- Vanessa, put the Matthew Township files on my desk.
I'm behind and I have to file motions for summary judgment
in every one of them by the end of the week.
Oh, and please, please reschedule my appointment
with Mr. Gunn and apologize
for the last two times that I missed.
Also, notify Mr. McCraw that his depositions
he's getting on Tuesday...
Vanessa, I need the Ayres file.
Prepare motion for summary judgment.
I need it no later than... (birds screeching)
("Beggar" by Benjamin James)
♪ Oh be kind
♪ To the beggar that's inside of you
♪ And the fiend that you are hiding too
♪ Oh be kind
♪ Feed the poor
♪ And lonesome man in your own soul
♪ Love until he's been made whole
♪ Feed the poor
♪ Be at peace
♪ With the enemy in your own home
♪ Neither you nor he could throw a stone
♪ So be at peace
♪ Oh be good
♪ To the criminal you locked away
♪ That sinful man you learned to hate
♪ Oh be good
♪ When I'm broken to pieces
- The president,
Tony,
Matthew.
Papa, bless this food to the nourishment of our body.
Amen.
- Amen.
Ah!
- Just one biscuit?
I don't wanna pass out
while I'm working over that Barry Porter's.
- I will pack you two biscuits at lunch.
One for you and one for Barry.
You're getting a little tubby.
- Tubby, huh?
- [Muriel] Cheers.
- Howdy, Lamar!
- Sam.
- [Sam] Who's your running buddy here?
- This is Vic Morris who grow up in Hendersonville
and just joined the force.
- Hello, Vic.
I'm sorry I can't offer you fellas any biscuits.
Muriel won't make any extra; she knows where they'd end up.
- That's all right.
We're not here for biscuits this morning.
I'm sorry, Sam.
- Sorry for what?
- This is a warrant for your arrest.
- What?!
- You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can and will be used against you
in a court of law.
- What's going on here?!
Lamar, I don't understand!
- Well, Sam, folks said you stole some money.
- Hello.
- Hello, can I help you?
- Are you Reverend Andrews?
- I am; you are?
- I am Mrs. Muriel Miller.
- Pleasure to meet you.
- Thank you.
- What can I do for you?
- I know we don't belong to your church,
but my husband sent me here to get you.
- Okay?
Come on in.
- Thank you. - Absolutely.
- My husband is in county jail
and he told me you were a good lawyer.
- Well, technically...
yes, I'm still licensed to practice law,
but I haven't done so in six years.
You see, I'm a pastor now.
I found a new calling.
- I know about callings.
Sam had a dream last night
and he saw you coming to see him in jail.
- So, your husband saw me in a dream?
- Yes sir!
And he told me that I would find you here.
Sam has dreams.
The Lord shows him what is gonna happen
and then he shows him things
about the people he's supposed to pray for.
It isn't any different than what happens in the Bible.
Jacob had a dream.
He saw angels on a ladder.
Joseph had a dream about himself
and he interpreted dreams for others.
- I'm, I'm, I've, (laughing) I've had many a dream myself,
Mrs. Miller, and I'm very, very familiar with the Bible.
- Of course you are. (laughing)
I just didn't want you to think that Sam was (pausing) nuts.
- So, why's your husband in jail?
- They say that he took money from the church.
Mmn-mmm.
- Embezzlement.
- That was the word that they used.
- Okay, what church?
- Craig Valley.
Sam was filling in as preacher for them
for a few months while they found a new man to take the job.
- Look, Mrs. Miller, I'm very sympathetic to your plight,
but I'm not the man that you need to see.
No, what you need is a defense attorney,
a criminal defense attorney, okay?
Delores?
- Yes?
- Do you have a Bible?
- I have one right here, actually.
Here you go.
- Matthew 25:39-40.
They are in red.
- When we see you sick or imprisoned and go to visit you,
the King will reply, "Truly I tell you,
"whatever you did for one of the least
"of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."
- Don't forget about the dream.
Thank you.
- [Delores] Here you go, right this way.
- [Muriel] Thank you.
- I won't.
- Is that where you're gonna go
with this conversation?
Then why don't tell him what you did
to the flowerpots on the deck last summer?
- Oh, I'd be happy to tell him!
- Because I would love for you to share.
- I had batting practice
with her flowerpots last summer.
- Okay, okay!
I think, I think that we should just,
we should just, we should just calm down.
Look, there are proven techniques
to jumpstart marital communication in times like this, okay?
I know that you're both feeling frustrated
and I know that you both have every right.
I know that there are certain--
- Wait, are you taking his side?
I knew talking to another man
was gonna be a complete waste of time.
- Yeah.
- Madeline told me I need to just kick you out.
- Who's Madeline?
- Wait, Madeline Frick, the divorce attorney?
- Oh!
- Oh wait, you don't-- - No, no, no, no, no!
No, no, no, this is great.
This is perfect because if it's a war you want,
that's what you're gonna get.
Zip, zero alimony, and I'm getting custody of the kids,
because there's no way, there's no way
that your crazy mother is gonna watch over them
when you have to go back to work.
Tell Madeline you can have the pots in the settlement!
Don't worry about it.
Maybe it'll knock some sense into her.
- I would really try to dissuade you guys
from going down that path.
I think that you should come and talk to me
just a couple more times.
I really think that I can help.
- You know what?
Kristen doesn't know this,
but I've got a secret stash just for this type of emergency,
because her father's loaded and there's no way
that I'm gonna let him steamroll me with his money, no way.
You're not gonna say anything
to Kristen about the cash, are you?
- Oh, no.
It's covered under the clergy confidentiality rules.
- Oh, good.
So, preachers are like lawyers in that way?
- Yeah.
Yeah, we're no different at all.
- [Man] Sweet, thanks.
- Sure.
- How did it go?
- You tell me.
Whatcha got?
- Peg called.
She wanted to make sure the appointment
with the fertility doctor in Atlanta is on your schedule.
And Bobby needs to meet with you.
- Okay.
- Something about the Elders Board.
- Great, thank you.
- Oh, and Deacon Milton is in the sanctuary.
He wants to discuss your color choice for the carpet again.
He says this will put us over the quarterly budget.
I think he also wants to talk about
your sermon last week and attendance.
- Deacon Milton, how's it going?
You wanna talk about the carpet?
- Yeah.
-Hello?
Peg?
- You didn't answer your phone.
