JONI TABLE TALK - JAN. 11th, 2026

Summary

Podcast Summary: Joni Table Talk – January 11, 2026 (Real America’s Voice)

Main Theme:
This episode of Joni Table Talk (iHeartPodcasts/Real America’s Voice) explores the themes of persistence in faith and carrying hope in the face of adversity. The first half features worship leader and activist Shawn Foyt, sharing his experiences leading worship events under opposition, particularly in Canada. The second half spotlights motivational speaker Reggie Dabbs, whose story from the foster care system to national youth ministry offers hope and tools for overcoming trauma. Both guests emphasize God’s unfailing love, resilience, and the importance of personal revival.

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1. Faith in the Face of Resistance: Shawn Foyt’s Story

🔥 The Spiritual Battleground (02:08–04:39)

• Joni Lamb opens by discussing spiritual battle and the vital role of worship in confronting darkness.
• She introduces the roundtable: April Simons, Anna Kendall, Rachel Lamb Brown, Rebecca Lamb Weiss, Dorothy Newton, and guest Shawn Foyt.
• April Simons highlights the growing visibility of spiritual warfare in America and urges boldness.
• Key Quote:
  "Carrying the name of Jesus everywhere is the most important thing. And I appreciate our guest's persistence. It's paying off. The devil can't win." – April Simons (02:29)

🔥 Leading Worship Amid Persecution (04:02–05:46)

• Shawn Foyt describes post-pandemic revival and recurring resistance, noting that to make an impact for God in this era, "you have to be controversial."
• He recounts escalating opposition—not just from secular authorities but sometimes from within Christian communities.
• Key Quote:
  "Anybody that wants to do great things for God, you have to be controversial in this hour." – Shawn Foyt (04:39)

🔥 Canadian Worship Events: Opposition & Breakthrough (05:21–13:55)

• Canada Experience:
  • Foyt compares persecuted worship in places like Turkey and Mozambique, but found the most intense resistance in Canada.
  • Out of 11 cities where worship events were planned, 9 permits were cancelled, often by government citing "safety" after activist backlash.
  • Despite cancellations, a miraculous last-minute provision: A farmer invited their team to his field after praying 20 years for revival there.
  • Thousands attended; baptisms, salvations, and healings occurred.
  • Social media was key in mobilizing attendees (“field of dreams” effect—10:58).
• Viral Testimonies:
  • People from various backgrounds, including members of the LGBT community, came skeptically but reported feeling only love and acceptance.
  • Pushback generated curiosity and accelerated the spread.
• Key Quotes:
  • "The moment Christians want to come and worship, they are dangerous. We need to remove their permits. We don’t know what they’re about. They’re bigots. They’re hateful." – Shawn Foyt (05:53)
  • "A farmer called us at 11pm... ‘I’ve been praying for 20 years for something like this to happen on my property.’...He’d harvest the wheat at 5am for parking. That was God." – Shawn Foyt (10:04)

🔥 Testimonies, Community Impact & The Power of Proximity (13:55–19:21)

• Shared viral testimonies and videos documenting the impact of these worship events.
• Foyt illustrates the transformative power of worship proximity—even among protesters:
  • Example: A former protester in Seattle who joined Foyt's worship band after protesting for two years.
  • Black Lives Matter activists in Chicago began as opposers but received prayer and baptism.
• Key Quote:
  "Just hang out here long enough, the love of God's gonna get you... staying in the proximity of worship." – Shawn Foyt (16:51)
  • On church hesitance: "We have a society and in many ways churches that are full of cowardly leaders. And right now, boldness is the currency of the kingdom." – Shawn Foyt (20:46)

🔥 Responding to Opposition: Revival & Boldness (19:21–27:29)

• Discussion of church leaders hesitant to risk controversy—often due to institutional priorities.

• Foyt emphasizes that boldness is required both in public settings and within the wider church.

• He advocates for seizing current opportunities (politically and culturally), pushing for revival in the U.S. and abroad.

• Practical Advice:

  • Prioritize the "fear of the Lord over the fear of man."
  • Resilience is built by repeatedly facing and overcoming pushback.
  • Regularly seek restoration through personal rhythms—solitude, prayer, and time in nature.

• Key Quotes:

  • "If you don't have resistance, my question is, are you really following Jesus?" – Shawn Foyt (24:36)
  • "Revival has to happen in the secret place before it will ever happen in the public place." – Shawn Foyt (26:54)

🔥 Final Insights & Book Announcement (27:20–29:15)

• Foyt announces his upcoming spiritual warfare book, written "in real time" amidst ongoing battles.
• Joni underscores that many who attend open-air worship wouldn't otherwise step into a church.
• Information on how to follow Foyt's work shared.

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2. From Foster Care to Hope Ambassador: Reggie Dabbs’ Story

🎵 Discovering Hope Beyond Trauma (31:47–36:20)

• The panel shifts focus to Reggie Dabbs, a motivational speaker raised in the foster care system.
• Reggie shares how being labeled a “mistake” by his biological mother (born out of her desperation for food) affected his early sense of worth.
• He encourages listeners to “drop the baggage” of past pain, emphasizing that no one is a mistake.
• Key Quotes:
  • "You gotta drop that bag. You gotta let it go. You gotta drop it because you weren't meant to carry it." – Reggie Dabbs (35:27)
  • "It doesn't matter how you're here, what you do while you're here matters." – Reggie Dabbs (36:00)

🎵 Family, Faith, and Identity (36:20–40:11)

• Raised by his mother’s favorite teacher and her husband (a janitor), Reggie only discovered his adoption at age six.
• At 13, battling insomnia and despair, his adoptive father comforted him, introducing him to Christ (John 3:16 moments).
• He emphasizes the power of just “one” person showing love and acceptance.
• Key Quote:
  "All I needed was one person." – Reggie Dabbs (40:11)

🎵 Finding Purpose & Reaching Youth (42:34–47:20)

• His mother encouraged music to help him focus; he became a skilled saxophonist.
• Reggie now speaks in schools nationwide—motivational but always subtly modeling Christ’s love, since overt religious references are not allowed.
• Panel shares letters from students who were reached by Reggie’s message—raw, heart-wrenching stories of abuse, self-harm, neglect, and suicide attempts.
• Key Quote:
  "Kids need hope. They just need hope." – Reggie Dabbs (53:51)

🎵 Ministry Outcomes: Impact on Youth & Schools (53:54–56:09)

• Schools track the effect of Reggie's assemblies—improvements in attendance, behavior, and test scores.
• He shares stories of kids who, inspired by his talks, become “little Billy Grahams” and share Jesus with others.

