05.835
So the first r is reflect.
00:39:05.835 --> 00:39:08.104
What happened yesterday?
00:39:08.104 --> 00:39:09.005
Like clearly walk through yesterday.
00:39:09.005 --> 00:39:11.841
What did i do with my kiddos what did i do for work bring god
00:39:11.841 --> 00:39:14.677
Into all of those situations literally talk about thank him
00:39:14.677 --> 00:39:17.847
For those situations all the blessings that happened
00:39:17.847 --> 00:39:20.349
Yesterday all those great things man be present with him and be
00:39:20.349 --> 00:39:24.020
Thankful for what i had the second r is repent like i got a
00:39:24.020 --> 00:39:27.723
Lot usually to apologize for i spoke to my wife wrong, i spoke
00:39:27.723 --> 00:39:30.893
To my kids wrong, should have handled this better, should have
00:39:30.893 --> 00:39:33.262
Handled this better, how about some stuff too god show me some
00:39:33.262 --> 00:39:35.865
Stuff that i'm not confessing yeah right like reveal that
00:39:35.865 --> 00:39:38.668
Through my heart so that's the second r and then the third
00:39:38.668 --> 00:39:41.404
Is repurpose.
00:39:41.404 --> 00:39:42.338
Like, today, lord, this is what i have.
00:39:42.338 --> 00:39:45.141
I got a show with kirk this afternoon.
00:39:45.141 --> 00:39:46.843
Like, this is what i'm going to be doing.
00:39:46.843 --> 00:39:48.177
Please show up.
00:39:48.177 --> 00:39:49.378
Please be in it, right?
00:39:49.378 --> 00:39:50.546
Like, what do i need to say?
00:39:50.546 --> 00:39:52.381
What do i need to do?
00:39:52.381 --> 00:39:53.549
How can i invite him into my day?
00:39:53.549 --> 00:39:55.184
So i got him in the past.
00:39:55.184 --> 00:39:57.086
I got him in the present, right, throughout my day.
00:39:57.086 --> 00:39:59.088
So it just, man, it changed the way that i pray and it changed
00:39:59.088 --> 00:40:02.325
My relationship with god because i always had plenty to say.
00:40:02.325 --> 00:40:05.728
When i started doing that, dude, i got, i literally, when i
00:40:05.728 --> 00:40:07.997
Started doing that, i set my phone timer for 20 minutes.
00:40:07.997 --> 00:40:11.801
- yeah. - at four minutes, i had looked at it.
00:40:11.801 --> 00:40:13.135
At eight minutes, i had looked at it.
00:40:13.135 --> 00:40:14.504
I couldn't even do it for 20 minutes.
00:40:14.504 --> 00:40:15.838
Now it's not even, it's the easiest thing i've ever done to
00:40:15.838 --> 00:40:18.641
Do 20 minutes every morning, but it's just like a muscle, man.
00:40:18.641 --> 00:40:21.577
It's just, it's working it, but with a system.
00:40:21.577 --> 00:40:24.814
- i love things like that because i read a book once that
00:40:24.814 --> 00:40:28.217
Had to do with the power of habits.
00:40:28.217 --> 00:40:30.086
And we think of habits as bad habits, but we set good habits
00:40:30.086 --> 00:40:32.889
Into motion like yours.
00:40:32.889 --> 00:40:34.423
20 minutes in the morning with god, rrr, reflect, repent,
00:40:34.423 --> 00:40:39.562
And repurpose.
00:40:39.562 --> 00:40:40.229
Is that what you said?
00:40:40.229 --> 00:40:40.897
- yes, sir.
00:40:40.897 --> 00:40:42.164
- that can just set the trajectory for the whole day to
00:40:42.164 --> 00:40:45.034
Be so much better.
00:40:45.034 --> 00:40:45.701
- it changes my day, 100%.
00:40:45.701 --> 00:40:47.904
- that's great.
00:40:47.904 --> 00:40:48.771
I love it.
00:40:48.771 --> 00:40:50.206
You have a chapter in your book called god has a plan.
