An Army of Normal Folks - How Former Gangsters Pulled 1,000 People Out of Gang Life (Pt 2)

Episode Date: May 5, 2026

How do you convince someone to walk away from a life they’d die for? In this episode, former gang member Beni Santibanez shares how “Hope 4 Da Hood” has helped over 1,000 people leave gang life by exposing their lie of loyalty and helping them discover their true identity & value. It’s a raw look at transformation and how you can help people break cycles that most never escape.Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#joinSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey, everybody, it's Bill Courtney with an army and normal folks. We continue now of part two of our conversation with Vinnie Santabanias, right after these brief messages from our generous sponsors. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all,

embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun,

thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people.

I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the look back. at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode

with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but yeah, yeah. But just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack, so I'm starting to see that there's a through line.

We also have AIDS on the table right now. So, Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history.

Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. There are times when the mind becomes a difficult place to live. This is David Eagleman with the Inner Cosmos podcast. And for Mental Health Awareness Month, we're dedicating a series to understanding the mind when it's struggles. I'm joined by doctors, researchers, and those with lived experience. We'll talk with singer-songwriter Jewel about anxiety. I started living in my car and then my car got stolen. I was shoplifting. I was having panic attacks. I was agoraphobic. And making it through hardship. To be present is a learned skill and it's hard to be present. We'll talk with John Nelson about

clinical depression and the brain implant that saved his life. What I learned is, is the procedure made me happy because I'm disease-free. And we'll talk with leading experts like Judd Brewer about anxiety and John Hirschfield about obsessive-compulsive disorder and the science of how the brain can change. This is a month of deeply personal and honest conversations about what happens when the brain goes off course and what we can do about it.

Listen to Inner Cosmos on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So you ran out of church. So I ran out of church. And then after the series was over, they had another series. And I was just like, can I keep coming? I didn't know. You know, I've never been to church before.

And I was like, is it okay if I come? He's like, you can come, but you know, come in your own car. And so they had this thing. You know, they did an altar call. And there was a guy that I looked up to who was, he was an ex-gang member who was getting himself right. And he walked up and he said, come on, we're all giving our life to the Lord. which I never would have walked up there by myself.

And I was like, man, I didn't want to say no. So I walked up there. But I, you know, I had this default that a lot of us have. If you ask us to pray, we're going to pray so you'll leave us alone. You know what I mean? So I go up there to the altar call and the guy leads me in the salvation prayer. And then he goes, you're going to heaven. And I'm like, what?

You're going to heaven. You said the prayer, didn't you? I was like, yeah. And then he was like, you said the prayer, so you're going. to heaven. Like, I'm going to heaven. I'm like looking at the dude. Like, you must be smoking something. Like, I'm going to heaven. Do you know what I've done? Like, and he was like, you said the prayer. But like, this is how twisted my mind was. I was like, I found a loophole. I found a way to call God. I said the prayer. I'm in. And so I was like, so no, I can go do what I want to do,

but I got this to fall back on. I went to the bar and I said, if you accept Jesus Christ, your Lord and Savior, you go to heaven. And they were like, eh, don't work like that. So you want a shot or not? We're celebrating right now. And so God saw through my ignorance. And I thought I got away with it, but you know you don't get away with it when it comes to him. We were a couple weeks later, we were right there on 21st.

We caught one of the guys. 21st is a street. Yeah, 21st in Broadway. and we caught a guy from the other side, a guy who shot at us plenty of times. He was, let's just say, we really wanted this guy. And we were in a truck that is an unmarked truck. You know, you wouldn't suspect gang members in this truck.

You would expect what? You wouldn't expect gang members into this truck. Got it. You know what I'm saying? It was like one of those Mexican, you know, Mexican, you know, with the fat tires, and stuff. Yeah. And the dude that was driving it was a white guy.

They liked hanging out with Mexicans. And he had a Glock 40 with holo tips in it. And we're like, oh, man, there he goes. And he was like, I got the Glock, man. What's up? He goes, and I got a Mustang motor in this, man, the cops won't catch us. And so, you know, we were going to pop this dude at the light.

And me and my friend who was sitting next to me, usually we used to fight over who got to shoot the gun, you know. And he had the gun. You're kidding me. I'm not kidding you. We used to be like, man, you ain't going to hit nobody. Give me that. Like, you know, we were just, like I said, we were adrenaline junkies.

We were just, and he had the gun. And I just remember, like, this voice telling me, don't do it. Don't do it. Don't do it. And it was getting louder and I could feel like pressure on my chest. And it was, I know now that that was conviction. I never felt it before. And I'm like, I'll have a gun.

gun. He said, ask him for the gun. And I can tell you, we always argued over the gun. And I asked him, I said, give me the gun. And he said, oh, yeah, oh, yeah, hands me the gun. And the little voice, like, take the clip out. So I take the clip out. And he's tripped, what are you doing? He's going to get away. I'm like, I don't know. I don't know what I'm doing. I took the clip out. I was like, I'm thinking, this is a sign. Maybe there's some police around the corner. If we do it, we're going to get it. caught, I'm paranoid. I don't know why we ain't doing it, but we're not doing it. And then the dude drives off. He don't even know we're going to shoot him. He just, he didn't even see us. He just drove. He just, he has no idea how close he was to die.

No idea how close he was to dying. And so I'm like, y'all drop me off at home. I'm tripping. Drop me off. And then he's like, oh, man, he, you know, he's tripping. I said, look, man, if y'all want to go look for him and shoot him, y'all go look for him and shoot him. I'm going home. And I remember getting out of the car, and I was really conflicted.

because one, they could do me in for not killing them. You know what I'm saying? Oh, really? Oh, yeah, because they wanted them. You know what I'm saying? Hey, word gets out. You didn't take this fool out? We're going to take you out.

So I had that going on. And then I have that, like I said, we usually fought over the gun. I ain't never had a time where I had any hesitation to do anything like that. And now I got this, don't do it in me. You know what I mean? And I'm going, man, what's going on? I'm sitting there going, am I going soft?

Am I being weak now? Like, what's going on with me? I'm tripping on myself. And that was when God started talking to me. And he said, what would you do if they took your friend and killed him? I said, I killed their whole family. Like, nobody would be safe. He said, what would you do if somebody was taking your friend to kill him?

I was like, and if I knew about it? I'll stop him. He said, then stop. Because you're the one that's taking them. And I'm like, no-uh. And he's like, yeah. And I'll tell you what, way before Facebook Reels was a thing, the Holy Spirit showed me clips of them following me through enemy territory,

them watching me, me jumping them in, me making them jump people in. He showed me clips of my life where I was leading them. And he said, you're the one leading these people to their death. And I mean, these different. did not understand how I just stopped dead in my tracks and quit hanging around them. I didn't want to be the reason that they died. You know, I really had love for them and I really looked, you know, I was trying to look out for him.

The problem was I was so dysfunctional and missed up that even though I'm trying to look out for him, I don't know how to not keep you out of trouble because I don't know how to stay out trouble, you know? And so I stopped doing that. That was when God told me to do what I'm doing now. with that even though you're doing what you're doing now which we get to next after this last question um i can't imagine a life from seven years old seeing the first person you got shot to traveling to mexico and trafficking drugs all the way back up to wichita even though you're

having this epiphany and you're and you're and you're feeling a calling to be different Was there ever temptation to go back to the life? Yeah. I didn't. I'd be lying to you if I just said, hey, in the 90s, I just quit. You know what I'm saying? There's a process. It was a process.

So I quit hanging around them, but I didn't quit being crazy. I quit hanging around them, and then I just did stuff by myself. Because I didn't know how to stop. You know what I mean? I didn't know. That's the problem. I didn't know how to stop. And then, you know, I got, God got a ways of pulling you in.

You know, I got, I had this guy approach me with the sales thing and he was like, you know, you could be a millionaire. You could do something. And I remember I wrote that same guy that I'm telling you, he was in prison. And I wrote him at that time and I told him, I said, you know what? I want to be somebody. I want to actually be somebody in life, you know, and I'm writing him and telling him. and I'm like, I think I could probably be somebody, you know? And I never thought like that.

I didn't even remember writing in this letter. You know, in 2018, he showed me the letter. And he held onto it all them years. And so I told him that I started getting in this sales thing for, I wanted to be a millionaire. So I started reading all these books, you know. They're like, you got to read books and tapes. You got to read books and tapes. You got to reprogram your brain.

