Today on the Evangelism Podcast, we are honored to welcome a man whose life and ministry were born out of a powerful encounter with the reckless love of God. Over a decade ago, Shane Graham and his wife Susan experienced the transforming grace of Jesus in the middle of brokenness and searching, and that encounter ignited a calling that has taken them into motels, streets, and forgotten corners of their cities to bring hope where it’s needed most. As founders of Reckless Love Outreach, Shane carries a burning passion to be the hands and feet of Jesus, serving with surrendered hearts and demonstrating God’s love in practical, powerful ways. Get ready for a conversation that will stir your faith, challenge your comfort zone, and inspire you to step into the harvest fields right where you are.
Learn more about Shane Graham: https://www.recklessloveoutreach.com/
Transcript:
Evangelist Daniel King (00:01):
Welcome to the Evangelism Podcast. I’m Daniel King. I’m excited about telling people about Jesus. Today I have a very special guest with me, Shane Graham from Reckless Love. Thank you for being on the Evangelism podcast.
Shane Graham (00:15):
Oh, thanks for having me, Daniel. It’s an honor.
Evangelist Daniel King (00:17):
All right. Let’s start out with your testimony. The name of your ministry is Reckless Love, and you have encountered God’s love in a powerful way in your life. What did Jesus do for you?
Shane Graham (00:30):
Well, I didn’t really grow up in a Christian home or anything like that. I guess my understanding of Christianity would have been kind of a Christure, Christmas and Easter. And both my brother and my dad at one point got sober in AA, so that was kind of my understanding of God. I grew up in an area that was kind of more of a Baptist understanding of things or culturally Baptist. So I knew that Jesus was out there and that you needed a relationship with him, but I didn’t see too much a reflection of that in my area. So I got into drugs when I was really young, around 12 or so. And it progressed pretty fast into high school. And then I did go into the military for a few years, but whenever I was in towards the end of my career, drugs kind of got ahold of me.
(01:26):
And while I was discharged under honorable conditions, as a result of addictions, I was separated from the military. And then after that, just kind of went downhill. I would go to rehabs and I would go to jail and things like that, got locked up, started getting in trouble for it. And when I would go to jail, they would have preachers come in and I would go down there and I would listen to them. And I liked it, but it never really touched my heart. And a lot of times I just went because it was the only way I could get out of myself. But I read the Bible a bunch because oftentimes it was the only book that was available to read and I liked to read. So I had all of that and I wanted to do different, but each time I’d get out of jail, I’d go back and to the same people, places and things and end up doing that.
(02:17):
During that process, I ended up getting married to somebody that was also in the addictive lifestyle. We both met in that and we started running together, still the same way, lots of addiction and betrayal and in and out of jail. And that all culminated with … I was on my fourth felony drug charge and I violated my parole and went to a place in South Louisiana. And I did much of the same that I’d always done. I would grab spiritual books and would read the Bible. And I wanted it out and I thought that I was missing something maybe and I wasn’t working steps correctly or I couldn’t really, really get it. I didn’t really want to do what I was doing, but I had always done it and I was just kind of a slave to that lifestyle. So I was in this place and I was doing what I’d always done, trying to find to work and things like that, and reading the Bible and doing like ANNA.
(03:26):
And I just couldn’t figure out what it was. I didn’t want to do what I was doing anymore, but I didn’t really know how to change. I knew that God was the answer. They talked about that in various different places. And I knew that I needed God, but I didn’t know how to get there. I thought I had to work a bunch of steps or I had to do these things to reach that. I’d never had a really good … Maybe I’d never really had the gospel presented to me in a way that I can remember that I really understood it. So I began to read the Bible and I was reading into Proverbs and I was reading stuff and I was just … I really wanted something different. Drugs would come through this facility and I would end up doing them, but each time I’d feel a little bit worse than before and just really started thinking, “I really need to change.” And then as I was reading through it, I began to think about God and I was not sure how that worked.
(04:35):
I didn’t know if I needed to … I was asking Jesus in my heart, I was like, “Jesus, forgive me my sins.” I didn’t know if I needed to repeat all of them. And at that point I’d had so many, I had no idea, but I had kind of an understanding and I was trying. And then one day I said, “You know what, God, if you want my life, you take it. ” And in that moment, he met me right where I was. I went out on a pavilion type and I remember looking out and I’d heard a lot of voices in my head because I was on a lot of drugs, so I was crazy and that. And I just remember all those voices stopped and there was just one. And I remember hearing that voice say, “What do you see out there?” And I said, “Well, I see a telephone pole and no, no, no, no, no.
