Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 298 | How an Escaped Psych Patient & IV Drug Addict Became the Robertsons' Preacher

Episode Date: June 21, 2021

Phil, Jase, and Al are pumped to have Trent Langhofer share his journey from fourth-grade drug user to homeless teenage junkie to counselor, preacher, Ph.D., cage fighter, and director of the Community Counseling Center at Colorado Christian University. Trent describes the powerful encounter with Jesus he had when he reached his darkest moment, and the guys discuss how radical spiritual transformations are the answer to the biggest cultural problems we face today. -- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am unashamed. What about you? All right, so I'm super excited today because we've got a very special guest on Unashamed Nation, one of our, one of our best pals, Dr. Trent Langhofer. Dad, what do you call, Trent? Cliffhanger. Langhofer, Cliffhanger. Dr. Cliffhanger is zooming in from Colorado Springs where he is now. So Trent was our preacher at WFR for, well, you worked on staff for a long time.

You actually preached exclusively for what the last couple of years or something like that. You and my, I guess about four or five years. Yeah, five years. So basically Trent took my place, which, you know, big shoes to fill, as we all know. Impossible shoes to fill. And he preached with Mike and then eventually he was our league guy the last couple years. He was there. but Trent is a tremendous speaker, a very, I don't know, he's got everything you'd need to do that.

And yet he's also a counselor because he has a doctorate in counseling. And let's face it, right now, Trent, you are the smartest guy in the room. And it's not close. It's not even close. It's not close at all. In fact, we could combine all three of our intellects and we'd probably still be just a little bit shy. So how does that make you feel, Trent? A PHB doesn't make me smart.

It just means I'm stubborn and I have a high student loan debt tolerance. So Trent has a beautiful bride and then three great kids. And we love the Langhoppers. You guys were big part. How long were y'all in West Monroe, total? Yeah, yeah. We were in Monroe, West Monroe for 10 years and just loved it. Like you said, we're in Colorado Springs now.

But, man, we just miss our friends from the South. who are more like family, miss you guys so much. And just, yeah, if you're excited to have me on, it has to pale in comparison to how excited I am just to hang out with you guys again, man. Yeah, what he's saying in a kind way is it was a 10-year experience and the probing of the redneck mind.

Yeah. That's right. You know what's funny is that Trent and I are really close friends outside of this and we did so many things together. It was so strange the contrast

which I likened I likened it to my relationship with my wife because most people when they meet us they're like now how did this

what's going on here but we taught a few classes together and we would call it the doctor and the duck man but people would come because it was like these two

guys are on two totally different. It's like Eric Metaxus and dad. You know, Metaxus is a spiffy dresser, intellect, wrote Bonhoeffer and all these great books. He's really smart. But he's infatuated with dad. He's like, your dad speaks like he's 900 years old. I could just sit and listen to him.

You know, he likes your little. All I can say is it takes all kinds to make up the kingdom of God. That's right. Yeah. All kinds. So I want to tell the story, Trent, of the first time. I really met you. I guess we'd probably be shaking hands or whatever because you was at our church,

you know, when you got, when you were in school. And so, you know, you were getting pretty close to graduate. You were months away from graduating. And then you were going to go back to Kansas, which is where you had come from. And, and you were going to work with Kirsten's grandfather or at a church or something. Okay. So, so someone suggested, we were doing a marriage class. And someone said, have you, have you met this guy, Trent Langhofer?

And I said, well, yeah, thank you. I met him and they were like, man, you should get that guy to, you know, teaching this marriage class. You know, he's getting his doctorate out there. So I was kind of like, because I'm always a little reluctant when I haven't heard somebody, you know. He's a counselor. Yeah, and I thought, oh, what if he's just a dud, you know?

So I thought, well, I'm going to take a shot, you know, so we had him teach in the class. And we had, like, you know, different teachers lined up there. When Trent gets up, and I'm blown away. I'm just like, where has this guy be it? Like, he is amazing. So I leaned over. So Tommy M.

was sitting next to him. He was one of our elders. And Tommy was supposed to teach next week because I was organizing the class. And I told Tom, I said, hey, next week, he said, yeah, yeah, yeah. He's always, I said, you're out. And he was like, what? I said, I'm going to get this guy. I'm going to see if this guy can bring it again.

