{"id":302182,"date":"2010-12-21T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2010-12-21T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/love-in-action\/"},"modified":"2010-12-21T12:00:00","modified_gmt":"2010-12-21T17:00:00","slug":"love-in-action","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/love-in-action\/","title":{"rendered":"Love in Action"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What will people think?<\/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\/fl2010-12-21.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:","filesize":"27.85M","filesize_raw":"29202241","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2821],"tags":[4002],"podcast_series":[7777],"cwp_profile":[9221],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-302182","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reaching-out","tag-reaching-out","podcast_series-stumbling-souls-is-love-enough","cwp_profile-chris-plekenpol","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\/302182\/love-in-action","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/302182\/love-in-action","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=\"qmsGqaqIFu\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/love-in-action\/\">Love in Action<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/love-in-action\/embed\/#?secret=qmsGqaqIFu\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Love in Action&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"qmsGqaqIFu\" 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 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clearly the thought he just couldn\u2019t shake, couldn\u2019t get out of his mind, the thought that he ought to invite a friend of his, a homeless man, to move in with him.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Really it was one of those things where I was like, \u201cGod, is this really you?\u201d\u00a0 I mean, you sit there and it\u2019s like, \u201cThis is a good idea.\u00a0 It sounds like something very heroic and I\u2019m going to go <em>do<\/em> it!\u201d\u00a0 But you\u2019re still like, \u201cThis is a homeless guy.\u00a0 This is going to take my time, my talent, and definitely my treasure.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI was like, \u201cYou know what?\u00a0 Again, what if I really believe Jesus?\u00a0 What if I really took his heart for the poor and said, \u2018I\u2019m going to make it my heart for the poor,\u2019 and then let him come through.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 This is <em>FamilyLifeToday<\/em> for Tuesday, December 21<sup>st<\/sup>.\u00a0 Our host is the President of FamilyLife, Dennis Rainey, and I\u2019m Bob Lepine.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to hear today the very honest and riveting account of what happened when Chris Plekenpol invited a homeless friend of his to move in.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd welcome to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>.\u00a0 Thanks for joining us.\u00a0 The story that we\u2019re dialoguing over here this week reminded me of a night \u2013 this was maybe a year-and-a-half ago.\u00a0 My son had been out riding his bike and he was up at the K-Mart and he calls me on his cell phone and says, \u201cDad, can you come up and pick me up?\u00a0 There\u2019s a guy here who needs help.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo I thought, \u201cOkay.\u201d\u00a0 So I hop in the car and I drive up to the K-Mart and he\u2019s out front and here\u2019s my 14-year-old son at the time with this guy, and he said, \u201cI met him here and he was telling me his story and he just moved here and he doesn\u2019t have a job and doesn\u2019t have a place to live, and can we help him?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 (Chuckling) And you\u2019re the dad and he\u2019s the son, and so what did you do?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 I said, \u201cYeah, absolutely.\u201d\u00a0 I said, \u201cAre you hungry?\u201d\u00a0 So there was a restaurant in the K-Mart parking lot and the guy said, \u201cYeah.\u201d\u00a0 I said, \u201cCome on over,\u201d and we went in and I went in with the guy and I handed the lady $10 and I said, \u201cMy friend here is going to get something to eat.\u00a0 Get him whatever he wants for his $10,\u201d and prayed with him and said, \u201cGod bless you,\u201d and we left and we went home.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd on the way home my son said, \u201cWhere\u2019s he going to sleep tonight?\u201d\u00a0 I said, \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d\u00a0 (Dennis and Chris chuckling)\u00a0 \u201cWell, couldn\u2019t he come and sleep at our house?\u201d\u00a0 I said, \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd you know, that\u2019s kind of the end of the story.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have anything more than that, other than this:\u00a0 I\u2019ve never forgotten it.\u00a0 I\u2019ve always wondered if I should have done more than I did.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yeah.\u00a0 Who hasn\u2019t had that thought?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 And I\u2019ve always reflected on the scene from Les Mis where the priest takes in Jean Valjean who steals from him\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right. Right, right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 And it\u2019s a redemptive moment.\u00a0 You look at that and you think to yourself, \u201cOkay, Lord.\u00a0 I want to be your ambassador.\u00a0 What does that mean?\u201d\u00a0 We\u2019re hearing this week what it meant for our guest, and how that got lived out in his life.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 And it\u2019s a compelling story.\u00a0 Here at Christmas time folks are looking for a good book to give to a family member or maybe to just purchase and in the new year read out loud for some family times.