Pressed Into Purpose
"Pressed Into Purpose" explores the transformative journeys of individuals who discovered their calling through life's challenges and triumphs. Each episode features intimate conversations with guests from diverse backgrounds who share how they identified their unique purpose, overcame obstacles in pursuing it, and experienced profound personal transformation as a result.
We dive deep into the pivotal moments, unexpected detours, and guiding principles that shaped our guests' paths. Whether through career shifts, personal crises, spiritual awakenings, or gradual realizations, these stories illuminate the various ways purpose reveals itself.
More than inspirational tales, these conversations offer practical insights for listeners questioning their own direction, feeling stuck, or seeking greater meaning. Join us as we uncover how being "pressed" by life's circumstances often reveals our most authentic purpose and highest potential.
Pressed Into Purpose
From Passed Out to Pastor: A Transformation Story
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Pastor Geno Gardner shares his transformative journey from military service to ministry, revealing how discipleship and trust in God's process unlocks purpose and transforms lives. His DEA model (Discipleship, Evangelism, Apologetics) provides a framework for believers to discover, defend, and develop their faith.
• From passed out drunk to passing the torch: Pastor Geno's pivotal moment in Korea that redirected his life
• Military structure providing the foundation for ministry leadership and manhood
• Marriage as a training ground for discovering authentic manhood
• The critical difference between being a Christian and being a disciple of Christ
• How the Lion's Den ministry connects 94 men across six states for spiritual growth
• Saying "yes" to God's calling even when it means relocating family and facing uncertainty
• The power of allowing Christ to change behavior without changing personality
• Three words for finding purpose: "Trust the process"
To learn more about Pastor Geno's upcoming book for men's development or to connect with the Madman Podcast and other ministry resources, follow his work through Rehoboth Church in Birmingham, Alabama.
Thanks for listening!
Until next time, continue to press into your purpose!
Hello, my name is Valeria Wright and this is Pressed Into Purpose. Now let's meet today's guest. Today's guest is Pastor Geno L Gardner, pg-13. He's the passionate and dedicated lead pastor of Rehoboth Church in Birmingham, alabama, where the mission is clear to preach the unadulterated gospel of Jesus Christ and transform lives through hope, healing and freedom.
Speaker 1Rooted in Luke 4.18, pastor Gino's ministry focuses on discipleship, evangelism and apologetics, guiding believers to discover, develop and defend their faith. A 22-year US Army veteran, pastor Geno brings a spirit of excellence, discipline and servant leadership to his calling. He holds a master's in apologetics, with an emphasis on cultural engagement from Colorado Christian University and is passionate about bringing faith and culture with truth and love. Through initiatives like Men Ace, the Madman Podcast and the Lion's Den, he empowers men to lead spiritually and relationally. Pastor Gino believes in investing in the next generation, creating spaces where children are nurtured in their faith and equipped to become confident leaders. His innovative DEA model Discipleship, evangelism and Apologetics serves as a powerful framework to help believers grow deeper in Christ, share the gospel and stand firm in truth. Anchored in 1 John, 4 and 4, greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. Pastor Gino encourages everyone to trust God's power and embrace their kingdom purpose. Please help me welcome Pastor Gino Gardner. Welcome, sir.
Speaker 2Very welcome, very welcome to be here, thank you. Thank you, yes, ma'am.
Speaker 1Listen, I have to tell people, I have to tell them listen, we, we, before we get to all the other things, we, we are on location. Okay, preston, the purpose is on location in Birmingham, alabama, okay, we, we, we are traveling. Okay, I thank you. Absolutely you know for, for allowing us into your humble abode you know what I'm saying, pleasure, you know pleasure.
Speaker 1Now I just, I just just read the bio for the people. But listen, we've been knowing each other for a very, very long time. We've known each other since we were teenagers. Yes, and listen, I've seen you grow.
Speaker 1Yes, from you know the, the, the, the wonderful teenage man, um, to the, the wonderful mature man of god. You see what I'm saying, uh, husband, uh, father, all the things. You know what I'm saying. Leader, uh, look, serving, serving all the things I read. You know what I'm saying, um, I'm just, you know, I, just I want to. I want you to start, I want to start off and I want you to tell the people, in all the I don't know if I want to call them assignments, but in all the assignments that you have had, what do you believe is your purpose at the core?
Speaker 2purpose at the core? That's a phenomenal question because, evolving, I've seen life in so many different lanes and as I matured, of course you see it in one space. You see life and how it operates in one lane and then, as you mature and develop and grow, you see it evolve into something else. And as I matured, I realized I was called to people for development. I realized that I was called to take people with no knowledge of how to do a thing and help them create, help them strategize and develop what it is to do and how it's fleshed out, as you read in my bio, through manhood and also through the Christian faith.
Speaker 2And those two lanes have been a space for me to honestly help people evolve, and I wasn't one. That was a part of me, my entire. I never realized how valuable and critical God was really trying to develop me in that realm, to help people develop, master themselves, in a sense, that they can better be men and also believers. So those two spaces is I believe that that is my core purpose is to transform and help people master who they are and where they're going in their faith and, specifically, in manhood. Ok, so that's kind of my, my area.
Discovering Purpose Through Trial
Speaker 1So how did you discover that within yourself? How did? How did you come to master manhood? You know, the faith, all of those things?
Speaker 2Trial, trial by fire. It's no pretty answer for that, okay, like it's not cute at all. And so when you've been tried enough and gone through enough, you realize at some point you've got to make another turn, at some point it has to derail. That train has to go another way down the track.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2And so in my life, as far as my manhood, I learned Christ said it in the scriptures he learned obedience to the things that he suffered. And I feel this, though, that in my marriage I learned a lot about manhood in the marriage, not that I had that framework fully fleshed out as a teen, as an adolescent.