🎵 The Urgency of This Moment (56:09–57:40)

• Reggie and Joni highlight a perceived “open window” for faith outreach—encouraging persistence as “the harvest is ripe” and time is short.
• Reggie prays for listeners, specifically for those battling despair or contemplating self-harm.
• Key Quote:
  "You can't change your past, you can decide today to change your future. And when you say yes to God, you can live a life filled with hope and faith and his unfailing love." – Joni Lamb (57:40)

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3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• “Carrying the name of Jesus everywhere is the most important thing. The devil can't win.”
  – April Simons (02:29)
• "Anybody that wants to do great things for God, you have to be controversial in this hour."
  – Shawn Foyt (04:39)
• "Pushback didn’t even all come from Christians... people came and all they saw was love."
  – Shawn Foyt (07:20)
• "A farmer called us at 11pm…‘I’ve been praying 20 years for something like this to happen on my property.'"
  – Shawn Foyt (10:04)
• "If you don't have resistance, my question is, are you really following Jesus?"
  – Shawn Foyt (24:36)
• "All I needed was one person."
  – Reggie Dabbs (40:11)
• "You gotta drop that bag. You gotta let it go. You gotta drop it because you weren't meant to carry it."
  – Reggie Dabbs (35:27)
• "Kids need hope. They just need hope."
  – Reggie Dabbs (53:51)
• "We're all broke, but Jesus."
  – Reggie Dabbs (40:55)
• "You can't change your past, you can decide today to change your future."
  – Joni Lamb (57:40)

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4. Timestamps of Key Segments

• Opening spiritual warfare, worship, and resistance: 02:08–04:39
• Shawn Foyt’s Canada testimony: 05:21–13:55
• Seattle & Chicago protester stories: 16:05–19:21
• On boldness and church response: 19:21–21:19
• Overcoming discouragement, need for restoration: 25:20–26:54
• Reggie Dabbs’ life story & adoption: 31:47–36:20
• Reggie’s faith breakthrough at age 13: 38:39–40:11
• School outreach and student letters: 44:58–47:20
• Prayer for hope & final encouragement: 56:24–57:40

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5. Resources and Next Steps

• Shawn Foyt:
  • Ministry, event info, and upcoming book all available via shawnfoyt.com and his social media.
• Reggie Dabbs:
  • Invite him to schools via theyouthalliance.com
  • More personal ministry info: reggiedabbsonline.com
  • Book: Just Keep Breathing

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6. Tone and Atmosphere

• Conversational, faith-driven, inspirational, direct, and empathetic.
• The table talk dynamic allows for vulnerability, emotional testimony, and affirmation from all speakers.

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This episode challenges listeners to stand boldly for faith in adversity and reminds all, no matter their background, that hope and transformation are possible.

Transcript

[Joni Lamb]

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[Joni Lamb]

So what do you do when worship meets resistance? Well, today's guest has been lifting up the name of Jesus in some of the most unlikely places and he's here to share. God is moving, even in the middle of persecution. But before we get to that, joining me around the table is April Simons. Hey, we gotta get ready like for some of the pushback. I mean, it's not like it's gonna get easier. I know it's not. But carrying the name of Jesus everywhere is the most important thing. And I appreciate our guest's persistence. It's paying off. The devil can't win.

[Shawn Foyt]

Amen.

[Joni Lamb]

That's right, Anna Kendall. You know, there is nothing like praise and worship to bring in the power of the Lord. And that is the main thing we can do to push the devil back. That's true. Rachel Lamb Brown. How are you doing?

[April Simons]

I'm good. You know, a lot of other people would have quit by now, and so I'm grateful for not just our guest persistence, but boldness to keep going despite what the naysayers have to say.

[Joni Lamb]

That's good. Rebecca Lamb Weiss. We are in a battle. A lot of people don't really even understand that there is a battle going on that we can't see with our natural eyes. That's so true. And I think what's going on in.

[April Simons]

America now, I think it's easier to see the spiritual warfare because I think it's more blatant, the attacks. I think especially with what our guest is doing and seeing the pushback against that, that's not just like a natural thing. There's something behind that supernaturally. And, you know, we don't war against flesh and blood. We, you know, our enemy is not people. Our enemy are those entities, you know, but we have the victory in Jesus, and we just need to be bold in that.

[Joni Lamb]

That's right. Dorothy Newton. Yes. Are you ready, girl? I am ready. I am ready. You know, we are. It's not even an option. We're called to be the light into this world because there's so many dark places. So I'm excited. I'm excited to learn more about what's going on, actually.

[Shawn Foyt]

Ye.

[Joni Lamb]

Well, Shawn Foyt, welcome back to the table.

[Shawn Foyt]

Thank you.

[Joni Lamb]

I don't know how you're in the middle of a lot of controversy, but we're going to talk about some of that today. Are you ready? All right, well, from canceled permits to revival in fields, Shawn Foit has seen the battle of darkness and light firsthand. Today, he shares how God is moving amid opposition and how you can be part of it. So you just really want to hold these worship rallies and see people touched and changed and hear the gospel and get baptized and what's going on. Why would there be resistance for that?

[Shawn Foyt]

Well, you thought after 2020 and 2021, 2022, maybe things would chill out, but no, we are. These are days of great revival and great resistance. And I think I want to start off by saying, anybody that wants to do great things for God, you have to be controversial in this hour. Yeah, that's a weird word. And you have to expect to have pushback. Otherwise, it's not really worth doing. So I think that Covid kind of showed us. Okay, wow. There's a lot of darkness. There's a lot of forces that don't Want us to do what the church has been doing for thousands of years, but that same antichrist spirit, or Christophobia or whatever you want to call it, is still present.

[Joni Lamb]

So you just returned from Canada not long ago. Tell us a little bit about what happened. Ooh, you love canyon.

[Shawn Foyt]

You know, I've worshiped. I've worshiped in Turkey this year, in Iraq this year, in Israel this year, Turkey, Iraq, in Mozambique, on the beach, and even in these persecuted areas. The fiercest resistance I've faced this year came in Canada, and I didn't have that on my bingo card.

[April Simons]

So do you think that you were intentionally targeted? Oh, I know there's been other people that have been fine, but do you think because of your bold stances?

[Shawn Foyt]

Yeah, I mean, I think that. Listen, I mean, I have a 20 year history of worshiping in that country. No incidents, no real controversy. I think that Canada has changed. I haven't changed. My message has stayed the same. I've been pretty consistent. However, you know, when you want to take worship like we do, and we have this mandate to bring it into the public square, right out of the church, we have a motto. The church has left the building. Let's go where the people are. Let's go where the addicts are. Let's go where the confused are. Let's go where the, you know, oppressed are. They're hurting. And when you go into those places, they can do pride parades, they can do, you know, drag queen story hour, they can do marches. But the moment Christians want to come and worship, they are dangerous. We need to remove their permits. We don't know what they're about. They're bigots. They're hateful. So in one sense, you know, yeah, nine out of 11 cities were canceled. But in another sense, this became the number one trending story in Canada this summer.

[April Simons]

Oh, yeah, it was a big deal.

[Shawn Foyt]

And because of that, all of a sudden you have all these eyeballs, people watching it, people showing up. I wasn't even a Christian, but I wanted to know what this crazy thing about.

[Joni Lamb]

Yeah, but it worked for your good.

[Shawn Foyt]

It did. And that's how it always turns out. It's literally a replay of 2020.

[Joni Lamb]

But the people, a lot of the people that were resisting or thinking that you're a bigot or hateful or whatever, they come and they're like, wow, it's not about that at all. It's about the love of God.

[Shawn Foyt]

I mean, there are so many videos and viral stuff on TikTok of people that came. I'm a gay man or I'm a trans this or I'm a whatever. I came to see. And all I did was feel love. All I did was feel. All I did was see Christians in music. What's the big deal? And so the pushback didn't even all come from Christians. Right. The pushback just came from people that were actually came and witnessed it.

[April Simons]

Did they give you a reason why so many of your permits were revoked? Because I'm assuming they were approved at one point and then they.

[Shawn Foyt]

Oh, yeah. I mean, we have a very robust team. You know, when we secure a venue, we gotta get insurance, we gotta get porta potties, we gotta do the logistics. We got, you know, it's a whole situation. And not only that, we have our bus, we have our truck, we have our million dollar sound system. We have, you know, it's a lot that goes into it. So when they cancel it, you know, and was canceled by the government. Yeah, the government.

[Audience Member / Testimony Reader]

Okay.

