{"id":302183,"date":"2010-12-22T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2010-12-22T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/taking-a-risk-for-the-gospel\/"},"modified":"2010-12-22T12:00:00","modified_gmt":"2010-12-22T17:00:00","slug":"taking-a-risk-for-the-gospel","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/taking-a-risk-for-the-gospel\/","title":{"rendered":"Taking a Risk for the Gospel"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We&#8217;re told to love our neighbor as our self?<\/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\/fl2010-12-22.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:","filesize":"24.08M","filesize_raw":"25254919","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2821],"tags":[4722,4818,4159],"podcast_series":[7777],"cwp_profile":[9221],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-302183","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reaching-out","tag-christianity","tag-evangelism","tag-gospel","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\/302183\/taking-a-risk-for-the-gospel","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/302183\/taking-a-risk-for-the-gospel","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=\"OFYndvvGAn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/taking-a-risk-for-the-gospel\/\">Taking a Risk for the Gospel<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/taking-a-risk-for-the-gospel\/embed\/#?secret=OFYndvvGAn\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Taking a Risk for the Gospel&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"OFYndvvGAn\" 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":"We're told to love our neighbor as our self?","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2010-12-22.pdf","transcript_content":"<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 When Chris Plekenpol invited his homeless friend, James, to move in with him, he was not prepared for the number of times he\u2019d be disappointed, the number of times he would have to show grace to James.\u00a0 He also wasn\u2019t prepared for the spiritual lesson he would learn by extending that grace.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 I need Jesus to pursue me like he pursued James, and when I get to see it happen like a real life visual of a man who God gives a chance after chance after chance after chance, I realize how much I don\u2019t deserve it but how much I receive that same sort of grace.\u00a0 It may not be in drugs and homosexuality or anything, but I need Jesus to keep coming after me and saying, \u201cI\u2019m never going to give up on you because here\u2019s the thing: love never fails.\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 Wednesday, December 22<sup>nd<\/sup>.\u00a0 Our host is the President of FamilyLife, Dennis Rainey, and I\u2019m Bob Lepine.\u00a0 We\u2019ll hear what God taught Chris Plekenpol when he decided to bring his homeless friend, James, in to live with him.\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 We\u2019ve been in the middle of a story this week that\u2019s a compelling story with a guest, Dennis, who \u2013 I\u2019m just curious about this.\u00a0 Our guest has spent time in combat in Iraq and he\u2019s also spent time with a homeless man who was HIV positive, who was eventually, as we find out in the story, who was a drug abuser, living in his home with him.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 Living a lifestyle that would be so counter to everything he was learning while our guest was going to Dallas Theological Seminary.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 And I guess what I\u2019m wondering is, would you say one of those was a higher risk environment, or that one of them took more courage than the other?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well, let\u2019s ask our guest.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 I\u2019m curious.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Chris Plekenpol joins us on <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>.\u00a0 Chris, answer Bob\u2019s question.\u00a0 What do you think?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well, the weird part is I think it was the social risk \u2013 was the greatest.\u00a0 Because when you\u2019re a soldier you\u2019re expected to go and in a sense be a hero, and I know we talked about this off the air, but the theological foundation I had of understanding the sovereignty of God \u2013 I didn\u2019t have a sense of \u2013 and I know it just sounds so weird, and it sounds weird to say it now, but at the time I didn\u2019t feel fear being in combat.\u00a0 It was completely his will, so I had that sense of security in a sense that what was supposed to happen would happen.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, contrast that with James.\u00a0 I\u2019m talking \u2013 at the time I didn\u2019t know any gay people.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t know anyone with AIDS.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t know \u2013 he\u2019s homeless, so I almost say that part was harder because it was more unfamiliar.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI hadn\u2019t been trained for that.\u00a0 I had some great theology classes in academia at Dallas Seminary, which I loved, and anybody who wants to go to Dallas Seminary is going to get a great education and an awesome experience.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 They\u2019re going to be flooded by applicants after hearing you this week.\u00a0 I\u2019m convinced.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 (Laughing)\u00a0 And so, you know, the part that\u2019s kind of left out \u2013 I don\u2019t know anybody who trains for this \u2013 how do you hang out with somebody that is so completely the opposite of you and makes you spiritually, emotionally, and physically uncomfortable in that environment.