S1: Hi friend, thank you so much for downloading this podcast
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S1: and then gets you out there in the marketplace of ideas.
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S1: And I absolutely love this topic because if you're like me,
S1: going out into the night sky and looking up and
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S1: about God? And are you not in a moment of
S1: awe and wonder or looking out over the vast expanse
S1: of an ocean and you start thinking, what is man,
S1: that thou art mindful of him? And it makes you
S1: wonder about the magnificence of God? I think that sense
S1: of wonder was put there on purpose, and this wonderful
S1: book includes a composite of multiple authors who have written
S1: from their perspective as a scientist, or a historian, or
S1: a mathematician or an artist, on why they all have
S1: this sense of awe through the work that they do.
S1: In other words, the heavens declare the glory. And as
S1: it tells us in Romans, we are really without excuse
S1: because his handiwork is everywhere. And this book invites you
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S1: to God through their various disciplines in life. It's an
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S1: Have you ever wondered? And now please enjoy the broadcast.
S2: Here are some of the news headlines we're watching.
S3: The conference was over. The president won a pledge. play.
S4: Americans worshiping government over God.
S5: Extremely rare safety move by a 17 years.
S4: The Palestinians and the Israelis negotiated.
S6: This is not.
S5: Hi friends.
S1: Welcome to In the Market with Janet Parshall. So let
S1: me ask you a question. One friend to another. How
S1: are you feeling right now? Are you feeling overwhelmed? Would
S1: you say that feeling defeated would describe you right now?
S1: Are you feeling like you've been overcome by the adversary?
S1: Do you really and truly think that you have been conquered?
S1: We're going to talk about that this hour, because a
S1: whole lot of people out there today, and I do
S1: think that number is growing, are struggling with exactly those questions.
S1: And you're going to hear from a man today who
S1: knows about these struggles full well. And boy, has God
S1: brought him through so many refiner's fires. But now he
S1: turns around and he encourages other. Let me tell you
S1: about Adam Davis. We have the privilege of spending the
S1: next hour with him. He knows the unique challenges that
S1: a law enforcement officer faces. He is a former patrol officer,
S1: a criminal investigator, a hostage negotiator. Sounds like something out
S1: of a Hollywood script, doesn't it? He's become a highly
S1: sought after speaker, as you can well imagine, and he
S1: speaks to law enforcement audiences all across the country. But
S1: he always talks about it his spirit, his experiences with
S1: a very strong message of faith. This good man has
S1: written five books, including two bestsellers, Behind the Badge, 365
S1: Daily Devotions for Law Enforcement, and Bulletproof Marriage, a 90
S1: day devotional which he co-authored with a mutual friend of ours,
S1: Lieutenant Colonel Dave Grossman, who, by the way, is the
S1: gentleman who introduced me to the word killology. Rather bizarre,
S1: isn't it? Having to teach people how to shoot another
S1: human being. And so here in my neck of the woods,
S1: the Washington, D.C., just down the road, a piece is
S1: a place called Quantico. and Dave has been there teaching
S1: on more than one occasion. I have a link to
S1: Adam's website so that you can learn more about him
S1: as well. And he's written a brand new book called
S1: unconquered ten Principles to Overcome Adversity and Live Above Defeat. Adam,
S1: thank you first of all for the gift of your time.
S1: I say this because the older I get, the more
S1: how much I appreciate and recognize the preciousness of time.
S1: You can try to get more money, but you sure
S1: can't get more time and you're giving us an hour,
S1: so that means so much. Second of all, I want
S1: to thank you for the work that you've done, how
S1: many times you've stood in the gap because you were
S1: a seeker of the peace, you were a keeper of
S1: the peace, and you were willing to step into harm's
S1: way if it was for the greater good. So on
S1: behalf of people listening all across the country, I say,
S1: thank you so much for both of those. And the book,
S1: which I'm thrilled we get to talk about this hour,
S1: the warmest of welcomes.
S7: Oh my goodness, Janet, thank you so much for the
S7: opportunity to come on and spend a little bit of
S7: time with you. And you're correct. We can make more money,
S7: we can make more time, and this will be an
S7: hour well spent.
S1: Oh thank you friend I appreciate that. So I have
S1: to ask you truly. I mean, it reads like a
S1: movie I'm going to watch with Denzel Washington, a former
S1: patrol officer, a criminal investigator and a hostage negotiator. Not
S1: exactly an easy three piece suit, 9 to 5 kind
S1: of job. What drew you to that line of work?
S7: You know what I grew up. In fact, I'm here
S7: at my dad's shop now. This is a place where
S7: I cut my teeth, grew up and learned a lot
S7: of life lessons, learned a lot of things. But in
S7: this line of work, we, you know, around law enforcement
S7: a lot. And I saw these men and and they
S7: were good men. And I wanted to be like those men.
S7: I saw the work they did. I saw when they
S7: were running on a patrol call or running code with
S7: the lights and sirens or, you know, if you needed
S7: them in the middle of the night. They were always
S7: there whenever the case was. And I wanted to be
S7: like those men, and I wanted to be the next generation.
S7: And many of those men have passed on and they
S7: have gotten their eternal reward. Ward, and that's what drew
S7: me to that. And I was like, you know what?
S7: If I could be anything, I could be a sheepdog.
S7: I could be a public servant. I can go and,
S7: you know, the off the cuff answer is always something like,
S7: we want to help people, right? And but I think
S7: at the end of the day, we want to be
S7: good people. And that was, uh, that was the initial motive.
