{"id":302824,"date":"2013-10-02T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-10-02T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/god-can-use-you-too\/"},"modified":"2013-10-02T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2013-10-02T15:00:00","slug":"god-can-use-you-too","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/god-can-use-you-too\/","title":{"rendered":"God Can Use You Too"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mike Howerton reminds us God can use anyone for His purposes. Especially the imperfect.<\/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\/fl2013-10-02.mp3","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:","filesize":"21.69M","filesize_raw":"22748698","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2821],"tags":[5221,5296],"podcast_series":[7975],"cwp_profile":[3520],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-302824","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reaching-out","tag-gods-will","tag-jonah","podcast_series-glorious-mess","cwp_profile-mike-howerton","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\/302824\/god-can-use-you-too","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/302824\/god-can-use-you-too","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=\"Dgq2bzOy3x\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/god-can-use-you-too\/\">God Can Use You Too<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/god-can-use-you-too\/embed\/#?secret=Dgq2bzOy3x\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;God Can Use You Too&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"Dgq2bzOy3x\" 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"},"spectra_custom_meta":{"_wp_page_template":["default"],"transcript_url":["https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2013-10-02.pdf"],"audio_file":["https:\/\/web.familylifetoday.com\/fl2013-10-02.mp3"],"transcript_content":["<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Have you ever made a mess and, then, tried to pray your way out of the mess you have behaved yourself into? Mike Howerton knows how you feel. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Mike:<\/strong> I was a sophomore at Pepperdine University, and I stole a mattress. I didn\u2019t need the mattress. My buddy needed the mattress, but I had the truck. So, I\u2019m being chased. We just pull into a parking stall. I get out and put my hands behind my head, and the public safety surrounds me. I mean, I was caught red-handed. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut you know what? God didn\u2019t give up on me, in that moment of stupidity. I mean, that was really a moment where I was praying my way out of a mess I behaved my way into. Yet, God, consistently, will meet us in those moments. He will grace us and love us. He doesn\u2019t write us off. The story doesn\u2019t end when we make some bonehead move like that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> This is <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> for Wednesday, October 2<sup>nd<\/sup>. Our host is the President of FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, Dennis Rainey, and I\u2019m Bob Lepine. Nothing, including your messes, can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. We\u2019ll talk about that today. Stay tuned. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd welcome to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. Thanks for joining us. Where I go to church, we\u2014here\u2019s part of the language we use with one another. We say that part of life is you\u2019ve got to be drinking in; but you also have got to be pouring out. We say that we ought to be able to go up to anybody at church and say: \u201cWhere are you drinking from? What\u2019s pouring into your life?\u201d Then, you should be able to say, \u201cAnd where are you pouring out?\u201d There ought to be an immediate answer to both of those questions. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAs I\u2019ve talked to people about this, I\u2019ve said: \u201cIf you\u2019ve got a body of water\u2014and there\u2019s not something pouring in and there\u2019s not something pouring out\u2014you\u2019ve got a swamp that\u2019s going to start to stink. You\u2019ve got to have that flow for the lake to stay healthy.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Yes. Jesus did say, \u201cCome to me and drink for out of your innermost being will flow rivers of living water.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> So, it wasn\u2019t just an intake. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> There was an\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> There\u2019s an output. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> There was an outlet, as well. And we have a pastor with us, who, I know, agrees with that principle. Mike Howerton joins us again. Mike\u2014welcome back. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Mike:<\/strong> It\u2019s great to be here. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> He pastors Overlake Christian Church in Redmond, Washington, where he lives with his wife, Jodie, and three children. Mike, you\u2019ve written a book called <em>Glorious Mess<\/em>. You talk about the need for Christians to not believe other Christians who tell them that God could never use them. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Absolutely. Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> In other words, there\u2019s nobody who shouldn\u2019t be pouring out somewhere; right? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Right; right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> No matter how messy your life is\u2014there is a way for you to pour out for the Kingdom. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> And it\u2019s been my experience in ministry\u2014and I think there are people, listening to this broadcast right now, who are thinking to themselves: \u201cThere\u2019s still just no way that God has a plan for me. There\u2019s no way that God\u2019s grace is big enough to wrap me in. And there is no way that I\u2019ve got anything worthy to offer anyone else.\u201d Those are just wrong. Those are just lies that the enemy seeks to tell us. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI think some of the things we do in our church world\u2014present this picture\u2014that unless you are perfect, and unless you\u2019ve got it all wired-down, and unless you drive a paid-for-Volvo<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, and vote with a clear conscience, and have a home\u2014clipped out of <em>Better Homes &amp; Gardens<\/em>\u2014better than my home\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> \u2014you know\u2014that kind of thing: \u201cUnless you are at that level, then, you can\u2019t offer the Kingdom anything.\u201d It\u2019s just untrue. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> You talk about hitting the brakes, in your book, <em>Glorious Mess<\/em>. What are some of the brakes that we hit that keep us from really engaging in and entering into the adventure that God has for our lives. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Well, when I talk about hitting the brakes, it\u2019s more in the context of Jonah, running from God. So, I would say this to anyone, who is actively running from God\u2014they know that God desires a relationship with them or they know that God has called them to do something\u2014and yet, they are running, specifically, from God\u2019s call. It\u2019s to those people that I would say, \u201cHey, it\u2019s time to hit the brakes.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou can actually make a decision to change your life\u2014to change your relationship with the Lord or to change the trajectory of your life without hitting\u2014what they say in Celebrate Recovery<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> circles\u2014\u201cwithout hitting rock bottom\u201d. Unfortunately, Jonah didn\u2019t do that until he hit rock bottom; but I would encourage anyone, who is actively running from God: \u201cHit the brakes <em>now<\/em>. You don\u2019t have to wait until that very painful moment.