And I found out, like, I was always good at everything I tried, but I wasn't good at getting rejected. You know what I'm saying? And so then I'm like, I got to fix this. Because if I fix this, I could be a millionaire, you know? Well, along with all those books, I mean, I read everything, John Maxwell, Stephen Covey, all these leadership books. Zig Ziglar. Yep. Earl Nightingale. I mean, I'm listening to Books and Tapes because I'm like, I'm going to be a million.

You know, I'm like, dead set. And then this guy goes, this is a really good. good book. It was called The Power Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Piel. Yeah. So here I am. I don't believe in God. I don't follow God. And I'm walking around going, I can do all things through Christ. Because I'm like, it's a mantra. I'm like, psychology. I can do all things through Christ. It strengthens me. And trust the Lord with all your heart. Don't lean on your own. You know what? I'm just saying, I'm saying I'm like a mantra. And I got a book. Yeah. All that. And my book. And so, and so I'm reading it. And I mean,

I read the book. I don't know how many times. I'm trying. I need a positive thing. I read How to Win Friends and Influence People, you know. And all of these things, God used them to start changing the way I see myself, changing the way I see other people. Like in the book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, it talked about smiling. There was a story about a guy who killed a police officer.

And then when he was barricaded, he wrote a letter and he said, look, man, I'm the victim. and it really, really spoke to me because of my whole life, I was doing all this wrong, and I felt like the dude who killed the cop. So I'm reading this and God is reshaping my brain. And then I'm, you know, I'm being exposed to all these things. But the problem was I wasn't surrender to God.

You know what I mean? That was really the problem. And so I'm trying to figure things out by myself. I'm trying to figure it out, like what the Bible tells you don't do, right? don't lean on your own understanding. I'm leaning on my own understanding and I'm trying to figure it out. I'm looking at the Bible. I'm going, okay, I'm going to read the Bible.

I'm going to go, well, that don't make no sense. That contradicts that. And I'm like, man, yeah, this is bull. You know what? This ain't know. And then I get to the point where Jesus is like, you know, you should love me more than your mom, more than any. And I was like, screw you.

I don't know you. I know my mom, you know, which was crazy because I hated my mom. You know what I mean? And it was like, but I was like, I was loyal to. whatever part of that, but I wasn't ever able to truly love my mom until I loved him first because he taught me how to love myself. Once I was able to love myself, I was able to love my mom. You know, and, you know, he started to pull at me. And my ex said it like this. During that time, I was going to church, but I felt like because of everything that I did,

that it was too late for me. I wanted my kids. to have a better chance than me. So I went to church to take my kids. And my ex said, you know, like, when they sing the worship, you start crying and you lift up your hands. You look like a saint. And then when you leave, you turn right back into the devil.

And which obviously the Bible says, a double-minded man is unstable in everything he does. Right? I was the epitome of that. And so she ended up leaving me for somebody while I was going to church. I got mad, a curse God. I went back to the streets.

Went at it hard. All the new gangs that came up, I started beefing with all of them. I broke my hand three years in a row, knocking people out. I broke a couple of cats off my hand, fighting. And it was just,

but there was seeds that were planted in that church that in a twisted way I'm trying to apply. I started a record company, and I started trying to help the homies do something productive with themselves. Like, we're just going to make music. But then the problem is we're gangsters and we're making gangster music. And so then you got that, that, okay, we're the realist out there because half our people are

on Kansas Most Wanted. You know what I'm saying? So, like, you know, we're literally doing shows and we're jumping off the stage and beating people up during our shows. You know what I mean? Like, it was serious? I'm dead serious. You were beating up your own audience.

Well, you know, when you, you. When you're in a club environment, not everybody's from your hood. Not everybody's... I got it. You know what I mean? And so when they show up, it's go time. You know what I mean? Especially with us, it was...

We weren't the type of what neutral grounds was. I mean, I had a friend who, you know, on the east side, I go over there and there's a blood sitting there. There's a crypt right there. There's a junior boy. And they're all playing cards. And to me, I was like, what is this? Because the minute we would see the enemy, we would attack. That was it.

It was on site. Us or you, that's all. So it just, we didn't know. I didn't understand it. They were like, no, this is a neutral zone. I was like, what's a neutral zone? Right, you know, I got into a fight with somebody at their party. You know what I mean?

I broke the neutral zone, right? You know, and so, you know, she left me. So I got mad and cursed God. I turned away from God. And my life went even worse than it was. We'll be right back. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas

on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs?

Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day but just so y'all know I mean at this point Mark this is the second episode where we've discussed crack

so I'm starting to see there's a through line We also have AIDS on the table right now so Thank you finishing that sentence I don't think there's a more important year for black people

Really? Yeah for me it's one of the most important years for black people in American history Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app Apple Podcasts

or wherever you get your podcast There are times when the mind becomes a difficult place to live. This is David Eagleman with the Inner Cosmos podcast, and for Mental Health Awareness Month, we're dedicating a series to understanding the mind when it struggles. I'm joined by doctors, researchers, and those with lived experience. We'll talk with singer-songwriter Jewel about anxiety. I started living in my car, and then my car got stolen.

I was shoplifting. I was having panic attacks. I was agoraphobic. and making it through hardship. To be present is a learned skill, and it's hard to be present. We'll talk with John Nelson about clinical depression and the brain implant that saved his life. What I learned is that procedure made me happy

because I'm disease-free. And we'll talk with leading experts like Judd Brewer about anxiety and John Hirschfield about obsessive-compulsive disorder and the science of how the brain can change. This is a month of kids. deeply personal and honest conversations about what happens when the brain goes off course and what we can do about it.

Listen to Inner Cosmos on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So the truth is, you weren't tempted to go back at it. You did go back at it. 100%. 100%. I want to say that until I surrendered my life to Jesus, there's a difference. you could say a prayer, you could have an emotional moment, you could cry, you could break down, you could say, okay, I'm sorry, I want to do better. The truth of the matter is, is I wanted to do better so many times.

I wanted to quit drinking so many times. I wanted to quit fighting. I mean, I became the laughing stock of the hook. It's like, oh, is he going to break his hands this time? You know what I mean? Like, I had a homie, and I broke my hand on his birthday every year. So they called it the big bear curse, you know? And they were like, two years later, I saw him,

it was climbing closely his birthday. And he goes, hey, it's my birthday. You want to go out? And then the other homie was like, the big bear curse, you know? And I'm just like, no, no, I'm done. You know, but this is what really happened. This is what changed. I got invited to this thing.

I had a home girl invited me to this, like a outreach thing that they were doing. It was like a Christian outreach thing. They had some guy coming from out of town. and supposedly the guy could use this dude to heal people, and she showed me some YouTube videos, and I'm just like staged, fake, fake, oh my, my, that's fake. So I called my now wife's dad, and I was like, I'm roasting.

I'm like, man, come on, man, God don't heal people like that. I'm just talking a lot of smack. And he said, I need healing. So I'm like, oh, man, I know I shouldn't have started this conversation. So now he wants to go. So now I have to go. So now it's like 85 degrees. It's hot out there in the summer.

We go two hours early before the thing even starts. They take me there two hours early, and I'm just mad. By the time they do in worship, I'm just like mad. I was so mad. I walked away from them and went to the other end of the parking lot. And I just said, you know, and I wasn't mad at them. I was mad because I was there. And I was mad because I had already tried to do good.

I had already tried to go to church. I had already tried to read the Bible. And nothing and nothing changed me. I had tried to quit drinking. I had tried to quit fighting. I was trying to do deductive reasoning. Like, well, okay, it's because I'm hanging out with them. That's why I keep getting into it.

I was the problem. I didn't realize I was the problem. I was trying to figure it out, you know? And I go to the end of the parking lot. And I'm just like, you know what, God, if you're so real, then why does my life suck? Why is my life suck? And, I mean, I had grown very comfortable talking smack to God for years. You know what I'm saying? He never answered me, so I figured God wasn't real.

That day he answered me. And he said, when did you put me first in your life? And my answer was never. And I said, well, your rules are too hard. Like, I already know myself. I'm not going to tell you that two weeks from now, I'm not going to be at the bar. I'm not going to tell you that if somebody looks at me stupid, I ain't going to punch him in their mouth. And I ain't going to tell you that if a girl gives you, me some play, I'm not going to be inside them draws. You know what I'm saying? Like, I know me and I tried to stop these things and I can't. So you just got to throw me away because I'm one of them. There just ain't no hope for somebody like me. And that's when he told me, said, humble yourself and ask me to do what you're saying you can't do. And I'll be honest,

I didn't know that was a thing. And I remember I humbled myself and I said, okay, you know what? I've never done that. I've tried a lot of things, but I've never. tried to humble myself and ask God to change me. And I remember I humbled myself, then I just started begging. And I was like, man, if you are really real, if you're really real, please change me. If you can change people, change me. Because my mind is messed up. I'm just all jacked up. Like, I need, I need to be changed. Because if not, I'm going to die out here like this. I mean, we was already getting into it with these other fools. And one of them ended up smoking himself. You know what I'm saying?