Speaker 1I didn't have that Listen. We typically don't.
Speaker 2We think we do, but our Ain't the thing. So here we have it. I learned it through marriage, in marriage, and it does have its ups and its downs, its cutes and its not so cute.
Speaker 2And so those things are areas like you're in the moment trial by fire. I'm learning, but the thing about it was my commitment to God was relentless Okay, and I always want to stay committed to him. So in the process of me understanding who I was, I said I'm not gonna let him go, so I'm not gonna let this go right so he kept me connected to further development.
Speaker 2had I lost him, I feel as though that I would have left, maybe even marriage, or ministry Okay, or or, or people okay, but it was because of him that I kept those things together.
Speaker 1OK, so let's go back early in the manhood piece, let's start there. So what helped? What were some of the things that helped you to develop as a man?
Speaker 2Seeing some of our forefathers operate okay right observation for me was big, so I really didn't have opportunity to have really interactive discussions with them. Right and in my heart, my heart and mind, I wanted that right. So oftentimes, what we do with those things that we cannot or we feel as though we don't have or received, we search those answers out. Yes, and people do it through drugs, alcohol, through gangs, whatever that may be, or through positive modes, and in my aspect of it, I really wanted to learn manhood and then leadership through the male lens, okay. And so I didn't feel as though I had a pretty picture of that. I didn't feel as though I got a pretty picture of that. I didn't feel as though I got a pretty look at that, okay, a very intuitive look. Okay, someone that would sit me down, walk me through the numbers, have grace, patience and love with me. And in that process I redefined within myself what it was to be a man that does that.
Speaker 1Okay.
Speaker 2I was able to discover what that was through the things that I did not receive. And so if I didn't for example, if I didn't receive how to take care of my home in a positive way instead of an abusive way oftentimes what I would do is go back and say Lord, how can I navigate this to make it appealing to not just me, but to other men?
Speaker 1Okay.
Speaker 2And I would just take notes within myself, restructure it and then try to live it out.
Speaker 1Okay, okay. Do you believe that your service in the military helped you in that process?
Speaker 2Absolutely. I mean, I wouldn't take away from it at all because of the discipline of it. The open, well, let's say this, the well-traveled verse of it, because we go everywhere.
Speaker 2So you see, culture nationalities and then you understand it through the human, the Westernized view, then you understand it through the Eastern view, you understand it through all these lanes and lenses, so you're able to navigate what it is to be a human then, also to be a man specifically, and you see it from both lenses and contexts, so you're able to take that and accept it or not. And then take this Western view and accept it or not, and then you have the discipline aspect, the well-traveled discipline aspect. The structure, the military provided structure discipline aspect. The structure the military provided structure order. You didn't have to think much, it was given to you, and so that helped me understand how important it is to have security, to have something there to live for the rest of your life, retirement, have a stable home. These are frameworks of manhood in my opinion. So the military helped navigate what it is to not only have structure. But then it played into my manhood and so I brought that dynamic into my marriage and my manhood.
Speaker 1Okay, so you've mentioned marriage a couple of times. I happen to know your beautiful wife.
Speaker 2Bless his name. She's a beauty.
Speaker 1Isn't she, isn't she lovely? She's lovely Listen.
Speaker 2And isn't, she Isn't she, she's lovely. She's a powerhouse herself Phenomenal. We'll have to get her on the podcast. You know what?
Learning Manhood Through Experience
Speaker 1I'm saying I move out the way for her, but I know that you all got married very young. Let's delve into what it looked like for you to be a young husband who was also still learning how to become a man. Wow, what did that look like?
Speaker 2Patience and grace. Honestly, I didn't know what I was doing. My wife and I talked to each other a lot and then also to other people. We didn't know what we were doing. My wife and I talked to each other a lot and then also to other people really know what we were doing. I'm 21 years old.
Speaker 2A lot of men don't really discover themselves to, like 25 or later, like really start to say, hey, I understand kind of sort of what my purpose is at 21. You don't know nothing. You can come up in here and say what you want. You was at the. You know I was born for marriage and if these things were just, you could say that, if you want to at 21, a 21 year old man, I did not know Right. What I did know is that I wanted to serve God and I wanted to marry her. Okay, what that was going to be, okay or become, I couldn't give you a defined answer on that. Okay, I was just trusting that I would be patient and humble enough to grow within the marriage. Okay, to accept it's good and it's bad. Like Job says, accept the good and the bad of the Lord and in the marriage and then just evolve.
Speaker 2I was very blind, I'm not going to lie, I was blind. I was learning as I go, learning as I went, as we do, and we do that, and so that's what it was for me. It wasn't like I was some poster child for just having this framework development before I went into marriage. No, okay, it wasn't me.
Speaker 1So we've got the dynamic of learning to become a man, joining up in the military, finding a wife and still trying to discover who you are. Was there a oh? And also growing as a man of God. So let's, let's, let's talk about that before I ask this other question what was your early spiritual journey like? I mean, I met you in church so I mean.
Speaker 1I know you had a foundation, um, but I also know you know that you know we don't always, uh, stand ten toes down on that foundation you're telling all, you're telling everything, man you don't have to go into all all of that, all the details you know, share as much as you want to share. You know what I'm saying, but no, what was that? What was that early journey like as far as your, your, your faith walk?
Speaker 2My mother was everything. She was the pillar, she was the rock, she kept me in church. It gave me a good foundation. Now I will say that now I made a lot of dumb mistakes and a lot of made, a lot of decisions that I regret. Needless to say, god used him as pivot points for me to be the man that I am today. So my mother was that foundation and that bedrock. She absolutely helped me establish a core and central relationship with God, something that has now become unmovable, unwavering, relentless.
