How Rigo Found Freedom Through Faith After Addiction

when I first came into the program I was broken those opportunities those options a lot of that contribute to who I am now as a person I feel like it is the best place for somebody who wants help or needs help to be in right but also to have a mind where you will be able to say to yourself like I don't want to be the same old person I want to be different just give yourself the time to really say God just have your way yeah here I am I don't know what to do I don't know how to do it but have your way never stop asking for help welcome to another episode of rebuilding life after addiction and for those of you who have been maybe following along for the podcast for a while we are in the process of making some changes that I have been really focusing on the podcast underneath my own YouTube channel and all of that and over the last couple months the Lord has snuck me back into a Teen Challenge Ministry and not just doing podcasting and so in ch pastoring not that I was only doing podcasting that would be nice that would be so much easier but like as I'm now doing this Teen Challenge ministry again and focusing back in on act helping people U rebuild their lives through the discipleship program I made a decision to move the podcast over and allow it to be a part of the Teen Challenge branding and really use the podcast as a as a tool to help people become aware of the program but also to have an opportunity to speak to those who have engaged and interacted with Team engaged and interacted with Teen Challenge over the years and so I'm excited thank you guys for jumping on the podcast and watching and following along and as we jump into this before we get into our conversation I just want to encourage you if this is your first time here please hit the like button please subscribe to the channel everything that we're doing on this podcast is to help bring more awareness to addiction to the strug most of people are facing with addiction and ultimately our goal is to see people get free and find a way to transform their lives and so I would encourage you if this is your first time here please leave a comment maybe give us some topics that you would want to talk about or hear us talk about as I continue to go and search out guests on my friend Rico is here with us again today we're not going to do the long introduction he was a few episodes ago so if you want to get know a little more personally Rico is a all graduate of Sher Valley Teen Challenge known each other for a long time glad to call him a friend and a brother in Christ and man Ashley and I are in this process right now of organizing some of the administrative stuff that seemed Challenge and we are looking through the old folders now we have to keep files seven years and so we're going through and we're Shing everything seven years prior and I have a stack of folders in the back porch of probably 300 400 flers of just stuff that we're getting rid of and that's not even every year that we're getting rid of we're still going through other stuff and it just it's amazing because when you work in a Ministry like this and you're one or two people at a time you don't realize the amount of lives you get the opportunity to impact over the years and it was humbling this week we just did a graduation service we had three guys complete the entire program and I'll pop some pictures up on the screen on of that graduation but we just steep back into the ministry in October and that was the program is now six months versus a year and this was the first group that we had successfully complete since we've been back it service was a little over a week ago today and it was just an electric environment like being able to celebrate these guys and encourage them as they move forward and that was really the basis I think for what we're going to discuss today right one of the things I'm going to stop talking I'm going to take some air give him a second to breathe in to talk in a moment but one of the things that I've always said from the stage when we're doing graduations is that the program starts the day you finish right now teen challenge for those who are watching that may not be completely aware tea challenge is a adult Team aware tea challenge is a adult Teen Challenge it's a program for adult men and adult women all across the country here in the shanid valley we focus on men 18 and up it's a six month we use drug treatment or drug rehabilitation because lack of a better word if I had to describe Teen Challenge better it would be a discipleship program for people struggling with addiction they come in the program they're in a protected safe environment everything that we do is centered around the Bible it's centered around building a relationship with Christ so there are Bible studies there's curriculum there's Church attendance there's prayer and now we can't force people to pray but these are required parts of the schedule where people are engaging in Christian discipleship hopefully willingly because it's the only way it works right and so now that I'm getting ready to take a breath one of the things that I think about is that like that is easy to do when you're in a structured Environ yeah everything's taken care of food is going to be there meals are going to be there's some work assignments in the program but I don't have to go out figure out what I'm going to do for a job I don't have to deal with the structures of Life get the car fixed I don't have to you fix holes in the wall whatever life brings at us it's a very structured environment and it's easy to maintain spiritual disciplines so we always tell people when they graduate that the program doesn't really start until you finish it's the day that you leave Team finish it's the day that you leave Teen Challenge that you really start the program yeah like you have to put the rubber to the road one of the things I wanted to talk about both of us being folks that have come out of Team folks that have come out of Teen Challenge is like how do we get out of a structured environment like that and maintain consistency and spiritual disciplines and maintain that maybe we start Ringo by you just sharing some of your personal experience man yeah W that was a long intro something that's I did but yeah I think that like if we go back right when when you first come into the program like a lot of the a lot of the Teen Challenge programs working so many different ways for so many different people that are in struggles like in needs and a lot of those that come in a lot of the times like I used to hear from you guys talking as when I came in was some people are send here or court appointed and