But like we were already, like, I had lost about seven or eight friends the year before. It was just a matter of time. I made a song called on the day I died because I figured I was next. You know what I'm saying? And he saved me. He changed me. I felt like, you know, felt like a whole ton got lifted up off of me. I felt at peace for the first time of my life.

And the guy that I went to. heckle. He was like, hey brother, are you saved? Like, I'm over there going to heckle. I'm like, dang, this dude got to jump on me. He's about to clown me. And I'm like, oh, man. And I'm like, uh, yeah. And he goes, man, you don't sound too convinced, bro. Let me ask you again. So I'm like, oh, God, I'm ready. He's like, are you saved? Like, yeah, you know, just leave me alone, you know? And he said, can I pray for you? And so he pulls me up there on the stage. And I'm like, man, my heart's going like a million dollars. I'm like, man, he fin to just tell him, yeah, this dude's a gangbanger. I thought he was just going to call me out in front of all those people.

It was like 100, 150 people. I thought he's going to call me out in front of everybody. But instead, he wanted to pray for me. And at that time, I had injured my back. And I was walking weird. I couldn't walk right. And, you know, he told me to put out my hands. And I'm like, oh, man, this dude doesn't turn me into the video.

You know what I'm saying? And I got mad, man. I remember I got so mad. And he was like praying. And then he went to push me on my head. And I'm like, I knew what he's falling down for. you. I headbutted his hand, you know, like, and I looked, and I seen my sister crying. I seen my wife crying. I seen these people in the crowd. I was like, you guys really believe this?

Heck no. And I was like, man, I jumped off the stage and I like get ready to go. I'm, I'm so mad. I just want to get my family and leave. This dude jumps off the stage before I could get down there and starts praying for everybody over there. And then my father-in-law, you know, me and here, we're both talking about leaving. And he goes over there and he goes, I'm going to show you how God can defy science. Have you ever met me before? And I'm sitting there laughing like, no, because we're ready to leave. As soon as I get there, we're leaving. And he prayed over my father-in-law and he said his first name and last name. And I'm going, how did you do that? How did you know that? There's no way you could know that. I mean, it just blew my mind. And it was at that moment, God showed me how real he

actually is. And at that moment, when I came to that realization that God was really real, I had to make a choice because I was living like he wasn't. You know, and he said, you remember that thing I told you to do? I was like, man, I figured you would have called somebody else by now. You know, shoot, that was 1997 or 98, bro. Like, this is 2009, you know? He said, I want you to do it. I called you to do it. And I was just like, man, you know how many people I've beat up out here? You know how many people I've heard out here? Like, if I was me, I wouldn't listen to me. He said, I want you to do it.

I said, man, ain't nobody going to come. He's like, I want you to do it. And see, the problem was, is I didn't believe that nobody could come to Jesus because nobody around me went to Jesus. I wasn't a believer. And I told him, I was like, you know, Christianity is for weak people. This is like a crutch, you know? And he was like, I want to be.

you to go. I'm like, look, man. And that's the other thing. Our music career was taken off. Like, it was starting to super take off. And I'm like, man, I'm five years into this music career. You want me to turn from this and come over here and like become the laughing stock of the hood talking about Jesus. And he was like, yeah. And I'm just like, man. And I'll tell you what, that piece is real good, though. You know what I'm saying? So I just didn't want to give up the piece. So I was like, all right, man, tell you what, I'm going to do it. And you're going to see nobody's going to come to Jesus.

I'm going to lose all my fans and I'm going to lose all my hood creed behind this. And I've worked so hard to maintain good standing in the hood. You know what I'm saying? All these years. And I'm about to show you that nobody's going to come to Jesus.

And he made me put my foot in my mouth because the first year we saw 250 game members come to Jesus. And that number is in the thousands of now. Like I can't even tell you. There's even hope for the hood in Russia right now. You know what I'm saying? Just hope for the hood in Russia?

In Russia, bro, in Moscow. Yeah. So what are you doing at the label now? We still make music. But not gangster music? No, I shut down that record label. I gave it over to the brothers who were still doing it because not all of them wanted to convert, you know what I'm saying? So I'm like, not going to make you.

And then I started reaching out to people who the record label had already shunned, right? You know what I mean? And so they're like, hey, man, you can't be recording these guys, man. This guy is this way. And we don't like him. And I'm like, I'll tell you what, you guys keep the record label. And I'm going to start a different one. And I started Hope for the Hood as a record label and started recording the guys that were shunned by everybody else.

You know what I'm saying? And we've been making music. And the crazy thing is I didn't think I could use the music. There's people we'd go give out these CDs. there'd be people that would find the, because some people don't, yeah, I want to hear this. They throw it out the window. And there was people who found the CD and got saved.

That was laying in the street. Yeah. I can't tell you how many stories I had of that. And so it was, so then, you know, like, I remember the only church I had ever gone to was Central Community. So I go back to the church and I said, Hey, man, y'all don't know me. But this is the only Christian church I know of.

and I just declared war against Satan. I need to know how to fight. I need to know what the Bible says. I need to know how to stand on truth because God told me to do this and I'm all in. So I need y'all to show me like, what's up? And they just looked at me like, what?

You crazy. Like, you know, and I was like, no, I'm serious. I filled up their whole new believers class. We had like six, seven pews full of people. And like, I'm like, I was. kidnapping people, bringing them to church, you know. I learned to quit kidnapping people. You know, you got to share it with general disrespect.

But I was dead serious. And then they're the ones that sent me to ministry school because they were like, man, well, back that up. I'm going, I got comfortable. You know, I'm going to church. I'm going to New Believers class. I'm going to the Live by Faith class. I'm bringing people in. I'm eating donuts every, you know, every Sunday.

life is good. And then all of a sudden, God was like, what are you doing? I like, what do you mean? I mean, listening to Caleb on my way to church, you know,

I'm doing good, you know? And he said, that's not what I told you to do. He said, I want you to go reach the hood. And so I'm thinking, I'm watching the guy,

I went through that New Believers Bible so many times. Like, Wednesdays and Sundays wasn't enough for me. I'm reading it every day for hours at a time. I'm reading it on my break.

I started a revival at my job, and I got a whole bunch of people who I didn't know were Christians back on fire. We're doing Bible studies at church. We're having church at work, you know. And we're just all excited on fire for God. And I'm listening to the dramatized version of the new King James in my car. Like, I'm not even listening to the music. I'm just soaking in God's word, you know. And I'm, so I'm watching the, you know, and I'm watching. that, you know, and I'm thinking, okay, God got a plan for me.

He want me to, and I'm watching the guy who does a new believers class. And I go, I'm going to take his place whenever he's ready to step down. And then I woke up one morning and I heard pastor. And I'm like, huh? Nah, that's weird. Nah. I go to church. They're laying hands on somebody and shipping them out of it.

They're ordaining them as a pastor and they're laying hands on them. And I'm just like, okay. I call the church office. I'm like, hey, you guys got a schooler or whatever I can become a pastor? Whoever I talked to, they were like, no. I was like, cool, I'm off the hook, not of God. But then we started doing the Bible studies. And I'll tell you what this is really what started it, is the devil and spiritual warfare is real.

And the devil kept attacking me and attacking me and attacking me. He's attacking my mind. He's attacking my mind. He's attacking my mind. And I feel like in the streets, if you hit us, we. can hit you back. If you attack us, we hit you back harder. And I felt like, this is kind of weak. I just got to let this dude just keep hitting me and I can't do nothing. And like, I went to a spiritual gifts class and they were like, you have the gift of evangelism, you have the gift of communication,

and you have the gift of faith. And I was like, yeah, right, I couldn't even sell insurance. You know what I'm saying? And I remember I was so tired of the devil just being on my head. And I just, I prayed. And I was like, man, God, if I have the gift of, evangelism, then send me. Send me because I'm tired of this. I need some get back. I need some revenge. My whole lifestyle has been revenge, and now I'm getting just rode on. I feel like a punk, you know? And I said, send me. If it's real, send me. And I remember I went home. I was so hungry, man. My wife didn't make no food. And my sister goes, oh, I'll make you something. And I got a ministry called. Somebody wanted me to go talk to her brother. And he was from my hood. And so I'm waiting for the

food, and I start praying over the food, and they're like, hey, he's going to leave. And I'm like, I don't care. I'm going to eat my food. And the Holy Spirit said, go. I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah. When I eat my food, he was like, no, go now. And I felt that conviction. I got up and I led both of those people to the Lord that night. And that's what started it. We went from a couple people to four people to eight people to 15 people. We went to a basement of a church, filled that up. We went to another church. We had about 150 people there. I wasn't counting them. There was a pastor. It was like a Baptist church.

