Indiana Mad Ants star and G-League Rookie of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe joins the BAB Podcast to share his incredible story of the Goodness of Gods plan for your life.. We dive into Oscar's inspiring story, from his upbringing in the Democratic Republic of Congo to his rise in the NBA G League. Along the way, he shares the pivotal role that faith played in overcoming adversity and finding purpose. You won't want to miss this powerful testimony of resilience, self-belief, and the transformative power of spirituality.
The theme of family and faith shines brightly in this episode as we discuss the profound impact life lessons from his father and the faith of a mother's love. Oscar shares the emotional experience of reuniting with his mother after six long years of separation, reminding us of the importance of cherishing our loved ones.
Oscar shares his journey from starting on a high school JV team to becoming a standout player in the G League. His passion for rebounding isn't just a basketball strategy; it's a metaphor for his approach to life—bouncing back with even greater strength.
In our conversation with Oscar, we uncover the unexpected twist of fate that led him from soccer fields to basketball courts. Despite initial doubts, Oscar's dedication and unwavering faith propelled him towards his dreams of NBA success. Prepare to be inspired by Oscar's unwavering determination and the impact of holding onto one's dreams.
We also celebrate the vibrant basketball fan bases from West Virginia, to Kentucky, and Indiana that have embraced Oscar, reflecting on the values of respect, humility, and the ambassadorial role he plays in both life and sport. Join us as we draw inspiration from Oscar's legacy and encourage everyone to strive for greatness and leave an indelible mark on the world.
Indiana Mad Ants star and G-League Rookie of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe joins the BAB Podcast to share his incredible story of the Goodness of Gods plan for your life.. We dive into Oscar's inspiring story, from his upbringing in the Democratic Republic of Congo to his rise in the NBA G League. Along the way, he shares the pivotal role that faith played in overcoming adversity and finding purpose. You won't want to miss this powerful testimony of resilience, self-belief, and the transformative power of spirituality.
The theme of family and faith shines brightly in this episode as we discuss the profound impact life lessons from his father and the faith of a mother's love. Oscar shares the emotional experience of reuniting with his mother after six long years of separation, reminding us of the importance of cherishing our loved ones.
Oscar shares his journey from starting on a high school JV team to becoming a standout player in the G League. His passion for rebounding isn't just a basketball strategy; it's a metaphor for his approach to life—bouncing back with even greater strength.
In our conversation with Oscar, we uncover the unexpected twist of fate that led him from soccer fields to basketball courts. Despite initial doubts, Oscar's dedication and unwavering faith propelled him towards his dreams of NBA success. Prepare to be inspired by Oscar's unwavering determination and the impact of holding onto one's dreams.
We also celebrate the vibrant basketball fan bases from West Virginia, to Kentucky, and Indiana that have embraced Oscar, reflecting on the values of respect, humility, and the ambassadorial role he plays in both life and sport. Join us as we draw inspiration from Oscar's legacy and encourage everyone to strive for greatness and leave an indelible mark on the world.
I came in the G League with a different mentality. I said let me be the greatest, Let me bring the name of God higher, Let me give glory to the name of God by working harder, by giving glory to God and by praising God, sharing the word of God with my teammates, give them with the Bible, invite them to my Bible, study all those things. And God did something great.
Speaker 2:Hello everyone. This is Coach Tim Brown, and I'm the host of a field-balling podcast where we talk about building a lifelong legacy. And today we're blessed to have Oscar Seaway with us, who's building a legacy in not just basketball, but also a solid man of faith, who's a man of encouragement, encouraging others. His career is storied. Already he was a G League Rookie of the Year.
Speaker 2:This year he made the all-G League team and the Pacers the parent team is in the playoffs, so it's an exciting time to be in Indiana, but Oscar is more than just about basketball. His story is one that I'm sure that they always will enjoy hearing his faith testimony as well. So, oscar, welcome to the show.
Speaker 1:Thank you, thank you, thank you for inviting me. I'm excited, I'm excited.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you grew up in the Democrat Republic of Congo. Can you talk about your dad? And I know he was a pastor Can you talk about some of those lessons you learned from your father?
