Welcome, Scripture, And Shame

Chris Grainger 1:34

Welcome to the Lion Within Us, a podcast serving Christian men who are hungry to be the leader God intends you to be. I'm your host, Chris Granger. Let's jump in. All right, fellas, it's your fun Friday, your member spotlight. But before you get to meet our awesome member, we're going to talk about some awesome scripture. And it's in Isaiah 61, verse 7. It says, Instead of your shame, you will receive a double portion. And instead of your disgrace, you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours. So, guys, this whole week has been talking about guys that feel ashamed. And what does that look like? And the shame we have in our life and the reason that shame can make us just hold back. So we gotta we gotta rebuke that term from that, fellas. So we had the spiritual kickoff episode, we had the podcast this week. Go check those resources out and look at fellas. If you're still feeling that discouragement or you just need some brothers in Christ, hey, thelionsden.us, go check us out there. Start your daily SKO or jump into Alliance Den or put in an application for a leadership mastermind. Because fellas, we got lots of ways we're trying to serve you to help you and to walk with you. Now, this is a special member spotlight. I just remember uh you talk about a testimony and uh it's just so crazy, crazy. Every time I talk with him, his name is Keith Reed. Every time I talk with Keith is a crazy story, uh, and I I think they can't get any better than they do. So I'm excited. So Keith, welcome to the show, brother. Hey, good morning. How are you? I'm good, man. I'm so excited to have you on, bud. I just I I'm serious, dude. I think like you know, they should make a movie after you after your life story, and people will just line up for it, man. So I don't even know where to start. Maybe we'll just start with with uh you know a little bit where you're from, uh your family situation, things like that, and then kind of walk us into your your discipleship journey.

Keith Read 3:24

Yeah, absolutely. Well, um actually I my family is uh originally from uh England um from 1296 is my dad's side of the family. My mom's side of the family is a mutt. Um we came to America in 1712, I think it was, 1720, something like that. Um I get to brag about my dad's side of the family because the Reed family is actually they're very unique. We're R-E-A-D, um, not R-E-I-D or R-E-E-D. We're actually British versus or English versus Scottish or Irish. So um I get to talk a little bit proud about my heritage. My mom's side of the family. We just got a bunch of mutts. Um, they're probably some of the most loving people I've I've ever been around. They fight like coondogs and and you know, and and love like a mama bear.

Meet Keith Reed’s Wild Backstory

Keith Read 4:13

So um Yeah, so um, you know, dad's eye of the family, um, we've we've got a lot of uh a lot of believers in our family. Um, I mean, historical. Um, you know, I've currently I've got um I think four or five families on my dad's side that are missionaries around the world. Um and uncle just retired from Archelangelus, Russia. Um the uh the family were kind of farmers in a jack of all trades. So I I grew up from a very, very early age. If you want to do something, you have to put your mind to it and just go get it done. Um I I can't tell you the last time I hadn't worked until my little episode recently with my uh uh my my new heart. So um yeah. Um you know my my dad passed away a few years ago, um 20 2009, and you know, my mom, my mom's still kicking it. Um if I'd had to put money on a bet, I would have said she'd have never outlived my dad. Um, and definitely not by 20 years. And she's just that little bubble engine that could.

Chris Grainger 5:18

So there you go, man. Well, how about your your your uh face journey, man? I mean, how how how does that look like for you over the years? I know it's it's it's gone it's gonna it's gone lots of different ways, so walk us through that.

Keith Read 5:33

Man, if there's is there such a thing of God and there's a such a thing of grace and mercy, uh I've I've gotten I've gotten triple, quadruple portions that I don't deserve. Um yeah, I grew again, I grew up in a family that I we we were in church, uh, you know, it seemed like 24-7, you know, 365 days a year. Um my dad was uh again, he was also a jack of all trade, uh, learned how to taught himself how to fix refrigerators and air conditioners and bulk tanks and uh and furnaces. And so, you know, dad would be the the service guy that everybody would call to come help. Um, you know, I think the only time my mom would ever get mad was when dad would get a call that the bulk tanks at 40 degrees and we're gonna lose our milk if you don't get here right away. And you know, dad would leave the parlor and go to Red Dell's or some other friends, and um yeah, so we were we were in church. We're from Northeast Ohio. I tell people we are the corner of Ohio, Lake Erie, Pennsylvania. Um, our family farms um to the Pennsylvania area, and we farm in Ohio, and just pretty much wherever the Lord leads. Um it's been there from the 1800s, so um my niece still still milks, uh, my cousins still milk. Um we raised beef and hog. And um I'm a redneck living uh living between uh Athens, Georgia now and Atlanta, Georgia. Um my buddies just ostracized me last night. My uh my wife and I, we ended up picking up a Tesla, which I swore I would never ever do. And um yeah, um my little brother used to call me the redneck in the city. So um you know, I I you can see behind me that's actually our our backyard. And I told Anna when uh when when we moved here that you know, if I can't, I mean this is a guy's podcast, so it is what it is. If I can't pee in my backyard without my neighbors watching me, that's the place we're gonna buy. And this this is it right here. So uh Fate's journey has been uh it's been rocky, bro. It's been uh like I said, grace, grace abounds. Um I I feel that I'm a combination of Peter, uh Paul, and uh David. Um just kind of all of them um on the uh on the evil side. Uh you know, grew up, like I said, in church, all church. Um our our church, um, which um I'll segue into more of a cult, um, was uh one of the founders of uh the accelerated Christian education back in the 70s, and um went down that Bob Jones run of pure, pure 100% um satanic legalism. Um yeah, as I go as I'm as I'm growing in my faith, um it's been a process. I'll be 61 here in October. Um I knew the Bible from probably the moment I was born. Um my brother and sister and I all, I mean, we were literally spoon-fed the Bible. Um, and um, and it has saved me in the future. Uh my dad's funeral, my mom um said we probably made a mistake by not letting you guys go