00:40:50.206 --> 00:40:53.175
And you recount the story of how things dramatically changed for
00:40:53.175 --> 00:40:58.414
You when you were working at espn.
00:40:58.414 --> 00:41:01.350
What happened, and what did you learn?
00:41:01.350 --> 00:41:02.718
What was god teaching you during that season?
00:41:02.718 --> 00:41:04.787
Well, i got a call in june, like, three years ago, i think
00:41:04.787 --> 00:41:08.124
It was, and, you know, i'm doing college game day, which is one
00:41:08.124 --> 00:41:11.093
Of the best shows on the air, and it's huge, and it's good,
00:41:11.093 --> 00:41:13.296
And my guy called me, and this was way before the season
00:41:13.296 --> 00:41:16.332
Started, and i was like, oh, no.
00:41:16.332 --> 00:41:17.667
I was thinking about it, like, a minute into the call, and i was
00:41:17.667 --> 00:41:20.336
Like... oh, i know what's about to happen.
00:41:20.336 --> 00:41:21.671
I'm about to get canned.
00:41:21.671 --> 00:41:22.939
My mama hates that, by the way.
00:41:22.939 --> 00:41:25.641
She's like, you got let go.
00:41:25.641 --> 00:41:26.876
I was like, mama, they told me not to come back.
00:41:26.876 --> 00:41:28.311
It really doesn't matter how you spin it.
00:41:28.311 --> 00:41:29.512
So i get fired.
00:41:29.512 --> 00:41:30.947
And immediately, like, you go from, like, being a guy that's
00:41:30.947 --> 00:41:35.851
On television.
00:41:35.851 --> 00:41:37.787
You had your future set.
00:41:37.787 --> 00:41:40.122
Like, you've done this for 15 years, thought you were going to
00:41:40.122 --> 00:41:42.425
Do it for another 10, 15, and bam.
00:41:42.425 --> 00:41:44.226
- this must have felt like the hit that broke your neck.
00:41:44.226 --> 00:41:47.897
- i was about to say, it's very familiar, isn't it?
00:41:47.897 --> 00:41:50.466
Like... what happened?
00:41:50.466 --> 00:41:51.233
Why did they... what happened?
00:41:51.233 --> 00:41:52.501
- why did you get let go, as your mom likes to say?
00:41:52.501 --> 00:41:54.770
- yeah, i don't know, honestly.
00:41:54.770 --> 00:41:56.339
You know, there's always noise, and there's always things that
00:41:56.339 --> 00:41:59.642
You hear about.
00:41:59.642 --> 00:42:00.309
- it's never clear, is it?
00:42:00.309 --> 00:42:01.510
Yet it is clear, but it's not clear.
00:42:01.510 --> 00:42:04.213
- yeah. you can take it for...
00:42:04.213 --> 00:42:05.348
You can take it with a lot of different directions.
00:42:05.348 --> 00:42:07.083
I'm definitely outspoken about my faith.
00:42:07.083 --> 00:42:09.418
I'm driven by different things.
00:42:09.418 --> 00:42:11.120
But here's the cool thing, man.
00:42:11.120 --> 00:42:13.522
Here's what i would say for everybody else.
00:42:13.522 --> 00:42:15.558
I got on the bicycle and for 15 years, i did college game day
00:42:15.558 --> 00:42:19.028
And all these things, man.
00:42:19.028 --> 00:42:20.062
And i just started going and going and going.
00:42:20.062 --> 00:42:22.164
And it was great.
00:42:22.164 --> 00:42:22.965
It was awesome.
00:42:22.965 --> 00:42:24.266
But sometimes we get caught in that instead of what's the art
00:42:24.266 --> 00:42:27.103
Of the possible?
00:42:27.103 --> 00:42:27.970
Where does god want me?
00:42:27.970 --> 00:42:28.804
What really brings me joy?
00:42:28.804 --> 00:42:30.106
Like i did that to bring, it brought me joy and it was cool,
00:42:30.106 --> 00:42:33.409
But i'm like, and it made, it paid the bills, but like now
00:42:33.409 --> 00:42:36.379
It's slowed me down.
