Proverbs 22 - Rob Dempsey HIS Radio

Show intro: 0:02

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: 0:12

Well, hey there hi there. Whoa, there you are as welcome as can be. And no, it's not the Mickey Mouse Club. Although I, I can be rather Mickey Mouse at times. So it's, it's Rick in Memphis. And it's been the rain has been coming down in sheets on this February morning, as we record this before some of our friends in this zoom audience. So before I get in too much trouble. Rob, I'm going to pray. Father, thank You for our time together, I thank you for the words that you have hidden in our hearts, and that you've designed to come out of our mouths. I thank You, Lord, for renewing our minds, so that we can become more like you, and less like the old man. So help us Lord today put off the old man to put on the new man, and to walk in your liberty. And we just pray that whoever is supposed to hear this at whatever point in time be that today live, at a remote, distant location in time, we just hope that what is supposed to be heard, will be heard at the right time. In Jesus name. Amen. Well, my friend today is Rob Dempsey from his radio and I'll just come on real quick Rob. Say hi, before I play this introduction video, which I think will kind of set the stage for us

Rob Dempsey: 1:23

Yeah, hello. And I love that today is such a cool day because the day that we're doing this live is February 2 20, to 22 February 2 February 22 22. So that's that whole 2 2 2 2 2 thing that's going on?

Rick Tarrant: 1:39

Yes, so I call it happy deuces wild day, so I don't know. For any of y'all who whose grandmothers wouldn't let you play cards I apologize. So but anyway. So Rob is Operations Manager in addition to doing a morning show it at HIS radio, you might see the logo in his background course if you're listening on podcast that's just go check out the YouTube channel Alright, even though it's probably a mess and a disaster you know, it's like we're not too fancy around here. Now Rob, though he has got a fancy set on. I'm loving the electric guitars and the license plates and the end to shore SM seven B microphone but before I get off into radio doesn't A? I do I am kind of a microphone nerd. So yeah, before I get off into nerds Ville, I wanted to play this video of Rob that I found on on YouTube and just share that with you real real briefly.

Rob Dempsey: 2:40

I'm standing in line for the board. It was a new rollercoaster at the time at a theme park in the Carolinas. It's the type of ride that gives you the sensation that you're flying like Superman. Well, my daughter was nine at the time and we stood in 100 degree weather for two hours. We laid down in the car and I couldn't buckle in. Three workers welled up on top of me trying to strap me in when Amanda's little hand grabbed mine and said, Daddy, it's okay. We don't need to go on this ride. That day was a game changer for me. I was hypertensive verge of diabetes cholesterol was shot, and I was well over 300 pounds. My youngest at the time was three. And if I was going to be around for Spencer's kids, something had to change. Good morning. It is 558 ROBYN Kristen hears stories of I told my story on my morning show and went to the YMCA to look for help. I knew quickly I needed some kind of accountability. So we came up with Rob's big losers. January 2005 16. Listeners join me at a 12 week journey to gain a healthy lifestyle. And in the process of a year and a half. I lost 140 pounds and completed a half and a full marathon. Since then, I've completed seven full marathons 10 half marathons, eight triathlons, countless many five K's and 10 k's and cycled halfway across the country twice. I now average like four 100 Miles cycling events a year. And since 2006, my cycling has helped raise over $2.5 million for charities. I'm so grateful that God has given me yet a third chance at life. The second was when I was a reckless alcoholic and drug using teenagers so far gone that my mother kicked me to the streets of Tampa Bay, Florida. I had no address. At first some friends parents took me and I slept on their couch. And then the streets. There are nights I had to scrounge for something to eat. One night while listening to a Christian radio station on a Walkman I found in a dumpster. I prayed a prayer with a DJ and became a Christ follower. God amazes me. He gives you the strength to overcome and achieve no matter what the addiction or challenge in life. You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength

Rick Tarrant: 5:00

Amen and Amen. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Rob Dempsey. To our affirming words of abundance stage. Yes, you can unmute and make just a little bit of Racket, but you know okay. No, no, no, we got it. You've had your turn. I've got to learn how to do this technology live, Ron. So I missed the days of radio station control rooms where every button did one thing, right, and you knew what button hit. And now when you got laptops and computers and zooms, and it's like, I've been on a quest this whole last year for a one button solution. And every time I think I found the one button is like, oh, no, you need another button. So that's called the easy button. I'm looking for the easy button, you can buy one at Staples. But but you know, the, you know, the one thing I have discovered this year, is that I have buttons. And sometimes people push my buttons. Oh, so and and now I have learned that oh that means you got a button. And that needs to be healed. So that's just a section of my heart that still hasn't quite been illuminated fully with the love of Jesus, shall we say? Totally get that your story before we I want us to jump into proverbs 22 Before we get too deep into it, because I'd like that to be the foundation. But just just a heads up a probably where we may go in the conversation is just how do you navigate out of some of the treacherous waters of life. And when you have gotten to that point where you just feel like giving up, you know, how do we how do we hang on and what role does the word play? So I the reason I set that up is because I'll get off to talking and I'll forget Rob so nobody let me forget where the direction but shall we jump into? Proverbs 22. Absolutely. Because I can't wait to hear your your dulcet and melodious tones.

Rob Dempsey: 6:56

Listen, when when when I was listening to that radio station so many years ago, this was the the late 80s. Rick's voice was on that radio station, I would hear him constantly say, Christ is everything. WCIE. So for me, this is kind of a surreal, cool honor to be able to read alongside Rick, in Proverbs 22. This is this is really just blowing my mind today.

