1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:03,640 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:09,039 --> 00:00:12,120 Speaker 2: You are listening to The Becket Cook Show with your host, 3 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:16,239 Speaker 2: Beckett Cook. For more information about Beckett and his ministry, 4 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:21,239 Speaker 2: visit his website at Beckettcook dot com. To help support 5 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:25,440 Speaker 2: the podcast, visit Patreon dot com slash the Beckett Cook Show. 6 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 2: Please consider subscribing to the podcast and leaving a five 7 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 2: star rating. 8 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:39,920 Speaker 3: Hey, guys, welcome to the show. Today. 9 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 4: I have a special guest, Tyler Miller. He has an 10 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:48,199 Speaker 4: amazing story of how God transformed his life. This is 11 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 4: a great story for anyone who has a prodigal in 12 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 4: their family. This will give you a lot of hope. 13 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 4: It's a very fascinating story. But first award from our sponsor. 14 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 4: Please welcome Tyler Miller. 15 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 1: Yes, hello, thank you so much for having me. Becket, 16 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 1: I'm so honored to be here. 17 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:09,679 Speaker 4: Oh it's good to have you on. This was all 18 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:12,479 Speaker 4: last minute. I'm so glad you could make it work. 19 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:16,960 Speaker 4: So let's start with your story. 20 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:19,920 Speaker 1: You where were you, Where were you raised? 21 00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 3: What part of the country were you raised in? 22 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:25,199 Speaker 1: Yeah? So, actually on both coasts. So I was born 23 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:28,240 Speaker 1: in Pennsylvania. That's where my dad is from and where 24 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 1: he grew up. And then we moved to California when 25 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:34,400 Speaker 1: I was seven. And so I actually grew up in 26 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 1: way northern California, right under the border of Oregon, in 27 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:42,319 Speaker 1: a town called Etna, California. 28 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 4: That's very remote and random. And you but you say 29 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:48,920 Speaker 4: you grew up in a in a Christian home. Your 30 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 4: parents were Christians? 31 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, they were in my my grandparents on my 32 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: dad's side, and yeah, we my dad was actually even 33 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 1: in the Christian camping ministry, and so we grew up 34 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:01,480 Speaker 1: and while we did, he was sort of doing that. 35 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: That's what he did in California. So we were definitely 36 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:07,919 Speaker 1: in church our whole life. And yeah, surrounded by God's 37 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 1: people and even ministry, which was awesome. 38 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 4: And what was it you say that you know your 39 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:16,440 Speaker 4: your parents, you had kind of a tricky relationship with 40 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 4: your parents, Like what was that like? 41 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, so growing up was like I have awesome parents. 42 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 1: I just want to start there. They are so great, 43 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 1: they've been they're great friends of mine now, like we've 44 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:30,839 Speaker 1: had so much healing in our lives. But growing up, 45 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 1: my dad and mom were very much at odds with 46 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 1: each other. My dad was under a really intense spirit 47 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 1: of anger that was kind of like a generational thing. 48 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:42,080 Speaker 1: In his family. And then my mom, she has a 49 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:44,920 Speaker 1: crazy testimony of her own, but she was under a 50 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 1: lot of I would just say, fear of different kinds, 51 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 1: and so that mixture was just not really working in 52 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: our home. And so, yeah, growing up for me, there 53 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: was a lot of like trying to appease my dad 54 00:02:58,440 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 1: or you know, not I didn't want him to be 55 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 1: angry or different things like that. And so as a kid, 56 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 1: that was kind of hard to navigate. And because my 57 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 1: parents were really kind of in friction with each other, 58 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:13,880 Speaker 1: it led to eventually them getting divorced when I was thirteen, 59 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:16,480 Speaker 1: and that was kind of like a shattering thing for 60 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:20,360 Speaker 1: me because I didn't have language to like what to 61 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:23,079 Speaker 1: do with that, because I knew as Christians, like we're 62 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 1: supposed to stay together, what is this? And so I 63 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:28,680 Speaker 1: really had to kind of navigate that. And that was 64 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 1: also at you know, thirteen years old, which is a 65 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:33,359 Speaker 1: really rough right. 66 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 4: I mean, it's interesting, you know, I talk about this 67 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 4: in a new book I'm writing about divorce, and I 68 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 4: remember as a kid, even as like you know, a 69 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:51,560 Speaker 4: thirteen year old, my biggest fear in life was my 70 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:55,480 Speaker 4: parents divorcing. Like my parents never divorced. They stayed together 71 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:58,840 Speaker 4: till the very end, and they died six months apart. 72 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 3: But oh my gosh, and they're with Jesus now. 73 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 4: But but that it's a weird. I mean, it's a 74 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 4: weird kind of like insecurity. And I mean because divorce 75 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:14,920 Speaker 4: brings so much insecurity into your life, and so I 76 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:17,840 Speaker 4: can't imagine like the what that feels like when your 77 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 4: parents divorced, especially at that kind of like tricky of 78 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:24,760 Speaker 4: an age where you know, everything is kind of happening 79 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 4: all at once. But you say, your dad so, and 80 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:32,560 Speaker 4: you felt like you were walking on eggshells like around 81 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 4: your parents or your dad, right. 82 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:38,359 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I think I just at an early age, 83 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: it was just the way our family was at home, 84 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 1: and like my dad had he's like my dad and 85 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:46,919 Speaker 1: I have this amazing relationship now and he's been like 86 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:50,360 Speaker 1: really healed so much of these things by the Lords 87 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:54,039 Speaker 1: of praise God. But at that time, like he didn't 88 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:57,080 Speaker 1: know what he didn't know about the spirit and freedom 89 00:04:57,120 --> 00:04:59,280 Speaker 1: and like all these things, and so he was just 90 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:01,919 Speaker 1: kind of living in and how he maybe was raised 91 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:05,719 Speaker 1: or what he saw modeled. And so you know, people 92 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 1: are living what they know and then you're a recipient 93 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:11,640 Speaker 1: of whatever that might be. And so yeah, so I 94 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:13,719 Speaker 1: felt like I had to walk on eggshells and I 95 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: really wanted to appease him, and I think that directly 96 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 1: ended up connecting to my relationship with God long term 97 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:23,480 Speaker 1: as an adult, as it often does. Right, we see 98 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:26,839 Speaker 1: God the Father like our earthly father. But God the 99 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:29,479 Speaker 1: Father is perfect and our earthly fathers aren't, so we shouldn't. 100 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:32,120 Speaker 1: But that's such a common thing that we do. And 101 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:34,440 Speaker 1: so I started believing from a young age that I 102 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:37,680 Speaker 1: had to appease God, and like maybe even that he 103 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:39,920 Speaker 1: was always mad at me or something. And so there 104 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:42,479 Speaker 1: was this tie between those two things that was a 105 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:45,039 Speaker 1: really crazy thing to walk through. 106 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:49,839 Speaker 4: And you say that you got saved at summer camp 107 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 4: when you're seven years old in northern California, to talk 108 00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:55,280 Speaker 4: about that, what happened at that moment? 