they have no other way around it's either jail time or rehab time and what a best what a better way better scenario to be sent to a place where you can actually start fresh on how can I get myself together yeah how can I correct myself from my old behaviors and my old ways to learn a different way to like let's say attack this new life or this new opportunity that I'm given and when I first came into the program I shared on the last podcast I was broken and being broken it gave me that that vulnerability of coming into the program and saying look I just need a break from the world I need a break from my own family I need a break from friends I need a break from pretty much everybody that knew me and so coming into the program I was offered that th those opportunities those options that are our requirements in the program like Bible studies prayer time aone time and even studies with groups and I feel like a lot of that contribute to who I am now as a person so I feel like it is the best place for somebody who wants help or needs help to be in but also to have a mind where you will be able to say to yourself like I don't want to be the sing old person I want to be different yeah we were just talking about that in Chapel last night that I as a man thinks is and half the battle most of the battle is renewing the mind yeah right sin like we believe the lifestyle of addiction there's a lot of discussion about is it a disease is it not a disease regardless the way the lifestyle shows up it whether it still leads us to a pattern of sin right and that's the part where like if we're going to stop sinning if we're going to start stop engaging the flesh then we've got to go through this process of renewing our mind and because James says that sin starts when we're drawn away by our own desires the only way to change our desires is to change the little and so te challenge rightfully so discipleship yes how better to transformed the mind and renew the Mind through letting it be Washed by the Water of the word of God and let it start to change the way we think and so what we see a lot of times and this is one of the things I tried to put in my mind around wrap my mind around a lot is like guys come into the program girls come into the program they see this thing work it's effective and then like one or two things happens either they continue in it when they leave or they don't and the ones who continue tend to have more success the ones who don't tend to relapse and fall off and so I think that struggle is that like you I don't I say I don't say I do now because I'm a pastor right but when like I don't know even now like I don't it's not the same intensity when I was in Teen Challenge I don't get to sit in classes 5 days a week three hours a day what I'm saying don't have somebody telling me that I have to pray at 6:30 on Tuesday evening I don't have scripture projects to turn in memorization to do like so it's almost lik him to be in a Bible College yeah pretty much right and so obviously the level is going to go down but what did your life look like let's get Beyond in the program the day you walked out of the program how did that shift yeah and just like you saying just being able to change our mindsets and change my mindset to like hey you're going back home like you're going to be exposed that's for starters you're going to be exposed to your family to your old friends to so and so just knowing that I was heading back home it was almost like a at the same time a relief because I think one of the most important parts of walking out of the program or graduating is really knowing where you going to and how you going to and how you going to start you your your first day out of the program yeah and I feel like I was forair mentally that I didn't want to go back to my old ways I had that for certain in my heart and in my mind and I had a pastor who was U always willing to open the doors of their own for me to come in and encourage me always and Bible prayer and straight up conversations if there was something that was bothering me or if I felt like I was being tempted with something always come up and share that that's why as we are now it's so easy for me to say look man I'm struggling with this or I'm dealing with this is and it's because we are in this nature that is a constant battle like the Bible describes it like the flesh is always contradicting what the spirit wants and so is always a back and forth battle but I feel like when I was walking out of the program I felt like I had a good foundation outside the ministry outside Teen Challenge and that helped me stay firm and stay focused on on what I really wanted to for my life to be like yeah the recovery World talks a lot about people places and things right and places being one of those things like in people but what I'm hearing and even in the leadup to this is like it's the environment of Teen Challenge right it's the boundaries the accountability the people that are there encouraging you and it is hard to find that Brotherhood outside of Team that Brotherhood outside of Teen Challenge because not everybody's pursuing the same thing and so it would seem as if like it really the habits and the disciplines and we get into that in a second those matter but it would seem like if we're going to set ourselves up for success to continue in spiritual disciplines and continue in the same life of Freedom beyond the program that we had in the program then the environment that we're walking into really matters oh yeah like and what even the downsides are man what are some of the struggles maybe that you've had with like setting that environment up cuz that's not easy for everybody what I'm saying it really isn't because remember when you when we walk into a program and I'm sure you went through this when you first went into the program but when you walk into the program you living an old an old life yeah behind you and that old life never changes it never changes it may change for some or for for a lot of people but it will never change when you come out of the program because the only way for us to be able to change that life is for us to know that we're heading back and that we need to let go and let God because a lot of the times what happens is and this was in the back of my mind all the time was man when I go back home like I have so many friends I it's it was hard for me to like let them know and a lot of the times I feel like we get trapped into well I'm walking out of the program but I want to go see who SS out and I know that person is not going to give me anything good I know that person is not going to feed me spiritually I know that person is not going to help me be confident on