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well, I have to ask you \u2013I don\u2019t think you wrote about this in your book \u2013\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>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Tell us about the phone call you had with your mom and your dad, number three and four on your priority list, where you said to them, \u201cHey, Mom, Dad.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got this guy who\u2019s moved in with me for a while.\u00a0 A homeless guy, HIV positive \u2013\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Who has a cold and who\u2019s constantly wiping his nose on his forearm.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Tell us \u2013 what did your mom say when you called her with that news?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yeah.\u00a0 They didn\u2019t know.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 You never told them.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Never.\u00a0 They found out about it as I was writing the book.\u00a0 I was like, \u201cHey, let me read you this\u201d before I sent it to a publisher.\u00a0 So she found out in story form what happened.\u00a0\u00a0 I wouldn\u2019t tell her what exactly happened until we went through the entire book.\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\u2019m just picturing being a dad and I think if I\u2019d been Chris\u2019 dad \u2013\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 You did what?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 No, I think I\u2019d have gone, \u201cThat figures.\u00a0 He\u2019s been to Korea, he\u2019s been to Iraq, he\u2019s driven tanks.\u00a0 You know, this is my son.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 What\u2019s a little downtown Dallas gonna do for the boy, right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yeah.\u00a0 It\u2019s just like, \u201cWhat\u2019s next, son?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 How long did James live with you, and was it this off-on \u2013 he was there sometimes, not there, you\u2019re picking him up at the hospital, he\u2019s staying at a friend\u2019s house \u2013 was that the pattern?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 It was a couple months.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 And that was the routine pattern during that time.\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 Did you ever suspect in the midst of that \u2013\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well, before we go to that, Bob, and we talk about what you\u2019re about to talk about tell them about the time you took him to Six Flags.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Okay.\u00a0 So things are, you know, progressing along and James and I are getting along really well.\u00a0 He stopped being Eeyore.\u00a0 I started calling him Eeyore after a while, because, kind of like the Winnie the Pooh little donkey guy, whenever he lost his tail he was always mopey.\u00a0 And he would always talk about roller coasters. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo one day I just \u2013 \u201cWhat if I just took him to Six Flags?\u201d\u00a0 I get a couple of my friends and we pick him up from the day resource center and we start driving and driving and driving, and all of a sudden he\u2019s like, \u201cWhere are we going?\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019m like, \u201cYou\u2019ll see.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd then all of a sudden his eyes about pop out of his head as we pull up to Six Flags.\u00a0 He\u2019s like, \u201cI knew it!\u00a0 I knew it!\u00a0 I knew it!\u201d\u00a0 We get up there, and it\u2019s about 6:37 so they\u2019d stopped selling tickets but the park was still open for a couple of hours.\u00a0 So I\u2019m just like, \u201cUmmm, would you, would you mind if we just kind of go in?\u201d\u00a0 They let all four of us in, and we ride every ride there and he has the time of his life.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHere\u2019s the weird thing about that moment:\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t three people and a homeless guy.\u00a0 It was four friends having fun.\u00a0 All of the sudden, the homelessness wasn\u2019t an issue.\u00a0 All of the sudden, the weirdness was gone.\u00a0 All of a sudden, it was just doing something together that was enjoyable, and the laughter and the smiles came easy.\u00a0 It was just amazing.\u00a0 For a moment it was just like, \u201cThis is the way this is supposed to go.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 In fact what he said to you at the end of the day . . .\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 \u201cThis is the greatest day of my life!\u201d\u00a0 And when he says that, it kind of resonates in your soul.\u00a0 If there was any moment that was kind of a spiritual high \u2013 I know that sounds weird, Six Flags being a spiritual high \u2013 but it was, because there was a moment where I\u2019m watching James enjoy himself, watching James not have to worry about where he\u2019s going to eat, sleep, any of those other issues.\u00a0 He is just having fun. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI think that\u2019s kind of how our Heavenly Father is with us.\u00a0 When we enjoy him, I think that becomes his greatest joy, that sense of \u201cI just want my children to enjoy me.\u201d\u00a0 I think that for a moment I got to kind of see God\u2019s heart for us as I watched James enjoy himself.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 I want to get to Bob\u2019s question next, but I have to just comment.\u00a0 Who would think of taking a homeless person, for goodness sakes, to Six Flags?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Chris Plekenpol would.