Proverbs 15 - Chuck Pryor

Show intro: 0:03

Welcome to the affirming words podcast, where you're encouraged to speak the word renew your mind and transform your life. Here's your host, Rick Tarrant.

Rick Tarrant: 0:14

Well, hey there, hi there. Whoa, there, you're as welcome as can be. Welcome to affirming words, which is a continuation of a project we started one year ago in a Facebook group called affirming words of abundance. And it was a series of online challenges that challenged participants to take Scripture, write out an affirmation, and then speak it out loud over our lives. And the idea is that we would speak the truth of what the Lord says about us in the face of what maybe our you know, our past upbringing or past experiences might lead us to say, So, speaking of words coming out of our mouth, let's pray. Father, we just commit this time to you with my guest Chuck prior today, and just ask Lord, that You would lead our conversation that you would, again, be a light into our feet. And your word is that it's just that you illuminate our path. And we pray that as we seek wisdom, Lord, we would find wisdom and we ask it in Jesus name. Amen. Well, this month we are spending time in the book of Proverbs, we call it affirming wisdom. And my guest today to help me with proverbs 15 is Chuck prior, Chuck spent nearly 30 years as a radio professional and contemporary Christian music our paths have intersected along the way. He has worked at ksbj FM in Houston, Texas, the K love Radio Network, air one radio, and then in 2014, he returned to Houston to help Joel Olsteen radio get launched on Sirius XM, channel 128, where he serves as executive director and I would be remiss if I didn't also tell you that he is a motorcycle nerd, I mean aficionado. And for those watching the live stream, here is proof of said motorcycle madness. He loves to traverse the North American continent, snapping photographs of this beautiful land that we live in. So welcome to affirming words, my friend, Chuck Pryor.

Chuck Pryor: 2:11

Rick, my friend, it is it is my honor to be here. Thank you so much for inviting me. I like that motorcycle nerd. I'm gonna put that on my resume for sure.

Rick Tarrant: 2:23

I mean that with all affection and fondness, because, you know, there was a time when that word nerd was kind of a term of derision. And but I'm a microphone nerd, is like, you know, I can geek out on microphones and compressors and equalizers and stuff that most of the listening audience probably, what are you even talking about? But I mean, literally, if I had 15 microphones behind me, I think I would be happy. Oh, let's see which flavor Shall we use today? You know, yeah, like my like my latest acquisition, this little guy called the the warm wa 47. So anyway, I'm really really liking this beautiful. Anyway. So tell us just a wee bit about yourself before we jump in. To into the Proverbs. How you got involved in Christian radio or?

Chuck Pryor: 3:11

Okay, well, true story. For our friends in the US who've been around for a few years. You might you might know this name. It all started work at Chucky Cheese. Yeah, for those that aren't familiar with Chucky Cheese, back in the 80s, maybe even into the 90s there was a pizza restaurant that was designed for families and kids and it had these giant stuffed I guess they were rats or something. I don't I don't know whether it was I just

Rick Tarrant: 3:40

remember the pizza was made out of cardboard is

Chuck Pryor: 3:43

it was Yeah, catch. It wasn't great. They had games for the kids. It was just it was you know, whatever. Well, there was a radio. I was living in Peoria, Illinois at the time. And there was a radio station that had just signed on the air. W CIC. I had never done radio in my life. But I had as a young man, I had two dreams. I wanted to be a rock and roll DJ, or I wanted to be a rock and roll drummer. That was like my, that was my thing, right? I'm gonna be one of those two. Well, my senior in high school, in fact, Valentine's Day of 1981 I was a senior in high school. I just gave away my age, but I got radically saved. And God just came just transformed my life. Prior to that my rock and roll lifestyle, even in high school was it was pretty much that it was a rock and roll lifestyle. But that radical change just sort of redirected my entire life and so from from there, my interest in being involved in music somehow. So fast forward a couple of years. I'm in Peoria, Illinois. I hear about this radio station signing on. I turn it on, and I hear this guy on the air and up to that point. In all the Christian radio I had heard and remember this is in the early 80s. Not a lot of FM, Christian music radio around right, Rick, you know that

Rick Tarrant: 5:08

it was mostly preaching shows with a little music sandwiched in betrays I recall. Yeah.

Chuck Pryor: 5:12

And mostly am frankly, I mean most of it was still am back in those days. And so I heard, I turned the radio station on, I heard this music. I was like, Oh, my goodness. And I heard this guy, John Bachman. That's a name that he was. He was a big radio. Johnny went by John Sebastian Bachman, back at it wi RL in Peoria, Illinois. Like, I know that guy. He sounds like he's a professional sounding radio DJ. So anyway, I was so excited. And then I hear this promo that they're going to be doing this kind of meet and greet Open House thing at the Chucky Cheese. So I'm like, I'm going. And so I go to the I go to the Chucky Cheese a couple of was that weekend or whatever it was. And I walk in looking around and I see this big tall guy six, five. And I was like, that's gotta be. That's gotta be one of the radio guys. I walk up to him. I introduce myself. I said, Hi, my name is Chucky. And he says, My name is Rick Hoover in this gigantic booming radio voice. And Rick had come from WC I II, in Lakeland, Florida to come up and launch at station. Obviously, if you've been around Christian music radio anytime, you know, that was a legendary station, a really one of the first. So anyway, I introduced myself to Rick and I just said, I'm Chuck. I've never done radio in my life. But I I'd love to do it. And he hands me a business card and says come and see me this weekend. I did I sit down on his couch in his office and expecting you know, I didn't know what to expect. He goes, I thought we talked about radio. And he says, Tell me your testimony. Share your faith journey with me. And so I did I unfolded the whole thing and, and he said, How about 6am? Saturdays, i Good for you? And I said, What do you mean? He goes, Can you start Saturday at 6am? I said, okay, and that was like two or three days later, so

Rick Tarrant: 7:16

no audition? No, Mike time, just hey, I like your story. You want to go on the radio?

