WWOL LIVE!

The Salvation Army to water for all of our listeners and I want to see us to the Salvation Army's territorial headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, where we are recording this episode for what we think is the first time live. Give yourselves a hand. Everybody that's a good energy and we will use that for this episode, I'm excited to share a new host with you.

This is my friend going back so many years and our territorial youth secretary.

This is a major Cheryl Gillam welcome everybody. Cheryl and her husband oversee the youth work in the Salvation Army's southeastern United States, which serves 15 of the southeastern states and the District of Columbia.

It's a pretty big responsibility. But Cheryl officially welcome were glad that you're here are where excited because this series captains Rob and Heather Dolby are talking about the least of these, and you're going to get to hear from them. A little later they ask a question about how we as the church are caring for the marginalized people and our society how you feel about that is I think it's a great opportunity as we listen together and as we join Nancy to hear about what they have to say now concentrating specifically over the next few weeks on the cost of ministry.

Counting the cost of ministry and what that looks like and then unpacking a little bit and Dietrich Bonhoeffer says that salvation is free.

But discipleship will cost you everything that's a deep statement.

Think about the disciples of those 12 men that we know now were following around the Savior of all mankind. It's kind of daunting to think what part would we play in discipleship or what character we would traits would we take on you and your husband have surrendered to the idea of officer ship in the Salvation Army and that's a calling that you accepted. I wonder if you can talk to us about some of the ministry that you've seen the opportunities you've had to practice discipleship and specifically in relationship to the cost looks different and has many different facets right. I mean count the cost as you give up your time, your energy into two different situations and to most importantly people and their great successes in writing great rewards on earth and we know our rewards not on earth because there also are very difficult situations that you walk walking, you begin to count the cost of your ministry and not and I just bring us back to memory 11 appointment that we had a gentleman who came through our our rehabilitation program and now he went through the whole program and it was a great success in his life he he accepted the Lord Jesus as his personal savior and he was he was walking in the victory of that and he was great when he was surrounded with community as a shining star. He'd walk into any room you could just see you now the transformation that had taken place and we then employed him I and in our rehabilitation program. At one point and there just a point where we started seeing just things slipping. He started kind not coming into community and not not attending different meetings and and you got the sense that he was probably using again and it was a very difficult situation just because you know in that particular circumstance or community was so tight we had poured so much into him right and so were trying to bring them back. Speaking words of life into him and just try to get them on the right path and unfortunately in his circumstance. It it really didn't. It didn't take and one day as my husband and I were getting ready to land a town we we heard that he had overdosed and died, and I can just remember in that moment that the emotion that flooded me as I was in the airport just just thinking about the fact that I loved him like he wasn't he wasn't a stat he was just a number on a piece of paper and he had a name I knew his name, and I was involved in his life and so just you know that was counting the cost. At that point because I could have honestly just kind of said, well, I'm kind of done with this like I can't invest myself into people and have this heartbreak. That's not what Christ calls us to. I love the fact that you had an opportunity to invest to maybe even show someone how to fish and assents to introduce them to Jesus. You give them opportunities but surely there's also some some examples of success as well, absolutely. And another example is is someone in one of our appointments that came through a different kind of program and you know he started bring his family and his children and you know now is running one of those programs in his family is totally involved in the core and you know going strong on fire for Jesus and so absolutely you see the good and the and then sure we are fortunate today to have someone with us. Who's going to speak to us about how his life was transformed because of the people God put in his path were willing to bear the cost to the and that music joining us this morning and everybody that's a song that comes to us from a guy named Randy Bonfield to be featured on the new transmission album so keep your ears to the ground because I'm sure that you will have an opportunity to buy that real soon.

What else type or a guest.

I want you to welcome all the way from Anderson, South Carolina shod pool.

Anderson world that's about two hours north of Atlanta. You're wearing a funny thing today. This is a uniform sure applets are blue, your that means you're a soldier or a member of the Salvation Army church and we want to get to know you think Cheryl might have some questions so I just met Sean yesterday and man I love your spirit World War I.

It is here about a little bit more about yourself and your employee Salvation Army right now so can you tell us about your position and what you do, so I'm a beautiful Anderson, South Carolina, been there the last two and half years where I've had the amazing opportunity to focus in ministry for street homelessness for young adult ministries and at risk youth ministry like your Boys and Girls Club. So the BFI program here in the South is what we call her blood and fire initiative we have to. We are the kings of acronyms we know how to do hundreds and the Salvation Army. Amen. But were shot.

