Participants:
Series Code: IIWC
Program Code: IIWC202203S
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00:00 >> Hello and thank you for
00:01 joining us on It Is Written 00:03 Canada. You may have heard of 00:05 the Welsh actor, director, 00:07 producer, composer, and 00:09 painter Sir Anthony Hopkins, 00:12 recipient of the Most 00:14 Excellent Order of the British 00:15 Empire, an Academy Award, two 00:18 Emmys, and the Cecil B. 00:20 DeMille Award, a star on the 00:23 Hollywood Walk of Fame, and 00:25 who was also knighted by Queen 00:26 Elizabeth II. 00:28 >> After accomplishing these 00:30 and countless other 00:32 achievements, the acclaimed 00:33 actor, Sir Anthony Hopkins, 00:35 admitted... 00:50 >> Sir Anthony Hopkins, one of 00:52 the most well-known actors of 00:54 our time, was once a confessed 00:56 atheist for many years until 01:00 his outlook changed when a 01:02 woman at an Alcoholics 01:04 Anonymous meeting challenged 01:06 his disbelief with one simple 01:09 question: 01:13 >> No matter how successful Sir 01:16 Anthony Hopkins was, for years 01:18 he battled with alcoholism. 01:20 His drinking started 01:22 innocently. He drank because 01:25 that was what you do in 01:27 theatre. You drink. But as is 01:30 the case far too often, the 01:32 social pastime of drinking 01:34 soon took over his life and 01:37 spiralled out of control. 01:39 [MIKE] He admitted... 02:02 >> Miraculously, Anthony 02:04 Hopkins says when he chose to 02:06 trust in God and ask for help, 02:09 the craving to drink was taken 02:11 away from him never to return 02:14 again, and he's believed in 02:17 God ever since, working day 02:19 after day, year after year to 02:21 grow his faith. 02:23 >> When asked in a CNN 02:25 interview with Piers Morgan if 02:27 he believed in God, former 02:29 atheist Anthony Hopkins 02:31 answered wholeheartedly, "Yes, 02:33 I do. I do." 02:36 >> Our heart is restless until 02:39 it finds its rest in God. 02:41 [MIKE] And this is not only 02:42 true for celebrated actors like 02:44 Anthony Hopkins who asked God 02:47 for help, but it is also true 02:49 for people like you and me. 02:52 The Bible assures you that... 03:03 >> Today on It Is Written 03:05 Canada you will meet Greg and 03:07 Jill Sangster whose family 03:09 life and personal lives were 03:11 devastated in every possible 03:13 way. They faced physical, 03:16 psychological and financial 03:18 ruin, yet a God who was far 03:21 more compassionate than they 03:23 knew pursued them and rescued 03:26 them, and healed their crushed 03:28 spirits. In a moment you will 03:31 hear their story. 03:36 ♪♪ 04:18 >> Welcome again to It Is 04:20 Written Canada. Thank you for 04:22 joining us here in Fort 04:24 Saskatchewan, Alberta, where 04:26 we are meeting with Greg and 04:27 Jill Sangster whose family 04:30 some time ago faced a tragedy 04:32 when Greg was badly injured in 04:34 a motor vehicle accident which 04:36 left him in need of 04:38 reconstructive work on his 04:41 body and substantial emotional 04:43 and psychological healing as 04:45 well as a mountain of legal 04:48 issues. 04:50 >> Yet God showed up in a 04:52 miraculous way and we will let 04:54 them tell you their story. 04:57 Greg and Jill, Welcome to It 04:59 Is Written Canada. 05:00 >> Thanks for having us here. 05:02 >> We're glad to be here. 05:04 >> So, Jill, I'm going to start 05:05 with you. Take us back and 05:07 tell us what your home life 05:08 was like because this is a 05:10 critical part of your story. 05:13 >> Growing up for me was very 05:15 scary. I grew up in a very 05:17 violent home, a lot of 05:19 hostility, outbursts of rage 05:23 daily, and abuse of every 05:26 kind, very severe, and so 05:32 it was a very scary place, and 05:34 I didn't have a strong 05:35 connection with my parents. It 05:37 was mostly fear. I just knew 05:41 that someday I needed to move 05:45 on and get into, try to make a 05:48 life for myself. And we did 05:54 not have Bible study in our 05:57 home or prayer. Our family 06:00 did profess to be Christian, 06:02 however, it was not a 06:05 Christian example that was set 06:07 for us. It was quite contrary 06:09 to that in fact, but we did 06:12 attend a lot of different 06:14 churches. We attended many 06:16 different denominations and 06:17 different ones for segments of 06:19 time. I attended Catholic 06:23 schools so I ended up taking 06:25 the Roman catechism and those 06:26 sorts of things. So I was 06:28 taught what many different 06:30 churches teach but I never 06:31 really sat down we never sat 06:32 down as a family and had 06:34 family devotion time. So I 06:35 didn't really learn what the 06:36 Bible itself actually teaches. 