Death to Life podcast
#162 From the Brink of Death to a Life of Faith: Nick Lesch’s Journey of Redemption and Hope
Nick Lesch's story is a riveting account of resilience and redemption. Born in Anchorage, Alaska, he faced poverty and an absent father. At five years old, he survived a near-fatal three-story fall, an event that ignited his faith. After being adopted by a Seventh-day Adventist family, his life took a turn, but adolescence still posed challenges with family struggles and identity crises. A move from International Falls to New Mexico and a troubled relationship with his father led him into a difficult phase, but a transformative summer program steered him toward a more positive path.
As Nick matured, he battled personal vices but found deeper meaning in his faith. Evangelism and a stronger connection to the gospel helped him overcome his struggles. By the end of the episode, you'll hear how God's grace turned his life from darkness to light, and how he's now dedicated to sharing this hope with others, especially his own family. Join us to witness the remarkable power of transformation and the resilience of the God's spirit.
10:46 - Family Struggles and School Transitions
18:52 - Growing Up and Finding Faith
25:12 - Life's Ups and Downs
35:32 - Overcoming Struggles Through Faith
40:38 - Family Conflict and Spiritual Awakening
44:26 - Journey to Finding God's Love
55:18 - Impact of the Gospel Transformation
1:03:16 - Growing in the Gospel
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📚 LEARN more at our site: lovereality.org
Looking for discipleship and fellowship? Join a Circle at lovereality.org/circles
Nick Lesch's story is a riveting account of resilience and redemption. Born in Anchorage, Alaska, he faced poverty and an absent father. At five years old, he survived a near-fatal three-story fall, an event that ignited his faith. After being adopted by a Seventh-day Adventist family, his life took a turn, but adolescence still posed challenges with family struggles and identity crises. A move from International Falls to New Mexico and a troubled relationship with his father led him into a difficult phase, but a transformative summer program steered him toward a more positive path.
As Nick matured, he battled personal vices but found deeper meaning in his faith. Evangelism and a stronger connection to the gospel helped him overcome his struggles. By the end of the episode, you'll hear how God's grace turned his life from darkness to light, and how he's now dedicated to sharing this hope with others, especially his own family. Join us to witness the remarkable power of transformation and the resilience of the God's spirit.
10:46 - Family Struggles and School Transitions
18:52 - Growing Up and Finding Faith
25:12 - Life's Ups and Downs
35:32 - Overcoming Struggles Through Faith
40:38 - Family Conflict and Spiritual Awakening
44:26 - Journey to Finding God's Love
55:18 - Impact of the Gospel Transformation
1:03:16 - Growing in the Gospel
💰 DONATE & SUPPORT our Ministry: lovereality.org/give
👍 LIKE us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alovereality
📷 FOLLOW us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riyoung31/
📚 LEARN more at our site: lovereality.org
Looking for discipleship and fellowship? Join a Circle at lovereality.org/circles
The world doesn't think that the gospel can change your life, but we know that it can and that's why we want you to hear these stories, stories of transformation, stories of freedom, people getting free from sin and healed from sin because of Jesus. This is Death to Life.
Speaker 2:Me, my dad and my mom and we go grocery shopping and we come back to the house and he says, hey, nick, like take out the trash. I'm like, no, I'm good, like I'm gonna go use the restroom real quick, though he's like, no, you're gonna take out the trash. And this like tension is building. So I started going up the stairs and I hear like footsteps coming behind me, like he. He tried to like grab me and I just I kind of got him into a chokehold and I'm like choking him out and I'm yelling, I'm cursing, I'm like this is what? Like I don't ever want you to treat us like this again. Like all this anger is just like coming out known Nick for a long time.
Speaker 1:I've known of him, never really had a long conversation with him until today, and to hear his story is awesome. There's so much beautiful things that have happened in his life. Obviously, there is death, but then there is life, and life abundant. And so, uh, this is one of those episodes where we can just, we can just see it. And so this is Nick buckle up, strap in love. Y'all, appreciate y'all. So, bro, where does uh, where does the Nick Lesh story start, man? Where does the Nick Lesh story.
Speaker 2:Start, man Bro. It starts in Alaska. That's where I'm from, originally born and raised Anchorage, alaska and I lived with a single mom at the time and she was into a lot of like drugs, alcohol, smoking was a big thing, you know, for her Didn't really know my biological dad too much like growing up and you know it was just a lifestyle of you know, just very poor. I remember like staying with friends, homeless shelters, like my mom didn't, you know, have a lot of money. She had a hard time like finding jobs, you know, in Alaska. So that was kind of like the environment and growing up for me and my sister, which is very, very poor, just very, you know, just going to and fro from house to house, shelter to shelter, and um, that's kind of how it all started.
Speaker 2:And then I remember this is a super crazy story, I'll just get right into it, bro um, this is like when I really like knew god was real, is there is a, a particular day we lived in this apartment and this apartment had two sides to it. It was kind of like a u-shape, if you can imagine that, and it had three balconies and what we would do as like kids, is, we would play catch just back and forth, back and forth, and I remember reaching too far for the ball. I was on the third story, the third balcony, and, you know, someone tossed me the ball and I reached over the ledge and I started falling. No, yeah, dude, and I started falling.
Speaker 2:No, yeah, dude, and it was a very like scary moment, of course, where I'm like I'm falling and I knew this is when I was about five, around five, so I knew like I was going to die, like I knew this was it, to say the least. I was just like this. This is it. You know, just like I'm falling fast, I'm about to hit the pavement below and I stopped moving and I just start to feel this presence and kind of like these beings. I can't really describe it, but there is something, and I think it was multiple things.
Speaker 2:I believe they're angels now, but it was multiple things. I believe they're, they're angels now, but like it was holding me, like I stopped moving and slowly I was let down on the on the pavement below and you know people are rushing to me seeing if I was okay. I went to the hospital and you know they're like what? He just fell three stories, but like nothing's wrong with him and there's not a scratch on a bruise. So at that, at that age, I knew like there was something. Hold up.
Speaker 2:You're saying that you felt something guide you down, like hold me, like literally, like I could feel, like, like something. Hold me, I was like, I was like a little baby and let me down slowly to the ground. Yeah, that happened. What. Yeah, dude, yeah.
Speaker 1:You said there wasn't a scratch on you.
Speaker 2:No, I didn't have any injuries. I was perfectly okay. I didn't feel pain, nothing happened.