Speaker 1Listen, I know your mother because you know she helped not only you but a lot of folks to establish that foundation. Okay, listen.
Speaker 2A mother to many.
Speaker 1Yes.
Speaker 2As yours, as yours.
Speaker 1I know, I know, but your, mother. Let me look at the camera. Bless God, is this camera on?
Speaker 2It is Her mama.
Speaker 1Look, and your mom, and in a great way our mothers have blessed the kingdom and continue to bless the kingdom as they've blessed us. They sure have. You see what I'm?
Speaker 2saying Listen, it's the bedrock, she was the foundation. Yes, though I strayed, though I, they said, when the father and the mother, when the father and your mother has forsaken, then the Lord will take you up, but though he the child, though I strayed, I returned. I returned back. And the thing about it was is that my mother put that in me. She showed me how important it was to trust God Bottom line, and that never left. Though I made bad decisions, though I knew God was central and that carried along with me.
Speaker 2That went along with me everywhere. I went as an 18-year-old, as a 25-year-old and now, presently as a 43-year-old, god is still the center. So she was that bedrock, she started it, she put it in me and I tell you right now I did not return back, I didn't leave it.
Speaker 1Because the Bible says Come on. The Bible says Come on.
Speaker 2I was trying to get the scripture out. I couldn't form the scripture Listen listen, listen. It says train up a child in the way they should go, in the way they should go.
Speaker 1And when they are old, they will not depart from it. Come on, listen, come on. So you had no choice but to come back to it, because that's what the Word says. Absolutely, absolutely. Shout out to mothers of the faith, come on who loved teaching. Yes.
Speaker 2My mother was a teacher, as yours, studying and reading the Bible. She put that in me. We would do Sunday school every Sunday morning. Before Sunday school she would teach me the lesson at home, see.
Speaker 1My father and mother did the same thing to us on Saturday night, so we had to look. Saturday night we was there learning that Sunday school lesson. We was six and eight years old. I don't want to sit here and learn no Bible. Can we go back outside and play? No, Sit on down. We finna learn this Bible we finna sing, we finna pray and we finna go over this Sunday school lesson. That's what we finna do.
Military Structure Shaping Leadership
Speaker 2Okay, because you gonna go in there knowing this lesson oh, man, knowing your word that they were serious about it Serious, serious, shaped me, made me and it's still in me to this day, still in me to this day that seriousness, that focus, that relentlessness that she possessed for the gospel, that framed, helped shape my worldview. Okay, okay, as a young man, yeah, I said there's no way that this, this woman, is that passionate, passionate about something that is just a figment of our imagination. Right, it's a mist, a vapor.
Speaker 1it has to be something more, yeah listen so I can see some of that same passion in you as a, as a man, but also as a leader and a pastor and a father and a husband and all those things. So let's so so as we put all those things together. Back to my other question from earlier. So we've got young man of God, we've got going into the military, we've got a new husband. We've got, you know, still trying to search and discover who God is. You know, called us and purposed us to be. Was there a pivotal moment or any pivotal moment or moments that made you say, wait a minute, I have to take notice of this. That shifted your life?
Speaker 2Absolutely, and I tell the story all the time. It happened in Korea. As soon as I left Chicago and joined the military, I was going over there with a focus to drink turn up party, as I was doing. Okay, just to be clear. Okay, okay For the camera. Did you already do it? I was already doing.
Speaker 3Okay, just to be clear, okay, okay.
Speaker 2For the camera. Did you already do it? I was already doing it. It wasn't nothing new. Okay, I went over there with that focus to do the same thing. Okay, now, here it is, 18-year-old kid thinking on those lines. God said not so. So I get to Korea all the way, take you out of your home, your comfort, all the way to Korea. And I was standing out, I was washing clothes in the barracks and I seen these two dudes, these two soldiers, dragging this dude in from outside the village and so they party out there, they drink club, do all they need to do. He was drunk and he was throwing up and they were dragging him back into the room and at that moment, god showed me. He said do you want to continue to live like this, operate like this? And that, right there, turned my heart.
Speaker 3Okay.
Speaker 2Because I too had some very situational situations that looked very similar to our dearly beloved brother that they were dragging in from outside the club drinking on that strong soju and he gave up a lot of you know, a lot of fluids on that concrete.
Speaker 2He gave up a lot of bodily fluid. And so the Lord he said listen, now, look at him. He gave me a clear shot at the brother. Look at him, do you want to? And in my spirit, now look at him. He gave me a clear shot at the brother. Okay, look at him, do you want to? And in my spirit I felt it and I heard it. Do you want to continue down there? Because right before I left I was in Virginia. I had an experience like that.
Speaker 1Oh, where you were, the one.
Speaker 2Oh, passed out, oh, passed out. Oh wow. Yeah, we were in training. We had our weekend pass. I was so excited I couldn't wait to drink. You turned up, got a half turned up. Got a half pint of Jack Right. A half pint, a half pint of Jack. A half pint of Jack Right Went straight to the. I mean, we was in the hotel room, we all had our drinks. Yeah, Right.
Speaker 2Right, and I wasn't even 21 at the time. I was probably wasn't even 19 yet I was still 18. So somebody, you know, because the military of every age group. So we got somebody to buy the drinks.
Speaker 1Right.
Speaker 2Right. And so we're in a hotel, we're drinking. I had a half pint, I think. I know I did chase it. I believe I don't know I forget, but I took it to the face. I think I did chase it, took it to the face and next, you know, I'm on a curve, I'm rocking. I feel like I got to throw up. Next, you know, I'm out. I didn't wake up until nighttime in a hotel room on a bed.