Speaker 1:The one most lessons I have learned from my father was number one is just in everything you do, don't forget to put God first in everything you do. And number two it was about you got to be the hardest work. Even you find yourself in a group when you're working with a lot of people. You got to work hard to be the one who really wants the most and grace will take care of itself. Loving people, do good by people and be kind, smile all the time, and God loves those people and good things always happen to them.
Speaker 2:It was a tragedy. I know your father passed early. Can you talk about that? And, most importantly, how did your faith get you through that? I know your father was a pastor. How did you get through that experience?
Speaker 1:It was very tough for me.
Speaker 1:I kind of fed away from faith and believing in God. I grew up on a very difficult life. My parents, they didn't have anything. There was a time when we struggled with food. We did not know growing up about bank account, about money. My dad used to go trying to find anything to work to make daily supplies, but sometimes they would go and come back with no food and for me I did not understand. But he was so made it through the Word of God to walk to serve in the church In our house.
Speaker 1:If you miss the church you're probably not going to eat maybe in three or four days. In my house there were two things my daddy put a priority church, god first, and school. Those things you miss in my house. You won't be in big trouble To see how my dad he was very, very submissive to the Word of God and follow God and do everything in the church, never miss a church. But I see the life we were living. We were really struggling. No money sometimes no money to pay for rent and everything in my house. They struggled. And when I see my dad pass away and I see how good is this God, my dad is always pushing us to go to him. If he allowed all these crazy things to happen, I don't think that he's God. So I stayed thinking that he passed away. I stayed not believing a little bit. My faith go away a little bit because I did not believe. Because he left us in real, real trouble. My mom could not really afford it for our school. We had to stay home. She has to bring his teacher to teach us at home to help us so we can catch up with our friends. My mom she could not pay rent Us. As a kid we had to go do a lot of different things to help my brother work, work and try to help my mom. Life was difficult and I believe in hard work. I did not believe that was God who can really help us. If God loves you, my daddy did everything for him. Why are we struggling? Why are you taking my dad?
Speaker 1:At that age, at 55 years old, I started believing in hard work. But, the goodness of the Lord, I decided to come to America. I did not decide. God opened the way. Even I did not decide. God opened the way. Even I didn't believe in him very much. I was still praying because my mom pushed me and still I had a sense there was God. But because I was angry, I was mad because of what happened and I came to America. My goal, my dream, was to walk out of the holy time before even I came to America. I, my goal and my dream was to walk out of the holy time Before I came to America.
Speaker 1:I remember the voice of my daddy used to tell me regardless of what is happening in your life, don't ever go away from God. Always stay to God, because if you go away from God now, your soul is going to be starved. You're going to starve your soul. You're going to starve. You're going to starve your soul. Now you're going to try to do things that you should not do, to try to saltify your soul, to try to make your soul happy, but your soul will never be happy, your soul never. For your soul, your spirit, to be happy has to be connected to the source. The source is God. When I came to America, I said no, I'll just work hard and be good at that, like making money. Be around good people, good friends who will make you happy. Probably drinking, having fun, he will make you happy.
Speaker 1:And I came here. Those things make my life more worse than ever before and I just I did not know how life could be. I was thinking of killing myself at some point. But I look back I say if I kill myself, that's selfish. My mom, my brothers and sister look at them. They need me, they need me. I can't do that, so let me just keep pushing.
Speaker 1:But one day I saw my dad in a dream. He came in my dream and visited me and he told me why are you destroying yourself? Why are you worrying too much? You should open this book, give me a book. I did not know what the book was. And to my dream. And I wake up the next day in the morning. I open the glass. I find one of my holy teachers in high school. He says Oscar, I see you're going to Misebo. You're going to a lot of different things. Do you like to read the Bible? I said, yes, I used to read the Bible when my daddy was alive, but since my dad passed away I don't really read again. I don't like the Bible. And he said are you interested? I've got a Bible for you.
Speaker 3:I said I will take it After.
