God's Men Of Influence Podcast

After his second divorce, Mike Parker was broke and without hope.  He didn’t have enough money to provide Christmas for his boys and he spent all his time on the road trying to spend time with his daughter.  Friends and faith were the things that Mike needed to hold onto.   “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds,because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” - James 1:2-4   Mike sees himself as a dad first and a man who struggles with his faith, but is always trying to understand it. Biggest Weakness - His desire to control things.  Mike has trouble letting go of resentment.   Biggest Strength - Belief in Jesus.  Mike loves discovering that people believe in God, ministering and finding fellowship. Dark Time - Mike became a bad husband when he started struggling financially.  He lost his job in Palm Springs and was exhausted all the

Ask yourself the question “What’s the Difference Between Success and Significance?”  That’s what Ted Chang had to discover so that he could keep his family together.  Ted had all the money and professional success that he could ever want, but at what cost?     “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;in all your ways submit to him,and he will make your paths straight” - Proverbs 3:5-6   Ted has been married for 30 years, has two sons and has always been an entrepreneur.  He is committed to learning to let God lead his life in business and family. Biggest Weakness - Very competitive  When success happened in his career his relationship with God drifted. Biggest Strength - Ted’s ability to Study the Word and apply it in his life. Dark Time - When Ted started his business he had mortgaged his house and ended up one week away from missing payroll.  His wife had a difficult time and was ready to leave him.   Ted realized that his children saw everything, the good, the

Greed and lack of gratitude for God’s gifts landed Reniero Francisco in prison.  With his partner, Reniero started a hedge fund and lost all of his client’s money.  Fear and ego kept him from being upfront with those who invested and Reniero tried to cover it up with his own money.     “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” - Mathew 6:24   Very judgemental.  Wants to put energy toward himself and become a better Christian. Greed is what put Reniero in jail. Biggest Weakness - Accepting God’s Will. Biggest Strength - Hope.  Believes that something good is coming out of a bad situation. Dark Time - Currently living in prison because of greed.  Reniero lost everything. Personal responsibility in jail is a major problem.  Without a schedule he would dwell on being in prison. Has worship practice 4 to 5 times a week and does bible study 3 times a week. He encourage

God is immensely greater than anything we can imagine or understand.  Mark Howerton became very in tune with the essence of his faith when working as a Pastor at Rock Harbor he was critically injured on the 55 when he was struck by a speeding car while trying to assist people who had had an accident on the highway.  The pain and recovery was such that his faith was shaken and Mark was forced to ask “Why would God allow bad things to happen to a good person?”   “Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven.” - Matthew 5:16   Mark is a licensed marriage and family therapist. He and his wife of 19 years have 4 children. Adoption was a priority to Mark and Kristen and they started with their first son from LA.  Next they had a biological daughter.  After that they adopted 2 more children through an organization in Port Au Prince,  Haiti. Biggest Weakness - Mark says that he is selfish, rude, narcissistic and entitled and is lazy about controlling thes

Pastor Pete Cropsey had a brutal past.  From a violent molestation in Mexico at age 7, to his journey through heroin smuggling, burglary, prison, a motorcycle club and then accepting Jesus at Calvary Church where he became a Pastor.  This is an incredible and inspiring three part story of redemption.   “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves” - Colossians 1:13   Pastor Pete believes he was saved as a kid, but didn’t know what the gospel was and therefore he was a difficult child to the Lord. Aha - moment - In 1997 Pete had gotten out of prison and had a room providing security for prostitutes at the Carousel Inn.  The special unit busted in on him and found his weapons.  His parole officer said, “if you go to a meeting at 4PM, then I’ll put the weapons away.”  Pete could not account for the time between then and the meeting, but somehow he ended up in Costa Mesa and went in. Pete always had felt disqualified from being accepted by God, bu

