Hour 1: Unconquered

about God? And are you not in a moment of awe and wonder or looking out over the vast expanse of an ocean and you start thinking, what is man, that thou art mindful of him? And it makes you

wonder about the magnificence of God? I think that sense of wonder was put there on purpose, and this wonderful book includes a composite of multiple authors who have written from their perspective as a scientist, or a historian, or a mathematician or an artist, on why they all have this sense of awe through the work that they do. In other words, the heavens declare the glory. And as it tells us in Romans, we are really without excuse

because his handiwork is everywhere. And this book invites you to walk through the chapters written by people who all have a sense of awe and wonder when it comes to God through their various disciplines in life. It's an amazing book and it's yours. For a gift of any amount, just call 877 Janet 58. That's 877 Janet 58. Ask for a copy of Have You Ever Wondered? And we'll send it right off to you as my way of

saying thank you, because we are listener supported radio. Or you can go online to in the market with Janet Parshall and you're also on the website, consider becoming a partial partner. Those are people who give every single month at a level of their own choosing. You always get the truth tool, but in addition to that, you get a weekly newsletter that includes my writing and an audio piece just for my partial partners. So 877 Janet 58

or the website in the market with Janet Parshall. Consider becoming a partial partner or asking for this month's truth tool. Have you ever wondered? And now please enjoy the broadcast.

We're going to talk about that this hour, because a whole lot of people out there today, and I do think that number is growing, are struggling with exactly those questions. And you're going to hear from a man today who knows about these struggles full well. And boy, has God brought him through so many refiner's fires. But now he turns around and he encourages other. Let me tell you about Adam Davis. We have the privilege of spending the next hour with him. He knows the unique challenges that

a law enforcement officer faces. He is a former patrol officer, a criminal investigator, a hostage negotiator. Sounds like something out of a Hollywood script, doesn't it? He's become a highly sought after speaker, as you can well imagine, and he speaks to law enforcement audiences all across the country. But he always talks about it his spirit, his experiences with

a very strong message of faith. This good man has written five books, including two bestsellers, Behind the Badge, 365 Daily Devotions for Law Enforcement, and Bulletproof Marriage, a 90 day devotional which he co-authored with a mutual friend of ours, Lieutenant Colonel Dave Grossman, who, by the way, is the gentleman who introduced me to the word killology. Rather bizarre, isn't it? Having to teach people how to shoot another

human being. And so here in my neck of the woods, the Washington, D.C., just down the road, a piece is a place called Quantico. and Dave has been there teaching on more than one occasion. I have a link to Adam's website so that you can learn more about him as well. And he's written a brand new book called unconquered ten Principles to Overcome Adversity and Live Above Defeat. Adam, thank you first of all for the gift of your time.

I say this because the older I get, the more how much I appreciate and recognize the preciousness of time. You can try to get more money, but you sure can't get more time and you're giving us an hour, so that means so much. Second of all, I want to thank you for the work that you've done, how many times you've stood in the gap because you were a seeker of the peace, you were a keeper of the peace, and you were willing to step into harm's

way if it was for the greater good. So on behalf of people listening all across the country, I say, thank you so much for both of those. And the book, which I'm thrilled we get to talk about this hour, the warmest of welcomes.

them in the middle of the night. They were always there whenever the case was. And I wanted to be like those men, and I wanted to be the next generation. And many of those men have passed on and they have gotten their eternal reward. Ward, and that's what drew me to that. And I was like, you know what? If I could be anything, I could be a sheepdog. I could be a public servant. I can go and, you know, the off the cuff answer is always something like,

we want to help people, right? And but I think at the end of the day, we want to be good people. And that was, uh, that was the initial motive. It was, hey, I want to do something good. Now, with that being said, the adrenaline rush was, uh, was a bonus. Uh, all the chases and all the fun that you get to have, uh, nobody kind of prepares you for sort of some of the things that you see and experience. But it was worth it. It was

worth every minute of it. And I believe God called me to become one so I could become a voice to them and for them.

anybody says that's an indictment of the whole profession. What does it do for you, a man who has stood in harm's way because you wanted to be one of the good guys. You wanted to do something good. When you're seeing a national, disparaging conversation about men and women who put on that uniform and are the peacekeepers.

there's dire consequences that come with that. And that's why it's so important for me on the mission that I'm on with, you know, the books like Behind the Badge or Bulletproof Marriage or any of the others is to

address the soul. And if we can address the heart and soul, then we have men and women who are not only well trained men and women, but they are also equipped with the power and love of Christ to go into some of the worst situations humanity has ever seen and and be a light in that darkness.