Legalism, Church Hurt, And Mercy

Keith Read 8:49

to a public school. And you know, I told her, I said, I think I'd have been either dead or way worse off now if I didn't have, you know, that that word of God that was in my heart that I didn't even know was there. I mean, I I knew the words, you know. Um, I've always been a creationist. I always believe in uh, you know, look, like I tell my buddies out here without getting really religious, it's very simple. Isn't it better to believe that there's something smarter, bigger, and greater that organized this logical, systematic system that we have here? You know, you call it whatever you want. And uh, you know, I I I say his name's Yahweh, and you know, and he's my dad. Um but um yeah, I um I I left school. Um graduated early from high school and uh and uh just went down a road of just pure rebellion. Um the prodigal son, uh I say Jesus told that story about me, but even worse. Uh I you know, I I got to a point where um I was going to Ohio State, and um uh I tell people I am the only reason that kids today don't get their student loan money because uh I had a 69 Malibu that I uh really needed to build and and that you know the motor needed to be blueprinted and tuned and you know and you know that that 786 duration cam really makes it sound good and blah blah blah. And I spent my money uh um and uh knew my dad was gonna kill me um right in a public square uh as soon as he found out that I I I wasn't a good

Rebellion And A Career In Audio

Keith Read 10:29

steward of the money. Went to work, uh, went to a little club called Newport, which is still there today. It's uh it's one of the bars on High Street uh across from Ohio State University. And um it's a it's a music venue. And the guy taught me how to uh to mix sound and uh literally fell in love with music because uh the thing that God did not give me, like he did David, was the ability to play an instrument, the ability to sing. Um I can't I always tell people when I sing, I am literally calling foxes and coyotes from miles away. Um and they're they're on their way. Uh I can't I can't play an instrument. Uh, but what God has given me is um at 61 years old or 60 years old, I can I can hear things. Um when I mix a show, I can see colors. I uh everything that I have is all about visualization. Um and I don't know words, I can't remember words. So I you know I I fit things in based off of the instrument, if it's a vocal or if it's a you know guitar or drum kit or congress or whatever it is. Um and God's giving me that ability. Um and and I'm I'm I'm I'm more thinking about it now than I've I've I have ever been, um, probably since COVID.

Chris Grainger 11:43

Uh dabbled into some pretty incredible incredible bands too, right? I mean you've worked with the top of the top out there.

Keith Read 11:52

I have. I um I uh without giving away the rest of my story, but I had a friend of mine uh was praying for me here back in August uh before surgery, and um he had read a quote, um, one of the quotes he had in his prayer was um, you know, that I've I've been blessed that um with my talent um serving God that I I I get to honor kings to um and I'm really paraphrasing and butchering that proverb, but um I have. I uh why I don't know. I've worked I work with the biggest names in the industry. Um over the last probably 20 years, I um I do what we call a lot of pick updates. I I contract or freelance with uh a number of different uh production houses. And um, you know, they'll

Touring With Icons And Learning Humility

Keith Read 12:38

call me, they'll they'll literally call me in minutes. I my favorite story is just recently, um, yeah, a few years ago, John Fulbertie was coming through Macon. He was wrapping up his tour, um, got a call and said that uh uh his entire production bus just got hit with COVID. Or one of the guys tested positive for COVID. And um, you know, so can I be in Macon, Georgia, or how far from Macon I was? And um, you know, went down there and uh thought I was gonna do one one show and ended up being four shows back to back. Uh had to make arrangements and pick up my truck, and you know, John had to buy me clothes and uh, you know, and uh, you know, which is literally just black, black shorts and a black shirt, you know, uh black, black, black. Um, you know, so I I do a lot of stuff like that. I do a lot of uh a lot of teching. My last probably the last 25, 30 years has been in the management side of it, where it's not just being an A1 or uh a live sound engineer. Um I um I've been tour manager, production manager, um, events coordinator kind of concept where we our company is a consulting firm that work with uh with artists and the municipalities and things like that to build their shows um to to basically set up everything that they need to have set up to have a safe, secure um uh an event um without getting into ticketing. So um yeah, yeah. Yeah, I love it. Um, you know, seven years with meatloaf um was my greatest um time ever. Uh I learned more about who I am uh through him. Um I learned about humility. Uh I learned uh I learned the importance of of my job and everybody on that stage's job is literally the people in the seats. It's the people that work hard to get that money. Um you know, I've worked with artists that just don't care. Um, you know, and again, I've worked with artists that just they'll bend over backwards for it. And you know, there's always that balance between the two of what you have to do. So yeah, like I said, I I could I could talk a lot.

Chris Grainger 14:44

No, man. I mean, because I think you mentioned stories of you know, you and Metallica and and and the way they were treated your wife and just the kindness. So I just always think it's how awesome it's some of these mega mega stars. So many of them, some of them are jerks, but some of them are actually just genuinely good people.

