April 24, 2026 • 27 mins
A suspended license, a traffic stop in Louisiana, and a truck loaded with cocaine somehow drives away. That’s the kind of “near miss” that should wake you up, but for Pastor Mike McLeod, it wasn’t enough. His story keeps going until the moment many people recognize but few admit out loud: waking up alone, sick, ashamed, and realizing the life you built is not the life you want.
We talk with Mike about how addiction actually grows, from early experimentation to heavy drinking, cocaine use, and drug runs across state lines. He shares the damage it did to his marriage and his relationship with his daughter, and the heartbreak of realizing he “loved the high better” than the people he was meant to protect. Then the conversation turns to the most unexpected turning point: cleaning his house, finding a mysterious picture of Jesus, and whispering a simple, desperate prayer, “God, I need help.”
From salvation to sobriety to marriage restoration, Mike explains what changed and what it took to rebuild trust. We dig into why restoration is not built on feelings, but on friendship, forgiveness, and agape love, and how a “shady past” can become a lifeline for others who are still stuck. You’ll also hear how recovery support and community matter, including Mike’s work with men in rehab, and Ron’s practical action steps for resisting temptation, naming triggers, and getting back up after failure.
If you or someone you love is battling addiction, relapse, or crushing shame, listen closely, share this with a friend, and then subscribe, leave a review, and send this episode to one person who needs hope today.
Thank you for listening! Please help us by sharing this podcast with your friends and telling someone about what Jesus has done for you. If you would like to share your story, visit our website https://thepromoter.org/
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Ron Meyers (00:31):
Real stories, real struggles, and real hope.
My guess today is Pastor MikeMcClough.
Before he became a pastor,before ministry, before
restoration, in his newidentity, there was addiction.
There were drug runs acrossstate lines.
There were brokenrelationships.
There was loneliness so deepthat even the high couldn't
(00:54):
cover it anymore.
And here's what I love mostabout Mike story.
It reminds us that sometimesGod meets us at the end of
ourselves, not always in achurch service, but sometimes
while cleaning your house,sometimes staring at a picture
of Jesus, sometimes in thesimple, desperate prayer.
(01:17):
God, I need help.
Friend, maybe that's where youare today.
Well, that's good becausehonest prayers change
everything.
Let's jump into this powerfulconversation with Pastor Mike
McLeod.
Mike McLeod (01:33):
I am Mike McLeod, and I do pastor in Hurley,
Mississippi, Magnolia SpringsAssembly of God.
But my story began at an earlyage of trying different things,
following the wrong crowds ataround 13, 14 years old, my
first try of marijuana.
And, you know, that's thegateway drug they call to other
(01:56):
things.
And of course, it it led medown a pretty dark path, um be
knowing that that it was dark.
You know, the Bible teachesthere's pleasure in sin for a
season, and I would lie to youand to all the listeners if I
didn't say that there was joy insome of that lifestyle that I
lived.
And throughout the years of ofgrowing up in high school,
(02:19):
started trying other types ofdrugs, started drinking real,
real heavily in my high schoolyears.
About the eleventh grade, Itried uh cocaine and um enjoyed
it and liked the feeling.
Of course, you know, y you haveto to keep doing it.
And so I became an addict.
I would snort it, shoot it,smoke it, however, to get high.
(02:43):
And in my guess around 20, Istarted uh running drugs out of
another state through uh fatherand son that that hid behind a
construction business and uhliterally would take flatbed
trucks that looked like wouldhaul welding machines on it,
would have a false bottom in it,and I would I would run a
(03:05):
hundred, two hundred pounds ofcocaine across state lines,
delivering it.
Got married, got married to tomy wife, and and we had a
daughter and did she know youwere doing this?
Oh, absolutely not.
You know, I I worked a job at afull-time job at Chevron, oil
refinery in Pashcagoula, andworked every day with the help
(03:25):
of of drugs kept me going.
And she would find thingsaround the house that would
cause her to question, and ofcourse I would lie and uh
convince her.
I guess I would convince hersomewhat that I wasn't doing
anything.
Like I said, I lived I livedpractically a normal life, and I
started really making lots ofmoney, running the drugs, the
(03:49):
coke, some marijuana, and ourlife spiraled out of control.
My marriage, I was more focusedon my pleasures, my desire than
my wife and daughter.
I started a book sometime back,and the title of it was I love
the high better.
And it it it's sad, it's sadnow looking back, but the
(04:12):
reality of it is that I love thehigh better than I love my
wife.
I love the high better than Ilove my daughter because I put
it before them.
It causes me to choke up now tothink that I was so selfish.
It was all about me and neverabout them.
And so we divorced.
She left me and uh she divorcedme and and I ended up in some
(04:33):
pretty bad, dark situations.
Neither was criminals, youknow, and I was a criminal.
And I was hauling quite a bitof drugs across state line, and
I was in Louisiana and uh gotpulled over.
The cops run my license, and mylicense was suspended.
A few other charges, so theytook me to jail in Louisiana,
(04:54):
and I had a I had a a hundredplus pounds of cocaine in this
vehicle.
I called the guys theyconnected with, and in my mind
the the phones would werebugged, I would think, in a
jail, and I wouldn't let themsay nothing.
I just told them that I'd gotpulled over.
I'm in jail.
This is address.
I need somebody to bring finemoney, bond money, and get the
(05:16):
truck and get me out of jail soI can, you know, my thing was
because it looked like a weldedtruck, because I know we need
this welding truck on the job tohaul some welding machines.
And they came, two guys came,paid in the in the compound that
held the truck was right nextdoor to the jailhouse, and they
drove the cops, drove the truckout, and and uh we were walking
(05:37):
out, and two cops come outbehind us and hollered, hold up.
