Marilyn interviews Robby Gallaty about his new book, Recovered, and he talks about how his difficult path led him to God.
Gary: Hi, my name is Gary Myers.
Joe: And I'm Joe Fontenot.
Gary: And we're the hosts for the Answering the Call podcast. And this is the podcast we talk to people who are answering God's call. Today, Marilyn talks to Robby Gallaty. Robby recently released a book called Recovered. It's about his journey from drug addiction to freedom in Christ. And so here's Robby.
Marilyn: So Robby, you've got a great new book out, Recovered, published by B&H, and I'm sure you're getting lots of comments on that, but it tells your story of your journey to faith in Christ, and it had lots of twists and turns.
Robby: Yes.
Marilyn: What were a few of those? What would you like to share about your testimony here?
Robby: Yeah, well, it's a long story obviously, which is why I wrote the book. But I was actually raised in a Roman Catholic home in Louisiana. Chalmette, for those who know Chalmette. Most people don't, but Chalmette, Louisiana. Very religious home. But I didn't know the Lord. I had this distant relationship with the Lord. I knew who Jesus was, but for me, he was like the tooth fairy, or he was like Santa Claus, right? If I needed him, I could call on him. It wasn't till I went to William Carey College and Hattiesburg, Mississippi that I heard the gospel, and I would remember that. I wouldn't accept Christ then but I would remember that seven years later. Got out of college, long story, but I got a job as a bouncer and a bartender. I was doing MMA fighting and I got in a car accident, 1999 November 22nd, and I got rear-ended by an 18-wheeler.
Marilyn: And this was on the Highrise in New Orleans, and that's one of the reasons I love your book. It's got names and places that I know and that people in New Orleans know, and I do remember this, and this was a turning point for you, this accident.
Robby: Yeah. And it was so cool because I didn't know the New Orleans Baptist Seminary was there, but literally the accident happened a stone's throw away from the seminary that would later change my life, but at the time I didn't know. But right there at the Highrise, right there is where I got rear-ended. That started a downward spiral for the next three years, which started as pharmaceutical drug abuse. And that's how many people get addicted to drugs. You know, today it's not the guy in the city or in the community that's impoverished. It's the neighbor next door now, it's the friend down the street who gets in an accident or a toothache and then they get addicted to drugs.
So I got addicted to pharmaceutical drugs, then eventually street drugs. Lost everything I owned. I [inaudible 00:02:46] my own family for $15,000. Went to two rehab treatments and then through the grace of God, the second rehab treatment, I came home and I remembered what someone told me seven years before in college. So I like to encourage people to tell them, don't ever underestimate the power of the sown seeds of the gospel and to the heart and hearts of people.
Marilyn: And that, I'm glad you mentioned that because five years ago I was writing a column in The Times Picayune, a newspaper in New Orleans, and I wrote up your story and you were coming into town, you were speaking at Rob Wilton's church, Vintage Church. And so I wrote that up, and I think the ink wasn't even dry on the newspaper and I got an email from a man who was an acquaintance and he was a very ardent atheist, might even been called an angry atheist, but he was always very kind, very polite, but he was angry at God, not anybody else. And something in your story hit a nerve. And so I'd like to just ask you to reflect on that. Why does your testimony, your story have such an impact on people? Why does it resonate with so many people?
Robby: You know, I've thought about that. I think for me, I had a working class, middle class, working hard middle class family growing up. My dad had a body shop in Chalmette. My mom worked for an oil company on Canal Street, so I think what my story is, is it's a story that anybody with any past can be forgiven, and it doesn't matter what you've done or where you've come from. And I think that's probably why I think it resonates. When people read the book, Recovered, and I just was with somebody today who was talking about, it's like, "Robby, will you ever get your life right?" Because just when I take two steps forward, I take four steps back, for instance. But the reason I want people to see that is, and I write about this in the book, when you're down to nothing, God's always up to something.
Now I didn't know that. But we serve a God who's in control of all things. And one of the things I tell parents particularly, or even people who've run their life or destroyed their life for years with drugs and alcohol, or any sin for that matter, I tell them God never wastes a hurt. He never wastes a hurt in our life. So he uses and works all things together for the good. Now, we don't understand that maybe now or even at the end of this life, but we will understand it one day. And I think my story hopefully is a story of hope to show that if there's breath, there's life, and if you have life, you have an opportunity to change.