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to sound irreverent but would Jesus have done that?\u00a0 And I think, absolutely.\u00a0 To have seen a man who lost his daddy when he was a boy, and grew up without a father, and maybe never had an older man or, for that matter, any man who took him just to have fun and to delight.\u00a0 I was watching your face as you were telling the story.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI\u2019m sorry this is radio, Bob, at this moment that they couldn\u2019t see Chris\u2019 face, because he was reflecting, I think, the incarnate delight and joy of Jesus Christ \u2013 that God is not in heaven with a giant fly swatter, saying, \u201cYou\u2019re having fun.\u00a0 Wipe off that smile from your face for goodness sakes.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHe\u2019s a God who wants his children to enjoy him, enjoy life, and be found guilty of having too much fun.\u00a0 Life is hard.\u00a0 Yeah, it\u2019s hard \u2013 there\u2019s war going on and there\u2019s difficulty in marriages and families, but a couple of laughs a week is not excessive.\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>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 You were still going every Monday night to your Bible study.\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 James was coming with you?\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 All of the guys at the study were getting to know James.\u00a0\u00a0 He was part of the group.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 He was part of the group.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 But you still had a couple of guys, or at least one guy in the group, who was pulling you aside and going, \u201cDude, you are getting conned.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 Every second \u2013 and about the time of the Six Flags moment \u2013 it felt like he\u2019d kind of come on board for a moment, but every time that James would go do laundry he\u2019d be like, \u201cThere is no way he\u2019s doing laundry.\u00a0 He\u2019s doing drugs.\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019m like, \u201cBill, he\u2019s never been high.\u00a0 I mean, what?\u00a0 How can you say that?\u00a0 He is our friend.\u00a0 Stop that.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOkay, so eventually the time will come where a random guy walks into our Bible study, and he sits down.\u00a0\u00a0 He\u2019s like, \u201cI\u2019m an alcoholic, I hate church, I don\u2019t even know why I\u2019m here, but I need a change.\u201d\u00a0 I was like, \u201cOh.\u00a0 Good to have you.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 And then at the end we were doing prayer requests, and his was pretty simple.\u00a0 He\u2019s like, \u201cWell, I\u2019m a realtor and I flip houses.\u00a0 I need someone to clean our houses, so we\u2019re paying $100 a day, and I just can\u2019t find anybody to clean these things.\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019m like, a hundred dollars a day?\u00a0 I mean, there was part of me that wants to take the job.\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\tI\u2019m like, \u201cI\u2019ve got somebody.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got somebody for you.\u201d\u00a0 So James quickly steps up and says, \u201cHey, I\u2019m willing to do it.\u201d\u00a0 And the guy calls me and he\u2019s like, \u201cHey, do you think, is James trustworthy?\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019m like, \u201cYou betcha!\u201d\u00a0 There\u2019s that part of me that\u2019s like, \u201cPlease, dear God, don\u2019t let me be wrong.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Mm huh.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 I take him to work the following day \u2013\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 And just to make a comment here, he had not stolen anything from you.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Not that I know of.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 And so, I didn\u2019t think anything of it.\u00a0 I was like, \u201cYeah.\u00a0 Absolutely.\u00a0 Let\u2019s do it.\u201d\u00a0 And the fun thing about it was, he was like, \u201cAnd, he can stay in the house that he\u2019s cleaning that night, and then just move to the next house, so he can kind of have a place to stay.\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019m like \u2013 Hallelujah Chorus \u2013 the smell is going to go away from my room.\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 I mean not to be selfish but it\u2019s just like, after \u2013 it\u2019s hot \u2013 my air conditioning didn\u2019t really work so well, I mean.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 How long had he been living with you?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 It was a couple months.\u00a0 So I was seriously rejoicing over that.\u00a0 So I\u2019ll never forget sneaking him into my car the next morning and driving him off to the realtor place, and I leave him there and I call later because I was terrified that he was going to be droopy all day, and not excited to work, but I called my buddy up and he\u2019s like, \u201cYeah, he\u2019s excited, he\u2019s ready to work.\u00a0 I think this is going to work out great.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThen I head off to Cleveland to do prison ministry, which is something I love to do as well.\u00a0 And so while I\u2019m in Cleveland I get a phone call from the realtor guy the next day.\u00a0 He\u2019s like, \u201cHey, where\u2019s James?\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019m like, \u201cUhh, I thought he was with you,\u201d to which he was like, \u201cNo, man.\u00a0 He\u2019s not here and I\u2019m stuck.\u00a0 I\u2019m stuck.\u201d\u00a0 And so I call Bill, and Bill\u2019s like, \u201cPfff, I know where he is.