{"id":301477,"date":"2007-11-28T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2007-11-28T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/my-testimony-michael-easley\/"},"modified":"2007-11-28T12:00:00","modified_gmt":"2007-11-28T17:00:00","slug":"my-testimony-michael-easley","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/my-testimony-michael-easley\/","title":{"rendered":"My Testimony:  Michael Easley"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hear the compelling story of how God&#8217;s power overcame a man and how God is now using Michael Easley in ministry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/web.familylifetoday.com\/fl2007-11-28.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:","filesize":"10.37M","filesize_raw":"10872476","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2906],"tags":[4402,4403,4978,4979,4960,4977],"podcast_series":[],"cwp_profile":[9095],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-301477","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-becoming-a-christian","tag-bible","tag-bible-study","tag-devotions","tag-quiet-time","tag-scripture","tag-understanding-scripture","cwp_profile-michael-easley","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/301477\/my-testimony-michael-easley","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/301477\/my-testimony-michael-easley","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"s7qS39lOK3\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/my-testimony-michael-easley\/\">My Testimony:  Michael Easley<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/my-testimony-michael-easley\/embed\/#?secret=s7qS39lOK3\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;My Testimony:  Michael Easley&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"s7qS39lOK3\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Hear the compelling story of how God's power overcame a man and how God is now using Michael Easley in ministry.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2007-11-28.pdf","transcript_content":"<p>\n\t\t\t\tMichael:\u00a0I was listening with my headphones to \"In-A-Godda-Da-Vida,\" and other wonderful, helpful, praise music kind of stuff.\u00a0 And there was a Marc Almond album I had put on, and there was a song called \"What am I Living For?\u00a0 Tell me, my friends, it's all been done before.\"\u00a0 I am crashing on LSD, and I thought to myself, \"Why am I living?\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t[musical transition] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0This is FamilyLife Today for Wednesday, November 28th.\u00a0 Our host is the president of FamilyLife, Dennis Rainey, and I'm Bob Lepine.\u00a0 Have you ever asked yourself that question \u2013 why am I living?\u00a0 And have you come up with an answer that makes sense?\u00a0 We're going to hear the answer that Michael Easley came up with today.\u00a0 Stay with us.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t[musical transition] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0And welcome to FamilyLife Today, thanks for joining us on the Wednesday edition.\u00a0 I had the opportunity recently to speak to our staff from Psalm 78, and we were talking about the fact that each one of us has a story of how God has been at work in our lives, and while it's true that each of our stories is unique, it's also true that in some ways each of our stories is the same story \u2013 it's the story of God intervening in the life of somebody who was rebelling against Him and bringing us out of our rebellion and into His family.\u00a0 That's the kind of story we're going to hear on today's program.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0It is.\u00a0 In fact, it is the greatest love story that has ever been told, and I can't help but think, Bob, there are a number of listeners who tune in with some degree of regularity to FamilyLife Today, and they may be nibbling at the edges of Christianity, but they may not have received the King of kings, the Lord of lords, as their own personal savior.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Today on the broadcast, what we want to do is just feature a story that tells about a man's encounter with Jesus Christ and how he personally came into a believing relationship with him and became an adopted child of God.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Yes, the person whose story we're going to be hearing is today the president of the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Dr. Michael Easley.\u00a0 Michael and his wife, Cindy, are the parents of four children, and for years they spoke at our Weekend to Remember Marriage Conferences.\u00a0 Michael is the host of the daily radio program, \"Proclaim,\" and what our listeners are going to hear is very interesting, especially when you consider how God is using Michael today because we're going to look back at his life before he knew Christ and hear about some of the things that took place in the home in which he grew up.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0That's right, Bob, and to all of our listeners, as you listen to Michael Easley share his encounter with Jesus Christ, I think what I would like to challenge you to do, as you listen to Michael's story, I want you to listen and ask yourself the question \u2013 have I experienced God, the Creator of the Universe, the Lord God Almighty?\u00a0 Have I had a personal encounter with Him where I have placed my faith in the finished work that Jesus Christ provided on that cross, and have I placed my faith in Him to save me from my sins and provide not only forgiveness but everlasting life.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0And as you listen to Michael, perhaps your heart will be stirred by the Holy Spirit that it's time for you to maybe stop nibbling at the edges and go ahead and receive the greatest gift that's ever been offered to a human being.