And uh we spun around my heart.
Oh wow completely stopped, spunaround, and they said, Make
sure he don't drive because hislicense is still suspended.
And we drove away with over ahundred something pounds of coke
in a truck.
Wow.
Three or four weeks later, ofcourse I'm divorced now, and I
(06:00):
done a lot of coke one night,drank a lot of alcohol right by
myself, and uh woke up the nextmorning stuck to the carpet
where I'd vomit.
I hate to sound sound likethat, but uh where I I throw it
up and and threw up and and laidin it and all night long.
My fists were all swollen,busted blood on my hands.
(06:21):
I looked and blood was on thedoor facing between the living
room and kitchen area where I Iundoubtedly stood and punched
the wall.
There was a shotgun loaded withbuckshot laying on the floor
where I contemplated committingsuicide.
And uh I got up and went to thebathroom, got sick again.
Got a towel, wet it, went intothe living room, went to
(06:42):
cleaning the floor up, and umI'm sitting here, Ron, and I
this is the thought I had in mymind.
Not quit drugs, not quitalcohol, but quit drinking so
much and quit doing drugs somuch.
You know, that was the thoughtin my mind, you know, kind of
back off.
And my little girl, I neverwhen my wife left, I locked my
(07:02):
daughter's door in her bedroombecause it was just too hard for
me to go in there and see, youknow, her room, her toys.
Some of her toys were left.
And I went in our bedroom and Isaid, I'm gonna clean the house
up, you know, I'm gonna startdoing better.
And I had shoeboxes in thefloor of the bedroom, and I
stacked them up by the closetdoor.
We had a big closet.
And I sat down in the doorfacing of the closet went to
(07:25):
stacking shoe boxes in thecloset.
And at the end of the closetwas a picture about, I don't
know, two foot by two foot uhframed facing the wall.
And I didn't uh I didn'trecognize the frame, and I
crawled down and grabbed it,crawled back out, sputtered
around.
It was a picture of Jesusholding a sheep and a flock of
sheep following him by theriver.
(07:45):
To this day, my wife or I,either one, know where that
picture came from.
And I broke down right thereand said, God, I need help.
Wow.
And uh that's where I prayedthrough to salvation.
Started going to church, andabout three months later, my
wife got saved and God restoredour marriage.
We got remarried and we startedthat journey.
(08:09):
I will say this, you know, tome I don't have a testimony.
I know people may think that Ido, and but to me, you know what
a great testimony is, Ron?
It's someone that can say, Igot saved when I was 10, 11, 12,
13 years old and hung on allthose years and faithfully lived
for God because they wasn'tweak.
They didn't give in like I did.
(08:30):
They they stood the test oftime and and they lived for the
Lord.
But when me and my wife wasdivorced, and this is what I'd
like for people to hear becauseit's important, she got saved
and we just started talkingcasually talking.
And because I put Christ firstin my life.
I didn't put her or my child, Iput him first.
She asked me one day, she said,Do you think we'll ever get
(08:52):
remarried?
And I said, Carrie, not until Iknow Jesus Christ is your best
friend.
He's my best friend, and secondto that, I'm your best friend,
and you're my best friend.
You know, we talk about love,and love, the agape love is the
greatest love of all.
That's the Jesus love.
But then we talk about love,but true love is never really
(09:15):
created unless there's a truefriendship first.
And we began to work on that.
And 33 years later, I canhonestly tell you, besides Jesus
Christ, she's my best friendand I'm hers.
And God just radically turnedour lives around.
A year later, after beingsaved, the Lord called me to
evangelize.
One of the scaredest moments inmy life, I started to
(09:38):
evangelize and then pastoringalong the way.
I pastored some churches alongthe way, and of course, the one
that you spoke at up in Lisdaleyears ago.
But now I'm in Hurley, PastorMagnus Springs, and it to me is
the greatest church in theworld.
And uh we own a restaurant inTanner Williams, and God is it's
(09:59):
out in the country, and God hasjust amazingly blessed our
business, and uh we pastor agreat church, and every day I
wake up I I realize that if ithad not been for the Lord who
was on my side, where would Ihave been?
Ron Meyers (10:13):
So, Mike, do you regret the past?
Mike McLeod (10:18):
There's there's certain things, Ron, that you
look back that you regret.
I mean, everybody has things intheir past that they regret
that they've done.
I regret hurting my family,putting them through of the
things that I did in my earlychildhood, my mom, then of
course my wife and my child.
But I I'll say this out of thatpast that I lived, I I did make
(10:42):
connections with people that Iwouldn't have if I hadn't to
live that lifestyle.
And one particular story is uhis a guy that I had met growing
up that we indulged in a lot ofwrong, a lot of sin.
That after I got saved and wasministering, pastoring, I got a
phone call from him one day andhe was crying.
(11:03):
He owned a he owned a companyand he was crying on the phone.
He was crying so hard that Icouldn't hardly understand what
he was saying.
And he asked me what I wasdoing, and I I told him what I
was doing.
I was at home, and he said, Iwant to come see you.
So I invited him, and a fewhours later he showed up at my
house and walked in, tearsrunning down his face, and I
(11:24):
said, You know, what's going on?
What's what's wrong?
And he looked at me and hesaid, with tears in his eyes, he
said, I want what you've got.
He said, I've been watchingI've seen how the Lord's
radically changed you, and hesaid, I I want what you got.
So we made the coffee table outof an altar and knelt down and
(11:45):
said the sinner's prayer withthis guy.
