From Ruin to Redemption | with Jake McElfresh of Front Porch Step

Heaven & Healing Podcast

Christianity, Religion & Spirituality:spirituality, Spirituality, Religion & Spirituality

4.7 • 726 Ratings

🗓️ 5 August 2023

⏱️ 132 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Here, I talk with my friend Jake McElfresh of Front Porch Step for his first interview in 8 years following a scandal that ruined his career in 2014. I was a pop-punk kid back then and made an idol of music before Jesus, living by the mantra “music saved my life” and was into FPS, using it as a way to cope during a breakup as well as the death of my grandmother — so this is a full circle moment, now that we are both born again disciples of Jesus Christ. In this discussion, he shares how he grew up, what his journey with God looked like throughout his life — how he was a “Christian," thinking that saying a sinner’s prayer meant he would go to heaven — he describes how his parents divorce affected his perspective of women, and how he got into the music scene. From there, he speaks on his Front Porch Step career, the depraved man he was, and the gritty details of the scandal. He so vulnerably and honestly shares how it all spiraled and ultimately sent him right to rock bottom, both personally and professionally. But that is where Jesus met Him: at the end of himself. Much later, Jake felt the unconditional love of Christ for the first time, realizing that no matter what he did, God would love and forgive him. Jake eventually surrendered in repentance, and laid it all at the foot of the cross, turning his life around by the grace of God. His walk with Jesus led him to his wife Shanelle. He tells us the intimate story of how they met, how he courted her, and how they eventually married. Sharing Jake's story is about demonstrating what the gospel actually is, because his testimony shows the Heart of the Father. No one is beyond redemption. What God has done in his life is the epitome of the old man being crucified, and the new man being resurrected in Christ. When the carnal world offers no mercy, God offers mercy as we receive His Truth in faith. That is why Jesus' free gift of salvation is so precious. Each of us needs a Savior that we are ALL EQUALLY undeserving to have. And yet, when we have Him, there is no condemnation. He makes us a new creation, not because of who we are but because of who He is. We pray the Lord will use this to plant seeds of faith. -- + JAKE’S INSTAGRAM & YOUTUBE @frontporchstep + MY INSTAGRAM: @angelamarireucci + SOW INTO HEAVEN & HEALING PODCAST MINISTRY AND BECOME A FINANCIAL PARTNER VIA… - DONOR BOX - STRIPE - VENMO @angelamarieucci

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome back to another episode of Heaven and Healing podcast. In this episode, I interview my friend and brother in Christ, Jake McElfresh of Front Porch Step.
0:09.6	This is his first interview in eight years following the demise of his music career after a scandal that he was involved in.
0:18.2	So in this episode, I honestly really don't say much at all. I really just wanted to
0:23.3	give Jake the opportunity to take the floor to share the story of his upbringing, describe the
0:31.0	depraved man that he was, and get into his testimony of how he came to know the Lord Jesus Christ,
0:37.4	and by his grace and mercy
0:39.0	really turned his entire life around. Jake is now married and expecting a child. It's just a really
0:44.9	incredible story that could only be authored by our Savior. And I felt really honored to share this
0:51.8	story, to talk to Jake, to get to know Jake. It's really full
0:56.1	circle because as you'll hear, I used to listen to his music back in the day before I was
1:00.3	saved. So it's really full circle for us to both be born again, disciples of Jesus Christ,
1:05.6	sharing this together. Now I will say that we definitely recommend viewer discretion being advised for this episode as we do
1:12.9	talk about some sensitive content surrounding Jake's history and the things that he has been
1:18.8	guilty of in the past. So yeah, just don't listen to this with your little kids around. This is definitely
1:24.5	one that you'll want to watch or listen to without them present.
1:30.7	And I want to just add that this isn't about saving face for Jake. This isn't about trying to
1:37.2	exalt him in any way, shape, or form. We both acknowledge that in the episode. This is about
1:44.1	for both of us really just sharing
1:46.2	the heart of the Father, the God, the merciful, gracious, almighty God that the both of us have come,
1:53.9	have both come to know and to love so dearly and to have really found our redemption in. And so whether or not you know Jake, if you are new here to the podcast, welcome,
2:06.6	or if you don't know the Lord Jesus Christ, maybe you're just watching this because,
2:11.3	let's be honest, you know about Jake and you're curious about what he has to say here.
	...

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