Keith Read 15:01

I I tell people there's always two sides to an artist. Um there's there's the real artist that that you may never see, um, and then there's the artist that that you put a cave, you know, a camera in their face, or you put them on stage and and and and they become actors. Um one of my one of my favorite um, I guess one of my favorite conversations, it was Alice and I were Alice Cooper and I were sitting in a green room one day, and um I said, dude, I just can't believe you're a Christian. This is I'm really new back into the faith. I'm I'm still, you know, I was saved in uh in 1998. Um, and this is man, this is 2008, 2009. And uh I'm still I'm still growing, I'm still struggling. Um, you know, there's part of my life that that doesn't uh you know represent Jesus very well. Um, you know, and I'm just kind of working my way through and being that that transactional sin guilt, you know, kind of concept. And um we were sitting uh we were sitting in the green room and uh I'm like, all right, I got I got I need to know Alice, you know, you're you're Christian, you say you are. How can you do what you do? Right. And you know, how can you be this crazy guy on stage? Um, which I've been around a lot of those guys, you know. I've I've run with Danzik, I've run with Zombie, you know, I mean I've I've run some with some uh with Ghost, you know. I mean, I just I've been in those organizations and some of them are um are really they really believe in what they're doing, and then there's some that are that that are actors, you know, and that are really, really good performers, I should say, not actors. And um, I I love it. Alice goes, Keith, he says we serve a great God, right? I said, yeah. And he goes, he he made an ass talk, right? Save the man's life. He goes, Well, that's me. I'm I'm the ass. I'm the donkey. I'm I'm I'm the guy that um that God put in here to be a a representative to a mission field that you and I are both in, and that's the industry. Um but I'm also a performer. I I go out, and that that Alice Cooper you see on stage obviously is not the same Alice Cooper as you and I are talking about. I'm like, yeah, dude, I I get it. Um it helped me as a as a young Christian to understand that my walk is it's daily. I I I fought my entire life in in this faith of going, the fear of God is don't do this or he's gonna lightning bolt you. Don't do that, or he's gonna do this, or you know, it was all about the threats of what you're gonna end up happening. Um, you know, it was it was dude, it was just so much evilness in our in our in our growing up. Um, and how how he got me out of it, uh he created the earth. He he made a boat float around a flooded earth for 40-some days, you know, or six months. Um yeah, he took a you know, a dumb old redneck from Ohio and uh and gave me grace and grace and grace, and I just don't understand it. Um and I still I still fight it with it, but the the love that he had that was in my heart, even without being a believer. Um I I I've been through three divorces. Um my third one is the is a charm. And um that charm is um she's she's literally from God. Um Anna's is my wife's name is Anna. Uh I have two beautiful daughters, Caitlin and Larissa. Larissa's our oldest, Caitlin's our baby. Caitlin's birthday, in fact, is today. So um, and she's somewhere between here and Amsterdam, or between Amsterdam and uh um Armenia right now. So um praying hard for you, babe. Um I have beautiful daughters, but Anna's name is God's grace. Anna, Anna goes biblically goes all the way back, and it means God's grace. And uh um I knew I was gonna marry an Anna after I was sort of my second divorce. And uh sure enough, um out of the way out of the way, I I met this beautiful Proverbs 31 wife um in a in a village, um, a town insk, Russia. Um that was that was basically a Cold War blockade town, which meant no foreigners were ever allowed in there. And you know, and here I've I've come in and I've captured their their angel and took her back to me. So um, you know, and and she's been my strength from day one. Um and and again, uh another gift from God. Um, and I say all that is because uh I I was the I was the the the seed that fell in the Rockies, and I was the seed that fell in okay ground. Um and I'm still growing my seed in that good ground now. Um I I I I've lived all three of those. Um and I can definitely say living in really good fertile ground, um, being fed by by guys like the lion um and and brothers that I have around me um is really helping me grow, and I'm realizing that that seed doesn't drop it in the ground and bang, you know, you go. You plant that corn and you wait 90 days, 100 days to get it out of the ground. Um and it's the same in my life. And when I learned that, when I ever as I learned that, I I realized um how amazing mercy is, how amazing grace is. Um, and and you know, and I hate to throw that word out like that, but it's to be given given the opportunity to serve my my father, my creator, um, my my king, um, my brother Jesus, um, and living those examples are it's a failure every day, but it's that it's that love and that grace, and knowing that I can go to my dad and say, man, I I I jacked it up again, man. I'm I'm sorry, you know, um, and and really, really living it in the heart. So because I I left the church so hard. Um I still struggle with the fact of churches um because of the religion. Um I I and I'm also a very extremist when it comes to anything that I say, I I will do the shock value. I have I have my worship leader, buddy uh Kyle always tells me that I'm the uh I'm the Howard Stern of Christianity. Um so I don't I haven't figured out if he's insulting me or if he's he's he's complimenting me. Right. But but um he's like, dude, every time we talk, you you you go so extreme that you really get me to think about you know the point, even though the my wife says my analogy stink, but um you know, um but I I left, dude. I I left my first divorce um um was um was extremely difficult for me. Um I was on tour, wasn't expecting it at all, and um got served, uh crushed me. And um I started with burning a candlelit and going to a fortune teller and learning to read my tarot. Um then I went to burning candles and getting the amulets and saying saying a peaceful prayer, which led me into Wicca, which is the really earthy. Um I am kind of been accused of being a hippie, um, you know, very earthy, uh love the earth, love the peace, and you know that that that would Jesus is a great person, you know. Um all the way to three months in Jamaica, um, training to be a warlock um in Buddhism. Um and you know, um

