The Empowering Humility Podcast

Dolores: Welcome to Empowering Humility,
where we're on a mission to promote human

flourishing by restoring humility as
a common denominator in society today.

Let's dive in.

Andrew Bibb: Hey, welcome to the e
Humility Empowering Humility Podcast.

My name's Andrew Bibb, and I'll
be your host for today's episode.

Uh, if you've been listening to the
show, you'll know that last, last

episode, uh, I was a guest on this
show and have since, uh, joined the

Empowering Humility Team, largely
as a result of that episode and that

conversation with the founder, John Carlo.

Uh, and it just convinced me that
our visions aligned so well, and I

was, uh, so, um, impressed with the
mission of empowering humility that,

um, I, Giancarlo asked me to come
aboard and I said, yes, absolutely.

So, uh, super excited to be here.

Super excited to.

Hosting.

Um, and thanks to John Carlo for
giving this, uh, me this opportunity.

Uh, really excited for the guests
that we are about to have with us.

His name's John James.

He is the co-founder and former
lead singer of the Grammy

nominated Christian Rock Band.

The News boys, uh, whether
or not you grew up in church.

If you were listening to
music in the nineties, um, you

probably heard of the News Boys.

Uh, John James was the, uh, like I
said, co-founder in the eighties,

uh, but also their lead singer,
uh, all the way up to, I believe,

97 when they were at their peak.

So if you've heard hits like.

Shine, take me to your leader.

The breakfast song, uh, the
most popular song ever written

about a breakfast cereal.

Um, then you've, you've at least heard
John James voice, so we're about to have

him in, in the studio today to talk about
his journey, uh, because he ended up in

some dark places and it was largely the
practice of humility, uh, that brought

him back out and he's now, uh, fulfilling.

His purpose.

He's finding his reason, he's found his
reason for walking this earth, and he's,

he's just going at it a hundred percent.

Um, so we're super excited to
talk to him about that journey.

First, let's talk about the purpose
of the Empowering Humility Podcast.

So, this podcast explores how to
strengthen virtue in our society by

elevating its role in every area of
life, including how we develop and use

technology, uh, such as AI and Web3 Tech.

Now, I'm not a tech guy.

Uh, I'm, I, I'm on a learning
curve trying to figure the, the

techy side of this stuff out.

I've been studying the virtue side.

Quite a while and I, I won't
say I'm a master of it 'cause I

don't think anyone is, but I'm
definitely more fulfill familiar

with that piece than I am the tech.

What's been interesting to me about,
uh, researching the difference

between web two and Web3 is.

Meaningful connection between people.

So, uh, just kind of, this is a
layman's overview, so if I get anything

wrong, feel free to correct me and I'm
sure the guys on the team will, will

correct me, uh, after they hear this.

Web two is our current, the
current state of our internet.

It's, it's, it's ruled by
these mega platforms like

Facebook and, um, x, Reddit, um.

These big corporations, uh, that
are centralized and they, they

monetize through advertisements.

And what every person ends up becoming,
unless they have a huge platform, is just

a number like you're, you're a, a, a small
data point in this glob of followers.

Um, and, and you've got kind
of these influencer celebrities

who get to run the whole show.

Web3.

The, the difference between web two
and Web3 that really struck me as

meaningful is Web3 is focused on
peer to peer meaningful connections.

Okay?

So you're not kind of run through,
um, these big influencers.

You're not, you won't get big in Web3
because it's, that's not what it's about.

What Web3 is about is meaningful
connections with other

individuals in a digital space.

So that leads us up to our app that
is tied to this, um, this project.

It's called E Humility.

It's available on Android and Apple.

Uh, and what it is at its
core is a journaling app to

facilitate, uh, reflection and.

Introspection.

Um, we, we give some prompts, uh, to kind
of get the, the juices flowing, but the

entire idea is for us to take a look at
ourselves and, and, and pause and take

a look at what we're pursuing in life.

And this is a place where we can
capture those thoughts, we can

capture meaningful conversations.

Um, I used to just text.

Myself, uh, to try to capture these
meaningful thoughts that, that I

was having that I didn't wanna lose.

Now, now that's what, that's what the app
is for me, and I can set a reminder to

go back and reflect, um, on, you know,
so a, a revelation that I had prior.

Um, and one of the, one of the
features that I am extremely excited

about is the ability to make groups.

So there.

You've got your individual journey,
journaling, um, and reflecting.

But you also can create groups where you,
and, and whether it's one other friend

or a hundred other friends, um, can get
together and share your reflections.

So you're constantly encouraging each
other, uh, in the pursuit of virtue,

in, in cultivating humility, and.

Unlike any other app or social
media platform that I've ever

seen, this actually has positive.

Wellbeing impacts in real life.

Uh, when I put my phone down after
using e humility and I go engage with

my wife or my son or anyone at work,
it, I don't feel the drain that I do.

Say if I'm using a, a just run of
the mill social media app because e

humility, it's built from the ground up.

For the cultivation of virtue
humility, which does wonders for

every relationship that we have.

I'm gonna leave it there.

I'm gonna let you go check out
the app yourself, e Humility on

Android or Apple or go or go to
the website empowering humility.com

to learn more about it.

Let's talk about the mission of
empowering humility a little bit.

Our mission is to restore humility and
its incredible benefits to society.

We believe that humility is the
root virtue for human flourishing

and everything good in life.

Uh, humility helps us get out of our own
way and actually focus on what is good.

Uh, as long as I am calling the shots
and as long as my hubris, uh, is in the

driver's seat, I'm gonna get it wrong.

But when I take myself out of the
center and allow myself to be.

Taught by people I trust, by great
thinkers throughout history or just

by the feedback of reality itself as
I live it and experience it, when I

approach it with humility, um, I learn
how best to navigate that reality.

Uh, humility.

Is the key to growth as an individual,
uh, and in every other area of life.

So that's why we have it upfront.

Humility isn't the only thing that we
talk about, uh, but it is, like I said,

the gateway to everything that is good.

I.

Now some of our shows are a
little bit more, uh, focused

on the tech side of things.

Uh, some are focused a little bit
more on the virtue side of things.

Today we're steering pretty heavily
towards the virtue side of things

because, um, John James story is so
full of practical lessons for all

of us, uh, that I really wanna spend
a lot of time, uh, digging into.

The decisions that he's made along
the way and what's gotten him to

this point, and really what got him
through the darkest period of his life,

which followed on the heels of the
most successful period of his life.

Um, but I'm gonna wait until he joins
us to, uh, to get into that story.

So, uh, without further
ado, let's welcome.

John James, co-founder and
former lead singer of the Grammy

nominated Christian Rock Band.

The.

Alright, we have with us John
James, co-founder and former

lead singer of the Newsboys.

Thank you so much for joining us, John.

John James: Good day, mate.

How are you?

Andrew Bibb: Uh, doing great.

Uh, just to let the audience know, um, we,
we have kind of a baseline for our guests.

We all, the guests that we bring on
are, are selfless servants who embody

mission over me, ethos, uh, individuals
who implicitly live for a heavenly

reward rather than an earthly reward.

Um, not to say any of us are perfect,
any of our guests are perfect.

Not to say we always agree on every
single point, but to say that we're

all on the same mission of living
for something higher than ourselves.

And, uh, just wanna let the audience
know up front that you, um, I've been

following you for a long time now.

You definitely embody
that selfless servant.

Mission Over Me Ethos, uh,
that, that we look for in our

partners at Empowering Humility.

So I just wanna say thank you upfront
for being such a great example of that.

John James: Oh, mate, I feel
like the pressure's on me now.

