Taking a Journey Back to Move Forward: Andrea Bocelli & Debra Fileta
03/30/23 • 24 min
As human beings, we’re all on an individual journey, a walk that is all our own. Perhaps you grew up in a family of faith that laid the groundwork for the beliefs you have today, or perhaps you discovered your faith later and can mark the moments where God made Himself present on your journey. No matter how we got to our faith, or where we’re headed, the faith that lives inside us will guide us on a beautiful journey that will take us to the place we’re meant to be.
Andrea Bocelli, the world’s most beloved tenor singer, joins us this week to talk about his faith journey, along with his wife Veronica, who closes the interview with a prayer from Jesus Listens. Speaking in his native Italian, which has been translated to English for this podcast, Andrea recounts how his love for his family and his faith have kept him centered during all the years his career had him jet-setting across the globe to perform on the world’s most iconic stages. Licensed counselor and national speaker Debra Fileta specializes in relationships and mental and emotional health. In her new book, Reset, Debra walks readers through a journey to transform their old habits and bring about lasting change in their lives.
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Past interview: Kristin Smedley
Upcoming interview: Akbar Gbajabiamila
Interview Quotes:
“I realized that there can't be a clock without a clockmaker...this convinced me right away that between the idea of God and fate, I was going towards the first one, and from that moment everything I had done so far—going to the mass, all these things—wasn't something abstract anymore, instead it was extremely serious, tangible, and important.” - Andrea Bocelli
“I must say that faith has always been very important to me to keep myself down to earth, to remember that everything I've done wasn't my merit, but a gift from God.” - Andrea Bocelli
“The problem is when we approach change from the outside in, it doesn't lead to lasting change.“ - Debra Fileta
“Just because you're a Christian doesn't mean you're healthy. We have to take a journey of healing with Jesus by our side." - Debra Fileta
“There is no trauma that is more powerful than the power of Jesus at work in me.” - Debra Fileta
“Your thoughts ultimately affect how you feel, which then affect how you behave and what you choose to do and how you act.” - Debra Fileta
“Many times, the Lord needs to take us on a journey of going backward in order to heal some of those hurts and insecurities and fears from the past, in order to replace them with God's truth so that we can begin getting unstuck in our present.” - Debra Fileta
“When God reveals a struggle, when God reveals something in your life that's a weakness or a sin, and He's bringing it to the surface of your life, it's not to shame you. It's to invite you into a deeper level of healing.” - Debra Fileta
“It is hard to heal, but it's also hard to stay the same. It's also hard to live with struggle and sin and addiction and bondage.” - Debra Fileta
________________________
Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel!
Audio Episodes: https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7
Bonus Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw
Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer: htt...
As human beings, we’re all on an individual journey, a walk that is all our own. Perhaps you grew up in a family of faith that laid the groundwork for the beliefs you have today, or perhaps you discovered your faith later and can mark the moments where God made Himself present on your journey. No matter how we got to our faith, or where we’re headed, the faith that lives inside us will guide us on a beautiful journey that will take us to the place we’re meant to be.
Andrea Bocelli, the world’s most beloved tenor singer, joins us this week to talk about his faith journey, along with his wife Veronica, who closes the interview with a prayer from Jesus Listens. Speaking in his native Italian, which has been translated to English for this podcast, Andrea recounts how his love for his family and his faith have kept him centered during all the years his career had him jet-setting across the globe to perform on the world’s most iconic stages. Licensed counselor and national speaker Debra Fileta specializes in relationships and mental and emotional health. In her new book, Reset, Debra walks readers through a journey to transform their old habits and bring about lasting change in their lives.