[Shawn Foyt]

That's your pushback of nine of 11 provinces, you know, out of safety concerns and you know, we don't, you know, it's all under the guise of health and safety.

[Joni Lamb]

Safety concerns because you're singing worship music.

[Shawn Foyt]

And telling people, we're just so dangerous. We're just so dangerous.

[April Simons]

But why would they initially approve it then to only take it away?

[Shawn Foyt]

Because they got pushback from radical activists. Radical leftist activists pushed back, you know, said, we're gonna, you know, we're gonna talk about.

[Joni Lamb]

Which is a very small minority. Oh, it's to the Canadian people.

[April Simons]

Why is the smallest minorities usually have the loudest voices? It's so annoying.

[Shawn Foyt]

It's the tail wagging the dog. It's the fact that we allow these people to be the loudest and the governments enable these activists and childlike people to. They set the table for them, they cater to them.

[Joni Lamb]

It's almost like they're afraid of them. Yeah, well, it's got to kind of make you feel good because the enemy is so hard at work against you. You just got to know it's something that God wants you to do. And the enemy's afraid and he knows there's power in the name of Jesus in worship. But with all the logistics and everything, all the planning, the pre. Planning, I mean, do you still do it once you're there?

[April Simons]

That was my question. What'd you do?

[Joni Lamb]

Did you just show up? Well, you go to a field is what you do.

[Shawn Foyt]

Well, it was kind of amazing, actually.

[April Simons]

You still need permits for field.

[Shawn Foyt]

I mean, you could just feel the Hand of the Lord. I mean, the first one, Halifax, was canceled, and we didn't have anywhere to go. Most of the churches, sorry if you're from, you know, Nova Scotia, but most of them are pretty. Pretty lukewarm. And didn't want the smoke, didn't want the controversy. And the farmer called us at 11pm that night.

[Joni Lamb]

A farmer?

[Shawn Foyt]

A farmer. And he said, I have a farm. He's like, I have been praying for 20 years for something like this to happen on my property. He's like, I will get up at 5 in the morning and listen to this. Harvest the wheat from my field.

[Audience Member / Testimony Reader]

Wow.

[Shawn Foyt]

So that we can build a parking lot.

[April Simons]

Wow.

[Shawn Foyt]

And I. The moment he said that, I said, this is God. I said, he's gonna harvest the wheat. And he sent us the pictures. That just gets me emotional thinking about it. So then we show up there, and what happens. Salvations, baptisms, healings, Breakthrough. Right on this. And he was standing back there, this farmer, you know, had overalls on. He's just watching it, just crying.

[Joni Lamb]

Bless him. Wow.

[April Simons]

How powerful that he'd been praying for 20 years. And in the perfect moment, God would bring that dream to fruition.

[Joni Lamb]

And people showed up.

[Shawn Foyt]

Oh, thousands.

[Joni Lamb]

How did they know where you were?

[Shawn Foyt]

Thousands.

[April Simons]

They'll let them come.

[Joni Lamb]

You got on social media. Yeah.

[Shawn Foyt]

I mean, it's just. Yeah, it is. It's the field of dreams deal. It's really just getting the word out there. I mean, there's so much hunger in oppressed countries like that. You got to remember, this is a country that literally threw pastors in prison.

[April Simons]

Oh, yeah.

[Shawn Foyt]

They had one of the most fiercest, brutal lockdown policies in the whole world. So out of that oppression and out of that resistance and darkness really creates hunger in people. You know, the church rarely is hungry in seasons of comfort.

[Joni Lamb]

Right.

[Shawn Foyt]

You know, it almost takes these kinds of push for people to be like, we need God.

[Joni Lamb]

Yeah. Well, you know, we're going to show you just a little bit some of what happened in Canada. But one of the things that I think is really important for us to say is that, you know, Sean wants to go into a place and worship the God of the universe and encourage people, pray for people, see people come to the Lord, see people get healed. All these things have happened. And guess what? He loves everybody. Everyone is welcome. There is no hatred. There's no bigotry. These are all lies from the enemy. And once people come and see, they're like, what is the deal? You know? And that's what happened. Because persecution couldn't Stop the move of God in Canada. Let's watch these beautiful testimonies of people being baptized in the middle of all of it.

[Shawn Foyt]

All right, so I am here in New Brunswick. We just finished. Let us worship. We're next to our bus. Caitlin, what happened?

[Joni Lamb]

Well, I showed up and I was.

[Audience Member / Testimony Reader]

Feeling a lot of oppression and just.

[Joni Lamb]

Stuff going on in my life. And God took all these beautiful people behind me and baptized them in his love. And it's also my seven year anniversary of walking with Jesus today, so that's the best gift I could have ever gotten.

[Shawn Foyt]

And they're all baptized. Hi, everybody. Amen, everybody. And the baby.

[Joni Lamb]

Yes, and the baby.

[Shawn Foyt]

Wow. And you, and you.

[Audience Member / Testimony Reader]

And brother in law and fiance.

[Shawn Foyt]

Come on. And what the enemy tried to stop. Look what God's doing. Baptizing people, getting their hearts set on fire. Come on, let's get in here. Canada for Jesus. Awesome. So right now we're doing spontaneous baptism. We just set up this tank and kids are getting baptized tonight right as we finish. Guys, we changed venues like six hours ago. It was an hour and a half away from our original venue. So many people came. And now tonight, God's marking the next generation. They're getting baptized. Guys, this is so special. God's moving in Canada. The greater the resistance, the greater the breakthrough. She drives taller hours to get here and we get bypassed today.

[April Simons]

In the name of Jesus.

[Joni Lamb]

Thank you, Lord.

[Shawn Foyt]

Hallelujah.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Amen.

[Joni Lamb]

I just want to say we love our Canadians. Okay? We love you. And when we talk about some of the things that happened, it's not against you, but I think it really is a call for all of us as believers to begin to stand up and say, hey, this is not right and we need to stand up and do something. You know, Even when their permits were denied and opposition tried to shut it down, the sound of worship could not be stopped. Let's take a look at this powerful moment together.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Welcoming the King of Glory to Alberta. Welcoming the King of Glory to Canada. Here we go. Here we go. One, two, three. Come on. Don't stop, don't stop. Don't stop. Lifting up.

[Joni Lamb]

Well, you know, if you ever go to a football game, it's louder than that. Yeah, that's right. How much more to worship the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords? And that's really what you're doing, encouraging people to worship God, to recognize who he is. And what happens when that happens?

[Shawn Foyt]

Yeah, I mean, it's. It's. There's something about a holy alignment that comes back in you, right Because, I mean, you could talk about boldness all day, and you talk about rising up and all this kind of stuff, but it's like you have that moment like Isaiah had. Isaiah 6, you know, I see the Lord high and lifted up, like, he's the one pulling the strings here. He's the one in control. And out of that, the only response you can have is, send me. I'll go. You know, I'll be the hands and feet of Jesus. I'll go preach the gospel. I'll go worship. I'll go. I don't care, you know?

[Joni Lamb]

So has any of this deterred you, the pushback? Or has it caused you, spurred you on?

[Shawn Foyt]

Well, it was funny when we were in Seattle because, you know, we had so much pushback and protesting and. What's up?

[Joni Lamb]

Well, first from the mayor, but then he came back around and welcomed me.

[Shawn Foyt]

Oh, but it was hundreds of crazy activists with kazoos and perversion signs. Some of them were half naked, not kazoos. And I had them turn the speakers to them. To the protesters, this was just like last week. And I said, I want to tell you guys a story. Can you just. Let me tell you a story? This guy up here playing keyboard with me right now protested me for two years.