Speaker 1:And you fell three stories yeah.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah, okay, yeah, dude. But I know it's like like at that moment and I, you know, I just think about this a lot, just like growing up, I remember having like dreams about this, just constantly, like, wow, this really just happened to me. You know, god saved me at this young age and you know so at this moment, like I knew that God was real, I knew God existed. And after that, you know, just still living with my mom and my sister in this apartment and, you know, kind of just struggling to to get through life with my mom, it was just very, very difficult and everything. But at the age of seven, so like two years later, this is when my mom decided to put me and my sister up for adoption, so we get adopted. And our parents they were Seventh-day Adventists. They're still Seventh-day Adventists. They were living in Kodiak Island. So we moved to Kodiak Island this is still in Alaska and this is when I really started to go to church, learn about things like the Sabbath and go to Sabbath school.
Speaker 2:My dad was a Bible worker. He went to AFCO, so he was kind of like a lay pastor working at this church, and this was just the moment when I started to really like learn my bible and learn, you know other things about. You know what we believe. I remember like us going to like breakfast and us ordering bacon and I remember they were just like okay, you know, sure, you know, like, because that's what we were used to eating, and just like learning things like that. But it was good.
Speaker 2:As things progressed, things were good and I think the moment where I started to get around 13, 14 is when I really started to rebel, to like rebel and, I guess, start to be, I guess, a disobedient child, you know, for lack of better words, and I just started on this path of. You know I was exposed to things like pornography, like in middle school, and you know that started to kind of creep into my life. And you know something I just never told anyone about and you know I was just doing, you know, these types of things at the age of around like 13, 14, getting into trouble, getting into girls and whatnot. And this is when I like I went to Maplewood. This is when I finally, you know, went to the Maplewood and started that.
Speaker 1:Do you remember feeling some type of way about being adopted Um?
Speaker 2:not so much. I mean, I still like talk to my biological mom now, like we had an amazing conversation not too long ago, just catching up, but I was just like that type of kid. That was just like, okay, this is happening, cool, like there. I wasn't really like thinking much about it. That was just like, okay, this is happening, cool, like there. I wasn't really like thinking much about it. I'm like cool, like my my mom can't take care of us. I'm just going to another family that can't like. That was literally my, my mindset. So I I didn't really like have hard feelings, like I was a like I was just a very happy kid, like, like nothing really fazed me. I was very happy and, you know, very grateful and um, yeah, so I wouldn't say like it was like a big deal to me. I was just like okay, cool, like on to the, on to the next type of thing, um, but so so your folks end up in minnesota somehow yeah.
Speaker 2:So we ended up moving to Minnesota because my dad got another Bible work position in International Falls. I don't know if you've ever been to that little town in Minnesota.
Speaker 1:Is that up north?
Speaker 2:It's on the very top bro, like on the border of Canada and Minnesota. So we moved to a very cold place, to an even colder place, which was fun. So we moved to International Falls, yeah, and that's when I went to Maplewood Academy and I'll kind of like share a little bit like what was going on like during that time. So, oh, I'll say this first is, you know, growing up in like an Adventist home, especially like my dad being in ministry, like I think a lot of people can relate to this where you know, maybe your parents act one way in church and they put up this like really good picture of them or image of them, and then at home it's like completely different. So we were like, dude, I remember just like not liking my dad at all, like in the beginning it was cool, you know. I remember getting like a wee for Christmas and like you know, they were treating us nice and whatnot. But like, as you get more comfortable, like you see how you know people you know really are like behind closed doors and yeah, dude, I I wouldn't really say that I like I loved my dad but I didn't like her. And you know, for my mom, like I loved her. I liked her. Like you know, we had a really good bond. But with my dad, like it was just very like back and forth, back and forth and you know, at this at this time, like he had a lot of anger issues and he was dealing with like things of his own and you know, it was a very like toxic kind of relationship where, like I would only do things because he asked and like we never really hung out, we never really did much. And yeah, I can see like that played a lot of or that played a huge toll in just like what I'm going to share later. But yeah, dude, it was very, very interesting just how my dad would handle, you know, me as a young kid and the things that I was doing and just like the fights.
Speaker 2:I remember, like a moment, while like I was in maplewood and my sister was in maplewood, that they were like super close of separating and I remember like crying, like asking them to like stay together, like no, like please stay. Like you know, we can make this work. We can make this work. And yeah, things were really rough for us in minnesota, dude, like really really rough for my, especially my, my parents. They were struggling. I mean, as a bible worker, dude, you don't make much, you know, and that's what my dad was basically doing, being a bible worker at this church and you know, my mom trying to find work. And yeah, dude, I remember, like my dad like pawning his guitar like every week just to like have money. So it was rough, bro, like just like growing up and didn't really have that good of a relationship with with my dad. I I had a decent relationship with my mom and you know I was, hey, real quick.
Speaker 1:Yeah, is your dad gonna listen to this? Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh, there's like something that happens later in the story oh bro, okay, yeah, I always like still working for the church, like we're saying some pretty crazy things here no, no, no, no. I was like if he's not, then maybe, maybe we should relax, no, no no no, okay well you share?
Speaker 2:this because he, yeah, yeah, bro, the relationship with my dad now like dude, okay, all right, I'm just getting nervous for a second.
Speaker 1:So this is uh, this is 2015, when you were a freshman. Before that, you were just at. Northwoods, or were you up at a elementary school in international falls, or something like that?
Speaker 2:I went to a middle school out there just like international falls middle school, um doing that, and then you know well, the reason I ask for the listener.
Speaker 1:Um, I was the boys Dean at Maplewood Academy and I remember, like I don't know anything about deaning this is my first year being a boys Dean and I have the dorm and I brought with me a guy who had been in the dorm for four years at Sunnydale's names Ryan Millsap, and I was like this guy's going to be my lifeline, because I don't know how this thing goes. I'm not, I'm not sure how any of this works. I don't know why I'm hired for this job. Uh, but I remember, like the first week your folks were trying to decide if you were going to be in the dorm or not and was it the?
Speaker 1:first time, I don't know, did you?
Speaker 2:actually were you actually in the dorm? Yeah, yeah, yeah, bro, bro you, I don't know if you remember. Like the ras, um, what was it? Like brandon, and like there's another, was it chandler or something? Do you remember?
Speaker 1:those guys this might be your that you were a sophomore then when I got there, because those guys were seniors the year before I got there. Are you sure? Yeah, because my RAs were Jude Oliver. I remember Jude, yeah, uh, and I forget the other one and nobody's listening really cares. But uh, like I had these guys and now I'm remembering even better. They said that you had had some trouble your freshman year and they were trying to decide if you were going to be a people would, or if you were going to be in the dorm and I'm like I'm like looking at this guy and I'm like I don't know what I can do.
Speaker 1:I don't know if I'm like a good leader, if I'm going to be a good dean, if I'm capable of, like, helping you out, and they're like what do we? What do we do? Or what, what are we thinking here? And I'm just like I just I thought you looked angry, I thought that you were pretty upset.
