Live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston proper. You are live from the Pathway Here at Johnston Proper, it is good to be with you on this hallowed Monday evening. Booboo, do you know what makes it makes it hallowed? No. I have no idea. Was just about to ask you why it was a hallowed Monday evening. Shoot. I was hoping you could explain why I said that. I I didn't put it together. Hey, man. What exactly does hallowed mean? Is that, like, in reverence or, like, put up above it, like, not holy, but what is hallowed? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Respected? Yeah. Yeah. It's it's supposed to imply a sense of holiness. Well, it's a respected Monday because, Live for the Path happens on Monday nights. That does that that description does not tie together. Here's what we're doing on the show tonight. Anyway, thanks for hanging out with us so far tonight. Listen, if the first minute and a half is is not enough for you to bail, I promise it does get better,

possibly over the next half an hour, and then we're likely to drag it back into the gutter. So if you need to plan your evening around Doritos and bathroom breaks, feel I like the next half an hour is gonna be quality and then, you know, be prepared to sleep or, you know, do whatever you gotta do. I think that's fair. Yeah. So here's where I go on the show show tonight. First of we got some special guests in the studio. We have Robbie and Aaron and Mike. Mike, tell me a little bit about these fellows. So they are with five seventeen Ministries. Correct? Discover Hope five seventeen. Discover Hope five see, I always shorten it to just one or the other. Anyway, Discover Hope five seventeen Ministries, and you guys are based out of Newton, Iowa. Is that correct? It's correct. Okay. And and so actually, I I I had a a broader question just kind of like, if you had to describe what Discover Hope five seventeen Ministries is in, what what would you say that is? I would say that it is a recovery community organization. And so what that means is that Discover Whole from a faith based standpoint focus on

helping individuals in their addiction who are making a transition to recovery from their addiction to get this biblical foundation up under them to see how God can restore their lives and create this support network to develop this healthy community for them to be a part of to get true sustainability in their transformation. And so and so with that, with Discover Whole, we run a addiction recovery community center, so we're just trying to create this place that's judgmental free and safe for individual to come to be a part of to be in this new process or this new journey in their life. So, yeah. Well, that sounds awesome. So how did how did you guys get in basically get involved with this thing?

Well, do you want to start with your your Robbie and I actually, we we go to the same church and we went through we got asked to be in a leadership class by by the staff at Newton Church of the Way. And at the time, I was I was working undercover narcotics. I'm a law enforcement officer. I've been doing that for about fourteen years now.

And and Robbie, I knew about his past. I knew that he had been to prison. I knew that he went to prison for dealing dope. I knew that he was involved in a gang. And so when we went in this class together, we we were both very skeptical of each other. But like That doesn't sound like oil and water at all. Yeah. Right? No. And, you know, I I really hadn't had that true transformation, that true heart change that that Jesus would give me through the class. So,

initially, there was like, I'm not gonna open up. I'm not gonna say nothing because he's gonna use it against me or or judge me. And, you know, at the time, dealing dealing with people who who, quote, unquote, were criminals, and I was put in prison and in jail, I didn't I didn't like dealing with them.

And, you know, in law enforcement, we get this very jaded perspective when we deal with people because we deal with the same people over and over again. We put the same people in jail and in prison. Right. And it's like, man, people don't change. Yeah. Right? Because I'm dealing with the same people over and over again. So I thought, Robbie, yeah, he sits here and he talks a good game, but has he really changed from the the the gang banging, dope dealer that he was? And what I found was that that that yeah. Yeah. And

but it was amazing because God put us in that in that class together, and he would change my heart in that process. And he would give me, a passion to help people who are struggling with addiction. But, you know and it also gave me this new perspective on people. You know what? I can make a difference in people's lives, and people can change because Robbie's sitting right here in front of me, a changed man, a man who loves Christ and who wants to help people and serve the Lord. And so we're in this class together, and, you know, we finally start opening up. And, you know, I know Robbie's giving me that eye initially. And

Yeah. So, maybe Robbie, tell me what were your first impressions of Aaron then? Oh, man. See, my first thing is, like, if if you look like a cop, you talk like a cop, you're a cop. You know? And so I he just he just had that look about him, and so I instantly you know, you could I can pick that out, you know, coming up in the culture that I I grew up in, been a been an African American, growing up in that poor culture environment, gang banging, you know, I had for a long time that vengeance towards police officer and law enforcement because of the lives that I lived. And, you know, man, I I gang banged for a long time, many years of my life, man. I started selling drugs and using drugs now about 13 years old and gang banging, you know, in and out of juvenile detention. And so I grew up in a very dysfunctional lifestyle. And so my my viewpoint on law enforcement and police officers was just bad and tainted. And so but I also knew that through through the

transition in my life, going through prison and did a couple of terms in prison. I did five years straight, and I've been out of prison now twelve years by the grace of God. But I just knew at that time when I met Aaron, I've only been out of prison for a few years, and I still was kinda rough on the edges a little bit. God has changed my life, and my heart has been transformed, but I was still trying to understand what true relationship look like. Yeah. How to truly trust someone, not just trust a a police officer, but trust a white police officer at that. You know what I mean? And so it was like, yeah. I'm definitely not saying anything in here that's gonna incriminate me. Something like, this dude already ran my background. He got the full check. He's he already gave me that look like, yeah. You said. Go ahead. Got you. You know? So he he right. We was giving each other that eye, kinda looking at each other like, yeah. I don't know if I could trust that guy. But, truly, what God begin to show me is that, you know, it does not matter, the culture of an individual when it comes to true transformation. And so what Aaron doesn't realize what he did in my life, he helped him God used that to break these barriers

and these walls in my life to help me to completely heal, to begin to see what he truly wanted me to do and what was my true passion. And so, again, you know, we went through that leadership course, and we did this cardboard testimony. Uh-huh. And so it's interesting because we came to each other like, hey. We we should do this together. I'm thinking like, okay. What was this gonna look like? You know? So on one side of this cardboard, mine says black criminal who hated cops. You know? And now here's, like, cop who hated criminals. You know? And so and then and then and then we flipped it over together, and it says brothers in Christ, you know, and that that was the beginning of the unity that God brought in into our lives. And, man, and and as to if we could see today, man, we have a spiritual bond, a brother ship that's unbelievable.

And so not only did God use us, you know, Aaron had this vision that as a law enforcement, he can do more than just lock people up because he's seeing the the outward crisis of mental health and substance abuse all the time. He's dealing with that. You bring them in the county jail, they detox for a couple days, they back out on the streets living the same old life. Right. So he felt like there's gotta be more he can do, to protect the community as well as make a difference in somebody's life, give hope, break that stigma of law enforcements in that environment, in that culture. And for me, being a drug addict for a long time in my life, understanding what being a user looks like, being homeless look like, understanding what being mentally, physically, sexually abused look like, understand going through all that stigma in my life and being also having that cultural bondage. It felt like just because of of my ethics or my culture, I can't amount to anything Right. Than this. You know? And so I felt like, man, just because I believe that God have begin to break that in my life Yeah. That I can make a difference. Right. And that someone needs to understand not just the story, but visually see true transformation happen because that's how you get to display hope Right. In someone else. So when you see the broken and you want them to be whole, what does that look like? Right. You know, and so it was not so much talk. Let's live that out Yeah. Right. And and be connected to show that. So, Matt and so Discover Hope, that vision came out of Discover Hope. And, you know, our core verse is second Corinthians five seventeen, you know, therefore, who's in Christ, the old is gone and new has begun. So we believe that in Christ, you no longer have to be defined

by who you used to be Right. Because you've been made new. And so with that comes what? The transformation of the mind allowing God to change what you believe, what you think, and that's what had to happen to We had to begin to believe and think differently Yeah. About the outcome that could happen, when you're serving the father, man. So yeah. Right. Two years. Two years. We went through this class, and we and we both had the similar vision. You know, Newton has been known as a meth town. Yeah. Not not just not just in Central Iowa or Iowa in general. We've had people come up to us and say, hey. I was in Ohio, and I told somebody that was from Newton. They said, oh, that's a meth town. Oh, man. So we have we have this stigma that that just stretches beyond the borders of even the state. And it was just amazing to us that there was no Christ centered or faith based, group or recovery group or or or treatment

that that that that was available in Newton. This place had struggled for so many years Yeah. And there wasn't something Christ centered. So we're like, for almost two years, we discussed, hey. We need to do something. Yeah. We do. And then we we wouldn't talk about it again. And finally, God was just like, do it. Do it. Time to do it. How did that, was there a moment when that changed, or was it just something over time? You had said that, as a, as a police officer, it's difficult because you see people kinda come in and out and and and things aren't changing, and it takes a kind of a jaded view of them, or that you it's it's hard to have hope for their change. Would you would you how did that change in you? Like, would you would you say it was a moment? Was it something over time? Was there an event around that or just something that God kinda kept working on? I'd say it was just over time. You know? It wasn't it wasn't, like, one of those things that I remember the time and place where I was at. And but I I know for a fact that my relationship with Robbie and Robbie being in that class with me and god showing me people

can change. Right. When they surrender their life to me, they can change. Yeah. And so, you know, I wanted to to do something to help facilitate that. Mhmm. And, you know, with Robbie and I talking, we we thought we gotta form this group. So we we started, and we started out every other week for forty five minutes a night. And within the first two weeks, it became every week for an hour. And, you know, we were fully prepared to be to be doing this class or this support group, and having one person show up maybe. Yeah. But it quickly grew from six to 12 to, you know, twenty, thirty, 40. And I think we've had on our testimony nights, 80 to 90 people there. 80 to 90 people. Yeah. Yeah. It's unbelievable. Yeah. And it's been amazing to watch

what God has done through the ministry and to watch where Robbie has taken it from this small little support group to now a full fledged nonprofit organization, you know, tax exempt Mhmm. And all this this other stuff that we're open six five days a week Yep. You know, Monday through Friday, and Robbie left his full time job as a welding supervisor at Vermeer to come take on the role as executive director of the ministry, which was a huge step of faith. Right. Was you know, again, I look at him, I said, there is a man of obedience. Yeah. No doubt. Absolutely. That I mean, that is just flat out beautiful what God has done. And in your in your service to him, I suppose, like, what he continues to do. Right. That's that's just awesome. That's the reward. You know, when you think about as a believer in Jesus Christ, man, we we have this mindset where,

it could become yours. Right. You know, you can say, man, oh, I gave my life to Christ. You know, I believe in Jesus. Now what? Right. You know what mean? Like, okay, god. Change my life. Make it good. You know? But but, you know, you know, we forget about the great commission real quick. You know? It's like Yep. Get me out of debt. Lord. You know? Bring that beautiful wife, Lord. You know? So help me deal with these kids. I know I'm gonna check them out now. You know? And so it's it become really personal and intimate really fast for yourself. And but what God begins to do when as you go deeper in understanding who God is and who Christ is, as you continue to read God's word, God begins to give you a heart for people. You know, I always remind myself all the time of Mark, you know, and Jesus said, I did not come to be served, but to serve. Right. You know? And so when I think about Discover Hope and and and the formation of Discover Hope and what God has done, you know, it did it grew it grew fast. You know? We started going every other week to every week to hour every week, ten, fifteen, 20, 25 people. And I remember God, six months into a God said, hey, Robin, you need to create a place where people can come every day. I'm thinking like, have no idea what that means. Right. You know? I work at a full time job. Hey, Vermeer. I'm a welding supervisor. This little class on Tuesday night works. You know? Then I started writing curriculum for Discover Hope for our group and and and just coming to air, like, man, just think god want us to do more. How can we really connect to our community? You know, how can we be on the front line? You know, not sit in the background anymore and say, oh, we could just got this small little support group that's faith based, and we just wanna generally just love on people. You know? A lot of times, we just can't stand people. We just wanna love them. Like, give me the grace, Lord. Just I love them. I don't get it no more. You know? And so it's not only remembering where I come from and what God has brought me through, but also understanding what true restoration looks like. Mhmm. You know, because I always say people all the time, addiction is the outward appearance of a deeper sin issue, you know. And so once you get to the root of the issue, you identify