Occult Drift, Addiction, And Surrender

Keith Read 22:46

it's the experiment. I usually say it's um it's the it's the frog at frog in the water experiment. I would I have jumped right in and gone to Jamaica and would I have really practiced Buddhism right off of the rip? No. But it was those little steps that I took a little at a time. And um as a result of that, um, that's where my grace is. I um years later, I uh in fact I was telling uh I had a show with Marilyn and Rob. Um it was a pickup date and I had I toured with Rob for a while with White Zombie, and um Rob was giving me a hard time and he said, dude, I heard, you know, I I I I heard I heard you work in churches now, you know, what kind of you know, come back to rock and roll. You know, come back where you need where you need to be. And I said, man, I I just love it. And um I tell a story. I I don't know if you can see. I have a tattoo right here. Um and it's it's it's it's sound. So I uh we were uh we were playing uh we were on the uh on tour and um I tell people I got thrown in jail for uh uh for being too loud. And the reality was is that the cop in front of my front of the house who was working my security, he was just kind of being a jerk, um, uh which I don't want to use other words, but uh he was he was not a nice guy to be working with. And uh and he wasn't a big guy either. Um, you know, I probably had enough of it. I was probably three songs into it. Um and you know, again, back in the day it was, you know, a lot of alcohol, a lot of drugs, and uh, you know, and I I obviously wasn't thinking clearly, and I I challenged him to he ain't got the cojones to put irons on my arm. And um next thing I know is um I'm face down on my desk in the middle of my show, and I sat my entire show in the drunk tank. Um, and um I reason I say the story is because the rest of that story is that I thought I'm gonna get fired. Well, Rick, when when Rob they come and got me out of drunk tank at the end of the show, we were on our way to New York to uh to tape the um the David Letterman show um and um and the tonight show. And I thought, man, they're gonna give me a bus ticket, I'm I'm gone. And Rob's was like, dude, you went to jail for me. Uh you know, you're my you're my hero. And uh I uh I obviously um you know I did. Um and it wasn't because I was too loud, even though I was banging 107 that you know I was I was being a stupid jerk. But as a result of that, I um it was that sort of my my my recess to too much faith. Um that took a little bit of time. As a result, I had uh I had overdosed. Um you know, the the industry back then was crazy, and um, you know, we used to carry fanny packs with us, butt packs, um way before these uh crazy things here. And um my TM at the time, who by the way is a student pastor now, which I just learned about four years ago, um, my old TM used to carry ounces of cocaine. Ounces. Um, the payment of services were always eight balls. And um, I I can't tell you how many times that I had um um needed to secure a uh a uh um a fix with maybe a sparky or a carpenter, you know, I need a stage move or rigger, and you know, well, union, nope, we're not doing it. That's not my job. I mean, I've literally had Sparky uh electricians not even plug in their my desk because it wasn't their job, or I had an audio cable over top of it. Um 80s and 90s were kind of crazy, and you know, so that's where you kind of brought the drugs in and do it. And as a result of that, you know, I learned that um um they can be very powerful and um and very addictive. And unfortunately, at a point where I I had ended up overdosing. And June 21st, um, about 12.05 p.m. at in uh in Ohio, um on 1998, um I gave my life to the Lord. Um I had um I'd come out of my coma and my mom and dad had had moved to a uh a different church. And um Pastor Emory was amazingly nice. Never had met him. He had he'd come in, he handed me hand me this little New Testament. And I'm like, bro, I'm not I know it, I know what it says, know how it says it. I'm just not interested. He goes, that's all right. He said, if you get a chance, just um, you know, go ahead and read it. Check out the book of John. And um he walked away, and you know, my pride uh started fading a little bit. I remember opening it. I think I told you, I said, Man, I I don't think I got past in the beginning was the word, the word was with God, and the word was God, and I'm bawling like Niagara Falls. And uh and man, it just did it didn't stop. And uh he walked in and he goes, Are you ready? And I said, Man, I'm not I I I'm so ready that I'm not worthy. And uh he said neither neither was the uh the thief on the cross. And uh um gave up my life to him that moment, and it has not been easy since. Um I've had some really good times, we've had some kind of some rough times, um, but in be in in the midst of all of it, I was safe and I know I've been loved, and I know I have a future. Um and and the one thing that that Jesus says is that this life isn't gonna be easy. I um I lost a kid on tour a few years ago. He's 20, 22 years old, and I we needed him at at the at the loadout, and I'm pushing them to get him in there, and corporates is having a hard time. And uh right before our show started, um, we were messing around on the stage. I was messing around with my uh my MC and stuff and just having a good time. We're just having a fun time. It was the last day on this city on this location, we're moving to the next. And um I get a call that there was a an extremely bad accident around Paducah, Kentucky. And um being in this industry and just learning, I I've got to meet some amazing people. Um, you know, I've I've I have I've gotten to be friends with or you know, entertainment friends is what we call them, ETs. Um, or yes. We um that um I made some calls just to find out what was going on, and so they're they were life lighting. Um

