Interview with Tim Scott and Trey Gowdy

Harvest messages brought to you by harvest partners to receive free email daily devotions or to become a harvest partner, please visit us online@harvest.org we have two sons of South Carolina out with us here today harvest Congressman Trey Gaudi and Sen. Tim written a new book called the five subtitle power. Unlikely friendship gives us hope for a divided country. I met God's imminent fray a while ago about Washington DC, Marco Rubio, a mutual friend invited Kathy and I am Jack Graham and his wife to the capital club or the meals together so that was the first time that I I've course knew of the but I'd never met them before. So Trey gave me is a phone number.

I'm sure it's a decision he's regretted many times but so I noticed they've written this book and they were out touring and I said hey would you like to come to Southern California and and let me interview they so we love you so that's all this came about and I did it all texting. I never even had the courtesy to call him on the phone with all the mic that somehow worked out of their cured today with us in the yard in a moment, but let me give you a formal introduction ;-) she don't know who it is to be hearing from Trey Gaudi is a former state and federal prosecutor for two decades, the 2010, he was elected to Congress and now is in this fourth and unfortunately his last term. He's the chair of the House committee on oversight and Government Reform Congressman Jody chaired the select committee on been causing you may recall that he served in the House permanent select committee on intelligence and there's much more I he's a legend in these here today with us Sen. Tim God is successful businessmen and US Sen. representing South Carolina. He's the first African-American to be elected to both the house and U.S. Senate since Reconstruction, and that's a great thing and he also serves on the Senate committee and big users on the committee on banking, housing and urban affairs in the committee and health education labor and pensions. He too is a legend there both here. Let's give a warm harvest welcome guys, welcome. Thank you so much Laura in an awkward spot. These things globally think so when it's good to have you know doing 360 go the way well okay what an old motel was so good to have you guys tomorrow is Memorial Day very important day. Telus Tim Woodward Memorial Day means to you and how we should observe it is American for me to think about the world. Think about the men and women. Don the uniform fight for the cause of freedom. So many of us here today because someone would never meet us was willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice more than 1.2 million Americans have paper sacrifice so that we can live in the country where freedom includes the freedom to worship. Remember you talking about flying to Washington DC Reagan airport. There's two things you can choose to look up the windows that remind you of what we should remember Memorial Day.

Yesterday, look at the left side of the plane you see these monuments to two of the names we all learned in history class using monuments to Jefferson and Lincoln in Washington and Dr. King in every building his name for someone famous in every street is named for someone famous in that takes about six months when you're first in Congress you want to look out that side of the plaintiff. The same with the names you know and then something happens that six month anniversary, and you begin to say when there's a right hand side of the plane and depending on how the pilot comes in. You see these gently rolling green hills punctuated with these elegant white crosses and it's tragically beautiful and symmetrical from the sky. But if you can in your mind. Get out of the plane and walk on those gently rolling hills.

Every one of those crosses represents a life that was either impacted cut short in service and sacrifice to our country so you ask yourself what is the United States. What is this thing we call America is as though the handful of names that we learned in a history class or is it those unnamed heroic service minded women and men who gave their lives for our country and for me. Memorial Day is the right hand side of the five how are unlike friendship gives us hope for a divided country, you know, it seems to me like were maybe more divided than we've ever been. You how to we will first: start your route with your relationship. How did you to become friends and then maybe as you mentioned this to me earlier, Tim some practical steps we can think and you have something the other that to as now we can start a conversation. We won't even talk to each other. We just go to work, corners, aware of our positions in and so you're really trying to address that.

But I wanted you to meet.

First of all when he was the Elvis Presley of our freshman class and everybody knew he was a really was the most that 80 person freshman class in 2010 and at least as far as I'm concerned faster it happened one night when this person who seems to have everything on television whenever he wanted to be on television historically significant. The two really, really well-known people just to get the seat that he was holding so he seemed to have the world by the tail and in one night where eating dinner together and he seemed overwhelmed the same exhausted. He seemed afraid as my grandma used to say. And for me it was the vulnerability of someone trusting me enough to appear vulnerable to me any needed health… And relationships start have to have a little bit of vulnerability you have to at least say I'm going to be authentic in this two-person relationship and I'm going to ask for help and you have to trust the person that you're asking that for me was the night I knew that our friendship was different for me. It was that we came in the Congress. Not knowing each other and getting to know Trey Gaudi is an interesting experience coming just like that here.

