Valuetainment - February 14, 2026


“I Am Worthy Of God’s Love” - James Van Der Beek’s Final Message Echoes After His Death


Episode Stats

Length

12 minutes

Words per Minute

184.8094

Word Count

2,374

Sentence Count

204

Hate Speech Sentences

2


Summary


Transcript

00:00:00.000 James Van Der Beek just passed away.
00:00:04.680 Okay, and for some of you guys, if you don't know who he is,
00:00:07.460 for me, everybody goes to different movies.
00:00:09.340 Where do you go with him, by the way?
00:00:10.360 Where do you go with him?
00:00:10.900 What do you think about him?
00:00:12.120 Varsity Blues.
00:00:13.060 You go to Varsity Blues?
00:00:14.040 It's not even close, dude.
00:00:14.800 Varsity Blues?
00:00:15.160 I don't want your life.
00:00:17.440 Where do you go, Rob?
00:00:18.360 Incredible.
00:00:19.280 I go to one.
00:00:19.800 Do you ever watch any of this stuff or no?
00:00:21.620 Dawson's Creek.
00:00:22.380 Okay, so listen, let me tell you guys about Dawson's Creek.
00:00:24.200 Rob, tell me you're into men without telling you.
00:00:27.340 I honestly don't want to wait for our lives to be over.
00:00:30.500 I don't want to wait.
00:00:32.040 That was the song.
00:00:33.060 FYI, you know what's crazy?
00:00:34.800 I'm going to share this with you guys.
00:00:35.820 Please don't share it with anybody.
00:00:37.020 And let's just keep it in this community.
00:00:38.440 I don't want anybody to know this.
00:00:39.840 When I was in the Army, me and these six, seven guys from our unit,
00:00:45.120 we knew a couple things.
00:00:46.840 In our barracks, there's two things we wouldn't miss.
00:00:50.700 When Sosa and Maguire were playing, we'd be in that room watching the games.
00:00:55.240 Or Tuesday nights, they changed it to Wednesday,
00:00:58.680 but for many years it was Tuesday night, Dawson's Creek.
00:01:01.660 And we would sit there and watch this guy.
00:01:03.560 It was the sickest show, but we had one code.
00:01:06.440 We cannot tell anybody we watched Dawson's Creek.
00:01:08.720 Okay?
00:01:09.340 It was one of the things.
00:01:10.460 You can brag about watching Melrose Place,
00:01:12.960 maybe even a little bit Beverly Hills 90210.
00:01:15.160 You can't tell people you watched Dawson's Creek
00:01:17.060 and you're in a military uniform, all this other stuff.
00:01:19.640 But it was an awesome show.
00:01:20.660 The best part about him is this one clip I shared where he experiences God
00:01:26.180 as he's going through his – it's such a beautiful, beautiful message
00:01:31.440 to finish the podcast on.
00:01:33.080 Go ahead, Rob.
00:01:34.180 Today's my birthday, and it has been the hardest year of my life,
00:01:39.620 and I wanted to share something that I learned with y'all.
00:01:43.020 When I was younger, I used to define myself as an actor, right?
00:01:49.900 Which was never really all that fulfilling.
00:01:52.780 And then I became a husband, and that was much better.
00:01:54.660 And then I became a father, and that was the ultimate.
00:01:57.800 I could define myself then as a loving, capable, strong, supportive husband,
00:02:05.980 father, provider, steward of the land that we're so lucky to live on.
00:02:09.440 And for a long time, that felt like a really good definition to the question,
00:02:13.980 who am I?
00:02:14.980 What am I?
00:02:17.380 And then this year, I had to look my own mortality in the eye.
00:02:24.640 I had to come nose to nose with death.
00:02:28.000 And all of those definitions that I cared so deeply about were stripped from me.
00:02:32.640 I was away for treatment, so I could no longer be a husband that was helpful to my wife.
00:02:38.080 I could no longer be a father who could pick up his kids and put them to bed and be there for them.
00:02:43.000 I could not be a provider because I wasn't working.
00:02:46.080 I couldn't even be a steward of the land because at times I was too weak to prune all the trees
00:02:52.660 during the window that you're supposed to prune them.
00:02:54.460 And so I was faced with the question, if I am just a too skinny, weak guy alone
00:03:03.580 in an apartment with cancer, what am I?
00:03:09.800 And I meditated and the answer came through, I am worthy of God's love.
00:03:18.640 Wow.
00:03:21.840 Simply because I exist.
00:03:23.220 And if I'm worthy of God's love, shouldn't I also be worthy of my own?
00:03:31.660 And the same is true for you.
00:03:34.260 And as I move through this healing portal toward recovery, I wanted to share that with you
00:03:38.940 because I think that revelation that came to me was due in no small part to all the prayers
00:03:43.380 and the love that had been directed toward me.
00:03:46.280 So I offer that to you, however it sits in your consciousness, however it resonates, run with it.
00:03:52.300 And if the word God trips you up, I certainly don't know, I can't claim to know what God is or explain God.
00:04:00.860 My efforts to connect to God are an ongoing process that is a constant unfolding mystery to me.
00:04:07.180 But if it's a trigger, it feels too religious, you can take the word God out and your mantra can simply be,