(05:23):
What do you see out there?” I said, “Well, I see a telephone pole. It’s got numbers on it. ” And then it goes, “No, no, no. What do you see out there?” And I looked up at the top of it and I said, “I see a cross. I saw across the top.” And he said, “Yeah, you got it. ” And in that moment, he slammed me with the Holy Spirit. I heard it in my head to speak in tongues. I didn’t do that at that time, but I knew the empowerment was there. And I just began to walk around that facility and just had the most euphoric feeling. I knew I was forgiven and I knew instinctively, because this guy came up and he was like, “Dude, what are you on? ” And I was like, “Nothing.” And I remember that scripture out of Acts where he asked him, “Are these guys drunk?” And he said, “They’re not drunk as you suppose.” And I remember that scripture and knew I was having this kind of encounter that those guys and acts had.
(06:18):
So it was just kind of in all of that, wandering around. Then all of a sudden I had a headset and a MP3 player and I switched it with somebody else and it had a AMFM and I tuned it in and it would only tune to one station. And on that station, I heard a voice and I knew it was God the Father and gave me the gospel from Genesis to Jesus and told me two things. He said, “Come boldly to my throne and ask for your heart’s desire.” And the second one was to help my children trapped in sin.
Evangelist Daniel King (06:52):
What a tremendous testimony. And now you’re taking God’s reckless love to other people and God’s put you in a place where you’re helping to set people free from addiction, many of the same things that you struggled with, now you’re able to help others. Tell me a little bit about that and do you have any testimonies of what God is doing to set people free from addiction?
Shane Graham (07:17):
Sure. Well, professionally, I work in the mental health arena and I do what’s called peer recovery support and case management. So I work with a lot of people that are in sober living. Many of them, well, all of them would have been inaddiction coming out of it. They’re coming out of incarceration or they’re coming from the streets to these places to housing, try to get things together. And in that, whenever I do an introduction with them, the places that I’m employed with are, I’m able to share the gospel, I’m able to share my story and share encouragement and share some of the things or pitfalls that I had along the way, this side of the cross, and help them with resources and things like that. But also, we go to the motels, some of the more rugged rotels, the drug motels in Tulsa in some of the batter areas, and we outreach with food and groceries, and then from that, we present the gospel and pray for people, and then give them opportunity to give the opportunity to follow up with them.
Evangelist Daniel King (08:35):
Yeah. I’ve done some ministry at some of those hotels here in Tulsa, and people can get a hotel room super cheap, and sometimes they knock on the door and they open it, and you can smell all the drugs and everything they’ve been smoking just come out, and they’re just out of it. But you’re going there, you’re ministering to people. So if someone is struggling with addiction to drugs, or alcohol, or some other area in their lives, what are some of the keys to helping people to overcome the addiction? What do you say to them?
Shane Graham (09:11):
Wow. I think that the gospel is the answer. There’s programs that are available, that are good, what I would call good soil or grounds, or a good place where somebody can grow and develop theirself in the faith. And maybe, and even through my own story of addiction of a place that wasn’t even a God place, I found God, but I think that the gospel, that we’re lost without him, that we have to have him. But whenever I was introduced him, I had an understanding. I knew if there was a hell, I was probably going to it, but the encounter that I had, I never had anybody communicate to me just really how much he loves me and how much the contrast was between being eternally separated and being a son or a daughter in Christ. I think that identity is the biggest thing with helping people too, but just presence, just being there and following up with somebody, because these are the most broken and the most lost people, most people don’t want to touch them or be involved with them or do the dirty work of following up with them with resources.
(10:41):
So we have people that we get IDs for, and this is the … And we had people break down in tears going that they have an ID, they have an identity, and they can begin to do this. So speaking life into not necessarily who they are, because they all know that they’re addicted and broken, but they’re talking to them about their potential and their identity in Christ and how much God loves them, that’s transformational. And then the practical stuff is also helpful too, and developing those resources is really what I think.
Evangelist Daniel King (11:22):
Well, God’s given you a tremendous ministry. It’s so important to help people get free from addiction. And I think one of the most powerful aspects of your ministry is your personal testimony. God has taken you from being addicted, being incarcerated, to now you walk in freedom and God’s hand is on you. Now, you’ve also been going to downtown Tulsa and preaching the gospel. You’ve got a little sound system in your car. You go set it up. Tell me what you’ve experienced going downtown.
