Efrem: TODAY ON

"NEWSWATCH," A FIERCE

DEBATE IS SHAPING UP.

GAY ACTIVISTS AND PEOPLE

OF FAITH FIGHT IN A BATTLE

OVER CHANGING LEGISLATION.

WE'LL BREAK DOWN WHAT

RELIGIOUS GROUPS ARE DOING

TO PROTECT THEMSELVES.

PLUS...

I AM VERY PROUD OF MY

GRANDFATHER FOR WHAT HE

HAB DONE FOR THE UNITED

STATES OF AMERICA AND THE

ARMY.

Efrem: MEET

MR. WILLIE ROGERS, HE IS

101.

WE ARE HEARING HIS AMAZING

STORY AND SEEING WHY HE IS

SUCH AN INSPIRATION.

> PLUS...THE GOLDEN

STATE WARRIORS MAKE NBA

HISTORY.

AND ONE OF THE PLAYERS

SHARES WHY GOD, NOT

BASKETBALL, IS THE MOST

IMPORTANT THING IN HIS

LIFE.

> AND THANK YOU SO MUCH

FOR JOINING US FOR CBN

"NEWSWATCH."

I'M EFREM GRAHAM.

10 MONTHS AFTER THE

SUPREME COURT PAST A LAW

ON GAY MARRIAGE, SOME

OBJECT TO GAY MARRIAGE ON

RELIGIOUS GROUNDS.

IT IS A FIERCE DEBATE AT

GAY ACTIVISTS AND PEOPLE

OF FATE BATTLE OVER THEIR

RIGHTS TO BE PROTECTED.

GEORGE THOMAS HAS THE

STORY.

Reporter: THIS STORY

SHOULD SERVE AS A WARNING

WHEN SO-CALLED RELIGIOUS

FREEDOM LAWS ARE NOT IN

PLACE TO PROTECT PEOPLE OF

FAITH.

ON AUGUST 3, 2013, A GAY

COUPLE ASKED THIS COUPLE

IF THEY COULD RENT THEIR

GALLERY FOR A SAME-SEX

WEDDING.

HE HAD TO DELIVER THE

BAD NEWS TO THEM.

George: THEY REFUSED,

CITING THAT MARRIAGE

SHOULD BE BETWEEN ONE MAN

AND ONE MARRIAGE.

I DON'T WANT TO

CELEBRATE MY SINS, NOR DO

I WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN

CELEBRATING ANYBODY ELSE'S

SINS.

George: THE GAY

COUPLE SUED THEM FOR

DISCRIMINATION.

AND RATHER THAN CELEBRATE

GAY MARRIAGES, THE

CHRISTIAN COUPLE PAID THE

SAME-SEX COUPLE A FINE AND

AGREED TO STOP HOSTING

WEDDINGS AT THE GALLERY.

IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT.

I WON'T LIE.

IT HAS BEEN THE HARDEST

THING WE HAVE EVER BEEN

THROUGH.

George: THEIR

DECISION COST THEM DEARLY.

AFTER MONTHS OF NEGATIVE

PUBLICITY, HATE MAIL,

DEATH THREATS, AND LOSS OF

INCOME, THE GALLERY WENT

OUT OF BUSINESS LAST YEAR.

THE UGLY CONTINUES TO

COME AT US.

BUT I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE

ANYWHERE ELSE.

AND WE WOULD DO IT ALL

OVER AGAIN, THE SAME WAY,

BECAUSE WE'RE IN THE

MIDDLE OF GOD'S WILL.

George: SINCE LAST

SUMMER'S SUPREME COURT

DECISION LEGALIZING

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, MORE

THAN 100 RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

BILLS HAVE BEEN PROPOSED

IN 34 STATES TO PROTECT

CHRISTIANS AND OTHERS FROM

THE THREAT OF LEGAL ACTION

BECAUSE THEY OBJECT TO GAY

MARRIAGE ON RELIGIOUS

GROUNDS.

TAKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE NEW

LAW THAT JUST PASSED IN

MISSISSIPPI.

THE MISSISSIPPI LAW

SAYS IF YOU BELIEVE

MARRIAGE IS THE UNION OF A

MAN AND A WOMAN, AND THAT

SEX IS RESERVED FO FOR

MARRIAGE, AND IT SAYS IF

YOU DO BELIEVE THOSE

THINGS, WE'RE NOT GOING TO

PENALIZE YOU IF YOU ACT ON

THOSE BELIEFS.

