WT:  Yes, I am.  There are a lot and, you know, when I go out and play, that’s another way I try to be an example.  I try to let people see Jesus through me.  And you rarely ever see me get an attitude, upset.  (Applause)

RR:  Well, I’ve watched you.  Of course I watched you play at the University of Oklahoma.  I watched you play right here in Mabee Center.  I remember watching you during–several years ago–your senior year at ORU I saw you play right here in Mabee Center. 

WT:  My junior year. 

RR:  Well, during the NCAA tournament.  (Right)  Was that your junior year that I saw you here?

WT:  Right, that’s the last time.  RR:  You played right here. That’s right, that’s right, right here in Mabee Center.  And I noticed that when you got a foul called on you or something perhaps went the wrong way or something, maybe you got a call that maybe you didn’t deserve, you never got upset.  Certainly you didn’t let it show on your face.  You just acted like you had the attitude of, all right, we’re going to regroup, we’re going to get them in the end.  Is that your attitude?

WT:  And that’s the attitude, I think that’s Jesus working through me. (Applause) 

RR:  Now, Ted, I want to ask you, is this the kind of young man you’re looking for to play basketball for Oral Roberts University?

TO:  You know, Richard, when I, when I came here the sign outside as I drove on the campus talked about mind, body and spirit.  And I think that Wayman epitomizes the thing, the concept that we’re talking about.  Yes, this is exactly what we want.  We want great athletes here at ORU.  We want to do our job to be sure that they grow in their spiritual life and we want them to graduate.  And some of these days after you finish spending all that money, I want you to go back and finish.  You know, Wayman left a year early and I know his goal is to finish that degree because it’s a matter of pride that he can go around the rest of his life and say, “Not only was I a great basketball player, but I graduated from my university.”

RR:  Wayman, what’s it like playing in the NBA with people like Jabbar and Ralph Sampson and all those great players?  What’s it really like when you’re under the board with someone that’s as big or bigger than you are?

WT:  Yes.  In college I used to have, you know, some nights I’d have a rest.  Not against Kansas, they beat us twice, to come to think of it. But in college you have a couple of nights you could look forward to that you would have a rest.  But now it’s work every night.  You know, one week I was ____ Larry Bird, Dominique Wilkins, Charles Barkley or Dr. J.  I mean night after night it’s work.  And it’s like night and day as far as the competition because these are older men that know the game and they really, it’s their job.  And they put it into a science almost as far as what they do, how you pace yourself through an 82 game season, plus with pre-season games it’s like 90 something. So it’s a lot of work out there.

RR:  How have you been able to share your witness for Christ while you’ve been in the National Basketball Association?  Is there anything that stands out in your mind the way you’ve been able to share Christ?

WT:  Well, not right off.  I talk about the Bible a lot.  In fact, I’ve gotten some people, some of my teammates to go to church since I’ve been there.  You know, the days we have off we try to go out and read the Bible.  (Applause)  In fact, before each game we have at home we have a chapel service and it amazed me how many people, how many players would be in there, you know. The first time we played Philadelphia, here’s Dr. J., who has been in the leagues 15 years, he’s the first guy in there.  It really was an inspiration to me to God.  There’s a lot of Christian players there.  You know, it’s just great.  I attend chapel services before every game, so that’s really helping me out and try to minister.

RR:  Are you surprised to see how many born-again, Spirit-filled Christians there are in the National Basketball Association?

WT:  Well, as far as drugs are concerned, I just thank God that He’s really taken I guess drug users away from me personally. Out of all my friends I’ve never had a friend that really I hung around that used drugs.  And if I did, you know, God gave me the knowledge to get away from them and, you know, not that I was trying to be stuck up or anything, but I just had no desire for drugs ever.  And I was exposed to drugs, in the sixth grade I had friends that were using drugs in the sixth grade, and it really blew my mind back then that, you know, guys would at that young of age would be encouraged to use them.  And, you know, just from then on, my mother would always, she would almost preach to meabout the dangers of them, and, you know, just kind of got instilled in my mind that drugs are the most worthless things on this earth as far as drug abuse is concerned.  And–

RR:  And you didn’t need, you didn’t need drugs to excel as an athlete, did you?