what the ditches stem from, what's numbing that, the pain, the hurt, or what you've been doing in your life, you know. So I always use my story a lot. Most people are like, okay, Robbie, you've out of I've been out of prison twelve years now by the grace of God. God has been good. I I got seventeen plus years in my recovery, you know, and God has been gracefully good, you know, and I have a huge family and we and and a baby on the way, you know. And so I look at, man, what keeps me motivated daily to continue to get up and fight a battle that the world says you're gonna lose. Yeah. And that's because of what I've seen God do in my life. Right. You know, and so how can I freely, you know, freely I receive, freely I should give? Uh-huh. You know, so how do I be that incarnation of who Jesus Christ is? How can I be that visual for people to understand what true hope looks like with true restoration or, you know, that's true change? Transformation happens through that. And so Discover Hope begins to say, I mean, how can we do that, God? How can we take the broken and and bring them true sustainability in their life? How do how can we connect them to other believers

and genuine people who's gonna love on them? You know? And so, yeah, that's how the community center started, you know, God gave me that vision and then I I remember when God say, okay, want you to leave your job. And for me, I'm thinking like, okay, Lord. And so I went to my wife like, hey, honey, guess what? God want me to leave my job. And she's like, well, he didn't tell me that. So you're going to work in the morning. You know? It ain't what it's like. Yeah. It ain't happening. We know we're just now trying to get out of there, boy. You know? And so it was just amazing on watching that transition happen. And about eight months until my wife finally came to me and was like, okay. I believe you're supposed to do this, you know. And then I left my job in twenty sixteen, January, and stepped out in faith and opened the community center up and and in Newton because we wanted to do more. Right. We really wanted to connect to people, you know. I went from making $70,000 a year to going to a ministry that had only a thousand bucks. I remember telling Aaron, like, I think god's called me to go to the ministry full time. He's like, Robbie. I don't know, man. We ain't got no money. You know? You know, you'll be I know you got faith in our brother, but you know? And so but I was like, man, I think he's supposed to do it, and we started out we formed out five zero one c three, and, man, and I look today, man, two and a two and a half a year and a half later of of running community center. It's been amazing. Not only what God has provided,

but the lives that has been transformed through the community center, you know. I think last year we've seen over 300 some people come to Discover Hope. You know, run an average on a Tuesday night, breaking free Tuesday night support group, average 25 to 30 people on our fellowship night it's up to 60 to 90 people. This is on an average, you know, and we get a lot of traffic through the days. And so the community is serving its purpose. And so but it's expanding now. It's it's getting bigger. More people are knowing about us. We're getting in the community more. And so I I do a lot of speaking, a lot of, church presentation, just making that connection awareness about we're doing in the community,

awareness, a lot about what what we're trying to do from a recovery standpoint and from a faith based standpoint in our lane. Because it's one thing for us to sell a person something. Sure. It's another thing to get them to believe in that. Yeah. And the way people get to believe in that, they have to see it lived out. Right. You know? So it's one thing for me to go to treatments and go to these places and say, hey. I want you guys to partner with us. Yeah. We're faith based. We left Jesus, but we want you to partner with us because what we believe in is how do we walk alongside this individual and teach them how to apply these tools in their lives so they can be restored to their family. So it's so it's it's amazing to me and I get rewarded when I get to go to a courtroom and I just had this experience a couple weeks ago. I went to a courtroom with a lady and she's she's been clean for eleven months. She's been working her butt off. She went through our programming. Just been great advocacy and just working her butt off, and she went to a court to to receive her kids back. And Oh, that's awesome. Yeah. She's all three of kids back, full custody of all three of her kids. And, you know, I remember her words to the judge. She said, listen. If it wasn't for my faith in Jesus and it wasn't for the sacrifice of Discover Hope to invest in me and to believe that I could become a mother again Yeah. And hold me accountable to that, I couldn't stand here now to receive my children back. And and that's the reward. Yeah. That's what's worth it. So yeah. And here's the cool thing about how god works.

Right? It's it's one thing for Robbie to go out and talk about how how Jesus has has changed his life and freed him from addiction. It's one thing for me, you know, as a law enforcement officer to god. But for the people that have been in the community, that have been dealing dope, using dope with all these other people to have that transformation and then to be able to go out there and say people say there's something different Right. About him or her. It has a ripple effect. Yeah. And they the the people coming through the class and turning their life to Christ and and living it out, those are gonna be the people that change lives in our community. Right.

Right. Yeah. That's beautiful. So tell me, what does it take to be successful? Right? So like if is there

I I get that there's probably there's not a magic pill here. But, like, do do people like, what does it take to to really recover from and be restored from that type of thing? Is it an attitude? Is it a like, what's what's step one for someone that's that's in this situation and they want and they want out of it? Or maybe they maybe they they think they should want out of it, but maybe they don't. You know, they're not even there yet. Like, what's the where do you start? Well, I think, basically, how we start is I always look at and and one of things I talk to Ann about is, like, when someone walks through the doors of Discover Hope, they are complete completely broken. Yeah. They have no purpose. They have no drive. They don't believe in themselves. They have no security. Nothing. You know, because their addiction for so long has been the label of their life, has been the identity. And so my

heart was like, how you take that individual and you connect them to the community and not even just the community and you connect them to the faith community. What is that process in between? And so you actually answer your question, you know, what what brings success in that? It truly is empowering the individual to believe in themselves again. And that's what true sustainability comes. So when I look at the transition of my life, God had to change my identity. God has to,

give me awareness and identify my purpose. Mhmm. What is my purpose? What is my purpose in life? What is my goal? What what do I wanna accomplish? You know? How do I define myself? You know? And so when I look at when I when I had those conversations, I get them all to sign. Yeah. But they're coming back off and, man, Robbie, I can't I've been doing this thirty five years. I've been I've been doing dough for thirty five years. I'm done. I'm like, it take you thirty five years to now you're done. Okay. You're done. Alright. You're just done. So, like, I mean, you what do you want from me? What do you want to be done? You know, what is that what is done looks like? Yeah. Right. You know, what is done looks like? It's a that's always my question, you know, because the ideal is this. I always tell people the first ninety days is the hardest for any individual that's in an addiction. The first ninety days because you just don't think normal. Don't think right. You've been living in a certain way for so long and what happens is you get about thirty to sixty days in there, you begin to think normal. You begin to have taste buds back. You get your senses back. You started saying like, oh, man. These kids are terrible. Right. Yeah. I don't I don't know how to do this. This is crazy. So you begin to you begin to have re re the realization of what norm look like. Yeah. And so what happens is when that happens is you begin to resonate and think about why you used in the beginning. Right. And so what happened with most people is and why they always relapse and fail is

they cannot bear that. They don't wanna feel that. Right. And so their out is I'm gonna go use again. Yeah. They're plan b, so they have to get rid of the plan b. And so commitment and true surrender, true surrender to Christ is what's gonna get them sustainability. I tell people all the time, my biggest thing is surrender, surrender, surrender, man, because you have to begin to serve something greater than yourself. And as this as this is my belief Yeah. I know that I tell people all the time, man, What keeps me,

successful in my recovery and why I have seventeen plus years, obviously, I got a long term recovery. They said, these are the three reasons why. I said abstinence. I've made a decision that I don't have a plan b. Using is not an option in my life. Yeah. My faith in Jesus Christ and my family. Those are the things that motivates me every single day to make the decision every day to deny myself, take up my cross, follow Jesus Yeah. Every day. And so reality is how do you get people to begin to believe that? Because I know my purpose. I know what God has called me to do. So being able to give back, continue to resurrect that that purpose, continue to give me that awakening to serve something greater than myself. And so that individual have to get to a place where they have to be,

in a situation where they gotta say, man, I I don't want this anymore. Yeah. This ain't my life anymore. So now it's like, what are you gonna do with that? You know? And so what we wanna be able to do is create that support network around them to help them identify what that purpose is in their life. They'll set goals in their life, man, and that they have to surrender. Surrender. Surrender. Surrender their life to Jesus. And so that's that's kinda one of those big moments for people. Right. Right. So, Aaron, how does the how does the church does the church community help with that? Like, because I wonder if when you guys were talking about, when you were talking about there's no faith based solution to this in Newton, like, what was going through my mind in that second was, well, why the heck not? And and then and I think the answer occurred to me just as quick, we don't know what to do. Like, we really don't know what to to to say. We don't know how to help. So, like, how does how does it how does a church, how does a community, how do you how do we help in these types of situations? So, you know, we we one of our goals when we started, Discover Hope or one of our visions was

we were gonna be an organization that brought multiple churches together for a common purpose. Yeah. And a lot of times, you don't see that. Mhmm. Right? You see a church doing this and a church doing this. We don't wanna steal members from each other. Yeah. You know, we don't wanna we don't wanna do anything together. But Yeah. That'd be terrible. No. Because the church is a thousand bodies. Right? All ankles. But Discover Hope, you know, we we saw

the the ministry as a way to bring churches together for a common purpose, you know, to help people find Christ in the midst of their addiction. Mhmm. And so now when we go to churches, you know, we've we've had, what, seven churches that we've partnered with in the community of Newton. Mhmm. And, you know, they help us financially. They they they pray for the ministry. They're in constant prayer. But at the same time, we are a resource for them. So when that person comes walking through their door to say, hey.

I've got a problem. You know, I'm addicted to meth. I can't seem to get help. Yeah. They can say, hey. Here's your pamphlet. Right. Right. Discover Help. Read this. Yeah. Take this brochure. Call Robbie. And and they send them up to Robbie. And, you know, Robbie gets and a lot of times when they come into Robbie, like you said, they're completely broken. They're a mess. Yeah. But, you know, Robbie speaks truth in him. He says, hey. We're gonna set up this accountability plan. And it's about holding these people accountable because a lot of times addicts have no accountability whatsoever.

