Kingdomexec Magazine

Cover Story Volume 4 Aug/Sept Issue 14 A Leading Survivor Page 30 No Passion, No FruitFeatures KingdomExec. Magazine 6 Beat Stress Before It Beats You Founders & Editors: 10 Leading From The Bottom Up Kevin & Candace Ford 18 Problems With The Prophetic Magazine Graphics & Layout: Love Clones Publishing Contributing Writers Wanda Y. Arnold, Lolita D. Cleveland, Antonina Geer, Dr. Jackie Golden, Kasama Lee, Libba Narron Lewey, Steve Lewey, Sherry Lynne, Apostle Sharon R. Peters, Dr. Robert C. Robinson III, MD, Dr. Karla L. Robinson, MD, Danai Younghttp://kingdomexec.com Pg. 3

From The Editors Desk … As I look back at the landscape pathway qualification to become one of the greatest leaders, of history, many of those prophets and deliverers of all time. whom we deem as courageous and exceptional leaders were Also, can forget the story of a young shepherd boy named seemingly thrust into this David who was appalled at the fear and trepidation of the role by the making of one armies of Israel at the threats of a giant named Goliath? When decision. Often it is not the he offered to go against this “uncircumcised Philistine”, He long and drawn out process of was ridiculed by his older brothers and King Saul. constructing logical thoughts together into a cohesive The rest of the story is that of a young boy who chose to ideological framework that look beyond the cries and taunts of a giant and the fears of catapults one into leadership. supposedly experienced warriors, to see himself as a King. Instead it is simply the making of a decision to act. There is the widowed senior who notices the single mother next door who is in need of someone to watch her children.On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was ending her workday She chooses to step out of her world of comfort and becomeas a maid in Montgomery Alabama. Because all of the seats that which she never imagined that she could be.were taken in the back of the bus that was designated for“colored” riders, Mrs. Parks chose to sit on the front of the Instead of a father in the neighborhood ranting about thebus that was for “whites only”. Little did she know that her wayward young men hanging out on the corner, he beginsdecision would be the match to ignite the already overly dry to reach out to those who will receive him. He becomes thewood of Southern racism and bigotry. Her one gesture was father of many, who will in turn know how to become thatthe catalyst for the historic Atlanta Bus Boycott, and as a which they did not have previously.result, she became known as the “Mother of the Civil RightsMovement”. You too are only one decision away. From what, you may ask? Changing your community, running for office, obtainingUpon hearing of Mrs. Park’s feat and the events that followed, the degree, starting the non-for-profit, answering the call tothe Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stepped to the a ministry assignment, mentoring young women, or writingforefront as the leader of the boycott. The ensuing happenings the book ….. And becoming the best you that you could everchanged the course of a people and a nation. imagine.A college dropout at twenty-one and hanging out in his The greatness of your leadership may not always beginparent’s garage with his two friends, Steve Wozniak and with courage. It may begin with a decision, your decision toRonald Wayne, Steve Jobs knew that he wanted more. turn the tide of injustice, fear, hatred and lack by being theAlthough Jobs and Wayne worked for Atari and Wozniak for solution to one problem. You already know what it is, so do itHewlett Packard, they saw the potential for something greater, ….NOW!the microcomputer. Thus, the Apple 1 was born, and the faceof technology was changed forever. This month, our desire as the editors of KingdomExec. Magazine, is to encourage our readers to step into theirFrom a Biblical perspective, although born a Hebrew, rescued purpose, not to fall prey to excuses, to step out of theirfrom the slaughter of all of the other male children of his day comfort zone and to choose to make the appropriate steps toand raised as Pharaoh’s son, Moses inherently stood up for walk into your greatness!the injustice of one of his fellow Hebrews. This resolve wouldchange the course of his life for all time. By opting to identify Kevin & Candace N. Fordwith the sufferings of the downtrodden, he was now on thehttp://kingdomexec.com Pg. 5