06:39 I was, however, exposed to the 06:41 gospel at some point to know 06:45 that salvation is found in 06:48 Jesus Christ, and I understood 06:51 that I needed to be baptized 06:53 as a believer, and in my teen 06:55 years I did that, but I really 06:59 didn't understand fully what 07:00 that meant, what it meant to 07:02 really follow Jesus. I sort of 07:04 thought okay I've arrived. 07:06 I've done that, check, and I 07:08 didn't really know what it 07:10 meant to have a relationship 07:12 with Him. So then as I moved 07:14 into my adult years, I left 07:16 Jesus on the shelf, and then 07:24 went pursuing that good life I 07:26 was hoping for, and it led to 07:28 a lot of very dangerous 07:30 relationships, very abusive 07:32 relationships, more scare, 07:34 more fear, more, you know, a 07:37 lot of destructive living, and 07:42 eventually marriage, and then 07:44 that, after quite a number of 07:46 years that came apart and 07:48 unravelled. And with all of 07:51 those letdowns throughout all 07:55 the years, this marriage, and 07:59 then divorce. That was supposed 08:00 to be the good life that I was 08:02 supposed to be attaining for 08:03 myself. With that falling 08:05 apart I was at a time of 08:08 crisis and despair in my life, 08:10 and so I became suicidal 08:13 because all my hopes and 08:15 dreams had failed and I had 08:18 come to think that you can't 08:20 find the good life here, you 08:21 can't trust people, you can't 08:22 trust life, you can't trust 08:24 anything in this world, and I 08:26 was at a loss, and when you 08:27 don't have hope, you really 08:30 don't have anything at all. 08:32 >> And so what was the turning 08:34 point, when did you change 08:35 direction? 08:37 >> Well eventually, I somehow, 08:42 well, I had gone through a lot 08:46 of secular counselling, 08:52 psychology and that sort of 08:54 thing which really was to no 08:55 avail. It did not help me, I 08:59 tried all the medications, and 09:00 I tried all the therapies, and 09:02 those really just led to 09:04 idolatry. Eventually I just 09:06 tried living it up and 09:08 pursuing fun and happiness 09:09 with friends and pursuing 09:11 everything that I could in 09:13 this world to try to find 09:16 peace and joy and friendships 09:18 and whatever else. In that 09:21 time I came to know Greg, and 09:24 we eventually were married. 09:26 So we were pursuing the good 09:29 life. We thought we were 09:30 having a lot of fun, but 09:32 really inwardly there was 09:33 still a strong-- it wasn't 09:39 hitting the mark. There was 09:40 still something strongly 09:42 missing even though we thought 09:44 we were having a lot of fun. 09:46 What changed for me is, after 09:49 we were married and I became 09:51 pregnant with our daughter and 09:54 something which I now know as 09:56 God's Holy Spirit was telling 09:59 me "You need to teach this 10:01 child truth". And I knew that 10:05 I needed to pursue the Word of 10:07 God. I needed to study the 10:08 Word of God. I needed to 10:10 pursue Jesus and teach her. 10:12 >> So, Jill, what happened to 10:13 cause you to go deeper 10:15 with God? 10:18 >> When I was pregnant, as I 10:22 had said, I knew that I had to 10:24 teach this child truth, so I 10:25 had started attending church, 10:28 and I started going on a 10:29 regular basis. I was taking in 10:32 everything that they were 10:33 teaching, but I wasn't really 10:36 taking the time to study the 10:38 Word of God for myself. You 10:40 know, you're a busy mom and 10:42 life gets in the way, and 10:43 there's always some 10:45 interruption that keeps you 10:46 from doing those things even 10:47 though you're