George: IN LOUISIANA

AND O OHIO, LAWMAKERS ARE

PUTTING IN-LAWS THAT

PROTECT SAME-SEX

MARRIAGES.

THIS MAN SAYS THE

ACCUSATION THAT THESE

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM LAWS

DISCRIMINATE AGAINST GAYS

AND LESBIANS JUST ISN'T

TRUE.

WE'RE TRYING TO PROTECT

PLURALISM.

WE'RE PROMOTING TOLERANCE.

George: BUT SOME OF

THE LAWS HAVE BEEN MET

WITH FIERCE OPPOSITION

FROM BUSINESSES,@@

ACTIVISTS, AND

CELEBRITIES.

NORTH CAROLINA'S GOVERNOR

WAS FORCED TO ROLL BACK

PORTIONS OF A

CONTROVERSIAL BATHROOM LAW

AFFECTING TRANSGENDERS

AFTER SEVERAL COMPANIES

CRITICIZED THIS AND SOME

BISS THREATENEBUSINESSES THREATENED TO

STOP BUSINESS IN THEIR

STATE.

BIG BUSINESS IS USING

THEIR MARKET FREOM TO

DENY LITTLE PEOPLE AND

RELIGIOUS PEOPLE THEIR

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

George: WHAT IS CLEAR

THAT THE BACKLASH FROM

LAST YEAR'S SUPREME COURT

DECISION HAS BROUGHT

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM CONCERNS

TO THE FOREFRONT THIS

SPRING, WITH MANY

AMERICANS BELIEVING THAT

THE BATTLE OVER GAY

RIGHTS, VERSUS PROTECTING

PEOPLE'S RELIGIOUS

CONVICTIONS, IS JUST

BEGINNING.

GEORGE THOMAS, CBN NEWS.

Efrem: GOVERNMENT

OPPRESSION AND VIOLENCE BY

EXTREMISTS HAVE CAUSED

PROBLEMS AROUND THE WORLD.

THE REPORT POINTED TO

COUNTRIES LIKE NORTH KOREA

AND CHINA WHO STILL

VIOLATE HUMAN RIGHTS IN

SOME WAY.

BUT MOST COUNTRIES HAVE

MADE PROGRESS TO UPHOLD

THE, QUOTE,"HUMAN RIGHTS

STANDARDS."

WE HAVE SEEN COUNTRIES

THAT IN EACH THERE ARE

CHALLENGES THAT STILL NEED

TO BE OVERCOME, BUT WE ARE

WORKING CLOSELY WITH EACH

OF THOSE COUNTRIES IN

ESTS TO HELP MEET THOSE

CHALLENGES.

George: KERRY SAYS

COUNTRIES LIKE VIETNAM AND

EGYPT HAVE MADE

IMPROVEMENTS.

U.S. HEALTH OFFICIALS

SAY THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT

THE ZIKA VIRUS CAUSES

BIRTH DEFECTS.

IT CAN CAUSE BABIES' HEADS

TO BE ABNORMALLY LARGE.

HE SAYS THE CHILD IN A

WOMB IS A PATIENT, TOO,

AND KILLING ONE'S PATIENT

IS NEVER AN APPROPRIATE

RESPONSE.

YOU CAN LOG AND TO OP OP "OPERATION

BLESSING".ORG.

> ISRAEL'S STRATIC

GOAL ON HEIGHTS, AND THE

WAR BRINGS NEW CHALLENGES

AND DANGER TO ISRAEL'S

NORTHERN BORDER.

Reporter: THE BORDERS

OF SYRIA AND ISRAEL MERGE

ON THE HEIGHTS OF MOUNT

HERMON.

BEHIND ME IS SYRIA.

IT IS A BIT HARD TO SEE

BECAUSE OF A HAZE TODAY.

BUT FOR NEARLY 40 YEARS,

THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF

ISRAEL'S QUIETEST BORDERS,

BUT IT HAS BECOME ONE OF

THE MOST UNPREDICTABLE.

MAJOR NUTI ARHAON IS A

COMPANY COMMANDER ON MOUNT

HERON.

