Embark on a soul-stirring journey with me, Ron Myers, as we traverse the landscapes of faith and entrepreneurship, guided by the experiences of our remarkable guest, Jesse McBride. After Hurricane Katrina uprooted his life, Jesse didn't just rebuild—he answered a higher call to become a missionary, supporting pastors worldwide. Through his narrative and our conversations, we unearth the joy and challenges of aligning vocation with divine purpose. Together, we dissect the fabric of everyday faith, contrasting the American perspective on illness with that of countries where spiritual sustenance often prevails over medical intervention.
As spring heralds a time of renewal, we reflect on the enduring lessons of service and spirituality post-Hurricane Katrina, where the embrace of human kindness shone brightest amid devastation. The episode is replete with powerful anecdotes, including my own mission work in Belize, that illuminate the transformative impact of literacy and education in experiencing God's word. We delve into Para Ministries' vital role in Latin America, offering guidance and hope to those in spiritual need. Join us in this celebration of faith, where the partnership with Jesus promises not only eternal solace but also fulfillment in the here and now.
Thanks for Listening, and subscribe to hear a new episode each week!
Embark on a soul-stirring journey with me, Ron Myers, as we traverse the landscapes of faith and entrepreneurship, guided by the experiences of our remarkable guest, Jesse McBride. After Hurricane Katrina uprooted his life, Jesse didn't just rebuild—he answered a higher call to become a missionary, supporting pastors worldwide. Through his narrative and our conversations, we unearth the joy and challenges of aligning vocation with divine purpose. Together, we dissect the fabric of everyday faith, contrasting the American perspective on illness with that of countries where spiritual sustenance often prevails over medical intervention.
As spring heralds a time of renewal, we reflect on the enduring lessons of service and spirituality post-Hurricane Katrina, where the embrace of human kindness shone brightest amid devastation. The episode is replete with powerful anecdotes, including my own mission work in Belize, that illuminate the transformative impact of literacy and education in experiencing God's word. We delve into Para Ministries' vital role in Latin America, offering guidance and hope to those in spiritual need. Join us in this celebration of faith, where the partnership with Jesus promises not only eternal solace but also fulfillment in the here and now.
Thanks for Listening, and subscribe to hear a new episode each week!
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 Myers. The Provider.
Speaker 2:Hello, my friends, it is so good to be with you once again. How do you like this spring weather? It's beautiful and it is so colorful. I think this is my favorite time of the year. Also, I do want to give a shout out to my little kitty cats outside. I know they can't hear me, but maybe they can through the walls. But I've got a flood of cats around my office, but I do leave food out there for them. They are so cute, especially when I dangle that little food in front of them.
Speaker 2:I do want to answer a question I received from a listener Am I a minister? And if I am, where is my church? No, I'm not a minister and I do not have a church. I am a Christian entrepreneur, a businessman, who has just really lived life by pursuing my dreams, following Jesus and having a great time in life. I think we need more Christian businessmen, entrepreneurs, to share their stories, to share their faith, and that's what this show is all about.
Speaker 2:And this week my guest is Jesse McBride. Now he is a missionary, now he is a minister and he has a church all over the world, wherever he goes or wherever God sends him. And today he's going to share his story and you're going to find out when you listen to Jesse's story that he was at a point in life where he really didn't know what he wanted to do. He had dabbled in this and dabbled in that, but one day he received a little prompting, a little nudge inside that well, kind of led him to his destiny, and he's going to tell you all about it. Jesse, so glad you're in the studios. I would call you a awesome missionary.
Speaker 3:When? Caveat in that I think we're all called to be missionaries. We're all called. You know, in the Great Commission I said go and make disciples, and that wasn't just for what we call missionaries or just for pastors. We're all supposed to in our going live on life, on mission, and so I would. I'd say we're all. We're all real life missionaries. But yeah, so I'm originally from the Washington DC area and so I was. I was born in Germany, my dad was military, I was born in Germany, my sister was born in Washington state and we were both delivered by the same doctor. There's a lot of people here on the coast that have been born in the same hospital, not by the same doctor, but lived in Washington DC, right outside of Washington DC, for about 20 years. Hurricane Katrina hit.