00:42:36.379 --> 00:42:37.747
And i was like, okay, anything i do from here on out is going to
00:42:37.747 --> 00:42:41.417
Be through god.
00:42:41.417 --> 00:42:42.518
Like, my lens is going to be, does this honor god?
00:42:42.518 --> 00:42:45.488
Does this glorify god?
00:42:45.488 --> 00:42:46.689
And so the art of the possible became a new...
00:42:46.689 --> 00:42:49.625
This wouldn't happen.
00:42:49.625 --> 00:42:50.793
There's no way this book happened.
00:42:50.793 --> 00:42:52.161
If you were still on espn.
00:42:52.161 --> 00:42:52.995
No, because life was...
00:42:52.995 --> 00:42:54.363
It was easier.
00:42:54.363 --> 00:42:55.131
- yeah, you're on the treadmill.
00:42:55.131 --> 00:42:56.298
- i'm on the hamster wheel, 100%.
00:42:56.298 --> 00:42:57.933
And so getting kicked off, you know, it makes you
00:42:57.933 --> 00:43:02.605
Reevaluate things.
00:43:02.605 --> 00:43:03.272
I got to be home more.
00:43:03.272 --> 00:43:05.174
Like my kids were in the most impressionable years.
00:43:05.174 --> 00:43:06.942
My son was going into his freshman year.
00:43:06.942 --> 00:43:08.377
I get to watch all of his football games, right?
00:43:08.377 --> 00:43:10.780
Like, i get to coach him and my daughter at the high school
00:43:10.780 --> 00:43:14.583
Level for sports.
00:43:14.583 --> 00:43:15.751
So it was just god's timing, again, that was perfect.
00:43:15.751 --> 00:43:18.387
- that's so great.
00:43:18.387 --> 00:43:19.288
That's so great.
00:43:19.288 --> 00:43:20.589
Let me switch to a sobering topic, and that is the diagnosis
00:43:20.589 --> 00:43:26.195
That your wife received in 2023 of brain cancer.
00:43:26.195 --> 00:43:30.766
That's like a gut punch.
00:43:30.766 --> 00:43:35.304
Take the wind out of my lungs just hearing hearing those
00:43:35.304 --> 00:43:40.209
Words, talk about adversity how did that... and is that
00:43:40.209 --> 00:43:46.782
Affecting your relationship with god and with your wife?
00:43:46.782 --> 00:43:51.120
- well i think for me we've talked about broken neck we've
00:43:51.120 --> 00:43:54.824
Talked about firing and that was cake like that was cake but
00:43:54.824 --> 00:44:00.763
When it's your baby doll and like that's my only girlfriend
00:44:00.763 --> 00:44:02.565
I've ever had that's my world like here on earth like that
00:44:02.565 --> 00:44:06.669
Was i didn't control it.
00:44:06.669 --> 00:44:08.304
And it was really hard really hard and so but
00:44:08.304 --> 00:44:10.239
Here's what i learned i wrestle with god i wrestle with god and
00:44:10.239 --> 00:44:13.576
Here's what happens you break a hip and you dislocate his
00:44:13.576 --> 00:44:15.411
Shoulder and it's like i'm just wasting my time and my energy
00:44:15.411 --> 00:44:18.481
And she's hurt she's she's his before she's mine and letting go
00:44:18.481 --> 00:44:21.417
Letting god right you've heard that before but like it was a
00:44:21.417 --> 00:44:25.988
Trying time, man.
00:44:25.988 --> 00:44:28.090
Like, you know, going through surgeries and going through a
00:44:28.090 --> 00:44:30.059
Lot of the things that we had to go through.
00:44:30.059 --> 00:44:31.627
But it was just, it was another reminder that he's in control.
00:44:31.627 --> 00:44:34.730
It was a cool reminder for my kiddos.
00:44:34.730 --> 00:44:37.867
Me and my wife, we've prayed this prayer, so be careful what
00:44:37.867 --> 00:44:40.503
You pray.
00:44:40.503 --> 00:44:41.937
But we've prayed for my kids since they were little.
