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Crossfire Basketball

Kingdom Pursuits / Robby Dilmore
The Truth Network Radio
November 30, 2024 2:07 pm

Crossfire Basketball

Kingdom Pursuits / Robby Dilmore

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November 30, 2024 2:07 pm

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This is the Truth Network. How fun today on Kingdom Pursuits. You know, it's that time of year, that kind of window between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

You know, actually, tomorrow is the first of December. And so as we enter into that season, for some people like me, it's very, very joyous, and I couldn't be more excited about, you know, everything that's coming. But for other folks, you know, it's difficult.

It might be their first Christmas without somebody, or it brings back something difficult in their life. And so it's a neat thing that God gives us opportunities to be sensitive to that. And so we have with us Shirley Luckadoe, and she is, I like she refers to herself as a general editor of true stories of people in recovery. But actually, you're a practitioner in this area, right? That's right. For 18 years, I've been the the I guess the we call it not not the director necessarily, but the ministry leader for a ministry called celebrate recovery. And it is for people with hurt habits, hang ups. And so the book grew out of that. Yeah, those true stories of, you know, and of course, for people in recovery, often the seasons make it worse, right?

Right. There's so many temptations during the season. And there's so much remembrance of good times, but also bad times, sad times, guilt, a lot of things, a lot of people to deal with a lot of guilt during the holidays, as they think about, maybe they're alienated from family, maybe they've lost loved ones. So there's a lot of heartbreak that people don't always recognize and staying sane and sober during the holidays is difficult. But if you're on the other end, and you're the family member of someone who's struggling with addiction, can be awfully difficult to know what do I do?

What do I say? Right. So we have Shirley but also just to really fun. We have a newcomer to the show Finley Simmons, and he plays basketball for Jesus as well as other things with the Crossfire Ministries and welcome Finley. Thank you. And Finley, so how long have you been playing basketball? As long as I can remember. Probably started around five years old, just out in the driveway with my father and come a long ways.

I got to travel the world with Randy Shepherd and Jamie Johnson of Crossfire Ministries and share the Word of God to people that are not as fortunate to have a show like this in their area. Right. And so, where'd you play in high school? So I played at Mount Tabor High School. Oh, not unlike a certain Stu Epperson we all know and love.

Oh yeah, I know. Yeah, it's something that we have in common and it's sort of how I met Stu in a way. He'd come around and he's always sharing the gospel. And so did you play in college as well? I played a year at Charles and Southern University, which is a big part of sort of my testimony of getting close to Jesus. I really built a relationship with him when I was getting to play there.

Got around, got surrounded with a lot of great folks down there and they really poured into me. Now we're excited to hear about that. But as you know, you know, it's that time of year. And so, you know, speaking of Christmas, you've got to play a little shenanigans here. Now are you ready?

I understand that Finley has heard this before and we know Shirley's heard it before, but, you know, and we know Nick is familiar with this. So we'll just throw these at you and see how you do today. I'm excited about my Christmas riddles as always. So what type of Christmas tree does Satan usually look for? You know, Satan's out there. He doesn't celebrate it the same way we do, but nonetheless, he has to have a tree.

What do you think? What kind of tree does Satan look for? Look at the glassy eyes this morning. You'll get into it here in a second. He looks for the Lucifer's.

All right. And I bet you can guess this one. It tickles me no matter how easy it is to guess, but do you know what mama and papa beaver usually give each other for Christmas? What do mama and papa beaver usually give each other for Christmas? A wooden cross?

Close. There could be wooden crosses involved, or the wood could cross because they always try to give each other, they give a damn. That's for the end, you know? It makes me laugh regardless.

It's pretty funny. So with all the Mandalorian hype, you know, I asked my rich uncle for a first edition toy, you know, that little Yoda for Christmas. You know what he got me? I asked him for the little toy, the first edition toy baby Yoda. I bet you can guess this one.

I wish I could. All he gave me was a junky little car. It was a toy Yoda. Oh yeah. You guys are... We're not with it yet.

We were just not with it yet. So I do have a very interesting riddle today for you to call in and win. At the end of all that, you know, I would have an actual riddle for you to call in and win.

