This is the Truth Network. Friends, I'm sitting in the nicest radio station facility on planet Earth.
Now, my humble brother over here. Who is also A tall man, maybe 6'5, 6'6. We've been in radio and broadcasting, Christian radio, NRB for decades together. He's been a great friend and mentor. He would humbly say, Stu, don't say that, but I am at.
The Billy Graham radio station. I am at the light, is what they call it. You can hear in the background, they said, Hey, should we turn that down? I said, No, I want that ambient sound of David Jeremiah preaching.
Someone might listen to that more than they listen to me, Jim Kirkland. You tell us where we are. I can't even begin to stage this thing.
Well, I'm grateful that you acknowledge the fact I vacuumed for you this morning, cleaned the place up for you. We are on hallowed ground, and it's not anything that we do, it's what God does on this property. We are actually based on the property of the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove, which is a wonderful place, literally set apart and dedicated to train people in God's word, to disciple people, and go forth and make Him known. And there is just tremendous events all the time. Of course, you were with one with High Point University this week.
Our good brother Alex McFarland will be here next week in an evangelism intensive. It is rich and good feeding all the time. And it's Fitting that way back before it even crossed most people's minds, that we ended up on this same. property because we are called to give rich feeding. all the time.
through music and teaching wherever people are. It's oftentimes ministry to a group of one. And that's what we try to be very, very faithful to carry out in his power. Our mission is to lead people into a personal. Don't even think I said the station name.
What is up with me? The Light FM, which our mothership is 106.9 that covers five states. And then we also have outposts, signals that cover Winston-Salem, Franklin, North Carolina, Rock Hill, Matthews, North Carolina, Clemson, there's a P in there, South Carolina, and Knoxville. Damn. Um Our calling is to lead people into a personal and dynamic relationship.
with Jesus Christ. As we know, it is not religion, it is a relationship. and to lead them Into discipleship and service in the name of Christ Jesus, all built on the foundation of Billy and Ruth Graham, and today in the leadership of Franklin Graham. And we use. It's just the tools God has given us.
Notice the word radio or media is nowhere in that mission statement. Those are our tools that God has entrusted to us, and we carry out to accomplish that mission through them. Contemporary Christian music, about 75% of the day, and then the top Bible teachers with content that we Yeah. teaching podcasts. Which are heard on the station.
And then, if somebody, let's say, can't be at the radio at 10:30 to listen to David Jeremiah. They can go back to our app and listen anytime they please for that content.
So we just, we want to be the resource that people. think of when it comes to content where I can grow deeper. And we also want to be there for the divine appointments. That's where the radio comes into factor in full color. To be there for divine appointments.
And that's just part of the greater mission that Mr. Graham and his Uh wife Ruth sat for us here and there. Neck of the woods. They lived in Montree, just a few miles from here in East Asheville. And there was very little Christian media here in the early 60s.
They wanted that for this area. That's how it all began. And we are all related with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. We're all employees of the association and part of the association's greater ministry. It happens to be that our calling is here in this seventh state area.
And with the phone now, and with smart speakers now, and with streaming going far beyond that, certainly all throughout this continent and in some cases around the world.
Well, and you really are wonderful collaborating with other radio stations. You and I have been at David Jeremiah events. Speaking of, I don't want to say speaking of the devil, but speaking of David Jeremiah, he's playing behind us on the station right now. We told him to keep it up because we love to hear the word of God, even while we're doing this broadcast. It's the best ambient noise you can have.
Jim Kirkland, we've been at the big arenas together. There's the light FMs. You know, big booth. There's some other Christian radio friends over here, Truth Networks over here. And we're always like, okay, we want to grow up to be like those guys.
And one day, we want to grow up to have a studio like this. Beautiful. I'm looking at this beautiful brick stone fireplace. I'm just looking out at the mountains here. I'm looking out at this, you know, all this wood architecture.
But there's a spirit here, and this is the same thing. I just, me and my buddy Phil just left the Cove, and we just were ministering to the basketball team, college basketball team, sharing the Lord, encouraging them, praying with them, singing some songs. Phil plays the guitar, and we were just trying to. to share Christ's love with them. And it's it's crazy.
Two or three complete strangers on our way to speak. Stopped and prayed for us. And then they told us later they prayed for us at breakfast. And there's people who go up there. There's something important about getting away.
There's something important about taking some time. Even Jesus, it says he went away to a quiet place. To pray with his father. And let me encourage, in terms of making a trip here to the Billy Grand Training Center at the Cove, is it's one of those things that is so easy to put off when our lives are so busy, when there's so much going on, when we have to decide: am I going to do that with that dollar or am I going to do this with this dollar? I would put forth.
Not to sound overly heavy, but I truly believe that sometimes those questions and doubts and pensiveness are some of those easy tools the devil. uses cunningly. Don't allow him to get a hold here. If the Holy Spirit, if there's a stir in your heart that you're hearing that I really need to reset, I really need to dive deeper. I really need some time where there's not or I'd say a minimum of distractions.