Chuck Pryor: 7:21

No. So that's how desperate they were. And, you know, for anybody, I think to you know, just be part of it. I think more than than anything, he didn't want to get up on a Saturday, because he did the morning show at the time. And he wanted to get up on Saturdays. So that was my first radio gig back in 1984. signing on that station, because at that in those days, you signed off at midnight, and back on at six. So that's kind of how I got into into Christian radio and ministry in general. But, and that's all I've ever done since. And that was 1984.

Rick Tarrant: 8:01

Wow. 1984. So yeah, I'll have to I'll just apologize in advance. Ladies and gentlemen, either live in the zoom or listening if I tend to get a little geeky here about some of the radio stuff because you have to understand I have been I won't go into the deep dark tail of my story today. But for a long time, I've kind of been in seclusion from a a world that used to be all I knew all that Chuck has known. And that was my world. And that was from top 40 radio to radio production and into Christian music and Christian music radio. And then you know that as y'all know, that went away, once upon a time. And so this is all these conversations I've been having this month feel in many respects, kind of like family reunion time. So in so you got started in 84. I started my production company in 82. And I see labels, and I still because I used to send out these packages to radio stations. And I see Chuck Pryor W see I see Pekin, Illinois, just ingrained. So I think you may have exalted it a little bit to say Peoria I think you were actually in the in the bird we

Chuck Pryor: 9:13

were Yeah, yeah, we were in Pekin 3263 courts free Pekin, Illinois. I said that like I'm billing good time. So and and honestly, like when I look back on that time, I think I made I think they paid me like$4.50 an hour when I started like it was crazy. Which I didn't care. Like it just didn't matter to me. I was I was so excited to be able to have my foot in the door. And probably about a year ago I came across I'm sorry I did keep going on in this radio thing. But this happened fairly recently. I found some old air check tapes from those days and I was the first thing I did at 6am After I played the sign on cart. The cart remember what the carts Yeah, carts was I read Lulay track and it was so it was so terrible. It was so bad. I was like how in the world, and only only by the grace of God and and that's, you know what I love about God's grace and mercy in our lives like, like I didn't I wasn't qualified for that. But somehow, someway, God, God just gave me favor. And you know, now today, I've been working with Joel for a little over seven years now. And it's interesting how a lot of the things that he he calls himself an encourager, I mean, he's a pastor, obviously. But he has a gift of encouragement, and he still encourages me today. And I look back, I hear some of the things that he'll say, God will open doors that no man can shut, and he can give you favor. That isn't fair, right? I mean, or it doesn't, you know, it doesn't necessarily make sense. And I see that in my life. When I look back, and even some of the, quote big radio stations, you know, that I had an opportunity to be part of like ksbj, and running Caleb and Erawan, for all those years. And I, you know, like all of those things, I always felt under qualified. And even today, doing what I do, I still feel a little under qualified to do that. And yet, I see God's grace, I see his mercy in my life. And I, I'm just, I'm just thankful to, you know, be able to be a part of it,

Rick Tarrant: 11:25

you know, I see so many things that we could go into, but they all really come out of the grace of God and wisdom. And, you know, I've been hearing this phrase lately, that resonates with me that God doesn't call the qualified, that he qualifies the called. So yeah, I recently came across a cassette that my brother recorded of me at my first little High School radio job, and I don't even have the courage yet to pop it in the machine to listen to it, because I know. Oh, golly, gee whiz, here we are, call me on the request line today. You know, that kind of thing. But it's like it early on, God grabbed a hold of us, and just took the next step. And he opened doors for us, you know, and was we were just young enough and naive enough to just not even worry about it. You know, I'm like us, like, I don't pay. My mother used to get upset because he was like, when are you going to go get a real job and stop burning up my gasoline? And because I was working six months for free. That was the training period is like, man, just to be on the rig?

Chuck Pryor: 12:34

Look, those are called interns today, Rick

Rick Tarrant: 12:39

I think my mother just thought it was slave labor or something. You know, early on, she said, you know, they're hiring at the cotton gin. I was a little town in Arkansas. And I've often pondered what if I had gone the career of the cotton gin? Where would where would I be today?

Unknown: 12:53

You know, so, you know, one of the things I thought of when you were saying that, Rick, and it was and I think about that moment at Chucky Cheese, and I joke about that, but what if I would have never gone to that? Like, what what would my life look like today? Had I never showed up? And sometimes we just have to show up. Sometimes we just, we, yeah, we're unqualified, yet we're scared. We don't really know what we're doing. But sometimes we just have to show up. And that doesn't matter what part of life it's in, whether it's a career, whether it's a family situation, or, you know, just showing up to church on Sunday morning, even if you don't feel like it, because that's where I think God does his best work. And so anyway, sometimes just showing up like, yeah, with all of your wonderful friends, show up, man.

Rick Tarrant: 13:43

Yes. And if you are listening to the podcast, and you'd like to know it, but Chuck's even referring to we are actually recording in front of a live zoom audience. And if you'd like to learn more about that, just go to affirming wisdom.com. And we are going to jump into proverbs 15 Right now, and Chuck and I are reading from the New Living Translation. So he's gonna take a few verses, and then I'll jump in. We'll just tag team and then if anybody anything really jumps out, Chuck, we'll talk about that. But don't let me forget. I want to ask you about favor of the house in the studio you're in right now. So that that doctor after, after we get through, I want to hear that story.