Speaker 2:I mean, I I think I just had a lot of like anger, just from the things that you know, the things that were going on like back at home. Just a lot of anger, just a lot of you know, just wanting maybe to find acceptance and wanting to find purpose. And you know, I remember, yeah, in maplewood, my, my freshman year there dude, I'm so funny like I got suspended because of, like the things that I was like there's some dumb stuff I was doing, bro. It was like I don't even remember like half of it, but I got suspended. And that's when my parents were like, yeah, like I don't want to spend money, you know, for you going to school here If you're just going to like mess around.
Speaker 2:So that's when I left. I left right before quarter four, so I didn't even finish freshman year left. I left right before quarter four, so I didn't even finish freshman year. And then I think that's when we were deciding, hey, is nick gonna go back to maplewood sophomore year or is he gonna go somewhere else? So my sister stayed and we moved to new mexico.
Speaker 1:So now going into my sophomore year, so you didn't go your sophomore year to maple no, I was devastated, bro I was like I think I was relieved, I'm sure I'm being honest. I was like, uh, like I wasn't gonna say if they would decide to put you in there, I would have been like sure. But just thinking back, and now this is nine years ago, or eight and a half years, ago uh, I was thinking probably. Uh, I hope he doesn't stay because I don't know what to do like I don't know how to be like.
Speaker 1:I think, uh, we were praying about it, but I was just like, and so when you decided not to stay, I was like okay and that's the, I think, the only time. I don't know if I've seen you, uh, outside of that time. Maybe for graduation you came back, or something like yeah, I came back from my sister's graduation but I didn't know you at all.
Speaker 1:I just remember the name and because of your sister, olivia, I knew olivia lush. So when I've been seeing your name recently, I'm like I don't know how long ago it was and I saw, uh, I think justin reposted something that you had posted and I was like, oh shoot, I know this kid like I remember this Like I know this, okay, but we won't finish the story, keep going. You went to New Mexico.
Speaker 2:So this is when we moved to New Mexico. My, my dad is like he's done Bible working, it's just it's. It doesn't pay a lot, you know, it's just kind of moving on. But he, he was a welder, so he got a job out there to like weld and you know, work out there. And so this is when I went to sandia view academy. I don't know if you oh, yeah, part of that that's cool. So I went there very small and like this is when, like, dude, a lot, a lot happened here.
Speaker 2:So I get to school in like the second week, bro, like I get into this relationship and I'm like again just trying to feel like accepted. And you know I I start playing basketball and you know I find this, this, this thing, like with basketball. I got really into it, bro, just like playing it and like that was kind of like my an escape at the time, just the things that was going on. Um, you know, just in the home, like I said, it's just a different environment. You know when, when you see your parents just at home, but they're different now I just want to say that their story is awesome and, you know, maybe one day they can hop on this. So I get in a relationship and that was terrible. That's probably like the worst thing I could have done. Learned a lot, but this is when I really started to start getting physical with girls and getting into that stuff and I was like, whoa, this is awesome. At the moment I was like, wow, this is good and this is something that makes me feel really amazing. This is good, right, and this is something that makes me feel really amazing.
Speaker 2:And you know, just doing these type of things and just going, you know, into the sophomore year again, just trying to make a lot of friends, and I'm in this relationship, and then still at this moment, like my parents don't make a lot of money. So at the end of sophomore year, they're like hey, nick, I don't think we're going to be able to send you back to this academy, so I think you're going to have to go to public school. And I was like, well, I don't. I want to like be with my girlfriend, I want to like be with my friends. I'm on the basketball team, like I want to stay. Well, they're like, well, you're going to have to pay for it. I'm, you know, a sophomore and you know this is where, like you know, canvassing came to to me. So a friend approached me and said hey, nick, like you should do this, like you'll make money, you'll sell books. And I'm like I'll make money, sign me up. You know that was it. It wasn't really like a, a hard sale. So I ended up, you know, doing canvassing.
Speaker 2:You know, in that, in that conference and great summer, learned a lot like god really blessed, and you know I'm just amazing stories, like it was beautiful, it was awesome. Like I remember one particular story of that summer that god was like oh yeah, like I'm using you was I knocked on this guy's door and he opened, obviously, and he was just like, yeah, so you're that Christian guy that sells books, you're raising money for a scholarship. I'm like what the heck dude? Like I've never met you in my life Like how do you know, like, what I'm doing? He's like I have a lot of questions and you have, you know, some answers that I need. I was like all right, cool. And he's like can I show you something in my room? And you know that sounds kind of like weird, just hearing it a little creepy.
Speaker 2:but I was like yeah, like um, like what's your questions? And he, he brought me to his room and like all over his room, just from top to bottom, there's just so many like bible questions. And this man was like really searching and you know, he said I think you have what I need, like on the wall written down.
Speaker 2:Not like on the wall itself, but there's like whiteboards or sticky notes and papers and just like these ideas and questions about the Bible. And he said well, I think you have what I'm looking for. I need answers from you. I'm like okay, I mean I have these books. I can't really tell you much, I don't know much about my Bible, but I have these books that I can sell you. And he says, well, how much are they? I'm like well, how much do you want to give me? So he goes to his, he goes to his closet and brings out like this huge wad of cash I think it was like close to 700 bucks or something that he gave me and he ended up like getting a bunch of bucks.
Speaker 1:So I hope so.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, dude, I gave him a bunch of books, bro, Something like that. It was crazy. So I finished that summer. It was a great experience and you have to finish that.
Speaker 1:Did you give him answers? Did you give him Bible?
Speaker 2:I just gave him the books. I was just like, dude, I can pray for you. I mean, I don't know much, like you know I I didn't really know what to say. I was just like, yeah, I have these books and obviously, like you, you memorize like a little canvas about it and stuff. But again like didn't know much about it, um, but just gave him the books. I was like, hey, dude, hey, dude, like praying for you, you know, hopefully you can find what you're looking for in these books. And like I'm not, I'm like 16 at this time, so like I have no idea like what to say to this guy. So yeah, that that happened. But it was just a huge blessing just overall.
Speaker 2:That summer learned a lot and you know, started to to to read a little book called like steps to Christ and it was a powerful book and I was reading it and I was like, dude, like I want to like start a little like book group with my friends at the school and so I'm trying to like you know, have everyone read this book called Steps to Christ and you know it probably lasted a week and like it just ended and I get like voted in for class pastor. Like God is like really just like moving in my life and you know I'm like, okay, like I really want to, like I want to do better. You know I want to do better, I want to, you know, serve the Lord, and you know just very zealous, right, and that's what you kind of get from you know, for my canvassing listeners who might be listening like you get very zealous about it, you get very excited about it. So that stops in a week, the whole book club thing, and I basically just go back to what I'm doing before, like still with this girlfriend, still you know sneaking out, you know doing things I shouldn't be doing and started to. You know you know doing things I shouldn't be doing and I started to to. You know smoke a little weed and you know things like that.