I kind of like this one. I'm excited to know if somebody could get it. It is a bit challenging, but what did... You remember the Trix Bunny from the Trix commercials? You remember it, you know? What did the Trix Bunny say to Santa? This is a Christian joke, by the way. What did the Trix Bunny say to Santa?

If you know the answer to that, you can call us at 866-348-7884. 866-348-7884 if you know what the Trix Bunny said to Santa. And if they can do that, Nick, tell them what they'll win. Absolutely. Yes, you'll be winning two tickets as Wake Forest go against Boston College in basketball Saturday, December 7th at 12 p.m.

If you know the answer to Robbie's riddle, give us a call at 866-348-7884. Go Deacs. Just to show you my calendar knowledge, that is next Saturday, December 7th. And wow, Wake Forest and Boston College.

Should be a good game. All you have to do is call us and tell us what did the Trix Bunny... You might remember him. Looked a little bit like bugs, but it was more just like the Trix Bunny. What did he say to Santa this time of year? 866-348-7884.

So surely it would appear to me... It's interesting, I hadn't even thought about guilt being... Because again, most addicts feel horribly guilty. I'll never forget the first time I went to Rescue Mission. They're one of my clients and I love working with them. But the very first time I ever went down there and started talking to the guys, one of the things they said is, why do you care about us? Don't feel love. Hate themselves for all the things they've done.

They know the things they've done. But to begin to accept the Lord's forgiveness is a big challenge. And we also, all of us, get into a really bad habit of focusing the season on people and stuff instead of really focusing on worshiping God. To me, we take our eyes off of Him and put it on everything else. And so to me, one of the most important things we can do during this time is to worship God instead of people, relationships, things.

Because if we take our eyes off Him, we're very likely to get caught up in the world. And it's just... Right. The whole idea of prepare Him room, right? Right. Is to begin to allow Him to fill our hearts.

Even this week, I've talked with a person who was caught up in grief over the loss of her cousin. We're going to get to that in a second. We've got to go to a break.

That's what that music is sharing with us. And so we come back. We expect to hear your call on about the Trix Rabbit talking to Santa.

866-348-7884. Plus, we've got a whole lot more with Finley and Shirley. And I'm excited about the basketball. Welcome back to Kingdom Pursuits, where we hear how God takes your passion and uses it to build the Kingdom. And what wonderful passions we have today?

We have basketball. That's a wonderful passion. It's amazing how God can use it to open up people's hearts for His message. And then we have Shirley Luckadoo. And she is an author, well slash, editor of the stories of people in recovery. But more than that, she celebrates recovery and has been doing that for many, many, many years. And we're talking a little bit about the effects of the seasons on folks that are struggling with that. And when we left our hero, Shirley, she was in the mid-story, which we hate that. But if you want to finish that up, oh, she forgot her stories.

It's okay. Well, I was talking about grief and the fact that holidays frequently have a lot of grief, not only for people in addiction, but for all people, I think, who have lost loved ones or are separated from people that they love. And the fact that what we have to do is turn to the Lord in our distress. I love the passage from 1 Peter 5.7, cast your burdens on Him because He cares for us. Sometimes we don't feel like He cares for us, but He does. And we need to spend a whole lot of time in His Word, reading the Word. A lot of Christians don't read the Word. And so that is something else we need to do.

Spend time in the Word. Yeah, when you are in a relationship with somebody, right? There's nothing like having a conversation. And I don't know if you've heard this. I really love it that the biographer for Eugene Peterson, who wrote the message, he said that Eugene had a conversational intimacy with the Scripture. And I'll bet you do, too, if you're in it much, like, hello, Genesis 3, my old friend. I've come to talk with you again. Or maybe it's John 3.16. You know, hello, John 3.16, my old friend.

However that may work, I mean, it's really neat that you can go back to the same passage. You've read it hundreds of times or whatever. And all of a sudden, man, something just jumps out at you like, I'd never seen that before. And it's the Holy Spirit illustrating to you something that Jesus is trying to get across to your heart. And off you go into this conversation. And it does exactly what you just said, Shirley. It gets your mind off of yourself. Right.