S7: It was, hey, I want to do something good. Now,
S7: with that being said, the adrenaline rush was, uh, was
S7: a bonus. Uh, all the chases and all the fun
S7: that you get to have, uh, nobody kind of prepares
S7: you for sort of some of the things that you
S7: see and experience. But it was worth it. It was
S7: worth every minute of it. And I believe God called
S7: me to become one so I could become a voice
S7: to them and for them.
S1: Wow. Wow. Well, there's so much there. I was thinking
S1: when you were talking out of the overflow of the heart,
S1: the mouth speaks. It tells me so much about the
S1: power and the role of a mentor and what you're
S1: called to do. So I have to ask you, you know,
S1: there are bad teachers, bad politicians, bad talk show hosts,
S1: and there can be bad cops, but I don't think
S1: anybody says that's an indictment of the whole profession. What
S1: does it do for you, a man who has stood
S1: in harm's way because you wanted to be one of
S1: the good guys. You wanted to do something good. When
S1: you're seeing a national, disparaging conversation about men and women
S1: who put on that uniform and are the peacekeepers.
S7: Well, I think you have to look at the source
S7: of that conversation and the source and the root cause
S7: of it. And I think the root of it is
S7: we live in a time where people want to call
S7: evil good and good evil. And are there bad people
S7: in any profession? Yes. But the reality is law enforcement
S7: is something called a zero defect profession. Kind of like,
S7: you know, airline pilots. You can't just have a bad
S7: day and blame it on having a bad day, because
S7: there's dire consequences that come with that. And that's why
S7: it's so important for me on the mission that I'm
S7: on with, you know, the books like Behind the Badge
S7: or Bulletproof Marriage or any of the others is to
S7: address the soul. And if we can address the heart
S7: and soul, then we have men and women who are
S7: not only well trained men and women, but they are
S7: also equipped with the power and love of Christ to
S7: go into some of the worst situations humanity has ever
S7: seen and and be a light in that darkness.
S1: Wow. Adam, this is almost a rhetorical question because we're
S1: brother and sister in the Lord. But as somebody who
S1: has served in law enforcement and hostage negotiation and a
S1: criminal investigator, do you think you approach your job differently
S1: as a follower of Jesus Christ than if you weren't
S1: following him?
S7: Well, I think that the answer ultimately is yes, but
S7: I believe that it is because it shifts our perspective.
S7: You still have to address evil with a certain degree of,
S7: I guess, awareness, and with your skill set and your training.
S7: You have to have a resilient mind. You have to
S7: have that bulletproof mind. Like you said, our friend Lieutenant
S7: Colonel Dave Grossman teaches on. But you've got to go
S7: about it in a way. And I think having that
S7: heart and having that that alignment surrendered to a living
S7: God changes things. Because number one, it's going to give
S7: you more courage and it's going to give you the
S7: right kind of courage, not the dangerous courage, but the
S7: right kind of courage. And it's going to allow you
S7: to see broken humanity through the eyes of a living God,
S7: a compassionate God, instead of someone who is hurting from within.
S7: Because you're going to need that healing at some point yourself.
S7: You're going to need that touch from a living God.
S7: Because this is a broken world. This is a hurting world.
S7: It's a dying world that needs Jesus more than anything.
S1: Amen and amen. Wow. I have loved the short time
S1: we've already been together. Adam. I'm so looking forward to
S1: the rest of the conversation. Adam Davis is with us.
S1: He joins us today at the author of the new book,
S1: Unconquered Ten Principles to Overcome Adversity and Live Above Defeat.
S1: Why do we need those words now? Back after this.
S1: God uses so much in the world around us to
S1: point to him. Our sense of wonder is really about
S1: knowing him. That's why I've chosen. Have you ever wondered,
S1: as this month's Truth tool? This book is for all
S1: who have looked up at a million stars in the
S1: night sky and just wondered, ask for your copy of.
S1: Have you ever wondered when you give a gift of
S1: any amount to in the market, call eight 7758. That's
S1: eight 7758 or go to in the market with Janet Parshall.
S1: We are spending the hour with Adam Davis, who's the
S1: author of the book unconquered Ten Principles to Overcome Adversity
S1: and Live Above Defeat. He's the author of five books,
S1: two of them bestsellers, by the way, and he has
S1: a background in law enforcement as a former patrol officer,
S1: criminal investigator and hostage negotiator. Now he speaks to those
S1: people involved in those callings, and he does it all
S1: from a faith perspective and how precious and necessary that is. So, Adam,
S1: one would think, particularly when you talked about being your
S1: dad's shop and the role models that were in your life,
S1: and you're willing to step in to a kind of
S1: greater calling. But I want to hear something about your childhood,
S1: because you come to me in some respects as a
S1: wounded warrior. Tell me about growing up.
S7: Well, you know, it certainly was at no fault of, um,
S7: of of dad. Um, I'm very grateful to have people
S7: in my life that fight for me and that have
S7: fought for me. And I can name several. But just
S7: right off the top of my head, I know him
S7: and my wife are, you know, this fall will be
S7: 23 years for us. We got married at 18 years
S7: old against all odds, and this year will be 23
S7: years together. And, you know, learn, learn things the hard way. But, um,
S7: you know, I think the first time was around five
S7: years old and left in the care of an older
S7: male neighbour who was not a family member, who, you know,
S7: played games with me, fed me and, you know, made
S7: me comfortable and then introduced me to pornography and then
S7: sodomized me and raped me. I don't know how many
S7: times or however, you know, how long of a period
S7: of time that occurred, but, um, I could go into
S7: graphic details, which I will spare the listeners from. And
S7: then again, as a teenager, uh, and this one was
S7: a little bit different because it was, uh, a leader
S7: in the church and a female who was someone that
S7: was a very close to certain people in my family.
