This is the Truth Network. Welcome to Truth Talk Live. All right, let's talk. A daily program powered by the Truth Network. This is kind of a great thing.
I'll tell you what, where pop culture, current events, and theology all come together. Teach your mind. And now, here's today's Truth Talk Live host. Could there be a page turning novel out there written by a pastor who was an amazing ball player—football, baseball, basketball? That brings healing to the heart and is just a compelling read.
Well, I'm looking at it right now, and the book is called Sleeves, and I'm having lunch with this pastor, and it's a beautiful October day. I don't know when we're going to play this podcast, but Pastor Jonathan Bowman, man, I've known you for years. We've competed, man. Absolutely, we've been out there, brother. Absolutely, absolutely, man.
Good times, good times.
Well, you're wearing. The shirt, like that's on the cover of the book, it's got a scripture on the back. You're going to tell us about that. Absolutely, it's got the name of the book on the front sleeves, and the scar works, which is just powerful when you think about the scars that you have. Listening to my voice right now in your life, maybe it's a father wound.
Maybe you just lost a close grandparent to cancer. Maybe you got a awful prodigal son or daughter out there. You're praying hard to come home. There's a lot of scars out there. This right here, this book, is that there's a lot of your life reality in this thing.
And I heard you preach at a mutual friend's funeral recently, and you just let it out, brother. Yes, you know I pastored for several years feeling like that. I was speaking another language, and simply because, you know, if you go to another country, you have to have a translator, and that translator helps you to speak the language and understand the language. But until I was 40 years old, as a pastor, I didn't understand the language of pain because I'd never really had anything that had happened to me. And then at age 41, I lost my sister to pancreatic cancer.
Just a few years later, my brother-in-law he passed away at 40 years old. Just fell over at the YMCA with a heart attack. Then I lost my father to pancreatic cancer, and so since being forty, I'm fifty-six now. Believe it or not, Stu, that's how old we are, man. It's hard to believe it.
We're getting old. We used to talk about old people. I think we're them. I don't know about getting old. I think we're already there, man.
But yeah, sure enough, man, I started just really thinking about the language of pain, and so I wanted to write a book about it, and I wanted to write a novel.
So I put it in a story form. I built in truths, and you know, one of the keys to this. Book as it's on my sleeve right here, Scar Works, and so you know the idea of the book is that Jesus put his scars to work for us, so we should be putting our scars to work for Him.
So I want to get into why you wrote this book because you and I had had a little fun thing happen. You and I independently, even though we kind of both we both kind of talked to each other about our books. You ordered my book on Amazon. Thanks, Living. I ordered your book on Amazon.
You're sending me encouraging text. I'm I'm shooting them right back. I'm giving it right back to you because I'm reading about this amazing left-handed kid named Joey and his story, which is just remarkable. Which he didn't even want to talk about.
So traumatizing. And but I'm sitting here thinking you're reading my book, which is a little more didactic, a little more of a breakdown of scripture and this and that. I start reading your book. I'm like, oh my soul. I'm not doing a theological, like, you know, pick apart or diagnostic on this book.
Like, this is an enjoyable read. Like, this is figures and people and muscle cars and in sports and public schools and bullying and this big old monster of a fella who follow who you know was a gangbanger but followed Jesus. Talk to me about this. Is this is like a this is fiction, but it's Christian fiction, so it's clean, but it's really compelling. Why this book?
Why this particular genre?
Well, I chose to write a story, and the reason I chose to write a story is because a lot of people they'll pick up up a book that is didactic. Which I want to say this: your book might be didactic, but it's fantastic, and I have enjoyed it. I'm reading it for the second time now. But what I wanted to do is I wanted to write a book that was a story, a narrative, because a lot of people, you know, they'll pick up a book that is somewhat didactic, and then they'll just put it down. But you get them caught up in a story, you know, and then they'll stay with.
It and then what I did was I I built in truths within it, even to the point of most people in there look at the cover of this book. They're not going to say, "Oh well, there's apologetics in this book." But I did write in a character for that very reason, and you'll love this character. I had a guy tell me the other day. He said, "You ain't gonna believe who the the character I love the most is." This is a seventy-two-year-old man from Nashville, Tennessee, and I said it's probably Ben, and he said it is exactly Ben. He said I love that guy, but he's a lovable character.
It's an unlikely friendship between the main character and him. But what I did is I wrote him in. Because I do feel like there's a lot of people out there looking for apologetics and looking for something they can wrap their head around, something to sink their teeth into. As far as just the the resurrection of Jesus is what we deal with for the most part. I don't want to ruin the storyline.
I don't want to give anyone a you know tell them the ending. I want I want them to get this book and read it. It's called Sleeves. Your kid will love you. Got a teenage kid?
They'll eat this up. They need to be reading. Readers are leaders. But Pastor Jonathan Bowman, you've been pastor in Peace Haven Baptist Church, Yaconville, North Carolina. You love pastoring, you love feeding the flock, the Word of God.
You've done a lot of the community, you've done a lot of events. You and I have kind of grown up together, and in some some fun, different stuff. A lot of stories there. This book sleeves, the subtitle: A Season of Crisis, A Lifetime of Credibility.
So without giving away the the ending and kind of how this thing you know happens, and it is a powerful ending. Wow, reconciliation, healing, all that. What is it that Your life. This is a very incarnational book, because there's a the heart of the author comes out of this thing. You know, you're you're writing from the heart as you're as you're telling this story.
It's like a modern day kind of parable. What what is it you want to connect people out there? People listening right now are hurting. They're in a ton of pain. They got some scars.
What do you say to them in terms of your modus operandi with this book? Sleeves. I do a. Degroup Bible study at my house every other Sunday night, and there's a couple that comes. They're a little younger than I am.