Speaker 1:Are you interested? I've got a Bible for you. I said I will take it. After I saw the dream, my daddy gave me a book at night and the next day the teacher gave me a Bible. I was so miserable because my friend told me I would never be able to make it in America because I could not speak English. I came to America at the age of 15, no, english can't read. Now I had to catch up with so many things in English. Life was miserable. And now I had a dream to play basketball and a high major in college basketball in Kentucky. Everybody told me you will never be able to get there. Life was difficult. I even told people I want to go to this place, I want to go to the NBA. The way they were talking was so bad. They're going to tell you like you will never be able to get there. So, my friend, but one day I decided to open that book after like, probably like after six, seven years, never opened Bible.
Speaker 1:I opened the Bible and I opened it in the book of Matthew 6, 33. I just opened it.
Speaker 2:There it is.
Speaker 1:Yes, I opened it. I said let me open this Bible. After one week they gave it to me. I put it in my bed. I never opened it. And I opened that Bible that day. God was speaking to me and the book is saying seek ye first the kingdom of God above everything in his righteousness, and everything shall be added into your life. I was like this is what the Bible says. But I closed again. I opened again. God keeps speaking to me. It was in the book of Luke. I looked at the chapter. It said anything is possible to those who believe in God and I was like, if this world is saying this and people are telling me this, so who should I go with? Because I feel like if I go with the people I will kill myself because the thing they are saying is not helpful. It is a thing to kill my dream. But let me go back and trust God. You remember what my daddy used to say let me trust God a little bit, yeah a little bit.
Speaker 1:I will trust God. Little bit, yeah, a little bit. I won't trust God. I call my mom. The Bible told me to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness. How do you seek the kingdom of God and the righteousness of God? My mom started reminding me of something my daddy used to say and I say now, instead, go with the people, I will go with God, god, and to see if this thing is true. If this thing is not true, then God is a liar and I will never believe him again. And I say I will choose everything. From now on to the end of my life. I will be the hardest worker and I will trust and I believe in God. I will seek the kingdom of God and I will do everything God requires to see what God is going to do, if he's going to give me everything he promised and he's going to give.
Speaker 1:In that moment my life changed and I became the hardest worker I become. Now I start taking only what is good from people. What is negative, I say no, the scripture did not demand that. Take that away from me. And now I start pursuing, and now I write my dream down I will be this person. I will be this person. I will be this person. I will be this person Because the scriptures say anything is possible.
Speaker 1:So all these things people used to say would never come to pass. But by the power hand of God, the power of the heart of God, the power of the heart of God and by seeking his kingdom, I did accomplish all those things and I wanted to become an NBA player. Right now I'm an. I'm an NBA. I'm in two ways. Sooner, my son be contract with any team. But that's where my my things come to, because I start by trusting God and I try to prove God. If he's right, you always going to find he's right as you follow what he wants you to do. That's kind of thing right there. I love the show.
Speaker 2:You're on here preaching. I ain't going to pass the plate.
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Speaker 2:we know your trust has definitely been in God. I know you started out as a soccer player, yes. Then you got pretty tall. You went to a basketball camp by an NBA player Bismarck. How did that basketball bug get you? How did you really get excited about that little round ball?
Speaker 1:How do you know? I grew up me personally I grew up away from the city. You're always far away, so to be close to the basketball court you gotta travel far to go to the city. So after my dad passed away, my mom family decided to move my mom to the city where they were. That's what gave me a little bit of opportunity now to be close to the basketball court. So I was still playing soccer.
Speaker 1:I was playing soccer and one day one of my brother's friends said no, oscar, you're getting tall as a kid. These past three years you have gotten so tall. Instead, continue to play soccer. I think basketball is going to be good for you. I said no, I don't like basketball. And he forced me one day to go there and play basketball. The coach gave me basketball and he told me to go dribble, go up and down, go with the right hand and come back with the left. I said what kind of game is this? And he came to me later on and said close your eyes while you're dribbling. I said what kind of sport is this to play dribble without looking. What kind of sport is this? I ran. I did not like that and after that I decided I told my mom. I said told my brother's friend, I don't want to play basketball again. He again he stopped me, said no, oscar. The coach told me you ran yesterday but today I want you to come with me and I want you to play basketball. Man, I said I don't like basketball. He forced me for the second time. The third time again he said today I'm going to stay for the practice to watch you. If you don't like it, I will never bother you again. And after that I went home and my mom said mom, I don't want to play basketball again. My mom said alright, I'll tell your brother's friend, but soon.