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Yes, what we're going to be hearing today was actually first shared with conferees at one of our Weekend to Remember Marriage Conferences, and we talk about the transforming work of God in a person's life at the conference because it's our conviction that your marriage can't be all that God intends it to be unless God is at the center of your marriage, and God can't be at the center of your marriage unless you have a personal relationship with Him.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0So here is Dr. Michael Easley speaking at a FamilyLife Weekend to Remember Marriage Conference.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMichael:\u00a0[from audiotape.]\u00a0 I was raised in a very religious home.\u00a0 My parents are very religious people, and for whatever number of reasons, as a teenager I rebelled, major league.\u00a0 And between my 7th and 8th grade year, summer, I was exposed to drugs and by the end of 7th grade, the summer before 8th grade, I was using dope or something every single day for nearly two and a half years.\u00a0 I was stoned out of my mind.\u00a0 I would smoke dope on the weekdays between \u2013 before school, on the breaks, after school, and I would do recreational drugs on the weekend.\u00a0 I'd do acid and mescaline and all kinds of derivatives.\u00a0 And I always prided myself on being sort of a smart drug user.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t[laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0I leaned toward the organics, and I didn't do synthetics, and I never mixed my drugs, because I was a smart drug user.\u00a0 And one night I had taken some \u2013 what was called \"orange barrel.\"\u00a0 It's a strychnine derivative, a hallucinogenic, and it makes you \u2013 hallucinogenic is basically \u2013 the reason you take is because you see something go by, and you see it for a long time.\u00a0 You hear a sound, and you hear it, and the hallucination effect is the euphoric effect for the first part of the drug.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0As your body starts processing it, they call it a \"crash,\" and the crashing on LSD is one of the most miserable experiences you will ever have using drugs.\u00a0 And so most drug users will take a barbiturate to get them down off the high.\u00a0 Being a smart drug user, of course, I would ride the crash out.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0I was listening with my headphones to In-A-Godda-Da-Vida and other wonderful, helpful praise music kind of stuff \u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t[laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0\u2026 and there was a Marc Almond album I had put on, and there was a song called \"What am I Living For?\u00a0 Tell me, my friends, it's all been done before.\"\u00a0 It is the most existential, sad, melancholy song in the world, I am crashing on LSD, you want to die when you're crashing on LSD, and I thought to myself, \"Why am I living?\u00a0 What is the point of this?\"\u00a0 I had a six-inch Western blade hunting knife, and I was playing with that knife listening to this interesting music, and I said, \"What are you living for, Michael Easley?\"\u00a0 And because I was a smart drug user, I knew that tomorrow I might not think this way.\u00a0 So I said, \"You know, you can always kill yourself tomorrow, Michael.\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Well, the morning came, and I was terrified that I had entertained taking my own life, and I began a search for truth, and I got real religious in my parents' religion.\u00a0 And I went to the functions, and I read the books, and I got real religious, but I never found that truth.\u00a0 In fact, for almost three years I looked for truth. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0And the more people I talked to about what is truth?\u00a0 What is God?\u00a0 What is the afterlife?\u00a0 The more answers that I would assemble that were dissatisfying.\u00a0 And unfortunately, no one in my little world was able to explain to me as simply as I have essentially dedicated my life to explaining what I learned in that process \u2013 that Jesus lived; that He died; He was buried, and He came back from the dead, and He says, if you believe in me, I'll give you eternal life, and you'll never perish.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0That's why I liked those two verses that Paul wrote \u2013 \"For by grace you have been saved through faith not of yourselves, it's a gift of God.\"\u00a0 In other words, if I could be real religious and earn my way into heaven on the scales of heavenly justice, then I could be a little better than you, and I could tell you how to live your life.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0And the unusual part about what the Bible teaches is that it's what He did for you and me, not what we do for Him.\u00a0 It's what He did, not what we could ever do, \"For by grace you have been saved through faith.\"\u00a0 It's a gift of God.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Well, that drug addict, drughead, rebellious, screwed-up, terrible teenager came to a trusting relationship in Jesus Christ, and my life took a 180-degree turn.\u00a0 And I began to learn what it means to be a believer in Jesus Christ, to follow Him.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Now, there's a number of us in this room who have never come to that place, and they're spiritual journey to know who Jesus Christ is, and, you know, you can only straddle the fork in the road so long.\u00a0 When you come to a place that you have to go left or right in a spiritual journey, you have to make a decision.