00:04:12.680 I am worthy of love.
00:04:16.280 Isn't that amazing?
00:04:18.400 Isn't that amazing?
00:04:19.120 Wow.
00:04:19.280 And then, boom, he passed away two days ago when you see that message.
00:04:22.540 Do you see, look in his eyes and tell me that faith.
00:04:28.480 He has faith and zero fear.
00:04:32.100 He said death is nose to nose with him and I didn't see any fear in him because he has God.
00:04:38.380 If that doesn't tell you everything that we're about, I'm sorry.
00:04:43.420 I love you, Benny.
00:04:46.880 And I appreciate that, man.
00:04:48.380 I, um, can I, so, for me, this, all these actors that die, we remember, like for you, it was Dawson's Creek.
00:04:57.280 For me, it was Varsity Blues and it doesn't come close.
00:05:01.080 You know, we're seeing these actors die and we say, man, I remember Dustin Diamond died.
00:05:06.420 That was Screech from Saved by the Bell.
00:05:08.100 I used to wake up in the morning and I feel it.
00:05:10.840 You remember that song?
00:05:12.500 And then Paul Walker died.
00:05:14.460 He was also in the movie with Varsity Blues.
00:05:16.200 He was the quarterback that, uh, Foxy Moxie, James Van Der Beek, took his place.
00:05:21.060 Man, I used to hang out with that guy in Miami.
00:05:23.700 Wow, good-looking guy.
00:05:24.900 Stud of a guy.
00:05:26.280 Uh, died driving a car.
00:05:28.900 Fast and free.
00:05:29.340 Man, I knew him.
00:05:31.020 Chadwick Boseman died.
00:05:32.780 Right?
00:05:33.220 Uh, Wakanda forever.
00:05:35.880 And you're like, dude, what is happening right now?
00:05:39.040 But this is a part of life.
00:05:40.840 But, I'll tell you one story.
00:05:43.220 In 1999, when Varsity Blues came out, I was playing football at the time.
00:05:46.800 I was, uh, playing football in North Carolina at the time.
00:05:49.540 Our whole team went to go see that movie.
00:05:52.600 And you talk about the army and the camaraderie.
00:05:55.240 Go take your entire football team to go watch Varsity Blues.
00:05:59.820 Like, remember when we took the entire company to go watch Air?
00:06:02.280 We're like, all right, we're going to go change the world.
00:06:05.800 Movies, you know, I'm not a big movie guy.
00:06:07.700 Movies, they used to be able to galvanize people and change the world.
00:06:12.200 And they used to be original.
00:06:14.240 Now, the movies aren't what they used to be.
00:06:17.060 But here's a guy that has made such a huge impact from one movie.
00:06:21.860 And look at the impact that he's made in this world with his family.
00:06:24.160 Look at this, his family right here.
00:06:26.060 Unbelievable.
00:06:26.760 So, here you have, obviously, a grieving mother and beautiful kids.
00:06:30.100 Beautiful, blonde babies.
00:06:32.360 And, uh, salute to James Van Der Beek for everything you've done for America and for our culture and for society.
00:06:38.320 Four daughters, two sons, husband and wife, widow Kimberly Brooke.
00:06:45.060 He was raised a Christian, born a Christian.
00:06:47.880 And, uh, may you rest in peace.
00:06:50.700 Tom, your thoughts here.
00:06:51.620 You know, we, we all owe this, this world one death.
00:06:56.840 And it's easy when you're young and strong to kind of create your own God and to create your own confidence and to live according to that and to doubt everything else.
00:07:06.660 But it's an amazing thing of the human condition that when we're faced with our mortality, we are all capable of self-reflection if we'll let our bold, flawed human self get out of the way.
00:07:19.680 And that's what you saw there.
00:07:20.880 You saw a guy that was reflecting on who he was, reflecting on his value.
00:07:25.060 And we're all worthy of God's love.
00:07:28.700 And that's a God that sent his son that loved us so much that all of the, all of our flaws on earth, that all of our flaws as humans, he wants to forgive that and to give you the gateway to eternal life and peace.
00:07:42.540 And I'm really inspired by the reflection that I saw in the words that he gave.
00:07:49.560 And, um, I, I think you can slow down.
00:07:54.560 You can slow down and meditate and think about who you are in this life and let your human self get out of the way for a minute and just think about what you just saw and say, what are the choices I'm making today?
00:08:06.460 And there's a God that loves me so much in, in my sin and everything who I am today.
00:08:13.260 You don't need to wait till you have cancer to kind of reflect on that and to live a life of true value and peace and encouragement to others.
00:08:22.140 And, um, uh, I, I pray for his family.
00:08:25.020 What a beautiful family.
00:08:26.500 What a, what a, just a gorgeous, you know, reflection there.
00:08:30.820 And you look at the reflection of, of who he was, look at his family.
00:08:34.940 There's the reflection.
00:08:35.800 Very interesting.
00:08:36.760 He was a wonderful, wonderful father.
00:08:38.740 Look at them.
00:08:39.360 Yeah.
00:08:39.520 I'm going back to see how they met.