I dark suits with white socks fashion faux pas's one of their PRR relationship hit a new high. After the greatest atrocity in one of the reasons why wanted to write the book was because after the mother Emmanuel church shooting in South Carolina where Dylan Ruth walked into an African-American church to start a race war in the home of the beginning of the Civil War. The first person I called that night was a white guy from the same state. This fellow and it occurred to me about four weeks later that God had transformed my state in this nation in such powerful ways that if the guy who walks into start a race war actually brings South Carolina together in a way that we had never seen in the history of our state.

Something must've changed the more I examine the relationship. The more I realize that having that biblical foundation in common. Proverbs 2717 reminds us, as iron sharpens iron, so one person does the other that over the five years that preceded that church shooting.

Something had been glued together fused together in our friendship so that a black guy would turn to a white guy after racially motivated shooting says something about the evolution of this country and what is possible in our future together.

You mention your faith that I heard you interviewed and you said Tim is the glue of our society so I know it's an important part of your lives. I know it's probably the glue of your friendship and it's the glue of our society what is faith mean to you personally. Your faith in Christ. Your belief in the word of God for both of you.

And then what hope does that help for America today. I think I was a hopeless young man growing up in a single-parent household mired in poverty. My father was not around in for me with faith ultimately meant to me when I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior at Presbyterian College Presbyterian phrase Northwestern and I found the father figure that I needed to remind me of who I am. Galatians 329 visit were adopted into this family and to find my own path by reading God's word and watching you on TV during the 80s, long hair down the literally I found my identity and so often we struggle with how to respond to other people. We don't understand who's we are and I found that answer by accepting Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. And frankly, I would give one caution. Faith is not a Republican thing is not an immigrant thing is not a white thing is not a black thing. It's a God thing doesn't look at yeses look he gives these data right now. Look at his face and said look the eyes. It's a look that when you've seen them on television and he's cross-examining someone in you just want to start confessing things like the Congressman. I think I see that the speed limit on the way to church today for the but the trade tell us about how your patent is you will learn there are two points.

Tim quoted verse earlier this morning if my people who call themselves by my name, shall humble themselves, and then the next part of that verse is turned from your wicked ways.

If there is a wickedness, then there has to be a goodness and what is the source of the goodness and that is what I would argue to my fellow citizens, whether their believers are not as we need a code by which to conduct our lives in that code cannot be constantly changing. It can't be the lyrics to a song it can't be whatever the most popular television show is we need a code of conduct by which we can say this is good. This is not good and that code of conduct has to be everlasting and be able to withstand any tragedy or any set of circumstances in my own life and I asked myself this question from Don the time. If there were no life after this. What I still be a Christian and and I asked myself that because yes, we need a Savior, but you also need a Lord, you need someone that will dictate how you live your life on this earth, not just the but this, and I found it in a Jewish carpenter, of whom it was said in me, there is no male or female.

There is no Jew or Gentile, that I have added to that, there is no black white or brown.

There is no Republican or Democrat.

He's the most unifying force we have ever had in our history and he was a bridge builder and a barrier breaker and if we followed him. I think the church would be better off, but the country will be better in your book with this is a great book on Joe to get a copy and read it but you tell your personal stories is another thing you have in common and that is the role that a mentor played in your life for you, Tim. It was a gentleman that welding used to go to Chick-fil-A yes and you would stand in the longest line and why did you do that well is pretty girl every dude in the mall line in front of me and we were all hidden thing direction and unfortunately I was broke up. At times I can only afford the French fries but it was worth the wait. So, by the way, something we should care Sen. Tim Scott is a single man, girls hello, again, you can give us phone number out okay but so filled Chick-fil-A so you're going there, getting the privacy can only afford that glass of water within one day is that the owner operator that simply your movie, working in the theater. What is next door and he comes in usual bag of AAA including the chicken sandwich right to my favorite right now. It was we had a right that is exactly but then it was more than just a job with the chicken sandwich became a mentor to you with a new mission for my life and he would come into the movie theater introduce himself with the AAA sandwich slid across the Concession stand and for the next four years of my life. Unfortunately, in the last four years of his life. He died at 38 years young. He taught me the most valuable Christian principles. All things are possible for me in this country no matter where you come from, no matter what you look like no matter your circumstances. If you are willing to persevere something good on the other side happened and he would teach me these typical principles of entrepreneurship and stewardship and taking responsibility for my own actions that it started to transfer my life over time. It had to germinate for Galatians 67 reminds us was Superman. So with that shall he also reject. But yesterday patient verse nine reminds us in due season, the harvest, John taught me through time to be patiently taught me to take responsibility, not by my dad because he was not around to my mother because she was working 16 hours a day but to take responsibility for my own life and when he started teaching this lesson.