109 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:59,159 Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, So I was at a camp called Kidder 110 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 1: Creek Orchard Camp in northern California, and my uncle actually 111 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:07,280 Speaker 1: worked there. So Christian camping was the family business, all right, 112 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 1: It's what everybody did. So so yeah, I remember sitting 113 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:14,680 Speaker 1: around a fire one night at camp and they gave 114 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:18,480 Speaker 1: the invitation to salvation and I knew at a really 115 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:20,520 Speaker 1: young age, like I knew what I was doing and 116 00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 1: I wanted to accept Christ. And I know that that's 117 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 1: when I got saved because I had I lived differently 118 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:30,640 Speaker 1: than my friends growing up, like I had conviction of sin. 119 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:34,520 Speaker 1: I didn't live in just craziness or anything like in 120 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 1: high school like a lot of my friends did. I 121 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:40,400 Speaker 1: was walking on a narrow path. And so yeah, I 122 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:43,119 Speaker 1: just from that age like knew that God was real. 123 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:45,359 Speaker 1: I knew that Jesus died for me and that I 124 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:48,720 Speaker 1: wanted to be in relationship with him and so that 125 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 1: was so that was such a special gift at seven 126 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:54,280 Speaker 1: years old to get to step in that early. So yeah, 127 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:55,640 Speaker 1: that's kind of how it happened at camp. 128 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 3: Wow. 129 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:01,839 Speaker 4: Well and then what age did sex attractions start seeping 130 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:02,800 Speaker 4: into your life? 131 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, as I've thought about that as I've gotten older, 132 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 1: it's one of those things that I think was there 133 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 1: from really early on, and maybe even around that same time, 134 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 1: like seven five to seven years old. I praise God, 135 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 1: it wasn't from abuse in my situation. I know that's 136 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:23,600 Speaker 1: a really common thing, but it was just this awareness 137 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:26,960 Speaker 1: that I had of like other boys, that I was around, 138 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 1: and you know, attractions are different probably when you're a kid, 139 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 1: but there was just this awareness of that or what 140 00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:35,720 Speaker 1: i'd call a pull toward that from a really young age. 141 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:39,240 Speaker 4: And how did you handle that in terms of your 142 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 4: faith in Jesus? How did you like put that together 143 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:43,480 Speaker 4: in your head? 144 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:47,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't think I realized too much about what 145 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:50,680 Speaker 1: was going on until around the time of the divorce, 146 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:55,680 Speaker 1: and like puberty and junior high then it started getting like, oh, 147 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 1: this is like there's something real going on internally and 148 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 1: with those hormones and stuff. It was like I'm feeling 149 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 1: this very strongly. And now, yeah, I don't know what 150 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:07,720 Speaker 1: to do. I know, because I have conviction of sin. 151 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:10,520 Speaker 1: Like I always knew this was not God's will for me, 152 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:13,560 Speaker 1: and I knew what the Bible said about it, like 153 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:16,440 Speaker 1: I learned I think growing up like right from wrong. 154 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:20,640 Speaker 1: But I just thought like, well, I guess I just 155 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:23,120 Speaker 1: have to hide it and try to force it down 156 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:25,640 Speaker 1: and that'll fix it, because that's normally what does it. 157 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:30,080 Speaker 1: But so yeah, I just really I think entered into 158 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:32,920 Speaker 1: a time of like I'm gonna bottle this in. And 159 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:35,400 Speaker 1: that's what Satan loves. He loves to keep us in 160 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:37,680 Speaker 1: silence and isolated, because then it can start eating you 161 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:40,080 Speaker 1: from the inside out. Yeah, and so that's largely what 162 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:42,720 Speaker 1: I experienced in my teenage years. It was like just 163 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 1: hide it and lock it down kind of. 164 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:47,439 Speaker 3: And then you became addicted to pornography. 165 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:51,800 Speaker 1: Mm hmmm yeah around that same age, Yeah, I discovered pornography, 166 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:55,360 Speaker 1: and then that became this way of like, Okay, I 167 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:58,840 Speaker 1: can I can secretly live this life and no one's 168 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:01,440 Speaker 1: going to see it, but then outwardly I won't live 169 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:04,000 Speaker 1: it because I know I can't do that outwardly. But 170 00:09:04,559 --> 00:09:07,960 Speaker 1: again there's like this secrecy with it. And so, you know, 171 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:10,880 Speaker 1: like any addiction, it starts off light enough, but then 172 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:13,760 Speaker 1: it got its hooks in me and it lasted actually 173 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:17,080 Speaker 1: for eighteen years. It went on and on and on, 174 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:20,320 Speaker 1: and it became like a defining factor of my life. 175 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:24,880 Speaker 1: And what I believed at that time, mistakenly, was that 176 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:29,160 Speaker 1: that was my identity, like I'm an addict. I'm homosexual 177 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:31,600 Speaker 1: but not sort of but not really, and I can't 178 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:35,640 Speaker 1: admit it, and I just lived in this shame cycle. 179 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:38,680 Speaker 1: This like self hatred in this shame cycle started from 180 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:40,840 Speaker 1: a really young age, and I'd want to be free. 181 00:09:40,880 --> 00:09:42,959 Speaker 1: I'd want to quit, and we always tell ourselves we're 182 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,040 Speaker 1: going to, but then it would just rise up and 183 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:47,679 Speaker 1: grab me again, and I would keep giving into it 184 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:48,600 Speaker 1: over and over. 185 00:09:49,679 --> 00:09:54,760 Speaker 4: And so then and by the way, so when were 186 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:57,960 Speaker 4: your parents aware? Were they aware of this, that you 187 00:09:58,200 --> 00:09:59,319 Speaker 4: were dealing with this? 188 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:05,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, I kept this lockdown four years. I'm sure they 189 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:08,960 Speaker 1: could tell because of ways that I was acting or 190 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:11,440 Speaker 1: things that I was maybe saying or hinting at, but 191 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:14,760 Speaker 1: like I did not tell them until I think I 192 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 1: was in college. Then I leveled with them. Yeah, as 193 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:21,000 Speaker 1: the Lord actually like brought me to a place where 194 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:25,120 Speaker 1: I could start sharing. It was amazing how that addiction 195 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:29,440 Speaker 1: and the lifestyle of homost sexual attraction started losing ground 196 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:31,880 Speaker 1: even then, Like it took a long time, but it 197 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:34,520 Speaker 1: started once I brought it into the light. It really 198 00:10:34,559 --> 00:10:37,840 Speaker 1: started changing things. And so the exact opposite of what 199 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:39,760 Speaker 1: you would think, like I'll just hide this till it 200 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:42,440 Speaker 1: goes away, but it's like, no, bring it into the light. 201 00:10:42,520 --> 00:10:45,080 Speaker 1: Let the light of Jesus touch it, like be vulnerable 202 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:48,440 Speaker 1: and honest and healing can begin. But until then you 203 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:51,000 Speaker 1: really don't get to experience it. So I think I 204 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:53,320 Speaker 1: was about eighteen or nineteen when I told my mom 205 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:56,520 Speaker 1: and dad at separate times about what I'd been going through. 206 00:10:56,840 --> 00:10:57,880 Speaker 3: And what was the reaction. 207 00:10:59,880 --> 00:11:02,920 Speaker 1: I remember I was met with a lot of grace 208 00:11:03,400 --> 00:11:07,319 Speaker 1: and mercy because I actually think, like I tell people 209 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:10,160 Speaker 1: this now that I will like counsel with or you know, 210 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:12,960 Speaker 1: just kind of walk with through these things. I'm like, 211 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:17,319 Speaker 1: what you're actually telling your parents is good news because 212 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:20,400 Speaker 1: you're telling them in this case, I'm not living this. 213 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:22,960 Speaker 1: I don't desire to live this. I actually desire to 214 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:26,200 Speaker 1: live for God. But I'm struggling with this. And I 215 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:29,360 Speaker 1: think that's probably a lot if your parents can like 216 00:11:29,440 --> 00:11:31,720 Speaker 1: not freak out at that, if they can just realize, like, wow, 217 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:35,480 Speaker 1: my son, my daughter is being vulnerable and God's gonna 218 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 1: set them free, Like it can actually be a thing 219 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:41,199 Speaker 1: where you can meet them with grace. So I know, Yeah, 220 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:43,760 Speaker 1: when I told my dad, he especially like just really 221 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:46,520 Speaker 1: was like I love you no matter what you are 222 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:50,160 Speaker 1: going through, which was so key. That was so great. 