- I'm sorry, I was busy.
What's for dinner?
- Check the fridge.
I fixed myself a sandwich.
♪ Alone in the dark
♪ All eyes on me
♪ Can't see it now
♪ But my heart's fled the scene
♪ I'm running from their words
♪ And I melt to their tears
♪ Just tell me how it is
♪ 'Cause I've been feeling this for years
♪ I'll tear down
♪ You restore
♪ You turn the page
♪ But I lock down the door
♪ I know I'm not
♪ Who I was before
♪ I went searching around
- Hey, preacher! - Good morning.
- You wouldn't have any of your flock in there, would you?
Huh?
You can tell me or went and got a bulletin for me,
something maybe sell a few of these newspapers.
- Do people still read newspapers?
- In this county, they do.
They do, thank goodness.
I'll see you later, brother.
- All right, have a good one.
- Uh-huh, yes sir.
- And just so you know,
I'm here as a minister, not a lawyer.
- I've known Sam and Muriel since I was a kid.
He's a bit odd, but I always thought he was harmless.
Have a seat, I'll get Sam.
- Great, thanks Lamar.
- I'll be just outside.
- Hello, son.
- Mike Andrews.
- Sam Miller.
Thanks for coming.
So, how does it feel to be back where you belong?
- Why'd you wanna see me?
- Well, Papa told me that you were a spiritual man
and that we need to help each other.
- Help each other?
- Mm-hmm.
- Well, you're the one in jail.
- Well, there's all kinds of jails.
One of the worst is the prison of wrong thoughts.
I was locked up there for many years
until I found the key and opened the door.
But you can ask me anything you want to.
I don't wanna rush into anything.
- Okay.
Did the detective ask you anything about the embezzlement?
- Yes, many times.
- Okay.
What did he ask you?
- He asked me about me and the church
and who took up the collection, who counted the money,
how all that money got into my checking account.
- Okay, about how much money?
- About $100,000.
I told him it had to be a mistake
because we've never had that kinda money in my whole life!
- Magistrate set bail?
- Yes, that was $100,000 too.
That figures keeps popping up.
I'm praying about it, but I don't know what it means.
- Well, what it means is that it's a felony charge.
Okay, look, I need you to just simply and clearly tell me
why you sent your wife to find me at church.
- Papa told me to.
- Papa...
Your father is still alive?
- My Papa will never die.
He's the Ancient of Days, he's the Jehovah-Jireh,
he's the Alpha and Omega, he's Prince of Peace,
he's the Lord or Lords and the King of Kings.
- So, you're telling me that God sent you to contact me?
- Yes, so you could be my lawyer.
- So I could be your lawyer.
Okay, Mr. Miller,
I haven't set foot in a courtroom in six years.
- But you could if you wanted to, couldn't you?
- Well, yeah, I suppose I could,
but just as a matter of principle, no.
I gave up my law practice to obey God.
- Oh, well I wouldn't wanna be represented
by anybody who didn't believe that.
- Look, Mr. Miller, I really do feel for you.
I really am sorry about the predicament that you're in.
But just like I told your wife, I'm not your guy.
I can't help you, I'm sorry.
- Then...
Then why'd you come see me?
- Matthew 25.
I figured that it couldn't hurt that I came and visited you.
- Why don't you pray on it?
Pray on helping me and see what Papa tells you.
- I will, indeed.
I'll also make a telephone call to the courthouse
and have you appointed counsel
so you can get outta jail, okay?
All right, well, good luck to you.
- Oh, tell your wife that baby Isaac is on the way.
I like him.
- Mike, come look at my newest painting.
- Hey.
Do you know what that filled-in circle means?
- No?
- No, I have no idea.
- I'm pregnant!
- How do you know?
- What does this tell you?
- Did you go see a doctor?
I mean, have you--
- I will, of course.
But I know I am; I can feel it.
After all these years of doctors
and exams and procedures and giving up.
- Oh, I love you.
- Well, look who's here.
- Have a seat.
- So, how are you and your wife this fine morning?
- She's pregnant.
- I told you Isaac was on the way.
- You think we're gonna have a son?
- Yes.
But there's a 50/50 chance
that I could've guessed right anyway.
- How'd you know she was pregnant?
- Oh, Papa told me.
It's a sign and a wonder.
- Okay, you didn't answer my question.
How did you know?
- Well, it was in the dream,
the same one that sent Muriel to fetch you.
I can tell you about it if you wanna listen.
- Please.
- Well, it was like this.
In my dream, my truck broke down at the side of the road
in front of your church
and a lawyer I know came outta the sanctuary to help
and his wife was with him.
And she was laughing and she was pointing at her stomach,
and it was obvious she was pregnant. (laughing)
Anyway, the lawyer went to work on my truck
and he got whatever wrong was fixed and then I went on.
That's it.
- Who's the attorney?
- Bryce Thomas.
- (laughing) Bryce has been dead for almost a decade.
I mean, his wife's gotta be like 90.
- That's how I knew that you and your wife
had had a long wait, like Abraham and Sarah.
Those are hard seasons.
Anyhow, the lawyer fixing my truck
told me that you were the one supposed to help me
fix the mess that I'm in right now
and get on down the road of life.
- Okay, but why?
Why Bryce Thomas?
I don't understand.
Bryce wasn't a member of our church.
- Because I knew him.
I used to cut his grass.
And that's what Papa uses when he wants to talk to me.
He shows me somebody I know
to tell me about somebody I don't know.
- Okay, look, you know what?
I mean, dream or not,
I don't know if I'm the right man for this.
I mean, maybe my job was to help you find a lawyer.
- Just keep praying.
Okay, well, what are you gonna do while I just keep praying?
What, are you just gonna, you just gonna sit in jail?
- You're not giving me much choice, are you?
- Sign this.
- 'Cause I think he's gonna--
- Hello.
- Oh, hey honey, I think you already know Mrs. Miller.
She was waiting to see you when I stopped by.
- Hello again. - Hello.
- We were talking about you.
- How'd your appointment go?
- It was good.
Everything's fine.
I'm in perfect condition
for someone who's about to have their first baby.
- I thought we were gonna wait to tell people.
- Muriel already knew.
Her husband had a dream about it.
It's an amazing thing. - Most amazing thing.
Yeah, I know, I just left the jail; I heard all about it.
