We Had $19 in Our Bank Account… and God Didn’t Miss (Testimonies from the Wilderness)

We Had $19 in Our Bank Account… and God Didn’t Miss (Testimonies from the Wilderness)

After six months of silence, Mitch and Jes are back behind the mic with a new setup and the most vulnerable update they have shared yet. This one is about the last two years. The drought nobody saw. They did everything right. Lived below their means, budgeted, gave. And the deals still fell through, one after another. Rent went on a credit card. Savings drained to the bottom. $19 in the bank. Not nineteen hundred. Nineteen. They get honest about what a number like that actually does to you. It does not scare you first, it shames you. And that shame is what kept them quiet for six months, driven by the fear of man. Until a conversation with their pastors flipped the whole thing: what you are calling embarrassment is an altar, you are just standing on the wrong side of it. From there it became a decision to stop negotiating with God about the math, to put the fear of the Lord above the fear of the rent, and to start collecting the stones of provision as they came. In this episode: * Why they disappeared for six months and what the silence was really about * Doing it right and still hitting financial drought * The $19 moment and the shame that came with it * The pastor conversation that turned embarrassment into an altar * Choosing the fear of the Lord over the fear of the rent * Why every provision landed after they gave, not before * Endurance, freedom from the fear of man, and Jesus as their exceeding joy The stones they stacked: * A $1,000 Venmo from someone with no idea, memo line "just a little kiss" * Free bags of boy clothes right after their last dollars went to a car seat * An anonymous Blackstone grill after giving a hoodie off his back * Giving a friend $1,300 they did not have, then a forgotten tax return hitting on rent day * A free lawnmower and free tools * A surprise $2,000 gift * A pizza party answered through their daughter's prayer They are not saying the drought is over. They are saying they are still in it and free at the same time. Endurance is not glamorous. It is refusing to quit on a Tuesday when nothing has changed. $19 in the bank and Jesus is still their exceeding joy. Not the backup joy. The exceeding one.

Protecting Our Children: Pushing Back on the Gates

This episode is a rally cry for parents who feel the weight of raising children in a world that’s discipling them faster than the church is. Mitch and Jes unpack what it means to guard the “eye and ear gates” — to protect what comes into our homes, hearts, and kids’ minds — especially when culture disguises indoctrination as innocence. They talk honestly about libraries, media, and the subtle ways idols still demand our worship today. The call isn’t to hide—it’s to take back ground. To stop being passive, start discerning, and live as light that exposes darkness. You’ll walk away reminded that: * Avoiding evil isn’t enough — believers are called to tear down idols and reclaim territory. * God’s people must resist cultural passivity and model holy boldness for their children. * Protecting what enters your eyes and ears is spiritual warfare — and an act of love. Scripture Mentioned * Isaiah 46:1–4, 9–13 — God alone carries His people; idols like Bel and Nebo cannot save * Daniel 1 — Daniel refuses the king’s food; a model of resisting cultural compromise * Matthew 6:22 — “The eye is the lamp of the body…” (referenced when discussing eye gates) * Mark 10:14 — “Let the children come to me.” Jesus’ love and protection for children * Hebrews 12:6 — “The Lord disciplines the one He loves.” A reflection on parental discipline as love * Matthew 16:18 — “The gates of hell will not prevail.” The call to push back darkness, not retreat * Philippians 2:10–11 — “Every knee will bow and every tongue confess…” * Romans 12:2 — “Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world…” (referenced in discussion on indoctrination) * Proverbs 4:23 — “More than anything you guard, guard your mind…” * Psalm 101:3 — “I will not look with my eyes on anything that is wicked.” We want to foster an environment where hard, uncomfortable, but needed conversations can happen—in the spirit of Charlie Kirk and in the heart of Jesus. Our hope is to grow a community of troublemakers who are committed to changing their homes, marriages, parenting, and communities, and to tearing down the idols of Baal in our generation. We’d love to hear from you—email us at thetroublemakerspod@gmail.com. Also would you share this episode with someone in your circle? You have influence in places we don’t, and that’s how this mission spreads. This isn’t about money or building our name; it’s about amplifying what the Lord has put on our hearts.   Be a Troublemaker with us—tearing down idols, building strong families, and living boldly for the Kingdom.