223 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 1: So I really appreciate that that was their yeah, response. 224 00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:54,360 Speaker 3: That's a good answer. 225 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:57,200 Speaker 4: So, and then what happened when you went you went 226 00:11:57,240 --> 00:12:01,800 Speaker 4: off to college in Seattle, and how did that because 227 00:12:01,880 --> 00:12:04,040 Speaker 4: and you were you became a theater major, I believe, 228 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:10,320 Speaker 4: and Seattle because we know Seattle's you know, you say 229 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:11,120 Speaker 4: you say. 230 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:13,360 Speaker 3: That you know the churches. All the churches are gay, 231 00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:13,719 Speaker 3: you know. 232 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:17,160 Speaker 4: Like there and I mean there's rainbow flags on most 233 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:20,160 Speaker 4: of the churches at Seattle and the gay pastors everywhere. 234 00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:23,560 Speaker 3: So what was that like for you? Like, were you 235 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:29,360 Speaker 3: tempted to like join a gay church and just become 236 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:31,720 Speaker 3: a gay Christian? Like what was that like for you? 237 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:35,880 Speaker 1: Yeah? Man, there were so many times where in like 238 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:38,200 Speaker 1: the private places of my mind, I was I was 239 00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:41,360 Speaker 1: just wrestling and it was such a hard issue. And 240 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:44,160 Speaker 1: again because I thought it was my identity. I was 241 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:47,440 Speaker 1: wrestling with those questions like did God make me this way? 242 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:50,079 Speaker 1: Why is He not healing me? Should I just go 243 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:51,880 Speaker 1: find a church that will just tell me what I 244 00:12:51,920 --> 00:12:55,240 Speaker 1: want to hear? But here's the thing, y'all, Like, here's 245 00:12:55,280 --> 00:12:57,240 Speaker 1: the thing about the fear of the Lord, Like the 246 00:12:57,280 --> 00:13:00,600 Speaker 1: fear of God keeps us on the narrow half. And 247 00:13:00,679 --> 00:13:03,960 Speaker 1: so even though I didn't necessarily I wasn't living in 248 00:13:04,040 --> 00:13:07,320 Speaker 1: like righteousness and freedom at that point, the conviction of 249 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:10,520 Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit in me kept me on the straight 250 00:13:10,559 --> 00:13:12,959 Speaker 1: and narrow, even though I was fighting against him because 251 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:17,199 Speaker 1: God is so so good, it's so yeah. So I 252 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:19,560 Speaker 1: thought about it and I looked around, but I was 253 00:13:19,640 --> 00:13:22,760 Speaker 1: like I just knew in my like the deepest part 254 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:25,600 Speaker 1: of me, like this is not God's will, this is 255 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:28,600 Speaker 1: not his best, this is not what he designed me for. 256 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:31,360 Speaker 1: And I can't just go to a church like this 257 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:35,480 Speaker 1: or affirm it. But I had very strong feelings emotions 258 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:38,400 Speaker 1: telling me to do the opposite. And then you're surrounded 259 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:41,240 Speaker 1: by a culture. You know, there are gay pastors, there's 260 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:43,400 Speaker 1: rainbow flags on the churches. There's a lot of great 261 00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:47,840 Speaker 1: churches in Seattle to that are like biblical. Awo. I 262 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:49,640 Speaker 1: just had never seen that in my life where I 263 00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:52,640 Speaker 1: grew up in stuff like these rainbow flags and pastors 264 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:55,600 Speaker 1: that had a husband in the parsonage, and I'm like what, 265 00:13:55,840 --> 00:14:00,040 Speaker 1: like what is this? So yeah, so I definitely considered it. 266 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:03,840 Speaker 1: And then the theater culture like doesn't help in terms of. 267 00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:07,240 Speaker 4: Like, yeah, were your classmates and and you're in the 268 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:09,560 Speaker 4: program like where they're like you need to be who 269 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:12,120 Speaker 4: you are, like come out Like were they pressuring you? 270 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:16,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, they actually didn't know about this, Like I again, 271 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:18,559 Speaker 1: they probably could tell from how I was like presenting 272 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:20,680 Speaker 1: myself at the time. I wore a lot of deep 273 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:23,400 Speaker 1: bes back then. Back I'm not proud of it, okay, 274 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:25,880 Speaker 1: but it was it was part of the journey to healing. 275 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:31,480 Speaker 4: Okay, I forgot about the DV day was terrible. 276 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:34,040 Speaker 1: We're going to stay away from those and we bud 277 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:37,600 Speaker 1: all the pictures. So it's fine, there is but uh no, 278 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:40,720 Speaker 1: the Yeah, my classmates, I didn't tell people that like 279 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:45,400 Speaker 1: weren't believers. I kept that like just away from that 280 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:49,840 Speaker 1: subgroup kind of. But my Christian friends actually lived my 281 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:52,240 Speaker 1: roommate freshman year I had gone to high school with 282 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:55,400 Speaker 1: and we both got into the same acting school and 283 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:58,280 Speaker 1: we lived together the first year, and he opened up 284 00:14:58,400 --> 00:15:00,920 Speaker 1: and said that that was some he was struggling with, 285 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:03,640 Speaker 1: which actually helped me to open up about it. And 286 00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:06,680 Speaker 1: then we kind of made this pact of like, Okay, 287 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:08,160 Speaker 1: well we're going to beat this thing. We're going to 288 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:11,320 Speaker 1: like stand against it. And in my life I've seen 289 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:13,760 Speaker 1: the Lord take me like out of this stuff, and 290 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:16,560 Speaker 1: then in his life he actually ended up giving into it. 291 00:15:16,680 --> 00:15:20,120 Speaker 1: So I told some of my close people like him. 292 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:22,880 Speaker 1: But yeah, my classmates, yeah, they would have said that 293 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:25,440 Speaker 1: like that's what the messaging was in Seattle is like, 294 00:15:25,520 --> 00:15:28,440 Speaker 1: whatever you feel, whatever your emotions say, is who you 295 00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:30,880 Speaker 1: are and you need to run full speed toward that. 296 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:35,280 Speaker 4: So yeah, and so with the acting, I mean, why 297 00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:38,600 Speaker 4: didn't you, for example, like after college, why didn't you 298 00:15:38,640 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 4: move to Los Angeles to pursue acting on a grand 299 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:43,040 Speaker 4: scale kind of thing? 300 00:15:43,240 --> 00:15:47,000 Speaker 1: Yes? Yeah, So I was actually working pretty consistently as 301 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:50,280 Speaker 1: an actor in Seattle for three years, but then I 302 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:53,840 Speaker 1: was actually seen in a show and offered the chance 303 00:15:53,920 --> 00:15:55,920 Speaker 1: to go to grad school. So I ended up doing 304 00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:59,000 Speaker 1: that instead. I think I had thought about moving to 305 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:03,400 Speaker 1: New York because I was or feater centric, but but yeah, 306 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:05,600 Speaker 1: grad school came up and I was like, this is 307 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:08,000 Speaker 1: a great opportunity because then I could be a professor, 308 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:11,040 Speaker 1: and like all these different options opened. So I ended 309 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:15,120 Speaker 1: up doing that back in twenty fifteen, I think was 310 00:16:15,160 --> 00:16:16,200 Speaker 1: the first year of grad school. 311 00:16:16,520 --> 00:16:17,960 Speaker 3: And how old were you when that when you went 312 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:18,480 Speaker 3: to grad. 313 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:21,880 Speaker 1: School, I was twenty five. I just turned twenty five. 314 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:24,920 Speaker 4: Okay, so this was after the when you were twenty 315 00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:26,680 Speaker 4: four and you had that experience which. 316 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:33,320 Speaker 3: Were yees okay, So okay, so let's talk about that now. 317 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:38,000 Speaker 4: So you what you were twenty four years old and 318 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:40,480 Speaker 4: you had this moment with God. This is kind of 319 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:43,880 Speaker 4: like a major turning point for you. So what happened 320 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:44,720 Speaker 4: in that? 321 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:48,400 Speaker 1: Yeah? Yeah, So, like I said, so, I had grown 322 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:50,520 Speaker 1: up in the church. I was always like a good 323 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:53,000 Speaker 1: kid like all these you know, I'm sure there's a 324 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:55,160 Speaker 1: lot of people that watched this show and have a 325 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:58,160 Speaker 1: similar testimony, Like I was a church kid. Why did 326 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:00,520 Speaker 1: this stuff happen to me? What's going on? But so, 327 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:03,120 Speaker 1: like I always knew the right answers to things, but 328 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:06,679 Speaker 1: I wasn't experiencing victory or freedom. And so I remember 329 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:09,879 Speaker 1: I was doing my final show in Seattle and it 330 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 1: was like a hit. It was getting really well reviewed. 