The Well | Christian ministry life - pastor Archives

Mez (Ireland)

February 26, 2020
Childhood Childhood, abandoned Childhood, from an alcoholic home Childhood, moved around a lot Childhood, neglected Childhood, traumatic Childhood, unloved Childhood, wealthy Drug abuse Drug abuse Drug abuse, addiction Drug abuse, addiction Family Family, unloving Imprisonment Parents Parents, neglected Uncategorized
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Meet Mez

Mez’ had an extremely traumatic childhood and he spent his early adult life behind bars. God sent a faithful Christian into Mez’s life to love him and share the gospel with him. Mez turned to Christ and now he’s passionate about pursuing marginalized people in society with the love of Jesus.

Mez describes the extremely dysfunctional family from which he came and how he was abandoned in a box as a two-year-old. He lived in over 30 homes and shelters until ending up on the streets as a teenager. Mez became a drug user aged 12, then becoming a drug dealer by his later teenage years. Mez’ choices resulted in his imprisonment in a maximum-security prison.

While living on the streets, Mez was approached by Christians who shared the gospel with him. At the time Mez responded with hostility. However, while in prison one of the same Christians offered Mez a home to go to for his parole. It was in this Christian home, reading the Bible and Bible commentaries, where Mez accepted he was a sinner and turned to Christ.

God has radically changed Mez’ life. He went to Bible college and got married. God has also given him a heart to reach the most socially excluded groups in society with the Gospel. Mez has set up a church in Northern Brazil among prostitutes and street children. He has also started a church in one of the most economically deprived areas of Scotland. His desire is to train up others to take the Gospel to people living in extreme poverty.

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Mez’ story was produced by Together for the Gospel (T4G).

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Tags: Childhood - abandoned, Childhood - fostered, Childhood - from an alcoholic home, Childhood - unstable, Christian ministry life - evangelist, Christian ministry life - missionary, Christian ministry life - pastor, Christians - dislike or hostility, Drug abuse, Drug addiction, Drug dealing, Father - rejection, Homelessness, Imprisonment, Mother - rejection, Sex industry, Sheltered accommodation, Sin - accepting I'm a sinner, The Bible, The gospel (God's message to the world), The gospel - don't know it

February 26, 2020 0

Paul (Scotland)

Meet Paul

Paul, from an economically deprived area of Scotland, shares how he went from being a “hopeless” drug and alcohol addict to a lover of Jesus and trainee church planter.

Paul grew up in a housing scheme with many social problems. At the time of high-school he started dabbling in alcohol and drugs. This spiraled out of control in Paul’s adult years as he became a cocaine user and an addict to alcohol and drugs.

Paul describes how he hit rock bottom, becoming nothing more than a “shell of a man”. It was then he became a resident of a recovery center and heard the gospel that Jesus died for his sins. Paul was also very struck by the love of the staff for him.

Paul wanted forgiveness for his sins and the chance to start over. He repented of his sins and trusted in Jesus as his Lord and Savior. God radically changed Paul and the direction of his life. He is no longer an addict and instead is training to be a church planter so he can bring the good news of Jesus Christ to other people living in tough housing schemes in Edinburgh.

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Paul’s story was produced by 20Schemes, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.

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Tags: Alcohol addiction, Childhood - from a crime neighborhood, Christian ministry life - evangelist, Christian ministry life - pastor, Drug abuse - cocaine, Drug addiction, God - forgiven by God, Hopelessness, Purpose of life, Scotland, Sin - forgiveness, UK, Unstable life

February 26, 2020 0

Deb and Dave (USA)

Meet Deb and Dave

Deb placed her faith in Jesus Christ as a child. When she met Dave as a young adult, Dave did not know God personally. Dave asked Deb if she would date him. She said no but redirected Dave to undertake a Bible study. Following the Bible study, Dave received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Dave and Deb got married and had children. They talk about how God helped them through a very difficult time when their son was seriously ill. Dave changed his job to become a pastor. He shares how grateful he is to God for all God has done in his life.

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This story was produced by Lakeside Fellowship, Polk City, Iowa, USA.

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Tags: Alcohol abuse, Cancer, Child - illness, Christian ministry life - pastor, Control of life, Coping in a crisis, God - personal relationship with God, God - relying on God, Gratitude, Party lifestyle, The Bible - lack of knowledge, The gospel - applying it to me

May 14, 2019 0

Adam (USA)

Meet Adam

Adam says he has always wanted to be successful and a high achiever. As a teen, he discovered that God wanted a relationship with him, so he trusted in the work of Jesus Christ to make him right with God. Adam talks about how he became proudful about his relationship with God. Adam also had dreams about making it big in the film industry. He shares how God changed his heart and started working out His plan for Adam to become a pastor.

Gospel

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This story was produced by Lakeside Fellowship, Polk City, Iowa, USA.

