Useful Group

“How much better to get wisdom rather than gold,” the book of Proverbs tells us, “to get insight rather than silver!” John Walt took that advice to heart as a teenager and sought out a series of mentors who nurtured his talents and shared the wisdom of experience. Along the way, he learned a great deal about maturity, manhood, and the sacrifices we must make to be truly transformed by the Holy Spirit.

When Jake met his future wife, he describes the two of them as “two trainwrecks” who endured a long period of dysfunction because they’d simply never learned to relate to each other on a deeper level. Then Jake’s wife found a church, and a church family—and eventually he realized he needed to undertake a spiritual journey of his own if their marriage was to survive.

In this conversation with Redeemed director Nate Dewberry, Jay shares what nearly two decades of walking through suffering, disability, marriage, fatherhood, and ministry have taught him about the kind of hope that survives when circumstances don’t change the way we want them to.

Brendan McClenehan believes reconnecting with creation can deepen our connection with God, our communities, and the purpose we were made for. Brendan has been a divinity student, church planter, marketing agency leader, and poultry farmer. Today, he serves as church engagement manager for Plant With Purpose.

Dalton Nunamaker was on a nine-month Army deployment, living in a tent in a field in Poland, when he experienced a crippling one-two emotional punch. First his parents told him they were divorcing over issues of alcoholism and infidelity. Then just a few months later, Dalton discovered his wife of less than a year had been unfaithful while he was overseas.

Of the 10 years Josh Summers spent as a missionary in western China, the last few months were by far the hardest: Twice he was hauled into jail by Chinese police for interrogation, the second of which lasted 17 days. And as he sat alone in a cold, barren holding cell with nothing, not even his Bible, he tried to take inventory of what scripture he could remember by heart—and realized he didn’t have nearly as much of it down as he thought he did.

This week, The Redeemed founder Paul Amos and director Nate Dewberry offer thoughts on the topic of perseverance: How do we do it? Why do we do it? And how do our struggles make us stronger, better people?

Jordan Castille was a skinny kid who was good at gymnastics and a member of his high school’s cheerleading squad—something it wasn’t easy to be in Texas in the late ’90s. The bullying he experienced, combined with some flawed family relationships, drove him to fill the void with pornography. It was only in college that Jordan came to terms with the damage his addiction was causing and sought help from the Lord.