So to say I regret everything,I can't say that because there's
a lot of things that I livedthrough that when God changed my
life and I began to be a Jesusfollower, and people seen the
change that the Lord becausewhen I lived in sin, I was one
of the best.
And um so yeah, there's thingsthat I regret, but there's
(12:09):
there's things that I don'tregret because I see how God
used it for his glory.
God does not, does not have aplan.
God has a perfect plan.
Announcer (12:19):
Amen.
Mike McLeod (12:19):
We make plans.
We make plans, our planssucceed and our plans fail.
God's perfect plan does not.
Get in the will of his perfectplan and life will be great.
Ron Meyers (12:29):
You know what?
And and that's why I wanted toask you that.
I had a feeling that would beyour answer because I tell
people that a lot of people thathave this walk and they're
going through things, they thinkbecause of their past that God
could never use them.
They're just terrible.
And I try to tell them that,hey, I have a shady past too.
But God takes that old.
(12:50):
And when we come to him, wehave a relatable story now to
other people that are goingthrough the same thing and we
can say he did it for me, he'lldo it for you.
And it's it's, you know, ifthere's somebody that walked
into your church on Sundaymorning and said, Hey, I'm an
addict, I uh I'm doing drugs andI need help, man, you're the
(13:12):
one that could help him and talkto him because you're going to
talk his language.
Mike McLeod (13:15):
Right.
We have a uh a rehab, it'scalled the Mercy House here, the
community that's that's housesmen that are going through bad
past drugs, alcohol abuse,whatever criminal charges.
If they come every Wednesdaynight to our services, and
there's 20, 35 men ever everyWednesday night that show up
here, and you know, every nowand then I'll interject a little
(13:38):
bit of my past in thoseservices to let them know that
they're not looking at an angel.
Ron Meyers (13:44):
Amen.
Mike McLeod (13:44):
He's got his wings while he's preaching and
something.
They open up.
There's these guys, you know,they'll come and after service
and just thank me for being realwith them, transparent.
Our past, our past can be usedfor the glory of God, I agree.
Ron Meyers (14:00):
Absolutely.
And you know, you saidsomething a minute ago, and I'm
finding this because I talk toeverybody when I'm out and
about.
People that don't go to achurch or they are turned off by
a church.
They said, Well, we just wewant some authentic Jesus.
We want some real Jesus.
It's it's like we go to churchand we're signing up for
committees and we're doing allthis kind of stuff.
(14:20):
But you know, I I I need toknow more about Jesus.
They want that real, you know,because they've already started
going to church to think ofwho's gonna fall in on them.
And and when we can be justauthentic and real and
transparent.
That's the whole point of thisshow.
Is to kill people, that's allpeople, we all have issues, all
(14:43):
of us have problems that findsthis world and we can come to
him and have a new heart, a newlife, and now look at this.
I had I remember the MercyHouse now.
I'm so glad you brought thatup.
Yeah, the Mercy House, that'san incredible program over in
Jackson County.
Mike McLeod (14:59):
Jackson County or George County Jackson County,
yeah, right here early.
Ron Meyers (15:03):
Yeah, I remember that's where I think I came and
spoke at the Mercy House.
There are a lot of peoplelistening right now on, and I
buy time on non-Christian radio,and they're saying, Man, that
man sounds like me.
But you know, yeah, God justloved him more.
What would you tell that personthat thinks that?
Mike McLeod (15:22):
Well, you know, first of all, God's no respected
person.
When he looks at us, he seessomething that he created, not
man.
Man didn't create no one, Godcreated.
Just Easter Sunday, stood inthe pulpit by the worship team.
I stopped the worship team fromsinging, and I stood in the
pulpit, and I I said, somebodyneeds to hear this.
(15:44):
That God is not against you,God is for you.
No matter where you're at inlife's walk, God's for you.
And God's not throwing youaway.
You may be throwing yourselfaway, but God stands with open
arms, with love, compassion, andmercy and grace, ready to help
you, ready to turn your lifearound, ready to show you that
(16:05):
agape love, that God love.
The same love that he showedme.
I'm counseling a 20-year-oldyoung guy right now that is
really growing in the Lord, butbut you know, a 20-year-old
young man he struggles.
And and just met with himyesterday and carried him out to
eat at Bozos.
I gave them a plug.
And um, we we set out and Ijust I told him the same thing.
(16:28):
I said, you know, the Biblesays the righteous man falls
seven times, but he keepsgetting back up.
The key to him not beingdeclared a cripple is he keeps
getting back up.
And that's the key to successin our walk with Christ is when
we do fail, because we willfail, all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God.
Just get back up, dust yourselfoff, forgive yourself.
(16:50):
Forgive yourself.
Ron Meyers (16:52):
I'm gonna ask you one other thing.
I always like to ask my gueststhis.
The title of this show iscalled Get the Hell Out of Your
Life.
So, Pastor, how do you get thehell out of your life?
Mike McLeod (17:03):
Number one, by submitting.
The Bible says in James 4 and7, it says, Submit yourself,
therefore, unto God, resist thedevil, and he will flee from
you.
Submit.
Submit to the Lord, surrender.
That's one of the hardestthings for people to do because
we're so self-sufficient.
We think we know it all, we cando it all, but at the end,
(17:26):
everyone was created to rely onGod.
Amen.
Trust God.
And so submitting to the Lordand put up a resistance that I'm
not gonna live like this nomore, I'm not gonna walk this
path no more.
I'm gonna find that path inChrist, and I'm gonna walk that
path.
Ron Meyers (17:43):
Amen.
Amen.
Your congregation is a veryblessed congregation to have a
leader like you, your past, yourauthenticity, and your just
love for the fellow human outthere, and and and God bless
you.
