Casey Jefferson will be leaving Guam in a few weeks with new hope and a new perspective. His story of salvation and a prayer request for the journey ahead today.
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Episode Transcript
Chris Harper: Welcome to Harvest Time. My name is Chris Harper, and our host on this program, our guest host this week is Pastor Jake Schnoor from Harvest Baptist Church. Every week, we spend these twenty five minutes together telling the stories of our church by interviewing our members and other friends of the ministry. We have two services at Harvest every week. You can join us at either 08:45AM or 10:45AM on Sunday.
We have Japanese and Korean translation during the second service at 10:45AM. We also livestream that service at hbcguam.org. Hbcguam.org. This week, Pastor Jared Baldwin will be preaching during both services. Let’s begin Harvest Time today by welcoming Pastor Jake Schnoor.
Hi, Pastor Jake.
Jake Schnoor: Well, hafa adai, Chris. Good to be back in the studio again. It’s always a blessing to be able to hear more stories from people in our church. And we got a great guest today, Casey Jefferson. And Casey, why don’t you just say a little bit about yourself, and why don’t you begin by actually saying a little bit about what you do and how long you’ve been doing it.
Casey Jefferson: Okay. Yeah, thank you so much for having me on the show. It’s just a great chance to share and just connect with the community and you know, give them a chance to know a little bit about me. So I’ll go ahead. Name’s Casey, and I was born and raised in Hawaii.
And what I do for work is I’m a fireman in the Air Force. Been at it for about seven years now. And, yeah, it has its ups and downs, but, I mean, I find joy and I love it in the long run, just being with, you know, a community that is just working to serve, know, just help out where we’re needed. Yeah.
Jake Schnoor: So firefighter, a lot of interesting situations I’m sure you could find yourself in. You just did some training, right? Was it last week or last couple of weeks? What was a little bit about that and any interesting stories from that training?
Casey Jefferson: Oh, right. So my last few weeks with my good friends in the church here, you might know him, Truman Leach, Matthew Figueroa. We were all just very fortunate to go ahead and get picked to do rescue technician training. It is where, like, the few weeks we are learning how to just provide aid in situations where it’s hard or very difficult to access, to make access to somebody that could need help. For example, if somebody happened to roll over on the side of a hill or if somebody happened to be trapped in a manhole or even just to access people that may be down on cliff just very far away, were able to use, just various, different ropes and mechanical advantages or tools to, give us leverage in, setting up these rope systems so that, we can send a team down.
And, you know, ultimately, with these rope systems, we’re able to pull fractions of the weight as a team and, yeah, ultimately just get anybody out of the situations they may find themselves in.
Jake Schnoor: Sure.
Casey Jefferson: Really fun, really challenging experience for myself.
I mean, I see other guys there flying through it. Was definitely a wake up call. Right? My first day, they… They’ll teach us, you know, many different knots in the morning.
And lo and behold, hey, we’re gonna give you twenty minutes. Need you to knock out all 15 of these knots. And I’m like, Oh.
Jake Schnoor: The same day you learned them, you’re being quizzed on it.
Casey Jefferson: We’re back in the academy. So, yeah, very exciting, though, and definitely just a great challenge. I just hope that myself and the guys were able to, you know, give back to the guys that may get a chance to go later. We can, you know, spread the knowledge of what we learned.
Jake Schnoor: That’s good. And about how long do you have on Guam? And then what do you know about your next duty station? Where is that gonna be?
Casey Jefferson: Right. So I have about two months left on Guam, and I’ll be heading over to Barksdale, Louisiana. And what I do know about the place? Lot of hunting, lot of fishing. Didn’t really grow up hunting and fishing.
Jake Schnoor: That’ll be a new experience then. Yeah, absolutely. Okay. So for sure, what we like to do is to hear the personal salvation stories of the members in our church. And maybe what you could do is kind of walk us through a little bit of the church background that you had growing up.
Okay. So, type of churches you went to, how often you went to it. But then, specifically, kind of tell us how, when, and where you came to a personal saving knowledge of Jesus, and you trusted Him as Savior. And we’ll go from there.