Speaker 1:I was watching sports news on TV and I see that Mike Biongo was coming in Congobo was coming in Congo. He was coming in Congo to do a basketball game, to give chance to the kids who play basketball. And I looked at the news. They say if you have a tall kid, send them to this Mike Bionbo game. They might have a chance. And I went outside, told my mom. I said don't tell my brother about me not going back. I'm going back. Tomorrow I'm start training.
Speaker 1:Two months later I went to Bismarck Bionbo camp. I was not good, but they saw potential in me. I had potential because that way I walk and all these things, and they helped me to come here. That's where my dream started from there, when I was coming from with the Bismarck Bionbo camp, I had a dream. I had a dream. I said I want to go and play basketball. Actually, when I get to America and I see how bad I was, I couldn't even they put me in the JV team. I didn't even know what I was doing. They say I came to America I thought I was going to be one year, two years in the NBA.
Speaker 1:But again in high school there's a varsity team and JV team To look at varsity to see how they play. They are so talented and good. Me, compared to them, not even close. They put me as a sophomore. They put me in the JV team. You know the second team in high school, never good. I was in there. I did not care where I was. I knew. I still have the dream in the back of my head. I will be in the NBA.
Speaker 1:It doesn't matter where you are, as long as you got time in your mind and you trust God. God can make anything possible. That's where my dream started and I prayed in JV for one year and another year I prayed a little bit after in JV and my dream started there. I never let anything discourage me. I get to the point when in my life now I had so many friends who were negative and I choose to become my own motivation speaker, speaking good to myself every single time. Push myself every single time with the Word of God, because the Bible says if you have no hope, then there's nothing to hope for. But if you know the Word of God, then you know that he's hope. That's why I knew I had hope and I knew God said everything is possible. That's why I came to stand up believing it and to try to prove God wrong. God said you know I'll prove me wrong. As long as you do what I say, you're going to get everything I told you you're going to get. That's where my dream is started.
Speaker 2:Amen, amen. So listen to you. I'm just looking at your face and the Bible talks about how the joy of the Lord is our strength, amen. I'm looking at you and I just I know where your strength comes from. You know from that joy of the Lord.
Speaker 3:Now you also?
Speaker 2:got the strongest hands in the NBA. I do.
Speaker 1:I got a big hand. It is a blessing from the Lord. It is.
Speaker 2:You had some games where I know you led the league in rebounding and all that. What is it about? What do you love so much about rebounding?
Speaker 1:It is to help your team to win a game. The rebound I did not know. I came to high school my third year in high school, because I spent four years in high school. I was in a bad team. It was hard for us to win and I did not know how I can help. I was not scared. I was new in basketball. I did not know what else I can do, so I found out one. I was new in basketball, I did not know what else I can do, so I found out one thing that I could do and help the team. I discovered if I want to help this team to win, go get every missing ball.
Speaker 1:Either kick back or either finish. That's how we're going to get a point. You've got to fight. You've got to fight. If I do that work so good and my team in my hand, I'll get a victory at the end. I know we were not very good, but I'm able to help this team. I've got to walk down and grab every basketball. I tune up my team to start becoming good because of basketball. I discovered that I had the greatest skills you can have to help your team win basketball. And I said why can't I take this to another level? I started looking at the NBA too. They always say the boldest man always gets paid. Somebody who rebounds always gets paid. And I said I got that gift and one day I can help team to win. That's where it started and I started fighting and my said I got that gift and one day I can help him to win. That's when it started and I started fighting and my name started coming up.
Speaker 1:Because the gift of the river is not easy. If it was easy, everybody would do it. It requires hard work. It requires hard work. You can see. You got to prepare yourself. I'm going to train me to run before game to get my moral high before even I go. It yourself, I'm going to trim and run before game to get my moral high before even I go. It is a gift from God.