Andrew Bibb: No pressure at all.

John James: you know, it is funny, it's
funny, Andrew, hearing you saying that.

Um, I think we're all, isn't that the
whole, you know, sanctification journey

of over time being, you know, changed
into the image and likeness of Christ?

I wish I could save it on that journey.

I had an impeccable record and my,
my intentions and heart were always

kingdom and noble and pure and honest.

But, you know, they weren't I, but I'm
on that journey because I want to one

day at the end of my journey, you know,
stand before the Lord and hopefully hear

him say, you know, well done, you know,
little short ball man with an accent.

Well, well done.

And what I love, I think, which not only
encourages me, but everyone is following

Christ isn't a hundred yard dash.

It's a marathon.

And over the course of that marathon,
we go through fatigue, stress.

Exhaustion, um, mistakes, failings, but
the miracle is God's strength that we

make a decision to get up, not to give
in, not to, not to abort the journey and

the course, but we make a decision to
keep walking towards the kingdom of God.

So I, I hope with age, I'm,
I'm getting a little bit wiser.

Um, my, the motives of my heart, um,
are always honest and true because I

really do, I really do long to hear those
favorable words one day when not only

me, but we're all gonna stand before
the Lord and I want to finish well.

And I thank God that he doesn't hold us
a prisoner of the mistakes of our past.

But we can repent.

We can come to the foot of the cross
and just say, God, I'm so sorry, man.

I dropped a ball on that.

Forgive me Lord.

Give me the strength to keep going and
give me the, the maturity and the wisdom

not to make the same mistakes again.

Andrew Bibb: Right.

So, and the title of this, of this episode
is The Redemptive Power of Humility.

Uh, and I think one of the amazing
things about redemption in Christ

is that he doesn't just redeem us.

He redeems our failings and our story.

And those times that we really did mess
up, he repurposes those for his good.

I, I was talking to my wife, uh, recently
about, um, just how much more interesting.

Uh, speakers or, or, uh, uh, stories
are when, when there is a deep darkness

that they've been pulled out of.

Um, I, uh, to be quite frank with
you, I'm, I'm not super, uh, like I,

I appreciate them and their, their
mission and, uh, but I've, I haven't

been attracted to the stories of the,
the other members of the news boys

like I have to yours because there is
such a, a tangible example of Christ's

redemptive power, um, that comes through
when, when we learn to humble ourselves,

John James: Yeah, it's
pretty incredible mate.

Um, in my wildest dreams.

I never thought God could redeem, like
you said, the brokenness of the past.

Um, and there were things that
I, that I did because of sin in

my life and walk through that for
many years I was so ashamed of.

But it, it boggles my mind now how
God can take the brokenness and

weave redemption into that story.

And the things that actually once were
implemented and in our lives to destroy

us and take 'em out are now a foundation
and a platform to shout of God's

grace and, and healing and redemption.

And, you know, the whole journey
of redemption is, is that we don't

stay in the brokenness, in the dark.

That God brings us out of that and, and
we walk forward into newness of life.

But you know, the redemption lays the
groundwork and a foundation just to shout.

How incredible, how even shout
louder, how amazing God is because

our redemption had nothing to do with
how incredible I am, how amazing I am.

You know, if, if, if I was God and
thank the good Lord, I'm not, I

would've given up on me so long ago.

But the relentless heart of God that
he lovingly chastises but pursues

his children and he's relentless
and he refuses to give up on us

until, until the day we breathe
our last breath in this world.

I think he is constantly drawing
us to a place of yielding

and intimacy, uh, with him.

And it's just an incredible journey,
mate, but it, I'm amazed like you, how

God can take our past and redeem it
and, and bring a testimony out of it.

It's just absolutely incredible.

Andrew Bibb: Well, and, and that message,
the message that, that you're carrying

is, I think the most important one that
our, um, our society, my generation,

needs to hear, um, with the, the epidemic
of, of suicide and depression and what

else drives that, but hopelessness.

Um, and, but realizing that there's that,
this message of hope that no matter how

deep into the darkness that you are.

Someone there is someone who
is not only wants to, but is

absolutely capable of saving you.

Uh, and it's just, it's just
that surrender, that humility

to allow ourselves to, to be
pulled into that redemption.

John James: Yeah, I, I think more than
ever, that's what it needs to be an, uh,

uh, an absolute clear, unadulterated,
authentic message of hope given today.

That's one of the, that's one of the first
things that goes from a person's psyche,

from their, their heart and their life.

Their spirit is when hope is gone,
when hope is taken from somebody,

whether you are a believer or not,
you lose that sense of movement

forward of a brighter tomorrow.

Uh, a light at the end of the tunnel.

I'm, I'm gonna get through.

When hope is taken from us, um, we
are stuck in that place of grief,

of loss, of, of abandonment, of
abuse, of, of sin, of brokenness.

And the enemy knows that, you know, and
that is if he could take hope from a

generation, hope from a person who's.

Struggling with the possibility of, you
know, there's no way out except suicide.

Um, he's, he's winning the battle.

And, and like you said, that's why
more than ever, not only to a younger

generation, but to the generation
that's alive today and incredible

clear message, there is hope.

But that hope is found in
Christ and Christ alone.

And, um, I think more than ever in
the world in America today, man,

that, that, that message of redemptive
hope in Christ needs to be shouted

and championed more than ever.

Andrew Bibb: Exactly, and which is exactly
what you're doing, uh, through, through

so many new projects, one of which is

John James: Oh, look it

Andrew Bibb: coming out.

God has a second chance.

Um, and we'll talk about this in a
little bit, but before we get too deep,

could you tell, uh, just any, any of
the audience who is, isn't familiar

with your story, just kind of a, a macro
level, um, of, of your journey from,

from, from your salvation to joining
the News Boys to where you are today.

John James: Yeah, I, um, I met the
Lord when I was 15 in Australia and

started this journey not knowing
what that meant, a following Christ.

Uh, the age of 19, I met a couple of other
young guys at a church, uh, in Australia.

And through the friendship I discovered
that, you know, they were looking to

start a band and they had no lead singers.

So I elected myself.

I thought, oh, how hard can it be?

So we started a band in the
garage, uh, annoying the heck out

of the neighbors every Saturday.

Uh, one day we came to America.

There was no bright light from heaven,
no, no audible voice of the Lord.

We, we had a desire and we saw a need.

So we literally just stepped out,
made and came to America with a

dream of using music as a vehicle
to capture people's attention.

And when we had their attention,
we would use that platform to share

the gospel of Jesus Christ, of, of
the message of the kingdom of God.

And it was the most incredible journey.

You know, I was the lead singer of
the News voice co-founder, original

lead singer for over 16 years.

And, you know, in my wildest
dreams, we had no idea of what

the Lord was gonna do that.

But over many years of hard work
and God's blessing, we went on to

become one of the biggest all time
biggest Christian bands in the world.

Incredible platform of, of success
and influence and, and using a

position of fame to reach people.

People ask me today when they hear my
story and my Antifa success, career,

wealth, you know, position, are
those, am I anti all those things?

And I say, no, of course not all, all
those things I just mentioned can be

an incredible blessing from the Lord,
a tool in our hand to make incredible

influence for the kingdom of God.

You know, those things
aren't inherently evil.

The problem with me at the heights
of success, we all want success.

We all want, you know, the influence,
the, you know, successful career,

the successful life, the successful
endeavor, the vision, the dream,

the ministry, the platform, the job.

But what sort of pressure does success
put on our character, on our humility,

on our ego, on our attitude, on
our sexuality, on our worldview, on

our marriage, on our relationships,
and at the heights of success, I.