Tragedy On Tour And Trusting God

Keith Read 29:15

so I'm hearing, and of course I'm TMing and A1 on the show um are on this tour. We ended up um I ended up right before Downbeat, uh, we've got the word that he died um on the scene, and the two other people, the girl uh who's now permanently paralyzed. Um basically what happened was they rent a van and a semi didn't stop, and they were stopped in the interstate in construction stuff to construction zone, and an 80,000 pound rig blew right through the back of them. And and uh TJ's just had him to be in the backseat, and you know, and he's he's a Christian, he was in heaven, and I had a hard time going, you know, here's a kid that devoted his entire life to God to give uh uh work to the kingdom, and here the God that killed his own son killed this young man. And uh it took me six months, and in fact, it was a it was a post that I saw his dad make um who had who uh is still my hero today. He said he said, Do you think that if I asked God to beg him back and God said yes he could come back, do you think he wants to come back here? And I thought, wow. He said that since his death, he's had five times the amount of kids that he led to the Lord prior. His death led five times more people to the Lord. And I thought, okay, there's Stephen Um It wasn't right away. So I fight with God a lot. Um and and I love that he doesn't lightning bolt me. He doesn't do that, he's not the God of war. He's the he's the god of love, he's the god of a father, he's a father. Um and if you look at the old testament, you can see the father um in that aspect. If you look at him as through a lens of a dad, um you could see him in the old testament. You can see that his children, he picked the man and said, I'm making a nation out of you. He loved one man, and because of that one man, you know, we have the you know, the the Israel Israelis, uh the Israelites that became the Jews, that became the Israelites. And as a result of that, Jesus is here today because of that. Um and and the Holy Spirit lives in our hearts because of what God started literally at at Eden at the beginning. So um yeah, again, I I'm all over the place, guys. Um, I but it's just I'm I I so love that I'm here and I'm thankful. And um, yeah. Man, I'm let you make your requests.

Chris Grainger 31:58

No, bro. I mean, uh first of all, I love it. And you your testimony is incredible. God's doing some great work in your life. But you also had a pretty amazing uh health scare pretty recently. And that that and and just that story when we first met and you shared it. I'm like, man, that was that's that's a powerful moment because that's drawing closer to Christ at that moment as well. I mean, what you're you're a one percenter, like walk walk through that, man.

Keith Read 32:26

Yeah, I'm a uh I'm a one percent here on earth as well as in heaven. Um I am that sheep that that constantly went astray. Jesus came to me every single time, quietly and urging me. Um August 23rd last year, I um we were finishing up a show. We were just in South Carolina, and uh I had a uh I had I had a backache right across the back of my chest or back of my uh my shoulder. No, no shortness of breath, no pain in the chest, nothing. Um but it it felt like um it felt like I was getting hit with a pool noodle or a fugle stick just on the back side of the of the shoulder. Um, and it lasted for you know probably

