Don't Give Up Season 2 Ep 5: Testimonies and Takedowns

In this powerful episode, the guys sit down with Mike Olszewski and Bill Smith to talk about the real fights of life — the battles behind the scenes that shape who we become.

From personal trials to moments of breakthrough, Mike and Bill share their testimonies of what God has brought them through and how He remained faithful in the middle of it all.

🎧 Podcasts We Love & Recommend

👉 Aligned Podcast
https://www.youtube.com/@alignedpodcast2024

👉 The Rev Show Podcast
https://www.youtube.com/@revhix

👉 The Devote Cast
https://www.youtube.com/@TheDevotecast

👉 HTY On Air
/@hty_on_air

👉 Josh Lovell
https://www.youtube.com/@Josh_Lovell

👉 Good Fight Studios
https://www.youtube.com/@Indy_Filmmaker

Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:01

Hey. Thanks for watching. Welcome to don't give up.

SPEAKER_09 0:09

Yeah. That's not gonna cut it.

SPEAKER_05 0:12

Welcome. Get your mugs. Get your mugs.

SPEAKER_07 0:15

Season two, episode five. Ham officially gave up.

SPEAKER_09 0:18

No, I've never given up. We call this up, we call this season now the giving up season.

SPEAKER_06 0:24

No, we're we're giving in to rest. Yes. Hello everyone. Welcome to Don't Give Up. I'm your host, Hamilton Smith, your co-host, Bob Brandon. We're a Christian podcast that stirs your soul and strengthens your faith. Join us as we explore powerful testimonies, the history of God's Word, and reveal Him as delivering power over addictions, depression, and life's trials. We'll celebrate success, learn from failures, and ignite your journey to rise in Christ's unstoppable grace.

SPEAKER_07 1:08

We started this podcast because we both experienced God's goodness, mercy, and power to take us from death to life. Our heart is to encourage you that no matter where you are, don't give up. God hasn't given up on you.

SPEAKER_06 1:23

So um today we have a very special, special guest. Uh two very special guests. And guess where the one is from? New Life Church. Shout out to New Life Church.

SPEAKER_05 1:45

Brother Bill and Brother Mike. Say hi, guys.

SPEAKER_03 1:50

Brother Mike. How are you doing? Brother Bill.

SPEAKER_06 1:57

Hey guys, don't forget like, share, subscribe. You can see us on YouTube, Spotify, iTunes, Instagram, TikTok. We're growing.

SPEAKER_09 2:07

For those watching at home, we've filmed four episodes, five episodes today. So if you see a noticeable difference in Ham, it's because he's tiger. He tries to change his shirt so that you think it's a different day. It doesn't work. Thanks a lot, Jim.

SPEAKER_05 2:26

It is a different day, Jim.

SPEAKER_03 2:30

There's a thing in the studio that happens. It's called Hollywood magic, which can take you to a place that makes it appear like some other time. When in reality it's all happening right now.

SPEAKER_06 2:45

So I would highly recommend go watching Fall to Great. Uh that's brother Bill Smith here. That's his uh testimony split up into two segments. And I highly recommend I'm watching it because I had hundreds of people message me, call me, text me on I didn't know that about Bill. Wow, that was so powerful. And they just, I mean, they loved it.

SPEAKER_07 3:12

So and it was a condensed version of the story. The story is uh an epic tale.

SPEAKER_03 3:20

It unravels like uh like an onion. The more you peel off, the more you want to cry about it. Thank God, you know what I mean? Thank God for his grace, man. You know what I mean? Shout out to God and his grace. Shout out to God and his grace and his protection, you know. Amen. Which uh which reminds me of like just this weekend leading up to this right now. We uh Friday morning. Uh I told you guys the story, but uh I was walking up a staircase and it collapsed. We're gonna show the picture.

SPEAKER_02 3:50

You have the picture? We'll show it, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 3:53

Um the staircase collapsed. Bob said it looks staged, but it looks no way. But uh yeah, no, we take for granted God's hedge of protection over us, fellas, when we're out working, when we're out doing stuff every single day. You know, uh lights we catch, you know, turns we miss and stuff like that. I believe it's all God orchestrating and you know, protecting us. You know what I mean? Amen. And uh, to be honest with you, I I can fully testify to that in my life, you know what I mean? Because it's been uh when you when I reflect back on what God's done in my life, I see that hedge of protection. My brother-in-law Mike's uh been my brother-in-law for uh quite a long time now. So I've seen the change in Bill. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:37

I see the big change in Bill.

SPEAKER_03 4:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 4:43

Remember, he's telling me about uh what Rachel said to you, the the the last big argument you had uh in and you was like, I'm baby, I'm gonna be good this time. Oh yeah. And you see, what did she tell you that?

SPEAKER_03 4:54

She said, I'll know you by your fruit. Know you by your fruit. And I was really wanting, like, you know, to be able to tailor, you know, I was really wanting to be like, see here, baby, like Leon Felt, see baby, I got you, I'm gonna protect you, you know what I mean? But you know, all kidding and joking aside, she looked at me and she said, Well, Bill, you know, I'll know you by your fruit, you know, and that sunk into my my heart and my spirit, you know what I mean, because we just done the study about that, yeah. You'll know a prophet by their fruits. Amen. You know, and and one thing I learned about that is that you know, uh an apple tree doesn't taste its fruits, other people do, yeah, you know, and other people see it, you know. So thank God for you know, uh whatever fruits I've bared in my life, it's only been from the grace of God and you know, his hedge of protection and his grace and mercy, you know. And uh yeah, that's what she told me. And um literally, you know, I I started rebuilding my life and I've never looked back. Yeah, you know.

