{"id":303143,"date":"2014-07-29T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-07-29T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/from-tragedy-to-testimony\/"},"modified":"2014-07-29T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2014-07-29T15:00:00","slug":"from-tragedy-to-testimony","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/from-tragedy-to-testimony\/","title":{"rendered":"From Tragedy to Testimony"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>They moved to America to escape certain death in Iran. Pastor David Nasser recalls his family&#8217;s early years in the United States.<\/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\/fl2014-07-29.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:","filesize":"31.35M","filesize_raw":"32871360","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2906,2821],"tags":[5387,5386,5385,4869],"podcast_series":[8027],"cwp_profile":[9348],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-303143","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-becoming-a-christian","category-reaching-out","tag-american-jesus","tag-islam","tag-muslim","tag-religion","podcast_series-jumping-through-fires","cwp_profile-david-nasser","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\/303143\/from-tragedy-to-testimony","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/303143\/from-tragedy-to-testimony","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=\"8LKQo6abvK\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/from-tragedy-to-testimony\/\">From Tragedy to Testimony<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/from-tragedy-to-testimony\/embed\/#?secret=8LKQo6abvK\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;From Tragedy to Testimony&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"8LKQo6abvK\" 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":"They moved to America to escape certain death in Iran. Pastor David Nasser recalls his family's early years in the United States.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2014-07-29.pdf","transcript_content":"<strong>Bob: <\/strong>At age 18, because of the influence of friends at his school, David Nasser surrendered his life to Christ and went forward to be baptized.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> My mom and dad told me: \u201cIf you get baptized tonight, you\u2019re embarrassing us. You\u2019re dead to me.\u201d My dad told me I was dead to him. I said, \u201cDad, I\u2019m sorry.\u201d I left the house and went and got baptized. A lot of people get birthday cakes\u2014you know, at our church\u2014when we baptize, the parents clap and grandma shows up. It was the opposite for me. I came home and my parents said, \u201cDid you get baptized?\u201d I said, \u201cYes,\u201d and my dad said: \u201cYou\u2019re no longer my son. You\u2019re dead to me.\u201d I got kicked out of the house for becoming a Christian.\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 Tuesday, July 29<sup>th<\/sup>. Our host is the President of FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, Dennis Rainey, and I\u2019m Bob Lepine. David Nasser, as a young man, had to count the cost to make a stand for Christ. We\u2019ll hear his story today. Stay tuned.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>1:00<\/strong>\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. I don\u2019t know how many of our listeners this week knew who David Nasser was before they tuned in\u2014but especially those who are going to be joining us in Chicago, and in Portland, and in Washington, DC, for the upcoming <em>I Still Do<\/em><sup>\u2122<\/sup> event\u2014they\u2019ve had a chance to get to know somebody who, not only has a great story, but is also a great communicator of God\u2019s truth.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> And he\u2019s going to be speaking at each of those <em>I Still Do<\/em> events. You\u2019re excited about coming; right, David?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> I really am.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> You speak all over the country\u2014like to three-fourths of a million people a year. Why would you say, \u201cYes,\u201d to these three events called <em>I Still Do<\/em>?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> First of all, your reputation. You just do incredible work in helping a husband and a wife put Christ in the very center of their lives, and their marriage, and their parenting, and everything else. So, what a privilege for me to get to come up and just be faithful to the message, out of God\u2019s Word, that He\u2019s going to give me for that audience, at that particular time. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>2:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI\u2019m really excited about it.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Let me just let our listeners know that Saturday, August 2<sup>nd<\/sup>, at the Allstate Arena in Chicago\u2014that\u2019s where we kick this off\u2014then Saturday, August 23<sup>rd<\/sup>, at the Moda Center in Portland; then Saturday, October 4<sup>th<\/sup>, at the Verizon Center in downtown Washington, DC. That final event is also going to be a worldwide simulcast\u2014so your church \/ your community can be hooked in, via satellite, and join us. If you\u2019d like more information about <em>I Still Do<\/em>, go to FamilyLifeToday.com and click the link that says, \u201cGO DEEPER,\u201d at the top of the page. You\u2019ll find the info there.