Or I love to put my name in the Scriptures that I'm reading and to make it personal. Shirley, you jest. No, I don't jest. Stop kidding. No kidding.

It's an old joke. But go ahead. Go ahead. You put your name in the Scriptures. I don't want to interrupt you.

Right. Lord, I come to you trusting in your name and leaning on you for understanding because I don't get this. You know, that passage from Proverbs 3, 5 and 6 where we make it personal to us. I love to journal. And so much of my journaling, I'm reading a Scripture passage and I'm putting my name in there instead of a general statement about something. That's beautiful. That's beautiful.

And if you look in Isaiah 61, right, he says he's going to declare the year of the Lord's favor. But what I always do that is this is the year you're declaring me your favorite. And that's one of my very favorite. That's a call part for me. Jesus, you've called me to bind up the broken heart.

It helped me do these things. Right, right, right. That's beautiful.

So moving over to Finley for a second. So Finley, you were telling us about your college experience and a little bit of your testimony. Would you mind sharing that?

Yeah, I'd love to. So back in high school I was playing basketball but it was more like for me and not like for God and to like spread the word for him and to honor him. And then I got to college and battled through some injuries and I really just it just hit me like oh this if it's for me I'm not accomplishing anything. And so then I met some friends just through school that played like sports in high school and I just they brought me to all these youth groups and I just didn't even know that they like existed at like the college just because I was just playing basketball. So and I went to a very strong Christian college so it was like I should have known but it was just like right right under my nose. And so I just I was going to Bible studies like every single night and then it just was like all these people look up to me like I just would walk in because it's like oh you're you play basketball here. It's like all these people and I was like man I I should be using this platform for something greater. And that's when it's that's God really touched me through that and I started to like really try to spread the word to all these people that might not be going to like these Bible studies on every night and that way you know they at least hear it and and if they look up to me then you know hopefully I can have them looking up to God through the church and looking up to God through me. And so that was just something that really in college sort of hit me is like wow like God's blessed me with this great platform and why am I not using it to really fulfill him. And so then I went and played with the Crossfire and so how did that happen?

Somebody dropped last minute and I was just playing with students who was like oh I got with you. And so I I was able to go and just sort of spur the moment thing and it was it was a life changing experience. I mean I my trip was to the Philippines they travel all over the world and just I mean there's so many people there that just don't even know who God is like they've just never heard it and just. Yeah I understand that on that trip right there were like thousands that came to Christ right? Yeah I think it was I think it was like close to 10,000 people that had just never heard of Jesus and like it.

And so can you share a day there like what that was like to see that many people come to Jesus? Yeah I mean it's it's like nothing you've ever seen before like it's you'll walk in and they all know you play basketball because it's all they advertise for it to get people to come out. So everybody's like all like over you so excited and then you know they all just like calm down they just sit down they just like receive this message and they're all just like honed in on the person speaking.

And it's just like they're trying to pick up as much as they possibly can because they've never heard like oh somebody loves you unconditionally and like if your life is good or if it's bad you know it doesn't matter like come through Jesus and you know you're gonna have like live with him eternity. And that I mean it's just something super special and it was I went with a great group of guys that we really got a we built a really strong bond in just about a week and like I'll still talk to those guys today and I mean it's just I can't speak highly enough of that organization. They do great stuff and they do whole basketball camps in the states as well. Right so it's Jamie Johnson and Crossfire. Yes. Right and and you had a chance to do that so you know that's it's really some amazing thing that you know I bet you a lot of prayer went into that and and and so did you feel like yourself that maybe there's been a prayer along the line somewhere like God if you can use this somehow? Yes I mean even before we like on the plane rides there we're like we just like huddle up and it was special because we were praying like you could just you just feel his presence like just be like Lord just please use us like how you want us to be used and I mean I think that throughout that entire trip like you could just feel his presence just him using. So was Randy on that trip? Randy was yes. And so when was that trip?

That was two years ago. He was still battling some health issues but I mean I think the Lord really just gave him strength to be there and spread his word. Yeah I think I interviewed him probably four or five months before and he didn't sound any different than he ever sounded no but he went to be with the Lord in I guess in August. Yeah just recently.