[Joni Lamb]

Oh, my God.

[Shawn Foyt]

Guess what? He's now in my band.

[Joni Lamb]

Wow.

[Shawn Foyt]

And I said, the love of God's gonna get you.

[Joni Lamb]

Yeah.

[Shawn Foyt]

I said, you just hang out here long enough, keep coming back, the love of God's gonna get you. So, you know, I don't. We have so many stories of the angriest, most hateful people. So tell us how staying in the proximity of worship, I just say, just stay here. The media, the protesters, stay here. You know, you hear we're hateful. You hear we're bigots. See how hateful we are. Just hang out, right? Get your cameras out, capture it all. And it's amazing how even at the end of that in Seattle, protesters were coming up to my keyboard players saying, how did you switch to the other side?

[Joni Lamb]

And what did he say?

[Shawn Foyt]

Oh, he just told him his story. He said, I showed up. I was angry. I didn't know why he was doing this. I had a mask on. I was frustrated. And he said, then I came back again. And then by the third time I came back, I was at the altar.

[Joni Lamb]

Wow.

[Shawn Foyt]

And the love of God overcame me, you know?

[Joni Lamb]

So tell us some more of those stories.

[Shawn Foyt]

Oh, there's so many. We had a. I want to hear.

[Joni Lamb]

About the angry one.

[Shawn Foyt]

You got touched. I'll tell you One, we were in Chicago, we had this really, really angry BLM protester and he was in the back and he was screaming at us and he didn't know that. I had my buddy who's a black preacher. I had him getting up there and I'm like, this boy's about to get it. So the preacher went up there, he started preaching. Lay down your offenses. Get free of all this stuff. This guy, this raging group, activists, the two main leaders, start weeping. They get on their knees. They came as protesters to stop us. They ended up getting baptized in the back of a pickup truck.

[Joni Lamb]

So what you mean, you mean Black Lives Matter?

[Shawn Foyt]

Yeah, that group then they did what they came to. They came to protest. They did what? They came to come against us. But they didn't realize. These people don't realize. Even in Canada, like my whole team is incredibly diverse. Most of the time I'll be the only white guy up there. Especially in California. I have a Hispanic guy, I have a Asian guy, plays drums, I have a black girl that sings with me. And so they have this narrative that I'm this racist, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And then they get up there like, oh no, who are those people? Maybe this is not true.

[Joni Lamb]

You know, he's the only one with blonde hair and blue eyes.

[Shawn Foyt]

Yeah, literally most of the time I am, you know, but I don't even think of it that way. I just find it funny that God will use even those that come against you. Like he will even use that. I mean, it's like Paul, it's like Saul to Paul kind of stories. Like that's what we need to see in America right now.

[Joni Lamb]

Because when he calls you to it, he will see you through it every time. Every time. Every time. That's a good one. That's a good one.

[April Simons]

That's right. I know you weren't shocked by, you know, some of these, like liberal left responses when you were in Canada, but were you shocked by some of the church's negative response towards you?

[Shawn Foyt]

Not really. I mean, you know, the church, I think as a whole they don't, you know, the bigger the church, the larger the ministry, the least risky or controversial they want to be. So for whatever reason, I embody controversy. And so you're going to get the smaller to kind of mid level churches that will rally with you, the bigger ones, eh? We got too much at stake. Which I really think shows that shows what's happening with the church. Right. You know, it's like we can never get to the place to where we refuse to stand up for righteousness and justice and truth like we can never have, we never want to be too. It's like one pastor, I won't even mention his name. Massive church. Well, Shauna, we love what you're doing, but we're in the middle of a big building project right now and we can't ruffle feathers with the. And I'm like, your city is Antichrist. Your city. You don't understand. If you were to stand up in your city for the right to worship Jesus, your church would probably double in size.

[April Simons]

Yeah.

[Joni Lamb]

And God would provide for you.

[April Simons]

But it just shows the enemy exactly where to get.

[Shawn Foyt]

It's cowardly. Like we have a society and in many ways churches that are full of cowardly leaders. And right now, boldness is the currency of the kingdom. I'm telling you, it is the currency of the kingdom. Whether it's on public transit, you know, protecting innocent girls lives, or whether it's. It doesn't matter. That is the currency right now.

[Joni Lamb]

Or the so called Christian, you know, on the Internet, we call them the Internet trolls who are self appointed, just trying to divide the church. It's just crazy what's going on right now.

[Shawn Foyt]

Yeah, I mean, those people are great. It's like when they start coming after you, you know, something big's about to happen in your life.

[Joni Lamb]

There you go, There you go.

[Shawn Foyt]

You know, it's. It's just a sign, you know, the enemy will rile up anybody that he can to try to get you off track.

[Joni Lamb]

So what do you see? Like, do you see an open window that God has given us with his new administration?

[Shawn Foyt]

Yeah. I mean, I was just talking to my missionaries today in the Middle east, in Iraq, and I said, guys, we need to go hard right now for Jesus. Like, we need to go and break every law in the Middle East. We need to plant as many churches as we can, save as many people as we can.

[Joni Lamb]

Like talk about the Christians and the missionaries that are in these Middle Eastern countries compared to what American Christianity looks like.

[Shawn Foyt]

Yeah. And the thing is, is that. But because of this administration we're in. I was just meeting earlier this year with the president of Iraqi Kurdistan. And you know, that's a Muslim country and that's a country that's been very persecuted towards Christians. But now that is at bay because we have an administration and we have Marco Rubio that's looking for nations that are trying persecute Christians. And so. And so right now, whether it's in America, signing up for your school board to run. Sign up or it's overseas. We need to put our foot on the gas. And that's my biggest message to Americans. We think, oh, we want an election. It's time to chill. No, no, no. It's time to push harder, take ground. It's time to take ground. It's time. It's time. Listen, we went to 50 US capitals to pray, to take communion, to worship, to get breakthrough. A breakthrough came. Now we need to push for more. You know?

[Joni Lamb]

So, Shawn, do you see that evil is abounding?

[Shawn Foyt]

I know grace will much more abound.

[Joni Lamb]

But do you see that evil is getting stronger?

[Shawn Foyt]

Yeah, I mean. I mean, this is what happens towards the last days. You have, you know, darkness covers the face of the earth, darkness over the people, but the glory of the Lord rises on you. So we live in the confluence of these two realities.

[April Simons]

My question is, do you think everything that you went through prepared you for this moment to not be phased by any of the pushback?

[Shawn Foyt]

I mean, I think that the more you walk through this and you find out your ways to respond, the stronger those muscles get. You know, it's kind of like another.

[Joni Lamb]

Notch in your belt.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Yeah.

[Shawn Foyt]

Exhausting.

[April Simons]

So what would you say to someone who's watching you that's like, oh, that's just how he is.

[Joni Lamb]

I can't be bold like him.

[April Simons]

What would your advice be to that person?

[Shawn Foyt]

I mean, my advice to them would be like, first of all, I never asked for any of this. Second of all, I'm an artist. I want to be liked. I mean, we all want to be accepted. We all want to be liked. We all have that in us. But I think for me, I've just been walking in a season where the fear of the Lord has to be greater than the fear of man.

[Joni Lamb]

Oh, yes, totally. And everyone is not going to like you if you're in the will of God.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Yeah.

[Joni Lamb]

Which is the safest place to be, by the way. But if you're in the will of God, and if you're gaining ground and territory, then the enemy is gonna come against you, and people are going to hate you. I mean, it's promised in the word of God.

[Shawn Foyt]

If you don't have. I would say this. If you don't have resistance, my question is, are you really following Jesus?