And Robbie says, hey. This is what we're gonna do. You're gonna show up for class on Tuesday night. You're gonna show up for another class at some other church organization throughout the week. You're gonna go to church on Sunday, and you're gonna do something else. And they start to lay out this plan, this written agreement that they're they're they're they're going to take these steps to get some accountability in their lives. But, you know, as far as the churches go, you know, they support us financially. They support us through prayer. And in return, we're a Christ centered resource. Right. You're doing right to people. Right? Like, here's Ben Ben's exactly right. He nails it. People come with these problems, and they're like, this sounds like an elbow problem. I'm not an elbow. Right? Like, body of Christ, who runs the elbow situation? Yeah. These fellas run you know what saying? And and that's the thing. We spend so much time and and and it's maybe this is a a broader, you know, all churches thing. Right? But, like, you know, personally, I've tried it. I I I can't I don't know how to do it. I've tried it. I've tried to counsel people through through this thing, and, like, I have failed. I have failed poorly. You know I'm saying? And, like, it it it kills me, and I'm like, if I just knew someone who runs the elbows. And then I I can at least I can at least get some help and some guidance and whatever because they love me, and they love this guy, and they love Jesus. And, like, they were golden. I need to know someone. Nos di elbows. Right. And so, like, that's just it's it's exactly how why why Paul describes it the way he does. This is exactly why Jesus set up the body the way he did. Right? It works just like that. He didn't gift me

for that. He gifted you for that. Right. And, like, I hunted Robbie down That's right. And said, I'm gonna change you, and then I got work for you to do. Change you. And Rob and Robbie said, yeah. And then Aaron goes, you know what? Yeah. I got your back. Yeah. You only have two pieces of cardboard. Let's go. Let's do it. You know? And And so yeah. And to add to that from a church standpoint, one of the greatest things we've also have done with the churches is I created a mentor program, a spiritual mentor program, and a navigator program. Because one thing we'll learn for church people understand church people. Exactly. They don't understand people straight up the picture. They don't they don't get it. You know what mean? So if if you understand what I mean, like, I can cancel a church person, and it's 10 times easier

than canceling a person in addiction, because a person in addiction are all over the place. Right. They have no commitment. They have no no nothing. They No risk to tell you the truth. No. Nothing. Mean, they they they like trying to manipulate your time because they've been broken, they've been hurt, and also they play the system. So a lot of time, the church deal with people from a crisis standpoint. Hey. I need help in my rent. I need I need food. I need these things. So the church is good about Salvation Army. We're gonna resource you out. You know? And so or they say now what they do now because we begin this partnership, they say, hey. Go to Discover Hope because we have a resource in there as well to connect them. But we wanna get to the real issue because mainly if, you know, it's like, Paul, we wanna teach you how to eat. Yeah. You know, we wanna teach you how to feed yourself. We wanna teach you to be sustainable. And so what we do now is, when I look at Discover Hope, we have 13 leaders that I I kinda oversee at Discover Hope. I mean, that kinda oversee a lot of our recovery support services that goes to Discover Hope from the jail,

to the prison, to inside the community center. As well, we have about 62 volunteers that, give back to Discover Hope. And all these volunteers are from the churches, from these different churches that you have that come in. And what they do is they wanna serve. They generally just wanna serve this culture of people. Yeah. You know? And so how do we get in our own backyard and reach out and come together? So what's unique is like Aaron saying, is that vision is seeing these different churches putting beside putting aside their denominational belief and say, hey. We wanna be Jesus right now. Yeah. We just wanna be the hands and feet of Jesus. So we had to kick start that because I remember going to these different ministerial meetings and kicking the doors down like, listen here. Listen. I don't care about who's what. It's it's black and white here. What about the great commission only?

You know? So how do we how do we serve our community from a faith based standpoint? Because there's not anything out there from a faith based it's not. We we wanna we wanna come at our churches because it's a win win. Yeah. It's a win win because when they come to Discover Hope and be a part of our fresh start programming, they get connected to a church body. And whatever church body they connect to, we connect them to a mentor within that church body. And because we wanna connect them to the faith community so they can build healthy Christian relationships to get sustainability in their life, to get good people in their life, people that's gonna speak true. They had their whole life with once I I look at my own life, man, where I've been told my whole life that I never amount to anything.

Right. Because of the color of my skin, I would never have nothing. Yeah. I can never accomplish anything. You know? I'm worthless. I can't do anything. You're too short to play basketball. You know? And they were worried about that. Negative things. That's good. All these negative things just come at me all the time. Yeah. But then when I get someone say, hey, Robert, you can be a great father. Yeah. You can be a great role model. You could change lives. God can use you to do something greater than you can ever imagine. I don't know how to receive that. Right. I don't know how to receive that good when I'm like, can be a good husband? Like, you mean that woman can love me? I mean, I can be faithful. I can be honorable, and I can love her, and I can give her all these babies and keep her at home. I can do that. You know? And so and so that's foreign to that culture of people because they've been ruined their whole life. Right. And so what god has allowed us to do is bring people in their life to model that.

Not to be over there, not to be on this pedestal, but to model that Yeah. In front of them to to display hope. And, yeah, and so that's the biggest part for Discover Hope is how do we keep hope alive. And just to add on to that, why it's so important to get them connected in that church body into fellowship with other believers is you want you wanna see someone active in the recovery. The quickest way for them to relapse is to throw them right back in the community or the situation that they left or are trying to get out of. Right? Trying trying to go back and hang out with the same people that they used to use with, they're gonna fail. Right. But if we can connect them and and get them with people that, you know, are gonna love on them and show them this new way to live life as Robbie was talking about, you know, the chance for success just skyrockets. So

So what, is is there any residency as part of the program? Like, do they can you help people get out of those situations? Because that seems difficult. Right? Like, if you're even if you're broken, you show up day one, you still gotta go home or something like that doesn't mean home is safe. It doesn't mean your relationships there are good. That, is that a difficult is that one of the big big stumbling blocks?

Yeah. It absolutely is. And, you know, part of the vision of Discover Hope in the future is looking into some sort of transitional housing. Yeah. How can we create a place where people can go to live in this environment, where it is Christ centered and Christ focused? And, you know, that's definitely on our radar. And, you know, right now, the immediate thing on our radar is finding a place Yeah. Because we're gonna be, we've got basically a lease till November ish.

And then we've got some ideas in the works for a building that we're gonna be moving locations to. But that's kind of our focus right now and getting, again, the foundation build up and and then expanding into that vision of even transitional housing. Yeah. Because that that is one of our biggest biggest issues. You know? You're taking people from a a a broken, unhealthy community, and you wanna create this healthy community around them to be a part of. But, yeah, you know, it's always when they walk out of that door and they gotta make it through the rest of the day and at night, what

how strong can they be Yeah. To not use, to not go back to the drug, not go back to the alcohol, and deal with those issues. And and that's what's the community center has been really good about is getting them involved where they can build those healthy relation to be strong. Because what I've learned in the community of Newton in the Jasper County is most people have somewhere to go. Yeah. Doesn't mean it's a healthy place, but they got somewhere to go. And so it becomes a mind of a matter. I always tell people all the time, dysfunction can't function in dysfunction. It just doesn't work. Does not work that way. Hold on a second. Catch up with me. I'm with me? I'm in. Alright. Alright. He's in. I'm in. Lost you for a minute, dear. He's back. I was gonna disagree vehemently, but I'll come around. You know? And so you you have to get them in a place where there's some type of healthiness going on so they can function well, so they can start seeing things differently. You know? And and thinking things differently, I don't have to use.

You know what? I don't have to be a part of that. You know? I don't I don't wanna use anymore. Yeah. You know? I don't I don't I don't have to, make it through the night just so I don't use. I don't have to fight every day just not to use. And so we try to display that in front of them. You know? And so having transitional housing can help. Our issue is that, you know, you can't create a homeless shelter for everybody. Sure. Yeah. You just can't. You know? You need to teach people how to be sustainable, how to live, how to manage their money, how to provide for themselves. Though that that's gonna be a part of that transition for most people, you know, because they're in the situation they're in because they don't know how to do Yeah. And they've lost hope in doing that. Yeah. And so we have to teach them that. And so, yeah, so it's a big issue in our community. And so but god has given us grace, with the individual we've been able to minister to to help them through that type of transition, and most of them have been getting blessed. You because know? A lot of people come in like, Robert, can you help me get a job? Man, can we get a job? Like, man, if you get a job two weeks, you ain't gonna have that job. Yeah. Right. No. As soon as you get money, we know where you're going. You know? And so it's it's it's helping us to identify that it's a bigger issue than that. Right. So yeah.

Yeah. That's that does, that seem it just seems real tricky. Right? Like, you're asking it there's a significant change because there's so many things that otherwise seem to contribute to someone's addiction. Right? Like, it can be, you're right. It's some of it's just where your mind's at, how you feel about yourself. Some of it's reinforced by your familiar relationships, your environment.

And it doesn't matter whether your family's close. Like, you're just talking about, like, the influence of how you grew up or cultural expectations or cultural non expectations or whatever it is. Right? Yeah. And so, you can they can come in, and you can want help. And, like, there's there's a rest of the the world and all those influences that are still out there. It's it's not an easy fight, I guess. Right? Like, it's not like you come in and say, I wanna enter I'm in for the program. Right. And and things now start going down, like, an assembly line path. Like, it it it should get get easier. But I suppose as you become more,

more awake right through the process like you were talking about, it becomes even more, difficult for a season. And so, those are the kind of the girded loins section of the calendar that that feel like it's it it just has to be difficult. It doesn't matter what you're addicted to, coming to realizations and fighting against influences and, like, watching your life reshape and transform and stuff. Like, I mean, that's rough. It is. That's that's that's rough. And, like, a lot of times, the, the experiences that we have, we see people do this and things like, think of a divorce. Right? It's it's it's a similar type of concept. Right? You're suddenly the thing that you thought that you were leaning on is either not healthy for you or you're there on the other side of it, and it and it was, but it's now it's gone. And, like, your whole life has to change, and you can start trying to find answers in weird places or trying to fill voids with things. And, like, it takes a lot of support and stuff for people to kind of help guide you through that process, except you're you're adding in elements of,

like, your body's at war with you. I mean, you started the war, but, like, still, you know, regardless of whether you're like, I I don't wanna feel this way, it doesn't mean that you haven't been feeding your body things in which it's like, yes. But you really love this, and you should do this right now. Otherwise, I'm gonna make you real anxious for, like, five days. Yeah. Yeah. That's true. Yeah. You know? And so the the reason I say all that, though, is, like, I I I guess I have in my mind, how people react to to folks that are trying regardless of how it got up to that point, it's a very difficult process to to walk through. You're asking a lot with,

of someone missing the foundation that you would probably traverse the same path. You're right. When you were talking about church, you said Christians, Christians are different. They they they have they have some sinew somewhere, some basis of things that they're supposed to believe and they believe most of the time, things that they, if they were to say to someone else, someone close to them would say, yeah. That sounds good. Let me reinforce that in you. And you're building all of that at the same time that your environment's changing and your body's fighting against you, and you're trying not to listen to the guy you live with who wants you to do the thing. Who's got great ideas again. Yeah. And and and so I I guess I I say that all I'm just kind of speaking out loud as things are going through my mind is is, you're talking at a person that is at a they're they're in a war, really.

