Episode 116: Jeremiah 29:11...In Heavy Metal Format with Benny DiChiara

Your Biggest Breakthrough

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

This familiar scripture is the rallying cry for our guest in today's episode. Benny DiChiara suffered a TBI (traumatic brain injury) in 2015. No one knows exactly what caused him to lose consciousness and hit his head when he fell. But it put him in his place, and gave him time to rest and think on what he really should be doing with his life.

After hearing a call (literally) to form a new band, he wrote the lyrics for a song based on Jeremiah 29:11. Empowered has proven to be immensely popular with the youth, and shares God's love through their music.

And although Benny lost his sense of taste in the aftermath of his fall in 2015, he certainly didn't lose his zany sense of humor, as you'll hear in this episode!

In this episode with Benny, you'll learn:

-The "incredible accident" which brought a new awareness of God's grace...03:00

-God spoke to Benny while recovering from his accident...11:15

-How a lifetime church attender finally found a personal relationship with Jesus...17:11

-Understand the real story of those who appear to be "successful"...25:03

-The story behind Benny's new album Yahweh Nissi...28:00

-"If people don't feel Jesus when we're performing, we need to just quit"...34:35

-How Benny got involved with Children's Cup ministries...37:20

-One thing about Benny most people don't know...42:00

-And much more...

Resources mentioned:

Rockin 4 Jesus website

Children's Cup ministries

Guest's bio and social handles:

Instagram: @benny777 and @empowered_rockin4jesus

Facebook

Benny DiChiara is not fragile, yet he understands the fragility of life. He is not lost, but he knows the aimless paths of those who wander. He is not a victim, but he has experienced life-saving salvation from the inside out. His world has been shaken, but his feet are planted firmly on the strongest of foundations. And even as he faced an abyss of the unknown, he never did so alone.

In October 2015, the singer, songwriter, businessman, motivational speaker, father, and husband endured a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that placed his life and future in peril. A fall sent him to the emergency room and ICU with a concussion and closed fracture of the skull base with subarachnoid, subdural, and extradural hemorrhage. The catastrophic injury could have easily ended his life or, at the least, compromised the quality of it.

"I absolutely remember nothing from the first month after my injury," he shares. "It's just gone. Once I started to come out of it, there were memory gaps, speech issues, and walking issues. Everything looked surreal."

The battle for his life and mind was not easy or quick. Amid the struggle, though, he clung to the knowledge that the battle for his heart had already been won.

"I liken the experience to someone who is just lost, who feels like they cannot find their way," he shares. "You have no answers. But then there's Jesus."

Hand-in-hand with his Savior, DiChiara not only defied medical odds; he discovered and plumbed the depths of burgeoning creative inspiration that merged into the most recent EP from his band, Empowered, entitled Three Days.

"As I recovered, the injury did not affect my ability to make music," he shares. "I was afraid I would lose that gifting. Instead, He has elevated that gift."

God not only restored and magnified DiChiara’s musical gifts, He also provided back-up through the latest iteration of Benny’s band, Empowered. Shane Madere Jr. wears multiple hats as the lead guitarist, backing vocalist, and co-leader. Jeff Maddox, the youngest member, is a prodigy on bass, while also lending his vocals to the mix. Mic Capdeville consistently blows audiences away as a killer percussionist with crazy vocal chops. The group is rounded out by another stand-out talent, Justin Burdette, who simply shreds it on strings.

Their talent, alongside DiChiara’s resolve and new insight, coalesced and put to song the miracle of salvation, the joy of purpose, and the unshakable, unequivocal victory that Christ claimed when He rose on the third day.

"There's a lot going on in this world, and yet people are still searching," says DiChiara. "The project's title track began with this simple truth—no matter what is going on in your life, no matter what Satan is throwing at you, God took care of it. Jesus was crucified, died, was buried, and rose again for all of us. And He did it all in just three days!"

DiChiara's lyrical dexterity and driving sense of musicality propel each track on this unapologetically bold project while encompassing his entire life journey from lost to found, aimless to empowered—a characteristic that, aptly, became his band's moniker.

"Once someone hears and is touched in any way by the message of God's love, it's their duty to 'empower' others with that message," he shares.

It's a duty he assumes with pride and intentionality, as one who knows first-hand the emptiness of a life lived apart from Christ. While he was raised in church, the truth of redemption alluded his heart and mind for years.

"I considered myself a Christian, but had no idea what being a Christian meant," says DiChiara. "I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, the eldest of six children. We were raised in a liturgical church. I even served as an acolyte. All those years, I learned a lot about Jesus, but I did not know Jesus."

It would be a while before a genuine relationship with his Savior took shape. He spent four years in the U.S. Navy as a hospital corpsman, enjoyed success with a regional secular rock band, and started a family. Over time, however, pieces of his life began to unravel, including his marriage.

"Divorce after more than ten years was one of the hardest things I've ever gone through," DiChiara confesses. "Man, do I wish that I had truly known Jesus at that time—I believe things could have turned out differently."