Speaker 2:I remember helping out a friend I won't mention his name but like we started like growing things, like shrooms and like selling it, dude, like this is what I'm doing, like in high school, sophomore year, and I just know my life is just like not going the right way. Dude, I was just so angry, like what you saw, like I was just so angry all the time and and just didn't find purpose. Bro, I was like what the heck am I doing with my life? I had bad grades. You know, I kind of was just doing basketball to kind of get my mind off of like my life. And you know, things that was going on at home and me and my dad at this point are like even worse, like things are just like not good. I barely talk to him and stuff, and so I'm thinking about like doing another summer program because, like you know, for canvassing to make money go back to school, and I'm like no, I'm not going to do it. Like I sign up and I'm like, no, I'm not going to do it. Like I sign up and I'm like, no, I'm just not going to show up, like I'm just not going to do it.
Speaker 2:And it's the day of, like the first day of like the new summer, like where everyone shows up. It's the day of, and I don't have anything packed, I'm not even like trying to go and we go grocery shopping, my dad and my mom, and we go grocery shopping and we come back to the house it's a crazy story and he says, hey, nick, like take out the trash. I'm like, no, I'm good, like I'm gonna go use the restroom real quick, though he's like, no, you're gonna take out the trash. It's like, no, I going to use the restroom. And this like tension is building. And he's like, no, you're going to do what I asked. You're going to take out this trash. And I'm like like I'll do it, but just not right, I'm going to go use the restroom.
Speaker 2:So I started going up the stairs and I hear like footsteps coming behind me and he's like starting to like run after me, to like physically get me to do the trash. So I go inside the bathroom and I lock the door behind me and I'm like, okay, I'm safe. And the next thing I see this fist just go through the door. I'm like, oh, shoot, it's about to go down, like this is happening. So he punches a hole through the door, he opens it from the inside, basically like rips off the door like super angry and just have it happen like he. He tried to like grab me and I just I kind of got him into a chokehold and I'm like choking him out, like in the tub, like we fall back into the tub. I'm choking him out and like I black out dude, like we fall back into the tub and I'm choking him out and like I black out.
Speaker 2:Dude, I don't know what's happening. I'm just like so angry and just everything's just like just happening and like I'm not letting go. My mom hears it comes in. She starts scratching at me, like trying to pinch me. You know, get me off my dad. And I'm yelling, I'm cursing, I'm cursing. I'm like this is what you deserve. Like I don't ever want you to treat us like this again. Like all this anger is just like coming out, bro. I'm like crying and like this whole scene's happening and I finally let him go and he's like gasping for breath and my mom's crying and like my dad's, just like. You know, he lost his breath and I had nowhere to go there. They basically kicked me out the house.
Speaker 2:So, with all that just happening, I went to Youth Rush that very same day. I went to go knock on doors, bro. I'm like, oh my gosh, like what is happening with my life? I'm just like, dude, so that summer happens and again it's a really good experience. Like, despite all of those things that were were happening, like God was really using me and like I would just see like just powerful things happening and you know answers the prayer and I come back to school and I'm like, okay, let me try again. Let me try to get my life back together again Like I know God is real, like he's shown me that I know he's real. Let me try to get my life back together again Like I know God is real, like he's shown me that I know he's real. Let me try to like get my act together. So again, like trying to start a book club, trying to, like you know, I start preaching a little bit for like a week of prayer for our school and doing these things.
Speaker 1:Who's God at all? This point, man, you know that's one of the main questions I asked, like who, who was God? As you're growing up, as you're in this time of your high school years?
Speaker 2:he was the the type of guy that, like I knew he loved me, like I knew he loved, like I just knew that and I knew he was forgiving, but like it was like I didn't, like I just kept them at like arm's length in a way, like I didn't really want to like experience and experience him in the fullest where, like he, he was there and I knew he existed. But like I was afraid, like this is what my thought is If I gave all, like, if I started to actually like surrender my life to him, that like I couldn't do the things that I wanted to do. That's what I was thinking. Like I wanted things that you wanted to do. I wanted to like be with the girls. I wanted to do these things. I wanted to, like you know, have the pleasures of this world. Like that's what I wanted. And I I was afraid that if that, if I gave my heart to the Lord, that I would be missing out, like I would just be missing out. So he was definitely like working in my life, but again, I wasn't like really letting him in the fullest. You know, I kind of put it this way. Like you know, I was knocking a lot of doors, but like God was really knocking at the door of my heart, like during this time. And you know I get back into school and oh, this is a crazy story, bro.
Speaker 2:I remember knocking on my own door, like during that summer when I was kicked out and like my mom just like tearing up, it's like I can't let you in. I'm like my mom just like tearing up, she's like I can't let you in. I'm like I lived here. She's like no, your dad doesn't want you here. I was like what? Like you can't come in. I was like can I at least use the restroom? And she's like no, and she's like crying. And you know, just went on that summer. But anyways, that was the the relationship between like me and my family. Like my sister like hated what I, what happened, and you know my mom was just so upset. My dad was just like you know, you're not coming back to this house, type of thing. So like obviously after the summer, like I have to live with them. So I'm living with them still, but it's like super awkward and again like I barely talked to my dad and whatnot.
Speaker 2:And I think this is junior junior year now, yeah, junior year, so get into another relationship, um, the end of no, it's senior year. So junior year happens, senior year, get into another relationship, um, and I graduate, and then this is when I go to my first year of college. So I go to Southwestern, and that was. It was like a really good experience, but at the same time, in the relationship that I was in, it was very like again, I was just wanting that, like what comes with it, like the physical things. So I started doing more of those things and like it was just a very dark place in my life, dude, just like trying to figure out who I am like, who is God you know, going to the Vespers but then, like right after, like going out and doing things, like with my girlfriend.
Speaker 2:What was your major? I was doing kinesiology, bro. I wanted to be a chiropractor, I'm not that, but I was doing kinesiology, like exercise science. That was my major. So college it's cool, it's good, but like it's all these ups and downs, bro, and it was, it was getting pretty, pretty bad, just the things that I was doing. And I remember talking to the financial advisors and they're like well, nick, you need to pay for your school somehow. What are you going to do. I took out a few loans and whatnot. I'm like, well, I guess I could just go canvas again. Not, I'm like, well, I guess I could just go canvas again. So I do another summer this is in California Do another summer. And great, amazing experience, loved it, it was cool.