Chuck Pryor: 14:23

Yeah, okay. All right. So yeah, Proverbs 15, New Living Translation. I love that this particular translation it, it reads, well, I think it's, and I love I'll get to the second verse. That is really funny. So verse one, A gentle answer, deflects anger but harsh words, make tempers flare, the tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing. Here's what I love, but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness. I thought that's an interesting way to say it the mouth of I'm thinking about making a T shirt, the mouth of a fool Belters out foolishness but the Lord is watching everywhere keeping his eye on both evil and the good.

Rick Tarrant: 15:10

Verse For gentle words are a tree of life, a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. Only a fool despises appearance discipline, whoever learns from correction is wise. There is treasure in the house of the godly, but the earnings of the wicked bring trouble.

Chuck Pryor: 15:32

I find I love that. I hope it's okay to comment before read the next few. I love how each one of these verses in Proverbs is, it can be this way, or it can be this way. And and it's an every one of these verses throughout chapter 15 seems to be like that, like verse seven, the lips of the wise give good advice. And then the second part is but the heart of a fool has none to give or say The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked. But he delights in the prayers of the upright. The Lord detests the way of the wicked, but he loves those who pursue godliness.

Rick Tarrant: 16:12

It's like I heard Jim Rohn once say in a message, he said, The Proverbs is full of warnings and examples. And if you ever get added into a chapter, let your life be an example. Not a warning. That's good. So you ended on verse, verse nine. Verse 10, whoever abandons the right path will be severely disciplined. Whoever hates correction will die. Even death and destruction hold no secrets from the Lord. How much more does he know the human heart mockers hate to be corrected, so they stay away from the wise?

Chuck Pryor: 16:54

A glad heart makes a happy face. A broken heart crushes the spirit. A wise person is hungry for knowledge. Well, the fool feeds on trash. For the despondent every day brings trouble but for the happy heart. Life is a continual feast.

Rick Tarrant: 17:16

Yes, better to have little with fear for the LORD than to have great treasure and inner turmoil. A bowl of vegetables with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate. We're going to talk about those Thursday night minutes got a I don't see a lot of vegetables at your meals. A hot tempered person starts fights a cool tempered person stops

Chuck Pryor: 17:40

them. A lazy persons way is blocked with Briars but the path of the upright. It's an open highway. Sensible children bring joy to their father, but foolish children despise their mother. Foolishness brings joy to those with no sense, and a sensible person stays on the right path.

Rick Tarrant: 18:04

plans go wrong for lack of advice. Many advisors bring success. Everyone enjoys a fitting reply. It is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time.

Chuck Pryor: 18:17

The path of life leads upward for the wise, they leave the grave behind. The Lord tears down the house of the proud, but he protects the property of widows. The Lord detests evil plans, but he delights in pure words I see

Rick Tarrant: 18:35

a theme of words and coming out of our mouth here. Greed brings grief to the whole family but those who hate bribes will live. The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking. The mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words. The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayers of the righteous and I'll let you bring us on.

Chuck Pryor: 18:57

Alright, verse 30, a cheerful heart looks a cheerful look and brings joy to the heart. Good news makes for good health. If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home and at an among the wise if you reject discipline, you only harm yourself but if you listen to correction you grow in understanding fear of the Lord teaches wisdom humility precedes honor

Rick Tarrant: 19:30

wow you know it's I enjoy that proverb but it's so much more fun reading in ping pong style with with you check so that's that was awesome. So I did notice the theme about the words of our mouth and things that you know the words that come out of a fool's mouth as can contrast it with those that come out of someone who loves loves the Lord and it's here you are Executive Director for Joel Osteen radio, and Sirius XM one 28 And that if I had to put in at one capsule is not prepared, but just say, Joel Osteen. Yeah, it's about speaking well of yourself and speaking the truth out loud and encouraging yourself kind of like when in the Psalms where David was say, why so downcast on my soul, put your hope in God, you know, to lift yourself up from that place of despair. And just yet, I think it's pretty marvelous that you get to have that association. And I can tell it must be rubbing off because the favor of God is upon you, my friend is, and let me tell this little piece of the I have a personal story. Nashville used to be like my second home, because I had, you know, my clients were there, all the record labels were there. So I was constantly at least monthly going to Nashville, and having lunch with people and making friends and doing business and coming back and there was one section of Tennessee that always felt like and to this day just feels like home, like I'm supposed to be there. And I would get off the busy interstate 40 and take the exit over to Fairview go down 100 and then go to 96 and head on into Franklin and go under the Natchez Trace bridge. And I'd say a mile or two either side of that bridge is that sweet spot for me that just feels like I remember I've looked at at houses along that path. And it just never seemed right. I never felt the release to go but but my friend Chuck here he lives in Fairview, Tennessee, which is I would always get off the beaten path to go through Fairview, which is like this country Burg, and hills and valleys and lots of trees and deer running out in front of you probably at the wrong time at night. But there was a story there in that you told me and how you how that all worked out. And it just seemed like the favor of the Lord when you were telling me that, if that seems appropriate.