So after class, I went up to you, Trent, and I said, hey, our teacher can't teach next week. Can you handle next week, too? And I was really giving you a test because if you had said, well, then I thought, Well, okay. But you said, yeah, I'd love to. So you were eager, and I liked that. And then you got the next week and did it again. And so that led to you and I sitting in my office having a conversation about what you were going to do it. And I told you, I said, well, Trent, look, I know you got your plans laid out. You're going to Kansas. You're going to be a ministry. And I think that's great. I said, but if anything ever happens, just don't forget about Deb FR, because I didn't even know your

whole story yet, which you're going to share later. But I was like, you just seemed like you'd be a good fit here. And so I said, I just want to plant the seed. I don't want to, you know, we prayed for you and prayed for your ministry. And so tell what happened after that because it was really interesting. Yeah. So, so things kind of just fell through, you know, in Kansas. And I end up basically just calling you back, Alan, and saying, man, look, the plan was sort of to go back to Kansas and preach and teach at a church there, God's leading us in another direction. And I would love to be at Whites Ferry Road. Is there any kind of an opportunity for a cliffhanger kind of guy like me?

And look, look, your listeners, there's just no way they could know you guys as personally as I could. But one of the cool things that God's done in my life consistently over the years is just connected me with people who were willing to take a chance on me. And, you know, Phil, you're talking about Redneck. wisdom. But seriously, one of the things that I think you guys do so well, and maybe this is part of your redneck wisdom, is just take a chance on people without having any sense of what the outcome, you know, could be and just investing in people and loving on people. And so from really that moment when we had that conversation when I was teaching that class and then in conversations following, I mean, man, I was married. I had an 18-month-old. I had a 14-day-old. I had a 14-day-old.

I was going to go back to Kansas. That fell through. I didn't really have a pathway or a plan. And so I just kind of threw myself at the mercy of God and around the people that he had connected me with. And you guys and the elders at White's Ferry Road took a chance on me. And I've seen you guys do that consistently over time. And it just meant a lot to me to watch that and be a beneficiary.

So you tell me your story. And of course, you know, now we're talking about hiring somebody, which in the, for a church is never an easy process, you know. And so, you know, I started the process with our fellow leaders. And of course, you know, you got to vet this guy. You know, you got to find out because we didn't know you. But I knew your story. So I called our mutual friend Bonnie Phillips and married to W.E., which we alluded to in our last podcast. But his wife is a wonderful counselor.

and she had actually been worked with you when you were a kid, a teenager. Right. And so I called her and I said, Bonnie, we're thinking about hiring Trent to work for the church. I said, I think he's really got a future of ministry. And I think he could be our leader here ultimately. And all this, by the way, is a year behind when I'm going to leave, which I didn't know at the time. This is just when the show is starting. So Bonnie doesn't say anything.

There was like a long pause. and I thought, uh-oh, you know, it's not good when you get the long pause, you know, because she's your, she's your reference for me because I trust by it. And there's a long pause and I was like, Bonnie? She said, I just, she said, I'm so overwhelmed right now with emotion that we're having this conversation. And then she basically told me, you know, what, what you would overcome and, you know, how much she loved you and, you know, the program there loved you.

And so it was like, yes, you know, a, a, you know, a, an enthusiastic thumbs up from her. So it was really neat. And then that led to us hiring you and, you know, you've been there for those, you know, almost 10, I guess eight years. Yeah. Yeah, that backstory. And I can talk about that maybe later.

But, but yeah, so Bonnie was the counselor of the hundreds, it feels like, that I had over the years. I was in a lot of counseling. Bonnie was the counselor that easily, by far, had the most transformational influence, you know, on me. And I can talk about why that was later too, but, but that was 10 years before I got to West Monroe and the crazy backstory that she's married to W. Red Dog. He was the best man in my wedding. Duck Commander videos. That's right.

Best man at your wedding. You guys are close. She is like one of my favorite people on earth. She knows me better than just about anybody knows me. And so, and I had no idea that you all knew each other when I walked through the doors of White's Ferry Road. And I don't even know that I knew how well you knew them until we had this discussion. And I'm like, I can't. This is just God weaving this story together. Man, it was just so, so crazy. You guys took a chance on me. Yeah. And that was just, it changed my life. I've noticed God's really good at orchestrated meetings between people. I mean, that's just what he seems to do. You remember the first time I approached I was like, I got an offer for you, and you were looking at me like, what could this be?

I was like, I do these events, and I would like for you to come with me. And you were like, well, what would I do? I said, you'd be my bodyguard. And look. Because Trent's kind of a big muscle guy. Oh, yeah. He's got the look. You work out.

And so, which was so humbling about you? Because you said, well, why? And I said, because you love Jesus, which is what I told you. And I could tell you, you were like, where are you getting this from? But when I heard you speak, this is the first time, I was like, this guy loves Jesus. I mean, he's a really intellectual and intelligent man. He's educated. But I think there's something to that because a lot of people who are real knowledgeable,

what's the verse say, knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. And so you in a humbling way, and we did events together. And I'm like, this guy could pontificate on this way better than me. He's just sitting over there. Oh, swall up. Not saying a word. Yeah. Which was hilarious.