And before we go, will you prayfor our listeners?
Mike McLeod (18:02):
Amen.
Father, in the name of Jesus, Icome to you as humbly as I know
how.
As Paul made the statement thatI feel that I'm the least among
the least, but I am so blessedand so thankful to be able to
worship you, to have arelationship with you.
And I send up the highestpraise that's ever been given to
(18:25):
you.
Hallelujah.
Lord, I just pray for all thosethat are listening right now by
radio, by whatever means thatthey have.
And one day, Lord, at the endof this life, they'll hear you
(19:05):
say, Well done, thou good andfaithful servant.
Enter into the joys of theLord.
Lord, for that individualthat's struggled with drugs and
alcohol and addictions.
Lord, I pray that you breakthose addictions from their
life.
God, that you transform theirmind, their spirit, God, into
the newness of life.
Lord, I pray, God, that youhelp them.
(19:26):
Lord, that family that'sdealing with marital problems,
children's problems.
God, I pray that the love andthe grace and the mercy of God
come down and intervene in theirlives.
Lord, we give you praise andglory and thanks for what you're
going to do.
In Jesus' mighty name we pray.
Amen.
Ron Meyers (19:46):
Wow.
That was a rescue story.
What hit me the most in this isthat sin will always advertise
pleasure, but it never kills youthe invoice.
It promises escape, butdelivers pain.
It promises confidence butleaves pain.
(20:06):
It promises freedom, but buildsprisons.
And Mike said somethingpowerful.
Sometimes the near misses don'twake you up.
And sometimes surviving theoverdose or escaping the arrest
doesn't change you.
Sometimes it takes lookingaround at your own house and
(20:31):
realizing I have built a life Idon't even want.
And maybe that is where some ofyou are today.
You're functioning and you'resmiling, people think you're
okay, but inside you knowsomething's not right, you know
the addiction, you know thecompromise, you know the hidden
(20:52):
pain.
And maybe today, God is usingMike's story to tell you this.
It's never too late for a newbeginning.
Your past is not stronger thanGod's grace.
I loved also what Mike saidabout marriage.
Restoration is not built onfeelings.
(21:14):
It's built on friendship,forgiveness, and love.
Love that stays, love thatserves, and love that shows up.
Now, friend, that's realtransformation.
And that's where freedom lives.
When I returned, I have fiveaction steps to help you get and
(21:37):
get the hell out of your life.
Announcer (21:41):
You're listening to get the hell out of your life,
real host, reality, realstories, real struggles, and
real hope.
Your story validates God'slove, mercy, restoration, and
(22:04):
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We want to help you share yourstory with the world.
Visit our websitethepromoter.org and click on the
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Your testimony of God's amazinggrace will change a person's
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You've failed again.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
You promised yourself you'd do better, but here you
are, back in the same place.
The condemnation feelscrushing.
But grace is available throughthe sacrifice of Jesus.
Because his love never failsand his grace never runs out.
Second chances aren't justavailable, they're abundant.
Learn how to start fresh inGod's grace through trusting
(22:44):
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Call or text Need Him Global at888-633-3446.
Speaker 6 (23:12):
Get the hell out of your life.
Ron Meyers (23:19):
So how do you get and keep the hell out of your
life?
Well, Pastor Mike gave us theanswer straight from God's word.
Submit to God, resist thedevil, and he will flee from
you.
Now that's simple to read, buthard to live.
And when you resist temptation,it's freedom.
(23:40):
Now here are some action stepsfor this week.
Number one, to get brutallyhonest, stop managing
appearances.
Freedom starts where pretendingends.
After all, who cares whatpeople think?
Your life is about you andJesus.
And maybe your first prayer issimply, Jesus, I give my life to
(24:04):
you.
Let's do life together.
I want to discover my purpose.
Number two, identify what keepspulling you back.
Who?
What and where?
Sometimes deliverance startswith distance, long distance.
You can't keep visiting thesame darkness and expect
(24:25):
different results.
It's time to cut the cord.
Number three, find your people.
Healing happens in community.
Isolation is the playground ofaddiction.
The Bible says that idle handsare the devil's workshop.
So find a trusted friend,someone you can talk with, maybe
(24:47):
a pastor, maybe a recoverygroup, a mentor.
And every day I encourage youto have your conversations with
Jesus.
Number four, stop letting yourpast introduce you.
Yes, you did something wrong,and yes, it did happen.
You can't change it.
With Jesus, the old is gone,the new has arrived, and you
(25:12):
have a destiny that willabsolutely blow your mind.
God is for you and neveragainst you.
Yes, God still uses brokenpeople.
Actually, that's mostly who heuses.
Number five, keep getting backup.
Some people quit because theystumbled.
(25:34):
No, get back up again and againand again.
Progress is not perfection, andGod honors persistence.
Friend, don't live on theisland of regrets with villages
called should've, would have,and could have.
Let me ask you, why do youthink you're listening to this
(25:55):
today?
I think you're listening to itbecause God answered my prayers.
My prayers are Lord, let theperson you're trying to get a
message to hear today's show andto discover who Jesus is.
Because friends, if you don'tbecome you, who will?
Well, I want to thank you forspending some time with me
(26:18):
today.
And if this episode touchesyour heart, send it to someone
who's struggling, someonefighting addiction, someone
hanging on by a thread.
Because, friends, aren't we allin this together to encourage,
empower, and inspire people todiscover their plan that God has
for them?
I will be back next week withanother grace-filled episode of
(26:38):
Get the Hell Out of Your Lifeavailable wherever you listen to
podcasts.