Speaker 3:We came me, my mother, my father and sister came down here in 2007 to volunteer. We all, at different points, felt like the Lord was saying hey, this is where we, I want you to be. And so we kind of someone I don't remember who the first person was said hey, what if we move down there? And the someone else said I thought the same thing, I thought the same thing, I thought the same thing and so say, well, let's pray about it. We had come down in February and so one one act of wisdom, discernment, we said let's go down in July just to make sure that we can survive the heat. And so we came down again in July to volunteer and we said this this is where God's calling our family. And so my dad had a construction company that I was working for him at the time he had two years of work lined up and Close his business up in Northern Virginia. My sister was an architect, my mom was a teacher. Parents sold their house, sold everything, moved down here. We ran a volunteer organization in Paskas Jan for about a year and a half and then that closed, closed down and we stayed here.
Speaker 3:That idea of you know, finding God's purpose for us in life, I just I knew that I wasn't doing what God had created me to do. I also wasn't, I was not living a full God honoring life for several years. But part of that I just knew, like God, I know there's something. And so I applied to vet school, I applied to nursing school. I put all sorts of things. I thought about military and I was able to.
Speaker 3:I led a mission trip with the church that I was at at the time and it was during that mission trip I really felt like I was starting to put on my heart this, this is what I have for you, and so kind of ran from that for a while but also was praying about it. And there was, through a youth, a youth event here on the coast. It was probably the loudest that I ever felt God, god, speak to me. I wasn't an audible voice, but the Holy Spirit was standing in the back of the room in a sound booth looking out over these youth and the Holy Spirit just put on my heart, said this is it, this is what I have for you, and I was like what, like no one in my family had ever been in ministry, any of those things, and so all I had to say.
Speaker 3:I Still kind of ran from that for a little bit, but thankfully there were some people in my life that really spoke into me and God did a huge change in my life. For me, I felt like a step of obedience in that path was to go back to seminary. So I went to seminary and Then I was a youth pastor for six years and then also a part-time with a church development and missions organization and did both of those part-time until 2020, went into full-time Missions and then, a couple years ago, my wife and I started our own ministry, and so we live here on the coast, really are my God has really called me as a pastor to pastors, and so we do that here on the coast, but then also internationally. We go down, mainly right now, to Central America, training pastors, caring for pastors, raising up leaders, and we have a team down there that continues to walk through life with these pastors and leaders a lot of pastors are leaving the ministry because they're just tired in burnout.
Speaker 2:Is that true?
Speaker 3:Absolutely, and the world is just heavy and pastors are not immune to that and so a lot of times pastors we don't have time to get too much into the conversation, but just church oftentimes in the US is built in a way that it's a pastor doesn't have a lot of close relationships with their people in their church. Oftentimes the pastor sometimes there's so much pressure and expectation on them, on their kids, that oftentimes a pastor doesn't feel safe to be able to go to someone and say, hey, I'm really struggling for that with this, and not just a sin, that's with sin. I'm talking about just anxiety. You know it, there with Barna and Lifeway are the kind of the two leading church research groups out there and they've they've both put out there that release COVID.
Speaker 3:The spikes of depression and anxiety and loneliness spiked so high during COVID for pastors because instantly it injected so much division within a church.
Speaker 3:So for every person in a church that felt during COVID the churches should shut their doors to truly show love to people. There was someone else on the other side of the proverbial aisle that said no, we, if we truly love Jesus, we'll keep our doors open. And a pastor is leading both those people. How does a pastor minister to these people that feel very strongly on both sides? And then not to mention all the political and then just the cultural divisions that we have and so many times that those influences come into the church and pastors have to minister to all those people and so that leads to stress or anxiety or depression. One of the life way it was either the Lifeway or Barna studies it said over the last year, have you, over the last six months, have you thought of getting out of ministry? And they did it in beginning of 2020 and 2020, beginning of 2021 and 2021 and 2022. And each time there was like a four to 8% jump of pastors that said yes in the last.
Speaker 3:in the last six months, I've thought of getting out of ministry and the three greatest reasons was loneliness, political divisions within the church and stress.
Speaker 2:I want you to share with the listeners some of the stories in the success that you're having in Belize.
Speaker 3:We're in Belize, in Mexico, and working in Guatemala, and just just beginning to work in Honduras as well. It seems like there's a little more of an openness in the church there, and I think part of it is because there's a there's a hunger there's a hunger for the word of God and for who Jesus is.