WE CAN'T SHOW YOU THE

ISRAELI BASES FOR SECURITY

REASONS, BUT FROM THE

COMMANDING ADVANTAGE

POINT, YOU CAN SEE ALL THE

WAY TO DAMASCUS.

WE ARE CHECKING

EVERYTHING THAT IS

HAPPENING THERE, AND SADLY

WE SEE ALL OF THE

FIGHTING.

WE NEED TO BE HIGH ENOUGH

SO IT IS POSSIBLE TO SEE

IN THE DISTANCE DURING THE

DAY AND THE NIGHT.

Reporter: THAT

FIGHTING HAS CHANGED

ISRAEL'S BORDER.

FROM THE ISRAELI POINT

OF VIEW, A YEAR AND A HALF

AGO, WE HAD A DRAMATIC

CHANGE ACROSS THE BORDER

WHEN THE al-QAEDA GROUPS

TOOK OVER AND CONTROLLED

THE 50 MILES OF THIS

SYRIAN BORDER.

Reporter: AND AS THIS

RETIRED I.D.F. COLONEL AND

SECURITY EXPERT POINTS

OUT, IN ADDITION TO

AL-QAEDA, ATTENTION MUST

BE FOCUSED ON IRAN AND

HEZBOLLAH.

IRAN IS ABOUT A

THOUSAND MILES AWAY, BUT

OSE IN SYRIA GAVE THE

IRANIAN REGIME A GREAT

OPPORTUNITY IN THE GOLAN

HEIGHTS, A REAL THREAT

AGAINST ISRAEL ON THE

GROUND.

Reporter: THIS

DEMONSTRATES HOW IRAN'S

PROXY, HEZBOLLAH, HAS

BUILT A FORTIFIED BASE

INSIDE SYRIA.

SOME SUGGEST IT COULD BE

USED AS A MISSILE BASE TO

STRIKE ISRAEL.

IN LEBANON, THEY ALREADY

HAVE 100,000 MISSILES

AIMED AT ISRAEL.

IT IS PART OF A

STRATEGY, AND IF THEY

DECIDED TO RETALIATE FROM

ANY ISRAELI ATTACK, THEY

CAN DO IT IN SEAR SEAR,

WHICSYRIA, WHICHIS NOT A COUNTRY ANYMORE.

THAT'S WHY THEY BUILT

THOSE NEW BASES RIGHT NOW.

Reporter: AND RUSSIA

HAS ALSO SEEN AN

OPPORTUNITY IN THE SYRIAN

CIVIL WAR.

IT SINCE THEY DREW ON

IRAQ IN 2013, THERE IS A

STRATEGY OVER THE MIDDLE

EAST, AND THE RUSSIANS USE

IT VERY WELL.

THEY'RE ALL OVER.

I DON'T SEE AMERICAN

TROOPS ON THE GROUND IN

THE NEAR FUTURE.

AND THE RUSSIANS KNOW IT,

AND THAT'S WHY THEY NOT

JUST KEEP THEIR INTEREST;

THEY BECOME THE KEY

PLAYER.

AND THEY ACTUALLY,

UNFORTUNATELY, USE THE

AMERICAN WEAKNESS ALL OVER

THE MIDDLE EAST.

Reporter: IN THE

MEANTIME, AHARON AND HIS

COMPANY WILL KEEP WATCH ON

ISRAEL'S BORDER.

FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE

VERY PROUD.

IT IS A BIG PRIVILEGE TO

BE A COMMANDER AND SERVE

THE PEOPLE OF THIS

COUNTRY.

EVERYBODY DOES THEIR PART.

IT'S A LONG COMMITMENT,

BUT IT IS WORTH IT.

Reporter: CHRIS

MITCHELL, CBN NEWS, MOUNT

HERMON, THE ISRAELI GOLAN

HEIGHTS.

Efrem: IF YOU'RE ONE

OF THE MILLIONS OF

AMERICANS FIGURING OUT

THAT TAX BILL THIS WEEK,

THE NEXT STORY MIGHT MAKE

YOU ANGRY.

THE 2016 CONGRESSIONAL PIG

BOOK IS OUT, AND YOU,

AMERICAN TAXPAYERS, ARE

SPENDING MORE THAN

$5 BILLION IN EARMARKS.