Speaker 1Well, thank God for your brothers that made sure you got back to the bed.
Speaker 2Now, they did take care of me and they reminded me of that I bet they did we took care of you that night. That of that I bet they did. We took care of you that night and those was my guys like through all the training yes, they carried me around, passed out wow the whole afternoon until it was nighttime, because it was like afternoon we started okay, okay, okay, you just got me excited.
Speaker 1You just got me excited. I, I know, I know, see, see, okay, so listen, so listen that visual. This is what it made me think about. You said my guys was carrying me around Right now. That's what you do for others.
Speaker 2Wow, wow. You see what I'm saying, but in the kingdom but you see what I'm saying. I do, I do, I do.
Speaker 1Like wow, Full circle.
Speaker 2Full circle, He'll turn it man.
Speaker 1Now you're helping others Carry.
Speaker 2Carry.
Speaker 1The cross the cross.
Speaker 2Come on. Wow, it's innate. It becomes inerrant that what you've gone through is not a setback but a set up for what you'll be Absolutely. And I now that you've. I mean, I've told that story a million times too, but I never put that together. You know what I mean?
Speaker 1I never connected that and said that that was God. I'm sitting here like, wait a minute, they was carrying you and you got back to safety and listen.
Speaker 3Now you carrying others and you helping them get back to safety. Come on, come on in the kingdom, come Helping them get back to safety. Come on, come on in the kingdom, come on.
Speaker 1Listen, listen.
Speaker 2Pivotal, pivotal. Come on Pivotal.
Speaker 1I mean so, look, that just blessed me. I'm sorry, I just it blessed me. I never thought that that blessed me Listen, because you got the lion's den.
Speaker 2Yes, sir.
Speaker 1You've got, you've got the, the, the DEA.
Speaker 2Yes, ma'am.
The Foundation of Faith and Discipleship
Speaker 1You've got all these things where the man cave. You've got all these things where you are helping to build up other men Absolutely, so that they can be the leaders, the fathers, the, the, the husbands, the, the, the men of God, just who they are, who God has purposed them to be, purpose them to be. And so what inspired that? What made you say, okay, I've been poured into God. You've been building me brick by brick, what was it that said man cave, lion's den, dea. What was that?
Speaker 2Man just evolving. I evolved into all those things because, in essence, da, that's now, but menace or menace, that was three years ago. And the Madman podcast. That was maybe four, about eight months ago. So that podcast, all that was just evolution and so mad. Marriage apologetics and discipleship. That's my focus on the podcast Marriage apologetics.
Speaker 2So marriage, that male component is still there, and then my two babies, apologetics and discipleship, and so those things evolved and I believe in my heart, in the core of me, those elements are keeping me Okay, like my marriage keeps me sane.
Speaker 2It keeps me whole. It keeps me focused, like having a healthy marriage, and then apologetics helps me defend the faith, but then discipleship. It keeps my walk with Christ steady and transformative. Yes, it keeps it building and those things are so pivotal and I believe in that. Again, going back to the military and discipline and focus and structure, all those things had a part to play, yes, in these puzzle pieces that we're putting together of DEA, mad Men, podcast, menace you know the Lion's Den.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 2The Lion's Den is a conglomerate of 94 men from across the US Come on. Birmingham, texas, tennessee and Chicago. Okay, across in Atlanta Georgia.
Speaker 1Come on, georgia's in the building, okay.
Speaker 2We got like Cincinnati now. Oh, georgia, come on, georgia's in the building. Okay, we got like Cincinnati now, oh wow. So we got like six or more states represented, yes, In the Lions Den, which is a private group. Yes, mad Men podcast, more public and outward facing. And then Menace really was church initiative.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 2I'm still fleshing that one out, okay, but everything's, for the most part, is the Lions in Private. External Face and Madman Podcast. But, then you have the Lions in Private. What was the one I missed?
Speaker 1DEA.
Speaker 2DEA that's church specific, but I'm creating that as a model to teach and train other churches. So as I train my church, I'm getting them solid so we can go and partner with other churches and teach it. Okay, so DEA is not just something that you know them solid, so we can go. And partner with other churches and teach it. So DEA is not just something that you know, it's a Bible study that just you know. We're growing, we're learning.
Speaker 2This is something. I'm trying to turn and tour to other churches and say, man, I'm just my church, we just the culture is beating the life out of my church. I got something for you. We're coming, we're there. Okay, and DEA is, in my opinion, will fix that problem.
Speaker 1Okay, let's talk about this discipleship piece, because you've mentioned this several times and I know how important discipleship is. I don't know that I've always really embraced discipleship as I should or had a proper view of discipleship. So what does discipleship look like for you, what does it mean and what does it look like for you?
Speaker 2Disciple, right, a disciplined learner, right, someone that is disciplined to learn, but, more specifically, one that was disciplined to learn of Christ. So a disciple in this context, or a Christian disciple, one that is disciplined, learner of Christ Jesus, a student, but one that is being transformed by his teaching. So it's a transformative thing. It's not just something we're going, it's not a social hour, it's not just a gathering. We're talking about this. It's a moment, social hour, right, it's not just a gathering and just we talking about this. It's a moment of transformation. It's a continuous moment of transformation. You never stop being disciple. You never stop, you never stop. I'm gonna be 80 years old. Listen bless the lord.
Speaker 2I thank you, I receive it in jesus name. In jesus name and I will still be a disciple and being disciple. Yes, it's an ongoing thing.
