You're listening to the Truth Network and TruthNetwork.com. Ladies and gentlemen. The following contest is set for one flaw. Introducing first, Lithuania, he weighs 123 kilos, the Russian nightmare, Nikita Kova. Welcome to another episode, QA with Cole Off, The Devil's Nightmare.
Welcome back. Another episode, QA with Colov, questions and answers. And a very interesting guest, guest, guest. Guests, let me get that out that I have today with me. You know, I had the opportunity to meet this man a while back and down in the Peach State of Georgia.
Fascinating story, born with birth defects and how he has overcome that to lead a life-changing, transformational life, and now helping others transform and overcome some of their own difficulties. And more recently as well, he attended Man Camp and had an incredible experience there. And let me welcome to QA with Koloff today, Mark Harrelson. Mark, welcome to the show. Thank you, sir.
Did I hear some clapping? Is that what I heard? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think you're the first one that's actually clapped for the show. I just want you to know.
Thank you for that. I want you to know that.
So, Mark, let's, for our listeners, you're down in the Peach State of Georgia. Is Douglasville where you live? I live 20 minutes north of Douglasville off I-20. What time? About 30 minutes from six flags.
What town? Hiram, H-I-R-A-M. Hiram, Georgia. All right. And Mark, you got a fascinating story, and I am going to encourage people to go over to the Man Up Show and hear the full story.
But born with some birth defects, take a minute and just enlighten our listeners to what that entailed. What was that all about? Just real quick.
So I was born a drug that my mother had taken without any trials. caused a birth defect to many babies around the world. But my particular issue is I was born with no thumbs and and clubbed hands and had Um Finger transplants at the University of North Carolina and started in 1963. And ending 13 years later, and I had a total of 21 hand operations from 13 months old to 13 years old. 21 hand operations.
Go Tar Heels. I'm just saying. Just on the. UNC. Come on.
Is it Carolinas, man? I love it. I love it. The Carolinas. And which is just powerful.
And of course, I know, you know, we've talked more at length on the other show about just the shame and guilt and how that really kind of just destroyed your own family unit as well, right? That is correct. Yes. It just kind of it was the catalyst to just continue on all the things that were going on before I came on scene. And once I was born, It quickly dad left and my oldest brother left with him and Left me and mother and my middle brother, and I was under a lot of doctor's care and I don't know any of the that childhood life that I know I was um struggling to understand and cope with being emotionally and physically abandoned.
And so a lot for you to overcome, but you have overcome it. As I've gotten to spend some time with you, you know, certainly several days at Atman Camp, but even outside of camp and hearing more of your story and getting a chance to just talk with you and get to know you. And there's other things along the way you've overcome. But all of that to say, if you fast forward to today, it's given you a ministry. And what do you do with that ministry?
Uh currently I'm uh I have a ministry at Believers Church in Douglasville, and it's a B Group ministry. It's kind of like a kind of like a Bible study coffee group, whatever it is, but this particular group is about helping people learn to live a life of continual transformation. And it's been very fruitful, but That's just a kind of like a banner for me out I live each and every day Uh Helping people and connecting to people and supporting them in a role of change. you know, we live in a world that doesn't like change and We don't like change, but when uh When somebody when the Holy Spirit's working on somebody, Uh changes expected. And let me ask you, since you brought that up just real quick, what if you were to condense this down uh an answer down into why why is it, Mark, you think we're s we're as as m human, we're just so resistant to change.
What what what what would you guess? Uh A lot I feel a lot of people say that's just human behavior and human whatever, but I believe it's just learned behavior that's passed around passed down generation to generation, and we have the choice. We have a choice to change. Uh wait, but Because we are kids blaming all the other kids for what they do, we just grow up as human. adults blaming everybody else for things that we Maybe made a bad choice in, or don't want to change, you want others to morph into who we are, and that's not what it's called, we're called to do.
There's no freedom in that.
Well, and it's interesting, right? I mean, because we go all the way back to the first couple, right? Who, you know, Adam blames the wife, the wife blames Satan, you know, the serpent, Satan. And so, yeah, the blame game, which I know even within your own family dynamic, you know, with how you were born, you know, there was finger-pointing even in your own family, right? And, well, more recently, too, you came and experienced man camp.
Take a minute or two for our listeners and just share what that experience was like for you, speaking of transformation.