CITIZENS AGAINST

GOVERNMENT WASTE RELEASED

ITS ANNUAL COMPILATION OF

PORK BIL PILE PROJECTS, WHICH

INCLUDES AN INCREASE OF

MORE THAN 20% OF THE WASTE

WASTEFUL SPENDING IN 2015.

MAKING THE SHAME

$8 BILLION FOR SOMETHING

CALLED A AQUATIC CONTROL.

AND CONGRESS ACTUALLY

ISSUED A MORATORIUM

AGAINST EARMARKS IN 2011,

BUT THEY'RE MAKING A

COMEBACK.

WE MUST CUT THIS OUT OF

CONTROL SPENDING AND

ENSURE THAT SPENDING

CONSTRAINTS ARE IN PLACE

IF WE'RE EVERY GOING TO

GET OUR DEBT UNDER

CONTROL.

NO ONE IN THIS YEAR'S

PIG BOOK CAN SAY THERE IS

NOWHERE LEFT TO CUT

FEDERAL SPENDING.

Efrem: THEY NAMED

HARRY REID AS PORKER OF

THE MONTH.

> PLANS TO BUILD A GIANT

ARCH IN NEW YORK CITY AND

LONDON HAVE BEEN

CANCELLED.

THEY HAD PLANNED TO BUILD

A 48-FOOT TALL RE-CREATION

OF THE 2,000-YEAR-OLD

TEMPLE ARCH IN BOTH

CITIES.

THE LONDON TELEGRAPH

REPORTS THE INSTITUTE

WILL, INSTEAD, MODEL THE

NEW STRUCTURE AFTER THE

ARCH OF TRIUMPH IN

PALMYRA.

ISIS PARTIALLY DESTROYED

THAT ARK LAST OCTOBER IN

SYRIA.

> MEET A TRUE AMERICAN

HERO WHO HAPPENS TO BE 101

YEARS OLD.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS

SUPER SENIOR AND HIS

LIVING LEGACY.

THE STORY IS COMING UP

NEXT.

Efrem: WHAT IS THE

SECRET TO LIVING A LONG

LIFE?

DIET, EXERCISE, GENETICS,

THEY COULD ALL PLAY A

PART, JOHN JESSUP IS

INTRODUCING US TO ONE MAN

WHO HAS A SIMPLE

PHILOSOPHY WHEN IT COMES

TOGING.

AND AT AGE 101, HE SPEAKS

FROM A WEALTH OF

EXPERIENCE.

Reporter: WILLIE

ROGERS IS A BIT OF A LOCAL

CELEBRITY IN ST.

PETERSBURG.

I HAVE KNOWN MR. ROGERS

FOR YEARS.

AS I WAS A KID GROWING UP,

HE WALKED A LOT.

Reporter: HE HOLDS A

KEY TO THE CITY, AND HIS

BIRTHDAY PARTIES DRAW

CROWDS, AND HIS PORTRAIT

PROMINENTLY HANGS IN THE

LOCAL MUSEUM.

BUT HE DESCRIBES HIMSELF

AS NO ONE SPECIAL.

A LESSON IN CHARACTER

DEVELOPMENT HE AND HIS

SIBLINGS LEARNED EARLY ON.

MY GRANDDADDY ON MY

DADDY'S SIDE, HE ALWAYS

TAUGHT ME AND ROY, AIN'T

NOBODY BETTER THAN YOU,

AND YOU AIN'T NO BETTER

THAN NOBODY ELSE.

Reporter: TRUTH IS,

FEW HAVE LIVED A LIFE AS

REMARKABLE OR AS LONG AS

MR. ROGERS.

*

Reporter: LAST MONTH

FAMILY AND FRIENDS THREW

HIM A SURPRISE BIRTHDAY TO

CELEBRATE HIS 101

BIRTHDAY.

LOVE SEEING MY SISTERS.

Reporter: LONGEVITY

RUNS IN THE FAMILY.

HIS YOUNGEST AND ONLY

SURVIVING SIBLING,

GERTRUDE, IS 92.

AGE DOESN'T SLOW DOWN THIS

SUPER SENIOR.

HE LIVES ON HIS

OWN...KEEPS HIS MIND SHARP

WITH DAILY BIBLE READINGS,

AND STILL GETS AROUND

PRETTY WELL.