[Joni Lamb]

Are you doing anything? Yeah.

[Shawn Foyt]

You know, and that doesn't mean there's a demon behind every bush and we need to, like, glorify, but it just is. Like, every morning we wake up, it's like every demon in hell is like, you know, they're just waiting to see, like, are the people of God gonna show up? And when we do, they're active, you know?

[Joni Lamb]

Yeah, yeah, for sure.

[Shawn Foyt]

And they don't, you know, lukewarm Christians, people that are just, you know, on the chill train. Like, they don't really mess that much. Like, they are disturbed. I mean, we're living in a spiritual war. This is our reality.

[Joni Lamb]

Because you're human, what are some problems, practical things that you do when you're discouraged? Like, how do you overcome and push through discouragement?

[Shawn Foyt]

Well, I think the number one thing is, like, turn this off, okay? And then get in the word. But then I think the other thing for me. And everybody has their places of rejuvenation. I just gotta get outside. I gotta go on a hike. I gotta, like, you know, Jesus went on a mountainside to pray. I like to go on a mountainside.

[Joni Lamb]

You're a California guy.

[Shawn Foyt]

I like to get on a mountainside. And preferably during hunting season with a rifle. But I like to get. And for me, like, that is restorative, you know. And so I think it's just important for people to develop a rhythm in their life where they're finding those places where they can. I mean, if Jesus had to do it, absolutely. If the Son of God had to build that into his life, how much more should we prioritize that, you know? And he was way more. He was so disconnected from the crowd. Whether it was applause or hate. Right. Jesus in the middle of revival. No one could find Jesus. And they saw him on a mountain. He was more connected to his father. And I think that that's something we really need in our lives.

[Joni Lamb]

Well, it's something that's so important. I mean, we can know the Lord. You can be saved. You can go to church. But how personal are you in your relationship with the living God and the one who created you? It really is important to have intimacy with the Father. Talk to our audience about that.

[Shawn Foyt]

You can't survive without intimacy. You can't survive without, you know, revival has to happen in the secret place before it will ever happen in the public place. And so I think that, you know, people will look at what we're doing across the world or these gatherings, and they'll look at the pushback and they'll see God breaking out. Where did that start? Starts in the secret place. You know, it starts in the still, small voice. It starts with the connection of our heart to the Father.

[Joni Lamb]

So good. So good. Well, you have a book coming out quickly.

[Shawn Foyt]

Yes.

[Joni Lamb]

And it's on Spiritual warfare.

[Shawn Foyt]

It's on spiritual warfare. And it's coming out and it is written in real time.

[Joni Lamb]

Yeah, I love it. And the thing about it got me tickled is he said, his wife said, would you get done with this book? Because you have thrust us into more spiritual warfare by writing a book on spiritual warfare.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Exactly.

[Joni Lamb]

And I told you, I wrote a book called through the Storm. And by the way, if I didn't have another storm, as soon as I wrote it, the storm continued. Oh, my goodness. I'm writing one on God's happiest people. The blessing of the Lord, whatever. Okay. But anyway, we are God's happiest people. I want you to remember that no matter what you're facing, that God is still moving. He's sovereign. His light will always overcome the darkness as we stand in his truth. And what I love about Sean and what he does is understanding that he goes to these open air places in cities and he worships God and he invites people to come and he invites people to experience the love of God and to hear the gospel and to be baptized and to just worship. And their lives are changed and transformed because a lot of these people, Shawna.

[Shawn Foyt]

Never go to church.

[Joni Lamb]

They would never step into church. But they'll come and see what's going on there. So let's keep praying for Shawn. And if you're watching today and you need prayer, that's why that prayer line number's on the screen. We have prayer partners standing by ready to pray with you. We literally get calls from around the world, and it's our honor to pray for you. I want to thank Sean for joining us. To learn more about his ministry, visit SeanFoyt.com if people want to know about the upcoming worship services, how would they get that information?

[Shawn Foyt]

Just find on social media. We'll let you know. Just follow us on social media.

[Joni Lamb]

Okay? Just fine. Just follow Shawn Foy. Okay.

[April Simons]

And let us worship.

[Shawn Foyt]

Yeah. And let us worship.

[Joni Lamb]

And let us worship. Okay. And of course, as always, make sure to follow us on all social media. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for full episodes, exclusive content. Let us know how Table Talk is touching your life. We love hearing from you. Of course, you can also listen to the Joni Table Talk podcast, available now on all the major platforms. But I want to thank Sean for being here. Thank you, ladies. And hey, we are egging you on. We're praying for you.

[Shawn Foyt]

Thank you.

[Joni Lamb]

And just believing for a great harvest of souls and revival in this next year. And so you'll come back and give us an update, right? I will.

[Audience Member / Testimony Reader]

Okay.

[Joni Lamb]

You'll text me sometimes and say you're not going to believe what's going on. And I'm like, tell me, tell me. But I just pray today if you're watching and you don't know Jesus, it's so easy to invite him into your heart. Just say, jesus, forgive me. Come into my heart today and he will meet you right where you are. We love you. We'll see you next time. Bye bye for today.

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[Joni Lamb]

Well, abundant hope is our inheritance in Christ, yet many of us still carry the baggage of past pain. Well, today's guest is going to share how he discovered God's unfailing unconditional love growing up in the foster care system. But before we get to that, joining me around the table is April Simons. We have a real man of God on fire today.

[Shawn Foyt]

I love it.

[Joni Lamb]

Talking about hope. Because everybody needs hope. Yep. And we always say it. Hope has a name and it's Jesus Christ. That's right. I love the story.

[April Simons]

It's going to be great.

[Joni Lamb]

Anna Kendall, how are you doing? I'm doing just great. And I love this story too. I love the way that he reaches.

[Shawn Foyt]

So many young people because when a.

[Joni Lamb]

Young people's life is saved, that's a lifetime that's saved. So that's going to be great. Rachel Lamb Brown we love testimonies.

[April Simons]

Yes. And this is one of my favorite guests. His story, it's so impactful just to see where he came from. He didn't let that limit him. God has done so much through his life, and it's incredible to see the power of a transformed life.

[Joni Lamb]

And he's right here in our area. But the last time we saw him, we were in Australia together.

[April Simons]

I know.

[Joni Lamb]

And he was preaching in Australia.

[April Simons]

One of my favorite preachers.

[Joni Lamb]

Yeah, for sure. Dorothy Newton, are you ready for a good word today? I am. So. So. Because you know what? It's God's proof that, you know, no matter what has happened in our past, you don't have to take it to the future because he has great plans for us. And it is evident that the story today is going to be phenomenal. I posted a picture of me and you on Instagram, and everybody's like, I just love them. I love Dorothy. Dorothy is a woman of God. I loved it. I loved it. Cindy Johnson. How are you?

[April Simons]

Hey.

[Joni Lamb]

I'm doing great today. Happy to be here. I know you know our guest. I do heard him preach, and, yes, for many years. Actually, probably 30 years or more. But the impact that he's had. He was only two years old when he started this. Well, I was, too. I was, too. But the impact that he is having today and that he had many years back on our community was huge. That was the Fort Worth. Fort Worth area. Yes. Well, he was abandoned as a baby. Embraced by his loving foster parents, redeemed by God. Reggie Dabbs is living proof that your past doesn't define your future. That's a good word for you today. No matter what you've been through, no matter where you are right now, your past does not have to define what God wants to do in your life. So I want you to stay right there. So you're like, you don't even know. Listen, good story coming up. Well, today he's going to share how God is opening doors for him to bring this message of hope to schools nationwide. It is amazing what God is doing. He's just written a book with John Driver. Just keep breathing. And it's a shocking expose of letters you never imagined a generation would write. We'll get into that later. But these are actually the cries of young people that you have ministered to throughout the years, right?