Speaker 2:And then I get this offer to go to this Bible college called Souls West. And I'm like, and I don't know if I want to go to a bible college. You know, I was just thinking about going to like some community school. You know, just do that route. And, uh, my girlfriend at the time she was going to souls west. So it kind of gave me an excuse of like, yeah, I don't want to go because I don't want to follow her, like I don't want to like be a stumbling block for her and those type of things. And you know, if I want to go, like, I feel like it'll just be a distraction for the both of us, because we broke up prior to this, like right before, like right after college, right before she went to Souls West, and you know, obviously I went.
Speaker 2:So I ended up going to Souls West anyways, and I felt like God was really calling me to go to Souls West and this is when I really started to learn more about my Bible and get a lot of knowledge. But at the same time I was still struggling with things like pornography, lust, masturbation, these things, lust, masturbation, these things. And as I started to kind of progress, like in the Ellie work, in the canvassing work, I started to get really good. Like I was just like really good at the door. I remember going to like conferences and you know people saying hey, is that Nick, is that Nick, like taking a picture with me and like just hype me up. Oh, you were like that and like just hype me up. You were like that, bro, bro, like yeah, dude, I was like kind of like this celebrity I mean, I don't, I don't want to.
Speaker 1:What was the pitch man? How did you? Why were you so good at the door?
Speaker 2:I, I would say it was. I'll share this too, bros. I think I had a lot of childlike faith where, like I knew God would just provide and I really just believed that like things would happen. Just just kind of like that childlike faith, like, oh yeah, like it's going to happen, I don't know how, but it's going to happen. And I just I didn't, I didn't doubt him in any way Um, but I would say, like, maybe making friends with people and, um, maybe sharing my story, I would say I would share a lot of my story and make people feel comfortable and that they were my friend, like I talked to them as if they were my friend. No, then I'm just trying to sell them a book, but like I actually cared about them. And so, yeah, that was kind of like my, my approach. I mean there's a lot more to that. But yeah, I started to get really, really good, like to the point that, like people were like would call me in other like programs just to ask me like hey, what do you do? Like, how do you do this? And I, I would say I was.
Speaker 2:I started to build this identity, like in this production and ministry, where I was only as good as my production in the field. So I got really good at what I was doing selling books, leading leadership, and I go to Souls. And I go to Souls and again, like people are like viewing me in this like this light of oh yeah, nick's like he's a great leader and he knows how to run really good canvassing programs and whatnot. And you know, behind the scenes I knew like what I was doing. You know just like feel so guilty about it, like the things like the pornography, the lust, and you know all those things, like the things like the pornography, the lust, and you know all those things. And I was kind of just like I I started to really think like is there power in this whole thing? Like is there? Like, can I actually be free from this? Can I actually live a life free from, like this addiction that I had? And I didn't have the answers. I did not have the answers and I finished my, my first year. What was?
Speaker 2:your strategy, while you didn't have the answers dude, my strategy was just to try harder, and that was it. Just to try, bro, and we'll get to this, but like it just never worked.
Speaker 2:Surprise surprise, surprise, surprise, right, but like in that moment, like I really believe, like, oh, if I just try hard enough, or you know, I would Google things, I would YouTube things like how to stop this addiction, how to stop pornography, how to stop pornography, how to stop lust, and it would just be like all these little things, accountability and you know whatnot, but nothing worked, of course. And so I'm going through souls and I'm still dealing with these things and you know, I, I I haven't told anyone about this, like no one knows, like I didn't, I didn't reach out, I felt not even your, your buddies that were dealing with the same thing.
Speaker 2:No, bro, no, I would try to help them, bro. I'd be like the guy trying to help people, but at the same time I'd be like, yeah, I'm kind of going through the same thing. I remember just having we called it MOST at Souls West. I don't know if before they were doing it, or at least I think they still do it now, but it's like men overcoming struggle together and oh yeah, but nothing worked.
Speaker 1:Like everything we talked about was like okay, cool, but like that idea, I think is very sincere and sweet, and I remember being at union college and this is probably when I was working at union and there were some other guys in the area and we were doing that kind of thing. We're tired of it, we're sick of this. Yeah, we're just gonna, we're gonna be vulnerable and we're gonna talk about it. But when we got together it was just like a yeah, man, we're done. But we didn't have the answers. We're just like we should stop yeah, man, we should.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm with you we can, we can stop together. You know, we just keep each other accountable and it's like, yeah, that didn't really last long, you know, right, right, right. So, um, I end my first year of souls west and it was again. It was a great experience, I loved it, I learned a lot and this this is when COVID happened. So this is like the year COVID happens and Souls West in-person classes shuts down and everything's on Zoom.
Speaker 2:So I remember just being at home now with my family and kind of, and I would say, like God was like, so, like he was working on my life and like I could see changes, you know, here and there, and you know, I was very excited to share what I was learning to my family and I think that helped a lot.
Speaker 2:Just like how we were growing is the fact that like God was really working on my life and like, okay, like you know, god is really doing something with Nick and they. They started to actually, like you know, grow and it was awesome. So it was kind of this transition of like things are getting better now and so I'm back at home and I remember having this huge fight like with my mom dude, this it was over, the stupidest thing, like it, dude, it was over like an xbox or something. Like I was like playing the game. She didn't want me to play the game, and like I'm just like stayed in my case and I'm like no, I'm gonna play this thing and whatnot. And we lived in this, um, kind of like an rv at this time and we were fighting, like yelling at each other, arguing from five in the afternoon until I saw the sunrise.
Speaker 1:Oh mercy. Bro For an Xbox game, so it went a little deeper than the Xbox game.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, bro, Like we were saying all these things and whatnot, and like crying, bro, it was crazy, bro, it was crazy. And in the next day I was just like mom, I don't think I should be home, like I need to leave, like I don't think this is, this is not healthy, like I, I think I'm the problem and I just need to leave. So I go back to new mexico and I'm staying at a friend's house just on their couch and I'm like working at del taco, right, and this is like the summer where, like, there's no canvassing and whatnot and you know, everything kind of shut down. Everybody has covid, everyone has covid.
Speaker 2:You know you're not knocking on doors anymore, just like we're just not doing canvassing, because that's part of the program in souls west is your new lead, right, you lead during the summer. So this is where, like bro, this is so good. So I remember I was listening to a sermon of like sebastian braxton and it was something of like about christ's righteousness and I was like I've never heard this before, like this is cool, like I can have like Christ's righteousness.
Speaker 1:And I didn't really know what that meant at the time.
Speaker 2:Who's Sebastian Braxton? He's an evangelist on like Audioverse I think he has a few programs like on 3ABN. He speaks a lot of like GYC Great speaker, but I was listening to like a sermon. Oh, dude, I forgot to tell you this, bro. I want to mention this. Um, during my, my first year of soul so I just want to mention this. This is important is during my first year of souls. I remember going to a church in El Paso and I don't know if you know a guy named Eliav Quinones. Does that sound familiar? He's a pastor now.
Speaker 1:Maybe not, I don't know.
Speaker 2:But I remember him sharing with me. He's like, nick, I got to show you something. I got to show you something. This is crazy. I'm like, what do you got to show me, bro? Because we went to the same academy and then he went to Southwestern. He was a senior when I was a freshman. I'm like, bro, what do you want to show me?
Speaker 2:And he says he pulled out this whiteboard and he started leading me through the sanctuary and he's writing and I was like, okay, so what did the Israelites go through? Or what did they have to do? They had to put the blood on their door. And he starts writing this thing out and he says, like bro, they were going through the sanctuary and I was like dang, like I never saw that before. And then he was like and guess where their freedom started? I'm like, um, I don't know actually, like it started from the beginning and I was like, oh, that's interesting, like cool, you know, like I heard that, yeah, I know. So I was like, dude, that's actually pretty cool. Right, left it alone for a little bit. And then I remember like watching a few of like LRT's videos during Souls West and kind of just left it on the back burner. I like watched a few videos and I was like, eh, I don't know about this. This is your freshman year at Souls West. This is my second year, my second year of Souls West.
Speaker 1:Sorry, sorry, sorry. 19, 20, 20, something like that.
Speaker 2:This is my first yeah, this is my first year of Souls West.
Speaker 1:So kind of like the end of my first year and where I like first, like so you had heard something about it, but not, not a ton.
Speaker 2:Okay, not a ton like I. He showed me like the videos, like yeah, this is the guy that kind of like shares with this stuff. Um, you know, about the sanctuary, about freedom and things like that. So I watched a few of the videos with a buddy and we're like getting hyped about it and we just stopped watching it. I think think we just like lost interest or whatnot For sure. So I'm like getting exposed to like some, some righteousness, right, some freedom, like those concepts are kind of like slowly trickling in. I'm like, okay, this is cool. You know, I don't know much about it.
Speaker 2:But now back to New Mexico, where I'm like living on a friend's couch and I remember like having this conversation with God and just like I'm kind of tired of this. I was just like I'm going to talk to you as a friend, like I don't know if I could do this anymore, like this whole Christianity thing, this whole church thing, souls West, like I just don't know if I can do this, because I see the way I'm living and I'm not seeing like change, I'm not seeing like what I wanted from it, and I was just literally just like God, like I am done Like I remember reading my Bible and I was like I threw it across the room. I'm like, can't do this, I'm not, I'm not going to read my Bible anymore. I'm done. Across the room, I'm like, can't do this, I'm not, I'm not going to read my Bible anymore, I'm done. And then I'm just like, well, god, I'll make a deal with you. I'm like I'm going to give you seven days and if something like if something doesn't happen, and I'm going to read this book that was recommended to me, which was Steps to Christ, and I'm like, if I don't learn anything from this book, like I'm done, like I'm I'm not a Christian anymore. So I'm reading this book every day and chapter by chapter. I'm like learning, I'm growing and like you know, but I'm not getting what, like I was wanting from it. And I get to the seventh day and I get to the end of the seventh chapter beautiful chapter, it's called like a new you in some versions and you know other versions. It's different and I remember getting to this point and it was a.
Speaker 2:It was a verse, just it was in john, john 16, where it simply said like the father loves you. Like that was it and like bro, it was so crazy. It was just like I had these like tears, just like running down my face of like like God loves me, like he loves me, and it was like tears of joy and just like, but tears of sadness, of like me, like really understanding that, like the father loves me, and it was so cool, bro, I'm reading this and I'm like pacing back and forth. I'm outside, I'm like what is happening? Like why am I just realizing this? Now? It was just this crazy moment. And I sit back up, I sit back on this chair and God gives me this, this like I want to say it's a vision, but this picture in my mind of this panoramic view of every time like I fell short, the cross was there, he was there. Like all these moments in my life are like the fights, the, the things I was doing, like christ never left me. And at my friend's house, um, she was upstairs and her mom was upstairs and I'm running up and I'm just like guys, I get it like god loves me, like god loves me. And that was the moment where, like I was like okay, like this is like I. The moment where, like I was like okay, like this is like the spirit was there and it was like leading and I felt this burden kind of like fall off of me and I was like he loves me. It was just so simple, right, we say this like yeah, god loves me. But like at that moment it just clicked the Father loves me. So I'm like, okay, this is literally what I was praying for. This was the moment God revealed to himself in power. I felt the Spirit just leading, like I love you and I'm never gonna leave you.
Speaker 2:So I go back to my second year at Souls. So I get a call after Souls West to go work at a conference in California to be like an assistant to an LMD which is a literature ministry director, and I get a call to go work. I mean, actually, let me kind of reverse a little bit. Me kind of reverse a little bit is I Bible worked a few years. First I was working at this church and leading a lot of people to Christ. You know, just having studies with people in the community, um, having an evangelistic series. It was great, um.
Speaker 2:But then, like again, like I, I was still like struggling with these things in my life the lust, the porn, the masturbation, all these things and it was just weighing even more on me. I'm just like I'm growing in the church. I'm, you know, I'm getting more opportunities of leadership and I'm leading people to Christ, I'm having Bible studies with people, but then, like I'm going home and I'm just like man, I'm about to go sin, you know, like I'm just like I'm stuck in this thing and there's no way out. So this is kind of like my experience as Bible working Again, just doing these things, doing full-time ministry, but at the same time just like struggling with those things. But at the same time, just like struggling with those things and I get to the position of like being an assistant.
Speaker 2:And there were some reasons I won't get too much into this but there were things that we disagreed on and things that we kind of just butt heads on and ended up getting fired and that hurt a lot because, like, throughout this whole, what this is like seven years now, just like being in, like in leadership or canvassing or like ministry, like I built this, this huge identity again in just these positions and the things that I was doing in production, and like, once I was fired, I dude and this happened like two years ago I was like, who am I Like if I'm not this?
Speaker 2:Who am I Like? What am I going to do with my life? And dude, it crushed me, bro. I remember, just like in my room, just like crying like Lord, like what the heck is happening, like this is taken away, what am I going to do? How are people going to see me and whatnot. And at this moment, like I was like giving myself over to sin at this point, just like every day that was kind of like the out of like, oh, if I had a bad day, I would just give myself over to sin right.