Look, Mrs. Miller, your husband seems to be incapable
of understanding that I am a minister.
I'm not a lawyer, all right?
The charges that have been leveled against him
are very serious and he needs a practicing attorney.
I'm really sorry, Mrs. Miller, but I can't help you.
- [Muriel] Excuse me.
- [Bobby] Bobby Lambert of Forrest and Lambert,
attorney at law, leave me a message.
- Hey Bobby, it's Mike.
Listen, I need you to call Milton and everyone
and meet me at the church tomorrow for a meeting.
If you have any questions, just give me a call, all right?
I'll be up for a few more hours.
Bye.
- [Bobby] Hey, Mike.
- Gentlemen.
Hey counselor, good to see you
- Pastor. - How are you?
- So, Mike, why don't you fill Milton in
on what you called me about last night?
- Well, there's a fellow minister
that is in need of legal assistance.
It has to do with a misunderstanding of the church funds.
I'd like to represent him pro bono.
- How serious a misunderstanding?
- Well, it did result in a criminal charge,
but the results just may be a misunderstanding
about the bank.
- Don't sugarcoat it, Mike.
It's a felony charge.
- Felony?
- Yeah, it was a felony charge.
$100,000 wound up in the wrong bank account.
- What's his name?
- Sam Miller.
- Miller?!
(laughing) He's no minister, he's a crackpot.
- He's a lay preacher.
- Mike, what's really going on?
Why do you wanna do this?
- Look...
I believe that God wants me to do this.
All I'm asking is that you let me
try and help a fellow man in need, that's it.
- Okay, but only temporarily.
You have to find another lawyer to take over.
And don't let this take away
from your duties here at the church though.
If you don't have enough to keep you busy,
we can discuss a modification
to your job description and salary.
- Thank you, Milton.
- Bobby, I want you to inform the other deacons.
- [Mike] Hey, thanks for your help with Milton.
- [Bobby] No problem.
You had my back in court a time or two.
- So, what's new with you?
- Not much.
- There it is.
- Although Mr. Forrest,
he's been impossible to deal with the last couple weeks.
- Oh yeah?
- Yeah.
I don't suppose I can convince you
to put your name back on the door?
- Oh buddy, the statute of limitations
has run its course on that one, I'm afraid.
So, what's up with Mr. Forrest?
- I don't know.
He's been huddled in meetings
and he dumped a bunch of files on my desk.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
- What kinda files?
- Stuff he could do in his sleep, you know?
You know, that's what makes it so strange.
- Hmm.
- Nice.
- Hey.
What are you working on?
- I'm just, I'm typing up a motion to reduce Sam's bond
and get him outta jail.
- That's good.
Muriel needs him.
- Yeah, she does.
♪ There was a house
♪ Where all the people gathered
♪ And for a day
♪ They'd be together then scatter
♪ It was my home
♪ And in the shadows I was watching
♪ As my friends and family
♪ Sang their songs throughout the morning
- Hey bud.
- Hey, how are you doing?
- I'm good, I'm good.
Oh, I see there's a few repeat customers here.
That's Vann Turner, represented him a few times.
There's David.
Hi, David.
- Mike, is that you?
- Mr. Forrest, morning.
- How you doin', kiddo?
- I'm good, thank you.
- You remember Jack Hatcher from the bank?
- Mr. Hatcher. - Hi.
- So, what are you doing here?
Are you testifying as a character witness?
- No, actually--
- I'm sorry, sir, I forgot to tell you
that Mike is representing Sam Miller pro bono.
- Miller?
Why would you do that?
- All rise!
The Honorable Judge Coburg presiding.
- Please be seated.
We'll take up criminal matters first this morning.
Glad that you could join us today, Ms. Hall.
- [Ms. Hall] My apologies, your honor.
- When I am presiding, court begins promptly at 9:00.
Is that a problem for you?
- No, your honor.
- Are you ready to proceed?
- Yes, your honor.
- State vs. Miller, motion to reduce bond.
Mr. Andrews, will you be representing Mr. Miller?
- Yes, your honor.
Mr. Miller, please.
- Papa and I say good morning.
- (laughing) Good morning.
Do me a favor: Leave Papa outta this, okay?
Have a seat.
- Proceed.
- Your honor, this is an embezzlement charge
with the bond set at $100,000.
Mr. Miller and his wife own property
free and clear of $65,000.
We'd like to have the bond amount reduced to that amount,
as Mr. Miller is not a flight risk,
nor does he have any priors.
- Are you going to present evidence from the defendant?
- Yes we will, your honor.
We call Sam Miller to the witness stand.
Sam, just go on up to this chair over here.
Yeah, right over here.
- Do you swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
- Yep.
- So help you God?
- Amen.
I'm ready when you are.
- Proceed.
- What is your name?
- Sam Miller.
- Mr. Miller, can you tell the court
a little bit about your background?
- What part?
- Your work, sir.
- Oh, I mow lawns and do all kinds of landscaping.
As a matter of fact, I've cut the judge's grass a few times
when she was out of town and wasn't able to do it herself.
- Mr. Miller, do you have a criminal record?
- No!
- Your honor, permission to approach the witness?
- Granted.
- Mr. Miller, do you and your wife own this property?
- Yes, free and clear.
Bible says carry no debt except the continuing debt of love.
- Mr. Miller, if you post bond,
will you stay in Barlow County
until the charges against you have been resolved?
- Unless Papa sends me somewhere else.
- Mr. Miller, will you be able
to make all of your court appearances?
- Yeah, if I know about 'em.
- No further questions, your honor.
- Ms. Hall, do you have any questions?
- No, your honor.
- I have a few questions.
Mr. Miller, when was the last time
you traveled outta the county?
- Well, I went fishing up at Lake James
about a month before they locked me up.
- And if you do get out on bond,
will you have time to plant your garden?
- Well, Muriel's already started the cold frame,
but I do need to transplant my broccoli and my lettuce
and that cauliflower you love so well.
- What happened to your face?
- (laughing) Oh, this kid in jail,
he lost his temper and went to swinging
and I didn't see it coming.
- I think that's enough.
Motion granted.
I find that the defendant's property
is sufficient collateral.
- Thank you, your honor.
- However, I would like to see both attorneys
involved in this case in my chambers at 4:30.
That's 4:25 for you.
- Mike!
- Hey, Mr. Forrest.
- How are you, kid?
- Good.