Four Blockages And A New Heart

Keith Read 33:07

a half hour, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, something like that. Um and um obviously I'm close to home, so I'm going home. It's a Saturday night. Um we're going to church on Sunday. And um my wife, we'd been we're building this patio, and there I was, and um, I just put the floor down and I needed to trim it. Well, we went to church and Anna had bought this table, in fact, that we're sitting on here. Um Anna bought this table, and after church, we were gonna go hang out with some friends and stuff. So we're gonna pick up this table, and I went to load in the back of my pickup truck, and it happened again, but this time it was even harder. Um, and as a result, uh I knew Anna was gonna force me to go to an emergency room. And look, I'll tell you right now, I am not a doctor fan. Um, I'm not a big fan of Pablo Escobar's aka Pfizer um and all these other drug companies, and I know there's needs for it out there. Um my one of Anna's and my biggest fights or argument was is that you don't need insurance on me. Stop paying insurance. Um and then and then this happened. Um I knew Anna was gonna put me uh put me in a hospital, so I actually went on we our our insurance company is Kaiser, um, and uh I went on and scheduled a back doctor's appointment for the uh for the next day, which was Monday, a Monday afternoon, and that's because I needed to trim out the the the floor. So I finished the floor. Uh one o'clock we went in and um the um I went to the back doctor and uh she she you know she she asked if you know if I feel okay I said I got a little bit of back pain and Anna goes and he also had trouble breathing last night. His blood pressure had gone up, I think it was one 196 over 140 or something. And um so they brought an AKG in, and probably within 10 minutes they had a crash cart up there, and um we were sitting there pumping IVs and pulling every vampire I think in the entire complex was sucking blood out of me somewhere. And um had this had this really nice kid come in, sit down and looked at me and said, Bro, I don't know how to tell you. He goes, So I'm like a sugar cook. Your numbers are jacked. You're on your way to Emery. We were in Atlanta. Um we were we were 20 minutes away. And um I said, Well, okay, well Ann will take me over there. Um he goes, you don't get it. If a helicopter could land on this deck right now, you'd be on that on that on that Hilo out. He goes, This is how serious you are. He goes, he goes, I've been in uh been a uh a cardiac doctor uh for 25 years. And he said tropamine is the is the score that they gauge the severity of the it's an enzyme, it's a very severity. I may be butchering this for any medical guys. Um, but the the average number or the routine number is about 20 on the tropamine number. And um based off of my Saturday heart attack and followed into Sunday, this was Monday night, my tropamines were 4,800 and still climbing. So that's 4,800. Uh I think it was 62 or some crazy number. Um, they've never seen a number like that ever. And um uh long story short, was um what I expected them to throw me a couple pills, and Anna was gonna drive me home and things were gonna be fine. Was um they were they were doing calfs on me and um said that I had um had four blockages, 99% on all four, um, including the widowmaker, um, that I had an extremely serious heart attack. And um they did a calf and I was hoping to stent and they didn't stent. Um they wanted open art surgery, and and I this is the first time I've ever said this publicly. I have never been more terrified in my life. Look, I have faced I have faced things in my life um that are normally terrifying to a normal person. Um I had never been terrified like this. So I had to fight. It wasn't about it was either fight or flight. Well, I ended up checking myself out of the hospital. And um, I got home that night and and I kept praying. I, you know, um, I'm not I'm not ready to have my chest cracked open. It was my 60th birthday. We're going to the keys. I got a lot of friends. We're we're just everything was planned. This is not gonna mess it up. And um God says, uh, wait a second, I need to I need you to listen a little more little more. Um woke up about three in the morning with a severe chest pain, and I was sitting out here in the patio about 5 30, and Anna comes down and said she didn't feel right about it, and I had my bags packed. We went back in and um I had had my I had had my third known heart attack where my tropamine scores were at that point were 3,800 and climbing. And um as a result of that, September 5th, they um they cut me open and they uh they took um they took a mammary gland artery. Um, so I can't nurse babies on my left side anymore. Sorry, ladies. Right. Um they took some veins and replaced it. I got a new heart. And uh when my surgeon came um to do my heart attack or do my surgery, the pre-interview, he said, look, he goes, I'm looking at your numbers. You've got perfect numbers, everything lines up to where you should not be here. He said, But yeah, here we are. We're getting ready to rip your chest open. And um, so I get to say now I have a new physical heart. Um God rebuilt this one. Um, I have some time, I don't know when. I'm you know, I may be gone tomorrow. Um, but what I have is is that as a result of that, it's built confidence in my faith. Um, it built confidence in my wife and my daughters. Um, my daughter, my our youngest who's in pre-med right now, actually, as a result of that, um, changed her major. So she wants to be a cardiac anesthesiologist now instead of pediatrician. So um I I told her you're welcome. Um, I'm glad that uh these 13 clamps on my chest is useful for you. Um and um yeah, I get I get a new heart. Um and I am a one percenter. Um there's a lot of us out there. Um, but God does not stop pursuing. And and it's something my dad told me the last, you know, when I was in for my overdose, my dad always said, you know, the rod and the staff, they comfort me. You know, and there's some interpretation on that. My dad, again, my dad's a little country boy. That rod was a, you know, if a sheep that ran away, um, and he continuously ran away, the only choice you have is either let the wolves get it or you break its leg and you carry it with you. You know, and that was me. And dad, dad kept telling me, hey, at one point, um, God's gonna bust that leg, and you're either gonna listen to him or he's gonna feed you to the wolves, or he's gonna let you feed yourself to the wolves. And um, you know, I didn't I didn't understand until I can't wait to see him um to to tell him that. I it it now it's become such a big point in my life. Um dude, the wolves, that wolf, that lion, you know, those predators are out there. He's gonna eat you up and he's gonna give it to you by telling you a lot of truth and throwing in some lies. Um, and those lies are gonna be very, they're gonna sound amazingly true. And he can walk you down the uh the to the pit of hell and you won't know it until it's too late. It's it's that frog in lukewarm water, you know. Um it's just it's amazing. So I I'm I'm here today with a new heart, um, spiritually and and and physically. Um, you know, I found I found the line from from the U version. Um I've said I've never I my church was the church of me. Um and uh um when I when I found you all I was like in fact I and I'll I'll tell you, I was just I told a buddy uh the other day, I said, uh I said, man, when when I did my first uh my first uh it was on patience, um, which I just went through it again, by the way, um, because Keith Keith is not patient. Um but um I I I always tell him Dave, I said, dude, I uh I said, this guy, yeah, I did a Bible study and uh plan, and I said, this guy says, if you ever want to reach out, you know, just send me a message, and I'm thinking, yeah, bull crap. You know, hey, no, no, it's gonna be a bot, it's gonna be some flunky that's gonna be talking to him, some intern. And I told him, I said, dude, lo and behold, I said, Chris and I got on a call together and and and we chatted. I'm like, it just blew

Brotherhood, Honest Faith, And Next Steps

Keith Read 41:34

me away. I said, if a guy's willing to take that time, just and I I I remember because I put that I put that time in and you had a slot that morning, and and and bang, there it was. So um I've you know, I've been with the group, I think since January or February, but it's the line has been amazing. I've I've I've I'm I'm learning about more and more closeness and camaraderie that that I've never had before. And and you know, God has ordained the line and through you, and and you're bringing men in here and and and God's not gonna let you trash this. He's he's gonna trash everybody that's gonna cause the problems. This is this is a mission field that that needs to be done. This is a place that guys like me and and you know, obviously in here is we need this. We we really do. We we need this support outside of the four walls of a church. So I got to do that. I know one thing that no, bro.