Speaker 1:And another thing is when I do, I decide. In everything I do, the scriptures say in everything you do, do it for the glory of God. When you do something for God, you're not just going to do high, fast, you're going to do it with all your heart and it's God who's going to pay you. When I came to the G League I started even in college I was doing everything like I was playing the game like it's my final. Every game I play, I play like it's for me. I will not be able to play again. So if I get a chance to kill, I got to kill it today. That's why I came in the G League with a different mentality. I said let me be the greatest, let me bring the name of God higher, let me give glory to the name of God by working harder, by giving glory to God and by praising God, sharing the word of God with my teammates, give them with the Bible, invite them to my Bible, study all those things. And God did something great.
Speaker 2:He's doing something great in you, for sure, and he gets all the glory. He gets all the glory. And you said, I think, in Jeremiah 29, 11, say God has a plan for you, a future and a hope. Even during those times when, going through with your dad, god still had a plan.
Speaker 3:And in the future you're in a hope.
Speaker 2:We just got to stay in his will, doing his will.
Speaker 1:We do that thing, stay in his will. I love that. And God, he does have good plans. There's a scripture again say in man's heart make plans and God direct their steps. I like that. You know all these things I had in my mind, all these things I had in my mind, that's the thing used to push me to go for something. Sometimes you have to set something in your head. You have to come in with the plans in paper and put them. They say god, this is what I'm trying to do in my life. And if, if that's not what god wants you to do, he can review something good. But if it's good plans you make and god, he says good and God will support you. But if you have no plans, you have nothing you can fight for. You got to start making plans.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think, because we're in this conversation, a couple scriptures pop out in my mind. One is hide these words in your heart that you might not sin against God, and what I'm hearing you saying. There were so many words that's hidden in your heart. They're hidden in the heart, but they come up at the right time. Amen. They come at the right time. I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength. They just come up at the right time. You know, greater is he that's in me than he that's in the world.
Speaker 1:The Spirit of God dwells in me by faith, not by sight. There's all those things. It is important to study the Word of God. The Word of God is a weapon. Yes, satan. He attacks us the way he attacks us. He attacks our mind. And the greatest weapon to attack against Satan is the Word of God. If the Word of God is not in you, what are you going to respond against? Satan is the will of God. If the will of God is not in you, what are you going to respond to Satan? Satan does not care about what your response is. He only cares if you come out with the will of God. That's why it's always good to study and get to know the promise of God, get to know what God has said about you, get to know what God is saying. If you don't know that.
Speaker 1:Our generation today is really, really struggling. I look at many people. We struggle for peace. We struggle for many things. This generation has become more disrespectful to the elders, not listening to anybody. But my prayer is that God reveals truth to truth, to truth to the young people, because God loves the youngest and you want to work with them. God can do miracles, wonderful things, to all of us. If we really obey God, we're not really obeying God to many people.
Speaker 2:You know, you have a true servant's heart. I know when you first got into the NIL space or whatnot, that you brought your mother a five-bedroom house and then you also established a charitable foundation for the benefit of children. Can you talk about that foundation? You started to help benefit children in your homeland. Why was that so important to you?
Speaker 1:It is very important. My heart it is on all these children. I travel around the world a lot of different places. I see how many struggle all these kids are going through. Right now we are really struggling with my foundation because to release in America but in Congo is working.
Speaker 1:There's many things is working in Congo and here we're trying to work so we can finish up, but my heart working in congo and here we're trying to work so we can, we can finish up, but my heart is in congo and I really want to help a lot of kids around the world, those who are being rejected, my family. I just want to help them and I'll take care of the if god give me opportunity and chance. Take care of those. I want to build something. You can just host all these people orphanage, help the people trying to be able, with God willing, believe in school and host all these kids. Take care of all the people because of they took care of us when we were younger, so we need to not just let them live like that. We've got to protect them too, right.
Speaker 2:Amen. You know you've been talking about your mother quite a bit here and I can't leave her out of this conversation. Talk to us about mom. I know mom is special to your heart.
Speaker 1:Mom is everything I'm going to tell everybody. Take care of your mom. Take care of your mom. Thank God. You've seen your mom and dad and everybody.
