Ikem Grigsby is a pastor, speaker, author, and evangelist with over 20 years of experience in full-time ministry. He serves as the lead pastor of Word of Life Church ("The Life") in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, where his heart is to help people live out their faith with purpose and authenticity.

A graduate of Rhema Bible Training Center, Ikem also holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Oklahoma Wesleyan University and is currently pursuing his master's degree in psychology at Grand Canyon University.

From 2008 to 2014, he served as a missionary in Africa and Central America—including Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, and Costa Rica—leading crusades, healing meetings, and revival gatherings that impacted thousands.

He is the founder of Kindle the Flame Worldwide Ministries, a traveling evangelistic ministry focused on igniting hearts for Jesus Christ and helping people discover God's plan and purpose for their lives.

Ikem is also the co-host of the "That Life Podcast," where he shares practical, faith-centered conversations on life, leadership, and walking with God.

As a three-time author, his books include "Vision: Seeing Through the Eyes of Jesus," "Crushing Adversity," and "Born to Win: You Were Made for More."

His message is simple: you were created on purpose, for a purpose—and your life is meant to burn with passion for Jesus Christ.

Church: www.wllife.org

Ministry: www.kindletheflameww.org

Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@ThatLifePodcast

Welcome to 12 Minute Converse with Jesus Believers.

God chose first to have a conversation with us, his creation.

Our prayer is that this listening space brings growth and transforms your life forever.

Praise God for you Ecom.

What part of the world are you in today?

I am currently in a small city in Louisiana called Slidell, Louisiana.

Wonderful.

It's a great pleasure to connect with you.

How did you connect with Jesus?

We weren't even close.

Like my wife and I often joke about this, but we weren't, you know, we were having fun doing what we were doing.

And the Lord reached out, the Lord connected to us through dreams and visions.

I started having these dreams about Jesus.

We were connoisseur Catholic, but not practicing, if that makes sense.

So we had some sort of context of what was going on.

And then on Bourbon Street, my wife and I was close to Mardi Gras.

I don't know if you're familiar with that in our area.

We were down in New Orleans and I had an encounter with these people that were trying to, you know, evangelize us.

And the Lord spoke to me during this moment.

I had an open vision of my daughter and the Lord said to me, why are you crying and weeping over your daughter?

I thought it was the people who said it to me.

I got very angry with them, went home, started praying, which I didn't know what that actually looked like, but God, what's going on?

And Jesus revealed himself to us in that way.

So it's kind of a long story, but through some dreams, some visions, some encounters.

In 2000, my wife and I both gave our hearts and our lives to the Lord.

What do you think the difference is from the religious aspect of ritualistically following God versus him finding you?

Paul was on the road to Damascus and he had this encounter in the book of Acts where Jesus spoke to him and his life was changed forever.

And I think for us following him, it's yielded, it's surrendered, it's his way, it's not mine.

So I'm not just trying to get Jesus to add to my plan.

I'm fully surrendered to whatever you want us to do, what you called us for, that's what we're here for.

Did you guys come to Christ together?

Not at all.

My wife was very reluctant.

A lot of the dreams and things happened to me, but I don't know if you're familiar with Hurricane Katrina.

Yeah, 100%.

We lost everything in Hurricane Katrina.

We're five years in now.

My wife's going to church with me, but she's doing her best to be, you can't see my air quotes, but to be a Christian.

But I know in my heart, she's not sold like I am.

Hurricane Katrina happened, came and destroyed our city.

We lost everything and a local church helped us.

And it was at that time that I saw my wife really say, okay, Lord, you're guiding us, you're leading us.

I'm fully surrendered to you as well.

So hers, she was with me, but about five years later is when she had felt the impact of the call of God as well.

What type of advice would you give to someone who is in a similar scenario where their spouse isn't fully aligned?

What do they do in the interim?

I know it sounds cliche, but live it out before them.

And that's kind of what we did.

I mean, to be honest, there was a lot of beef sometimes because I'm like, yo, you're supposed to be following the Lord hard like I am, you know, that type of thing.

But after a while, I yielded to prayer and God began to work on our hearts.

So I would say, live it out, be the light, show them that you're different, show them that Jesus is doing something in your life that's real.

And when they see the change, it'll affect their hearts as well.

I saw that you did some missionary time across in Africa.

Tell me the lay of the land and the difference from what I would have seen in the U.S. and what it is like over there.

So we spent most of our time, the early parts in the nation of Kenya.

Have you ever been there before?

No, I've not been to Africa.

We were missionaries in Kenya.

My wife and I were directors of a Bible college called Trinity Bible Training Center.

And it was in a rural area called Muhuroni, Kenya, which is closer to Uganda, the western side of Kenya, no electricity.

We did Bible school.

We did crusade evangelism.

We cut grass.

We did whatever was needed for the ministry we were helping.

So in comparing that to the United States, it's night and day.

I mean, it's completely another world over there.

What's on the horizon for you?

To preach the gospel, but more effectively.

I feel like there's urgency in the times that we live in.

Jesus Christ is Lord and it needs to be revealed, if that makes sense.

The heart of God needs to be revealed to his people.

So that's our passion.

That's where we are.

And we also want to start traveling, getting back out to the nations again.

What's a message you'd leave for future you?

Stay humble, follow Jesus the best way you know how.

He'll take care of the rest.

His grace is more than sufficient.

So for the person who's listening, who may be in a similar scenario where they have those desires just like you had, right?

But they've been called by Christ.

What would you give them as steps that they can use as maintainers for themselves?

So the first thing I would say is get in the word, let the word of God be the Bible, begin to dictate what you think, what you say, and what you do.

The second thing was to be getting a good Bible teaching church.

And the third thing was getting mentored.

Find someone that you can just mimic.

And that mentor will help you get closer to Jesus, if that makes sense.

That's the three things I would say, get in the word, get in a Bible teaching church, and let them mentor you in the season that you're in.

In closing, is there anything else you'd like to share with our amazing audience?

I thank you for the opportunity.

Keep doing what you're doing.

Keep bringing light, keep bringing in conversations about Jesus.

And something they say in Kenya, Wachemungu, Awemungu, which means let God be God.

I love that.

Love that.

Again, amazing audience.

Links are in the show notes.

There's no way I could cover everything that this guy has done, right?

He is a three-time author.

Gum, again, a pleasure.

I treasure.

Thank you for being on What Is Inspired by 12 Minute Confluence.