what I have done in the program and I think a lot of the times why we Al always face those struggles is because we are not strong enough to to walk away from friendships like you mentioned in one of your podcasts yeah and or say a no yeah and just walking away I think a lot of those of those struggles are those that it's either family members that you can't let go for a certain period of time and of friendships and places even places oh yeah no bad so places were very important for me because going into the program I play sportting know I play soccer and I used to travel a lot to Harrisonburg and play on the weekends and I felt like even after the program I felt like oh I could handle myself I could go back and play soccer with my old friends but then I was find myself caught up with their language it might not even be like drinking or smoking or doing this or that but it would be only with the language and the way their fall language or or their attitudes and it will causing me to get also like start to feel those those Mo like those motives to get angry to be upset to try to like let's say if somebody slide tackle me to try to Benin that and so one side I'm sorry I think the podcast will gr quicker if I curse a little bit more like I'm not no yeah I'm not raw and rugged enough for most people that are struggling with addiction like CU my life has been cleaned up and on the other side of it what I'm saying and so like and again I don't have anything against tattoos I just I'm scared he slers I don't have them but like I don't have enough tattoos like what I'm saying it's just funny you mention that like the language because it's like that is such a it is that characteristic of completely changing who we are yeah we don't talk the same we don't act the same we don't dress the same like people wouldn't know you I used to be adct unless I'm T yeah like and I'm I'm so grateful because that's nothing we did it's the grace of God right so sorry I just wanted to make that far so and it plays a big role because even now imagine till now about almost like 10 11 years ago when I came into the program and I can still tell you like if I have I employed I give work to some people yeah and it's it's it's also a lot of it's very frustrating when you have certain people who don't go to church or are not Christians but you have to be kind you have to be loving and you have to be merciful rrio aren't you being judgmental when you set standards we don't you every yeah know right but and seriously like I'm going to ask you that I want to engage that a little bit more cuz I've heard that before mhm when I challenge people in that role we talk about environment and people right encouraging us like again if we're spending the majority of our time with people who don't value the same things we value and pursue the same things we pursue like my old friends weren't going to sit down and say hey can I tell you what I read John today like they're still smoking mes Pine like they're not going to sit down and have a conversation like and I know there's a heart and a desire to evangelize but like that like there's got to be more people pushing me toward the direction that I'm trying to go than pulling me away from it and so how did you grapple with that part cuz I know I struggle like I want to save them I want to rescue them and I feel like I'm coming off as judgmental when I call them on their stuff and then they come up and like who are you to call me on that I remember what you remember how did you doal well it's crazy because a lot of like today's society it has gone so out of proportion in so many areas and one of them is even having respect for for each other and I feel like one of the things that God did really dealt with me about but I would say probably about a year and a half ago after Having Eight employees anded about with just myself and at times one more I started to just really get close and closer to God and really listen to what was happening what was I doing wrong because I'm like there's no way like out of having eight just myself for weeks and I was like it's got to be something that I'm doing wrong something that and and I could really clearly got this message you it was the only thing that you're doing wrong is not in my like it's not on my eyes it's not that I see wrong it's in the eyes of others that you're doing wrong yeah because you are trying to do something opposite to what they want to do to what they want yeah and daily I started to remember the things that I was doing and what I was doing was I was confronting like I was confronting their sin in a way that I wasn't being harsh right but I was just being transparent and I was just being open to also them seeing me as who I was and who I was trying to be and and so I was confronting them with like a lot of the times with smoking too much smoking cigarettes too much a lot of the times just being on the phone too much during work hours and a lot of the times just even asking for so many things when they weren't being as as respectful or as we can say it as as 100% committed to to the company to the work and so for me that was very hard to deal with because I was fighting my own battles I was still fighting my own battles but I was trying to get them to understand that not just because I'm a Christian not just because I spent hours in the Bible or I spent hours praying or I spent almost every day at church make me any difference than they are that we are all the same in God's eyes and so the only thing that kept me afloat it was that I can't be like that anymore and I was trying to minister that to them and like you say how can you be how can you not be judgmental the truth is that we have to be judgmental because we care about it I care about your situation I want to help you so how can I help you if you're not allowed to hear me if you're not allowed to understand the truth that I'm trying to speak to and when I was all alone by just myself at times God will just come in and just minister to me and will say what you don't speak yeah you will give me an account for and that itself it crushed me because at the end of the day we are humans we will make mistakes right but there is one thing that God has laid on us and that is the burden to speak the word right and to be as truthful as we can with our testimony and how we walk in this how we walk in this walk yeah that is not going to be perfect but we striv in every day to be better than yesterday and now I have had two guys come back after three 2 years they have come back and now they have about 4 to 6 months working back with me mhm and what they have said to me is that Rigo what you spoke to me those years ago are now resounding