Chris Grainger 42:26

I think it's great. I mean, and one thing I always enjoy with you, particularly for like the Friday Forge type meetings, and or any of the meetings, but it's just the way that we uh you know we can all have different opinions, but we just battered around, man, and it's no hostility. Uh, and we learn. I just think that's been that's been I haven't experienced that in most face settings. There's most face settings of this is the way and it has to be this way, and don't come any other way. And we're we're all like, well, this is how I learned it, and this is how I learned it. And what do you think about this? And we can have that conversation, and we'll butt heads at times, but man, I just think there's there's so much power in just that iron sharpening iron conversation.

Keith Read 43:05

Friday Forge, I mean, I love the Daily Sco, but uh Friday Forge is uh and it's it's kind of stinks for me right now as I'm I'm in a transition of life where you know I'm I'm usually Thursday through Sunday, I'm out. And um, so when I get a chance to be in there, I love it. I I I love the conversations, and you know, I I sometimes I feel like you know, I like I told you, I'm a I'm I'm the Howard Stirler of Christianity. I uh I'll argue the color blue, prove to me that somebody, a man said that. Well, no, God actually did, but you know, I I I've argued out my daughters, um, my daughters just refuse to argue anymore. And I um you gotta get me on track here because I gotta tell you the story of my daughter, our Larissa, our oldest um uh dude, my girls, including my wife, have an IQ 150, 200, 300. They're smart as whip. Dad's not. Dad, you know, I'm a survival, um, survivor survivalist. Um I'm logical. I love physics because it makes sense. Um, you know, everything makes sense, I like. Um, and now that my my my open art surgery, uh the you know, they said your OCD is gonna get worse, it has. Um, I literally came off tour here just the other day and went and reloaded the dishwasher because nobody understands that you've got knives that go here, you got forks that go here, you got ditches that go here. Right. We can't can we not figure that out? Um my guys on tour, just you know, they're always like, dude, you just gotta go away. Um, but I I um I lost my train of thought, but I had uh I mean I did lose my train of thought. Um it's all good.

Chris Grainger 44:49

I mean you were just talking about the lion and the fried forge and the significant, yeah.

Keith Read 44:54

Um I like to sometimes I like to go to the deep end. I really do. So part of that color blue is that I'll argue the creation with you. I'll argue colors and and and whatever you want to do. Like I I look forward to going to heaven. Um, or I look, I and honestly, I don't really care if I'm gonna go to heaven. I don't I don't care if God leaves me down here. All I want to do is be with Jesus. That's I want to be with God, I don't care where we're at. Um, you know, um, and I'll give that to Jace Robert because he's actually the one that that got me uh thinking about a couple things. Um, but um we were going on a I had a I had a run head going over to Alabama here a few years ago. Ago and we had crossed the state line. That's what I was. I was talking about Larissa. So my girls are really smart. Larissa's a uh Georgia Tech grad, so she's also extremely smart. Um, don't know about how illogical, but you know, that's all smart people. Um, but we had I had my merch manager riding with me and Anna. We're in the truck, and she says, We're gonna spend a little vacation where we were finished. Anyhow, um, we crossed outside Atlanta, we crossed over to Alabama, which is a different time zone. So now we're one hour behind Georgia. And uh so I told uh I told Shelby and Anna, I said, watch this, I'm gonna go mess with Larissa. So I called her and said, Hey, do me a favor, look at the uh the lottery numbers for seven o'clock. I need those. She goes, for what? I said, It's because we're now in Alabama, you're in the future. I want to, I want to play the lottery. And uh for 30 minutes, bro, she sat there and played along. And finally, I'm like, I I'm kind of like, can I can't believe that you know this this nano robotics major um degree holding from Georgia Tech is buying into you can you know we're we're we're doing time travel. And finally I'm like, Louis, do you not understand that that we're kidding? She goes, I know, Dad, but sometimes it's easier just to go along with you than argue. I'm like, all right. Y'all baby.

Chris Grainger 46:50

I love it, man. I love it. Well, man, this has been just so awesome, Keith, just hearing your testimony. And I mean, where do you think uh for a guy right now who's listening and he hasn't jumped into the lion or he hasn't checked our stuff out yet? He said it on he's been sitting on the sidelines. What would be your encouragement today, guy?

Keith Read 47:08

Dude, be real, be honest, be honest with yourself, be honest with with the guys, um, because I've never seen more outpouring of hearts here, and I've never seen as much prayer calls and and and answers. Um it's it's amazing. We're we're you know, just because we're guys, we we don't have to be this, you know, this tough Gunther. Um Gunther cried too, you know, the you know, the Billjack or whatever. Um we're we're all here to support each other, um, to be leaders. You know, I I've I've heard I've you know I've heard agreements and disagreements and things called out that just you know the guy was wrong. And and and instead of um man, I don't know if I haven't to say it, uh um pacify, you know, give you a pacifist answer, line doesn't do that. They call you out. You know, I love the fact of no one that's smoking prayer. I really do. Because it's easy to hide behind that. It really is. And um, you know, and if you're struggling, look, we've all been there. Um I I I again, I've been a s I'm a sixty-year-old, almost sixty one year old man. I have seen a lot, I've done a lot. If if if if you're a young kid out there, I I'm telling you, I've probably done it three times, maybe four. Um, and there's a lot of stuff I say, yeah, don't do that. You know. Um but ultimately look at Jesus because Jesus is the answer. He's the answer to love, he's the answer to peace, he's the answer to comfort, and he's literally our advocate. He's actually him and the Holy Spirit are working with with our Father to prepare us to to get to heaven. Am I gonna be perfect before I get there? No. No, I'm not. Um and and I can't wait to see Jesus and say, Well done. If that's that's all I want to hear. Um I made it. You know, that's it. I made it. Um so you know, and and and look, it's all about love. Jesus said it. You know, don't don't be confused in the words of God. Um, let the Holy Spirit lead you. Um, and when he does, it's amazing how fun it is. Um and how enlightening that the Holy Spirit can give you. It's you know, the is the Bible a puzzle? Um, no, but it's it's got some puzzles to it. Um and and and the instructors are right in there. It tells you how to read it. Um accept it. And uh and don't do it alone. I wish I'd learned about you guys years ago. I I fought a lot as a uh as a believer, um, you know, that that I probably couldn't have. Um but yeah.

