From Rejection to Redemption

In this half-hour video, Rob Decker joins Life Today hosts James and Betty Robison. Decker, who was falsely accused of multiple felonies, shares his journey from attempted suicide to a place of freedom, peace, and serving others.

Editor’s Note: The transcript that follows was automatically generated and lightly edited, so please be aware there could be typos or other small errors. The Stream is working toward a transcription service that does fast, accurate, and reliable work; thank you in advance for your patience!

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The following program is sponsored by Friends of Life Outreach International.

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I was falsely accused of rape and attempted murder, and I had a decision to make. I could go to prison or I could take my life. I opted to take my life. I jumped headfirst out of a third storey loft window and my foot clipped the awning, changed my fall. I severed my spine, broke both my arms, collapsed my lung.

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But God showed up.

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Rob Decker shares his journey from addiction, trauma and brokenness to healing through faith in Jesus Christ. Next.

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Liberty and I welcome you to life today. It’s always join us to be with you. I wish we could see if you miss. You know you don’t want to leave. Oh, yeah. We we would love you no matter what. And, thank you for watching life today. Because you find exactly what the title implies. You find life today where you’re going to meet someone right now, is an amazing person.

00:01:14:20 – 00:01:33:17
Loved. And glancing down here, how much of his life was like mine? I lived with a pastor, a couple that Martin, my parents, and then my mother drugged me out of the bed when I was five. Told me I was going to her, and, we hitchhiked all the way across the state. Many of you have heard that story.

00:01:33:19 – 00:01:52:11
Well, Rob Decker. Rob, welcome to life. Thank you. Kind of start out with this story because you you found out that you had a man living with you. That was you thought your father and found it wasn’t somehow that that made an impact on you. And you kind of made some not so good decisions. Tell us about it.

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Yeah, well, when I was in kindergarten, I found out that my dad was my biological father. I came home with a diploma from kindergarten, and it had his last name on it, and my parents sat me down to tell me that he wasn’t my real dad. So then I, you know, he wasn’t my real dad, my sister wasn’t my full blooded sister.

00:02:09:11 – 00:02:24:08
And then I started asking questions like, well, who’s my real dad and where is he? And I truly believe that that just started sending me down a path of destruction based on the neglect and the abandonment that I was feeling from that conversation.

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So did the whole impact of the negative aspects of that hit you when you were like in your teens, and you begin to really make bad decisions?

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Well, I think a lot of things compounded on that. I, you know, I got into pornography when I was very, very young. I was molested when I was eight years old by a neighborhood kid.

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By the way, I want to say, I think that’s probably one of the most damaging things in the whole world. And I don’t think people who have natural appetites, and then they we get attracted to the fabulous beauty that’s there and what God did, but I believe it is he have so deeply and I believe it. Twist. Would you agree and twist your whole thought process to where you can actually be sowing suicidal seeds and destructive seeds, or absolutely losing your capacity to even think straight and walk straight?

00:03:08:16 – 00:03:37:21
You absolutely 100%. I think that my mental health and my development was tampered with at a very young age, with being molested and then being around violence all the time. Abuse, and then, you know, following the molestation, I started get into pornography. So that started to ruin my thought process on intimacy. And then when I was a teenager, you know, the first girl that I ever really cared about, I watched, another man take advantage of her in front of me.

00:03:37:23 – 00:03:58:06
It was the first time I’d ever drank, and, he got us drunk, and I think that just really sent me down the wrong path. And so for 20 years, I was battling these these issues with my my family, my dad, my real dad, you know, and just all the trauma that I was constantly exposed to all the time when you.

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Met your real dad, what effect that had,

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Well, I met him at 16 when my dad that raised me left the house, and my mom thought it’d be a good idea to bring him in. And I ended up walking in on him as he was smoking drugs. He was smoking meth. And that was at 16 years old. And so, you know, between the relationship between my mom and dad and then what I saw with my biological father, I didn’t really have any of that, you know, fatherhood guidance in my life.