Marilyn: I think, absolutely. And that's what I get from the story, as well as all the good memories from Edgewater Baptist Church when we were there, it's just a powerful story. And it seems to me that you came through those tough times at the beginning because you had many people that were discipling you. Is that correct to say?
Robby: That's right, yeah.
Marilyn: And so is this why discipleship has been such an important part of your ministry?
Robby: Yeah, so I'm the product of disciple... And in fact I tell people, I'm the product of a seminary. I mean really. And granted, seminary is not for everybody. I get that. But for me it was everything. And I'll tell you why. I went into New Orleans Seminary as a one-year-old Christian. I asked Dr. Kelly when I graduated with my degree and I said, "Dr. Kelly, how did you let me in school knowing that I was one year removed from drugs and alcohol?" And Dr. Kelly said, "Well, Robby, you didn't tell us this." And I said, "Well, Dr. Kelly, you didn't ask, and I wasn't going to disclose it if you didn't ask."
But I went into school with a blank slate, and I had two things happening simultaneously. I had a man, a seminary student named David Platt, who was a seminary student back then and a Edgewater Baptist pastor and he was a seminary student and a friend. And David had just started discipling me. We were meeting every week, twice a week for discipleship. David would eventually encourage me to go to seminary, and I said, "David, I don't even know English. How am I going to know Greek and Hebrew?" And I'll never forget what he told me. He said, "Robby, you need to look at this as an ax sharpening season." He said, "You're going to sharpen your spiritual journey and your maturity and growth in Christ for the next four to eight years, and that's going to prepare you for the next 40 years of ministry." And that resonated with me.
So I went to the seminary and when I went in, I didn't know anything about preaching. I had just started reading the Bible. I remember in Dr. Mosley's class, when he said, "Turn to Obadiah." I'm like, "Oba who?" I didn't even know where-
Marilyn: [Crosstalk 00:07:34].
Robby: Yeah. I mean the index was my best friend really in the beginning right there. But the teachers were gracious and I befriended a lot. I'm still friends to this day. Dr. Kelly was kind to let me in and then mentor me. So when I left seminary, I had two things I left with. I left with an unapologetic approach to preaching the Bible. I knew the word did the work and if I let the word work. And then the second thing I knew was that discipleship was the answer to reaching the world. I really knew that. And I was the product of it.
Marilyn: Well, let me ask you very briefly, what is a disciple? What does that mean?
Robby: It's a great question. So I would say a disciple is a learner, a student, another word for an apprentice. But I tell people the Greek word "mathētḗs," disciple is where we get the English word, mathematics, which is an interesting concept. So there's discipline there, there's learning there. But I would say in the Greek, and this is kind of a deep dive, but in the Greek, the word disciple is a dynamic term, where the word Christian is a static or a descriptive term.
So I ask people this question, "How many times is the word Christian used in the Bible?" And surprisingly it's only used three times. And if you really look at those first two times, it's actually a negative term. The Harper's Dictionary calls it a term of derision. They were making fun of them for being followers of Christ. But on the opposite hand, how many times is the word disciple used? And it's used 269 times in the New Testament, 238 times in the gospels. So it begs the question, what is Jesus want us to be? Disciples of Christians? And we know the answer to that.
But the dynamic nature of the word disciple has within it this idea of replication or reproduction. So what I tell people is simply, a disciple is someone who follows Christ and replicates their life into the life of another person. If you never replicate what you learn, you're only a seastrand of truth, meaning you're an inlet with no outlet, you're not a channel of blessing. So the line we use here at Long Hollow all the time is, "The gospel came to you because it was heading to someone else." So if you think of it that way, it's like a baton.
Marilyn: That's a great saying.
Robby: So gospel came... So every person listening, if you look at your hands, you have a spiritual baton that's been given to you. And every person either is in one of two categories. You're either running with passion and handing it off, or you're fumbling the handoff.