They're in their forties, and one night we were talking, and this couple has been through maybe one of the worst things. I would say that me ministering to them was on the worst day of my ministry. I've never had anything like that to happen before, and it had to be the worst. It was definitely the worst day of their lives. One of those is one of those things.
You know, you don't think somebody's going to survive, honestly. But years after the fact, she was sitting in our living room along with all of the other people, and I was talking. I was alluding to their situation, but she just spoke up and, without giving away a lot of details, she just said, "Our situation gave us credibility." And I called her name. Her name's Sarah, and I said, "Sarah, what do you mean by that?" She said, "What we went through made us credible to be able to minister to people in a capacity that very few people can, and that we never could before." And so, their season of crisis became their lifetime of credibility. That's where I got my subtitle from.
And so, what I have done with this main character, Joy Bateman. Is I have brought us, you know, into this story with the understanding of what he's gone through, and he had two two crises that he went through, as the reader will understand. But what I wanted to bring out is this: is that no matter what you go through, God can take that crisis or those crises, and He can give you credibility to minister in 2 Corinthians chapter one way, where you're bringing comfort to others because God has given you comfort in your crisis. And so that's kind of the point of the story. And again, not to give it all away, but there's a lot of exciting stuff, a lot of twists, a lot of turns.
I think that it's good for all ages. It's good for all ages. When the Silvus Becomes a real of us, and this thing hits home. My old coach used to say to me, "Stu, nothing comes to you of a difficult nature, of a crisis nature, that hasn't first gone through Jesus." Now, Pastor Bowman, talk about the cross connected to crisis. Will you, real quick, for folks listening, folks that have no hope right now, folks that maybe.
Want to take their own life? They're struggling. They're trying to connect to a teenager who just shuts them out and has the headsets in all the time. Key verse in this book, and you know, I kind of punctuated with this verse is Isaiah fifty-three five. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities.
The chastisement of our peace is upon him, and with his scars and with his wounds, with his stripes, we are healed. And so the. I guess I guess the punch to the book is simply this: is that at the end of the day, Jesus Christ, He went to the cross, and He He He of course you know employed His scars for us, and so now we're employing our scars for Him, and we have the best model ever to follow after, and so. But the main character, he he of course is a Christian, but He's not living it out, but then Christ uses his scars to help him to help others around him to become believers, and then to live it out in their own lives. Wow!
From the heart and the mouth of a pastor, Pastor Jonathan Bowman, the book is sleeves, a season of crisis, a lifetime of credibility. Really, a great book. Like this is, I want to take this to the beach with me because you know you. And I kept turning the chapter, like I got to put it down. I'll pick it up tomorrow, and I read through it.
I really enjoyed it. You've got Isaiah fifty three five on the back of your shirt. Y'all should see him. I'm gonna put a picture when I when I post this podcast. I'm gonna put a picture of us at this restaurant.
You've got the. I mean, you look like the cover. I mean, that's you, man. It's like you're the model for this whole thing. And like, wait, what's he wearing?
Like, you look like you're ready to take the mound or grab the bat and get in there and slug one out. You know, I mean, just like you know, you're constant athlete. You know, this all came out. You know, in a really interesting time for both of us. You and I share a mutual friend.
And I call her Mama Warren. You know Darren's mom. And Daddy, Daddy Bear Warren, Jean is in heaven. Was there a sweeter man on the planet than Jean Warren? I mean, people don't people listen to what we're saying here.
Oh yeah, absolutely, absolutely. Darren had a great dad, and Darren just recently passed away. I did his funeral here a while back, and you know, something interesting though is that Darren was living in Florida, and his sister went down, and she saw. Actually, my book was on his coffee table. He was reading the book, and.
So I wanted it to be an encouragement to him, but I'm glad that Darren's with the Lord, and you know I do pray for his mom, for his sister, for his boys. I know that they're going through a tough time.
Well, you and I share this this little. Kind of cool thing. We both played ball with Darren. Yes, and he was a lot better at baseball than he was at basketball, right? Or soccer?
That's exactly right. Darren was not a basketball player, and he was not a soccer player. But he was a he was a great left handed pitcher and left handed batter. Yeah, yeah. We we we reconnected here a few years back, and so we've been talking, you know.
But I I just rejoice. I ask him from the body for the believers to be present with the Lord. Darren went through a few times, you know, where You know he's straight away, and he was very transparent about that. That's what I loved about Daren. He was just flat out honest about it.
But you know the one thing that he held solid to was that he was saved by grace through faith. Yeah, and his boys are great, you know, kids. And you gave the gospel at that service. It was a real celebration, and Mama Warren was there. And you know the crazy thing is, is we had just been vandalized at our radio station.
And I and I posted it on Facebook. You know, attacked hard on our Charlotte facility. And you know, Pastor Jonathan, by golly, I'm going through that receiving line. You're always like, what do I say? What don't I say?
Or just be there, hug them, love them, and just try to love the boys and her and Dawn and all the family. You know. And before I could even tell her how much I'm praying for, she said, "Hey, I'm praying for you for your radio station getting vandalized." And here she just lost her son and just was at the funeral for her son. I mean, that shows a heart. Just of of her, you know, and her passion for the Lord too, and that encouraging.
Yeah, Sharon is a class act. I've known her for years, and you know, she's a godly woman and she's a praying woman. And so, you know, but that's the kind of person she is. You know, it's kind of like a lot of times as pastors, we go to people's homes and we go through the receiving line, and we we are thinking, okay, what are we going to say? And I want to be a blessing to them.
And before you can say the first word, they're a blessing to you. Yeah, that's wow, fantastic.
Well, you blessed a lot of us with that message. I know it honors. Our friend Aaron, honor Christ and encourage him. And also, I want to tell you this book, Sleeves. I really is going to bless a lot of people.
I really believe it is. What's the best way to get this book by Jonathan Bowman? Sleeves, great book. If you're a sports fan, a muscle car fan, if you just want a good story about kids, if your kids going through something, get them this book. You got a prodigal, get them this book.