[Reggie Dabbs]

Absolutely, yeah. Kids who have heard me in programs, and then they went to their computers and wrote me a letter.

[Joni Lamb]

Well, welcome, Reggie Dabbs.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Good to be here. So good to be here.

[Joni Lamb]

So good to have you. And I do love your story and I love the story of your parents who are now both with the Lord. But tell us a little bit. Start at the beginning of your birth and what happened.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Yeah. I have a brother, two sisters. My mom.

[Joni Lamb]

Do you know them, by the way?

[Reggie Dabbs]

I have met them.

[Joni Lamb]

Okay.

[Reggie Dabbs]

My mom kept my brother, kept my sisters. But she said I was a mistake, and she gave me away to her favorite teacher at school, which is the greatest blessing of all.

[Joni Lamb]

But we know you weren't a mistake. No, by the way, you're not a mistake.

[Reggie Dabbs]

No.

[Joni Lamb]

No one is a mistake. No one.

[Reggie Dabbs]

The world will label you, though. The world will make you want to carry. And I like, at the beginning, when you says baggage, we carry baggage. I'm going to call this hope. You got to drop that bag. You got to let it go. You got to drop it because you wasn't meant to carry it, and that's good.

[April Simons]

Why do you think she said you were a mistake?

[Reggie Dabbs]

Well, there's circumstances around my birth. She actually slept with a man to get food for my brother and sisters and got pregnant. So that's why she says I was a mistake. But you got to. And I just. I look at people all the time and I say, I'm here.

[Shawn Foyt]

Yeah.

[Reggie Dabbs]

It doesn't matter how you're here, and what you do while you're here matters. It matters the most. So yesterday. It's a memory. And you know what? It can be. There's a reason why the front windshield is so much bigger than the rearview mirror. Because if you spend your time looking back, you're going to run into something. So you got to look ahead. You can't. You can't look back.

[Joni Lamb]

Well. And, yeah, I mean, something has to be said to the fact that, you know, your mom, your birth mom, rather had a story of, I'm sure, brokenness and pain and going through different things. And when you look at her and you look at her through the eyes of God, you kind of have a different perspective, don't you now?

[Reggie Dabbs]

Absolutely. And when you look now. Yeah, I met her a few years back. I met her, and we have a relationship. And now she'll call me five times a day.

[Joni Lamb]

Really?

[Reggie Dabbs]

And she doesn't remember.

[Joni Lamb]

Wow.

[Reggie Dabbs]

And so my other siblings would go, why is she only calling you? And I said, I'm her biggest mistake. And so I literally will pretend like it's her first time calling. Just have a good conversation, hang up, and if I'm available, I do.

[Joni Lamb]

I know. She's so proud of you.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Yeah.

[Joni Lamb]

Okay. So she gave you up to her favorite Teacher.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Her teacher.

[Joni Lamb]

Well, at least she gave you to her favorite English teacher, who I guess couldn't have a baby, right?

[Reggie Dabbs]

No.

[Joni Lamb]

Okay, so what happened? When's your earliest memory of your.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Well, I just. I've always thought that was my family.

[Joni Lamb]

How old were you? You were a baby.

[Reggie Dabbs]

They took me when I was a baby.

[Shawn Foyt]

Okay.

[Reggie Dabbs]

And I thought that was it until first grade when everybody had a first and last name, when teacher took attendance and I only had Reggie. And when I asked, she goes, you don't have a last name. And I remember asking my parents. It was parent teacher conference. I hate parent teacher conferen, but I remember asking them all my friends. Parents were young and they were older. So when we got in the car going home, I'm in the back seat, like, why y' all old? But when you're six, you can get away with that. You don't try that when you're older. And they literally sit me down and told me my story, which was good.

[Joni Lamb]

Well, they had already raised six kids before you came along. And so that says something to their character and their integrity.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Oh, it's. It was unbelievable. And I see and I'm glad it taught me. Like, people look at, like, cleaning people like janitors, and I'm like, y' all don't understand. I think the janitor is the most popular guy in the school. And I always want. When I do assembly programs, I look at janitor, I go, you my hero. And I go, are you going to be in the room?

[Joni Lamb]

Because your dad was the teacher. Yeah, he was a janitor and your mother was the teacher. Okay, so talk about when did you kind of come to a knowledge of God and really invite him into your heart?

[Reggie Dabbs]

When I was 13 and I think one, I couldn't sleep. I'm awake at 3 o' clock in the morning. I had one of those clocks with red numbers. You know what I'm talking about?

[Joni Lamb]

Why do you think that was happening?

[Reggie Dabbs]

Well, it happens every day. Because now in schools, I go, anybody wake up at three o' clock staring at the ceiling? 80% of the room raise their hands. And those are middle schoolers. So it's like. It's just that in the middle of the night, you start thinking stuff you don't normally think during the day because you're preoccupied.

[Joni Lamb]

But as a Christian, you just start praying at that time. Because the Lord uses the three o' clock prayer, too. Yeah, for sure.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Absolutely. But at 13, I was like, dude, my mom gave me away. I don't have nobody. I should give Up. I started crying one morning.

[Joni Lamb]

Cast the enemy into your ear. Right.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Like everybody. And you know what? When I do this as my testimony, people go, wait a minute. He's like me. The more we can identify with the younger generation, the more they're going to listen to us.

[Joni Lamb]

That's right.

[Reggie Dabbs]

But we have to be willing to share the blood of the lamb and the word of your testimony. It's where you came from. And I do that. And I tell him, at 13, I wanted to give up. And my bedroom door opened and I told him. I said, I don't like scary movies because black people die first in scary movies. Come on. You know what I'm saying? I'm just saying. I'm just saying. But it wasn't an it clown. It was my foster care dad. And he literally slept at my door for two nights because he knew I was sad. And the second morning, he heard me cry, and he came in and told me he loved me. And then he opened the Bible and He read John 3:16. He says, I love you, but somebody loves you more. And that's when everything changed.

[Joni Lamb]

Wow.

[Reggie Dabbs]

All I needed was one person.

[Joni Lamb]

That's right.

[Reggie Dabbs]

All people need is one. And you know, for some people, this is table talk. You're their one person that's going to get them through this. And you're the one person. Speak to them.

[Joni Lamb]

Rich, you.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Right now, they literally are looking. You're looking for hope. You're looking for how do I make it? How do I get through this? But you have found it. Not in a television show, but in the reason behind the show. I know every time they don't talk about Jesus a lot, but just for a moment, let me tell you, if it wasn't for the Lord, where would I be? And you just need to. The Bible says, taste and see that the Lord is real. Try him. See what happens. Give him an opportunity in your life. Because we all broke. We're all broke, but Jesus, would you.

[Joni Lamb]

Just lead us in a salvation prayer and we'll repeat after you there. I feel like there's someone watching that. You just kind of came across this and you stopped to listen, but your heart has been opening more towards the things of God, but you don't really know which way to go. And so it's no accident that you're watching right now, because the Lord has your number. I mean, the one who created you, loves you so much and wants to have relationship with you. Reggie.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Romans 10:9 says, if you declare with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. You will be saved. Not you can not. You might. You will be saved. This is the most important moment. So we're just going to ask. We're doing it. I'm going to help you with that prayer is asking Jesus to be lord of your life. So just say Jesus right now. I ask you to be lord of my life. I cannot change my past, but I can give you my future. Thank you, Jesus, for carrying my back, my pain, my shame. Thank you, Jesus, for this moment. For me to say yes.