Speaker 3:And we've you and I have already talked a lot about this because for for many of these people, jesus is all they have. And the reality is, ron, jesus is all I have, jesus is all you have. But oftentimes here in the U? S, when we get sick, what do we do? We go to the doctor, or we go to our medicine cabinet or we whatever. In some of these third, in some of these countries, what do they do when they're sick? They pray, wow, they pray.
Speaker 3:And so I'm not discounting medical science. God has given doctors in the medical field the wisdom to be able to help people and those things. But here in the U? S we are. So we have so much around us, we have so much to quote, unquote, fix all our problems that oftentimes and I use a term called sound bite theology, where it's so easy just to take a sound bite and then build a whole theology or cancel someone or whatever so when I'm about to say it'd be easy to take just this, but here in the U? S we don't need Jesus, we don't, because if we have a mental issue, we just go to this mental professional and again, I'm not there's no.
Speaker 2:You're bringing up a very good point.
Speaker 3:But if we have a physical health issue, we go to this doctor. We have so many specialized doctors. There's there's finger doctors and wrist doctors, and you know I mean every specific part of our body. There's a specific medical field for that. And so when we're sick, we go to this doctor. When we, you know, when we something breaks in our home, we just get on Amazon or we can just get it fixed almost whatever, and if it's not there within two days, we freak out because I pay for Amazon Prime, it should be here within two days, and so all those things. I think that even comes within the church. We don't see some of what really I believe Jesus wants for the church, because we're not truly living in the power of the Holy Spirit, of the power of what Jesus meant the church to be so.
Speaker 2:when you went to Belize, were you ever in or with a group of community down there that they were hearing about Jesus from you?
Speaker 3:I'm not sure if I've been in that setting down there where it's the first time they've ever heard about Jesus. I do believe there's been lots of times where people have said, wow, I've never heard that and I'm just reading from from scripture. And so there have been a lot of, and part of that is to there's. There's a biblical literacy problem, here in the church certainly, but down there, literally there is a literacy problem. So, specifically in Belize, school is mandatory but it costs. But the law is that if a family can't pay that they can't be denied the education. But that's up to what we would equate as eighth grade. And so, because there's a lot of poverty there, parents say, well, if I don't have to pay for school, why would I pay for school? But the? The issue is that at eighth grade they have to pay their balance and full to be able to go to what we would call ninth grade, and then if parents haven't been paying for, you know, 13 years, they're certainly not going to be able to suddenly be able to pay for that. So I say all that, say there's, there is a.
Speaker 3:Actually in Belize there's like an education efficiency past what we would say in eighth grade, and so I say there's there's just not a lot of engagement with God's word, literally reading the word, when, when the Holy Spirit just reveals himself in a real way. You know, jesus says I am the way, the truth in the life. And so when someone encounters that in a way that is new, there is a joy to that. It's that that joy of when we first believed, and it's that, that joy that that Jesus came to give us, and it's not it's not this just a feeling of hey, I've got this, but it's a great realization that I am saved, that I am no, I'm no longer in bondage to some of these things, that I can walk in that freedom of of who, of who Christ is and who he has designed me to be.
Speaker 2:Listeners, if you just tuned in, I'm speaking with Jesse McBride. Missionary, you go to Belize and you're going to Honduras, is it?
Speaker 3:Right now we're in Belize. In April we'll be down there for in Belize, in Mexico, and then, either the summer or later this year, will be in Honduras and we're also working in Guatemala.
Speaker 2:Now, what's the name of your ministry of? People want to find out more about you. How can they find out so?
Speaker 3:it's para ministries. So para is just PA RA. Para just means in Greek just means alongside. So that's our heart is to come alongside pastors in like parallel. And so it's para ministries is the name of our ministry and that's that's our desire to come alongside pastors and church leaders to to be able to be healthy, to be able to know the Word of God, to teach the Word of God, to be able to make disciples and to to be able to be in their communities and have an impact that the guys design them to.
Speaker 2:So now we have you in here, what would you tell someone out there that's listening, that isn't really sure about Jesus or if they want a relationship with Jesus?