They let us use the church. He was how many people you got in here? I said, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know what happened when David counted them. I don't want to count them. You know? And he goes, I think you guys got about 150 people.

And I'm like, well, you know, God got 150 people, man. You know, like we're just doing what we're doing, you know? And then from there, we joined a church plant in our neighborhood to help plant the church. Then from there, I helped plant the church. I helped plant a church on the east side and the west side. I went to church planting school, but never in my mind was I thinking I'm going to plant a church. You know, I'm thinking I'm going to be a part of the work and do whatever. Definitely completely wanted to run from the call of being a pastor.

And God was like, nope, you need to step up. You need to step up. And then even when we planted our church, I got somebody else to be the pastor. This dude was a pastor for 13 years at his church. And it didn't, it didn't, it wasn't. It wasn't going the way it needed to be going, and then he stepped down. And that's when God was like, I need you to step up. And I was so scared to step up.

And I was just like, I mean, I can't do this. I'm going to, like, it ain't that I didn't, like, I didn't want to let God down, and I didn't want to hurt nobody, and I didn't want to lead nobody in the wrong way. I was scared because I made my whole life, I made a mess of things. And, but I loved it. loved doing Bible studies. Like, I absolutely loved doing Bible studies. Love sharing the word.

And it never had hit me that when you preach, you're doing a Bible study. I was up there anxiety preaching the message and the Holy Spirit was like, you know you're just doing a Bible study, right? And it clicked. I was like, I love doing Bible studies. So it's been on ever since. You know what I mean? I've been, I enjoy getting up there. Joy sharing the word.

What's the name of the church? Hope for the hood. Hope for the hood church. Yep. Because one of the problems we have is our people, our people got tattoos on their face. Our people look a little. Unchurchy. Unchurchy.

I remember one time, man, we were in church, man. Me and my homie Weasel and we were, they were doing like child dedications. And we're at a suburb predominantly white church, right? and we're in there wearing baggy shirts, baggy pants, and Nike Cortez. We got beanie on. We're wearing our beanies in church, right? You know, and this lady keeps looking back at us and looking back at her purse, right? Because she thinks we're going to steal it, right?

And, dude, we were just so tickled by that. We were like, dang, she thinks we're going to, like, this is hilarious, you know? Did it not offend you? It didn't because we knew we wasn't going to do it. You know what I mean? If we would have been, you know, if we would have been. you know, if we would have been, like, God had renewed our mind to the point to where we were like, we thought it was funny. But if we would have been, you know, if it would have been the different

version of us, we probably would have beat her up and took it. You know what I mean? Just to teach her a lesson, you know? But, but I started seeing that all of our people didn't really fit into your normal churches. You know what I mean? And we, we had people going to different churches and we'd come together do Bible studies and all that. And then it kind of is like God started impressing it on me and impress it on the people like, man, we need to do a church. We'll be right back. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of Tom, tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people.

Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. There are times when the mind becomes a difficult place to live. This is David Eagleman with the Inner Cosmos podcast. And for Mental Health Awareness Month, we're dedicating a series to understanding the mind when it struggles. I'm joined by doctors, researchers, and those with lived experience.

We'll talk with singer-songwriter Jewel about anxiety. I started living in my car, and then my car got stolen. I was shoplifting. I was having panic attacks. I was agoraphobic. And making it through hardship. To be present is a learned skill, and it's hard to be present. We'll talk with John Nelson about clinical depression and the brain implant that saved his life.

What I learned is that procedure made me happy because I'm disease-free. And we'll talk with leading experts like Judd Brewer about anxiety and John Hirschfield about obsessive-compulsive disorder and the science of how the brain can change. This is a month of deeply personal and honest conversations about what happens when the brain goes off course and what we can do about it. Listen to Inner Cosmos on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Hope for the Hood Church. Hope for the Hood Church. Yeah. How many members? We got, man. We had like 350 people last week. And they're all,

or vast majority of which form of gangbangers. Yeah, come from the life. I mean, our tech guy was a crib. Our Usher was a leader of the Englewood Family Bloods. One of our security guys was, with the, they're called the white boys or something. Like an Aryan group. Yeah.

What, um, where is the church? Right in the middle of the hood. Like, like, you can't even make this up, man. So our church is on 23rd in our Kansas, right? If you go down that alley,

right at the end of that alley is where we were jumping everybody into our gang. And God told me, like, he really sent me back to go rebuild what I broke. Like literally. Like, you know what I mean? And so right now we're in the process of seeing if we can take over the building because we already outgrewed the area. Like there's a, their size is like a basketball court. Ours is a nice size.

I think you fit. We had 315 people in there, but we were pretty crowded. And so next all of April, they want me preaching on that side so they can decide whether they're going to let us get the building or not. Yeah, we're a, but we're seeing God move. I mean, it's beautiful. Like, you see these dudes come in and you know them because you was them. They come in mad, and they come in mean mugging. Why are they coming in?

Because there ain't nothing better for them, baby. There's a piece pulling at them. There's something pulling at them. Well, some of them, we got all the guys from work release or from residential. Some of them just want to smoke break. You know what I mean? They just want to get out of the building. You know, it's incarceration.

You're trying to get out. And then they get out, and then they have an encounter with Jesus. And then they are changed. You know what I mean? Like, like, our, uh, K.D., for example, he was the leader of the Bloods, right? And, uh, he came in there for a smoke break. He came in there sitting there and just looking at me all crazy, you know, feet crossed. You know what I mean?

I got all these people and I'm a gang, you know, and something like, okay, cool, you know? And he goes, well, I got a lot of questions. I said, all right. And every question he has, God had already answered in my life. So I had to answer for every question. And so then he didn't believe because I looked so different that I came from that life. So he put a word out on the street and asked about my background. And then he said, came to me one day.

He said, I did a make on you. He said, you did a make on me. He said, yeah. So what you mean? And he said, I went and asked the streets about you. I was like, oh, yeah. He said, what did they tell you? He said, I got two reports.

I said, well, what were the reports? He said, some people said, yeah, you was that guy. And then some people said, we don't believe he changed. We think it's a front. Like, you know. The church is a front. Oh, yeah. There's some people who don't believe that I changed,

and they think that what we're doing is a front for our gang. But that obviously leads to your friends. credibility when gangbangers are coming in and trying to figure it out. I mean, we got, the first guy that I mentored was a rival gangbanger. The first guy baptized was a rival gangbanger. And I'm not talking about just any rival, the ones we hated the most. Guy had a sense of humor. He was like, yeah, you know that guy, that you wanted to take out?

You're going to mentor him. And I'm just like, uh-uh. And it was, he'd be like, hey, you want to come watch the fight? Me and my friends are over here. I'm like, no, because I won't have to shoot nobody. You know, and he was like, hey, can I come by your house? I was like, uh-uh. No, you ain't coming by my house.

Like, I don't want you knowing where I live. Like, no, no, no, no, we don't do that, you know? And then it's one day he's like, man, can I please come by your house, man? I'm really struggling. And I was like, boy, this is against my better judgment. I was like, all right, man, come over. And I'm like, man, I know I'm hit. Now they know where I live.

You know what I'm saying? And his gang, I mean, I'm pretty sure they had pictures of me with one. on them. You know what I'm saying? And he comes over and I could see that he was really lost and I could see that he was really struggling. So I opened up the Bible and I just started pouring into him. And then God started changing my heart because at first it was like, no, you're the enemy. Nah, you're going to catch me with the enemy. And then it was like the guys that he pulled a knife on some of my friends at a club, them guys are still coming to my house at this time. And so I'm like, well, what's going to happen if they come?

Are they going to get him? They go get us. And then God just completely changed my heart to where it was like, don't nobody better say nothing. He would me. Like, he just, he's my brother to this day. You know, and then I think he was kind of in the testing me phase to see if I was real because he's like, hey, man, I got a homeboy.

He really needs Jesus. And he's showing me a video. And the dudes over there throwing up his gang. And I'm just like, yeah, he do need Jesus, man, but don't bring him over here until he's ready. You know, like, I'm in my head. I'm not, don't bring that fool over here. And then he was like, hey, man, I think my boy's ready to give his life to the Lord. So he brings this dude over, man.