Until next week, this is RonMyers reminding you that I love
you, Jesus loves you, and whenyou give your heart to Jesus,
not only do you get the hell outof your life, life begins to
(26:59):
start making sense.
Announcer (27:14):
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(27:35):
Hell Out of Your Life.
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Real stories, real struggles, and real hope.
My guess today is Pastor MikeMcClough.
Before he became a pastor,before ministry, before
restoration, in his newidentity, there was addiction.
There were drug runs acrossstate lines.
There were brokenrelationships.
There was loneliness so deepthat even the high couldn't
(00:54):
cover it anymore.
And here's what I love mostabout Mike story.
It reminds us that sometimesGod meets us at the end of
ourselves, not always in achurch service, but sometimes
while cleaning your house,sometimes staring at a picture
of Jesus, sometimes in thesimple, desperate prayer.
(01:17):
God, I need help.
Friend, maybe that's where youare today.
Well, that's good becausehonest prayers change
everything.
Let's jump into this powerfulconversation with Pastor Mike
McLeod.
Mike McLeod (01:33):
I am Mike McLeod, and I do pastor in Hurley,
Mississippi, Magnolia SpringsAssembly of God.
But my story began at an earlyage of trying different things,
following the wrong crowds ataround 13, 14 years old, my
first try of marijuana.
And, you know, that's thegateway drug they call to other
(01:56):
things.
And of course, it it led medown a pretty dark path, um be
knowing that that it was dark.
You know, the Bible teachesthere's pleasure in sin for a
season, and I would lie to youand to all the listeners if I
didn't say that there was joy insome of that lifestyle that I
lived.
And throughout the years of ofgrowing up in high school,
(02:19):
started trying other types ofdrugs, started drinking real,
real heavily in my high schoolyears.
About the eleventh grade, Itried uh cocaine and um enjoyed
it and liked the feeling.
Of course, you know, y you haveto to keep doing it.
And so I became an addict.
I would snort it, shoot it,smoke it, however, to get high.
(02:43):
And in my guess around 20, Istarted uh running drugs out of
another state through uh fatherand son that that hid behind a
construction business and uhliterally would take flatbed
trucks that looked like wouldhaul welding machines on it,
would have a false bottom in it,and I would I would run a
(03:05):
hundred, two hundred pounds ofcocaine across state lines,
delivering it.
Got married, got married to tomy wife, and and we had a
daughter and did she know youwere doing this?
Oh, absolutely not.
You know, I I worked a job at afull-time job at Chevron, oil
refinery in Pashcagoula, andworked every day with the help
(03:25):
of of drugs kept me going.
And she would find thingsaround the house that would
cause her to question, and ofcourse I would lie and uh
convince her.
I guess I would convince hersomewhat that I wasn't doing
anything.
Like I said, I lived I livedpractically a normal life, and I
started really making lots ofmoney, running the drugs, the
(03:49):
coke, some marijuana, and ourlife spiraled out of control.
My marriage, I was more focusedon my pleasures, my desire than
my wife and daughter.
I started a book sometime back,and the title of it was I love
the high better.
And it it it's sad, it's sadnow looking back, but the
(04:12):
reality of it is that I love thehigh better than I love my
wife.
I love the high better than Ilove my daughter because I put
it before them.
It causes me to choke up now tothink that I was so selfish.
It was all about me and neverabout them.
And so we divorced.
She left me and uh she divorcedme and and I ended up in some
(04:33):
pretty bad, dark situations.
Neither was criminals, youknow, and I was a criminal.
And I was hauling quite a bitof drugs across state line, and
I was in Louisiana and uh gotpulled over.
The cops run my license, and mylicense was suspended.
A few other charges, so theytook me to jail in Louisiana,
(04:54):
and I had a I had a a hundredplus pounds of cocaine in this
vehicle.
I called the guys theyconnected with, and in my mind
the the phones would werebugged, I would think, in a
jail, and I wouldn't let themsay nothing.
I just told them that I'd gotpulled over.
I'm in jail.
This is address.
I need somebody to bring finemoney, bond money, and get the
(05:16):
truck and get me out of jail soI can, you know, my thing was
because it looked like a weldedtruck, because I know we need
this welding truck on the job tohaul some welding machines.
And they came, two guys came,paid in the in the compound that
held the truck was right nextdoor to the jailhouse, and they
drove the cops, drove the truckout, and and uh we were walking
(05:37):
out, and two cops come outbehind us and hollered, hold up.
And uh we spun around my heart.
Oh wow completely stopped, spunaround, and they said, Make
sure he don't drive because hislicense is still suspended.
And we drove away with over ahundred something pounds of coke
in a truck.
Wow.
Three or four weeks later, ofcourse I'm divorced now, and I
(06:00):
done a lot of coke one night,drank a lot of alcohol right by
myself, and uh woke up the nextmorning stuck to the carpet
where I'd vomit.
I hate to sound sound likethat, but uh where I I throw it
up and and threw up and and laidin it and all night long.
My fists were all swollen,busted blood on my hands.
(06:21):
I looked and blood was on thedoor facing between the living
room and kitchen area where I Iundoubtedly stood and punched
the wall.
There was a shotgun loaded withbuckshot laying on the floor
where I contemplated committingsuicide.
And uh I got up and went to thebathroom, got sick again.
Got a towel, wet it, went intothe living room, went to
(06:42):
cleaning the floor up, and umI'm sitting here, Ron, and I
this is the thought I had in mymind.
Not quit drugs, not quitalcohol, but quit drinking so
much and quit doing drugs somuch.
You know, that was the thoughtin my mind, you know, kind of
back off.