Speaker 2:Lust, pornography, those type of things. And then, like the guilt and the shame was just like just on me. I was like dude, like what am I doing with my life? Like what am I doing? And I was so stuck and I remember just like praying. I was like God, like dude, and this is I was just talking to a friend about this the other day Like my mindset was there's at least a few people in this world that gets it, like there has to be someone in this world that I can talk to, that can like give me victory, or like tell me the secret sauce.
Speaker 2:Like what am I missing? Because, like at this moment, like I was missing something, like I knew God loved me, I knew he was there, but I wasn't living in power, like in spirit, and I was just like there has to be somewhere, there has to be people that are living free from this thing. Because I know this is not ideal, this is not what you want from me. And I remember I listened to a sermon of yours and I was like man, I relate with this so much. You heard a sermon of mine.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I heard a sermon from you because, like, back then, this is like, like in that moment of like getting fired and stuff oh, wow yeah, like a friend, like you were like in pasadena or something, right you're preaching last summer, yeah, yeah and um, like a friend told me about it or something right, and like, looking back, like this is like how I was. Was thinking too of like, if I just try hard enough, like god's gonna just let me in because I tried hard enough and that was my understanding.
Speaker 1:That was my belief, right, yeah, yeah. And I was like yeah, that's, that's. That was my belief, right, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:And I was like, yeah, that's what I was going through too. It was just like if I just try hard enough with this thing like I don't know if there's ever going to be victory, but like if there is, like if I try hard enough, maybe I'll get there. But I just wasn't seeing like I'm trying, but there's just like there's no power. And I'm in my room at this moment and I'm just like like I'm fired, I'm not working, I'm just like doing nothing. And god was just like nick, you gotta stop trying and start accepting. And I was like okay, like what does that mean? And he started to speak with me more. And it's just like what you're trying to be is something that I've already created you to be and you just gotta accept that. And I was like dang, I never heard that before. I was like dang, like I never heard that before. I was like all right, god, like well, like what if I fall short? It's like well, what does my word say? What do I say about you?
Speaker 1:All right, we're going to take a quick break in this episode and I'm going to bring on my sister, cassie. Cassie, good morning, what's up. Hey, quick question for you how long has it been that you've been with this whole gospel thing? What have you been rocking with the gospel?
Speaker 4:I've been rocking since about mid-2020.
Speaker 1:Mid-2020. That's coming up on four years. What has the gospel done in changing your life Quickly? I know you have a whole story, but real quick.
Speaker 4:In short, the gospel has changed my perspective on life and how I just view everything, so it set me free from a lot of anxiety and guilt that I carried around, and I just can't share it enough.
Speaker 1:That's. That's pretty good, so everything, I guess. Okay, that's cool. You have dedicated some of your time, your energy, your finances to keep this thing going, to get this message out there. Why has that been so important to you?
Speaker 4:It's been important to me because I have lived a lot of places and so having this community, uh, is really important to me as I move around, shift around and just like getting the gospel to the dark corners. And some of those dark corners are in our big churches and some of those dark corners are in our rural areas, like where I live now, and so it's just so important to me to be able to spread this good news and not hear an okay gospel, but to actually hear the good news. Like a good friend of mine who you might know says if the gospel hasn't changed your life, you probably haven't heard it yet.
Speaker 1:Let's go. Let's go, hey, if you're listening and you want to partner with us in 2024 and going on to the future, every dollar you donate at loverealityorg slash gives goes to getting this message out there, and whether that's through internet church, whether that's through the Bible studies, whether that's through the death life podcast or one of the many podcasts that we have coming out now, it is going towards getting people to hear this, because it's not a numbers game, but it's, but it's a numbers game. We want more people to hear the good news. So that's loverealityorg slash give. Let's get back into the episode. Thank you, guys, so much.
Speaker 2:During this time I was having these conversations with, like Westney, Westney White, shout out to him.
Speaker 1:Oh, he's the go man. We should, I like. We've been waiting for his podcast for a minute now.
Speaker 2:Now, yeah, you gotta get him on dude. And we started talking about these things too. And he started to like, really, you know, help me understand these concepts of like freedom. And I had so much time on my hands my he was. He was telling me a little bit about love, reality.
Speaker 2:It was a PVC when Jonathan was preaching and I was like I have time, let me just binge watch these videos. I'm fired. I got nothing else to do, so I'm binge watching these videos and it just makes so much sense and the freedom that I was always trying to get like is in the person of jesus and he's given it to me, like he's already set me free. And like dude, like it was just like this, like I just lived differently, I think differently, like I was like this is this, is it like this is what I was needing this whole time, and like, bro, it was just so good to finally like be done, trying like, trying to be this person, trying to be righteous, trying to be free from sin, and I can finally just like let it all go, put my efforts down and just believe that that is who I am in Christ, that I am free from sin, that I'm no longer trying to be that I'm no longer trying to be, but I am, and I'm just growing in that place. And, dude, ever since then, you know, just like watching those videos and you know West, and you like sharing these thoughts too, and you know, just reading my Bible, like life has been so different. I just want to, I just want to share this, to like so many people, and just the growth I've seen, dude, and like I'm not sin waiting to happen, and like those addictions are just gone and I'm living in spirit, I'm living in truth and like I'm getting emotional just thinking about it.
Speaker 2:Bro, it's just, I guess it's so good not to share, because I was like so sick of trying, of like trying to be free and always living in this, like this chapter of like am I ever going to be free from this? Am I ever going to be what Christ wants me to be? Because I knew that's not, like what I was living wasn't what Christ made me to be, made me to be, and just like living in this truth of freedom and like love and like finally realizing that, like like I can stop trying and I can just start accepting the truth of who I am. It just changes everything about you. I'm just on this journey of sharing this thing, bro, just sharing it, starting to have a little Instagram page posting content on there.
Speaker 2:That's kind of my story of being in that place, of a person who's just trying all the time but, like you know, I feel like Jesus is just trying to tell people you got to stop trying to like be and just like realize that you are something in Christ and that you are free from sin and that it has no power over you. And yeah, I mean just trying to trying to share this thing as best as I can to people, and it's been so good, and to share this too. Like through this journey, like at the same time it's so crazy. Like with my dad, I want to bring this to my family.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's what I was about to ask you about.
Speaker 2:Yeah, is like during the same time, about two years ago, a year and a half ago, when I started to really understand this, like I don't know how, but like I didn't even tell him about these things because I was like I was kind of nervous because if I share this, I was like, you know, maybe he doesn't get it, you know, or maybe he doesn't accept it, and I was just sharing some concepts one day, just like very just light, you know, just like treading the waters, like seeing if he's picking up what I'm laying down, and he was just all about it and he was just like no, like this is true, like we are free, and like God's like changed his life around, changed my mom's life around, and like around the same time, when I was getting it and I didn't even have to like share with him, like the spirit was just moving in his life at that time.