Rick Tarrant: 7:24

I don't even know what to say, you know, because as you say that and I look back over again, heart wounds and things can keep you from realizing your full potential is like I just some dumb kid who wanted to do this thing. You know. I never forget when I ran the idea by my friend Tom Dooley. And I said, Tom, I want to do these promos for Christian radio stations. And I'll never forget what he said we were on the telephone. He said, Brother in his nice beautiful voice, brothers. Is there a market for that? And I'm like, golly, gee whiz, while he I don't know. But it's just something I want to do. So we did and you were one of our first clients well, and

Rob Dempsey: 8:03

you did it so well. And I would hear your voice and just bring it would literally bring me closer to Jesus because I would be listening on the streets. And here you are just saying something simple. Christ is everything. 91.1 WCIE it was followed by a jingle and and you were there. And so,

Rick Tarrant: 8:21

so many, so many amazing things to that story, which we'll get into after we read through proverbs 22. But the fact that you found a Walkman with a radio tuner with a battery, and there must have been an airbud or headphone to go along with it is like what I talked about? I mean, talk about it. I mean, that's better than buying a, a day old French fry any day. So we'll talk about that. But let's jump into proverbs 22. We're doing the NLT I believe you said yes. And how about you do three I'll do three and we'll just ping pong back and forth that works

Rob Dempsey: 8:53

very well. And what a fitting day for doing Proverbs Chapter 22 On today. A good name is more desirable than great riches, to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. Rich and poor have this in common. The Lord is the maker of the mall, the prudency danger and take refuge but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.

Rick Tarrant: 9:18

true humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor and long life. corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road, whoever values life will avoid it. Direct your children into the right path. And when they are older, they will not leave it

Rob Dempsey: 9:35

Verse seven the rich rule over the poor and the borrower is a slave to the lender. Whoever sews and justice reaps calamity and the rod they wield his fury in well broken. The generous will themselves be blessed for they share their food with the poor.

Rick Tarrant: 9:56

Verse 10 Throw out the mocker and fighting goes to quarrels and insults will disappear. Whoever loves a pure heart and gracious speech will have the king as a friend. The Lord preserves those with knowledge, but he ruins the plans of the treacherous.

Rob Dempsey: 10:14

The sluggard says there's a lion outside, I'll be killed in the public square. The mouth of the adulterous woman is in a deep pit. A man who is under the Lord's wrath falls into it. Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.

Rick Tarrant: 10:35

A person who gets ahead by oppressing the poor or by showering gifts on the rich will end in poverty. Listen to the words of the wise apply your heart to my instruction, for it is good to keep these sayings in your heart and always ready on your lips,

Rob Dempsey: 10:52

so that your trust may be in the Lord. I teach you today, even you I have not written 30 sayings for you sayings of counsel and knowledge, teaching you to be honest, and to speak the truth so that you bring back truthful reports to those you serve.

Rick Tarrant: 11:12

Don't rob the poor just because you can or exploit the needy in court. For the Lord is their defender, he will ruin anyone who runs them. Don't be friend, angry people or associate with hot tempered people and I'll keep the thought going here, or you will learn to be like them and endanger your soul.

Rob Dempsey: 11:32

Do not be the one who shakes hands in pledge but puts up security or debts. If you lack the means to pay. Your very bed will be snatched from under you do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your ancestors.

Rick Tarrant: 11:52

Do you see any truly competent workers, they will serve kings rather than working for ordinary people? I love that verse. That was the one that jumped out in the New King James this morning for me. Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings he will not stand before unknown men. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Well, Rob MC, thank you for joining me and then And okay, so I guess before we say what jumps off the page, I got to hear a little bit about finding the Walkman and the dumpster and you mentioned a particular disc jockey who I remember. Do. I remember those days Stewart? Yeah, I remember when he was just starting out. And he had all these, you know, he had dreams of being on the station where Mason Lee Dixon was the DJ over in, in Tampa, Florida radio. And, you know, we could wait to get into, you know, baseball talk here. But Mason Lee Dixon, who was very popular in Tampa for so many years, probably only recently retired, I'm guessing. And I'm sure you heard him as a young man growing up. When I came to Memphis, my first night on the air at wh BBQ was Mason Lee Dixon's last night on the air. So here I was in the back of the small control room while he's, you know, doing his rock and roll deal. And it was just such an exciting, invigorating time to be in radio, you know, top 40 radio and all that. But then I often it's a very myopic business, as you know. And I very seldom thought about who was on the other side of that radio, it never occurred to me that there were people like you diving through dumpsters who might find a transistor radio looking for a meal. And so a bit of Beck's backstory on that, how did we go from teenager living under a bridge to operations manager and hosting a health radio show that really

Rob Dempsey: 13:47

is nothing but God when you think about it, right? I mean, that's just crazy that I get to do what I do today because it's, I'm a product of what we are in Christian radio, you know, and it's the sister station to the station that started it all back in the day, WC ie out of Lakeland, Florida. It's now on two different frequencies throughout Tampa Bay. I'm very connected because we're sister stations. So I'm actually working for the people who made such an impact in my life, which is so crazy. I had a really bad childhood had a stepfather that abused me. I was really messed up. So by the time I was a teenager, and this man was long gone, my my mom did wind up leaving him but I had a stepbrother. I was a messed up kid. My mom didn't know anything else to do but just kicked me out of the house. I'm 16 kicked me out of the house. It was my birthday. It was it was crazy. Well, so I went to a friend's house and their mom let me sleep on the couch that didn't last too long. And you imagine your friend has their their friend over there and he was into all this junk and bring it into their own home so they eventually tried to find a place for me to go I was in a man's garage for a While that didn't last too long, because I didn't know how to live life, I didn't know how to do a budget, I should be a teenager in school. And I and I missed out. In my sophomore, in my junior and senior year, I'm in the streets as a teenager as a kid. So you learn how to survive. There are ways that I could score a high with no problem. There are things that I will not mention that was done to make that possible. When you're hungry back in the day, at the end of the day, restaurants threw away a lot of good food, you could find a decent meal, you know, maybe it's half picked through, but I didn't care. I was hungry. And there was one night as Rick is mentioned that I found one of those Sony Walkman, you're used to these things, right? It's the precursor to the smartphone where you can listen to everything on and if if you know if you're over 40 You probably remember what a Sony Walkman is it had I still have what actually you do. Oh, that's so crazy. I don't I wish I had one. I had an app that showed it on here. So I pretend like I still had one. But so you put a cassette in it had these big clunky buttons on the top of it and had a little rotator thing that would dial in radio stations. It was not a digital display. There was all that. And it was tuned to the station called WCIE, where Christ is everything where I heard Rick Tarrant's voice.