- Mike...
You know, I don't think it's wise for you
to be representing Mr. Miller.
- No, it's just temporary
until he finds himself another attorney.
- Oh good, good.
Jack Hatcher is concerned about this situation.
There's a lotta money involved.
I've seen the documentation; it's embezzlement.
- Well, if that's the case,
we'll just work on a plea bargain.
- Good, good.
You know, kid, we're all very proud of your decision.
Just remember, as a minister,
your position in this community
is above the unpleasantness of a criminal case.
Trust me, I'm just looking out for you.
- I appreciate your concern.
- Oh, how's Peg?
- Oh, she's wonderful.
- Good.
We'll see ya, kid.
- See ya.
- On three separate occasions, Mr. Miller has contacted me
with information about a case.
In each instance, he had had some sort of dream.
What he had to pass along was sometimes hard to interpret,
but in every instance proved reliable.
- Has he been in touch with you
about the charges against him?
- No.
If that had happened, I would already have recused myself.
If either of you think that you would like to file a motion
removing me from this case, I will give you time to do it.
- Sam.
Come on, let's get you home in time for supper.
- Here you go.
- Thank you ma'am.
- Honey. - Thank you, sweetheart.
- You're welcome.
- Mmmm, oh that's delicious.
Do you think they'll have sweet tea in Heaven?
- Only in the Southern part.
- Honey, you shoulda seen him in court today.
He was as smooth as your egg custard.
- Thank you so much for taking good care of him.
I was just too nervous to go.
- Well, Judge Coburg thinks very highly of him.
- And she thinks very highly of you too.
- Oh, I wish everyone felt the same way.
You know, my old boss, he doesn't want me representing you.
- No? - Mn-mm.
He was telling me that the bank president, Jack Hatcher,
wants to see you go away for quite some time.
- Jack Hatcher.
- Oh, is that the man you wrote that letter to?
- Letter?
What letter?
- Oh, Sam. - What letter?
- You have got to tell your lawyer
everything he needs to know so that he can represent you!
- Well, it slipped my mind!
- Oh, Sam.
- I don't keep copies of my letters now,
but I do probably have some notes back there
that'll jog my memory.
I'll go look around and dig and see if I can find it.
Excuse me.
- About how long's it been since Sam wrote that letter,
do you know?
- It's about three, four months.
- Does Sam know Jack Hatcher?
- I don't think so,
but he writes a lotta letters to people he don't know.
- Really?
- He writes to the president several times a year.
- Really? - Mm-hmm.
- The president ever write him back?
- No, but the FBI did!
Here, I think this is what you're looking for.
I think this'll, does that make any sense to you at all?
- No, not at all.
Does it make sense to you?
- Well, yeah.
Let me see here.
I'll jot down some words at night that'll remind me.
Now, let me see here.
Oh yeah, yeah I remember that.
Yeah, the dream took place at nighttime.
There was a hatchet and a box of finishing nails
and a baseball bat and a tree.
They were all standing up, talking like men.
Behind 'em, I could see Cahula Creek,
and the baseball bat man was handing the man that I know
by the name of Larry Paisley a string of glass beads.
They were pretty but worthless.
Now, in the margin here,
I wrote the verse that I sent to Mr. Hatcher.
It's Ephesians 5:11-14.
What does that passage say?
- That is deeds of darkness.
- Yeah, read it for us.
- I know my Bible.
Ephesians.
Ah, here we go.
"Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness,
"but rather expose them.
"It is shameful even to mention
"what the disobedient do in secret.
"But everything exposed by the light becomes visible."
- That's it.
- Hatcher was the hatchet.
- That's right.
- Okay, well, what else did you write in the letter?
- Something along the lines of warning him
not to take advantage of Larry
because Larry was on the wrong end of a land deal.
- And how could you tell that?
- Well, they were meeting at night
and they were giving him worthless beads
and it all fit in with the deeds of darkness.
You understand what I mean?
- Land deeds.
- That's right.
- You're gonna catch on quick.
Mmmm!
- Hey.
- Hey, Brax.
- I saw you at the courthouse this morning.
- Oh, is that news?
- Well, in this town it is.
You're not thinking about giving up the pulpit, are you?
- No, just trying to help somebody
who's in a jam, that's all.
- Thank you.
Ah, look at that.
Don't that smell good?
That's a livermush sandwich with mustard.
Don't you wish you'd ordered you one?
- You wanna write a compelling article,
you should write what that does to your digestive tract.
- Oh, no, no.
Sounds like you're asking me to volunteer
for a colonoscopy or something.
I ain't gonna do that, no. (laughing)
- It's coming.
- Now, let me ask you, have you heard any dreams lately
that might be newsworthy?
- No, I had no idea Mr. Miller was so popular around here.
- Yeah, he's been writing those letters
to the newspapers now for years.
Most of those end up in the little round file cabinet
I keep on the floor over there, you know?
- Why'd you throw 'em all away?
- Well, I've thrown 'em all away but one.
- Oh yeah?
Why'd that one make the cut?
- Well, he wrote it to me.
I don't know how he did it.
That son of a gun found some way
to find out some information about me
that nobody else knows.
Yeah, since then, I've had kind of a soft spot for him.
I'm sorry to hear he got in trouble
and I've been trying to keep his name
off of the crime blotter on the paper,
and now my editor wants me
to write a investigative story about it.
And I'll be honest with you, preacher,
my heart ain't in it; I don't wanna do it.
- You know what?
- What's that?
- You should write that piece.
- Why?
- Then you can investigate what really happened.
- Yeah.
- Mm-hmm.
- Yeah, I like that.
You want a bite?
Tastes good.
- [Mike] I'm okay, thank you though.
- That's good, y'all.
- All three deacons are waiting for us at the church.
Larry Fletchall's one of my sons, so we should be okay.
- I didn't know you had family at that church.
- I have 10 sons, including you.
- Spiritual sons.
- What's more important about being a papa?
Had a dream about your church last month.
- Oh yeah?
- Uh-huh, a dream where you and I
were sitting in the sanctuary
and Bud Putnam came running in.
- Bud, the fire chief?
- Mm-hmm.
Building was on fire.
Usually in my dreams, Papa uses fire for good,
but in this, I kept looking at the fire
and I realized it was not a good fire.
It was a fire from Hell.
- What does that mean?
- Fussin' and fightin' in the church.