Ninja clippinger. Yeah. Because we were working on when we would be on the plane and talking in between and after about how we could impact the world together for Jesus. I mean, that really it was more about that. I wanted in, I was like, let's just be. friends. I was telling me busy, I was like, is it wrong to invite him and pay him to be my bodyguard? Because I just want to be friends with him. But that's really how we got. I have to say, most

security guys are really not that much of a conversationalist. You know, they're just kind of hang out. Well, you know, it was a weird time. Trin's so he was working out. So first time we had a staff meeting, and we were going to have lunch after the meeting. And so we're sitting there. We're sitting around a big table, you know, and we're talking about whatever we're working on, and I told him we're going to have lunch coming in. So Trent, about, you know, 30 minutes into the thing, he starts pulling out his little Tupperware stuff. I said, Trent, we're going to, I got lunch orders coming in. He said, oh, I know.

And so he pulls out like a steak and all this. He's eating it while we're doing that. And then we, then the lunch comes in and he does the whole, he does the full lunch. He didn't stop eating. No. And I was like, who has a snack of like a 14-hour. ounce ribby. An elongated meal.

I told Missy, after we had him over in his family the first time, when y'all left, the first thing I said, I said, the next time the champ comes over here, double. Doubling. Whatever we thought we were going to. That guy's working out. Always remembers his practice hospitality without grumbling. No, we ran out of tears.

It marvels how much he can eat. We had a lasagna, and luckily Lisa made. too. Trent ate almost a full lasagna. You said a panlet it's good. I admit it, but I was like, how does he hold it? But that man can eat, which we marvel at it, Trent. And then you look so good. So I told him one day he's going to

it's going to come back on him. He's going to be a big fat man. Well, Trent, the reason we had you on is because in our culture, I mean, we seem to be you know, just in a situation where there's so much pain and suffering and there's so much confusion. and there's so much disunity and there's so much pain out there. And you're literally on the cutting edge of this war because of all the counseling you do

and running a counseling center at Colorado Christian University. And so we're like, help us, help us understand what's going on out there. Yeah, some of the things that you see. Let's take a break, Jim. So, yeah, Trant, so what do you say? I mean, like, you're, how are you now? You're in your mid-30. years young.

36 years young. So you're younger, you're working now with college students because you're teaching them. So now you've been, you were here, but you're also out west. What is some of the things you see culturally that are really going to be a challenge as we go forward? I mean, what's some of the things you're seeing? Yeah, man. So I, and it's hard to kind of distill this for the sake of time into just a short enough, maybe blurb. But a couple of things that I think are worth mentioning, I feel like right now, for a couple of different reasons, one of the biggest things people are struggling with is identity.

And I'm not talking about like people describing who I say I am when I'm meeting new people or what I do for a profession as is who I say I am. I mean, like, who I see when I look in the mirror and in the depths of my soul, who am I? So I think that's a big piece. I think the second is we're in a culture that offers a lot of artificial, instantaneous varieties of pain relief that don't actually relieve pain. they only compound it. And so people find themselves in this over-stimulated frame of mind where I'm sipping coffee, I'm watching TV, I'm scrolling social media, but in my mind I'm thinking about the next five things I want to go do.

And it's a distraction from my emotional pain, but it keeps my brain overstimulated. And the second I'm not overstimulated or distracted, not only does that pain catch up to me, but I just feel bad, anxious, depressed, whatever you want to say. And I think that the third thing. that I'm seeing as just people maybe now more than ever more desperate to find meaning and purpose in life. So we can unpack any of that, but I work, I see 20 probably clients a week. I oversee 10 counselors who are seeing 200 a month. And I've been doing this work for 10 years and I've worked with thousands upon thousands of people, Arkansas, Louisiana and now Colorado. And this kind of stuff

doesn't discriminate my geographical location. I mean, do you like in these conversations, do you like, because when I hear those three things, I think, well, they need to be thinking we're made in the image of God. Two, they're spending way too much time on social media and then attaching their worth based on comparison. And what did you say, the third was the purpose or meaning.

