AuthorDino Katsiametis

#67 Stepping Towards God With Faith-Based Sports Radio – Bryce Johnson

    1. How powerful would it be to get to the end of yourself and use your gifts only for God’s purpose?  Bryce Johnson is on a journey to let go of himself and only work through God with his Faith-Based sports radio show “Unpackin It Ministries”.  This is his testimony.“ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
      1. Bryce lives in Charlotte N. Carolina and leads a ministry called “Unpackin’ it Ministries”  for faith based sports fans.  Each week they look at sports stories through a biblical lens.  They continually talk to sports figures about their faith.
      2. Find the show and ministry at www.unpackinit.com
      3. Biggest Weakness – Bryce gets distracted by his own pursuits from what God wants.  He chases things on the peripheral of what God wants from him.
      4. Biggest Strength – His belief in a very powerful God.  Bryce steps out in faith in a big way.
      5. Dark Time – After college when he started his radio show professionally things moved quickly.  Everything seemed great, but an emptiness crept in and ultimately Bryce walked away from the job that he thought he always wanted.  He had a lot of pride thinking that he could do better, but he had nothing.  He was living at home with no girlfriend and friends leaving and Bryce was lost.  God told him he needed to incorporate his faith into his radio talent.
      6. Bryce had too much pride and selfishness thinking he needed to accomplish his goal and God would give it to him.
      7. With the help of other good men he began to become accountable when he strayed from God’s purpose for him.
      8. An opportunity to work for “Sports Spectrum” a faith- based sports magazine came to Bryce.  In the beginning he was humbled by what he was asked to do.  Eventually he was able to start a podcast with them.
      9. Left the magazine to send his show to a station in Boston and realized he could syndicate.  “Unpackin It Ministries” was born.
      10. Recommended Book – “The Promise: God Works All Things Together For Your Good” by Robert J. Morgan
      11. Advice – Ask friends and family to help you let go of selfish desires so that God can be the focus.  Get to the end of yourself.
      12. God’s Man of Influence – Discern what other people need and be that for them.

       

       

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#66 Christians Battling Human Trafficking with Finding Freedom International – Terry LaDow & Tera Schatsky

    1. Human Trafficking is a terrifying plague fueled by a very dark evil.  Finding Freedom International is a Christian organization that is fighting back by going directly to the darkest shadows and bolstering the safe houses and caregivers that are taking care of the young victims who are sometimes no older than 10 years of age.  Terry LaDow & Tera Schatsky have developed a year long training program that is making a big difference in the lives of these victims.  Here is their story.
      1. Finding Freedom Int’l works with organizations that set-up safe houses for the victims of human trafficking.
      2. Terry & Tera are Christians who share their story and train caregivers so that they can do better in their jobs.
      3. The training program is a year long so that they can be certain that the material is understood and implemented.
      4. The girls that are victimized typically work 6 days a week and only keep enough money to survive and continue working.  They stay because for many complicated reasons, they believe they have no choice.  
      5. The key to creating a powerful safehouse is to explain to the girls what their current belief system is and then help them change it to a more positive one with limitless possibilities.
      6. Finding Freedom International only puts their time and resources where they can be most effective which is why they work exclusively with safe houses that are well established.
      7. When a house is truly safe, children will feel safe enough to act out and the caregivers need to know how to handle this as well.
      8. It is more common to find women that are victims are human trafficking because it is more acceptable to traffic girls than boys, but there are male children being victimized as well.
      9. Many times women are brought into the safe houses through drug busts and they are allowed to stay until they are truly self sufficient.  Even after they leave they have access to mentorship for life.
      10. The girls in the house are home schooled to protect them from people looking to re-enslave them.
      11. Many times enslavement starts with gang rape at 10 to 12 years old.  They become broken and then forced to work in the sex trade from that point on.
      12. Donate at:  www.findingfreedomint.org

       

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#65 Special Forces Hero Becomes A Christian – Larry Broughton