SPEAKER_06 5:54

You haven't, Bill. I I'm not just saying it. You came uh halfways through the the disciples center to me. You came down, you uh you were ministering and you were visiting, and man, you made it so much better down there. Uh I can't lie, I was so happy to see you there. And I never realized where it would take us, you know. We've started the uh DC Bible study together.

SPEAKER_03 6:19

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 6:20

You know, um the and now you, James Drinkwater, and uh Carl Smith are doing a uh Tuesday night um Teach and Preach. Yeah, Teach and Preach, aka the Hour of Power. It's on a prayer line and it's on Zoom. You know, uh you can I I guess you guys got a uh Facebook page about it. It's amazing. I highly recommend anybody getting there and uh I think they're seeing if like it how it goes, which it's it's went well so far, and you guys might even do it even more often, but it's for the times between Sundays and Wednesdays, you know, to keep you tuned. And I highly recommend it. Brother Carl Smith gave a beautiful word about the cross uh last week, and uh this next week they have Henry Evans going to do it.

SPEAKER_07 7:10

How to substitute the church, though.

SPEAKER_06 7:11

How to substitute the church, a supplement to keep you ready, to keep you in prayer, to keep you um in tune in one mind.

SPEAKER_03 7:20

And and it's also another another avenue to be able to hear preachers that you wouldn't ordinarily hear in church. You know what I mean? Because we have as a a body of travelers and and Rumneys, we have so many phenomenal preachers, so many phenomenal worship people and teachers, you know, and and you know, in your in and and again, like it's a supplement, it's not a a substitute, but it gives you uh an uh an option and an opportunity to be able to hear and receive from other people that you wouldn't ordinarily hear unless you went on to a revival or got out of town, you know what I mean, or you know, made plans. So thank God for the technology that he's given us right now and and uh and the the the the vision to try to use it for God's kingdom, you know what I mean? Because that's what it's all about. Like you were I think you mentioned earlier, you know, that phone can be used for all kinds of things, you know what I mean? And what better way to use it than, you know, to further the kingdom of God and and spread the gospel, you know what I mean? Because you never know who you're gonna reach, fellas. You know what I mean? You never know, you know. Uh I I heard somebody talk about uh uh Uncle David MG. He was preaching on a radio, you know, and uh he just so happened to the Holy Spirit came upon him, and he just so happened to stop and say there's somebody thinking about suicide right now. And you know, and he prayed for whoever this person was, and this person sought him out afterwards. You know what I mean? So you never know, you know what I mean, what a word can do to change somebody's life, and you know, and and uh mass communicating thing, you know what I mean? So we have the opportunity to do that, and it's a blessing. I'm so blessed to be a part of this, and I'm humbled that you guys would even have me back on, believe me, because I I uh I love you guys and you're awesome, Bill. We love you, man. Are you kidding?

SPEAKER_07 9:09

One of our closest friends.

SPEAKER_03 9:10

Jeez, no, I you and you brought this guy with you, yeah, Mike, Mike Oshetsky.

SPEAKER_00 9:15

Introduced timer. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:19

Yeah, tell us a little bit about yourself, Mike.

SPEAKER_00 9:21

Well, uh a few years back, I actually went through a situation myself where I was working on a job, um, ended up getting real dizzy. Uh, thought I was taking like a heat stroke or something on a job that I was working at. Well, ended up in going into the doctors and everything, find out that I have an acoustic swanoma, which is a tumor that's in behind my eardrum. It's like a brain tumor. Well, that is probably one of the scariest things that I've ever had to deal with in my life. And me and my wife did nothing but pray. I mean, I was in and out of doctors, we were for a long time trying to figure out what was going on. We ended up going from um Lancaster Hospital over to uh Hershey, where I finally met a doctor that, you know, I mean, could take care of things. At first, they were telling me, you know, I was gonna lose hearing, I was gonna have facial expressions, I was gonna lose facial expressions and everything. Um go over to the other doctor, he looks at it, he says, Look, you know, the first doctors, they just wanted to wait until all these things started taking effect where the tumor started growing so big, and once they started seeing effects of it and all that, you know, I mean, they were basically going to wait until I lost my hearing. And the other doctor says, if I see any kind of growth in this, he says, We're gonna get this resolved, we'll get it taken care of right away. He says, This is normally a real slow-growing tumor. So they kind of expected it and it might have been years down the road. Well, I go back for a follow-up about six months later, and it's like doubled in size, or almost tripled in size, actually, from what they said. And so the doctor's like, okay, we're gonna get you taken in, we're gonna get this taken care of right away, says this was a lot faster than what they expected it was gonna happen. And thank God I didn't lose any hearing or anything over the whole situation at that point in time, and it hasn't affected me at that point or anything, and still up to this point. But I ended up going in. Um, I remember sitting in the waiting room before they did the whole procedure, and we're sitting there and I'm texting with my wife because she couldn't be in there. This is like going back into where they actually put you in the machine where they, you know, do all the procedure and everything. And a couple days before that I got this message and it was a psalms that I seen, and you know, for some reason I'm sitting there, I'm thinking about this psalms. And you know, we're into the church, we're enjoying, you know, I mean, our church and everything, and it was kind of like a big thing to me when we went in for this because I remember um it was Psalms 911, and it says, Because he loves me, says the Lord, I will rescue him, I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name, he will call on me and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. And I will tell you that going through the whole procedure and everything that I had to do, that just stuck with me, and it meant so much to me when I read that, and it was like I knew God was there with me. So as I was going through it, you know, I mean they they put this thing on my head, they bolted it to my skull, they put me in this thing, it looked like a pizza oven, and they do the procedure. And I remember talking to my wife about this before that and afterwards. I was like, you know, I just I I felt the presence the whole time I was going through it. A year later, when I finally got the procedure over, the tumor is now actually a third of the size it was from when they found it, smaller than when they actually originally found it. So it was nothing but a blessing. It was only God. Did you have surgery? Is it it's actually so it was a gamma knife procedure, which means that it's no actual cutting, but a gamma knife is they they put your head in this thing, and I called it the crown of thorns at the time because it literally is a thing, it goes over your head, it's like a helmet with four bolts, it goes into your head. And they you sit there and watch them do this. This is not something that you can't put you under for this, they have to keep you awake for it. And they put these bolts and they bolt it to your head and they lay you on this table, and it got this ratchet strap thing on it, and it locks your head to the table. And it literally like so your head cannot move at all. It's like really important, and it'll put you into this machine, and it has a laser that will move and it kind of exact pinpoints where it's at and where it has two laser um what is its uh radiation lasers that actually cross where they intersect, it'll actually zap that area and it'll kill the tumor. And normally, first thing is it expands because of all the dead cell growth, and then after that, it should start to shrink some. Well, it did shrink some. And you know, like I said, after everything they told me, they even told me during the procedure, they you know, they gotta go through really sensitive nerves. I'm gonna lose hearing. I could it could affect, you know, at the same time, it still could affect your facial features, your movement, it could still affect like your eyes, stuff like that. I had, I mean, zero side effects, which was unbelievable.