Speaker 3:I think if, if someone's listening right now and they're not sure about Jesus but they're listening to that's this podcast, there's something in them that is causing them to seek Jesus, and I believe God's Word teaches us that's the Holy Spirit drawing. Getting to your question, the reality is is we don't have to be in a church, we don't have to be at a revival, we don't have to be in any specific setting for the Holy Spirit to draw us, for Jesus to transform our lives. And so, whether we're driving down the street, whether we're working out in the yard, whether we're in a bar, whether we're at a strip club, the Holy Spirit, his power, is not limited to a specific location, a specific purpose, a specific place. And so someone that is listening to this, as I don't know about this whole, this whole Jesus thing, just even even saying that, I think, is powerful to say Jesus. I don't know. I don't Know what that means. I don't know who you are. Would you just reveal yourself to me.
Speaker 2:There you go.
Speaker 3:Would you make yourself known to me, because Jesus wants to reveal himself to us.
Speaker 3:She just wants to make himself known, and that's why I say we're all missionaries. Is that that could? So someone right now might be listening in the car and they're about to walk into a retail store and that cashier that's checking them out they might be someone that has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and that cashier might just speak to them in a way that shows them love, or that Cashier might just be able to share something that that touches them in a way that points them closer to Jesus, and so that cashier wouldn't say they're missionary, but they are you being used by Jesus to minister to someone so, in other words, they're expressing Jesus in everything they do.
Speaker 2:That's right. When you're doing life with Jesus, it's just. It comes out and that's what I want people to get, because we know a lot of you are Struggling and it is tough out there, but there is someone that can take your problems and he can begin showing you how to do life with him, and that is Jesus and Jesse. We're almost out of time. I would like you to pray for our listeners anyone listening now and Listener before Jesse prays. I want you to bring to your mind something that you're dealing with in your life.
Speaker 3:Well, thanks for the opportunity and, again, those of you that are listening, if you are Feeling something and living for Jesus and the Holy Spirit is much more than a feeling, but he draws us and oftentimes that is we're feeling or thinking something that we've never felt or thought before, and that's the Holy Spirit Drawing to just press into that. And whether you've been hurt by a church or have no church experience, jesus loves you. Jesus has a plan for you. In in Ephesians it says that that he created us to do good works, to to live for him, to live on purpose for him, to live on Mission for him, and in that is freedom, in that is abundance and in that is only true joy is being found in living a life that is on mission for Jesus. Let's pray, god. I just thank you for today, lord. I thank you for this opportunity, lord, and I Got.
Speaker 3:I don't know who's listening, lord, but even if there's just one person listening right now, god, that just is at the end of themselves, that is saying I don't know I hear you saying this, but I've tried Jesus before, I've tried church, I've tried this and that, and I've always been disappointed. I've been broken, I've been hurt. Lord, those things are not of you, and so, lord, I just pray. I pray for spiritual healing, I pray for relational healing for anyone that might be listening right now, god, just that you would reveal yourself to them in just a mighty and powerful way, lord, that they might even Just open your word for the first time and, just as because it's living and breathing that you would come alive to them, lord, that maybe they would just call someone. Maybe, though, they they'll call up Ron and just say hey, I don't know what this means, but can you share more with me, lord?
Speaker 3:Just, whatever that looks like, lord, that is, as someone is listening right now and Is being drawn by your Holy Spirit, or that they would just press in, they would just press into you, and they would know that, that you love them and that they are loved, and they are created for a specific purpose, because you are creator, you are the God that created all things and uphold all things.
Speaker 3:Let me just thank you, and so, god, I just I also pray for those that are listening, that that are followers of you, god, that, lord, that that they would not be content with just going to church, that they would Just be seeking you of God. How do you want to use me in my, in my office, in my family, in my community? Lord, just through that, as as your followers, just here in Mississippi, on the coast, lord, just live in a way that that that is on fire for you, that is being used by you just, or that things would happen. God is as as your people begin to love, begin to live in a way that is Transformative and just such such a powerful way. So, god, again, I just thank you for who you are. I thank you for this ministry and For those that are listening, lord, that they, you would just draw them to you and pray these things in your name.
Speaker 2:I want to thank Jesse for sharing his story. You know, jesse story reminds us that God is in the moving business. That's right. When he wants to move us into a new assignment or to promote us in life, it begins with prompting. In other words, our spirit begins to sense a change is coming. Maybe you get a little restless, maybe you can't sleep at night, but you can't put your finger on it. But something is about to change in your life and that is God trying to get your attention. Now, when that happens, you can do one of two things. You can ignore them, self-medicate yourself and hope the promptings will go away. Or you can do the exciting thing, the thing that Jesus wants you to do, and that is to be still and listen and know that God is about to download some awesome assignment in your life.
Speaker 2:Jesse and his family came to the Gulf Coast to help us residents after Hurricane Katrina's devastation. Now, friends, just in case you were not here, along the Gulf Coast, it was terrible. Katrina leveled the entire Gulf Coast, from New Orleans to Mobile, alabama. Personally, my house had eight feet of water. I was also living my dream as a Christian radio station manager and you know things were going good until Katrina and then all of a sudden I had to balance my life with rebuilding my house and the radio station. But the radio station was awesome because we had radio station personnel all over the Gulf Coast, helping, praying, dropping off supplies, and each afternoon I had the pleasure to interview individuals who came to the coast to help us. When I say they came, they came from the north, the south, the east and the west. But here's something I really want to share with you today Two incredible life lessons I learned from these wonderful people that came here to help us.
Speaker 2:One was they were at home, minding their own business, doing live as a family would do life. They saw the news and they could feel the promptings. Go to the Gulf Coast. People need help and most of all they need love and friends. They came and they came and thank God they came with love, supplies and compassion. The other lesson was the unexpected blessings of the volunteers. They said they just listened as people told them what happened to them during Katrina. They said, ron, we never expected to be so blessed by people who lost everything. We came here to minister to them and they are ministering to us. It caused many of them, just like Jesse and his family, to pick up and move to the Gulf Coast forever. Friends, what they described were the fruits of living life with Jesus, because when you are doing life with Jesus, not only do you understand the promptings, but the promptings will always be love, kindness, compassion, the fruits of the spirit. That's the way you want to do life. That's where life is fun and rewarding.
Speaker 2:So now, today, what about you? Do you feel something stirring within your spirit? Perhaps a change is on the way. Maybe God is ready to download a brand new assignment, a new direction into your life. Have you been praying for a change? Are you looking for a change?
Speaker 2:Then I suggest to do what I do. I take some quiet time, I get alone and then I have my daily conversation with Jesus and I'm open, I'm honest and I'm transparent. See, that's what Jesus needs from us An open, willing heart to listen Someone that doesn't know all the answers. And then I listen to the Spirit. I'll read in the Bible, I'll do whatever it takes to hear, and when you hear from God and the prompting, friends, it does something. I call it the fountain of youth because it just ignites a passion inside of you that you are going to pursue.
Speaker 2:Jesse's story today is a reminder that the promptings and the stirrings that we may receive from God when he wants to move or promote us cannot be taken lightly. His story also highlights the importance of helping and supporting others, especially my friend, in times of need. Today can be the best day of your life if you're willing to trust Jesus. That's right, trust the finished work of Jesus. He did it all on the cross so you and I can have fellowship, forgiveness and faith in him 24-7. Simply call upon the name of Jesus and invite him into your heart and you will get the hell out of your life.
Speaker 4:I'm going 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.
Speaker 2:I would not even be here if it wasn't for the good Lord and, yes, he wants you, your business, your marriage, he wants everything you do to be successful. God is a God of success and God has planned for you to have success in life when you do life with Jesus. Why is that so important? I am so glad you asked because if God designed you, jesus knows you like every bit of the blueprint that's in your DNA. Well then, doesn't it make sense that if you want success in your marriage, in your family, in your business, in your personal relationships, well, go to the Creator, the one that has the blueprint, the one that truly knows every doubt, every fear, every joy, everything about you. It's you and Jesus. Period. That's the recipe for a beautiful, wonderful life.
Speaker 2:If you have a story that you'd like to share about what God has done in your life, please go to my website, the promoterorg. And don't forget about the Love and Light Tour coming Sunday night, april 7th, at 1st Baptist Gulf, port, colton, dixon and Jordan Feliz. So have a good day with Jesus and remember this I love you, jesus loves you, and when you get the hell out of your life, you're gonna smile again.
Speaker 1:Get the hell out of your life is underwritten by the Christmas City Gift Show. We invite you to come shop with over 255 vendors from all over the United States from November 8th through the 10th inside the Coast Convention Center located on the beach in Biloxi, Mississippi. You can find more information at ChristmasCityGiftShowcom. Thanks for listening, and if you would like to share your story of what God has done in your life or listened to previous episodes, please visit our website, the promoterorg. Join us next week for another episode of Get the Hell Out of your Life Real stories, real struggles and real hope.