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I\u2019m thinking back to a time when I was single young man. God had gotten a hold of my life. This was the day of mini-skirts, and I happened to notice girls. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Bob:<\/strong> You hit the brakes; didn\u2019t you? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I hit the brakes. I hit walls. I hit trees! [Laughter] But after I gave my life to Christ, what I ended up having happen is\u2014God did not give my dating life back to me immediately. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I still saw the girls in the mini-skirts, and was attracted, and wanted to go out; but God said, \u201cUh-uh.\u201d The reason was because my dating life, as a single guy, was what I call missionary dating. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Okay? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I didn\u2019t necessarily date women who were followers of Jesus. I thought, \u201cI\u2019ll go share Christ with them.\u201d You know? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> I know what you were thinking\u2014very little to do with sharing Christ with them; come on? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> They\u2019re good-looking. It\u2019s kind of like Samson, \u201cGo get her for she looks good to me.\u201d [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u201cSee if we can work Jesus into the conversation somewhere.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Yes, there we go. It was a good thing God didn\u2019t give my dating life back to me immediately after I became a Christ-follower because my life needed to be disciplined to be ready to handle this noble creature of a woman in the way she was designed, by God, to be treated. I had not been treating women the way I should have. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> That\u2019s a great practical example. In the book of Jonah, we read that, \u201cOut of the belly of the fish, Jonah prayed to the Lord.\u201d I use that phrase as a great example that no matter what has swallowed you\u2014no matter what has just absolutely enveloped you in your life\u2014that even out of the pit of that moment\u2014that the Lord will hear your prayer\u2014just like the Lord heard Jonah\u2019s prayer. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br>So, that\u2019s a great example of dating life: \u201cHey, this dating life had kind of enveloped me. It had swallowed me whole; but when I said, \u2018Yes,\u2019 to the Lord, then, He changed me.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> What about you? You started your spiritual life kind of on the run. You had to hit the brakes, occasionally, as well; right? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Actually, Dennis, it\u2019s exactly the same kind of scenario with you. I had only done dating relationships based on how a relationship made me feel and what I could receive from a relationship. I was incredibly selfish. So, I took about a year-and-a-half of just: \u201cHey! Let me walk with the Lord and experience the relationship with Jesus.\u201d Then, after that, the very first person I met was the woman that God wanted me to marry, Jodie. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> You have met people who will sit down in your office or they just say: \u201cMike, my life is a mess\u2014my personal life, my relationships, my work. Before I can really help anybody else, I\u2019ve got to deal with my own mess.\u201d Is there validity to that, or is part of the way they deal with their own mess by helping other people? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Well, that\u2019s a great question. I think that you can do both, simultaneously. I mean, I do think there is a first step. I think that first step has to do with true humility before Jesus, where you really just say, \u201cJesus, I have made a mess of my life,\u201d\u2014and this is where we see Jonah\u2014\u201cBut on my own, I have tanked this thing. I have driven my life right into the belly of the beast, and I need You. I need to cry out to You for rescue. I need to cry out to You for salvation. I need Your grace to cover my life.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes, tell our listeners about the mattress story from college because that\u2019s kind of the making a mess of things; isn\u2019t it? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Absolutely. Well, the funny thing is I made a list, when I was writing this book, of all of the ridiculously shameful and stupid things I had ever done. The list was way too long to confess on the air. I really\u2014I only had a few things that I could share, outside of my counselor\u2019s office. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, this is one of those\u2014sort of safe-to-share stories\u2014where I was a sophomore at Pepperdine University, and I stole a mattress. I didn\u2019t need the mattress. My buddy needed the mattress, but I had the truck. You can see where this is going. It was the first day of school. We drive my truck onto campus. The supply dorm is there. We go. We get the mattress, and we put it in the truck. We were spotted by the fuzz\u2014it was public safety. They weren\u2019t real cops, but they were sort of the\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> The campus police. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> \u2014campus equivalent. So, we drive off in my Nissan<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>\u20143.5 cylinder Nissan truck. They give full chase, lights blaring, in their golf cart. [Laughter] Then, I start to realize that there are only two exits to the campus. They both have gates, and they both have public safety at them. So, I\u2019m being chased. We just pull into a parking stall. I get out. I put my hands behind my head, and the public safety surrounds me. But I was busted. I was caught red-handed. I was absolutely thrown the book at. I got more community service hours than a human can possibly fulfill. [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> But you know the reason why I share that story is because God didn\u2019t give up on me, in that moment of stupidity. I mean, that was really a moment where I was praying my way out of a mess I behaved my way into. Yet, God, consistently, will meet us in those moments. He will grace us and love us. He doesn\u2019t write us off. The story doesn\u2019t end when we make some bonehead move like that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Bob:<\/strong> So, we don\u2019t have to be afraid to go to God and make the list and say: \u201cLook, I have made a mess. I have done this, and this, and this, and this.\u201d We can\u2019t make a list long enough that God goes, \u201cOh, that! I was ready to go here; but when you got to number 72, it\u2019s all over now.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> You are exactly right. That\u2019s why it is called unconditional love. There is no way you can out-sin God\u2019s grace. In fact, I just think we have the whole paradigm wrong. The reason why God doesn\u2019t want us to sin is\u2014it\u2019s for <em>our best<\/em>. He knows that every time we sin, it\u2019s like we are wounding ourselves\u2014we\u2019re burdening ourselves, we are lading ourselves down\u2014and He wants us to be free to live this life of adventure and joy that He\u2019s created us and called us to live. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> How do we start to unpack the mess that we\u2019ve made? I mean, once\u2014confession is Step 1\u2014but what are the steps that follow that as we start to confront the mess of our lives? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Certainly, it might depend on what circumstance we are talking about; but I believe a safe church environment is really key. I believe walking with Jesus, with a community of people who are also on the journey with you, is absolutely essential for that kind of reality. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> What if you are part of the church, though, that is not safe\u2014where you sense that there is more finger-pointing than there are arms welcoming\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> \u2014when somebody confesses a sin? What do you do in that situation? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Well, if you sense that you are in a place where there really is a kind of a judgment\u2014a condemnation, or even what I would call a religious spirit, like the Pharisees, where Jesus was in Jesus\u2019 day\u2014I think you only have two options, really. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou can either\u2014stay and invest your ministry time\u2014to help make that paradigm safe: \u201cHey, we need this be a safe place to be on the journey. I\u2019m on the journey, and you\u2019re on the journey. So, let\u2019s just call it what it is.\u201d Then, really try to enact change there. But if you can\u2019t enact change there, then, you\u2019re going to need to find a safe place to be on the journey yourself because God really does have good things in mind for you. If you can help make a change there, do it. If you can\u2019t make a change, then, find a safe place. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> So, somebody\u2014and when you talk about finding a church\u2014you\u2019re not just talking about finding a place where you can go on Sunday morning, hear a sermon, hear the praise band, and then, go out to lunch afterwards; right? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> No way; right. We are the Church. I think, in America, we really do have a broken paradigm about church because church is not the\u2014the word that we use today\u2014church\u2014comes from an Anglo-Saxon word, <em>circe<\/em>, which means a place of worship\u2014that\u2019s not what Jesus died on the cross to initiate. He died on the cross to give birth to His Church\u2014which is the <em>ecclesia<\/em>\u2014the gathering of people, who are covenanted together under His Name and His calling. So, don\u2019t attend church\u2014be the Church. Wherever it is you go, don\u2019t just go. You\u2019ve got to <em>be<\/em> the Church. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> And that means you\u2019ve got to get involved in the lives of other people there\u2014get into the small groups. This is a place where you can start to say: \u201cOkay, I\u2019m here. I\u2019ll help.\u201d You can start to, even in your mess, serve in some way. It may be cleaning up after the potluck supper. It may be helping out with the fifth- and sixth-graders. I don\u2019t know what that serving looks like, but part of the way that God\u2019s going to help heal the mess is by getting you engaged. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> We have a ministry, at our church, called Celebrate Recovery. It is an incredibly dynamic and safe place to be on the journey, where we see people who are supporting one another and caring for one another in very authentic and transparent relationships. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI try to share my testimony in that ministry about once a year. There are really hundreds that are just getting free from all kinds of bondage and all kinds of messes. It is just getting sort of sorted out in that ministry setting. And then, we have a pathway for those who are receiving healing\u2014to then begin to sponsor and care for others who are entering into that ministry. <br><br>Really, it is something that we try to do with our student leaders\u2014caring for younger kids in our elementary ministry\u2014those younger kids leading worship and caring for even younger children. I mean, it\u2019s just kind of a part of this process\u2014wherever you are, you have something to share. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> You\u2019ve been talking about the call of God taking us to places that we may or may not thought we\u2019d ever go. I want you to share, with our listeners, the story of going near a little boy whose name is Duzi\u2014and that\u2019s spelled D-U-Z-I. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Well, Duzi is my son. I had the great privilege of adopting Duzi into our family. My wife and I felt like God was calling us to adoption, a few years ago. We started the process in the state of Washington. About half way through that process, one of our ministry partners, in South Africa, contacted us and said: \u201cHey! We hear that you\u2019re walking a road of adoption. In our children\u2019s home, we\u2019ve got this incredible little boy named Duzi. Would you be interested in praying about whether God might have him for your home?\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tJodie and I prayed about that. Then, we ended up interacting with Duzi, and meeting him, and just falling in love with him. It\u2019s been a great story of how God has built our family through adoption\u2014has not been challenge-free\u2014but it has been <em>absolutely<\/em> fantastic. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Dennis:<\/strong> How did God call you and Jodie to adopt? I mean, that\u2019s a specific thing. Had you thought about that, as a young man growing up? Had you talked about it, perhaps, as a couple, early on, when you were married? What\u2019s the story behind the story? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> I don\u2019t think that I had ever thought about it until I began to talk about it with my wife. We had two biological kids\u2014absolutely, incredible. My daughter, Alex, is 13 years old. My son, Caleb, is 11. For a while, I thought that we were done. You know, I had the whole set; right? I had the entire collection; right?\u2014boy \/ girl. Everything was good. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI believe it was my wife who said, \u201cYou know, I\u2019m sensing that God is not done growing our family.\u201d That began a conversation. I think the Lord just worked on both of our hearts to open our hearts for adoption. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Then, to create the opportunity\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Absolutely. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> \u2014to go ahead and execute it. You didn\u2019t stop there. You talk about a concept of the rescue of adoption. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Did that come about as a result of you going near a little boy? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Yes. Well, that\u2019s a great question, Dennis, because I, absolutely, now view the Gospel\u2014and I view salvation\u2014very clearly through this lens of adoption. It\u2019s exactly what the Lord, God Almighty, has done for you and for me. He has adopted us into His family. He has given us His name. He has given us His home. He has given us full rights, as sons and daughters, of the Most High King. I just see it so, so clearly. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn fact, let me tell you the story. When I was over in the children\u2019s home in Africa, I had the privilege of watching another little boy be adopted. His name was Thomas. As Thomas was being adopted, they told me the story that, ten days before the adoptive parents arrive, they are to send a photo album. In that photo album are pictures of the child\u2019s new family and their new home\u2014their new bed, their new bedroom\u2014if they have pets, you know, the new pets. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tFor days, Thomas was walking around the children\u2019s home, showing <em>everybody<\/em> his book. He would say: \u201cLook! I have a family. Look! I have a brother. Look! I have a dog. I have a bed. I have a backyard.\u201d He was telling <em>everybody<\/em> from this book, \u201cLook at my new life.\u201d It\u2019s the clearest picture of adoption that I\u2019ve ever seen because we have a book\u2014it\u2019s called the Bible. As we open that book, we say: \u201cLook! I have a new name. I have a new Dad. I have a new home.\u201d We can see <em>clearly<\/em> what it means for us to be adopted into the family of God. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> And when you adopt a child, you do bring them out of what, many times, is the mess that they are in; but the reality is\u2014some of that mess stays with them. Again, I\u2019m back to your metaphor of the <em>Glorious Mess<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Bob:<\/strong> God is at work in the middle of that; isn\u2019t He?