Transformative Grace: Overcoming Obstacles Through Faith

1) "Thankfully, God intervened in my life. I grew up Catholic. You know, my mom was a devout Catholic. And so we were forced to go to church on Sundays, right? And so you just went, right? Like you can't disobey your parents. And so I grew up with the fear of God, right? I didn't want to do something bad to end up in hell because that's what I was taught. And so unfortunately for me, for many years of my life, that was my prevailing thought. Just don't mess up. So bad that you end up in hell. You know, there's this place called heaven and that's where you want to go because it's nice there. There's streets of gold. Like, wow, okay." [10:05] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2) "I worked hard because of my dad's hard work ethic and that he instilled that in me. So I worked hard to get out of that ghetto, to get out of that environment because I knew that there was something better. So God put that desire early on in my life. And like it says in Jeremiah, you know, he plans your ways and directs your paths so that you have a hope and a future. That's all I had was a hope, a hope for something better because there had to be, I'd seen it actually, because thankfully God did bring some people along my path early on that helped me see what was possible." [10:05] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3) "I did the work, so I worked his principles, and that's what I was telling your kids. I said, look, man, the answer to life? It's all right here. The blueprint. This is the blueprint. It has every answer to every problem, every situation. You know, it says the Lord directs your step, right? So pay attention. Where is he taking you, right? If it doesn't feel good, then stay away from that. When it feels good, then that's him. He's guiding and direct you. He's bringing people in your lives. Listen to them. They're wiser. They have more understanding because they've been on this planet a little bit longer than you. Don't reject them and tell them no because they're adults and they're trying to tell me what to do. No, pay attention because they're trying to help your life get better." [15:02] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4) "And so fortunately for me, I had enough of those people in my life that did help me get to that place called college, that did help me to figure out what I wanted to do. And so, and what I was telling your kids is like, you know, what compels you, what compassion you feel towards other, that's what you're called to do. And so even if you don't know what you're going to do in life, you know that you want something more. So listen, pay attention, right? And fight for it, you know, because, you know, nothing in this life is easy. And so we have to fight for what we want and God gives us the right, the fight, right? But do we have the might? Do we have the ability to stand and move forward with him?" [15:02] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5) "I believed him at his word. I believed what he had to say once I got to know him for his love. Because that's one thing that I didn't grow up with. I grew up, you know, beatered and battered and angry at the world. I mean, when I was, there was times in high school when kids would look at me, my friends would look at me, and they're like, oh, man, watch out. Ben's mad at the world again. I guess I just had to look at my face. And now my friends see me and they're like, whoa, you. You know, how did things change for you, you know? And so guess what? I get to tell him. God changed me. He radically transformed my life because statistically I should not be here." [22:29] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


6) "I am blessed and highly favored. I am strong in the Lord and the power of his might. I am mighty in the land. All those I am's are true. I have my little boys say them every morning. You know, I used to have to say them to them and then they would repeat them. Now I just walk in the room because they're up, you know, at the crack of dawn, ready for the day. And I just walk in. I say, hey, boys, morning. Morning, daddy. I am. My five -year -old could barely talk. He started this when he was four, I think. I am strong in the Lord and the power of his might. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am Christ's friend. I am loved by God. You are loved by God." [33:40] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


7) "He says he'll take us from glory to glory. And I'm here to tell you that he's taking us from glory to glory. me to a whole nother level that I had no idea that was within my grasp, right? I mean, it's wild because so then that man, Rex Crane, and he uses us. He uses men, uses women, he uses children, he uses us all. And we just have to be okay, God, if it's you. And you'll know if it's true because you have peace in your heart. You know the words, even though they might cut a little bit, they're true because they cut in the right places. They're not hurting you. They're not, you know, knocking you down even further. You're not, you know, a loser. You're not because your family is. You're not a drunk. You're not these things because just because your family was doesn't mean you have to." [33:40] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


8) "And so I walk in with that understanding and that knowing. And so I walk in with peace. And so my old boss, he said, he said he's introducing this new lady to our office who's one of the new assistant secretaries or something like that. And he's explaining, oh, that guy does that and that guy does that and that guy does that and that guy does that. And Ben, I don't know how he does it, but everywhere he goes, he just makes people feel better. And I'm like, oh, thank you, Jesus. So that's who we are. We're bringing Christ on the scene. We bring Jesus on the scene. We bring Holy Spirit on the scene wherever we're at. And it helps comfort people. It helps transform people. It helps, you know, wherever there's misunderstanding, he brings that knowledge and that wisdom." [51:39] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


9) "I said, hey, you better step up your game, man. You know, some of us, you know, we think, OK, just, you know, we're saved. We're going. We're going to heaven. Cool. That's cool. Great. Happy for you. What are you doing for others? What are you doing where you're at? Where are you? Where are you? You influence others so that they could join you so that you could see them in heaven, so that you can, you know, share bread in heaven at the feast that he's created for us. What are we doing with what we what he's given us, what he's entrusted with us? I know I I'm too convinced not to, you know, to let somebody else tell society, say God's not real. Yeah, you're fooled. Sorry. Sorry that I'm not going to be mean to them. Like, OK. But eventually they come around because they see what he's done in you and they want that for themselves." [54:26] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


10) "And George never told me the story. She died on Christmas Eve when he was six years old. And that broke my heart because your little boy lost sight of who he was and was mad at God for all these years because he believed a lie. So don't believe the lies of what happens to you, right? Believe of what he says for you. And I asked him, now that we're by ourselves and out there at that cemetery, I said, George, I don't mean to pry, but you've never shared the story. What happened to your mom, buddy? And he says, my stepdad was angry, mad, drunk. He came home, was in a rage. He got in a fight and he choked her out and killed her. And that broke my heart." [01:04:27] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)