Ep.85 From Sexual Exploitation to God's Grace

Today's episode is a powerful reminder of what God's redemption . No matter where we are , no matter where we have fallen , god can redeem us . So let us start off with this quote from St Augustine . It's a very powerful quote . It says this there is no saint without a past and no sinner without a future .

There's no saint without a past , no sinner without a future . Hey , this is a beautiful reminder of what God says in 2 Corinthians 5 , 17 . Therefore , if anyone is in Christ , he is a new creation . The old is gone and the new has come .

So these words are critical to this whole concept and idea , and today we're going to share a story with you from a man named Jeff , a man whose journey from death to brokenness shows us how far God can reach to grab us . So buckle up , here we go . What time is it , y'all here ? On december 10th man , we have a lot going on in the news .

Reverend bishop t jakes went under major icu surgery after having what some would call a serious medical situation . During a sermon that he preached at his church , jakes , according to the news , faced a life threatening calamity and was rushed to the ICU for immediate surgery .

Later on he came and gave a message to his congregation from social media Instagram he posted a video saying that he was grateful for God's goodness and mercy . And to his local church he spoke this , but to also his global ministry . As we all know , td Jakes is a global pastor , minister to many , and so he's in good spirits .

He continues to say that he's feeling no pain . He's at peace and tranquility . He said his job is to recuperate , according to a statement he put on x , and to reflect on god's protections . I owe it to my congregation and family . He said to rest and ruminate as he gets restored to god's grace and service . So please keep Bishop TD Jakes in your prayers .

Man , we have a lot going on overseas as well . One of the Middle East's most brutal and long-lasting dictatorships , the Assad regime , has fallen . Syria's streets were filled with jubilation as people celebrated the overthrow of president bashar asad . As he has fallen .

President joe biden said this regime brutalized and tortured and killed literally hundreds of thousands of innocent syrians . So some say this revolution it happened to regain our legal and constitutional and human rights Situation over in Syria . Please pray for them . The scripture says we should pray for all people at all times and seek peace in the world .

All right , one more story I want to share with you as we approach Christmas . Actually , during Christmas time , church attendance varies . So you know , protestantsants attend church . 57 percent of protestants , 56 percent of catholics and those of other religions about 53 percent are more likely to attend church than the 21 percent of unaffiliated individuals .

So 71 percent basically attend church during christmas times . At christmas , uh , those who already attend church during Christmas time so Christmas , those who already attend church on occasion , surprisingly are more likely to show up for services around that time .

So about once a week , that's 76 percent of those who attend church once or twice a month are more inclined to attend church during Christmas time . Why do I bring this up ? Because it's a wonderful time to invite your friends and neighbors to church to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ . As we know , we have a mission .

We don't just get up this morning to go to a job , but we actually have a mission from God . So I've been thinking about this scripture verse and the quote that I started off with from St Augustine that says but there is no saint without a past and there is no sinner without a future . There's no sin without a past . There's no sinner without a future .

I was doing research about this guy named Jeff . This guy had dreams , had ambitions and had potential . He wanted to do great things , but he was filled with insecurities and unresolved pains that led him to a destructive path . Now let me tell you guys about Jeff . This is a story that I read and did research on , because it is important .

When we think about God's grace , we think about our text today . That's coming from Romans , chapter 5 , verse 20 . He says and the law came in that transgressions might increase . In other words , our awareness of what's right and wrongly increased . But where sin abounds , grace abounds all the more . Where sin abounds , grace abounds all the more .

Now , jeff was the most prolific online pornographer in the country . He ran over a million images and over thousands of hours of videos feeding into the sex industry that thrives on exploitation and addiction . So , hey , let me just say this If you have kids around , you probably want to save this episode for later .

Right , we're going to say a few things that may be a little touchy , nothing too explicit , but I do not advise for kids . But Jeff was in the pornography industry and he was taking in millions of dollars in this industry . You all know today that the pornographic industry is .

I don't have the stats on it and I've actually thought about bringing a guy in on to my podcast who specializes in helping people get away from pornography . But this guy , jeff , on the surface he was making millions of dollars and he was doing a lot of things in that industry . He was a headliner in that industry .

I'm not going to give his last name because and it is a true story I'm not going to give his last name for his own identity sake , but he no longer participates in that . But he seemed like he was doing well , but his soul was unraveling , see . So money doesn't solve everything .

No matter where you are today , you're rushing to get to that job and you're rushing to do everything you can so you can pay your bills and get ready for the Christmas season . Hey , I respect that , but money doesn't solve everything . Okay , that's something you need to keep in mind and I know you know that right .