Shane Graham (11:57):
Well, that’s been a journey for me. I’m not … It’s part of my identity in God, but before that, very, very shy, quiet, very, very much introverted. So going into those settings, whenever God asked me to do it the first time, I was absolutely terrified, but did it anyway. And I found that even down there at the bars and things, some people can be … It’s more, they’re not maybe necessarily ready for change, and some of them can be aggressive, but a lot of people are encouraging as well and helpful. So I just got the little sound system online and stepped out in faith and got off work one day and got on a corner and just palm sweating and just a little message just-
Evangelist Daniel King (13:00):
All right. Let’s pretend that you’re in downtown Tulsa.
Shane Graham (13:04):
Okay.
Evangelist Daniel King (13:05):
You’re standing right out in front of a bar, you’re on a corner, there’s people walking by, you have your sound system, and you’re preaching. They’re walking by, you only have a minute or two minutes for them to hear the message. I want you to pretend like you’re preaching and give us what you’re going to say to those people.
Shane Graham (13:25):
That’s kind of on the spot because I usually … I don’t know. I usually have help with my phone and I have a couple of little short messages prepared off that and I read off of that.
Evangelist Daniel King (13:37):
So you’re just reading your message off your phone?
Shane Graham (13:39):
Yeah. A lot of times.
Evangelist Daniel King (13:40):
And what are some of the contents of the message? What do you say?
Shane Graham (13:44):
Yeah. Most of them would be that … I used to think that maybe I could … There’d always be a later time that maybe that I could get saved or do that or that I would change tomorrow or that tomorrow would be a better day.
Evangelist Daniel King (14:06):
There’s no time like right now, so go ahead. Pull out your phone. Let’s get one of these messages. Let’s queue it up. I didn’t give them any warning. We’re just here. We’re having fun and I want to hear one of these messages that God has given you that you preach out there on the street. And I think it’s really interesting that you’re reading from your phone because sometimes people are nervous. They get out in front of others. They don’t know what to say, but it’s easy enough that if you just have a little script that can give you the boldness to get started and preach the gospel, and God can use anything that you’re willing to give him. And so even by using a little script, reading it off, preaching through the microphone, God can even use that. All right. You got one queued up?
(14:56):
All right. Give it to us. Here we go.
Shane Graham (14:58):
There was a time I thought I was in control, that I could make my own way, live how I wanted, and deal with God later. But later almost never comes. Sin deceives us into thinking we’re fine, while it’s quietly cutting us off from the very God who gives us breath. I learned the hard truth. Sin doesn’t just break your life. It separates you from God forever. That’s what hell really is, eternal separation from the presence and goodness of God. It’s not just fire and torment, it’s the tragic reality of being cut off from the one who loves you most, but God didn’t want that for me or for you. That’s why Jesus came. He took my punishment on the cross so I could receive mercy. He gave me his life so I could have eternal life. When I finally repented, when I turned from my sin and trusted him, the guilt lifted and peace flooded in.
(15:44):
I was no longer running from God. I was walking with him. Repentance isn’t about religion, it’s about relationship restored. Without it, we face eternal loss, but with it, we gain eternal life. That’s the gospel. Truth that warns us, grace that saves us, repentance that brings us back to God, redemption that secures us forever. If you know in your heart that you’re far from God, you don’t have to stay there. He’s reaching for you right now. Whether you are, wherever you are, pray, Jesus, I believe you died for me. I turned for my sin and I turn to you. Forgive me, save me and fill me with your spirit. When you do, he promised to give you a new life, not just here, but for eternity.
Evangelist Daniel King (16:22):
Wow, Shane. That is powerful. Amen. And I know that when you’re out there on the street, some people probably make fun of you, some people might yell at you, but those words are powerful and I know that they have an impact on people’s lives. All right. You have written a book. It’s called Reckless Love and it’s on Amazon. If you’re interested in the book, you can go to Amazon and find out about it. And you also have a website. If someone wants to connect with you, support your ministry, be a part of what you’re doing or pray for you. How can they find more about you? What’s your website?
Shane Graham (16:59):
Yeah, you’d go to www.recklessloveoutreach.com. We’re also on Facebook, Reckless Love Outreach, and we have a YouTube channel at RecklessLove Outreach.
Evangelist Daniel King (17:13):
Awesome. Well, Shane, thank you so much for being on the Evangelism podcast.
Shane Graham (17:18):
Thank you so much for having me, Daniel.
Evangelist Daniel King (17:22):
All right.