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> And the reason we\u2019re doing this is because we see marriage and family designed by God. He knows how to make it work. We\u2019re going to help people make it work. We\u2019re going to make a giant statement, across the country, on behalf of marriage and family.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDavid, you\u2019re a pastor in Birmingham, Alabama\u2014Christ City Church is the name of it. You\u2019ve written a book\u2014<em>Jumping through Fires<\/em>, which is really the story of how you came to faith in Christ.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> Yes, sir.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>3:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Earlier, you started sharing your story that was riveting. If folks didn\u2019t listen to that portion, they need to go back and hear it. Bring those listeners up-to-date quickly with kind of where we are in your story before you found Christ. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> I\u2019m originally from the country of Iran. In 1979, our country was embroiled in the Iranian Revolution. We saw over a million people lose their lives when the Ayatollah Khomeini and his religious Muslim zealots took over our country. My dad was high-ranking in the military, at that time. When the government was overthrown, we were forced to escape and come to America as refugees.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe escaped when our country was just turned upside down because of what I call \u201creligion gone wrong.\u201d We came to America, looking for hope, and for peace, and for refuge. When we came here, we found out that things weren\u2019t going to get a whole lot easier for us. Our lives weren\u2019t in physical danger; but definitely, we were from the wrong place at the wrong time.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>4:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, for years and years, I was just the outsider kid just trying to find a place to belong in America.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> So your junior high and senior high years were loneliness, for the most part. You were an outcast. Did you find a group of people to hang out with? What did you do, as a teenager?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> Basically, a loner\u2014like you were just saying\u2014for years and years. My freshman year in high school\u2014the day before high school was about to start\u2014it was the last day of the summer. I was sitting in my room, and I was crying. My dad came in my room because he heard me. He came in and said, \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI said, \u201cDad, I\u2019m just this loner.\u201d So, my dad just put me in the car\u2014and out of pity\u2014just drove me to the mall. He gave me this extreme makeover\u2014same insecure kid on the inside\u2014but I got made over on the outside. I got new clothes, new haircut, new shoes\u2014new everything. I went to the American high school, as a freshman, completely made over, on the outside.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI tell people I went from \u201cgeek\u201d to \u201cchic\u201d\u2014Abdul to Julio\u2014you know? [Laughter] I mean, I found friends!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>5:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI found out the other side of Romans 12:1. I found out that, if you\u2019ll just <em>conform<\/em> to the patterns of this world, people will just receive you by just buying into them. I basically took my brain\u2014and put it on the top shelf in high school\u2014and thought, \u201cEveryone else can just find my identity for me.\u201d \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>David:<\/strong> I was just tired of being alone. I found out that\u2014if you drive the right car, have the right clothes \/ learn how to play the game\u2014you can end up at the right lunchroom table. You can be cold to be perceived as cool. I just became that. It\u2019s so true\u2014where it says in Philippians\u2014\u201cWhat good is it for a man to gain the whole world but to forfeit his soul?\u201d Because, at least, when I was a nobody\u2014I was \u201cDavid Nasser, the nobody.\u201d I was just this kid, who just forfeited his soul in high school, just because I was just tired of being alone.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> You did drugs for a little while?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> I did. I mean, it starts with the first time somebody gave me a beer. I was so insecure that I drank four. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Wow.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> When you get one, and you drink four, and everybody starts laughing, you think: \u201cI don\u2019t care if they\u2019re laughing at me or with me. I\u2019m just tired of being alone.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>6:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, it starts with that. Then it goes a little further and a little further. By the time I\u2019d graduated from high school, I was this kid who had to bring his alcohol to school every day. I was an alcoholic \/ I was doing drugs. Yes, my life was pretty broken. On the outside, I was this preppy kid who had just learned how to play this American thing; but on the inside, I was this really emotionally-bankrupt kid.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI remember my senior year\u2014just being suicidal. I remember thinking, \u201cMan, if this is what everybody says the greener grass is on the other side,\u201d you know, \u201cthere\u2019s no hope in it for me.