[ Alex MacDougall ] Tim, it’ s great to see you. We met years ago in Orange County, at Maranatha or something.
[ Tim Timmons ] Yep, we did. And you’ re friends with Stan Endicott, right?
[ WM ] Oh yeah. He’ s a dear friend.
[ Tim ] Yeah. I mean, we don’ t like to say that out loud. Let’ s surely not get that recorded.( laughs) He’ s like my greatest hero in the world.
[ WM ] Indeed. I’ ve watched him work wonders with choirs over the years, and we were coworkers for years.
[ Tim ] Yep. He’ s talked about you. And yeah, I think we did some stuff at Maranatha.
[ WM ] So, I’ ve got to ask you, do you remember the scene in Forrest Gump when Forrest is being bullied and he tries to run away with his leg braces on and his little girlfriend shouts to him,“ run Forrest, run,” and he persists and the shackles fall off and his life opens up before him. Run Forrest, run. And I say,“ Run Tim, Run.” God has opened up so many opportunities for both you and I. He may change our careers, but not our callings.
[ Tim ]( laughs) Yes, I love that.
[ WM ] And it’ s critically important for worship leaders and musicians to know this. What say you?
[ Tim ] Amen. If there is anything else I can say, I think that was like a swish. Man, I just keep seeing over and over, it’ s cliché probably, but just, we were not called so much to a thing, but just to Jesus. And I think when I was full-time worship leader, I still thought my ministry was as a worship leader. It’ s like, well, that’ s what I get to do. How cool is that that I get to play a role? But my ministry is at the grocery store. When somebody cuts me off on the road, I get to either give the guy the number one sign or I get to pray blessing for that guy. That’ s my ministry to my kid. I mean, it’ s so cliché, but yet I think when we’ re doing a music thing or the worship leading thing, somehow we just still get lost in that because so much of our time becomes swept up by what everybody calls our ministry.
And man, I think it’ s one of the most dangerous things that I fell into for so many years. And I still do, and I’ m trying to rethink my thinking on what ministry is. So maybe hopefully that was in the same water you were fishing in.
[ WM ] Well, the same with me. I’ ve got a few years on you, obviously, but yeah, it becomes what we do and not who we are. And so anyway, I appreciate your answer.
[ Tim ] And cliché? How many times have you heard that in your life? Just so many times we’ ve heard that it’ s more about the minute. So, it’ s not a religion; it’ s a relationship. All these things are so cliché. Our ministry is not this; it’ s in your home, all these things. Yet living it out, especially in full-time, we’ re just doing the thing over and over; somehow we get stuck in just the same small view of God. So, I love conversations like this because it reminds me, that it’ s like, okay, what a better way to live. Continue. You’ re awesome.
[ WM ] So let’ s start with the film today. I Can Only Imagine 2 releases this month. You and I are both Orange County rats, and so is Milo. What was that like after seeing him on screen over the years portraying you on screen and portraying your deepest moments with Jesus? Tell us about the movie and the song“ Even If.”
Girls, and Heroes. He’ s the main face of Call of Duty right now. I mean, Milo’ s just crazy. And when they told me he was playing me in this movie, I was like,“ Cool. I’ m sure he’ s a great actor.” But my girls, they’ ve watched Gilmore Girls so many times. They’ ve memorized it, and so have I now because I’ ve watched it so many times.
[ WM ] Same here. My wife and my daughter.
[ Tim ] It was like my girls started crying. I’ m like,“ You guys, A, you can’ t be attracted to the guy playing your dad in this movie( laughing). That just doesn’ t work. So, let’ s figure that out.” But man, I have so many emotions and so many thoughts. Christian media can sometimes be decent. And these guys that made this movie are my friends and I’ ve walked with them in so many different ways and I’ ve seen some really beautiful things that they’ ve done. When they came to me asking if we could use your story, your part of your journey, I was a little nervous. And my wife said, she’ s like,“ Just don’ t make it suck and be cheesy. That’ s all you got to do, If you can do that. And I don’ t think it does. I think it was actually great. So having our story being put on film is just like, it’ s baffling. And to see my... I was given five years to live 25 years ago with an incurable cancer stage four. There’ s still tumors on my liver today wearing out my heart, but I woke up again today. And just the fact that I get to wake up again today and join Jesus in this way is pretty brilliant. And to watch it now on a film is so cool.
[ WM ] Well, Milo is the perfect person to portray you. He really is. And Trace Adkins was perfect as Scott Brickle. I too am a stage four cancer survivor. It was esophageal cancer for me. And so the lyrics of your song,“ Even If,” hit [ Tim ] Milo is a... If you guys don’ t know who Milo Ventimiglia is, he was in This Is Us, Gilmore
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