It's a very it's a difficult circumstance. And, like, as as we're talking about things that churches can do, like, let's at least recognize what folks are dealing with here. Exactly. I I don't have, I don't have a glimpse of what that means to try to take all that on at once. Right. Right? Like, you may you may get pieces of it. I get pieces of it. Right? Everyone's has has little bits of those things in their life in other aspects. Right? But, like, to take that all in at once and just recognize what someone is going through and make sure that you're reacting, to those situations in that way. Right. Right? Yep. And so that's why it's so important for, the speaking engagement I do with churches. Yeah. It's given awareness. It's it's continue to educate them what that looks like and what that lane is. It's continue to have those,

intentional conversation with them about addiction and what addiction look like because addiction stem of a lot of things. Yeah. You know, we have people to come in and discover how from video game addiction Mhmm. To meth addictions. You know, I have I've had a guy come to my doorstep and drop off his laptop in in his hard drive. Yeah. You know, because it just ruined his marriage. Yeah. You know, eight year marriage and divorce because he wouldn't quit playing video games, you know, spending forty hours a week playing video games. Hey, man. Three kids at home. You're right. Good good for that guy. Right? Because that's kind of an embarrassing thing. It it is. It's embarrassing. You know? And so how do you address that? How do you walk with that individual through that? Because you're right. It becomes now not such as much an outward thing. It's not only is he dealing from a spiritual standpoint Yeah. He's dealing with his craving, his triggers. He dealing with all of those things. And so that's why it's important for Discover Hope with our program, we create this support network. Yeah. It's create it's putting people in their life to walk with them through that transition. You know? I don't know how many phone calls I've got with a guy like, man, just come out. I'm in the parking lot and just had a a friend of mine just come up to me and asked me to hit this bike. I'm like, he's on the phone with me, like like, he's right here, Robbie. I'm like I'm like, what are you what are you gonna do, man? Yeah. He's like, I'm I said, what are you gonna do? He said, man, he's like, ask me right now to use. I'm like, like, everything inside of me just wanna use right now. I said, but you haven't, have you? He said, no. I said, that's good. Celebrate that. You celebrate that. I said, in your car and just leave. You have the you have the power

to do that. Yeah. You know, he's got his car in his lead. But in the moment, in that moment, he called, you know, and so that's Good for that dude for calling. Yeah. No doubt. Right? And that's what I told him. I said, you I said, if you if you look at that, man, look at the positive in that. You call instead of you just you you call and you address the issue. Yeah. You call your laugh. I said, but before, you would have just used. Right. Yeah. But because you have built this relationship to believe that you don't have to do that anymore and you felt comfortable enough to call out Yeah. To someone. You know? And I've had many phone calls like that. And so with our mentors, they have that same, just that same environment where they get those phone calls, and they're walking people through, and they're making those meetings. Those intentional conversation. I always tell people, that two minute conversation saved that man's life. Yeah. Now I could've been selfish enough, I ain't got time for that. Click. Right. Mean, big grow up. Be put your big boy pants on. Do what you need to do. But it's just it's being there and just acknowledging it. You know? And so how do you get the church to understand that? How do you get the church to see that? You know? And how do you get to church? And so our biggest thing we invite. Mhmm. Come and see what's going on at Discover Hope. Yeah. Come and be a part of the community that you live in, the community that you are trying to talk about and encourage. And and so we wanna be on the front lines of that. And so it's just educating them with awareness

of what addiction is doing, and that is real. It's Yeah. Our kids are dealing with it. Your kids are dealing with it. Your family are dealing with it. You know? And so it's just educating them over and over and training over and over and over, to what it looks like, what we understand. So that's that's been our greatest success for getting people connected to to that lane of addiction from a faith based standpoint. Right. So it's been the hands and feet of Jesus. So yeah. I love it. Does does does prison ever help? I mean, does the does the does the does the harsh reality of of a chain situation like that, does that ever bring people to a bottom that they weren't willing to meet, or does it Yeah. What do think? So I think I think every situation, every person is different. You know, Robbie, I think he'll tell you he had his transformational

experience in prison. In prison. Yeah. And, you know, I think jail is rock bottom Mhmm. For a lot of people. And, you know, they have hit the lowest of lows, and they have nothing else to do at this point. What do they have to lose at that point? Yeah. And, you know, that's kind of a driving force for me to continue to do my job. It's not because I wanna penalize people or, you know, because it's fun to throw people in jail. But, hey. It's a way for me to intercede in your life because what you're doing is wrong. Mhmm. And here's an opportunity to start heading down a different path. Yeah. And you know what? You can't use while you're in jail. Right? So You're clean in there. I and and, and maybe the reason I asked that is, like, I've

I've gone through different different feelings on that. Right? As you think to yourself, is is there a way that this person doesn't have to be separated from community or society or whatever? If they have tangible resources maybe around them, you know, is there a way that the that the church can handle this without having to get there? And then the other side, I think, like, sometimes that feels like your community wants it more than you do. Right. Right? Like, if you don't want it Right. It's not it's not gonna help. Right? And then and the the question is, although

I suppose you could be exposed to certain people or elements or environment that otherwise is in jail. Is sometimes the fact of that reality occurring, does that actually bring you to a place where you deal with thing you're willing to deal with things that maybe you wouldn't have if you still saw some semblance of what you considered hope or opportunity outside of that environment? So maybe that's I'm what I've weighed, I guess, past in my mind is like, well, which you know? It's a personal decision. Yeah. I mean, it's a choice. Like you said, the does the community want it more than than the the person does? But it's it's an absolute decision for each person just like it was a decision for Robbie and I to take that class to allow Christ to change our heart to form the ministry. If I had said no to the class and what God was calling me to do Yeah. I don't know. Maybe the ministry had formed. I don't know. Maybe not. But Mhmm. You know, it was a choice for me to take the class. It's a choice for me to get up every morning and open my bible and read the word of God and go deeper with Christ. It's a choice for these people to reach out and get the help Yeah. Or not. It's there. Yeah. It's available. And the cool thing about the the jail ministry portion of this too is is Discover Hope five seventeen is a jail. So when they're at the lowest of the lows, Discover Hope is there where they can plug in. They can go through the same study lessons that the support group does on Tuesday night. And then they know as soon as they get released from jail, the support group, Discover Hope five seventeen, and and the recovery community center is available for them as soon as they get out of jail. Yeah. Yep. But it's their choice as soon as they get and it's amazing how many of them choose, I don't really want that now that I have my freedom back. Yeah. And now that I'm out of jail, you know, Jesus and god, that was all good while I was in there, but now I'm gonna go back and hang out with my Yeah. Friends. So Yes. It's definitely it's important. We get the opportunity to build the bridge,

but it's up to them to walk across. Yeah. And that's what the jail ministry does, and that's what the prison ministry does from a reentry standpoint. We get to build a bridge. When I got out of prison my first time, there was no bridge. Here's a $100 gate fee and say go be a positive constructive citizen in the community, Robbie. You do that. I'm looking like I never even fill out an application in my life. What do you what do you mean? All I I do is sell dope. You know? So and and you gave me a $100. So what do you think is gonna happen? You know? So and so that was the issue when I went to when I got out of prison my second time, man, I was able to go through the I five program and go through this. I had this aftercare set up. So when I got out, it was a it would bridge the gap. It gave me the support that I needed to begin that transition to be restored, but re be reintegrated back into that community. Yeah. And so it wasn't me getting out trying to figure all this out. How I get driving lines? How I set up a payment plan? You know? Who who who I need to invest in? How do I find a job? Where application? How do I even get a bank account? Yeah. I don't know. I'm doing none of that stuff. Right. And so I had this mentor and these people in my life when I got out that helped me with that. They helped me get all that set up. They made that helped me make that transition. Then it's like, okay. Now you go. You know, we we set you up. Now you go. You know, you got a support network. You got all these people in your life, man. That that stemmed from my success in the beginning. Yeah. And that will help me tremendously, man. I coming out of prison for doing five years in prison and coming thinking like, I don't know. All I knew before I went to prison was selling dope. Yeah. You know, I don't know how to do this. I don't know how to be a father. I know how to get a lawyer and start fighting for custody of my I don't know none of that. Yeah. And so it's having someone else to begin to educate me and point me in the right direction. And so discover hope is is the same way with us with the with the prison and with the jail ministry. It's like, how do we connect people? How do we start inside? You know? And the jail I always said people from the jail standpoint. Let's get them before they get to the gates. Yeah. Let's get them before they go to prison because I don't think the whole answer is locking people up when they come from a substance abuse and addiction standpoint. We look at the the status quo and and and and just in Iowa alone

of how many people are incarcerated in prison just from a substance abuse standpoint and mental health standpoint. You know, is that gonna change them, make them different? It's not it's gonna give them accountability for the crime or for their action. But when we talk about changing the mindset, we need to have a successful reintegration standpoint to connect them back to their community and where they're going. So DiscoverHope is want to set that up, want to build that that want to close that gap so people can have a healthier transition,

when they're coming out of jail, when they're coming out of prison. It's up to them. Yeah. It's again, it's empowering them. It's plugging them, planting the seed Yep. And giving them the opportunity. And if they wanna utilize that and use that, man, they can I mean, the sky's the limit for what God can do in their life? Yeah. Right. You know? And so So Can you so, Robert, it's we we kind of breezed over it a couple times. Can you tell me about tell me about your your experience in prison? Like, what how you made Jesus in prison? Well and so my my experience in prison was prison to me was just like in a sense been on the streets. Yeah. You know, when I went into prison, had my same old friends, gang banging friends, living out that culture lifestyle. Prison is very segregated. Yeah. You know? And that's just the stem of it. And so When were you, I'm sorry. Were you around here? Yeah. I was in Newton. Okay. I was in I actually went to Fort Dodge. Was I in Fort Dodge my first time, and then I I turned from Fort Dodge to, NCF Newton Correctional Facility. K. And so and Newton, I had the opportunity. So I I got god gave me grace. God blessed me to go through this program called interchange freedom initiative at the time when it was in Iowa. And I had this transformation where it's still in there. I was still like, hallelujah. Amen. When nobody's around, when the council's all around, even though I was around gambling and talking crazy, being foolish. Yeah. Just living that same life. I didn't have a heart change or relationship,

you know. And so I think my initial relationship with Christ began in prison because in prison, it's the same song and dance. Yeah. You know, no one wanna believe you. Everybody gets saved when they're in prison. Everybody find Jesus when they're in prison. Everybody wanna do right when they're in prison. Yeah. You know? And so for me, it it was the the moment, in 2003. So 2002, July 2002, my father had died Yeah. While I was in prison. I didn't know my father. My real father, I do not know. You know? But my father had died in in in 2002. And so then a year later in October, my son died. He was five, and his brother's 18. He died in a house fire. My daughter at the time wasn't there. And so I I got somebody donated the money for me to go to my son's funeral. Yeah. And so and right before my son right before that happened, I read this book on prayer. And at the end of this book, it said write out your prayer,

and and god's gonna answer this prayer. So me being fresh in my faith, little on fire and spunky, I'm like, I'm alright. I wanna I wanna be able to tell all my old friends and my family that I'm gonna serve Jesus for the rest of my life. Boom. That's it. Gonna pray on that. Thirty days. Did that. You know? So Yeah. And then, you know, at the end of that thirty days, you know, I they called me over into the building, and then he told me this told me what happened with my son. Yeah. You know? And so when I at the end, it's about a week later, I I got the opportunity to go to my son's funeral. And so at my son's funeral, and I felt like Paul because I had all these chains and belly chains and shackles on, and I see my daughter for the first time in years. You know? And all my family was there. All my friends was there. And I remember the pastor got up and he spoke. And then that's that he got done speaking. He's like, anybody wanna come up and say something? Now's the time. I have I felt this tugging. Like, you need to go up there. I'm like, oh. It's not gonna happen. Oh, no. Like, you need to go up there. I'm like, I'm not going up there. It's gonna happen. And then, again, like, you need to go up there. I'm like, this not gonna happen. I'm my family gonna be like I'm crazy and stuff. And so but I get up. I get up, and I go up, and I walk across, the cast. And as I was going up on the pulpit, I was like, man, god, I don't know what's going on here, but you're gonna have to speak. And and and so and as I was as I was standing up there behind the little podium, and I and I looked out,