00:04:26:02 – 00:04:50:15
I want you to tell me how you get to this interesting, title on a book, God’s, Owning the Story of Rejection and Redemption. And he actually works with people who are very challenged. And he actually gets him in shape. He’ll actually help him get the body of Christ, the temple of God, where it’s a little bit more useful.

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But tell me about this God’s calling, and tell me about the ministry that God and how he moved you into it, how God moves you in in the ministry you’re in and what you’re doing now.

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Yeah. So God’s wanting, was named because I was falsely accused of rape and attempted murder, and I had a decision to make, could go to prison, or I could take my life. I opted to take my life. I jumped headfirst, sort of a third storey loft window, and my foot clipped the awning, changed my fall. I severed my spine, broke both my arms, collapsed my lung, went to the hospital.

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After a ten hour surgery, I was arrested in the hospital. But God showed up. God showed up. In the midst of all that, I was highly medicated, and I heard the the Lord’s voice loud and clear. He said the charges will be dropped, bills will be paid, and you will walk again. And all those things happened.

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But I ran back to my old ways, continue to drink and use because there was a lot of stuff I wasn’t handing over to the Lord. And so, my ministry really hinges off being delivered from drug and alcohol addiction. Understanding what it’s like to grow up without a good relationship with your father, or having a great father figure around, just battling my own demons, the suicidal ideations, all the time.

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Because jumping out of the window was one thing, but battling suicide was something that I suffered from my whole life because I didn’t feel like I had purpose or a place or anything like that. And so everything that I do now in my community through rises, Lions and Recovery, Rebel Softball is trying to create that space for people to be able to share.

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The harder, topics in life. You know, a lot of us men, we’re not taught to share and express our feelings, and we want to be able to create that, let men feel safe so that they can start their own healing journey.

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Why do you call your ministry? Was it rising.

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Lion rise as lions.

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Rise I don’t want.

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It’s to resurrect like Christ. It’s about resurrection and restoration. And so it was really a play off of Jesus, you know, because that’s who I serve. And that’s why I love, you know, he he’s he’s done a lot for me.

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What has been going on in this, ministry you’ve got now?

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Well, I get to mentor and help a lot of people, you know, I’m. I’ve kind of became the individual. When folks are struggling with addiction or suicidal ideation is that people just send them my way, and we start to get to the root of the issue with a lot of them, they feel safe and comfortable having those conversations with me and then with the sports, you know, we’re just providing a resource in our community for people to gather with the same idea in mind that we’re here to support each other, lift each other up.

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And, you know, recovery looks different for everybody. You know, it’s not just drug and alcohol abuse. Drug and alcohol abuse tends to be the the self-medicate or. Right. It’s usually the brokenness, the neglect, the abandonment, the trauma, whatever it is that a lot of us haven’t addressed. So we just create that space so those conversations can be had.

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When you have a lot of people now, at what point in your life need someone send the God someone into your life to help you change how.

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The Holy Spirit.

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Happens?

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You know, I will say this I was very blessed to have people on my journey that cared enough about me to bring me in their home, to love on me, to take care of me, especially after I broke my back. But it was a journey. It was a journey for me. I had to walk it out with the Lord myself.

00:08:22:20 – 00:08:41:11
I had to make a lot of mistakes. I think for me, I became a survivalist, right? I didn’t know how to thrive. So a lot of times when when life got hard, I reverted to old behaviors where I wasn’t trusting in God. I was trusting in what I knew. And, you know, God just walked it all out with me, you know?

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But I had a great group of individuals that were praying over me a lot because I needed.

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It is a journey. Yes, it definitely is. It. We’re all still on.

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Yeah, well, I’ve been sober for about 12 years now, and, and and God delivered me from drug and alcohol abuse just like that, through repentance and surrender. He took it away from me and I believe everyone can have that. So, you know, part of my mission is to meet people where they’re at and to let them know that there’s freedom in Christ and there’s freedom from drug and alcohol abuse.