It didn't work for Cain and Abel, it won't work today.
Jesus said that we should love one another.
- Yeah, well Sam, we've got a unified
and growing congregation, so--
- Just telling you what I saw.
- All right.
- Lord, we ask you to come by here.
We know that you are Lord
and we know that you are the one who makes judgements.
- Yes.
- So we won't judge anybody.
I ask you to put your arms around Sam and his family.
We ask these things in your name, amen.
- [All] Amen.
- Larry Fletchall.
- Hey, Mike Andrews, pleasure.
- Glad to meet you.
- Jesse, Bob, John, it's good to see you.
- Don't do that, Sam.
Now, we can't pretend that nothing happened.
- But I didn't do anything wrong.
- Hey everybody, why don't we get started, okay?
Sam, please.
- No notes.
We don't want you trying to twist our words in court.
- Okay.
We'll just get right into it.
What do you say?
So, how many accounts does the church have?
- Two.
We have a general account and we have a building fund.
- Is Sam authorized to sign those checks?
- No.
But when went to the bank,
the man showed us the checks that Sam filled out
and put in his account.
- Who'd you speak with at the bank?
- Curtis Dressler, bank manager.
- Dressler.
How many checks were there?
What were the amounts?
- Two, two checks.
One for $10,000 and another for $90,000,
and these are all the paperwork and receipts.
- I can keep these?
- Yeah.
- Who's Jesse?
- I am.
- Hey Jesse, did you sign the checks?
- No, and don't you come in here accusing me.
- No ma'am, no.
I'm sorry, I just mean do you sign checks
for another purpose? - No.
No.
And there were no bills to pay.
He forged my signature!
- Oh, so Sam knew about the building account?
- Yes.
- He did? - Yes.
Sam said he had a dream five years ago
that there will be a great harvest
and that we should build a bigger barn to hold it all.
That's what Sam said.
- Did your congregation grow?
- No.
- He did this to get his hands on it.
He came in here like a fortuneteller, fooled everybody.
I warned them, but nobody wanted to listen to me.
And now he's trying to make it look
like I did something wrong.
- Listen, the truth'll come out.
- It sure will.
- God will see to that.
The truth'll come out, Sam.
- Their testimonies won't help us.
- Larry was right.
Truth will come out in the end.
- Yeah, well did he mean here or in Heaven?
- Very hard to answer that question.
- Thank you.
- My pleasure.
- Hey.
- I've been working on the article about your client.
- What'd you find out?
- Well, that when I left a message this morning
for Jack Hatcher, he didn't call me back.
But...
Maxwell did.
- Forrest? - Yeah, yep.
Called about 10 minutes after I left a message
saying I wanted to ask a few questions
about the Miller embezzlement case.
- Well, how'd he respond?
- You wanna hear it?
- You recorded it?
- Yeah, buddy, it's all right there.
- Did you tell him you recorded it.
- I told somebody.
- [Maxwell] Well, I think you're doing
the community a service.
- Oh, let's hope so.
I appreciate that.
Let me ask you, did anyone at the bank
receive any correspondence from Miller
prior to the filing of the embezzlement charges?
- I'd have to check with Mr. Hatcher about that.
- Uh-huh, could you do that and let me know?
- Mr. Hatcher gets a lot of correspondence.
- Well, folks who get a letter
from Sam Miller usually remember it.
Mr. Forrest, are you there?
- Yes.
Does Mr. Miller claim that he wrote a letter to Mr. Hatcher?
- I haven't talked to him.
Mr. Forrest, you still there?
- Yes.
- [Braxton] You know, embezzling money from a local church
is a serious charge.
When should I expect to hear back from you?
- In due time.
Goodbye.
- Let me know when he calls you back, okay?
- Sure, I'll record every word.
- Thanks.
- Hey, how's it going?
- Good, how you doin', man?
- All right.
Listen, you found somebody else to represent Sam Miller yet?
- Not yet, no.
- Well, you should know
that it's getting harder to hold Milton back.
- Hmm.
All right, well, thanks for the heads-up; I appreciate it.
- Yeah man. - All right.
- Wow.
I love mountaintops.
They're places of perspective.
You know, this is where I was standing
when I decided to become a pastor.
I heard it clear as a bell:
"For God so loved the world..."
And then I knew.
Then I knew I had to help all those people down there.
- I've put you through a lot the past six years.
A few of those times I kicked and screamed out loud
and I did it a lot more on the inside.
I was gonna leave you last November.
I talked to Madeline Frick about a divorce.
I even signed the divorce papers.
- Was there someone else?
- No.
- Well, then why'd you stay?
- The morning that I was supposed to meet with Madeline,
this came in the mail.
It said exactly what I was feeling
and why I was making a mistake.
It wasn't signed and I never knew who it was from until--
- Sam Miller.
- I asked him if he wrote it and he said yes,
but only Papa knew if we'd ever meet.
I'm sorry.
- Yeah, me too.
I'm glad you stayed.
- I know you don't under the choices
your husband's making and how that makes you feel alone,
but Papa says these storms will pass
and he'll be your shelter from the rain.
Trust him and don't lose heart.
In the end, Papa's gonna use all this for His good.
He always does.
- Preacher!
Hey, good morning.
Hop in if you would, I got a couple questions for you.
Good morning.
- Good morning.
- Let me ask you, how much do you know
about the Cahula Creek Watershed?
- I know that it's a great place to go trout fishing
on Thursdays when Game and State stock it on Wednesdays.
- Yeah, I know that too, but I mean like who owns it?
- I don't know.
It's state, private, utility companies; why?
- Well, all that's fixing to change.
State Legislature's about to open up
that whole area down there to private companies.
They wanna create a big deep water lake
and build a big residential development up there.
- Really? - Mmm.
- Well, that'd be the biggest thing
to hit this county in decades.
- Yes it would, and there would be a lotta money to be made
if you were in the right place at the right time,
if you know what I mean.
- Yeah.
Who are the local contacts?
- Have you seen the house Jack Hatcher's building?
- You think Hatcher's getting a cut?
- Mmm.
- How do you know this?
- Through the help of a former bank employee
that now works with us down at the paper in accounting.
- What, he told you?
- Well no, not exactly.
He brought his own personal laptop in
to get him started up there
until we could get him up and running
and I may or may not have copied some information off of it
this morning when he went to the bathroom.