Casey Jefferson: Okay. Right. So, growing up, my I’d say only my grandma and one of my aunties lives on Hawaii that I know for sure are Christ followers. The majority of my family, we did not know Christ growing up. And
really just, you know, going through life not knowing Christ. And my my career in the in the military starts, and, it’s… I kind of reach a point where I want to improve. Feel like something is missing in my life. Sure.
So I don’t know Christ, so I’m chasing after all those superficial things that all the temporary things that that I see. I’m like, oh, know, I’ll find I’ll find fulfillment, you know, if I if I become, you know, stronger or read books about that or maybe read books about becoming a better leader. I I didn’t know Christ, so I’ll read military books about becoming a better leader. And maybe how to influence people or maybe how to, you know, be more productive.
Jake Schnoor: Sure.
Casey Jefferson: Right. And, you know
Jake Schnoor: Like just some self help.
Self
Casey Jefferson: help. Yeah. And, I’m going through the self help, Oh, you know, wake up earlier, work out twice a day. And so I’m going through these self help things and I’m improving superficially, I mean, peace of mind. I’m still, you know, judging myself, judging others, going to bed angry, thinking about, how somebody might have wronged me when… I mean, grace of God, I think a seed was planted years ago when I was… I was very fond of this fellow on YouTube, Urban Rescue Ranch.
He was… Going out of tangent here. He’s a he’s a Christian, and he works on animal rescues. And he was just, you know, closing out the video. And a few…
He he mentioned a few books he was reading, and I saw Pilgrim’s Progress. He he mentioned Pilgrim’s Progress. Mhmm. And, you know, here I am. Self help.
Self help. Self help. You know what? Let me give that one a try. And, you know, going through it, the allegory for man pursuing Christ, that book, going through it, I felt hope.
So, you know, the thought was there years ago. Pastor
Jake Schnoor: How long ago was that when you first read through? Because you said you read it a few times.
Casey Jefferson: Early.
Jake Schnoor: Right?
Casey Jefferson: It was like four years ago, I think.
Jake Schnoor: Okay.
Casey Jefferson: So that book kinda… Started. Started. It it kinda gave me a little spark of, wait, there’s there’s something that’s… That might be the missing thing. There you go.
So, I mean, you know, fast forward. And that was all while I was just relying on myself. Just relying on myself. So, I mean, I came across that I’m relying on myself. But then, you know, I come through to Guam here and I have a few coworkers that arrive here on Guam probably while I’m like two years in here.
And they’re already Christ followers. And, you know, just in the firehouse, we’re spending so much time together and, you know, we talk about like plans of, Oh, what will we do going off shift? Hey, these these guys are looking for a church to go to, and they they mentioned Harvest. And and, like, at that that point in my life, just knowing that all those those superficial things have been changed. That’s not real.
Feels so Still empty. So empty. And I’m like, Hey, you know what? I need to go with these guys.
So, you know, we all spend time at Harvest, and the the community is, like, just so loving. And I I thought about this, like, before when the the seed was planted, I was just by myself. But, I mean, when when two or three are are gathered in his name, he’s there. So, I mean, I’m I’m there with just my my friends and, you know, we we end up just starting to grow the relationships here at Harvest and, you know, attend, like, young pros and men’s bible study. Mhmm.
And, like, hey, like, I’m actually having conversations Mhmm. Here about Christ and what he’s done and just, I mean, it’s just fascinating to see all the ways, all the promises that are fulfilled through the old and the new testament, I mean, that’ll that’ll tug at your heartstrings.
Jake Schnoor: Yeah.
Casey Jefferson: And and sharing each other’s burdens as well. Just such such a big weight off my chest. I haven’t felt this. Yeah. You know?
And…
Jake Schnoor: Yeah. Because shortly after you were attending, you, Leach, Barbour, Fig, all of you guys attended, you’re interested in becoming members, right? You started going to a membership class. Were there conversations during that class that sparked certain things? Describe a little bit of that process.
And then eventually, obviously, you got baptized, but what led up to that and some of those conversations?
Casey Jefferson: Right. We’re learning about what Christ has done and how we need to follow him. And, I mean, at face to face, I I think it was, Truman and Matthew Mhmm. After a night at Young Pros, they asked me, hey, Jeff. Have you ever been saved?
And I I don’t I don’t know Christ. I’m like, what’s that mean? Yeah. So I I spend time with pastor Jared and Mhmm. Yourself as well just learning, like, just the steps of making that Mhmm.