Just recently and so you know and now it's Jamie Johnson and Finley Simmons yeah yeah we got it well we got it all together and so you know they're going through a little grief right now at Crossfire right as this is their first Christmas you know without Randy and it just a special evangelist that obviously instrumental in you know the vision to build this ministry and all those kind of things. So your own story like was there some prayer that went and evolved with you becoming part of Celebrate Recovery, Shirley? Oh yes I went into personal recovery from an addiction probably five years and I was working and the Lord called me to retire from that job. I was a vice president of the community college and he called me to leave that go to the seminary.

I didn't know what I was going to be doing but lo and behold. So the Lord said you need to go to seminary. He did he seemed he said well I say he said it was in my soul that that was what I needed to do and I really wanted to do support group ministry because I felt like that was important to people who were struggling with all kinds of life's issues. Celebrate Recovery is not just for people in addiction. A lot of people think that but only about 30 percent of people who come to celebrate recovery are there for an addiction.

They are there for things like grief and loneliness and despair and anxiety and depression and all these things that really do hover over us at the holiday season if we're not very careful. So in its own way second Corinthians chapter one right it begins out with that whole I he comforted us for the comfort that we could comfort others with and and so you went through recovery yourself. I went through recovery myself and I really did come out of it with that verse wanting to comfort other people. The Lord comforted me. He brought me out of that.

Another thing at the holiday season. Well before we get to that we'll go back a minute now. How did he comfort you from that? How what was it that made the impact in your addiction?

Ah good timing on this. When we come back we're going to remember this story. What made a difference in Shirley's right addiction?

I I know what made a difference in mine and everybody's got one and whether they realize it or not I've never met anybody that really didn't have some kind of something. We need more answers. We got lots of questions. 866-348-7884.