331 00:17:12,359 --> 00:17:14,960 Speaker 1: I was getting good reviews, Like I had this chance 332 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:17,479 Speaker 1: to go to grad school. So on the surface, I 333 00:17:17,520 --> 00:17:19,679 Speaker 1: had everything lined up for me to be successful in 334 00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:22,280 Speaker 1: my life. And by twenty four I was like, this 335 00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:25,240 Speaker 1: is crazy. I have all these opportunities. But I remember 336 00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:28,760 Speaker 1: I came home from the show and it was like 337 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:32,640 Speaker 1: I had been hit by a truck of depression. And 338 00:17:33,119 --> 00:17:35,480 Speaker 1: even though I didn't like myself during those years, because 339 00:17:35,480 --> 00:17:37,840 Speaker 1: I was in this shame cycle and just believed I 340 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:40,399 Speaker 1: was an addict and never would get free. I didn't 341 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:45,159 Speaker 1: typically sit in depression. So I remember that night I 342 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:47,679 Speaker 1: come home from the show and it's like I feel 343 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:50,760 Speaker 1: so heavy, and I actually start having a panic attack, 344 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:52,600 Speaker 1: which I had never had in my entire life. I 345 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:54,879 Speaker 1: didn't know what was happening to me. So I called 346 00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:57,560 Speaker 1: my dad and I was like, Hey, I am panicking. 347 00:17:57,600 --> 00:17:59,000 Speaker 1: I don't know what to do. I don't know what 348 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:02,000 Speaker 1: this is. And he told me, he said, that sounds 349 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:04,399 Speaker 1: like spiritual warfare, and you need to take that to 350 00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:06,320 Speaker 1: the Lord. I think that's what's going on. It's actually 351 00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:10,840 Speaker 1: something spiritual, not just circumstantial. So I finally leveled with 352 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:14,040 Speaker 1: God that night, and I got real honest, which I 353 00:18:14,119 --> 00:18:17,320 Speaker 1: encouraged any person to do, Like, get honest with where 354 00:18:17,320 --> 00:18:19,800 Speaker 1: you're at with the Lord. Get vulnerable. He wants to 355 00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:24,000 Speaker 1: set you free. So basically how I level with God 356 00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:27,720 Speaker 1: is that I tell him, Lord, I've been a Christian 357 00:18:27,760 --> 00:18:30,159 Speaker 1: since I was seven. I've lived on the straight and 358 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:33,920 Speaker 1: narrow path. I actually haven't given into this lifestyle my temptation, 359 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:36,720 Speaker 1: Like I have fought this so hard and I'm not 360 00:18:36,800 --> 00:18:39,760 Speaker 1: getting free. I've tried to get prayed over, I've gone 361 00:18:39,800 --> 00:18:41,840 Speaker 1: to church. I'm leading worship, and I feel like I'm 362 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:45,480 Speaker 1: living a double life, and I'm so tired of being addicted, 363 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:49,800 Speaker 1: and I'm so tired of feeling these homosexual feelings and attractions. 364 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:52,439 Speaker 1: And so I get my journal out and I'm like, 365 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:55,000 Speaker 1: if this is what being a Christian is, this is 366 00:18:55,160 --> 00:18:57,439 Speaker 1: not what I signed up for. This is not an 367 00:18:57,440 --> 00:19:00,560 Speaker 1: abundant life. And I'm tired of hearing every one around 368 00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:02,960 Speaker 1: me say, how you know God spoke this to me, 369 00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:05,520 Speaker 1: God spoke that to me, And I feel like you've 370 00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:07,920 Speaker 1: never spoken to me. I feel like you don't want 371 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:09,879 Speaker 1: to speak to me, and I feel like you're against me, 372 00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:12,880 Speaker 1: and so you have to speak to me right now. 373 00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:16,640 Speaker 4: So I've got the ultimatum. 374 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:18,920 Speaker 1: That's great, all right, I'm an actor. It had to 375 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:22,560 Speaker 1: be dramatic, get okay. So I get my journal out 376 00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:25,800 Speaker 1: and I just start free writing in my journal and 377 00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:28,800 Speaker 1: I'm writing all my emotions and I'm not really making sense. 378 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:31,880 Speaker 1: And then suddenly this line comes out of my pen 379 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:34,800 Speaker 1: into my journal, and it said, I knew what you'd 380 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:37,719 Speaker 1: struggle with when I created you, and I decided to 381 00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:42,040 Speaker 1: create you anyway, and at that moment. 382 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:44,760 Speaker 4: So it just kind of like it came out just 383 00:19:44,840 --> 00:19:46,440 Speaker 4: kind of involuntarily, that line. 384 00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:50,359 Speaker 1: Yeah, like I'm writing like kind of nonsense, just like emotionally, 385 00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:53,959 Speaker 1: and then this like perfectly crafted line of wisdom comes 386 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:57,760 Speaker 1: into my journal and I read it and I knew 387 00:19:57,760 --> 00:19:59,719 Speaker 1: that that was not from me where I was at 388 00:19:59,760 --> 00:20:02,560 Speaker 1: at that moment. Emotionally, it was like a father speaking 389 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:06,199 Speaker 1: to his son. And so I really felt like, I 390 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:08,239 Speaker 1: think God just spoke to me. I think he just 391 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:12,840 Speaker 1: answered my prayer what like, So that for whatever reason, 392 00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:15,520 Speaker 1: that line was such a revelation for me because I 393 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:18,399 Speaker 1: had never considered, like God knew that I would do 394 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:20,720 Speaker 1: all this, and he still chose me, He still chose 395 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:24,119 Speaker 1: to love me, He still died for me. He knew 396 00:20:24,119 --> 00:20:25,600 Speaker 1: all this going in when he made me, when he 397 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:27,760 Speaker 1: knit me together in my mother's womb, he didn't make 398 00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:31,280 Speaker 1: a mistake because because I'm a sinner, like he knew. 399 00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:33,720 Speaker 1: And then I was like, wait a minute, this must 400 00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:35,479 Speaker 1: mean that I actually have a purpose and I'm not 401 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:37,800 Speaker 1: just going to flounder and sin the rest of my life. 402 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:40,680 Speaker 1: Like this means that there's a point for me here, 403 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:43,800 Speaker 1: there's something God wants to do. And so as I 404 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:46,240 Speaker 1: was reading that, I was getting so affected by this, 405 00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:49,080 Speaker 1: and I just felt the presence of God in my 406 00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:52,600 Speaker 1: bedroom like I've never felt before. And I explained it 407 00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:55,520 Speaker 1: like it was liquid love just pouring over me. And 408 00:20:55,600 --> 00:20:58,560 Speaker 1: I'm just weeping in the presence of God, like just 409 00:20:58,600 --> 00:21:01,720 Speaker 1: feeling his power. And I remember after that going into 410 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:04,840 Speaker 1: my mirror, just in this closet next to my room, 411 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:07,080 Speaker 1: and I like look in my mirror and I'm like, 412 00:21:07,359 --> 00:21:10,720 Speaker 1: what is happening to me? Like what is going on? 413 00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:13,960 Speaker 1: Because I felt like so loved in the middle of 414 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:18,280 Speaker 1: this moment where I'd just been panicking, and so the 415 00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:21,000 Speaker 1: Lord just like empowered me. And I woke up the 416 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:25,320 Speaker 1: next day and I was like something has shifted, Like 417 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:28,160 Speaker 1: something is so different in me. And how I say 418 00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:31,280 Speaker 1: it is like it felt like Jesus truly became first 419 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:34,240 Speaker 1: at that moment, like he became the first priority. It 420 00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:38,160 Speaker 1: wasn't really about anymore like being a successful actor, getting 421 00:21:38,240 --> 00:21:40,960 Speaker 1: to Broadway doing X, Y or Z. It was like, 422 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:44,240 Speaker 1: I have to serve Jesus. I want to serve Jesus. 423 00:21:44,320 --> 00:21:46,760 Speaker 1: And I got so excited and it was just like 424 00:21:46,840 --> 00:21:50,000 Speaker 1: being like on fire for him for three months, like 425 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:52,920 Speaker 1: NonStop on this high. And I had just never experienced 426 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:55,679 Speaker 1: anything like that. And so that was really a huge 427 00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:58,760 Speaker 1: moment in my life of encounter that really changed me 428 00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:01,320 Speaker 1: and I think set me on the true jectory for 429 00:22:01,359 --> 00:22:02,160 Speaker 1: the rest of my life. 430 00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:05,520 Speaker 4: And so you were on this high for three months. 431 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:07,800 Speaker 4: But what happened after the three months. 