This dude got the blue bandana on his glasses. He's wearing all of his gang colors, bro, in my house. And he came to my house wearing all of his gang colors, which that's like I felt major disrespected. You know what I mean? And I'm like, still trying to play it off and be cool. I'm like, so what's up, bro? You ready to give your life to the Lord?

Nope. Dude, man, my adrenaline went. I was like, I'm going to fight both of them. them like we're going to go and and the Holy Spirit was like invite him in the house like in the house if we go in the house and it goes down like there's people from my hood all around here like if anything goes down they'll see me and they'll come back me up if we're in the house and it goes down and it goes down you know and he was like invite him in the house i was like come in the house i'm like what this is about and then he was like tell him what i did for you and i shared my

testimony and 30 minutes later that big old dude was on his knees crying gave his life to Jesus. First dude I baptized. Got to mentor him. He ended up moving away from here and redoing his life. He wrote me this letter. He wrote me a message on Facebook. And he came from out of town, came to see us. We were doing some, you know, we do Christian hip-hop.

We did a show. And he was like, man, I'm so proud of you. And he was like, I had to go move away from which you taught of redo my life. He said, but me redoing my life was so, so. necessary and needed and I couldn't have done it with God and you're the one that introduced me. He said, thank you because you are, he said, you're the prophet to all the lost homies. What do you think the average person doesn't understand about gang life? They think, I think the average person just thinks this is popularity and acceptance.

This is cool. Or, you know, especially the youngsters, every song that they listen to is talking. I mean, especially the drill music, and now, and they don't realize what you allow to enter into your mind will start to formulate thoughts and beliefs. Them drill songs, they're like, you ain't really a gangster unless you kill somebody. You know, it's, you know, if you ain't got a body, you ain't nobody. And so they're putting a value on it. And they're putting a value on death. They're putting a value on destruction.

They're putting a value on treating a woman like she ain't nothing. Like everything that caused the hurt that you have, you're buying it hook, line, and sinker like, this is what it is. You know? And I think the biggest lie that we believed in gang culture is that, man, if you knock them off, you're worth more. It increases your value. I'm trying to get my hook credit up.

So I'm trying to knock it with me. So by devaluing. your humanity, you're increasing the value of your hoodness. The harder you are, the more you're, it's weird. It's like, you know, we try to knock off as many women as we could, you know, and I didn't realize the more bodies you have on you, the less you're worth. And I didn't, I didn't really understand the gravity of it until they sent me to this marriage thing and this guy was talking about it.

There's a scientific study that shows like it a woman puts out a certain chemical. That's why they go out, oh, you're sprung, you know. She puts out a certain chemical. After five sex partners, she don't put it out no more. And so what God originally intended was for one man, one woman, you come together. That chemical and that chemistry ties you together and you last. And it's a lasting relationship. Well, what Satan got us doing is devaluating it and treating it's like nothing.

So now when you do get married or when you do just like, this to settle down, you're so desensitized and so you don't know how to truly have intimacy. Like, I looked at my wife objectively, like an object, and if you ain't giving me no sex, you suck, get out of here, I'll go down the street. And God had to teach me how to really love my wife and how to really have intimacy. And he showed me how perverse my mind was, how messed up my mind was, how I really didn't love her. I just wanted to, you know, get one off, or whatever, and I had to learn how to love my wife, like how to really love my wife. And I had to deal with all the junk that came with me.

And that's pervasive throughout-un culture. It is. I mean, there's girls that get sexting. You know what I mean? If you want to be down with the gang, everybody run a train on you. You know, like, there's just so many ways, like, we don't realize it. You know what I mean? We don't realize it when you're in gang culture.

Satan literally took the gospel, twisted it a couple clicks, used God's plan. You buy a hook, lying, sinker, and you destroy your life. We're supposed to make disciples. Gang culture, you're a little kid, you look up to the older homies. Making disciples. But you don't know how to have access to the older homies, so you hang around the little younger homies. And then in gang culture, you ain't really nobody until you're calling shots. So you want to. want to raise up to be the big homie. And now once you got little homies looking up to you, now you feel like I can't leave the streets. They need me. So you grow roots in a self-destructive lifestyle and a self-destructive culture. And that's what I'm telling these brothers. I'm like, Satan did a knockoff version of what God said. God had. God had us to have, you got to have

somebody pouring into you that could help you get unstuck and understand the things of life. you need familiar soil and people who are in the same season as you so that you could have familiarity and people walking in the commonality looking for Christ. But then you also need to be raising up your kids, your wife, or other people from the community because as you share your roots grow deeper into Christ, you understand how you understand faith. The more you pour out, the more the more solidifies what you believe. And we were created to have community. Satan took the community aspect of it

and used it so that we would be self-destructive with it. And not only that, but we would have an identity. My identity, like, I mean, and you hear it in the songs. Like, Tupac had a song, he said, I'm screaming thug until I die until I pass out. We're making these commitments. I'm going to be this way until I die. My idea of the epitome of excellence as a gang member

was that I die in the line of fire because now it's honorable and they put a bunch of black bandanas in my casket and people got my picture on their shirt and that was it and I was just like I went out like a gene you know and I mean

to look back on that now it's like dang there was nothing there was nothing honorable about my life there was nothing like there was nothing like they'll forget you two weeks from there. You know what I mean? You're not leaving nothing. You're not doing nothing.

You're not, like, and that's why I told these little kids, like, man, you know, they'll mourn you for a week and forget you in a month. You go to, if you go to jail, some of them,

they've gone to JDF. Dang, nobody remembered me. Yeah. This is a taste. And then, you know, the other thing is, it's like most kids don't know. They're trying to get them,

they're trying to get them on the set, but they're trying to mark. them too, hey, put the set on you. When you go to jail and you're tattooed with the gang, even if you don't want to ride, you got to ride now. It's on you. If you got a tattooed on you, you got to ride. And it's different in jail than it is here. Like, here, I can go shoot up your house and I can go kick it with the homies.

I can go hang out. I got a break from seeing you. In jail, you two sales away from me, and it's every day. You know? And then you end up going in there and being cool with somebody you would have normally killed out there. So it's just, it's a self-defeated purpose. Like you're like, you're so sold out to this not realizing you may be bunkeys with this dude and find out he was cool. Like the stupidity of all. Like that's what God showed me the stupidity of it.

I was willing to die over the way you twisted your finger or what color of bandana you had. I was willing to hate you. I had no legitimate reason to hate you. That's what God taught me when I started mentoring these guys. these dudes are just like me. They're just like me. They got the same problems, the same issues, the same brokenness, and we both fell for the same line,

except for you wore blue and I wore black. We'll be right back. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot,

or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the look back at it.

podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack.

So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

There are times when the mind becomes a difficult place to live. This is David Eagleman with the Inner Cosmos podcast. And for Mental Health Awareness Month, we're dedicating a series to understand. understanding the mind when it struggles. I'm joined by doctors, researchers, and those with lived experience. We'll talk with singer-songwriter Jewel about anxiety. I started living in my car, and then my car got stolen. I was shoplifting.

I was having panic attacks. I was agoraphobic. And making it through hardship. To be present is a learned skill, and it's hard to be present. We'll talk with John Nelson about clinical depression and the brain implant that saved his life. What I learned is that procedure made me happy because I'm disease-free. And we'll talk with leading experts like Judd Brewer about anxiety and John Hirschfield about obsessive-compulsive disorder and the science of how the brain can change. This is a month of deeply personal and honest

conversations about what happens when the brain goes off course and what we can do about it. Listen to Inner Cosmos on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So you're the founder and executive director of Hope Forta Hood. You're the pastor of the church. You've led gang members to a different life and salvation. One of the greatest things that I love hearing is you've got guys that have jobs that are actually contributing society. As I think about that, it's just, it's street evangelism is really what it is, which is phenomenal. What do you think the vast majority of people don't understand about evangelizing to the most broken of us?

I think that most people, there's a few things. So people sometimes don't understand the difference between discipleship and outreach. And so you have somebody. That's really true. Boy, that's interesting. Go ahead. I'm sorry. It dawning on me what you're saying.

You're trying to impress kingdom, culture, and principles on somebody that has absolutely no commitment to the gospel, which means Jesus said, don't cast your pearls before swine. Right. Peter said, you should always be prepared to give an explanation. as to what you hope for, but do it with gentleness and respect. Paul said, I must become all things to all people so I can win them over. And so I think what happens is you have a lot of people who love speaking the truth in an offensive way to people who don't know Christ. And so if I have these deeply rooted convictions and you don't,

and I'm just judging you and condemning you and putting you down every time, I'm repulsive to you. There's no way you're going to come to Jesus. That is my equivalence of the old blue-haired lady sitting in the front pew, yelling at a bunch of children, believe like me or you're going to hell. Yep. It is, in some cases, the church is its own worst enemy by the people who carry this damnation narrative that is not about hope and love and faith and grace.