JUST ABOUT EVERY WEEK,

MISTER ROGERS WALKS A

BLOCK AND A HALF FROM HIS

APARTMENT TO ATTEND SUNDAY

SERVICES HERE AT THIS

BETHEL CHURCH.

HE HAS BEEN A RESIDENT OF

STPETERSBURG FOR MORE

THAN 70 YEARS, AND A

MAJORITY OF THAT TIME HE

HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THIS

CHURCH.

ONE OF MY GREAT MENTORS

WHO HAS GONE ON TO BE WITH

THE LORD, SHE SAID, OH,

THAT CHURCH, THAT CHURCH,

MR. ROGERS GOES TO THAT

CHURCH.

Reporter: HE HAS

WITNESSED A LOT OF CHANGE

IN HIS TIME.

BORN DURING THE FIRST

WORLD WAR, SIX YEARS

BEFORE WOMEN COULD VOTE,

AND WHEN AMERICA'S

POPULATION WAS A THIRD OF

WHAT IT IS TODAY.

HE HAS ALSO HELPED TO

BRING CHANGE BY SERVING

HIS COUNTRY DURING WORLD

WAR II, AS PART OF THE

FAMOUS MILITARY UNIT, THE

KESKEGEE UNIT.

BUT HE WA HE JOINED THE ARMY.

I SAID, WE'RE GOING TO

GET KILLED ANYWAY.

I AIN'T GOING TO DIE NO

COWARD.

Reporter: AND HE

SURVIVED.

I WAS IN A HO HOSTILE IN

LONDON, ENGLAND, FOR ABOUT

THREE MONTHS.

HEARING THIS STUFF FOR

THE FIRST TIME, YOU KNOW,

IN THE BEGINNING IT WAS,

WHAT, DADDY?

REALLY?

BECAUSE HE NEVER SAID A

WORD.

Reporter: THROUGH

RESEARCH THEY CONFIRMED

HIS STATUS AS A DOCUMENTED

ORIGINAL TUSKEGEE AIR MAN.

DEFINED AS MAN OR WOMAN,

BLACK OR WHITE, WHO SERVED

IN THE AIR FIELD, OR ANY

OF THE PROGRAMS STEMMING

FROM THE TUSKEGEE SERVICE.

HE HELPED CHANGED OUR

NATION FOR THE BETTER.

Reporter: IN RECENT

YEARS, THEIR HEROICS AND

SACRIFICES AND ROLES HAVE

BEEN RECOGNIZED WITH A

CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL

AND IN FILM.

HEAVENLY FATHER, WE

THANK YOU FOR THIS

GLORIOUS DAY.

WE ASK THAT YOU SEND YOUR

ANGELS DOWN TO SURROUND US

AS WE FLY THROUGH THE SKY.

I LOOK AT IT AS ALL

THOSE WHO HAVE GONE ON

BEFORE HIM, WHO DIDN'T

HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO

RECEIVE THE RECOGNITION,

HE IS STANDING IN THE GAP.

Reporter: SO WHAT

DOES MR. ROGERS THINK OF

THE ATTENTION?

I APPRECIATE IT.

BUT I TALK TO MY HEAVENLY

FATHER AND TRY TO LIVE A

CHRISTIAN LIFE.

Reporter: AT 101, HE

IS STILL TEACHING LIFE'S

LESSONS.

HE IS SO GENEROUS.

THAT'S THE LESSON I HAVE

FROM HIM, HOW GENEROUS HE

IS.

HE HAS TAUGHT ME, IN MY

SHORT TIME AS HIS PASTOR,

A GREATER SENSE OF

REVERENCE FOR PEOPLE.

IT IS LOVE FOR PEOPLE AND

THE -- HIS LOVE FOR PEOPLE

AND THE LORD IS A GREAT

MOTIVATOR FOR OUR YOUNG

CHILDREN.

Reporter: AND DESPITE

A 90-YEAR AGE GAP, HIS

GRANDCHILDREN SAY HE IS

COOL.

I AM VERY PROUD OF MY

GRANDFATHER FOR WHAT HE

HAS DONE FOR THE UNITED

STATES OF AMERICA AND THE

ARMY.

