Welcome to Sports Spectrum, the Sports and Faith podcast that brings Jesus back into the conversation.

Here's your host, Jason Romano.

This episode of Sports Spectrum's podcast with Dr. E. Dewey

Smith Jr. He is the pastor at the House of Hope in Atlanta, Georgia, is brought to you by Compassion

International. We want to direct you to their website. That's where you can find out all the information

about how you can help release a child from poverty. Go to Compassion.com slash Sports Spectrum and pray about releasing a child, sponsoring a child,

and making a difference in a child's life through Compassion International.

Glad to have Dr. E. Dewey Smith Jr. here on Sports Spectrum today. The House of Hope in Atlanta,

that's where he's the senior pastor. He also has a website, EDS Ministries, where he's a preacher,

he's a teacher, he's a musician, he's an actor, a media producer, a television personality,

a native of Macon, Georgia over 30 years ministering the gospel, began as a pastor at the age of 19 and has produced media and film for over 25 years.

A keynote speaker at many different places, conferences, been married to Andrea for over 30 years, and is a huge sports fan. We could have literally spent two hours

just talking sports like we're in the barbershop together with Dr. Smith. We talk about a lot

of things with him, including getting into ministry at a young age, his love for sports,

as we said, which led him to start a youth basketball league seven years

ago, eight years ago.

And then the crisis of faith that he went through about four years ago in January of 2016,

where some really tragic things happened to some important people in his life, which led

down a spiraling, him spiraling down into a deep depression.

And we talk about that and a mental and emotional health as well, in importance of that.

This was a great conversation.

It really was.

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