And in some way, that experience in my childhood is kind of what you're talking about, is first you have to reach out before you can disciple because you can't just be hitting people with a bunch of evangelism that have no idea what it is. That's what you're saying, I guess. And then here's the thing. there is a sense of urgency because they may die tomorrow. They may die.

And so I think a lot of well-meaning people do it out of fear. I don't think that nobody who wants to try to lead somebody to Jesus wants to be repulsive. But here's the other side. The hood will embrace you, sin and all. You're an addict? It's okay. Come on. We ain't judging you.

So the destructive culture will willingly embrace you with everything that you have wrong. Worts and all. But the church won't. You know what I mean? The church won't. The church is like, nope. Or let's say you have a guy who's hooked on meth and he comes to church. And now the-

All tweaked out. Comes to church, tweaked out. You know what? My favorite smell on a Sunday morning is weed and alcohol. because there's potential for hope when I smell that. Those people who come in there like that eventually end up leaving that stuff alone. I had a guy, man, he was homeless, he was on meth.

He was sleeping outside of his job just to work. When we met him, this guy was a gang leader. He started a gang called West Side Ostecas. And guy was like, I'm going to do something with that, man. And I started pouring into him, started loving on him. He came, man, he'd come to our men's group, just tweaked out sometimes, just, I was just, just.

And they'd be like, Denny, look at this guy. I was like, yeah, I know. It's cool. Let them be here. And it was showing him love. We loved him. And we, we don't wait.

Like, we ain't going to try to disciple you if you ain't committed. We're going to love you into the kingdom. And when you're committed, we're going to work as God is working with you to help build you up. So that's what you're saying. You're good with the outreach. We'll take you as you are. And love you.

And then when you're ready, we'll disciple you. We're not just going straight to disciplining you. He took me how I was. Like, he took me how it was. So, like, you got to understand, like, you got to understand if, I think you got to understand the relationship. Is this a discipleship relationship? Like, you might have seen them come to church.

You might have seen them cry. You might have seen them get emotional. You might have seen him post-marine church was good today. That doesn't necessarily mean that he committed. You know what I mean? mean, you've got to be discerning. And the only way I know to be discerning is I got to ask God, God, what are you doing? And if he's like, I ain't doing nothing, then I ain't doing nothing. You know what I'm saying? Like, and I said, and if he does say he's doing something, then I ask

how I can help. So the answer to what we don't understand about evangelism, about street evangelism is there's a difference in discipleship and outreach. And if you're not willing to do outreach, your discipleship may come off repulsive. Well, here's the thing. If you're not careful. evangelism, right? The word evangelist is a messenger, a messenger from God, right? And we're sharing the hope of the gospel through God's word. And now, why on earth would you want to share God's word and consider yourself a messenger of his word and not get any input from him when you do it? Like, it makes no sense to me. Like, the Bible says that the just, those who've been justified, live by faith.

Right? Jesus said, don't prepare a speech for yourself. Everything you need to say will be given to you. So when I do evangelism, I don't got a plan. My only plan is whatever you want to do, Jesus. And then he tells me what to do. He tells me what to say. And it's spot on 100% of the time.

I'm not taking, I'm not guessing. I'm not, I don't size people up. Oh, yeah, I got the word for you. I'm following the leading of the Holy Spirit every time. And let me just tell you this, he's really good at calling us out. You know what I'm saying? Well, nobody knows anybody better. You know, nobody, yeah.

Think about this. You got an inside track if you're letting him lead you. If he's leading you, he knows about their trauma. He knows what will trigger them. He knows what won't trigger them. He knows what will pull their heartstrings. And if you're willing to be used by him and you're open to letting him lead you, he's going to lead you.

I hear your stories. I hear you talk. I hear your vernacular. I hear the terms you use. I hear all of that. And honestly, I think East L.A. I think Brooklyn. And more close to here, I think North Memphis in some parts of South Memphis.

Bro. man, Dorothy and the Red Slippers and the Wizard of Oz and the 10 man is Kansas, not this. What don't we know about Wichita? Well, in the 90s, we were the number six worst city in the United States. For murder or violent crime. Oh, murder. On the east side. Wichita.

Yeah. I mean, Wichita, nobody even thinks about Wichita being like that. I'll tell you what. They came over and found out. I bet they did. They came from L.A. they came from Chicago and some of them went packing and went back. What do you mean?

Like other gangs came in to try to get on the drug trade there and y'all send them home? They went they weren't, they're gone. Yeah. So Wichita is a rough area. It's bad. It's bad. So our church, within two blocks of our church, multiple murders have happened. There was a little girl, 21.

years old and her husband, I don't know if they were married, but her guy got into it with some other guys. They got into a shootout. They chased each other for like, I don't know how many blocks shooting back and forth in the cars. The brother got hit. He went to the ER. And then he remembered that he had some stuff at the house. He's like, if the cops go, I'm in trouble. He sends her back with the guys they got into the shootout with came up and shot her in the back of the head, 21 years old, with a six-month-old baby. Father's Day, dude gets a gun down a couple blocks from the church. Last year, while we're at the church, I mean, I'm getting phone calls.

They got yellow tape all around your church. What's going on? I'm like, I don't know. That was a murder scene. You know, it's really bad. I mean, I live in the hood and I hear the gunshots. Just people don't always die. And the news got to where the gangs glorify it so much,

the news don't always report it unless it's a murder, you know, or unless they got charges that they could press. And it used to just be in certain parts of the town. Now it's the whole city. I mean, you talk about Wichita. If Wichita, this is Tulsa, Louisville. I mean, easy to understand, Chicago. New York, L.A., Atlanta, whatever.

But if this is Wichita, this can be anywhere. And Albuquerque, it probably is, this life. We're in the middle of the map, so we get everything. We've had gang members come in from Chicago. I mean, our gang, our gang was formed from the Spanish disciples in Chicago. You know what I'm saying? Like a chapter of it. We had the Latin kings come down from Chicago.

We had the Bloods and the Crips come from L.A. The Souragnos came from L.A. And they're everywhere. You know, so you have a melting pot of everything in Wichita. So last year, Hope, Water Hood, reached over a thousand active gang members, and 600 of them are no fully out of gang life. I know you're making your music. I know you're running your church.

What's next? What's the goal? Keep on, keep it on. our goal is to see the hood transformed and we're raising up other leaders who are going to go out and start Hope for the Hoods in other places.

So one of our guys, like I said, he came from Garden City and he already started a Hope for the Hood men's group there. He started a Hope for the Hood in Hutchinson. Topeka wants us to start a Hope for the Hood.

So we're waiting on the go-ahead and on putting the systems in place because there's a hood everywhere. You know what I'm saying? There's a hood everywhere. I mean, we got people driving from Arkansas coming over here like once a month

talking about, man, we wish there was a hope for the hood here. We got people driving four hours from Garden City, two hours. You got people coming from Salina. Like, we wish they had some here. They're sharing my sermons in different cities. They're sharing them in Albuquerque. If I walked in your church this coming Easter, what am I going to see?

Tell me what it looks like inside Hope for the Hood Church. You're going to see, Manana, like it. You're going to see God move. You're going to see people that you would not have been expecting, praising God. You're going to see people with tattoos on their face. You're going to see dudes with swastikas on them, praising God. And hugging, you're going to see bloods hugging crips. You're going to see unity and redemption.

That's what you're going to see. And our church is multicultural. So we have white, black, Mexican, Asian, every race because there's a hood in every race. You know what I'm saying? We got the Caucasians. We got the blondes. We got the, you know, it's everything. God is not a respecter of people.

He came for all of us. So that's what you're going to see. And you're going to hear the gospel be preached. What do my audience members? What does the army of normal folks need to know the most? What do they need to take away from your life, your experience, hope for the hood, your music? What do we need to take from what you're doing?

If you're willing, God will, or use you. That's it. God can use anybody. I mean, he uses the foolish things of this world to come found the rise. I mean, definitely the definition of foolish. my whole life, I was a fool. If he could use me, he could use anybody. I think sometimes we try to say, well, I couldn't do, and I hear that a lot.

I couldn't do what you do, Benny, because, you know, you know the lingo and you know, you know, you know, and you, you, you can relate to the people from the hood. And, you know, I'm just going to be, I wouldn't know what to say. But I've ministered to lawyers. I've ministered to professionals. I've talked to psychologists and psychiatrists and let. We can cross those lines if we're willing to be, like, if you're willing and open to what God is going to do or what God wants to do in you and through you, then he's going to use you anywhere.