Found out and fell victim to the
lifestyle and the, and the applause

and the accolades and the, and the
money and the houses and the cars and

everything else that comes with success.

And I'll say it again, those
things weren't the problem.

It was the foundation that I,
I lost that connection that

keeps you grounded, humble, and
connected to the vine, you know?

And I became my own vine, so to speak,
living in my own incredible world.

Um, and I, and I fell to those
things at the heights of success.

Um, and, you know, I never woke
up one day in my big mansion in

Nashville and, and, and think,
right, what's on the agenda today?

Oh, I know today I'm gonna destroy my
career, my ministry, my marriage, my life.

I'm gonna destroy
everything in my life that.

Treasure and whole dear it, it
didn't happen, Andrew, like that.

It was a journey of desensitizing,
a journey of disconnecting from

those things that keep us grounded,
uh, disconnecting from God.

My, my accountability, uh, my
personal intimacy at the Lord, my, my

staying connected to a local church.

And when you cut things like
that from your life, you're a

train wreck about to happen.

It's not like, you know, my great
demise and downfall in life.

Like, man, how did this happen?

God, it's like, hello.

Look at the, the things you've
implemented or cut from your life over

the last year, over the last two years.

And, and you wonder why you are in
this shipwreck, this storm, this train

wreck that's destroying your life.

It's, it's not rocket science, Andrew.

Andrew Bibb: Absolutely.

And I, that is one of our goals
with the, um, the e humility app.

It's, it's different from any other,
it's, it's not a social media platform.

What it, what we try to do is, um,
I, I is create that digital space for

introspection and reflection to take
stock of, I've heard you describe it

before as the, as the, the three anchors.

Um, d devotion to God, uh, listening to
your wife and being plugged in and engaged

in a, a local church, a body of believers.

And, and one of the things that
it, it, it's interesting what

you say about money, fame, power,
um, technology is very similar.

It's, it's not a bad thing in and
of itself, but it, it can be used

either to, to, when we say rot
the brain or nourish the soul.

Uh, is that, does that kind of

John James: Oh, ab, absolutely.

And that this has been that constant
struggle and tug of war for me.

Um, uh, as an older person.

You know, I'm, I'm 62 years old this
way, so I have come into the whole

social media technology world, so to
speak, where younger people today,

it's second nature, they're, they're
growing up at from a little age.

It's that.

But for we older ones, this is something
that we are stepping into and learning.

And, and I've struggled with it because
on one hand you have one hand, you

have the kingdom of God says that, you
know, take up your cross and follow me.

Dying the South daily, if you want
to be great, become the least.

If you want to be first, be
last and, and about decreasing.

So Christ can increase, but social
media and the world we live in is

all about elevate You, promote you.

Shout you louder than ever.

You know, get out there
and promote market sell.

Um, and so there's this tug of war.

How do I continually promote
self and market me and yet not

lose that sense of humility?

And I'm reminded of the scripture
where, where the Lord was teaching

in regards to disciples about prayer.

And he was using the analogy as
the Pharisees in the marketplace.

And the marketplace for the Pharisees
is like our social media world today.

And they were in the social media
world, in the marketplace saying

these incredibly long-winded prayers.

And, but Jesus wasn't against
prayer in the marketplace.

He exposed the attitude of the heart.

Of these Pharisees.

And I think again, Andrew,
it comes down to social media

isn't an inherently evil or bad.

It always comes down to the
motivation of the heart of the

person, of why we are doing this.

Um, and sometimes we gotta ask a question.

If I had no likes or views or follows
or thumbs up, would I still do this?

You know, so often, hey,
this is me feeding the poor.

I want to give all glory to Jesus.

'cause we fed 400 poor.

This is me handing out
food, oh, glory to Jesus.

But then every day I'm obsessed looking
at my feed, how many likes and thumbs up

and followers and applauds I got for me.

And so you've gotta judge the heart.

Why was I posting this?

So people can subscribe and follow
and like and say, oh, how amazing

the ministry of John James is.

Or is my heart using this platform,
but I want to give glory to God.

I don't want to be like the
Pharisee in the, in the marketplace,

praying long-winded prayers.

I, I don't want to be that person
on social media that's constantly

posting, but behind the curtain,
it's all about me, me, me.

I want everyone to see my big ministry
because what I've learned in life, mate,

it's easy to be great from a distance.

It's easy to be great when you have a
huge following, when you're the guest

speaker, uh, or when you're on this
big ministry or when you're in the,

in your platform at a church speaking.

Anyone can be great from a distance.

But I always say to folks, look, don't
judge me by my performance on stage today.

Whether you get boo goosebumps
or come up afterwards, say, man,

the Lord really spoke to me.

That was the best message.

Don't anyone can be great from a distance.

Anyone can be great on social media.

It.

But if you want to know who
I really am, ask my wife.

Ask the people who are closest to me mate,
who know me the best, ask my wife Tanya.

You know, what sort of
person am I at home?

How, how, what sort of person
when the camera, when the social

media feed isn't ready to upload.

You know, this is me in my
home having my Bible study.

Thank you, Jesus.

And we send it out and people
will go, wow, John's so spiritual.

He's so ama.

It's like it's easy to
be great from a distance.

And I think that's the battle, Andrew, of
this whole self-promotion under the banner

of getting the gospel out and reaching
people helped me to keep my attitude right

and not to lose that sense of humility
because everyone wants fame, influence.

I wanna be an influence and reach
millions of people and followers.

But what sort of pressure does
it put on my character, my

heart, my humility, my integrity?

You know, me feeding the poor or
doing this great video clip out in the

public so I can show, would I still
do that if I knew I was going to get

no views or followers or subscribers?

Would I still do that act of Christ
in the marketplace if I knew no

one was going to see, but the Lord?

But we think, oh, but the Lord, I don't
get any, I don't get any followers

or likes or subscribers if just
Jesus knows I gotta tell everybody.

So that's the battle mate.

I think in this new social
media age, we all have to come

to terms with if, isn't it?

Is it an incredible platform where
millions of people now are clicking in

and scrolling and, and plugged in daily?

Yes, yes, yes.

So I don't believe we.

We cancel it and aborted and ban it.

I think if we're gonna walk in that
lane, just do things right and stay

connected and have people in our life who
know the real us that can challenge us.

That accountability mate.

Does that make sense?

Andrew Bibb: 100%.

It resonates.

Very much so with, with much of
what we've been talking about.

Um, one of, one of the, the topics we
talk about is, is the idea of pa toss.

It's, it's a ancient Roman term, but
it's sort of this, um, intersection

of moral duty and contentment
and, and that that struggle of

incorporating both into our lives.

So, so kind of relative to social media.

Um, and we were talking about getting
the message of hope out to the hurting.

Uh, we'll say I have a, a moral
duty to make this available for

those who, who need it and who are
ready to hear that message of hope.

But I also have to be content, be
willing to say, God, your will be done.

I'm surrendered to however
you want to use this.

If it's zero likes, if it's.

If it's a million likes and a
billion followers, you know,

being content with having done
our part and giving him the rest.

John James: Yeah.

Brilliant.

That's, that's, that's so true, Andrew.

You know, the being content
and the obedience of that.

See, with social media world, the level
of our success or influence is determined

by, well, how, how many likes do you have?

How many followers?

Uh, how many subscribers?

Uh, no.

No.

Okay.

I know.

And we evaluate somebody's success or
their influence, or the bigness of who

they are by that little number on the
bottom of the screen when we check it out.