432 00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:10,920 Speaker 1: Well, back at I went to grad school, and that'll 433 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:15,400 Speaker 1: just kick the life out of anyone. No, I did. 434 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:17,440 Speaker 1: I went to grad school, I moved across the country, 435 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:22,320 Speaker 1: and yeah, at a certain point it was like, wow, 436 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:25,400 Speaker 1: that excitement and fire that I was feeling, Like, I'm 437 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:29,040 Speaker 1: not feeling the same anymore. So I guess that wasn't 438 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:31,399 Speaker 1: maybe what I thought it was, or I guess it 439 00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:35,200 Speaker 1: wasn't as big of a deal or whatever. And I 440 00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:38,119 Speaker 1: should say this too. When that happened to me, the 441 00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:42,480 Speaker 1: addiction stopped. It like dropped out of my life. And 442 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:45,440 Speaker 1: homosexual feelings were still there in terms of just temptation, 443 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:48,000 Speaker 1: but they didn't rule me anymore. It was like I 444 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:50,560 Speaker 1: had authority over them. Yeah, and so I would be like, 445 00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:54,000 Speaker 1: you know, I'm feeling this, but I don't care. Jesus 446 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:56,280 Speaker 1: is number one. And so it was such a shift. 447 00:22:56,720 --> 00:22:59,800 Speaker 1: But then when I start like not feeling as a 448 00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:04,359 Speaker 1: m or like you know, excited or whatever. I still 449 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:08,760 Speaker 1: have free will. Unfortunately, so I start choosing my sin 450 00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:12,280 Speaker 1: again because it's just like, yeah, I just foolishly chose it. 451 00:23:12,359 --> 00:23:15,000 Speaker 1: And how the Bible talks about like if you return 452 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:17,880 Speaker 1: to your sin, it's like comes upon you seven times worse. 453 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:25,120 Speaker 1: I experienced that, and like the intensity of now homosexual attraction, pornography, addiction, 454 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:28,320 Speaker 1: and then now there was this horrible spirit of fear 455 00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:32,120 Speaker 1: and panic that was like upon me of you've lost 456 00:23:32,119 --> 00:23:34,680 Speaker 1: your salvation. God gave you this gift of freedom and 457 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:37,960 Speaker 1: you didn't steward it. He's now more against against you 458 00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:42,159 Speaker 1: than ever. And it was this like terrorizing thing. But 459 00:23:42,359 --> 00:23:45,280 Speaker 1: even in that, God was so good to me. He 460 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:48,000 Speaker 1: gave me like a best friend in the I lived 461 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:51,480 Speaker 1: in a Christian frat in grad school. It's it's like 462 00:23:51,520 --> 00:23:55,399 Speaker 1: a frat but not gross. It was I like had 463 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:57,480 Speaker 1: a best friend named Grant. I'm still one of my 464 00:23:57,520 --> 00:24:00,200 Speaker 1: best friends today that would like pray with me in 465 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:01,639 Speaker 1: the morning when I would wake up and just be 466 00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:06,040 Speaker 1: a mess, like panicking. And so God like knew He's 467 00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:08,480 Speaker 1: so good. He just knew what was coming and made 468 00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:10,960 Speaker 1: preparations because he's like I'm gonna free you, but like 469 00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:13,360 Speaker 1: you got to choose me, you got to walk this out. 470 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:17,080 Speaker 1: So yeah, so I kind of regressed and went backwards. 471 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:19,960 Speaker 1: But I truly believe if I would have like used 472 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:22,800 Speaker 1: my free will to just steward my life with the 473 00:24:22,800 --> 00:24:25,760 Speaker 1: Lord and really be in the word and just you know, abide. 474 00:24:26,280 --> 00:24:28,760 Speaker 1: I know, that's when the addiction was supposed to be 475 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:30,960 Speaker 1: over when I was twenty four, but unfortunately, yeah, it 476 00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:32,879 Speaker 1: was back after I walked back into it. 477 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:40,520 Speaker 3: Wow. And so and then what happened when when COVID hit? 478 00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:48,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, does anyone remember COVID fun times? So yeah, So 479 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:51,640 Speaker 1: by that point I was living in California. I'd become 480 00:24:51,680 --> 00:24:57,840 Speaker 1: a professor in Fresno, California, and COVID hits, and I remember, 481 00:24:57,960 --> 00:25:00,240 Speaker 1: just like I was in my apartment like everyone else, 482 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:03,280 Speaker 1: and in California, they were like, don't go outside because 483 00:25:03,280 --> 00:25:05,959 Speaker 1: if you breathe the air outside at all, you'll die. 484 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:09,280 Speaker 1: So I was like, well that's terrible. I can't even 485 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:10,600 Speaker 1: you can't. 486 00:25:10,359 --> 00:25:14,560 Speaker 4: Go to the beach alone because you know you might die. 487 00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:18,159 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was so funny. I used to, you know, 488 00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:21,000 Speaker 3: during COVID, I would walk I. 489 00:25:20,960 --> 00:25:23,200 Speaker 4: Live like five blocks from Beverly Hills, and I would 490 00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:28,359 Speaker 4: go to Beverly Hills every day and walk for an hour. Yeah, 491 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:31,520 Speaker 4: and you know, the streets are like as wide as 492 00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:35,080 Speaker 4: a football field in Beverly Hills, Like they're super wide. 493 00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:37,159 Speaker 4: And this was like a year into COVID. This was 494 00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:40,040 Speaker 4: like when COVID was like it's not really in Beverly Hills, 495 00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:42,400 Speaker 4: by the way, was like the only city in Los 496 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:45,160 Speaker 4: Angeles that didn't require mass like you could. 497 00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:47,080 Speaker 3: Like everywhere else you had to have a mask on 498 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:50,920 Speaker 3: otherwise you would get like, you know, dragged to the gulag. 499 00:25:51,359 --> 00:25:55,800 Speaker 4: But in Beverly Hills like they didn't care. And so 500 00:25:56,440 --> 00:25:59,879 Speaker 4: I was walking one day there was there was a 501 00:26:00,119 --> 00:26:02,920 Speaker 4: older couple and they were so far away from it. 502 00:26:03,119 --> 00:26:06,080 Speaker 4: They were like way fun, like I don't know, fifty 503 00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:09,320 Speaker 4: yards for me or something. And when they saw that 504 00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:12,840 Speaker 4: I was walking without a mask on, they had I mean, 505 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:16,040 Speaker 4: the wife had a melt down like I've never seen 506 00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:18,239 Speaker 4: anything like it in my life. She literally was like 507 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:22,200 Speaker 4: shaking and freaking out and panicking. I'm like crazy, Oh 508 00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:25,080 Speaker 4: my gosh. 509 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:26,320 Speaker 1: So far away from me. 510 00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:30,240 Speaker 4: Anyway, Sorry, I had to tell that story, so anyway, 511 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:30,760 Speaker 4: get back to that. 512 00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:31,960 Speaker 3: So what happened with you? 513 00:26:32,520 --> 00:26:34,800 Speaker 1: Yes, Okay, so I'm in my apartment all the time, 514 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:40,199 Speaker 1: and I started watching live streams of a church that 515 00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:43,320 Speaker 1: I had somehow come into contact with over the years 516 00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:46,800 Speaker 1: from Illinois, and basically what they were teaching on was 517 00:26:46,880 --> 00:26:50,240 Speaker 1: like just the power of the Holy Spirit and what's 518 00:26:50,280 --> 00:26:55,040 Speaker 1: available to us as believers, and people were talking about 519 00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:58,040 Speaker 1: their freedom from addiction and how the Lord came and 520 00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:00,760 Speaker 1: set them free. And I started getting so interested in 521 00:27:00,920 --> 00:27:05,359 Speaker 1: like freedom and the power of God and how he 522 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:07,280 Speaker 1: moves through the gifts of the Spirit, and I was 523 00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:10,359 Speaker 1: so excited to see that. And a big revelation that 524 00:27:10,359 --> 00:27:14,080 Speaker 1: came out of that season was that there was a 525 00:27:14,119 --> 00:27:16,160 Speaker 1: guy preaching and he was talking about the fact that 526 00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:19,680 Speaker 1: he was always identifying with his sin, that he thought 527 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:21,760 Speaker 1: he was the things that he did, and he told 528 00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:24,240 Speaker 1: himself that his whole life. But then he talked about 529 00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:27,720 Speaker 1: the freedom of living by the Word instead of by 530 00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:30,439 Speaker 1: your feelings, which is a huge thing that I preached 531 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:32,880 Speaker 1: all the time. And it's not just for like same 532 00:27:32,920 --> 00:27:36,199 Speaker 1: sex attraction. It's like everything goes back to this. The 533 00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:39,520 Speaker 1: Word is declared one thing about us, our flesh declares another, 534 00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:41,159 Speaker 1: and you have to choose, like which one are you 535 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:44,680 Speaker 1: gonna abide by and so I had never thought of that. 536 00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:46,919 Speaker 1: So basically, for an example, like when I used to 537 00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:51,160 Speaker 1: confess my sin to the Lord, I would be like, Lord, 538 00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:54,640 Speaker 1: i know I'm just a disgusting, awful sinner and I've 539 00:27:54,680 --> 00:27:57,520 Speaker 1: messed up again and I'm so horrible and I know 540 00:27:57,600 --> 00:27:59,200 Speaker 1: that you hate me, but if you can just forgive 541 00:27:59,240 --> 00:28:01,600 Speaker 1: me one more time on ever, do it again? Amen, 542 00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:04,320 Speaker 1: which was like, so it was just speaking death over 543 00:28:04,359 --> 00:28:07,719 Speaker 1: my life and like and false understanding of God as 544 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:11,200 Speaker 1: a father completely, like just like he's just mad all 545 00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:16,120 Speaker 1: the time. So suddenly I started even confessing there's. 546 00:28:15,960 --> 00:28:18,080 Speaker 4: No condemnation in Christ Jesus, by the way, just like 547 00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:21,399 Speaker 4: you know, and you're going to get to this, but 548 00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:25,320 Speaker 4: like you know, when when we're forgiven of our sins, 549 00:28:25,359 --> 00:28:27,720 Speaker 4: when we're born again, when we're saved, whatever the word 550 00:28:27,720 --> 00:28:33,320 Speaker 4: you want to use, our sins are forgiven, yes, past, 551 00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:34,840 Speaker 4: present and future. 