God changes things. Because number one, it's going to give you more courage and it's going to give you the right kind of courage, not the dangerous courage, but the right kind of courage. And it's going to allow you to see broken humanity through the eyes of a living God, a compassionate God, instead of someone who is hurting from within. Because you're going to need that healing at some point yourself. You're going to need that touch from a living God.

Because this is a broken world. This is a hurting world. It's a dying world that needs Jesus more than anything.

as this month's Truth tool? This book is for all who have looked up at a million stars in the night sky and just wondered, ask for your copy of. Have you ever wondered when you give a gift of any amount to in the market, call eight 7758. That's eight 7758 or go to in the market with Janet Parshall. We are spending the hour with Adam Davis, who's the author of the book unconquered Ten Principles to Overcome Adversity

and Live Above Defeat. He's the author of five books, two of them bestsellers, by the way, and he has a background in law enforcement as a former patrol officer, criminal investigator and hostage negotiator. Now he speaks to those people involved in those callings, and he does it all

from a faith perspective and how precious and necessary that is. So, Adam, one would think, particularly when you talked about being your dad's shop and the role models that were in your life, and you're willing to step in to a kind of greater calling. But I want to hear something about your childhood, because you come to me in some respects as a wounded warrior. Tell me about growing up.

years together. And, you know, learn, learn things the hard way. But, um, you know, I think the first time was around five years old and left in the care of an older male neighbour who was not a family member, who, you know, played games with me, fed me and, you know, made me comfortable and then introduced me to pornography and then sodomized me and raped me. I don't know how many times or however, you know, how long of a period of time that occurred, but, um, I could go into

graphic details, which I will spare the listeners from. And then again, as a teenager, uh, and this one was a little bit different because it was, uh, a leader in the church and a female who was someone that was a very close to certain people in my family. And I remember, um, you know, being told that, hey, I was part of God's plan for healing and a lot of manipulation, a lot of deception and, uh, a lot of pain. Because that ended when I was around

16 years old. I brought it out and confronted it and then got married two years later. So my perspective of relationships and trust and faith and and even with the body of Christ in the church was heavily damaged, to say the least. Um, and then, you know, my wife knew about these things before we got married. But the reality is, um, I didn't really know how it affected me and how it had sort of, uh, wounded

me inside in a number of ways. And so for me, I took that unaddressed childhood trauma into my career in law enforcement. And that is just not a smart thing to do. I began the process of forgiveness somewhere around 2004 before my first child was born. Um, and but it's not something that's going to happen overnight. I had so much hate that that was inside of me, towards the people that hurt me and so much resentment and bitterness, and that was turned into something turning me into something

I didn't really want to be anymore. And, um, and I thank God for his grace and for his mercy. And, you know, I was talking to a friend the other day about how can you really know if you've forgiven somebody? And it really begins when you could look at someone who's hurt you deeply and say, thank you, because I wouldn't be here today had you not done whatever you did to me, and I probably wouldn't be here today had that never occurred to me or, you know, in

my life. So, um, I'm grateful for the grace and mercy that he showed me and and for the strength that he's given me to persevere.

to some role in ministry. Um, you know, I was praying, I was seeking, but I was deeply and heavily manipulated and confused and and deceived. And deception comes in many forms. You know, the enemy. The Bible tells us the enemy comes to kill, steal and destroy. He doesn't just show up to to do it all in one whack. He he chips away a little bit at a time, usually.