Speaker 1Because if you stop being a disciple, that means you're no longer learning.
Speaker 2Come on, you're no longer growing. Come on.
Speaker 1And if you don't have anybody to pour into, to disciple you know what I'm saying. Then how are you then it? Because, so this is, this is. This is what I've learned about discipleship. It actually helps to hold you accountable, come on, because you have other people that are watching and learning power from you. Powerful, so when, as you are walking out the word of god, then other people see you walking out the word of god and they're like, oh so that's how. I'm not that we're perfect by any stretch let's.
Speaker 1Let's not get it twisted. We are not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but we're all working out our own salvation. You know what I'm saying. And so, with fear and trembling. So when we are living out that word, other people see it and they can say, wait. Well, how did you overcome that? Or how do you deal with that? Or I saw how you were treated. How did you walk away from that? Not knock their head off, you know cuz you know, sometimes it get me like father.
Speaker 2I stretch my hands to these hands on yourself. Could you be ready to go? Okay, this, I know this, I know you hit the nail on the head, because discipleship is an accountability metric. It is not to be something that leaves alone, like you leave alone and you put it on the shelf as if you're reading a book and you set it down. Discipleship is ongoing right Every day, so we talk about in my training DEA, we talk about mentorship, we talk about small groups and community that hold you accountable to what you've learned and what you're learning and so what you're walking through.
Speaker 2It's a life breathing experience, and that's how I teach it. I don't teach it like it's just a one and done Right. I don't teach it like we had this beautiful workshop. Ok, now let's go back, right?
Speaker 3We have been discipled.
Speaker 2We've been discipled. Right, we have been discipled, we've been discipled. So, after you've gone through DEA, now you're paired with stronger disciples. That's now a part of what you're doing and how you do it.
Speaker 1OK.
Speaker 2But we're teaching them community.
Speaker 1So it doesn't look invasive. Yes.
Speaker 2You all in my business. No, you know we're walking through and I teach them through the lens of Christ and how he did it, so people don't get all offended. He walked with Peter the same way. Peter got him on his nerve, last nerve. He walked with him the same exact way, yes, and he had to do the same thing with them. The sons of Zebedee, james and John, had to do them the same way. They were rambunctious, yelling and fighting for the Lord and wanting, and he like. We don't need all of that, gentlemen. He had to teach Peter, james and John these significant things as he discipled them in their own personality. Look, in their own personality, he discipled them.
Speaker 1He didn't change their personality, come on. He encouraged them to change the behavior.
Speaker 2Come on, thank you.
Speaker 1Thank you, and I think sometimes we miss that.
Speaker 1We do and I think sometimes we miss that when we are discipling people or just interacting with people. For sure, we don't always we want, sometimes we want people to act like we act or just, you know, just do it this way. But we're all uniquely made, uniquely made so we all have different personalities that, when we are at our best, god can use each one of our personalities and impact the entire world. Because there are people that you can impact, that you will impact just because of your journey. There are people that I will impact just because of my journey. And that's really what this thing of what this Christian life is all about.
The Calling to Pastor and Serve
Speaker 1Thank you, Impacting other people, thank you Along the way, because Jesus came and impacted people, 12 disciples to be specific. You know there were many others, but those 12 men then took the gospel and spread it throughout the entire world. Come on, come on. He changed, he walked with and changed the lives of 12 men that then went and changed the world. So the men that you are walking with and discipling, listen, they, they, they in your corner of the world you are impacting and discipling, and now they're going to go out and do the same thing. What does that mean? What does that mean to you, and how do you carry that?
Speaker 2That's a powerful question. It's humbling. You know why it's humbling? Because I know I was a wretch undone. I knew I was not perfect, I wasn't right, I know I thought wrong. I'm dirty, filthy and I know all the errors I've made, I know all the things that defiled my walk with God and yet, and still, I had a Paul experience that took me, on the road of Damascus, from once slaying Christians to now being one that is the most profound in the faith. I'm humbled by that, because he could have selected someone else.
Speaker 2He could have picked another way but, he selected me to carry this cross and anytime you have the opportunity and people don't realize that carrying the cross it's an opportunity to greatness, because what he embodied on the cross was the crucifixion of sin and anytime you can take that mantle on and humbly, gracefully, live out life. It's a powerful movement. For example, the thief on the cross meant today you'll be with me in paradise. He does this after they said give us Barabbas. So now I'm in a conversation that my own people turn against me and I don't take pride, I don't take hurt and I don't let my emotions overtake me. Now I go to the cross and extend grace to somebody else and say today you'll be with me in paradise, I don't care what you've done.
Speaker 2That is the cross that I'm humbled to carry. That's the cross that I am honored to carry. That's the cross that showed me that when you were yet a sinner, he died for you. That is the powerful truth of the gospel. It's transformative and that's why I disciple men. Okay, because men need to know they got hope. Yes, your past failures that does not define your future.
Speaker 1Come on, come on.
Speaker 2And there is a way out.
Speaker 1Yes.
Speaker 2There is a way out. If he can say today, you'll be with me in paradise, after saying give me Barabbas. I can do the same and say bro, I know you failed 30 times ago, but here we go. Listen, let's get that stuff, gather what you got and let's refocus and rebuild. Okay, that's my MO. I'm humbled to be able to carry that cross, because that's not one easy to carry.
Speaker 1It's not. It's not. Today's episode is brought to you by Destiny Film and Media. Go to destinyfam1.com for all your media needs. Destiny, film and media, your destiny through film and media. You and your wife, pastor, um, you all have pastored a few churches at this point. Listen, listen, but I I feel like each time has been a growth point.