552 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:38,320 Speaker 3: Like, man, they're done, they're done, they're done. They're done. 553 00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:40,959 Speaker 4: When you're adopted by God and to his kingdom, when 554 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:46,920 Speaker 4: you're adopted into His kingdom, there's there's there's no And 555 00:28:47,280 --> 00:28:51,400 Speaker 4: I asked one of my professors in seminary this years 556 00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:54,520 Speaker 4: ago and it was such a great answer. It was 557 00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:56,520 Speaker 4: such kind of and I've said this before on the show, 558 00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:58,800 Speaker 4: but it was such a revelation to me because I said, 559 00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:01,719 Speaker 4: he said, you know, he mentioned, you know, we're forgiven 560 00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:04,400 Speaker 4: past president the future. And I said, well, why then, 561 00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:06,040 Speaker 4: why do we confess our sins? 562 00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:08,520 Speaker 3: Yeah? And he said because you're in a relationship. 563 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:11,360 Speaker 1: Yes. I love that, And I'm. 564 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:12,320 Speaker 3: Like, oh, that makes sense. 565 00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:14,760 Speaker 4: Like it's like a husband and wife in a relationship, 566 00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:18,440 Speaker 4: Like you confess your sin because you want that relationship 567 00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:21,240 Speaker 4: to flourish and you want it too to be like 568 00:29:21,320 --> 00:29:23,800 Speaker 4: you say, abundant, and you want it to you know. 569 00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:27,400 Speaker 4: So like if you're constantly in that state of sin 570 00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:32,360 Speaker 4: and you're constantly not confessing it, then you're in that 571 00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:35,680 Speaker 4: shame and then that it damages the relationship. It doesn't 572 00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:38,160 Speaker 4: damage your salvation, it damages the relationship. 573 00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:40,240 Speaker 1: Yes, so good, So anyway, go ahead. 574 00:29:40,240 --> 00:29:41,840 Speaker 3: What were you going to say about. 575 00:29:42,080 --> 00:29:45,680 Speaker 1: That's so true? And I love your guests from Venezuela 576 00:29:45,800 --> 00:29:51,240 Speaker 1: that you just had. Yes, yes, Carlo good, Yes, everybody 577 00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:51,920 Speaker 1: should watch that. 578 00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:52,480 Speaker 3: Yeah. 579 00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:54,640 Speaker 4: By the way, if you haven't seen that episode, guys, 580 00:29:54,840 --> 00:30:00,080 Speaker 4: I so many people have have messaged me saying it. 581 00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:03,360 Speaker 4: I was stunned because people I've gotten so many messages 582 00:30:03,400 --> 00:30:06,080 Speaker 4: by people saying this is the best episode you've ever done. 583 00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:09,640 Speaker 4: And I'm like, oh, okay, so please we'll link to 584 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:12,120 Speaker 4: that below, but anyway, go ahead tell me. 585 00:30:12,280 --> 00:30:14,760 Speaker 1: Yes, So, just what he was saying about, like when 586 00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:18,240 Speaker 1: you're in Christ, you're you're one with Him, Like. 587 00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:20,640 Speaker 4: Yeah, I was just telling this to my I was 588 00:30:20,640 --> 00:30:23,280 Speaker 4: telling this to my neighbor. I'm because I'm evangelizing my 589 00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:25,840 Speaker 4: Jewish neighbor. And she just gave her. I just gave 590 00:30:25,840 --> 00:30:29,240 Speaker 4: her a Bible and I explained to her, when you're united, 591 00:30:30,760 --> 00:30:34,680 Speaker 4: when you're united to Christ, let's say, so this is you, 592 00:30:34,800 --> 00:30:37,239 Speaker 4: the iPhone is you in Christ is living water. So 593 00:30:37,560 --> 00:30:40,920 Speaker 4: when you're united to Christ, and let's say that light 594 00:30:41,080 --> 00:30:48,120 Speaker 4: is God, there is no there's no way, it's impossible 595 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:51,880 Speaker 4: for you to be condemned because God would have to 596 00:30:51,920 --> 00:30:55,160 Speaker 4: condemn Christ, right because you're united to Him. 597 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:56,640 Speaker 3: You're literally united Christ. 598 00:30:56,680 --> 00:30:59,600 Speaker 1: Come on, yes, and uh. 599 00:31:00,400 --> 00:31:02,920 Speaker 4: And not and not only is your as I always 600 00:31:02,920 --> 00:31:05,040 Speaker 4: say this, but not only is your you know, is 601 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:10,040 Speaker 4: your sin forgiven? But His perfect righteousness is imputed to you. Yes, 602 00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:12,160 Speaker 4: So now when God sees you, he sees you as 603 00:31:12,200 --> 00:31:13,320 Speaker 4: perfectly righteous. 604 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:14,960 Speaker 3: He doesn't see you. 605 00:31:15,080 --> 00:31:18,200 Speaker 4: As like, you know, the all that stuff that you 606 00:31:18,280 --> 00:31:20,200 Speaker 4: were feeling, the shame over it, like, he doesn't see that. 607 00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:22,640 Speaker 3: He sees you as perfectly righteous, not because of you, 608 00:31:22,720 --> 00:31:24,720 Speaker 3: but because of what Jesus did on the cross. 609 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:28,440 Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, right, He's always showing you like it's always 610 00:31:28,480 --> 00:31:31,320 Speaker 1: through that Jesus lens that the Father sees us. So 611 00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:36,360 Speaker 1: that was something that I never understood about salvation or sonship. 612 00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:38,840 Speaker 1: I never got it. And so when I was watching 613 00:31:38,880 --> 00:31:42,720 Speaker 1: these teachings and they were talking about even the way 614 00:31:42,720 --> 00:31:44,880 Speaker 1: we confess our sin, it can be according to the 615 00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:47,920 Speaker 1: Word of God. So my confession went from like I'm horrible. 616 00:31:47,960 --> 00:31:49,920 Speaker 1: I'm horrible, Please forgive me. I don't know if you 617 00:31:49,960 --> 00:31:55,560 Speaker 1: will amen to Lord. I take responsibility for what just happened, 618 00:31:55,600 --> 00:31:57,280 Speaker 1: and I confess that it was wrong and it was 619 00:31:57,320 --> 00:31:59,960 Speaker 1: against you. But God, I thank you that I'm now 620 00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:02,720 Speaker 1: the righteousness of God in Christ. Jesus, I thank you 621 00:32:02,760 --> 00:32:04,920 Speaker 1: that you've seated me in heavenly places, and that you 622 00:32:05,080 --> 00:32:07,320 Speaker 1: separate my sin from me as far as the East 623 00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:09,160 Speaker 1: is from the west, and that you will remember it 624 00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:15,320 Speaker 1: no more in Jesus' name. So good also I actually 625 00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:17,800 Speaker 1: started It's amazing, like life and death is in the 626 00:32:17,840 --> 00:32:19,800 Speaker 1: power of the tongue. The Bible says that over and over. 627 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:22,920 Speaker 1: Like when I started speaking the Word over my life 628 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:26,120 Speaker 1: and even confessing by the word things, it was like 629 00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:28,800 Speaker 1: part of the journey of it, of the healing coming 630 00:32:28,840 --> 00:32:31,680 Speaker 1: because my identity was starting to come into alignment with 631 00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:34,720 Speaker 1: the Word instead of my feelings. And so that was 632 00:32:34,800 --> 00:32:37,720 Speaker 1: just actually such a fruitful time in my life. And 633 00:32:37,880 --> 00:32:40,920 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty is actually when I moved to Iowa 634 00:32:41,200 --> 00:32:43,000 Speaker 1: where I am now. So it was it was like 635 00:32:43,080 --> 00:32:45,640 Speaker 1: right before the next season of my life, God started 636 00:32:45,640 --> 00:32:48,520 Speaker 1: getting me really much deeper in the Word and much 637 00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:49,960 Speaker 1: more identifying with the Word. 638 00:32:50,520 --> 00:32:54,480 Speaker 3: We'll be right back after this short break. And then 639 00:32:54,920 --> 00:32:58,040 Speaker 3: you say that I think this is in. 640 00:32:58,040 --> 00:33:01,800 Speaker 4: Iowa that you you were a professor at a Christian college, 641 00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:02,280 Speaker 4: Is that right? 