Chris Grainger 49:53

Amen, brother. Well man, it's an honor to have you with us, bud. I mean, I again I I could sit and listen to your stories all day long. So just thank you so much for sharing. And uh before we wrap up though, man, a couple things I wanted to run by you. Uh we always do a book of the week, guys. You guys know that. So this week we're gonna since we're talking about shame, uh, we're gonna promote our own book. I mean, unleashing a line with them, because that section on my the mind is so important, guys, and the mind can take so many fellas out of the situation. Just we we put ourselves on the bench and we gotta stop that. So guys, check that out. Again, if you don't if you don't like reading books, if you want to listen to it, I did an audible version of it. So it's on uh Amazon. Go check it out right there. Then I got two dad jokes. Since Keith is a dad, he qualifies. Uh, I'm gonna run these by you. I want to see what if either one I'm landing for you, okay? Okay. All right, all right. So the first one is uh do you know what corn says, Keith, when uh when it gets a compliment? Corn. Like not the band, but the yeah. Okay. No. Right. What what it says it just says all shucks. It's terrible. It's so corny. It's so corny, right? That's it. It the hits keep coming. All right. The second one is uh what do you call two guys that like math? Do you know what you call two guys that like math?

Keith Read 51:19

Nuts.

Chris Grainger 51:21

They're algebra their algebros.

Keith Read 51:26

Corn one's better, but that is pretty good. I'll give you that.

Chris Grainger 51:29

So that one came from Doug. Uh Doug is our the our our dad joke, uh just the official you know top-tier dad joke leader. So anyway, uh so keys go on with the corn one. So, guys, you we put these in the in the uh lines in every week. So you get to vote, you get to see who's wrong and all that fun stuff, and you get to jab at the guys when they vote wrong. But anyway, so that's the two joke jokes. So key, thanks for playing along with those, buddy. You're welcome. You're welcome, I think. All right, man. Or the question of the week, guys, is what labels from your past are you still carrying today? So whatever those labels are, you got to give them up, let them go. You know, there's no shame, there's no recommendation for those in Christ Jesus. And guys, if you need a reminder of that, just come to the line and we will we will pound it in your head until you believe it. So uh, Keith, anything else you want us to share today, buddy?

Keith Read 52:17

Stay focused. Remember that we're not perfect. Jesus has already forgiven us. It's not a transaction. We make mistakes, move on, and look up and stay focused. We are the ambassadors to this earth. There is no other uh planet out there that's got animals in it or people. So this is our mission field. Let's go fight for it. Let's bring everybody in.

Chris Grainger 52:41

That's it. Let's go. Let's go. All right, guys. You heard it right there. One of our awesome members. You can connect with Keith within the Alliance Den, the lionwithin.us is where you find all that stuff, fellas. And you he mission the Bible apps where he connected with us. Hey, go to the Bible app. We got, I think, 60 something, maybe 70 plans out there now. And it's just God's doing a great thing there. So connect with the Bible app. That's all free stuff, guys, and just be encouraged by it. So hopefully that's a good way to uh I'm hearing more and more guys are taking those plans, they're doing it with other with other brothers in Christ. It's a great way to get started. So, anyway, fellas, the LionWithin.us is where you find us. Give us a rating and review, and just keep unleashing the Lion Within. It's time to stop battling pornography, lust, and temptation alone. We're done sitting on the sidelines, seeing shame win, and hearing from guys that are fighting private wars with no backup. So we decided it's time to fight back. We have our sexual integrity support group, which is a confidential space inside the lion's den for men who are ready to step into the light and pursue real freedom. This isn't just for guys in crisis, by the way. It's for any man who's tired of the cycle, who's tired of living in secret, who's tired of saying this is gonna be the last time. Look, most guys don't need another app or some rules. They need some brothers to come alongside them to say you're not the only one. This doesn't define you. And freedom is possible. So look, inside our group, you're gonna find a confidential, judgment-free forum to engage and ask questions. You'll have honest conversations without commendation. And you'll also have a monthly call with a trusted guy. So look, this isn't just about stopping pornography. It's about becoming a man of integrity, a man aligned, a man who lives in freedom, not secrecy. And you don't have to clean your stuff up first to come. You just have to step in. So our sexual integrity support group is found inside the Lion's Den. And you can start that today with a 30 day free trial. So if you're ready to stop fighting alone and need that extra support, start your 30 day free trial right now at thelionwithin.us. That's thhelionwithin.us. And step inside the Lion's Den.