SPEAKER_07 14:15

Did I have a moment where you had uh lay hands and and and pray over this?

SPEAKER_00 14:20

You know, between me and my wife, like I said, we have 100% prayed through the whole situation, through everything we had gone through. And yeah, I've had I've had actually Johnny, um Jimmy, Eddie Mullins, I mean all all these guys were calling me. Um, you know, something that actually meant a whole lot to me was uh actually you guys' church because you guys sent me a blanket at the point in time that all the men prayed on at the church. And you know, it meant so much to me because it was acknowledgement that, you know, there's a whole church over there that's been praying for me. Right. And I'll be honest with you, and I'm gonna get tearing here trying not to cry myself. But I'll be honest with you, it meant more to me knowing that there was other people out there, and it was God and other people out there that were standing with me through the whole thing. It was really horrifying.

SPEAKER_03 15:13

Amen. And and shout out to my church house of mercy. You know, uh my pastor Lula and Richard, they are I mean, uh very, very persistent with any kind of a need like that. They they I can't tell you how many blankets that we've uh you know doused in oil, and everybody in the church has prayed over it and then you know sent it right from there, put it in a bag and sent it right to whoever it was. You know what I mean? Because, you know, there's power in prayer, you know what I mean? Amen. And and you know, Mike, when you was reading that, uh I've had a scripture this year that has really ministered to me, and you showed that exact faith, and this is uh Nahum uh chapter one, uh verse seven the Lord is a good, is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and he knows those who trust in him. You know what I mean? So God knows who trust is in him. You know what I mean? And when we show that faith, you know, there's no limits to what God can do. You know, we can't put God in a container, you know, and it's been an amazing blessing just seeing how God's worked in you know, healing in my brother-in-law Mike's life, and you know, just you know, he's still in the miracle business, man. That's what he does, you know.

SPEAKER_06 16:25

I forget, I I forget how powerful prayer is, and I forget how powerful the anointing of God is all the time. And up until recently, I haven't doubted it at all. Partly because of no diggity, no doubt. No diggity, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_05 16:45

No doubt.

SPEAKER_06 16:46

Yeah, seriously. But uh I I just want to praise God right now for his for his power, for his grace, for his mercy, and we thank you, Lord Jesus. We thank you, Jesus, for your healing power and your anointing of your Holy Ghost, Father God.

SPEAKER_00 17:02

Thank you, Jesus. Sorry, Mike. No, you're good. You know, honest God, it has been such a big and you know, change in my life going back to my church. You know, new life has been a great thing to us as well. My whole family, my kids are so, you know, intertwined with the church now. You know, I mean, it's just it's been a very powerful thing. We've been going all over the place with, you know, I mean, I'll I'll put this way, Tommy Cameron and Mike Goldinger, we went up to Connecticut and all about a powerful move. And I've seen such so many wonderful things this year alone. I mean, it's been going, we've gone to Washington, we've evangelized in Washington, I've seen so many things that I've and just people being saved and and numbers. And I'll be honest with you, when you get that feeling, and you know, Johnny told me at the one time, he says, when it's new and you get that feeling, he says, you know, you gotta hold on to that. For when you do go through the hard times, it's best for you to hang on to these things because you know when you have that rush, he says, when you go through the hard times, those you think back to those times, and that's what helps pull you through. And it is 100%. I mean, I'll tell you, we we've devils always on attack. The devil's always on attack. And every single time that something really good happens in our lives, it's almost instantaneously afterwards. You know, we went to Connecticut on my car ride home, something happened, and now I got a phone call. And it's like, you know, why is this attack now? You know, when we went to Washington on the way home, you know, something happened. We I was like, again, you know what I mean? It's literally been every single time the day that we got baptized in uh at our church this year, it was like the next day, it's like an attack from the devil, something happened again. And I'm like, you know, and it isn't little things. There's like a customer that I dealt with that was like really on the dark side of life. I'm just putting that right. He was he was just really demonic. And I didn't know this when I worked for him, but you know, afterwards, after I did a job and I seen his Facebook and I was like, oh man, this guy's got really dark spirits in him. Well, it was just that bad. And he attacked me early in the uh early in the year, and I went, I knocked on his door, try to get things to resolve him. The guy just doesn't want nothing done. Go back later in the year. You know, I mean, well, the guy called me later in the year, let me straighten it out. The guy called me later in the year, right after something happened, and I'm like, okay, this is uh horrible timing for these things, is right after everything really blessed happens, and then you see these things happen. And it is true that you know, every single time that the Lord lifts you up, that the devil's right there to try to bring you back down.