Well, when I came to man camp, I was more or less wanting to do a checkbox because of what we talked about, about kind of what this looks like for me. And yeah, I'll come to man camp and get Closer to Nikita and find out what all this is about. But when I showed up at man camp, I instantly realized I was supposed to be there because of what your beliefs are. Transformation is interwoven in so much of what Mancamp's all about, and I just warmed right up to it. But when I got out in the woods and reading the book that the maximizing manhood, Uh, I got so engrossed in it and I I just can connect to all that.
Stuff, but what the Holy Spirit did with me in that moment or that week of my life. Was he revealed to me some of the things that I needed to Just to work on myself. And a lot of it was idolatry and I worked on it and was uh it just changed my life and uh I'm just extremely thankful that I got to have an experience in the woods with the Holy Spirit and around a bunch of men that were seeking the same thing. And do When I came home, I knew that Mm. God had me go there for this release and come into terms with.
The idolatry and I never saw it coming.
So it just. But I warmed up to it. Yeah.
So you warmed up to it and walked in it and accepted it instead of questioning it and. Going benefit of the doubt, or that was weird, or any of that. I tried to adapt. warm up to it and and make it part of my life and it's changed my life. It's Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, some people may say, well, idolatry, but that was what I'm stuck on at this moment in my life. I worked many years on myself. And it can be different for like the different struggles we have can be different for everyone. And so the curriculum helped bring a revelation of that and just open your eyes to that. Of course, that allows you to be more free and go home and be more effective in ministering to others as well.
And, you know, we got a lot of men and women that actually listen to this show. And I know I got an opportunity recently to meet your sweetheart there. And of course, she was quick to say she noticed the changes that had taken place in your attending. Man camp. And so, for any man that's.
I do want to say this, Nikita. Is. The good thing is is when high made it back to be in her presence after man camp. Everything that she was The Lord answered every prayer that she had been praying, and He told her to just trust Him. Trusting.
And she just broke down crying when I got back 'cause She said that All my prayers have been answered.
So he was working not only on me, but on her. Hmm, that's good.
Well, and yeah, and for and for any of the gals out there with a special man, I'll just say with a special man in your life, you might want to consider encouraging him to go to mancamp.info and check check out the website. And don't pressure him, but just encourage him. Hey, if you ever want to go to that camp that these guys are talking about that I heard about, this man camp, you have my blessing. And for any guy out there, I just challenge you and encourage you. To check out the website.
Again, that's mancamp.info, I-N-F-O. And we do one every spring, every fall, down in Little Town called Royston. Georgia and Lex Luger and I, God gave us the vision for these camps many, many years ago. And of course, it's impacting a lot of men's lives, but not just the men themselves, going home and affecting and impacting marriages and relationships between dads and daughters and dads and sons. And it's powerful.
You're listening to the Truth Network and TruthNetwork.com. Nikita Koloff here, and I am excited. Did you hear the huge announcement, the big announcement?
Well, maybe it's a minor announcement. Anyway, Facebook, go look up my new fan page, Nikita Koloff Fans, and like it and follow today. If you are a business owner and would like to advertise your company or product on the Man Up Show and or Q ⁇ A with Koloff, contact me directly, Nakita Koloff at Koloff.net. The Man Up Show is honored to have Dr. Johnny Gayton as one of our longest-running supportive sponsors.
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Well, it is Q and A with Koloff here, Mark.
So let's segue. I have no idea what you're going to ask me, but let's just segue into the couple of questions that you have for me, and if you want to fire away with your first one. Uh I kinda struggle with that, but Uh I really wanted I got three basically, and the first one is the power of habits. What's your thoughts on the power of habit?
Well, there's all kinds of different perspectives and thoughts on that in terms of when you say the power of habits more specifically.
Okay, so the power of habits that keep us from transformation, transformation, transforming into what God God has called us to be. How to overcome them? Yeah, how to work with them and how to change them to where you're developing new positive habits.
Well, I think my shorter answer on that, that could be a whole discussion for a whole entire show. Maybe I have to have you back on the Manup show and discuss that. But, you know, I found for me personally, I can only speak for myself, you know, in overcoming what I might consider some bad habits is one, who I surround myself with, you know, am I around a lot of negative people or am I around or try to surround myself with more positive people? And so just identifying that, you know, there's a scripture says, you know, through the law of association, you become like, you know, bad company corrupts good character.
Okay.
