This is the Truth Network. This is the Truth Network. I once was lost, but now I'm found was blind. But now I see. That is A key lyric from Amazing Grace, and I'm sitting next to an author.
Who wrote a book called Blind Faith: Seeing God Through Darkness. His name is Chad Roberts. He's also a pastor. This book is taken off. Chad Roberts, you are the author of this book.
You got to tell our listeners. What Went through your heart to create this wonderful book that you just put in my hands here at NRB.
Well, it's so appropriate that you begin with that song because there's an entire chapter in the book on Paul being shipwrecked. We call it the storm of your life. And as you know, John Newton wrote Amazing Grace. From a horrific storm. And we know that there's so many right now.
They're going through the storm of their life. And for Sadie and I, the storm of our life came in 2018. I was in Central America training pastors. I hiked a large mountain going to the top of a Christian radio tower. And when I got to the top, Blood vessels burst.
Behind my eye. It's like looking through a spider web of blood. I had two failed surgeries that ultimately led 15 months later to complete blindness. And since then, we have been raising our family, we've been pastoring our church, we've been doing ministry, and I do it completely 100% blind. Wow.
See, as the wife of this man, Hearing all this. You would think that we're going to have piles of lawsuits. We're going to have anger. We're going to have bitterness. We're going to get out of the ministry.
It's over now for this kind of tragedy to befall your husband. Talk about. What happened after this and how this hit you? Yeah, there was definitely some anger and some, you know, hard times, but God's not scared of your emotions. You can wrestle with the hard things with God, and He's not scared of that.
But through this season, it really taught me about community and really what that Acts church looked like and how much we need each other and how much we need a community to lean on each other, to help with kids, to help with doctor's appointments, to just help with life. And so while this season has been hard, it has also been the greatest blessing of our lives. Pastor Chad, you wrote this book. I mean, you're just leaning into this thing. You're owning this.
And it's very clear. Many books don't just go right at it on the cover. The back cover says no one avoids suffering. But we can learn to suffer well. There's been a lot of suffering.
I mean, your sight is gone. I mean, people listening just. Put yourself in this man's shoes. Think about how that would impact you to one day not be able to see. And yet, you wrote a book that is now published by Lifeway that people are.
eating this thing up, what what do you think would would cause such a would this to resonate with so many people?
Well, I think all of us, we go through seasons of hardship, seasons of darkness. Blindness may be unique to me, But uncertainty Job asked the same question in Job 23. Where is God? I look to my left, he's not there, I look to my right. But what did Job say?
But he knows the path that I take. And when I have been tried, I will come forth as gold. Sadie and I tell people all the time. There's been far more gain. Than there's been any loss through this blindness.
Far more gain.
Well, Stanny, what's the biggest thing in all of this that's brought you closer to the Lord? That you share with people? I know when you go along with him and you talk to other groups. Yeah, full transparency. I married a pastor, and it was a very surface-level relationship with the Lord.
I was always a good girl, did the right thing, was brought up in church. But that's as far as it went. We did a 40-day fast when he went completely blind, and that completely changed my life. And now my relationship with the Lord is as tangible as anything that I've ever felt. Wow.
Pastor. We talk about blindness and light a lot. You know, pastors talk about When they're teaching through the scriptures, of course, the obvious miracles of Christ, right, when He healed those who were blind and gave them sight. The language in scripture of spiritual blindness. You know, their eyes were darkened by the things of this world and whatnot.
Mm-hmm. Suffered. Not just a spiritual blindness before Christ, but after you came to Christ, you suffered a physical blindness through this tragedy. What's that like? And what's it like to take up your pen?
And write a whole 12-chapter book about it.
Well, you know. I had to learn the difference between what the scripture says, being a hearer of the word and being a doer. One of the crazy things when you go blind that I was not prepared for. You know I dream in vivid color? I can see everything and everyone in my dreams.
And I can't tell you what it is to have an incredibly vivid dream and then wake up. And no matter what I do, it's pitch black. It was days like that in the early days. about seven, eight years ago. I didn't want to get out of bed.
I mean, But I would swing my legs around. I would set up on the edge of my bed. And I would say to myself, This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice. And I will be glad in it.