00:09:10:26 – 00:09:26:07
You’re based in, Colorado Springs. I am if someone wanted to know how to get Ahold of you to see what you’re doing, maybe wanted to somehow be a part of that process you’re taking them through, where would they go? What do they look as?

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Lions.org?

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How would be a look at that. Check that out. Is it something that people are able to do? Of course where they come to where you are in person, do you do things during the week on certain days that you’re having a group? And.

00:09:42:06 – 00:10:10:14
Well, we have four softball teams now, so there’s a lot of softball being played. But, you know, I always give people access to me. So if someone hears my message today and says, you know, that’s the guy I need to talk to because I resonate in his story, like I always leave myself open to have those conversations. And so a lot of times what I do personally is one on one counseling or mentorship or conversing with whoever may be struggling, and that’s just kind of become part of the ministry at this point.

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Pretty bad accident that could have been worse than it was a car accident. Tell us about it.

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Oh, the car accident. Yeah. I got behind the the wheel of the car. So after my suicide attempt, you know, I was still running back to drugs and alcohol, and, I got a hernia. So God had given me my life back. I was working out all the time. I had a great job. I met a beautiful young woman who’s now my wife, Alyssa.

00:10:36:01 – 00:10:56:21
And, you know, I was kind of having a temper tantrum and pouting and playing the victim, and I decided to go get drunk. And I got behind the wheel of the car and ran into somebody’s property, and I end up having to flee the scene of the crime. But the beauty of that incident was, with all the physical damage that could have taken place, I didn’t hurt anybody.

00:10:56:21 – 00:11:17:09
I didn’t hurt myself. But I ended up under a porch at someone’s house, and that’s when I gave drug and alcohol abuse to the Lord. And I apologize to him because I realized that he really loved me, that he was being patient with me, and that I was holding on to trying to fix the problem in my own way through drugs and alcohol.

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And in that moment, through repentance and surrender. He delivered me from drug and alcohol abuse.

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You know, you, indicated to my staff and just briefly to, to me that you crossed paths with me and Betty’s.

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Yes.

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Yes, it had some kind of an effect. I’m curious about it.

00:11:36:23 – 00:11:57:07
When I found out that I was going to sit across from you, too, I almost broke down crying. But I’m too macho for that. Right. So. Yeah. So when I first gave my life to the Lord, I was watching your show all the time. And I looked at you too, like an amazing Christian couple and a, like, marriage and ministry and the way you serve and give back and you love.

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And I’m like, it’s possible. And so you carried me through the very first few years of my Christian walk, and I am so grateful for that. So don’t make me cry on TV.

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Yeah.

00:12:09:08 – 00:12:36:02
Thank you. Robert, listen, I’m saying thank you, Robert, just to give him the testimony. But a thank those of you who not only watch life today, but share literally another title of a program. You share life today through the program Life today because we can’t pay to feed the 350,000 children so that we’re trying to feed right now.

00:12:36:02 – 00:13:10:23
And we found them, and there’s hardly. And you are the miracle their mothers and their families are hoping and praying for. You’re the only miracle. Hope that they have. They started and you can be the miracle provider. You can give them the future. And that’s what we asked you to do. And here he is telling how life today, which the viewers, as surely as they give food and give water, you were given the water of life and food which we try to share with you every day, and you were giving it.

00:13:10:25 – 00:13:26:01
And to people like Rob. And it does make an impact. And I can tell he liked us and he you saw what we were doing to help people. Yeah. Did that inspire you in any way to see the importance of helping people?

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You taught me how to serve.

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And.

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You know, and I think that’s been the greatest gift. And everything that I do now is to give back to others because people are in need. And so, I thank you for that again.

00:13:40:00 – 00:13:50:00
I think if somebody got your book and got into God’s army, what do you think? What do you think they would see and take from it? What’s your prayer that they take from this book?

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What there’s there’s hope for healing and it will always be through Christ. And sometimes what we have to hear as humans is that other humans went through it and made it out on the other side. And so I want people to find hope, help and healing in that book and draw closer to Christ because of it.