Chuck Pryor: 21:53

Yeah, I'm obviously Jolyon radio. And Joel Osteen Ministries is based in Houston, Texas, which is where I had been living when we first started this. And if you've ever been to Houston, Texas, it's a great city, but it's huge, great people, but there's a lot of them. Great food, oh, my goodness, the food and the restaurants are amazing. And from from the very beginning of Joel Olsteen radio, I had always worked from home that was just kind of by design. And it's really just me, and Joel and Victoria. And I get as far as you know, managing all of the radio station and keeping it all together. And so anyway, I was I had always worked from home and I it had just been on my heart to try and get to a place where I can be closer to my family. My dad, my brother, live a few hours east, my mom, and some of my in laws live a few hours to the west kind of Northwest and back up in Illinois. And Nashville kind of puts me right in the middle in just a great proximity, the Nashville area. And I've always like Rick, you know, I've for years, I've always done a lot of business here. So I have a lot of friends, I have a lot of built in relationships in Nashville just seemed like kind of the right the sweet spot. I love Tennessee. As Rick mentioned earlier, I love riding motorcycles. It's a great motorcycle riding area. Because it's just, it's just beautiful. I love I just love the state of Tennessee. And I will I will say kind of what it feels like home. I've only been here a little over a year now. But the way God just opened up a door like, and this is what I love about Joel Olsteen. And he has some detractors. You guys probably all know that. But the funny thing, the thing I always tell people is, if you ever want to know what somebody is really like, either marry them, or you'll work for them, then you really get to know what they're really like. It's really true, at least it at least in my experience. Like it's sometimes some people can seem really, really nice. Then you go work with them or work for them in particular, and then it's like, Ooh, okay, that I mean, we've all experienced that, I think, but with him, what you see on TV and what you hear on the radio and what you hear on the podcast. That is who he is. And he is so gracious. He's a he's just an amazing person. And, and he's also one of the most sincere believers I've ever known in my life. And so I I was a little nervous to go talk to him because I I love doing what I do, but I just felt this, this desire and need to relocate and somehow be closer to family. So I literally had a conversation with him and I said this is what I'm feeling and His answer was, you know what if you need to do that, as long as you can take care of the things that need to be taken care of here, man, go for it. I 100% support it. And I was just No, it was like it was that easy. Why didn't I do this like five years ago, but God's timing is always perfect. And, and so we, my wife, and I just quickly started looking for some property and a place and I kind of wanted to be out of the city a little bit, and something just fell right into our hands. And it just couldn't have happened at a better time. Because the way the crazy housing market is now we just couldn't afford to do it. So

Rick Tarrant: 25:38

you know, everybody I talked to, it's like, I'm trying to buy a house. But as soon as something comes on the market, there's 50 bids or something. It's like, I've never seen anything like this.

Chuck Pryor: 25:46

Yeah. The Nashville area market and Franklin especially, I mean, it's like the median house price market in one in the last year has gone up 40% in Franklin, Tennessee, 40. And

Rick Tarrant: 25:58

I was looking at property and leapers fork 30 years ago.

Chuck Pryor: 26:02

Yeah, well, and, yeah, if he would have done that. You get in good shape.

Rick Tarrant: 26:08

I'd have been living next door to Justin Timberlake. So Yeah,

Chuck Pryor: 26:10

no kidding. Kidding. But you know, I think the point of that whole story is just God's God's timing God's favor, and I said this earlier, a friend of mine said this one time to me and I thought it was an interesting quote, sometimes Favre isn't fair the way he said it is. Cuz I asked him, I said, Man, how do you get to that place? And do they goes Chuck Favre ain't fair. That's exactly how he said it. And I thought, that's kind of true. And, and I, I'm so grateful and so thankful. And I'm thankful for my built this little small studio outside of my house, I still work from home. And love, love that I get to get to work from home I, I do most of my stuff remote. I will be going to Houston this week to do some things with with the church. But for the most part, I'm I'm just out here, loving life in the country in the coyotes,

Rick Tarrant: 27:07

I am so envious. In fact, we had a power outage here in Memphis about a week or so ago. And so I finally got, we were literally freezing as we are out of here. So after the after our live zoom and podcast recording docos did let's get in the car and drive south. Where are we going? I don't know. We're just going south till we can find some some heating and electricity. But as that were, as we were driving through the the fields of Mississippi, I just told her, I said, you know, as soon as I left the city limits, I immediately just felt at peace. And as we were driving back, I said, I just you know, I don't want to live in Mississippi necessarily, but I do feel more at home in a more rural setting. And she was like, yeah, one of us is going to acquiesce, have to acquiesce on the next home that we move to. And I said, Well, you know, you have been living inside the loop here for like 12 years. So you know, it might be my turn. So hey, maybe, maybe, maybe I'll be I'll join you out there in the in the hills of Amman over neighbor. There too. Yeah, I'd like to borrow a cup of internet for for an hour. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that's a whole nother that would be a geeky conversation of how in the world do you get enough internet to be able to hook Fair, fair view with Houston with New York? And it actually sounds like you're in the same room. But I do have to two questions. The first one is does have to do with detractors. And then the other one is about speaking over your life and what you've learned from job but just in your association, but one of my buttons and someone said if you've if someone pushed your buttons, that means you've got buttons yet means there's an area you need to work on one of my buttons is when what I call religious people, attack your boss, my boss, you know, my client, and I really my button got pushed up over something I saw on Twitter, and I won't even I won't even quote it but it's like Joel had just said this, you know, an encouraging thing about how God has for us. And then someone says, yeah, so says the man who you know, drives this and it was that I was just wondering, is there a corporate policy for dealing with detractors or is it just he is such a healthy part and you are that it doesn't bother you? Or do you just ignore it? And my wife said you know, some of those are actually bots Rick they're designed to put flame throwers out there in the marketplace just to tick you off and boy, anyway, just don't want to go deeper if there's nothing there but I am curious, how do you navigate that? Keep up your heart.