And that's what he was doing in my life. And I can't tell you how many times I've thought I would probably be better off if I were not here. I would be better off if I were never born. I'd be better off if I was dead. And it was. It was a heavy burden to bear on my own. And, um, you know, I didn't feel different the first time I said, hey, I forgive them. And, um, and it took me a long time to get to the point where there was peace inside. Uh, apart from the pain that I'd been

experiencing in my lifetime. So.

goodness and love. But if you are God and you're a God of love and you're God of, you know, you're good, then where were you when this happened to me as a little boy? Where were you when this happened to me? Why didn't you stop it? And the. The answer I got was. I'm with you always. I'm with you through everything. And and he was with me

through everything. And he preserved me through it all. I remember the first time I talked through it to a to a trauma therapist about it, and a Christian trauma therapist. And we finished our first couple of sessions and she said, it's a testament to God of how he preserved you through it all. Um, you know, I and I'm grateful for for his faithfulness through all things good and bad.

nothing better to do. It's because you've been through the valley and you have seen adversity and you came out the other side. You are unconquered back after this. We're visiting with Adam Davis, a man who knows adversity firsthand and yet has come out the other side unconquered. He writes about it in the book that bears that same title, unconquered Ten Principles to Overcome Adversity and Live Above Defeat. And I am going to go to those ten principles

in a bit. But Adam, just by way of background again, you alluded to the fact that there were times when you thought, you know, it's just like that scene out of Pilgrim's Progress, when the giant despair holds Christian captive and doubting Castle and says, here's a knife, a noose, and a bottle of poison, why not make an end of yourself since life is attended by so much difficulty. It's the late 1600s, so the adversary loves to tempt us to end our life when we feel overwhelmed and overcome.

You thought that you didn't. Why?

had so much pain inside. And what is it worth anymore? What's it worth anymore? And I pulled my weapon out of my my holster, and I called out to God. I paused, and I believe it was a miracle in the pause that that redemption and living God rescued me. And and I'll tell you, I grew up in church

where there was some heavy preaching. And, you know, I remember signing a membership card that said, to be a member of the church, I wouldn't dance, I wouldn't listen to rock and roll, I wouldn't go to movies and, and, um, and it wasn't that kind of thing. It wasn't that that met me in a patrol car. I called out to God and I said, hey, I don't know where you're at if you can hear me, but, you know, if you can do something with my life, you can have it. Otherwise I'm done. I'm out. I don't want

to do this anymore. And and listen, I've hugged my wife and my children and friends and family, people all across this country. I know the the warmth of a genuine embrace. But what embraced me in the patrol car that day was something unlike anything I'd ever experienced in my life. I don't know how else to put it into words Except it was the love of the living God that wrapped his arms around me and showed me a new destiny and showed me a new purpose, showed

me a new life. And I remember going to see my wife that afternoon. God restored our marriage. He began a work in me. He's obviously not finished. Thank God for that. Uh, I'm a work in progress, and I will be until I go home to my eternal reward. But it was a love of a living God that rescued me. He redeemed me through all the pain. He. And he's using it to this day for good purpose, for for his glory. And it didn't defeat me. It didn't take me out. And I'm not wallowing in my pain.

I'm here to share with you that there is a power that is bigger than the pain you've ever experienced. And if you'll surrender your heart to him, he'll change everything.

believe everybody has had it. It's either with a capital T or a small T clearly in your life it was a capital T and it would have been so much easier. What a lot of people do to survive now that's not the same as thriving, but to survive. They put it in a box, they deadbolt it, they shove it in the back of their heart, and they just leave it there and they think, if I just ignore it, I'm not going to have to deal with it. And the idea of having to deal with it means

I can't go through it again. I don't want to have to live it or face it again. I'm simply going to walk away. You say ignoring the pain is the worst thing you can do. Talk to me about that.

most people will know what I'm talking about. But there were some exposed wire and so I was told, hey, don't go around that or you're going to hurt yourself. And so the first place I went as a boy was near the guy wire. So and then ultimately cut my arm. And I knew that if I told if I told them, hey, I cut my arm on this wire, that I was going to be in big trouble and

I was going to be, you know, probably punished. And so I covered it up with paper towel and some tape and tried to hide it, and eventually it got

infected and it really needed stitches. And, and I think that's what we do a lot of times with that pain that we experience down deep in our soul is we want to we, we, we have this thought process that if we take it to the father, that he's going to punish us or be mad at us for what we've got or what we've done or what we've experienced or encountered, when in reality, he's a compassionate God.