S7: And I remember, um, you know, being told that, hey,
S7: I was part of God's plan for healing and a
S7: lot of manipulation, a lot of deception and, uh, a
S7: lot of pain. Because that ended when I was around
S7: 16 years old. I brought it out and confronted it
S7: and then got married two years later. So my perspective
S7: of relationships and trust and faith and and even with
S7: the body of Christ in the church was heavily damaged,
S7: to say the least. Um, and then, you know, my
S7: wife knew about these things before we got married. But
S7: the reality is, um, I didn't really know how it
S7: affected me and how it had sort of, uh, wounded
S7: me inside in a number of ways. And so for me,
S7: I took that unaddressed childhood trauma into my career in
S7: law enforcement. And that is just not a smart thing
S7: to do. I began the process of forgiveness somewhere around
S7: 2004 before my first child was born. Um, and but
S7: it's not something that's going to happen overnight. I had
S7: so much hate that that was inside of me, towards
S7: the people that hurt me and so much resentment and bitterness,
S7: and that was turned into something turning me into something
S7: I didn't really want to be anymore. And, um, and
S7: I thank God for his grace and for his mercy. And,
S7: you know, I was talking to a friend the other
S7: day about how can you really know if you've forgiven somebody?
S7: And it really begins when you could look at someone
S7: who's hurt you deeply and say, thank you, because I
S7: wouldn't be here today had you not done whatever you
S7: did to me, and I probably wouldn't be here today
S7: had that never occurred to me or, you know, in
S7: my life. So, um, I'm grateful for the grace and
S7: mercy that he showed me and and for the strength
S7: that he's given me to persevere.
S1: Wow. So, Adam, first of all, it takes your breath
S1: away because being a five year old, having this happen repetitively,
S1: you could have just sat in the corner, curled up
S1: in the fetal position and never left it for the
S1: rest of your life. You got up. You went forward.
S1: It happens again when you're a teenager. Where are you
S1: spiritually in the midst of these experiences.
S7: Are heavily deceived, I would say. Um, and it's hard
S7: it's hard to really put into words. It's hard to
S7: put into words. Um, that deception and manipulation and confusion
S7: were played such a strong role in that, because now
S7: I see it from a, you know, I'm healed. I'm restored,
S7: I've been set free. Uh, but when you grow up
S7: and you see people in a leadership role and you
S7: look up to them, and that's what you sort of
S7: admire to be, one day you feel God's called you
S7: to some role in ministry. Um, you know, I was praying,
S7: I was seeking, but I was deeply and heavily manipulated
S7: and confused and and deceived. And deception comes in many forms.
S7: You know, the enemy. The Bible tells us the enemy
S7: comes to kill, steal and destroy. He doesn't just show
S7: up to to do it all in one whack. He
S7: he chips away a little bit at a time, usually.
S7: And that's what he was doing in my life. And
S7: I can't tell you how many times I've thought I
S7: would probably be better off if I were not here.
S7: I would be better off if I were never born.
S7: I'd be better off if I was dead. And it was.
S7: It was a heavy burden to bear on my own. And, um,
S7: you know, I didn't feel different the first time I said, hey,
S7: I forgive them. And, um, and it took me a
S7: long time to get to the point where there was
S7: peace inside. Uh, apart from the pain that I'd been
S7: experiencing in my lifetime. So.
S1: Wow. Did you get mad at God ever? Did you
S1: just say if. Where were you when this was happening?
S1: Why didn't you rescue me?
S7: Oh, boy, did I. Did I ever get mad? And
S7: you know what? I think? And there was a time,
S7: especially in my time in law enforcement, when I was
S7: a criminal investigator, that I said, um, hey, you're supposed
S7: to be a god of love. I never doubted his goodness.
S7: I mean, I never doubted his existence. It was. and
S7: this sounds terrible. I interrogated him on the basis of
S7: goodness and love. But if you are God and you're
S7: a God of love and you're God of, you know,
S7: you're good, then where were you when this happened to
S7: me as a little boy? Where were you when this
S7: happened to me? Why didn't you stop it? And the.
S7: The answer I got was. I'm with you always. I'm
S7: with you through everything. And and he was with me
S7: through everything. And he preserved me through it all. I
S7: remember the first time I talked through it to a
S7: to a trauma therapist about it, and a Christian trauma therapist.
S7: And we finished our first couple of sessions and she said,
S7: it's a testament to God of how he preserved you
S7: through it all. Um, you know, I and I'm grateful
S7: for for his faithfulness through all things good and bad.
S2: Wow.
S1: Oh, Adam. Wow. What a story. This is so important,
S1: by the way. And I ask you only because you're
S1: transparent in the book and gave me permission to ask you.
S1: And I thank you for that. But I also think,
S1: and you know this because oftentimes your work ends up
S1: sitting in a courtroom. You want the expert credentials of
S1: your witness to be recorded for the jury. You didn't
S1: just write these principles to overcome adversity because you had
S1: nothing better to do. It's because you've been through the
S1: valley and you have seen adversity and you came out
S1: the other side. You are unconquered back after this. We're
S1: visiting with Adam Davis, a man who knows adversity firsthand
S1: and yet has come out the other side unconquered. He
S1: writes about it in the book that bears that same title,
S1: unconquered Ten Principles to Overcome Adversity and Live Above Defeat.