- Braxton, that's not nice.
- It's all on there for you.
- So, who is this new employee?
- It's Curtis Dressler.
- Dressler.
Wait, Dressler's the bank rep
that spoke to the deacons at Craig Valley.
Why'd he leave the bank?
- Not real sure on that,
but I do know it wasn't a friendly departure.
He needed a job very quickly with health insurance.
His wife has got cancer very badly.
Take a look at this memo here from Dressler to Hatcher
on the deacons meeting.
What do you see down there at the bottom?
- "This will take care of the Miller problem
"once and for all."
- Evidently, Sam wrote one of his crazy letters to Hatcher
and made him think he thought something was a little shady
with that acquisition at Cahula.
And Hatcher got Dressler to frame Sam
with the embezzlement charges
so anything the old man would ever say,
especially about the bank, would be totally discredited.
- It looks like I need to have
a conversation with Mr. Dressler.
- Well, you can find him every evening
at the hospital with his wife.
- All right.
Great, good work, thanks Braxton.
- All right, stay in touch.
- Will do.
Horseshoe Bottoms.
Craig Valley?
- Hello?
Hello?
Hi. - Hi!
- Apples from our orchard.
Thank you.
Sam says Mike is pregnant too.
What he means is that God has planted
something new and exciting inside Mike too,
and I am here to help you deal with it.
Now, eat up.
- Now, just let me do the talking, okay?
He's not in there.
I think we should wait until he gets back.
No, wait.
Wait, wait, where you goin', Sam?
Sam.
- Marie.
Papa sent me to visit you.
- Hey, Sam, what are you doing?
(breathing heavily)
- What are you doing?
- I'm sorry, I'm Reverend Mike Andrews.
- Oh, thanks.
We haven't been going to church.
We don't have a pastor.
This is the first time she's been at peace in days.
- Mr. Dressler, I need to ask you a few questions.
- No!
We just came here to pray.
- Sir, if you need anything, don't hesitate to call.
Hey, where we goin'?
- We came to see her.
Now Papa says it's time to go.
And when he says it's time to go, we go.
- Okay.
Sam.
Hey, Sam.
Look, we're not gonna get another chance to talk to this--
- [Sam] Nope, time to go.
♪ And love is love
♪ When will I know
♪ If the battle's won
- Take it easy, Bobby.
♪ If winter did come
♪ Would I be left in the cold
♪ Though my heart's on fire
♪ Can it warm my body and soul
♪ Through passing time (Mike laughing)
♪ I tried to fill in the cracks
♪ If winter did come
♪ Would I be left in the cold
- Mike Andrews.
- So, I've been going over the case
and you and I both know that the bank records alone
are enough to convict Mr. Miller
of the embezzlement statute.
I'm willing to make an offer.
- All right, I'm listening.
- Since the bank recovered the money
and put it all back in the church's account,
I can offer six months probation
on the lesser included misdemeanor, no fine.
- Really, no fine?
- [Ms. Hall] No fine.
- [Mike] All right, well I'll run it by him.
- You have 10 days.
After that, we're going to trial.
(dial tone beeping)
- Do people do that?
- Do what?
- Plead guilty even though they haven't done anything wrong.
- Well, sometimes it's easier to take a plea
than to risk a harsh sentence.
Sam, you have to think of Muriel.
- I just can't see the Apostles
telling lies to get outta jail.
- Okay.
Well, why don't you pray about it?
See what Papa has to say.
- Gentlemen, this is it.
Like I was telling you, it's a beautiful piece of land.
The only addition we would have to make is the day spa,
and the great thing is we have a walkway
right over here to the first tee.
- Forrest!
- Whoa, you've come a long way to find me. (laughing)
- Hello, Mike.
- Hey, Mr. Hatcher, how are you?
- Hi.
- So, what brings you gentlemen this far out in the woods?
- Well, these gentlemen are friends of ours.
- Oh.
Are you real estate developers?
- Mike, could we have a chat?
Excuse us. - Sure.
- So, where are you going with this cross-examination?
- Oh, I don't know, you stopped me.
- Don't play that game.
Why do you care if they're looking at this land?
- Well, sir, I happen to like this land.
I think it'd be a shame if they knocked down all these trees
and they put up condos.
- You're not gonna leave this alone, are you?
- No.
Good day.
Braxton.
Yeah, yeah okay.
Yeah sure, I'm leaving now.
Hey, thanks for the call.
I'm sorry to hear about his wife.
- Yeah, I know.
That's tough; he's hurtin', I'm sure.
Look, if you wanna talk to him,
this is gonna be probably your last chance.
He resigned his position
and is moving back to North Alabama.
- Does he know why I'm here?
- No, no.
All right, that's it right there.
See that room?
I don't envy you buddy, but good luck.
- So, it's good to see you again.
Thanks for coming to the hospital.
It meant a lot.
- I'm glad we could be there.
I am truly sorry about your wife.
Your prayers helped.
Please tell the man who came with you
how much I appreciated him too.
- Well, that man is Sam Miller.
- The man who embezzled from the church?
- Did he?
I'm representing Sam against the criminal charges.
- So you're a lawyer.
That's why you really came to see me.
- Originally, yes.
Until Sam realized that God had other plans.
- All I have are suspicions.
But if you're looking for hard evidence
of improper activity at the bank,
I'm not the person to give it to you.
- So there is evidence?
- But like I said, I'm not the person.
- That's a subpoena.
- You don't wanna do that.
- Yes I do.
- Hearing God's voice is the birthright
of every true believer.
In Samuel 1, the Bible said that the Lord was with Samuel.
As Samuel grew up, Lord was with him
and he let none of his words fall to the ground.
And all of Israel from Dan to Beersheba
knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord
and the Lord continued to appear at Shiloh,
for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh
by the word of the Lord.
Let us all be a little bit more like Samuel.
- Oh, I was just gonna come see you.
- Tell the judge I'll be there in five minutes.
- So, my client turned down the deal.
Here's a motion requiring you
to file your investigative report.
If you'd do me a favor and do this quickly,
I wanna have this resolved as soon as--
- The indictment's been dismissed.
- Really?
Wait, they're dropping all charges?
- I still believe we could get a conviction,
but the bank doesn't wanna prosecute.
- Well that's great news.
- Tell Mr. Miller to stick to growing vegetables
and cutting grass.
- I'll do that.