in my ear yeah because you wanted the best for me and that's why you confronted me and now one has a daughter smokes less the other one has a daughter is married yeah and goes to church yeah so and when I look back and they're coming back and speaking to me that the only way that I'm able to think right is because of the things that you spoke to me and how the word says that whatever you declare with your mouth then God does the rest and so I'm able to see that now yeah that's the part I had to learn man a lot coming out of Teen Challenge was that like there's such a radical transformation that happens in people's lives like going through a program line Challenge and going through the adult process and being in an intense environment and the Lord doing like but we were way at the bottom right like I don't know when I went in the TC was typically last choice for a lot of people and most people are preferring the shorter term programs they're preferring the in and out quick 30-day 28 day rehab or whatever and like to get to a yearlong program everything else every door shut I know it was case in my like every other door is shut and te challenges my life shortest because I didn't want to go anywhere near that Jesus stuff right and I think one of the things I've had to learn coming out of it is that it's easy to see drastic change because the environment is an incubator it's like a Holy Spirit Hospital and it's a place of healing it's like somebody going into the ER getting checked into the doctor and of course from the condition they were in before going to the hospital there's a lot of improvement feels very drastic the problem that I had was seeing that in my friends on the street who weren't in an niub area and sometimes lacking patience with the spiritual growth of other people because I have grown so fast in the hospital what I'm saying my God healed so much while I was away and understanding that like there needs to be some patience with people and trying to just consistently live that out and really a big part of that was doing the spiritual disciplin Dy showing people that hey this was real like I'm going to be at church like I'd set some of the stand there with a lot of my friends and I'm glad we ended up here because we started out talking about spiritual disciplines but really the reality is like if we're not engaged with people who are encouraging that we'll never continue in it and I had friends Reach Out to me and I would offer they wanted to connect all friends and I would invite them to church so I would love to connect with you yeah but like I'm going to go I'm not going to be the minority like in this area like I want to be with people who are they're more for me than against me that way if a Temptation pops up I got more people that are going encourag me to say no then I do that's going to encourag we say yes and so those were the hard decisions that had to be made and it was not easy it was I felt like I was betraying some of my friends I felt like I was abandoning them at some point But ultimately like 17 years later the it was worth it pays off it paid off and so that's part of man that building that consistency the other thing that came up while you were talking is the approval piece yeah that took me a long time to deal with and I think I still struggle with it at certain times like on insecurity and who I am that's why I went after drugs like I didn't know who I was as a teenager and I actually unpacked this with somebody the other day and it was a podcast I was doing with Cheapo on the rooll of trauma and addiction and as a teenager I felt inadequate I wasn't the greatest at sports I didn't have a ton of friends what I'm saying like I didn't feel like I could accomplish a lot I was bad student on some ADHD going on I was a rebellious kid whatever all that stuff I ended up choosing mess because it made me feel like I could accomplish more in a shorter period of time it made me feel like I I everything that I wasn't when I was clean I could be now obviously the lie to that is that I didn't do anything well you I was destroying my life but like I unpacked why I did that and so like I look for that I even look for that piece now it's like man like the identity the insecurity and like if I'm not around people that are spurring me on toward pursuing Jesus like I'm going to go to the lowest common denominator people that are going to accept me if this person accepts me if there's more people that aren't following Jesus that are accepting me that if that insecurity is not dealt with it takes a while to get to that point where you're able to stand on your own and not need to what I'm saying be drawn into that and that was a process and that's why I think the drastic changes have to happen yeah because like how you were saying like it's a lot of the times we want others to change when we're speaking to them we actually want them to get what you're saying and they can just walk out and be completely different yeah but the truth is that they have to go through our own battles they have to put their mindset of I can't be like that anymore and now I can tell you with the two that I have right they have walked through a process and every chance I get every chance I feel I always ask God every day like let me see what you want to let us see what you want to speak and every now and then I would ask them like just straight out questions like so how are you doing and just to because I care because I want to help them and it's up to them to open up and share and and share one of them just recently he started coming back from Rono to Charlesville it's a long trip and I said why don't you just move it's like my wife doesn't get it and all this and all that I said You' all got to come together as one and where you have the the provision to provide for your family that's where you need to be and it's like yeah we have to do that and so that ended up happening now they're back in charville and he's the one that goes to church now and just recently I asked him I said so where are you struggling with now because I've seen you and some days I've seen you off and this and that and I said are you using and for somebody to ask that question yeah like the first thing you probably going to tell me is like man yeah here you go again what you're going to start thinking that I'm judging you right but I'm not judging you right I'm interested in you right that's good and I want to help so when I did that he I could see it in his eyes and that touched me and it moved me to a place in my Beginnings to say I'm no different than you are yeah and the struggle that you have now I already had it yeah now I'm more mentally mature and I can tell