00:44:41.937 --> 00:44:44.440
Like, god, put some hard in their lives.
00:44:44.440 --> 00:44:46.509
Like, i don't pray for my kids' protection.
00:44:46.509 --> 00:44:49.378
I pray for my kids' resilience.
00:44:49.378 --> 00:44:50.679
I'm not worried about their protection.
00:44:50.679 --> 00:44:52.081
Like, i want them to run to god.
00:44:52.081 --> 00:44:54.817
But, like, my kids see me kind of as a superhero and big and on
00:44:54.817 --> 00:44:59.155
Tv and football and all that stuff.
00:44:59.155 --> 00:45:01.090
And now they see their mother as a superhero.
00:45:01.090 --> 00:45:02.958
Because they saw mom handle something that was really,
00:45:02.958 --> 00:45:05.127
Really hard.
00:45:05.127 --> 00:45:05.795
And it's just jesus.
00:45:05.795 --> 00:45:09.098
A week and a half after surgery, she's in church.
00:45:07.963 --> 00:45:11.400
And so, like, man, it was such a learning experience.
00:45:11.400 --> 00:45:14.937
It's been really, really fun the last year and a half to walk
00:45:14.937 --> 00:45:20.142
Through it because, like...
00:45:20.142 --> 00:45:21.644
I love scripture because i'm going to say this and you're
00:45:21.644 --> 00:45:24.613
Going to look at me real quick and you're going to want to
00:45:24.613 --> 00:45:28.317
Scold me.
00:45:28.317 --> 00:45:29.151
People talk about it all the time.
00:45:29.151 --> 00:45:30.553
Scripture never, the word of god never changes.
00:45:30.553 --> 00:45:32.521
I disagree.
00:45:32.521 --> 00:45:33.823
The word of god changes in what it means to me because i'm
00:45:33.823 --> 00:45:35.457
Always changing.
00:45:35.457 --> 00:45:36.892
I'm always changing.
00:45:36.892 --> 00:45:38.227
So reading scripture now as an adult, as a parent, like some
00:45:38.227 --> 00:45:41.831
Scriptures hit me a lot different than they used to
00:45:41.831 --> 00:45:44.066
Hit me.
00:45:44.066 --> 00:45:45.401
So like reading now, like mark 15, 21, and it talks about simon
00:45:45.401 --> 00:45:48.904
Of serene.
00:45:48.904 --> 00:45:50.139
Picks up the cross, and he's forced to carry the cross.
00:45:50.139 --> 00:45:52.274
Like, right?
00:45:52.274 --> 00:45:52.942
Picks up the cross.
00:45:52.942 --> 00:45:53.976
It mentions his kids, alexander and rufus.
00:45:53.976 --> 00:45:55.845
Like, we're all going to be forced to carry a cross we
00:45:55.845 --> 00:45:57.947
Didn't earn, we didn't deserve.
00:45:57.947 --> 00:45:59.782
How are you going to carry it?
00:45:59.782 --> 00:46:00.983
And we got that opportunity.
00:46:00.983 --> 00:46:03.385
And alexander and rufus were mentioned.
00:46:03.385 --> 00:46:04.987
I wouldn't name my kid rufus.
00:46:04.987 --> 00:46:06.088
That's another debate for another day.
00:46:06.088 --> 00:46:07.590
But they were mentioned for a reason, because your kiddos
00:46:07.590 --> 00:46:09.625
Are watching.
00:46:09.625 --> 00:46:10.960
And so her example that she's setting for our kids, our kids
00:46:10.960 --> 00:46:14.029
Having to watch her and be in it and do more than they've ever
00:46:14.029 --> 00:46:17.333
Thought about doing to help their mother survive and to help
00:46:17.333 --> 00:46:19.735
Their mother do things around the house.
00:46:19.735 --> 00:46:21.704
And the last thing, man, i was not strong enough to carry this.