It was the year after I failed out of high school. I think I might be the first United States Sen. ever fill civics. The study of politics. I will say that after five years in the Senate. I am not the only one that failed so that power of the mentor given your life and you and mentoring your life is your your parents were divorcing your young man see you are raised primarily by your mother but your parents are still together, but this another gentleman came in your life.

Mr. Littlejohn who influence you dramatically tell us about him trying my Paris and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and I have three sisters, so, so I had 1/8 grade Sunday school teacher and even my parents were wonderful sometimes when you're in the eighth grade you listen to what other people's parents say more than you do your own.

So I went into a Sunday school class. He offered me a silver dollar for every Bible that I learned Jesus well counted and most of the Bible verses that I still know today because Mr. Littlejohn consented me to learn them. He was a Democrat.

The most racially progressive white man that I've ever met.

He wanted me to work in a warehouse where every boss I had was a man of color and not enough said. My coworkers were young men my age but they grow up with her dad is a doctor and a worn member of the country club and they may or may not have the money to go to college. He wanted me to appreciate how very, very good.

My life was and how other young people by the circumstances. Simply of their birth may not have the same opportunities. He was eccentric. He was a reverent but what he gave me pastor was this belief that our God is a God of unconditional positive regard because no matter what I did and I did lots of crazy things he would always say I'm hurt worse, when I got kicked out of a youth camp in North Carolina idling anybody ever hurt worse. You cannot get kicked out, a Christian youth camp but I did and I knew that my father to kill and I mean that literally not figurative it was going to kill, but it was not my father, waiting on in the parking it was Dick Littlejohn, bilateral station wagon with the wood panels on the side to say I love you and I'm hurt worse in my view of God comes primarily from that old Democrat Mandan only voted for one Republican in his life got on stage that could. I love you.

Anything changes as well. Oh gentleman, thank you for coming to a great privilege to have you here and I was wondering Tim if you would pray for us. You know I was just thinking about one thing is true with talking to just the value of a mentor you know I my mom divorced seven times and I never had a dad growing up so I was a young 17-year-old kid making all the wrong decisions you maybe like you probably were sexually but you know I heard the gospel he came to Christ and I found godly older man to help me to mentor me and made all the difference in my life.

Doing so I just think for a lot of folks listing. It's like you know you don't just be a mentor to your children. Be a mentor to someone else because Mr. Littlejohn took time for trade and look how God is for the salmon training and and then your mentor, I forgot his name. I'm sorry Tim Johnny's yet he took time for you and I got is blessed you and so look for some young man some young woman. Maybe from a broken home, but they don't have any positive role models in their life and and mentor them either. I think everyone of us have either been beeping mentor. We should be mentoring and sometimes you can do both at once.

You know about it so important but Tim if you would mind just to close in prayer for all of Asbury Park country and for us in the church that we would rise of the challenge of our God is called us to do perfect autosave parts are praying. Paul, Timothy, Barnabas mentor mentee's powerful word to the Lord in prayer. Father is in Christ Jesus name we pray. Thank you for men and women who stand in the gap for other people.

We call those mentor's sometimes it just a friend or neighbor each and every one of us have been given something special, something unique from God that we should be sharing with this world, but I believe that your word reminds us in Luke 638 if we will give it will be given unto us in good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be put back in our process and if you give love. If we give appreciation for you give respect. If the body of Christ comes together and shared the love of God in such a way that it attracts people not to put to him this nation will be transformed.

In the instance that I pray that prayer that our nation would be the beneficiary of a church that stands your mind to for the cause of Christ and shares the lobby unconditional love and acceptance that so many people today are starving starving starving experience may review the hands and the feet and in the end they rerecorded in Matthew 2521 well. John, my good and faithful servant in Jesus day payment LSAT settlement Sen. Tim Scott regarding