I think we put limitations on what God can do because of our own fears, because of our own biases, because of however we were raised, we limit God. And God ain't limited. We just limit how we'll let him use us. You know, that was as Second Chronicles. He said, if my people who are called by my name would humble themselves, would repent, right? Rependance means change your mind.

Quit thinking you got it figured out. Quit thinking you're the one that does it. Quit thinking that you're the one that's right. Turn from your sin. Turn from you doing things without me. my people would turn, come back to me, then I will heal and restore their land. God has a plan to heal and restore the whole land. He just needs us to come to him to do it with them.

Matter of fact, Jesus said in John 15, 5, he said, you can't do it without me. He said, if you abide in me and my word abides in you, then you will bear much fruit. But without me, you can do nothing. And I think that's where, I want to say humanity, all of us in general, We hear that, but we go, I still got to do it myself. And that's the, therein lays the problem. Because if I do it myself, I'm limited by my own fears, my own hangups, my own upbringing, my own, you know, traumas. I'm limited.

But if God is doing it in me, he's not limited and I'm following limitless perfection. We'll be right back. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes.

Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tontons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith Rule of Two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever, you get your podcasts. Do you remember when Diana Ross

double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jek.

And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84's

big to me not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack, so I'm starting to see there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now, so. Thank you for finishing that sentence.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever wherever you get your podcasts. There are times when the mind becomes a difficult place to live.

This is David Eagleman with the Inner Cosmos podcast, and for Mental Health Awareness Month, we're dedicating a series to understanding the mind when it struggles. I'm joined by doctors, researchers, and those with lived experience. We'll talk with singer-songwriter Jewel about anxiety. I started living in my car, and then my car got stolen. I was shoplifting. I was having panic attacks.

I was agoraphobic. And making it through hardship. To be present is a learned skill. And it's hard to be present. We'll talk with John Nelson about clinical depression and the brain implant that saved his life. What I learned is that procedure made me happy because I'm disease-free.

And we'll talk with leading experts like Judd Brewer about anxiety and John Hirschfield about obsessive-compulsive disorder and the science of how the brain can change. This is a month of deeply personal and honest conversations about what happens when the brain goes off course and what we can do about it. Listen to Inner Cosmos on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Denny's, I could talk to you for hours. Dude, thanks so much for coming to Memphis and taking the time.

I know that you've been asked to do a ton of stuff like this and you don't do a lot of it. So I'm really, really appreciative of you sharing all of this with us. And I know you're charismatic. I know you're evangelist. I know that I know that you're open to talk about your past so that you can witness and disciple and outreach to those who need it the most. but your honesty and your candor, I really do appreciate that too because there's just a lot of people in the world

that need to hear the reality of it, not the sensationalized Hollywood version of what the life is for so many of the people living in our culture right now, but the truth of it is that they're just broken and they're lost and they're worth saving. And they're loved by God just as much as any of the rest of us.

And therefore, were called to serve. And you are a, you're a walking example of that, dude. And I think the guy was right. You will go to heaven. I believe so. I believe so. I believe so.

I just want to make sure that when I get there, I hear, well done, good and faithful servant. You know what I'm saying? I do know what you do, Betty. Thank you, my friend, for coming here. I really appreciate it. Thanks for having me. We cover two things.

So part of why you came here was Darren Babcock had recommended your story, who's a past R. I remember and friend. And he mentioned something interesting in his post about you that early on in your guys' ministry, maybe even before Hope for the Hood was officially founded, that you guys made an interesting financial commitment, you yourself, and I think some of the other former gang members about what you were going to do with the percentage of your income. Can you talk about that or are you guys still doing it? Yeah. Okay, so, I'll say...

Briefly, let's talk about a friend we have in common, Darren Papcock. I love Darren. Darren's a man. How did you meet him? Tell me about that. So, like you said, you know, there's always people that want to reach out or talk. And one of the guys that I mentored Angel Martinez, a good friend of mine, really, really good friend of mine. He did Gangsler Rap with us.

He was one of the, among the first that I got to lead to the Lord and mentor and, and pour into. And, you know, he owns a bonding company. He's got a lot of business. I mean, this dude is, he's just a phenomenal guy. And he, he's like, Benny, I know you don't like me with people doing this and this and this. Because he's tried to get me on boards with police officers and stuff. I'm like, man, that's not my thing, bro.

Just leave me out of it. And he was like, they want to do ministry in the hood and they just want to pick your brain. And he was like, and they'll buy you lunch. So I was like, there ain't no downside of this, right? You know, shoot. I mean, the hood needs as many people as we can get doing this. You know, our vision is to see the hood transforming. We're not foolish enough to think that we're going to be the only ones that do it, you know?

So I was like, shoot, if they're going to come do it, yeah, I'll tell them everything that I do. I'll tell them what we're doing, how we do it, you know. And so then I meet with them. And then he's like, you guys are 5-1 and C-3? I was like, yeah. And he goes, well, what about you? your church. How are you guys getting funding for this? And I was like, we tithe into it. We all tithe into it. He's like, what? Like, even right now, nobody at our church is on staff. We're all 100%

volunteers. Because I want to be able to look you in the eye and tell you the truth and not look at you like you're my paycheck or my electric bill. We don't even pass a, we don't even pass an offering bucket. Like, we have, you know, we say, if you want to worship God with your tithe, you could do it online or you could, you know, at the back of the church, you know, when you're leaving, there's two boxes. But, I mean, we're there to really just preach the gospel. And so he was like, wait, hold on, you're getting people into sober living. You guys are doing all the stuff? How are you doing that?

Like, we all tie them into it. And then that's when he looked at Joe Woodward, and he was like, get them ready to receive money. And then he looked at me and he goes, he goes, I want you to think about this like, it's a God thing because it is. And then I was just like, what? Because he was like, you guys are a nonprofit. said, we're a nonprofit for real. We don't make no profit. Like, you know, we ain't making no profit.

Like, we didn't even know the stuff you could do with a nonprofit. So, like, we had the nonprofit and, like, that we just kind of popped our collar that we were a nonprofit. And then we would get stuff at Walmart for no taxes. Yeah, we're doing things, you know. We never thought about getting grant funding, none of that. Like, you know, and then so they opened us up to that. And they said, hey, you know what? We want to support you.

We want to get behind you. And so, you know, we come from the hood. So I'm like, you know, he's like, we got these metrics we want you to hit or whatever. And I was like, man, forget the metrics. Like if, what if this is the only year? So I'm like, we're going to get as much done as we can. And so that's, you know, because if it runs out, well, we'll at least have momentum. Like, you know what I mean?

So that that's what we did. You know, we just like, we hit it like it owes us money. You know what I'm saying? But man, yeah, he's a phenomenal guy. I got to go to Bantan. I got to see everything that God used him to do. Um, we can you believe what Darren's done? Oh, man.

It is. It is. Yeah, it's super amazing. Super amazing. And now what he's doing all over the country with organizations like yours. Yeah. He's the man. He's a man.

He's the man. I got mad love for him. So at some point, you and all your guys decided we're going to give a percent, a certain percentage of what we mean. make to support the outreach, the discipleship, the church, everything. Yep. How'd that come about? It was just my, so you know, when Paul, when I was a baby Christian and I'm reading through

the gospels and I'm reading, the Apostle Paul said, we could charge y'all. Because, you know, a worker is worth his rage. He said, but we made sure that we didn't so that we didn't become a burden so that we could preach the gospel to you. When I read that as a new, as a, as a, as a, as a new surrendered believer, I, I, I, I've talked to plenty of people because I do, I do Christian hip-hop, right? Before I used to sell $10 a CD and put poison in the hood and I was making a lot of money doing it. I gave away all my Christian music because Jesus didn't charge me to save me, you know? And so we started to, you know, I'm a graphic artist, so I make designs.

This is one of my designs right here, you know. You did that. Yeah. So that's talent. So we used, like, you know, anything we got from doing music or doing shows, the merch that we got to pour back into it, changing the hood. So like, any designs that we made like this one, I got this one too, I made it. You know what I'm hoping? That was the first thing I saw.

But we're literally using everything that we can to reach people. So I'm a recording engineer. So I record music. And I remember in the beginning, people were religious people. This is your pulpit. Don't let nobody come in here. So I disconnected from recording people from the streets. And when I was really, really broke, I was like,

God, I know you didn't want me to just be broke. Like, what's going on? He said, you mean to tell me that you only serve Christians when you go to your job and you clock in? He said, I gave you these talents so that you can reach these people. So I opened it up and we saw, I want to say about 85% of the gangster rappers that came in got saved and some of them are now Christian rappers. That's unbelievable. And so, yeah, it is pretty cool. I'm not going on front.