I am waiting for somebody to tell me what did the Trix Bunny say to Santa? You're listening to the Truth Network and truthnetwork.com Welcome back to Kingdom Pursuits where we hear how God takes your passion and uses it to build the kingdom so fun today to have our friend Shirley Luckadoo who again works with uh I don't know why it's celebrate recovery. It came to me eventually and her book is True Stories of People in Recovery. We're talking about you know this season of the year and in general addictions as well as we have with us Finley Simmons. He plays basketball basketball for Jesus with the amazing uh why didn't I write things down? The um it is amazing the Crossfire Ministries Crossfire Ministries with with uh Jamie Johnson now and previously Randy Shepherd um it's just an amazing ministry or going around the world and had gone to the Philippines and like thousands um Christ we're going to hear more about that in a minute but we left our hero Shirley in mid-recovery like what how did God comfort you? I mean what was the what was it he actually came with that made the trip over into the area of recovery? Well I was a functional alcoholic I was quite functional obviously or I wouldn't have the jobs that I had but a tragedy happened with one of my children he was getting in trouble and the Lord spoke to me just as clearly as could be he says if you don't get your own act together your children are going to fall through the through the cracks and uh so he was faithful I said if you if you will heal me of this then I'll do whatever you ask me to do and so I proceeded and it was not easy I'm not going to tell anybody it was easy but I spent a whole lot of time in the word I started journaling I loved to journal and I spent a whole lot of time in the church I was in church but I really changed my focus while I was there and I grew the most important thing I grew a relationship with God I had a whole lot of head knowledge about God a whole lot of head knowledge about the church but I came to know him up close and personal in a true love relationship totally different from just sitting in the pews and soaking up or whatever it's not just a head thing it's got to be a hard thing and out of that I was at a retreat at ridgecrest which is a baptist camp and I started being immersed in support group stuff I thought lord I want to go home and do this I just want to go home and I want to help people in grief and addiction and depression and nights I just want to go home do this and so it was out of that experience that he called me to retire and go to the seminary we're gonna try again I get all that but there was something like there was a reason that that in other words you were medicating some wound or something and so how did God illuminate that wound or whatever I'm I know all those things are you couldn't be more right for all of us okay right but there was a wound or something in there that he got to how did he get to it he got to it through my my seeing the truth of my situation I mean you're talking about the truth the truth of my situation is that I was not living the life he wanted me to live and he he illuminated that so I saw that I know that part but I'm still trying to get to the other some something happened in your life in other words at what point in time you've started I need to feel better I need to you know I need to get that how how what was causing that what was causing me to feel that way because my life was falling apart it was truly falling apart and he spoke to me through his word and he said get your act together and I'm not quite true sure what you're asking me Robbie but at any rate I'll give you an example my mother she attempted suicide when I was 11 or 12 years old and she had suffered with huge depression and all these kind of things for years and years and years and and and she ended up actually being hospitalized for maybe two years and she went and met with many many counselors you can imagine those kind of things and finally one of them picked up on the fact that she was grieving it's like what are you grieving Margie I don't know what I'm grieving well let's just go back and do you remember anybody dying when you were young oh yeah my grandmother and he said well tell me about that tell me about how you grieve for your grandmother and she goes on you know I don't know that I did you know back then they would lay in state for a week in the parlor of their house and so she would see her mother every single her grandmother every single day and she didn't really know how to deal with that and so all of a sudden she he said to her tell me how your grandmother was dressed up she was laying in state so to speak and she said well she was wearing a big fur coat he said really said Margie what were you wearing when you attempted suicide wow right oh and all of a sudden he realized where where that was but then she got a he also helped her with the idea of how can you love others as yourself if you don't love yourself and so what that doctor took her to those two points of actually feeling like I'm worth something right that God would die for me and also the idea of here was this he was this grief that had never really been dealt with and then coupled with that she lost a baby in childbirth that that added on to that and the whole thing ended up with that okay there there's an example of real life stuff that she was medicating and in her own way through depression and those kind of things in other words in everybody's life there's real life stuff in my case right I I suffered with addiction to pornography and had a similar like okay yeah I'm I'm in God's word and I I am spending time and all those things right and I need to get my act together I understand I you know all these things but he had to take me back and I actually Jesus did that it wasn't no counselor just me and Jesus I was because I knew for my mother and many other situations that that's what that needed to be and he took me back to a situation where a family member actually in a way sort of molested me and that led to all sorts of things and through understanding what the wound was I was able to go oh and and ask to forgive the people that wounded me ask for forgiveness for myself who was the hardest person you said to begin with as we were talking about the show that a lot of people feel so guilty and that guilt is essentially you haven't forgiven you you know Jesus died for you but you so far and you know being able to actually receive his forgiveness he offered me I remember it well he offered me my innocence card and I kept saying you don't and I kept saying you don't understand I'm guilty he goes no Robbie take this innocence card it was quite a discussion because my pride wouldn't let me be wouldn't let me be forgiven right and eventually he just said to me Robbie didn't I pay enough well I let go my prey and so with that that said now well if I dig around as in my childhood I struggled a whole lot with anxiety and I struggled a whole lot with low self-esteem I never did feel like I was good enough and so one of the things I was doing was what you were doing I was self