You came through. Here's another acronym for you are ARC program for our adult rehabilitation center program also bit more about that.

So I film ARC through God honestly just the power of surrender in 2015 I was at my lowest I was homeless, addicted, in the streets of Birmingham, Alabama family fill myself waking up in a hospital bed and I can remember nurses and doctors. They were standing all around me and one of the doctors looked at me with such sincerity and like pain in his eyes and he said, son, you're lucky to be alive right now and so over the next few days as I begin a detox and are set in late in the hospital room had a lot of time to just evaluate my wife right evaluate the choices and things that I had made and I told God is a God I'm done, I'm done doing it on my own. Have your way.

Lord I fully surrender because obviously what I'm doing is not working and so that led me on my last day in detox I can remember getting up and I went over to the water fountain. I didn't know where I was going to go, scared because I knew once I detoxed out of the street again and I got up went to the water fountain and I looked on the wall and it said the Salvation Army adult rehabilitation center and I called them and they were like sure come on in. So I packed my bags didn't know what was in store for me right so I came in the front door and immediately I felt at home, I felt welcomed I felt accepted even for the things you know that I was ashamed of my past. I was accepted. We know God uses people to minister his grace to other so can you just expand on some of the people God has placed in your life to minister to you during this time of recovery and moving into ministry. There has been such amazing people that just came around me as I joined in this community but I want to pinpoint Lieut. Chris Pritchett today at the time he was cadet crispy trick and every week in the ARC. The cadets would come over and they would do a a group meeting at our facility. And there was something in Chris that I just saw it radiated through him and it would draw people to him. So finally one day I got the courage enough to go to him as a Chris I want what you have men.

I said I need a recovery sponsor and he was willing to do that. He looked at me and I can remember the words that came out of his mouth. He was like shod. This is going to be hard but this is a life or death battle and he really coach to coach me through this and I mean he's a beautiful guy with a beautiful spirit and he invest so much into me so you just like Chris spoken to your life because of his journey that God has something very special tape for you speaking to others.

Last Christmas is a pretty cool kid. He's a great hugger as well, but I happen to know that the administrators while you are there pretty cool people to you.

Member who they were just Maj. Stephen Donna Justice amazing amazing people and like when a worker walked into the ARC doors Maj. Stephen Donna. They welcomed me with open arms. I didn't walk through the doors as a beneficiary.

I walked into a family and I remember like anytime I ever doubted myself or I was struggling, or ride questions in my recovery or my spiritual walk.

I can always go sit down with Maj. Stephen's office and he would always lay it out.

He would always pray pray with me and encourage me and Maj. Donna yes her hug are amazing and she would look at me with a smile on her face and every time I would hug her.

She would pull me tight and then she would look at me and say you're a trophy you're a trophy of God's grace and that has stuck with me to this day. Now from that program you decide to become a soldier or a member of the Salvation Army tousled about that.

So yeah so I so a weird journey right. I had the privilege of attending Bible conference at Lake Junaluska in 2015.

The week was entitled holiness and you know what living in the world that I was in.

I really didn't know what holiness minutes right in living a life to holiness to God so that we because we focused in on that theme.

God really started to peel back some layers in me was calling me to something deeper right and so that last day at Bible conference. The Lord was tugging at my heart.

And finally I said okay Lord I give in and so went down to the altar and I can remember falling on my knees and just weeping and saying God. I know you have something for me.

I know you have called Mata called me to do something for you in the ministry right and that day God spoke directly to me and said were shod.

This is what I have for you.

This is what I want you to be. I wasn't even a soldier at the time but I was called to be a Salvation Army officer and along the way. Along the way.

God doubted myself, but God kept reassuring me that his promises come true right just remain faithful and continue to surrender to me, that is an incredible story and were shod we need to pray for you guys want to pray for you were going to pray for you. Amen audience out there. God has got so much in store. If you like.

He's going to continue to equip you for the ministry that is still ahead I were going to go on to the next part of this segment, but I want you know that you are trophy of God's grace and the experiences that you've been given are going to be used to encourage others to persevere.

The race is not done.