\u201d When I was not popular, I thought, \u201cIf I can just get popular!\u201d When I was alone, I thought, \u201cIf I could just get people to say, \u2018I love you.\u2019\u201d But, then, when it\u2019s all fabricated, you know, and you get it, you realize it\u2019s just a mirage more than anything.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> And spiritually, still nothing happening in your life at this point; right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> That\u2019s right. Just pretty much wanted to have nothing to do with God or religion.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Until one night\u2014he was smoking pot\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> That\u2019s right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> \u2014and a friend came and invited him.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> That is a weird statement; isn\u2019t it?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> It is! [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> Until\u2014yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> But that\u2019s how it happened.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>7:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> That is what happened. And that is just, again, a testimony of how everything that has happened in my life is just the goodness and the mercy of God. I graduated from high school with a 1.9 GPA. That\u2019s about as bad as it gets! All of my energy had gone into reaching popularity instead of any kind of academic goal.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMy friends went to this school and this school. A few months later, I was in front of my house on a Saturday night with the only buddy I had who hadn\u2019t gone anywhere yet. We were sitting there. We were smoking a joint together, back and forth. While we were sitting there, at almost midnight, I had to go in the house. My buddy said: \u201cYou\u2019re really down tonight. What\u2019s wrong?\u201d I told him\u2014I said: \u201cMan, I can\u2019t believe all our friends are gone. They\u2019ve graduated out. What are we going to do? No one\u2019s here to smoke weed with us anymore.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHe looked at me. He had this kind of epiphany look; and he said, \u201cWell, you ought to come to church with me tomorrow.\u201d [Laughter] I was like, \u201cMan, you go to church!?\u201d He tells me: \u201cYes, man! I love church.\u201d Then he said this\u2014he said, \u201cOutside the school, the church, in America, David, is the next big social ground.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>8:00<\/strong>\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>David:<\/strong> He said, \u201cCome to church with me.\u201d I said: \u201cMan, I\u2019m not going to church because I hate religion. I saw religion destroy my country when I was a kid. I want to have nothing to do with it.\u201d Instead of giving up, he tried one last thing\u2014he named the five prettiest girls from my high school. When he got to the fifth girl, he said: \u201cBro! They all go to my church.\u201d I felt motivated to visit! [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> All of a sudden, something\u2019s stirring in your spirit!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> Something stirred in me; yes! [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> So you\u2019re 18 or 19 years old.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> That\u2019s right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> You have never been inside a church.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> Well, to back up\u2014earlier, we had moved. For a little while, we went from Texas to Enterprise, Alabama. Way back, in those days, there was a Vacation Bible School thing\u2014but outside of that, not really. So, I\u2019m the kid who went to church the first time just because I was wanting to be social. I went for that reason, but God was so much bigger than my reason.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI went to church for the first time. God just began to use this\u2014I call them a youth ministry, not a youth group\u2014to just really begin to minister to my heart.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>9:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThey saw me coming. They were just like, \u201cWell, there it is\u2014foreign missions in our back door\u201d; right? [Laughter] \u201cDavid Nasser just showed up at our church.\u201d Everybody knew me at this church\u2014they knew me as this partyer. This one kid\u2014his name was Larry Noh\u2014he was half-Korean and half-American\u2014who was just this incredible kid, who went to our rival high school\u2014saw me coming. He just decided he was\u2014that the Great Commission was going to be carried out through my life.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> So, what did he\u2014he pulled you aside and started talking to you?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> Yes. I went to church, Bob\u2014for the first time\u2014I ever went to church. By the way, I think probably the most powerful part of my story of why I got to go to church\u2014I forgot to tell you guys! I told my buddy, who invited me to church\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Oh, yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> \u2014I told him I was <em>not<\/em> going to go.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> You had to go ask your dad!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> He said, \u201cGo ask your dad!