well intended and 10:49 so it was still always there in 10:51 the back of my mind. It wasn't 10:54 until a dreadful time when 10:57 Greg was in a horrible car 11:00 collision, or vehicle 11:02 collision, and people lost 11:04 their lives and it was 11:09 devastating, and we really 11:11 needed answers, we really 11:13 needed to understand how God 11:16 can allow these things to 11:17 happen, if God even exists, I 11:21 at that point, was recognizing 11:25 that God exists, but how could 11:28 He allow this to happen and so 11:31 we desperately needed answers, 11:33 and I started to delve, 11:35 prayerfully and seriously into 11:37 the Bible and I started to 11:40 study what God has to tell us. 11:42 And as I was doing that I 11:46 started to realize that 11:48 everything I was being taught, 11:50 actually everything I had been 11:51 taught throughout the years, 11:53 through all my growing up 11:54 years and all the different 11:56 denominations, there were very 11:57 large conflicts between what 12:00 all these churches were 12:01 teaching and what the Bible 12:03 actually teaches. 12:04 >> And That can cause a lot of 12:06 conflict. You know, you're 12:08 looking at these truths and 12:10 you're thinking either my 12:12 church is wrong and the Bible 12:14 is right or that the Bible is 12:18 wrong and my church is right. 12:21 Like, how do you solve that 12:23 mystery? 12:24 >> Well it's true it created a 12:27 lot of conflict, more between 12:30 what I was discovering and 12:32 trying to express to people 12:35 around me and people in the 12:37 church, and even going to the 12:38 pastor to discuss these 12:40 things, but ultimately I knew 12:44 that the Word of God was 12:45 accurate because I could see 12:47 that prophecy after prophecy 12:50 had fulfilled in great detail 12:52 and the Word of God is sure. 12:54 There's just no question about 12:56 it, everything in the world is 12:57 exactly as He said it was 12:58 going to be so I knew that the 13:00 Word had to be absolutely the 13:02 truth. 13:04 >> So you were seeing also, I 13:06 guess, Greg, you were looking 13:08 at this and saying, well, why 13:11 aren't we getting our young 13:13 baby baptized? You know, and 13:16 you're saying no, she needs to 13:17 be baptized when she has the 13:18 age of accountability. 13:20 >> Exactly. 13:21 >> How did figure that out, 13:22 Greg? 13:23 >> I, it was hard because I 13:26 was brought up that the baby 13:29 gets baptized at birth and she 13:33 was very strong that no, 13:36 that's not what the Bible 13:37 teaches, and that's what our 13:40 family does, so, yeah, it was 13:45 extremely-- it put a strain on 13:47 our relationship at that time. 13:50 I wanted to get Hannah 13:52 baptized at that point in time 13:54 and she was telling me that 13:56 it's wrong, and it was just 13:59 strenuous. It caused stress 14:01 in the house. 14:03 >> 'Cause she's learning all 14:05 these profound things in the 14:07 Bible and you're like, Jill's 14:09 gone off her rocker, right, 14:11 this doesn't make sense, like 14:13 nothing makes, you know, for 14:14 you it didn't make sense, 14:16 right, like you said that 14:18 caused tension. 14:19 >> Yeah, a lot of this stuff 14:21 did. I didn't have much 14:23 interest in it and every day I 14:24 would come home and there'd 14:26 be-- I'd get bombarded with 14:30 something else that I didn't 14:33 want to hear at the time, and 14:36 it was hard, and it was 14:41 frustrating too, because it 14:43 just-- everything that she was 14:45 telling me was different from 14:46 what I've heard from other 14:48 people. So, it was very 14:52 strenuous. 