Rick Tarrant: 16:25

I saw those call letters many times over the years. Yeah, oh, my word.

Rob Dempsey: 16:28

And a legendary station still exists today, still impacting lives. And because of that, I will back up that I tried to be a part of a youth group. They didn't know how to handle me. They did introduce me to the station and Christian music and I knew of Petra and other groups they're on back in the day see

Rick Tarrant: 16:49

DeGarmo and key would have been up your band. We had Eddie DeGarmo on just a few days ago.

Rob Dempsey: 16:55

Did you really? Oh, that is so crazy. So so crazy. When Dana key was around, this is a group way back when if you're not familiar with Christian music back in the 80s, but let me tell you that was that was an impactful time, especially for me that would hear about first love, and I would hear more power to you. And I mean, all these songs, that just resonated in my heart. So I was familiar with that station. I'm like, I know this station listening to this Walkman. And here's this guy in the middle of the night, named Dave Stewart. Rick just mentioned him, you know, as we were getting ready for this, this event here. And that guy was it seemed like he was talking to me, he would tell me that Jesus loved me that he cared for me. He said one time. And this, I still hear his voice say that. And it was like he was saying my name, but he didn't. But it was like, Rob, if you were ever the only person to walk on the face of the earth, God still would have sent Jesus to die for you on the cross. Like, really? Come on. He does this thing called the sinners prayer. And I prayed and I meant it in my heart. And so things didn't like snap immediately. I wasn't off the streets immediately, I was still going through the junk that I was going through, but slowly and surely, I got off the streets. And I was a part of a little home Bible study. And these people start to help raise me up and I wanted to, I'm like, I want to do what that guy does on the radio that Dave Stewart guy, God, if you'd let me, please. And so God led me to this volunteer station that played southern gospel music and they let me do an hour of contemporary music that I heard on WCIE. He shot guy there. Jerry Morse, it was the general manager. He said, you're kind of a natural at this thing. Well, you try working at WCIE. I'm like, right? Come on. Then. Then he said, but you know, they have a sister station down in Sarasota, Florida. WJ is, won't you try there? Put a little tape together. Joy. Rico. That's right. Joy FM. And they're still on the air. They have the call letters now. WCIE. So it's kind of cool how they are, you know, together. So I went ahead and I gave my tape over there. And I was hired on here's the thing. This is Oh, this gives me goosebumps. I was hired on Easter Sunday. 1988 To do a Sunday shift. That was the first thing I did. I was born Easter Sunday. 1967. Wow, is that not confirmation or what? Yeah, you know, wow. That's that's just that blows me away. So that's it in a nutshell. That's how I got started.

Rick Tarrant: 19:33

So did you ever meet Dave Stewart?

Rob Dempsey: 19:35

Yes, So I reached out to him and actually Jim Campbell, who started the radio station, you know, back in the day and now has the radio training network who has WC ie the joy FM, his radio, we have a station in Augusta. We have Springfield, Missouri and Alabama and Atlanta and some other places now. It's really grown since that day in Lakeland, Florida, and Sarasota, Florida. And so Jim got me in touch with Dave. And then Dave came up here. And I had him on the air. And so we were sharing stories. And I was letting them know how much I appreciated him so much. He, he sells paint today and is really, really good at being a contractor and doing homes and stuff. And he is still the same guy as he was on the radio back in the day, wherever he goes. He's talking about Jesus. It's so amazing.

Rick Tarrant: 20:25

Wow, how about that? All right, little insider baseball guys. I'm sorry, I can't help myself. But I mentioned Jim Campbell, head of is it the radio training network is what it is? Yeah, yes. And they own his radio and such. So years ago, and it was about the same time you started. Or about 88. I got word that the there was a local, non commercial radio station available, actually, the local college called Rhodes College used to be southwest University. Most beautiful campus, I think in the world had this radio station and the story was the President got tired of all these, you know, these dope, smoking hippie kind of kids playing whatever, God knows what they're doing, and they're on that radio station, so they just kind of pulled the plug on it. And I heard about this, and I reached out to your boss, Jim Campbell. And I said, Jim, I think we could get this radio station, I think we could put Christian music radio on in Memphis, 24 hours a day FM. And he flew to Memphis and we went and sat down with the with the president of Rhodes College, and his, uh, you know, his business manager, whatever. And, and after, you know, he was happy, because it was a, I think the school was based in a Presbyterian tradition. So they were kind of happy to hand it over to somebody who could do something meaningful with it. And they had just had their license renewed by the FCC. So we agreed that for $50,000, we could buy this radio station, which is basically buying the frequency. And, and then something that I've never heard of before the FCC revoked a license they had just renewed, because they were dark. And the local library, the Shelby County Public Library, challenged it and applied for it. And it was like radio for the blind for all these years. And I was just like, oh, I wanted Christian music on 24/7, back then, ended up doing the countdown. And that's what I did for the next, you know, 10 or 20 years. But anyway, so little insider there. I'm not even sure why I shared that. But there's that connection between. I love that that's so good. Between so many connections, that's fascinating. It's the I'm discovering them live as we do this. So because Rob, and I probably haven't talked in 20 years, and that was probably at a conference or a convention. And I just been seeing your posts, and I'll be honest, I reached out because I thought, you know, this guy's been through some crap in his life. And it still seems to have his faith intact and walking with love and not political bitterness or something. I never see that coming in your posts anyway. And about a year ago, You nearly died. And while I don't want to go into all the details, how does the I'm not trying to take a round peg and put it into a square hole. But yeah, how has the word and your relationship with the Lord through these years, taking you through these these highs that you've experienced and these lows that you've experienced? Well,