And my little girl, I neverwhen my wife left, I locked my
(07:02):
daughter's door in her bedroombecause it was just too hard for
me to go in there and see, youknow, her room, her toys.
Some of her toys were left.
And I went in our bedroom and Isaid, I'm gonna clean the house
up, you know, I'm gonna startdoing better.
And I had shoeboxes in thefloor of the bedroom, and I
stacked them up by the closetdoor.
We had a big closet.
And I sat down in the doorfacing of the closet went to
(07:25):
stacking shoe boxes in thecloset.
And at the end of the closetwas a picture about, I don't
know, two foot by two foot uhframed facing the wall.
And I didn't uh I didn'trecognize the frame, and I
crawled down and grabbed it,crawled back out, sputtered
around.
It was a picture of Jesusholding a sheep and a flock of
sheep following him by theriver.
(07:45):
To this day, my wife or I,either one, know where that
picture came from.
And I broke down right thereand said, God, I need help.
Wow.
And uh that's where I prayedthrough to salvation.
Started going to church, andabout three months later, my
wife got saved and God restoredour marriage.
We got remarried and we startedthat journey.
(08:09):
I will say this, you know, tome I don't have a testimony.
I know people may think that Ido, and but to me, you know what
a great testimony is, Ron?
It's someone that can say, Igot saved when I was 10, 11, 12,
13 years old and hung on allthose years and faithfully lived
for God because they wasn'tweak.
They didn't give in like I did.
(08:30):
They they stood the test oftime and and they lived for the
Lord.
But when me and my wife wasdivorced, and this is what I'd
like for people to hear becauseit's important, she got saved
and we just started talkingcasually talking.
And because I put Christ firstin my life.
I didn't put her or my child, Iput him first.
She asked me one day, she said,Do you think we'll ever get
(08:52):
remarried?
And I said, Carrie, not until Iknow Jesus Christ is your best
friend.
He's my best friend, and secondto that, I'm your best friend,
and you're my best friend.
You know, we talk about love,and love, the agape love is the
greatest love of all.
That's the Jesus love.
But then we talk about love,but true love is never really
(09:15):
created unless there's a truefriendship first.
And we began to work on that.
And 33 years later, I canhonestly tell you, besides Jesus
Christ, she's my best friendand I'm hers.
And God just radically turnedour lives around.
A year later, after beingsaved, the Lord called me to
evangelize.
One of the scaredest moments inmy life, I started to
(09:38):
evangelize and then pastoringalong the way.
I pastored some churches alongthe way, and of course, the one
that you spoke at up in Lisdaleyears ago.
But now I'm in Hurley, PastorMagnus Springs, and it to me is
the greatest church in theworld.
And uh we own a restaurant inTanner Williams, and God is it's
(09:59):
out in the country, and God hasjust amazingly blessed our
business, and uh we pastor agreat church, and every day I
wake up I I realize that if ithad not been for the Lord who
was on my side, where would Ihave been?
Ron Meyers (10:13):
So, Mike, do you regret the past?
Mike McLeod (10:18):
There's there's certain things, Ron, that you
look back that you regret.
I mean, everybody has things intheir past that they regret
that they've done.
I regret hurting my family,putting them through of the
things that I did in my earlychildhood, my mom, then of
course my wife and my child.
But I I'll say this out of thatpast that I lived, I I did make
(10:42):
connections with people that Iwouldn't have if I hadn't to
live that lifestyle.
And one particular story is uhis a guy that I had met growing
up that we indulged in a lot ofwrong, a lot of sin.
That after I got saved and wasministering, pastoring, I got a
phone call from him one day andhe was crying.
(11:03):
He owned a he owned a companyand he was crying on the phone.
He was crying so hard that Icouldn't hardly understand what
he was saying.
And he asked me what I wasdoing, and I I told him what I
was doing.
I was at home, and he said, Iwant to come see you.
So I invited him, and a fewhours later he showed up at my
house and walked in, tearsrunning down his face, and I
(11:24):
said, You know, what's going on?
What's what's wrong?
And he looked at me and hesaid, with tears in his eyes, he
said, I want what you've got.
He said, I've been watchingI've seen how the Lord's
radically changed you, and hesaid, I I want what you got.
So we made the coffee table outof an altar and knelt down and
(11:45):
said the sinner's prayer withthis guy.
So to say I regret everything,I can't say that because there's
a lot of things that I livedthrough that when God changed my
life and I began to be a Jesusfollower, and people seen the
change that the Lord becausewhen I lived in sin, I was one
of the best.
And um so yeah, there's thingsthat I regret, but there's
(12:09):
there's things that I don'tregret because I see how God
used it for his glory.
God does not, does not have aplan.
God has a perfect plan.
Announcer (12:19):
Amen.
Mike McLeod (12:19):
We make plans.
We make plans, our planssucceed and our plans fail.
God's perfect plan does not.
Get in the will of his perfectplan and life will be great.
Ron Meyers (12:29):
You know what?
And and that's why I wanted toask you that.
I had a feeling that would beyour answer because I tell
people that a lot of people thathave this walk and they're
going through things, they thinkbecause of their past that God
could never use them.
They're just terrible.
And I try to tell them that,hey, I have a shady past too.
But God takes that old.
(12:50):
And when we come to him, wehave a relatable story now to
other people that are goingthrough the same thing and we
can say he did it for me, he'lldo it for you.
And it's it's, you know, ifthere's somebody that walked
into your church on Sundaymorning and said, Hey, I'm an
addict, I uh I'm doing drugs andI need help, man, you're the
(13:12):
one that could help him and talkto him because you're going to
talk his language.