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Absolutely. There is a mess\u2014where the children are coming into a home from. Duzi was five years old when we adopted him. So, he had a paradigm. He had a life that he had come to know. It was\u2014there was some mess in that\u2014but then, there is also a mess, on our end\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Sure. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> \u2014right? So, we\u2019re messy; and we\u2019re a messy family. There is a messy paradigm there, as well. Then, you bring one paradigm into another paradigm. The conjunction of those two messy scenarios creates even more mess. That\u2019s really where the challenge of adoption does come\u2014is that sense of: \u201cHow do you build <em>one<\/em> family unit out of two paradigms\u2014that are sort of in conflict\u2014coming together?\u201d But I want to say that I\u2019ve just seen God\u2019s love and His grace totally work in powerful, powerful ways that really becomes just the canvas for His glory to shine through. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Barbara and I adopted one of our six.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Oh, wow! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> And I have to say the same thing you just said\u2014that it was through that process\u2014and not just the act of getting a little a girl, who was an infant at the time, and enveloping her into our arms and into our family, and giving her a name and\u2014it was not just that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt was doing life with her and understanding that\u2014even as noble a thing as adopting a child can be, in the minds of the adoptive parents\u2014because we do tend to kind of think that way of ourselves: \u201cWe gave this child a home. We gave them a family. We gave them a name. We gave them a book. And they\u2019ve got a daddy and a mommy and all.\u201d There are lessons for the mommy and the daddy in this. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Not only lessons but blessings! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Oh, absolutely! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> I mean\u2014it\u2019s just amazing! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Absolutely. And one of the things that I think Barbara and I have kind of come to embrace through this\u2014as you enter into the call of God, as you are obedient to Him to do what He\u2019s called you to do\u2014there are blessings. There are going to be benefits to you, that you could never have anticipated; but it takes that first step of faith, where you step out. You don\u2019t see the end\u2014you take a step\u2014and you begin to step up on a staircase, where you don\u2019t see all the way to the top, and you don\u2019t know where it\u2019s leading you\u2014where it\u2019s taking you. All you know is that the God, Who created the staircase, is with you. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> And He wants to guide you every step of the way\u2014whether it be adoption, whether it be stepping out and doing a ministry, having an impact on another person, starting a small group study with a group of couples \/ a group of guys. All of these things can really, I think\u2014well, it\u2019s not that they can\u2014they will benefit you in some way, somehow, and make you a better person, as a result. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Absolutely. I mean, that\u2019s the adventure that we were talking about. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>It is the adventure. And I want to thank you for kind of putting your\u2014I think it\u2019s your heart, as well, as your life between two covers\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Well\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> \u2014the <em>Glorious Mess<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> That\u2019s it! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Bob started out, here earlier, talking about me being the glorious mess. As I\u2019ve read your book, I really see your life laid bare and being authentic with people\u2014talking about how you found God\u2019s will in the midst of your mess. Mike, I really appreciate you and the ministry of Overlake Christian, up in the Northwest. Thanks for standing strong up there, and trust you\u2019ll come back and join us again sometime. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Mike:<\/strong> Dennis, thank you so much. It\u2019s been so, so fun to be here. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Great to be with you. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> And let\u2019s hope, too, that our listeners will get in touch with us to get a copy of your book, <em>Glorious Mess<\/em>. We\u2019ve got it in our <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> Resource Center. Folks can go, online, at FamilyLifeToday.com to request a copy. FamilyLifeToday.com is the website. You can also request a copy of the book when you call. Our toll-free number is 1-800-FL-TODAY. So, if it\u2019s easier to call: 1-800-358-6329, 1-800- \u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then, the word, \u201cTODAY\u201d. Ask for the book, <em>Glorious Mess<\/em>, when you get in touch with us. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou know, just a couple of weeks ago, we began our fall season of <em>Weekend to Remember <\/em><sup>\u00ae <\/sup>marriage getaways. We\u2019ll be hosting tens of thousands of couples, this fall, at these weekend getaways for couples, providing them with practical, biblical help for their marriages and for their families. Then, when it\u2019s all over, we hope those couples will stay engaged with us\u2014through our website, through this radio program, through the resources we make available. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOur goal, here at FamilyLife\u2014with listeners, with those who attend our events, with all of you who are connected with this ministry\u2014we want to stay connected and provide practical, biblical counsel, at different stages in your life journey, as a family. And your support of this ministry is helping to make all of that possible. We appreciate those of you, who join with us and who donate to keep <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> on the air in this city and our network of stations, all across the country. You help cover the costs for producing and syndicating this daily radio program. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThis month, if you make a donation to help support us, we\u2019d like to say, \u201cThank you,\u201d by sending you a book called <em>Anything<\/em>. It is Jennie Allen\u2019s story of the prayer that she prayed that radically altered her marriage, her family, and her relationship with God. It\u2019s our thank-you gift when you support <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> this month. Go to FamilyLifeToday.com and click the button that says, \u201cI CARE\u201d, to make an online donation. Or request the book when you call 1-800-FL-TODAY, and make your donation over the phone. You can also mail in your donation and request the book, <em>Anything<\/em>. Send your check to: <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> at P. O. Box 7111, Little Rock, AR. The zip code is 72223. We do look forward to hearing from you and appreciate your financial support. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd we hope you will be back with us again tomorrow. Our friends, Michael and Hayley DiMarco, are going to be here. We\u2019re going to talk about a book they\u2019ve written to challenge young people to make their faith their own. It\u2019s a book that\u2019s featured prominently in a movie that\u2019s coming out on Friday night called <em>Grace Unplugged<\/em>. We\u2019ll talk about the book and the movie tomorrow. 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. On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I\u2019m Bob Lepine. We will see you back tomorrow for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. \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. Help for today. 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 to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve 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?