medicating with alcohol to try to make myself feel better and to deal with the the troubles in my marriage and in my family and so a lot of it was there was pride I didn't want anybody to know about all my stuff either and that's also a part of the addiction process we want to hide we're isolating and the undercurrent of what I was dealing with I just never felt good enough God had to convince me I really was good enough that he like you said he died for me and therefore I needed to forgive myself if he could forgive me my gracious I should forgive myself and move on and get real get real about what was really going on in my life and to be able to tell people yeah I struggle with anxiety yeah I struggle with with alcohol abuse my marriage is not perfect my family's not perfect I've got a lot of stuff in my past that I need to be free to talk to people about so we got through that whole segment without getting any Finley but we're going to get Finley in the next segment I assure you so we're going to be back and not only that if somebody doesn't call in and tell me what the Trix money said to Santa oh I'd be so disappointed eight six six three four eight seven eight eight four I will spill the beans if necessary I'll be right back you're listening to the truth network and truthnetwork.com welcome back to Kingdom Pursuits where we hear how God takes your passion and uses it to build the kingdom I'm so blessed today to have with us Shirley Luckadoo she is the author slash editor of true stories of recovery especially as we all are have a tendency if we tend to medicate our wounds this time of year we really medicate food being one of my medications of choice and if you're susceptible to it wow uh it's a great time to get closer to God as Shirley was pointing out but we also have Willis Finley Simmons who uh plays with Crossfire Ministries at times and and certainly uses his basketball platform to share Jesus and so you had talked about that you went over to the Philippines I did yes and you had a chance to play with these young folks over there who obviously you were they were probably in awe of your height because you know but I'm I'm curious if you could put you know there were somewhere close to 10,000 decisions for Christ but can you put flesh on one of those just one that that stuck in your mind like oh wow I was instrumental in this guy coming to Jesus if you got a story along those lines Finley um I'd say there's a couple um we played so we played against some of like their semi-professional teams um and they had one of their guys was he was sort of like I guess uh Michael Jordan for them over there um he was a local guy but he was older and sort of aged out a little bit and but he came out and played against us um and at halftime he accepted Christ and so during the game you know you get to talk to him afterwards and beforehand and just sort of helping them sort of understand it a little bit more and giving them bibles um so I mean there's there's lots of stories like that but just I mean even getting to like talk to him through the games and so what did he say do you remember um a lot of it's just sort of like questioning of like how can somebody love me like this when you know like I've done so much wrong like I'm so what did you tell him um I wish I could remember the exact words I think it was it was probably something along the line of you know like he took he took all your sins with him like he he's gotten rid of those for you um if like you believe in him and repent then he takes us with him on the cross like you're clean now um and it's not something that's you know like oh you have to worry about oh I did all this stuff wrong it's like you know you obviously you try not to um but nobody's perfect so it was just sort of like hey look like I'm I'm not perfect either but he still loves me like you you can't he's gonna love you unconditionally um and sort of that so how good was he he was pretty good yeah yeah he he couldn't move as well as I'm sure he used to be able to but I mean he was still getting up there to dunk and he was a phenomenal shooter really so he was fairly tall apparently yeah I think he was around six five okay so and he that had to be really and it's health and honor right to play against a guy like that it is yeah it's really cool um just I mean travel the world and playing some like the better players that you know you never really hear about you're like wow like these guys are really good um and so it's it's really cool did you beat them we did thankfully we did not lose the game um but yeah they were probably the hardest team that we played while we were there that's awesome that's awesome that's awesome so again I I am excited as I can be to have Shirley and her true stories of recovery uh getting back to your actual book Shirley which of these stories which one kind of stands out to you today that you think man I'm so honored that I got to be an editor of this particular story you know you want the book okay you got it yeah uh well I was it's interesting I was even thinking about this as I came down the road and and I wanted to read a quote this person's name is Kevin Kevin I met at our church he's an awesome young man has nine children in a blended family but he had a has a past of a lot of addiction a lot of abuse a lot of stuff that went on in his in his past that that he's certainly not proud of but he went to Bethel uh recovery center up and and then he came to know the lord and he came to our church he is now our youth minister oh wow yeah he's just awesome with the kids but at the end of his story he says it is unbelievable how the god of this universe can orchestrate a life of total depravity and disobedience and change it into a life where he can be glorified through his transforming power to god be the glory now to the be the glory now to the king eternal immortal invisible to god who alone is wise be honor and glory forever and ever amen that's first timothy 117 love kevin love seeing what the lord has done is in his life seeing how he took him out of the pit and he put him to work in the in the in ministry and I love what kevin said over here about god's got a purpose for us and when we come to realize that and we give ourselves totally to it it will transform our lives yeah the music one more time to say that oh I guess you're wondering what the tricks bunny said to santa are you ready silly santa christmas is for jesus there you go silly santa meanwhile thank you so much surely thank you so much uh finley for being with us today on kingdom pursuits again that information is always for surely's book is on kingdom pursuits.com as is crossfire ministries you can find them both there at kingdom pursuits.com and right now dead set because you got so much truth coming at you encouraging prayer it's a black friday special of encouraging prayer followed by uh the masculine journey starts here now and then it's time to man up with nikita kolah so much truth coming at you this is the truth network
Whisper: medium.en / 2024-11-30 16:30:45 / 2024-11-30 16:44:38 / 14

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