Goodness, in 2026, it's kind of hard to get away from all of them. But there's not many distractions here. And kind of wean ourselves off that device that's made in Washington.
Well, there's other ones too, but that we just stay tethered to. Don't ignore that and don't let the devil get a foothold on that. Because you may be wrestling with lots of reasons. I can't do it now. If the Lord is calling you, Come and dig deeper.
And take some precious time. That can't happen unless you're attuned to the Holy Spirit and you consciously set that time.
Well, what's really cool is after our time with the team, they left in the big bus to go work with Samaritans Purse, another part of the Billy Graham Evangelist Association, another kind of a kindred family in this big. Trough of ministries God's using to touch the world. And I know that's going to be impactful. In fact, they're doing that right now while we're talking to you. Jim, the importance of people Listening to my voice right now, listening to your voice right now, that maybe even just happened upon this, maybe they don't even know Christ.
You and I have been in the third world. We've been in places that don't have Christian radio. There's a whole lot of secular propaganda, communist stuff coming out. But the ones that do, you know, from our friends at Transworld Radio, from others that maybe they hear one of our streams, you know, and they get that. Maybe they don't even have a Bible.
There's a high rate of illiteracy in these third world countries.
So they depend on hearing the word of God. And, you know, faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God. Talk to a listener about how important it is. Yeah Your local Christian radio station, or your local media, or your local whatever tool that is. For hearts to hear and to be tender.
Whether it's right here across the street. you know, from the beautiful mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, or across the world. Earlier, you were speaking about we've been to the great venues, we've been to the great conferences, so forth. The venue that is so sweet. in my heart is the venue of the um inside of the car, the venue of the cab of the truck, the venue of the earbuds when somebody's walking.
How one-on-one we have a calling to carry out what we do. Um,. And Indeed, and it's interesting, Stu, this week alone, there's been two or three instances where I've been in prayer with some of our outreaches that are produced in Charlotte through the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and also here at the Light FM. And that is. Um that um We um Are you and you read it?
In a situation where we want to pray for the hearts of the people that are listening, prepare them for what they're about to hear.
However, you want to use a song, however, you want to use a teacher, however, you want to use one of our air personalities' comments. Is let there be something there that they take away. And it is so incredible that we don't know what that'll be in any one person's life. But God does, and He uses it, and He gives us grace in it. Not just occasionally, consistently.
Letting us know how he has used it. We hear from a listener. Oftentimes, the comments begin: you're not going to believe this, bud. You're not going to believe this, bud. I was listening the other day, and I was listening to something else, and I just turned it up, and y'all showed up.
You're not going to believe this, but if I got in an area where the only radio station I could pick up was this station, you're not going to believe this. But just when I got the news that shattered my life. A song came on. that spoke to me. Or I don't typically like to listen to those preachers, but.
I heard something one of them said, and it was like he knew what was going on in my life. He read my mail. And I will even say. Right. I understand that one vividly as I sat in a garage in Greer, South Carolina in February 8th, 2000.
And It was goodness gracious. This Charles Stanley man, he knows exactly what I was dealing with today. And it wasn't anything special about Charles per se. It was how Charles was used magnificently through God. Praise the Lord.
We're about to have prayer for you and your staff. Before we walk out of here, Phil and I are. Thank you for what you're doing, Jim Kirkland, and congratulations on 25 years in this ministry. We had. We had a delicious soft serve ice cream.
In your honor, 25 years last week, and now I'm sitting up here in this beautiful. amazing like chalet of a Christian Radio Studio, my favorite Christian Radio Studio in the world, hands down. The light, and I can. Is it okay to do my big voice now? Can I do the big voice?
Can I please segue? We're always looking for potential talents. I'm auditioning. This is what I would say. Founded by Billy Graham for the spread of the gospel.
We're 106.9 FM, the light. How did I do? How did you, Jim? You did pretty well.
So as long as you could, if I ever knock on your door and you've got something at the Truth Network, I'll keep you in mind for here. And I will, well, I might have to coerce a little bit. They may have to pray about it a long time, but I will, you know, encourage the people we've entrusted to make these decisions. Hey, here's one for you. There you go.
I appreciate it. Jim Kirkland, what a man of God. Jim, your Bible verse. What's the Bible verse you hang your hat on? What's a verse that just God has put on your heart that's carried you 25 years?
What's a verse we want to close this broadcast with? Come on. With the. Full statement that there are so many verses, and especially at given times and given circumstances. Joshua 1:9.
You know, and you can almost see the Lord lovingly wagging the finger to Joshua here, going. Haven't I told you? Be strong and courageous, for the Lord thy God will be with you. What? None of that is broken down to in this circumstance, or if this happens.
Be strong and courageous, for the Lord thy God will be with you wherever you go. That's it. Joshua 1. True top.