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright <sup>\u00a9<\/sup> 2013 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/\">www.FamilyLife.com<\/a>\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t1\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>"],"_seopress_titles_title":[""],"_seopress_titles_desc":[""],"_seopress_robots_index":[""],"duration":["00:"],"show_notes":[""],"_thumbnail_id":["294104"],"filesize":["21.69M"],"filesize_raw":["22748698"],"_uag_css_file_name":["uag-css-302824.css"],"_uag_js_file_name":["uag-js-302824.js"],"_uag_page_assets":["a:9:{s:3:\"css\";s:82560:\".wp-block-uagb-container.uagb-block-e11dbe9f .uagb-container__shape-top svg{width: calc( 100% + 1.3px );}.wp-block-uagb-container.uagb-block-e11dbe9f .uagb-container__shape.uagb-container__shape-top .uagb-container__shape-fill{fill: rgba(51,51,51,1);}.wp-block-uagb-container.uagb-block-e11dbe9f .uagb-container__shape-bottom svg{width: calc( 100% + 1.3px );}.wp-block-uagb-container.uagb-block-e11dbe9f .uagb-container__shape.uagb-container__shape-bottom 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Howerton reminds us God can use anyone for His purposes. Especially the imperfect.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2013-10-02.pdf","transcript_content":"<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Have you ever made a mess and, then, tried to pray your way out of the mess you have behaved yourself into? Mike Howerton knows how you feel. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Mike:<\/strong> I was a sophomore at Pepperdine University, and I stole a mattress. I didn\u2019t need the mattress. My buddy needed the mattress, but I had the truck. So, I\u2019m being chased. We just pull into a parking stall. I get out and put my hands behind my head, and the public safety surrounds me. I mean, I was caught red-handed. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut you know what? God didn\u2019t give up on me, in that moment of stupidity. I mean, that was really a moment where I was praying my way out of a mess I behaved my way into. Yet, God, consistently, will meet us in those moments. He will grace us and love us. He doesn\u2019t write us off. The story doesn\u2019t end when we make some bonehead move like that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> This is <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> for Wednesday, October 2<sup>nd<\/sup>. Our host is the President of FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, Dennis Rainey, and I\u2019m Bob Lepine. Nothing, including your messes, can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. We\u2019ll talk about that today. Stay tuned. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd welcome to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. Thanks for joining us. Where I go to church, we\u2014here\u2019s part of the language we use with one another. We say that part of life is you\u2019ve got to be drinking in; but you also have got to be pouring out. We say that we ought to be able to go up to anybody at church and say: \u201cWhere are you drinking from? What\u2019s pouring into your life?\u201d Then, you should be able to say, \u201cAnd where are you pouring out?\u201d There ought to be an immediate answer to both of those questions. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAs I\u2019ve talked to people about this, I\u2019ve said: \u201cIf you\u2019ve got a body of water\u2014and there\u2019s not something pouring in and there\u2019s not something pouring out\u2014you\u2019ve got a swamp that\u2019s going to start to stink. You\u2019ve got to have that flow for the lake to stay healthy.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Yes. Jesus did say, \u201cCome to me and drink for out of your innermost being will flow rivers of living water.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> So, it wasn\u2019t just an intake. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> There was an\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> There\u2019s an output. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> There was an outlet, as well. And we have a pastor with us, who, I know, agrees with that principle. Mike Howerton joins us again. Mike\u2014welcome back. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Mike:<\/strong> It\u2019s great to be here. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> He pastors Overlake Christian Church in Redmond, Washington, where he lives with his wife, Jodie, and three children. Mike, you\u2019ve written a book called <em>Glorious Mess<\/em>. You talk about the need for Christians to not believe other Christians who tell them that God could never use them. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Absolutely. Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> In other words, there\u2019s nobody who shouldn\u2019t be pouring out somewhere; right? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Right; right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> No matter how messy your life is\u2014there is a way for you to pour out for the Kingdom. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> And it\u2019s been my experience in ministry\u2014and I think there are people, listening to this broadcast right now, who are thinking to themselves: \u201cThere\u2019s still just no way that God has a plan for me. There\u2019s no way that God\u2019s grace is big enough to wrap me in. And there is no way that I\u2019ve got anything worthy to offer anyone else.\u201d Those are just wrong. Those are just lies that the enemy seeks to tell us. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI think some of the things we do in our church world\u2014present this picture\u2014that unless you are perfect, and unless you\u2019ve got it all wired-down, and unless you drive a paid-for-Volvo<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, and vote with a clear conscience, and have a home\u2014clipped out of <em>Better Homes &amp; Gardens<\/em>\u2014better than my home\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> \u2014you know\u2014that kind of thing: \u201cUnless you are at that level, then, you can\u2019t offer the Kingdom anything.\u201d It\u2019s just untrue. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> You talk about hitting the brakes, in your book, <em>Glorious Mess<\/em>. What are some of the brakes that we hit that keep us from really engaging in and entering into the adventure that God has for our lives. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Well, when I talk about hitting the brakes, it\u2019s more in the context of Jonah, running from God. So, I would say this to anyone, who is actively running from God\u2014they know that God desires a relationship with them or they know that God has called them to do something\u2014and yet, they are running, specifically, from God\u2019s call. It\u2019s to those people that I would say, \u201cHey, it\u2019s time to hit the brakes.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou can actually make a decision to change your life\u2014to change your relationship with the Lord or to change the trajectory of your life without hitting\u2014what they say in Celebrate Recovery<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> circles\u2014\u201cwithout hitting rock bottom\u201d. Unfortunately, Jonah didn\u2019t do that until he hit rock bottom; but I would encourage anyone, who is actively running from God: \u201cHit the brakes <em>now<\/em>. You don\u2019t have to wait until that very painful moment.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I\u2019m thinking back to a time when I was single young man. God had gotten a hold of my life. This was the day of mini-skirts, and I happened to notice girls. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Bob:<\/strong> You hit the brakes; didn\u2019t you? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I hit the brakes. I hit walls. I hit trees! [Laughter] But after I gave my life to Christ, what I ended up having happen is\u2014God did not give my dating life back to me immediately. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I still saw the girls in the mini-skirts, and was attracted, and wanted to go out; but God said, \u201cUh-uh.\u201d The reason was because my dating life, as a single guy, was what I call missionary dating. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Okay? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I didn\u2019t necessarily date women who were followers of Jesus. I thought, \u201cI\u2019ll go share Christ with them.\u201d You know? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> I know what you were thinking\u2014very little to do with sharing Christ with them; come on? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> They\u2019re good-looking. It\u2019s kind of like Samson, \u201cGo get her for she looks good to me.\u201d [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u201cSee if we can work Jesus into the conversation somewhere.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Yes, there we go. It was a good thing God didn\u2019t give my dating life back to me immediately after I became a Christ-follower because my life needed to be disciplined to be ready to handle this noble creature of a woman in the way she was designed, by God, to be treated. I had not been treating women the way I should have. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> That\u2019s a great practical example. In the book of Jonah, we read that, \u201cOut of the belly of the fish, Jonah prayed to the Lord.\u201d I use that phrase as a great example that no matter what has swallowed you\u2014no matter what has just absolutely enveloped you in your life\u2014that even out of the pit of that moment\u2014that the Lord will hear your prayer\u2014just like the Lord heard Jonah\u2019s prayer. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br>So, that\u2019s a great example of dating life: \u201cHey, this dating life had kind of enveloped me. It had swallowed me whole; but when I said, \u2018Yes,\u2019 to the Lord, then, He changed me.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> What about you? You started your spiritual life kind of on the run. You had to hit the brakes, occasionally, as well; right? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Actually, Dennis, it\u2019s exactly the same kind of scenario with you. I had only done dating relationships based on how a relationship made me feel and what I could receive from a relationship. I was incredibly selfish. So, I took about a year-and-a-half of just: \u201cHey! Let me walk with the Lord and experience the relationship with Jesus.\u201d Then, after that, the very first person I met was the woman that God wanted me to marry, Jodie. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> You have met people who will sit down in your office or they just say: \u201cMike, my life is a mess\u2014my personal life, my relationships, my work. Before I can really help anybody else, I\u2019ve got to deal with my own mess.\u201d Is there validity to that, or is part of the way they deal with their own mess by helping other people? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Well, that\u2019s a great question. I think that you can do both, simultaneously. I mean, I do think there is a first step. I think that first step has to do with true humility before Jesus, where you really just say, \u201cJesus, I have made a mess of my life,\u201d\u2014and this is where we see Jonah\u2014\u201cBut on my own, I have tanked this thing. I have driven my life right into the belly of the beast, and I need You. I need to cry out to You for rescue. I need to cry out to You for salvation. I need Your grace to cover my life.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes, tell our listeners about the mattress story from college because that\u2019s kind of the making a mess of things; isn\u2019t it? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Absolutely. Well, the funny thing is I made a list, when I was writing this book, of all of the ridiculously shameful and stupid things I had ever done. The list was way too long to confess on the air. I really\u2014I only had a few things that I could share, outside of my counselor\u2019s office. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, this is one of those\u2014sort of safe-to-share stories\u2014where I was a sophomore at Pepperdine University, and I stole a mattress. I didn\u2019t need the mattress. My buddy needed the mattress, but I had the truck. You can see where this is going. It was the first day of school. We drive my truck onto campus. The supply dorm is there. We go. We get the mattress, and we put it in the truck. We were spotted by the fuzz\u2014it was public safety. They weren\u2019t real cops, but they were sort of the\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> The campus police. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> \u2014campus equivalent. So, we drive off in my Nissan<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>\u20143.5 cylinder Nissan truck. They give full chase, lights blaring, in their golf cart. [Laughter] Then, I start to realize that there are only two exits to the campus. They both have gates, and they both have public safety at them. So, I\u2019m being chased. We just pull into a parking stall. I get out. I put my hands behind my head, and the public safety surrounds me. But I was busted. I was caught red-handed. I was absolutely thrown the book at. I got more community service hours than a human can possibly fulfill. [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> But you know the reason why I share that story is because God didn\u2019t give up on me, in that moment of stupidity. I mean, that was really a moment where I was praying my way out of a mess I behaved my way into. Yet, God, consistently, will meet us in those moments. He will grace us and love us. He doesn\u2019t write us off. The story doesn\u2019t end when we make some bonehead move like that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Bob:<\/strong> So, we don\u2019t have to be afraid to go to God and make the list and say: \u201cLook, I have made a mess. I have done this, and this, and this, and this.\u201d We can\u2019t make a list long enough that God goes, \u201cOh, that! I was ready to go here; but when you got to number 72, it\u2019s all over now.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> You are exactly right. That\u2019s why it is called unconditional love. There is no way you can out-sin God\u2019s grace. In fact, I just think we have the whole paradigm wrong. The reason why God doesn\u2019t want us to sin is\u2014it\u2019s for <em>our best<\/em>. He knows that every time we sin, it\u2019s like we are wounding ourselves\u2014we\u2019re burdening ourselves, we are lading ourselves down\u2014and He wants us to be free to live this life of adventure and joy that He\u2019s created us and called us to live. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> How do we start to unpack the mess that we\u2019ve made? I mean, once\u2014confession is Step 1\u2014but what are the steps that follow that as we start to confront the mess of our lives? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Certainly, it might depend on what circumstance we are talking about; but I believe a safe church environment is really key. I believe walking with Jesus, with a community of people who are also on the journey with you, is absolutely essential for that kind of reality. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> What if you are part of the church, though, that is not safe\u2014where you sense that there is more finger-pointing than there are arms welcoming\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> \u2014when somebody confesses a sin? What do you do in that situation? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Well, if you sense that you are in a place where there really is a kind of a judgment\u2014a condemnation, or even what I would call a religious spirit, like the Pharisees, where Jesus was in Jesus\u2019 day\u2014I think you only have two options, really. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou can either\u2014stay and invest your ministry time\u2014to help make that paradigm safe: \u201cHey, we need this be a safe place to be on the journey. I\u2019m on the journey, and you\u2019re on the journey. So, let\u2019s just call it what it is.