S1: And I am going to go to those ten principles
S1: in a bit. But Adam, just by way of background again,
S1: you alluded to the fact that there were times when
S1: you thought, you know, it's just like that scene out
S1: of Pilgrim's Progress, when the giant despair holds Christian captive
S1: and doubting Castle and says, here's a knife, a noose,
S1: and a bottle of poison, why not make an end
S1: of yourself since life is attended by so much difficulty.
S1: It's the late 1600s, so the adversary loves to tempt
S1: us to end our life when we feel overwhelmed and overcome.
S1: You thought that you didn't. Why?
S7: Well, because I had an encounter with the living God.
S7: And I sat in a patrol car on a Sunday morning.
S7: I was separated from my wife at the time. And
S7: you have to understand when I say that she's my
S7: best friend. You know, we got married at 18 because
S7: she was my best friend. I loved her with everything,
S7: and I still do. Um, but for for us to
S7: be separated was a hard thing. That was a big deal. And, um.
S7: And I just thought, you know what? I mean, I've
S7: had so much pain inside. And what is it worth anymore?
S7: What's it worth anymore? And I pulled my weapon out
S7: of my my holster, and I called out to God.
S7: I paused, and I believe it was a miracle in
S7: the pause that that redemption and living God rescued me.
S7: And and I'll tell you, I grew up in church
S7: where there was some heavy preaching. And, you know, I
S7: remember signing a membership card that said, to be a
S7: member of the church, I wouldn't dance, I wouldn't listen
S7: to rock and roll, I wouldn't go to movies and, and, um,
S7: and it wasn't that kind of thing. It wasn't that
S7: that met me in a patrol car. I called out
S7: to God and I said, hey, I don't know where
S7: you're at if you can hear me, but, you know,
S7: if you can do something with my life, you can
S7: have it. Otherwise I'm done. I'm out. I don't want
S7: to do this anymore. And and listen, I've hugged my
S7: wife and my children and friends and family, people all
S7: across this country. I know the the warmth of a
S7: genuine embrace. But what embraced me in the patrol car
S7: that day was something unlike anything I'd ever experienced in
S7: my life. I don't know how else to put it
S7: into words Except it was the love of the living
S7: God that wrapped his arms around me and showed me
S7: a new destiny and showed me a new purpose, showed
S7: me a new life. And I remember going to see
S7: my wife that afternoon. God restored our marriage. He began
S7: a work in me. He's obviously not finished. Thank God
S7: for that. Uh, I'm a work in progress, and I
S7: will be until I go home to my eternal reward.
S7: But it was a love of a living God that
S7: rescued me. He redeemed me through all the pain. He.
S7: And he's using it to this day for good purpose,
S7: for for his glory. And it didn't defeat me. It
S7: didn't take me out. And I'm not wallowing in my pain.
S7: I'm here to share with you that there is a
S7: power that is bigger than the pain you've ever experienced.
S7: And if you'll surrender your heart to him, he'll change everything.
S1: Oh oh, friends, if you don't hear anything else this hour,
S1: I hope you heard that. That's the biggest and most
S1: important takeaway. So, Adam, one of the principles that you
S1: talk about and you just in giving your testimony, you've
S1: alluded to this, but I want to underscore it now
S1: is one of the principles that's so important. And that
S1: is for people who have had trauma. And I do
S1: believe everybody has had it. It's either with a capital
S1: T or a small T clearly in your life it
S1: was a capital T and it would have been so
S1: much easier. What a lot of people do to survive
S1: now that's not the same as thriving, but to survive.
S1: They put it in a box, they deadbolt it, they
S1: shove it in the back of their heart, and they
S1: just leave it there and they think, if I just
S1: ignore it, I'm not going to have to deal with it.
S1: And the idea of having to deal with it means
S1: I can't go through it again. I don't want to
S1: have to live it or face it again. I'm simply
S1: going to walk away. You say ignoring the pain is
S1: the worst thing you can do. Talk to me about that.
S7: Oh my goodness, it is the worst thing you could
S7: ever do. I'll tell you a quick story. When I
S7: was a little boy, I was, you know, I was
S7: allowed to go out and play outside. Some of my
S7: fondest memories were playing outside, but there was one area
S7: I wasn't allowed to be around, and that was a
S7: guy wire, and that was a wire that ran from
S7: power line to the ground at an angle, and it
S7: was usually covered with a piece of yellow plastic and
S7: most people will know what I'm talking about. But there
S7: were some exposed wire and so I was told, hey,
S7: don't go around that or you're going to hurt yourself.
S7: And so the first place I went as a boy
S7: was near the guy wire. So and then ultimately cut
S7: my arm. And I knew that if I told if
S7: I told them, hey, I cut my arm on this wire,
S7: that I was going to be in big trouble and
S7: I was going to be, you know, probably punished. And
S7: so I covered it up with paper towel and some
S7: tape and tried to hide it, and eventually it got
S7: infected and it really needed stitches. And, and I think
S7: that's what we do a lot of times with that
S7: pain that we experience down deep in our soul is
S7: we want to we, we, we have this thought process
S7: that if we take it to the father, that he's
S7: going to punish us or be mad at us for
S7: what we've got or what we've done or what we've
S7: experienced or encountered, when in reality, he's a compassionate God.