But is that the determining factor
or, or is the determining factor, like

you said, contentment, whatever the
influence is and the willingness to be

obedient because we're responding to
what we feel the Lord put on our heart.

See, we think, well, if God really
told you to do that, wouldn't

you have millions of followers?

Millions of, if God, of course,
he's the God of incre, increase

in abundance and overflow and
whatever God does is incredible.

Amazing.

See?

See, we, we have two gauges of
evaluating something this world's

gauge or the kingdom of God.

And sometimes people can have
incredible kingdom influence and

one day will be ushered into heaven,
an absolute champion for the fate.

But their name may have never
been plastered on social media.

They may never had huge
platforms, huge conferences.

You know, huge influence.

They may have been somebody that was
so off the radar in terms of this

world's gage, but on the kingdom
of God's G they were champions and

faithful for the kingdom of God.

You know, I, I'm reminded, you know, we,
we, you know, several, you know, 2000

years later, we, we, we see the influence
of the disciples in the early church

and the, and, and the Apostle Paul.

But you think about it, at the height of
his ministry, everyone has deserted him.

Bar a couple of guys.

He's in prison, he's facing death.

He's about to be beheaded.

Now, according to the world system,
mate, your life has been a waste

out of everything you've tried to
achieve for this man called Jesus.

This is the pinnacle of your ministry.

And the world would look at that and say.

Failure.

I look at Steven, you know,
at the height of his ministry.

Wouldn't you love, hey soliciting
for that guy to come and join the,

uh, you know, the Steven Ministry,
the height of our ministry, we're

all gonna be stoned to death.

So, but you can look at it through the
world system and say, man, so ineffective.

But the fruit of it, the influence
of it, and you look years later, wow.

And I think that's been
all through history.

There were people who shaped the world
for the kingdom of God, and they may not

have had the accolades of the crowd or
the approval or the acceptance or the

adoration or the love, but man, they had
profound influence for the kingdom of God.

So I think that again, it comes
back to that obedience and

faithfulness to what the Lord.

But that's the greatest test, not
ja, gauging it by, do we have the

accolades, the support, the likes,
the followers, uh, of the world.

Now, if somebody has all that,
great, but that's not the test,

that's not the benchmark whether
we are influencing people.

You know what, and I, you know, people
hate this old cliche, but what, what if

somebody with a podcast, all they maybe
have is 50 subscribers, 50 views, but

there was one person in that 50 that
hearing that show saved their life.

I mean, they were ready, lost all
hope, ready to end their life.

And hearing that one podcast where the
algorithm would look at them and go,

nah, ah, don't give it a second look.

But that one person who happened to
tune in heard that podcast and it

stopped them from taking their life,
changed the course, save their marriage.

Heal the brokenness in their life.

Like how do you put a price on that
with the algorithm and we'll never know.

Andrew Bibb: One of the things I, I think
about a lot when, when I think about

your story is, uh, and I've heard you
talk about it a few times, but be before

you were John James of the News Boys.

Uh, and you were gonna just
some kid in Australia who wasn't

doing well in school at all.

Uh, you, you were, and I'm trying
to remember exactly how it goes.

Maybe you can fill it in, but you were
just kind of walking down the street and

there was a man who took out the time to,
to talk to you, uh, just to see you as, as

a valuable human being and who really made
an influence on the way, the direction

that you, the rest of your life went.

Uh, I, I think about that guy who,
no one, no one knows his name.

He's never gonna make
a blip on social media.

Uh, but even if you didn't become John
James of the News Boys, the impact that,

that man that, from my point of view,
nameless, faceless man had, is more

than most celebrities have in reality.

John James: Oh, and, and you
know what's funny, Andrew?

Years, years, years, years later,
uh, at the Heights of Success, I

tracked that guy down and, and we met
for coffee in Brisbane, Australia.

And it was, it was surreal.

And, and I just honored him, you know,
I was tearing up maiden and I thanked

him and, you know, it was only a
couple of months influence that he had.

And then I moved away from
that small outback town to live

somewhere else in Australia.

But that couple of months influence
he had on my life, that discipleship,

taking the time, changed the course
of my life forever, introduced

me to the Kingdom of God.

And, and, and I honored him.

And man, I'm tearing up and I'm
thanking him for caring enough.

To adopt and take the time to
stop and adopt some dysfunctional,

uneducated, unappreciative,
snotty nose kid in the street.

And then opening up over the next
couple of months, opening up his

home, his fridge, and, and not only
me, but a bunch of other ragtag kids

in the community that he just began
to mentor and love and bring Christ.

And I moved away three months, Sandra, a
couple of months influence, that's all.

I moved away.

And he never knew what happened to me.

Our paths never crossed.

And years later, I tracked him down
and I shared with him because of

his faithfulness, that seed that no
one else knew that how the Lord had

used my life and the millions of
people we were able to reach through

the news boys with the gospel.

And I said, mate, every person that
has been reached for the kingdom.

I believe you sharing that reward because
if it wasn't for you, if it wasn't for

you taking the time in a little town, in
the middle of nowhere in in Australia,

and stopping one day to talk to and
love on a snotty nose kid in the street.

Wow, man.

Absolute legend.

Andrew Bibb: Absolutely.

And, and because of him,
we're here talking today.

John James: Yeah.

Incredible.

Hey.

Andrew Bibb: That's,
that's, that's amazing.

Is there a, and I'm kind of curious
to, to get your thoughts on one of your

anchors is, uh, staying plugged into
to a local church, a body of believers,

some, some flesh and blood people who
can keep us grounded and, and humble.

When you first started kind of finding
success, was there anyone who served

that role for you or was it, was
it the lack of that that kind of,

uh, opened up the way to, to some
of the, some of the, the mistakes.

John James: The, yeah,
no, there was no one.

Now technically, technically on paper,
um, uh, we may have had people, um,

but you know, it's like, um, you
can have somebody technically on

paper, uh, that is a support or,
or the band pastor or something,

but it ain't worth a grain of salt.

If you're not willing to be honest and
transparent and accountable with that

person, especially if that person is
on your payroll and they, and they're

not gonna rock the boat because
they're on a good wicket you know?

But a long, um, answer, you know, um,
answered shortly is no, they, there really

honestly was a nobody, um, speaking into
my life, keeping me accountable, keeping

me plugged in, asking the right questions.

Somebody in my life that knew
me, warts and all, and was able

to ask the right questions.

Now I'm not trying stones and blaming
other people for their lack of that.

The problem rests squarely and
purely on my shoulders that I

wasn't willing to implement.

If it didn't exist, then I should
have, we should have implemented it.

And had I should have deliberately.

Had people in my life that would've kept
me grounded, accountable, plugged in,

and had been asking the right questions.

Like, Hey, you know, how
are you staying grounded?

How are you staying plugged in?

How, how's your marriage doing?

How's your sexuality doing?

You know, you're on the road and
hearing your name cheered and

shouted, and thousands of people
lined up every night just to talk

to you and get your autograph.

How, how, how's your ego going?

So, but we never really had anybody, you
know, and again, I'm not throwing stones.

Poor me, I'm a victim.

I take pure, purely a total
responsibility for that because I

should have been willing and adamant
and deliberate to have that transparency

and accountability in my life.

But I chose not to.

And sometimes when you climb the ladder of
success, you are, you, your inner circle

becomes so closely knit and guarded.

And very few people are allowed in.

And then you have to live up the,
the public image and the marketing

of what we're trying to sell.

And, and you have to keep,
you have to protect the brand.

Uh, you know, you can't have people
knowing when we spent millions

of dollars marketing the brand.