14:53 [JILL] And I was so excited to 14:55 share with him because I had 14:57 come to discover so much joy 14:59 and peace in the hope we have 15:00 in the return of Jesus Christ 15:03 and how He can help us and 15:05 give us strength until we 15:07 reach that day, and so I was 15:09 just so excited to share with 15:11 him all these profound truths 15:13 of the Bible and to learn how 15:15 there's no contradiction in 15:17 the Bible. Once you understand 15:18 these things as they acutally 15:20 are taught in the Bible, 15:21 there's no contradiction. So I 15:23 could just, couldn't keep my 15:24 mouth closed. I just had to 15:25 share this with him. 15:26 [laughs] 15:28 >> So here, Greg, you were 15:31 going through some trauma as 15:32 well because you had this 15:33 serious accident and now she's 15:36 excited about what she's 15:37 finding in the Bible and you're 15:39 on a totally different wave 15:41 length than she is and before 15:43 we go into that, it's really 15:44 about where you were at that 15:46 stage for you and that was you 15:48 were trusting and obeying the 15:50 Lord, you know, and we're 15:51 gonna listen to a song by 15:53 Dalia and James and it is 15:56 Trust and Obey. 16:02 [flute and piano playing] 16:07 ♪♪ 17:16 >> So, Greg, Jill has now found 17:18 this new-found faith and she's 17:21 so excited about it, but you 17:23 on the other hand are going 17:26 down a totally different path. 17:29 >>Yeah, I was going down a 17:32 different path. I was dealing 17:36 with a lot of stress from 17:40 legal consequences of the 17:43 accident I had, dealing with 17:46 what had happened in the 17:48 accident. I had a lot of anger 17:53 towards God. 17:58 Um... 18:03 To... 18:07 To know that He-- 18:09 I blamed Him... 18:11 that... 18:15 He was the One 18:16 that let this happen and why 18:20 did this happen if You're 18:21 there. 18:25 So yeah, and I covered that 18:30 anger with a lot of alcohol 18:33 and drinking and it was really 18:39 affecting our relationship 18:42 together. Here Jill was, she 18:45 was all excited about things, 18:48 and I was going in a different 18:51 direction with the alcohol and 18:56 fighting my own demons on a 19:00 different direction. So I 19:06 ended up going into the 19:07 hospital there a countless 19:09 amount of times for alcohol 19:12 withdrawal. I had seizures 19:16 from the withdrawal from cold 19:21 turkey stopping drinking, and 19:28 continually trying to do this 19:31 myself, Jill during this time 19:36 also had taken me to a John 19:39 Bradshaw meeting that I was 19:43 drinking and didn't really 19:44 take anything in. I mean, 19:48 there were seeds being sown 19:50 there, or planted, but that 19:54 wouldn't take root til 19:56 further in my life. So I was 20:00 dealing with the addiction and 20:05 trying to solve it myself, but 20:08 I wasn't able to. I ended up 20:11 going into an addiction 20:13 recovery home for, it was a 20:19 month or so, and there I... 20:25 I started studying the Bible 20:28 reading Job while I was there, 20:32 and just reading what Job had 20:38 gone through and the faith 20:42 that he had. It really 20:48 resonated with me, but it 20:52 wasn't until my final seizure 20:54 that I looked to God like 20:59 there's-- please help I cannot 21:01 do this. 21:03 So through the power of 21:05 Christ, He took that from me. 21:15 >> Was there a time when you 21:17 were studying the Bible as 21:18 well that other people were 21:20 helping you? 21:21 >> Yes, Pastor Darryl and Adam 21:24 Byly, they were both studying 21:27 the Bible with me which really 21:30 helped, answering questions 21:33 and just through Bible studies 21:36 themselves, that anger that I 21:40 had towards God started to 21:42 fade. 21:46 And my relationship with Him 21:49 began to grow. 21:53 So now I look at my experience 21:56 that I had, if I didn't have 22:02 that traumatic experience, 22:07 one, I'd still be drinking, 22:09 two, I'd probably be dead, and 22:12 three, I wouldn't have the 22:16 relationship that-- sorry. 22:19 The relationship that I have 22:21 with God now, and I wouldn't 22:25 have my wife [chuckles] 22:28 or my daughter. 22:32 [JILL] We weren't going 22:33 anywhere, but we were so 22:34 disconnected that the 22:38 relationship really was in 22:39 shambles, but that's 22:41 all changed. 22:42 >> Yeah. 22:43 >> God has changed that for us. 22:46 >> And so God took away the 22:47 cravings? Like, did you ever 22:49 have cravings again after, you 22:52 know, you asked Him to come 22:54 into your life and...? 22:57 >> No, I haven't had any 23:00 cravings really. There's been 23:04 the odd one, but it's a 23:06 thought now, it's not a 23:09 nagging thing that keeps 23:12 dragging me down. 23:17 >> That's amazing. And where, 23:19 what was the place for Hannah 23:23 in all of this, your daughter? 