at the congregation and and and guess what I've seen was that prayer. All my old homeboys, all my old friends, all my family, a church about 600 people was sitting out there. And, and I had this moment where I and I just confessed. I told my mom I I told my mom, forgive her. I said, mom, I forgive you for all that you've done to me, and I hated my mother Yeah. Because of what she did to me and what she allowed me what happened to me and what I went through as a child. And that's still my a lot of my addiction come from those those past wounds. Right. I told my mom, I forgive her for what she did to me. I told my my son's mother and my sister who was a a part of the house fire. I was like, I forgive you. You know? And I I don't blame you for none of this. I take full responsibility for me not being a father, not being a I chose my addiction, that lifestyle, over being a father to my son, over being a father to my daughter. You know? And so and then God was like, somebody wanna give their life to me. I'm like, I don't understand what that means. I don't even understand what the arch call is. You know? But 90 people gave their life to Christ Who? At my son's funeral. Yeah. 90 people. And so you talking about an awakening for me spiritually,

and that was the moment, man. I left that I left that church. I can't even imagine how many people know Jesus because of that day. Right. You know? And I and when I talk about my son, I think about, man, that's this was a day of rejoicing and then not a mourning. So I know my son didn't die in vain. Yeah. You know? And so I just know when I left there, man, I understood then at that moment that my relationship with Jesus began. Yeah. You know? And I and that's that's when the relationship and I've been running ever since then, man, for the kingdom. And so and not since it's been a peaches and cream. Oh, sure. But but it's it's been good. You know? And that has been good. And so and that's been my kind of my my conversion from a prison standpoint, man. When I when I got out of prison, I was in this bubble while I was in prison and at the spiritual bubble when I got out, man, it was put everything to the test. Yeah. Know? And I think what helped me tremendously in prison is I began to allow God to change to what I believed while I was in there. That Romans twelve two, do not copy the cousin behavior of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind for the good and pleasing purpose of god's will. You know? And so it was that moment god begins to change what I believe. It was that moment god began to break me, that bondage culturally

Yeah. In my life. And and so now that my sons today is, god has broken that generational curse. Yeah. They don't have to grow up believing because of their culture, their ethic. They can't amount anything. Right. Let's kill that. That's dead. That's gone. You know? Praise god for that. Right? And yeah. Seriously. You know? And so it it's been rewarding to to have that type of transformation in my life, man. And and so my heart is that I just wanna tell people that, man. Just wanna tell people how how the unconditional love of Jesus Christ is real. The living God from the word of God from scripture is real when we're talking about authentically and generally that God changes lives. Yeah. You know? And not only because I I believe it because he changed my life, but I witnessed him change other people lives because of we speak truth, we tell people the truth, and we love people genuinely. Yeah. You know, so yeah. It's been interesting. So Beautiful. Yeah. Beautiful. You know what's awesome is, like, this is exactly how Paul talks about, making disciples. Right? We always we always say that. He always says, just follow me as I follow Christ. Right? Mhmm. Like, my my words will will illuminate. You know what I'm saying? Follow watch. Just watch how this just watch how this works. Please just watch how this works. Stop stop trying to memorize every word I say or, you know I mean, not we've talked about pamphlets aren't that bad, but stop writing pamphlets all the time. You know I'm saying? Like, just just come with me and watch me do what I do. Watch watch God do what God does. And, like, for heaven's sakes, if I don't want this for myself. You know what I'm saying? Right. Heaven's sakes, if I don't want this for for my kids,

is to just, you know, just let God do God things. Like, the best that I can come with it come up with is the best what what Mike can do. Right? And Mike doesn't produce this. Mike doesn't produce 90 people being saved at a funeral. Right? I mean, I might think it, like, when I'm going up to speak, like, yeah. Got I this. Okay. Couple couple people are gonna be real moved. You know? Be prepared, Lord. I'm bringing the heavy. Yeah. Right? Amen. Right. This is exactly the kind of crap that, you know, that that that we do. You know? And then God says go up. You know? I going up there. What are you saying? You know? I'm in the I'm in the prison. You know? You know? And then when and, know and and and, like, it's it's just I just I I love talking about this because, like, this is where God shows back up and says, I I always had this. It's you that moved. Right. You moved. I always had this. I always had this thing. And and, like, sometimes we just we just forget it with our own cloud of weirdness and and and pride. And it's pride. It's what it is. It's pride. Right? It is. Right? And and and just like an addiction, somewhere along the line, believed a lie. Yep. We believe that something wasn't true, and it depends on how much we built on top of it. Right? Like most folks that I know that have addictions, they believed a lie somewhere, and then they built a house on the lie. Yep. And then they're just like, I don't even know how to get off this house. You know? Like, it's the only place I know. It's where I feel comfortable and it hurts me, but, like, it's home. You know? And and and the same is true with with how we follow Jesus. The same is true in my addictions that aren't they're aren't they're not illegal, but their addiction's done the same. You know what I'm saying? It's the same deal. I don't got a group of people following me around or trying to put the sting on me and figure out that I was clicking on porn or something in the middle of the night, dude sticking their head in, go, got you, and then in the back of the car. You know what I'm saying? That don't happen to me. But I am am I guilty of the same thing? Yeah. Yeah. I we I got the exact same problem. It's just not blowing up to be everybody's problem. That's Bubba's relationship with bro tanks. Yeah. He really is, man. Constantly bad. He's gonna be at your door at 1AM handing over his Brotanks.

Because I don't have the body or the arms for him. I'm sorry. Take it. I've been working on it since I was 12. It's just not fair. Know the shoulders. That's it, Lord. I'm sorry. You better bring a sleeve with you. That's right. Because you don't need booing my shirt out. Walking away from rugby style. Right. I feel good. I feel free. Some random bit of pride will show up from that, like, I look even better this way. That's so true. That's when I get called. Hey,

man. There's this really large dude walking around Newton. Are you He doesn't have a shirt on. Yeah. Where's the bro tanks, booba? We don't do that, Newton. Get in the car. No. No. No matter what I do, I'm in trouble. That's right. Maxie. No. Yeah. How do you Aaron, do you find that folks have the

what what are reactions to these folks going through this? Like, as when they find out you do what you do? Well, that was one of the that was one of the things I struggled with originally was do do I get involved with the ministry? Yeah. Because, you know, I struggled with is that gonna keep people away? Right. You know? Because if people know I'm a cop, are they not gonna come? But then, you know, Robbie and I talked about it, we thought, you know what? If people are gonna come, they truly

want help. Right. And even if they know I'm a cop, they're still gonna come because they truly want help. And you know what? If the dope dealer won't talk to them anymore because they know they're coming to discover hope and talking to a cop, then good. Right. Permission accomplished. It's like a secondary thing now. It's even better. That's a indirect approach. But, you know, I think I think, I think people are are hesitant at first, and I think, even I had people tell me, you know, what? Why are you doing this? Like, what's in it for you? You know? What are you getting out of there? Are you getting information out of this? No. I've been called to the the this mission that God has called me to, and I'm trying to step into that and serve in God's kingdom and,

watching him do amazing things. Yeah. Again, watching Robbie take the ministry to a whole new level that I never thought, could happen. But, you know, while working, you know, I come across people Sure. That have been through the ministry. You know, I can recall arresting a guy driving while barred, and he was driving on gravel anyway. I hook him up, put him in back my squad car, go up, tow his vehicle to an inventory, and he's got a bunch of meth in the car.

And I just started talking to him, like, man, how you were doing good. What happened? And he started telling me, you know, I don't know. You know, I just got back with the wrong people, yada yada yada. And we're talking. I said, man, you need to get back on your feet. You need to go back down a better path. And he's like, why do you care? I said, what do you mean? He's like, why do you care about me? He said, I love people, man.

I love people, and I wanna see people do well. And, so, yeah, it's it's it's kind of a at first, it was a a weird situation to be in, but, you know, it's stepping into the role that god's called me to, and I'm I'm alright with it. No. Yeah. Yeah. That it's awesome. And, like, it's it's,

it's interesting to think about because you're you're right. Like, when you said it might have been awkward at first, but, like, it's the it makes a lot of sense. Right? I mean, look. Ultimately, it does. Right? Like like, you're, they can either show up at Robbie's door Mhmm. You know, willfully, or you're gonna run into him. Or Aaron gonna go pick him up. Or well, yes. He was saying like like, God's just saying, I don't care how they come. That we we have let's make the most of our opportunities. That's right. Right. Aaron's already out and about. That's right. That's right. Yeah. Robbie Robbie's at his door fending off video games and protests. You know? And

so, like, what a cool god that says, hey. This that that that would make, hey. This might be a Barry. He's like, no. No. It's just a way that, like, we might as well be out. We might as be out doing that. Yeah. So this this We got a man who loves people. He's he's going out. It puts a picture in your head, you know, that that, like, god and the bros are up there watching over, and they'll be like, is he gonna go he's not gonna call he's not gonna call Robbie. He's not alright. Send Aaron over there. Send Aaron over there. Get him ready. Yeah. I shoulda called Robbie. He's like, we got a couple fellas on duty tonight. Somebody's gonna go get him. But, like, what a god that pursues you. Yeah. Right? You know I'm saying? What a god that says, yeah. You you know me. You you you tried and you failed and you left for a while. And then here Aaron showed back up and says, hey, How you doing? Like, gotta be kidding me. You know what I'm saying? Like, I I thought this whole thing goes away when I screw up. I thought this whole thing went away when I fail. Right? Like, it's hard for me to believe in this God and this story you're telling me and blah blah blah. I'm forgiven. Whatever. You don't even know half of what I've done. Right? You ain't forgiven all that stuff. Right? And they do okay, and then they fail. And then God shows right back up and says, hey. I missed you while you were gone. Right? I still know your name. I still know you. I created you. I'd like you to come back now. And I meant that stuff I said the first time. Right. Right? Like, I mean, what an amazing God that will pursue you with the passion and with his people. Right? That's hands and feet. That's what God's using the hands and feet for. Got people. I want you go get them. Can you bring them back to me? I miss them. I love them. And, like, I can't show you my outward pain and the and the outward, you know, sadness I feel that my that my children are apart from me, but I can't I can't show you how to help them come back to me and to know me to know me like I want to know them. You know? And, like, even if they got Brotank problems, there's room. There's room. Elijah had Brotank problems. Yeah. What's that in there? I I didn't remember. Was it Elijah or Elisha? I can never remember which one was the pro to that pro. That's it's apocryphal, but that's what he was wearing when he took off the coat and gave Elijah gave his coat to Elisha to carry on the pro tank. He had a pro tank on. Elisha, take this pro tank. Please go. You can't get in the chariot half nude. That's not how it works. You gotta wear it. Dang. Yeah. They can't put this stuff in here. People get deterred. Yeah. Yeah. Right. I was like, leave it out, but I'm telling you. Bro were there.

How was, so how's your involvement in in this ministry changed you? Wow, man. God has completely, shown me a whole different side of who he is. I think I tell people all the time, and I got the best opportunity

ever. I mean, I get to get up every day knowing that god is gonna use me to make a difference. Yeah. And that's just beautiful. You know? Because as I continue to surrender over and over over to Christ, you know, I mean, you know, salvation is instant. Sanctification is lifelong. It's forever. As long as we're here, we're gonna be going through that process of changing to become more and more like Christ. Yeah. I said, but being able to help people to identify how to fight spiritually is phenomenal. Yeah. You know, it's just amazing. So, man, it's rewarding seeing God restore lives, seeing God change lives. It's selfish.