Pastor Pete Cropsey had a brutal past.  From a violent molestation in Mexico at age 7, to his journey through heroin smuggling, burglary, prison, a motorcycle club and then accepting Jesus at Calvary Church where he became a Pastor.  This is an incredible and inspiring three part story of redemption.   “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves” - Colossians 1:13   Pastor Pete’s father committed suicide because he had brain cancer.  When Pete went through his personal effects and realized his father had that bad reaction because he himself had been molested and never came to terms with it. When Pete met a guy named Max who seemed so cool, he became a hero and Pete began dealing heroin for him. Soon Pete began doing heroin and after his first taste he became a slave for the next 20 years. Pete got to know the guys from the Vagos motorcycle club and hung around until he was asked to prospect.  This was a year long process. While he was in

Pastor Pete Cropsey had a brutal past.  From a violent molestation in Mexico at age 7, to his journey through heroin smuggling, burglary, prison, a motorcycle club and then accepting Jesus at Calvary Church where he became a Pastor.  This is an incredible and inspiring three part story of redemption.   “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves” - Colossians 1:13   Pastor Pete’s dad left at 4 when he was shooting pictures for movie business.  His mom took him to Puerto Vallarta at 7 years old. For the first 6 months he had to fight every day to try and prove himself. At one point, he met a man named Chewy who took him under his wing and taught him to bow hunt, spear fish and ride horses.  Soon this man began molesting Pete which led to 2 years of abuse. Towards the end of the abuse Pete heard God say, “I love you and I will never let you go”.  A week later his dad called him back to the states to live with him. At 9 and ½ he moved back t

Growing up Catholic, Pastor Ric wasn’t allowed to talk about his ideas regarding faith.  He felt the calling, heard the voice and has been guided by Jesus Christ ever since.  Pastor Ric has seen the power of prayer and faith work miracles throughout his work in prisons and hospice care facilities. Enjoy this very passionate show. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:The old has gone, the new is here!” - 2 Corinthians 5:17   Biggest Weakness - Can’t sit still and stop speaking so that he may listen and hear. Biggest Strength - Matthew 7:7 Seek and you shall find.  He loves to open scripture and search for understanding. Dark Time - Growing up Catholic you didn’t talk about other ideas of faith.  It became clear that the calling was becoming too hard to ignore, but it was difficult.  When he went to his wife’s church he stood up and felt the fire of Jesus Christ.  It felt like he was under a shower. A-ha moment - Pastor Ric was in a car at an intersection and asked God “what do

In this episode Joe Juliani asks the questions “What is God asking of me?” “Am I too busy for God?” and “Can I be me and still walk the path?”     “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” - Romans 8:31   Biggest Weakness - Joe has doubt.  He doesn’t stand in faith constantly.   Biggest Strength - Spending time with like minded brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. Dark Time - Joe pushes through the storm.  He always falls back on Romans 8:31. 2 years ago Joe would not talk about his faith with others.  Then the conversation opened up when he met his new neighbor who became a pastor.  Joe and his wife went to church and was overwhelmed, but felt something that made him want to go back. A-ha moment - Joe broke down and cried at church and things went silent.  He heard a voice that said “you are in the right place.”  He had no idea that there was a hole in his heart that needed to be filled by Jesus Christ. Now Joe wants to inspire those like hi

A young man addicted to Crystal Meth and Bath Salts is dealing up to 500 pills of ecstasy at a time and doesn’t know how to break away.  A very bloody blackout and hospital visit finally turns his attention to God.  Listen to Connor Stephenson’s testimony from his really dark descent to his redemption.   “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” - Hebrews 11:6   To keep what you have, you must give it away. Connor believes he was born as an alcoholic.  At age 12 he took his first and felt like he belonged in the world.  He started drinking whenever he could. By age 15 Connor was hanging with people in organized crime and started dealing ecstacy.  He had 100 to 500 pills on him at all times and loved knowing everyone. Connor lived with a girl for 4 years in a drug riddled environment and was caught cheating on her.  He was forced to move back to LA with his parents. Back in LA, he b