\u00a0 You can go the way you were always going, or you can stop and study the intersection.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0This hour is a time for you to look at the intersection.\u00a0 We can talk about a happier marriage, we can talk about a happier home, we can talk about parenting your children better, we can talk about getting along, we can talk about forgiving, none of that makes any difference unless you have the power of God to pull off this marriage.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0And I would stand up here literally all day and talk to you and answer any question I could to resolve in your mind any doubt about coming to that place in your spiritual journey to trust Jesus Christ for your life, for your salvation, to give you a gift called \"eternal life.\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Trust is kind of a funny thing.\u00a0 It's to believe someone else is going to do something for you that you can't do yourself.\u00a0 That seems risky.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0I talked to a man just a few weeks ago.\u00a0 He caught me in a hallway at our church, and he said, \"You know, my life's screwed up.\u00a0 My wife and I are having a terrible fight.\u00a0 I had an affair years ago, she won't forgive me,\" and on and on he went.\u00a0 And he said, \"I know I need to trust Jesus Christ, but I'm kind of a control freak.\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0I said, \"Okay.\u00a0 So what you're telling me is you're going to control your life.\"\u00a0 He said, \"Right.\"\u00a0 So I took my two hands, I said, \"So here is you in your hand, you're controlling your life, right?\"\u00a0 I said, \"You've told me your life's going to hell in a hand basket, your wife hates you, she's mad at you, she won't forgive you, you had an affair, but you're a control freak.\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0He went, \"Huh, huh, huh.\"\u00a0 I said, \"So what's the risk over here, my friend?\u00a0 Are you going to stay in this control and, admittedly, you're not doing real well,\" and he kind of smiled.\u00a0 \"Are you going to put your life over here and let Jesus Christ help you and trust Him for your life?\"\u00a0 And he says, \"I guess it's a pretty dumb question.\"\u00a0 I said, \"Yeah, it is.\" And he put his trust in Jesus Christ.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0If you were here today, and you've never come to that juncture in your journey to know that you know that you know that you know where you're going to spend all of eternity, don't delay.\u00a0 Make that decision today.\u00a0 Put your trust in Christ to do for you what you can never do for yourself.\u00a0 It's the most important decision you'll ever make.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Well, we've been listening together to Dr. Michael Easley speaking at one of our FamilyLife Weekend to Remember Marriage Conferences and telling what is the good news, Dennis.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0And it's a free gift.\u00a0 You know, it's at this point when I have the privilege of giving this message at a FamilyLife Today Marriage Conference that I reach into my pocket, and I pull out a dollar bill, or if I've got something larger, which is doubtful \u2013 there it is.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0That's a 20 right there.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0There's a 20, there's a 20 \u2013 I hold this 20 open, and I look at a guy in the front row, and I say to him, \"I want to give this gift to you.\"\u00a0 And I look at him, I point at him, and I hold my palm open with that $20 bill laying face up.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0I have never had a person get up out of the front row and take me at my word and come and grab the bill.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0You've got some listeners right now who are going to wait for the next time you're there.\u00a0 They're going to be down front \u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0Somebody is going to be sitting there.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0The illustration is worth noting.\u00a0 Jesus comes and offers eternal life.\u00a0 A lot of people sit there, they hear it, they think about it, they think it's a great gift.\u00a0 They see people experience the gift.\u00a0 They see people benefit from the gift.\u00a0 They notice the joy that others have after having received the gift.\u00a0 But for them they have looked at the gift, they know it's a free gift, but they haven't, by faith, gotten up and reached and received the gift.\u00a0 And Jesus Christ said we do that by faith.\u00a0 Not by working our way to heaven but simply by taking God at His Word.\u00a0 And when He said in John, chapter 5, \"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and does not come into judgment but has passed out of death into life.\"\u00a0 You have to take Jesus Christ at His Word and receive the gift.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0And you do that through prayer.\u00a0 And, you know, I think, Bob, many times we have made prayer far more complicated than God ever intended it to be.\u00a0 Prayer is just talking with God, and He wants a relationship with us.\u00a0 So if we turn to Him in faith, through prayer, and say to Him, \"Lord God, maker of heaven and earth, I am a sinner.\u00a0 I need salvation.\u00a0 I now come and receive your son Jesus Christ as your gift for me, who paid the price of my sin and who now can give me eternal life.\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0And at that point, if you reach out, by faith, and you take that gift, He promises, as I just read in John, chapter 5, you will pass out of death into life, and the picture there is you can't pass back from life unto death.