Reporter: SO WHAT IS

THE SECRET TO LONGEVITY?

HE SAYS IT IS LOVING GOD

AND LIVING BY THE GOLDEN

RULE.

STILL GOING STRONG, HE IS

NOW LOOKING FORWARD TO

102.

HE WANTS TO SEE HOW

LONG HE CAN MAKE.

BECAUSE THERE IS NO

SLOWING DOWN.

HE IS JUST MARCHING

FORWARD AND WE JUST HAVE

TO FOLLOW TO KEEP UP.

Reporter: WHILE

WILLIE ROGERS MAY NOT BE A

HOUSEHOLD NAME OR

MENTIONED IN THE HISTORY

BOOKS, ONE THING IS FOR

SURE...

I LIVE FOR MY HEAVENLY

FATHER.

Reporter: HE LEGACY

OF HUMILITY AND FAITH IS

UNDENIABLE.

JOHN JESSUP, CBN NEWS, ST.

PETERSBURG, FLORIDA.

Efrem: UP NEXT, THE

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

COMPLETE THE BEST SEASON

IN HISTORY.

WE'LL HEAR FROM ONE OF THE

PLAYERS WHO FINDS HIS

Efrem: THE GOLDEN

STATE WARRIORS SET THE

RECORD FOR THE MOST

REGULAR SEASON SINS IN NBA

HISTORY, PASSING THE

RECORD SET BY MICHAEL

JORDAN.

THEY BEAT THE MEMPHIS

GRIZZLIES 125 TO 104.

AND SETH CURRIE SCORED 43

POINTS AND SET HIS OWN NBA

MILESTONE BY BEING THE

FIRST PLAYER TO MAKE MORE

THAN 400 THREE POINTERS IN

THE SEASON.

I HAVE GREAT TEAMMATES.

I KEEP PUSHING MYSELF AND

TRY NOT TO HAVE ANY KIND

OF LIMITS, THAT'S FOR

SURE.

IT MOTIVATES ME EVERY

SINGLE NIGHT.

Efrem: NO LIMITS,

INDEED.

SEAN BROWN TRAVELLED TO

OKLAHOMA TO SIT DOWN WITH

JAMES MACADU, WHO SAYS HIS

IDENTITY IS FOUND IN

SOMETHING GREATER THAN A

BASKETBALL SCORE.

Reporter: FOR THE

SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR,

THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

HAVE BECOME THE TEAM TO

BEAT IN THE NBA.

AND JAMES MICHAEL MACADOO

SAYS A BIG REASON IS

BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE

TEAM GELS OUTSIDE OF

BASKETBALL.

GOING INTO THIS YEAR,

AND HAVING THE SUCCESS WE

HAVE HAD THIS YEAR, I CAN

HONESTLY SAY IT'S BECAUSE

OFF THE COURT WE'RE LIKE

BROTHERS.

IT TRANSLATES TO ON THE

COURT.

WE'RE SUCH A CLOSE-KNIT OF

BELIEVERS ON THIS TEAM.

WE'RE ON THE ROAD, AND WE

STAY TOGETHER.

YOU KNOW, WE GO BEFORE THE

LORD.

AND WE'RE JUST THANKFUL

BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THIS

OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE,

IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT

COMES ALONG EVERY DAY.

Reporter: JAMES

BECAME A CHRISTIAN AT AN

EARLY AGE.

HE CAME FROM A LONG LINE

OF GREAT BASKETBALL

PLAYERS, BUT HE SAID HE

DIDN'T WANT HIS IDENTITY

TO COME SOLELY FROM

BASKETBALL.

THE BIGGEST THING FOR

ME IS ALWAYS REALIZING

THAT NO MATTER WHAT, MY

FAITH IN GOD IS HOW I WANT

TO BE IDENTIFIED.

Reporter: AS JAMES

GRADUATED FROM NORFOLK

CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL IN

VIRGINIA, HE WENT ON TO

PLAY FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF

NORTH CAROLINA, WITH

DREAMS OF LEADING HIS TEAM

TO THE NATIONAL FOUR AND

GOING INTO THE NBA.

YOU PLAY THREE SEASONS

AND YOU OPT OUT OF YOUR

SENIOR YEAR AND YOU ENTER

THE NBA DRAFT, AND THEN

YOU'RE NOT DRAFTED.