Christian Leaders …Beat Stress Before It Beats You! -Pastor Sherry LynneAre you feeling overwhelmed as though you just can’tget it all done? Do you feel overworked, pressured, ordeadlines? Do you have trouble relaxing or looseningup? Does your body tend to be stiff, uptight, andtense?As a Pastor or Christian leader, there are multiplereasons why you are battling with so much stress. Hereare some of the top stressors you may be dealing with:You are on the frontline, having to be available 24/7,helping people cope with the enormous challengesin our world today, catastrophes, deaths, accidentsand emergencies. This can be very stressful on you,causing existing, dormant, or new negative emotions/attitudes and stress-related health problems to surface.You may be suffering from a neurotransmitter schedules with your spouse, feeling that yourimbalance, such as low serotonin levels. Having congregation or work life competes with family time,depleted serotonin levels in your brain as well as being expected to wear all hats and be competent as ahaving malfunctions of your thyroid or adrenal glands leader, human resources manager, counselor, financialfrom years of experiencing chronic stress or grief… manager, teacher, conflict manager, etc.will exacerbate your reactions to your already difficult Maybe you’ve had the stress of uprooting your familystressful circumstances. in relocating, changing ministry locations, serving orPerhaps the daily pressures are exhausting you; overseeing multiple congregations or satellite offices,working in a stress promoting ministry, organization, having to satisfy others’ new expectations of you.or as a sole practitioner where you are working long As a result of feeling ‘STRESSED OUT’, you are likelyhours without adequate rest periods, with too many experiencing a general ‘worn out’ feeling, loss ofphone calls, meetings, interruptions, unrealistic motivation for ministry, impatience, anger, edginess,expectations demanded of you, incompatible work

worry, anxiety, irritability, exhaustion, depression, fear to heal the spiritual root causes of your reactionsand panic. to your circumstances and your stressors. ThisTo get relief, consider doing the following: should include spiritual warfare, deliverance, and • Take regular mini vacations and time off. breaking of strongholds and generational curses. • Handle stress the way Jesus did. He had quiet I invite you to take a few moments and pray upon what you have read in this article. Being a Pastor or time by being alone, by often getting quiet and spending time with God. We see Jesus doing this in Luke 5:15-16, “But so much the more the news spread abroad concerning Him, and great crowds kept coming together to hear Him and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. But He Himself withdrew in retirement to the wilderness and prayed.”• Have fun, laugh, develop an interest by thinking back to what you enjoyed doing during your school years….then do it!• Make a commitment to work with a healthcare Christian leader is a high and sacred calling. However, professional that specializes in nutritional therapy, nowhere does the Bible promise to ease all the stress in instead of using pharmaceutical medications with our lives. Therefore it is up to you to be mindful when all their negative side effects. By making a few it comes to your own self-care. This is necessary, as it lifestyle changes, your fatigue, lack of alertness, is written in Hebrews 12:1 to “run with endurance the inability to focus and other physical or emotional race that is set before us”. symptoms will disappear or greatly improve, making what seemed stressful before, no longer much of a struggle.• Practice the fine art of saying “No”. This requires discerning which things can be put off to handle later, and which things need to be addressed immediately.• Take authority and signup for Biblical counselingPastor Sherry Lynne is a Warrior for The Lord and President of Sherry LynneCounseling. Since 1995, Pastor Sherry has been effectively soothing ‘frazzled nerves’of people worldwide. Her Biblical stress management programs are known to equipand empower people from all walks of life. Motivated by a passion to help peoplereach their full potential, Sherry merges spirituality, physical and emotional healingand nutrition, with the practicality of everyday life.

Your Health Is Your Wealth -Karla Robinson, MD and Robert C. Robinson III, MD3 John 1:2 NASB Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may is your wealth. Strive to prosper in both, just as your soul prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. prospers. • Our health is our most important asset. What can beMany may have heard the expression “your health is yourwealth,” but few grasp the depth of this statement. With of more value than our very own lives? 1 Corinthiansmany in the Christian community being uncomfortable 6:20 reminds us that we were bought with a price;talking about “money” and the biblical principles behind it, therefore we are to honor God with our bodies. Justwe can see furthermore why this correlation to our health think of how valuable you must really be in thewould be especially troubling. However, we challenge Lord’s eyes. Let’s put on the mind of Christ and viewyou to believe that not only does God want you to have ourselves in that same light. The Lord spared nothingwealth and be successful, but He also wants you to have in his purchase of us, so why not invest in your healthgood health. In fact, our founding scripture in 3 John 1:2 as if your life depends on it…because it does!implies that health and wealth go hand in hand. • You can’t afford not to. Copays and deductibles, lacking vacation time or sick days shouldn’t be the issue thatIn the text we see Paul writing his prayer that we would keeps you from the doctor. You won’t be able to go toprosper AND be in good health. This implies that we that job or provide for your family if health issues causecertainly shouldn’t strive to have one without the other, you to be disabled or to no longer be around, so makebut also that achieving both is possible at the same time. the sacrifice to take care of yourself now.He goes on to make the statement that we should have • The earlier the better. It’s no secret that illnesses arethe same urgency in this area as we do for our souls being more expensive to treat when in the more advancedhealthy and prosperous. The takeaway: we are to be stages than they are when caught early or evenwhole…in every area. prevented. Routine preventative care can save tons in the long run. Untreated high blood pressure can leadNow that we have the understanding that being in good to kidney failure and a lifetime of expensive dialysishealth is a requirement for our lives, let’s talk about how to treatments. The cost of a visit to the doctor to find outovercome the barriers we so often construct sothat we can actually achieve it. Oftentimes you need to make lifestyle adjustments nowas leaders we may decide that we don’t to prevent high blood pressure is nothinghave time to make our health a priority. compared to the potential consequences.With rigorous family demands, ministrydemands, and the occasional leisurely ..................................................................demands we don’t seem to have enough Kingdom driven husband and wifehours in the day. But let’s be honest.We certainly seem to make time team, Dr. Robert C. Robinson III,for the things that are important MD and Dr. Karla L. Robinson,to us. Somehow we just seem to MD have taken an unprecedentedforget the biblical mandate that multidimensional approach toour health is supposed to be tackling health disparitiesimportant to us. and improving health literacy within the urban community.Here are some gentlereminders to help youremember that even in themost practical sense your healthhttp://kingdomexec.com Pg. 8