Rob Dempsey: 23:23

thankfully, even during the times that I was, you know, a kid on the on the streets, I always felt that there was a presence. While I didn't have a relationship back then, I had an awareness and I grew up in a religion that, you know, talked about him and dying on the cross. So there was some knowledge there. So I always felt that, okay, there's a presence. It's here. He's taking care of me somehow, even though I'm on the streets. And then you see how he led me to having a relationship with Jesus, which is just so beautiful. So I guess I've always had this blind faith, so to say just no one, it's gonna be okay. Did I have bumps in the road? Oh, yeah. Because I would question why, but I would not. I think those are craters actually. Yeah, yeah, craters. And what Rick is, is alluding to, to about a year ago, which stems from me ignoring things. I'm not a guy who gets sick. So I don't have a lot of illnesses and, and I even tested positive twice for this virus. That's me. We've experienced since you know, March of 2020, and had no symptoms. Well, I have friends that are like in hospital, I'm like, wow, God's blessed me with some kind of immune system. And it could have been because of all the germs I was exposed to as a kid. I don't know. I've just Lord knows what you're exposed to. You know, it's crazy. But but the thing is, I ignored other things that were going on in my body to the point where I buy my kidneys started shutting down and my bladder was getting big and there was I won't go into a lot of the details, but things weren't working right. And then I got to the point where my blood pressure spike it. Here's what it brought, brought it to a head. I was on a bike ride. Yeah. As you saw my journey to health, I was on a, I was on a bike ride with my wife, she started riding bikes with me. I'm like, This is so cool. We get to bond. This is amazing. I love it. And then my youngest son, Eli was having a soccer game that day. So we got home, got to the soccer game, and my eyes were really hurting. I thought, Man, I got some severe sinus infection or something, I did not know what's going on my eyes just really hurt real bad. It felt like they just wanted to pop out of my head. And then I thought is this what a migraine headache feels like? And it just was really bad. The pain was really horrible. And so I got to the point where I said, Amy, I've, I've got to go to the urgent room or something. And she's like, Finally, Rob, you're coming to your senses, because I've been dealing with stuff for way too many years. inside my body, not viruses or illness or anything, as I said before. And so when I got to the urgent care and they took my blood pressure, they're like, you're going to the emergency room, dude, you're you're to 10 over 111 You got to get your you're about shutting down here. You're going to have a stroke or something. So they get me there and they diagnose me. And then they were able to temporarily correct the issue that I had. And then a year later, it all started all over again. It got it got worse and I was in so much pain. I was doubled over. I was rushed a year later to emergency surgery. I walked out with tubes in my body, homebound for four and a half months and then I had to have reconstructive surgery. That was January last year that I had that reconstructive surgery. I just went to the doctor a month ago. Again, we're this this Facebook, or this live stream is February 22. So it was just about a month ago that I went in January it to the doctor and she gave me a good clean bill of health. She said everything's working fine. This is great. Thank you for the claps we have we've got an audio. So thank you for that. And so it was so good. But I will tell you, I had moments during that time that I felt alone. I knew God was there. I had no question of that. But mind you this happens during a pandemic, when people are masks and quarantined and all that

Rick Tarrant: 27:16

then you can't have visitors at the hospital other stuff, and all this kind of crazy.

Rob Dempsey: 27:19

Exactly. It was just it was just really nuts. And then we had to really make sure that since I had sensitive reconstructive surgery that was coming, I could not be exposed to that virus or it's going to delay the surgery even more so I was quarantined to the enth degree. I felt alone during a lot of that time. I felt like God, Where did everybody go? i I'm one of those people that have a hard time saying no to a lot of things. I'm learning to say no. And I'm been saying no, often but it and I mean that in the way that I say yes to every opportunity that I have. Which is probably why I ignored some issues that were going on, you know, physically inside my body. I just didn't have time for staying busy. Yeah. And I was thinking we were all these people I would volunteer time for and everything. Where did they go? As their life is going on? As they're doing ministry, I'm sitting at home feeling alone. And I got to the point where I realized after I went through all of that, that I did not allow myself to have a good support system in place. I was too busy doing work, and helping others that I didn't surround myself by people so that I could walk life and journey with so I know a lot of people a lot of people know me, mainly because of what I do. I mean, seriously, I'm on the radio and people hear me a lot. And we're streamed video and stuff. So I'm known, but not known. Yeah, if that makes sense. I get it. Yeah. So there was like this desert alone journey. God, where is everybody? I started getting mad. Like, how come I don't hear from all these people that I would always spend, you know, volunteering time for and stuff like that. not their fault. My fault, because I didn't I didn't set up what I needed in my life. So I've been starting to take measures to do that now. Am I there yet? No. I'm still walking through setting that up. And Rick and I have, you know, common friends that are now in place here. That guy by the name of Bill, Rick and I were talking about a mutual friend earlier. His name is Frank,

Rick Tarrant: 29:25

Frank Reed was on on this platform earlier this month as well as Bill Scott. So yeah, I'm just calling up all of our friends. Just friends come alongside and launch this podcast, whatever it turns out to be and they're

Rob Dempsey: 29:37

common people that do what Rick and I do, because we're kind of we're different breed you know, we understand what we do. But what I'm trying to do better is the the people that I can see and touch and you know, fist pump and stuff like that. Those are that's what I'm setting up more so in my life other than common people that are Memphis to Greenville, or Dallas to Nashville and that kind of stuff. So. So that's what I've been working on. And I'm getting better at it. My Fitness tanked during that journey too. So I'm kind of on the road back to fitness as well. And so since the doctor said, You're doing pretty good, Rob, keep it up that I'm back on that road to gaining my fitness back as well.