They're just, I'm like, do something. That kind of takes care of point two, which is most of our time is spent scrolling and straight, even when we're supposed to be working and comparing. It's like you're just living as a form or an image of yourself. Right. Yeah. And Jase, I think that spiritual transformation, connection with God through Jesus Christ,

the sun is the required ingredient to solving the biggest problems in culture today. And what I'm trying to do as a counselor is use counseling techniques and theory to lead people to that place of a radical encounter with Jesus Christ. I like that, which I'm sure in our cultural world, you get flak for that because they're just trying to solve the problems without Jesus. So I guess it's a form of medicating without really offering a substantial. eternal cure or but I'm sure that's a tough path that you have to climb you know with individuals yeah it's a it's a tough balance and and look sometimes the reason it's tough is because people have either been hurt by a church kind of people or people hurt by people who say they're followers of Jesus or or they've seen Christ followers not live by the command of Jesus to love one

another like he loved us. And so when they see that fighting or they've been hurt, those are challenges for us as Christians to overcome and introduce people to Jesus in a way that transforms their life. And then, yeah, culture right now is just, is so, it's this weird paradox. They're so desperate for truth, but they're so opposed to people who are bold enough to say there is truth. There is a right way. If you go that way, you'll find what you're looking for in life. And until you do, you're never going to find it. And so, Jace, it is challenging. And yeah, I think there are a lot of reasons why people resist that, but it's a major challenge. Well, I always thought when you were here, Trent, being a talented, you know, preacher and studying the word of God. And then you were

kind of, you know, you were counseling, but at the same time you were, that was your main thing. So you had that out front. But I always thought that the counseling that you did and the connection to people helped you be a better preacher. Now it's flipped because you're, you're a primary counselor. But how does that knowledge and how does understand the Word of God help you to help people deal with these problems that they're having? What's the benefit?

Yeah. So, so I see all biblical truth as self. evident truth, which means it's going to prove itself true time and again in the trenches of everyday life. And so if I'm working with a married couple and I'm talking with them about giving more of yourself for your spouse than maybe you feel like you can give, that's the principle of the second mile, which is a principle that Jesus taught. And I don't necessarily have to turn to book, chapter, and verse to teach somebody, you know, that principle. I was just lead to devotional earlier today with my team, and we were talking about Matthew 6.

Seeky first, the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you. And so I can teach somebody, hey, try to, try to connect with others or God and let the rest take care of itself. If you'll put your trust in God and you'll really value others, let's let's let's let's let whatever happens then happen and I'm betting that that chips will fall into place well I don't necessarily have to reference Matthew 6 for that another yeah you're going to get me preaching here if you're not sure that's all right pretty down brother another real common one like with identity so when Jesus is baptized in Matthew 3 God says God God names his identity after his baptism this is my son whom I love

love in him, I am well pleased. That's the very end verse of Matthew 3. You flip the page to Matthew 4. Jesus is led by the spirit out in the wilderness to be tempted 40 days. And the tempter comes to him, Satan comes to him, and says, if you are the son. So where's the first point of attack? It's in identity. Yeah. So that's the first place that Jesus is attacked. And I don't necessarily have to teach people that your identity is going to be attacked. Yeah. And here's how I know that from Jesus' temptation in Matthew 4, based on what God just told us about him in Matthew 3.

I can teach them that principle. And I have taken a lot of classes. I've read lots of books. But I think the reason I'm able to help people, you know, when I am, is because I'm using those kinds of principles and truths. to provide people with some guidance. Yeah, no doubt. I mean, you just think if everybody woke up every morning

and said those three things, that I'm a daughter of God, I'm a son of God, you know, male or female, but then say, and he loves me, and he's pleased with me. I mean, if you just said that every day,

right, right. I'm no counselor, but that's a pretty good. I'm good enough. I'm good enough. I'm smart enough. and doggone it, people like me. And God loves me. I think another reason, Trent, that you're effective.

You know, one, you obviously focus on Jesus and those principles. And we kind of do the same thing in that we're having conversations outside of the church building with people about life and Jesus is introduced and people's lives are changed. And it's not really affiliated with a church building or religious thing. It's just real life. That's what we do. but I also think that God uses your story, you know, to share his story. And we want to get into that just because I think it's incredible.

We see you now and we know you. We didn't see you BC before Christ. Right. But we've heard stories. But I do think it would help our listeners and viewers just to dabble into that if you don't mind. Yeah. Let's take a break. So, Trent, that's exactly right. I want you to tell your story because Jesus is right. We saw the

the Cleans version of Trent Langhofer and Kirsten and your young family when you were there. And then when I heard your story, because you know our church is, I guess, fairly unique in the sense that, I mean, there's a lot of life change that happens there. And you were a big part of that through Celebrate, Recovery, a lot of other things we do. But yeah, yeah, tell our audience about your childhood and, kind of what eventually led you to college and all that. Yeah, yeah. So grew up in a childhood home that from all outside appearances should have been great, you know, married parents, biological father, going to chiropractic school.