00:14:06:27 – 00:14:24:11
And you can go online and get it. You can. Then Rob is praying that it’ll be a tremendous blessing to you and probably to somebody they know. Yeah, invariably we find people who are in a predicament that we haven’t been in, but we see somebody that was we pass of their own time. So I really hope and pray they’ll do that.

00:14:24:11 – 00:14:36:21
What’s your prayer for being on the show today? What do you want to come out of being with two people? You say that we’ve ministered to you and helped you through this process. What’s your hope of being today with a what do you want to see happen?

00:14:36:24 – 00:15:00:27
I just want seeds of hope to be planted in somebody today that is going through a very tough time mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually. I want them to feel full and renewed, and I want them to then take that and give it to other people. That would be my prayer. That’s how we can serve each other, is to pour what’s been poured into us and to other people.

00:15:00:29 – 00:15:16:16
How do you want people to see God in some way like you did as an owner? And you say the owning broke your fall? Yeah. The word you weren’t killed. You were certainly hurt badly. How do you see people finding an awning in their life?

00:15:16:19 – 00:15:39:15
You’ll see that. So awning means protection, right? So what I realized in my process and coming out of all of it, and it’s all hindsight, 2020 for me is that he was always there, even in the hard times. And what I appreciate about the trials and tribulations that James speaks about is finding joy in the trials and tribulations, because that’s what built us up.

00:15:39:15 – 00:15:56:21
That’s what you know. Romans five three. It’s just like, that’s what builds character in us. And so, you know, I know a lot of times we’re in a lot of pain, but a lot of times we can use that build from that. Right? So that we have the ability to heal and give back to others without those trials and tribulations.

00:15:56:21 – 00:16:18:22
It’s, we can’t build strength, you know, for fitness guys, right? How do we get stronger? We go in the gym and lift weights. It doesn’t always feel good. We add weight to get stronger. And God does that with us spiritually as well, you know? So some of the stuff that’s being poured onto us, it’s because he has a special plan for us and he wants to use us in a very powerful way.

00:16:18:24 – 00:16:32:21
You were a beautiful little church girl that just did everything right and came out of the car to get saved, and, no one in the church can believe it. But when you see people like, you know, I’m like me, what do you think about me?

00:16:32:25 – 00:16:54:06
I was sitting here. Thing is, I listen to your story, and I know our stories. Of course, the journey that God carries us on, it’s not always a smooth journey. Actually, it probably won’t be. But we have our ups and downs. But I just want you to know, as you’re watching today, you listened to Rob stories. He had setbacks, but God always picked him up.

00:16:54:13 – 00:17:18:19
God is always there. You say, Where is God? He’s right here in your heart. If you haven’t received him, all you have to do is say, Jesus, come into my heart and save me. If you are a Christian but you feel far away, he’s right there at your back. He’s he’s ready to cover you. He’s ready to walk ahead of you and be your protection as the awning was for your arm.

00:17:18:25 – 00:17:25:01
So please don’t give up on yourselves. God hasn’t turned to him right now.

00:17:25:04 – 00:17:50:05
Well, that’s an invitation from God. Now then, Betty, you know we’ve been married 62 years. We dated for years, so we’ve been together 66 years. And I’m just telling you, this made it all over the world. We’ve watched people come to Jesus and see their life changed. And every day on this program, hundreds of lives, even thousands, are saying, we’ve had the joy of bringing millions and millions of people to Christ.

00:17:50:07 – 00:18:14:28
We found out the other day from one mission outreach, 100 million people have come to Christ, which sponsored all of it and had signed up and taken a full Bible study. That’s miraculous. Well, that’s what life today does, and that’s what you provide our viewers, just like the supporters of what you’re doing, God’s doing, and all you’re doing with your outreach is supported by people’s prayers and by their finances.