WT:  whatever, there won’t be enough people to pick my body up off the ground.  So I just really encourage the young people to really think of what could happen.  You know, we’ve seen this summer a couple of drug abuse.  And, you know, we really need to take a stand and really go against drugs.  I’m trying to start a program myself.  In Indianapolis when the season starts, I’m going to all the high schools and talking against drugs. 

RR:  Now that’s wonderful.  That’s wonderful.  I want you to saythat again because that’s terrific.

WT:  I’m going to different high schools.  I’m going to have a program (Applause) that–in fact, my brother went today to try to establish it and hopefully we can get it started.  I have 20 or 30 students to come to the game and I have their section.  People know they’re against drugs and they’re in Wayman’s corner, and that’s just going to be the title.  And hopefully that can go over and I can be an influence on the youth in Indianapolis and hopefully all around the world, it can get just larger and larger.  We need more people to really preach against drugs now.

TO:  I haven’t forgiven him myself.

RR:  You just put that right on your tie.  I know, Wayman, that while you were in high school, almost every coach of every major college in America came down to Washington High School to see you play.  And one such man was the man who was at that time–a little higher, Ted, if you would–one such man was Ted Owens, who at that time was the head coach of the University of Kansas.  And he had not come to ORU yet to be our head coach and now our athletic director.  And, Ted, you were telling me about the many times that you came down to watch this young man play.  And your lips were watering, you said, because you wanted him at the University of Kansas.

 TO:  Well, we felt we could maybe have the greatest team we’d ever had if we could get Wayman to come with us.  And, of course, he attended the University of Oklahoma and made them a great basketball power.

RR:  And you were in the same conference, you had to face him.

TO:  We had to face him. 

RR:  How grateful were you when Wayman graduated from ORU?

TO:  I think everyone in the Big 8 Conference was grateful, except Billy Tubbs. 

RR:  Well, Wayman, you know that basketball has–of course athletics in general–play an important role here.  We believe that athletics is a way to give a witness.  Millions and millions of people read the sports page every day who don’t ever open the Bible.  It is their Bible.  And we are in athletics to be a witness for Jesus Christ.  And I was so thrilled when I heard you say the principles upon which your father helped you to build your life and how you, how you pray before every game and what Jesus really means in your life.  And I want to ask you to do something.  I don’t want to put you on the spot.  But there are a lot of young people out of school this summer and are watching this television program.  And you know what’s been going on across the country, the death of a prominent basketball player, Len Bias, the death of other young men and young women because of drugs you’d take a moment and talk to young people, really out of your heart, because there are things that are going on that’s destroying young people’s lives, in athletics and also in other areas of life. And so what would you say to a young person who is watching this program right now?

RR:  How did you handle it when you were in high school and even in college when people would come up to you and kind of give you the business because your dad was a preacher?  I’m interested, because I know how it happened to me. 

WT:  Well, my father is pretty well-known around the city of Tulsa. I’d tell them to look at him.  You know, he’s a person that you can talk to and most of the time I would tell them to go talk to him, “and you’d see how proud I am, why I’m so proud of my father.”  And I like people to come up to me and talk to me about my father because, you

RR:  Did it give you an opportunity to be a witness?

WT:  Definitely.  Definitely.  My father, the way he preaches in church and it just gives me more inspiration to be a witness.

RR:  Did you ever get opportunity to get some of your teammates to come on over to the church and hear your dad preach? 

WT:  Right.  In college I did, a couple of my teammates used to come over and play instruments.  Tim McAlister used to, he’s a singer, he’d come and sing solos and, you know, most of the basketball team would be practicing.  And Oklahoma basketball team really didn’t practice on Sundays, so we got to come home. And most of us were in church.

RR:  Well, I want you to know, Wayman, that it took me a long time to forgive you–

LR:  Now you’re going to get it, Wayman.