And I made that choice every day. And what I've had to learn: God produces this amazing spiritual fruit through us called joy. But you have to choose joy. If you wait to feel it. You're going to be waiting a long time, and there's going to be many obstacles, many hindrances.
No, you have to choose it and say, I'm going to not just be a hearer, I know what the scripture says. No, I'm going to go beyond it. I'm going to be a doer and I'm going to apply it. That's the voice of Pastor Chad Roberts. The book is Blind Faith, subtitle Seeing God Through Darkness.
Pastor Chad, 12 chapters in here. I'll read each one real quick, if I may, and then I want to get you to comment at the end, okay? Chapter 1: Seeing God in the Deep Shadows. Chapter 2, The King's Prison When Life Isn't Fair. Chapter 3, Where is God in Times of Uncertainty?
Chapter 4, Holy Ground. Chapter 5, hold a line. The battle is the Lord's. Chapter 6: Delays are not denials. How to wait on God.
Chapter 7: Risky Faith. But if not. Chapter eight Embarrassed by Jesus Chapter nine A Holy Heist. Answer prayers we don't believe. Shipwrecked, chapter 10, the storm of your life, chapter 11, drinking from the cup of suffering, chapter 12.
Suffering with an eternal Perspective.
Someone reads these 12 chapters. Or someone who's never read this book. or even thought about a book like this to read. What's your passion? your vision your dream in vivid color for them to take away from from reading This book.
I like to tell people I'm simply a guide. and I found a well. in my suffering. That completely sustained me. It is a well of God's grace, and And what this book is.
It's simply a guide leading people to that same will. And what I want people to gain is what I gained. an unshakable faith. In the goodness of God, that even when life Does not seem to be good. God is.
What about this lady to your right here, Sadie? What do you say about the power of a praying wife and what God's how God's used her in your life. She's still with you right here. You can't see her, but you can put your arm around her right now. What do you say about her?
And what's your word to other Marriages, other pastors, pastors' wives out there that may be kind of slugging it out. In a thankless world, what's your word to her, about her, and others? I told Sadie the other day As much as I love the church. And you know, I was a single pastor for about seven or eight years before I met Sadie. And so the church was in my life.
A lot. Longer before Sadie was. But I told Sadie the other day: I don't try to be at the church every moment of the day. I try to be with Sadie every moment of the day. And she comes first.
I heard Josh McDowell say years ago. My family is not part of my ministry. They are my ministry. And Sadie's my greatest helpmate. She's my best friend.
She's my ministry partner. And um yeah. I can't say well enough. Sadie, after this terrible accident, your husband. He may be physically blind, unable to see us in this room right now.
but he has better vision. Then So many people. who have Physical sight. But are spiritually blind, and even believers who are just so short-sighted and myopic and can't see past their own Challenges and issues to the glory of God. What do you say about that?
I mean, how do you feel about someone picking up a book by a blind guy? and their the light comes on and they and that person finding spiritual sight in Christ through the pen and through the words and the stories and the scriptures shared by your husband who's blind. How does that strike you? I have seen Chad in the pulpit, and I have also seen Chad at home. And he's the exact same person at home as he is at church.
And I think that that is kind of an anomaly in the church world, unfortunately. And so, as much as I trust him, I can see the heart of Jesus through him. And I just am so proud of him for writing this book and just. being called to it and seeing it through even when it was super hard. Get the book, Blind Faith: Seeing God Through Darkness by Chad Roberts.
Website for the book. Then go to chadroberts.org or readblindfaith.com.
Okay, and I love the name of your church, Preaching Christ Church. I think that's a pretty good name of church because it kind of tells you what you're doing. That's right. God bless you in downtown Kingsport, Tennessee. Let me ask you one final word to someone out there who is spiritually blind.
They've been putting off this thing with Jesus. Their eyes may be wide open, they may have 20-20 in the physical, but spiritually they're running. People are praying for him. God is pursuing them. What's your message to them as we get out of here?
Pasture. I would say surrender. God's in hot pursuit of you. God's the creator, and He said, Let light shine out of darkness. And he's wanting to do the same in your heart.
And if you will yield to him, Uh you can't do anything to make God love you more. You can do nothing to make him love you less. Surrender your life. Today is the day of salvage. Yeah.
True to the Bye.