\u201d I said, \u201cMy dad\u2019s never going to let me go to a Christian church.\u201d But he <em>forced<\/em> me to ask my dad. I thought my dad was going to say, \u201cNo,\u201d in front of my buddy so that my buddy would then leave me alone. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>10:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut the same month\u2014where I\u2019m getting invited to church by this lost buddy of mine\u2014there were these people from this church who had been coming to my father\u2019s restaurant\u2014he had opened up a restaurant in Birmingham. They\u2019d come to my dad\u2019s restaurant, and they were eating. We\u2019re talking about the pastor and the worship pastor. While they were eating in my dad\u2019s restaurant, they\u2019d seen how he was short-handed on wait staff. So, they would get up, and roll up their sleeves, and wait on tables at my dad\u2019s restaurant.\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>David:<\/strong> So God had used that to massage my dad\u2019s heart.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> They did it more than once?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> They kept coming back, and they kept doing it. As a matter of fact, a guy named Aubrey Edwards, who was the choir director of this church\u2014he invited my dad to come to choir practice. He said: \u201cThis is my Iranian friend, Mr. Nasser. He owns a restaurant in Birmingham here. He needs free help at his restaurant.\u201d He made everybody sign up for shifts, where they could work at my dad\u2019s restaurant for free.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Wow.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> So God, in His sovereignty, had just used that to massage my dad\u2019s heart. Fast-forward a few months later\u2014I didn\u2019t know all of that was happening in my dad\u2019s world. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Well, you\u2019ve got to share, with our listeners, what your dad said.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>11:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> So, on Saturday night, I go and ask my dad.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> You know\u2014my buddy just invited me to church. I said, \u201cI\u2019m not going\u201d; and he named the five prettiest girls. I say: \u201cAlright. I\u2019ll ask my dad; but he\u2019s not going to say, \u2018Yes.\u2019\u201d So, I asked my dad. Instead of saying, \u201cNo,\u201d my dad says [using his dad\u2019s accent], \u201cWhat is the name of the church?\u201d It happens to be the same church as the people who had been helping him out\u2014just God predestining every step. My dad goes: \u201cI know those people. You can go there, but only there!\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> He said, \u201cThey\u2019re kind.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> \u201cThey\u2019re kind people.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> \u201cThey\u2019re good people. You can go there.\u201d So, on a Sunday morning, I get up and put on my Chino\u2019s and go to this church. Again, what you don\u2019t know is all the stuff that God is doing in and around your life. You\u2019re just going to meet a girl.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> So a friend, who\u2019s half-American \/ half-Korean, starts taking you aside and talking to you?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> Sure. So, I go to this church. This guy sees me. He just starts loving on me\u2014he comes up and is excited that I\u2019m there. He and I had met about a year before. I had been pretty rude to him. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>12:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn spite of me, you know\u2014instead of being rude back, he was just gracious and graceful. He invited me to church. He said: \u201cI\u2019m glad you\u2019re here today. Can you come back another time?\u201d I was full of pride. So I said, \u201cNo.\u201d But he didn\u2019t take \u201cNo,\u201d for an answer. He said, \u201cWe\u2019ll come see you.\u201d They had this thing called \u201cvisitation.\u201d For the next eight Monday nights, these teenagers just showed up at my house. They brought Bibles. They came in, and they sat down, and they started talking to me about Jesus.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThey showed me how Jesus Christ lived the perfect life and then died a sinner\u2019s death, on my behalf, to pay the penalty for my sin. They showed me how God was a holy and righteous God, and I couldn\u2019t be good enough. They showed me how religion didn\u2019t work\u2014that Jesus was the only hope that I had. They shared with me the cross and how Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sin. They shared with me about the resurrection and how Jesus conquered the grave.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tFor the next eight weeks, they would come to my house. Every Monday, they would share the gospel. Then they would come on Wednesday and Sunday, and they would drag me to church. I would just hear the gospel over and over again.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>13:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> And when was the breakthrough for you? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> One night, I was sitting at a Shoney\u2019s<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> after church. We would go to church and then we would go eat.