That's good advice.
Peg, good news!
- Yeah, what is it?
- It was over before it began.
It was strange, all charges were dropped.
Sam is in the clear.
Are those good tears?
- I'm just so relieved for the Millers and for you.
- [Mike] Me too.
- I love pie.
- And look, everybody almost ate all their greens.
But you gotta share it with her.
- Yes. - You're gonna eat it all?
- Eaten so much chocolate syrup--
- Sam, you didn't eat your collards.
I made it for you.
- My stomach hurts like the very devil.
- Oh, Sam.
I'll get you some apple cider vinegar.
- I feel like there's a python snake
wrapped around my middle.
- Sam, maybe you should just go lay down.
- Mike, you should take him to the ER.
- No, no, no!
This is spiritual.
They're trying to kill me.
- He doesn't like the doctor.
You'll be all right.
- Excuse me.
Hey Bobby, what's up?
- Mike, Mike, the church is on fire!
- What?
- Get there as fast as you can, I'm on my way.
- Yeah, I'm going now.
Church is on fire.
- That's it!
I'm going with you!
- No, Sam.
Sam!
Sam, be careful!
- Hi, can I help you?
- We'd like to speak with Reverend Andrews.
We identified an accelerant pattern
that ran from the front door partway down the main aisle.
The burn patterns were very distinct.
We also found a empty gas can in the bushes
behind the sanctuary with the name Miller Lawn Care on it.
Do you know where Mr. Miller was last night
before the fire began?
- He was with me.
- For the whole evening?
- Yeah.
- What were you doing?
Where did you go?
- We were at Sam's for dinner
until Mike got the call about the fire.
Are you accusing my husband
of having something to do with this?
- Our job is to conduct a thorough investigation.
What can you tell me about that gas can?
- I think it's time for you gentlemen to go.
Thank you for coming, appreciate it.
- We'll show ourselves out.
- Please.
- If you decide it's in your best interest to cooperate,
my number's on the back of that card.
- Great.
- Ma'am.
- Thank you.
I gotta call Sam and warn him.
Hey Muriel, where's Sam?
- It's too late.
They already took him!
- What'd they take him to jail?
- Yes.
- [Mike] Okay, I'm on my way.
- Please hurry, Mike.
- They took Sam to jail.
Did you talk to the police?
What'd you tell 'em?
- Told 'em everything they wanted to know.
They really perked up when I told 'em
about the dream of the church burning down.
- Look, Sam...
these people are gonna take
everything that you say, everything that you say,
they're gonna take it and they are gonna twist it around
and they're gonna make it sound like
you wanted to burn the church down.
- But I didn't do anything wrong!
- I know, I know.
Look, they also found a gas can
with your company name on it near the scene of the fire.
What do you know about this?
- I've been missing a can for a couple of days.
I thought I left it on a job in town.
- Reverend Andrews.
- What?
- I need to see you when you're finished here.
- Really, I mean, can this wait?
- I have a warrant for your arrest for first degree arson.
- What?
- There were fingerprints on the gas can
that belonged to Sam.
Detective Perkins told the chief
that the person who called in the fire
said they saw you and Sam
leaving the church parking lot together.
- What?
Well, who made the call?
- It was a 9-1-1 call.
- I see.
Thank you.
Why'd you have to send Jack Hatcher that letter?
- I told you, you're here for a reason.
Look, Mike, if you want to be a spiritual man,
you've got to obey no matter what.
Papa put you right here for a reason.
Papa, thank you for this food and
please, use us for good in this place.
Amen.
I think you're supposed to pray after you eat in here, Sam.
- Hey, Mr. Andrews.
- Hey, David.
- Me and the boys were over here
and we couldn't help but notice that you were praying
and was kinda wondering if y'all wouldn't mind
praying for us too maybe.
- He can.
- Yeah?
- Yeah, actually.
Yeah, of course, of course.
Please come join us.
Fellas, please.
- [Man] Thanks.
- [Mike] Wow, that was great.
- Most of the lost sheep are still in the field. (laughing)
("In the Sweet By and By" by Calvin Gilmore)
♪ In the sweet by and by
♪ We shall meet on that beautiful shore
♪ In the sweet by and by
♪ We shall meet on that beautiful shore
I had a dream, don't wanna forget it.
- [Mike] Did it have anything to do
with us getting out of jail, hmm?
- No.
I saw Cal Nichols' grandson riding in a jeep
headed for a steep dropoff.
Somebody's gotta warn-- - Sam!
Not now.
I just had a dream.
- Well, write it down quick
before it disappears like the fog on a summer morning!
- No, no, no, no, I'll remember this one.
You know Carrington's One Stop?
It's that little store right down the road from my church?
- Oh yeah, that place that's got
that great big jar of pickled eggs on the counter.
Muriel won't let me eat anymore.
- In my dream, I saw an eagle sitting on top of the One Stop
and the eagle saw wisps of smoke
coming from the direction of the church,
and then it just took off.
- I love an eagle in my dreams.
That's a very high level of revelation.
- Revelation of what?
- Well, I don't know.
If I were you, I'd go out to that store and try to find out.
- I know that inside these walls,
everything can feel hopeless, all right?
Everything can feel dark.
But I'm gonna make you guys a promise.
I promise you that all of you guys
can turn your life around.
All you gotta do is let Jesus do the work.
It is that simple.
- Your bail has been posted.
- And Sam's too?
- No, just yours.
- I'll get you outta here, okay?
- Be sure and go by that store.
- I'll see you guys again.
- Y'all can believe him.
Everything he says is true.
- Hey man.
- Hey.
You holding up?
- Yeah, I'm fine.
- Does Mr. Forrest know that you bailed me out?
- No, and he'll fire me if he ever finds out.
Look, you may be hardheaded, Mike,
but you love that church; you'd never burn it down.
However...
The church has terminated you, effective immediately.
And the truth is, when you took the Miller case,
your days were numbered.
I'm sorry, man.
- Evening.
So, how'd you hear about me getting outta jail?
- There's a deputy that loves donuts with white icing
and colored sprinkles and I keep him well-supplied.
- Well, if you're looking to write a story
about how I got arrested, you've come to the wrong place.
- No, no, no, I've been investigating the fire, son.
I come to tell you what I found out.
Ms. Andrews, I'm serious.
No notebook, no tape recorder; I'm clean, nothing.