But Jeff described his life think about this , after all the money he was making . He described his life as a prison with golden bars . He was trapped in it and he couldn't get away from it . He wasn't just running the business . He was trapped by it and he couldn't get away from it . He wasn't just running the business . He was trapped by his own addictions .

That was full of drugs , alcohol and desperate attempts to fill the void in his heart that was consuming his life . Here's the thing Sin never delivers on this promise . It promises freedom , but slaving is always around the corner . It promised satisfaction , but it never leaves us fulfilled . It leaves us empty , and this was what Jeff was dealing with .

This brother eventually hit rock bottom . Right , he was . He was filled with drugs , alcohol and all kinds of things , as you can imagine , and then he led to a drug bust and his empire came apart . Okay , he lost everything , as the weight of sin does , right , it causes us to lose the things that are most important to us , like our morality .

He was in the weight of this emptiness . Overnight , he was caught up in a situation and he tried to take his life . He attempted suicide . We call it in my industry an attempt on suicide but God had grace on him . Yes , I say God had grace on him because he woke up the next morning . How many people who tried .

I remember standing beside a bedside of a young , 23 year old man young boy , I would say and he tried to take his life . And the thing he said to me he says you know what , pastor , he said I didn't want to wake up and see your face . That's what he told to me . I did not want to wake up and see your face , your face .

Ok , so the first miracle in this situation was what ? That God wasn't done with him . God could have let him lose his life , but he didn't Right . And so here's what this guy did next he drove to a Christian camp when he realized that something wasn't right because he should have died . He walked into the camp , surrendered his heart to the Lord .

He heard the music from a Christian camp that he was familiar with and went there , gave his heart to God right and told God that he would do anything , because he realized the power of God's grace in that moment . So he found God's embrace . He found the church community Right . Just like many people walk down the aisle .

You see it on Sunday after Sunday People you've never met before and give their life to Christ for the first time . You never know where these people coming from . That's why you shouldn't judge people . But this brother went through his criminal proceedings . He was then surrounded by a family of God , the children of God . He got through counseling .

He kept going through counseling for years . He confessed his sin , he sought forgiveness and he allowed God to do the impossible in his life . God took the mess of his life and created something beautiful . We like to say God will take your mess and make it a message . This brother discovered his unique skill set could be used in another way .

Instead of spreading darkness , now he could spread light . So he began creating content to share his story of redemption and testimony . It became a lifeline for others in that industry . So his story isn't just about transformation , ok , it's about what it reveals , about God , see . So no matter who you are , no matter what you came from , god can touch you .

So think about that child , or think about that spouse , or think about that family member who's wayward I was a wayward child . I shared my testimonies . Go check that out on my YouTube page . It's called Lloyd Talks . What's it called ?

Lloyd Talks Media New YouTube page is all based around helping people who don't know Christ come to the message of Jesus Christ . Right , I want people to come through the doors . I don't care who you are , just come through the door . So . So God turned his mess into a message , and I don't care where you are . Maybe you have a messy past .

Maybe you feel things are too heavy or too messy or too complicated Right , but God's grace is bigger than your sin . His love can reach you , right . There is therefore Romans 8 once is there is no condemnation for those who in Christ Jesus . Right , this is what Jeff experienced . He experienced the power of God grace .

It's a promise that is available to everyone . Ok , so here's what we can learn from this story . It's a reminder that God's love isn't just for the perfect , it's for the broken . Jesus says I came for those who had need of a physician . When we surrender our brokenness to him , he can do incredible things with us .

When we surrender our brokenness , god can do incredible things with us . Jeff's story helps us to move forward . It shares the power of God's grace , what God can do to help

other people . Now here's what I need you to do . If this episode right here , it's meant to be quick and to the point and it's a gospel episode , I want you to share this with someone who you think may need a reminder of God's grace , so that they don't forget that God has a purpose for them .

The people you're looking at and the people you're crying about , and the people that you're calling out to God about , this could be the message that God wants them to hear , and God wants you to deliver to them . Okay , so that's what I want you to do . This is what I need you to do .

During this time of Christmas season , the best thing you can do is help someone . Number one , you can show forgiveness , but help someone experience the grace of God . If you're watching , listen to this podcast for the very first time . Don't forget to subscribe to the Words for Change podcast .

Give us a five-star rating if you're listening to us on Apple and you'll never miss a story of hope , you'll never miss a story of transformation and you'll get all the latest of what's happening today . Listen before I go . I want to leave you with this your past doesn't define you . In God's hands we are . We are Our story .

In God's hands is the soil where we can grow into our future . Hey guys , thanks for listening on this day . Blessings to you . May the Lord bless you , keep you . May the Lord cause His face to shine upon you and you experience peace from this time and evermore . I'm signing off until I see you again . Peace . I'll talk to you soon . Thank you .