Both parents came from families that were Christian and both kind of had aspirations to be involved in ministry. And, you know, one night my mom gets a phone call for. from somebody who tells her that my biological father has been having a same-sex affair behind her back and that it's not the first one. And so, I'm kind of a long story short, and the tornado, you know, that followed. My mom grabs me. I'm the oldest of three boys. And how old were you at that time?

I was around six years old. Wow. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. And so, and my two younger brothers obviously were younger. My youngest brother was about a year old. There's about a six-year gap between us.

So, yeah, you can imagine a mom gets a call trying to raise three boys. She didn't live near family. The just hurricane-force storm that started raging, and her life was overwhelming. And she grabs me and my brothers and goes and lives with her parents, who are just wonderful salt to the earth people. my, but my mom's dad was retired at the time. My mom's mom was a pareducator.

My mom was a teacher. So there was, you know, month at the end of the money left over. I mean, it was tight. And you guys know how I can eat too. So just trying to keep me fed would be enough of a financial strain on any family. And so, yeah, that was the home then that I kind of grew up in over the next few years. And then my mom. meets a guy who is a wonderful man that I love dearly. He's one of my best friends today.

But we got along about as well as fire and gasoline when they first met. He was this quintessential man's man, chewed tobacco, wore ropers, the boots that were cool in like the late 80s, early 90s. You know, he rode bulls. And he wore these. He wore these. It'd be hard to describe if you don't know what I'm talking about. But in like the 90s, there were these shirts that cowboys would wear that had these real loud colors and real wild patterns. But the thing with them was, you had to starch them so much that if you took them out of the closet and took the hanger out, you'd stand the shirt up by itself with no one in it, no hanger

on it. So he wore those shirts, wore ropers, chew tobacco. And I was like a butch cat. and the Sundance kid all wrapped up in one, and he kind of swoops into my life like Wyatt Earp, going to restore Law & Order and Dodge City. And you wasn't having it. I wouldn't have any of that.

And plus you're probably bitter, you know, from what happened before, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. For sure, for sure. So I end up using drugs for the first time in the fourth grade. I was walking to school one morning.

and some people on a street corner gave me and a friend of mine some drugs. Who gives a fourth grader some drugs? You know, some evil people is all you can say. So, yeah, I was 10 or 11 years old at the time, and I started experimenting with drugs more, alcohol, more. You know, and things really start to spiral behaviorally for me at school. Things started going really, really bad. You know, started using really. real, real hard drugs, drugs that most long-term addicts are using as a freshman in high school.

You know, and then it got so bad just trying to kind of abbreviate this season that I dropped out of school as a junior to do drugs full time. And I ran away from home and I was couch hopping and it was just crazy. And my parents heard about this treatment center in the middle of nowhere in Arkansas called Capstone. And so I had been up for like four or five days, hadn't slept, and they came to me and were like, man, we just want to take you to get something to eat. And so I got in their van and they took me to get something to eat and I fell asleep in their van just passed out. I'd been running wild and just acting a fool. Pass out in their van and I wake up.

I'm living in Kansas at the time. I wake up in Searcy, Arkansas at Capstone Treatment Center. I've been kidnapped by my own parents. So parents that are listening that have wayward sons and daughters, it is not outside the scope of what might need to happen to kidnap your son and daughter and take that person. But from your perspective, you're so strong out. That's the way you viewed it. Man, I was so strong out, dope sick, yeah.

I didn't mind. And when I was at Capstone, you know, Jace, you talked about just the pain that I felt. maybe that's why I didn't get along with my dad, my stepdad. And so at Capstone, they started asking me all these questions, you know, about my early life and my biological father. And so, man, the more they asked, the more I started to reveal things that I had been running from, revealed childhood trauma, you know, talked a lot about the abandonment pain that I felt, you know, because my biological dad was who he was, you know, a person that had an affair and left my mom and was just caught up in his own addictive behavior and pain. And so the more I talked about it, just the more all those things I'd been running from just started to feel like they were just coming to the surface.

And I've been pushing them down forever. And so I get suicidal. I get in a really bad frame of mind. I get shipped eventually to eight different treatment centers, trying to treat my childhood trauma, trying to treat my abandonment pain. And at one of these places, I end up in New Orleans, Louisiana. Yeah, I was hoping you to tell this story.

This is a hang on, Trent. Let's take a break for you. Let's take a break. Of all the places to wind up, if you have this struggle, New Orleans is probably not going to work too well. New Orleans was tough. Yeah, that's right. There were some things available there that may not have been available elsewhere.

