This is the Truth Network. Welcome back to another episode of It's Time to Man Up. Back in the studio with me, hopefully you caught part one. Jeff Kahl, welcome back to the Man Up show. Thank you.
I enjoyed last time. Thank you. And your story is a story, I believe, of inspiration in coming out of what I would call a tumultuous childhood and upbringing. One of eight siblings, right?
Yes. One of eight siblings, Detroit, Michigan. For those of you maybe you missed part one, Detroit, Michigan.
And Jeff has been to 68 different countries. You want to talk about having a plethora of stories. I'm struggling to find out which ones I want him to share on the show today because there's so many good ones he's already shared with me.
We had Matt recently, had Breakfast recently. You've been hired on recently to Truth Radio Network. And I believe just based on what I've already known about you, the Midas Touch is going to be a blessing to Truth Radio Network. In addition to all the other things you've done. You've got your Bible open there. Is there a scripture that jumps out at you? Well, I opened it up earlier today and reminded in Psalm 1, Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly. And one of the things that I feel has gotten me from my early childhood to my 58-year-old self today, is the fact that God's allowed me to have great people in my life, great adults, and some real wonderful godly men who today are still my mentors after 40 years. So that's important.
So you feel that's critical. It's been critical to your growth as a Christ follower and important to have. I'm reminded of Proverbs 27, 17, right? As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens the countenance of his friend. So you have found that to be critical for your growth.
Absolutely. When I was in college, I decided to find men who were 10 years older than me. Because they went through more experiences. They would have a resource and a network that I might need as a younger man.
And I think that trajectory after 40 plus years has proven to be the correct one. I've really benefited from the godly examples and the balance that I've seen from these individuals that came into my life early on. Everyone has a story. Everyone has certain life experiences that maybe we haven't experienced. But if we're paying attention, can maybe learn and glean from every single person's story, right? That's correct. On the other show, you talked about even reading biographies in the closet and whatever and just learning about other people's lives and how they survived and how they lived.
Absolutely. In fact, I'm not even sure I was that complete when I was telling that story about the closet. But my Sunday school teacher brought me books to read, but she also encouraged me to memorize large portions of scripture.
She told me if I was in the scripture, I wouldn't spend as much time complaining about life. And so I just immersed myself with good things. And the bad things just kind of were just out there, but not affecting me.
Yeah. Which is amazing because, you know, life hurts affect a lot of people in life. And for whatever reason, some hold on to them more than others. And it just affects our whole entire journey. Now, we kind of left off in the first show, you know, you going to Wisconsin, going to Bible school, graduating, reimbursing those who first believed in you and supported you. But ministry is not all you do. I mean, you're a husband, you're a dad, you're a business guy, an entrepreneur.
So many different hats you wear. What have you found? And I'm sure all of it's been rewarding, all of it. But I kind of teased everyone at the end of show one that you were going to share maybe a favorite story or two or a country or two that you've traveled to and the impact you've been able to make. So take a minute and give us a story. I have so many people that want me to write a book about all these things. And I have a pretty good memory.
I've written down a lot of things in a journal for 40, 50 years, I suppose, that has helped me through this. But I'm thankful I met my wife, Carol, at college. I wanted to marry a senior, so I was a freshman. So I went to her and I said, I'd like to see if we could date. And she reminded me that seniors don't date freshmen. Right out of the gate. Let me just clear the record here. I tried to tell her how special I was.
But that's the freshman confidence that you have. But obviously you won her over, though, 37 years later. I won her over. My wife's family, her mom and dad grew up in Waco, Texas. Her mom lived in the Rio Grande in a tent.
But they came over. And then Carol, they moved to Michigan. She was born in Michigan. And I met her at Bible College. In Wisconsin. In Wisconsin. So both from Michigan, but met in a Bible college in Wisconsin.
Yes. So I'm married to a beautiful Latina lady. She's been a wonderful partner. We've been married 37 years. We have three adult children. And we have six grandchildren.
So the law has been very good. All girls. Yeah, I hope some boys are coming along the way. But girls are expensive. Yeah, I raised four. But they're beautiful. So you have two boys there?
I have an older daughter and two sons. Okay, so two boys, one girl. Yes. So girls can be expensive.
Yes, they can. Yeah, well, it's a joy. My wife loves taking care of them.