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Past interview: Kristin Smedley
Upcoming interview: Akbar Gbajabiamila
Interview Quotes:
“I realized that there can't be a clock without a clockmaker...this convinced me right away that between the idea of God and fate, I was going towards the first one, and from that moment everything I had done so far—going to the mass, all these things—wasn't something abstract anymore, instead it was extremely serious, tangible, and important.” - Andrea Bocelli
“I must say that faith has always been very important to me to keep myself down to earth, to remember that everything I've done wasn't my merit, but a gift from God.” - Andrea Bocelli
“The problem is when we approach change from the outside in, it doesn't lead to lasting change.“ - Debra Fileta
“Just because you're a Christian doesn't mean you're healthy. We have to take a journey of healing with Jesus by our side." - Debra Fileta
“There is no trauma that is more powerful than the power of Jesus at work in me.” - Debra Fileta
“Your thoughts ultimately affect how you feel, which then affect how you behave and what you choose to do and how you act.” - Debra Fileta
“Many times, the Lord needs to take us on a journey of going backward in order to heal some of those hurts and insecurities and fears from the past, in order to replace them with God's truth so that we can begin getting unstuck in our present.” - Debra Fileta
“When God reveals a struggle, when God reveals something in your life that's a weakness or a sin, and He's bringing it to the surface of your life, it's not to shame you. It's to invite you into a deeper level of healing.” - Debra Fileta
“It is hard to heal, but it's also hard to stay the same. It's also hard to live with struggle and sin and addiction and bondage.” - Debra Fileta
________________________
Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel!
Audio Episodes: https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7
Bonus Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw
Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer: htt...
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[MONTHLY SERIES] Dad, How Do I Pray? With YouTuber Rob Kenney
On this special monthly episode of Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer, hosted by Susie McEntire, we’re talking with YouTuber Rob Kenney, the man behind the “Dad, How Do I?” Channel that provides encouragement, practical advice, and tips to anyone who might not have a key parental figure in their lives. Rob’s made all kinds of knowledge accessible as the “Internet Dad,” In this episode, he shares the story of how he started this channel, why it’s important to him to provide a place that people can go for advice and encouragement, and a few tips on how to strengthen your relationship to God through prayer.
Guest’s Links Facebook: @dadhowdoi
Instagram: @dadhowdoi
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*Episode produced by Four Eyes Media*
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Next Episode
Because He First Loved Us, We Can Face Almost Anything: Akbar Gbajabiamila and Kristian Stanfill
There’s an element to having a relationship with God where you feel compelled to tell others about His love. Because when we’re in a loving relationship, we thrive. It brings us joy, and it gives us stamina to face whatever’s in front of us. Our guests this week had circumstances in their lives that could have made their lives go in directions that might not have been optimal. Having God’s love as a foundation for how they saw themselves in the world was key to giving them that “push” they needed to believe they were made for something more.
Akbar Gbajabiamila is a former NFL player turned television host who almost didn’t take the leap of faith that led him to the career he has today, but it was advice from his father to finish what he started and to be an ambassador for God that motivated him to keep going. Kristian Stanfill is a worship leader of the Passion movement who vulnerably sought sobriety in order to overcome the tough emotions that he was burying and hiding from others.
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Past interview: The Power of Love
Upcoming interview: Aaron Tippin
Passion’s new album I’ve Witnessed It
Interview Quotes:
“I felt like an outcast. I felt like an outsider. But I had to learn how to persevere. I remember something that my father told me, and I never forgot this: ‘Make them say your name.’ Whenever they say your name, it should be in a favorable light. You're doing things that people are going to remember you by.” - Akbar Gbajabiamila
“What's the story here? The story is sometimes you have no idea. You have your mind set on something else, and sometimes others see something special in you that you can't see in yourself.” - Akbar Gbajabiamila
“The better you understand the playbook, the more comfortable you are on the football field. And this is how God was starting to work in my life. As I started to become taught, I started seeing the Lord ordering my step in a certain way. And that right there was the beginning of my journey as a Christian.” - Akbar Gbajabiamila
“The point of that story is that sometimes you do have to create your own opportunities. Sometimes you have to step in faith, and sometimes it looks scary. My father used to say, ‘You're an ambassador for the family, and you're an ambassador for God.’ And I never, ever, ever forgot that.” - Akbar Gbajabiamila
“I thought, Man, if I could be a part of helping people see Jesus and encounter the presence of God with my life, that would be pretty cool.” - Kristian Stanfill
“Alcohol became something that I used to numb these feelings of inadequacy or failure or I'm not good enough or I'm not measuring up. And I think we all feel similar emotions and similar things, and we all live in the same world and feel a lot of the same pressure. I just wasn't dealing with it in a healthy way.” - Kristian Stanfill
“The first step that everybody took was toward me and not away from me.”...
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