[Shawn Foyt]

For me to say yes to Jesus.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Be my Lord. Show me how I could live this life, to live this life for you. In Jesus name. Amen.

[Joni Lamb]

Amen. I love that. You know, if you prayed that prayer, there's a number on the screen I want you to call and tell us and let us send you the Gospel of John for free. And it's just a great place to start in the Bible, but this is a new day. You know, I love the story of how your mother wanted you to play an instrument. And which instrument was that?

[Reggie Dabbs]

Saxophone.

[Joni Lamb]

Okay.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Yeah, she loved a saxophone.

[Joni Lamb]

And so when did she start saying okay? What did she say? Like, how'd she.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Well, to be honest, I'm a little add. Okay. And so she came in one day, and I. I was throwing the cat across the room, trying to catch him before he hit the couch, and she says, okay, there's something wrong with him. And so literally, she read up on it and found out that music and rhythm can calm guys like me down, can keep me focused. And so she got a. She went to the pawn shop, got an alto saxophone, and had me play with the radio.

[Joni Lamb]

Oh, my God.

[Reggie Dabbs]

I got fidgety. And it literally worked.

[Joni Lamb]

Would you play a few notes? Is this.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Oh, my goodness. It's a soprano saxophone.

[Joni Lamb]

You can stand.

[Reggie Dabbs]

It looks like a clarinet that. Oh, no, I can do it in here. Yeah, I'm good. But it just. It just.

[Joni Lamb]

This is for all those people that just made that prayer. Amen.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Sam. All right, man.

[Joni Lamb]

Love that. And for those of you that don't know, that was Amazing Grace. Yes, that is. She's so. I know now that you are going into schools. I mean, God supernaturally has opened doors. You are what they call a what? Speaker.

[Reggie Dabbs]

It's a motivational speaker.

[Joni Lamb]

Motivational speaker.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Public school.

[Joni Lamb]

And so you can't get so much into talking about.

[Reggie Dabbs]

You can't say his name, but you.

[Joni Lamb]

Can show his language, show his love, like you're talking about, and kids can go and look at Reggie Dabbs and find all these youtubes of you preaching. And I know that's happened, but I think we have some stories to share. Can we share some of the.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Absolutely.

[Joni Lamb]

These are some of the letters that.

[Reggie Dabbs]

You'Ve gotten from kids, actual students who've heard me in public school.

[Joni Lamb]

Now, they used actors in this.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Yeah, but the letters are.

[Joni Lamb]

But the letters are from them, they're their words. Because, you know, today we're surrounded by generations of kids who are literally dying to be heard. And Reggie, his ministry is a safe place to ask some of the hardest questions. Take a look at this.

[Audience Member / Testimony Reader]

I don't really like to talk about it, but I feel like I can tell you. It started off with me getting sexually harassed by my grandfather for my entire life. And then after my parents found out, they confronted him and a week or two later, he killed himself.

[Reggie Dabbs]

When I was 12 years old, I.

[Shawn Foyt]

Was initiated into a gang. Looking for me right now, they wouldn't.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Kill me, but guess what I deserve, right?

[Audience Member / Testimony Reader]

My boyfriend and his little brother and their friend killed themselves.

[Joni Lamb]

It'll be two years ago tomorrow.

[Audience Member / Testimony Reader]

I get abused and hurt all the time. No one cares.

[Joni Lamb]

I want to die.

[Shawn Foyt]

I don't know what to do, but it's hard. When my own dad tells me to drop dead, there's something inside of me that tells me it would just be.

[Joni Lamb]

Better if I killed myself. I don't want to do that, but it seems like that's the only thing I can do.

[Audience Member / Testimony Reader]

Throughout my entire life, I've been beaten by my foster parents, by families, boyfriends.

[Joni Lamb]

By people I don't even know.

[Audience Member / Testimony Reader]

I grew up in pure hell and torture. I lost my mom for five years.

[Joni Lamb]

Due to her love of alcohol and.

[Audience Member / Testimony Reader]

Not her own kids. I've been sexually harassed and bullied.

[Joni Lamb]

I've been kidnapped and raped.

[Audience Member / Testimony Reader]

I've even harmed myself before.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Some days you're going downhill so fast you want to quit. Listen, my brother never been off the ride of life cuz they'll fix the ride. The only question is, my sister is.

[Joni Lamb]

Will you be on the ride when they fix it?

[Reggie Dabbs]

So the phrase of the day is never give up. Everybody say never give up. Look at him and say I got your back. Look at press on the other side and say I got your back.

[Public Investing Sponsor]

People in crisis don't need to just be fixed, they need to be listened to.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Value, has anybody in this camp ever hurt so bad it was just hard to breathe.

[Public Investing Sponsor]

Even if all else is taken away.

[Reggie Dabbs]

From you, no one can rob you of your choice.

[Joni Lamb]

Well, those are Just really heartbreaking. Some of those letters that were written. Here's another one that especially touching from Jasmine because, you know, thousands of teens who say that Reggie's story changed their lives. One of those again was a girl named Jasmine. And this is heartbreaking. Let's hear what she had to say.

[Audience Member / Testimony Reader]

Dear Reggie, my name is Jasmine. You spoke at my high school last week. I sat close to the back, so you probably didn't really see me. I wore the gray hoodie. If you notice the three girls and one was crying. That was my friend. I was very close to crying. I thank you for coming to my school. I almost started crying when you were telling the story about the girl who cut herself. I tell you that to tell my story. About three years ago, I started having problems with my stepdad. I was really stressed out and I picked up the habit of smoking cigarettes. Well, I got caught and got in trouble. I tried to tell them why I started smoking. No one listened. A couple of weeks went by and my birthday was the next Thursday. Well, on my birthday I called my dad and just wanted to talk to him. And my stepmother were going out to eat. I asked them if I could go with them since it was my birthday. He told me I didn't deserve anything for my birthday and that I didn't even deserve a birthday. When he got done telling me that, he said he had to go. When he hung up, he didn't even wish me a happy birthday or he loved me. I was crushed. So after that, I laid on my bed crying, thinking about all the things going on in my life. It was too much for me. I figured everyone would be happy if I was gone. So I went into the bathroom, busted a razor open and tried to kill myself. If my mother hadn't seen my cut mark, I probably wouldn't be here. I still have problems to this day with my father. I now live with my father. To me, he's not much of a father. I am 16. I was an insecure person back then. I basically raised myself. I love my mother. She's really the only thing I have in my life. Your friend, Jasmine.

[Reggie Dabbs]

I know sometimes you get overwhelmed. Sometimes people are forgotten by those who should never forget. But Jasmine, we're not going to forget. You are not overlooked.

[Joni Lamb]

And you have so many of the letters in here. And I found you put Jasmine's letter in here and you put your letter that you wrote back to her where you said, dear Jasmine, the first thing I wanna say to you in writing so that forever everybody will know. I said It. Here it is. Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to Jasmine Happy birthday to you. Can you hear my beautiful voice singing through the pages? Well, I know many people in the world have had that song sung for them at Jasmine. We wrote it in the book for you. Why? Because that's how special you are. I know sometimes you get overlooked. Sometimes people are forgotten by those who should never forget. But you know what? We are not going to forget. You are not overlooked. I'm so glad your mom saw your cut before it was too late. We see it every day in someone's life. We catch glimpses of the scars. We don't always know their names, but we see them. We see you. And I know we can't call you out by your real name in this book. When I met you that day in your school, I saw you. I did not know then that your name is Jasmine. But I cared then and I care now. You go on and talk about there are principals and teachers who know you. They are friends to you, even though you may not think of them in that way. You see, they brought me to your school hoping I would be able to help you. And it worked. You did realize, and that's why you wrote us. Your problems may not be gone because you know we care. But knowing it is the first step to breathing another day. Because another day will bring another chance to live and see your circumstances change for good. So listen carefully. You will always be loved. And all those birthdays that everybody forgets, you will remember that your daddy, Reggie, put it in his book. Happy birthday, Jasmine. Never give up. I got your back, Reggie. Jazz. I love that. What did she say when she got that letter from you?