00:46:21.704 --> 00:46:26.508
I needed my kiddos i needed my community yeah like our
00:46:26.508 --> 00:46:31.914
Community stepped in and i challenge anybody that has
00:46:31.914 --> 00:46:34.416
Anybody in their life that's going through something like i
00:46:34.416 --> 00:46:37.786
Don't know what to say when you tell me what do you need i don't
00:46:37.786 --> 00:46:40.422
Know i don't know what to tell you like we're drowning right?
00:46:40.422 --> 00:46:42.958
We're trying to figure this out as we're going just go do we
00:46:42.958 --> 00:46:45.794
Have people come do our laundry grocery shop like, do whatever
00:46:45.794 --> 00:46:48.964
Whatever they could to help man and it just made such a huge,
00:46:48.964 --> 00:46:52.301
Just come and hang out.
00:46:52.301 --> 00:46:55.137
Like, because the days were long.
00:46:55.137 --> 00:46:56.405
Like, the nights were long.
00:46:56.405 --> 00:46:57.907
And so, but the most important thing we learned was when you're
00:46:57.907 --> 00:47:01.510
Carrying that cross, what's on it?
00:47:01.510 --> 00:47:03.045
The blood of jesus, right?
00:47:03.045 --> 00:47:04.513
And like, he didn't flinch.
00:47:04.513 --> 00:47:06.282
God didn't go, man, that one took me off guard.
00:47:06.282 --> 00:47:08.550
Like, he didn't say that.
00:47:08.550 --> 00:47:10.252
And so him showing up and in all the circumstances with all of
00:47:10.252 --> 00:47:13.455
Those around us.
00:47:13.455 --> 00:47:14.790
And then now her, she's already walked three people through
00:47:14.790 --> 00:47:17.259
Brain cancer.
00:47:17.259 --> 00:47:19.561
No mistakes, nothing wasted, awesome opportunity to keep
00:47:19.561 --> 00:47:23.132
Pointing people towards him.
00:47:23.132 --> 00:47:24.833
- that is so good.
00:47:24.833 --> 00:47:26.135
And i know there are a lot of people who are feeling like
00:47:26.135 --> 00:47:30.606
They're drowning right now.
00:47:30.606 --> 00:47:31.941
I just had a neighbor who called me and their world just turned
00:47:31.941 --> 00:47:35.177
Upside down.
00:47:35.177 --> 00:47:36.378
And you're right, we're not meant to do this alone.
00:47:36.378 --> 00:47:39.481
As lone soldiers or lone wolves.
00:47:39.481 --> 00:47:41.951
We need each other.
00:47:41.951 --> 00:47:43.052
And you talk about all that in your book.
00:47:43.052 --> 00:47:45.554
You also talk about the pollack family foundation and all of its
00:47:45.554 --> 00:47:48.857
Great initiatives.
00:47:48.857 --> 00:47:50.025
What do you want readers to take away from this book,
00:47:50.025 --> 00:47:53.195
Everyday counts?
00:47:53.195 --> 00:47:54.563
- i think men specifically, i think we work a lot better with
00:47:54.563 --> 00:47:58.200
A scoreboard.
00:47:58.200 --> 00:47:59.301
So i want you to create a scoreboard in your life.
00:47:59.301 --> 00:48:01.837
Like, i want you to create a scoreboard to see if you're
00:48:01.837 --> 00:48:03.639
Winning, to see if you're losing.
00:48:03.639 --> 00:48:04.974
Don't just exist, man.
00:48:04.974 --> 00:48:06.241
How you align directly reflects where you're going to go.
00:48:06.241 --> 00:48:10.045
Like, steph curry wants to be the best three-point shooter on
00:48:10.045 --> 00:48:12.448
The planet, and he is.
00:48:12.448 --> 00:48:13.549
And when he faces the goal, he's really good.
00:48:13.549 --> 00:48:15.484
If he's shooting like this, it's really hard to make it.
00:48:15.484 --> 00:48:18.787
Right? it's the car analogy for me.
00:48:18.787 --> 00:48:20.089
If we're driving in the car, man, are we always looking to
00:48:20.089 --> 00:48:21.824
The future?
00:48:21.824 --> 00:48:22.758
Are we always looking to the future?