Rick Tarrant: 30:20

Hmm. Well, you are an inspiration in that in that department, for sure. In fact, I might need to might need to hire you as a coach to get me back on back on track I, I blew out my knee some years ago training for the St. Jude marathon actually, I trained the entire year. And then came the day of the event. And we had an ice storm in Memphis, which Memphis and ice don't get along. And for the first time in history, they canceled the St. Jude marathon. So a buddy of mine. Well, I ran the half mile by myself, basically. And then the next year training just blew my knee out. And I've never really tried to get back on the track. So yeah, maybe you and I might need to have another another conversation. Because when I see you out there running, it doesn't make any sense to me. It's like, why are you running? There's no bear chasing? What's the point. But there is something about Yes, I can do this. I did this. I accomplish this. And you're taking charge of your life. And

Rob Dempsey: 31:12

yeah, and it's something that I enjoy. I never thought I'd enjoy running. But I enjoy it. I never thought I'd enjoy riding a bicycle for silly amounts of miles, but I enjoy it. So I found something I like

Rick Tarrant: 31:23

to do. Well, it's like the guy said, man, yeah, running increases the length of your life, but you spin it running.

Rob Dempsey: 31:31

Cool thing for me, please don't think of this as a Jesus Juke. I don't like joking. But I'm gonna do it anyway. That's where I spend a lot of my time with God because I do a morning show. And so the time that I'm have my free time, people are working, you know. And so I have that time to myself where I can go out and run cycle and that kind of stuff. And that's the time I find myself spending more time, you know, talking with God in prayer. And so that I that's a dual purpose for me as well.

Rick Tarrant: 32:01

Well, you know, it's interesting that you say that, because the genesis of what we're doing now this affirming words actually started years ago in the 80s. Was it the 80s, early 90s, perhaps it was the 80s I put together a set Sony Walkman again, for myself, and I called it words of encouragement. And I had been challenged by a guy to speak the word and that all I knew to do was to your record, like I know the plans I have for you says the Lord plans to prosper you not to harm you plans to give you a hope and a future. And then I would create an affirmation. Like, you know, God is for me, he's not against me, things like that. And I created one with self soothing music, you know, like Twila, Paris soundtracks or whatever. And then I had one that had more of a bump, bump, bump, bump, bump, bump, bump, bump, bump, bump, bump, bump, tempo, you know, for getting out there and running. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And that was, and then Myelin LeFevre, another artist that we used to play. He sent it to his record company. And anyway, we got to do a few albums along the way. But that was the genesis creating things for an exercise program. And that's so I guess it's kind of funny, all these years later, coming back to really day one of my faith, which was memorize scripture, Rick. And one of those first ones was I know in whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed on to him until that day.

Rob Dempsey: 33:26

Let me tell you, I had two of those cassettes that Rick made. That's great in my Walkman. In your Walkman. Yes, sir.

Rick Tarrant: 33:36

That's hilarious.

Rob Dempsey: 33:37

I've listened to him at night. And they were just dude, you have no idea. It's, it's so surreal. I'm sitting here with you today.

Rick Tarrant: 33:45

That's crazy. And our friends in the Zoom Room are watching this craziness. So again, sorry if it seems odd, but yeah, this is. Yeah. Thank you for doing this. Awesome. Thank you. So anything out of Proverbs 22 that jumped out today or anybody in in the Zoom Room Oberhiri? Leilani, Michelene, Cathy? Oh, I see Vicki Bey who's talking about driving to any Cosby was on yesterday. And Danny, who's in our zoom room this morning has an event coming up on March the fifth at the Orpheum downtown. And so Michelene jumps on here and says, Well, hey, you know, we might just drive to Memphis for that she's in Dallas. And then Vicki hops on says we you know, we might just drive from Boston. My goodness gracious y'all. Y'all are crazy. So Danny I don't know what you're doing to these. I don't know what this you better talk to Johanna because you haven't you're having an impact on these ladies and I'm not a stone you know you we need to anyway, yeah, left to my own devices. I just get weird Rob. So anyway, Help me Help me out here. Anybody you can I think

Vicki Bey: 34:54

Jesus, he dances Jesus is all Jesus. She is about That's all Jesus.

Rick Tarrant: 35:01

Was anybody have a question for Rob? Or was that matter of Proverbs 22 pricking your heart this morning?

Oberhiri Atori: 35:07

I was just gonna say when Rob said them, he's got to have your tapes. And I just really felt so strongly that you know what, we need to get this out, you need to get the word out. And even more because the world has gone digital, for everything is in ears right. Everything is in the ears, reading online, we need to get it. And I just the same way Rob said that that's what kept him who would have thought like Rob keeps on saying this is surreal. This is surreal but who would have thought that? Finding it just it's just amazing just to think that God is orchestrated in such a way that a Walkman, radio station has already played out right, son, you're going to listen. And by the way, it's going to be at Rick, that's going to be talking to you. And those, that voice is just going to keep you going and and when you said you were aware of the presence, you just reminded me as a kid, because people used to say, you know, your goody two shoes, but I didn't understand it. But now you just said I just realized it was God's presence that I was sensing. But I didn't know it was God, went to Sunday school. My mom didn't go with us. But she sent us a week faithfully when but I just knew there was a presence. You know, even when I was doing naughty things. I just had the feeling that I'm being watched. But yeah, just Yeah, I just want to say yet. Rick. We need it. It needs to go into people's ears. We're in an era that people are Yeah, it's all digital. We need the Word is still alive. However many years ago that was, is still working now. It's still absolutely working now. I can't even use

Rick Tarrant: 37:00

unchanging this for

Oberhiri Atori: 37:02

surely. Exactly, exactly.

Rick Tarrant: 37:05

I say the methods change, but the message doesn't.