His loving kindness is what calls us to repentance. And when we take that hurting pain to him, instead of allowing it to become deeply infected, requiring further treatment and take it to him. He can heal in an instant. What would take us a thousand lifetimes to do? And so when we ignore pain, it just multiplies and we give more power to it and say it's something that happened one time. And when you ignore it and pretend it's not there, it just gets more powerful and more stronger.

And it grips, you know, it sinks its grip deeper and deeper into our lives when if we just take it to the father and we surrender it to him, he can do a miraculous work in our life through that acknowledgement that, hey, there's something that's not right here. This doesn't align with who you are. Will you please help me?

Two of them are bestsellers. I wouldn't be surprised if unconquered gets on that list as well. It provides ten principles to overcome adversity and live above defeat. Again, remember, on our information page, I have a direct link to Adam's website so that you can learn more about him in the great resources that he's got back after this. Anyone can read the news every day on in the market. We're committed to telling the news as seen through the

lens of Scripture. As Christians, we must be informed about what's going on in the world and respond appropriately. When you become a partial partner, you ensure that we continue here on your station, equipping the church to discuss current events, using the Bible as our solid foundation. Why not become a partial partner today? Call 877 Janet 58 or go online to in the market with Janet Parshall. We're having a wonderful conversation with Adam Davis. Adam knows the challenges

that law enforcement officers face. He's a former patrol officer, a criminal investigator, a hostage negotiator. He's also the author of best selling books he's written. Five. His newest is called unconquered ten Principles to Overcome Adversity and Live Above Defeat. Now, if you're just joining us, of course, the warmest of welcomes. I'm glad you're here. But really, to completely understand Adam's story, you need to hear this broadcast from the beginning. So

simply go to in the market with Janet parshall.org. Go to the left hand side. You'll see a whole bunch of words. Look for these twos. They sit right next to each other. Past programs. Clicking on takes you to the page that has all of our past programs. We do this two hours every day, and we keep a

library that goes back one full year. So just put in today's date, you'll be able to hear my conversation with Adam from the beginning, and particularly if you happen to be somebody serving in law enforcement where trauma is something that you face on a regular basis, or the wife or the spouse of someone who's in law enforcement. You need to know this book as well, because there is so much trauma that you deal with out there, and we do appreciate all that you do for us.

So I want to go back to the word surrender, because this is one of those words. And I don't know if we've let Hollywood define this for us or what, Adam, but and maybe it's because if you put it on a playing field, if you surrender to the other team, you're a loser. If you surrender in the battlefield, you're a loser. And yet, I think this issue became really clear to me when I considered what Christ did in the garden, when he said, nevertheless, not my will, but thine.

And he surrendered to his heavenly father. And in that moment of surrender I was given the gift of eternal life. So out of surrendering can come great victory. But we don't tend to think or apply that word that way. Talk to me about surrender and why, in this area of trauma, it's so crucial.

And we went down and there were red flags, which means the rip current was strong or stay out of the water. And so I got in the water anyway. And there was a lady probably, I don't know, she was probably 20, 20 or 30 yards from me, I guess. I don't, I don't know. I was close enough to see that she was in some type of obvious distress, because she would go underwater, and then she would come back up and she was gasping for air. And then a gentleman, which I later found found out was her

husband came to help her. And it wasn't long then he was going underwater as well, and it was a rip current pulling him under. Well, I had a float, a round tube and so I made my way over to them and, you know, thought, hey, I'm pretty strong, I can handle this. So I gave them my tube and I was being drug out immediately after. I remember watching them walk up onto the beach, and I could see my family standing on the beach looking for me,