00:48:22.758 --> 00:48:23.993
Everything's about the future, the future, the future.
00:48:23.993 --> 00:48:26.095
Or are we looking in the rearview mirror where
00:48:26.095 --> 00:48:28.897
Everything's about the past?
00:48:28.897 --> 00:48:30.132
Guilt, shame, regret.
00:48:30.132 --> 00:48:31.133
Or are we in the daggum moment?
00:48:31.133 --> 00:48:33.068
Like, we're in the car driving.
00:48:33.068 --> 00:48:34.570
We're going down the road.
00:48:34.570 --> 00:48:35.437
What am i going to get done today?
00:48:35.437 --> 00:48:37.239
And there's tangible strategies, like ways to create
00:48:37.239 --> 00:48:40.542
That scoreboard.
00:48:40.542 --> 00:48:41.577
So we do take steps in the right direction.
00:48:41.577 --> 00:48:43.779
Because the worst thing you can do is, we've heard the saying,
00:48:43.779 --> 00:48:46.115
How do you climb a mountain?
00:48:46.115 --> 00:48:47.383
One step at a time.
00:48:47.383 --> 00:48:48.751
The worst thing you can do is get to the top of that mountain
00:48:48.751 --> 00:48:50.586
And go, i meant to climb that one. right?
00:48:50.586 --> 00:48:54.523
Like, whoops.
00:48:54.523 --> 00:48:55.891
So really making it a habit and creating some scoreboards, and
00:48:55.891 --> 00:49:01.296
There's a bunch of strategies that we use to do it so you can
00:49:01.296 --> 00:49:04.433
Make every single day count.
00:49:04.433 --> 00:49:06.235
- that's great.
00:49:06.235 --> 00:49:06.902
Man, thanks so much.
00:49:06.902 --> 00:49:08.270
Thank you for writing the book, and thanks for coming and having
00:49:08.270 --> 00:49:09.772
This conversation. - absolutely.
00:49:09.772 --> 00:49:11.106
Appreciate you having me on.
00:49:11.106 --> 00:49:12.307
- after the break, we'll review today's takeaways.
00:49:12.307 --> 00:49:14.343
♪ (music playing) ♪
00:49:14.343 --> 00:49:21.000
♪ (music playing) ♪
00:49:21.000 --> 00:49:28.657
I had a great time talking with stephen mcwhirter and david
00:49:28.657 --> 00:49:30.659
Pollack today.
00:49:30.659 --> 00:49:32.061
Whether it's coming out of the dark room of addiction or facing
00:49:32.061 --> 00:49:34.797
A life-altering injury, these men showed us that god is always
00:49:34.797 --> 00:49:38.801
Working to restore us.
00:49:38.801 --> 00:49:40.769
We just have to be willing to listen.
00:49:40.769 --> 00:49:43.605
Here's a few of our takeaways.
00:49:43.605 --> 00:49:45.874
Let god do the heavy lifting.
00:49:45.874 --> 00:49:48.710
Stephen's story was a powerful picture of ephesians 2.8, which
00:49:48.710 --> 00:49:52.281
Reminds us that we are saved by grace through faith.
00:49:52.281 --> 00:49:55.417
And not by our own works.
00:49:55.417 --> 00:49:57.853
Stephen spent years trying to numb his trauma with drugs until
00:49:57.853 --> 00:50:02.391
He realized that the only one who could heal his brokenness
00:50:02.391 --> 00:50:06.762
Was god.
00:50:06.762 --> 00:50:08.163
When stephen finally admitted he didn't have the strength to fix
00:50:08.163 --> 00:50:11.834
Himself, the lord stepped in and effectively said, you can't do
00:50:11.834 --> 00:50:13.735
It. i will do it.
00:50:13.735 --> 00:50:18.740
And he performed a miracle.
00:50:18.740 --> 00:50:20.008
So if you're at the end of yourself tonight, stop trying to
00:50:20.008 --> 00:50:23.679
Be your own savior.