And I've always traveled. So I think I missed out sometimes on some of the family things. But I appreciate my children. They're doing well. And I'm hoping that they continue to do well.
And just follow the path that God's directed in front of them. That's amazing. So what are some of the, let's just say, I'll narrow it down, maybe some of the bigger projects you worked on. You've told me several different stories.
But pick a country and share a story. Well, let me say it this way. I had someone ask me a few years ago, why do you get more opportunities than the average person? It seems like you're always getting something thrown in front of you. And I said, well, first of all, you got to live with an optimism and a positivity.
And I think people are attracted to that. No one wants to work with someone who... A pessimist, negative all the time. Negative Nancy all the time. No offense, Nancy. Yeah, no offense to Nancy. That's my mom's name, Nancy.
No, no, that's okay. When there was something wrong, she picked up on it. But I tell folks that, number one, I believe God can trust me with an interruption. And I think that's an important principle. If you're beeping at someone because they cut you off or you're always aggravated because you were inconvenienced, you might not be ready for ministry. Right.
We fall into the church hurt category. You have to use the circumstances around you to build an opportunity to build people's lives. So that's one thing. And then number two, I think just by my very nature, maybe my DNA, I approach every opportunity with a creative and curious yes, rather than a hurried and harsh no. And so I preface everything that I say by saying that. So if you came to me and say, Hey, Jeff, I got this idea. I'm for it. I'm for you.
How can I help you? And I think people have just come naturally to discuss the next steps for them. And I'm eager to encourage them along that pathway. But yeah, so I get a lot of opportunities. I was asked to take Northland over and I took Northland over in Wisconsin.
That's the Christian camp. And I really felt like we should start a high school for international students. So I thought, well, where do I get international students?
Well, I guess I got to get on a plane and go get them. And so the first place I went was China. And I told my wife, hey, Carol, I feel like the Lord wants me to go to China. He didn't tell me that in a dream. I didn't. He didn't hear an audible voice, but I just felt like there's a lot of students there.
And this would be a great place for him. So so she asked. I asked her on Monday or I told her on Monday this. And she said, well, when you plan going, I said, I think I'll go on Friday. And she said, well, when you coming back? I said, well, I don't know.
I only bought a one way ticket. I figured the Lord will tell me when to come back. Women love a little bit.
I've I've learned women love a little bit more notice than four days. Yeah. So she didn't want to go on that adventure for that very reason.
Right. And she said, well, who do you know there? And I said, well, I did try to meet with what we call missionaries or Christians that work, you know, on the foreign mission field.
But it's hard to call them that when you're in another place. Now, I felt like what I found out in China is they didn't really care if you were a Christian or not. They just didn't want to just go on. Don't go on the street. They didn't want this revolution. But the folks I was talking to were were a little hesitant to have me come with my enthusiasm.
They'd rather. And what I found out going to foreign countries is that they already know about you. They they look at the passengers that are coming into their country and some countries will have all types of research done on you. And I know this is because my first meeting, they had a Jeff a Jeff notebook.
Wow. And they were ready to meet me. And they they did research on Jeff Call and any ministry that I was involved with up to that point.
So they know. So I decided I'm just going to be honest wherever I go, wherever whatever part of the world I'm in, I'm just going to tell them I'm a Christian and I'm here to bring the good news. But at the same time, I you know, I want to be a help.
I don't want to be a problem to you. So so there seemed to be a lot of respect that came from that approach. And so I was introduced to a lot more people. So anyways, in this first trip, Carol said, well, who are you going to meet then? And I said, well, I I met a Chinese man who worked at a fast food restaurant in Milwaukee, and he told me that his brother will meet me in Beijing. And I said, great, I don't need anything else. That's all a guy like Jeff called me.
Just hop out of bed and get on that plane and figure it out on the way there. And that's really all I've that's probably how I've operated much of my life and risk taker. Yeah.
And I'm not saying I'm not saying there are some some I'm sure someone's listening right now. I bet you that didn't work out. Not always. It didn't always work out. And a little, you know, but I do plan along the way and I and I am really trying to get ahead of it, but I don't let it slip. I don't wait for a perfect opportunity to serve.
I just look for the opportunity. But sure enough, his brother was there. He had I remember he had a a German Maybach car with gold interior. I said, well, someone's going to pick me up in an Uber.