I love it. You know what I'm saying? And so we use our time, talent, treasures, literally anything we got. If there's anything or any way we can that we can advance the gospel, we're going to do it. One more thing. So in total, you've helped over a thousand gang members leave the life. And you have some interesting data that I think Darren also cited about what happens when just one of these people leaves in terms of crimes, in terms of victims, obviously in terms of prison costs. but if you can talk about the cumulative effect of even just one person then times the thousand.

Yeah, I think it's interesting to look at the effect of one and then the multiplier of that by 1,000. So what is the data of one former gang member getting off the streets, turns life around, and having a job? I mean, I'll tell you what. he put all that data together and put that so I'm not real good with how all that is, but what I can tell you is this, gang members are evangelists. They're always recruiting. I was a recruiter for our gang. So now, not only do you have, like, take PZ for example,

PZ was the founder of West Side Osteca. All right, that gang is still active now. He gave his life to Jesus, got fully successful. surrender, got clean off the meth. We were doing a fast and he said, man, God's telling me to leave the weed. He completely left everything alone. He's going on his second year of being married. PZ and his wife have a ministry that they started. It's called Priscilla and Aquila. You know what saying? So now they're 100% all in with Jesus. They're 100% embracing that identity. I have so many testimonies like the numbers are just you you can't even fathom but if you think about it him now his wife

his children his brothers and sisters and cousins i mean one person getting out of the gang life and on the straight and arrow affects i mean it's like roots to a tree it affects people all around them and if you multiply that times thousands you're talking about so i got his data here is just one x that can prevent over 60 crimes, 50 victims spared, and six violent acts stopped before they even happen. And then obviously with prison and court costs, it could be $40,000 a year for somebody. And then what they give back to their communities and all that, too. That's one person. One person.

That's one. And we got a lot of them. One of my boys, man. So he was looking at, he's looking at. you know, been out of jail 15 years, probably about 15 years, and he sold a stolen gun to an undercover officer. Yikes. And so they pretty much had the opportunity to put him away forever.

A little bit before that, he had given his life to Jesus, or a little bit after that happened. And he said, God, I don't know how to get out of this. There ain't no way I can get out. He literally surrendered his life to Jesus. And this guy, this guy like me, you know what I'm saying? We were the guys that you look at and you're like, there ain't no way in heck, this dude's just too messed up. He ain't never going to get it right.

And there's people that I've tried ministering to that wouldn't leave the gang or wouldn't leave the street life or wouldn't leave the drugs alone. And they were like, if he told me it's real. And now they've left that life. And now they're walking free. I mean, and this brother sits at the front. running the church every Sunday. And he's there every men's group on Thursdays. And this brother is a torch.

He's on fire. And he's bringing more and more. I mean, man, he brought a guy last Sunday. I hadn't seen this dude since I was 13. Last time I saw him, we was going to fight over the EasyE cassette that we both stole from somebody's car. You know what I'm saying? Like, this is the last time I seen this dude. And this brother came in, you know, I got to pray with him.

And now this brother's walking with Jesus now. I mean, it's hard to track that because you get somebody like that like that's super influential. And they go and they just, I mean, PZ, PZ's been had guns pulled on him. He's been spit on. He goes out there and feeds the homeless. He goes out there with sack lunches and takes a group of people. And he's got, he's like, I don't know why God's giving me all these teenagers. He's got all these youth and they're all walking with him.

I said, you're the Piper, bro. And he's got them all in there. And they're soldiers. I mean, this little brother, like 18, 19 years old, and these brothers are out there, whoever will listen, they're preaching the gospel. Unbelievable. I mean, just the, I'm just, I feel very privileged that God would even allow me to be a part of what he's doing.

Because it's all him. It's all him. I mean, my jaw drops every time I see something. You know, PZ had a friend who just got out of prison, spent about 20 years in prison as well. And he's like, man, you know, this guy wanted to, he wanted to take me out because I don't I'm on gangbank no more. It's like, you know, but he's calling me asking for help.

He goes, would you go with me? I said, man, you had me a hello. He said, this is a very violent guy, so this might be kind of crazy. I said, yeah, let's go. Let's go. I said, Peezy, we're going to go repo this guy. You know what I'm saying? And so we pull up on him.

And he's like, well, you know what? I don't really, I'll run from you guys and I'll do this. I say, look, man, over here, we don't respect restraining orders, bro. Like, you know what I'm saying? We're going to stalk you, bro. We're going to stock you. And we ain't going to let up on it. And then he was like, dang, he found out.

So I'm calling him. Hey, what's up, bro? What's up, bro? What's up? Well, you know, we're on him. Then he catches on fire. And then this brother, he's grabbing, he's a leader. He's grabbing guys from other gangs.

and pulling him out because he's with it. Like, part of our culture is it is a discipleship culture. Once you're in, you know that, like, I don't care if you're a baby. You have a responsibility to start pouring into people. Because if you don't, your roots ain't going to grow. And so we're not waiting until you pass our discipleship course and you go through nine weeks of training before. No, brother, they were sharing the gospel immediately. I mean, look at Andrew.

You know what I'm saying? Hey, man, this Jesus. You know, like they were doing it immediately. And so we're teaching them. Like in Asia, if you've read one chapter of the Bible, you're disciplining somebody. And a baby church over there is $1.5 million. So, like, over here, why are we waiting until we feel like you're mega qualified to do? By that time, you may be so churched up that you won't know how to talk to people now.

You know what? Like, no, man, bring them. I'll tell you what. I didn't know the gospel. I didn't know how to do anything. but I sure did know how to get people to church so that they could hear the pastor speak. And so, man, I was like, just get them to the church house.

You know, just get them in there. Get them in there. Let's see if God will do some. And then we put them on the prayer list. Now that prayer, I'll tell you what, them prayer warriors at Central Community. Whoever I put on that prayer list, they got saved. You know what I'm like?

So, yeah, one of the coolest things that I think, and I see that, PZ had burnt every bridge in his family. Brent Bedger with his mom, but dad, his kids, and God has restored all those relationships. He got to hang with his grandkids, hug his grandkids. And he's like,

I want to be restored with my sons, but I just keep asking God if he would let me be restored. Now, his kids live in Garden City. And Pizzi's just doing his normal ministry between his downtown, Wichita, and he hears a guy say, Dad. And he's like,

that can't be me then he hears it again dad it was his son and he said son i know i missed up i know i made a mess of things is there any way that i could rebuild this relationship with you and it said said yes and so to me like man we get to be a part of that restorative work we get to be a part of allowing like god allows us to see him rebuild the people's lives. Like, I've seen people who lost their rights to the kids, get their kids back. I've seen people who were like, yeah, there's no hope. And he restores it.

Like, I just feel like I ain't Kanye West, but I feel like you can't tell me nothing. Like, you know what I'm saying? You can't tell me nothing. I don't seem too much, you know? I know what God is able to do. And he ain't stopping, so we ain't stopping. And Benny's willing to share his email and your ask in case anybody's interested in bringing this model to the... Yeah, I was going to say at the end here, people want to hear about, know more about Hope for the Hood or get to you.

Is there a website and how do people get to you? Yes, there is a website. It's hope, the number four, DAhood.org. Okay. And then my email is Benny at Hope for the Hood.org. And it's not B-E-N-N-Y. It's B-E-N-I. Yep.

B-E-N-I. Bro, it's been a pleasure. Oh, thank you. It's honored to be here, man. Me too. And thank you for joining us this week. If Benny has inspired you in general or, better yet, to take action by using your story and experiences to help other people, starting something like Hope for the Hood and your community, donating to them, or, something else entirely.

Would you let me know about it? I really do want to hear. You can write me anytime at Bill at normalfolks.us, and I will respond. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it our friends and on social. Subscribe to the podcast. Rate it, review it. Join the Army at normalfolks. We'll any and all of these things that will help us grow an army of normal folks.

I'm Bill Courtney. Until next time, do what you can. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On The Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam Jay.

And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to Look Back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcast. This is Saigon, the story of my family and of the country that shaped us. From IHeart Podcasts, Saigon. You don't think I'm serious about a free Vietnam? One city, a divided country, and the war that tore America apart. It's for Vietnam. They're pouring patril all over here. Freedom for Vietnam!

There's a fire coming to this country and it's going to burn out everything. Listen to Saigon on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks.