Bryant’s Story: Prove God Right

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The following program is sponsored by Ron Meyers Ministries.

Speaker 2: 0:05

It's time now to get the hell out of your life. A weekly broadcast with real people sharing real struggles and offering real hope. Today's show will encourage, inspire and empower you to face life's challenges with a bold confidence and renewed hope. Now let's join our host, ron Meyers. The Provider.

Ron Meyers: 0:26

Hello, my friends, it is so good to be with you today. I hope you are having a wonderful day, and if you're not having a good day, maybe it has rained on your parade, maybe you heard some bad news, maybe you just don't feel like doing anything today. You're kind of just chilling out around the house and going through the motions. You've got some things on your mind right. You have to make a decision and it's tough, and that is why it is so important to have a daily conversation with Jesus. I have been asked many times so when you have your conversations with Jesus, ron, what does it look like? Well, I just share with some of my mind hey, lord, I'm dealing with this, I'm fearful, this, or can you encourage me today? Or thank you for another day to live my life. And it doesn't mean that I don't think about the things that are happening in the world, like right now, the conflict in Israel and Palestine is all over the news. I have been getting calls from a lot of people or emails that hey, we have a ministry of End Times ministry. We would love to do your show. See, I did that in the past. I was a big person when it was End Times men. I had them on the air. It's fascinating to hear what the Bible says about the End Times. Israel is the clock that we should watch for for the return of Christ. That's what the End Times is, friends. It is the return of Jesus.

Ron Meyers: 2:15

But something happened one year ago. I had just finished interviewing somebody about the End Times and I had talked to this gentleman, jeff Kinley, had just a brilliant man about coming to the coast for a convention, an End Times workshop type thing, in January of this year, 2023. The next few mornings, having my coffee with Jesus, it's like he was telling me no, you don't need to be doing that. And I'm thinking why? Because nobody knows the day, nobody knows the hour In this type of news. The End Times overwhelms a lot of people, puts a lot of fear in people. So, ron, what is the whole point of your show? And I thought well, the whole point is, it's all about Jesus Exactly, focus on Jesus. I emailed him and said there would not be a conference. I just felt that the Lord was leading me to just continue to encourage people and empower people and inspire people with the good news of Jesus.

Ron Meyers: 3:25

Friends, sometimes we can get sidetracked right, you and I. We cannot control world events. We can only control what's in our life. And listen, today could be the end time in our life. Have you seen the way people drive around here lately? You don't know when the End Times is. So my question to you, the question, is this are you ready to meet Jesus today? And that's the point of this show.

Ron Meyers: 3:54

I interview people that share their stories. I offer commentary of how Jesus transformed my entire life, because I was one of those people that I liked all that you know news. As a matter of fact, I told someone the other day that I started hearing the End Times prophecies when I was 18 years old and now I'm in my 60s and all the people that told me about the end times there most of them are dead. They're gone. They never got to see what they told me to prepare for.

Ron Meyers: 4:32

What a waste of time, what a waste of life that we're focusing on something that we have no control over and Then we kind of neglect the very things we do have control over my attitude, my thoughts, my beliefs, my faith, my job, my family, my ability to just enjoy life. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and sound mind. So if you find yourself Fearful, scared, do you know? I know someone right now, a young lady. I Won't embarrass her and I won't say any kind of name, but she has basically Not left her house since COVID. She just won't do it and I thought, wow, what a way to live a life. It is not to be fearful. So today I'm going to share a story with you Bryant, bryant lavender, great story, pro football player, but what God did in his life and Then my monologue is About it.

Ron Meyers: 5:48

Another conversation with Jesus. When I heard this song, I heard a song that I never heard before. I think it's popular on the country charts. I don't really listen to much country, but I heard this and Jesus to just speaking through me through that song and that's coming up in the monologue in. But I want you to know today, before you hear Bryant story, the, you are so loved by God and that God wants to take your fear. He wants to take your doubts and your unbelief and he wants to wrap them all up in a package and Throw them as far as he possibly can, because Jesus came to give us peace, shalom, and right now this world needs some peace, it needs Jesus, and when you have Jesus like I, have Jesus Sure, things still go wrong in our lives and we have problems, but we know we're not going through life alone. We have a friend, we have a mentor, we have a teacher, we have somebody that will literally love the hell out of our life. So today let's find out who is Bryant Lavender, who is Bryant Lavender.

Bryant Lavender: 7:09

I am a young man who always wanted to matter. I just wanted to matter. Then, you know, I love sports, always love sports, and football was my favorite. So you know, that's where I, you know, I thought I was going to matter the most. And you know, I was a troubled kid. I had anger issues. Some people call it middle child syndrome. But I would. I would, you know, mentally, I would just snap on people, never really put my hands on people like that. I got in a couple of fights, but not that. But I would just, mentally, I would just be mad or irate, or you know, speak out, show my feelings and be disrespectful because I felt like I was being short-ended on certain things.

Bryant Lavender: 7:52

And my dad passed away when he was murdered when I was 13. That was when everything kind of shifted for me, because I was like, man, wait, I can't. I can't be mad at the world, I can't be mad at things, I can't hold the anger at the world. And when I went to church the week the day after he died, the Sunday school teacher was saying I was talking about the types of love. And at that point, at 13, I didn't know what I was like. There's different types of love. You know, he talked about the arrows and then he talked about the flay-o. Arrows is erotic love, Flay-o is brotherly love. And then he got to agape, which is unconditional love. And so when he, when he explained about unconditional love and how God loves you so much and you know, no matter what you did I was like really, you know, for whatever the reason, it clicked and I went home that day and I said, god, if you could show me this agape love, this unconditional love that he was talking about, I will always hold on to you.

Bryant Lavender: 8:55

And that was the day that my life began to change and I began to understand who Jesus Christ was and how big he was and how mentally he could help me get to the man that I needed to be and that was the man to live for him. But things began to change that day, that moment, because now I was awakened by the spirit. I could see in the spirit realm and just understand what was going on and didn't think that everything was out to get me. I was a part of a team now and I had God that was on my side now. So the things that I would carry on my shoulders. I didn't have to carry as much of weight. I could give it to God and he would help me.

Ron Meyers: 9:38

Your father was a very important role model to you, wasn't he?

Bryant Lavender: 9:41

He was, he was. So you know I always say this to people my dad was my coach and my mom was my cheerleader, so you know, it was like a one-two punch and it was just a message to have both of them there. But we were going through our sports and our activities and extracurricular things that we did. It was good. I made a promise to my dad that I would be a professional football player and after I became, you know, when I became saved and living for Christ, God gave me direction on how to do that, and so it was phenomenal. It was a lot of ups and downs, it wasn't easy, but when I did, you know, to feel what I did, I just, you know, I took a knee and referenced to God and said thank you and I told my dad I made it.

Ron Meyers: 10:27

Where did you play college football at?

Bryant Lavender: 10:29

I played college football at the University of Alabama. Go Jacks Go.

Ron Meyers: 10:34

Jacks. All right, go Jacks. Yeah, didn't you go to the Miami Dolphins or Tar-Tar Um?

Bryant Lavender: 10:40

well, I got a call a week before the draft and they told me that I was on their board, and so, with that being said, I was like, okay, great, you know. So draft. They came, you know, and they didn't call me. So I was an unsigned free agent and I was like I cry because I want to give my name called like everybody else, get their name called, you know, or, like you know, select you. And then I, you know, I was like God, well, what do I do now? And I made a promise to God. I said God, when everyone's football comes down, I will.

Bryant Lavender: 11:06

I write the book that he told me to write in college. And so the book came to the forefront of my mind, and so that's when I published my first book, mine Under the Tick Skin, as well as and I kept training, and on top of that, while doing my book, being a first time author, there was a lot of things I had to learn, and so what happened was I went to a free agent camp called the Lastini, the Lastini camp, and so it has arena teams Canadian, you know teams coming to see you know players. And so I got an opportunity to go into training camp with the, the Tampa Bay storm, which is a at the time of the AFL, the arena football league.

Bryant Lavender: 11:41

Yeah, the arena football league, yes, and so I went. I went there and I played and I got on the practice squad and I played on the practice squad for a year and then the following year I signed in the AIS with the Central Florida Jaguars and then I played that year with him and then my last year I just played in 2018 with the triangle torch in Raleigh, north Carolina. What is the?

Ron Meyers: 12:05

one thing, the greatest lesson that you learned during this whole time that you could share with the listeners.