That's who I want. But he and he owns a lot of businesses and he introduced me to a lot of people. And that was a fantastic introduction. And he was he took such interest in what I was doing. And he and he was trying to help me as well. And I appreciate that we remain friends to this day.
He flew me all over the country and and met all types of wealthy and political figures. Yeah. And they introduced me to other people.
That really was a blessing. So so the goal being to get some international students, all that to say did ultimately did that pan out? Yeah.
Well, yeah, absolutely. We we we were able to see a number of students from a lot of countries. And that's what drove me to all those countries. And we did start a school and then the COVID hit. And a little note to self, never start a an organization that depends on international travel just prior to it. Prior to a pandemic. Yeah. Just prior to the world being shut down.
You might want to test the timing there. But you didn't know. I never read that.
I didn't read a chapter in anyone's book on that. And so exactly. But again, I look at things like that as circumstances outside of my control. So I don't try to control them. Right.
I just respond in obedience to them and try to figure out the next track. Now, we did still continue having a school and we we had one even up till last year. But we decided to pause it for one year to get funding and do some other things that we learned along the way. We got all of our credentials, but it just you know, we need hundreds of students on a big campus like that. Absolutely.
To make it work. But we have lots of partnerships that are geared up and ready to go. But more importantly, the students that we did have, hundreds of them came to Christ. They found Christ, you know, through the chapel periods and discipleship programs. Some of the church opportunities that they had. Now, we never put anyone in the Jesus headlock. You don't know, you know, worshipping the Lord is a voluntary submission of one's will.
But we set the climate so that they knew that Christ was our most important guest on campus. You're listening to the Truth Network and truthnetwork.com When your eyesight is at stake, it pays to travel to one of the world's leading eye surgeons. Dr. Johnny Gaten is an author, speaker, Christian leader and a committed family man. He is also a pioneering cataract and glaucoma surgeon.
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You can give monthly, annually or one time. God bless you for making a difference around the world. You're listening to the Truth Network and truthnetwork.com. So ministry isn't the only thing you do though, Jeff. I know you're a broker, you're an entrepreneur, you're out there in the business world being salt and light as well. I do want you to have that opportunity just to talk a little bit about the difference between the two. Being involved in all the ministry work, but your business is being, I believe, like a ministry to you as well. So are you in the marketplace?
No, no, fantastic. I attend a number of Christian businessman groups where they fellowship and lean on each other. One of them is the New Canaan Society in Charlotte.
They meet every Thursday, at least during the school year at seven in the morning. And there's a lot of great Christian men just on their journey trying to figure out what to do in life personally with the Lord's help and guidance. And so I would encourage any Christian man who works in business who is able to go to a meeting like that to do so.
There's a lot of great fellowship and reinforcement that happens there. And certainly they can contact me anywhere to find out more. But I know a lot of Christian businessmen all over the country. I've had the privilege to work with them. They've funded some of our ministry endeavors. We've been involved with some of their business ventures.
But yeah, we've had a large footprint in entrepreneurial type events. I work with a lot of consulting groups. I work with a number of businesses to help them save money and things like that. And the health? Well, we do health and life, but I also do consultation with them. Okay, so health, life, consultation.
Yeah, so I do that and I go anywhere. And I generally work from six in the morning until midnight. So kind of like, would you say, a corporate counselor?
I mean, I don't know if there's even a title for it. Yeah, a little like executive coaching I do. And I come in, help the businesses move forward in productivity. But I do the health and life. Boy, I wasn't even thinking about that side of life. But I think what I'm good at is I love meeting people.
We break down barriers. You're a people person. I've already learned that about you.
Yeah, so I'm not there. I'm not better than anybody else. I'm a person that learned through a series of life things.
I've had mentors who've helped polish some of that 50-grade of sandpaper that I have in certain areas of my life. Right, right, right. And I'm thankful for those. I needed that. I certainly have made mistakes over my lifetime.
But everyone does. So I think the difference is I had godly influences I could go to. And I was always teachable, though.
I always tried to be as teachable as I could and learn from the people around me. So one of the greatest blessings I've had is I probably have 4,000 pastors in my phone that I've made friends with over the years. I've spoken in over 1,700 churches in America. I'm trying to catch you. I'm over 1,300, but I'm trying to catch you. That means I'm not in my church. Right. I'm always in someone else's church.