Mike McLeod (13:15):
Right.
We have a uh a rehab, it'scalled the Mercy House here, the
community that's that's housesmen that are going through bad
past drugs, alcohol abuse,whatever criminal charges.
If they come every Wednesdaynight to our services, and
there's 20, 35 men ever everyWednesday night that show up
here, and you know, every nowand then I'll interject a little
(13:38):
bit of my past in thoseservices to let them know that
they're not looking at an angel.
Ron Meyers (13:44):
Amen.
Mike McLeod (13:44):
He's got his wings while he's preaching and
something.
They open up.
There's these guys, you know,they'll come and after service
and just thank me for being realwith them, transparent.
Our past, our past can be usedfor the glory of God, I agree.
Ron Meyers (14:00):
Absolutely.
And you know, you saidsomething a minute ago, and I'm
finding this because I talk toeverybody when I'm out and
about.
People that don't go to achurch or they are turned off by
a church.
They said, Well, we just wewant some authentic Jesus.
We want some real Jesus.
It's it's like we go to churchand we're signing up for
committees and we're doing allthis kind of stuff.
(14:20):
But you know, I I I need toknow more about Jesus.
They want that real, you know,because they've already started
going to church to think ofwho's gonna fall in on them.
And and when we can be justauthentic and real and
transparent.
That's the whole point of thisshow.
Is to kill people, that's allpeople, we all have issues, all
(14:43):
of us have problems that findsthis world and we can come to
him and have a new heart, a newlife, and now look at this.
I had I remember the MercyHouse now.
I'm so glad you brought thatup.
Yeah, the Mercy House, that'san incredible program over in
Jackson County.
Mike McLeod (14:59):
Jackson County or George County Jackson County,
yeah, right here early.
Ron Meyers (15:03):
Yeah, I remember that's where I think I came and
spoke at the Mercy House.
There are a lot of peoplelistening right now on, and I
buy time on non-Christian radio,and they're saying, Man, that
man sounds like me.
But you know, yeah, God justloved him more.
What would you tell that personthat thinks that?
Mike McLeod (15:22):
Well, you know, first of all, God's no respected
person.
When he looks at us, he seessomething that he created, not
man.
Man didn't create no one, Godcreated.
Just Easter Sunday, stood inthe pulpit by the worship team.
I stopped the worship team fromsinging, and I stood in the
pulpit, and I I said, somebodyneeds to hear this.
(15:44):
That God is not against you,God is for you.
No matter where you're at inlife's walk, God's for you.
And God's not throwing youaway.
You may be throwing yourselfaway, but God stands with open
arms, with love, compassion, andmercy and grace, ready to help
you, ready to turn your lifearound, ready to show you that
(16:05):
agape love, that God love.
The same love that he showedme.
I'm counseling a 20-year-oldyoung guy right now that is
really growing in the Lord, butbut you know, a 20-year-old
young man he struggles.
And and just met with himyesterday and carried him out to
eat at Bozos.
I gave them a plug.
And um, we we set out and Ijust I told him the same thing.
(16:28):
I said, you know, the Biblesays the righteous man falls
seven times, but he keepsgetting back up.
The key to him not beingdeclared a cripple is he keeps
getting back up.
And that's the key to successin our walk with Christ is when
we do fail, because we willfail, all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God.
Just get back up, dust yourselfoff, forgive yourself.
(16:50):
Forgive yourself.
Ron Meyers (16:52):
I'm gonna ask you one other thing.
I always like to ask my gueststhis.
The title of this show iscalled Get the Hell Out of Your
Life.
So, Pastor, how do you get thehell out of your life?
Mike McLeod (17:03):
Number one, by submitting.
The Bible says in James 4 and7, it says, Submit yourself,
therefore, unto God, resist thedevil, and he will flee from
you.
Submit.
Submit to the Lord, surrender.
That's one of the hardestthings for people to do because
we're so self-sufficient.
We think we know it all, we cando it all, but at the end,
(17:26):
everyone was created to rely onGod.
Amen.
Trust God.
And so submitting to the Lordand put up a resistance that I'm
not gonna live like this nomore, I'm not gonna walk this
path no more.
I'm gonna find that path inChrist, and I'm gonna walk that
path.
Ron Meyers (17:43):
Amen.
Amen.
Your congregation is a veryblessed congregation to have a
leader like you, your past, yourauthenticity, and your just
love for the fellow human outthere, and and and God bless
you.
And before we go, will you prayfor our listeners?
Mike McLeod (18:02):
Amen.
Father, in the name of Jesus, Icome to you as humbly as I know
how.
As Paul made the statement thatI feel that I'm the least among
the least, but I am so blessedand so thankful to be able to
worship you, to have arelationship with you.
And I send up the highestpraise that's ever been given to
(18:25):
you.
Hallelujah.
Lord, I just pray for all thosethat are listening right now by
radio, by whatever means thatthey have.
And one day, Lord, at the endof this life, they'll hear you
(19:05):
say, Well done, thou good andfaithful servant.
Enter into the joys of theLord.
Lord, for that individualthat's struggled with drugs and
alcohol and addictions.
Lord, I pray that you breakthose addictions from their
life.
God, that you transform theirmind, their spirit, God, into
the newness of life.
Lord, I pray, God, that youhelp them.
(19:26):
Lord, that family that'sdealing with marital problems,
children's problems.
God, I pray that the love andthe grace and the mercy of God
come down and intervene in theirlives.
Lord, we give you praise andglory and thanks for what you're
going to do.
In Jesus' mighty name we pray.
Amen.
Ron Meyers (19:46):
Wow.