\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>David:<\/strong> You know\u2014so I remember that we ate and not much happened. Then we all piled in this Honda Accord\u2014Larry Noh, the guy who kept witnessing to me, and about seven other guys\u2014just packed into this little Honda Accord in the parking lot. The waitress had run out of the restaurant, into the parking lot, and she was banging on the window. Larry stops the car\u2014he rolls the window down. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tShe yells in the car\u2014like in the back seat, where he\u2019d rolled the window down\u2014and says, \u201cHey, one of you accidentally left me way too much money.\u201d She said, \u201cI was just counting up the tip and everything, and there\u2019s well over $100 here,\u201d\u2014like the whole bill was like $35. She said: \u201cSomebody made a mistake. I\u2014my boss just yelled at me for not stopping you.\u201d She said, \u201cYa\u2019ll need to get out of the car,\u201d\u2014because we were all packed in there\u2014\u201ccheck your wallets, and see who accidentally left what you thought was a ten that might have been a twenty or whatever.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>14:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tLarry looked at her; and he said, \u201cThat wasn\u2019t a mistake.\u201d I remember this. I remember that I just had this little front-row seat to the conversation between the waitress and the guy that kept witnessing to me about grace\u2014and it wasn\u2019t clicking.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Uh-huh!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> She said, \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d He said: \u201cWell, ma\u2019am, we know you were working hard; and we just wanted to bless you. We just wanted to be gracious. We emptied our pockets. We gave you everything we had.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tShe just started crying. Everybody in the car was crying, you know? It was just a God-moment. I remember saying to them, \u201cWhat is wrong with you people?!\u201d I had never seen how grace makes people gracious. I\u2019d never seen that kind of generosity. <em>Immediately<\/em>, I got grace. So, that\u2019s the night I really started to take the gospel seriously. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> And so, when did you make a commitment to Christ?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> Past that, I just kept going to church. One night, the preacher was preaching\u2014he was just preaching the gospel. He was honest enough to tell me the truth that I needed a Savior. I knew that, but I didn\u2019t think I deserved to be saved. He just shared the gospel.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>15:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHe said: \u201cGod so loved David Nasser that He gave His one and only Son that if I believe in Him, I will not perish but have eternal life.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHe gave an invitation. People were coming forward during the invitation. I got pretty threatened. I thought, \u201cAll my life, I\u2019ve been terrorized by religion; and now some man\u2019s trying to terrorize me down an aisle.\u201d You know? So, during the invitation, I hit the aisle; and I went the other way. I thought: \u201cThey\u2019re starting to get to me. I can\u2019t let these Christians get to me.\u201d I went home. When I got home, God was like, \u201cYou think I\u2019m contained in buildings with steeples?\u201d [Laughter] I mean, I got home; and the conviction of the Holy Spirit was thicker at my house than it was at that church building. That night\u2014I was 18 years old\u2014and that night, at my house, at about 1:00 in the morning\u2014I finally came to the end of myself. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI love what Paul\u2014you know\u2014the Apostle Paul says: \u201cI have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live. Christ lives in me; and the life that I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.\u201d I don\u2019t think it is plagiarism\u2014I just think, \u201cMe, too!\u201d I just read that; and I think, \u201cMe, too!\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>16:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI was 18 years old when I realized that these people weren\u2019t interested in making me religious. They were interested in making me Christ\u2019s. So, I was 18 years old, at my house\u2014the preacher\u2019s sermon kept preaching to me. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> And, David, later on\u2014that same passage you were quoting\u2014it says: \u201cTherefore,\u201d\u2014Paul said\u2014\u201cwe are ambassadors for Christ; God making His appeal through us. We implore you\u2014we implore you on, behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> Amen!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> There has to be somebody listening, right now, who needs to be reconciled to God. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> Absolutely.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> What we would say to that person is: \u201cWe implore you\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> Yes, I have no pride in begging people to consider the gospel.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> \u201cLet\u2019s go!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> \u201cGet with life because, when you\u2019ve found Christ, you\u2019ve found life.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> Absolutely! I really believe that God is speaking to somebody, who\u2019s going, \u201cYou don\u2019t know, David, how bad I\u2019ve been.