Speaker 1Listen because I'm telling you listen I've been watching, I've been watching, I've been, I've been seeing what the lord has done, so I so I got a question. So I have a question, um, and I've asked you this before, um, off camera, but I'm gonna ask this on camera. So what made you? What made you give God a yes to start a church?
Speaker 2Man, I don't know, I don't, and this is what I mean, because my whole journey in the faith was just to serve.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2I did not want to pastor. I had no desire. My mother's not a pastor, my father's not a pastor. He didn't go to church really at all. I'd never seen my father really go consistently to church at all. My aunties and uncles, they weren't in church. My auntie Nene was faithful to church, choir faithful to this day, but all the rest no. My mother's side is almost the same, kind of off and on, and I didn't have a lineage like some of solid, faithful church goers, preachers, teachers and all that. So for me it was like when I learned Christ, I learned servitude and I was at the washing feet moments of my ministry just to serve, just to do right, clean, cook, serve whatever you need, that's what I'm doing. And at that point God began to give me language that was far beyond my comprehension and I would be talking to people, ministers that were preaching and all that, and they'd be like yo, that's kind of deep and I'm like what and you know I didn't really take note of that I'm like I'm just talking to you.
Speaker 2I'm reading my Bible, I'm studying it, and God put something extra on me and I believe that he gave me a David experience, where David was in the field, herding right, taking care of the field the sheep and yet Samuel comes and anoints him and said that he's going to be the next king. And I felt that that was my journey. Okay, I felt like I was just working the field, okay, minding my business.
Speaker 1Minding your own business. He died and knew my heart.
Speaker 2Yes, yes, yes. He looked beyond my faults and saw my needs. Yes, and he knew my heart and he anointed me in secret. And then he made me a public example of what he can do in private.
Speaker 3Yes and so.
Speaker 2I really never wanted it, I never asked for it. I evolved into it. Yeah, yeah, because I've still been certain. I tell people this all the time Billy, I lie, not to you, val, I lie not to you. I say listen, I'll be fine just being the head of discipleship. Put me ahead in evangelism, or put me ahead If you want to create, I'll create an apologetics program for your church. Ok, I'll be found that I don't have to have the pulpit, yeah.
Speaker 2I don't need to be on the platform. Yeah, I just want to develop people.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2To do the work of the Lord.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2That's why I was with it. But he said no, I need you to pass. I said well, here we go.
Speaker 1Here we go.
Speaker 2I ain't got no history of training or pastoring.
Speaker 1I had to learn that yes yes, listen, I had a bird's eye view of some of the learning. You know what I'm saying, listen, but I will say it has been for me on the outside, looking in, it has really been a blessing to see you and your wife continue to give God the next. Yes, glory to God. For real, I am not going to cry, jesus, you're about to make me cry.
Speaker 1To watch you all continue to give God another yes, and another yes, and another yes, wow, and another yes, wow, and another yes. And these yeses are not easy, because y'all have moved from city to city as God has led you, and I'm like y'all get, but y'all got kids and y'all get, and y'all. So you just pick it up and go, oh, because the Lord said, oh well, bless the king and your faith, hallelujah. But then like, but I would pray for y'all and I'm like well, god, they say that they heard you. Just bless them Like, show them favor you know what I'm saying Like, and then I would see God do what y'all said. He told y'all Like, use what he gave y'all and make it something.
DEA Model and Men's Ministry
Speaker 1And so for me, from the outside looking in, it has just really been pretty amazing to watch. Like for real Glory to God, like. It truly amazes me, jesus, though, that you all continue to give him a yes, even when it's challenging, even when it looks hard, even when it, you know, is not, not, not popular. Like what? What is that? Like? How? I know it's totally goes, I know it's Holy Ghost, but what do you hold on to as?
Speaker 2you take these leaps of faith. From my perspective, yeah, well done. My good and faithful servant, and what that means to me is this I want him to be pleased in everything that I do, and my way of saying thank you is through my yes.
Speaker 1Oh, oh.
Speaker 2That pass out drunk in the hotel. That's why I say yes. That near-death experience coming from the club downtown. That's why I say yes. That dude out there struggling in his marriage, out there on the street, strung out, addicted, broken. That's why I say yes. And that's why we say yes, because we know this life is not perfect or pretty, but he died for that. Yeah. He came for that. And in the process of everything that he said, man, everything that we've done, every transition, the uncomfortable space for our kids, our kids were not comfortable.
Speaker 1Listen, listen.
Speaker 2They were mad.
Speaker 1I can imagine they were mad. I can imagine.
Speaker 2They wasn't.
Speaker 1I can only imagine being uprooted, as like in elementary school and then one in high school. Like what are we even doing? What are we doing? We moving again, again, like.
Speaker 2And us, being soldiers, you know that has a lot of more fabric. We add to that material because, being soldiers, that's what they do. Every three years they move to another state. That's embedded in our DNA.
Speaker 1Okay.
Speaker 2That's embedded in our DNA. We serve as unto the Lord, as unto our commanding officers.
Speaker 1Come on.
Speaker 2That's the framework God gave us as we modeled this thing called life with Christ. Okay, we modeled that image, and so Paul talks about it too with the whole armor of God. He equates that to the Roman army and how each element of the uniform or the weaponry is defined out in the gospel.
Speaker 1Yes.
Speaker 2Yes, right, so we take on that same mantle when we transition. We like yo. Now we got to put on the helmet, now we got to put on the shield, now we have to put on the belt, the buckle.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 2Right, we have to gird our loins. We have to, and we take this in every assignment that we do. So us it's like we're going into another battleground to win for the gospel. We take it. It's so deep to us, it's so deep to us. It's deep to us. It's not comprehensible.