and they got smaller and smaller. The further I got out and I couldn't, I was thrashing and fighting and and I began to panic. And because there was nothing, I mean, no matter how hard I fought, I couldn't get out of the current and it was pulling me out further. Now it won't take you out to see what I later learned, but it can, it will. It can kill you. Um, and so but something just clicked in my head and it just said, relax. Just relax. And so I relaxed and I just let my body

float with the current. And it and it pulled me, you know, quite a ways down from where my family was. But there were people standing there with their phones recording and, um, and I remember seeing my family there, and I was, I was somewhere between exhausted and and extremely, um, angry that people were recording me instead of bringing me afloat, uh, to help me. But, uh, but it was it was in that moment, I learned that there are times when our instinct is to fight, and it's our instinct to

to thrash in the battles of life. But we are called by a king of kings to surrender to him and let him do the battle for us. And and maybe you're being pulled out by the rip currents of the pain of your life in that in that moment when you're most tempted to fight and to thrash is surrender. That is key. It's the surrender, the letting go and relax and let him do what only he can do in that moment and let him pull you to safety.

And that's what surrender looks like. It's often when you're being pulled by the tides of life into a place where it feels overwhelming, like you're losing, like you're being defeated. When we surrender to him, we win every time.

something that you have to do every day. It has to become ingrained in your thought process. You're not surrendering to the enemy. You're surrendering to the one who created you and gave you life. And when you surrender to him, things change.

understand this concept of forgiveness. But we don't. And we have a difficult time drawing the distinction between forgiving and forgetting. And yet you say that really and truly forgiving the offender sets you free. Those are your words. How in the world did you do that? And how can we learn how to do it?

what they've done to me, and I'm going to. I'll be one of the first to tell you, I said, for years I'll never forgive so and so, or for whoever, for what they did to me. I'll never forgive. And that just puts us in a prison for the rest of our life. Internally, you know, we walk around and pretend we're free. We put on a mask, we put on a great show, but inside we're prisoners to our past. And it's all because of unforgiveness.

not asked to forgive. It is a requirement as a believer, as a follower of Jesus. He's forgiven us of much. Who are we to withhold forgiveness from anyone? After all, he's forgiven us from and. And forgiveness is an act of obedience that we take in faith. We take a step of faith and we say, I forgive. And we do that out of obedience to the father because of all that he's done for us and the love that he has shown us. You see, his love demands a response.

It's either going to be we deny his love or reject it, ignore it, or we're going to accept it and let our lives be a proper response to the love that he's shown us. And forgiveness is just one thing we can do out of obedience as a response to his love. Uh, and we do it in faith because we know, hey, we're not going to feel anything or see anything different the first time. And it may not. It may not be after the 20th time, but if you keep doing it at one point or another, he's

going to soften your heart. He's going to change that. He's going to take that pain out of your heart, and he's going to give you a power to overcome like you've never experienced.

But when you drop this in the context of I do it because I love him and because he's asked me to. That just kind of puts those feelings in the back seat where they need to go, and it really moves it into a position of obedience. That's a whole different approach to this.

because of them. And now I can look back at them today and say, thank you, thank you. Wow. Because if it weren't for you, I wouldn't reach, you know, 130,000 people with the with the gospel or however many people I've reached to this point in my life and I don't know, I don't have a way to count it, but, um, you know, it's not because of me. It's because of him. And that goes back to what are we going to try to do in our own strength and our own

power and our own mind? Are we going to do it according to His spirit, according to his power and his word and what he's equipped us with? And we have to quit relying on us? And I tell you what, there is a great freedom in that. There's tremendous freedom in that. And maybe you're listening today and you're thinking, I'm never going to forgive whoever for whatever they did. And I think one of the greatest things this country needs today is a good dose of forgiveness.