Forgiveness is Non-negotiable

In this episode, we process a difficult week, name the spiritual battle beneath the headlines, and keep returning to one costly, non-negotiable of following Jesus. We talk about resisting fear, refusing bitterness, blessing our enemies, and letting Scripture reshape our responses in real time.   Scriptures Referenced (quoted or paraphrased in the episode) * Ephesians 4:29–32 — Let your words build up; put away bitterness, anger, harsh words; be kind and forgiving. (read aloud)  * Matthew 5:21–22 — Hate in the heart is the seed of murder; take thoughts captive. (paraphrased/expounded) * Matthew 5:43–45 — Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; the Father gives sun to evil and good alike. (quoted)  * Ephesians 6:12 — Our battle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual rulers and powers. (quoted) * Psalm 139:23–24 — “Search me… know me… show me what offends You; lead me.” (repeated refrain) * Acts 9:28–31 — Saul’s bold preaching, opposition, protection by believers; the Church grew living in the fear of the Lord. (summarized/quoted)  * 2 Chronicles 7:14 — If My people humble themselves, pray, seek, turn, God will forgive and heal their land. (quoted)  * Acts 1:8 — Witnesses in Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (paraphrased)  * John 14:6 — Jesus: the way, the truth, and the life. (quoted in context of Paul’s witness)  * Matthew 12:25 — A house divided cannot stand. (paraphrased with the Pharisees account)  * Ephesians 6:10–17 — The armor of God; specifically the helmet of salvation. (paraphrased/applied in parenting)  * Ephesians 5:14 — “Wake up, O sleeper…” (invoked in prayer) * 2 Kings 6:17 — Hills filled with chariots and horses of fire; the Lord’s angel armies surround us. (invoked in prayer)  * 1 John 4:18 — Perfect love casts out fear. (invoked in prayer)  * (Also referenced as a principle) The “fresh and salty water from the same spring” warning about our speech. (alluded to during discussion)  We want to foster an environment where hard, uncomfortable, but needed conversations can happen—in the spirit of Charlie Kirk and in the heart of Jesus. Our hope is to grow a community of troublemakers who are committed to changing their homes, marriages, parenting, and communities, and to tearing down the idols of Baal in our generation. We’d love to hear from you—email us at thetroublemakerspod@gmail.com. Also would you share this episode with someone in your circle? You have influence in places we don’t, and that’s how this mission spreads. This isn’t about money or building our name; it’s about amplifying what the Lord has put on our hearts.   Be a Troublemaker with us—tearing down idols, building strong families, and living boldly for the Kingdom.

The Troublemakers Podcast Trailer

Welcome to the very first episode of the Troublemakers Podcast with the Parsons! In our first conversation we share the story behind Troublemakers, why 1 Kings 18 shaped our name, and how the fear of the Lord is leading us to live with intimacy instead of compromise in every aspect of our lives.  Scriptures Mentioned * 1 Kings 18 — Elijah called a “troublemaker” by Ahab and the showdown on Mount Carmel * Psalm 139:23–24 — “Search me, O God, and know my heart… see if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” * Proverbs 1:7 — “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction" * Amos 5:21–24 — God rejects empty religious ritual: “I hate, I despise your festivals… But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream”  * Isaiah 64:6 (implied) — Our righteousness is as filthy rags, but Christ clothes us in His righteousness. * Revelation 4:11 (implied in closing prayer) — “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things…” Tools & Resources * Blue Letter Bible [https://www.blueletterbible.org]— A study resource we recommend for digging into the Hebrew and Greek meaning of Scripture Don't forget to subscribe and share!