\u00a0 It is a transfer that occurs where His righteousness is given to you, and you are declared not guilty.\u00a0 He has said in the Scriptures, He has removed our sin as far as the East from the West.\u00a0 We are forgiven, therefore, as Michael was just talking about, we can forgive.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0And for some of our listeners right now, you may have heard the story, you may have celebrated the story, but you've never received the gift.\u00a0 Right now, I invite you to pray along with me, wherever you are.\u00a0 Driving a car, at home, in your office, over the Internet, right now, trust Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and make Him the Lord of your life.\u00a0 Lord Jesus, I am a sinner.\u00a0 I need a savior.\u00a0 Thank you for dying on the cross for me.\u00a0 I now trust you for the forgiveness of my sins, and I want you to be the Lord of my life.\u00a0 Come and make me the person you designed me to be.\u00a0 Amen.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0I can promise you on the authority of God's Word that if you placed your faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross, the same Lord Jesus Christ who rose again on the third day, who is alive today and who can make this offer to you because He's alive.\u00a0 If you placed your faith in Him, and you received that gift, that gift is yours, and there's a number of things that happened to you.\u00a0 One is you were declared a child of God.\u00a0 You were adopted.\u00a0 You were given an imperishable inheritance.\u00a0 He has given you the Holy Spirit and He has become your Father.\u00a0 On and on it goes, it is the most important decision that a person will ever make in his or her entire lifetime.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0You know, Michael shares a story in this message that I think would be good for our listeners to hear, in fact, we're going to hear it before we're done here today.\u00a0 But if any of our listeners have been tuned in today, and they are thinking, \"I don't know that I really understand what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.\u00a0 I don't know that I really understand this Gospel message, or maybe listening to Michael explain it today, they go, \"I've never heard that before,\" or \"I've never heard it put that way before,\" and I want to be a follower of Jesus Christ.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0There's a booklet we'd love to send you.\u00a0 It's called \"Pursuing God,\" and it will help clarify what it means to be a Christian and to be one whose life is committed to God through a relationship with Jesus Christ.\u00a0 We would be happy to send you this book.\u00a0 Maybe you're at a point in your life where you're thinking, \"I need to give this some serious consideration,\" or maybe you're saying, \"I know this is what I need today.\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0You can call us at 1-800-FLTODAY and ask for a copy of the book, \"Pursuing God.\"\u00a0 We are happy to send it to you at no cost to you.\u00a0 We want to do whatever we can to help you make progress in this spiritual journey that you find yourself on.\u00a0 Call us at 1-800-FLTODAY and ask about a copy of the book, \"Pursuing God,\" and, again, we're happy to send it out to you, and we trust that you will find it helpful as you begin a journey toward God and toward a relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0I also want to invite you to stop by our website at FamilyLife.com.\u00a0 We've had a lot of people who have already this week gone to our website.\u00a0 They've heard us talking about the special offer that's available from our friends at Logos Bible study software. They have a number of different Bible software packages that are designed for families to help you do more serious Bible study and understand your Bible better, and a lot of folks have gone to FamilyLife.com, clicked the red button that says \"Go\" on the center of the home page.\u00a0 They've gotten more information about the different Logos software packages, and many of them have ordered the software for their own computers.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Again, Logos is making a special offer available to FamilyLife Today listeners for the next few weeks, and I want to encourage you to go to our website and get more information about how you can get a software package for your computer that will help accelerate your Bible study.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Our website is FamilyLife.com.\u00a0 You can also call us with any questions you have or if you need more information about the software, 1-800-FLTODAY is our toll-free number \u2013 1-800-358-6329.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0I need to say a quick word of thanks, if I can, to the folks who not only listen regularly to FamilyLife Today but for those of you who help support the ministry financially \u2013 I want you to know we really appreciate your partnership with us.\u00a0 It's always an encouragement for us to hear from you, and we do appreciate, when you are able, to make ka financial contribution to our ministry.\u00a0 We are listener-supported so those contributions are essential for the ongoing ministry of FamilyLife Today.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0And this month we have a way we'd like to say thank you when you help support the ministry of FamilyLife Today.\u00a0 It's an animated DVD for families.\u00a0 It's called \"The Very First Noel.\"\u00a0 It's a fresh creative retelling of the Christmas story, Andy Griffith is the narrator on this DVD, and we'd love to send your family a copy as our way of saying thank you for your financial support of this ministry when you make a donation of any amount this month to FamilyLife Today.