4 ½ months clean and sober and attending Narcotics Anonymous meetings, 20 year old Hunter Mercurio has seen a lot in his young life.  Hunter came from a broken family, with parents who tried swinging that led to separating.  He turned to drinking at age 12, lost his virginity at 13 and was doing drugs and in and out of mental hospitals soon after.  Join us for Hunter’s compelling testimony and allow him to inspire you as he inspired us.   “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” - Romans 8:1   Hunter began drinking at 12 when he started taking beers from his father’s refrigerator. At 13 years old Hunter lost his virginity because he was looking for love. At age 14 Hunter went into a mental hospital for the first of 4 times because he was suicidal. Hunter came from a broken home with parents who tried swinging that led to separating.  He found his mom cheating on his father with a family friend Jeff.   Hunter grew up very angry with God.  He began stealing and stol

Pride makes it very difficult to be a great leader as a husband, father, business owner and Christian, but it is always there.  The enemy wants us to be prideful and put ourselves before God.  On this episode, Dino’s guest Tony Alesandra professes that he must always remember that God is in charge and he must lead his community by the example of service not words.  Take a listen to Tony’s very personal and inspirational walk with God.   “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” - Proverbs 3:5   Tony needs reminders that God is there and on his side.  He feels “stuck on stupid” when he walks alone, so he now creates a very personal walk with God. Biggest Weakness - There are times when he backslides and thinks only of himself.  In those moments he has to remind himself that God’s in charge.  Pride and ego build when things are going well and then you crash. Biggest Strength - Leading by example.  Tony tries very hard to let his walk speak louder than his words. Ther

Age is not a criteria for maturity says Dino’s guest Christian couples counselor Dr. Roger Tirabassi.  In this episode Dr. Tirabassi discusses marriage, Tithing, Tattoos and Free Will.  Take a listen to this in depth look at a Pastor’s beliefs on issues that affect us all.   “A noble man makes noble plans and by noble deeds he stands” - Isaiah 32:8   Marrying Young - Age is not a good criteria for maturity, so that is the more important thing.  There is a higher divorce rate for couple who marry younger.  The male brain isn’t even fully developed until 25 years old. Premarital Program - A good program should decrease the risk of divorce by 35%. What Makes A Good Husband - Have an older more experienced mentor.  Pride has to go.  Go to a marriage conference every year.  Pray together every day. When in marriage give affirmation, kisses, apology and time out process process. When a spouse changes - When children get our attention, the marriage will suffer if we are not attending to it. Enduring pro

God works miracles and this one is especially amazing.  In this episode, Dino’s guest Dr. Roger Tirabassi tells the story of how he grew up to be a committed Atheist until, after a night of counseling himself over a failed marriage he heard the voice of God.   “A noble man makes noble plans and by noble deeds he stands” - Isaiah 32:8   Biggest Weakness - Pride & Greed.  Roger battles with his own ego and the world we live in. Biggest Strength - God has given him the drive and ability to be part of a team. Dark Time - 2 weeks after his wife said she wanted a divorce Roger went to a psychiatrist who gave him medications and wanted more.  He then went to a psychologist who told him to start dating.  He was never more depressed. A-ha moment - Roger counseled himself that night and as he started feeling better he heard God’s voice.  The next day he went to church. Roger went back to school for his master’s and doctorate to become a counselor. Inspirational Person - Marvel was a secretary working w

Sometimes the most difficult thing to do is to ask Jesus into our lives.  As human beings we tell ourselves all sorts of things like, “I don’t need Jesus” or “There’s nothing he can do that I can’t do myself”.  Do you recognize the trainwreck that’s coming?  In this episode Robert Trommler discussed his weakness with controlled substances and women early in his life and the role that Jesus played once he gave up his ego and asked him into his life.   Verse:   “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers” - Romans 8:38   Biggest Weakness - Being willful and too analytical.  Robert can back himself into a corner thinking he has control. Biggest Strength - Gift of compassion and empathy.  Robert has an ability to see life from someone else’s perspective. Dark Time - Robert had a time in his 20’s and 30’s where he was involved with controlled substances and women, partying way too hard.   Father was a Deacon who was German a