642 00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:03,080 Speaker 1: Yep? 643 00:33:03,320 --> 00:33:10,600 Speaker 4: And one night you were at a church meeting and 644 00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:13,400 Speaker 4: you had this you were set free of addiction, right, 645 00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:14,360 Speaker 4: So talk about that. 646 00:33:15,120 --> 00:33:18,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, so this is awesome. So when I moved here, 647 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:22,200 Speaker 1: I started going to this Bible study. A mutual friend 648 00:33:22,280 --> 00:33:24,720 Speaker 1: of the people that ran the Bible study and myself 649 00:33:25,080 --> 00:33:27,560 Speaker 1: told me about it, and so I show up in 650 00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:30,680 Speaker 1: these people's living room and just because they were looking 651 00:33:30,680 --> 00:33:32,240 Speaker 1: for someone to lead worship, and I was like, oh, 652 00:33:32,240 --> 00:33:34,440 Speaker 1: I lead worship, and yeah, I'll come. Sure, they asked 653 00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:37,280 Speaker 1: me to come, so I led a couple songs and 654 00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:40,080 Speaker 1: then after I was done, this woman looked at me. 655 00:33:40,160 --> 00:33:43,400 Speaker 1: Her name's Christina, and she said, we've been waiting for you, 656 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:45,960 Speaker 1: and of like what She's like, We've been praying for 657 00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:48,040 Speaker 1: God to send us a worship leader, and you're him. 658 00:33:48,240 --> 00:33:51,720 Speaker 1: You're the one that he spent. I was like, oh, okay, 659 00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:55,000 Speaker 1: but it was it was actually like a total God 660 00:33:55,120 --> 00:33:57,680 Speaker 1: set up. It was crazy. And so I started running 661 00:33:57,680 --> 00:34:00,320 Speaker 1: with these people and they were doing ministry when all 662 00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:03,520 Speaker 1: the churches were closed. They were doing like living room 663 00:34:03,800 --> 00:34:06,480 Speaker 1: you know, church gatherings. And then we started doing revivals 664 00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:09,200 Speaker 1: on people's farms because we're in Iowa and everyone has 665 00:34:09,239 --> 00:34:13,200 Speaker 1: a farm. So we were just like doing these events 666 00:34:13,239 --> 00:34:15,800 Speaker 1: all over the place and people were just getting really 667 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:20,000 Speaker 1: touched by the Lord and really experiencing the Holy Spirit 668 00:34:20,040 --> 00:34:22,839 Speaker 1: a lot of people for the first time. And so yeah, 669 00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:26,120 Speaker 1: we started doing these like monthly kind of more of 670 00:34:26,160 --> 00:34:28,640 Speaker 1: a formal church gathering. And it was at one of 671 00:34:28,680 --> 00:34:33,000 Speaker 1: those that I remember like the process was ongoing, like 672 00:34:33,040 --> 00:34:36,440 Speaker 1: I was getting incrementally more free, but I was just 673 00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:40,360 Speaker 1: so tired of like struggling and so tired of being weary, 674 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:42,640 Speaker 1: and just like, man, when is this going to end? 675 00:34:43,200 --> 00:34:47,440 Speaker 1: So a friend prayed over me, and yeah, in the moment, 676 00:34:47,480 --> 00:34:49,719 Speaker 1: I was like, okay, thanks, yeah, amen, see you later, 677 00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:52,400 Speaker 1: Like it was like nothing crazy happened in that moment. 678 00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:56,840 Speaker 1: But as I was driving away from this barn event 679 00:34:57,040 --> 00:35:00,000 Speaker 1: building we were in, I'm just driving on the road 680 00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:02,759 Speaker 1: in the middle of the fields, and again, like the 681 00:35:02,800 --> 00:35:06,160 Speaker 1: presence of God touches me while I'm in my car, 682 00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:09,160 Speaker 1: and I can't really explain this, but I just start 683 00:35:09,200 --> 00:35:12,000 Speaker 1: like laughing and nothing's funny. And I'm sitting there and 684 00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:14,840 Speaker 1: I'm like, why am I laughing? I'm in a field, 685 00:35:14,880 --> 00:35:18,640 Speaker 1: a cornfield, Like nothing is funny, and it's just the 686 00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:21,080 Speaker 1: joy of the Lord is just like touching me. And 687 00:35:21,120 --> 00:35:23,200 Speaker 1: I'm like laughing in the face of the enemy for 688 00:35:23,280 --> 00:35:25,120 Speaker 1: what he's tried to do to me my whole life. 689 00:35:25,520 --> 00:35:28,000 Speaker 1: So I'm sitting there and the joy of the Lord 690 00:35:28,040 --> 00:35:31,520 Speaker 1: is just filling me, and I'm like okay. And it 691 00:35:31,560 --> 00:35:33,840 Speaker 1: goes on for like five solid minutes and I just 692 00:35:33,880 --> 00:35:38,040 Speaker 1: don't know what's happening. And then from that day I've 693 00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:41,520 Speaker 1: never gone back to addiction again and it's been over 694 00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:44,600 Speaker 1: five years now. Wow, it's so like it's just crazy, 695 00:35:44,719 --> 00:35:47,719 Speaker 1: So like yeah, I can't really explain everything, but it's 696 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:51,319 Speaker 1: like the Lord is the freedom giver. He sets us free. 697 00:35:51,640 --> 00:35:53,880 Speaker 1: He knows when we're ready maybe to like maintain it 698 00:35:53,960 --> 00:35:56,239 Speaker 1: and walk it out and not keep going back to it. 699 00:35:56,320 --> 00:35:59,239 Speaker 1: But like it was so special and so now it's 700 00:35:59,280 --> 00:36:01,680 Speaker 1: like that's not even an issue anymore. I don't have 701 00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:03,520 Speaker 1: to have a dumb phone instead of a smartphone. I 702 00:36:03,560 --> 00:36:06,200 Speaker 1: don't have to have no you know, internet in my house. 703 00:36:06,400 --> 00:36:09,359 Speaker 1: Like there's actual freedom that he gave and it's not 704 00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:13,440 Speaker 1: it's really not even a thought anymore, which you I 705 00:36:13,480 --> 00:36:15,799 Speaker 1: can't tell you how much this dominated my life, like 706 00:36:15,880 --> 00:36:19,359 Speaker 1: it was a problem. So God is so good and 707 00:36:19,400 --> 00:36:22,080 Speaker 1: he will do the same for anyone like that comes 708 00:36:22,080 --> 00:36:23,840 Speaker 1: to him because that's his will. Like he wants us 709 00:36:23,920 --> 00:36:24,680 Speaker 1: to be free. 710 00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:27,560 Speaker 3: And praise God, that's amazing. 711 00:36:29,360 --> 00:36:32,040 Speaker 4: And you you have a desire to get married. You're 712 00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:33,320 Speaker 4: waiting for missus Miller. 713 00:36:33,600 --> 00:36:34,680 Speaker 1: I'm miss Miller. 714 00:36:35,080 --> 00:36:36,760 Speaker 3: Where's missus Miller? 715 00:36:37,040 --> 00:36:39,400 Speaker 1: Where is he? Has anyone seen her anywhere. 716 00:36:40,280 --> 00:36:42,920 Speaker 4: So tell me about that. I mean, do you do 717 00:36:42,960 --> 00:36:44,960 Speaker 4: you want to have like a family and everything? Do 718 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:45,680 Speaker 4: you want to have kids? 719 00:36:46,280 --> 00:36:48,399 Speaker 1: I do, yeah, And all my friends are having kids 720 00:36:48,480 --> 00:36:50,879 Speaker 1: right now, so I have like stand ins, which is good. 721 00:36:51,360 --> 00:36:54,719 Speaker 1: There's some extras right now. But the uh yeah. I 722 00:36:54,760 --> 00:36:57,719 Speaker 1: remember I was leading worship at an event probably in 723 00:36:57,760 --> 00:37:02,160 Speaker 1: like twenty twenty one in near Minneapol, and these you know, 724 00:37:02,239 --> 00:37:04,040 Speaker 1: you know those women in the church that are just 725 00:37:04,080 --> 00:37:07,160 Speaker 1: like the power women of God, like the intercessors, who are. 726 00:37:07,120 --> 00:37:07,920 Speaker 3: Always the women. 727 00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:10,400 Speaker 4: It's so funny, it's always the women are always the 728 00:37:10,440 --> 00:37:11,240 Speaker 4: prayer warriors. 729 00:37:11,440 --> 00:37:15,279 Speaker 1: Yes, So there were these two, and one of them 730 00:37:15,360 --> 00:37:17,520 Speaker 1: after my worship set, she just sat down with me 731 00:37:17,560 --> 00:37:20,000 Speaker 1: and she's like, Okay, if you could ask God for 732 00:37:20,080 --> 00:37:22,239 Speaker 1: anything in your life right now, what would it be. 733 00:37:22,960 --> 00:37:25,160 Speaker 1: And I was like, well, I would love to just 734 00:37:25,280 --> 00:37:28,560 Speaker 1: like really operate in the gifts of the spirit like 735 00:37:28,640 --> 00:37:31,719 Speaker 1: fully and just really live out my purpose in the Lord. 736 00:37:31,760 --> 00:37:33,920 Speaker 1: And I was like, and I feel like I'm supposed 737 00:37:33,920 --> 00:37:35,400 Speaker 1: to say because I'm thirty. At this point, I was like, 738 00:37:35,440 --> 00:37:37,480 Speaker 1: I'm thirty and a Christian, so I shouldn't be married. 739 00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:41,560 Speaker 1: So I guess that too. So she says to me, 740 00:37:41,640 --> 00:37:43,839 Speaker 1: She's like she stops and looks at me, and she's like, 741 00:37:44,760 --> 00:37:47,319 Speaker 1: the Lord has that for you, but he's waiting for 742 00:37:47,360 --> 00:37:51,200 Speaker 1: you to want it. And I was like, huh, like 743 00:37:51,320 --> 00:37:56,080 Speaker 1: I that's okay, interesting and I cannot again this is 744 00:37:56,120 --> 00:37:58,600 Speaker 1: just crazy. But like probably a year later, I had 745 00:37:58,600 --> 00:38:01,400 Speaker 1: always considered it. But you know, after same sex attraction 746 00:38:01,440 --> 00:38:03,960 Speaker 1: and stuff, you're like, could this ever even happen? Is 747 00:38:04,000 --> 00:38:05,959 Speaker 1: this for me? Do I just have to be CELLI 748 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:11,120 Speaker 1: bate whatever. And when I tell you, the desire for 749 00:38:11,239 --> 00:38:14,960 Speaker 1: marriage came so strong when I was like thirty one. 750 00:38:15,520 --> 00:38:17,640 Speaker 1: It just like smacked me and I was like, oh 751 00:38:17,680 --> 00:38:19,880 Speaker 1: I think I want it now. Okay, this is what 752 00:38:19,920 --> 00:38:23,880 Speaker 1: it is. And so that desire just started building. But 753 00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:26,360 Speaker 1: for the right person, right, not just like I just 754 00:38:26,360 --> 00:38:29,520 Speaker 1: want to go anyone. It's like that ministry partner, that 755 00:38:29,560 --> 00:38:31,880 Speaker 1: person that you're really you are going to love, you 756 00:38:31,920 --> 00:38:35,160 Speaker 1: are going to yeah, be attracted to and like walk 757 00:38:35,160 --> 00:38:37,799 Speaker 1: out your calling with. And so yeah, that's been a 758 00:38:37,840 --> 00:38:40,239 Speaker 1: desire and we're waiting for the Lord to fulfill it. 759 00:38:40,320 --> 00:38:44,560 Speaker 1: And believe you me, I have prayed not stop for 760 00:38:44,680 --> 00:38:45,160 Speaker 1: years now. 761 00:38:45,239 --> 00:38:48,120 Speaker 3: So yeah, he's good, amazing. Well, godly women out there. 762 00:38:48,120 --> 00:38:53,520 Speaker 4: If you're watching Tyler's email addresses Mark Tyler Miller. No, 763 00:38:53,680 --> 00:38:56,759 Speaker 4: your website is Mark Tyler Miller dot com, so contact him. 764 00:38:58,480 --> 00:39:01,800 Speaker 1: I thought this was a dating show, this Isel Dog. 765 00:39:03,440 --> 00:39:04,720 Speaker 3: And so you. 766 00:39:08,440 --> 00:39:11,399 Speaker 4: Yeah, everybody, you say, everybody please pray for me as 767 00:39:11,400 --> 00:39:13,879 Speaker 4: you wait for missus Miller. So yeah, people please pray 768 00:39:13,920 --> 00:39:15,440 Speaker 4: for for titles to pray together. 769 00:39:15,520 --> 00:39:15,800 Speaker 3: Okay. 770 00:39:16,400 --> 00:39:19,319 Speaker 4: Yeah, and by the way, and so and then you 771 00:39:19,440 --> 00:39:22,040 Speaker 4: also have which I didn't know about this, but you 772 00:39:22,120 --> 00:39:24,320 Speaker 4: have a podcast, So talk about your podcast. 773 00:39:25,080 --> 00:39:27,560 Speaker 1: Yeah. I started this a couple of years ago. It's 774 00:39:27,600 --> 00:39:32,000 Speaker 1: called The Resurrection Identity Podcast, and the first episode is 775 00:39:32,080 --> 00:39:34,239 Speaker 1: kind of this story. It's my testimony and what the 776 00:39:34,280 --> 00:39:37,239 Speaker 1: Lord brought me through. But the podcast is just sort 777 00:39:37,280 --> 00:39:39,480 Speaker 1: of a way to talk about like what do we 778 00:39:39,560 --> 00:39:42,640 Speaker 1: have access to in Christ and what does a resurrected 779 00:39:42,760 --> 00:39:45,400 Speaker 1: life look like? And so there's a lot of different 780 00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:51,440 Speaker 1: topics we've hit on, like self harm, homosexuality, addiction, victory, freedom, 781 00:39:51,560 --> 00:39:54,120 Speaker 1: things like that, and so yeah, it's just a little 782 00:39:54,160 --> 00:39:56,600 Speaker 1: way to kind of do some teaching and then also 783 00:39:56,719 --> 00:40:00,400 Speaker 1: share testimony and hopefully people like grow in the Lord together. 