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Tags: Christian ministry life - pastor, Contentment, God - lack of knowledge about God, God - personal relationship with God, God's plan for me, Identity based on performance, Pride, Purpose of life, Striving for success

May 14, 2019 0

Yuji (Japan)

Meet Yuji

Yuji believed in the truth that Jesus died for his sins the first time he visited a church and heard the gospel. He talks about experiencing a peace, not of this world, when he trusted in Christ. Yuji describes the remarkable way that God used Yuji’s experience of the Tohoku earthquake that hit Japan in 2011 to change Yuji’s purpose in life. Sitting in the warmth and shelter of his church in the initial aftermath of the earthquake, God showed Yuji how left out the Japanese people are from God’s love and protection, and how they don’t know that the key to heaven is Jesus. Yuji subsequently gave up his job and became a pastor to reach other people with the gospel for God.

Gospel

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This story was produced by MovingWorks, Austin, Texas, USA.

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Tags: Christian ministry life - pastor, Earthquake, God - personal relationship with God, God's peace, Jesus – a relationship with Him, Joy, Peace, Purpose of life, Traumatic event

March 12, 2019 0

Paul (UK)

Meet Paul

Paul explains how he did not grow up in a Christian home in the UK, and had no spiritual interests. He experienced a lot of emotional pain as a teenager because his brother got very sick and his father suffered from a terminal illness during Paul’s teenage years. Paul began a two-year hunt for God following a conversation with a Buddhist. He spent time comparing the different world religions, but in the end, concluded that Jesus was really God. In time, Paul understood he needed to receive Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Paul is now a pastor in Sydney, Australia. In this interview, he also shares some thoughts from pastoral life.

Gospel

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This story was produced by MBM Rooty Hill , Sydney, Australia.

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Tags: Answers to life, Christian ministry life - pastor, Christianity - lack of knowledge, Family member - illness, Father - death, Father - illness, Jesus - is He God?, My Christian life - obedience, Spiritual curiosity, Spirituality - don't care, The Bible - lack of knowledge, The gospel - applying it to me

March 5, 2019 0

Mal (New Zealand)

Meet Mal

This video is an interview with Mal Gill about his salvation story. The video ends with prayers. Mal shares how he grew up in a model Christian home where he seen the gospel lived out in the lives of his parents. His father had been shot multiple times and survived. He took Mal along to prison visits to do Bible studies with the young guys who had shot him. Despite this, Mal did not personalize the gospel. As a teenager, he attended a Bible camp so he could spend time with a girl. But it was there that God convicted Mal of his need of forgiveness, and Mal trusted in Christ’s work on the cross. Mal went on to become a pastor. He shares how he got through cancer treatment leaning on God.

Gospel

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This story was produced by MBM Rooty Hill, Sydney, Australia.

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Tags: Childhood - traumatic event, Christian ministry life - pastor, Christian upbringing - not owning faith, Christians - good examples, Coping with physical suffering, Doing good deeds, God - relying on God, Lymphoma

March 4, 2019 0

Pat (USA)

Meet Pat

Pat shares he wasn’t very interested in spiritual things as a young person. He relied on drugs and experienced difficulties early in his married life. Pat describes how he started to become interested in spiritual things through a brother and co-worker. He trusted in Christ, and his interest in spiritual things continued to grow. He went to Bible college and became a pastor. Pat shares about the sudden death of his young first wife, and how God gave him hope and strength. God blessed Pat with his second wife and their large blended family. Pat shares some anguishes as a father, but rests in God’s plan and God’s control.

Gospel

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This story was produced by Saylorville Church , Des Moines, Iowa, USA.

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Tags: Broken-hearted, Christian ministry life - pastor, Coping with tragedy, Drug abuse, Drug abuse - marijuana, God - relying on God, God's plan for me, Marriage – problems, Spiritual curiosity, Spirituality - don't care, The Bible – curiosity, Wife - death

February 21, 2019 0

Emeal (Iraq)

Meet Emeal

Emeal reflects on his dark and lost gangster days in his youth. He was also a budding young rapper. He thought it was ‘good’ people who went to heaven. Emeal heard the gospel at a Christian event and came to understand God and became a follower of Jesus Christ. Today he is a pastor.

Gospel

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Emeal’s story was produced by Anchored North, Anaheim Hills, California, USA.

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Tags: Approval from others, Christian ministry life - pastor, Doing good deeds, Feeling lost, Gang membership, Heaven - being a good person, Religious life - going through the motions, Success - music, The gospel - don't know it, Violence

December 17, 2018 0

Ken (USA)

Meet Ken

Ken grew up in Alabama and was made aware by a relative of the racism towards black people. He shares how his heart grew extremely hateful and prejudiced toward white people. Ken describes how accepting Christ as his Savior radically changed his outlook on white people. He understood Christ died for every person of every color. Ken became the pastor of a church with a predominantly white membership, and he also married a white woman of German descent.