Chuck Pryor: 29:44

Yeah, the the biggest thing is not responding. Right. Like like, let me let me back up just a little bit. As far as corporate policy for Joel Osteen radio now there's really isn't one I do handle the social media handles for Joel Osteen radio. So Joel Osteen radios a little bit separate from Joel Oosting ministries, just technically and backend stuff. And so I don't know, I don't work for the ministry. I work for Joel,

Rick Tarrant: 30:15

personally. There's the church then there's the publishing arm the business side of things.

Chuck Pryor: 30:19

Yeah, exactly, exactly. And so I don't handle the Joel Olsteen account that way. He's got, I don't know, 10 million followers on on Twitter. I think he's just crazy. Maybe not that but a lot, millions. And so there's a bit yeah, between Facebook and Twitter and some but I do handle the Joel Osteen radio, Twitter and Instagram accounts, I populate those and I monitor them. The only thing that I do, and this wasn't necessarily request from Joel is just something that I've just done. If I just see a hate comment, or hateful comment, I just delete it. And, and, you know, most of the time blocking, especially if it's vulgar, it doesn't happen a lot, but it does on occasion, and it just I just blocked them. But But here's what I want to focus on. Joel's Joel has an uncanny ability to rise above the the hate. And I don't know that I could do what he did. Like, I'd be in a corner crying somewhere. If somebody if somebody wrote on Twitter, some of the things, you know, like that about me, but, but he has an uncanny ability. And I asked him about it one time, and I said, How do you do that? How do you compartmentalize it? He goes, Chuck, I just have to focus on what God has called me to do. And as long as I'm doing as faithfully as I can, what God has called me to do, I can't worry about it. So when you hear him in a message, talk about don't believe, you know, don't believe the negative voices. You know, believe what God says about you. Like, like, he lives it. And I thought the greatest compliment I ever heard about Joel in particular came from Victoria. And she said this, maybe within the last year, she said this on a live broadcast. She said, I've been married, they've been married for 32 years, or somewhere around in there. She said, I have never heard Joel speak a negative thing about another person in our entire married life. And I was like, come on, she goes on. She goes, I can't say that about myself. But she said, I can't say that about him. And so I thought, wow, that's that's pretty amazing. And I think God has just given him just a unique, humble spirit, and somehow given him the strength to just get beyond. Because for, you know, there are those detractors, but there are millions and millions and millions and millions of people that have been impacted by the ministry that he and Victoria have been a part of, for so many years, including myself. And I was on a you know, we were on a live show yesterday. And even I walk away from those shows encouraged and I'm, I'm the host, you know, I'm on the air. And so I just walk away and I hear the stories about the impact that the ministry has. And then I see how Joel responds to those. And, you know, like I said, when when you work closely with somebody, you really get a peek behind the curtain. And I can I'm, I couldn't do this if it weren't true, honestly. Sure. Well, but when you peek behind the curtain, what you see is just really good.

Rick Tarrant: 33:41

You know, there's so many things coming to the forefront of my mind. But when you when you said what Victoria said that she's never heard him say a negative thing about anybody. I only know one other person like that. And he's the gentleman that came along. Actually, he was our first guest this month, as we started pursuing wisdom. And he helped us create something called the renew your mind masters class, and he's a best selling author. He's sold like 10 million books. In his day. He used to write for Focus on the Family and stuff, but his name is Rick Osborne. And the Lord took him through a 10 year period, literally in the wilderness of British Columbia, and in a small Burg. And he said, The Lord taught him and renewed his mind in the process. And he said, he walks in such a way where he carries the mind of Christ. You know, he says, We are all predestined to be conformed into the image of Christ, that He feels like he knows what the Lord's thinking and the Lord's not. If the Lord ain't trash talking, nobody. He's not either. You don't say that away. But But Rick Osborn is the only other person that I've ever heard anybody even say that about No, I don't have a negative thought about other people. So why would I Why would I speak anything like that? And recently there was a I think I texted you one day and said Your boss is prophesying to me today. And I was listening to a message called the blessing. And I heard like the last 10 minutes of it. Well, I hopped in the truck a couple of days ago. And actually, I have my Sirius, I listened to one channel. I got 128 channels, I got one that I listened to mostly. And that's, that's your channel. And I got to hear the blessing message from the beginning. And it was all about the power of a father, blessing his children. And I remember the story of Christine, I used to watch Joel's dad every Sunday night on set, it was satellite television, Direct TV, I think. And we would watch Lakewood Church when it was a much smaller church, by the way, but we were fans of of John hosting. And just to hear Joel talk about the way his daddy would brag on him. And just, you know, say he was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I have to think that is a big part of why he is powerful in this. He didn't have all the heart wounds, perhaps to begin with to get over like some of us keep lugging around like a 50 pound anvil behind our you know, we got this big suitcase, this trunk full of baggage. And it seems like he got the blessing from his father. So he didn't enter onto the stage with all that garbage.

Chuck Pryor: 36:17

Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And I never got to meet John. He had passed before I was connected with the church, but because long before Joel Osteen radio, I was actually part of Lakewood Church. When I moved to Houston in 2005, to be part of ksbj, and a program there. That was my first assignment at ksbj was to actually go to the old Compaq center, and cut and do a live broadcast from the grand opening of Lakewood Church.

Rick Tarrant: 36:49

So wow, you're there on day one.