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt\u2019s just a great story.\u00a0 It\u2019s a compelling story of a person who needed some help and hope and our guest on the broadcast today, Chris Plekenpol, stepped out and made a difference in a man by the name of James\u2019 life.\u00a0 Chris, welcome back to <em>FamilyLife Today.<\/em>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Thanks, guys.\u00a0 So good to be here.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Chris, as I mentioned earlier, has served in the military.\u00a0 He is a graduate of West Point.\u00a0 Also (we\u2019re going to get this in on all the broadcasts, too, Chris) he\u2019s a graduate of my alma mater, Dallas Theological Seminary, and today heads up a ministry.\u00a0 Why don\u2019t you explain to our listeners just what your ministry is all about.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 The ministry is called <em>I Am Second<\/em>, and I wouldn\u2019t actually say I am heading it up.\u00a0 I am a huge part of it \u2013 we\u2019ll call it that.\u00a0 <em>I Am Second<\/em> is a ministry that puts Christ first.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThere are essentially three components to this ministry.\u00a0 One is videos, which show incredible life change from people that didn\u2019t have Christ to people who have Christ, or even for Christians that struggled with some area of their life and found Christ\u2019s redemptive power in the midst of that.\u00a0 Those testimonies will encourage your faith and may even help somebody who doesn\u2019t have any faith at all.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe second aspect of the ministry is \u2013 you know the videos are the thing that draws people \u2013 but the meat and the heart and soul of our ministry is <em>I Am Second<\/em>\u2019s small groups, where you really get into the heart of reaching the lost through a small group of people to actually live out their faith.\u00a0 So the discussion orientation of the ministry.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd then also, expeditions, where we go \u2013 domestic:\u00a0 homeless shelters, prisons, or overseas to, a sense, the mission field, where you plant churches and start <em>I Am Second<\/em> groups there.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well, you talked about some kind of prioritization where Christ is first and I am second.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been in your book, which, by the way, is titled <em>Stumbling Souls: Is Love Enough?<\/em>\u00a0 Great title, by the way.\u00a0 But you have a list, and I just love this list, Bob.\u00a0 He had seven things on the list that were important \u2013\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 There were ten.\u00a0 Weren\u2019t there ten?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Were there ten?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 I think there were ten.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well, number seven on the list was \u201cgetting married.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 That was the one that caught your eye.\u00a0 Yeah.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Was \u201cgetting married.\u201d\u00a0 Here\u2019s a 33-year-old guy --\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yeah.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 -- and he\u2019s served in the military, he\u2019s been a hero in war, he\u2019s gone to Dallas Seminary and graduated from there and now works in a ministry, and number seven, Chris?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Number seven.\u00a0 Number seven.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Number seven.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 (Laughing)\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 You\u2019re a leader.\u00a0 You led in the military.\u00a0 You had 21 tanks in Iraq under your control.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 In fact, I got the list right here.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 And I wish our audience could see the color of red . . .\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t(laughing)\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Here\u2019s the list.\u00a0 Number one: Dallas Seminary was number one.\u00a0 No, Jesus was number one, right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Absolutely.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well there you go.\u00a0 Thank you, Bob.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Dallas Seminary and finishing seminary -- \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 The call that Jesus put on my life of Dallas Seminary.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Number two:\u00a0 Speaking engagements to sell books.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yeah.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 I\u2019m glad that you were honest about it.\u00a0 Get the book out there.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 That\u2019s right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Number three: my mom.\u00a0 Number four:\u00a0 my dad.\u00a0 Number five: my Bible study group.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Mm \u2013 hmm.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Number \u2013 actually it\u2019s number six:\u00a0 find a wife.\u00a0 Number six is find a wife.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 There are a number of girls taking heart that his mom and his dad were ahead of them.\u00a0 But number six?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 And right behind \u201cfind a wife\u201d was \u201ctry not to eat out every meal.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 (Laughter)\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Which might go hand-in-hand with finding a wife.