\u201d I would say, \u201cMan, it\u2019s not about how bad you\u2019ve been.\u201d Or maybe even the other way\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> \u2014 \u201cYou don\u2019t know how good I\u2019ve been.\u201d I\u2019d say, \u201cIt\u2019s not about how good you\u2019ve been.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>17:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe gospel is not about bad people becoming good. It\u2019s about dead people becoming alive. So, I would say, right now, could it be that God\u2014long before the foundation of the earth\u2014ordained this moment for you to be in the car, in your house, or wherever you are\u2014listening to this and God is, right now, presenting you the truth to say, \u201cYou can be set free right now.\u201d Come give your life to Him.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe one thing I would say is that we want to honor a Jesus who gave all of Himself on the cross by saying: \u201cCome bring all of yourself. You don\u2019t have to clean up any of it, but bring all of yourself to Him. Have you ever done that?\u201d I would ask that of somebody listening today: \u201cHas there ever been a moment when you\u2019ve said: \u2018I\u2019m a blank check. I bring all of me to Him. I realize that He\u2019s beginning that good work in me\u2014you know, the spiritual CPR of the Holy Spirit. He\u2019s drawing me from death to life.\u201d If that\u2019s what He\u2019s doing right now, then just surrender\u2014surrender. Give Him your life. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Exactly.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> That\u2019s what you did, and then you told your dad what you\u2019d done. How did that go over?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>18:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> My dad will tell you that he was pretty offended, at that moment. He thought, \u201cGoodness, he\u2019s now really become Americanized.\u201d You know, \u201cHe\u2019s drunk this American religion Kool-Aid called Christianity.\u201d He told me\u2014he said, \u201cYou\u2019ve been brainwashed.\u201d They thought: \u201cIt\u2019s just a stage. He\u2019ll become religious for about three weeks, you know, and then it will go away.\u201d They didn\u2019t realize that, when you truly become born again, it\u2019s not like a cold that you catch and it goes away. It\u2019s a whole new you.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe night that everything really went down was the night that I wanted to get baptized at the church that I\u2019d become a Christian. That\u2019s the night, I think, when my dad knew this was real in my life. My mom and dad told me: \u201cIf you get baptized tonight, you\u2019re embarrassing us. You\u2019re dead to me.\u201d My dad told me I was dead to him. I said, \u201cDad, I\u2019m sorry.\u201d I left the house and went and got baptized. A lot of people get birthday cakes\u2014you know\u2014at our church, when we baptize, the parents clap and grandma shows up. It was the opposite for me. I came home; and my parents said, \u201cDid you get baptized?\u201d I said, \u201cYes,\u201d and my dad said: \u201cYou\u2019re no longer my son. You\u2019re dead to me.\u201d I got kicked out of the house for becoming a Christian.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>19:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> He asked for your house key.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> He did. He asked for the house key and the car key. I just remember those days. I mean, on paper, I went from a spoiled brat\u2014who had a really nice car and who had everything lined up\u2014to, I mean, I lost everything. But I\u2019d never been more hopeful \/ more at peace. Then my sister became a Christian five months after I was a Christian. Five months after that, my mom calls me on the phone. She\u2019s weeping on the phone. She said [using a thick accent]: \u201cTonight, I became a Christian. I say it loud so your father can hear. He not kicking me out of the house!\u201d That\u2019s how she rolled. [Laughter] So, my mom becomes a Christian! Then my brother, Benjamin\u2014five months after that \/ fifteen months after I was a believer\u2014God saved my brother Benjamin.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> So, your dad\u2019s now surrounded?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> He\u2019s just mad!\u2014because my mom\u2014she just became a believer\u2014and she just started witnessing to my dad. To him, he was so angry because it was his pride. It was, \u201cI\u2019ve lost my place in the army, I\u2019ve lost my fortune in Iran, I\u2019ve lost all of the stuff. Now, because of my prodigal son, who\u2019s been led away to Christianity, we\u2019ve lost our heritage.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>20:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, my mom\u2014she couldn\u2019t care less. She was just pouring into my dad\u2014left and right\u2014left and right. [Laughter] Fast-forward two-and-a-half years later\u2014God, in His perfect timing, after two and a half years, saved my dad. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Wow!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> And I wish we had time to tell the story of how God brought your dad.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> Buy the book! [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> We\u2019ve had a lot of guests, Bob. Who knows how many hundred? That may be the best. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Few have worked their plug in as well as David has.