you that you have to get away from that and start going to church a little bit more often yeah and push yourself every day to get plugged in and ever since then I have seen the change in this I've seen the change and he just yesterday like a day before I coming over I feel happy I getting my KNE fixed and then I get hurt my left foot and I get a word from him and what he said R all things work but they could yeah that's good of those will be love and that when I receive that word from him it filled me and it gave my Jo back yeah because I said I'm hearing this from somebody that I just kept on and pushing and I'm not going to lie to you when you are being confronted you're going to get upset yeah and he got so many times upset with me but when I get this word from him I feel like God is using me to accomplish something yeah and that is a motivation itself because at the end of the day we go back to our we go back to her or or place of of origin where we come out from to come to a rehab program and we go back there and we just have to have a clear mind of what do we really want to achieve not on our own but with God guiding us and leading us to so and it's it's really it's really a fight a daily fight but it's Pleasant man like it's like the suffering like the word says like Apostle Paul said like the suffering that we now face is nothing compared for what is in store for us yeah and that is just a a boost itself because at the end of the day just to hear a word from somebody that you have confronted for so many years yeah seeing seeing the their progress every day and knowing that now I can stand firm and say look man you coming to work and you come to work for me this is what you want to get yes you going to get a raw but it's safe to say that sincere person he didn't trust you yeah he didn't never let you speak into his life and like like you think about this and how vital it is to be around people that we can trust that's hard to do especially we come out of the lifesty we come out to where we're so used to people like manipulating having us in the backat whatever and the lifestyle of sin Mars all of that but eventually like right we've got to get to a point where like that perspective Shi you made a statement a few minutes ago where you said like he realized that him saying you saying it to him was not because you hated him mhm you weren't trying to put him down but you loved him enough to speaked that into his life and I think that is the part where we really internally like right if we're going to be involved in a community people whether we're in the community or where they we're giving in the community obviously it should be reciprocity there should be give and take happening there but like that ultimately we're going to engage in a community of people that we can trust and that may be hard for some people depending on what they've been through but like without that like like if you I think that's where a lot of people do struggle like cuz like you show up in Ministry world and at times like there's a lot of backbiting there's a lot of cross talk gossiping putting people down behind the scenes ripping people's character apart and it's like man I was better off in the street and so like if as the church like we're not being willing to provide that place for safy for people and like and love on people and get people room to be vulnerable but then on the other hand people that are vulnerable it's like we've got you've got to be willing to submit yourself to the accountability and that's a part where I think a lot of people struggle is it seems maybe easier for those of us who have been in recovery programs wasn't easy at first but now it's like I'll just talk about my job with anybody like not anybody but easier that like I've seen the struggle of iding right and so so building those spiritual disciplines right so we start to te challenge helps us right helps us establish a routine we end up finding that supporter Community and we go to that routine while we're in the program we have those people around us a lot of the stuff that you and I have been talking about we've got the good friends we've got the good encouragement we got the people that we get to speak into their lives they speak into our lives so we're we're establishing that the community is there but like we're setting goals as well you brought that up right and so where do I need to go spiritually right that's a part of coming out of a program like we may deal with the addiction and some other stuff but like now we get to deal with money habits and now we get to deal with like how we handled female relationships male female relationships like in a toxic manner before and now we've got to do it God's way like then we get to Grapple with being husbands raising kids and so it's like I'm going to have to keep setting goals to grow spiritually yeah and then as I progress in life I'm willing to adapt and adjust along the way it was necessary for them to have me in triage or whatever the word is for what they do me they got me on the Dos the blood pressure cuff on I got the oxygen or whatever if I'm in the hospital yeah and now that I'm out of hospital I got to do preventive care what I'm saying I got to do ongoing therapy maintenance whatever that looks like if it's a physical sickness if I'm deal with the sin sickness in my life that is going to be a consistent issue like then I've got to be willing to adapt and adjust along the way and grow so how is that how is on your spiritual disciplines I'm getting to a question adjusted along the course of your life like what is on the fight see I've always been a little harder and I can say I can say almost like undisciplined about after coming out of the program and the reason why is because of course when you come out of the program there is a lot of there's a lot of there is a lot that especially now with family father of four is know work here there you're pretty much all over the place so it's it's it's hard at times to set up let's say an a specific hour specific day to do so and so all those type of things but I think how how I'm able to manage that and I don't use all of these other things as as a say I'm too busy to do this right but yeah I have come accustomed to get out in the mornings and just start giving praise and thanks to God for the day and I do everything that I didn't used to do more I do it more now which is to be connected with the spirit yeah to be able to just like if I'm driving to work I'm praying yeah even if I'm not praying and I'm just thanking God yeah and I don't try to fight over with what the spirit is is laying in my heart and at times I may think of so and I just start praying over them