Speaker 2:And like we talk every day, man, like literally I talk, I talk to this, I talk about this with him, like every other day, just sharing the goodness of god and sharing. You know what god has been teaching me and you know where god has been teaching him in this and, bro, we've been like so close recently, like me, my family, just God's been working, bro, god's been working.
Speaker 1:Man, that's so, that's so beautiful. What aspect of the gospel do you feel like you're just kind of growing in the most right now? You know, you've seen all this. You know we start with freedom from sin, and I've said this story a lot. One time I was like Jonathan that's cool that we start with freedom from sin. That's a cool place to start. And he's like Richard that's what Jesus came to do. Like yeah.
Speaker 1:And I was like, oh yeah, okay, but it's like we're growing so much in truth and what our inheritance is, what do you feel like you're growing in right now?
Speaker 2:like that he's teaching you I think he's teaching me just like more and more about man. That's a great question, just like who he is recently and like how to, how to really navigate, like in this truth and how to really like share it in a way that people understand, bro and like dude. It's so, it's so amazing. Like the people I've been sharing this with you know a particular friend and dude like he's. He's been just eating it up, bro and he's been like it's changed his, I remember. I just want to share this quick testimony of you know one of my friends out here. It was so cool. He came to our church by a flyer in the mail. We were doing an event and that's how I just got in contact with him.
Speaker 1:Yeah, was that? The event that I saw on Instagram is before, this is before. Okay, I saw you preaching somewhere and I'm like what? Yeah, what's going on here? And like we send it around on our group message. We're just like and, and anytime someone's preaching the gospel, all of us junkies were like who's doing it? Where are they saying? What's going on?
Speaker 2:someone's talking about jesus, yeah so I was wondering about that but in what I'm trying to share is like the thing that I'm I think God is really growing me in this verse is just how to again navigate with this truth and how to share it in a way that people understand. And I've been sharing it with this buddy of mine and he was just telling me this story. I was just hanging out with him yesterday, me this story. I was just hanging out with him yesterday and because I've been sharing that he's righteous in christ and that his word is true, and no matter what your feelings say, no matter what people say, no matter what church says, religion says like this word is true and it's it's never going away, like what it says is truth about who you are. So we we're going over a study of that. We are the righteousness of Christ.
Speaker 2:And there's this moment where his dad asks him to drink and he takes the drink and he's drinking it a little bit and he stops. He's just like this is not what a righteous person does and he throws it away. And it was just so cool just to see how like God's been like using me to to like share this with people and just seeing how it's changing other people around me. It's so cool, bro, Um, but yeah, just just learning how to share this man. I think I'm I'm just a baby and I feel like a baby Christian again, like in this new life experience, and it's just been consuming bro, like consuming me, like learning about this, growing in this and, you know, just trying to share this with everyone that I can.
Speaker 1:Well, I think this will be a good way to share it. Uh, to hear, I think the testimony is always the thing. I think that's why the death to life podcast exists. Um, tell me about this meeting that you held that we were all watching. What was that?
Speaker 2:bro. So I got, I got opportunity. I won't get to there's, there's some other things about it, but so I get this opportunity to go preach the. The LMD out there was just like hey, nick, do you want to preach a series? I'm like, yeah, I'll preach. You know I'll preach a series and like I wanted it to be this theme of freedom and this theme of you know I called it new beginnings and, bro, like people were just like having this new revelation of I mean, you saw the video, bro, like yeah, you saw this. Like this lady just understand the gospel for the first time. And there was other experiences like that.
Speaker 2:I remember sharing my testimony, like I'm doing now, for one of the nights and he was a visitor, tall guy. He comes up to me I'm making an appeal for baptism and he comes up and he's like Nick, I've been holding on to my daughter's death for so many, many years in my life, but today I'm free from it, oh, wow. And like with like just hugging me right and just like other people, I'm like I'm visiting, you know, some church members and they're just like I never knew we start in this freedom. Like I always thought like this is something that I have to get to and it's like no, no, bro, like you started this thing, like this is where you start, this is where your life begins. And, bro, it was awesome.
Speaker 2:People like they want. They want me to come back, me and my buddy john gotta get him on the pod too and jonathan um, but yeah, they want us to come back. And, you know, hopefully I can preach more of this, bro. Preach more of this to people, because they got to hear oh man so, uh, if we're gonna go back, where are we going back?
Speaker 1:let's say we're going back to sophomore year. You, on the drive from Minnesota to New Mexico, where, uh, where this, this kid is just kind of an angry dude and uh doesn't, yeah, you get to put your arm around this kid and you get to talk to him and speak life to him. What, what kind of things are you telling this guy?
Speaker 2:Bro, I'd first say, like what christ was speaking to me, like when I, when I was reading, is like I love you. Like like I love you more than you can ever know, and like, despite the things that are happening, like I'm never gonna leave you and you can stop trying and start accepting who you are in Christ and I would just, you know, speak that truth upon him. Like this is who you are and this is never going to change, despite the things that you do, despite the circumstances around you. Like this is who you are and you can stop working to be and trying to be by your own effort, but just believe and receive. You're a new person in Christ and all things have passed away, that you are free and just have his love man and that he doesn't need to find affirmation or identity in anything because it's in Christ.
Speaker 1:Nick man, you're a testimony and a blessing to us. Thank you so much for sharing your story, bro, and looking forward to seeing the lives that are changed from seeing your life. You're a city on a hill and you're the salt of the earth, man, so thank you so much for sharing your story.
Speaker 2:Amen brother Appreciate it.
Speaker 1:Man, nick, what a story. If you're in the same position that Nick was in same position I was in, where you're like, well, don't know how I'm going to get out of this, but God loves me. So that's cool, but I guess I'm going to have to live in trash my whole life. That this prayer, then. This prayer is for you, father. We thank you that you have come to free us from sin, not just so that we have some assurance that you love us, but that your love changes us, that because you loved us, we died with you. Because we died with you, we rose with you. And if we rose with you, we rose with newness of life. We have your son, so we have life. And so, father, we just thank you that the chains are gone In Jesus's name, amen. That the chains are gone in Jesus's name, amen. Man, love to have you guys kick it with us.
Speaker 1:I want to give a shout out to the Worthy of Everything podcast with my sisters, jadra and Michaela. They just had my buddy Russell on to talk about food addiction. It was wild. Listen to their podcast. It will be a huge blessing to you, love y'all, appreciate y'all. Bye.