Chuck Pryor: 36:51

I was there on day one. That's extreme. And but I was there on behalf of ksbj. Doing doing a live broadcast and, and when I look back, and just kind of look and see how God connected all the dots and stuff. It's just It's pretty amazing. But unfortunately, I never got to see or meet John. And Joel was the pastor at that point for Mitt six years, maybe. So I think he started in 1999 as the pastor, so this is 2005. And, and yeah, it was, it was a pretty amazing experience. But I've seen Joel, carry that on, you are correct. John was that kind of guy, his mother, she's still alive and healthy at 87, I believe. And she's, she's the same way. The interesting thing is, and Joel shares a story about his father a lot. His father grew up in pretty extreme poverty, like really extreme poverty, what we call here and for you, there were very poor, John's parents. So his grandparents, and they were not believers. And they really, John got saved at 17. And they really, you know, they were cotton farmers. And like, John, that's, they were cotton farmers. That's all we do. You can't go out and be a preacher. But he got radically say when he was a young man at 17. And he made a determination, the Joel Joel, I'm, I'm sort of interpreting Joel's story the way he tells it, but he gets saved at 17 and just is determined that he's not going to live in poverty, and he doesn't want his kids to live in poverty. And, and, you know, so I don't know how many years later and he's pastoring you know, big huge Church in Houston. And, and all of that blessing, he never got that blessing. This, I guess this was kind of the point I was trying to make is the blessing can start with you, you know, even if you didn't get the blessing, and that's what John did. He started that and now I see Joel and Victoria do that with their children. That blessing is being passed on to Jonathan and Alexandria and and I'm sure it will be passed on to their children. So it is it is interesting, but I love that John was the one that said I didn't get it, but but I'm gonna make it happen. And, and, and you you think about the impact that that one man and that one decision. Yeah, so many years ago made, it's pretty, pretty substantial.

Rick Tarrant: 39:23

Well, and so indirectly, John O'Steen has is mentoring me because through that message this weekend, when my grandsons came over, I was telling my son after hearing that message, I said, I just been kind of laying my hands on the boys this weekend, not speaking anything but just you could just kind of lay in my hand on their heads. And before they left he said, Okay, boys line up. Pop's is gonna give us a blessing. And so he's lined him up and started and just one by one. I just put my hands on him and I said, The Word says you are mighty in the land. You are a mighty child of God. You are strong, you are powerful and when I got to my my littlest one, his name is Abel. I said, Abel, you are strong, I am strong, you are mighty, I am mighty, you are able, I am able, because that's his name. Anyway, as he was running out to the truck, he yelled something back to me. And my son said, he said, Pops, thanks for saying those things to me. That's four years old. And it just even now it's melts my heart. And I didn't have that. And I was gonna ask you, did you have that? And was there in? Even in your Christian journey? Did you have to get your heart healed? And and how did the speaking the Word? Was it when you became associated with Joel? Or was the Lord taking you through this discipleship before then?

Chuck Pryor: 40:43

Well, I didn't grow up in a home like, like, say Joel did, right. Like my parents. We didn't go to church. We didn't we went on Christmas and Easter. We did. We did do that. Yeah. So I didn't really grow up in a Christian home. And you know, in Junior High in high school, I got into, you know, all the party stuff, and, you know, whatever. But like I said, I got radically converted at my senior year in high school. And it was, it was a pretty big transformation. In fact, the the rumor was, it was such a turn of events. The rumor from all my party friends was Chuck took a bad acid trip, and you know, so and he's now like, gone crazy or something. But you know, here we are, what, 40 years later? Is it been that long, you became a Jesus freak? Yeah, yeah, exactly. 41 years later. And I guess, I guess I'm still crazy. But, but no, I, so I didn't really have that kind of fatherly blessing, I have a great dad, and we still get along great and whatever, but, but it just wasn't our family. That wasn't who we were. But But I will say one of the things that I have learned, you know, being part of this radio channel, and just being with Joel and Victoria, is is how important words are. And, and the speaking of words, like, like, you know, for me, I beat myself up pretty well, if I don't do right, right, like I, like, I can't believe I'm so stupid. I just, you know, that's my nature I tend to gravitate toward. And I have to, I have to redirect. And candidly, I've learned a lot of that from Joel. And so if I do something that I'm just beating myself up over, I might just turn it a little bit, and then just say, Lord, I hate that I did that. But I'm glad, I'm thankful that you're gonna give me the strength to do better today. Or I'm thank you for the blessing in spite of, you know, some of my bad decisions or whatever. And so our words really are powerful. And, and they always start in your mind. And, and because sometimes I'll kind of be beating myself up in my mind and sort of faking myself out because I'm not saying them out loud. And so I almost have to almost have to make myself say them out loud. And, and hopefully help those get down into my spirit and into my heart a little bit better. So, but I have learned a lot of that from him, for sure.

Rick Tarrant: 43:19

That is the renewing your mind process. And as I as I listened to Joel, and I think of my friend, Rick Osborn. That's what he ends, I think what you're describing is when you decide not to speak those thoughts, you're putting off the old man that still wants to come in and whisper into your ear, and you're putting on Jesus, right? That's kind of like taking off the the old, the old hoodie and putting on the new robe of righteousness, if you if you will, it's that it's that process. Man, I could I could. And there's so many things I'd love to talk to you and ask you about. But I do really want to see if there's anyone in our zoom family and our A WA affirming words of abundance family that might have a question for Chuck. And if you do, just raise your electronic hand so that I can so that I can see what's going on. And if not, that's okay, too, because I could ask Chuck questions for days. But the, you know, let me just read something while while somebody is deciding, because I know Danny Cosby has a question for you. But I was reading in Psalm 92 This morning, and I've got a book by Eugene Peterson about praying the Psalms. And so I was just praying Psalms out loud this morning. And you know, you can just start with it is good to give thanks to the Lord and to sing praises to your name almost Hi. To declare, oh, wait a minute. Where have I heard that word? Oh, I hear Mr. O'Steen all the time saying I declare. It knows. I declare Yeah, well that's where that comes from, from Psalm 92. To declare your loving kindness in the morning and your faithfulness every night and and what really ministered to me this morning was those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish. In the courts of our God, they shall still bear fruit in old age. Thank you, Jesus. There's they shall be fresh and flourishing. To declare there's that word again that the Lord is upright. He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. So you could just few little declarations declarations this morning. So, um, well, I don't see Danny raising his hands so well, but I do see he's unmuted so, Chuck, I want you to meet Danny Cosby and amazing vocalists here in Memphis, Tennessee. And Danny, I figured something Chuck said might have resonated with you. That's why I thought I'd put you on put you on the spot.