\u201d Then, really try to enact change there. But if you can\u2019t enact change there, then, you\u2019re going to need to find a safe place to be on the journey yourself because God really does have good things in mind for you. If you can help make a change there, do it. If you can\u2019t make a change, then, find a safe place. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> So, somebody\u2014and when you talk about finding a church\u2014you\u2019re not just talking about finding a place where you can go on Sunday morning, hear a sermon, hear the praise band, and then, go out to lunch afterwards; right? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> No way; right. We are the Church. I think, in America, we really do have a broken paradigm about church because church is not the\u2014the word that we use today\u2014church\u2014comes from an Anglo-Saxon word, <em>circe<\/em>, which means a place of worship\u2014that\u2019s not what Jesus died on the cross to initiate. He died on the cross to give birth to His Church\u2014which is the <em>ecclesia<\/em>\u2014the gathering of people, who are covenanted together under His Name and His calling. So, don\u2019t attend church\u2014be the Church. Wherever it is you go, don\u2019t just go. You\u2019ve got to <em>be<\/em> the Church. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> And that means you\u2019ve got to get involved in the lives of other people there\u2014get into the small groups. This is a place where you can start to say: \u201cOkay, I\u2019m here. I\u2019ll help.\u201d You can start to, even in your mess, serve in some way. It may be cleaning up after the potluck supper. It may be helping out with the fifth- and sixth-graders. I don\u2019t know what that serving looks like, but part of the way that God\u2019s going to help heal the mess is by getting you engaged. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> We have a ministry, at our church, called Celebrate Recovery. It is an incredibly dynamic and safe place to be on the journey, where we see people who are supporting one another and caring for one another in very authentic and transparent relationships. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI try to share my testimony in that ministry about once a year. There are really hundreds that are just getting free from all kinds of bondage and all kinds of messes. It is just getting sort of sorted out in that ministry setting. And then, we have a pathway for those who are receiving healing\u2014to then begin to sponsor and care for others who are entering into that ministry. <br><br>Really, it is something that we try to do with our student leaders\u2014caring for younger kids in our elementary ministry\u2014those younger kids leading worship and caring for even younger children. I mean, it\u2019s just kind of a part of this process\u2014wherever you are, you have something to share. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> You\u2019ve been talking about the call of God taking us to places that we may or may not thought we\u2019d ever go. I want you to share, with our listeners, the story of going near a little boy whose name is Duzi\u2014and that\u2019s spelled D-U-Z-I. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Well, Duzi is my son. I had the great privilege of adopting Duzi into our family. My wife and I felt like God was calling us to adoption, a few years ago. We started the process in the state of Washington. About half way through that process, one of our ministry partners, in South Africa, contacted us and said: \u201cHey! We hear that you\u2019re walking a road of adoption. In our children\u2019s home, we\u2019ve got this incredible little boy named Duzi. Would you be interested in praying about whether God might have him for your home?\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tJodie and I prayed about that. Then, we ended up interacting with Duzi, and meeting him, and just falling in love with him. It\u2019s been a great story of how God has built our family through adoption\u2014has not been challenge-free\u2014but it has been <em>absolutely<\/em> fantastic. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Dennis:<\/strong> How did God call you and Jodie to adopt? I mean, that\u2019s a specific thing. Had you thought about that, as a young man growing up? Had you talked about it, perhaps, as a couple, early on, when you were married? What\u2019s the story behind the story? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> I don\u2019t think that I had ever thought about it until I began to talk about it with my wife. We had two biological kids\u2014absolutely, incredible. My daughter, Alex, is 13 years old. My son, Caleb, is 11. For a while, I thought that we were done. You know, I had the whole set; right? I had the entire collection; right?\u2014boy \/ girl. Everything was good. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI believe it was my wife who said, \u201cYou know, I\u2019m sensing that God is not done growing our family.\u201d That began a conversation. I think the Lord just worked on both of our hearts to open our hearts for adoption. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Then, to create the opportunity\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Absolutely. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> \u2014to go ahead and execute it. You didn\u2019t stop there. You talk about a concept of the rescue of adoption. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Did that come about as a result of you going near a little boy? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Yes. Well, that\u2019s a great question, Dennis, because I, absolutely, now view the Gospel\u2014and I view salvation\u2014very clearly through this lens of adoption. It\u2019s exactly what the Lord, God Almighty, has done for you and for me. He has adopted us into His family. He has given us His name. He has given us His home. He has given us full rights, as sons and daughters, of the Most High King. I just see it so, so clearly. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn fact, let me tell you the story. When I was over in the children\u2019s home in Africa, I had the privilege of watching another little boy be adopted. His name was Thomas. As Thomas was being adopted, they told me the story that, ten days before the adoptive parents arrive, they are to send a photo album. In that photo album are pictures of the child\u2019s new family and their new home\u2014their new bed, their new bedroom\u2014if they have pets, you know, the new pets. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tFor days, Thomas was walking around the children\u2019s home, showing <em>everybody<\/em> his book. He would say: \u201cLook! I have a family. Look! I have a brother. Look! I have a dog. I have a bed. I have a backyard.\u201d He was telling <em>everybody<\/em> from this book, \u201cLook at my new life.\u201d It\u2019s the clearest picture of adoption that I\u2019ve ever seen because we have a book\u2014it\u2019s called the Bible. As we open that book, we say: \u201cLook! I have a new name. I have a new Dad. I have a new home.\u201d We can see <em>clearly<\/em> what it means for us to be adopted into the family of God. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> And when you adopt a child, you do bring them out of what, many times, is the mess that they are in; but the reality is\u2014some of that mess stays with them. Again, I\u2019m back to your metaphor of the <em>Glorious Mess<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Bob:<\/strong> God is at work in the middle of that; isn\u2019t He?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Absolutely. There is a mess\u2014where the children are coming into a home from. Duzi was five years old when we adopted him. So, he had a paradigm. He had a life that he had come to know. It was\u2014there was some mess in that\u2014but then, there is also a mess, on our end\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Sure. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> \u2014right? So, we\u2019re messy; and we\u2019re a messy family. There is a messy paradigm there, as well. Then, you bring one paradigm into another paradigm. The conjunction of those two messy scenarios creates even more mess. That\u2019s really where the challenge of adoption does come\u2014is that sense of: \u201cHow do you build <em>one<\/em> family unit out of two paradigms\u2014that are sort of in conflict\u2014coming together?