You know, I always tell people all the time, man, I have no agenda. Man, I just get to serve Jesus. Yeah. You know, I I walk by faith only. You know? And I've been doing this for a while. You know? And I tell people all the time, you know, most people like, man, Robbie, I mean, you're doing great. You know, they come like, man, you're doing awesome, man. You you you you found over his ministry. I mean, god is using you. God has given you a great opportunity to be a part of people's lives and minister to people and encourage people. I mean, you know, and I'm like, yeah, but I get held accountable at a different standard. Yeah. You know, I'm responsible for those lives and for those people that God's allowed me to minister to and to lead. And so, man, it it holds me accountable. It it it keeps my integrity in check, you know, as a husband and as a father and as a spiritual leader, you know, so it's it's great. It's a tough job. Sure. It really is. You know? I mean, people I mean, people.

People I know. You should send them over there. Yeah. Yeah. Sometimes you want to, like, listen, Ed. Just come and get him. He don't want it. He ain't You know? And so but it it's good. You know? I I mean, I I had this one lady one young lady, man. I had somebody in Pacifica asked me to, like, Robbie, why do you continue to deal with her over and over and over and over and over and over again? Eighteen months, you continue to watch her calm, do well, fall. Calm, do well, Calm, do well, fall. Calm, do well, fall. I said, because there's no limit to how powerful our god is.

There's no limit. You know? I said, god reaches to the bottom of the pit. A lot of people think they hit rock bottom. They just really just dragging across the bottom. You know? They're still trying to figure out, like, I'm down here, but I kinda like it now. So I've been here for a while. You know? And god's like, no. Just come on. Just come on. You know? And and to see her life now being restored. Yeah. It's just it's amazing. That's the reward, man. It's it's for me, it's it's it's watching God continually to change lives. It's watching other guy come up. You know? I remember when he first came up, he met me. He sat right across me, and he said, I don't even know why I'm here, but I'm here. You know? And I just know that, you know, I'm not gonna haul it. I've been using drugs for twenty five years, and I've been hearing voices for twenty of those years. You know? Robert, you you what do you know? You can't help me. Who do you think you is? People keep telling me to come to you, you know, you you can't help me. You know, and I looked at him and and I was like, okay, guy. This dude is completely rebellious.

Yeah. He only come here because somebody didn't probably been nagging on anybody. You know? He went to show face. Like, what do I tell this guy in this moment? Do I do I give him some biblical theological massive nice word to try to convince him that he needs to change his life? Right. And God said, no. This is what you need to tell him. I said, hey, man. Let me tell you something. As you take out the bad, you have to allow God to put something good into you so you can bear good fruit. That was it. That was my that was my metaphor for him. That was my great word for him. You know? And he's got a year in his recovery right now. Oh, man. He don't hear voices no more. That guy's funny. I love him. I really You know, he he he leaves a bible study. Uh-huh. Him and his wife, their marriage is doing phenomenal. Quit drinking,

and it's just and that was it. And he would tell you the day, this guy told me this lame little sins, but it was what he needed to hear in that moment Right. That changed his life. You know? And so and that's that's it, man. It's just loving people genuinely, just loving people with no agenda. Yeah. You know? And and teaching people that, man, god loves them the same, you know, unconditionally and just have a mercy and grace with them. Yeah. So and so my reward, man, is that I get to watch god produce a miracle one life at a time. You know? And that's Discover Hope five seventeen ministry, man. That's our that's my that's my tagline, one life at a time. One life at a time. You know? So yeah. How about how about make a difference one life at a time. That's right. Yep. How about your life, Aaron? Like, what's how's your life changed? Was there anything different, like, for having been involved in the in the ministry?

I think it's just been a part of the the the ongoing work that that God's done in my life. But, you know, I feel like God has used the ministry as a almost like a poster poster board or poster child, you know, for how a white cop and a black convicted felon Yeah. Can come together for a common purpose. Yeah.

Right? Because I can remember during one of the, after one of the, the group nights, the support groups, I turned to Robbie and I looked, and it was right in the middle of the Ferguson, Missouri mess. Yeah. I said, do you realize how big this is for me and you to be here doing this right now and what America is telling us. Yeah. Right? What the media is telling us that that blacks and white cops We don't hear a choice here. Just has to happen. And yet here here's Robbie and I. Right? He he's he's definitely black. Definitely. Was gonna mention that when you can't. Guilty. Guilty as charged.

Take it. I thought I got away with it. It's bad lighting in here. Bad lighting. Bad lighting. I was in a 10 bed too long. Felt screen failed again. But, you know, it was important at that time, and I think it's still it's important to show that that no matter what Robbie's past is, no matter what, you know, my situation is, we came together because Christ called us to Yeah. Right, for a common mission. And,

you know, I think that's been one of the most the biggest things I've gotten out of it. Yeah. And and and through that, you know, I talked about that heart change that I had, and I had to have that heart change to go deeper in my walk with Christ. And and it's like I tell tell tell, everybody at the group, when you surrender your life to Christ, life gets easier, but it gets harder at the same time. And we're kinda talking about this. Right? Yeah. It gets easier because now my my my trials, my troubles, I can go go to the lord in prayer, I can hand him my my troubles. I can go to his word, you know, for direction. But at the same time, the holy spirit starts bringing these things up and saying, hey. Now it's time to work on this. Yeah. But I've been talking this way for twenty five years, Lord. Come on. Yeah. But, you know, it's that it's that controversial process. And the Lord,

you know, through Discover Hope five seventeen has just helped me go deeper. You know, I feel like I'm a better father Amen. You know, a better son, a better a better leader at work. I'm very fortunate to have two Christian men above me as my bosses at work and have helped facilitate my involvement in Discover Hope five seventeen because there would be a lot of bosses, would say, especially in law enforcement, no. You can't do that because you can't mix work Right. And faith together. You know, these are these are these are people that that are drug users. You need to be putting them in jail. But yet my sheriff says, good for you. Good for you. I'm gonna pray for you. I'm gonna pray for the ministry. It is awesome. Yeah. And, you know, I've told people he he made it okay for me to wear my faith on my sleeve Amen. At work and in my community. So Awesome. Very cool. Very cool. Okay. So how do how do people help? Right? They they, they hear this, and they say, okay. Okay. I'm not involved in any way because I don't know what to do. You guys seem to know what to do. How do we help you? I think there you know, we we tell everybody that there's multiple ways you can help. One, volunteer at the ministry.

You know, come up, be it be a table leader, sit in at the group, and and be that solid foundation that the people struggle and, you know, they can fellowship with. You know, be in constant prayer for the ministry. One of the things we do on Tuesday nights for the group is we have a prayer team that prays on Tuesday night during the period of the group. And when they don't pray, you you notice it. It's it's it's weird, but you you know when people are praying for it and when they're not. So being in constant prayer for the ministry and, obviously, you know, we're a nonprofit organization. We don't have a a steady

source of revenue coming in. Yeah. So, you know, giving to the ministry. We are a five zero one c three, so anything you give is a tax write off. So, you know, those are the three main ways that you can help the ministry. Mhmm. How do they in in that order, how do they if they wanted to volunteer, how do they do it? How do they know what to be praying about, and how do they go about giving?

Go ahead. So I think the main thing is how you contact us, via email, discoverhope517 dot org is our website, discoverhope517gmail is our email address.

You can always contact us that way. Facebook page, social media is a huge part of how we get ourselves out there. Yep. If you go on Facebook at Discover Hope five seventeen minuteistry as well as Twitter and Instagram same. And I I just think if from a volunteer standpoint is it just kind of let us know if you call, if you call the office, we definitely can talk about different opportunities to from feeding to just coming in and helping around the building, coming to seeing if you wanna be a mentor or a navigator, what that training look like to be a part of that training. And, also, we're giving. It's it's give what the Lord has called you to give. Sure. You know? And so we we we have we do sponsorship packets as well from from 5,000 to 2,000 and $1,000.

We do, commitment forms where you can get whatever if you give $50 a month. But if you also if you go on our website, it gives you all the information about our ministry. You have our donation page on there. It's a great way for you also to donate to the ministry and reoccurring donations, credit card, however you wanna get to the ministry. So, yeah, we truly believe that number one, if be praying for what God is doing to make a difference in people's lives, to break the bondage of addiction in people lives. Yeah. And so that is so important, to get God's blessing and God's vision and God's, just direction in that area of praying for God to change lives of the individual people as well change lives of the church,

to get the church on board for what we're doing. And then also, yeah, come and see. Come and see. We're we're located we're in Newton Iowa, though. We're in Newton Iowa, so come and see 219 North 2nd Avenue West. Come and check out Discover Hope, God's Community Center, and get plugged in. So yeah. Cool. Very cool. Alright, fellas. Thank you so much for sharing your stories, sharing what God has been doing and, and giving us ways that we can invite to be part of it. That's that's great. So we very much appreciate it. I mean, Ben, is this this is is this not exactly what we were talking about? Exactly what we were talking about. Right. This is exactly what we're talking about. When we wanna talk about, you know, turning the focus of what life from the past is generally talking about, we're talking about good news. The good news of Jesus Christ should make an impact in something. Amen. Right? And, like, across,

you know, the the the the entirety of this show, it's all about the good news of Jesus Christ actually making an impact. And so, like, I would I would ask just a couple things here on on as we wrap up here. But, like, if that's not happening around you, you should you should wonder why. I think that's worth asking. Right? And, like, you wanna ask god that question? I think you should. Right? And then you and and wait for him to turn around and ask you the same thing. Uh-huh. Right? Like, that's those are legit questions. Mhmm. And, like, I'm not saying that it's indicting or got after you or you stink at what you're doing. I'm not saying any of those things. Right? But, like, if the good news of Jesus Christ changes the lives of people, the good news of Jesus Christ should be changing the lives of people. Amen. That's right. Right? And and so, like, I that that is a true thing. Right? That it has to be a true thing because otherwise, I'm I'm worshiping a god that, like, why? You know, for what for what purpose? If I don't think he does that for me or I don't think I don't think he does that for anybody else, I honestly, I'm just wearing a fancy Jesus suit. Right. And, like, it don't even fit right, and it's itchy. You know what saying? And like, maybe you think you'd look cool a little bit, but you know what I'm saying? And and and you it ain't a bro tank like you're comfortable in. You got that in there. So I you know, I'm I'm I'm just asking that it's that it's something you really I I mean, to be honest with you, I'm thinking about it right now. This is what I'm thinking about right now. The good news of Jesus Christ changes people, then I should be seeing changing people. I should see myself changing. I should see things moving towards a kingdom that was promised to me That's right. That is run by a a benevolent dictator

that says, I love you with everything I everything I have, but this is the way things run-in my kingdom. That's right. And I and and I'm willing to submit to that. And so, like, when we talk about the things that we're focusing on, it was great that you brought up Ferguson. That's exactly what I'm talking about. The good news of Jesus Christ changes people. The world wants you to believe that white cop, black man, they can't get along. Doesn't matter what they do. Doesn't matter who they are. Doesn't matter where they came from. Jesus says, what the hell are you talking about? Is not the truth at all. Right? It's so asinine and ridiculous from God's point of view that you wonder how you ever believe that lie in the first place. Right. Right. Yep. And so, like, yeah, the good news of Jesus Christ changes people. And and and and if if you hung on for this entire hour, I'm I'm I'm telling you, there could not be any more evidence that that's true. Yeah. Yeah. And that was that was the whole point of the conversation. Right? As we looked out on a landscape and we say, I I expect good news to change people and to change the world if I'm not seeing it. I'm not I I think I'm not looking. And so maybe I need to look. And so and if I and so that that was one of our premises was, like, look at the things that people are arguing about, whether they're arguing about health care, whether we know how to handle addictions or we were were talking about, like, child sex trafficking and, like, whatever major problems people think we have. And then I say, hey. You know, good news how would how do I believe good news of Jesus Christ changes situations like that? And then if I don't know anybody, I want to. That's right. I wanna know how the good news is changing that so that I can celebrate that, so I can fund it, so I can support it, so we can share it. And if no one is doing that, we now have a responsibility. Yeah. Right? I guess we're doing it. Right? Right. It's right. Same. Right. Same. Exactly what you're talking about. We look at it and we say, good news of Jesus Christ should change