Danny Cosby: 45:47

Yes, thanks, Rick. And, gosh, I kind of hate that I'm always talking so much. I tried to be a fly on the wall. But then I ended up flying off the wall and talking for 30 minutes. But uh, Chuck, I love you, man. I know. I don't know. Yeah, I got my video off. I'm driving through Mississippi. And I hope that I don't cut out. But all I want to say, I don't know how often you talk to Joe. But man, I was right there. In the same place you were at where I kind of had just a low sense of self worth. And to make a long story short, I was incarcerated for four years. In my third year in prison, I was in Mississippi and I had gotten a hold of one of Joe's Your Best Life Now books. And I literally took several pieces of paper and I would write down every I am statement every encouraging statement that he had in that book and in jail. You don't have glue. So I use toothpaste and I would glue all of the pieces of paper of the if statements on the bottom bunk where I lay down, and I had enough to go from head to waste time. Then I turned around and did it to the other side where my feet were. And so I would just sit there and read out loud all of these Joe loss things scripture power statements. And it took me about an hour to do the first half and a second hour the SEC. I mean, you're in prison, you don't have time to do anything else, right? Might as well. And I told my my roommate, if you will my the inmate guy that slept on top, I said you want me to wait until they let us go into the main pod before I do this? And he said no, Cosby read it, I need it. And man, I'm gonna tell you, there's just something about the positive word of God kind of weaved in with how Joel would say what like, you know, I can do all things through Christ. And then he would say, I'm people like me, I have, I have talent, I'm talented, I'm driven, I'm motivated. I'm a life changer. I'm the head and not the tail. And I would just start saying that. And that was in 2008. And literally, I believe that the the encouragement and the positive perspective he gave me that the Lord used him to give me is still riding with me now and 2022. So if you see him, just tell him an old prisoner in Memphis that got out of prison, his stuff made a big difference. And I'm grateful.

Chuck Pryor: 48:18

Man, Danny, thank you. I will tell him that and it will be an encouragement to him. So thank you, thank you for for sharing. And thank thanks for falling off the wall. And sharing your words. I appreciate it. Yeah, there's that it's interesting how it's not the first time I've heard that story about someone being incarcerated, and getting a copy of that book. In fact, within the last couple of weeks, I heard this a very similar story from from someone who was incarcerated, and I don't know, it was maybe 15 years ago. Same thing and got those. So yeah, words are powerful. And it's interesting that, you know, even in 2022 Joel speaks that blessing over the church at every service. Like they, he he literally makes that declaration, that word that you used just a second ago, I declare and literally speaks that there is something powerful about that kind of blessing and that kind of declaration. And, and making it out loud, I think makes it even more powerful. And Danny, I thought it was cool that you put all that up on the wall while you're incarcerated. And you're speaking those words, because that's that's getting down in your spirit. I mean, it is it may not always feel like it but it is getting down in your spirit. Just like the negative words do. And so man, that's, that's awesome. I will definitely be sure and tell him that.

Danny Cosby: 49:51

And I appreciate that. Yeah, you're right. The negative was so prevalent in prison and it's amazing the power of the positive spoken word, especially the Word of God. Love You, Man, thanks for what you do. Thank you, brother.

Rick Tarrant: 50:02

You know, I've heard it said, and I don't remember the exact figure, but that every time we encounter something negative in our life, that it takes exponentially many more positive reinforcements to ever overcome that. And I often think, you know, in my life, some of my, my very first memory of me being alive involves pain. You know, and I would have to say, in my life, far more good things have happened to me. And yet, some of the things that just rise immediately to the top, were, you know, the stepping on the thumbtack when I was a two year old, or, you know, some other bad thing that might have happened to me, or a business failure, or a betrayal or this in fact, Joel, I often feel like he's calling me out. He says, maybe you've experienced a betrayal, you've experienced a business loss, you've experienced failure, God is saying, Come on, come on up, you know, if and there was a time and I've told you this, Chuck, there was a season when I was so down, and in such despair, that I would go out on walks and when podcasts were brand new, had a little look about the size of a stick of gum, and little iPod, you know, was about three inches long, not even that and would listen to Joel's podcast. And I can remember walking through the campus of the University of Memphis, sunny day, beautiful birds are singing, I've got Joel saying, This is gonna be your best year yet. And I was just like, man, maybe for you, maybe for somebody else, but it's just not my season. You know, I just couldn't receive it because of something we were reading today in Proverbs 15. When your spirit is crushed, and I was reading this an exodus the other day after the Israelites can't work came out. And we're actually no, they're still in Egypt by believing God has told Moses to go tell them, I'm gonna bring you out. It says they didn't believe it. They couldn't receive it, because their spirits were crushed. And I'm saying yeah, 400 years of slavery, let's cut them some slack here. When you when your spirit has been crushed, it's hard to receive this, I feel like what Joel is doing for us and and you too, you are facilitating this, you know, by with your interaction between them. And Sirius XM, is helping those of us who have been crushed, or who have been downtrodden. Just to remember, we're not disqualified. And that has been our theme this month. We are not disqualified because of something. A poor decision we made or something somebody else did you know that we don't have to wear the victim cloak. We can. But it doesn't happen with a snap of your fingers, you know, takes more than just hearing. You know, a well dressed man with beautiful hair and beautiful teeth, telling me that it's gonna be my best year yet. Have good hair. I will. I am very jealous of his hair. So well Leilani has her hand raised up in Colorado. And this may be I think, then I'll have to let my friend go. So make make this a good one. Leilani.