Commitment and finding that new identity. This is this is like the most fulfillment you can receive. It’s all through him.
Jake Schnoor: Yeah, amen.
Casey Jefferson: Your ability to love and connect and communicate with others, to enjoy food, enjoy Sure. The beauty of nature. It’s all from him. Yeah. It is.
And, I mean, we’re we’re born in a separation from that. And it’s I mean, it’s so beautiful that I was just given the chance to just accept that gift.
Jake Schnoor: Yeah. Yeah, because I remember you sharing a little bit. You were saying, before you came to Guam, you’d understood enough of Jesus that He did live and He did die and it’s for your sins. But then the idea of, Well, have you accepted that for you? You made it seem like you had never really thought about actually making it personal.
Right. Yeah, so And, about when was that? When you kind of made that realization, or when you had that realization, and then you made that personal commitment?
Casey Jefferson: Right. 08/17/2025.
Jake Schnoor: So just over a year.
Casey Jefferson: Yes.
Jake Schnoor: Man. Lots happened since then, right? One of the things that we like to talk about is, once you do come to know Christ, He doesn’t stop there. Right? He teaches, and He always reveals more things.
I guess, since you have been saved, and since you came to that personal knowledge of Christ, what would you say, whether it’s through your work in the military, or through Harvest, or anywhere else, what would you say some things that God has been teaching you within the last year? Anything that comes to mind that God’s been teaching you.
Casey Jefferson: I think He’s been teaching me that my identity is with Him now. Because, I mean, through throughout the military, they’ll teach you, hey, you’re you’re an… Well, I’m an air force. So Yeah. You’re an airman force…
You’re airman first and a firefighter second. And, just, you know, following Christ. Hey. Hold on. I’m a Christian first.
Then I’ll be an airman and a firefighter. And what I’m I’m learning is that to maintain that identity, you need to you need to consume that that bread every day. You need to consume a spiritual bread every day. That’s good. You know, as is alluded to back when the Israelites provided that bread every day, but they couldn’t store it.
Jake Schnoor: Yeah, it makes me think about something I read yesterday, actually, in Colossians chapter three. It says, If you’ve been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things that are on the earth. And here’s the verse that really stuck out to me. It says, For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
And says this, When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory. And you’re talking about Jesus being your identity, when Christ, who is your life, not just Christ who gave you life, that’s true, gave you life. Let’s talk about the new birth, it talks about the new life we have with God. But, when it says Christ, who IS your life, it’s like, sometimes people talk about, Oh, my family is my life. My work is my life.
Or, My hobbies, that’s my life, man. It’s like, this is the centerpiece. Everything else kind of revolves around this. And that’s really part of, or one of the results of salvation, is that Jesus goes from being this outward fringe character in your story, to being the main part of the story. And so hearing you talk about that, that your identity is with Christ.
Not in what you do, or what you say, or your family, or anything else.
Casey Jefferson: Absolutely. And I may butcher this, he who wants to gain his life must lose it.: Yeah.: You know, he came to divide. And, you know, thinking about just my upbringing, my my family that doesn’t follow him. Yeah. And really just folks that are, you know, opposed.
It’s like, hey, I have to I have to be willing to give up, being liked Sure. To really just to follow him, to follow his truth because Yeah. His… He loves us more than we can ever possibly love anything. Yeah.
And I mean, the the plans that he has for us and just the commandments that, you know, we’re we’re called to follow, they’re… They are for our benefit even though our our flesh and, and folks that don’t know him say the opposite. Yeah. Yeah. And, I mean, those those days when, you know, I’m taking in that taking in that spiritual bread or I’m having conversations, or, you know, I’m I’m sharing and and taking other people’s burdens, I mean, wow.
That’s…: Sure.: That’s where real life is.:
Jake Schnoor: Okay.:
Casey Jefferson: That’s where real life is.: Yeah.
Jake Schnoor: What would you say, so over the, we talked about what God has been teaching you. Yeah. Identity in Christ, that you are found in Him. He’s your life, right? That idea.