the drug landscape that's going on in Newton, Iowa. We would love to be we'd love to be on board. No one's doing it. Fine. We're in. We're in. God's got people on this street doing this thing for these folks to the best of their ability to whatever influence he gives. Awesome. Awesome. Right? And so, like, if people are doing it, let's support the elbows who are on it because they've got it on. Right? That's right. If no one's doing it, you found yourself a responsibility. That's right. Awesome. And so, it it'll be interesting as we kind of funnel through some of these some of these topics to say, how many things are we arguing about? And it's not that it's not that they're not discussions. Right? It's not that people are complicated. It's not that there's not things to work through. Right? But like in the grand scheme of things, are we actually having the right conversations? The thing are with the things we're talking about, am I looking to say good news changes the world? How should that impact the situation? Or are we starting from different perspectives somewhere else? And we're never actually even having the talking about the thing that actually transforms, the thing that restores, the things that changes. And I think to myself, I've been in I've done a really good job of not listening to talk radio. I've done a really good job of, like, kind of filtering out news and things for a while. But then I thought, like, I don't like that either. I don't get to bail on the conversation. Right? That that's not right. I can't just say, oh, I don't do this anymore. I'm gonna go go live in Indiana where no one bothers me. The Mecca of peaceful living is is Danville.

Danville. Right? So so if I can't bail because Jesus loves people and people are involved in the conversation, If I can't bail and the conversation isn't fruitful, how do I rectify that? Well, I figured out the right way to have the conversation. This is the right way to have the conversation. So, anyway, thank you so much, fellas, for coming in. I appreciate it. Appreciate it. We've just we got a couple you wanna do just, one or two Dear Life From The Path? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. People people need some help. They're they're need some advice, and you guys are free to jump in and try to help out. And here's ultimately, what we're gonna do is, we try to answer in our most kingdom oriented fashion possible, and then we're gonna compare that to the secular advice that otherwise comes with it, we'll see how those two things come together. It usually doesn't go very well together. Sometimes it's awkward. Yeah. They usually learn hand in hand. Slight preface. I am prescreened. I haven't prescreened none of this. Okay. So I'm not exactly sure what these questions are gonna be. It's gonna be fun. Uh-oh. Dear life from the path, I was in a relationship with a man for a year and a half. We got along great. We never argued, and we had a healthy sexual relationship. Know Check. Got it. Yep. I put that on my marriage certificate. You know the saying actions speak louder than words? All the actions were there. He took me on amazing vacations, introduced me to all of his friends and family. But during all our time together, he never once expressed how he felt about me. Mhmm. He never even called me honey or babe. About a month ago, I told him how I felt. I came right out and asked if he loved me or had any kind of romantic feelings for me. He ignored my question. I guess he didn't wanna hurt me more by saying no. Two weeks later, he broke up with me. Okay.

Oh, man. I've been divorced for five years while he has never been married or had a live in girlfriend. Not shocking with his behavior. Seems like a real dodgy character. Yeah. He said his reason for breaking up was he felt our relationship was good, but not great, exclamation point. And he didn't think it ever would be. Mhmm. This is painful, but I can't help holding on to hope. Should I just give up and move on? Yes. Yes. Absolutely. Yep. Is where no way. This is where a good community comes in handy. You you have been given the opportunity to where you no longer have relation with this guy. You can just run-in the opposite direction from this dude that didn't tell you you were friends with benefits for a year and a half. He forgot to mention that part to you for some reason. Run-in the same direction you've already been given the ability to run-in. Do not go back to him. And love Jesus and stop being in a sexual relationship before you're married. I mean Right? I'm sorry. I know that's easy to say, but it's the truth. This is what we talk about about people believing a lie. Yeah. Right? Like she sees, he takes me on vacations. We go do all these things. And right. I mean, when you're not believing the lie, you see the man wanted to have sex on vacation. Right. Exactly. And so he took you with him. Right? He had the money to do it. Why not? He wanted to have sex more often, so he invited you to live at his house. Because you said, hey. How do you feel about me? He went, yeah.

Do you love me? You know, maybe. Do you love me? Well, how about them bulls? I'm like, what? Are you freaking kidding me? Right. How do you ignore that question? And then stay together for two weeks after that. I've been with a chick for a week, and after she said, do you love me? And I'm like, man, I really am a big fan of bro tanks. Like, I really like him a lot. She'll be like, I don't think I'm with this guy. He's fucking Yeah. Yeah. I don't think I want him anymore. Yeah. Ridiculous. So, yeah, to round it all up,

yeah, you should you shouldn't give up. But it's like I mean, you want hope for what? You wanna have hope that someone can treat you poorly for a year and a half? Right. I'm not gonna give it to you. There's no hope of it. What is it that you want back out of this circumstance? Right? Like, the thing that you wanted, he said, no. No. Yeah. I don't offer it. And you think yourself, well, maybe he'll change You go to the pet store looking for Doritos, and then you're like, should I keep going back to the pet store? Maybe they'll eventually get Doritos here. Are you guys gonna get Doritos in? I mean, Menards is expanding its food selection. Perhaps Petco now has Doritos. There's a solution to every problem. Yes. Yes. I mean, feel like here's the deal. In the absence of what you really desire, I get how it's tempting to accept the shallow swap. But there's a reason that it's not the real thing. It's not. You deserve better than that.

And I would spend whatever time is necessary between now and a future relationship, to make sure you recognize the difference Right on. Because you deserve it. Any other thoughts, fellas? No. No thoughts. We've covered it all. Okay. There we go. Secular's advice is, yes, for your own sake, you must. Give him credit for having been honest with you. What? At the end, after you asked and after he deferred.

Yeah. He was not honest. Don't give him that. Honesty says, you wanna come on the boat? I'm too lazy to hire a hooker. That's honesty. That's the truth. Right? Right. Here's the thing. We have grace for people that screw up. Right? But, like, you don't have to call honesty when it's not there. Just not He lied for a year and a half. Getting caught in telling what you did and being honest are two very different things. Let me lay some integrity on you right now. I'm gonna not gonna answer your question about love. Oh, man. Let's go look at Michael Lids. Find your identity in Jesus. But but if after a year and a half, he wasn't able to sum up summon up any romantic feelings for you, you must accept that it isn't going to happen. Moving on may be painful for a while, but you will be doing yourself a big favor. Yeah. Okay. So I I agree with the trajectory, not her sympathy towards the man. What did she say a year and a half? I I didn't catch that. Yeah. It's been a year and a half. Yeah. He's been a for a year and a half? Yeah. That's why I'm astonished. That's not integrity. Integer, living an undivided life. That's integrity. This man is not doing that. He's living as if he has some sort of loving relationship with this woman. She obviously is acting that same way, and he was lying.

No. No. Alright. Next question. Okay. Next one. Here we go. Dear life from the path, my 22 year old son is going to visit his father and get his third tattoo. I don't like it, but I can't control my son. He's an adult. His father's retired and lives on his wife's pension. It is my understanding that they are wealthy. Mhmm. My concern is for our fourteen year old daughter. My ex thinks tattoos are cool. And when he talks to her via Skype, he talks about the next tattoo he's going to get. I'm afraid that when she's 18, he will take her to get a tattoo as a bonding experience. His life is far removed from my daughter's. He is surrounded by actors, entertainers, and artists. Our child, hopefully, will have a rich, abundant life in an ordinary way. She is focused on her studies and does well in school because of her efforts. How can I impress upon my not so confident, shy child that getting a tattoo is not a good idea? Okay.

You fellas. You have to go first. Robbie doesn't believe in tattoos Robbie. Case. My kids are getting a tattoo. Tell me how the devil's in it. What do you say to this woman, Robbie? Oh, man.

She needs advice. Oh, man. That's that's a tough one, you know, because, biblically, when you talk about tattoos, I have

a ton of tattoos. Uh-huh. Yeah. And so all my tattoos share a story Mhmm. Of my life and the transition of my life. So, I think for me, when I think about if it's if it's my child and is making a decision that they wanna get a tattoo, I think my question to them will be what is the tattoo is going to represent? And is that tattoo is gonna be your identity? I say, I think that would be the the most important part because you tend to get what you believe you are. So your tattoo, whatever your tattoo is, it's gonna have some type of connection emotionally to who you are. And so I think, you know, I'm not I'm not I'm not against tattoos by any means. Yeah. But also, I think that your tattoo share purpose. So Yeah. So, if it's just for a bonding experience, you would say, yeah, maybe wait. Yeah. Maybe wait. Yes. Maybe wait. We'll go skydive. Wait. Because, you know, that's a bonding experience. Those those things changes. Yeah. So tattoos is stuck there.

Right. No. That's true. How come you go to a frog smoking a cigarette playing a banjo on your left cast? Man, it was crazy. Awesome. We're we're in New Orleans and we saw a frog smoking. Dad wanted to go and Tom Hanks said it was cool. He's got a lot of actor producer friends. Exactly. What what is the relevance of that part of this? Story? Yeah. I mean, she might be trying to discredit this dude. That's what I was gonna say. Miles away. You know? I'll be like It sounds like she's upset with her ex. Yeah. And, like, she's it sounds like she's upset with her ex and is just trying to paint this dude with the worst brush possible and then say, that schmuck's even taken my son to get a tattoo. Yeah. How dare he? He writes He's gonna ruin my daughter too. Like, obviously, y'all aren't in a relationship anymore. We get that you do not like each other probably. That's that's generally the point of the divorce. Yeah. That yeah. That's Yeah. That's kinda the point is, hey. Know You how we said forever? I think I'm bailing on that deal. Like, I don't think I'm cool with that forever anymore. There's the reason for that. You don't have to passive aggressively go, well, you should hear what he's doing nowadays. We haven't been together for years. Him and his wife, really, you're gonna call her out on this too? They're gonna take our 22 year old son out to get a tattoo. How dare they? Here's the deal. They're gonna ruin my sweet innocent 14 year old. You're gonna be fed forever up in the business of your ex. You should have stayed married. Right. Exactly. You you keeping your promise. You just do it under some kind of guy. Yeah. Come get back in there and restore the relationship. Co parent as you need to in this situation, but at the same point in time, don't call out this situation to be another thing of ammo against your ex husband. Like, that's all you're looking for. You're looking for another reason to be mad at your ex husband, and it's manifesting itself in this tattoo deal. There's nothing inherently wrong with the tattoo. I agree. If they're gonna get a picture of a dolphin that's eating a plate of waffles, like, I don't I don't really see the point. If you want a bonding experience, go on a, like, a hike. But when my dad was a Your dad was a dolphin? He loved waffles. Did you say dolphin with waffles? Yes. Get it. It's good stuff. Entry number four on tattoo idea. Yeah. This sounds like because that's awesome. Yeah.