You know, we can't, you can't
let people know behind the

brand that we're struggling.

I'm not doing the best.

Uh, so, oh no, mate, you, you,
you can't damage the brand.

Jeopardize the brand.

It's

Andrew Bibb: So what, uh,
let's contrast that to now.

You, you mentioned that, um,
well I know your wife, Tanya,

she's in ministry with you.

You mentioned that

John James: me.

Andrew Bibb: granted.

I can, I can relate.

My wife has a graduate degree in keeping
me humble as well as being encouraging.

I don't know how they walk
that line, but they do.

Um,

John James: Oh, come on.

Andrew Bibb: what, what, what else,
what kind of other, other structure

of those, those relationships do you
have to, to keep yourself grounded, uh,

as you're out on the road speaking as
people are coming to hear and telling

you how much you're changing their lives.

John James: What, what's been a great
blessing is that, you know, so often

the ministry, occasionally we don't,
but the ministry that we do together,

my wife and I, the accountability,
the, the, the traveling together,

um, at the senior pastor of our
home church, uh, is on our board.

Um, and, and he knows where we are, what
we're doing, and, and I have key people

in my life, several key people that I
know, no matter the day or time of night,

I could reach out to them with one phone
call and said, man, I'm struggling.

I need help.

I'm here somewhere.

And they would drop everything
and come to my rescue.

Um, and having that transparency,
like I've got key people in my life

that not only know my strengths,
but know my Achilles heel.

Andrew Bibb: Mm-hmm.

John James: And having an Achilles heel
doesn't mean I'm not victorious in Christ.

Oh, brother, you need to
bind out and own women.

No, no, no.

I'm, I I have the honesty now to
understand the, the weaknesses

in my life and how I have to
protect and guard those things.

I, I love what the Apostle Paul said
to Timothy in regards to fleeing

from the desires of his youth.

He didn't say, Hey, buy no strings.

Reject 'em, claim 'em.

Just name 'em, speak 'em out of existing.

He goes, no, you are going to
have desires of your youth that

are gonna want to shipwreck you.

He said, flee from those things.

In other words, have the determination
and the grit and the strength in

the Lord, in the Holy Spirit that
now you have the integrity and the

strength to turn in the opposite
direction and run from those things.

See, there was a time in my life where.

I lack that ability to
run from those things.

Having people now in your life that
keep you accountable and challenge

you and ask the right questions, help
to guard you and keep you safe and

protected so that I can continue to
have the strength to run from those

things, not because I'm not victorious.

See, the, the, the biggest misconception
and we walk that sense of, um,

arrogance and pride is for me to
sit here, Andrew, in front of you

now, and say, I'm, I'm bulletproof.

There's no way in the world that
I could ever, ever, ever, ever

make those same mistakes again.

That's absolutely ridiculous.

Of course, I could, anybody can, uh, if
I begin to cut those anchors again from

my life, begin to close the doors of
transparency and accountability begin to

do things now that were taking me away.

From those foundational things that can
keep me connected to the vine, I would be

so setting myself up again for failure.

So it's that ongoing choice daily,
Andrew, for all of us, not just for

John, James, for you, for your wife,
for my, we're implementing those

things that keep us connected to
the vine, connected to Christ, not

those things that disconnect us.

Andrew Bibb: You know, I, I think about
what, as you talk about that, um, one of

the things I said before on this show, and
I think I told you in the email, I'm a.

What I call a non-practicing alcoholic.

Um, but I'm recovering.

It's been seven years or so.

Um, and, and one of the things that I
had to get over was there, there was

this, I, I was stuck in this, in this
hubristic state, um, where I was like,

I, if I can just get my willpower to a
certain place, then I can have a drink

or two, um, and, and I'll be fine.

You know?

And I kept telling myself this lie,
partially because, uh, being in a,

in a military setting, you know,
drinking is a big part of the culture.

So I didn't want to be in the outside.

Um, I finally, I had to reach that place
of humility and realize, no, I cannot

have a single taste, or it's gonna take
me all the way down the rabbit hole.

That's what came to mind is
you were talking about fleeing.

Uh, I, I just, I gotta,
I gotta go the other way.

Uh, I, I just gotta get away from
it, um, and get into something.

It will get into a relationship.

One of those relationships that you
were talking about where, where I can

show myself fully warts and all to
someone who can speak life and, and, and

encourage me in that positive direction.

John James: Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

And we, and we all have those
things in our life, Andrew.

You know, and like I said earlier,
mate, we love to put our leaders,

whether they're church leaders, whether
they're music industry leaders, uh,

you know, Christian artists that are,
we love to put people on a pedestal.

And, and we've, we've built a culture
today of worshiping and idolizing

our, our champions in the faith.

Whether they're, they're pastors, you
know, uh, evangelists, teachers, uh,

music, Christian music, celebrities,
you know, and we put people up on

a pedestal, like they're perfect.

And social media has to present the
persona that they are bulletproof,

and they're, they're perfect.

And it could, it's crazy, mate.

You know, I've learned in life, no one
was ever meant to be put on a pedestal.

I don't care who you are.

Over time, the pedestal has the
ability to seduce your heart.

Andrew Bibb: Hmm.

John James: Give it enough time and
it'll slowly chip away, wear away,

you know, tear away and, and man,
that's that constant, constant journey

of Lord, help to keep me humble

Andrew Bibb: Mm-hmm.

Right,

John James: because the world I'm in,
the lane I'm in is doing everything

to take the humility from me.

Yeah.

For all of us, I think in
the world we live in today.

Andrew Bibb: absolutely.

And, and largely because of, of the.

like you said, the, the social media and
we're always having to promote ourselves.

And, uh, but I will say, uh, it
was, it was pretty incredible

when I realized that for, for so
long you weren't on social media.

Um, and I was like, wow, this guy's
really got his head down doing the work.

Uh, it was actually encouraging
for me to see, um, I found you.

So I was, and I just wanna let the,
let the audience know kind of how

you impact and I'll do it real quick.

Um, while I was still kind of heavily
drinking, I was, I was going through and

looking at old news boys clips and stuff
'cause I'd grown up listening to you.

I found your testimony

John James: mate.

Andrew Bibb: and it really
struck a chord with me.

I wasn't ready to to, to get help at the
time, but a few years later when I was,

I went back and I just started ravenously
going through YouTube videos that people

had put up about your testimony because.

Even just seeing what you were doing after
the News Boys, after you had kind of come

out of that hole, it gave me hope that,
look, this isn't, it's not just about

getting over a problem or getting sober.

It's about opening up the life
that God has created me to live,

to do good for others, and to
be, to realize my full potential.

So k kind of that in mind that all these
things that, that God is doing with you

and Tanya, now I'd like to talk about
all, all of the great things that, that,

that are occurring, um, kind of on the
other side of that redemptive journey.

Granted, it's always going on, but tell
us about, about what you've got going

on because you've got a time going on in

John James: Yeah, it's pretty,
it's pretty, uh, crazy.

Andrew, you know, the funny thing with
the, you know, when, when the Lord brought

me back to America full time in 2014
when I got my visas and everything to,

to come back, I, like you said, I haven't
been on social media virtually at all.

And, and I, I've been off the
ra, it just wasn't my heart.

I would've been happy to do the ministry
that the Lord had called me to do.

Um.

And do it off the radar
for the rest of my life.

Um, and people think, and you know,
we just recently started up a social

media, you know, with the website.

I'm fa and I'm thinking, oh mate, I
can't do, so we have a wonderful lady

that's helping our ministry with that.

But people are like, man, you
by now you should have millions.