Bryant Lavender: 12:11

Prove God right, and that is because, most of the time, as an athlete, you're always trying to prove yourself that you're worthy and that you're able to be the big time player, that you're able to PR, that you're able to do above and beyond so many things. And so there was a burden on my shoulders that I had to do right, and so that put me at the consequences, or that put me at the expense of people's thoughts of me, and I should approve God right, and that I am above and not beneath, that I am the head and not the tail, that I am a lender and not a borrower, that I am worthy, that I am a royal priesthood. So approve God right. It's going to be tough, but you got to ask God what do I do here? And you don't move until God tell you what to do. If you wait on God, you seek Him first and all the things will be added unto you, so He'll give you the direction that you need in order to push forward.

Bryant Lavender: 13:10

And it looks different for everybody. It's not the same. That's why you are supposed to gather with a body of believers and you connect with people who are life speaking and life giving to help you encourage you and see you through. You got to commit to God. You have to be saved by grace through Jesus Christ, and that's the first step. The next step would be for you to find your purpose, and how you find your purpose is getting rid of your yesterday, so all the baggage, everything that you accumulated over the years. You have to attack those things, your fears, your worries. You have to attack those things with the Holy Spirit, because he's with you once you're saved and then that will help you decide for your purpose to help somebody else, and then that's when you make a difference.

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You're listening to Get the Hell Out of your Life with your host, Ron Myers. Real stories, real struggles and real hope.

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What's your story? We're looking for stories of hope and overcoming life struggles with God's grace. Your story validates God's love, mercy, restoration and forgiveness. We want to help you share your story with the world. Visit our website, thepromoterorg, and click on the Share your Story link and submit your story. Your testimony of God's amazing grace will change a person's destiny for eternity.

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Don't miss the 40th anniversary edition of the Christmas City Gift Show, friday November 10th through Sunday, november 12th, inside the Convention Center at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi. For tickets and more information, log on to ChristmasCityGiftShowcom. That's ChristmasCityGiftShowcom.

Jelly Roll: 15:47

God is in the details, even in the broken parts. He holds my heart. He never fails when I'm at my weakest. I will trust in.

Ron Meyers: 16:04

Welcome back to listeners. I told you in the opening that I love my conversations with God, with Jesus, coffee with Jesus, walks on the beach with Jesus, and if you're not doing that, I would strongly encourage you to. It's just things you can get off your chest, and, as many said, people tell, what it is, like when you have a conversation with Jesus. I said, well, it's nothing more than just sharing my heart, my concerns, my worries, my fears, my praises, the good news, and thank you, lord. But one day, I heard a song that just got my attention. I was mesmerized listening to this song, and then, when I stopped the song, the conversation with Jesus began, and I want to tell you about that today. But I want to give you a touch of this song. Perhaps you've heard it. I had never heard of this artist, and I've never heard of this song.

Jelly Roll: 17:22

Somebody save me me from myself. I spent so long living in here. They say my lifestyle is bad for my health. It's the only thing that seems to help. All of this drinking and smoking is hopeless, but feel like it's all that I need. Something inside of me is broken. I hold on to anything that sets me free. I'm a lost cause. Baby, don't waste your time on me. I'm so damaged beyond repair. Life has shattered my hopes and my dreams. I'm a lost cause. Baby, don't waste your time on me.

Ron Meyers: 18:42

I'm so damaged beyond repair. Life has shattered my hopes and my dreams. Friends, when I heard that song, I just had tears in my eyes. It brought me back to my past and I felt like a lost cause that nobody understood me, nobody liked me. My mom told me I never would amount to anything in life. It seemed like everybody was coming against me and I was scared of the future. And it was the drinking the pot and just the chasing women that tried to fill the void in my life, but it never did it. I really did come to a conclusion that my mom was right I am a lost cause, I'm never going to amount to anything in life. And it was only in that moment that I had a glimmer of hope.