Oberhiri Atori: 37:07

Yeah, now the message His word is from everlasting. It will never change. And it is as strong as it was then. And yeah, is it still? Yeah, it's still at work. So

Rob Dempsey: 37:20

thank you love the one point that you were making, because you were talking about I had no idea even when I was a kid that the Lord's presence was there. But yeah, it was. And I don't think nobody really understands what it's like not to have God's presence. I mean, one, once this, this creation is done, and we've read in Revelation, what's going to happen? You know, once there's the firey pit, and hell that's without the presence of God, period. So I don't think anybody understands what it's like to be without God's presence, even if you don't have a belief in Him, and a belief in something else. He's still there. And he's reaching out and He's trying to grab a hold of, of people. But it even says in Proverbs 22. It starts out in verse 12, the eyes of the Lord keep watch over and it goes on to knowledge and says things but he keeps watch over it. He's watching over us watching over me. And that's just, it's just so real. You know, that's a that's a that's a real thing. That a lot of people have no comprehension. That's what's going on in their life.

Oberhiri Atori: 38:20

Yeah. Yeah. And yeah, even saying, that just reminds me God loves us, or whether we're Muslim, no matter no matter what. He's our father. He loves us. So like it says, there's nothing that can separate us from God. And yeah, it's just beautiful. Just just you just talking. It just kind of hit me. Just like, you know what, we need this work. People need to hear it. If the only hope is that that kept you going? Yeah, like I said, yeah, just having that in your it gave you an even when you talk about going for cycle cycling now. I fully understand what you mean. That's your time with God. Yeah, I get it because I go for little jogs and skips and I actually look forward to it. Because I'm, like, excited that it's just a good time. They didn't get to go out and I understand what you're saying. Yeah, it

Rob Dempsey: 39:17

was so cool is that Rick is using this platform to do what he did many years ago. It's a little different, that we just went through proverbs 22, and somebody is gonna scan and and go through a feed and they're going to do that mindless thing where we're like, you know, with our, with our fingers and all rolling, scrolling, scrolling. This comes up in a scroll and they'll kind of stop probably right where God wanted them to stop to hear one certain Word in Proverbs. So it's, it's neat on how it continues on.

Rick Tarrant: 39:47

Yeah, you know, when I was first listening to those, I don't know that I could have put words to it or listening to those cassettes. But that was faith rising in my heart. You know, as you meditate on these things. I would just feel Life, an energy a spark, you know, something that had not been there before and even even now and that verse you just read, kind of jumped off at me this morning the eyes of the Lord preserved knowledge, but He overthrows the words of the faithless. And I've been through a long, dark season for the last nearly 20 years. I don't like saying, but I was I faithless? I think I've determined because I've asked the Lord, Lord, did I have a hardened heart? And He said, No, you had a crushed spirit. And there's a difference. When your spirit is crushed, it's kind of hard to, to receive, but when you can get in here, and what does it says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, the Word and that so I guess it's no mystery. It's been there for 1000s of years, it's just sometimes are this quarter inch between appears, keeps keeps me from the truth. But this whole thing we're doing now it's about building up your faith so that we can make it make it through and know we're not alone. Even through the darkest, darkest things, and you've been through much darker things than I ever experienced. And, and one of the things on my heart this morning, a friend of mine, Chris Wark, who has a website called crispy cancer, he posted a rerun of an America's Got Talent video this morning, of a young lady who was on last year, you know, got the golden button, everything. And she just passed away, I believe yesterday or day before 30 year old young lady with cancer, sing like a nightingale. I think her her handle was nightbird. And I highly recommend you go look for that on YouTube, because Chris posted it. And when I watched her story, I thought, wow, she was dealing with all this. And I let such a little thing take me out of my game. And it's like, you know what, guys, we just need to get back in the game. So anybody listening, if you've been downtrodden crush, someone's betrayed, you stole your business, stole your wife, whatever hell you've been through, and feeling like crawling under a rock and disqualifying yourself. It's like, hang on, hang on. And I don't know what other words Rob would have. Because he's been through much darker things. But my goodness, I think the Scripture Jesus said, let's work while it is day because night is coming. And I don't know when my nights come in Rob, and I don't know when yours is coming. But it's like, Thank God, we have breath today to do the work He gave us to do. And I would encourage all of us, man, get get about it. I don't know what you're called to do, but get busy doing it. Because we you know, tomorrow, the lights may go up,

Rob Dempsey: 42:38

you know, when you when you hit the bottom of the pit. I mean, we've got this open pit. And sometimes we fall into it, when you hit the bottom, the only place you have to do is look up, right? And you're trying to crawl out of that. And God is just throwing in this line and saying grab a hold of it and let me pull you out. It's not gonna be easy. It's not gonna be fun. But let me pull you out. And when you get on the other side of that journey, oh my word. It's so beautiful. It doesn't feel like it now but it's just so beautiful. And jumping back in to verse 12. In Proverbs 22, the eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge. He's talking about his own knowledge here. But but the but He frustrates the words of the unfaithful. I mean, when we're faithless, He remains faithful, right? And I love that he frustrates the words of the unfaithful, because the only place you can look is up and grab a hold of faith, right? I mean, that's, I've got I've got to remember that time and time and time again, because these pits are going to come. And we're going to fall in and we're going to hit bottom. And I think what really works when we're shaken to the very core of our foundation to know who we really are. And then we learned boy, we need more God, right? The only place we had to look is up. So shake it when I'm on faithful man, I can look up, you know,