Speaker 1Listen, because I'm sitting here. I'm like so listen, I think you just made me think about Dr Miles Monroe, god rest his soul.
Speaker 2Rest his soul. I'm not worthy of the comparison. I'm not worthy of the comparison. Go ahead.
Speaker 1No, but I read his book and because he came from a rule where there was a kingdom, he understood how kingdoms function. And so now I'm talking to you and you're like, because we had that training as soldiers, we, we understand how that functions. So now you bring that training, you bring that discipline over to the body of Christ, the kingdom of God, and you're able to execute the mission because you were trained to do so. So like, okay, that makes a whole lot more sense. Not that it makes it any easier, easier, but but but it's like God, okay, if, if it's, if it's time to move to the next assignment, then it's just time to move to the next assignment. And okay, okay, I'll give you another. Yes, y'all pray for me. Pray for me, because I just gave God a yes to his. I've always said, god, whatever you want to do, I will do it. God.
Speaker 2Yes to your will, lord, yes to your will.
Speaker 1I didn't always want to do it his way, though I'm just being honest. I'm just being honest. Listen, I just gave him a fresh yes to his way. Come on A few months ago, like the beginning of November, like in real life Praise.
Speaker 2God.
Speaker 1But I tell you he had to get me together because what, what he was? Look this podcast today. The reason why I'm doing this podcast today is because I finally said yes to his way, because I didn't want to do it. I don't want to do it. I was like God, it's a million people out here doing podcasts. What do you need me to do a podcast for? So I just sat on it and I was like, and there were so many reasons I gave him, you know, like Moses, so many reasons I gave him, you know why I shouldn't be the person to do this. But and that was 2020 when he gave me the idea I was working on everything else that he had given me to do, but I wasn't working on the podcast. And in November I said I finally said, ok, god, I'll do it your way.
Speaker 1And when I tell you that, things just begin to fall right in line it does so I have a more, even more respect for you all now, because I see that the quick obedience obedience in general, but that quick obedience garners fruit. It does Not just in your life, but in the life of others it does. So I know we got to wrap up because we could talk all day and I will because I'm loving this.
Speaker 2This has been a blessing. I'm encouraged this has been good. You're amazing. This has been great, thank you sir. You're doing good work.
Speaker 1You are. What is it that? If you had to tell somebody about walking in their purpose, mm-hmm what would you say to them? How would you encourage them to walk it out or even discover their purpose?
Trust the Process of Your Purpose
Speaker 2Three words trust the process. Now, that's easier said than done. What they're going to find out is that life is going to throw a lot of curveballs and monkey wrenches and, in that process, a lot of storms and a lot of calamity and a lot of cloudy days and rainy nights sleepless nights, rainy days, right, and in that process it's not going to look clear to them. It's not going to be clear, but they have to trust that. It's a journey that they must go through and a lot of times the journey is the hardest part because each part links you to your next elevation, your next piece of growth, that next piece of wisdom.
Speaker 2Yes, if you don't have the link through the journey, you don't get that next access. And it's so powerful to be able to say Lord, I'm grateful that you humbled me enough to trust you, because in trusting you, I didn't know the end. I was curious, I was curious, I was skeptical, I was all of this confusion, but I trusted you and you provided me with the clarity. Yeah, and that's what gets you out of the storm. Trust in the process gets you through it. Yeah, and when you get through it, you get the clarity of what you've been made to do how he built you, how he designed you. And many don't make it through that. Many don't make it through those storms. Many throw in the towel, many give up, many lose hope.
Speaker 1Many don't even start.
Speaker 2Don't even start. And you know why they don't start Because they see the storm brewing. And oftentimes, when we see it brewing, we'll say no, no, no, no, no, no, no, I don't want to go through that. And that is the crux to the faith. The faith is not saying no, I don't want to go through it. It's like, lord, if you say that I have to trust that, if you send me, I'll go. That's Bible, and I think that that's the critical piece. Lord, if you send me, I'll go, that's the yes again.
Speaker 2But that is the process and the breadth of getting you to purpose. You've got to trust that process. You've got to trust that he's there. It's not a what I talked about a couple weeks ago, dealing with trust, but also dealing with protection. People want to control environments. That's not trust. You're controlling, you're manipulating, you're managing it. But when you say I am not going to touch this, please, lord, put your hand on it, move it. However you will, and I trust that your hand is better in that you learn you, you learn your purpose and you learn that this life that we live is not our own. We've been bought with a price. It's not for you, it's for what's to come.
Speaker 1Listen you talking to me.
Speaker 2Listen, I'm talking to myself. Y'all this minister to me, listen, I'm talking to myself. Y'all this minister to me first listen, I'm sitting over here, like Jesus, we helping each other, babe as my mom would say.
Speaker 1I'm about to bust over here like I should tap my eye a little bit, cause listen we helping each other I mean, my goodness, like for real trusting the process, trusting the process, like nobody really wants to do that because we, like you said, we want to, we want to control the outcome and when we trust god and his process, we do not control the outcome. We don't control any of it. We so I've been. I was talking to somebody, uh, uh, last week or the week before, and they were like yeah, you know that, that's saying, we were talking about that, saying you know, jesus my co-pilot. I'm like, hold on, wait a minute, he ain't. He ain't your co-pilot, he's a pilot. What you're talking about, he ain't your co-pilot, he the pilot. What you talking about.
Speaker 1I've heard people say jesus is my co-pilot. No, you in the wrong seat. First of all because if you, if, if he your co-pilot, that mean that you, you leading the ship, oh, y'all going down, okay, the plane is going down, okay. But if Jesus is in his proper seat and we are, and we're behind him and following what he tells us to do, like listen, listen, the pilot is the one that's in control. We are not in control.