Marilyn: Now that's very interesting. And this is where of course you get the name Replicate Ministries, which you still have and are directing. Let me take this a little bit further, and because obviously we do want to pass it off to someone, let me start back with that believer, that follower of Jesus Christ, because I'm very interested in apologetics and I think I would ask this question. Is being a disciple also building a particular worldview? And by worldview I mean that deeply ingrained set of principles that every Christian uses to make decisions and to view the world and to view themselves. So is becoming a disciple, being a disciple, also a worldview building thing?
Robby: Yeah, I think it has to be, and I think we build the worldview on the Bible. So people always ask me, "What is the textbook you use? What is the curriculum you use at Replicate or in your church?" And my response to them is the text... And this is going to surprise you. The textbook is the Bible, right? And I'm not talking about information for the mind transactionally, because that's what some people think discipleship is. Like I take another course or I go to another study. All those things are great. But I think what you're talking about is the Bible informing your mind and leading to action.
Marilyn: Exactly.
Robby: Like the way we live. And what I tell people is, if we just learn for information and not transformation, it's not biblical discipleship. Because discipleship, there is this expectation to live a certain way and to think a certain way and respond a certain way. So the key for our discipleship is we teach people obedience based discipleship, which is we learn but we live it out and we expect people to live what they learn.
Marilyn: Well, that would be exactly what I mean by worldview too. That when a person is following Christ, it changes how they think and how they act at a very personal and deep level.
Robby: Absolutely.
Marilyn: So it is great. So I will ask you this then. When can we start discipleship? What can we do with children? And is it possible to disciple a child before they've even made a profession of faith? Before they've grown to that point? What would you say?
Robby: That's a great question. Okay, so let me back up because I think the answer is yes. But let me define the terms because I realized in this discipleship world we live in, people use the term but it becomes like a junk drawer term work, meaning you throw everything in the drawer and it means anything. So for me, this is the way we use it disciple-making, which is the great commission, "Go therefore and make disciples." Disciple-making is the overarching theme. So think of a banner. Underneath the banner are two words; evangelism and discipleship. So disciple-making includes both. Evangelism is obviously leading a person to make a profession of faith or leading a person to repent of their sins, put their faith in Christ so they cross the threshold of faith.
Discipleship would pick up from evangelism. Whereas evangelism teaches you what you're safe from, discipleship will show you what you're safe for.
Marilyn: All right. It's a good explanation.
Robby: And I think in a lot of christian circles... Yeah, if you think about it, we miss that because we've been so good at teaching people how to share their faith, but we haven't taught them how to share their life, which is a big difference. Right? So for me, I've been convicted about this. For years now I've discipled men in my office, my wife, Candy, has discipled women. You know that we've done that for years. But the Lord convicted me, and really I thought one Sunday, "Why are you neglecting the first church of your home, your family, to walk past the nursery to disciple adults?" And I got really convicted. So this year I started something different.
Now, I have always disciple my kids or invested in my kids and invested, and I think, to answer your question, I think you could teach your kids the Bible and read scripture and talk about discipleship with them and biblical truths before they're a Christian to till the soil. But the real discipleship happens when they are Christians. Because as you know, discipleship always has an object that you're discipling someone into. This is why I personally believe you can't... And this, I know it's a hot topic and it may be semantics, but I believe you can't disciple an unbeliever. You can evangelize them.
And here's why I believe that. Because you're discipling someone into the image of Christ, and the lost persons can't be discipled into the image of Christ until they know Christ. But you can plant the seeds, right? So back to my kids. So what the Lord showed me with my kids is something really amazing. And my kids started at seven and nine. So I'd started discipling them every Sunday night we disciple or we have discipleship group in the home. So it's really cool.
It was very difficult at first. A lot of threatening and a lot of punishing going on at first, just to set the tone. But they love it now. And I'll tell you what the Lord showed me. This is such an insight that I had to get. The Lord showed me that time when they're young leads to intimacy when they're older. Let me say it another way. Time when they're little leads to transparency when they're older.