and I started thanking God for them and I started doing so many other things like just Bible scriptures would fly in my head and and then when the time comes to to read the word to pray to do this to do that we constantly sharing with the kids like this is not good this is good and telling them like oh you have to do this different we want you to do this and want you to be better than we know than we were and and it's just a constant reminder for me that a lot of the times as humans as Christians I think a lot of the times we also set like a like this hour is for God what and we forget that we have to have a constant communication a constant relationship with Christ yeah it doesn't matter the hour it doesn't matter of the day like we have to be constantly hearing him because the moment we stop listening to him that's the moments we drift yeah that's the moment the I catches something that it shouldn't right and so I try I'm I'm applying that in myself more that I need to be a vessel ready to receive at all times regardless of my time in alone with the Lord and so room what I'm in soap office and it's just have to be ready at all times yeah that's why that's why the word says be ready in and out of season so that no matter what happens yeah you have just this joy and this love inside of you that is overwhelming for you to just keep on moving because anything can happen at any given day any given minute but the one thing I have learned and I'm learning is that in those moments in those minutes I want to be connected and I may sound like I'm crazy but I would rather be crazy or I may sound like I'm crazy right but I know who I am connected with yeah man that's such a powerful statement like that statement you said right there is a life-changing statement for somebody if they'll get it yeah I'm a vessel ready to receive and in a given a moment like what do that what would that look like man in our lives and in progress yeah for those who are struggling to move forward maybe it's not even trying to kick the addiction I'm a vessel ready to receive in any moment it's God gives grace to the humble but he resists the proud it is I don't care what room I'm in like if I'm the smartest person in the room as it's been said before that I'm in the wrong room or I'm the wrong person because everybody has something to teach us and it's not even just people but it's the Lord we're obviously open to receive from him but God uses other people yeah and it is a dangerous place to be in a prideful mindset to go into any given room and think that nobody in the room has anything to teach us and we're unwilling to receive counsel receive advice but we're only there to give our advice and if that becomes toxic Behavior like and it becomes really detrimental for spiritual growth because God does resist so if we're only there to give constantly give and we're never in a posture of receiving then we're like on our way to a fall because what does the scripture say pride comes before a yeah a fall like it's pride comes before a holly spirit and a holay spirit before a fall and I think that's the part of like man when what a powerful statement like I'm ready to receive any given moment yeah that's spiritual discipline and that and that too like is not remember and that too it can get tricky right because as a Christians we a lot of us could be thinking oh we are ready to receive from God right not just from your brother and sister in Christ right yeah oh but also from those who are not Christians yeah because a lot of the times God will use them to let hey that is not a that's not the way what and we spoke to bail and through a donkey right and like and kind if I was l g and I would have use that word but like man like yeah God can speak to us through anybody but like we've got to be willing to be open and receive and I think it gets easier going back to like really the thing we talked about environment yeah like God would use unbelievers yes he would use non-christians who we use circumstances to speak to us like everything can speak to us like by the Lord but like realistically like are we in environments where we're like ready to receive like we're it's conducive for our gross and that is going to take intentionality that's the part about recovery discipleship all of this like it is not that complicated no like people that try to like like I get there's some science and all of that therapy is important like going to therapist and doing all get all of that is important it's all good but at the end of the day people placees things right like what environments am I put in them men we think about this so simply when it comes to work like if you're at a toxic work culture you're going to hate your job you're not going to perform well you're not going to do well you're not going to get along with anybody because the culture is toxic right and if that is how we're living Our Lives of toxic cultures then eventually we've got to like we got to make a change we got to go through the hard thing so that we can get to the better thing but if we're not willing to do the hard thing at first and like especially for those coming out of the program you've already done the hard thing like why let the enemy deceive you and running back into an environment that got you into Teen Challenge in the first place well Pastor Justin I don't have any choice like I'm I'm committed to them it's my every like well we always have choices we do we always have a choice and it is really just seeing our choices may be limited I get that but we do always have a choice and we have to be able to make that decision so man that's it takes courage what it takes courage to also like be able to say like I'm willing to receive because I'm not just saying to you like I'm willing to receive just from D yeah I'm just willing to receive from anybody that can bring out the best of me yeah and bring out the worst of me so that I can change because a lot of the time we have a lot of things that we are dealing with that nobody knows and a lot of the times like I told you and I shared last time I was here like how my wife has been used by the Lord on like peing me as an onion from things that way like way past my childhood that she doesn't like she had no idea yeah but God was suffering enough to use her to say like I got to get rid of this on him and I've been on the program 14 years ago 13 years ago and stuff is still you and stuff is still on right now still peeling off peel it off but the more he peels off the better I feel as a person as a human yeah as a Christian as a man of God yeah and the more I'm drawing into to the truth right and the truth a lot of the times too is for people that come into the