You're stuck, you got scars, you'll love this book. It takes you to Jesus, but it's got a great, compelling story. A lot of narratives, a lot of meta narratives in here. What's the best way to get it, Pastor?
Well, first of all, let's say this for the ladies: there is a romantic thread that is weaved into it, and so you'll appreciate that as well. But the best way to get it is just to go to Amazon and just to look up "Sleeves" by Jonathan Bowman. It'll pop up, and you can order it right there. Sixteen ninety nine. True talk line.
A thank you note for a birthday card? You betcha. This is Truth Commentary with Stu Epperson, author and host of Truth Talk Live. It was a thrill of my life to handwrite a thank you card to one of my former science school teachers, who's been writing me birthday cards for nearly forty years and has prayed for me in my ministry. And look what God has done through their support and prayer.
I even included a copy of my new book, "Thanks Living," as a blessing to this former science school teacher. Hey, who can you write a thank you note to who's made A difference in your life. I'm telling you, it will encourage them, and it will be a blessing to your soul. Just to say thank you. Maybe someone that brought you to Christ, someone that taught you the Bible, someone that helped give you some good advice in a tough time of your life.
Write that note. Don't put it off, and be a blessing. That's thanks living. Join Stu on radio, social media, and his daily Truth Talk Live podcast. Learn more at TruthNetwork.com.
Proverbs twenty-two six says, "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it." Hi, I'm Rob West with the Faith and Finance Minute. Pastor Chuck Swindoll notes that the Hebrew phrase and the way he should go can carry the idea of training a child according to his unique bent. That's a helpful picture of stewardship. Our children ultimately belong to God, and He has entrusted them to our care with different personalities, gifts, strengths, and needs. Wise stewardship means paying attention to how God has wired each child, rather than Forcing them into our own mold as we prepare the next generation, our role is to cultivate what God has placed in them and help them faithfully steward the life He has given them.
The Faith and Finance Minute is sponsored by the team at Cornerstone Wealth Management in Raleigh. For a complimentary consultation, contact them at faithfi dot com slash cornerstone. Parents tired of conversations that go nowhere. How was your day? Fun.
With conversation starters from Parenting. dot org, you can turn fine into finding help. If you could change anything about your day, what would it be? My friends, Emily and Piper, they won't talk to me. It's like I'm not even there.
Text Convo to five one five five zero for weekly conversation starters. And connect more with parenting.org from Boytown. When Adam fell in the Garden of Eden, he handed the deeds of Planet Earth to Satan. But on the cross, Jesus arrested the Planet Earth deeds from Satan's hand, and so he bought the whole world. Teacher on leading the way, Doctor Michael Yusuf.
By buying the world, Jesus is giving everyone an opportunity to come to him and be redeemed. Everyone, all. All can come to me and receive salvation from my hand. That's what buying the world means. He bought it all, but he did not redeem it all.
Ready to start your faith journey with Jesus? You can tell Dr. Michael Yusuf today. You can visit ltw dot org slash Jesus. It's been a chaotic election season.
The midterms have taken place. Before the midterms, I had Dr. Alex McFarland on to challenge every Christian to go vote and vote your faith. Don't vote what feels good. Don't vote because you don't like paying so much for groceries.
Vote for values that last forever, Alex. I don't know if I know some folks heard you, and I know some folks voted, but it's been an interesting time as we have. I'm in a loud airport, by the way, and I want to know where you are, real quick, Alex. Where are you?
Well, my wife and I are in a very loud airport. We're in the New Jersey airport, about to get on an L L plane to go to Jersey. Oh my soul! Good for you! Wow!
I value everybody's trips for the next nine or ten days. I'm going to be teaching. In Jerusalem, which is a great honor. Yeah, wow, that's a blessing.
Well, I'm in the Charlotte airport. We miss you here in North Carolina, but the Holy Land will be a lot better with my brother and his wife there. I'm telling you. But Alex, what's your encouragement to people? Maybe some folks are down.
You know, we always tell folks don't put all your eggs in the basket of anything. I mean, this is you know we got to be trusting the Lord, but To to to know that you know a lot of people sat out the elections, kind of also discouraging, isn't it, buddy?
Well, let me say this. Yes, I was profoundly discouraged for a lot of reasons. Because when you've got you know avowed Marxists and Muslims and woke people that just they don't they don't understand America, they don't value America, they don't even like America. When these people are holding positions of leadership. This is a very, very serious thing, Sue.
I'm old enough that you know, my grandparents that were incredibly godly Christians, they were lifelong Democrats. They were, you know, what we might call FDR Democrats. And while there might be a little bit of disagreement fifty years ago about you know where to appropriate some tax revenue, the basic values were the same. I mean. The Democrat Party of the South that was operative when I was a child would never have been for gay marriage, or never have been for transgenderism, or restricting, you know, the rights of religious freedom.
But the the parties could not be more different nowadays. Too, I mean, the the values the Republican Party versus the quote unquote values. Of the Democrat Party are two different universes apart, and I know, Stu, Christians would say to me, as I was you know doing media interviews and urging people to pray and vote, they would say, "Oh, well, my home is heaven. You know, the world is going to you know crash and burn." I understand that. But you know, Augustine, one of the most intelligent people that ever lived, Augustine said to the church, "Until we are in the city of God, heaven, we have a responsibility to the city of man, and you know, an America that is godly, an America that is free, stable, prosperous." That's a better America than a lawless, chaotic, socialist, Islamic Sharia America.
So, you know, Jesus isn't worried. Jesus isn't worried. But I will say that the midterm election of November 26 was was a disaster, a tragedy for those of us who actually understand. The Constitution. I'll tell you one thing, Stu.