00:18:15:00 – 00:18:48:23
And I hope you will check Rob out. I want you to watch this, one of our mission partner, Peter, because we lost him a few years ago, but we had literally tens of millions of people to Christ all over Africa. Listen to him. Our son is actually with him on this trip. I just listened to him talking. I know Randy’s son was just kind of listening in the distance, but listen to him talking about what they’re seeing at the hospital area clinic and then what they’re seeing out in the bush.

00:18:48:25 – 00:18:56:10
Listen to the need and know you’re the miracle that is needed. You really are. Watch prayerfully.

00:18:56:13 – 00:19:26:24
Villagers in South Sudan are experiencing severe food insecurity. News reports tell us over half the population are facing crisis level hunger. Desperate mothers are doing whatever they can to survive. They forage for anything to feed their families in an effort to stave off the pain of hunger. The result? Their children are not receiving the proper nutrients for their developing bodies, and there has been an explosion in the number of children suffering from severe malnutrition.

00:19:26:26 – 00:19:33:24
If not treated in time, many will end up in an early grave.

00:19:33:26 – 00:20:01:21
These mothers with their children have come great distances. Some of them have walked one even two days to get here. The reason they’ve come here is because we have a malnutrition clinic, yet we’re doing malnutrition screening. We’re able to provide these children with what they so desperately need, which is food, food that will save and sustain life. And you’re just getting a small picture of some of the mothers that are here that have come from all over this area.

00:20:01:21 – 00:20:34:11
But this clinic is a much larger clinic than what you’re seeing that is filled to capacity with children. The screening areas just have mothers and children literally sitting outside inside the buildings. There are so many who are here, which is the true devastation of this story, because the crisis that is all those mothers being here is the crisis of malnutrition, of the fact that these mothers have come in desperate hope, hope that we will be able to answer what they need.

00:20:34:13 – 00:21:06:18
I need you to please be an answer to prayer today. I need you to open your. I need you to express God’s heart and to extend his hands to the children like this, to the malnutrition clinics that so desperately need assistance. But to the mothers out in the villages that if they get those resources, can keep their children from ending up here and battling that battle of life in this.

00:21:06:20 – 00:21:31:01
You know, when I look at those little children, I can feel myself holding them. You know, the missionaries warned us that we shouldn’t hold the children. Many of them have very contagious diseases, but we never could help it. Many don’t. You find it easy to love those children? And we’ll obey the miracle prayer. The mother’s prayer? Don’t you want that?

00:21:31:08 – 00:21:50:23
Absolutely. And you know, just the thing that blesses me so much is when I see the lands, the children lining up to get a bowl of porridge or whatever, the nutrition that they need that we’ve sent over there, maybe you’ve helped us. You probably have. Please don’t stop. These children need the care. The mothers have done all they can do.

00:21:50:23 – 00:22:03:20
They have nothing to offer them. But hopefully we do. And I hope you’ll join with us. And let’s feed these precious little ones that God has given these mothers to care for.

00:22:03:22 – 00:22:29:11
You know, as I was watching the video and I saw the desperate situation, those children, many of them had reached a clinic that we helped establish, which is a last ditch effort. You might say, to save them and then walk for days sometimes to get there. But we like to meet them in the field and right where they are and take the food right to them, which is what we do, which is what we do when we do the one will we do that right in the midst of the pain and the suffering.

00:22:29:13 – 00:22:51:03
But I was looking at that and thinking how many of them we watched come to get the food, and we put it in whatever they brought. Sometimes they’d bring a plastic bag and he would burn through it. Sometimes little children hold a hand that and they couldn’t hold it. It was hard. And then we watched many of them with old dirty tin can.

00:22:51:05 – 00:23:17:12
Something like that with this would have been a nice one. But when I was watching their video, when I saw those, those little bones, I remember where these came from. Someone like you watching, I said, why? Why are you giving those children that porridge in that dirty container? Who was putting that plastic bag it bones through? Why don’t we give them a nice plastic bone?