SPEAKER_07 19:41

Yeah, how has this changed you in uh Flo's relationship with everything happening?

SPEAKER_00 19:46

Me and my wife's relationship is 100% completely not what it used to be. Me and her are closer than I believe that we've probably been in our whole marriage. We are I mean, honestly, God being in our home as much as he is now, and God's always been in our home. My wife has always had, you know, I mean, has always been but where she stands now and where I stand now with things, it's like a whole different, you know, we don't barely fight.

SPEAKER_06 20:18

Isn't it amazing how it's amazing? You I've seen you, I've I've known you for a while, and uh you and Flo have always been your wife have always been tight. You know what I mean? You guys have always been super close. But sure, sure. Everybody does, right? Everybody does, right? But I've got the past I'll say while here, how you have gotten closer to the Lord, you know, and you've started prioritizing him even more than her, and it's caused you guys to be closer.

SPEAKER_00 20:50

It is true. I bet. It is true, and to be honest with you, you know, he's so much in our houses, and we but we also decided, and we talked about it when we first got involved, when we first went back to the church, we were like, you know, we want to go back to church, you know, we're gonna go and we're gonna get our time in. And we just wanted to, at first it was more so like be honest with it was Eddie Mullins that stopped down and talked to us in uh Florida, and you know, he was like, you know what? I love Eddie. Eddie's a great guy, he really is. You know, in fact, all my pastors in my church. I I feel like I'm close with all of them. I know they all do that.

SPEAKER_06 21:28

It and I I'm a little biased. I can't I can't lie. It's my brother Johnny, it's Eddie Mullins, who's one of my favorite cousins, and my cousin Jimmy Townsley.

SPEAKER_00 21:38

Biting Jimmy Townsley, and they're flourishing, yeah. They're all great people, you know. We had that we had that uh, what was it, the the pig roaster earlier this year. And I sat there and I talked, and I literally cried talking to Johnny Smith at the table, which is something that I don't normally do. Like I'm not sure I'm not much of a prior. I'm not much of a crier myself, but I'm just you know, Johnny for some reason. Yeah, yeah, he'll do that. He's a very, very uh good guy. And you know, honestly, it's just no, it truly is amazing. How how far and how close in our relationship, and me and my wife actually talk about this all the time. Like how our relationship with God has changed our lives and our family. It's astonishing. It truly is. What about your mom and dad?

SPEAKER_07 22:28

Are they were they much churchgoers?

SPEAKER_00 22:30

Have they ever been uh Um I'm just gonna say, I mean my dad's family was my dad's family was Catholic, my mom's family was Christian, um we they were not so much to uh push you into going to church and stuff, you know what I mean, which was something that to me you know I mean uh becoming after I got married and everything with flow and finding our way and everything was actually um I became a lot more familiar. I've always had my beliefs, you know. I mean, don't get me wrong, I was never to the point where it was like, oh, I don't believe in God because I've I've prayed so many times to God in my past. I mean, I think everybody has a shallow point, I think everybody goes through a rough time, and I think that you know I mean when you look up and you know that God is there, you know what I mean, it is something that will always bring bring you through. You gotta have your faith.

SPEAKER_03 23:24

And and you know something too, it's so important, I can't stress that enough. You know, uh, you know, we me and my wife both growed up in a a believing home, you know what I mean? And I tell this to people all the time. When when you believe in God, yes, that's good, I want you to believe in God, but when you're saved by what God's done for you, that changes the relationship altogether. And it's so important, you know, I sound like a provider saying this, but it's so important to have church, God and church as your focal point in your house. You know what I mean? Because it's the foundation. It talks about it in the Bible, you know, the house that was built on sand, you know what I mean? Or the one that was built on the rock, you know what I mean? We have to make our foundations God and church, you know what I mean. It's like like you say, seek first the kingdom of God, you know. Uh and it's so important because it's life-changing.

SPEAKER_00 24:18

You know, I know we I just had this conversation also, and to be honest with you, I believe 100%. You can't look at it and say, hey, you know what? Um God knows where my heart is. You know what I mean? You can't sit there and say, but not want to attend church. Because there's things that you'll get in church that you'll never get at home just sitting there saying, God knows where my heart is.

SPEAKER_06 24:35

Right. I find out when I read the Word of God that when I do go to church, he that the preacher's gonna tell me, or somebody's gonna tell me what I'm reading. It's in tuned. Yeah, it's crazy.

SPEAKER_03 24:49

The Holy Spirit does, and it's crazy, and like you said, I I see it happen all the time with stuff like that.