Ron Meyers: 19:47

Something reminded me what happened when I was 11 years old, when I wanted to end my life In a visitation of a spirit or I believe it was Jesus in my room that just said don't hurt yourself, I have a plan for you. So when I was and I'm thinking of all this after I hear the song, and I know it's Jesus reminded me where I was, and now where I have come to in life, and that is the point of why I by time on non-Christian radio stations across the country To offer some hope to others that have been hurt by church, hurt by preachers, maybe parents, maybe friends, maybe they were terminated in their job and maybe they feel like they are a lost cause and that these are just the cards that were dealt with them in life. But I will spend my last breath, my last penny, my last everything to tell somebody out there that there is no lost cause with Jesus. He redeems us, he holds us, he loves the hell out of our life, gives us a new heart, comes in and resides with us and just sweeps away the doubt, the fear, to where you begin having hope in your life, when you can look out and see the sun and the blue sky and hear the birds and you just know something inside you is telling you it's going to be okay. It's going to be okay. See, if I didn't believe that, I would not be on this radio station, I would not be doing podcast. I not only believe it, I have experienced it and I am telling you it is all about Jesus.

Ron Meyers: 22:03

I am so tired of hearing people going through situations and you know what the next statement out of their mouth is after they tell me all their problems, I know I need to get back to church. No, you don't need to get back to church. You need to begin that relationship with Jesus Christ. Whether it's in your living room, on the beach, in the middle of the woods, jesus is with you 24, sevens, seven days a week. It's not for one hour, one day a week where you wonder when you leave, why did I even go?

Ron Meyers: 22:37

We are living at a time I've told you many, many times, friends, it is a scary world, but God has not given us a spirit of fear, of love, of peace, of sound mind. And I'm telling you, there is excitement with Jesus, there is a purpose with Jesus and we never know what it is. I watched my wife the other evening and she was putting together this jigsaw puzzle and again, there's a conversation with Jesus. I'm hearing C-Rombo's little puzzles. Every one of us is a little piece to God's big puzzle. We're not insignificant, we're not unimportant, we are definitely not a lost cause. We were created for this time in the world.

Ron Meyers: 23:20

So we need to understand right now and forever that God is for us, not against us. He's on our side and there is no condemnation, there is no shame, there is no guilt in Jesus. He wants you you listening right now to become you. Be yourself. Don't become somebody because the world says you need to be this to be a good Christian. No, you need to just believe and trust in Jesus. That's all you need. That's all you need, and your life is taken care of. And then that daily conversation, that mentoring, that inspiration and encouragement that you receive will give you new desires, new ideas, and you begin understanding and living life with a sense of optimism and, even though you can be in the middle of a storm, there's a peace that surpasses all understanding. That's on your life.

Ron Meyers: 24:29

Friends, I know I've had so many storms in my life. I got a hundred; umbrellas rained on so much. But with Jesus, I got a rock right here by my studio. I tell people to listen by myself. I'm as dumb as this rock, but with with Jesus, it is incredible incredible what I can do, think, and the ideas and the businesses I can create. It's fun, Jesus is delightful. The world has given Jesus a bad rap, and we need to nip it, as Barney Fife would say. Nip it and nip it in the bud.

Speaker 2: 25:09

You're listening to Get the Hell Out of your Life with your host, Ron Myers. Real stories, real struggles and real hope.

Speaker 8: 25:18

Jesus, Jesus, what do you think of when you hear that name? Jesus? Love, life, hope, joy, peace, friend, companion, confident Savior. The God of the universe lives, and he lives in the form of a man. That man is Jesus Christ, For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whosoever believes in him shall have eternal life. Jesus, what will you do with him? He knocks on the door of your heart. When you open that door, your life will change forever. He came that the world may have life and may have it more abundantly. Ask Jesus into your heart and discover what living is all about. Call 1-888-NEED-HIM.

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Ron will be back in a moment to wrap up today's conversation. We want to encourage you today with God's promise to you. It comes from the book of Jeremiah, chapter 29, verse 11. 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 the future. That's God's promise to you when you choose to commit your plans and future to Him. Now back to Ron.

Speaker 2: 27:23

Get the hell out of your life is underwritten by the Christmas City Gift Show. We invite you to come shop with over 260 vendors from all over the United States, November 10th through the 12th inside the Coast Convention Center located on the beach in Biloxi, Mississippi. You can find more information at ChristmasCityGiftShowcom. If you would like to share your story of God's amazing grace or listen to previous episodes, please visit our website, thepromoterorg. Join us next week for another episode of Get the Hell Out of your Life Real stories, real struggles and real hope.