How come you don't have very many?

It's, it's like, because I
haven't been on it my entire life.

I just, we just got on it like a
month ago, you know, two months ago

and starting, and I'm, ah, I'm still
processing that, um, processing that.

But this incredible new season, first
of all with the music, you know.

Um, and for me, you know, when I walked
away from the news boys, I passionately

said, there's no way I'll ever sing again.

And for almost 30 years, I
never sang a note, never played

an instrument, wrote a song.

Music wasn't a passion.

I mean, that area of my life was.

Dead and I would've been happy to go
to my grave and never have sung again.

But you know, a year and a half ago, God
just did an incredible, unbelievable,

um, miracle in my life and really burst
the dam of music in my life again.

And I won't go into the whole journey,
but you know, this incredible hunger

and desire again to write and as if I
had something to say and it was just

burning in my heart and not having
any idea where the this would go.

And then after I'd written the music,
finding myself in the recording studio,

recording the mu and just everything.

So where the whole music being introduced
to the ministry of my life now is you talk

about, so curve ball I didn't see coming.

You know, the ministry that my wife
and I have been doing since we've

been married for the last seven years.

Um, is any music, Tanya's done it
'cause she's a wonderful recording

artist and singer and worship leader.

So she's done all the music anywhere
and music just hasn't been a part of it.

So now music and starting to sing again,
you know, when we're ministering at

church, it is just surreal, mate to me.

I, I still pinch myself daily.

You talk about God doing one of
the greatest miracles in my life,

that stall, I just shake my head.

Um, so we're in the process of
the music and getting it out.

Now I, I'm in the process of putting,
uh, a band together, obviously a

different band from the News Boys,
uh, where we are going to start doing

evangelistic Crusades with the music,
uh, and local church communities.

Getting back to the roots of the
News Boys, why we started the

band originally was to use music.

As a vehicle, as a draw
card to draw people.

And once we had their attention,
we'd preach the gospel, go after

souls and salvation, you know?

And so that's what we're
doing with the music.

But, oh mate, it's just surreal to me now.

I still, I still pinch myself, Andrew,
that music is a part of, um, my world

again and writing, music and singing.

It's just, it's crazy mate.

Andrew Bibb: Well, and it's, it's amazing.

So I've, I've got an advanced copy
of your album right here, God of

the Second Chance, John James.

Um, I, I remember in an interview you
said before, before you had put, uh,

this out at all, um, that it was gonna
be sort of a continuation of, take me to

Your Leader and Ha having listened to it.

I hear it.

I also, but it's also very fresh too.

It's, it's eclectic.

Um, but you can really, in, in both the
music and the words, you could just,

you can hear that it, it's almost like
there's, there's 30 years worth of,

of just joy and reflection and emotion
that pop through in, was it 10 tracks?

Yeah.

Or 11 tracks.

Uh,

John James: It, it is funny that
that's so, that's funny for Andrew.

You know, folks ask me, you know, you
know, stylistically and you hit the nail.

It's kind of like, you know, 30 years
later that the original guys got back

together and this was the follow up album.

Um, stylistic, eat the
songs like Breakfast Shine.

Take me to your leader.

Uh, you know, I'm, I'm a
child of the nineties, man.

I love nineties music, so
I think it's got that vibe.

It sounds like an album that was
out, you know, well, those songs

came out when I was with the band.

Um, but just I decided
to do it 30 years later.

Um, and so it's been a, I'm really excited
about doing the songs live and getting

the band out there and that whole thing
of the creativity of music to, to connect

with people and the capture people.

And, and I'm, I'm so excited.

We are gonna be doing these red ticket
revivals, I've called them Crusades,

partnering with local church communities,
and it's just mu uh, it's, it's crazy.

Mate.

Music again, music again.

I, I'm sorry for being repetitious.

I just shake my head mate, because I'm
like, if you had said to me a year and a

half ago we'd be having this conversation,
I would've laughed and said, you're crazy.

Never.

Never.

And here we are.

Andrew Bibb: Well, I was surprised
because I've been following you for

probably about 10 years now, and you
had never talked about music at all, and

then all of a sudden I heard about this.

Oh my goodness, something's happening.

Um, but you know, what I think is, is
really special, uh, along with the, the

ministry that you do with your wife,
Tanya, who I worked with, uh, to set up

this interview and on some other things.

She's just absolutely lovely,
responsive and great, great woman.

Um, but she's on this album as well.

Uh, when she comes through on the course
on square peg, kind of contrasted with it.

Your more, more like P types.

It it hits

John James: yeah.

She, Tanya did, Tanya did all the,
probably 90% of the background

vocals, all the songs where
you hear like the Bigge vs.

And a Girl's Voice that, that's,
uh, that's Tanya and I'll let, I'll

let the folks in on, on that song
you're referring to Square Peg.

And I had to deal with my ego
because also on the chorus,

I just couldn't get it right.

Andrew Bibb: Oh,

John James: what I did.

I just couldn't.

And get that rotten chorus.

Right.

I don't know what there was
a, and I got so frustrated and

Tanya's like, what's wrong?

And uh, I showed her
and she just nailed it.

Like, first take and then, and so
she goes, man, it sounds better.

And I'm like, all right, you can sing it.

So, um, so she always jokes and
laughs, uh, has a joke with me,

says, you know, it'd be just like the
Lord if that song went on to be the

most successful song on the album.

And I, and she sang it.

Andrew Bibb: think it could
very well be because, uh,

obviously it's the one I down on.

John James: Yeah.

But she, that was a fun song and,
and all the songs, um, I just wrote

on a, like the, the opening song on
the album folks, like, what the heck

is this song about Drive, you know,
and, and, and, and the chorus of that.

And, and it talks about life's
drive with, with depression.

And when you're stuck in that lane
of depression, you can't get off.

You're stuck in a traffic jam.

The traffic ups down, downs up left.

Right.

Right.

It's like you're stuck in this
world of depression and you, you

feel like there's no way out.

Does anybody hear my cry for help?

And you know, folks are
like, what the heck's that?

And that's what I wrote.

That's the opening song on the album
Drive is dealing with the, the, the

trap and, and the prison of depression.

That people, and try, try to put it
in the words of the song, if somebody

sang it that was in that world.

Andrew Bibb: Well stylistically too.

Uh, like I said, it's in eclectic album.

You, you kind of, you, you,
it's all very rock centric.

You got softer, you got more pop rock.

Uh, track number eight,
jumpstart, that's my favorite.

Uh, because it is just
so straight up pop rock.

Like you, you listen to it driving
down the highway, windows down.

But to drive it, it, this album,
starting out with that song was

much heavier than I was expecting.

You know, when it, when it, when
it kind of, it really comes in with

those real deep guitars that Oh, oh,
we're, uh, so, but you explained.

What the song's about it wind up perfectly
with that real heavy kind of trudging, uh,

John James: yeah.

And, and it's funny, um, a bit of a shout
out, uh, the song you mentioned, um, um,

um, what sort of song you said, I forgot,
but you jumpstart, jumpstart that like,

people are like, well, what the heck?

That's the, and I say to
folks, listen, come on.

Look, spend a little bit of
time reading over the lyrics.

That the lyrics aren't just
there to fill a spectrum.

There's definite deliberateness.

And I gotta say, I gotta boast
mate if I can in the Lord.

I think I'm the first Christian artist
that I know of in, in the CCM world

that has put, did do on a, on an album.

The bridge section on
jumpstart with the dig Do.

Andrew Bibb: Did you redo?

Uh, you're also probably the first one.