SPEAKER_06 24:54

My dad has preached two Wednesdays in a row, and it was our Bible study.

SPEAKER_03 24:59

Matthew 5, 6, and 7. Yeah, that's what Johnny said.

SPEAKER_06 25:02

Literally, it's it's our Bible study. Yeah, we're at right now. It's it's nuts. Yeah. Highly recommend it. Um, DC Bible study, Friday nights at 7 30. Yeah. Get on there or else. That's what I always post.

SPEAKER_08 25:13

He does.

SPEAKER_03 25:14

Get on there or else you're missing out. That's not a threat, that's a promise. You know, listen, there's something special, and I I'm I'm not saying this because you guys are here, there's something special that happens when men get together from everywhere, just not for any other reason other than to study and digest the word of God. It has changed my life. And I and I say that because I've I've I've I've experienced it. You know, earlier this year when me and Ham was talking, you know, I I I've I've had a burden for it. You know, I started trying to do a little Bible study, and I said, me and Ham was like, why don't we just do it? And there was literally two of us. There was the two of us on there, you know, and and we just we would get in the trucks or the cars and we would I mean break down scriptures and but it's it's it's uh uh it it fills you in a different way, you know what I mean? Because when men can come together, we're so macho, you know what I mean? Macho man. We're so macho, you know what I mean? But when we can get together and let our guards down and really digest the word of God, we get stronger. You know what I mean? Our spirit man gets stronger, you know? It's like people don't realize you learn how to stand on your knees praying. That's how I learned how to stand as a man, as a fully, a fully functioning man, you know what I mean? Not just the appearance of one, you know, that provides and you know, you know, wears all the hats, you know what I mean? But when I learned how to really stand as a man was when I based my life on God, my marriage on God, and and got on my knees and seek God, you know what I mean? You know. That's awesome. Sorry.

SPEAKER_07 26:54

No, what are you sorry about, man? I'm sorry. You know, we're we're out doing whatever, and then the girls kind of get together and and they're praying for the husband to come back and you know pull his life together seriously. Yeah, they're the same. But really, the goal is not taking anything away from the women because where would we be? But uh the goal is to have the man in the house, you know, as the high priest of the house, and that's when everything comes back in order and the house is no longer divided and split, and all the problems that you see face in marriages and split-ups and all the things, it's all avoidable if the man would submit and and uh and realize that God is is the one that uh is in control.

SPEAKER_03 27:35

Yeah, and I mean being equally yoked. Yeah, you know, that's evenly working together, it's not like off-kiltered, you know what I mean. You're making turns the other way, you know what I mean? You're pulling in the same direction. Thank God.

SPEAKER_07 27:47

Yeah, you've got a Christian wife, and that's the greatest thing ever happened to you.

SPEAKER_03 27:50

And and and thank God for my wife. You know, she was a Deborah for a long time in my house. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_07 27:55

Me and you remarry? Huh? Oh, Deborah for the Bible, never mind. Yeah, me and Deborah got married.

SPEAKER_03 28:02

Me and Deborah Deborah, my my previous wife. She was a wonder, she was a firecracker, let me tell you. Yeah, filled with the word.

SPEAKER_02 28:14

She was detentment. I found her under a tree. She put up the tenth. I found her under a tree one day.

SPEAKER_03 28:21

She was just spewing the word out of her. You know what I mean? She chose me, you know.

SPEAKER_06 28:27

No, I felt I felt complete from that, you know what I mean? No, seriously, I my wife, shout out Linda. I I love you. And uh, seriously, she would pray nonstop. She was the prayer warrior for years. And man, until I got serious with the things of God and started reading God's word and and breaking it open with you and me, uh I now I'm the prayer warrior in my house. You know what I mean? Now I my kids want to come and pray with me at night. And now in the morning week, I got the Bible sitting at the front of the table, in the middle of the table. You know what I mean? So I highly recommend to any men out there, you take the boogeyman out. You know, thank God for the the for the praying wives and pray with your wife, but you take the boogeyman out. You be the prayer warrior in your house, you be the one that they come to when they need a scripture. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 29:26

You know, we went so far, I mean, we got so involved with the church now because it's something that we found and like I said, it's made such a difference in our homes. So, you know, we talked about it. And I said, you know, I said, I want to do something with the church. I want to do something, be part of something with us, you know. So me and my wife are both workers in our church, you know. I mean, I I help with the monitors and the screens and stuff like that. And you know, she helps with like the uh the kids' classes and stuff like that. And you know, like I said, it's just something they and I and there's so many people in our church who can walk up to us and they're like, oh man, you know, it is it's been such a change, it's been such a good thing that you guys are here and it's in like everybody notices it. And just the comments and like the the respect that you get from the people as well. And just, you know, like I said, it's God moving, and it's just it it's been consistent in our lives, and it's something that uh we have been really, really been, you know, admiring, appreciating, and just be happy to be part of.

SPEAKER_03 30:21

That's awesome, man. Yes, it is, yes it is. And you know, it's something that you know we we take for granted, you know. It's and I won't say we take for granted, but you know, once you're on the other side, you know, and you look back and you're like, that was the that was the missing ingredient the whole time. You know, the whole entire time is right there. It was like you you made bread and then you pulled it out of the oven, it looked beautiful, and it just went, you know what I mean? And you kept trying to do that, and you know what I'm saying? But then as soon as you got God as the main ingredient in it, you know what I mean? You know, we're having hoagies tonight because we got some nice bread. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Oh yeah. Word up. You know what I'm saying? Holy hoagies.

