This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human. Liberty has never been just a word to we Americans. It has guided every one of our endeavors for the past 250 years, and now it takes form in a new way. The 2026 Semi-Quincentennial Coin and Metal Program from the United States Mint.
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No And we continue with our American stories and with our Faith in Action series, where we tell stories about how people of faith live it out. In the public square, Today's story comes from a business and community leader in Memphis, Tennessee, named Kemmons Wilson Jr. Kemmons has previously shared the great story of his dad founding Holiday Inn, which you can hear at ouramericanstories.com. And today Kemen shares his own story. Maha.
uh faith wall really was I didn't come to the Lord until I was like 30 years old. I had been asked Four or five times to get into a Bible study with some young guys, my age at the time. And I was always too busy. And I really wasn't avoiding them. I didn't particularly want to do it.
It was early in the morning, so I wouldn't have missed. anything but um But we really did have a lot going on with five kids and a business. And finally, uh... They asked me a fifth time and I said, This is over the course of maybe three years. I said, yeah, I'll do it.
And so I go to that Bible study and believe it or not, that was... a long, long time ago, those same guys We met this morning at 7.30.
So uh I've got 55-year history. With The same guys. It really is amazing and we've held together. And It's um John Stimmler, Ron Hickman. Rick Moore, Rick Collins.
And Fred Schaefer was there. Fred Schaefer died. But every Thursday morning, and we started out. And we still do it.
someone hosts the meeting. every week. And if it's at my house, then I'm responsible to fix breakfast. for everyone. And then we would go.
Yeah, I do.
some sort of a Bible study. And now we've gotten so old that all we do is talk about sports and politics. Yeah, you know, Elmots. But Every time we've ever met, the last thing we do is ask for prayer requests. You know, so.
So I know five guys are praying. for me every week, whatever that situation is. And um And you know, you obviously The trust is built up. You know, they say they're. Nine layers of trust.
First layer is everything's great. I don't have a problem and I don't need any advice. And they're seven other layers of trust and the last layer is I got a problem, it's my fault and I need some advice.
Well, when you get your group... to go to that level. Um You know. You're kind of home furry. in a sense that um You know, everybody needs a truth teller.
And a truth teller is someone who will tell you the truth no matter what the consequences are. Yeah, they're willing to risk the whole relationship. And in the Christian world, it would be Somebody that loves Jesus more than they love you. And we all need truth tellers in our life. And so I've got that group of truth tellers and I've got one other group that started as a business group and we've probably been meeting 40 years.
So this is another kind of support accountability. group that I have I could go to. I mean, these are people you can go to at you know, three o'clock in the morning when you screw up. you know, these are the people you call. And now, you know, we're talking about.
aging parents we're talking about you know, kids that are getting in trouble, you know, I mean. You know, it's just life. It goes back to my comment about You know, we were so focused on What we thought was important was all this Work, what are you doing? How many things? How many companies you bought?
Die die, you know, everybody was. you know, crowned it. And they were kind of like a... your own personal board of directors, but not really. But we have got to that ninth layer of trust.
you know to where You know, I can tell them anything. And that particular group, I mean, we've... We've saved a divorce. And we didn't save one, but You know, it's such a comfort. to know that you've got those kind of friends.
that better layer. You know, I mean, I tell you how special it is. One of the guys in our group His son got married. And of course we went to the wedding. And so, you know, we're in the in line and And they said, hey, they want.
I said. They want you to sit with the family. You know, if I want to be to sit with her family at the wedding. And you know, I mean... I'm just, you know, that, and I, and I try to tell every.
Young guy I meet with. Whatever you do, Try to get in with a group of good, like-minded guys. You know, I mean You know, life wasn't meant to go, this is not a Lone Ranger Christian. And I'm able to tell people now, I'm 74 years old. That If somebody asked me what's important in life.
You know, I mean, you're 74 years old. I'm on the back nine. I hold them on like 12 or 13, you know. But If they said, what's important? I would say Faith family friends Church community and business.
And if you add those up. Business comes in number six. And I talked to a ton of young gas. That I'm delighted to be able to tell them that. To be honest, that wasn't my priority when I was 40, okay?
But it is now. And I wish somebody had told me when I was 40. That it at the twilight of your life. It's not going to be about business. Yeah, a business is a Yeah, it can be a wonderful success, but it's a horrible God.