Uh, what maybe my favorite part of the
album is at the end of Square peg, where,

where you say, come on, have a go, mate.

It, that fires me up.

You know what, this may end just
in disaster, but let's have a go.

Yeah.

John James: Come on.

That.

Hey, you know what?

Isn't that, isn't that the thing?

Um, so often in life as a believer
and follow of Christ, um, with desires

that the Lord gives us or things we're
wanting to do for the kingdom, we can

be paralyzed by the fear of failure.

failure will will keep us paralyzed for
doing anything for the kingdom of God.

That constant nagging, what if I fail?

What if I get it wrong?

What if I make a mistake?

What if I didn't hear from God?

I'm like, but what if?

What if you bless one person?

Um, and, and I hate regret.

Because regret.

We'll, I hate the pain and the sting of
regret that we carry our lifetime because

regret never answers the question for us.

What if, what if that thing I wanted
to step out and do for the Lord?

What if that one thing could have
made such an impact in someone

or, or some people's lives?

But you'll never know?

'cause you never, ever the
fear of failure and regret.

I would rather step out and do something
for the Lord if it didn't work.

Hey, praise God.

At least I stepped out and gave it.

Have a go mate.

Andrew Bibb: Have a go,

John James: have a go.

See what God can do.

But we live in a world where
we're constantly under the

fear of, what if I fail?

And then we feel like if I fail, if
I get it wrong, then God's ashamed

of me and God's gonna be angry.

It's like I would rather be
the person who stepped out.

Every time, mate, maybe got it wrong
nine times, but having to go on the

10th time, I get it right and it makes
a difference and blesses somebody.

But I hate, I hate regret mate.

'cause regret never gives you
the satisfaction of answering

the question of what if

Andrew Bibb: Right.

And, and that's one of the most,
taking that step is one of the

most Christ-like things you can do.

Because when he was in the garden
before the crucifixion, he said, I

don't want to do this, nevertheless,
not my will, but your will be done.

And that really is that spirit
that's been, I don't know how this

is gonna, how this is gonna end,
but your will let's, let's do it

and however you want it to work out.

I'm there with you.

John James: it's like the music mate.

Do you, do you realize people
think, oh well yeah, I haven't done

music for 30 years, mate, I, I'm
about to get out with a band again.

Do you understand how much
I'm out of my comfort zone?

Mate and I have to overcome the fear
and the voices daily that saying,

you can't do this, you can't do this.

And I stepping out in faith there,
I jokingly said to people the other

day, I said, first of all, I want you
all to know that there's no way I can

fit into my old gig clothes anymore.

Uh, because I'm too fat and old
now, so I can't fit into my gig

clothes and don't expect me to
be as energetic as I used to be.

I said, if I try to jump around like
that now, I'll put my SCIA around mate.

So, but I, I'm, you know, another
thing, Andrew, um, we have, and I

can give you all the information
of folks who are interested.

I can send you the link and that we,
uh, we're Broad Street publishing.

We've just done a book with them.

It's been released on June the second.

My whole, I mean, untold story mate.

I mean from the My Family Days in
Australia as a kid growing up, the

whole miracle of my family coming to
Christ, the miracle of the News Boys

starting the journey, coming to America
at the Heights of Success with the News

Boys, the tragic Demi and the Fall,
and that whole story of Redden Mate.

It was the most intimate time
writing that book and, and,

and working with Broad Street.

So we had the book being
released on June the second.

But what we've done, we
have, um, it's on Amazon.

We are letting folks now they can
pre-order the book, but if they

pre-order just to say thank you to
people for supporting our ministry.

Believing in this mandate and
the vision of the story of Hope.

I'm saying to Faith, if you pre-ordered
a book, I've given him a link.

Uh, email me and I'll send
you a download link so you can

download for free the whole album.

Andrew Bibb: Wow.

That's

John James: and, and our phone, I just
launched this yesterday and my, uh,

and the last 24 hours mate, my, my
phone and emails has been blowing up

and I've just been humbled that folks
have been supporting the ministry and

are champion getting this message.

You know, the book's called Newsboy,
you know, my story of redemption

and, but just thanking people who are
pre-ordering it, just to say, man, I'm

so thankful that you're a part of this.

I want to show my gratitude and I
wanna bless you with a download link so

you can have my whole album for free.

Andrew Bibb: That's, that's fantastic.

So we, and I, I just got my email
today, uh, from Tanya and, and the,

the out, or excuse me, the book
cover for Newsboy from Broad Street.

It's you from, I think
probably like your not ashamed

John James: Uh, that was, that was
the last, that was the last, no, that,

I think that was, was it going for?

It was one of the last photo
shoots that I did with the band.

Andrew Bibb: Wow.

It just, it just, the, the, the
book cover takes you right back to

John James: Yeah, yeah,

Andrew Bibb: of it.

It's, it is pretty incredible.

So yes, for the audience, go to Amazon.

It's called Newsboy
Broad Streete Publishing.

John James: yeah.

Andrew Bibb: We can, we, we will, uh,
pre-order and then an email to you also

gets you the download of the entire

John James: link.

Yeah.

If folks, if folks, um, and
I'll send you the information.

You can post it so folks know,
click on the Amazon link and all we

ask is, uh, if folks just take a,
a screenshot of their purchase and

just email us the screenshot and, and
mate, we'll get it out straight away.

The link where they can download
the full album mate, free of charge.

Andrew Bibb: Now for everything
that you and Tanya are doing,

people can go to iReach usa.com

and whether it's, whether it's
your, your Red Ticket Revival

schedule, uh, information about
the book, the album, your speaking

around the country, that is the hub

John James: Or that's,
that's the hub for us.

Yes.

And I, Hey, how cool am I?

I have a website now,

Andrew Bibb: It's, it's a nice,
you just recently revamped it too.

It's

John James: we, we just did.

Yeah, mate.

So, uh, so we are, we're, we're
thankful and, and again, I, I've

realized that in ministry, you, you,
there's no one man shows and, and

ministry is, is a team sport mate.

It is.

Kingdom is team and, and I, I'm
humbly just blown away by, by

the prayers, the encouragement
and the support of people who.

Who, who believe in our ministry.

And, and I, and I say, and even the folks
who have been pre-ordering the book, and I

say to folks, first of all, I, I'm humble
that anyone would give to our ministry,

but I, I honor everyone who gives, and I
mean this Tanya, I mean this sincerely.

Andrew.

I say to folks, thank you
for, for trusting us as good

stewards with the money.

Andrew Bibb: absolutely.

John James: You know, people's hard earned
cash that they're giving isn't going

towards me buying my $95 million jet.

It's not, it's not going towards
me buying my six luxury home on

the beach somewhere in Florida.

Now, if you have a $95 million
jet, more power to you.

God bless you.

I'm just saying for, for our ministry.

I, I thank people for, for giving
and trusting Tanya and I as good

stewards with the money that the
funds are gonna actually be used.

For the Kingdom of God and for
reaching people, not, not to

furbish my lavish lifestyle.

Andrew Bibb: Right.

Right.

And I, and I can attest to that,
and it is so refreshing, John.

So, um, thank you so much for
the time that you spent here.

I know you were extremely busy.

I mean, we didn't even get to
talk about the possibility of

a movie, about your life coming

John James: I, I'll give you, I'll give
you a few more minutes on that then,

Andrew Bibb: Oh, do you?

Okay.

If it's up to you.

Would you like to dig

John James: yeah, I, that, that
is pretty, and again, you know,

the book, the music not that long
ago, it'll lasted, made you crazy.

You need to go to rehab.

Whatever you honest is, is bad.