S7: His loving kindness is what calls us to repentance. And
S7: when we take that hurting pain to him, instead of
S7: allowing it to become deeply infected, requiring further treatment and
S7: take it to him. He can heal in an instant.
S7: What would take us a thousand lifetimes to do? And
S7: so when we ignore pain, it just multiplies and we
S7: give more power to it and say it's something that
S7: happened one time. And when you ignore it and pretend
S7: it's not there, it just gets more powerful and more stronger.
S7: And it grips, you know, it sinks its grip deeper
S7: and deeper into our lives when if we just take
S7: it to the father and we surrender it to him,
S7: he can do a miraculous work in our life through
S7: that acknowledgement that, hey, there's something that's not right here.
S7: This doesn't align with who you are. Will you please
S7: help me?
S1: Wow. You used the word surrender. I want to talk
S1: about that when we come back, because that is also
S1: another one of the principles that you talk about in unconquered.
S1: But it's a word I think a lot of us misunderstand,
S1: including believers, by the way. But in this surrendering, you
S1: point out the fact that there really can be victory,
S1: which is antithetical to our thinking. So I want to
S1: pick it up at that point when we return. Adam
S1: Davis is with us. He's the author of several books.
S1: Two of them are bestsellers. I wouldn't be surprised if
S1: unconquered gets on that list as well. It provides ten
S1: principles to overcome adversity and live above defeat. Again, remember,
S1: on our information page, I have a direct link to
S1: Adam's website so that you can learn more about him
S1: in the great resources that he's got back after this.
S1: Anyone can read the news every day on in the market.
S1: We're committed to telling the news as seen through the
S1: lens of Scripture. As Christians, we must be informed about
S1: what's going on in the world and respond appropriately. When
S1: you become a partial partner, you ensure that we continue
S1: here on your station, equipping the church to discuss current events,
S1: using the Bible as our solid foundation. Why not become
S1: a partial partner today? Call 877 Janet 58 or go
S1: online to in the market with Janet Parshall. We're having
S1: a wonderful conversation with Adam Davis. Adam knows the challenges
S1: that law enforcement officers face. He's a former patrol officer,
S1: a criminal investigator, a hostage negotiator. He's also the author
S1: of best selling books he's written. Five. His newest is
S1: called unconquered ten Principles to Overcome Adversity and Live Above Defeat. Now,
S1: if you're just joining us, of course, the warmest of welcomes.
S1: I'm glad you're here. But really, to completely understand Adam's story,
S1: you need to hear this broadcast from the beginning. So
S1: simply go to in the market with Janet parshall.org. Go
S1: to the left hand side. You'll see a whole bunch
S1: of words. Look for these twos. They sit right next
S1: to each other. Past programs. Clicking on takes you to
S1: the page that has all of our past programs. We
S1: do this two hours every day, and we keep a
S1: library that goes back one full year. So just put
S1: in today's date, you'll be able to hear my conversation
S1: with Adam from the beginning, and particularly if you happen
S1: to be somebody serving in law enforcement where trauma is
S1: something that you face on a regular basis, or the
S1: wife or the spouse of someone who's in law enforcement.
S1: You need to know this book as well, because there
S1: is so much trauma that you deal with out there,
S1: and we do appreciate all that you do for us.
S1: So I want to go back to the word surrender,
S1: because this is one of those words. And I don't
S1: know if we've let Hollywood define this for us or what, Adam,
S1: but and maybe it's because if you put it on
S1: a playing field, if you surrender to the other team,
S1: you're a loser. If you surrender in the battlefield, you're
S1: a loser. And yet, I think this issue became really
S1: clear to me when I considered what Christ did in
S1: the garden, when he said, nevertheless, not my will, but thine.
S1: And he surrendered to his heavenly father. And in that
S1: moment of surrender I was given the gift of eternal life.
S1: So out of surrendering can come great victory. But we
S1: don't tend to think or apply that word that way.
S1: Talk to me about surrender and why, in this area
S1: of trauma, it's so crucial.
S7: It is crucial. And you know, when you think about
S7: things from the perspective of the kingdom of God is
S7: quite opposite of the things of this world. 2019. In
S7: Father's Day, I was, uh. We skipped church. Don't. Don't
S7: beat me up. My wife and kids sort of kidnapped
S7: me and took me to the beach, which is about
S7: an hour and a half or so away from where
S7: we live. A beautiful Gulf Coast. And we were going
S7: to go. That's like one of my favorite places to be.
S7: And we went down and there were red flags, which
S7: means the rip current was strong or stay out of
S7: the water. And so I got in the water anyway.
S7: And there was a lady probably, I don't know, she
S7: was probably 20, 20 or 30 yards from me, I guess.
S7: I don't, I don't know. I was close enough to
S7: see that she was in some type of obvious distress,
S7: because she would go underwater, and then she would come
S7: back up and she was gasping for air. And then
S7: a gentleman, which I later found found out was her
S7: husband came to help her. And it wasn't long then
S7: he was going underwater as well, and it was a
S7: rip current pulling him under. Well, I had a float,
S7: a round tube and so I made my way over
S7: to them and, you know, thought, hey, I'm pretty strong,
S7: I can handle this. So I gave them my tube
S7: and I was being drug out immediately after. I remember
S7: watching them walk up onto the beach, and I could
S7: see my family standing on the beach looking for me,
S7: and they got smaller and smaller. The further I got
S7: out and I couldn't, I was thrashing and fighting and
S7: and I began to panic. And because there was nothing,
S7: I mean, no matter how hard I fought, I couldn't
S7: get out of the current and it was pulling me
S7: out further. Now it won't take you out to see
S7: what I later learned, but it can, it will. It
S7: can kill you. Um, and so but something just clicked
S7: in my head and it just said, relax. Just relax.