Me either. I think two times last year I was in my home church. Hi, Pastor J. Now, thankfully, God's people in the church is bigger than just my local one. But I appreciate the many business people I've met who are dedicated to the Lord, using their business, obviously, to be productive for the people that need whatever product or service they provide. Sure, of course.
And what drives them is their Christian faith, and I really appreciate that. Yeah, making a difference and an impact, really, for the kingdom, which, you know, when I think about where Jesus spent the majority of his time, it appears to me that he spent the least amount of time in a synagogue and the majority of time out in the marketplace. Yes.
Out where he could make a real difference, right? Yes. And seek and save the lost. You know, a couple of things, I was just making a note here, a couple of things that you said I really want our listeners to take away from because I really related with it a minute ago when you said teachable, and I wrote down coachable. So you do executive coaching. And the fact that you've been teachable and coachable gives you then that opportunity to pass that on to others. Yes. And then the other critical thing I want to make sure our listeners don't miss is your mention of mentors, how critical it's been for you when you look at all the success you've had in life, that mentors have been key to that happening, right? Yes, absolutely.
I can think of one individual, I won't say his last name, I don't want to embarrass him, but my mentor early on in life was a man named Marty. I was a freshman in college, and I had 88 demerits like in three weeks. That doesn't sound good, Jeff, just so you know. And the way they gave demerits was if you had an offense and you repeated the offense, you got double the demerits the next time it happened. And so the offense was I put my shoes under the chair when they were supposed to be under the bed. Now, our Bible college really had it down.
They knew what rules they wanted to enforce. Wow. And I remember saying they don't belong under the bunk bed because I hit my head when I'm trying to sit down there. They belong under the chair.
Right. And my mom died a few years ago. I'm sure when she died, when they did an autopsy, they got her heart and they saw a Mr. Clean bottle. She was so super clean, and I'm super clean, so there wasn't anything in my room that was ever offenseable except for this. You were an organized guy. But because I wasn't listening.
Breaking that rule, Jeff. So Marty came to the door, to my dorm room door. That's when I realized the dean of men would come make personal visits. He wanted to know if that was where I was standing.
And so he agreed to work with me. That's when I realized, it was only like my third weekend, that demerits in a Christian college are actually negotiable. But I didn't get any more demerits after that. We worked it out, and I needed that from a person like that because I never saw a god.
There was no godly man up there. You didn't have that growing up. And he was really gracious, and he wasn't judgmental. And that really helped me. But a couple weeks later, he took me to the store and bought me my first pair of shoes. And I thought he was going to use that as an example in chapel. And no one ever told me that, hey, Marty told me that he bought you shoes. And I respected him for that. Because I'm already embarrassed I don't have a lot of money.
And I'm embarrassed of the clothes I had that I went to college with. But he didn't judge me on that. But he was trying to help me kind of behind the scenes. Here again, our stories, I can still relate to your story. My first male mentor was Bill Burke, my seventh grade football coach, who kind of knew my story. I can remember him taking me to the athletic store and buying me equipment because I didn't have the money. I wanted to play. But I didn't have the money for shoulder pads.
I didn't have the money for arm pads and all that sort of thing. And you said something else that was critical here I want to make sure and highlight for our listeners before we run out of time already. And that is when it came to, like you made mention, I don't know if it was the last show or this one. But looking for people who were older than you. And I know, I think you used the number 10 years older. And whether they're five years older, 10 years older. And it doesn't have to necessarily be, Jeff, would you say chronological age. It could just be spiritually more mature, right? So like my pastor's physically like younger than me. But he's been walking with the Lord way more years than me. So Pastor Jay is like a mentor of mine. And so in our last few minutes together, what are, you know, you talked about having a positive outlook on life.
And what might you say to our listeners here? And I love the expression, you know, you hear some people say the glass is half empty, the glass is half full. I'm like I'm neither of those guys. I'm like I want my glass overflowing. So you're an overflowing guy. I don't see you either of those ways.
What I see is someone who's overflowing, the Lord's just oozing out of you. What would you say, something encouraging to our listeners in the last couple minutes we have. You know, first of all, one of the big lessons I've learned is don't be a victim. Don't play a victim. You know, there's probably something that, you know, sure, the world around you probably meant it for evil. But God did mean it for good. And so I really just try to live above the circumstances and not, I want to take control the best I can of my life. And if I let people, if I dwell on all these hurts, it's going to be a problem. They have control.