RR:  It took me a long time to forgive you for not coming to ORU. I have forgiven you, but it took me a long time to forgive you. Because I can only imagine what our basketball program would have been in those years had you been here at ORU.  But I want you to know I have freely forgiven you.  And about six feet ten, it didn’t take me quite as long.  (Applause)  Now I know, I see our athletic director, ORU Athletic Director and head mens basketball coach, Ted Owens, here. Ted, would you come over for a minute and join us?  Give him a good welcome.  (Applause)  Is there a microphone–let’s see, Wayman, I think right under here there’s a mike.  Hello, Ted.  I think I’ve got a microphone for you here, Ted.  If I keep pulling it, there’s no telling what I’m liable to find under that couch.

RR:  Now as you went through Washington High School here in Tulsa, not only was the city aware of your basketball talent, but soon the state knew of your basketball talent.  And it wasn’t long until America knew about your basketball talent.  And before you knew it, there was not a game that Wayman Tisdale played in where there were not college scouts and even professional scouts coming.  What was it like as you were a high school student in Washington, as a basketball standout and as a scholar in many ways, what was it like? 

WT:  Well, mainly–excuse me–it was a lot of pressure involved. But somehow God took all the pressure away from me.  I really never felt any pressure until last year.  But other than that–

RR:  That’s when you went in the NBA?

WT:  Right.  But seemed like I was just having fun.  I’m still having fun, but it was just like another game to me.  I really, I used to pray before every game and I still do, but when I go out on the court I’m about the most relaxed player out of anybody and that’s helped me to excel through my whole career.  I just never really worry about anything. 

RR:  Well, do you attribute that to your father and his ministry?

WT:  Definitely.  You know, he really, he talks to all of us and he said, “If you put God first, you have nothing to worry about.” And I really listen to him.  He’s six three, 220 pounds. (Applause)  He’s been a great influence on my life.  He’s been a minister as long as I’ve known him and I think that he’s one of the greatest people, one of the greatest persons on this earth.

RR:  Did he teach you the Bible as you were growing up? 

WT:  Yes, we were raised in the church.  He’d sit down with us and, you know, on Wednesday nights we’d be at church.  And one night out of the week the family would get together and have Bible study at times. You know, a lot of people say being a preacher’s kid, I’m sure you’ve had that also–

RR:  You and I have a lot in common. 

WT:  Right, yeah.  You know, I felt it was an honor, you know, my father being a pastor, you know.  Hey, I like it.

RR:  So when you played with them, they put it on you pretty good. 

WT:  Yes, they wouldn’t give me any slack, they just beat me. And so I just stayed away.  I started playing a game and I’d just quit in the middle of a game.  And they’d say, “Well, we’re not going to pick you anymore.” 

RR:  Was there a time when all of a sudden you decided, yeah,maybe I want to try a little bit of basketball?

WT:  Yes, my fifth grade year.  I started trying to learn how to play and I had somewhat of a desire to play because, you know, everybody else was playing basketball.  I said, “Maybe I should be.”  I was taller than most of the 8th graders and I was only in the 5th grade. So I said, “I’d better start doing something.” 

RR:  Well now, when did you know or when did you even get a sense that basketball was going to be some, was going to be really a major part in your life?  Was it in junior high school or was it when you got into high school?

WT:  I think it was mainly when I got–the 9th grade year.  I went to a camp in Georgia, BC camp, all-state camp, and I did pretty well up there.  I was, I had just gotten off a bus coming from New Orleans and my high school coach, Mike Mims, picked me up right after I got off that bus and we rode in his van to Milledgeville, Georgia.  And we played another week of basketball there.  And, you know, is against top-notch competition in the nation.  And I did pretty well, and that’s when I kind of felt that I would be able to use my body as a basketball player.

SM:  I truly feel that we believed we were proving God because He said, “Give, and it shall be given unto you.”  And we had a need and I just, Richard really built my faith in that area.  And I just felt that god would come through. 

LM:  People that aren’t using this Seed-Faith in their lives, I really do feel that they are being robbed of a blessing.  I know I am.  And like I said, I had never used it before and now that I’ve been acquainted with it through the program, there’s just noother way to go.

SM:  And so I just thank the Lord that He answered and encouraged us. And so we support Richard Roberts and not just because it’s

Richard Roberts.  I really feel that they’re doing something for the Lord, the whole ministry.  I love Lindsay.  I feel like they touch lives and they really care.  You know, Oral, all of them really care.  It’s not just organization or something.  I really feel–when we receive his letters, it’s the need that we havethat month when he writes the letters, just like he knows what we need.  Of course I know it’s the Lord speaking to him. 