And so, yeah, I end up in treatment there. And there's, and I'm on suicide watch. I'm sleeping out in the middle of a basically hospital ward. And I'm, I wake up one morning and another one of the residents, a young lady is, is sitting right in front of me and she's drawing a picture of me and which is kind of strange but didn't seem strange given that we were in a psychiatric unit and everybody was just you know broken and hurting I guess when you're in a psychiatric ward

everything just kind of relative and we're laughing just to break up the drama because I know it was a tough time you know but yeah no a funny moment I was sitting in group in a psych unit once and some lights flickered over head and nobody in the group said anything because we were all worried that maybe it didn't happen and it was like the medication we were on that influenced us and the group leader's like it's okay group that like did just flickered it's like that's just the environment you know we were in so this this gal ends up telling me you know that if she gets back home she's going to be abused the person that was abusing her was in her home and I'm like man I don't want to be here she doesn't need to

go back home. She doesn't need to be here. We're getting out of here. And so we, uh, during shift change, broke out of this psych unit in New Orleans and lived homeless on the streets of New Orleans, um, for a while and, uh, slept under bridges. Eventually, we made our way to, uh, the French quarter, which is kind of where we ended up living. And, um, there's a, there's a homeless shelter on Rampart Street in the French. quarter on the north side of the french quarter called the covenant house and so lived there for a while and i guess you're you're cutting up again yeah no right with the other homeless people yeah we're we're using drugs and sharing needles and trying to hustle people and you know i got jumped uh she was

almost raped i mean it just so much stuff i could share that just it was it was as crazy and insane and chaotic as you can possibly imagine and probably in ways that people can't. And you're only like, what, 17, Trent, at the time? 17, yeah, at the time. From the Midwest, in the deep south, in New Orleans homeless. Bourbon Street and the French court. You know what's ironic, Trent, what's ironic is that when I was, I went through my prodigal phase and I was 17 in New Orleans working there.

But I had a more secure situation. because I was living with my aunt. But I was right down there in that same area involved in that same lifestyle and almost died, which is what led me back home. A guy took a crowbar to me in Kenner just outside New Orleans because I was having an affair with his wife, which that's what tends to happen.

So when you're describing it, I think, yeah, I mean, it makes no sense now to think you were that person and yet you were that person. And at this point of your story, Trent, for people listening, I mean, you're strong. out, you basically escaped a mental ward, you know, back in drugs and sex and whatever is happening. It's like, how in the world do you wind up here? So there had to be some moment where this came crashing down that you survived. Yeah, so it was crazy. Yeah. So for years,

I lived as an IV drug addict, just crazy. I mean, it's crazy and just insane as it could have possibly been. And so I make my way eventually back to Kansas. And the day before Thanksgiving in 2004, I'm in my hometown and I'm using and I'm just about dead. So I'm 120 pounds at this point. I'm 6.2 and about 250 right now. So I was half the body weight I am right now. Thought I had AIDS, was using with people that had HIV. And so it was just, and I get a call from my aunt who's like, hey, we haven't seen you and we love you and we'd love to see. And it's Thanksgiving is the next day.

So this is in 2004. And after I hung up the phone, I got high and I overdosed and blacked out. And I think I would have died if my aunt hadn't called me, but something in me was conscious enough. during a blackout where I somehow got in my vehicle and I wake up in my vehicle about two miles from my mom's mom and dad where my aunt was staying. And I black out again and I'm on their front lawn. And for the next few days, like they're trying to nurse me back to health. They call an ambulance.

They call the hospital. And I survived. And they take me to church. and I had, you know, big earrings in and looked just really like the kind of person you'd expect was doing the kinds of things, you know, that I was doing. Earrings, the earrings don't look good on me, by the way. An interesting fact on it I'd never heard. And this preacher at my wife's grandparents' church is preaching a message on being a pretender or a contender for Christ from the book of Jude. And my heart was just totally broken in that moment.

And I'm like, man, this is, this is me. You know, this is, I've always felt like a pretender. I was never some tough drug dealer. I was never a gang member. I was never some bad dude. I was just a worthless junkie that if my lips were moving, I was lying to you and would have done anything to anybody and did a lot of really just miserable things to get my next fix.

and I'm just like, I just don't want to feel like a pretender anymore. I don't want to feel like I'm nothing. And he gave it like an old-fashioned altar call. It was like a Baptist gospel church, man. And he's like, prayer, raise your hand. I raised my hand. And it was like, seriously, it was like a whole bunch of balloons were tied around my wrist when he said, ask for prayer.

and my hand starts to raise. And I'm like looking at my hand. And I look at the guy and his eyes are like locked right on me. He's probably looking at your earring, you know. Probably looking at this crazy guy who raised his hand for prayer. And he's like, if you need prayer come forward. And it was like I was a man possessed, man. I felt myself getting up out of my chair.