Chuck Schumer just two days ago said that they, you know, as soon as they get inaugurated in January of 27, they're going to try to abolish the Electoral College, and even. Consider a rewrite of the U.S. Constitution. This is treason, tragedy, and it could have been prevented. Yeah.
Wow. You know, Alex, it's interesting that we that we a big reason we encourage our fellow brothers and sisters of Christ to vote is to keep our religious liberties so we can share the gospel. The sad thing is, less than ten percent of born again Christians are actively sharing the gospel.
So maybe it's no surprise that let you know that over forty percent of Christians didn't even vote in this last election, which could have easily. There, Guilford County elected a a young lady, I believe, to state office. Who who a little bit before the election, she took a picture of herself in front of a gas chamber in Germany. Kind of mocking the Holocaust as though it didn't happen. Oh my goodness!
And and listen to this though. I read somewhere that she won in Guilford County by two hundred and thirty three votes. Wow! Now she beat a conservative Republican who's pro family, pro marriage, and and and and the she beat won by two.
Now do you do you and I know any churches that have? Two hundred two hundred and thirty three people in them in Greensboro, you know, county church congregation.
Well, Roy Cooper in twenty sixteen Roy Cooper beat Pat McCrory for the governorship by ten thousand two hundred and eighty one votes in North Carolina, out of you know like four to five million potential voters, and I had. Contacted 100 counties. There are 100 counties in North Carolina. I've preached in, I think, all of them. You've been all of them, man.
Yeah, yeah. And I was imploring pastors get people to vote. I know Pat McCoury, a Christian man, mayor of Charlotte. He would have been a great governor. But anyway, my point.
This is the repercussions. Roy Cooper's national level political career. Your. Could have been prevented if just a few voters in every county had voted, and the pastors would not help me encourage and give out voter guides. By the way, Roy Cooper, when he was governor, he had thirty-five Muslims in the the governor's mansion of North Carolina, with eighteen of which had ties to Hamas.
Wow! They had Islamic prayers and an Islamic dinner with terrorists. Jihadists and Roy Cooper did that in the North Carolina Governor's Mansion.
So he's a bad man. He's a treasonous American. He needs to get right with God. And I'm just sorry that Bible Belt North Carolinians elected this this anti-American.
Well, it's not, and it's not just North Carolina. It's others, and we don't want to. We don't want to, you know, put a lot of shame on people, but we do want to learn from our mistakes, and we also want to say this isn't about right versus left, friends. This is about right versus wrong. Alex, I got to get on this airplane, but give us some encouragement moving forward.
How should Christians be praying? How should we be more bold to share our faith to say, "Hey, I want to pray for Roy Cooper. I want to pray that he'll find truly find a relationship with Christ that would change his life, that would change his politics." Because if your heart doesn't change, your politics won't change, right, Alex?
Well, that's true. I want to say this. Listen carefully. Any individual that wants to murder the unborn has no right to govern the living.
Well, wow, that's a strong statement. Yeah. Yeah, it is, and so we Christians, the answer is to get people saved. I'm doing conferences all next year. Yes, we're doing a major conference on the evangelization of Muslims because that is the answer with those dear souls.
They need Jesus. Amen. And so we need to pray, but we need revival. And my website is alexmcfarland dot com. Revive US.
We're doing major Revive US events in places. Like Huntsville, Alabama, and Rogers, Arkansas, and Lima, Ohio. Lima, Ohio. I'm sorry.
So the answer is still to share the gospel, but we need to be strong supporters of Israel. We need to call out and condemn anti-Semitism, and we need to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. One twenty-two six.
Well, we need to pray for Alex and Farland, friends. Pray for him and Angie as they go to Israel. They're probably teaching right now as you're hearing this. We pre-recorded this before the the show went hot.
So pray for him and pray for our country. Pray for our president.
Well, he's got a little bit of time left. As two more years in his term, pray that he'll truly find a relationship with Christ. Pray for Chuck Schumer. Pray for all these people. When you talk to to to people, when you talk to people about other people, be sure you talk to God about those people too.
And let's let's ask God. Maybe maybe this will be a wake up call for a whole country to turn back to Christ. Alex, you're a blessing. Thank you, my brother. What a God bless you too.
Thank you. A thank you note for a birthday card? You betcha. This is Truth Commentary with Stu Epperson, author and host of Truth Talk Live. It was a thrill of my life to handwrite a thank you card to one of my former science school teachers, who's been writing me birthday cards for nearly forty years and has prayed for me in my ministry.
And look what God has done through their support and prayer. I even included a copy of my new book, Thanks Living, as a blessing to this former science school teacher. Hey, who can you write a thank you note to who's made A difference in your life. I'm telling you, it will encourage them, and it will be a blessing to your soul. Just to say thank you.
Maybe someone that brought you to Christ, someone that taught you the Bible, someone that helped give you some good advice in a tough time of your life. Write that note. Don't put it off, and be a blessing. That's thanks living. Join Stu on radio, social media, and his daily Truth Talk Live podcast.
Learn more at TruthNetwork.com. The Truth Network follows and shares the Word of God to help others walk the path of righteousness. Let's join together in Christ. Here's Dr. Robert Jeffress with today's Pathway Minute.
And when you say God, I accept Your providential will. You're not saying God, I understand it or I agree with it, but I am trusting You, even though I don't understand what's happening. There are some of you who are in that situation right now. You're going through a difficult time. You're wondering why.
Let me give you some words of assurance this morning. Jeremiah fifty-one twenty-nine says, "Every purpose of the Lord will be accomplished in your life." Isn't that great to know? Everything God has for you will be accomplished. Or Proverbs twelve verse twenty-one: Nothing without purpose happens to the righteous. If you're a child of God, there is no accident.
There is no adversity that comes to your life that has not come, first of all, through the loving hands of the will of God for you. Today's Pathway Minute is provided by your station and Pathway to Victory. To hear the Bible teaching of Dr. Robert Jeffress, go to PTV.org. I'm standing between two kings, literally.
Clayton King, Jacob King, you guys. I mean, what's it like to be next to this guy, Clayton? What do you say about this young fella here? This young evangelist. He's a he's a he's a young sprout coming up.
Yeah, you know, he's one of my favorite humans. I'm more than his dad. I'm his biggest fan, and I'm very proud of him for how he serves the Lord, for how he loves Jesus, for how he handles his ministry, for how he puts the value on integrity and character, and being the same person when nobody's looking as when everybody's looking. Wow. What is it like to hear your dad's?
Those words of praise, man, and encouragement. How about that? Yeah, and he's led the way. He and and my mom have been the two greatest influences in my life. I've watched them live this out and and be an example of what it means for any young person who feels like the Lord is calling them into vocational ministry, whether it's vocational or not.
They've they've been the the sheet that you should follow, the representation.
So it's it's an honor. He's a he's a great man. He's a great father. He's a great example that I get to follow. Wow.
Now, Clayton, set the stage. It's a little bit loud in here. There's a whole A lot of people. We got. We're at the Clayton King Ministries booth.
Where are we? What's going on, and why is this such a cool thing to be at for everyone? Yeah, we're at Thomas Road Baptist Church. This is the Liberty University Thomas Road, both in Lynchburg, Virginia, and I just finished preaching at Refuel, which is a pastor and church leadership conference.
So we've got hundreds of men and women from all different denominations, different states, that have come here to be encouraged and refueled in their calling in ministry.
So I just got to preach from First Kings 19, the story of Elijah, and what do you do when you? Want to quit because Elijah wanted to quit. He prayed for God to take his life. He was so depressed, discouraged, and and depleted. And so there is a pattern in First Kings nineteen of what we can do whenever we're tired and we want to give up.
Wow, you've been in ministry long enough, young Jacob, to know that there is burnout. To know that you know people get tired. They want to quit. How does this message from your dad this morning resonate with you? What hits your heart about that?
About Elijah and that story? Yeah, I think I think Elijah shows us that there is time for rest. There's time for rejuvenation. There's time to take breaks. I'm.
We were talking about this on the drive up. We're both wired in a way that we we always want to be doing something. When I have when when I have a week off, I get restless. I want to get back after it. Preach.
Tell people about Jesus. And there's nothing wrong with that. That's that's. It's what we're called to do—to glorify God and to make Him known. But there's time to take a break too, and we need to.
We need to sit and ask the Lord to sustain us, to refuel us, to realign our minds with the purpose of God. God created the world and then rested on the seventh day because His rule and His reign was established, and then He gave us a Sabbath to follow, as He did.
So that we could rest and trust that it's not on our shoulders to to accomplish this, Elijah experienced a great victory on a mountaintop, and then there was a valley experience, and and he showed us that there is times for us. To take a step back, trust that God will provide, which He did. If you keep on reading First Kings, God brings rain, He ends the drought, He takes care of everything. He's the God, He's the provider. Baal and Asherah were the false gods, the providers that they were supposed to be worshiping, and Elijah said, "No, we worship this guy," and God provided.
God provided for Elijah in that moment, even when he took a step back. Clayton King, you just encouraged a bunch of pastors, but people listening right now that may not be pastors. What do they need to know about the guy standing up there preaching every week? What do they need to know about how to pray for him? What do they need to know about what he's going through?
You just hit the forty-year milestone ministry. Congratulations, brother! Called to ministry at fourteen years old, still preaching the word. What do people need to know about that guy to to really give them a deeper appreciation for God's work through that man? And that he he's he's a struggle.
He's an earthen vessel, just like them. Your pastors and your leaders are normal people. We just have a different gift set and a different call. We struggle. We get depressed.
We get discouraged. We get upset. We lose our temper. We struggle with anger. We struggle with our health.
We struggle with our weight. We struggle with our thoughts, and we are just like you. The only difference is God has called us to lead in a different capacity.
So I encourage you to do: pray for your pastor. Pray for your leaders. Give them the benefit of the doubt. Pray for them and encourage them. Send them a text.
Give them a phone call. Pat them on the back. Tell them you love them. Tell them you appreciate them. And when you're tempted to criticize them, don't.
It is Pastors Appreciation Month, so we love our pastors. We're grateful for you, brother, and we're grateful for you to take this time to come up and pour into all of us. And you're on our buddy Zach Clinton's podcast, and he asked a special bonus coverage, special other guest to join. What was that like being on a national big show like that? I mean, this one's pretty big too.
But being on being on built different with Zach, with having him on. Your son. It was so much fun. I mean, it's like Third John chapter five. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
For Jacob and I to get to preach and teach together, which we do quite often, but to be able to have this podcast together today, where it was un rushed and unhurried, was really cool because we got to talk about things that just happen in normal life. It's a real treat for me. We're going to come back to you when we close, Clayton, about this tsunami of souls being saved, being baptized that you've seen. You've seen that too, Jacob. I'm looking at the book by your dad called Reborn.
We're at refuel. Before you can be refueled, you got to be reborn.
Someone out there listening right now that doesn't know Christ—they're listening. God's after them. God's chasing them. People are praying for them. What do you say to that person out there, real quick?
That's—they're lost. They need to follow Jesus. I don't care how long they've been in church. They're close to church. They're far from God.
What do you say to them, real quick? We messed up a long time ago, but God loved us enough to set a plan in motion. Thousands of years ago, to restore our relationship with Him, to fix us, and to save us, Jesus came down. He died a death that He did not deserve, paying the punishment of all of our sin, and He rose again on the third day. And He tells us, if we believe in Him, ask Him to save us, tell Him that, declare that He is our Lord.
He will save. He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. There is no greater news. I am the the recipient of this. My life has been changed by the saving grace of Jesus Christ, and I hope that in this moment, God is softening your heart.
And if that's the case, find somebody near you. I don't know if there's a way that they can get in touch with you, but let this be an immediate response because I believe the Lord is using this to speak to you and say, "Come home." Clayton, when is it the right time for someone to come to Jesus, and what's God doing? That you've seen in front of thousands of people, this movement of God, describe it for us and reinforce what He just said for us, will you? Yeah, the right time to come to Jesus is always right now. Right now is always the right time.
He is always one prayer away. He's always right there if you're calling His name. Romans ten thirteen is the promise: anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. He's a very present help in time of trouble. That means He's never busy and He's always there.
And the moment we're finding ourselves in culture, the right now, I think we're seeing the beginnings of a great awakening, and I believe. That it now is the time with urgency and passion to just tell people how Jesus has changed your life. Take a risk, be bold, go for it. Don't say no for people. Evangelism is just joining a conversation that Jesus is already having with somebody, and we can all do it.
Wow! And you know, you get a lot of calls at Clayton King Ministries. They say, "Hey, we want Clayton to come speak." How cool is it to say, "Well, Clayton's booked up for the next three months," but Clayton has a son who'll come and preach? Isn't that cool to be able to see? It is literally one of the best things in my life.
I trust this guy with my whole heart, and it's mostly because his mom homeschooled him for seven years. That's why he turned out so. You know where the brilliance comes. That's it. That's it.
That's it. Yeah, and I'm so thankful. I'm living a dream right now. God has answered all of my prayers. John Piper said something to me, and I'm dropping that name.
He came to preach at our church a few years ago. I've met him one time. John Piper. When I told him about Jacob preaching the gospel, he put his hand on my shoulder. And John Piper, this great.
This great man of faith, this great father in the church, looks at me in my eyes and says, "Brother, trust me when I tell you, you could die and go to heaven a happy man, knowing that your son is following Jesus." Hallelujah. Jacob, take us out here with a website for folks to find out about Crossroad Camps, amazing camp that's been going on for decades. I mean, wow, big camp for for kids, parents. Your kids are going to hear the gospel. Many have been saved.
Many are in this this conference that have been saved at Crossroads Camp, and also just how to get you to come out and speak, how to get all the awesome books you got. Reborn over here, you got Overcoming. I mean, what what's the best way to reach the ministry? Best way to reach our ministry is typing up ClaytonKing dot com. You're going to find all of our resources.
Sources on there. We have a speakers page where you can book us. You can find out about our summer camps, our winter conference. We do short term mission trips. We do Bible trips.
We do all sorts of things. Easiest way to find us is to go to ClaytonKing. dot com. You can also check out our our personal Instagrams, our personal social medias. Just Google Clayton King, Google Jacob King.
Type us in on on social media. That's the best way to get connected.
Okay, I want my kids and grandkids following him, Clayton, on social media, and I want them following you because every time I Open up the Facebook. There's three thousand folks got saved. Or there's pray for me as I'm going to be preaching here, here, and here. And I stop and I pray. And I hope you folks will pray for these men of God and young men of God as they're out spreading God's word.
Thank you all for being on. Thanks for being a father-son duo. And and the the one thing about your dad you like to pick at him about. I mean, what is that one thing that like you know you're going to say it is going to is going to cause him to smile, but you're also going to get under his skin a little bit. Bald and blind.
Oh my soul! Okay, what do you got for that? What do you got for that? I can still take him.
Okay, I'm gonna I'm gonna move out of the middle of these two right now. We're gonna get a little selfie by your banner, and I'll post it on on the Instagram.
So you'll see that at least I have a face for radio. These guys are good to go, though. Bless you guys. Thank you. A thank you note for a birthday card?
You betcha. This is Truth Commentary with Stu Emerson, author and host of Truth Talk Live. It was a thrill of my life to handwrite a thank you card to one of my former science school teachers, who's been writing me birthday cards for nearly forty years and has prayed for me in my ministry. And look what God has done through their support and prayer. I even included a copy of my new book, "Thanks Living," as a blessing to this former science school teacher.s Hey, who can you write a thank you note to who's made A difference in your life.
I'm telling you, it will encourage them, and it will be a blessing to your soul. Just to say thank you. Maybe someone that brought you to Christ, someone that taught you the Bible, someone that helped give you some good advice in a tough time of your life. Write that note. Don't put it off, and be a blessing.
That's thanks living. Join Stu on radio, social media, and his daily Truth Talk Live podcast. Learn more at TruthNetwork.com. You're listening to the Financial Safari News Network from Coach Pete's Money Desk. America's wealth coach and best-selling author, Coach Pete Deruta.
Coach, I know there's so many concerns about retirement, getting through retirement, but also thinking about our loved ones. Nobody wants to be a burden on their kids, right? And so, how do you get your ducks in a row?
Well, number one is make sure you have enough money put aside that you can buy the care that you need without having to depend on your family. And family will help, yes, but do they want to help? And it is a full-time job for your family, so you have to compensate. Them for the jobs they could be doing and making money on take care of you unless they're independently wealthy. Unfortunately, these days I don't see many independently wealthy folks anymore.
I don't know about you. I know I'm not. I wish my family was independently wealthy and we wouldn't have to worry about it. We're going through the same things as my parents. Mom has a nursing home policy.
Dad doesn't. Dad's in worse shape than mom. Mom's taking care of dad.
So let's put a plan together that helps you take care of your family. We can do that today. Eight hundred nine seven five seven five one five. Eight hundred nine seven five seven five one five. Or text truth to six.
Hundred seven hundred investment advisory services offered by Capital Financial Advisory Group, a North Carolina registered investment. Gary, I've been struggling with pornography for a while, and I know it hurts my girlfriend. What are some steps to deal with this in the context of a possible marriage in the future? Pornography can destroy marriages. It denigrates women.
It does nothing to enhance a relationship.
So recognizing that this is a problem. And turning away from it is one of the most powerful things you can do if you want to get married. I would suggest, depending on how far you are down the road, that you either read a good book that deals with this and how to break the pattern, or if you really are addicted to it, I suggest you see a Christian counselor and let them help you with God's help break the addiction. It will never enhance your marriage. Turning away from pornography is a positive step.
Dr. Gary Chapman is the author of the Five Love Languages. For more answers, visit startmarriageright. dot com. Welcome to Share the Truth, the last segment of Truth Talk with Stu Epperson.
Each week, we'll challenge you to go out and share the good news of Jesus Christ. ShareTheTruthNow dot com is up and ready for you to share your own Jesus story. That ShareTheTruthNow dot com and order Share the Truth cards. That ShareTheTruthNow dot com. Here's your host, Stu.
Epperson, with special co-host Jesse Connors, a man passionate about spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth. It's time to share the truth. I'm on Madison Avenue. Jesse, unbelievable things are already happening. I just got on the phone with you.
This isn't nothing's rehearsed here, but I want you to pray right now because every time I've ever prayed and asked God to do something, this isn't like putting God to the test or anything. We just We want the Lord to do His will, His way. We don't know what soul. I literally have one more share of the truth card with me, Jesse. I am giving them all out.
My gosh! I might have two. I know it. I've got a couple in my back pocket, so I've got a couple more. But Jesse, will you?
Will you pray? Pray right now. Pray right now. Just pray right now and ask God to do what?
Okay, as much as I want to pray right now, I really think that somebody that got saved by a card that you're handing out, just like a kind of copy of that same card, I think that he should be praying for the people that you are handing the cards to. Amen. Amen. Eric, why don't you go ahead and pray? Thank you.
Praise God. Yes. We want to thank you for the opportunity to be involved in evangelism, to be on the front feet, to have the opportunity to just share your your love, Lord, to be a light in the darkness. But there's no better way for that than just be able to hand a card to somebody, say, "Hey, I may never see you again, so I wanted to hand you this." It proves that Jesus loves you, because Lord, you know that you took something like that that changed my life and helped me come into the heart. Oh my soul, Lord!
I just pray that as students out there in New York on the streets of New York, that you just have countless amount of opportunities for Him to just reach those people who are lost and broken and hurting, whether that by a card or by Him, like for you. We pray for that person honking in the background too. Amen. Amen. You guys are awesome.
Okay, we're just looking. I'm at the intersection. I've got my walking map going so I don't end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. There's a bunch of cool people out here, and. No, I don't think people know I'm doing a national radio show right now.
That prayer was awesome, brother. Your life was changed, wasn't it? By just getting someone gave you a car, did they? I mean, how cool is that? Absolutely, yeah.
Tell us more real quick while we're while we're while the Lord's leading us to our target here. What happened? What happened? Yeah, I used to used to work at a car wash. Stew and and I would see hundreds of people a day.
Not one person at a time talking about Jesus in one of the most adopted and mentioned cities in Virginia. Wow! Wow! There was only one person out of three, four years of me managing that place. One person.
The time to hand me a card, and all feeling that card is what brought me to know the Lord, and and it's just a testament to how powerful it is that we need to share the gospel because nobody else does. Wow! Wow! And that one opportunity to share the gospel can be that one opportunity in a person's life. Yeah.
So.
So that's amazing. You know, guys, I want to tell you something happened really cool. Um. One of my cards. Since I'm totally out of cards now, I've got a couple left in my hand here.
But one of my cards across the street from the Radio City Rockettes, the Rockefeller Center, there's this dude standing there with this this 360 degree lit chrome camera. And you pay him five bucks or ten bucks, and he he makes a thirty second video of you circling with the camera lit and everything, and it goes on a big screen, and then he sends it to you. And so my grandson and me jumped on that thing; it was amazing. And then I turned to him, the Lord just put this on my heart. I said, "Hey, bud, listen, I'll never see you again probably, but I said one day your whole life will be on a video screen, and God, who's the perfect judge, will judge you." And It'll be heaven or hell, and he looked at me and he kind of got serious.
He's like, "Man, thank you. Wow!" I said, "Take this card. This card is a will show you how to know Jesus and how much He loves you." And there's all these videos on there about do all roads lead to heaven and the truth and how to find forgiveness of your sin and healing and all that. Man, he just he gave me a hug, and literally my wife's yelling at me. The light is turning.
Everyone's talking. The ambulances are going off. There's five cop cars. You know, it's like, hey, buddy, come on, move along. You know, and I'm like, well, I thought I was talking about you love Jesus bumper sticker day, but it wasn't.
Not here in New York, but but isn't that cool, guys? Just that quick moment. You know, just like that quick opportunity. I don't even know that guy's name. Maybe I'll try to walk over there later see if he's still over there.
But I just couldn't believe. I couldn't believe it. You know, just how the Lord just put him on my heart. And I thought, you know, all these people come in and pay this guy, and they do this little routine with him. But who really cares enough to stop and just say, "Hey, at a car wash, right, or at this cool thing, to stop and say, 'Hey, buddy, this is this is a a really cool way for you to know this is an eternal consequence.' You know, heaven or hell.
I was on a basketball court earlier today. And a young Chinese guy. We were playing basketball, and I shared the gospel with him. I prayed with them, and I said, "Hey, I want to give you guys a card. I want to give him the card." He said, "Oh, no, no, no, I can't take that." And I said, "Bud, I said, look, one day I don't want you to be at the judgment of God, and God says, 'Well, did you ever listen to that big, big, tall, old, sweaty, fat basketball guy who was telling you about me, and now you are wondering why you are going to hell.'" But didn't you?
If you just did, you just list. Could you just listen to him? You you could have just listened for a second. You could have taken that card. You could hit that QR code, and he said, "I'll take it.
Give it back to me." And then he said, "Then he said, God bless you." And so, and you know what's cool, guys? This is the this is the coolest part. Stew, stew, stew, stew, stew. Yeah, I'll let you finish, but then I'll I gotta tell you about. Yeah, I gotta tell you about something.
If it's really important, I'll let you finish it. No, no, this will take one second. The coolest part is my six-year-old grandson was with me. He made about five buckets in a row. It was his first experience playing street ball in New York City.
Wow. In this pretty kind of crazy, maybe semi-dangerous kind of situation, but. But he was with me, hearing me share the gospel, and he helped me quote John three sixteen, which was sensational. I just that that you know, I almost cried when he did that. But I'm just telling you, we got to get the next generation.
People are watching. I thought these little eyes are white. Maybe one day when I'm gone to heaven, he'll still be here passing out cards, bringing other people to heaven. Right? Even though you know, so.
But Jesse, tell me your thing, and I've got a little crowd coming, so be quick because I want to share this card. I got this card to give someone.
So I'm the one that handed Aaron the card who just prayed, and he said, "I don't believe." I said, "He said to me, 'I don't believe in that stuff.'" And I said back to him, "It doesn't matter what you believe. What matters is what's true." And he took the card. Wow. Most people take the cards. That's why we're me and Stu are saying they didn't take the card because most people do.
So, wow. The bomb truck's coming.
Okay, it's gonna send the people.
Someone's hurt. We pray for whoever's in trouble, Jesus. We pray that you'll bless them, you'll help them, and that they'll come to know you through this tragic situation. Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Amen. Yeah. Hey, thank you, Jesse. Yeah, it's kind of loud. I'm about to duck into this store, but I'm just praying maybe for someone.
You know, it's interesting. People have earbuds in all the time now. You know, but but all these people need Jesus. Hey, young man! I'm doing a national show right now on the radio.
I'm just passing out these God loves you cards. You can have one. It proves God loves you. You'll forget about me, but hit that QR code.
Okay, awesome videos there. Hey, God bless you guys. Have a great night.
So that wasn't hard. That didn't hurt. I can tell they're from the other. They're not from New York. A seed sown for Jesus.
A seed is sown for Jesus.
Well, and and they had to get. They were walking away.
So you know you don't want to. You know you don't want to infringe on people's night, their plan. But hey, there's a card we gave away. You guys really blessed me by hearing this testimony. At a car wash, someone can find out about how their sins can be washed away by Jesus.
Come on, I'm going to get the door. I'm going to get the door for you guys. Come on through here. Hey, take one of my God loves you cards. It's that QR code later.
Everything will change your life. How Jesus came to save a sinner like me. I'm actually. I'm actually recording. Say hi.
Say hi to. He's my co-host. Jesse's here. These guys. Hey guys, Ben.
This is awesome. You're on national radio right now. We're grateful that you're all over the country. We're giving these cars out because this is like you're holding a trillion dollars.
Okay. Because how can your sins be forgiven? Why would God accept me? Right? What about all the bad stuff I've done?
Well, Jesus took all that bad stuff on Him on the cross. I know. And so we have a we have. Y'all know about this? They know about this.
Where y'all from? What state? Mexico. They're Christians from Mexico. God bless you.
Okay, come outside. Come outside. I just want to pray with you. What, Jesse? Pray for them.
Pray for them. What's Carlos' last name? Coedo. Coedo. Montes.
Pray for them real quick, Jesse. Just pray for them for God to use them to go back to Mexico and be a bright witness. On the other side of the card, you can get your own cards for free to get out.
So order two hundred cards for free at that QR code. Yes. This QR code is when you share this with someone that knows Jesus.
Okay. How they can know Jesus.
Okay. So Jesse's going to pray for you for your your your your mission is to get this card to someone. And I have one more for you.
So you keep one and give one, okay? Who knows? It could change someone's life. The guy that's sitting next to Jesse in the car right now, Jesse was at a car wash. He handed that guy a card.
That guy said, "I don't want anything to do with God," but he took it. Later on, he saw the truth and he received Christ as a savior. And he's with Jesse right now. He just testified, and we said, "Lord, give us one person to give a card to." And you guys walked out.
Okay. So, so Jesse, pray for these guys real quick. Pray for them real quick, real quick. They got to go. I sure will.
Okay, Jesus, we are so thankful that we can come to you as a family, a familia, a deus familia, and we are honored to be in your service. We're honored and thankful that we have a chance to be here to see you use stew in a powerful way and to meet our. Our Armana and our Armano, God, we bless this time. We pray for this time. We pray for a surge of energy to go into their lives and all the listeners.
Thank you. They'll understand the need and the urgency that they have to come and follow you as the King and Commander of their life. And you said, "Go therefore." And what kind of people wouldn't listen to their King and Commander? Help us to wake up, God. Help us to see that the fields are wide unto harvest, Jesus.
And let us do our job for you. And we ask this. In your precious name, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Amen. Amen. You all are awesome.
Good to see you. And you going home? Are you staying here? You live here now? No, we're staying here like Monday.
Okay, good.
Well, God bless you. We'll keep waiting for Christ. He's coming back. We got to get ready. Thank you.
God bless you guys. Thank God. Hey, praise the Lord. You guys, I'm overwhelmed, man. I have to go back to my room and just pray and.
Wow! Read my Bible. I'm just so encouraged, and but hey, I've got, I've got, I still have a card left.
So pray for that. Hey, love you guys. Got to go. This was perfect. We're gonna make this a podcast.
Now dot com. We've got sharethetruthnow dot com. Sharethetruthnow dot com. Everywhere you go, whether it's in the foreign country or right across the street, across the street, around the world, you never know who you can affect. And now one of those cards, two of those cards are going into Mexico, and and who knows how many souls will get saved because you.
Guys, encouraged and prayed, and God answered. Love you guys. Thank you so much. Really, we love you too. Proud of you, brother.
Truth time.