I I get the concept of thinking of bonding I bonding experience with with the tattoo is a weird deal. I I agree with that. I think just getting a tattoo for a bonding experience is weird. I don't I don't really dig on that. I agree with the story thing. I like that. But stop just trying to get ammo against your ex husband. You don't have a legitimate concern. You just don't like your ex. Yeah. What here. So if I if I'm actually giving advice here, I would say, ignore all the peripheries about your story. Okay? Do do your best as a parent to raise confident a child, and then let her make her own decision. Yeah. That seems pretty easy. Just you know, right? Like, if you're that worried if you're that worried that, like, this this your child is so malleable, I feel like you have other risks in the world than dad and tattoos. You know what I'm saying? Well, that's true. It seems like a problem when you're like, you know what? She's susceptible to anything.

She saw a sale of of Doritos at the Petco and bought 12 boxes. That's how you end up buying orange cleaner from that door to door salesman Yeah. And a curt and you're on a payment plan for twenty years on a Kirby vacuum. Yeah. This is the problem if she's that malleable. Alright? So, like, ignore the ex husband, because here's the there's there's elements all over her life that you cannot control. Right? Can't You don't have any control of your ex husband. You won't have control of her boyfriends. You won't have control of a lot of these things. Right? So exert the influence that you have in her life right now and hopefully continue to have. Help her to, see the world rightly, from a loving Jesus and kingdom perspective. That'll help shake some of that stuff out. Help to try to get her connected to the right community, and otherwise, instill self confidence in her, and then she will make her own decisions. Agree. Boom.

Let's see. Secular's advice. Discouraging your daughter from getting a tattoo should be part of an ongoing conversation. I know we talked about this yesterday, but you're not getting that tattoo. You're still not getting a tattoo. Here's the worst statistics on how bad of an idea tattoos are, just in case. Enjoy your Wheaties, sweetheart. That mom should totally get a tattoo that says no tattoos right now. I'll tell you that. I want it to be permanent. I saw this article in this magazine that I looked up against tattoos,

and it says sometimes squids are poison. Exactly. Every time a tattoo gets put on someone's body, a puppy dies. Just a heads up. Segular continues, explaining that unlike makeup or temporary tats, the real thing is permanent. Once it's on, there's no going back. It will be there for the rest of I think we understand what forever means already. Point out that tattoo removal is not only expensive. Oh, it's not forever. We get it removed, but it's also painful. And her skin will not look the way it did before she got inked. She will be scarred. They use the word inked? Okay. She's totally 50 and white. You okay with that? The way she described this situation is ridiculous.

Tattoo removal hurts, and it's expensive. Don't go get inked. Excuse me? That's what the cool kids are calling. You wanna go get inked up? She's almost done. Says, hopefully, it make it will make her less susceptible to bonding with her father in that way. Ultimately, however, when she's 18 and an adult, she will make her own decisions about getting tattooed or remaining ink free.

Hopefully, that will dissuade her relationship with her father. Yeah. Was that part of the advice? Being swayed by fatherly bonding. I mean, come on. I didn't say it, man. What do want me to do? Just as a side note, if you have to explain to your 18 year old that tattoos are permanent, I think you have to worry about a more stuff. Again, poor parenting. Of course, parenting. Now, sweetheart, when the needle pushes the ink into your skin, it's not going away anytime soon. It's like, wait. What? Yeah. This isn't the same as makeup? What if I screw up, though? If I screw up a pumice stone Is there, like, a two day, like, trial period where I can, like, wash it out? Is that cool? Can that guy that sells, like,

massages and, is Israeli skin stuff at the mall, does that that do it? He does cuticle care. Does he take care of tattoos? I mean, that guy looks like he knows stuff. Yeah. This I I don't know. I don't I'm not exactly sure what what baseball she's swinging at. You know what saying? Like, the the ball is coming out of She's sitting there her ex. Boofing it at the crowd. You know what I'm saying? Like, she missed it completely. Swinging. Yeah. You know what kid wants to get a tattoo? And I hate Ron still. Yeah. He goes to work in a boxcar. Alright. Back it up a little. You know, Ron's not that bad. What was what was his situation? Well, if I remember the extraneous details, she he lives off his new wife's pension. Pension. Yeah. And has a lot of actor friends. He's

a hipster. Your dad is a Hollywood type who loves tattoos. Pension plans. I doesn't that imply that either he's he's also an older cat or he's married a much older lady? I mean, I can't collect a pigeon right now. He's male gold digger? Yeah. He's like some 32 year old dude that married a 70 year old woman. A sugar mama who loves paying for tattoos. He's the sugar baby. Oh, buddy. Okay.

Weird deal. Hey. I didn't see that coming. Yeah. Change your ways. Love Jesus. It does really it does really shape the world. It was what actually, it was this is this has come up in multiple conversations, for me over the last six weeks, especially among fellas where we get you meet Jesus and a decade goes by, and suddenly you you you look back at your life and you're like, I don't know. Why isn't the Lord moving? Because you started to take credit for things that the Lord has done for so long that you've then you said, oh, well, I must do this. My marriage is good because I now that I look back, it's so consistent. I must be awesome. And you've you've forgotten that the Lord has actually been sustaining you of his good graces for, like, the last decade. And so you end up in situations like this. Right? Like, where you, Christianity actually does it it causes you to look at the world differently. Like, you just don't have some problems. Like, here's the deal. I I, I talked to somebody. Was meet met someone for coffee this morning, and I was saying, sometimes I have I recognize in my own life that I I don't

I believe God will do what he says he will do. But because my context tends to be, like, middle income married dudes, like, their perspective of what God is offering is very different. Right? Because here's what I can offer. I can't offer I can't tell you he's gonna make you like, give you more money. I can't say he's gonna solve all your relationship problems. I like, give me a list of 10 things that you're worried about in your life, and I can't promise every any one of those things. Every apostle died. After after Jesus was killed, every one of the dudes that was following him was dead within thirty years after that, except for John. Right? So, like, I mean, like, I just can't make the promises, but I can promise you that that he loves you and, that he is real and that what he says is true, and that is is something that you can, you know, that you can follow and know. And, like but but that's about it. Like, I get you got a handful of dudes who say, want god to solve my problems. Like, your major problem is that you think there is no god. Like, that's the root of everything else here. Do what but so I say all those things. I can't promise those things, but I do know that a life that otherwise is filtered through,

a loving sacrificial king and a kingdom lens that says, want the world restored back to me, and I want you to be part of it. What's, is it the second Corinthians, right, is it first, my you're my my ambassadors. Right? Like, I choose you to otherwise be my ambassadors to the world. I started the process. You tell the world. There's good news out there, boys. Right? And do here's what I know. It does change how you see things. I don't I don't fight about weird things with my wife. We fight about some things. But, like, I'm not in Tufts that are breaking up my, like, my marriage because we don't agree that I overspend on jet skis. I don't buy those jet skis because the king says, you know, reasonable price. Let them go. I'll wait till the jet ski discount. Yeah. You Craigslist that stuff or just casually drop it in front of a rich Christian brother that you could use some jet skis. Mean, there's kingdom ways to solve this problem. So, anyway but, anyway, that's why because that's how they do it too. Pray request for some jet skis.

Me and my family go on some vacation. We're short of a lot of money. Anybody got a jet skis, we got my own unspoken jet skis. We went to small group with the Joneses. They are doing good. Man, I really could use a new truck. Old one's fine, but I just really wanna fix it. She got the roll down windows. I just can't deal with that, Lord. Unspoken prayer. I saw that Ron is living off his wife's pension and has an extra truck in his backyard. Alright. Anyway, it it changes the world. It changes how you deal with things. And you know what? In reality, some of your problems actually do go away. You get other ones. I like how Aaron said it. It's it's a mixed bag. You get other ones. But here's the deal. Back to what we were talking about, it's the right ones. That's right. It's the right part. You're having the right conversations. You're actually part of cool, big kingdom work,

and the right things in your life tend to keep you from getting drowned in things that aren't meant meant to drown you. People drown themselves with anything. Right? People are a kid that that baby that jumps in the bucket and puts their head in the two inches of water, you're like, who the hell is doing that? That people do that. Yeah. It's a metaphor for humans. Yeah. Yeah. You know what? I'm a drown in that two inches of water, certainly. And I feel like Christianity just keeps from doing stuff like that. Yeah. Alright. Anyway, thank you, fellas. Sorry, for dragging you through on the, advice piece. I appreciate you hanging out for that. No. You're entertainment. Love it. Alright. So, once again, website so that people can go check it out? Www.discoverhope517.org

is our website. And then, our Facebook page is Discover Hope five seventeen minuteistry on Facebook, and you can connect to us that way. And that will just give you multiple opportunities and multiple ways you can support the ministry. And so yeah. So just again, thank you guys for having us on here and continue to pray for what God is doing. It's to make a difference in people lives and change lives. And we all, as believers, get to be a part of that miracle. And so it's it's wonderful. It's awesome. So yeah. Humbled. We're humbled. Right on. Yes, sir. Yeah. Right on. Alright. Thank you so much, fellas. I appreciate that. We'll we'll keep checking in with you because I've always always good to hear what, how good news has changed in the world. Yeah. No doubt. Thank you so much for having us. You've been, you've listening to Life From The Path. Go to the website, lifefromthepath.org. You can check it out during the week. Watch past clips from the show, including this one, interviews from some of the the local bands and stuff. Hey. Hey. Oh, I have interesting news, fellas, but I'm gonna tell you guys, but I'm not gonna say it on the air here. Yeah. Okay. Mike, but you went to the Timmins show. Good? I did. I went and saw Timmins in, Oskaloosa. It was awesome. I met Timmons. He stared me in the face and scared me. Yeah. Here's the deal. He's a super genuine guy. Like, he loves Jesus. He loves people. And he was genuinely asking me how I was, and I was like, I'm fine. What's your deal? You know what saying? Like, step out of my business. Give it I'm not an elbow. You know what I'm saying? Like,

you need someone to build the place or clean something up. You know? But, like, genuine people that love people, I I don't know how to freeze. I don't know how to act. He was super cool, super generous with his time. The the show was awesome. He's just a he's just a really cool guy. And and so we went up and met him after the show or whatever, and he was awesome with my kids. He let him take a picture, and he's like, how are you, man? I'm like, I'm fine. And then we stared at each other for, like, ten seconds, and he's still beaming from ear to ear with his genuine Jesus love. And I'm like, stop looking at me. You know? So, like, well, maybe I just won't go in public anymore. You know? I was kinda embarrassed to myself when it was all over. So that does remind me that we did that interview we did with Timmons when his, last album came out was very good. It was, it's always cool to listen. He is a refreshing dude to listen to, and his albums are like that too. So you can check out timtimmonsmusic.com. And I don't think he's around the area again soon. But, anyway, we I I think we we might, we're kinda rounding out the, the touring season for some of the acts to come into the studio. So, hopefully, we can get some folks to swing by. I think Driven Levin's in town. Bash at, in Cedar Rapids,

is coming up. And so you can check that out. Egypt's back in town. Driven eleventh in town. I think I think TrueServa is there. Hey. Or the corns? King MC will be running, but it sounds like he'll be coming back to the area Yep. Almost wintertime. Yep. Okay. Sweet. So lots of cool folks coming in. We'll try to land them, but make sure you go out and support those guys. They're out working hard for Jesus. And, anyway, check that stuff up. Sign up for the podcast, and we will see you next week. In the meantime, be faithful in the means. God will handle the ends. You've been listening to live from the path.