A Man's Need for God

Dave Nelson

Our goal for A Man's Need for God podcast is to provide our audience the opportunity to hear authentic, and even raw, testimonies of faith, and from there, take a dive into people’s personal relationships with God, and how and why they Need Him. As a priest recently said to Dave, “we need to provide authentic, real testimonials, because a man could be in the depths of a trial right now, and he needs hope - and an authentic connection.”  This is not so much theological, although we will speak in the Catholic or Christian context, but more, experiential, personal, honest, vulnerable and real. I want to hear how Christian men depend on God, not half-heartedly, but wholly, whether as a CEO, a politician, a recovering addict, a veteran, a principal, a coach and more, and how that plays out in their day to day life, the struggles they encounter, and the obstacles they overcome by loving God above all things, and making Him their center. I want to take the opportunity to create an environment of vulnerability and honesty, and not without some laughter, that helps people journey with our guests as they share the peaks and valleys of their lives, and how that today, God NEEDS to be the center of all that they do.

Episodes

  1. 01/13/2024

    Episode 8: Billy Burke

    "I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." Matthew 25:36 Please welcome Billy Burke to this episode of A Man's Need for God. Billy was abandoned by his parents as an infant and left in a hotel room to the care of no one. He was luckily saved, but generational trauma followed Billy until he finally turned his life to God. Billy was eventually adopted, but it became a long road of being expelled from elementary school, in and out of youth detention centers, psychiatric wards, to eventually turning to methamphetamine and ending up in the New Hampshire State Penitentiary system. But one thing that never changed for Billy, from the moment he was conceived, to being left in the hotel room, to now, is that God NEVER left him - he walked with Billy, step by step, until finally, Billy fully joined the Catholic Church last year. God personally did this for Billy. As we head into Martin Luther King weekend, I hope this message is a reminder that ALL people are made in the image and likeness of God, and no matter someone's background, skin color, how they might look, or even their past mistakes, as Billy so humbly shares, these things alone do not define who they are, but rather being a child of God does. I pray in thanksgiving that Billy feels accepted and that he belonged in the Catholic Church, and thankful to God, for Billy's testimony. Please enjoy another episode of a Man's Need for God.

    50 min
  2. 01/02/2024

    Episode 7: Fr. Wayne Belschner

    I am very excited to have Fr. Wayne Belschner, Pastor at St. Mary of the Assumption in Dedham, MA join us for this episode. Fr. Wayne is an incredible man - he has built a thriving parish, with youth, and young and old families alike, because of his authentic approach. Born and raised in Revere,  MA, and one of eleven children (nine brothers and one sister) let's just say Fr. Wayne knows a thing or two about people, the faith journey, and a man's need for God. There are so many things I appreciate about Fr. Wayne, but not least of which is his own desire and longing for God. Often times, people can look at priests and think they're invisible, but they are people just like the rest of us, who need to rely on God for their strength and healing all the same. I hope through this conversation, it helps you understand a priest's need for God, and are able to learn a thing or two from the wisdom Fr. Wayne shares with us. Thank you for listening to another episode of A Man's Need for God podcast.  (Taken from St. Mary's directly, you can read Fr. Wayne's complete bio here: Fr. Wayne was born in Revere to the late Robert and Celeste Belschner.  Fr. Wayne has nine brothers and one sister along with twenty-four nephews and nieces as well as three grandnephews and one grandniece.  After attending Revere Public Schools, he completed his undergraduate work at St. John’s Seminary College.  He did graduate studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (1991-1993) and finished his formation at St. John’s Seminary (1993-1995).  Fr. Wayne received a Licentiate in Sacred Theology with a concentrate in history from Boston College in 2011 and his Doctorate from Boston College in 2017 in Medieval history.  While in the seminary, Fr. Wayne served in parishes in Roxbury and Winchester and was ordained to the priesthood on May 20, 1995.  He served as a parochial vicar at St. Charles Borromeo, Woburn (1995-2003); and, as a pastor at Sacred Heart, East Boston (2003-2016).  As a priest, he says that his greatest joys are rooted in the Holy Mass: “My greatest joys as a priest all stem from the celebration of the Mass. Whether it be marriages, baptisms, even funerals, to be gathered together as a family at the altar of God to share in His great gift of His Son is pure joy.”) https://stmarysdedham.com/about-us/clergy

    45 min
  3. 11/14/2023

    Episode 3: Pete Nelson

    This is a story of redemption, of possibility, and of God's grace working in what seemed to be an impossible situation. My brother Pete Nelson is this episode's guest. Pete is in recovery from intravenous drug addiction, but who has gone on to do incredible things, to today, running his own mental health counseling practice in New Hampshire, named Nelson Counseling, to founding the recovery-home network named St Christopher's Recovery comprising of over four recovery homes, which you can visit here to learn more https://saintchristophersrecovery.com/. For those who have suffered with addiction, or witnessed loved ones struggle with addiction, both Pete and I pray that his testimony gives you or them hope. Pete was in the throes of heroine and intravenous addiction for nearly 10-years, and at its worst, was alone and homeless living on the streets of South Boston until the end of 2019, when things miraculously changed for Pete, and he found God again. Please allow Pete to take you on a journey of addiction, to healing, with God being at the center. Anyone who has experienced this level of addiction, or witnessed someone else experience it, the darkness is almost unspeakable, but they are not alone, and the possibility of something different is available with God's grace. Please be aware, of course, that although the lyrics are clean, we talk about sensitive topics that could be triggering, so take it slow if needed. Thank you for listening to another show on A Man's Need for God.

    45 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Our goal for A Man's Need for God podcast is to provide our audience the opportunity to hear authentic, and even raw, testimonies of faith, and from there, take a dive into people’s personal relationships with God, and how and why they Need Him. As a priest recently said to Dave, “we need to provide authentic, real testimonials, because a man could be in the depths of a trial right now, and he needs hope - and an authentic connection.”  This is not so much theological, although we will speak in the Catholic or Christian context, but more, experiential, personal, honest, vulnerable and real. I want to hear how Christian men depend on God, not half-heartedly, but wholly, whether as a CEO, a politician, a recovering addict, a veteran, a principal, a coach and more, and how that plays out in their day to day life, the struggles they encounter, and the obstacles they overcome by loving God above all things, and making Him their center. I want to take the opportunity to create an environment of vulnerability and honesty, and not without some laughter, that helps people journey with our guests as they share the peaks and valleys of their lives, and how that today, God NEEDS to be the center of all that they do.