You know, and uh little G. You know, a man with a full resume usually pays a price. And generally, you know, God and family suffer. This is the way it happens. And nobody ever said on their deathbed, I wish I spent more time at the office.
Everybody says, I wish I spent more time with my wife. my kids. Every single one of them.
So I can bring some perspective. potentially to somebody Where they're are all into business. That's, you know, this is their life. And they're trying to get to the next house, to the next second home. And you know So how you It's number six.
You know. And you know, I've just seen too many people.
sort of crash and burn. because I kept reaching for happiness. thinking it comes in The form of you know, material goods or promotions or you know, whatever it is. Mm. And you're listening to Kemmons Wilson Jr.'s story, Our Faith in Action series.
Didn't come to know the Lord until he was 30. And it was at the persistence of some friends, three years' worth of persistence, to finally bring him into this early morning Bible study. and they've been at it for 55 years. What a spectacular thing. When we come back, more of this remarkable story here on Our American Story.
Liberty has never been just a word to we Americans. It has guided every one of our endeavors for the past 250 years. And now it takes form in a new way: the 2026 Semi-Quincentennial Coin and Metal Program from the United States Mint. It celebrates the founding ideals that have long shaped our coinage. Available one year only, this historic collection features new coin designs, limited edition releases, and reissues.
Shop new official coins at usmint.gov forward slash semi-q. That's usmint.gov/slash S-E-M-I-Q. Amazon Health AI presents painful thoughts. I um I can't stop scratching my downtown. Mm-hmm.
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Mm-hmm. Is your Jesus shaped more by culture than scripture? In our instant world, we've made Jesus a life coach, a therapist, a political ally. The Missing Messiah, a new book by Kyle Eidelman and Mark Moore, helps us understand how Western culture has gradually reshaped Jesus into our image and recognize the difference between a personalized savior and revolutionary king. If you believe there's a more dangerous, more majestic Messiah than the one you've inherited, visit missingmessiah.com to learn more today.
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Complete disclosures available at public.com slash disclosures. Mm-hmm. And we continue with our American stories and with the Memphis business and community leader. Cemons Wilson Jr. for our Faith in Action series.
Let's return to Kemmons. I had some guilt in a way That I'd been asked on multiple occasions to run for elder deacon and It just didn't appeal to me. You know, I love to work. A width. Maybe startup ministries, more entrepreneurial.
kind of thing. a session meeting with 40 people or something. But I felt a guilt. I mean, you know, when you first become a Christian, like...
Okay, am I supposed to go to China? What am I supposed to do? And I didn't get an answer. Go to church. They asked me to do this.
I just didn't want to do it. But I felt guilty because I got asked every year. And a little bit of guilt trip, you know, like, hey, come on, you know, you're expected to do this. And then I was sitting here one day. many, many years ago with a young guy And just talking about life, his career, his marriage.
And I went bingo. And this is exactly what God wants me to do. He wants me to be a Christian businessman. and try to live. you know, a reflective life of what He represents And I was kind of released.
You know, oh my heavens. This is great. Because I just felt like... You know, it's one of those things you go through your life. wondering what is God's will for your life.
And I really feel that's kind of what It was. He didn't say, hey, I don't want you to... Go off and start a non-profit. I don't want you to go to seminary. I don't, you know, just.
Stay where you are. Yeah. Keep as clean as you can. and be available. Just be available.
Because There are going to be plenty of people. that will seek you out.
So really what I've done in the last 15 or 20 years of my life, I made a conscious decision to. have three focuses. One was discipleship. One was mentoring and one was stewardship. And if Something didn't fit in those three buckets.
I would say no to. And earlier in my life, I said no to nothing. I just said, bring it on. And it you know and some of it is is You had to do. I mean, when you're young and somebody a little older than you calls and said, hey, can you?
help with the United Way drive.
Well Man, I've been, you know, I don't, okay. Yeah, and so. I've kind of gotten to the stage about 20 years ago where I could say no. And the reason I could say no. is it it didn't fit in those three silos.
So for example, if somebody called and said, hey, Would you be on the Can I put you up on the country club board? Zero. It doesn't fit in the bucket. And those buckets are what I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing. you know One of the questions I ask people all the time is What are you doing today?
Not yesterday. and not what you're going to do tomorrow, but what are you doing today that will make an impact or an influence in the next generation? And discipleship will. metor and well in stewardship. world.