Speaker 1:For me, I did, in America, six years without seeing my mom. I was in very, very trouble. I was in very pain. Six years without seeing my mom. Even I was talking to her on FaceTime. It's different, but I was praying, like one day. They asked me, asked me, what do you want for Christmas? I said I want a hug From who? I said from my mom. That's all I want. And everybody started crying Take it off your mom. If your mom is there, your dad is there. Take it off them. Today. I wish my daddy was here. He could see all these successes going on in my life. He could be proud of me. But I know he's seen all these things. But those who are parents, my advice is to take it off parents. Thank God for them. Thank God, tell God to protect them, because one day for us who are missing my dad but thank God, my mom is there and I pray for my mom every day so God will continue to protect my mom because they bring joy and happiness to our life.
Speaker 2:How was that? After six years? Describe that moment when you saw your mom for the first time face to face After six years. Describe that moment when you saw your mom for the first time Face to face after six years, able to get that hug. How was that moment for you?
Speaker 1:It was the tears. It was the tears Get to see my mom after six years. I could not believe it. I was in America. My friend is celebrating Christmas, mother's Day. You see posting the mom. They enjoy time with their mom. But me over here I'm just struggling and I did hate my life at some point. What is this life, six, seven years without seeing my family? But that moment it was the best moment to see my mom. I was on tears and I just said I thank God, I'm praying like one day my mom, she can just live with me forever, wherever I'll be.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know you've been blessed to be in some great cities and programs who love basketball, love basketball. Can you talk about those? Kentucky, those West Virginia fans, Kentucky fans, and now you're in Indiana? Talk about that, those fan bases.
Speaker 1:I thank God for all these places I have been, starting with West Virginia. Those people show me love, show me many great things. My big blue nation those people are the best for life. I already told them I'm coming back by farm and we're going to live there forever. Indiana, right now, having a great time. Everywhere I go, people now start recognizing me. I'm just so blessed and I cannot take all those things for granted. I will give thanks to God because of this blessing. You cannot just think like you will be there all the time. You got to take advantage of it and you got to thank God and you got to use everything God is doing for your life.
Speaker 2:We come around the corner and wrap up. People describe you, oscar, as being very respectful, being humble and being an ambassador for the game for your family. How would you personally describe Oscar C Big O? How would you describe the Big O?
Speaker 1:They call me a gentle giant yeah, gentle giant, I would say I don't know how I can describe myself. I'm a lovable person. I love people so much and I do care. I describe myself as a lovable person. I just love people so much and I care. It breaks my heart to see people struggling and people going through a lot. I do take care of a lot of people. It doesn't matter who you are, just help. But I help those who seem like they are in real, real trouble. Some of the people they act like they're in trouble but they are not. They put themselves in that situation.
Speaker 1:But I'm just a lovable person and I want the best for every human being. I don't work hard only for myself. I work hard for everybody who God has put in my life, around me, to motivate them, help them, help share with them. Whatever I have, that's what I work hard for and I'm just a lovable person. I love everything about human beings. I thank God for the job he has done. He did amazing. My love for people is just big. I don't know. I just love people a lot and it doesn't matter if you hate me. I will still love you and I will still pray for you so you can love me back to one day.
Speaker 2:God loved us so much that he sent his son Jesus down that cross for us here, and that we may have this life, and have it more abundantly.
Speaker 1:You know as a prayer book.
Speaker 2:Oscar, I want you to give a word of encouragement to someone, to some child that's out here, some family that's listening to this. Give them a word of encouragement because I know you can relate to some of the things that they're probably going through. You know some of the struggles they're going through. Can you give them a word of encouragement?
Speaker 1:The word I'd probably say. You know you always got to be strong. Life is a fight and sometimes the thing you are willing to get you probably expect to come sooner, might take years, might take a decade. You never know when you'll come. Number one thing in life you got to be patient. You have to be patient in everything you do. Speak to yourself and say it will come to pass. Even if it takes 10 years, 20 years, believe it will come to pass.
Speaker 1:Don't receive all these pressures from people. Another thing is you've got to have the courage. You have to have so much courage. Number one thing you've got to put in your life and it can help you so much is to study the world of God. The world of God gives you more.