And man, just broken. So ashamed, so humiliated. and to get to the front, I have to walk through the center aisle. There wasn't a way down to the front. And my parents will say that they thought I was leaving the service to go smoke. And instead, I take a right-hand turn, another right-hand turn, and I start going down the center aisle. And guys, as God is my witness, every step I started taking down that center aisle,

man, I feel just a decade of trauma and abandonment pain and drug use and misery and agony. Just, just every step, just weight being lifted off my shoulders. And I pass the bench that my parents were sitting on and they see me. And I look at them and we all just break. And I just hit my knees. I only make it to the front, man. I just hit my knees. And they're going, oh,

my God, this is a miracle, you know, this prodigal son who really should have been dead and in a lot of ways was, is alive again, you know? And so, so that was like the first Sunday after Thanksgiving in 2004. In December 2nd, I met up with an old friend that smoked crack, which wasn't even kind of the drug that I normally use. And that's the last time I got high. And from that moment forward, I was like, I'm just, I'm going to sell out to Jesus. I'm just going to never stop trying to get close to him, trying to know him, trying to live how he lived. That's when they got you to Capstone, right? Was right after that?

Yeah, well, so I had been to Capstone, and that's when I called Capstone and was like, guys, I just had a powerful encounter with Jesus. I want to come work for you guys now. And they were like, dude, you've been sober for like a week. You cannot help anybody. And they were right. They were right about that. Hang on, Jeff.

Let's take our last break. Yeah, so I call caps and I'm like, I want to work for you guys. Like, man, you've been sober for a week. You can't come work here. You've got to get really, really sober. What was the difference, though, in you? You know, the first time you go, you're basically being brought by someone else. And the second time.

You volunteered. You're volunteering. And not only, it reminds me of the prodigal son, not only to be like a son, you know, that prodigal when he said it came to his senses, he was like, just make me a hired hand, which when you said that I'll work, let me just work for you.

Right. Right. Right. And I did scrub toilets there and I did mop floors and I did dishes, you know, started, started small. But Jace, and I think Jase, this is one of the things that makes us such good friends is I think my powerful encounter with Jesus is what made me want to go back voluntarily and give back because I found what I had been

looking for in Jesus. I found purpose. I found a healing to my pain. I found an identity. And it was just right in front of me, you know, the whole time. And so I was thinking, man, if I could just tell everybody that I can tell, you know, that this is how you beat the deepest, darkest type of addiction a person can go through. I'm going to tell everybody, you know, and I think, and I think Jesus has used that to motivate me to just keep grinding, you know, trying to learn as much as I can about counseling and trying to preach as much as I can. I'm not the best counselor, not the best preacher, but I don't know a ton of people that I think are as crazy about Jesus as I am, you know, and so, I think I've been given some opportunities and people have taken some chances, you know, on me as a result.

It's interesting that the 10 sins that the Apostle Paul listed to the Corinthians, and it was everything from some idolaters, adulterous, male prostitutes, homosexual offenders, thieves. What are you at? That's just 1st Corinthians 6, 9 and 10. and a greedy, drunkard, slanderers, swindlers, they won't inherit the kingdom of God. But the beauty of that text is, and listening to you talk,

and that is what some of you were. But you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God. Yeah, and it says you are washed. I mean, he's telling his story, and it fits perfectly. with what Paul told the Corinthians and all the troubles that they had there from different angles.

2,000 years ago. 2,000 years ago. And he just said, yep, here's where I'm being. Here's who I was. Now here I am. And I am what I am. And what's crazy is he's in Colorado. We're in Louisiana.

But Al at the same age. Exactly. 18 years old. Or could have bumped into each other in a different era. You know, if you weren't twice as long. those years later, God crosses our paths, you know, and you're not sure where you're going to go. And so now we're forever, a part of your spiritual DNA that you and Kirsten and your family go forward. And you're a Saints fan, which is, you know, I mean, you pick that up while you were here.

We converted you to that. And also, I would like to bring this up because I think. That's why y'all call him something. What is what do you call our man here? The doctor? Yeah. Well, we, we all call him. but you know his last name i said well

his real name is langhofer langhofer he don't call him that that's what that's his name really is but to me when i heard his story i said no he's one cliff hanger yeah that's a fact that's what in that boat chip i mean you had one finger hanging on the cliff you got one that was that was it one finger now one of the reasons i ask you to be the bodyguard because you you told that story about hearing that in the guy that was introducing Jesus about being a pretender or a contender. I don't know if you knew this, but in my speeches now, I'll always reference that phrase because I'm thinking there may be another Langhoeffer out here.