    1. God is a firm, but loving parent says special forces hero Larry Broughton.  This is a guiding principle for Larry as he leads his very successful Real Estate business.  Things were not always so clear for Larry.  In this episode, he talks about how he overcame sexual trauma and molestation as a teenager to become the man of Christ he is today.“Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.Nothing will be impossible for you.” – Matthew 17:20
      1. Child of God – Larry often times feels broken, but is on a journey to be a better person than he was before.
      2. Larry used to think God was punitive and angry and therefore would not love him because of his sins.
      3. Don’t hide your talents and expect God to solve your problems if you’re not using the gifts you were given.
      4. Biggest Weakness – Larry doesn’t always trust that God loves him, but has realised that it’s really that he doesn’t love himself.  God doesn’t expect perfection from us, only progress.
      5. Biggest Strength – Compassion and Courage.  Larry has moments of fearlessness.
      6. Dark Time – Larry suffered sexual trauma and molestation when he was 15 at camp.  He was very frightened to tell his father about the trauma because he was drinking at the time.  That is a cloud that hung over him for years.
      7. The economic downturns hit Larry hard and he began to act out looking for comfort in things like prescription drugs.  During the last downturn, Larry faced divorce.
      8. After his divorce, he lost many of his friends and dedicated himself to 40 hours a week for 6 months of spiritual growth.
      9. Larry missed the camaraderie of the military and was stealing prescription drugs to numb the pain.
      10. Special Forces – Need a high IQ and lots of training to be a self reliant and innovative member of a team. There are typically 12 guys on each team and they are deployed before an official conflict begins.  Many times, their job is to work with foreign forces to advise and train them.
      11. When talking about being a Christian in the military, Larry said “Life is precious, but you have to prioritize.”
      12. God created us to be in community which drives Larry to go to veteran’s conferences to speak and be in community.  A bond among men is powerful because you hold each other accountable.  Do the hard right over the easy wrong.  Integrity is the key.
      13. Looking back at his life Larry feels like God was pursuing him.
      14. “As leaders” Larry says, “We must count the people we impact too put things into perspective.  The way you treat your sphere of influence will be the way they treat others.”
      15. Recommended Book – “The Shack” by Paul Young

       

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#64 Near Death Experience and Abusive Childhood Created A Strong Man of Christ – Joel Bogges

    1. Suffering from a near death experience and being a child victim of drug addicted abusive behavior formed Joel Bogges belief structure.  After a moment of fear and inspiration, he revisited his faith and became a true follower of Christ. Now as a podcaster with his own show called “Relaunch” Joel speaks loudly about his Christianity and how it is possible to be more, earn more and contribute more.“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” Jeremiah 29:11
      1. Biggest Weakness – Struggles in the way he sees opportunities.  He looks for trusted partners to fill in the gap
      2. Biggest Strength – Joel loves to lead people to Clarity and Confidence which equals Direction.
      3. Dark Time – Joel’s parents divorced and lived with his mom, but spent time with his dad.  On a camping trip at 5 years old went onto a bridge and didn’t know that a train was heading right at them.  Joel fell off the bridge 30 feet down and lost so much blood.  Somehow he was saved by the crew that were able to find them and took him to a hospital.  Joel fell in a coma until he was 6 years old.  When he finally went back to his mom’s she invited an abusive man with drug issues into their home while his dad was dealing with his own drug addiction.
      4. At 46 years old Joel still has trouble processing the tragedies of his childhood.  He goes with God and through God.
      5. Joel believes that someone was always praying during Joel’s childhood and that is what got him through.
      6. His grandparents tried to take him to church when he was young, but his parents never did.
      7. Joel revisited his faith when as a young man, he had a sexual health scare with his girlfriend.
      8. He was baptized and then brought his dad to join him at church.  His father said “Joel, you changed my life.”
      9. Joel resets himself with his faith and sees it as a continuous effort.
      10. At one point, Joel asked God how he could get closer to him and heard God say “you must get married.”  He said a prayer and went to a singles dance at his church and met his wife who was a guest there.  After 10 months, they were married.
      11. His wife was not a Christian, but while they were dating, her heart was softened to the possibility of Christ.  At church without Joel, she gave her life to Christ.
      12. You can’t hear God’s voice if you’re not doing what he tells you to do.
      13. Advice – Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.
      14. Recommended Book “Dialogue with God” – Mark & Patti Vikler
      15. Joel’s podcast is called “Relaunch” and is a show for people that want to be more, earn more and contribute more and are on a search for new ideas.

       

       

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