784 00:40:00,520 --> 00:40:02,759 Speaker 1: So it's been really sweet and. 785 00:40:02,920 --> 00:40:04,160 Speaker 3: Are you still leading worship. 786 00:40:04,840 --> 00:40:07,719 Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, so I'm a worship pastor now at activation 787 00:40:07,880 --> 00:40:11,680 Speaker 1: church in Iowa, and that's been, yeah, the joy of 788 00:40:11,719 --> 00:40:14,560 Speaker 1: my life, and that's been full time for the last year. 789 00:40:14,719 --> 00:40:17,480 Speaker 1: About nice nice. 790 00:40:17,080 --> 00:40:21,120 Speaker 4: Well, Tyler Miller, thank you for coming on the show. 791 00:40:21,520 --> 00:40:24,560 Speaker 4: We'll put the link below to your podcast and to 792 00:40:24,680 --> 00:40:27,680 Speaker 4: your website, but thank you for coming on the show 793 00:40:27,719 --> 00:40:28,720 Speaker 4: and sharing your story. 794 00:40:28,960 --> 00:40:29,920 Speaker 3: God is amazing. 795 00:40:31,920 --> 00:40:34,160 Speaker 4: And just by the way, I mean, what would you 796 00:40:34,160 --> 00:40:37,520 Speaker 4: tell I mean, I know you probably talk about this 797 00:40:37,560 --> 00:40:39,839 Speaker 4: on your podcast, but what would you tell people who 798 00:40:39,920 --> 00:40:44,799 Speaker 4: are watching, who like you, you know, were struggling in 799 00:40:44,840 --> 00:40:47,600 Speaker 4: that shame cycle and like struggling with addiction. 800 00:40:47,719 --> 00:40:49,440 Speaker 3: What would you say to them? I mean, I know 801 00:40:49,480 --> 00:40:50,640 Speaker 3: we've talked about it, but like. 802 00:40:50,760 --> 00:40:57,040 Speaker 1: Just right first, I would say, you are deeply, deeply 803 00:40:57,080 --> 00:41:00,560 Speaker 1: loved by the Lord. Your love so far beyond what 804 00:41:00,640 --> 00:41:03,800 Speaker 1: you can understand. It's not even funny. Like the Lord 805 00:41:03,920 --> 00:41:07,160 Speaker 1: is your father. God is your father, and he's good. 806 00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:10,440 Speaker 1: He's good to you. He knows you, he knit you together. 807 00:41:10,880 --> 00:41:13,080 Speaker 1: He knew, just like he said to me, he knew 808 00:41:13,120 --> 00:41:15,200 Speaker 1: all of the dumb things you would do. He knew 809 00:41:15,200 --> 00:41:17,719 Speaker 1: all of the sin that you would find yourself in 810 00:41:18,040 --> 00:41:21,040 Speaker 1: and He chose to create you anyway in spite of 811 00:41:21,080 --> 00:41:23,800 Speaker 1: those things, because of the glory that will be revealed 812 00:41:23,840 --> 00:41:26,240 Speaker 1: through your life. And so I just want to encourage 813 00:41:26,239 --> 00:41:29,000 Speaker 1: anyone out there to truly believe that and bring those 814 00:41:29,040 --> 00:41:31,560 Speaker 1: things to the Lord. And if you're like, Lord, I 815 00:41:31,600 --> 00:41:33,600 Speaker 1: see you as this angry father, I see you as 816 00:41:33,600 --> 00:41:36,839 Speaker 1: this abusive, horrible whatever, Like, deal with it with the Lord. 817 00:41:36,880 --> 00:41:39,520 Speaker 1: Bring it to him and ask him to renew your mind. 818 00:41:39,640 --> 00:41:42,200 Speaker 1: Get into the Word, start renewing your mind in him, 819 00:41:42,320 --> 00:41:45,040 Speaker 1: let the Holy Spirit transform you. And just know, like 820 00:41:45,239 --> 00:41:47,760 Speaker 1: if there's any proof of this, look at this show, 821 00:41:48,120 --> 00:41:50,080 Speaker 1: look at the beck of Cook's show, Like how many 822 00:41:50,120 --> 00:41:52,440 Speaker 1: people have been on this show, and be like, the 823 00:41:52,480 --> 00:41:54,799 Speaker 1: Lord set me free of the most horrible thing we 824 00:41:54,840 --> 00:41:58,759 Speaker 1: can possibly imagine. Like it's all over the place. God 825 00:41:58,840 --> 00:42:01,799 Speaker 1: is moving, And so I would just encourage you just 826 00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:04,680 Speaker 1: really know the love of the Lord. It's not about 827 00:42:04,680 --> 00:42:07,640 Speaker 1: your performance, it's not about you earning his love. It's 828 00:42:07,680 --> 00:42:11,319 Speaker 1: about his resurrection and rest that he's releasing over you. 829 00:42:12,200 --> 00:42:14,040 Speaker 1: And so I just encourage you in that, like God 830 00:42:14,120 --> 00:42:16,440 Speaker 1: has such a future and a hope in store for you. 831 00:42:17,120 --> 00:42:18,440 Speaker 3: Yes, amen, Amen. 832 00:42:18,520 --> 00:42:22,280 Speaker 4: And And by the way, I mean, that's what I think. 833 00:42:22,520 --> 00:42:27,000 Speaker 4: You know, a lot of Christians, it's kind of like 834 00:42:28,560 --> 00:42:31,040 Speaker 4: over the last I don't know how long, but I've 835 00:42:31,160 --> 00:42:37,040 Speaker 4: really started to really deeply, deeply understand God's grace. And 836 00:42:37,160 --> 00:42:39,239 Speaker 4: of course Paul says, shall we go on sitting that 837 00:42:39,280 --> 00:42:43,239 Speaker 4: grace may abound by no means obviously, but when you 838 00:42:43,440 --> 00:42:47,680 Speaker 4: really really understand, like you're saying, like God, it's not 839 00:42:47,760 --> 00:42:49,719 Speaker 4: even funny how much God loves you, like it's this 840 00:42:49,920 --> 00:42:54,320 Speaker 4: crazy like and you really understand his grace, it's grace 841 00:42:54,360 --> 00:42:57,680 Speaker 4: from start to finish, Like it's grace, grace, grace, Like 842 00:42:57,760 --> 00:43:01,640 Speaker 4: if you really get that, you don't feel that condemnation, 843 00:43:01,760 --> 00:43:04,080 Speaker 4: you don't feel that insecurity about like oh my Gosh, 844 00:43:04,160 --> 00:43:07,160 Speaker 4: to lose my salvation, Oh my God, like you it's 845 00:43:07,200 --> 00:43:10,680 Speaker 4: just you have to like you have to understand grace 846 00:43:10,719 --> 00:43:13,399 Speaker 4: like it just just ask God to just help you 847 00:43:13,520 --> 00:43:18,319 Speaker 4: get it because that legalism is deadly, Like the legalistic 848 00:43:18,520 --> 00:43:20,440 Speaker 4: mindset is just poison. 849 00:43:20,560 --> 00:43:22,280 Speaker 3: It's from the pit of Hell and it's deadly. 850 00:43:22,840 --> 00:43:27,319 Speaker 1: Yes, So yeah, go ahead. I was just gonna say, 851 00:43:27,320 --> 00:43:28,840 Speaker 1: I feel like for those of us that grew up 852 00:43:28,880 --> 00:43:32,080 Speaker 1: in the church, it's such a different experience, Like if 853 00:43:32,080 --> 00:43:34,160 Speaker 1: you if you grew up and maybe we're living a 854 00:43:34,160 --> 00:43:36,960 Speaker 1: life of sin into your like adulthood and then you 855 00:43:37,000 --> 00:43:39,279 Speaker 1: have this radical encounter with the Lord and change. I 856 00:43:39,320 --> 00:43:43,239 Speaker 1: feel like it's a very different experience than people that like, well, 857 00:43:43,320 --> 00:43:45,160 Speaker 1: I grew up in the church and I was still 858 00:43:45,160 --> 00:43:46,640 Speaker 1: a mess. What's the deal with that? 859 00:43:46,880 --> 00:43:46,960 Speaker 2: Like? 860 00:43:47,080 --> 00:43:49,320 Speaker 1: How what am I supposed to do with that? Was 861 00:43:49,360 --> 00:43:51,440 Speaker 1: I not really saved? Is God's God against me? 862 00:43:51,600 --> 00:43:51,680 Speaker 2: Like? 863 00:43:51,800 --> 00:43:54,879 Speaker 1: Yeah, And and that's where this legalism slips in. Well, 864 00:43:54,920 --> 00:43:57,360 Speaker 1: you didn't try hard enough, you didn't do enough, so 865 00:43:57,440 --> 00:43:59,000 Speaker 1: you need to do more. And that was how I 866 00:43:59,040 --> 00:44:01,680 Speaker 1: kept trying to solve my own issues, was like, if 867 00:44:01,719 --> 00:44:03,759 Speaker 1: I just do more, God will be pleased with me, 868 00:44:03,840 --> 00:44:05,960 Speaker 1: and then he'll heal me if I And that's been 869 00:44:06,000 --> 00:44:07,799 Speaker 1: like the fight of my life now, is like that 870 00:44:07,920 --> 00:44:11,200 Speaker 1: perfectionism stuff, just getting rid of that and being like 871 00:44:11,400 --> 00:44:14,640 Speaker 1: it is only by his blood that I can do anything. 872 00:44:14,840 --> 00:44:17,040 Speaker 1: So like, by his blood, by his spirit and the 873 00:44:17,040 --> 00:44:19,520 Speaker 1: power of his name. It's not it's not up to me. 874 00:44:19,560 --> 00:44:22,640 Speaker 1: I'm actually called to rest in the Lord and he 875 00:44:22,719 --> 00:44:25,560 Speaker 1: will sanctify me and he will move me forward. And y'all, 876 00:44:25,560 --> 00:44:27,799 Speaker 1: he has been so faithful to do that so I 877 00:44:27,880 --> 00:44:30,000 Speaker 1: just want to encourage you he will do the same 878 00:44:30,040 --> 00:44:31,719 Speaker 1: in your life. If the Holy Spirit lives in you, 879 00:44:32,080 --> 00:44:34,560 Speaker 1: that's what he does, Like that is his role. He 880 00:44:34,640 --> 00:44:37,840 Speaker 1: is sanctifying and moving you forward in your life in him. 881 00:44:37,920 --> 00:44:39,759 Speaker 4: So yeah, it's like in the Book of Galatians, it's 882 00:44:39,800 --> 00:44:43,520 Speaker 4: like we're it's like, you know, you foolish Galatians. You started, 883 00:44:43,680 --> 00:44:45,840 Speaker 4: you know, by faith, and now you're continuing. 884 00:44:46,080 --> 00:44:48,000 Speaker 1: It's like this whole kind of works righteousness. 885 00:44:48,040 --> 00:44:51,360 Speaker 4: It's like we understand we're saved by grace alone, but 886 00:44:51,440 --> 00:44:55,440 Speaker 4: then suddenly where we become like a works righteousness person 887 00:44:55,600 --> 00:44:57,200 Speaker 4: and we're like, oh, we have to work. We have 888 00:44:57,280 --> 00:45:00,120 Speaker 4: to constantly work and like help and make sure God 889 00:45:00,320 --> 00:45:02,920 Speaker 4: is okay with us and please with us, and if 890 00:45:02,920 --> 00:45:06,799 Speaker 4: he's not, Like it's just this constant fear. It's like 891 00:45:06,840 --> 00:45:09,279 Speaker 4: a fear thing. I'm not the fear of the Lord. 892 00:45:09,320 --> 00:45:11,160 Speaker 4: It's a different kind of fear. It's a it's a 893 00:45:11,200 --> 00:45:16,600 Speaker 4: condemnation fear from the enemy. But anyway, man, we'll leave 894 00:45:16,640 --> 00:45:18,840 Speaker 4: it there. Tyler Miller, thank you for coming. 895 00:45:18,719 --> 00:45:19,440 Speaker 3: On and sharing this. 896 00:45:19,719 --> 00:45:22,239 Speaker 1: I appreciate you so much for having me. This was 897 00:45:22,280 --> 00:45:24,680 Speaker 1: such a joy and I'm so I just want to 898 00:45:24,719 --> 00:45:27,960 Speaker 1: like take a second to just like honor you and 899 00:45:28,080 --> 00:45:30,520 Speaker 1: your life and what you're doing and the way that 900 00:45:30,560 --> 00:45:34,720 Speaker 1: you've stood up in this area is like you're knocking 901 00:45:34,760 --> 00:45:37,040 Speaker 1: down walls for generations to come. And so I just 902 00:45:37,040 --> 00:45:39,160 Speaker 1: want to so encourage you. Not God. It's so pleased 903 00:45:39,160 --> 00:45:39,800 Speaker 1: with you, Beckett. 904 00:45:40,120 --> 00:45:42,759 Speaker 4: Well, praise God. It's all you know. Thank you very much. 905 00:45:42,800 --> 00:45:45,960 Speaker 4: But it's all God and it's His grace working through me. 906 00:45:46,080 --> 00:45:49,680 Speaker 4: But thank you so much. Yes Hellelujah, Wait, don't touch 907 00:45:49,719 --> 00:45:53,320 Speaker 4: that dial. Please like and subscribe, and also please consider 908 00:45:53,360 --> 00:45:56,799 Speaker 4: becoming a patron on Patreon For as little as five 909 00:45:56,840 --> 00:45:58,600 Speaker 4: dollars a month. You can really help us out on 910 00:45:58,640 --> 00:46:03,080 Speaker 4: The show is below and we so so appreciate it. 911 00:46:03,120 --> 00:46:03,440 Speaker 1: Thank you. 912 00:46:06,600 --> 00:46:09,000 Speaker 2: Thank you for listening to this episode of The Beckett 913 00:46:09,040 --> 00:46:14,320 Speaker 2: Cook Show. Your support makes this content possible. All episodes 914 00:46:14,360 --> 00:46:17,440 Speaker 2: of The Beckett Cook Show are also available on YouTube. 915 00:46:18,360 --> 00:46:21,480 Speaker 2: For more information about Beckett and his ministry, visit his 916 00:46:21,560 --> 00:46:24,800 Speaker 2: website at Becketcook dot com. 917 00:46:24,960 --> 00:46:26,880 Speaker 4: Thank you to the team at Life Audio for their 918 00:46:26,920 --> 00:46:29,879 Speaker 4: partnership with us. If you go to lifeaudio dot com, 919 00:46:29,920 --> 00:46:34,000 Speaker 4: you will find more faith centered podcasts about prayer, Bible study, parenting, 920 00:46:34,040 --> 00:46:34,399 Speaker 4: and more.