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yeah, I haven\u2019t really succeeded at number seven.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Number eight was work out and stay in shape, which if you eat out every meal you\u2019re going to have to do that.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t(Laughter)\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNumber nine was try to publish the next book, and number ten was help James. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 And James is the guy -- you\u2019ve already shared this week -- the guy you ran into at church, homeless, he later told you his story.\u00a0 He was HIV positive, he had been involved with drugs, he\u2019s living out in the streets in Dallas, and one of your friends said, \u201cWell, come to our Bible study,\u201d and he starts showing up every Monday night at the Bible study, right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 And he tells his story about how he grew up in an evangelical home, how his dad died when he was a boy, and how he was sexually molested at a camp and started living the gay lifestyle, contracted AIDS, as you mentioned, Bob, and now we find you bringing this guy to a Bible study but you\u2019re doing this list, this prioritization, and you look at the list and James is at the bottom.\u00a0 What happened in your heart?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 I just realized that after all those things take place, James can get about 30 seconds of a thought of my day.\u00a0 And here I am, reading James chapter 2 which essentially says if you see a need and you don\u2019t meet it, then what good is your faith?\u00a0 Even the demons believe in God and shudder, so there is just that thought.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI\u2019m sitting there as I\u2019m talking to my good friend, Britt, who is a seminary student with me.\u00a0 I\u2019m just saying, \u201cHere\u2019s the reality of where my \u2013 if I\u2019m really honest, if I\u2019m completely honest and maybe even selfishly honest of where I really am, here is where I lay out my priorities.\u00a0 Number one, God put Dallas Seminary on my heart.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to go and do that.\u00a0 But everything else falls behind that, and then there\u2019s James.\u00a0 But what if, what if I put him up at the top of the list, and my conclusion was, I\u2019d bring James home to my apartment.\u00a0 That would be the next . . .\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIf anybody else in my Bible study needed a place to say, I wouldn\u2019t even think twice about it, and James had been coming to the Bible study for a couple of months, so we\u2019d known him and we\u2019d spent time with him.\u00a0 So I\u2019d pray for James just like I\u2019d pray for Bill or Britt.\u00a0 If they needed a favor, I\u2019d go do something for them.\u00a0 If they said, \u201cHey, I need to crash your place for a night,\u201d it wouldn\u2019t even be a question.\u00a0 If they said, \u201cI really need help doing something,\u201d of course I would.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo \u2013 alright, what does James need?\u00a0 What does James need?\u00a0 James needs a place to stay.\u00a0 He needs someone to stand in the gap for him where he can\u2019t.\u00a0 So how can I do that?\u00a0 I thought the only way I\u2019m actually going to care about it enough is if he moves in with me and his pain becomes my pain.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Mm hmm.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 And so the perfect opportunity came when it started to rain.\u00a0 I mean, the rain was crashing down.\u00a0 I\u2019d told Britt about this, I\u2019d been thinking about it.\u00a0 I\u2019m sitting at Caf\u00e9 Brazil drinking a latte and eating out and doing Greek homework \u2013\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Kind of looking around to see if there were any girls \u2013\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<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 and Britt called \u2013\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 No, you were thinking about Mom.\u00a0 You were thinking about your mother.\u00a0 Tell the truth.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Exactly.\u00a0 I was thinking about my mom and how wonderful she is, and how I need to go and \u2013\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 I\u2019m really questioning your priority list.\u00a0 I think we need to call your mom on the phone, right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 She\u2019d vouch for me.\u00a0 And so, I\u2019m sitting there and Britt called me.\u00a0 It had been his turn to drop James off, which, you know, everyone kind of dreaded that.\u00a0 And so he calls me and he said, \u201cChris, I just dropped James off at a laundromat.\u00a0 They\u2019re going to let him stay there the night, but I dropped him off at a laundromat, man.\u00a0 Our faith is worthless.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd so something inside me was like, \u201cMmmm.\u00a0 I have to do it.\u201d\u00a0 Then he even says, \u201cYou know, if I was single, he\u2019d be at my place,\u201d and I\u2019m like \u2013\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Oh.\u00a0 Ooh \u2013 ooh \u2013 ooh.\u00a0 Thanks, bro.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yeah, thanks for the conviction card.\u00a0 Alright.\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<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 I just want to add here for folks who don\u2019t know how most seminarians go to school, go to grad school.\u00a0 They are dirt poor.\u00a0 Most are just scraping by, and as I read your story, you know, you lived in an upstairs above a garage \u2013\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 -- in a place that was probably big enough for you\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 -- but it wasn\u2019t like you had a three-bedroom apartment or house to invite James into.