S7: And so I relaxed and I just let my body
S7: float with the current. And it and it pulled me,
S7: you know, quite a ways down from where my family was.
S7: But there were people standing there with their phones recording and, um,
S7: and I remember seeing my family there, and I was,
S7: I was somewhere between exhausted and and extremely, um, angry
S7: that people were recording me instead of bringing me afloat, uh,
S7: to help me. But, uh, but it was it was
S7: in that moment, I learned that there are times when
S7: our instinct is to fight, and it's our instinct to
S7: to thrash in the battles of life. But we are
S7: called by a king of kings to surrender to him
S7: and let him do the battle for us. And and
S7: maybe you're being pulled out by the rip currents of
S7: the pain of your life in that in that moment
S7: when you're most tempted to fight and to thrash is surrender.
S7: That is key. It's the surrender, the letting go and
S7: relax and let him do what only he can do
S7: in that moment and let him pull you to safety.
S7: And that's what surrender looks like. It's often when you're
S7: being pulled by the tides of life into a place
S7: where it feels overwhelming, like you're losing, like you're being defeated.
S7: When we surrender to him, we win every time.
S1: Yeah. Amen. Adam, do you think part of that is
S1: because most of us, truth be told, have a control
S1: issue that surrendering means, quite literally, you have to take
S1: your hands off the wheel and you feel out of control.
S7: Well, for me, it was, you know, and for a
S7: lot of people, I think it is it's if I
S7: take my, you know, and if you're driving and listening
S7: to this, please don't take your hands off the wheel
S7: and don't don't close your eyes. But listen, um, you know,
S7: it's real simple, you know? And to this day, when
S7: I begin my day, I'll get up and I'll start
S7: getting ready for the day. And I'll say, I surrender
S7: myself to you again. It's not something that you can
S7: do one time. And and and things are okay. It's
S7: something that you have to do every day. It has
S7: to become ingrained in your thought process. You're not surrendering
S7: to the enemy. You're surrendering to the one who created
S7: you and gave you life. And when you surrender to him,
S7: things change.
S1: Mhm. Wow. What a good word that is. Let me
S1: go to a second word that you talk about in
S1: the book. And you alluded to it earlier in our conversation.
S1: But boy, I'll tell you, I think we as believers
S1: get real confused on this one. I know the world's confused,
S1: but hey, that's the world. So we'll give him a
S1: pass on this. But for us as believers, knowing that
S1: we've been forgiven for our sins, you'd think we'd really
S1: understand this concept of forgiveness. But we don't. And we
S1: have a difficult time drawing the distinction between forgiving and forgetting.
S1: And yet you say that really and truly forgiving the
S1: offender sets you free. Those are your words. How in
S1: the world did you do that? And how can we
S1: learn how to do it?
S7: Absolute childlike faith. Absolute childlike faith. Just saying. You know what? Um,
S7: there's nothing that I could have done to control anything
S7: that happened. It's done. It's over. And if I continue
S7: to carry the hate, the absolute pure hate inside of me,
S7: it's going to destroy me from within. And I don't
S7: want to become that. And forgiveness set me free in saying, hey,
S7: I'm going to. I'm going to forgive these people for
S7: what they've done to me, and I'm going to. I'll
S7: be one of the first to tell you, I said,
S7: for years I'll never forgive so and so, or for whoever,
S7: for what they did to me. I'll never forgive. And
S7: that just puts us in a prison for the rest
S7: of our life. Internally, you know, we walk around and
S7: pretend we're free. We put on a mask, we put
S7: on a great show, but inside we're prisoners to our past.
S7: And it's all because of unforgiveness.
S1: Hmm. Wow. So, child like faith. Even if you don't
S1: feel like it. In fact, that's something else you talk about.
S1: Is your emotions gone wild? I want to get to
S1: that in a minute. So it seems to me that
S1: forgiveness has to be an act of the will, because
S1: so often it ain't going to be there in our emotions.
S1: Am I right or wrong on that?
S7: No, no, I'll tell you the first time I said
S7: I forgive them. Um, I still wanted to kill them.
S7: I still wanted to hurt them. I did, I did,
S7: and it's just that's the feeling I had down in
S7: my heart. I didn't, obviously, but I'll tell you, there
S7: was so much anger inside and there was so much
S7: anger inside. And even after the first time. So here,
S7: here's what I've learned about forgiveness. And I'm by no
S7: means an expert on it. But this is just what
S7: I've learned through my own pain is we're we're we're
S7: not asked to forgive. It is a requirement as a believer,
S7: as a follower of Jesus. He's forgiven us of much.
S7: Who are we to withhold forgiveness from anyone? After all,
S7: he's forgiven us from and. And forgiveness is an act
S7: of obedience that we take in faith. We take a
S7: step of faith and we say, I forgive. And we
S7: do that out of obedience to the father because of
S7: all that he's done for us and the love that
S7: he has shown us. You see, his love demands a response.
S7: It's either going to be we deny his love or
S7: reject it, ignore it, or we're going to accept it
S7: and let our lives be a proper response to the
S7: love that he's shown us. And forgiveness is just one
S7: thing we can do out of obedience as a response
S7: to his love. Uh, and we do it in faith
S7: because we know, hey, we're not going to feel anything
S7: or see anything different the first time. And it may not.