Rick Tarrant: 44:00

well, and it's kind of like our friend who helped us create something called the renew your mind masters class. It's all about him back. He came into this group back last year when I started doing these lives, not really knowing what the heck I was doing. And he said, Rick, it's your you're renewing your mind. He said, This is the process that Paul talked about when he said present yourselves to the Lord, pleasing, wholly acceptable, and his sight present yourself and then he was talking about you're taking scriptures and presenting the truth to God, you're speaking the truth about who you are to the Lord. So you are presenting yourself and as you continue to do that, you get it out of the mouth, into your brain into your heart. I'm not sure how it all comes together like Lego blocks or something but it comes together and and a renewed and a healed heart and a renewed mind is the is the fruit of that of this exercise. And I guess that's why it's like it seems so basic and elementary, you know, and, but here we are. They've been doing it for 1000s of years meditating. And the word Go figure. May the meditations of my mind and the words of my was it the meditation of my heart, and the words in my mouth be pleasing an acceptable? Well guess what, if we're speaking God's words, that's pretty pleasing and acceptable, I would say, you know? Well, this is a man, I know your story is so is so deep. So we haven't talked about. So you're basically you're on the streets, basically an orphan, if you will. And now, you take in orphans, so to speak, that may not be a really good way to say it, I don't know. But

Rob Dempsey: 45:36

Well, it's true. My wife and I got into foster care. 13 years ago, we haven't had a foster child in a while. But we had quite a few come through our home. We, we had one sibling group who whose mother had to defend herself. And her boyfriend was coming after her and she had to do the unthinkable and that man is no longer alive. And when the police came in, this was self defense. The reason why the children were taken out of the home is because they found a meth lab. In the home, there's some stuff that was going on there. And so this, the sibling group came into our lives, we actually had two of them, and then learned that they had an older sister, and we're like, they can't be separated. We're in a small home. But we can double up in bedrooms, we'll put the two girls in one room, and then the boy can be with one of our sons. And so we did what we could to make it work in the small home that we were in at the time, but it was just so beautiful. Just to love on them. It was it was tough. Let me tell you, it's not better roses going through helping children walk through what they're going through one of the young ladies that were in our home, we were in a two story home, small two story home. And she took a toilet paper and clogged up the sink in the bath bathroom upstairs. And we we didn't have a sink that had a hole, you know how you have a hole near the top of your sink. And so if it overflows, at least it goes into there. That didn't happen in this case. And Amy and I were downstairs, the kids are upstairs, you hear the play that's going on, we check from time to time, we didn't look in the bathroom, we should have and all of a sudden we hear this drip, drip drip come over our heads, and then the ceiling popped open and, you know, mountain solution through and it was just, it was something that that cost a lot of money for us to fix insurance for some reason didn't you know, we couldn't prove that that was what happened. It was crazy. So but we know what happened. And and and we talked to her and said you know what? We forgive you. Because her bottom line was this, I want to go home to my mom. And the only way I know I can go home is do something bad here. And they have to get me out of the house. And no, we're gonna love you. And your mom needs some help right now. And she's walking through getting the help. That day might come. It might not be today or tomorrow, but it's gonna come and they did reunite. Still not a good situation. But at least they had some love when they were in our house for almost a year and a half. It was a it was a long one. But we had quite a few kids that come through the journey. And 13 years ago, their first placement was Elijah. And Elijah came from a real bad situation. And he was eight weeks old. And we knew as soon as he was in our home that that was going to be his forever home. So Elijah is 13 years old and went off to school this morning, from his bedroom in our home. So great. So beautiful. So he's an Elijah Dempsey today.

Rick Tarrant: 48:26

Wow, that's beautiful. And you know, I'm looking at the clock. And we have about nine minutes so that we may not even be able to unpack this. But we hear a lot about the orphan spirit. In fact, a couple years ago, I had never really heard this term and I didn't like it. It just seemed I don't know, weak or something. But I've come to realize, oh, that's what I've been dealing with. My whole life was an orphan spirit. Not that I didn't have a dad, I had a dad, I had very mean abusive dad, angry man, atheist why I'm not sure exactly. But when his dad died, something snapped. And I asked him once I said, What was it like, because I never heard about my grandpa. So what was it like when when your daddy died? He said, like, I lost the best friend I ever had. I was like, wow, why didn't we have that's what I was thinking, you know, but so I've grown up with a sense of abandonment. And so you've no matter what I did, if it was you know, you know, on radio stations or national ads or whatever, there was still that feeling of imposter like, like God, I hope they don't find out what a fake, you know what I mean? Or, you know, so dealt with that. But you have actually been orphaned, if you will and bring in orphans. So I'm sure there's no comparison. And yet maybe the maybe the physical feelings are the same, I don't know. But it sounds like you have helped some of these children navigate from wounded heart orphan spirit to at least knowing that they're loved. Can you address that in a couple of minutes that we have left?

Rob Dempsey: 49:52

Yeah, I'll do the best I can because you know, some situations were beautiful. Some situations were really hard. It's it is tough. Be a foster parent, just really, because you, you walk in thinking, this is going to be the most beautiful thing that ever happened, you go in with good intentions, and then life kind of hits you and smacks you really hard. Because these kids have been through horrific situations. I was messed up. And my mom had to kick me out. I mean, I understand why she did that. Was it right? No, but I understand why she didn't she didn't have, she had the bandwidth to take care of a kid like me. And so kids like me started coming through my home. And I had to love them through all of that and understand that it wasn't easy. But at least we were able to show them of love of Jesus while they were with us. And some are doing great. I hear from one young man all the time, it's just so neat. And then others, I don't know where they are, what they're doing. And I continue to pray for them by name, hopeful that whatever they experienced in our home, bringing them the church and doing life with them, that that somewhere along the line, the seed that's planted is going to flourish. And they'll be the next Billy Graham, who knows, you know, that's the impact, you have to I mean, you don't have to bring in orphans and widows or anything like that, but the impact that you have, and the circle of influence in your life with people that that surround you every single day, I try to make it a point to have non Christians in my life. May not, I will not fellowship with them, but I'll hang with them. I don't do what they do. I do I do me, I do Jesus, you know. And so I still want to have an influence in my situation. And maybe in Rick situation and some of the others that he had frank on not too long ago. And Bill, we work in a Christian bubble. So I have to make it a point to get out of the Christian bubble so that I can. So So here's this how much time we have a couple minutes. So here's one thing that I've learned, Jesus gave us the great commission, right. And you can probably, if you've been to Sunday school and church for any number of years, you know what the Great Commission is, go make disciples of men. So there's two things that we have, we have ministry, and we have mission. So I'm in a lot of full time ministry, that is also a mission, the mission is to go into the world and share Jesus with people right and make disciples of men, but they're lost. And so that's the mission that we have. And our ministry is to Christians is to ourselves to lift us up. This is ministry that we're doing today, unless you kind of went through the school and you're like, Oh, this looks got an interesting couple of dudes and people talk to each other about the Bible. Let me kind of, you know, look at that. The mission is you, the mission is reaching the real Jesus into people's lives. So I have to, I have to make sure that I'm still involved, personally, outside of the microphone, in the mission in real people's lives, so that I can bring Jesus to them. And a lot of that has to do with bringing in some of these, these orphans, you know, in our life for those that were displaced in need to be reunited with their family when they get themselves better. Oh, and one, oh, this is cool. I forgot about I can't name them by name you're not allowed to with by the law. But there's one young lady that was in our home. She was really young. And I And we noticed a couple of years ago, she was back in church. We're like, Oh, what are you doing here? And then dad comes walking up to us involved in the choir. And it was just so neat to see, you know, that happen. You really see that, you know, when you're in foster care, but