Speaker 1:This Bible, the Bible we have I have a Bible over there the Bible has so many words that it can keep you up, strong and motivate you and accomplish your dream and goal. And you're going to take care of family, mom, dad, brothers and sisters, people around you. You got to have the courage. You got to develop your faith, put your faith in God, have the hope. Only the Bible world is the world that will give you hope. We can trust so many people around us to help us. Of course God has put so many people around us to help us. Another thing too the devil has put so many people around us to destroy us too.
Speaker 1:So you cannot just listen to everybody and you think they are good for you. You've got to have the courage. You've got to speak good to yourself. Don't say negative stuff to yourself. It doesn't matter. You try things. Things don't work out, that's okay. Give you opportunity to restart again. And you all got to bring those things to God and say God, I don't know what I'm doing.
Speaker 1:Don't make a decision without praying. Always pray. Surrender yourself to God. Surrender yourself with the people who want to help you. Be like Jesus. He chooses friends who are going to help you to get to his destiny. Don't just be hanging out with anybody. The purpose of friends, the purpose of friends in our life, is the people. Who's a friend? A friend is someone who's willing and committed to help you to reach your destiny. If anybody who's not willing and committed to help you to reach your destiny is not your friend, he's become an enemy who's trying to take you from your path. That's why Jesus chooses people who he knew they're going to be taking him until to the destination. The same way with us.
Speaker 1:You cannot just hang out with anybody. There's some other people coming into your life not to help you, but to destroy your life and your destiny. There's some other people coming. They are there. They don't know what you're going through. People are to destroy your life and your destiny. Some other people are coming day after day. They're going to be in your back and push you. That's why you got to make the right choices.
Speaker 1:The world we live in today there's so much distraction. I discovered the greatest weapon of Satan is distraction. If you're distracted, he knows you're not going to focus and you dream your goal, and so you got to be careful. Sometimes, if you want good things in your life, you got to give up on many things. You just got to stay focused, disciplined and trust God. Surrender yourself with the people who are going to help you. Don't just hang out with anybody, because not everybody is good. Even the Bible says you say everything is good, but not every good thing is good for you. That's my advice for the younger people.
Speaker 1:The will of God is the key to success, to life. It's the will of God. Without the will of God, there's no life. Number two you've got to have the courage. You've got to motivate yourself. Surround yourself with the people who are going to push you to get better, not for the people who pull you down. And be the hardest worker. Be the hardest worker. Don't always listen to your body, how your body feels. Your body is the body that always wants to lay down, don't want to do anything, but you got to speak to your body. We got to get this done. That's my advice, oscar.
Speaker 2:I appreciate this time man. This has been a joy, a joy, a joy man. I've been truly looking forward to this. And you haven't disappointed me, brother. This has been great.
Speaker 2:Thank you for inviting me here I want to thank you for sharing honestly and I want to encourage you for sharing honestly and I want to encourage you. You know, being a young man, you truly have an old soul. You truly have an old soul, which is wonderful because you can speak to not just young people, but you can encourage older as well. It's truly a gift from God. You have a true gift of encouragement for everybody, for everyone, and so I thank you for your time of being on the show. So I want to thank you all for listening to the Be A Baller podcast. We have a special guest, Oscar Seaway, and I want to encourage you all to be encouraged to have that courage that Oscar talked about, but, most importantly, trust God and stay in God's word. Stay in God's word. The Bible says this don't give way in well-doing.
Speaker 2:You'll reap a harvest in due season if you don't faint. So stay in that word, stay in that word, don't give up, and God will truly honor you, honor and bless you as well, oscar. So thanks again for being a part of the show today, and I want to remind everyone to continue to be a baller, continue to build a lifelong legacy. Thanks, oscar. You too, go legacy. Thanks, oscar, you're all right.
Speaker 3:Go go, pacers. If you enjoyed our show, please share this podcast with family and friends. Be a baller podcast is available on all major podcast stations. Be sure to come back next week as we continue to discuss on how to build a lifelong legacy. Until then, don't forget to be a baller. This podcast was created by coach Tim Brown and produced and edited by the video production class of Worthington Christian High School.