All right now, if we're honest, reading the Bible consistently can be a challenge, but it's never

too late to start, and we're in this together. This is the Join the Journey podcast.

Merry Christmas, everyone. Thank you for joining. My name is Will McElroy, and I'm so glad to be

here with you guys as we continue our Advent study. And

here's what we're going to do today. I'm going to spend probably a minute or so just introducing

myself, and then I'm going to spend a few more minutes in the book of Acts, because today we're

studying Genesis, Deuteronomy, and Acts, but we're just going to stick in acts today for this episode. But first, a little bit about me.

I am the shoreline director here at Watermark, which is our high school ministry.

I grew up in Weatherford, Texas, went to college in Tyler, Texas to run track and cross-country.

And this time of year, this Advent season, I'm always especially thankful because I think back to my freshman year at UT Tyler where I hit a rock bottom.

Long story short, I was insecure and I found my identity and athletics and what people thought of me.

And my freshman year, those things begin to fail me.

And I hit a rock bottom.

And around this time of year in 2016 I was

walking across campus and I ran into a guy who had a poster board sign around his neck

and he was holding it and he was just in the middle of campus and it said need prayer question

mark and again I wasn't following Jesus closely but i was at my lowest point and i

went up to this man and said can't you pray for me and that was the first time in a long time that i'd

asked for help and this guy he prayed for me and he pointed me to luke chapter 15 the story of

the prodigal son which is familiar to many of you chapter 15, the story of the prodigal son, which is

familiar to many of you. And I realized that I was a prodigal son, that I had taken my inheritance,

what I had known to be true about Christ, and I'd squandered it. And in that moment, I went back to

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