Speaker 1The sooner we realize that, the better our life will be, and I think that's a continual learning, because we'll get it in one area, like, okay, I'm God, I see and I think that's a continual learning because we'll get it in one area, like, okay, god, I see, I'm not in control, I'm not in control. But then we'll go right on to the next thing and be like, well, I need to control this. I need to because, god, I know you say it, but I need to do this my way. And then we go and we stumble and we fumble like the children of Israel, we go around in circles, come on, and then finally, all right, god, fine, I'm tired of fighting, I'm tired of losing, I'm tired of all of this. I do it your way. And he's like that's what I've been waiting on the whole time.
Speaker 2Trust me, trust the process and in that right, you learn that that's what you need to do. It's not really. It's not. People may. Don't beat yourself up because many have to go through that way. We have to journey that way. Yeah, and that's all a part about the discipling right. You learn how to.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2Right, we don't just read our Bible, and some do just read it in its face value, and that's it. And some do just read in his face value, and that's it. But in discipleship program and processing with him and with teams and communities, you learn what that looks like and you begin to embody what it looks like to trust him. Yeah, right, and that's different than just reading about the trust. Right, right, right. You, I want to. I want to experience that, I want to share in the suffering.
Speaker 2Is what the scripture says I want to share in that suffering just a little bit. That's bold, right. That's declarative bold, yeah, but at the same rate, what it does is it teaches us what discipleship. But look, it's sharing that with Christ. Man, I can't go to the cross, I probably wouldn't even be bold enough.
Speaker 1I'd be scared and denying. I'd be like Peter Listen, once they whip me the first time. Listen, I'm done with this. Pack it up, listen, y'all ain't going to be saved today.
Speaker 2I'm not your savior. Listen, get the crown of thorns or something.
Speaker 1Listen, that cat of nine tails hit me one time. Listen, hit me not one time.
Speaker 2I'm done, I'm out Not doing it. I ain't making it to the cross.
Speaker 1Listen man, Listen man, pick somebody else.
Speaker 2And he had enough endurance to say Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And then also today, you'll be with me in paradise. How do you go through all that and still have grace and love and patience? That's a discipled heart. Yeah, that's a disciple heart. Man, it ain't just a church goer, that's a discipler. I was reading, watching a podcast from Philip Mitchell and he talked about the difference between a Christian and a disciple.
Speaker 2Come on because there's a difference. It's a whole difference, ain't it? I'm going to leave it right there. I'm not going to get into it, but if people have heard enough of this podcast, they'll know there is a distinction between a disciple and just a Christian.
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah, listen, I have we just going to stop right here, because if we don't, we don't keep talking for about another hour and I will.
Speaker 1I just will. I have, I appreciate this conversation. It has blessed me. It has even pushed me and encouraged me in ways that I didn't even know that it would so. So I appreciate you as a friend, I appreciate you as a man of God. As a friend, I appreciate you as a man of God, I just I appreciate you for and I thank you for your yes, because you didn't have to say yes to come on the Preston's Purpose podcast, but the people needed to hear the conversation from today. Listen, you needed to hear today's conversation. You might want to replay it a couple of times to get all of the nuggets, because it was it was some good nuggets that was dropped on today. It's a good gems and I I appreciate that. I appreciate you and I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart, not only for saying yes to being on the podcast, but for opening up your home for us to be on location in the great Birmingham Alabama.
Speaker 2You see what I'm saying. I'm telling you I'm humble. The pleasure was all mine, the honor is all mine. I give him the glory. I'm thankful for you offering the opportunity. Our home, mi Casa is Su Casa, it's yours and I'm thankful. This, right here, is nothing. I'm grateful that you just offered it to me and I'm grateful to share with your audience too.
Speaker 1Thank you. Well, is there anything that we should be looking forward to that you have coming up? Coming out, yeah, okay, look in the camera. I'm working on a book.
Speaker 2So for men, okay and I'm not going to share the title with you just yet but I'm working on a book for men and men's development and a lot of what I talked about today and what I'll share in the book. So be on the lookout for that. Be on the lookout on many other things my Mad Men podcast and some things we're going to be teaching and walking through. I'm just excited to do what God called me to do.
Speaker 1Amen.
Speaker 2Walking in my purpose.
Speaker 1Come on. Come on, because we've been pressed. Come on Into purpose.
Speaker 3Into purpose. Hallelujah.
Speaker 1And on that note I say thank you. Thank you, gino, thank you God. Thank you, gino, Thank you God. Thank you those that are listening, that have tuned in. I appreciate you and we will see you next time on Pressed Into Purpose.
Speaker 3A lot of women look at me and they're like you're so confident. How are you so confident? How are you the way that you are, and I'm like it has been a journey.
Speaker 2Yes.
Speaker 3I didn't just wake up and become Kareem Gardner. Yeah, it was a journey of self-love, uh, discipline, uh, learning myself, healing from the things that tried to to break me and being okay with facing the dragon, being okay with admitting that I'm wounded, being okay with admitting that that hurt me and that affected me. Yes, and not trying to sweep that under the rug. No, I'm okay. No, I was not okay, was it? I'm still living.
Speaker 3I still got scratches and bruises from some of that stuff Just because I'm moving on and I'm okay doesn't mean it did not affect me. It doesn't mean I don't have residue and sometimes we just learn how to keep going with trauma. But I was determined to face trauma head on, okay, okay.
Speaker 1Today's episode is brought to you by Destiny Film Media. Go to destinyfam1.com for all your media needs. Destiny, film and media. Your destiny through film and media.