FCA is a wonderful organization that says if we can't get the influencers in society to speak out about Jesus, the rest will be inspired.  In our society the influencers are athletes.  In this special episode ex-NFL player Mark Boyer talks about his career with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and what this calling has meant to Southern California. Don McClanen - Founded FCA in the 50’s. Don was watching TV and realized if athletes could sell products then Christian athletes could sell Jesus. Do met with Branch Rickey after months of trying for a 5 minute meeting and stayed for 5 hours. FCA began with camp ministry to bring kids in to work on their sport, but also to develop their relationship with God. Campus ministry was an outreach to the campuses and student athletes. If you can influence coaches and athletes to be role models for Christ, than you will affect lives around the world. FCA is not just for athletes. Christian athletes have a responsibility to live a life of leadership for

Mark is an ex NFL football player for the Indianapolis Colts and the NY Jets and a Christian.  Through his struggle and search for his identity after his career ended Mark realized that being an inspirational coach was his future.  17 years ago he founded the first California Camp of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and has been helping athletes find Jesus Christ ever since.     "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” - John 15:5   Found FCA in Tulsa when he was playing for the Colts and went to the camp.  He was amazed.   17 years ago Mark brought FCA to California and now is the VP of Field Ministry Mark didn’t have a relationship with God until he was a Sophomore in high school.  The Lord grabbed him when he went to see an Easter play. Biggest Weakness - Too much of a people pleaser.  It creates a conflict between what God wants and what people like. Biggest Strength - Building and nurturing relationsh

Stephen Young has had a hard road in his relationship with his family and with God.  His addiction to pornography as a younger man lead to an unhealthy relationship with his first wife, adultery and an abandonment of his kids.  By repairing his relationship with God Stephen was able to repair his relationship with his children.  This is his journey.   “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” - Romans 8:1   Biggest Weakness -   Stephen exposed hat he has a pornography and sexual deviancy addiction.  For a long time he did not have respect for women or understanding.  Satan has very powerful tools and this one is wicked.  The problem began in 4th and 5th grade. Biggest Strength - Stephens willingness to talk about life and Christ. Dark time - His darkest time when when he divorced his first wife and left his kids.  Stephen pictured his kids as being hung on a cross.  His thought was that it would be easier for his kids if he stayed away, but later came to realize that he

Matt Hanson is married with 3 children and has a deep desire to use the skills that the Lord has given him to lead and influence people.  Although he’s known struggle, in this episode he talks about gratitude and allowing faith to influence every moment of your day. “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” - Peter 4:10 Biggest Weakness - Trusting God.  Matt considers himself a doer who looks for a formula rather than having haith. Biggest Strength - Matt can imagine a dozen ways to solve a problem or find a way to succeed. Dark Time - Nothing extreme, but most defining moment was a business divorce.  He was very excited about an opportunity that his wife knew was wrong.  Now he discusses everything with her and trusts her intuition. Embracing the Lord - there was no real obstacle for Matt because the Lord always made sense to him and he thought it would be wise to try and understand how his creator designed him to live.

As a young boy Pastor Kenny Luck was ignored and therefore was always seeking attention and Love.  He found unlimited Love and a feeling of self-worth when he fell to his knees and accepted Jesus.     “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” - Proverbs 5:8   When you walk around unsure if you’re worthy of love you use people to create the sense that you are worthy. Gratitude and the knowledge that God loves you, frees you to be better with your relationships and to stop using people. Kenny reminds himself regularly that “I’m loved, I have limited time and I have a meeting scheduled with my maker.” Advice - What’s the object of your hope? Turn to God for hope and let him speak into your issues. God’s Men of Influence - to recognize that God’s made you , he loves you and you’re going back to God. Baptized at age 17 Man ways actions, God ways intentions. A fully transformed Christian has a transformation personally as well as an external