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right.\u00a0 It was small.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 So did you go down to the laundromat and pick him up?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 No.\u00a0 I waited till the next week.\u00a0 As I sat there and I was like, really it was one of those things where I was like, \u201cGod, is this really you?\u201d\u00a0 I mean, you sit there and it\u2019s like \u201cThis is a good idea.\u00a0 It sounds like something very heroic, and I\u2019m going to go <em>do it.<\/em><em>\u00a0 <\/em>I\u2019m going to go \u2013When I was in combat, I just went and did it.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t a \u2013 you know, if there was a soldier out in need, we\u2019d just jump in the tank and we went out to save the day.\u00a0 So here I am thinking along those lines, and I\u2019m like, \u201cThat\u2019s what I \u2013 I \u2013 hmmm.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut you\u2019re still like, \u201cThis is a homeless guy.\u00a0 This is going to take my time, my talent, and definitely my treasure,\u201d which, you know as a seminary student, you\u2019re like, \u201cOh, I don\u2019t know.\u201d\u00a0 You\u2019re just contemplating, \u201cDo I have enough to do this?\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWell, I was like, \u201cYou know what?\u00a0 Again, what if I really believe Jesus?\u00a0 What if I really took his words that \u2018I\u2019ll never leave you or forsake you,\u2019 and what if I took his heart for the poor and said, \u2018I\u2019m going to make it my heart for the poor,\u2019 and then let him come through.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo the following week I see James at the Bible study and he\u2019s looking mopey \u2013 which, he always looks mopey, but then he\u2019s spending a week on the streets, not exactly a vacation.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI\u2019m like, \"Hey, man.\u00a0 You\u2019re coming home with me tonight.\u201d\u00a0 He looks at me like, puzzled, surprised, but like, \u201cOkay.\u201d\u00a0 And so we do it.\u00a0 He comes home and I lay down the rules.\u00a0 I\u2019m like, \u201cLook, I don\u2019t want to resent you.\u00a0 I want to establish some boundaries so I don\u2019t get on edge with you,\u201d and he\u2019s like, \u201cWell, if you don\u2019t want to do this you don\u2019t have to do it.\u201d\u00a0 And I\u2019m like, \u201cNo, no, no.\u00a0 I want to do it.\u00a0 I just want to not resent you as a part of this, and so, I\u2019ve never done this before, so here\u2019s the ground rules.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tJust don\u2019t go inside my room, and I will go and I will drop you off every morning at the day resource center so you can look at getting a job and possible whatever, and I\u2019ll pick you up every night.\u00a0 We\u2019ll just coordinate a time every day.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo he was okay with that, and so we got home and we prayed and it started.\u00a0 I was like, \u201cPlease take a shower.\u00a0 Again.\u201d\u00a0 Just the funk \u2013 it kind of \u2013 he probably didn\u2019t know how bad he smelled, and I was like, \u201cBro, just please just take a shower so that the whole apartment doesn\u2019t smell like your feet.\u201d\u00a0 Not that I\u2019m trying to be rude, it\u2019s just, you know.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yeah.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 So, that\u2019s where it begins.\u00a0 And then I realize at that moment, this isn\u2019t going to be a week-long thing.\u00a0 This is going to be a long-term endeavor.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 So you were dropping him off every morning at this resource center. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Picking him up every night?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 And was he always there, ready to come home?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 For the most part.\u00a0 For the first week or so he was always ready.\u00a0 But then he\u2019d ask me to go do laundry.\u00a0 And I\u2019m like, \u201cWell. . .\u201d\u00a0 I didn\u2019t have a washer and dryer in my apartment so it made sense to me.\u00a0 So I was like, \u201cOkay, cool. Yeah.\u201d\u00a0 He\u2019s like \u201cI\u2019ll just stay down at a friend\u2019s house.\u00a0 If I give him a couple bucks then he\u2019ll let me stay there that night, and he\u2019s got a washer and dryer, so can you give me some money and I\u2019ll do that?\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019m like, \u201cOh.\u201d\u00a0 I didn\u2019t think twice about it.\u00a0 \u201cYeah. It sounds good.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd the thing that was kind of neat that happened over time was that at first, when he\u2019d ask me for money I\u2019d be very kind of \u201cUgh.\u00a0 What do you need ten bucks for?\u201d and then it transformed to like \u2013 \u201cHmmm.\u201d\u00a0 Over time it almost became gratifying.\u00a0 I don\u2019t even know how to explain that, but there was this sense of \u201cI\u2019ve got a change to provide and be a resource for him,\u201d as opposed to feeling like he was ripping me off.\u00a0 I felt like this was God\u2019s resources, this is what God has done, and here\u2019s the weird thing.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tRandom times at the library some random guy comes up to me at the Dallas Seminary Library.\u00a0 I had never met him before.\u00a0 I had been blogging about this on Facebook and MySpace and he says, \u201cHey, I\u2019ve been watching your story.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know you or James, but here\u2019s 50 bucks . . .