[Reggie Dabbs]

She responded and she went, is this really you? I get that a lot.

[Joni Lamb]

That happens to me sometimes.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Yeah, I know.

[Joni Lamb]

This is really you answer everybody email and we get thousands. But every once in a while, I will. And they'll come back. It's just really.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Joanie, real fast. So you know that we about 10 years ago started doing elementary programs. So we go all the way down to pre K4 and we're in New Jersey, pre K4. I'm doing my program. Halfway through it, a little four year old yells, he's my daddy. And I'm like, excuse me. And then we did a family night. And it's for the whole community to hear what we did during the day because everybody needs hope. And she brought her mom, and her mom came up and she said that you're her daddy. I went, yeah. It was a Little offsetting. And she goes, no, her dad isn't alive because he was a bad man. And she's been asking, how do I know who my daddy is? And she said, one day you'll meet the nicest, most kind, most gentle, most loving man, and you need to know that's your dad.

[Joni Lamb]

Oh, my goodness. Wow.

[Reggie Dabbs]

And I was like, I'll do elementary programs for the rest of my life.

[Joni Lamb]

The rest of my life.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Kids need hope. They just need hope.

[Joni Lamb]

They do.

[April Simons]

Has the school seen the impact that you've made? Have you ever gotten. Do you have a story from, like, a school?

[Reggie Dabbs]

Well, what they do now is they're tracking. They're tracking like we do an assembly program. And what they. They'll go back, like, four months later. And what they did this year, this past year, one school district said, we really want to make this work. So they brought us in to do schools. But they had four educators watch the programs and come up with slogans. So after we were gone one week it was Uncle Reggie said, you can't change your past, but you can change the future. A week later it was, Uncle Reggie says, do your best because you never know who's watching. So they had this for a month, and then a month later they went back and they tracked attendance, behavior, and test scores. Up, up, and up.

[Shawn Foyt]

Wow.

[Joni Lamb]

That's amazing. That's amazing. Tell us what's up and for people watching, how they can support you or if they're watching and they would love to see you come to their son or daughter school.

[Reggie Dabbs]

If you would love to see us come to schools, note it is secular. We stay within the parameters of education.

[Joni Lamb]

And you tell your story.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Yeah, I tell my story. It's theyouthalliance.com the youthalliance.com and you can see the youth alliance, youthalliance.com, that's the best way. That's the best way to do public school. Everyone else, say a prayer for us, because I'm coming to the end of my public school Tour ability. I'm 62. So when I turn.

[Joni Lamb]

You've only just begun.

[Reggie Dabbs]

I know when I turn 66. But we got other guys. They're running with it. They're doing it. They're making it happen.

[Joni Lamb]

Do you do churches as well? Do you do churches?

[Reggie Dabbs]

Oh, absolutely.

[Joni Lamb]

So good. That's so good. And what do you see the Lord doing, like, in this season? What do you feel like the Holy Spirit is showing you for the next six months?

[Reggie Dabbs]

I think he's showing me it's working because for the past six months in public schools, I have kids. Every week, at least one kid will come up and go, hey, you do a really good job. Have you ever heard of Jesus? You got five minutes. Can I tell you who he is? And can I tell you what he did for me? And these are like sixth graders, bro. They're like little Billy Grahams running around. And the Prince. Yeah, he's our Jesus kid right there. We gotta keep doing it for our church kids. Keep preaching to them because they're getting it.

[Joni Lamb]

Yeah.

[Reggie Dabbs]

And they're going public.

[Joni Lamb]

Do you feel like there's almost like an open window that God's given us for now?

[Reggie Dabbs]

Absolutely. Because he's coming.

[Joni Lamb]

He's coming.

[Reggie Dabbs]

He's coming back.

[Joni Lamb]

He is.

[Reggie Dabbs]

He's coming back. And we gotta help. We gotta make. The harvest is ripe. So we've gotta keep proclaiming he's coming.

[Joni Lamb]

Just take a moment, if you will, and just pray generally as you feel led for those that are watching. Right before we leave the air.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Right, Jesus, I pray right now. God, God, you know who we are. You know where we're at. God, you created the heavens and the earth. You created television. You created all this. So that we can sit by someone right now who's struggling. We can sit beside someone right now who's trying to figure out the why. But, God, we know that no matter what the why is, you're the answer. So, Jesus, I pray, hope, I pray peace in every circumstance right now. God, I pray that a young man would put a gun down, that a young lady would lay the pills down, that a blade would be put back in the razor. Because there's hope. God, God, I pray, God, that this would be seen by not the greatest of the great, but the lowest of the low. God, let them know you still care about them, you still love them, and you're on their side. So I pray peace in Jesus name, Hope in Jesus name. Let us be your hand extended. Let us, God, start conversations that end up with but Jesus. So, God, we all need that moment in our life, but Jesus changed it. But Jesus changed my life. But Jesus set me free. And God, we know we don't have to carry those bags. We've got to drop those bags and turn to you In Jesus name. Amen.

[Joni Lamb]

Everybody said amen. Amen. Amen. We're out of time. I want you to remember that even though you can't change your past, you can decide today to change your future. And when you say yes to God, you can live a life filled with hope and faith and his unfailing love. And, yeah, you still have issues and problems that you have to walk through. I mean, the Bible tells us, you know, we're going to have to deal with things. I mean, we don't live in a perfect world. This is the difference for people who have a relationship with the Lord, they're not alone. And you don't have to be alone with whatever you're walking through, whatever you're going through. If you're watching today and you need prayer, that's why that prayer line number is on the screen. If you prayed the salvation prayer with Reggie, call us. Let us send you the Gospel of John. If you just need prayer in general, call us. You don't have to give any information. Just say, hey, I want prayer. The lady on TV or Internet or livestreaming or whatever said that I could call this number and I need prayer. That's why we do that. You're important to us. Well, I do want to thank Reggie for joining us today. Make sure you order a copy of his book. Just keep breathing. Some great, really insightful letters in there from young people crying out for help. We got to reach out to this generation. He's doing that, of course. For more, you can visit him [e-mail] but if they want you to come to the school, it's theyouthalliance.com theyouthalliance.com some of you are going to follow up on that. Get Reggie in the school. You got to hurry before he thinks he can retire anyway. As always, make sure to follow us on all social media. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for full episodes, exclusive content. Let us know how Table Talk is touching your life. We love hearing from you. Of course, you can also listen to the Joni Table Talk podcast, available now on all the major platforms. But thank you so much for watching. Thank you, Reggie.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Thank you, guys.

[Joni Lamb]

Good to see you again. I'm glad you're here in the area now.

[Reggie Dabbs]

Yes.

[Joni Lamb]

Thank you, ladies. Put your tissues up, Cindy. We're not going to cry anymore.

[Reggie Dabbs]

All right.

[Joni Lamb]

We love you. We'll see you next time. Continue to call and we'll take your call. And hey, it's a new day. This is an I heart podcast. Guaranteed human.