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0If you're making your donation online, when you come to the keycode box, on the donation form, just type in the word \"Noel\" so that we know to send you a copy of this DVD, or if you call and make your donation at 1-800-FLTODAY, just mention you'd like a copy of the DVD for families, and, again, we're happy to send it out to you.\u00a0 We do appreciate your partnership with us, and it's always great to hear from you.\u00a0 Dennis?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0You know, a little earlier, I mentioned that as a result of placing your faith in Christ, one of the things that happens to us is that God gives us the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 And He gives us the Holy Spirit to empower us to be obedient, to walk in faith, and to make us like Jesus Christ on an ongoing basis.\u00a0 Unfortunately, Christians who have received the Holy Spirit many times don't acknowledge His presence, and they live as thought they are spiritual paupers.\u00a0 They live as though they're impoverished.\u00a0 They have no resources from heaven whatsoever.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0You know, when Michael Easley was speaking at one of our Weekend to Remember Marriage Conferences, he shared a story that illustrates exactly what you're talking about.\u00a0 It's a great story that I think will bring the point home very clearly for our listeners.\u00a0 Here, again, is Dr. Michael Easley at a FamilyLife Weekend to Remember Marriage Conference.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMichael:\u00a0[from audiotape.]\u00a0 Bill Bryant wrote a book years ago called \"The Secret.\"\u00a0 This is one of the stories.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0\"Sally was almost penniless.\u00a0 Her husband, Jeb, had died years before.\u00a0 Life insurance paid off the mortgage, but that was about it.\u00a0 Her house and life deteriorated around her.\u00a0 The car was junked long ago, because she couldn't keep up with it.\u00a0 She got by on a few dollars each week for groceries, and when the electric bill was too high, she would live by a Coleman stove and candlelight.\u00a0 And she lived that way barely for years, and one day, out of the blue, an old friend from childhood, Miriam, called her on the phone to see how she was doing.\u00a0 Miriam was heartbroken when she listened to Sally's story and decided to come spend some time with her on vacation.\u00a0 So Miriam flew to her home and spent some time helping her go through her house and clean things up that it deteriorated.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0In the process of straightening up and cleaning up things, she discovered, in a rolltop desk, a folder that said, on the front, 'For Sally.'\u00a0 Inside the envelope was a savings book, and there was an entry made 22 years earlier that had a balance of $87,000.\u00a0 But that wasn't all.\u00a0 The folder also contained a yellowed envelope with a handwritten inscription in Jeb's handwriting that said, 'To Sally with love forever.'\u00a0 'Do you know what this is?' Miriam asked Sally.\u00a0 Sally searched her memory, she couldn't recall.\u00a0 Then she realized, 'Oh, yeah, Jeb told me, 'There's something important in my desk for you.'\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Twenty-two years later these two opened the envelope.\u00a0 Miriam watched.\u00a0 She opened the envelope, inside was a single folded page and a key.\u00a0 The letter said, 'My dearest love, my time draws short with you, but I want you to know I've provided everything you will need once I am gone.\u00a0 Check the bankbook in the file, and take the key to the bank.\u00a0 In loving remembrance, please enjoy life to the full.\u00a0 With love forever, Jeb.'\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Well, Sally and Miriam discovered that the key was a safety deposit box at the local bank and went to the bank and pulled the box and opened it.\u00a0 Inside were several bundles of cash totaling $32,000, a pile of stock certificates, and three folders of rare coins.\u00a0 That afternoon the stockbroker informed them the certificates were worth $550,000.\u00a0 The rare coin dealer appraised the coin folders at $47,000, and the bank calculated interest on the $87,000 of 22 years and brought it to $254,000.\u00a0 All told, Sally was worth $883,000, and she had been living in misery and squalor.\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0And Bill's point is a lot of us live the Christian life in squalor, and we have the power of the Holy Spirit available to control us \u2013 inexhaustible resources of power to help us to be the kind of men, the kind of women, the kind of marriages we need to be.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0FamilyLife Today is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t_____________________________________________________________\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts for you. However, there is a cost to transcribe, create, and produce them for our website. If you've benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright \u00a9 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>www.FamilyLife.com<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>","theme_header_position":"","post_header_is_sticky":"","is_header_overlay":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/301477","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=301477"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=301477"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=301477"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=301477"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=301477"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=301477"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=301477"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}