\u201d\u00a0 Bill\u2019s already convinced that he\u2019s on drugs somewhere.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe next day I\u2019m still in Cleveland \u2013 I get a call from James.\u00a0 He\u2019s like, \u201cWhere\u2019s my money at?\u00a0 Where\u2019s my money at?\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019m like, \u201cWhat are you \u2013 your money?\u00a0 What are you talking about?\u00a0 Did you go and clean?\u201d\u00a0 He\u2019s like, \u201cYeah, I cleaned it and nobody\u2019s here to pay me.\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019m like, \u201cDid you show up yesterday?\u201d and he\u2019s like, \u201cNo.\u201d I said, \u201cWhere were you?\u201d\u00a0 He said, \u201cI was in the hospital, man.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd all of a sudden I was like, \u201cOh man.\u201d\u00a0 I said, \u201cJames, you could have called.\u00a0 You\u2019ve always been able to call me from the hospital.\u00a0 You could have at least called the realtor.\u201d\u00a0 He was like, \u201cYes, you know.\u201d\u00a0 I said, \u201cLook, you need to apologize.\u00a0 He doesn\u2019t owe you a thing. You didn\u2019t follow through.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo we go back.\u00a0 The next day is Sunday.\u00a0 We have a talk.\u00a0 Monday, the Bible study comes and we have a big confrontation.\u00a0 Bill\u2019s like, \u201cI have something I need you to hear,\u201d and he has this recording of the guy that James had said fired him, and it was the manager of the seafood restaurant.\u00a0 Bill has got this Cheshire grin on his face like he\u2019s going to show me something.\u00a0 So he sets the recorder down, hits play, and it\u2019s Bill asking, \u201cHey, did you hire James?\u201d\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I did.\u00a0 He was great, a great worker, it was awesome to have him.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd then, \u201cSo what happened?\u201c\u00a0 he said.\u00a0 \u201cDid you fire him because he didn\u2019t have an ID card?\u201d\u00a0 He was like, \u201cNo we didn\u2019t fire him.\u00a0 He just stopped showing up.\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019m like, \u201cOh man.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo James shows up at the end of the Bible study, and after the Bible study I said, \u201cI need everyone to leave except for James and Britt and Bill,\u201d and I said, \u201cJames, what\u2019s the story?\u00a0 I know that you didn\u2019t get fired.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s my story.\u00a0 I promise you I got fired.\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019m like, \u201cJust tell me the truth.\u201d\u00a0 I confronted him.\u00a0 \u201cWe know you\u2019re lying.\u00a0 James, we know you\u2019re on drugs.\u201d\u00a0 And Bill flips out.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Now this is a former police officer.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yeah.\u00a0 Current police officer, so he is \u2013 Former narcotics task force guy.\u00a0 So he knows the deal, so he\u2019s going after it, and I\u2019m having to try and calm Bill down.\u00a0 Eventually James confesses.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, fine.\u00a0 I was on drugs,\u201d and I was like, \u201cDo you want help?\u00a0 We\u2019ll pay for whatever rehab you want to do.\u00a0 You are still our brother.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to make sure that we can do whatever we can for you.\u00a0 Do you want help?\u201d\u00a0 He looks at me and he\u2019s like, \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t know?\u00a0 Look, I can\u2019t help you if you don\u2019t want help.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo we ended up taking him back to the streets and dropping him off.\u00a0 I gave him a hug and he felt like a mannequin.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want to hug me.\u00a0 I was just heartbroken in a sense, because here\u2019s the guy I\u2019d just poured my life into and he really didn\u2019t want it.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want to change.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want \u2013 you know, all of that.\u00a0 I was like, \u201cDo you even know Jesus at all?\u201d\u00a0 There were all these thoughts going through my mind, and the frustration of it all.\u00a0 I just watched him walk back to the streets.\u00a0 That was a painful day.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Chris, somebody hears that end to your story, and you have to look and ask yourself, \u201cDid I just waste all of that time, all of that money, all of that love that I could have been pouring into something else?\u201d\u00a0 Was there a part of you going, \u201cI\u2019m never doing anything like that again as long as I live.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes, there was a part of me --.\u00a0 Oddly enough, I did the same thing like five months later.\u00a0 There was a part of that.\u00a0 But the thing was with James I still prayed for him.\u00a0 I prayed for him and prayed for him and prayed for him.\u00a0 I even wrote this book, <em>Stumbling Souls<\/em>, and kept praying for him.\u00a0 I sent this book to the publisher and I sent him an e-mail because he could go to the library and check e-mail.\u00a0 Well, I get an e-mail two years after that day I dropped him off on that curb.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 And you hadn\u2019t heard from him?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Hadn\u2019t heard anything from him.\u00a0 He says, \u201cChris, you\u2019re never going to believe what happened.\u00a0 God has done an amazing work in my life.\u00a0 Will you please come to my graduation?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u201cWhat? Graduation?\u201d\u00a0 From rehab.