Amen. Well it's overwhelming just to sit here someone story's that we get to serve every day God is calling us to walk with people sometimes in really hard places we get to see the beauty in the midst of that salvation is free, and discipleship will cost you everything. As we look at Mark chapter 5 Jesus finds himself crossing the lake into a new region right away. He has an encounter with this demon possessed man and not just any room for the mill demon possessed man someone who literally the town where he was living. I got really have to try just like chain amount would eventually break the chains he couldn't even stay in town rejected by his family could even be around people so the Scripture says that he just hung out in the cemetery in a graveyard sitting around cutting himself just absolutely given over to this torment and he encounters Jesus as Jesus comes across the lake and the first thing he says that Jesus is Jesus, son of man, what are you to do with me what you can do with Jesus. When I first read that story all my focus was on the cow and all the stuff on his life and even ministry. Like when we are serving everything. Our focus can often be on the stuff going on her life and all that and all the loudness and all that stuff. It is unhealthy and dysfunctional, and on that can be overwhelming, but where Jesus starts is something so beautiful as the gospel is when he encounters that man. He says what's your name which you write and actually it's as slick as we look at that Scriptures and maybe Jesus is like angry, exerting his authority over the issues in this guys like the torment in his life.

I actually Scripture says Jesus dealt with the torment in that moment and then asks him his name and I think what that shell is asked is that Jesus is the all-knowing, all-powerful God.

Everything that was already going on when the guy got right. Everything about that guys like you start talking about all the things that had gone wrong. All the terrible choices you have made all the havoc he had reconnected media content and question to the edges and the fringes that he starts with who that man is ready.

Doesn't you see a man sitting there cutting himself lost depressed right defeated in the graveyard. He sees the capacity that person my favor from her love my and Marty literally is the person in the town where we served it literally out on the street running around in great torment struggling with everybody else. Harris is like that wild and dysfunctional nature only.

Everyone surrounds because you never like to herself and other times by the police are actually coming to the Salvation Army thinking you help us with with this lady. We don't know what to do right that one of things that I think we can take this story that reminds me just of what Jesus is dealing with.

In Scripture, is this idea of what it means to be a disciple is were following Jesus not discuss were curious and would like to do next but because as a disciple.

We want to be like Jesus right and so in this situation, when Jesus shows that on man and other stuff goes down to write this part of pay page like that is right off the cliff and fall to the water.

It is a big deal because I was likely their 401(k) will come out to see what is happening in its chaos and it's this guy down is you down. By the occasion cemetery overnight in chains.

I'm sure the people that they knowingly and in dealing with him and they were at the end of what they are willing to pay and even take that one step further and there goes the pictures like major sure we invest in people.

There's there's a cost to be. There is a cost, but I think about this as we follow Jesus here and now you know the 10 patient for those people like to look at this man who all of a sudden was in his right mind clothes sitting around the campfire having a low cup of coffee and mess with the disciples and everything he had ever done anything. Jesus is suing them who he really is in the kingdom of God and what did they say the cost is too high. Jesus goes like we can we can't deal with this and I think for here and now we see people with our eyes are humanizing what the world as we know why always adding once a day is always at that and there's no hope for them. But that's the part of the world and Scripture says do not be conformed to the part of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. And so what we say and not Dietrich Bonhoeffer quote salvation is free. But discipleship will cost you everything discipleship for that following Jesus that we care for the least of these will we be transformed in our thinking to see people as Jesus sees them right doesn't have to look like supernatural encounter.

Every time I think you can start juicing. I'm Rob I'm Heather right at me care for the least of these, we see them as Jesus it's a gift to give somebody like a holy deal over and before that my knees there inside the safe place to start a hold you close and say I see you your trophy welcome home beautiful Robin Heather. We are grateful for your passion for the call that you've accepted your own lives and the unique ability you have to just come alongside people where they are literally primitive salvationist. I pray that I will continue to use you to continue to bless others and that is the end of our first live episode that we can remember.

Thank you so much for joining us to our listeners. Pray that you to have heard something that might've been a blessing to you that that's the case if you've heard something or maybe God just touch your heart in a way that you'd like some of the pray for you.

Reach out to us contact us at radio@uss.salvationarmy.org and we will do our level best to stay in touch with you and continue to encourage God bless you have a wonderful rest of your day, Salvation Army, USA.we would love to hear from you. Email us USS 229996529972. Contact us while supplies last. You can also subscribe to our showing iTunes store to search follow some sort