- Invite him in.
- You ain't gonna believe this.
- I can't wait.
- An anonymous 9-1-1 phone call came in about 6:54
about four nights ago about the fire
and the caller said that they saw two men
leaving the property there
in a truck marked Miller's Lawn Care.
- No, that's a lie.
- I know it, I know it is.
Muriel told me y'all was over to her house there.
And I when I knew that, I heard that, I knew it was a setup.
I guess when the embezzlement charges on Sam were dropped,
then they had to come up with a plan B,
and unfortunately it includes you.
- Why would somebody be out to get Mike?
- Well, he did too good a job of representing Sam, I guess,
and they think that he knows what Sam knows.
- Did Sam send him a letter?
- Yeah.
- I spoke with the girl down there at 9-1-1 switchboard
and she said that the call came in
from a payphone about a mile from the church.
I didn't even think we had
any payphones left in this county.
- Yeah, there's a couple,
and I just happen to know where one of those is.
Is Mr. Carrington in?
Thanks.
Aha.
The eagle.
Excuse me, do you know if these cameras work?
Thank you.
- Hey, Mike!
- Bob, how are you?
- I'm doing great, man.
I sure was sorry to hear about your church.
- Yeah, thank you, I appreciate that.
Hey listen, I got a question for you.
- Yeah, sure.
- How long do you keep the information
recorded in these cameras?
- Surveillance cameras?
- Yeah.
- They run, every week it's a loop and then it erases.
Why?
- Well, they charged me with arson.
- You're kidding!
- No, I wish I was.
And the person who made the phone call reporting the fire
made it from your payphone.
- Really? - Yeah.
Hey Bob, I have to see those tapes.
That's Vann Turner.
- You know, you're right.
That rascal comes in here every now and then, buys a beer,
takes the bottle out to the parking lot and breaks it.
I've had to toss him out a couple times.
- 5:53.
That's too early.
- Maybe not.
This doesn't adjust for Daylight Savings Time.
It's off an hour.
- Can you save this recording?
- That's beyond me.
I don't know how to do it,
but I could probably call the security company
and see if they could.
But you know this is set to erase automatically
tonight at midnight.
- Bob, do me a favor, can you find that number?
- You got it.
- Thanks.
Hello?
- Oh, hey, Vann.
Vann.
- It ain't loaded.
Convicted felon like me can't carry a gun.
It's more for show.
- Look, I know you're the one
that made that 9-1-1 call that night.
- Have a seat.
And about that call, (laughing) that weren't me.
- So?
Ain't nothin' wrong with calling to report a fire.
Besides, I saw that crazy ol' man who cuts grass
drive off in his truck.
- Oh now, you see, that's a lie,
'cause he was with me the entire evening
and I got two credible witnesses to back that up.
- Get.
I said get!
- Look, I know you burned down that church
and I'm trying to help you.
- Ain't nobody got nothin' on me.
- How much'd they give you, huh?
How much you sell your soul for?
$5,000?
$10,000?
You burned down my church?
You know the truth's gonna come out, don't you?
And if you're not the first one talking,
you're gonna go down all by yourself.
Who do you think they wanna go after, huh?
A bank president (pausing) or you?
- I...
I ain't talkin' unless I get a deal.
- I can make a call.
- [Secretary] Jack Hatcher on line one.
He says it's urgent.
- Jack. - We need to talk, now.
- I can't represent you.
- [Jack] What are you talking about, Forrest?
I got people asking me questions about--
- I gotta hire outside counsel myself.
- Counsel?
Wait, what are you talking about?
- Mr. Hatcher, we have a warrant for your arrest.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can--
- Papa, please take care of Muriel while I'm in here.
If it be your will, please let me out as soon as you can.
I've got other things I have to do.
Thank you, Papa.
Amen.
(laughing)
Papa.
Who says prayer doesn't work?
- Thank you.
- You're a good lawyer, Mike, and a good man.
- Come on, let's get outta here.
- Yeah.
Papa sure knew what he was doing
when he told me to ask you for help.
What's next for you?
- That's a good question.
I don't know.
I mean, I love this town, I love this community
and I wanna help the people in it, but I have no idea.
- (laughing) Well, you don't have to be
a preacher to do that.
- I guess not.
- No human heart can contain Papa's love.
It always spills out.
- Are you ready?
- To start over?
- Yeah.
- Absolutely.
So, I've been thinking about names.
- Oh yeah?
- What do you think about the name Isaac?
- Uh...
- Do you not like it?
- No, no, I love it.
- Me too.
- Yeah, hold on, I just gotta grab something off my desk.
I'll be just a second.
- Hi, Bobby.
- Good morning. - Morning.
It's time.
- Really?
- Mm-hmm.
- Oh, yeah, okay.
Hey, it's time!
- Time, it's time?!
- Yep, it's happening, gotta go.
- Good luck!
- Hi.
- Hi, which one is he?
- He's right there.
- Oh Mike, he is beautiful.
He looks just like you.
How's Peg?
- She's doing great, she's doing great.
She's resting.
- I'll be quiet, but I'm gonna go see her.
- Okay.
So, what do you think we named him?
- Isaac.
- Well, you'd be half right.
Samuel Isaac Andrews.
- Yep.
That'll work.
I wrote something about the little fella
in my notebook last night.
I'll show it to you later.
- For God so loved the world
that He gave His one and only son
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish
but shall have eternal life,
for God did not send His son into the world
to condemn the world but to save the world through Him.
- Amen.
("Beggar" by Benjamin James)
♪ Oh be kind
♪ To the beggar that's inside of you
♪ And the fiend that you are hiding too
♪ Oh be kind
♪ Feed the poor
♪ And lonesome man in your own soul
♪ Love until he's been made whole
♪ Feed the poor
♪ Be at peace
♪ With the enemy in your own home
♪ Neither you nor he can throw a stone
♪ So be at peace
♪ Oh be good
♪ To the criminal you locked away
♪ That sinful man you learned to hate
♪ Oh be good
♪ When I'm broken to pieces
♪ You make me whole
♪ Through every season
♪ You're mending my soul
♪ When I'm broken to pieces
♪ You make me whole
♪ Through every season
♪ You're mending my soul
♪ Suffer long
♪ When you are your own prodigal
♪ For where your home is there your heart is full
♪ So suffer long
♪ And be gentle
♪ With the splinters in your mind