That was a rescue story.
What hit me the most in this isthat sin will always advertise
pleasure, but it never kills youthe invoice.
It promises escape, butdelivers pain.
It promises confidence butleaves pain.
(20:06):
It promises freedom, but buildsprisons.
And Mike said somethingpowerful.
Sometimes the near misses don'twake you up.
And sometimes surviving theoverdose or escaping the arrest
doesn't change you.
Sometimes it takes lookingaround at your own house and
(20:31):
realizing I have built a life Idon't even want.
And maybe that is where some ofyou are today.
You're functioning and you'resmiling, people think you're
okay, but inside you knowsomething's not right, you know
the addiction, you know thecompromise, you know the hidden
(20:52):
pain.
And maybe today, God is usingMike's story to tell you this.
It's never too late for a newbeginning.
Your past is not stronger thanGod's grace.
I loved also what Mike saidabout marriage.
Restoration is not built onfeelings.
(21:14):
It's built on friendship,forgiveness, and love.
Love that stays, love thatserves, and love that shows up.
Now, friend, that's realtransformation.
And that's where freedom lives.
When I returned, I have fiveaction steps to help you get and
(21:37):
get the hell out of your life.
Announcer (21:41):
You're listening to get the hell out of your life,
real host, reality, realstories, real struggles, and
real hope.
Your story validates God'slove, mercy, restoration, and
(22:04):
forgiveness.
We want to help you share yourstory with the world.
Visit our websitethepromoter.org and click on the
share your story link andsubmit your story.
Your testimony of God's amazinggrace will change a person's
destiny for eternity.
You've failed again.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
You promised yourself you'd do better, but here you
are, back in the same place.
The condemnation feelscrushing.
But grace is available throughthe sacrifice of Jesus.
Because his love never failsand his grace never runs out.
Second chances aren't justavailable, they're abundant.
Learn how to start fresh inGod's grace through trusting
(22:44):
Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
Call or text Need Him Global at888-633-3446.
Speaker 6 (23:12):
Get the hell out of your life.
Ron Meyers (23:19):
So how do you get and keep the hell out of your
life?
Well, Pastor Mike gave us theanswer straight from God's word.
Submit to God, resist thedevil, and he will flee from
you.
Now that's simple to read, buthard to live.
And when you resist temptation,it's freedom.
(23:40):
Now here are some action stepsfor this week.
Number one, to get brutallyhonest, stop managing
appearances.
Freedom starts where pretendingends.
After all, who cares whatpeople think?
Your life is about you andJesus.
And maybe your first prayer issimply, Jesus, I give my life to
(24:04):
you.
Let's do life together.
I want to discover my purpose.
Number two, identify what keepspulling you back.
Who?
What and where?
Sometimes deliverance startswith distance, long distance.
You can't keep visiting thesame darkness and expect
(24:25):
different results.
It's time to cut the cord.
Number three, find your people.
Healing happens in community.
Isolation is the playground ofaddiction.
The Bible says that idle handsare the devil's workshop.
So find a trusted friend,someone you can talk with, maybe
(24:47):
a pastor, maybe a recoverygroup, a mentor.
And every day I encourage youto have your conversations with
Jesus.
Number four, stop letting yourpast introduce you.
Yes, you did something wrong,and yes, it did happen.
You can't change it.
With Jesus, the old is gone,the new has arrived, and you
(25:12):
have a destiny that willabsolutely blow your mind.
God is for you and neveragainst you.
Yes, God still uses brokenpeople.
Actually, that's mostly who heuses.
Number five, keep getting backup.
Some people quit because theystumbled.
(25:34):
No, get back up again and againand again.
Progress is not perfection, andGod honors persistence.
Friend, don't live on theisland of regrets with villages
called should've, would have,and could have.
Let me ask you, why do youthink you're listening to this
(25:55):
today?
I think you're listening to itbecause God answered my prayers.
My prayers are Lord, let theperson you're trying to get a
message to hear today's show andto discover who Jesus is.
Because friends, if you don'tbecome you, who will?
Well, I want to thank you forspending some time with me
(26:18):
today.
And if this episode touchesyour heart, send it to someone
who's struggling, someonefighting addiction, someone
hanging on by a thread.
Because, friends, aren't we allin this together to encourage,
empower, and inspire people todiscover their plan that God has
for them?
I will be back next week withanother grace-filled episode of
(26:38):
Get the Hell Out of Your Lifeavailable wherever you listen to
podcasts.
Until next week, this is RonMyers reminding you that I love
you, Jesus loves you, and whenyou give your heart to Jesus,
not only do you get the hell outof your life, life begins to
(26:59):
start making sense.
Announcer (27:14):
Today's show was produced by Ron Myers
Ministries, a listener-supportedministry.
For a copy of today'sbroadcast, please visit our
website, thepromoter.org.
And would you prayerfullyconsider making a tax-deductible
donation so that we maycontinue to share stories of
God's amazing grace with theworld?
And join us next week foranother broadcast of Get the
(27:35):
Hell Out of Your Life.
Real people, sharing realstruggles, and offering real
hope.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
We would like to express our gratitude to Coffee
News for their support of thisprogram.
Are you tired of scrollingthrough the same old news feeds
every morning?
Then switch things up withCoffee News.
Our publication is filled withinteresting stories, brain
teasers, and uplifting quotesthat are sure to brighten your
day.
And now you can access CoffeeNews anytime, anywhere by
(28:02):
visiting our website.
So whether you're sipping yourmorning coffee at your favorite
cafe or browsing online fromyour desk, we've got you
covered.
Start your day off right withCoffee News at
readcoffeewsonline.com.
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