SPEAKER_06 31:01

It was like my old uncle said, it was right in front of my stupid eyes.

SPEAKER_03 31:05

Yeah, well, I mean, you know, it's like uh hard-headed, duh, you know. That's what I was like. Yeah, me too. You know what I mean? I was literally now. I'm like the the farmer's insurance of Christianity. I always say this. I'm like, I know a thing or two because I've seen a thing or two. You know what I mean? Yes. But uh, the good part about it is is and I and this was an amazing scripture Pastor Lula pointed out to me. You know, the the Bible says he's like a roaring lion seeking who he can devour. But if you look at it, it says he's like yeah, he's not, he's he's like he's an imposter, he's an imitator, you know what I mean. We have the true lion on our side, you know what I mean? And we have his strength inside us, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_07 31:45

Yeah, and uh But if you believe he's a lion and you you know you're running in sphere, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 31:50

Yeah, absolutely. Don't get it twisted. You know what I mean? Don't get it twisted.

SPEAKER_06 31:56

I gotta I gotta I gotta talk about something just because he's here and you're gonna laugh at this. And if we don't like it, we could cut this out, okay? All right, uncut. What I love about you, Mike, is that you're a real person. This goes back to Hershey Park, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_00 32:15

You're you're a real person. You know what? I'm trying to tell you right now, you ain't the only person I said this to. This guy right here got the same thing.

SPEAKER_06 32:25

Wait till you hear those.

SPEAKER_03 32:27

We might be cutting this, Jimmy.

SPEAKER_06 32:28

You came up to me and he was like, and here's I've did this before though. I did that. That's why I respect it, and that's why I love you. Because I can't stand somebody that if you have something to say to me, just say it. You know what I mean? Let's talk about it afterwards, you know what I mean? Or let's talk about it. So you walk up to me and was like, hey, I just gotta let you know. When I first when I first met you, I was like, I I didn't like you.

SPEAKER_00 32:58

I really did not. You were a hard one to swallow. He's a bit mutts.

SPEAKER_05 33:10

I see where we're going, but did you get anything to add to this? Jim. Are you alive, Jimmy? Oh no, that's that's Bob in there. Okay, never mind.

SPEAKER_06 33:20

Did you hear what we're talking about? All right. He I'm a hard pill to swallow.

SPEAKER_07 33:27

He did not like it the first time he met him.

SPEAKER_06 33:30

No, and I love that that he said that to me because I'm that person. I walked up to a bunch of people and said, you know, when I first met you, you kind of irritated me. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 33:45

It's good to be like that, though.

SPEAKER_06 33:47

You know, honestly, it's good to to have get stuff off your chest and to tell people that, you know, hey, I like you now. You know what I mean? Honestly, it it takes it makes it makes it less awkward.

SPEAKER_00 34:00

I've had this conversation several times, and you know, I've I've told Bill this before. And Bill at one point in time was a person that I really didn't want around because he was very uh hard to deal with. Like I like I like Joe at a distance. You know what I mean? I always felt like a guitar. You know, small doses. But to be honest with you, Bill is also in the same way. Like you guys have both changed in huge ways. Yeah. And you know, and like I told you, Hamilton, uh, and one side one thing that I also realize in the way I feel about things is you know, it's one thing that you can tell somebody a lie. You can sit there and say, you know, I'd have loved it forever. Right. But to be honest with you, you know, if you're gonna be real with somebody, no, there was a point in time I really didn't like you. But the reason is and the things that have changed about you, the person that you became now, I respect. And I have that respect for you. And I feel like being able to tell somebody, you know, the difference in who they were, who they are, and for them to be able to see that for themselves.

SPEAKER_07 35:03

Yeah, you know what I mean? It means yeah, when you say I respect you, it means something. It means genuine, right?

SPEAKER_00 35:09

But also for you, you know what I mean, to receive that from somebody. Yeah, I mean, if somebody comes up and says, you know, they didn't like me, but they like the person that I am now, and how many people have come up to me and said, Man, I can see the change in you. How many people have said this to me already? 100%. And you know, I can see the change in the person that you are. Well, that means something to me. And that also helps me to feel like, you know, I want to stay this way. Yeah. You know what I mean? I want to stay with this feeling because in the way that people make me feel now, because people make me feel better about myself and the way that they see me, it makes me feel better. You know what I mean? So I mean absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 35:41

Shout out Rachel Eleanor Smith.

SPEAKER_06 35:44

You know, I did so I I on Swimming with Sharks, shout out Heenan Harrison. I'd highly recommend going watching that episode. Um but he uh when he first got saved, he irritated me. And I said that to him. I was like, because I didn't believe it, you know what I mean? Because he's such an upbeat person. But then when you spend some time with him, he's a glass half full type of guy. This guy is a go-getter, and he's everything that I'm striving to be is Heenan Harrison, honestly. And he's such an encourager, too. He'll help you push out, you know what I mean? He'll say, Yeah, go grab them, let's go pray for them. You know what I mean? He's an altar worker, it's amazing. And uh, so I I can respect that. When you said that to me, I was like, Well, when you said that to me, I did I go, oh, really?

SPEAKER_00 36:39

You looked at me and you were like, you know, exactly what you just said right there. You know, I really appreciate you, or the fact that you just said that to me. Like you were straight up honest about it. You know what? I mean, that was it was a good thing.