\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNever met the guy, never saw him again, never heard from him again, but stuff like that would just happen.\u00a0 Money would just appear. I wouldn\u2019t ask for it, I wouldn\u2019t even -- It was the most weird thing ever, and I was like \u201cWhoa!\u201d\u00a0 So when you talk about prayers being answered in a sense of need, because every night I would be like, \u201cGod, I don\u2019t know how we\u2019re going to provide for this, I don\u2019t know how this is going to happen.\u201d\u00a0 Stuff happened.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Let me ask you quickly.\u00a0 Let me take you back to the story I told at the beginning.\u00a0 If you were me, I want you to project ahead now twenty years, and you\u2019re married and you\u2019ve got a 14-year-old son who calls you.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yeah.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Do you bring that guy home?\u00a0 I mean, the reason I\u2019m asking is because we hear your story on the radio and all of us go . . .\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Oh, yeah.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 . . . should I drive downtown tonight and find somebody and bring them home?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well, no, I wouldn\u2019t do that, because \u2013 here\u2019s the problem \u2013 and we\u2019re going to get to that as the story progresses.\u00a0 The problem is, homeless people are homeless for a reason.\u00a0 That sounds so, I don\u2019t know, judgmental, but in our \u2013\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 No, it\u2019s not a matter of being judgmental.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Okay.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 It is a matter of cause-effect.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Sure.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 There are some decisions that have been made along the way . . .\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 And maybe are still being made along the way . . .\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 That\u2019s right.\u00a0 There are bad things that happen \u2013\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 -- to good people, who get off track,\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 but in all fairness to them, they\u2019re not all victims of bad circumstances.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right.\u00a0 Let\u2019s just go for a general \u2013 There are three types of homeless people, and maybe I\u2019m really stereotyping, but I\u2019ll just give you the three that I\u2019ve seen.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOne is the mentally ill, and that person needs help but they probably won\u2019t ask you to go home with them.\u00a0 Then there is the person who has been laid off for a short period of time and they\u2019ve just hit rock bottom and they\u2019re trying to get it together.\u00a0 I have seen one or two of those.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut the majority that will ask for help are those who are involved in drugs.\u00a0 They\u2019re the ones for the most part that are on the street corners or underneath the bridge with the sign that says, \u201cI\u2019m homeless.\u00a0 Need something to eat.\u201d\u00a0 That becomes the way that they fund their habit.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn our society there is always a free meal.\u00a0 There is, in a sense, a place to stay for the most part.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 You\u2019re talking about the rescue missions, and the . . .\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 But there are rules.\u00a0 You have to abide by those rules, and if you don\u2019t want to play by the rules then you sleep out in the street.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Mm hmm.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 And that\u2019s for the most part the ones that are on the street that you see.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 Chris, recently I went to a homeless shelter with a friend and they just explained some of those rules and the boundaries and how that brings about health and hope and the possibility of somebody stepping up \u2013\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 -- and fulfilling their responsibility and not just getting a hand-out.\u00a0 There are some really good ministries that are involved working with the homeless across the country.\u00a0 I mentioned it at the outset of the broadcast that I\u2019ve been doing some thinking about the love of Christ.\u00a0 A verse that I read recently that really you\u2019re reminding us of is John 12:47:\u00a0 \u201cJesus said, \u2018If anyone hears my words and does not keep them,\u2019\u201d now listen to what he says, \u201c\u2019I do not judge him, for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.\u2019\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOur Savior, who has the ultimate standard \u2013 He gave us the Ten Commandments, his Father did.\u00a0 If there\u2019s anybody who could be a judge, it would be Jesus.\u00a0 But he said, \u201cI did not come to judge the world, but to save it.\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019ve just been convicted recently in my own personal life, am I spending more time as judge or more time engaged in not saving the world as in how Christ did it, but in being redemptive, which is what you did in James\u2019 life, and what makes the story of your book so powerful.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI just think at Christmas time -- this is the Incarnation.\u00a0 This is the story of Christmas, for goodness sake.\u00a0 And yet we miss Christmas because we\u2019re so busy giving gifts and running around and doing all this stuff.\u00a0 I just encourage families:\u00a0 pull back.