Unknown: 53:11

Thanks. I met him, Joel. And what year was it when Katrina hit? And

Chuck Pryor: 53:20

is actually 2005. I remember well, because that's the year I moved to Houston.

Rick Tarrant: 53:25

And I was working. I was working at Sirius radio when that hit that in 2005. So yeah, he is correct.

Unknown: 53:32

I was working at the Astrodome with the Red Cross. And I had come in from a I was inside the building. And I'd come in from a side corridor and you, he comes in, he's all by himself. Everybody that came in would bring, you know, movie stars, whatever, would bring their handlers. And sometimes they had movie crews. Don't came in all by himself. There was nobody else in the hallway. And I just came up alongside of him. And I said, it was Sunday. And I said, I almost went to your church today. But I couldn't get a ride. And I said, so I went to fourth press. And he says, Well, that's an awesome church. And then he says, How's it going? Inside the Astrodome? And so we talked a little bit, but I mean, it's just so unassuming, just very kind very, you know, it was just the two of us and we were heading toward the inside of the Astrodome. And I kind of watched him a little bit. And he would just go up to people and pray over them. It was pretty, it was, it was great. And then in 2018 Things started unraveling for me in a really big way and had to travel up and down this mountain road and The only thing I could get that was Christian was Joel Olsteen. But even though I didn't have thoughts in my head that yes, this could happen to me. Or no, this is not going to happen to me. It was going in. And then I was driving 13 hours from California to Colorado to make the moves. And it was Joel Olsteen. On The Radio One, one sermon after others, like, I just couldn't get enough of it. So

Rick Tarrant: 55:35

I think we just lost a little money. So yeah, and that voice you hear is enjoying an outro. And Joel and telling you what message you're about to hear is our friend. Chuck, I might have said that earlier on. So

Chuck Pryor: 55:51

I said it's the tail end of that. I missed the tail end of that. But yeah, that I was actually there to at the Astrodome. I was there on behalf of ksbj during that time, though, but it was it was a devastating con. But one of the things I do know is Lakewood Church and Lakewood Josey ministries does a lot for the city of Houston. And, you know, it's it's, most of it is never seen. And so it's it's pretty, pretty amazing what they do.

Rick Tarrant: 56:24

Well, Chuck, I have kept you just about an hour. And I promised that I would not take you over the top of the hour because you know, his radio guys, we kind of pay attention to the top of the hour. Not that it matters in a podcast, but we you're a busy man, you've got things to do. And but I was just first of all, thank you for coming on and doing this. Thank you for interacting with our friends in the affirming words of abundance familia over in, in zoom land. But before I let you go, I'm gonna put you on the hook here. And some of this osmosis from from this O'Steen osmosis, you know, may have rubbed off on you. So do you have a word for us? And our listeners who may be listening now or in the future? And would you pray us out with with a blessing?

Chuck Pryor: 57:14

Yeah, I certainly will pray I guess the only, you know, we've spent an hour encouraging each other. And I just think I think this is a great platform. It's one of the beautiful things that the technology that we have today to be able to do this when I was a kid watching the Jetsons I was like, wow, that would be kind of cool. But here we are living and having this ability and representing you know, more than one country in this broadcast, too. So. But I would just encourage you all to keep encouraging each other, right? Like, I feel like this is what we need more than anything right now. The world is going crazy. Nothing you just, I've read, you know, I open up my news app and I read Dear god, this the world has gone mad. The only hope we have is the hope we have in Jesus. That's it. And I don't know what the world is going to look like in another year. I don't think any of us two years ago would have ever guessed. We'd gone through you know. So keeping encouraging each other. Keep speaking those words of truth to yourself and to others. And I'm happy to pray. Father, thank You for my old friends and new friends today that I've had a chance to meet Father, I just I do speak that blessing, a blessing of hope and encouragement, wisdom. Father, I just pray that in each of their lives, you know where they are, what their needs are, what their struggles are. And I pray that you would give them the courage and strength to continue to trust you in all of that. Father speak blessing over this group of friends in Jesus name. Amen.

Rick Tarrant: 58:56

Well, thank you again, Chuck. And if we want to how do we how do we find the channel? How do we find Twitter feeds and all that I'm sure it's probably just a Google search away. But

Chuck Pryor: 59:07

yeah, Instagram and Twitter are at Joel Olsteen radio pretty easy. Obviously, the the channel is on Sirius XM, and that is a subscription based, you know, radio, but I listen on the app more than anything, but yeah, it's available there. And of course, Joel's messages are available through every major podcast platform as well. If you want to take them that way. You won't hear my voice on the those versions, but you might hear Rick's anyway, it's so nice to meet you all. Thank you. I appreciate you having me.

Rick Tarrant: 59:48

Well, I and for those listening. If you'd like to learn more about this fun family we have here just go to affirming wisdom.com and learn learn more about what we're about. and I will leave you with this speak the word renew your mind and transform your life join us tomorrow