Five years following the divorce, while working as a floor manager for a local automobile dealership, one of his clients invited him to church. Then she asked him again. And again. Until he finally agreed to attend a service at what was then known as Trinity Christian Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

"Thank God for that sweet lady's persistence," DiChiara says. "I loved the music. I loved the message. I felt God was speaking directly to me. At the end of the service, I went forward during the altar call and gave my life to Jesus, and my life has never been the same since!"

From that point, he surrendered every aspect of his world to his Savior. Fifteen years later, he is still in awe of the mighty works God set into motion. In 1998, he married Donna Lyle Schram. Their family now includes four grown children and nine grandchildren.

Empowered has become a staple of the live music scene in their home state of Louisiana, sharing the stage with such powerhouse artists as Switchfoot, MercyMe, 7eventh Time Down, and Jaci Velasquez.

Their latest release has generated more than 260,000 streams on Spotify alone, while the single, "Listen to the Children," debuted at #5 on IndieGospel.net's popular show, T. Roy Taylor's Top 20 Countdown.

The success is indicative of the music's relevance and poignancy for such a time as this.

"Society is bombarding our kids with messages that are the antithesis of the Gospel," says DiChiara. "We need to counter that with our faith and give our kids strong, Godly guidance on these issues. But we can't do that without communicating. We need to listen to our children so we can hear what the world is telling them, and counter it with the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

Track after track, DiChiara does just that, imbuing each song with timeless, eye-opening truth. From the title track that "points the world to the King of Kings," to the crunchy guitars on the electrically charged anthem "Rock Bottom," God's unconditional grace takes center stage.

"Jesus is our rock," shares DiChiara. "The good news is that no matter how far down you fall, you don't have to live there.”

"Sometimes we get caught up in our own little world and fail to see what God has in store for us on a deeper, more personal level," he continues. "It's like living inside of a snow globe—all you see is snow when your world gets shaken. It takes someone outside of the snow globe (God) to show us the bigger picture."

For the last five years, Benny has had quite a view, not to mention more than one shake-down. Even now, his TBI and its cause remain somewhat of a mystery, while the effects are lingering.

"The doctors never did figure out why my fall occurred. But, thank God, I recovered mostly," DiChiara says. "There are a few after-effects—I have an occasional memory lapse, and I have no sense of taste or smell due to the frontal lobe crush that happened during the fall. Ultimately, though, this event has only strengthened my relationship with Christ.”

“There is something in the silence and peace that He brings in this type of situation,” he continues. “I always thought that God's voice was this huge, booming command. I found that it's gentle, caring, loving, compassionate, and understanding. It's peace. There is no doubt that He saved me for a reason. He spoke it into me with the knowledge that He was, and He is, and He always will be there for me."

DiChiara's conviction eloquently takes shape in the song, "Jeremiah 29:11," based on the scripture passage, which has always been a favorite. But following the injury, it became a lifeline.

"I wrote this song while I was alone in my home during my recovery," he says. "The Holy Spirit prompts most of my writing, but God audibly gave me the lyrics to this song. It is based on Jeremiah 29:11, which says: 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'”

“That is my all-time favorite Bible verse because of its awesome promises," he says. "God said to me, 'Tell the people that what I did for you, I can do for them. All they have to do is lean into My presence.'"

It's a commission DiChiara has assumed with enthusiasm, purpose, and gratitude, his convictions dictating his words and deeds on and off stage, notably through a partnership with Children's Cup, a ministry to the poorest of the poor in regions where AIDS is rampant, poverty is crushing, and the ranks of orphaned and vulnerable children continue to swell.

"Brother Dave Ohlerking and his wife Jean founded Children's Cup as a mission and ministry to save young lives in Africa. They have since expanded into Central and South America. Donations go towards building a God-filled community amongst these sweet kids," DiChiara explains. "My wife Donna and I had been giving to Children's Cup on our own, and we love what they do. So, when the band started doing well, we wanted to partner with a ministry that was full of purpose and felt that there was none better than Children's Cup. Each month, we tally our CD sales and tithe 10% of those sales directly to their ministry efforts. It's a big calling, and one we're proud to be a part of."

Be it on a sound stage, a business presentation, a speaking engagement, or a songwriting session, DiChiara's life reverberates with a divine calling and purpose. His journey has been long, but his destination was decided in just three days. From the cross to the grave to the throne, Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection charted the course for DiChiara's healing and ministry.

"The word enthusiasm means ‘God within,’" shares DiChiara. "I am all about building confidence and enthusiasm through my music and my business. Wherever I am, it's all about Jesus."

His fragility has turned to strength; the paths that were once cloaked in darkness are now bathed in light, and the man who was once at the edge of life is now full of purpose and divine presence.

"God used this in my life to teach me not to be afraid," says DiChiara. "I know that He saved my life and that He has a plan for my life. I am not afraid to be bold in representing Him now."

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