Bulletproof Marriage back after this. The questions that matter most often come while watching a sunset, or listening to music, or looking into the night sky. That's why I've chosen. Have you ever wondered, as this month's truth tool, God draws us to himself through a sense of awe and wonder, and this book will help you discover how. As for your copy of Have You ever wondered when you give a gift of any amount in the market, call 877 Janet 58. That's 877 Janet 58 or go to in

the market with Janet Parshall. Unconquered ten Principles to Overcome Adversity and Live Above Defeat. It's the new book by Adam Davis, who's a best selling author, but a man who was a former patrol officer, criminal investigator and hostage negotiator. And now he brings a faith based message to men and women in uniform, people who deal with trauma on a regular life, by the way, on a regular basis as part of their life. Adam, there's so many things I want to ask you in this last segment. Let

me ask this one. I was thinking during the break, we know that the scriptures tell us that now. Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. But when you've been horribly traumatized, the accuser loves to park right beside you., you whisper in your ear, you know, if if you hadn't, if you had done. And he comes back and he comes back and he comes back. It seems to me then that when you have real trauma in your life, it is a moment by moment

rest in him surrendering constantly. Not a once and done, but a moment by moment, breathing in, breathing out, faith. Rest life in him. Am I right or wrong on that?

and the enemy is the prosecutor. And he's over there saying, look at what Janet's done. Look what Adam's done. Look what they've done. With. With their life. And our criminal defense attorney. Jesus is standing there saying, but they've accepted my sacrifice. They've been redeemed by my blood. I've covered everything that they've been through, everything they've experienced, everything they've

done or thought had been covered by me. And so we can either give heed to the voice of the enemy, the adversary, the accuser of the brethren, and we could allow him to plant thoughts of condemnation and regret and fear and shame and guilt and all this stuff in our mind. Or we can listen to the voice of the one who gave us eternal life through His Son, Jesus.

And when we give heed to that voice, and we surrender our thoughts and our minds and our bodies and our ways and desires and everything to him, it changes everything. It changes everything. It can change the entire course of your life because it affects everything around you, your relationships, your I mean, it affects everything. So I'm so grateful for Jesus. And I know that's an understatement and it's just a given. But if it wasn't for him, I

would not be here today. I'm telling you, I would not be here without him.

first responder community, that's that's sort of my focus. But it's a typically 12 week, faith based, peer led course that helps, you know, veterans, active duty military families, first responders, and now general. Anybody that's experienced trauma navigate that pain through the lens of what the healer says. And so reboot is a beautiful thing and had the privilege of being on tour with them nationally last year in several locations,

and I'm so grateful for them. They truly are some some of my closest friends and always grateful for their support and camaraderie in this, in this fight. Because this is a fight and we've said yes to a mission that is that seems to be impossible at times, but it is well worth the battle, and it's well worth the surrender to the one who gave us life.

his name is Jesus. So when we take a faith based approach, it radically changes everything. How is God opening the door for you to bring Jesus into the marketplace, knowing that Jesus is the ultimate cure here for brokenness?

with you how to do that. But this is reboots, the largest peer led response to trauma and suicide that's ever been built. And I'm so honored to be a part of it. And in writing unconquered is just the next step. And I believe it's probably, you know, a big chapter in my life and closing the door on a phase of healing because I'm sharing the testimony, you know. His word tells us we overcome the enemy by the blood of the lamb. And the word of our testimony

will unconquered is my testimony of victory. And so I want to hear your testimony of victory and what it means to you to live unconquered. And I want you to fight back. This is your time to fight back. If you've been allowing trauma and the pain of your past, whatever you're dealing with, adversity wise to defeat you and pin you down. The enemy's got his foot on your neck. Call on the name of Jesus. When I paused that day in a patrol car and called on him, he

changed everything. And he's no respecter of persons. He'll do it for you, too.

back together. If we would only let him and we become overcomers because of what he has done in, for and through us. The book is called unconquered. Checkout Adams Facebook page and also a link to his website as well. It's all there on my information page. My heartfelt thanks to Adam. And here's I don't know, I have no way of measuring this, but here's what I believe in my heart of hearts. I believe that somebody today, maybe many people today, are dealing with this issue of being

overwhelmed and defeated and Adam's word, apples of gold. So enjoy. Thanks, friends. We'll see you next time.