\u201d But I want to say that I\u2019ve just seen God\u2019s love and His grace totally work in powerful, powerful ways that really becomes just the canvas for His glory to shine through. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Barbara and I adopted one of our six.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Oh, wow! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> And I have to say the same thing you just said\u2014that it was through that process\u2014and not just the act of getting a little a girl, who was an infant at the time, and enveloping her into our arms and into our family, and giving her a name and\u2014it was not just that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt was doing life with her and understanding that\u2014even as noble a thing as adopting a child can be, in the minds of the adoptive parents\u2014because we do tend to kind of think that way of ourselves: \u201cWe gave this child a home. We gave them a family. We gave them a name. We gave them a book. And they\u2019ve got a daddy and a mommy and all.\u201d There are lessons for the mommy and the daddy in this. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Not only lessons but blessings! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Oh, absolutely! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> I mean\u2014it\u2019s just amazing! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Absolutely. And one of the things that I think Barbara and I have kind of come to embrace through this\u2014as you enter into the call of God, as you are obedient to Him to do what He\u2019s called you to do\u2014there are blessings. There are going to be benefits to you, that you could never have anticipated; but it takes that first step of faith, where you step out. You don\u2019t see the end\u2014you take a step\u2014and you begin to step up on a staircase, where you don\u2019t see all the way to the top, and you don\u2019t know where it\u2019s leading you\u2014where it\u2019s taking you. All you know is that the God, Who created the staircase, is with you. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> And He wants to guide you every step of the way\u2014whether it be adoption, whether it be stepping out and doing a ministry, having an impact on another person, starting a small group study with a group of couples \/ a group of guys. All of these things can really, I think\u2014well, it\u2019s not that they can\u2014they will benefit you in some way, somehow, and make you a better person, as a result. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Absolutely. I mean, that\u2019s the adventure that we were talking about. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>It is the adventure. And I want to thank you for kind of putting your\u2014I think it\u2019s your heart, as well, as your life between two covers\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Well\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> \u2014the <em>Glorious Mess<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike:<\/strong> That\u2019s it! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Bob started out, here earlier, talking about me being the glorious mess. As I\u2019ve read your book, I really see your life laid bare and being authentic with people\u2014talking about how you found God\u2019s will in the midst of your mess. Mike, I really appreciate you and the ministry of Overlake Christian, up in the Northwest. Thanks for standing strong up there, and trust you\u2019ll come back and join us again sometime. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Mike:<\/strong> Dennis, thank you so much. It\u2019s been so, so fun to be here. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Great to be with you. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> And let\u2019s hope, too, that our listeners will get in touch with us to get a copy of your book, <em>Glorious Mess<\/em>. We\u2019ve got it in our <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> Resource Center. Folks can go, online, at FamilyLifeToday.com to request a copy. FamilyLifeToday.com is the website. You can also request a copy of the book when you call. Our toll-free number is 1-800-FL-TODAY. So, if it\u2019s easier to call: 1-800-358-6329, 1-800- \u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then, the word, \u201cTODAY\u201d. Ask for the book, <em>Glorious Mess<\/em>, when you get in touch with us. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou know, just a couple of weeks ago, we began our fall season of <em>Weekend to Remember <\/em><sup>\u00ae <\/sup>marriage getaways. We\u2019ll be hosting tens of thousands of couples, this fall, at these weekend getaways for couples, providing them with practical, biblical help for their marriages and for their families. Then, when it\u2019s all over, we hope those couples will stay engaged with us\u2014through our website, through this radio program, through the resources we make available. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOur goal, here at FamilyLife\u2014with listeners, with those who attend our events, with all of you who are connected with this ministry\u2014we want to stay connected and provide practical, biblical counsel, at different stages in your life journey, as a family. And your support of this ministry is helping to make all of that possible. We appreciate those of you, who join with us and who donate to keep <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> on the air in this city and our network of stations, all across the country. You help cover the costs for producing and syndicating this daily radio program. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThis month, if you make a donation to help support us, we\u2019d like to say, \u201cThank you,\u201d by sending you a book called <em>Anything<\/em>. It is Jennie Allen\u2019s story of the prayer that she prayed that radically altered her marriage, her family, and her relationship with God. It\u2019s our thank-you gift when you support <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> this month. Go to FamilyLifeToday.com and click the button that says, \u201cI CARE\u201d, to make an online donation. Or request the book when you call 1-800-FL-TODAY, and make your donation over the phone. You can also mail in your donation and request the book, <em>Anything<\/em>. Send your check to: <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> at P. O. Box 7111, Little Rock, AR. The zip code is 72223. We do look forward to hearing from you and appreciate your financial support. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd we hope you will be back with us again tomorrow. Our friends, Michael and Hayley DiMarco, are going to be here. We\u2019re going to talk about a book they\u2019ve written to challenge young people to make their faith their own. It\u2019s a book that\u2019s featured prominently in a movie that\u2019s coming out on Friday night called <em>Grace Unplugged<\/em>. We\u2019ll talk about the book and the movie tomorrow. 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. On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I\u2019m Bob Lepine. We will see you back tomorrow for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. \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. Help for today. 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 to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve 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?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright <sup>\u00a9<\/sup> 2013 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/\">www.FamilyLife.com<\/a>\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t1\n\t\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\/302824","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=302824"}],"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=302824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=302824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=302824"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=302824"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=302824"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=302824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}