S7: It may not be after the 20th time, but if
S7: you keep doing it at one point or another, he's
S7: going to soften your heart. He's going to change that.
S7: He's going to take that pain out of your heart,
S7: and he's going to give you a power to overcome
S7: like you've never experienced.
S1: Wow, Adam, you said something very important and it was
S1: a question of perspective. So let me go back to it,
S1: because I think it's profound and I think it's significant.
S1: And maybe it'll shift some people's thinking. We are commanded
S1: to do this as followers of Christ, but we do
S1: this for and because of him, we think forgiveness is me.
S1: It's going to make me feel better. And yes, there
S1: is a certain aspect to that. It will set us free.
S1: But when you drop this in the context of I
S1: do it because I love him and because he's asked
S1: me to. That just kind of puts those feelings in
S1: the back seat where they need to go, and it
S1: really moves it into a position of obedience. That's a
S1: whole different approach to this.
S7: It is. And that's what shifted it for me was,
S7: you know, look at all he's forgiven me of and
S7: look at all he's done for me. And and and
S7: look at all he's loved me through and preserved me through.
S7: And I owe him everything. I owe him everything. Every
S7: breath and and and if the least I can do
S7: is forgive someone who tried to kill me, or to
S7: try to hurt me, or steal my childhood or whatever
S7: the my innocence, whatever. Then that's the least I can do.
S7: Then I'm going to do it because of him, not
S7: because of them. And now I can look back at
S7: them today and say, thank you, thank you. Wow. Because
S7: if it weren't for you, I wouldn't reach, you know,
S7: 130,000 people with the with the gospel or however many
S7: people I've reached to this point in my life and
S7: I don't know, I don't have a way to count it, but, um,
S7: you know, it's not because of me. It's because of him.
S7: And that goes back to what are we going to
S7: try to do in our own strength and our own
S7: power and our own mind? Are we going to do
S7: it according to His spirit, according to his power and
S7: his word and what he's equipped us with? And we
S7: have to quit relying on us? And I tell you what,
S7: there is a great freedom in that. There's tremendous freedom
S7: in that. And maybe you're listening today and you're thinking,
S7: I'm never going to forgive whoever for whatever they did.
S7: And I think one of the greatest things this country
S7: needs today is a good dose of forgiveness.
S1: Wow. Excellent words. Well, this is such a rich conversation.
S1: I'm glad I have more time with you, Adam. Let
S1: me tell my friends again. Your new book is called
S1: unconquered ten Principles to Overcome Adversity and Live Above Defeat again.
S1: Adam Davis is our guest. He's the author. He's got
S1: a link to his website that I've put on mine
S1: as well. You can also check out his other books,
S1: Behind the Badge, 365 Daily Devotions for Law Enforcement and
S1: Bulletproof Marriage back after this. The questions that matter most
S1: often come while watching a sunset, or listening to music,
S1: or looking into the night sky. That's why I've chosen.
S1: Have you ever wondered, as this month's truth tool, God
S1: draws us to himself through a sense of awe and wonder,
S1: and this book will help you discover how. As for
S1: your copy of Have You ever wondered when you give
S1: a gift of any amount in the market, call 877
S1: Janet 58. That's 877 Janet 58 or go to in
S1: the market with Janet Parshall. Unconquered ten Principles to Overcome
S1: Adversity and Live Above Defeat. It's the new book by
S1: Adam Davis, who's a best selling author, but a man
S1: who was a former patrol officer, criminal investigator and hostage negotiator.
S1: And now he brings a faith based message to men
S1: and women in uniform, people who deal with trauma on
S1: a regular life, by the way, on a regular basis
S1: as part of their life. Adam, there's so many things
S1: I want to ask you in this last segment. Let
S1: me ask this one. I was thinking during the break,
S1: we know that the scriptures tell us that now. Therefore,
S1: there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
S1: But when you've been horribly traumatized, the accuser loves to
S1: park right beside you., you whisper in your ear, you know,
S1: if if you hadn't, if you had done. And he
S1: comes back and he comes back and he comes back.
S1: It seems to me then that when you have real
S1: trauma in your life, it is a moment by moment
S1: rest in him surrendering constantly. Not a once and done,
S1: but a moment by moment, breathing in, breathing out, faith.
S1: Rest life in him. Am I right or wrong on that?
S7: You're absolutely 100% correct. And it is his steadfast love
S7: that that sort of is our foundation relying on him.
S7: And I can tell you anytime that I've tried to
S7: resist that call, to surrender, anytime that I've tried to
S7: do it in my own power, I have made a
S7: much bigger mess than what was already there. And, uh.
S7: And yeah, the enemy's there, and he wants to condemn you.
S7: So I like to look at it like a court case. Right? Um,
S7: the father is the judge. Heavenly father is the judge,
S7: and the enemy is the prosecutor. And he's over there saying,
S7: look at what Janet's done. Look what Adam's done. Look
S7: what they've done. With. With their life. And our criminal
S7: defense attorney. Jesus is standing there saying, but they've accepted
S7: my sacrifice. They've been redeemed by my blood. I've covered
S7: everything that they've been through, everything they've experienced, everything they've
S7: done or thought had been covered by me. And so
S7: we can either give heed to the voice of the enemy,
S7: the adversary, the accuser of the brethren, and we could
S7: allow him to plant thoughts of condemnation and regret and
S7: fear and shame and guilt and all this stuff in
S7: our mind. Or we can listen to the voice of
S7: the one who gave us eternal life through His Son, Jesus.