What would you say are some things of the ways God has been teaching you? So, you’ve been involved with a lot over the last year, from Young Pros to the men’s Bible study, discipleship, you’ve I don’t know how many events we’ve had at your place, and Bible studies, and movie nights, but what are some of the things that stand out when you think about what has helped you grow as a Christian? Stands out? And for any listener who knows that they do have Christ as their savior, but is struggling to grow, what would you say a couple of things that have helped you grow personally, that you’d want to encourage any listener who wants to grow?
Casey Jefferson: Right. So, I mean, to grow, I gotta say, man, you can’t just rely on yourself. It’s all just community. You need to surround yourself with people that love you and people that love Christ, most importantly. And just being a…
As a… From my perspective as a as a young man, surrounding myself with other like minded young men who are seeking Christ. And, you know, in doing so, we can we can hold, just one another accountable, point each other towards Christ in ways like, we’ll discuss, like, where we see ourselves, falling short and, you know, also ways that we have fed ourselves spiritually in that way we can kinda encourage one another, let you know, like, hey, what I’m learning, this is what I’m learning. Or perhaps, man, I didn’t really… Like, my mind was so occupied this week.
I was distracted. I just said, man, can you just pray for me, encourage me? Yeah. And also just, you know, ways you’ve fed others and Mhmm.
You know, spreading the gospel. And, yeah, that’s… I gotta say that’s really just the the biggest, catalyst for my growth. And Mhmm. I’m sure, believers or, you know, aspiring believers, they they can definitely find growth in that.
Jake Schnoor: Yeah. Having people to have accountability. And you’re kind of describing at least two types of accountability, meaning positive accountability, like, Hey, how did you intentionally try to grow this week? Meaning, how did you feed yourself spiritually, in the Word, maybe through a sermon, or just going to church, how do you feed yourself? And then you describe how do you feed others.
Meaning, did you meet with anyone this week? Did you pray with anyone or try to disciple? And then there’s but then the other side is not just positive, but negative. The third feeding that you mentioned was feeding your flesh. And you would say that going through those, and we use that in our men’s study, the three feedings, that’s been helpful for you?
That’s been something that’s allowed you to grow?
Casey Jefferson: Absolutely. And, I mean, we’re also, yeah,
we’re sharing lives. We’re sharing our lives with each other, giving each other access Yeah. Which is, I mean, something you don’t find something you don’t find out of the Christian faith. So, I mean, it’s It’s good. It’s all love and it’s all God’s work.
Jake Schnoor: Yeah. Yeah. I’m thankful for all that you’ve been involved with and all that you’ve been able to experience. And really, if those who are listening, those three feedings, if you are interested in an accountability group, or you just wanna have some way to meet with even just one for one person. If you find a time and a place, and you just go through those three things, where you say, What is a way that you fed your spirit?
What is the way that you fed someone else? So not just thinking about you, but thinking about other people. And also, whether you fed your flesh. Something that you struggled with throughout the week. If you do those three things, I’m speaking to the audience right now, if you do those things, Casey can verify that that will literally change your life. And the relationships that mean the most are the ones that you talk about those things anyway, so you may already naturally have connections like that. But, Casey, one of my prayers is that you’ll able to find a group like that in, you said, Louisiana?
Casey Jefferson: Yes.
Jake Schnoor: Yeah. Man, that’s what we’re going be praying for. And if they don’t have a group, you can start one. Definitely. Say, You know what, in Guam, we had these crazy people, and we did this crazy thing, where we met, and we talked about life.
And, yeah. Well, we’re just about out of time, but I want to be able to just close. What is the biggest thing that you would want prayer for as you transition? What’s one thing we can be praying for you about, Casey?
Casey Jefferson: Really just pray for me that my desire to just keep my eyes on Jesus grows and that it stays with me, you know, going to Louisiana or going wherever this life takes me, that it’s God first.
Jake Schnoor: Well, thank you so much for joining us today, Casey. I really appreciate it.
Casey Jefferson: Thank you so much. Love you guys.
Chris Harper: Well, and thank you for listening to Harvest Time today. We do wanna invite you again to Harvest Baptist Church. We gather at 08:45AM and 10:45AM Sunday morning, Japanese and Korean translation during that 10:45AM service, and that’s the service we broadcast live here on 88.1 FM at khmg.org. We hope to see you this Sunday. Thanks again for listening to Harvest Time.