\u00a0 He went to a Bible-based discipleship program called the Denton Freedom House and I am shocked. I immediately go up there and I see him graduate.\u00a0 It\u2019s unbelievable, and the first thing that we go and do is go to Six Flags.\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>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Back to the roller coasters.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yeah.\u00a0 It was amazing.\u00a0 The thing that happened is after I dropped him off he told me, \u201cI was going to go find a building to go jump off of, because I knew that I could never make anything of my life.\u201d\u00a0 He said, \u201cAnother guy stuck his hand through a fence, held out a sandwich to him and said, \u2018Hey, man, you want a sandwich?\u00a0 God\u2019s not done with you yet.\u201d\u00a0 And so this kid starts ministering to him, repeatedly coming back to see him again, helping him out.\u00a0 And then he would sabotage that relationship.\u00a0 And then another guy would come along and say, \u201cHey, God\u2019s not done with you yet.\u00a0 Let\u2019s keep hanging out.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd so then he would sabotage . . .\u00a0 And so for a period of time he would sabotage relationships, lie to people, that kind of thing, and then finally came to the end of himself, when he was like, \u201cI \u2013\u201c\u00a0 Someone offered him, \u201cHey, why don\u2019t you come to this place.\u00a0 At least you could do your laundry,\u201d which I thought was kind of ironic.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo he was able to laundry at the Denton Freedom House and for six months he was drug free and clean, and he graduated and I got to see that and be a part of that.\u00a0 Unbelievable to watch that happen in a man\u2019s life, and this is where I get this place of joy. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThat\u2019s why I need God -- I need Jesus to pursue me like he pursued James.\u00a0 And when I get to see it happen in like a real life visual of a man who God gives a chance after chance after chance after chance of grace, of grace, of grace, I realize how much I don\u2019t deserve it but how much I receive that same sort of grace.\u00a0 It may not be in drugs and homosexuality or anything \u2013 I need Jesus to come and pull me out of myself, especially when I get prideful or especially when I get dark.\u00a0 I need him to keep coming after me saying, \u201cI\u2019m never going to give up on you, because here\u2019s the thing:\u00a0 love never fails.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 You know, just hearing your story does wonders for a person\u2019s faith.\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 We walk by sight so often and we think, \u201cYeah, we dropped him off on the corner two years ago and he probably went back to drugs and living under the railroad trestle or in cheap homeless shelters.\u201d\u00a0 But the God of Heaven did pursue him, and the God of Heaven pursues each of us individually, just as you said, Chris.\u00a0 All of our hearts are dark.\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 The older I get, and I don\u2019t want to sound \u2013 I\u2019m just going to say it.\u00a0 I think there\u2019s a whole lot less difference between us and the homeless people than we care to admit.\u00a0 We\u2019re a whole lot more alike.\u00a0 Selfish.\u00a0\u00a0 You know, maybe I don\u2019t smell, but I got that same dark heart you\u2019re talking about.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 That\u2019s it.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 And that\u2019s who Christ loved and gave himself for, to redeem.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 That\u2019s right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Your story is the story of a man named James and a story of profound redemption, and the rest of the story is today James is \u2013\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 He\u2019s still ministering the gospel.\u00a0 He gets to work at homeless shelters.\u00a0 He\u2019s living with another guy.\u00a0 I got another roommate and the first rule that I got from this roommate was, \u201cWe\u2019re not bringing any more homeless people.\u201d\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\tI was like, \u201cAll right.\u201d\u00a0 Here\u2019s the thing about James: he stumbled.\u00a0 He has gone back to it, and we\u2019ve had to go back and pull him up again.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Eighty percent of people who go to rehab \u2013\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Fall again.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Relapse.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 And he has, but the amazing thing is he came back to us.\u00a0 He was like, \u201cI need help.\u00a0 Don\u2019t give up on me.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Peter relapsed.\u00a0 Peter fell, and the Savior kept on.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 And I\u2019ll be honest with you.\u00a0 When he relapsed, there was \u2013 you know the older brother and the prodigal son?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Oh sure.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 I felt \u2013 I mean, he\u2019s --\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 That\u2019s it.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 I\u2019m guilty.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 No more grace for him.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 I\u2019m guilty of the same thoughts.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Ahhh!\u00a0 When it happened \u2013 in fact, here\u2019s the thing:\u00a0 He got a better deal, like right now, he\u2019s living in a better situation than he ever was.