So if you want to change your habits, change your character, you identify some flaws, you got to make sure you're hanging around the right company, right? Bad company corrupts good character.
So that would be one catalyst. Of course, just resources and evaluating where I am personally, which I do from year to year, you know, the areas of my life that I think need improvement. In fact, one of the books I wrote, Wrestling with Success, actually addresses that. Like, how do I change some of these habits and/or develop better habits? And so, in that book, there's kind of a checklist of things that it walks you through, some evaluation, you know, so you got to do some honesty evaluation of where you see your own, you know, faults or flaws.
And then, last but not least, just being willing to go to work on them. And then, if you'll do those things, I'm convinced, or maybe I'll just say from personal experience, I've been able to overcome some of the bad habits I developed over the years and on a better path.
So, great question. I don't think I've ever been asked that before. Great question. Uh from doing that kind of process, how important is it to have an accountability partner? Proverbs 27:17, as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens the countenance of his.
Friend, and so critical. Again, you know, he because that accountability partner, if you're honest with him and you allow him, you know, to speak, you know, truth to you in love, then that can be very critical on helping you develop into the image of Christ. Correct. And boop. Yeah, I got one more.
You good with it? Yeah, we got Avenue. Yes, sir. Why do you think people don't Ask people to be accountability partner.
Well, a lot of people tackle change by themselves. Yeah.
Well, they don't. Many of them don't tackle change by themselves. Again, like going back to what we were saying before, you know, people struggle with people, people do not like change. I have found as a rule, not generalizing every single person, perhaps, lumping everybody together, but much of my experience is people just do not like change for themselves. For whatever reason.
And so, when it comes to why they wouldn't want an accountability partner, again, they don't want to be held accountable. They don't want their feet to be held to the fire, so to speak. They are more, it seems to be more content, you know, wallowing in whether it's their misery or malcontent, as opposed to wanting to make some changes to where they could be, you know, more positive or more productive with their life. But I'm constantly, Mark, challenging people to have what I call a Paul, a Barnabas, and a Timothy in their life, and a Paul being an older, more seasoned Christ follower who can speak into my life, a Barnabas being an accountability partner, a battle buddy, if you will, a peer that holds me accountable, and then a Timothy, a young man, a young up-and-coming man that I can then in turn sew into. And pour into mentor and disciple that young man.
So yes. Yeah.
Because that's what I well, that's what I battle with all the time when I'm interacting with people. They just. it kind of stifles everything, puts them on hold when you know, it kinda is required. You got accountability partner. If you want change, you got.
You can't manage it by yourself. I mean, there might be the exception to the rule out there.
Someone who's is so disciplined or well disciplined. Yeah, that's an exception. Yeah, I guess. Yeah, there is an exception there. But by and large, you are correct.
I found that most or many, maybe I'll just say many people are like, just, you know. Will keep somebody at arm's length, you know, or give them the Heisman, you know, when it comes to being called out or really challenged on something that somebody else sees as a potential flaw or a fault or sin, sin in their life, right? Nobody likes to be confronted with the sin in their life, you know. They'd rather just kind of, if they can keep it concealed and secret, they'd rather. It seems like go down that path and then really be set free.
So, great questions today. Great questions.
So well, I appreciate you, Mark, and uh thank you for sharing uh on the show today. And and thanks for your your story and your testimony of being an overcomer, man. You are you are an overcomer, and I appreciate you.
Well, thank you, Nikita, and I appreciate you and everything you do and look forward to being close to you the rest of the years we got left.
Well, absolutely. Look forward to what the future holds, and look forward to how you are going to continue to impact others. Other people's lives as well with your story.
So, thank you. And all of you out there in listening land, thank you each and every week. You are so faithful to tune in, QA with Koloff, and help spread the word. And hey, get the word out there on the Man Up Show as well. If you haven't dialed in on that, go to the and get the Truth Radio Network app, and you'll get access to all kinds of podcasts and live radio and a host of other things as well.
And so, until next time, we say thank you for dialing in. And I challenge you, go out today and just have a God-blessed day, but also live a God-filled day in Jesus' name. See you. This podcast is made possible by the grace of God. and your faithful prayers, support, and generous gifts.
May God bless you for your continual contributions. Go to kolof.net and donate today. I'm Nikita Koloff. Be sure to check out the Man Up Show now available on television, broadcast, and podcast. Go to MorningstarTV.com or the Truth Radio Network.
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Yeah.