S7: And when we give heed to that voice, and we
S7: surrender our thoughts and our minds and our bodies and
S7: our ways and desires and everything to him, it changes everything.
S7: It changes everything. It can change the entire course of
S7: your life because it affects everything around you, your relationships,
S7: your I mean, it affects everything. So I'm so grateful
S7: for Jesus. And I know that's an understatement and it's
S7: just a given. But if it wasn't for him, I
S7: would not be here today. I'm telling you, I would
S7: not be here without him.
S1: He puts broken people back together. If only we'd let him. Wow, Adam,
S1: that takes me to the men and women that you
S1: talk to. Tell me about reboot recovery, first responders. What
S1: is that all about?
S7: Reboot recovery? Uh, some of my absolute best friends in
S7: the entire world, uh, Evan and Jenny Owens are the
S7: founders of Reboot Recovery, and they have a faith based
S7: approach to trauma healing through groups that they create. And
S7: they're created all over the country, and I believe, all
S7: over the world. And so, as a spokesperson for the
S7: first responder community, that's that's sort of my focus. But
S7: it's a typically 12 week, faith based, peer led course
S7: that helps, you know, veterans, active duty military families, first responders,
S7: and now general. Anybody that's experienced trauma navigate that pain
S7: through the lens of what the healer says. And so
S7: reboot is a beautiful thing and had the privilege of
S7: being on tour with them nationally last year in several locations,
S7: and I'm so grateful for them. They truly are some
S7: some of my closest friends and always grateful for their
S7: support and camaraderie in this, in this fight. Because this
S7: is a fight and we've said yes to a mission
S7: that is that seems to be impossible at times, but
S7: it is well worth the battle, and it's well worth
S7: the surrender to the one who gave us life.
S1: Wow. Well, because I could not agree with you more.
S1: Let me talk about the general application of this faith
S1: based approach to people who've been dealing with trauma. I'm
S1: so grieved being here in Washington, and the numbers vacillate
S1: a little bit, but they're way too high. 22 to
S1: 24 vets a day take their own life. And yet
S1: we have a military that's dabbling in wokeism and, you know,
S1: social construct and all that stuff. And yet the linchpin
S1: in all of this is not what, it's who. And
S1: his name is Jesus. So when we take a faith
S1: based approach, it radically changes everything. How is God opening
S1: the door for you to bring Jesus into the marketplace,
S1: knowing that Jesus is the ultimate cure here for brokenness?
S7: Well, you know, I tell people all the time I've created,
S7: I've created a message that I can take into any market,
S7: into any profession and any corporate building, and I can
S7: share these principles. And they're all founded on the gospel,
S7: and they all point people back to Jesus. And I
S7: always tell people at the end, hey, if you want
S7: to truly understand how to live unconquered and if you
S7: really want to live unconquered, you come see me when
S7: we're done and I'm going to show you how. Share
S7: with you how to do that. But this is reboots,
S7: the largest peer led response to trauma and suicide that's
S7: ever been built. And I'm so honored to be a
S7: part of it. And in writing unconquered is just the
S7: next step. And I believe it's probably, you know, a
S7: big chapter in my life and closing the door on
S7: a phase of healing because I'm sharing the testimony, you know.
S7: His word tells us we overcome the enemy by the
S7: blood of the lamb. And the word of our testimony
S7: will unconquered is my testimony of victory. And so I
S7: want to hear your testimony of victory and what it
S7: means to you to live unconquered. And I want you
S7: to fight back. This is your time to fight back.
S7: If you've been allowing trauma and the pain of your past,
S7: whatever you're dealing with, adversity wise to defeat you and
S7: pin you down. The enemy's got his foot on your neck.
S7: Call on the name of Jesus. When I paused that
S7: day in a patrol car and called on him, he
S7: changed everything. And he's no respecter of persons. He'll do
S7: it for you, too.
S1: Wow. Oh, Adam, to the person who's listening right now
S1: who has felt literally defeated and overwhelmed, I'm going to
S1: tell them they absolutely need to get your book unconquered.
S1: But first steps. I always love to end a conversation
S1: by just lovingly, gently nudging my friends to say, just
S1: do this first step. What would be that first step
S1: you would tell somebody today.
S7: Oh my goodness, call on Jesus.
S3: Mm.
S1: That doesn't get any better than that. Adam Thank you.
S1: What a rich conversation. And, friends, I got to tell you, obviously,
S1: I didn't get to all ten points. There's gold in
S1: them there. Hills. You got to read the book on Concord.
S1: So many people are feeling utterly defeated and overwhelmed. And
S1: you know what? Call on the name of Jesus is
S1: what Adam Davis just said. He's there. He's waiting. He
S1: is the restorer. He's the healer. He puts broken people
S1: back together. If we would only let him and we
S1: become overcomers because of what he has done in, for
S1: and through us. The book is called unconquered. Checkout Adams
S1: Facebook page and also a link to his website as well.
S1: It's all there on my information page. My heartfelt thanks
S1: to Adam. And here's I don't know, I have no
S1: way of measuring this, but here's what I believe in
S1: my heart of hearts. I believe that somebody today, maybe
S1: many people today, are dealing with this issue of being
S1: overwhelmed and defeated and Adam's word, apples of gold. So enjoy. Thanks, friends.
S1: We'll see you next time.