RR:  Here’s a song that just suits that testimony.  (Singing “I Started Living When I Started Giving to God”)  (Applause)  Praise the Lord.  Stay tuned for Wayman Tisdale.   COF SPOT  (Applause) 

RR:  Well, I’ve been waiting for today.  I’ve been waiting to introduce a very tall young man, a product of Tulsa, Oklahoma, who was all-American at the University of Oklahoma in basketball and now playing in the NBA.  In fact, he just came back from mini-camp, getting ready for the fall season for the Indiana Pacers.  I want you to join me in welcoming Wayman Tisdale. Wayman, God bless you. Welcome.  (Applause)  Wayman, now I know you were born in Texas.  Then your father moved up here.  Your whole family moved up here because your father was called to be a pastor.  He pastors right here in Tulsa.  But I understand that when you were very young you had no desire to play basketball at all.  Is that true?

WT:  Very true.  I started, my brothers, my older brothers were playing and I’d always be the kid that would play with my friends over in the sandbox, play on the swings.  I’d stay away from the basketball court because I couldn’t dribble the ball.  And with my brothers being a little bit older than me, they were already introduced to basketball and they were already pretty much established on teams and everything.

ORUS: Singing “We Are Persuaded” (Applause) SECOND CHANCE BOOK OFFER (Applause)

SUZIE MERRIWETHER: I’ve learned even when we don’t have it, to give. And before, I always thought you had to have a lot to give. After you paid all your bills, you paid your tithes first and you paid your bills, then if you had something left over you could give. But I don’t feel that way. When I have a need now, when my husband and I have a need, we plant a seed. I had never really been taught to give and expect something in return. And one day he really ministered to me about talking about planting a Seed-Faith if you have a real need.

LANNY MERRIWETHER: It came down to where we just didn’t have hardly any money left to even get by on the rest of the week. And she mentioned the fact that she had watched Richard Roberts’ program and how impressed she was with the program.

SM: And so he encouraged us to plant the Seed-Faith. And I told my husband that night, I says, “I really feel that we should plant something in Richard Roberts’ ministry.” And we added up the bills and truly there was not $10 to give. And I says, “Will you agree with me that we’ll send in $10?”

LM: So we discussed how much we were going to send, so we set the amount at $10 and in my way of talking, I says, “Well, you know, we really don’t have $10 to send.” And she says, “Well, I know,” but she says, “you know, if we send it and the Lord will bless it and let’s just pray that the Lord will multiply, you know, this and it will be used for the upbuilding of God’s kingdom.” And so I agreed with that and we wrote the check out and we prayed over it before we sent it.

SM: And that morning Lanny put it in the mail and that afternoon we stopped by his mother’s house for lunch. And she wasn’t at home and just as he was getting ready to leave to go back to work, she came in. And he says, “Mom, have you got a piece of gum?” And she says, “Well, I’ve got something better than that.”

LM: And so she said, “Here, this is for you.” And it was a check for $1,000. And the first words that came out of my mouth was, “Praise the Lord.”

Obedience is the key. Obedience is the key. I bring you greetings, first of all, from Paul and Jan and all the TBN family. Boy, it’s so good to be with you. And congratulations on your baby. That’s so sweet. It’s so sweet. I know it. We’re thrilled. I brought you a gift too.

I want you to know, you know, we love you as well as I know many others. It’s so great to be part of the family of God, the body of Christ. when you, when you began to share about proving God, so many things came to my mind. But the first thing that came to my mind was the morning that I lay in the bus, I was traveling with a quartet.

And I had rebelled so against God. I knew I’d failed God. I didn’t need anybody to tell me that. I knew I was sinning. I knew I was blowing it. But I couldn’t, I couldn’t grasp the truth that He would really forgive me. And I know there are people watching today and I promise you if you will prove God, God loved us so much.

The devil is constantly trying to convince us that God don’t love us. (It’s right) And he’s trying to show us that he likes us and he wants us. I was witnessing to a man yesterday–was it yesterday, I think–and he was telling me how the devil began to show him that he wanted him and he didn’t know anything about the Lord.