\u00a0 Allow the Incarnation of Christ to not just fill the manger but to fill your home, so that you and your family are not judges of others, but you\u2019re redemptive of others.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 I think we have to keep in mind in the midst of that, that even in this season, the Advent season, the season leading up to the celebration of Christmas, we reflect on the first coming of Jesus, coming full of grace and truth.\u00a0 But there is a second coming, a coming when Jesus will come to gather the Father\u2019s children to be with him.\u00a0 At the same time he will come with judgment.\u00a0 He will come to pour out righteous wrath on those who have rejected him, and we can\u2019t lose sight of that.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThat gives us an urgency to tell others, to warn others that God\u2019s grace is a wonderful, remarkable gift, and as recipients of it, as you said, we don\u2019t stand in judgment of anybody.\u00a0 We know what we\u2019ve been forgiven of; how can we judge another?\u00a0 But at the same time, we have to warn you that there is a judge who is coming, and it is right for him to judge and he will judge with righteousness. You want to make sure that you are a recipient of his grace and not one who stands opposed to him on that day of judgment.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThis is not an easy thing to talk about.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t make for good Christmas dinner conversation often, and yet it\u2019s important that we have the courage and the boldness and the wisdom and the sensitivity and the kindness to know how to say these things to friends and to family members. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI ought to mention that we do have copies of the book that you\u2019ve written, Chris, called <em>Stumbling Souls: Is Love Enough? <\/em>that chronicles your story of your time with James.\u00a0 We\u2019ve got that in our FamilyLife Today Resource Center, and we want to encourage our listeners to get a copy.\u00a0 Go online at FamilyLifeToday.com to request one.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAgain, it\u2019s FamilyLifeToday.com, or call1-800-FL-TODAY, 1-800-358-6329, that's 1-800 \u201cF\u201d as in Family, \u201cL\u201d as in Life, and then the word \u201cTODAY,\u201d and we can make arrangements to have a copy of Chris\u2019 book sent to you.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, a quick update for those of you who are regular listeners.\u00a0 We\u2019ve been talking this month about the matching gift fund that has been made available to us here at FamilyLife.\u00a0 Some friends of the ministry came along and, at the beginning of the month we had a little more than $2 million that had been pledged as a matching gift amount, so that every time that we receive a donation during the month of December we can withdraw the same amount from the matching gift fund.\u00a0 Each donation is matched dollar-for-dollar that way.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWell, what\u2019s happened over the last several weeks is we\u2019ve had some additional families come along and say, \u201cWe want this to keep going.\u00a0 We don\u2019t want it to stop at $2 million.\u201d\u00a0 So our matching gift fund now is up a little more than $3 million.\u00a0 Of course that\u2019s great news for us, but it\u2019s only great news if we can hear from enough listeners between now and the end of the year so we can take full advantage of these matching gift funds.\u00a0 That\u2019s why we wanted to bring you up to date on what\u2019s going on, encourage you to go to our website, FamilyLifeToday.com, to see just how we\u2019re doing in relationship to this now $3 million plus matching gift, and ask you if you will make as generous a year-end contribution as you possibly can to help support the ministry of<em> FamilyLife Today.<\/em>\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou can make your donation online at FamilyLifeToday.com or you can call to make a donation at 1-800-FL-TODAY.\u00a0 We just want to say thanks in advance for whatever you\u2019re able to do.\u00a0 If you can\u2019t help with a donation, can we ask you to pray for us, and ask that we would be able to take full advantage of this matching gift opportunity?\u00a0 Let me say thanks in advance for whatever you\u2019re able to do, and thanks for listening.\u00a0 We appreciate you tuning in and being a part of the <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> family.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe want to encourage you to be back tomorrow when we\u2019re going to hear the conclusion of the story we\u2019ve been hearing this week with Chris Plekenpol. We\u2019ll find out what happened to James, and it\u2019s an interesting ending.\u00a0 I hope you can be back with us.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, and our entire broadcast production team.\u00a0 On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I'm Bob Lepine.\u00a0 We will see you back tomorrow for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHelp for today.\u00a0 Hope for tomorrow.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts. However, there is a cost to 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\t2010 Copyright \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>","theme_header_position":"","post_header_is_sticky":"","is_header_overlay":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/302182","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=302182"}],"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=302182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=302182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=302182"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=302182"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=302182"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=302182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}