Host Jim Nicklas interviews his friend, Brandon Smith, on God’s forgiveness. Brandon shares how he became addicted to immorality, drugs, and alcohol and how they affected his life. Brandon begins his story in this, the first of two episodes.Brandon Smith grew up in Acworth, three houses away from his future wife. Growing up, he raced motocross for Team Kawasaki. He started dating Jennifer in high school. When Jennifer became pregnant with their first child, Brandon quit racing motocross and they got married. Brandon was 20 and Jennifer was 18 and life was difficult. After two years, Brandon was offered a chance to race motocross for a week in the Caribbean with some racing friends. They introduced him to cocaine. When he got home he moved on to meth and heroin. Brandon hid his addiction from his family.

 

Jennifer caught on that Brandon was in trouble and she confronted him at her parent’s home. Brandon went into an out-patient treatment center but got high in the parking lot every night. Brandon had a spiritual awakening at church and was born again. His cravings and temptations were gone. He went through a long period of spiritual growth. He went from trucking for his father to working at the Home Depot for some structure in his life. Brandon went to therapy and also marriage counseling with his wife. They were active in the church. He didn’t have the Christian discipline he wanted to have, though.

 

Brandon talks about the evil that he allowed into his life, starting with pornography as a young man. Some people put up a good facade but feel miserable privately. Jim asks listeners to encourage each other and affirm the good choices people make. We all need God’s grace and forgiveness in our lives.

 

When Brandon was working at Home Depot, his parents made his home payments and one time, bought groceries for him. He was humiliated. One night he put a gun in his mouth and would have pulled the trigger but his wife pulled in the driveway and he put the gun away.For a safety violation, Brandon got fired from Home Depot and started to work for his father-in-law doing commercial concrete curbs and gutters. After three years he asked to branch into flatwork. His in-laws were resistant so he went into business for himself.

Brandon and his family continued to be involved in the church, including marriage retreats, youth camps, and a mission trip with his son to Nicaragua. Jennifer was home-schooling the children up to high school. But Brandon felt like he was going through the motions for appearances. Meanwhile, he had taken up social drinking. He drank outside with friends and then ducked inside to drink alone before going out again. His business was good but then ’08–’09 hit and their jobs went from millions of dollars to nothing. Brandon took a job selling roofing in Texas, after a hurricane. He was by himself and lonely and bought vodka by the gallons.

Brandon talks about being pulled over driving “hammered” drunk by a Texas Ranger two nights in a row for a burned-out light. The Ranger did not detect alcohol. Brandon saw it as God firing a shot “across the bow,” but it didn’t faze him. He continued driving drunk. He got to where he didn’t care what happened to him; whether he lived or died. Brandon fixed a wiring problem with the light because he knew he would drive drunk the third night and the Ranger would finally catch him. Jim asks listeners to take the responsibility of being a husband, father, and leader seriously and to sacrifice selfish and willful choices. Jim affirms Brandon’s vulnerability in admitting his sins.Brandon arranged a concrete job back home over the phone with some of his work crew. He made enough to pay his mortgage two days before his home was to be auctioned off. Brandon stayed in Texas for five months but Jennifer convinced him the family needed him home. Brandon drove his RV with a friend from Huston to Atlanta, drinking all the way.

He cut back on drinking, for a while, but drank every weekend. Then he started drinking on Wednesday, then Wednesday through Sunday, then seven days a week. Jennifer put up with his sins and he wasn’t feeling the consequences. It was not unusual for Brandon to drink half a gallon of vodka in an evening. Then he started drinking in the afternoon and then at lunch. So far, he was still maintaining his business. Brandon began drinking at 5:00 a.m. and continued throughout the day.

 

Jim Nicklas draws Part 1 of this interview to a close.Call to Action: Jim invites listeners to come back for Part 2 of this interview. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, give it a five-star review, subscribe, share it, and help get this word out of God’s grace and forgiveness.

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Team Kawasaki Motocross

The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? by Rick Warren