00:08:41.460 They met on a trip to Israel in 2009.
00:08:45.780 Neither are Jewish, by the way.
00:08:47.420 They had such a spiritual experience, personal growth experience that they ended up getting married there in 2010 in Tel Aviv.
00:08:56.780 Uh, partly because that's where they met.
00:08:58.700 They got married in Tel Aviv.
00:09:00.800 Neither is Jewish.
00:09:01.880 So I said, maybe she's probably Jewish.
00:09:03.520 No.
00:09:03.820 Uh, you can tell, I mean, for somebody who want to get married at a place like that and you're raised a Christian and very interesting, but all in all, uh, super likable, man.
00:09:15.920 You just hate to hear stories like this, a young man being where they're at.
00:09:18.860 And it makes all of us, you know, you're 47 years old.
00:09:22.300 You get to a certain age in your life where you start realizing how important of a role faith plays.
00:09:26.780 And, um, I always say this to everybody.
00:09:29.060 I told this to Adam for many, many years.
00:09:30.860 I would tell him this and I would say to anyone around me, whatever you're doing this weekend, my suggestion, go to church.
00:09:38.660 Go to church this Sunday.
00:09:40.600 Go to service this Sunday.
00:09:41.900 I mean, especially for some of you guys that haven't been a while and maybe you're battling with your faith and things that didn't go right.
00:09:48.980 You lost somebody, your relationship, a bad breakup, finance, career, bad experience, packing the dates when you were a kid.
00:09:55.620 Something happened with a church, with a pastor, with a priest, whatever may be.
00:09:59.360 I was told a long time ago when I would go to Bible study in, uh, 2002, Friday nights, I would be in, uh, every other Friday night, I would be in Pasadena from 6 p.m. to 2 o'clock in the morning.
00:10:10.880 If you judge your relationship with God horizontally, you'll always be disappointed.
00:10:16.780 But if you judge your relationship with God vertically, you'll be fine.
00:10:20.520 So your bad experience spiritually is probably horizontal.
00:10:25.400 On somebody else let you down, they did something to you that hurt you.
00:10:29.680 You won't be disappointed vertically.
00:10:31.660 It's been my experience.
00:10:32.660 I can't believe the life I live every day.
00:10:34.040 I'm so grateful for it.
00:10:35.020 Anyways, I didn't even know we were going to finish the story on this.
00:10:38.740 Last minute, I decided to do this because his message he gave was so touching, was so amazing, and I hope it touched the right people as well.
00:10:44.960 A new Faith Over Fear hat is coming soon to a theater near you, but I just wanted to, this morning I was listening to Billy Graham, which Pat, you told me to listen to him.
00:10:53.860 You're like, you know, Vinny, dive in and listen to him.
00:10:55.580 So I'm getting ready in the morning.
00:10:56.520 I'm just listening to Billy Graham, and he said something that I hadn't heard in a while, and it was the Apostle Thomas.
00:11:02.620 When Jesus rose from the dead, Thomas wasn't there to see the resurrection.
00:11:07.080 So Thomas goes, I'll believe that he rose if I get to put my hands in his wounds and in his side.
00:11:12.080 So then he finally sees Jesus, and he goes in there.
00:11:14.840 He goes, God, Thomas, God, put your hands in here.
00:11:16.980 And Jesus looks at him and goes, because you have seen me, you believe.
00:11:20.300 Blessed of those who haven't seen me and still believe.
00:11:23.420 And in that moment, Tom, it hit me.
00:11:24.920 He's talking about us, okay?
00:11:26.680 We weren't there.
00:11:27.520 We didn't see Jesus walk.
00:11:28.560 We didn't see him die.
00:11:29.240 We didn't see him rise from the dead, but we believe, and that is faith in real time.
00:11:34.540 And he's talking about us.
00:11:35.600 And the last one, you mentioned the story about the Nigeria that we're sending 200 troops.
00:11:40.120 Trump is sending 200 troops.
00:11:41.320 They're saying they're not going to do anything crazy.
00:11:42.880 But think about that.
00:11:44.200 Think about the priests.
00:11:45.060 Think about the parishioners in those churches that were bombed and murdered and slaughtered,
00:11:49.080 and they were in that church praying and saying, please, help.
00:11:52.600 That is faith over fear in real time, and that's what we're about, and that's what the brand is about.
00:11:57.580 And I can't tell you how many people see me with the shirt because the shirt's on the back
00:12:01.220 and just tap me on the back and go, I'm with you.
00:12:03.380 Or they see this hat and they go, where can I get that hat?
00:12:05.580 So you go on vtmerch.com, get the hat.
00:12:08.320 We have the hoodies.
00:12:08.940 We have here, my, send me, which is Isaiah chapter 6, verse 8 as well.
00:12:13.440 But yeah, let's go to vtmerch.com and pick it up.
00:12:15.960 If you enjoyed this video, you want to watch more videos like this, click here.
00:12:18.640 And if you want to watch the entire podcast, click here.
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