program they have a mindset oh let me accomplish this program so I can walk out of here and be back in the world yeah but they don't have a clear picture of what they really want to do with their lives when they walk out of the program transparency and authenticity you just said it like in my allowing people to bring out the best and the worst of me here's what happens when we only ever show people the best of us then when the worst of shows up they run from us at to plague but if we're willing to be vulnerable and authentic enough upfront to allow them to see the worst of us like I'm just going to show you this is just who I am like me love me hate me whatever it's just who I am and when we show people the worst of us up front like and those people accept us and pull us in then they're going to be the people that help us get to the best version of our s and that is man that is such a for down truth dud you keep dropping knowledge in this little not but that's it man that's it right there like vulnerability I again I shared this on a few podcasts like vulnerability is not just telling people it's giving people the details of what you're going through that if they want to damage you with then they can't oh yeah that's true vulnerability like it hurts oh yeah and so if we will our wives typically see that m they see every part of us they know who we really are yeah and if we're willing to allow them people into that points of Our Lives that's not for everybody I don't mistake that I'm I'm not saying that like there needs to be some discernment like we're not going to get up on stage on the pulpit and tell everybody like that's crazy but like if we're willing to draw people in close enough to where they can see the worst parts of us then when the ugly comes out it's not a surprise it's like oh I knew you were struggling with that dud like let me help versus who the heck is this person yeah I had no clue who you were like I've been fored I've been deceived You' been five six years or and then you didn't know that person yeah and it's like and then you feel betrayed yeah and then it's harder to engage and like that's the part where love gets difficult having to love through a betrayal or perceive betrayal and that's a whole another topic for conversation but like man what powerful stuff it's it's it's just like like you're saying the more vulner vulnerability we show and who we are and like who we are right now it's going to tell you what I really want yeah because if I'm sharing things if I'm speaking things to and it's almost like if I'm confessing things with it's because I want answers yeah it's because I want like I want options yeah and I want the best options that are led by the word and that's what happening now because as more transparent you areh the more clear it becomes for everybody else and it's like at the work that I do now the guys if I'm upset because something didn't go right and they make a mistake or just something didn't go wrong something went wrong and they see that I'm upset they will confront they like they will come to me and they will say weo like it's okay we'll fix it but will be able to correct me as well like in those moments is not that I'm going to go sin about it but is that I'm able to hold myself back from being the worst of me and able to collect myself from the correction of people that I have around now that I have around me who I have also helped build their confidence and their self-esteem to know that they can also be better than me yeah cuz at the end of the day that's what I want yeah I just don't want that from my kids but I want that from anybody who is around me I want them to be way better than I am I want them to do greater things than I do and I want them to to be the man and woman of God that God created them to be because that's what the word says yeah I think that's why it doesn't compute for a lot of people when they leave a program like TC and go into the regular church because like biblical community the apostles they had everything in common theying the church right they Fellowship they broke bread together and like they devoted themselves to the teaching of the word of God and they made sure everybody had their needs met and that is like when I see that model in scripture I see what the scripture says there and I look at how we do life in the program like I see the New Testament Church it really is a beautiful representation of it and problem is we're so Ding and busy outside of the program like we got 60 Minutes on the Sunday and like we've got maybe some small groups during the week for lucky and if we do life with a few families we're doing well on like I our church does a has done a good job connecting with people like doing more like we Thursday nights we had 30 40 people out for their graduation from the churches last week and so I think our church has done a good job doing that but like TC is like it is daily like it is every single day no breaks and it's I imagine the early church did a lot of that together and like what would our churches look like yeah like like it scares people think of like CT leaders and all this crazy stuff but like but man that's just like I imagine there was a lot of this a lot of sharpening happening with one another every single day they were close enough to know where we can hide in 60 minutes a week yeah and nobody really knows who we are yeah but it's hard to hide when you spend day in and day out with people like you can fake the smile one day a week but you go TR to think it seven days a week unless you're a really good actor and man for those watching i u just wanted to pause real quick and say again this podcast rebuilding life we're talking a lot about Teen Challenge and I want to encourage you if you're watching down in the description there'll be a link to Shen Valley Adult Team Chan and if you are getting any value from this podcast and please feel free to click the link and support the ministry we are a nonprofit we try to do our best to turn everybody excuse me we try to do our best to not turn anybody away because of resources so as we continue to try to put content out help people through the residential program your support makes it possible so if you would feel compelled no pressure on to click the link and give a donation whether on time or monthly it would go a long way in helping us continue to minister to people and me I'm really excited too this we've got two concerts coming up August 1 and August 2nd Josh Baldwin from bethl is coming out D it's going to be awesome yeah it be nice it's it's going to be really good nights of worship one in Clearbrook Virginia one in steuart D Virginia and so for the local folks that