00:23:17:15 – 00:23:33:09
And the missionary said we can’t afford that. We can only afford the food. We can’t afford a plastic bowl. And you know what our viewers said? You know what you said? Well, we can we want to give them bowls. We’ve given out millions of these many. And there was you see that long line? Did you see how far it reached?

00:23:33:16 – 00:23:56:25
And every one of those children, they’ll stand there for two hours or more. Thousands. Sometimes we’ll start feeding 2 or 3000 in area and 2000 show up 3 or 4 days later because they’ll want 50 miles to 100 miles. They found out there was food and it was in a plastic bowl that love provided. Maybe that’s what our viewers, all their expressions of love.

00:23:56:28 – 00:24:14:19
Would you right now go and get your bank card and use it like a check, please. If you write a check, make it to life. But do it now and call us and tell us you’re mailing it the line and make the best gift you possibly can 30, 50, or 100. You feed three, five, or ten children the next month.

00:24:14:22 – 00:24:43:13
Could you give a thousand or more and feed 100? Father, please, please move those viewers with your love, your compassion, your help. In Jesus name. We are his hands and his arms. Would you reach out, put his arms around someone right now and give him life? Please do it right now.

00:24:43:14 – 00:25:09:28
Across the continent of Africa, children are suffering, facing severe malnutrition and even death. With food reserves gone and many areas experiencing severe famine, we urgently need to replenish supplies to keep feeding the 350,000 children who are counting on us through life’s mission. Feeding outreach. Your gift of love can be an answer to prayer for a hurting and hungry child in their time of need.

00:25:10:01 – 00:25:54:15
Call now with your life saving gift of 30, 50, or $100 to help feed and care for three, 5 or 10 children for three four months. With your gift, we’ll send you natural remedies. This beautifully illustrated book explores ancient nutrition and the health benefits found in God’s creation. To help you live your best life with your gift of $100 or more, please request your health and Wellness bundle this three books that includes natural remedies as well as essential fasting, a simple eating strategy to accelerate weight loss, crush cravings and reverse aging, and the probiotic diet that gives effective strategies to improve digestion, boost brain health, and supercharge your immune system.

00:25:54:18 – 00:26:12:15
Finally, please consider a gift of $1,000 or more, which will help feed 100 children and you may request our inspiring bronze sculpture, Lion of Judah. Please call right or make your gift online today.

00:26:12:17 – 00:26:40:24
Hi, I’m Jordan Rubin, and for over two decades, my wife Nikki, and I have been supporting the ministries of life with any gift to mission feeding you will transform the lives of 350,000 children in Africa by giving them nutritious food and a hope for the future. With your gift, you’ll receive a powerful wellness bundle, which can bring the power of health and nutrition into your own home, transform the lives of thousands and your own family.

00:26:41:01 – 00:26:42:26
Do it today.

00:26:42:28 – 00:27:01:11
Thank you for being the miracle some other prayed so fervently for faithfully. You know the books that we’re offering to bless you and those you love. Jordan Rubin from. I pray for you in your ministry. Thank you. Thank you for being with us. We want to for having me. Keep sharing it. Okay.

00:27:01:11 – 00:27:03:18
Thank you for inspiring me.

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Love you. Thank you for helping us. Who have so many with his love. God bless you.

00:27:36:18 – 00:27:50:03
Oh, you can hear me cry. See my dreams all night. From where you standing on your room.

00:27:50:05 – 00:28:00:06
Stay connected with life today. Through your favorite social media. Get access to exclusive content and news with a life. Today’s social media experience.

00:28:00:08 – 00:28:07:29
We talk about how to boost your immune system if you’re dealing with a cold or a flu. But what about if you’re dealing with cancer or rheumatoid arthritis?

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Tomorrow? And life today is made possible by the supporters of Life Outreach International. Your gift will be used exclusively for the purposes of life. The ministry features specific outreaches as examples of the programs it supports and conducts. Gifts are considered to be without restriction as to use unless explicitly stipulated by the donor. The ministry is a member of the SFA.