\u00a0 This guy gave him a computer, he gave him a way-better apartment than I had, he\u2019s living in a house, and I\u2019m thinking to myself, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t deserve that.\u00a0 I mean how about me?\u00a0 I want a free computer and a house, okay?\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo honestly, there\u2019s that sense of \u2013 I was shocked myself when I realized, \u201cOh man, I\u2019m the older brother now.\u00a0 I can\u2019t just rejoice that my brother repented.\u00a0 I want him to . . .\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 You\u2019re Jonah underneath the tree, going, \u201cHow did Nineveh get saved?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 That\u2019s exactly right.\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 Life isn\u2019t fair, you know, but God in his grace comes after us.\u00a0 That is the great story here.\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 That is the great story.\u00a0 Chris, I sure appreciate you joining us and I look forward to seeing what else you write.\u00a0 Come back and join us again sometime.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chris:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes, sir.\u00a0 I will.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 I hope a lot of listeners will get a copy of your book, too.\u00a0 It\u2019s called, <em>Stumbling Souls:<\/em><em>\u00a0 <\/em><em>Is Love Enough?<\/em> and you can go online at FamilyLifeToday.com to request a copy.\u00a0 Again, our website is FamilyLifeToday.com, or call toll-free 1-800-FL-TODAY, and you can request a copy of the book.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI don\u2019t think I\u2019ve mentioned this -- a couple of things I want to make sure you\u2019re aware of \u2013 we have an iPhone application, a <em>FamilyLifeToday<\/em> iPhone application.\u00a0 If you have an iPhone go to the App Store and just download the application.\u00a0 There will be a button, then, on your iPhone and you can listen to <em>FamilyLifeToday<\/em> whenever it\u2019s convenient for you and you can listen to back editions of the program just by touching the button on your iPhone.\u00a0 We don\u2019t have them yet for the other platforms, but we do have one for the iPhone.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI also wanted to let you know that the MP3 downloads from <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> are available at no cost, not only today\u2019s program, but we\u2019ve opened up our catalog of audio resources.\u00a0 If there\u2019s a program you want to listen to that\u2019s been on \u2013 I don\u2019t know \u2013 a couple of months ago, or a particular subject that you want to search and find a program related to that \u2013 well, you can download the programs for free.\u00a0 We just wanted to make sure you are aware of that, and hope you will visit FamilyLifeToday.com regularly and download your <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> iPhone app, too, alright?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd let me also make sure that you\u2019re aware of how things have changed in regard to the matching gift fund that we have here at FamilyLife.\u00a0 Many of you know that back at the beginning of the month we had some families who had come together and they had put together a little more than $2 million in a matching fund.\u00a0 It\u2019s a dollar-for-dollar match; every time you send $25 or $50 or $100 we can go withdraw $25 or $50 or $100 from the matching gift fund.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWell, in the last several days we\u2019ve had some additional families come forward.\u00a0 They\u2019ve said, \u201cWell, that\u2019s a great idea, but we don\u2019t think it should stop at a little more than $2 million,\u201d so they\u2019ve added to the matching gift fund and it\u2019s now up over $3 million.\u00a0 So we\u2019re trying to get the word out and make sure that all of our listeners know we need to hear from you if we\u2019re going to take full advantage of these matching funds that are now available.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe need you to go to FamilyLifeToday.com and make a donation online, or call 1-800-FLTODAY and make a donation over the phone.\u00a0 We appreciate you listening.\u00a0 We know for some of you making a donation is \u2013 you just can\u2019t do it this year.\u00a0 We understand that.\u00a0 We\u2019d ask you to pray for us.\u00a0 But if you can make a year-end donation, even if it\u2019s $5 or $10 or $15 or $20, please go to FamilyLifeToday.com and do whatever it is you can do.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe\u2019d love to hear from as many listeners as possible between now and the end of the year.\u00a0 So, again, go to FamilyLife.com or call us toll-free at 1-800-FL-TODAY to make a year-end contribution.\u00a0 We do appreciate your support of this ministry.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to encourage you to be back with us tomorrow when we\u2019re going to take a look at the birth of Jesus through the lens of history.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to be joined by a Professor of Ancient History, Dr. Paul Maier from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo to look at the real story of the birth of Jesus.\u00a0 I hope you can tune in for that.\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 next time 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\/302183","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=302183"}],"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=302183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=302183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=302183"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=302183"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=302183"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=302183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}