Because I think it's a good way to look at it because anybody can pretend a certain way in a church building on Sundays or whatever and have this pain in their life. But you've always been to me a fighter for Jesus and a contender. And so part of your coming out of that old lifestyle is you got your body in shape because you said you were 120 pounds. And so then you had a little stint in the, was it, is it called the UFC there? I don't want to embarrass you because, look,

you had the courage to step in a cage and fight a man. He was going to be a professional. And so I wanted to ask about that experience. That's funny. Yeah. So not the UFC. It was the FCF freestyle cage fighting championships. And yeah, so, so, right, that's crazy.

But I had Jesus transform my life. And I'm like, man, all these guys are getting in cages fighting each other. Like, I want to see what that's about. And so trained for a while. I grew up wrestling. And so did athletics a lot. And my addiction really took that away from me. And so I decide I'm going to give it a shot and went down to Tulsa.

There were about 3,000 people in this convention center in Tulsa. And I'm entering into the Octagon with my entrance music as Rich Mullins, our God is an awesome God. I love it. So there's thunder in his footsteps and lightning in his fists. And so what happened? Lord, I need some of that. So I get in the ring and I just get beat up, man. My nose gets broken, get black eye.

And my wife, my dad, my mom's dad, and my brother were sitting ringside. And so, yeah, after beating this guy's fists up with my face three rounds, I leave the octagon. And my wife is like, okay, Trent, you got a decision. It's either this or me. I gave up my life as a fighter and became a preacher and a counselor. But you know, I wanted you to tell that story because I do think that you made the spiritual transition there in that I'm in a spiritual war. And that's why I said you're on the cutting edge. And your wife is awesome.

And you all make a great team for the Lord. And I just had to say that because I think it's one thing, you know, for Jesus to save us. But then he also, as we grow and mature, you know, we find our. lane in representing him on the earth. Yeah, yeah. And Jason, I think that's important just because that's really our purpose. There is a battle for each person to fight. That's right.

And you're needed. You are a needed soldier, you know, in that army. And it's given my life a lot of purpose and meaning. I was just pursuing the wrong type of fighting for the Lord. Well, right. But your heart was right. What, tell us what you're doing now. So, yeah, married a just beautiful gal way out of my league.

Outpunted my coverage on Kirsten. She and I have been married. We just celebrated our 15-year wedding anniversary. Have three just precious kids, Adrian's 12, Kyra's 10, Judah's 8. And just have guys just a blessed, wonderful life. I'm in Colorado Springs. I am teaching graduate counseling classes.

at Colorado Christian University's clinical mental health counseling program. And it's an excellent program. I also launched Colorado Christian University's outpatient mental health counseling center, also here in Colorado Springs. And we just teach and train counseling students to just be on the front lines of mental health and loving people with the love of Jesus and using what evidence-based practices in counseling say or what, what, help people and what help heal people and what help turn people to Jesus. I'm teaching pastor at

Trace Church here in Colorado Springs and just trying to personally just love on my family as much as I can and love on as many people as I can and just so, so thankful, you know, for the twists and turns that my life is taken. I'm just a really, really broken, messed up guy that found Jesus and things just radically transformed. So I'm so thankful to get to do what I do. and to help the people that I get to help and to work with guys who just really in a lot of ways remind me of me, just a hurt, lost young man

that just was desperate for something. Well, Trent, you and Kirsten are missed here, but we know, I told you when you left, you know, guys going to continue to open doors. Anybody out in the Springs area, if you need any counseling, look this guy up because he's amazing. I'm glad you're teaching.

That's great because you've got a great gift there. I'm glad to hear you. using it. And back during the pandemic when you guys were tuning into our live stream, it did my heart proud just to see. Oh, there's the Langhippers are watching today. So that was really powerful. So look, we love you a lot. Please pass that alone to Kirsten and the kids as well. And can't wait to get you back down here. We'll get you down here in the fourth seat where you can be live in person. Yeah, man. I would love it. Love you, bro. Blessings, bro. Love you guys. Thanks. Thanks so much, guys. Thanks for listening to the Unashamed podcast. Help us out by rating

us on iTunes. And don't miss an episode by subscribing on YouTube and be sure to click that little bell to get notified about new episodes. And for even more content that you won't get anywhere else, subscribe to blazed TV at blaztv.com slash unashamed.