Rick Tarrant: 53:28

to get to see some harvest or fruit seeds, you said

Rob Dempsey: 53:32

it was just it was just so neat. That's beautiful. Yeah, so I've talked in circles, but I think you heard my heart.

Rick Tarrant: 53:38

Yes. Well, we are we're to be about making disciples. And that's Yeah, I think that's one area where I was so rebellious coming along. So many mistakes I made, I'd love to spend more time with this book of Wisdom, but what you're talking about getting out from behind the microphone, it's real easy to just become a professional presenter, Jesus, if you will, and kind of uh, you know, and that was me, a professional Christian for a season of my life, which I'm not real proud of. Well, Rob Dempsey, you are so gracious and so kind to come on in. Man, I love this connection. And I can't wait to do it face to face because I had no idea that I had played some small role in your life early on. That's really pretty exciting to hear. So yeah,

Rob Dempsey: 54:23

I love hearing your voice. It's so soothing.

Rick Tarrant: 54:25

So, you know, you know, maybe, you know, what Oberhiri was saying getting the word out there, you know, maybe we should do a band of as Bill Scott calls this Thursday night group in Nashville Band of Brothers and, and do a just a reading of God's Word. You know, why not? Beyond you

Rob Dempsey: 54:41

know, does it return void? Or is his brother

Rick Tarrant: 54:45

Band of Brothers, it could be the boys of broadcast. I don't know. Would you would you send us out with a blessing my friend and I would and pray us out to

Rob Dempsey: 54:58

thank you Father. Thank you so much. For the time that we've spent, this has been good quality time that we've had with each other. And I kind of feel that somebody kind of stumbled upon today. I mean, this is a feed, right? And people are scrolling and someone stopped today. And God for one reason or another, maybe they don't understand why they did, but they're still sticking around. And so God, I pray for that soul right now. I don't know where their life's journey is, but you do. And it's not a mistake that they're here. And so Father, I pray, pray that you touch them, that you bless them, whatever it is that they're going through Father, that they know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you're real, that you're listening, that you care. And the same thing that was told to me many years ago, listening to a radio station that played Jesus music, this one fact, if they were ever to be the only person ever to walk on the face of this earth, Jesus still will would have sent their son for them. I know that's your heart God. So I pray for them. And whatever it is, they're searching for, that they find that answer in you, and in you alone. So bring the right people along their paths to help them their life journey and have a real honest relationship with Jesus. What a cool opportunity. This is. Bless every person who's been on this call with us today, this this zoom type of feed that's going on be with Rick sounds like you're, you're giving him some cool direction. And to get the word out even more, maybe it's doing what he did back in the 80s that touched my life and putting the word on Well, podcast, to hearing you even more and more. So bless him as he continues on that journey. And we thank you for that for every person who's with us today. Thank you, God that that you're there, and that you're doing something for their heart right now. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Rick Tarrant: 56:49

And amen. Amen. So if I wanted to tune in your morning show, how would I find you out there on the interwebs

Rob Dempsey: 56:55

Wow plug that's so cool. So there's several ways HISradio.com The by hisradio app, Google Play in the app store my his radio app. And what you see here were one of the stations that actually do the video in the morning and the radio in the morning at the same time. So Apple TV, Roku on our website you can watch and on the app you can watch as well. So that's it HISradio and in the Carolinas in Georgia where an all these were, I don't know about at some odd frequencies all together so you'll be able to tune in somewhere on the dial in that area to other radio.

Rick Tarrant: 57:33

Sounds like you're so heavily populated whether you want to or not, you're you're gonna bump into his well that's so awesome. And so you broadcast on camera as well. Well, that explains why why you look so good on camera, you're unlike me, you know that's the Rick Yeah, stick to the microphone. You know, you know, you got you got the face for radio.

Rob Dempsey: 57:53

You're good looking guy. I have smoke and mirrors. You got the natural

Rick Tarrant: 57:59

know, is this a wait, wait, wait moment that guy's got to go.

Michelene Trent: 58:01

He's no, this is uh, you should be a better friend to yourself.

Rick Tarrant: 58:05

Okay, thank you very much. All right. And with that, I will say speak the word. renew your mind. Transform Your Life.

Show intro: 58:17

Welcome to the Affirming words podcast. This is where you're encouraged to talk God stuff. Stop thinking rot and get a life. A better one. Here's me mate, Rick Tarrant.

Rick Tarrant: 58:28

Thank you, Danny.

Show intro: 58:29

Sorry Rick. Couldn't help yourself.