On this episode of State of Independence, Joe Watkin’s guest is Pastor Sean DeMars—the Pastor of 6th Avenue Community Church in Decatur, Alabama. He’s married and the father of two girls, but he says the best thing about him is that he belongs to Jesus.
In the introduction to his new book, “Health, Wealth, and the Real Gospel,” Sean describes what it was like before Jesus found him: “I was walking around with a gun in my pants. Or under the seat of my car. Or under my pillow at night. As a drug dealer, I needed a weapon close at hand at all times.” And then he was saved. But the path wasn’t easy—and in those initial years, he encountered a strange and intoxicating version of the Gospel that said with enough faith and hope, walking with Jesus would be easy. In his book, co-written with Mike McKinley, they tackle the idea presented on many TV programs and mega-church ministries- the prosperity Gospel. (original airdate 11-10-23)