YEAH.

Reporter: HOW DID

THAT AFFECT YOU?

IT WAS TOUGH.

HONESTLY, I CAN TELL YOU

WHEN I LOOK BACK, LEAVING

THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH

CAROLINA AFTER MY JUNIOR

YEAR WAS A PRETTY SELFISH

DECISION.

AND AFTER I DIDN'T GET

DRAFTED, HONESTLY I CAN

TELL YOU I WASN'T

SURPRISED.

I WENT UNDRAFTED, YOU

KNOW, THIS TOP RECRUIT

COMING OUT, AND IT WAS A

TOUGH PILL TO SWALLOW.

Reporter: JUST AFTER

THE DRAFT, WHILE AT HOME

IN NORFOLK, JAMES RECEIVED

A CALL FROM HIS AGENT.

HE WAS BASICALLY

SAYING, OBVIOUSLY, IT IS

NOT GOING, BUT WE HAVE

OPPORTUNITIES ON THE

TABLE.

AND I'M, LIKE, OKAY, THIS

IS WHAT IT IS GOING TO

LOOK LIKE.

I HAVE TO GO TO SUMMER

LEAGUE, PERFORM WELL

ENOUGH THERE TO EARN A

TRAINING CAMP INVITE.

Reporter: AFTER

SHOWING OFF HIS SKILL IN

THE NBA SUMMER LEAGUE, HE

GOT AN INVITE TO ATTEND

THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS'

TRAINING CAMP.

I'M GOING THROUGH THE

TRAINING CAMP, AND,

HONESTLY, I'M PRAYING THE

HARDEST I'VE EVER PLAYED

IN MY LIFE.

GOD, PLEASE HELP ME MAKE

THIS TEAM.

I'VE ALREADY EXPERIENCED

LOSS ON THE DAY OF THE

DRAFT.

IT COMES DOWN TO THE FINAL

DAY OF THE DRAFT, AND MY

AGENT SAYS I WAS RELEASED.

Reporter: BUT IT

WASN'T LONG BEFORE HE GOT

A CALL FROM HIS AGENT, THE

WARRIORS WERE GIVING HIM

ANOTHER SHOT.

HE WAS LIKE, THEY'RE

GOING TO CALL YOU UP.

Reporter: JAMES

COMPLETED BOTH CONTRACTS

AND WAS CALLED UP TO THE

WARRIORS JUST IN TIME TO

JOIN THEIR PLAYOFF RUN

TOWARDS WINNING THE 2015

NBA CHAMPIONSHIP.

IT IS ONE OF THOSE

THINGS WHERE GOD JUST

TELLS YOU, I'VE GOT YOU;

DON'T WORRY.

Reporter: AND TODAY,

AS THE WARRIORS FIGHT FOR

THEIR SECOND TITLE, JAMES

SAYS EVEN WITH ALL HIS

SUCCESS, DON'T GET IT

TWISTED; HE IS PLAYING FOR

THE LORD.

I CAN TELL YOU, MONEY

DOESN'T MAKE YOU HAPPY.

FAME DOESN'T MAKE YOU

HAPPY.

NOTHING IN THIS WORLD CAN

MAKE YOU HAPPY.

I CAN LOSE EVERYTHING

TODAY, AND I CAN HONESTLY

SAY I WILL STILL PRAISE MY

LORD AND JESUS CHRIST.

IT IS NOT EASY.

IT'S TOUGH.

BUT IT'S WORTH IT.

I PROMISE YOU, IT'S WORTH

IT.

Efrem: FINALLY, BE

SURE TO MAKE THIS A

THANKFUL THURSDAY.

LORD, THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS

ANSWERING MY PRAYERS.

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER

I LIKE THE ANSWER.

WHAT MATTERS IS I KNOW

THAT YOU KNOW WHAT IS BEST

FORTUNATE ME.

I CAN NEVER FORGET THAT

YOUR PROMISES ARE ALWAYS

EXCEEDINGLY ABOVE ALL I

COULD EVER ASK OR THINK.

THAT IS GOING TO DO

IT FOR

THIS EDITION OF CBN

"NEWSWATCH."

HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US

RIGHT

BACK HERE COME TOMORROW.

WE'LL SEE YOU THEN.