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> That was perfect!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> That was the worst.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> It is fun that you have joined us, though, David. I really am looking forward to doing <em>I Still Do<\/em> with you. It\u2019s going to be a tremendous time to celebrate the gospel of Jesus Christ and redemption\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> Amen; amen.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> \u2014but also how God designed marriage and family to be the Great Commission Training Center, where we train the next generation of warriors for Christ.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> Amen.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> And I\u2019m glad you\u2019re joining us on the platform to be speaking at <em>I Still Do<\/em>.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> Thank you. What an honor!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>21:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Saturday, at the Allstate Arena in Chicago; then, three weeks from Saturday at the Moda Center in Portland; and then, October 4<sup>th<\/sup> in Washington, DC. Those are the dates for the upcoming <em>I Still Do<\/em> events. If you live anywhere around the Chicagoland area, we still have tickets available. We\u2019d love to have you come out this weekend and join us on Saturday and hear David Nasser, along with Dennis and Barbara Rainey, Crawford and Karen Loritts, Al Mohler, Shaunti Feldhahn, and Ron Deal\u2014talking about blended families. We\u2019ve got Andrew Peterson coming. Chris August is going to be there \/ Jimmy McNeal leading in worship. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt\u2019s going to be a great day. All of the details are, online, at FamilyLifeToday.com. Click the link in the upper left-hand corner that says, \u201cGO DEEPER.\u201d You can order tickets, online, if you\u2019d like; or call 1-800-FL-TODAY. We can help you get set up for <em>I Still Do<\/em> this weekend in Chicago\u2014August 23<sup>rd<\/sup> in Portland\u2014or October 4<sup>th<\/sup> in Washington, DC.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIf you\u2019re interested in your church being a simulcast location for <em>I Still Do<\/em> on October 4<sup>th<\/sup>, get the information you need at FamilyLifeToday.com. Again, click the link that says, \u201cGO DEEPER.\u201d The info is right there. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>22:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd, of course, we have copies of David Nasser\u2019s book, <em>Jumping through Fires<\/em>, in our <em>FamilyLife Today <\/em>Resource Center. You can order that book from us, online, at FamilyLifeToday.com; or you can call 1-800-358-6329. That\u2019s 1-800-\u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then the word, \u201cTODAY.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, we need to take just a minute and say, \u201cThank you,\u201d Dennis, to the folks who make <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> possible. These are folks who, not only listen to the program, but they have caught the heartbeat of what FamilyLife is all about. We believe that God\u2019s Word offers the solutions that people need to have strong healthy marriages and families. We try to provide practical biblical help, day in and day out, for your marriage and for your family. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>23:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMany of you share that passion with us. We know that because some of you make occasional donations to support the ministry. Others of you are Legacy Partners and support this ministry with monthly donations. We\u2019re so grateful for that. In fact, today, if you can help with a donation, we\u2019d like to say, \u201cThank you,\u201d by sending you a CD\u2014a message from Dennis Rainey\u2014a message given at an <em>I Still Do<\/em> event a number of years ago, where Dennis talked about the importance of the Lord building the house. Without it: \u201cThey labor in vain who build it.\u201d That\u2019s what Psalm 127 says, and that\u2019s at the heart of Dennis\u2019 message. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe\u2019ll send you that CD as our thank-you gift when you go to FamilyLifeToday.com and click the \u201cI Care\u201d button in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. Make an online donation and the CD is yours; or call 1-800-FL-TODAY. You can make a donation over the phone, and request the CD when you do. Or write a check and mail it to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> at P O Box 7111, Little Rock, AR. Our zip code is 72223. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>24:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tTomorrow, we\u2019re going to introduce to you a young woman from Texas who spends most of her time these days talking to single young women about God\u2019s plan for their lives and for their sexuality, as single women. Marian Jordan Ellis joins us tomorrow. We\u2019ll hear her story and hear what she\u2019s sharing with young women, all across the country. 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. On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I'm 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. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHelp 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> 2014 FamilyLife. 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