SPEAKER_07 36:50

I'd say everybody in this circle is that way, you know. That's how we all are. We talk to each other that way. Yeah. Remember when we was at a party, me and you, and this giant guy, he's trying to tell me something. The halfway through his conversation, I wasn't trying to be rude. I really wasn't, but that's who I am. I was like, to be honest with you, I can't hear a word you're saying, I still don't. And like, but he was cool about it. Because I once I said it, I was like, oh God, because this man is like he's twice my son. My wife tells me this too.

SPEAKER_00 37:18

I speak low, and a lot of times, if there's a lot of noise, you can't hear me. No, but everybody.

SPEAKER_07 37:22

I was like, I'm not picking up your frequency, man.

SPEAKER_03 37:24

Even better than I had a friend of mine that talked like a ventriloquist. It was hilarious. He like he wouldn't move his like lips or mouth, and he was like, What? And he actually testified, he actually came in to testify for me in court one time in the height of my billy is this is a true story, too. So he takes the stand, okay? He takes the stand and uh shout out to him, I love him dearly. Uh he takes a stand, and uh the the state's attorneys cross-questioning him, and he's like this. And they're not used to the way he talks, and they're going, sir, you're gonna have to speak up, and he's going, I am shaking up. Like he's not moving his lips or nothing. And then halfway through it, when he realized we was bold and it wasn't going as planned, he's going, I think we're bold right now, Ben. Like now it's working in my phone.

SPEAKER_04 38:16

It was hilarious, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 38:18

And yes, we got up to the ventriloquist, man. Yeah. Shout out to the ventriloquist. He got me out of a lot of pitches.

SPEAKER_02 38:25

Got me out of a lot of pinches. Yeah. We're gonna put him right be right there.

SPEAKER_01 38:31

Here's the thing. Yeah, but that was a true story. But you know something too?

SPEAKER_09 38:38

Bill Stories. Can I tell you something? Bill Stories could be the podcast the best in the world. Yes. And he makes me laugh every time he opens his mouth.

SPEAKER_03 38:48

Yeah, well, I'm the only man you'll ever know that got arrested for eating crab and crab soup. That was what that was over. Let's hear it, man. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_09 38:56

I want to talk about more about when you beat up that lady in the world. Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_03 39:00

Well, she had it coming. She had it coming. You know what I mean? You know, she was she was a bronze Olympic, bronze boxing champion, okay? And and to be honest with you, truth be told, she she uh she didn't back down, but you know, I I got her, you know. I got her. I got her. You gave her a floor. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_04 39:27

I was like, are we done on time already? Just getting to the good part where I beat up a woman, man. Come on. This one's getting better. Don't give up punching women.

SPEAKER_03 39:38

Don't give up punching women.

SPEAKER_04 39:43

The fourth thing came over to me afterwards, and she was like, yo, she talked like Rocky. She was like, yo, I really appreciate that. You really work me out good, you know? And I mean the poor woman's boy was destroyed, and I was like, I was like, uh, I was like all proud of myself. I was like, yeah, I thought it would have been worse than doing it. It's better because the truth of the matter was that it's not that she was a woman, I thought I'd done something better because she was a bronze Olympic boxer. I was like, I think better later on. I was like, I was like, I fly a bronze Olympic with a boxer to the head of the lady.

SPEAKER_05 40:22

Right? Oh, Carl, oh Carl, man, Carl.

SPEAKER_03 40:26

Shout out to Carl. Carl, Carl talked this up because it was like he was like, okay, you can get in and spar, but I'll tell you right now, you're gonna have to go through my lady. If you can beat her, then you can spar. And I was like, okay, so he built her up like so much. When I got in the ring, that's Carl's fault. Jimmy, it was his fault. Jimmy's uncle George Stuart was there, and he's going, You're mulling this manager right now, bam. You're faking this management up going to have the light.

SPEAKER_02 40:53

I'm like, once her leg went over the road. The baby stepped over to the little.

SPEAKER_04 41:06

But then Carlos going, hey, that's a female in there. I was like, what the heck, bro?

SPEAKER_09 41:14

That's my favorite. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:17

Never being cut out. That's a sad.

SPEAKER_02 41:21

That's a sad but true story.

SPEAKER_03 41:26

That's a little funny story about that. So we're we're so this is a funny story about this too. Like, you know, I love my church family, but they didn't realize the Billy they had in the first five years of me going to the church, you know what I mean? So one night we're in church, and and and and I I can't stress to you how much I love them because they showed nothing but love and the love of Christ to me, and there was nothing but kind, and they still are like that. They've always been, they're like my family, they are my family. So, anyhow, we're in church one night and they're playing this adult game on like a Wednesday night, and they're trying to liven it up, you know, okay, we're gonna play this, we're gonna play this game. So the idea of the game was is you're to write something down in this box that somebody wouldn't know about you ordinarily, and then you're supposed to put it in this box, and then whoever gets picked has to reach in there, reach at reach in there. Oh, I could have wrote a pamphlet. But no, so it gets funny because uh um uh Richard's brother Pete Harrison, he reaches in and you're supposed to guess who wrote this thing down. So, what does I write but uh one time I beat up this bronze Olympic boxer?

SPEAKER_02 42:34

Okay, so I writes a statement.

SPEAKER_03 42:36

So no, I writes it down and I says, uh, one time I beat up this bronze Olympic boxer, and then below it I put, she was pretty tough.

SPEAKER_08 42:43

You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 42:47

And when the man, and when the man wrote when Pete read it, he was like, and she was pretty tough. And then he instantly looked at me.

SPEAKER_04 42:53

I was like, Why would it why would everybody just assume it was me? Everybody in the church knowing it was me. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 43:02

Yeah, so wanted to get that off my chest. Yeah, exactly. I still want props for that, you know what I mean? She was pretty tough. Shout out to Bill. If she would have beat you up, she'd have been bragging right now. Well, yeah, you know, and and that's the thing.

SPEAKER_03 43:17

You know, you know you would have had no sh you would have had no street cred after that, you know. So God knowed that I couldn't have handled that at that point in my life. Now I would be like, okay, that's cool. You know what I mean? You would have never we wouldn't have been laughing about it right now. Yeah. But yeah, so that guilty as charged with the stories is all I can say. We'll take on any bronze Olympics. I'll tell you what, brother, you bring her here. Bring her here, pal.

SPEAKER_04 43:45

If I hit her with like the the the the robber dinero.

SPEAKER_03 43:48

Yeah, yeah, you want to fight?

SPEAKER_04 43:50

Uh okay.

SPEAKER_07 44:00

I could done beating up females running much as this will never err. But the goal is if you find yourself fighting a female, don't give up. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:18

Don't give up. You just keep on. Keeping on. You just keep on.

SPEAKER_03 44:30

Dark. But thank God that he's brought me through that phase of my life. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 44:37

Unless she challenges me again. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_05 44:41

Well, there you have it.

SPEAKER_02 44:42

If you ever find yourself in the middle of a ring with an Olympic woman's boxer, don't give up. Don't give up. Don't let her intimidate you. Like the enemy.

SPEAKER_03 44:58

You can't let her intimidate you. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 45:02

Let the smitty out.

SPEAKER_03 45:06

Oh Lord, man. I ain't gonna lie. This has been the funnest thing ever, guys, just being on here with you. Yeah, I keep feeling like I'm out of time now. So and I got so much more that I could elaborate on.

SPEAKER_06 45:17

I mean, you're like a you're a regular guest.

SPEAKER_03 45:19

Yeah, I know, I know. And I I mean I I I love that about you guys. I love that about you. You know what I mean? Mike, thank you. You are definitely don't give up.

SPEAKER_06 45:29

That was a great testimony.

SPEAKER_07 45:31

I didn't know that about you. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Healed in the name of Jesus. Yeah, walk in that healing, amen.

SPEAKER_03 45:38

Yeah. And and and that's what I mean. I just want to encourage everybody out there that the Lord is a healer. He's a redeemer, he's a restorer, he's a rebuilder. You know what I mean? If we seek him. You know, that's the key word. You know, it takes an action. Everything that great happens in the Bible, there was an action required for it. You know what I mean? And and and that's the and that's the secret. Take action. You know what I mean? Do it. You know what I mean? Seek God.

SPEAKER_09 46:03

You know, when we was out there I wouldn't recommend taking action against females.

SPEAKER_03 46:07

Well, I mean, it all depends on the female, you know.

SPEAKER_09 46:10

It all depends on the female.

SPEAKER_03 46:12

If she's well trained, all right, fair game. You know what I mean? If she's got bigger biceps than you, let her have it. Let her have it, man. You know what I mean? No, all kidding and joking aside, you know. Uh show uh show your softer side. Yes. Yeah. So yeah, anything else?

SPEAKER_08 46:31

I think home.

SPEAKER_04 46:39

How about this heat? Not seen a show. That was a new Elvis song, by the way. I didn't hear it. It was a shit. I know. Yeah. I should not have worn a hoodie, is all I can say. Jeez. I feel like Rodney David's a house.

SPEAKER_08 47:04

Hey, I don't know why I have a jacket on the house. You put on another jacket, too.

SPEAKER_04 47:07

You are a jacket on the spell of Hamlet. You don't have to be all fancy for me, Hamlet. Wow, man.

SPEAKER_03 47:16

Dead serious though. I I do want to say something because last night when we was out in Times Square preaching, you know what I mean? There is a lost and dying world out there. And we're all called to be a light, you know what I mean? And, you know, the Great Commission, go forth and make disciples, you know. Be involved in your church, you know, uh be evenly yoked with your wife, but realize that there's other work to do outside of the four walls of church, you know what I mean? Like you were saying, there's other forms of ministry, there's other things, and everything, there's nothing in the kingdom of God that's minute. There's nothing in the kingdom of God that's minute, you know. Uh Dwight L. Moody was saved by a shoe salesman. Nobody ever knows the shoe salesman, but his one thing that he did do was uh uh a furthering in the kingdom of God. Dwight L. Moody saved all kinds of people, so don't give up. Keep preaching. Amen. Amen.

SPEAKER_06 48:07

Shout out Bill Smith. Go watch um, fall to grace. Uh it was an awesome podcast. And um it really could be a movie. Yeah, it was amazing. And might be, Jim. Who knows?

SPEAKER_03 48:20

Tom Hardy, if you're out there, I would like for you to play my my life story part. Yeah. Okay. Never mind. Maybe uh Phoebe Herman, if you're out there, I'd like you to play me no longer with us.

SPEAKER_08 48:36

Yeah, no, he's not.

SPEAKER_03 48:37

Well, God love him. Sorry, go ahead. We're gonna have the other Bill Smith.

SPEAKER_06 48:44

No, honestly, uh, thank you guys for watching. Catch us on Spotify, iTunes, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram. Um, God bless you. Jesus loves you. Remember, don't give up.