{"id":303958,"date":"2016-04-15T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-04-15T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/remembering-the-legacy\/"},"modified":"2016-04-15T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2016-04-15T15:00:00","slug":"remembering-the-legacy","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/remembering-the-legacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Remembering the Legacy"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Professor Owen Strachan reflects on the life of Chuck Colson. Owen talks about Chuck Colson&#8217;s love for prisoners, and his work with Prison Fellowship, which he founded.<\/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\/fl2016-04-15.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:","filesize":"23.71M","filesize_raw":"24860284","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2906,2821],"tags":[4846,5988,5989],"podcast_series":[8137],"cwp_profile":[9369],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-303958","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-becoming-a-christian","category-reaching-out","tag-chuck-colson","tag-prison-fellowship","tag-prison-ministry","podcast_series-the-colson-way","cwp_profile-owen-strachan","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\/303958\/remembering-the-legacy","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/303958\/remembering-the-legacy","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=\"DrZ6LYgxEc\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/remembering-the-legacy\/\">Remembering the Legacy<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/remembering-the-legacy\/embed\/#?secret=DrZ6LYgxEc\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Remembering the Legacy&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"DrZ6LYgxEc\" 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":"Professor Owen Strachan reflects on the life of Chuck Colson. Owen talks about Chuck Colson's love for prisoners, and his work with Prison Fellowship, which he founded.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2016-04-15.pdf","transcript_content":"<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Like the year 2016, 1972 was also a presidential election year. President Richard Nixon was running for reelection that year, and one of his most trusted advisors was Chuck Colson. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chuck: <\/strong>I was one of the four or five people closest to the President. I really came up with a strategy for the 1972 campaign, which was a landslide victory for the President\u2014historic landslide victory as a matter of fact. And he\u2019s toasting me with all of the results coming in and talking about the fact that I\u2019d made his presidency. So, I really had life made; and the next morning, I woke up feeling miserable. Here I am\u2014and what\u2019s it all about?\u00a0 \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 Friday, April 15<sup>th<\/sup>. Our host is the President of FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, Dennis Rainey, and I\u2019m Bob Lepine. Forty-four years after that presidential election, and decades after the Watergate scandal, we\u2019ll reflect today on the transformed life of Chuck Colson. \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\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tStay 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. We are spending some time this week reflecting on a guy who was a\u2014well, he\u2014you consider him a friend; right?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>He became a very good friend. In fact, my last encounter with Chuck Colson was just a couple of months before his death. He spoke with our speaker team\u2014the men and women who speak at the <em>Weekend to Remember<\/em><em><sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/em> marriage getaways. As you know, Bob, he came\u2014not only spoke\u2014but sat on a panel. We peppered him with questions about ministry. He was very gracious in answering those questions, and then, had another speaking assignment, I believe, on the east coast\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Bob: <\/strong>Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>\u2014complained of not feeling well, sat down, and they rushed him to a hospital. \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\tHe died not long thereafter. It was interesting, Bob\u2014we were supposed to spend a day together in South Florida, just hanging out and interacting, and letting him do a little mentoring of me. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Bob: <\/strong>You went to the memorial service. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I did, and I\u2019ll talk about that a little bit later in the broadcast. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to introduce our guest on the broadcast\u2014Owen Strachan. Welcome back to the broadcast, Owen.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Owen: <\/strong>Thank you so much for having me back. I appreciate it. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>He\u2019s written a book called <em>The Colson Way: Loving Your Neighbor and Living with Faith in a Hostile World<\/em>. That sounds like a relevant subtitle for today. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOwen, you are a seminary professor at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. You and your wife Bethany have three children\u2014have been married since 2006. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou\u2019ve written about Chuck and his conversion. I want to talk more about his ministry. What\u2019s the story that you tell that occurred\u2014was it in 1985, with a woman who was imprisoned, who had AIDS?\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>Owen: <\/strong>That\u2019s right; yes. Chuck Colson, in the mid-80s, is visiting a prisoner. It\u2019s what he does a ton throughout the course of his post-conversion life. He talks with those who are forgotten, and malformed, and basically, in many cases, have no hope. He offers them the very simple but powerful gospel of Jesus Christ. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, in this one encounter, he meets this woman who has AIDS. He\u2019s\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Yes, I believe her name was Bessie Shipp. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Owen:<\/strong> That\u2019s right\u2014Bessie Shipp. And he is afraid, initially, to go into her cell and talk with her; but he thinks about how he had seen Mother Teresa on TV, the night prior, and how she was caring for all these very sick people. He is inspired to push through his fear and go into her cell. This is at a time\u2014this is the \u201880s when people don\u2019t know much about AIDS\u2014they don\u2019t know about its transmission \/ these sorts of things\u2014they haven\u2019t figured out all the stuff with the HIV. \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, it is a scary time in this respect. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut Colson goes in. He talks with Bessie, who is a convicted prisoner for minor crimes. He shares the gospel of grace with her. He asks her if she would like to respond; and she says, \u201cYes.\u201d\u00a0 She gets saved on the spot. She is, then, released a little bit later after Colson encourages the governor or her state to release her from prison. She ends up testifying <em>immediately<\/em> to all those around her of the grace of God, and she ends up becoming very ill not long after. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn a hospital room, she requests, as her final request in life, that she be baptized. There are all sorts of tubes\u2014it\u2019s very hard. There are contraptions that are keeping her alive; and yet, she wants to be baptized. She is baptized; and just a few hours later, she dies. That\u2019s just one small example of how the ministry of Chuck Colson touched so very many people\u2014\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\t\u2014many of whom were in such terrible circumstances. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>You know, one of the reasons why we know the conversion was authentic was his audience. I remember hearing Chuck\u2014I believe it was in the mid-90s\u2014speak at a Campus Crusade for Christ<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>\u2014it\u2019s now known as Cru<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>\u2014international convention in Fort Collins, Colorado. I was sitting up front\u2014and I\u2019ll never forget this\u2014I looked up at him. I was hearing the story of his conversion and watching him hold up a Bible. I thought, \u201cThere stands the next Billy Graham.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd it\u2019s interesting\u2014and I want you to comment on this, if you would, Owen\u2014he didn\u2019t become a Billy Graham to the masses as we would expect Billy Graham to speak. He became the Billy Graham to the destitute, to the prisoner, to basically the social outcasts of our culture. \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\tHe reached into their lives with the love and forgiveness of Christ. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Owen: <\/strong>I think that\u2019s beautifully said, and I think that is uniquely Colson\u2019s story. When he is released from prison in 1975, he so easily could have made a ton of money\u2014gone on the talk show circuit; and basically just made a career for himself; played a ton of golf; you know, done things \/ write with it\u2014I guess not many people would have faulted him for doing that\u2014they aren\u2019t wrong to do, necessarily. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut what Colson did <em>instead<\/em> is\u2014he went into these places of desperate prisoners. He encouraged them to come to eternal life in Jesus Christ. That\u2019s what he does, basically, from 1975 until he dies in 2012. And that is what I think so many people found so compelling about Colson\u2019s life\u2014it\u2019s that he didn\u2019t pursue personal gain \/ he went to people who nobody was coming for. Chuck Colson\u2014beyond just the Christian work that he did\u2014really put prison reform on the map in this country. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Oh, yes. \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>Owen: <\/strong>He wasn\u2019t just impactful in a Christian sense. Recidivism\u2014returning to prison over and over again\u2014really became a mainstream issue in the 1980s and \u201890s in large part because of Chuck Colson\u2014because he recognized that the rehabilitation of prisoners was absolutely necessary if American society was going to be strong. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>I remember reading a quote\u2014and I think it came from Spurgeon, but I think he was quoting John Angell James, a Puritan. This was in letters to his students, and he was talking about a pastor who had fallen from grace. The question was: \u201cCan this pastor be restored to his ministry after he has sinned grievously?\u201d\u00a0 And Spurgeon quoting John Angell James\u2014said, \u201cWhen his repentance is as notorious as his transgression was, then, that pastor is ready to be restored to ministry.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd I\u2019ve always thought, when I\u2019ve heard that quote, \u201cChuck Colson\u2019s repentance became more notorious than his transgression.\u201d\u00a0 \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>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHere was a guy who became better known in life for how he served Christ than for his sin in the Watergate era; and what a great testimony to the transformative power of the gospel. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Owen: <\/strong>Yes; and the fascinating thing is Chuck Colson ends up in prison\u2014working in prisons that is\u2014in part because of a dream he has that is based on a real-life encounter with a fellow inmate. Just before he is released, one of the men he got to know in prison says to him: \u201cColson, when you get out of here, you\u2019re never coming back to us,\u201d\u2014in so many words\u2014\u201cYou\u2019re going to forget us, and that\u2019s going to be the end of your association with prisoners.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhat more shockingly wrong words could be uttered?\u00a0 I don\u2019t know because Colson, once he gets out, recognizes that he cannot minister to the broad American public. His call \/ his special call from God is to minister to inmates. \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\tThat\u2019s what you were talking about, Dennis. He didn\u2019t have the Billy Graham ministry, speaking in stadiums. He didn\u2019t speak in Wembley Stadium \/ he didn\u2019t speak in one massive venue after another. He went into prison cells and, primarily, he talked to one person at a time \/ two people at a time\u2014small prison chapel, 40 people. Though he was a global celebrity, much of his life was taken up with the simple, humble work of gospel proclamation to just a very few people. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Bob: <\/strong>He did go into\u2014I remember a prison in Louisiana that was a dark prison, and then, one in\u2014it was Central or South America that he went into, where God was doing an amazing work in that prison. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Yes, I think the one in Louisiana was Angola. \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>Owen: <\/strong>That\u2019s exactly right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>That\u2019s right. \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>Owen: <\/strong>He goes into Angola Prison. Angola is sometimes called the Alcatraz of the South. It\u2019s known as a terrible facility that is fearsome to enter. And Colson breaks down the barriers as he so frequently did with these inmates\u2014\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\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014many of them were African American, to be frank. Colson was not sure if he was going to be able to connect with them, but he connected <em>beautifully<\/em> with them. They came to love him\u2014these inmates, as a group\u2014he visited them multiple times. He <em>loved<\/em> to go to Angola, which tells you something about his temperament. He liked to have the odds against him. He liked to have the wind in his face and minister in that kind of context. I see something Christ-like in him in that he was not scared of the world the devil would throw at him. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br>And you know what happens?\u00a0 When he dies in 2012, the inmates of Angola fashion a wooden coffin for him and send it to his ministry because they so loved him. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>That ministry still continues to this day. I\u2019ve got a friend who is involved in that ministry from the outside. The gentleman, who gives leadership inside Angola Prison, is having a <em>phenomenal<\/em> spiritual impact\u2014he is training disciples of Christ. You don\u2019t think of prisoners being able to have ministry\u2014\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\u2014they minister to each other <em>and<\/em> they can call out and they can minister to their families and to their children. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br>One thing I wanted you to comment on\u2014how long was Chuck in prison?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Owen: <\/strong>Colson was in prison for just seven months. He was supposed to serve a sentence of three years, but it was shortened to seven months. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>So, even though he was only in prison for a short time, his life was wrecked by Watergate. What happened to his marriage and family during that time?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Owen: <\/strong>His family, to be frank, struggled while Watergate was happening in the early \u201870s into the mid-70s. His children were having difficulty finding their way during that period of his life. I mean, here is their father, who is being smashed in the press and is being sent to prison. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, it was a tough time for the Colson family; but Colson was in the midst of developing a strong marriage to his wife Patty and that continued over the years. I was told, for example, what he would always do, just before the plane took off when he was on one of his many ministry trips\u2014\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\t\u2014is that he would call Patty, who he called Happy \/ that was his name for her\u2014and he would tell her very quickly that he loved her, hang up, and that would be that. But he was very closely connected with his family. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn fact, in the \u201880s and \u201890s, he begins to really draw closer to his family and find much joy in his grandchildren, for example. He had an autistic grandson, Max. He really found out how he could connect with Max and built a strong relationship with him. So, that\u2019s another thread in Colson\u2019s life\u2014is his embracing of his family over the years. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>And we think about his work with Prison Fellowship and how he established that ministry, but I also think the defining post-conversion work of Chuck Colson was around worldview. Many listeners\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u2014heard him, day in and day out, on his <em>Breakpoint<\/em> radio feature. He had a desire to see the Christian mind reformed around a biblical understanding of the world, and the culture, and how every aspect of life is under the authority of God\u2019s Word.\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>Owen: <\/strong>That\u2019s exactly right. Chuck Colson doesn\u2019t have barely any training in Christian doctrine and Christian worldview thinking. So, one of his staffers\u2014a man named Michael Cromartie\u2014helps him engage some major thinkers, both from Colson\u2019s present and from the past. R.C. Sproul, for example, is used to give Colson a massive view of God\u2014training him that God is not this tiny, little thing you believe \/ this small idea but as this all-of-life worldview. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>He was not only a minister to the prisoners, but he was also an apologist. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOne of the things that you write about in your book is how Angel Tree was birthed as a ministry of Prison Fellowship. That\u2019s a <em>great<\/em> story. Share it with our audience. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Owen: <\/strong>A woman named Mary Kay Beard is in prison at the same time Colson is\u2014actually, in the mid-\u201870s. \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\tThis is a woman who was from a very hard background. She had been abused by various men in her life. One of the father figures in her life had broken her ribs, for example, at one point when he punched her. So, this is a woman who has a terrible early life. She ends up being a part of the Bonnie and Clyde of Alabama in the early 1970s, robbing banks \/ holding a shotgun as she does so. This is a woman who\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>Owen: <\/strong>\u2014she\u2019s a tough customer; okay?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Getting the picture. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Owen: <\/strong>That\u2019s right. And she is saved in prison through some ministry. She\u2019s reading the Bible\u2014friends are introducing her to it. So, she gets converted. Well, she doesn\u2019t really know what to do as a young Christian, but she begins to see fellow inmates struggling to connect with their children. This is something we don\u2019t often think about. The children of inmates\u2014they suffer, too, <em>massively<\/em>, because their parents are in prison. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><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\tOver a period of time, Mary Kay Beard discovers that she can reconnect prisoners with their children by enabling them to give gifts to their kids. And these gifts are not big gifts. Initially, she helps inmates give things like toothpaste to their kids\u2014pens when their children visit. But this program snowballs\u2014in the mid-\u201880s, Chuck Colson learns of it; and eventually, Angel Tree is formed\u2014and Colson and Mary Kay Beard are working together. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAngel Tree is this program that enables prisoners to, again, give gifts to their children and enable them to maintain strong ties with them while they are in prison. This program has led to conversions. It\u2019s led to children being served and ministered to. It\u2019s really one of the most beautiful aspects of Colson\u2019s life and of Prison Fellowship\u2019s ministry. George W. Bush, for example, famously, while he was President, would give out gifts as part of Angel Tree every holiday season. It\u2019s really one of the ways that Colson shows that you can be salt and light \/ you can be an agent of mercy in unexpected ways. \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>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\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And you can keep the family together. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Owen: <\/strong>Exactly. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>You know, one of the things you may not know, Owen, is that probably\u2014in no small measure of influence\u2014Colson influenced FamilyLife to ultimately take the <em>Stepping Up<\/em><em><sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/em> video series\u2014<em>A Call to Courageous Manhood<\/em>\u2014into prisons. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Owen: <\/strong>Awesome!\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And I never dreamed I would ever be in a prison, but I was a part of the first graduation of about 95 guys who had been through all 10 weeks of this video series. I determined\u2014after a phone call to a guy who had come to faith in prison, who encouraged me\u2014he said: \u201cMake sure you shake every hand. Make sure you look them in the eye. Give them a good word. These are the outcasts. They feel ashamed. Speak into their lives,\u201d which I\u2019m sure Colson did. I never went there with him\u2014I wish I had. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut it was one of the greatest privileges of my life\u2014\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\t\u2014to walk into this prison, and to see these men, and to hear them stand up and share\u2014one guy said: \u201cI\u2019m grateful that I\u2019m here in prison because it was in prison I found out how to be God\u2019s man. I had no idea on the street. I was lost.\u201d\u00a0 That\u2019s a part of why he ended up in prison. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Well, in fact, if our listeners have not seen the video that was shot of that graduation in prison, they can go to FamilyLifeToday.com and click the links and see that video. It really is worth taking five minutes to watch that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>It really is. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOwen, I\u2019ve been saving this to show you near the end of the broadcast. I have an unusual habit. I keep a memorial program in the front of my Bible. The one I\u2019ve been keeping is a picture of Chuck Colson that they passed out at the Washington Cathedral when Barbara and I attended the summary of Chuck\u2019s life. Then, on the back, I\u2019ve got notes that I take at each of these memorial services, just to be reminded of who the person is. \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\tAnd these things were said about him\u2014\u201cDefend the weak,\u201d \u201cLive courageous lives,\u201d \u201cDo your duty,\u201d \u201cThere is work to be done,\u201d\u2014he said. \u201cHe was a friend of sinners and even ate with them,\u201d\u2014that brought a chuckle from the crowd. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThen, at the bottom, there is a reminder of how great a transformation occurred in Chuck Colson\u2019s life and how he was radically changed by Jesus. He said, \u201cI was boarding an airplane, and a fellow passenger was pushing, shoving, and was rude.\u201d\u00a0 Colson said, \u201cFella, I\u2019m an ex-Marine and ex-con; and if I wasn\u2019t a Christian, you\u2019d be on the floor!\u201d\u00a0 [Laughter]\u00a0 And then, he shared Christ with him. [Laughter] I love that story because that was Chuck Colson\u2019s heart. \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>Owen: <\/strong>That was Chuck Colson as I understand him from my research. He lived life to the full. He wasn\u2019t perfect \/ he had a rough edge. Eric Metaxas said to me that he was Donald Rumsfeld as a Christian. So, you know, even after becoming a believer, he had hard edges. He didn\u2019t get everything right, but he was fundamentally fearless. He lived life, full-tilt, to the glory of God. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou know, one quick story to close\u2014at the end of his life, Colson was called to the White House\u2014this was 2008 to receive the Presidential Citizen\u2019s Medal. This is the second highest civilian honor in America. He receives this medal, and he gets a little pin in this ceremony. When I visited Prison Fellowship Headquarters in Virginia, I saw this little pin sitting in this glass case. I asked why it was there and what it meant. I was told that it was the Presidential Citizen\u2019s Medal. <br><br>And here is how I would close my thoughts on Colson. I would say that, when he was standing there in the White House\u2014I\u2019m guessing that his life was replaying before his eyes. \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\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHe\u2019s thinking about his spectacular rise to prominence. Then, he\u2019s thinking about his still more spectacular fall. Then, he\u2019s thinking, I think, about how God has called him back to the White House \/ the site of his undoing\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>Owen: <\/strong>\u2014the site of his public humiliation\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Owen: <\/strong>\u2014and yet, God has lifted him up once more. That\u2019s a picture of how God\u2019s grace worked in Colson\u2019s life, and that\u2019s a picture of how God\u2019s grace can work in our lives today. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And Chuck was a great guy. I really think you\u2019ve done a great job of capturing the essence of his life; and I think, in Christian families today, there is a tremendous need to read great biographies of men and women of faith\u2014those who stood strong for Christ and represented him extremely well. Chuck Colson was an ambassador for the King of kings and the Lord of lords. You\u2019ve done a great job on his book. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI hope you\u2019ll come back and join us again sometime. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Owen: <\/strong>Thank you. \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>Bob: <\/strong>Well, and I\u2019m sitting here, thinking about the generation\u2014that you say, \u201cChuck Colson,\u201d and they\u2019ll say, \u201cWho\u2019s that?\u201d\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Owen: <\/strong>Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u2014that\u2019s who you\u2019ve written this book for\u2014so that people could understand this was a man who God used powerfully in our country in the lives of many people\u2014certainly, in the lives of prisoners \/convicts all across the country\u2014through Prison Fellowship, which he founded. I\u2019d just encourage you: \u201cIf you\u2019ve not heard of Chuck Colson, you ought to pick up a copy of Owen Strachan\u2019s book, <em>The Colson Way<\/em>, and read about him. And if you were touched by his legacy, I think you\u2019ll appreciate this book as well. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe\u2019ve got <em>The Colson Way<\/em> in our <em>FamilyLife<\/em> <em>Today<\/em> Resource Center. You can order it online at FamilyLifeToday.com, or you can call to order at 1-800-FL-TODAY. Again, the website is FamilyLifeToday.com; the toll-free number is 1-800-358-6329. \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\tThat\u2019s 1-800-\u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then the word, \u201cTODAY.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, it\u2019s interesting that we\u2019ve been talking today about Chuck Colson, who worked for Richard Nixon, who grew up in Whittier, California. The reason that all ties together is because we have some friends\u2014out in Whittier \/ Cliff and Laura Schmidt\u2014who are celebrating, today, their 28<sup>th<\/sup> wedding anniversary. They listen to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> on KKLA. They\u2019ve been to the <em>Weekend to Remember<\/em> a couple of times, and 28 years of marriage under their belt. \u201cCongratulations!\u201d to the Schmidts. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAt FamilyLife, what we do is all geared to try to help you have more anniversaries and to have each one be sweeter than the last one\u2014that\u2019s our goal. We want to provide practical biblical help and hope for your marriage and your family so that your marriage really does get better every year. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd we appreciate those of you who partner with us in this effort\u2014those of you who support the ministry financially. \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\tWe\u2019re listener-supported. All that we do happens because folks, like you, make donations; and we\u2019re grateful for that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn fact, if you can help with a donation today, we\u2019d like to express our gratitude by sending you Barbara Rainey\u2019s brand-new book, which is called <em>Letters to My Daughters: The Art of Being a Wife<\/em>. That\u2019s our gift to you when you go online and make a donation at FamilyLifeToday.com; or when you call 1-800-358-6329 \/ 1-800-FL-TODAY to make a donation over the phone; or you can mail your donation to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> at PO Box 7111, Little Rock, AR; our zip code is 72223. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd with that, we\u2019re done for this week. Hope you and your family are able to worship together in your local church this weekend. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd I hope you can be back with us on Monday when we\u2019re going to talk about what it\u2019s like to be 15 years old, or 14, or\u2014you know, the middle teen years. Those can be <em>tough<\/em> years. \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\tYou probably remember\u2014or maybe, you don\u2019t remember much anymore\u2014but you\u2019re trying to figure out: \u201cWhat am I good at?\u00a0 How do I get people to like me?\u00a0 Who am I?\u201d\u2014 all of the identity issues. We\u2019re going to explore that on Monday. We\u2019ll share with you a new resource we\u2019ve developed to help parents help their kids through those years. Hope you can tune in for that. \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 want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, along with some help from Mark Ramey, and our entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I\u2019m Bob Lepine. See you back next time 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\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\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> 2016 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\/303958","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=303958"}],"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=303958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=303958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=303958"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=303958"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=303958"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=303958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}