Okay, so parents today listening would say, "My teenager doesn't tell me anything. My teenager doesn't open about anything." Well, I get that. And I'm not drilling heaps of coal to make you feel bad, but I am saying you can start now, because here's what I found. The more time I spend with my kids at a young age, to spend time listening, and not just teaching, but listening and asking questions. I find now four to five months in, they are more open to tell me everything because I've spent time with them early on.
And so Candy and I are preparing... They're now 11 and nine. But candy and I are preparing for when they're going to get older. And the teenage years when they say they never talk, but I'm going to try to curve that by investing in them now and so they know they can trust them.
Marilyn: Now, that's excellent. A parent has such great influence at this age, and the more you invest in your child that you will see those returns, I believe. So I think also one of the things we [inaudible 00:16:42] do then going back to a worldview at this age. These are such basic questions and providing biblical truth to it. Who am I? Made in the image of God? You bear his image. And what is wrong with the world that is sin? And then what is the solution? So everything we do with our children today is very, very powerful. So I like your answer. You can only disciple someone who has made that commitment to follow. But it is a very important [inaudible 00:17:12]. Why is discipleship some needed today? Is that a failure of what we've done as a church?
Robby: Yeah, it's a good question. I think it's an oversight. I'll tell you why. So I started asking this question for you is, how have we missed it? Only recently we're talking about it now. We haven't talked about it for years. Two reasons why I think we've missed it. The first one is a translation rendering of a word, and the second is a comma. And it's interesting I say this, but follow me. So for the Greek linguistics scholars, you'll appreciate this. But in the King James version of the Bible, the original 1611, which was really the staple Bible for 400 years, really 300 years till the early 1900s, but 1611 to the early 1900s there was no Bible that rivaled it. It was the King James.
Now, it wasn't necessarily the 1611. Most people who claim for the 1611 are actually reading the 11th translation, which is the Blayney's edition, 1769. It's a whole nother story. But it's the King James. In that version of the Bible, the original King James, the translators rendered Matthew 28:18 through 20 this way, or 19 this way, "Go therefore and teach disciples." So they decided to translate the word "mathētḗs," make disciples, which is an every modern translation. The New King James fixed it. The NIV, the NASB, the ESV, the CSB, they all have, "Make disciples."
But if you go back, just search Google, King James 1611, Matthew 28:19, it's going to say, "Go ye therefore, and teach." And I think, could it be we have taken that and gone to the nations to teach? Which is good. It's a part of discipleship. But you know discipleship is just way more than teaching. It's accountability, it's intimacy, it's transparency, it's reproducibility. That's the first issue I think we've had. So for years, we misunderstood the word.
The second was a comma. And we know from the original Greek, there were no commas, there were no punctuation marks. It was all later added. But in Ephesians 4:11-13, which is the real passage on equipping the saints, this is how the original King James... By the way, I love the King James version. In my office, you could see I've got King James Bibles, I've got Bible [crosstalk 00:19:35]. I love it. So nobody email me on this one. But I love the King James. But there's this one comma. And so they inserted this comma after one part of the verse and it changes the whole meaning.
So here's what the original King James says. "God gave the apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers," watch this, "to equip the saints, for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ." So for years, I think we thought that the job of the pastor, teacher, prophet, evangelist, shepherd, was to do three things. To equip the saints, our job is to equip the saints, our jobs is to do the work of ministry, our job is to build the body of Christ. Now, we know from every modern translation, the commas gone. And it changes everything, right?
Marilyn: It does.
Robby: Because now it says the apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers are to equip the saints to do the work of ministry. And when the saints do the work of ministry, you build the body of Christ. So I think pastors have believed for years that it was their job to grow the church, it was their job to execute the ministry, when in reality, God doesn't gauge me on how well I accomplish the ministry. I think he gauges me on how well I equip my people to partner with me in ministry.
Marilyn: I think that's absolutely true. And I will end on this. Your book is a fantastic book and I think one of the signs of how urgent it is, I would encourage everyone to get it, is that when I interviewed you five years ago, you told me that eight friends had died. I noticed at the end of the book, he say 15.
Robby: 15 now.
Marilyn: This addiction is a problem, Jesus is the answer. And I thank you very much for sharing your book.
Robby: Thank you so much.