Yeah, that's right. They become controlling. And that's a real, you know, I did a lot of counseling over the years. And you could see how a lot of people have let these cords just bind them and defeat them.
Bondages, yeah. You know, people make mistakes, but I always say, you know, failure is not final, you know. And, you know, just because you fail doesn't make you a failure. So, you know, I wake up every day and I kind of have this analogy of walking. You know, the Bible says, as you therefore receive Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him. And so, you know, our job is to walk in Christ Jesus. And so using that as the metaphor, you know, one step forward is really me thinking about being productive for the day. And I really think this way, you know, you have to tell me you're against me verbally for me to believe that.
I don't believe any imaginations or any thoughts. If you have a tone that you want to send me, I won't get it unless you tell me personally, because I just believe you're for me unless you tell me verbally. And I'm going to be productive with this other leg. But the other step that I take, I'm very mindful that people are hurting. And everywhere I'm meeting people, I want to make sure, while I'm being productive, I'm also being spiritually helpful.
I want them, if they were contemplating suicide or they were contemplating, you know, going into some depression, I want to be that one spark plug in their meetings that day to help them through that. I haven't done it perfectly, but I've done, I think, pretty well on that. And I'm not a vindictive person either. I forgive easily. I don't hold onto grudges. And I really, I just want to be a help to others. That's good stuff.
Wow, failure is not final. You forgive easily. Don't be a victim or play the victim. Some great advice for all of you out there. And so if people wanted to learn more about you, acquire your services, Jeff, where would people go?
How could people do that? Yeah, I, you know, a lot of my business is word of mouth, but they could contact me certainly through my LinkedIn page, Dr. Jeff Call. Of course, I'm the only one in Charlotte with that name. They can certainly get ahold of me through my email at jeffcall123 at Gmail. I also work for the radio station here. I'd like to work with, I'd like to get with businesses and more than anything, just help them.
And if we could be a blessing, we want to be a blessing, then we could show how the radio might be able to help to them. And they can get me through, what is it, jcallattruthnetwork. Is it dot com? Is it dot com?
Dot com. Yeah, so I get a few, I get a few messages right now because I just started. Well, I, for one, am excited to work with you. And I'm excited to have you aboard with the Truth family. Dr. Jeff Call, go check him out as K-A-H-L. Go check him out on LinkedIn. Man, if you're out there, if you're in the marketplace, if you want to help support Truth Radio, help support Sew Into Ministries, and not just the Man Up show, we've got lots of great programs, Christian Kargai and other great programs that you could help support to get the gospel message to the world, right? And so, and or a variety of other things, you go on Jeff's LinkedIn, you'll see that there's a variety of other services that he offered. He mentioned the executive coaching, but also other businesses he sets up with, with the, you said the... The wellness program.
The wellness program. Yeah, it's a great program for businesses. It doesn't cost them anything, so. Yeah, so if you're a business owner, that should pique your attention right there. Let's say it's net zero, it's net zero.
Net zero, net zero. Where your employees get all the benefits and you end up looking like the good guy. Absolutely.
Because of those benefits, you're supplying the employees, right? Absolutely. So, man, what a joy to have you on the two shows, not just one show, two shows, but you've got so many more stories. We're going to have to have you back on a show later on down the road here. I wouldn't mind that. Will you come back? I could probably fill a couple more things with stories. I'd love to. I feel we could do a part three and a part four and a part five, Jeff, and man, you're just a pleasure to be around, and I just feel your passion and just your energy, and I'm excited to get to know you even better. Thank you.
My privilege. So thank all of you out there being so faithful week in, week out. Tune into the Man Up show and your support, your support in many ways, and go out today. My challenge is for you to go out today and just live a God filled and have a God blessed day. This podcast is made possible by the grace of God and your faithful prayers, support, and generous gifts.
May God bless you for your continual contributions. Go to Kolob.net and donate today. If you are enjoying the Man Up show, would you help us spread the word? Tell your family, tell your friends, tell your neighbors to download, subscribe, and leave a comment. Hi, Nikita Kolob. Be sure to check out the Man Up show now available on television, broadcast, and podcast. Go to MorningStarTV.com or the Truth Radio Network. Check out your local listings or better yet, download the Truth Network app today. Nikita Kolob here.
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