You know, it's just, and,
and we're in talks now.

There's a bunch of amazing producers
and different people that, um, that

they've taken the book as the script
for the movie and are looking, um,

to do this, a feature movie of my
life and my testimony of redemption.

Uh, and the working title at the
moment is called Going Public.

Um, and so, but we'll see.

So we're in, we're in talks and the
logistics, uh, of maybe looking, um,

uh, I said to folks, joking, jokingly,
jokingly the other day, they said,

so if you are gonna make a movie,
who's gonna play you in the movie?

I said, wow, this is a
very interesting question.

I said, there's two people for the
younger John James, um, uh, uh, uh,

is it Chris Nosworthy that played Thor

Andrew Bibb: Oh, Chris Hemsworth.

Yes.

John James: Hansworth?

Sorry.

Yeah.

Who?

I said, oh, him and I look so much alike.

Andrew Bibb: Right.

John James: I said, I want him
to play younger me and for the

older me, I want Danny DeVito.

Andrew Bibb: There's a bit
of, bit of whiplash there.

John James: Yeah.

Come on mate.

Come on.

So, um, so we'll see.

And you know what, mate?

Tanya and I pray, we pray.

We pray constantly.

Lord, if this is something you want to
do with the movie, then breathe on it.

Have your way.

Because if it's something, whatever
reason you don't want to do, then let

it just fall to the ground and die.

And, and honestly,
that's, that's my heart.

It, it, it could be pretty amazing,
but I could walk away from it tomorrow.

Andrew Bibb: right.

John James: that's really where
I'm at, um, with all of this.

It's like with the mu, when
we did the album in my wildest

dreams, I never thought a lot,
Hey Lord, are you really in this?

And God just miraculous.

He just showed his hand
with the whole journey.

With the album, with the book.

I was like, Lord, are you
really in this, doing a book?

Is this, is this gonna come
off with the book publishing?

They really want?

And in hindsight now, wow.

Oh Lord.

Again, now with the movie, we're just
praying if this is something you're

wanting to do for your glory, and it's
not about championing John James and how

incredible John James, but may, God may,
if this is something what you are wanting

to do, would, would people see Christ
and would you be magnificently glorified?

And that, and that's our prayer
for the, for the potential

of the movie, uh, Andrew.

Andrew Bibb: And like we said
at the beginning, that that

message of hope is so needed.

So just, just for that, that
sake, I, I hope that, uh, I

know I'll be supporting you.

I hope our listeners will rally around
and support you, uh, and Tanya as

you move these projects forward and
get the, get the, the story up on

the silver screen for the sake of,
of reaching those who need to see it.

Um, but regardless of what happens
after, uh, you know, as I told you

before that you, I am someone who your
ministry has affected deeply, and I

just wanna say thank you for being
faithful and for the courage to tell

your story in multiple different venues.

And I look forward to seeing what
God has in store for you in 2026.

John James: Yeah.

Hey, let me ask you a
question before I go, mate.

What old news boys mate?

What was your favorite song?

Andrew Bibb: Oh my goodness.

Oh man.

We're gonna have to set
up a separate section.

I, I'm, I'm, I think I'm gonna say,
um, uh, breathe, breathe on me.

'cause, 'cause it starts out so heavy
and has that letter, but one of my

favorite ones that is kind of a deep
track, uh, truth and consequence, uh,

John James: look out.

Andrew Bibb: Post a child from
the Christian single sh like

me and my, my 2-year-old son.

Really?

We, we, we grew to that one.

Oh.

And he was running, he was running
around the house the other day singing.

You Are, you are the God
of the Second Chance.

So that

John James: Oh,

Andrew Bibb: an earworm as well.

John James: Yeah, that, that, that,
that one's becoming a real earworm.

And also the one, you've got to
remember that the desert, it is that

one, you know, track two on it, you

Andrew Bibb: Yeah.

John James: So, um, but I'll,
I'll, I'll have to send you,

um, I actually did a 12th song,
Andrew, that's not on the album.

And after the album was well and truly
finished and done, and every, uh, uh, last

year, a couple of months ago, I ended up
in the studio with a, uh, two other dear

friends of mine, and we cut a track in
Nashville and it hasn't been released yet.

It's its own idea.

And I, I, I'll, I, I might
send you a preview, um, of it.

Um, and the song's called Louder
and it's my redemptive song.

Andrew Bibb: Oh, beautiful.

John James: Yeah.

And it turned out awesome.

It's really, it was so much
fun doing it in the studio.

Uh, but the songs and I, I did post it
on a website about Louder coming, the new

track, dropping soon, the song louder.

Andrew Bibb: Fantastic.

See, I thought I had
already heard everything.

You leaving

John James: loud.

No, no.

This is a, and this song wasn't even on,
it didn't even exist when I did the album.

So this, this came like just a couple of
months ago and I ended up in the studio

with two other guys in Nashville and
we recorded this song called Louder.

Andrew Bibb: I am so excited.

That's great.

Is it, is it

John James: text, text me,
text me, uh uh, text us.

Uh, Tanya and I, you have
our contact phone, don't you?

Andrew Bibb: Yes, yes, I do.

John James: They text us and uh,
we'll, we'll, I'll shoot you the track.

You can listen to it.

Just don't post it yet.

'cause it's not

Andrew Bibb: no, no, no.

You're safe with me, my friend.

John James: I can't believe we're
talking about this live on the interview.

Everyone's gonna be like,
Hey wait, can I get it?

Andrew Bibb: It'll, it'll, everyone
will have access to it soon enough.

The important thing for them is to go
to your website, check out what you're

doing, follow you on social media, uh,
and, and let's check out this book.

'cause it gets you the album too.

Uh, and it's just an incredible story.

So, John, you have, you have been
way too generous with your time.

Thank you so much.

I reach usa.com,

uh, and it's gonna be amazing
to support you through 26, and I

encourage ev everyone here to do so.

So thank you so much.

John James: you, mate.

It's been great.

Have a brilliant day, my friend.

Andrew Bibb: You do the same, sir.

Thanks.

All right.

That was John James.

I reach usa.com

to follow up on what he's going on.

Got going on, uh, a lot, obviously.

Uh, let's bring you back
to empowering humility.

So what do we have going on?

First of all, please follow and sub
subscribe to this podcast as it helps

get our message out for, uh, and
really the, the whole idea is, is.

Human flourishing just at a
individual, at a societal level.

Uh, that's, that's the whole
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this company, for the app.

It's, it's just to help, help those
who, um, who are users on the other end

embrace their full potential, become
everything that they were created to be.

That's, that's the whole idea
behind this special announcement.

Uh, this year we have started.

What we're calling it, e
Humility group CrossFit workouts.

So our first group is the Noon Grit Team.

We, uh, we meet at noon, eastern step,
Eastern standard Time and all it is

is a 15 minute group, uh, reflection.

In the e Humility app.

So, uh, like a, like a little group
workout just to help us reset into

a place of humility and refocus on
what's good and what's worthwhile.

Uh, we do this on, um,
on just Google Meet.

Uh, and we spend like the first
five minutes we'll talk, give

a tip for how to use the app.

And the last 10 is just a group time
of reflection to reset, uh, and get

ready for the second half of the day.

So if you are interested in
getting, uh, plugged into that

email us at Sharon, S-H-A-R-O-N.

At empowering humility.com,

and we'll get you plugged right in.

Uh, and it, it, it'll be, it, it's a
great way to, um, to kind of cut your

day in half and have that reset time to,
to tackle the second half of the day.

Uh, thanks so much for joining us,
and we will see you again next month.