And I carry out this mentoring. I'm doing that through Nexus. This is my 16th year to mentor a young person in Memphis. We put young emerging leaders with seasoned business people. and they spend nine months together.
And part of that system is you have to ask your protege every week. or every month, twice a month, what are your plans and how can I help you?
So it's all about the protege. I was mentoring a young African American that worked for FedEx, a wonderful guy.
So I kept asking him. You know, all right, what are your plans? and how can I help you?
Well, his plan was to write a book. And I said, ooh. Man, I said, I've never written a book. I don't know, you know. Then I thought, I said, look, I know.
Two guys have written books.
So I put him. With those two gas, And before our nine months were gone, he wrote a book and gave it to me. It was a amusing fabulous kind of a self-help. Kind of book. personal Met toward was Kennon Vaughan.
And Kennan Vaughan is now my pastor. I mean He was sitting And my foot. You know 15 years ago, now I'm sitting at his foot. And out of that, when I said, What are your plans? His plan was downline ministries.
And so I explained that to me, what is that? He said, I want to. Have an institute that teaches people how to be trained and equips people to be. disciples. And really it's it's It's all about fulfilling a great commission.
That's Matthew. Yeah. 18 through 20. Go and make disciples of all nations. You know, all authority has been given to me on heaven and earth.
And, you know. baptizing them in the Holy Spirit. And so I guess I had read that verse maybe a couple hundred times in my life. Maybe even closer to a thousand as old thing. And looking back, I thought I read it with sincere reverence and understanding.
you know, the Great Commission. And When I met Kennan, I realize he really kind of was the first one to confront me. about those verses. And I slowly kind of recognized the magnitude and the significance of what was being said and and these were Jesus's Last word to the disciples before he went to be with the Father. And to me, That's kind of huge.
That is almost comparable. To Someone. on their deathbed. giving you their last request. their last wish while on this earth.
So what would you do with it? I don't want to have to stand before God and say, you know, I don't, I didn't get this part. Then I said, all right, well, how can I help you? He said, if I get it off the ground, would you be my chairman?
So I've been the chairman of Downline for 16 straight years now. And we didn't know if anybody had come because at that time we started at 5.30 in the morning. And lo and behold, by God's grace, we had people sign up.
Now we've had 3,000 or 4,000 people go through. And it's the down line. I mean, it's... The theory Um Down the line, and Kennon would tell the story about, you know, if. Billy Graham preach to 5,000 people a day.
It would take him 800 years to preach the world, but If I decyple you. and you disciple two more and you disciple three more. it'll take 35 years you know so just the multiplication Love it. And one thing that Bob Buford said, that I loved. He said, This is talking about legacy in a sense.
He said, Our fruit. grows on other people's trees. You know, if I pour into you.
Some of my fruit is going to be on your tree. Yeah, that's just the way it is. And then Ken Blanchard, who's a a good friend. He would always say there's no spiritual retirement. He said, Don't retire, refire.
And uh own his uh Tampest on AAE he wants to put All used up. And Bob Beefers was a hundred X. You know, whatever I do, I wanted to... to multiply 100x. You know, you gotta let those kind of...
you know, things. sink in and You know, I've told people decision-wise. the three most important decisions you'll ever make are This here's your master. Who's your mate? And what is your mission?
Um If you can figure those out, I mean... You know, generally your career Marriage and a career are the two biggest decisions you'll ever make. And if you don't have the... The right master. It could be a train wreck.
It's kind of like the Two most important days of your life, the days the day you were born, the day You discover what you were born for. And a special thanks to Joey for the production on the piece. And a special thanks to Alex for bringing us another In a long series we've been doing almost from the beginning, our Faith in Action series: How Faith Animates the the lives of so many people in this great country. and how it's so misunderstood. And it can only be told through stories like this.
And men and women that we've told these stories about. My goodness, God wants me to be a Christian businessman. A great story, Kevin Wilson Jr.'s story. another of our great faith in action stories here. on our American story.
Liberty has never been just a word to we Americans. It has guided every one of our endeavors for the past 250 years. And now it takes form in a new way. The 2026 Semi-Quincentennial Coin and Metal Program from the United States Mint. It celebrates the founding ideals that have long shaped our coinage.
Available one year only, this historic collection features new coin designs, limited edition releases, and reissues. Shop new official coins at usmint.gov forward slash semi-q. That's usmint.gov/slash S-E-M-I-Q. Hot take. You can disagree with someone and not hate them.
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