23:25 >> Oh, she played a big part 23:26 in it. 23:28 Um... 23:30 She was begging me to go 23:34 to Bible studies. She'd leave 23:37 little notes around the house 23:39 with Bible verses on drinking, 23:44 and she was pleading with me. 23:46 She wanted her dad back, 23:49 because the man that was there 23:52 wasn't her dad. 23:55 >> And the two of you had a 23:57 beautiful experience. You were 23:59 baptized together? 24:01 >>No, that was Jill and 24:02 Hannah. 24:04 >> That was Hannah and myself 24:05 when she was eight. 24:06 >> Tell us about your baptism. 24:09 >> I was baptized at camp 24:11 meeting. My father was there 24:16 and friends from the church 24:19 and I was baptized in a pool 24:23 at camp meeting. 24:27 >> So much has changed. So tell 24:29 us about your home life 24:31 right now. 24:34 >> It's a lot better. [laughs] 24:37 >> It's wonderful. We, for one 24:43 we're connected on the most 24:45 important issue of life, and 24:47 that is our relationship with 24:49 God and we actually as a 24:51 family worship together, pray 24:54 together, study the Word of 24:55 God together, and all that 24:57 tension about that is gone 24:58 because now we are all eagerly 25:01 and willingly and joyfully 25:05 opening the Word together to 25:06 study and seek what God has to 25:08 say to us and-- but the peace 25:13 and the contentment, and the 25:16 struggle. 25:17 You know it doesn't mean that 25:19 all of our struggles in life 25:21 are gone, by far. We still 25:24 have a lot that, you know, 25:25 is needing to be worked 25:27 through yet we have peace and 25:30 contentment, and we're on the 25:32 same level with all of it. 25:33 >> We're both not going, 25:35 everyone in the house isn't 25:36 going in different directions. 25:38 We're together as a team and 25:41 going in the same direction. 25:43 [RENÉ] That's wonderful. 25:46 >>It's so good when as a 25:48 family you all have that same 25:49 hope for the return of Jesus, 25:51 and to walk with Him daily. 25:54 >> Well, unfortunately we have 25:56 come to the end of our 25:58 program, so Jill, before we go 25:59 I wonder if you could please 26:01 pray for us? 26:02 >> Certainly, I'd love to. 26:05 Our gracious and loving 26:07 heavenly Father, we thank You 26:11 for what You've done and we 26:13 thank You now for what You're 26:15 continuing to do and for the 26:17 hope and the joy that we have 26:19 in the soon return of Jesus. 26:21 May this interview reach the 26:24 hearts of those who need to 26:26 hear it, Father, that others 26:30 will find that joy and peace 26:33 and hope and healing that we 26:36 have found. 26:38 We pray this all in the name 26:40 of Jesus Christ, amen. 26:42 [GREG] Amen 26:43 [MIKE & RENÉ] Amen 26:45 >> Jill and Greg thank you so 26:47 much for being so open and 26:49 sharing your journey with us 26:51 on It Is Written Canada today. 26:53 >> It's been a pleasure. 26:54 >> Thank you for having us. 26:57 >> Friends, freedom of choice 26:59 is one of the most precious 27:00 gifts God has entrusted to us. 27:04 Unfortunately we often make 27:06 poor choices which may lead to 27:09 destructive habits that 27:11 enslave us, damage our health, 27:13 and even ruin our lives. 27:15 >> Friends, our free offer for 27:17 you is this special Steps to 27:20 Christ Recovery Edition. This 27:23 powerful book includes a 27:25 twelve step recovery program 27:27 empowering you to overcome 27:30 harmful habits and addictions. 27:33 Above all you will come to 27:35 know Jesus Christ, the only 27:38 one who can heal and restore, 27:41 strengthen and encourage, as 27:43 well as bring true balance and 27:45 meaning to your life. He 27:48 loves you, desires to set you 27:51 free from addictions, and to 27:53 give you a future filled with 27:55 peace and happiness. 27:59 >> Friends, we want you to 28:01 experience the truth that is 28:03 found in the words of Jesus 28:04 when He said, "It is written, 28:06 'Man shall not live by bread 28:08 alone but by every word that 28:11 proceeds out of the mouth 28:12 of God.'" 28:13 ♪♪ |
Revised 2022-11-18