are watching I'll put a link down in the description for tickets to that as well and it's just another way to come out and worship enjoy a great night of music and fellowship and honoring God but also support the ministry and so on man as we wrap up or go any I don't know we're going to talk about Bible reading and disciplines but we didn't end up there so any part of thoughts man just to round this conversation off yeah no one of the things that was going through my mind right now was that like a lot of the things that we spoke about is pretty much being being humble being humble with literally with everybody and being honest and transparent with who you are I think that one of the things that God has spoken over my life is that it doesn't matter where I end up but then if I'm I'm humble and I'm transparent with what I desire to do for the kingdom MH I know that he's going to place me in the right in the right spot yeah because one of the things that I've always say to God is that if everything that Jesus went through for our Salvation to give us the hope yeah and the future that is now waiting for us I feel that we can climb over mountains for his kingdom here on Earth and I think that we are in a mission on a mission to save Souls speak the word and be bold on who we are as a Christians and not be afraid to speak the truth because Jesus Christ died for speaking the truth yeah and the word says in and in the Bible that it's almost like why would I be afraid of men that what can men do to me yeah for me to hold back on what I can actually give back to others even if that is speaking the RO truth yeah that's tough and so as much as people don't like confrontations I think one of the things that we have to be bold enough to know the times when the spirit wants to speak we must speak yeah we can't Mo back because you never know when the freedom of that person of that Soul isn't in the tip of your lips and I think that is what I'm trying to live up to now that God called me to be set free yeah so that I can help free others and from the struggles coming into the program graduating the program coming back to the program to serve twice yeah and just being in this mountain being in this Valley yeah it's true I tell my wife the peace the joy that I Reed in this mountain even if I'm just dropping through yeah is insane and that is because God is getting ready to do something amazing on this Valley yeah and it's calling a lot of people come in and what the best and better way to come and see what God is doing in this Valley to come and experience if you're nearby experience the church the love in the church the community and the freedom that you have to worship God yeah and to get to know and a personal experience the love of God in your heart and and I said for those who are struggling and fighting anything any addiction any it can be anything pretty much just give yourself the time to really say God just have your way yeah just here I am I don't know what to do I don't know how to do it but have your way yeah invite him in and let him come into your heart and take over it doesn't take much but to recognize that you need him and that's the best I can say best advice yeah true that I could give is to let him in and let him have his way his plus is the best thing that you can ever do I will not trade what I now have in him yeah and through him for what I had in the past yeah and that's crazy because what I had in the past it's like you were saying you didn't have this and that I pretty much had it all I just didn't have him yeah well that's really and that was all yeah and that was really all that I needed and I said it in the last podcast yeah I had it all yeah but I didn't have him and that was I think now is the it's like the opposite I have him even though I might not have all that I need but him is enough cont so it's it's is amazing man it's amazing that I thank God for the opportunity I thank you for the opportunity yeah and we just bless one of the things I always take away from our conversations regard as your focus on humility and trying to keep that Center and keep that the focus man and really just like okay I'm just like I want to be that statement always being in a position to receive and I would really even challenge those watching like recovery or not addiction or not cuz I know there going to be some folks that are families that are not addicts that you maybe go to the church or connected to the ministry that are going to watch these shows and one thing that I would give was like a great takeaway from this conversation if I had to sum it up in one quick sentence never stop asking for help that's really all this says whether it be going to a recovery program going to te challenge I'm asking for help whether it be going to the Bible looking for answers I'm asking for help whether it be I'm going to the church and I'm connecting with the community and I'm worshiping I'm asking for help like I'm humble I'm realizing that I'm always it's just another way to say I'm always in a position with receed if we can get over that home kill our proud enough to ask for help the first time then it becomes that much more easier the Bible says in James I think it says if anyone Lacks wisdom let a ask of God who gives to all liberally and without reproach without holding back so if we're talking about maturing disciplines growing beyond the program keep asking for help because like there are going to be people that are going to show up and that's the other lie that I think we believe nobody cares well that's not true yeah there are a lot of people that do care you may not be in proximity of anybody that cares about you right now you can't see it then it is a matter of okay how do I get in proximity of people who are going to want to help me get my life together and help me pursue the best that the Lord has for me and so just an encouragement as I wrap up man never stop asking for help keep asking and if you need help I'm going to leave the link to the program in the description below sbtc doino you can click the get help now button schedule a call with an admissions counselor admissions person and we will help you get your life on the right track if you're not in the area call us anyways we're connected to 300 secets 300 other Teen Challenge lers across this country there's somewhere nearby that you can get the help that you need and thank you guys thank you R thank you for coming on and thank you all for watching another episode of rebuilding life after addiction smash the like button hit the Subscribe is that what they say subscribe like leave a comment and if you had any questions or feedback drop that in the comments below God bless