00:50:23.679 --> 00:50:25.547
And trust that god is ready to do for you what you can't do for
00:50:25.547 --> 00:50:27.516
Yourself. rip up the debt.
00:50:27.516 --> 00:50:32.554
Stephen shared the powerful moment he forgave his abusive
00:50:32.554 --> 00:50:36.592
Father just before his dad took his last breath.
00:50:36.592 --> 00:50:39.695
He reminded us that forgiveness is like ripping up a legitimate
00:50:39.695 --> 00:50:43.799
Debt so that you don't have to carry the poison of
00:50:43.799 --> 00:50:47.636
Resentment anymore.
00:50:47.636 --> 00:50:50.072
We're possibly most like our savior when we forgive,
00:50:50.072 --> 00:50:54.877
An enemy.
00:50:54.877 --> 00:50:56.645
So don't wait for the other person to apologize and repent.
00:50:56.645 --> 00:51:00.616
Take that legitimate debt and rip it up today.
00:51:00.616 --> 00:51:04.620
The 50-40-10 principle.
00:51:04.620 --> 00:51:08.657
David pollack used a really cool football concept to
00:51:08.657 --> 00:51:11.627
Explain success.
00:51:11.627 --> 00:51:13.228
He said the 50-40-10 principle is knowing that half your
00:51:13.228 --> 00:51:18.600
Competition, 50%, can be beaten simply by outworking them.
00:51:18.600 --> 00:51:21.036
And then another 40% can be overcome by being more detailed
00:51:21.036 --> 00:51:24.239
And organized than they are.
00:51:24.239 --> 00:51:28.410
And then the final 10% belongs to the dogs who just keep coming
00:51:28.410 --> 00:51:33.482
Forward no matter how many times they fail.
00:51:33.482 --> 00:51:37.252
Ask yourself today if you are willing to be in that final 10%
00:51:37.252 --> 00:51:40.656
Who uses failure as fuel...
00:51:40.656 --> 00:51:44.359
To keep moving forward.
00:51:44.359 --> 00:51:47.629
With that, i'd like to add this corny but useful saying.
00:51:47.629 --> 00:51:52.801
Do your best, pray it's blessed, then let god take care of the
00:51:52.801 --> 00:51:57.072
Rest. the three r's prayer.
00:51:57.072 --> 00:52:01.476
David said he changed his relationship with god by setting
00:52:01.476 --> 00:52:05.080
A 20-minute timer for a prayer habit he calls the three r's.
00:52:05.080 --> 00:52:08.917
He says he spends time to reflect on yesterday, repent of
00:52:08.917 --> 00:52:14.856
His faults, and repurpose his plans for today.
00:52:14.856 --> 00:52:18.493
So, tomorrow morning, why don't you set your phone timer for 20
00:52:18.493 --> 00:52:24.132
Minutes and invite god into your past, your present, and your
00:52:24.132 --> 00:52:29.204
Future using this simple method?
00:52:29.204 --> 00:52:32.040
Or, in fact, i'd like to encourage you to start this
00:52:32.040 --> 00:52:35.944
Right now, after this show is finished, and then continue each
00:52:35.944 --> 00:52:39.548
And every morning.
00:52:39.548 --> 00:52:41.049
That's all for this episode of takeaways. thanks for watching.
00:52:41.049 --> 00:52:45.020
And if you've enjoyed this show, don't forget to set your dvr so
00:52:45.020 --> 00:52:48.590
You never miss an episode.
00:52:48.590 --> 00:52:50.092
And of course, you can always catch up on past takeaways
00:52:50.092 --> 00:52:52.828
Episodes by searching for takeaways on tbn plus or by
00:52:52.828 --> 00:52:56.732
Visiting the kirk cameron on tbn youtube channel.
00:52:56.732 --> 00:53:01.336
We'll see you here next time for more great conversations.
00:53:01.336 --> 00:53:04.239
♪ (music playing) ♪
00:53:04.239 --> 00:53:04.239

Stephen McWhirter & David Pollack: From Brokenness to Breakthroughs | Takeaways with Kirk Cameron

June 15, 2026 | 53:20

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