“Leadership is influence, nothing your best effort at your job? (I know, they don’t paymore, nothing less.” John Maxwell you enough, but you agreed to that when you said yes to the job. Are you holding up your end of theIf in fact leadership is about the influence we have with agreement?) Do you anticipate what needs to be done,others, it matters little what our title or positon is. We and do it without waiting to be told? Do you supportmay be in a position of authority in one arena, and not the current work directives even if you don’t personallyin another. For example, we may be an elder or deacon agree with or like it? Are you working such that youror pastor of our church, and receive our paycheck as a supervisor and your team succeed? Do you assistworker on a factory floor. We may be a member of the your co-workers so that each of you can do well? Ourchurch with no official responsibilities in that realm, behavior, what we do, speaks volumes and goes a longyet be the president or CEO of a company. Or we may way in influencing others.be somewhere in between, perhaps leading the scout Our second area is that of attitude. Are we agreeabletroop, the head of our family, and a supervisor at work. to be around, or do others go out of their way toRegardless, we are in positions where we have the avoid us? Do we smile and do our work cheerfully?potential to influence others. It is our choice, and our Do we avoid jumping in to criticize others—whetherdecisions on a daily basis as to what that influence will coworkers, management, the government, or the newbe. work directive? Do we avoid gossip and spreading whatLeading From The Bottom Up - Steve LeweyLet’s assume that you are in a position in some arena doesn’t need to be shared, whether true or untrue?where you aren’t the one with the official title of leader. Are we living as “drama-free” as we can? Our attitudeMaybe on the organizational chart, your name is on the impacts, affects, and influences others also.bottom rung (or maybe not even on the chart). How doyou exercise leadership in that realm? The third area is that of motivation. Are we supportive of current leadership, or do we have a personal agendaEven at a low position, there are still many people we are trying to advance? Are we working to see thewhom you can and do influence: your co-workers; current program succeed, or working subversivelyyour immediate supervisor, and perhaps even your so that it will fail. Do we secretly hope the currentcustomers or clients or patients. How can you set management will fail, perhaps providing us theyourself apart as a Kingdom Leader in that realm? opportunity to step into their position and do it “theHow can you exercise influence, how do you model right way”?leadership, in those instances?I suggest three areas for your consideration. The first Leading from the bottom up demands that we beis in the area of our behavior. Regardless of what you secure in who we are, as individuals and in Christ.may think, others are always watching. Do you arrive Only from that perspective of security are we able toat work on time? Or are you always a bit late with a put aside our egos in order to serve others. Remembercreative reason why you were late this morning? Do the example of Jesus, who took the role of a servantyou put in a full day’s work, without always extending in order to wash the feet of his pupils. Remember theyour breaks and lunch, and leaving early? Do you give words of Him who said He came not to be served, but to serve. With the proper behavior, the right attitude,http://kingdomexec.com Pg. 10

and pure motivation, we are sure to influence, and Steve Lewey has beenthereby lead others, regardless of our title or position. an entrepreneurialWe will lead from the bottom up. leader for over 30 years. He specializes in coaching and encouraging entrepreneurs and business leaders in personal growth and development. Steve is a founding partner of the John Maxwell Team, and has an undergraduate degree in Communications and a graduate degree in Biblical Studies. Visit Steve at his website, http://www.stevelewey.com



Beyond the Money Talk toDeveloping Extravagant Givers -Antonina D. Geer, MBAI don’t know of anypastor who never Disciple throughthinks about how teachingto increase regular stewardship – teachweekly giving in their what the Word of Godchurch. It is natural says about moneyfor us as ministry and giving. Teach theleaders who have spiritual aspect of givingthe responsibility of being an act of worshipoperating a church and a faithful expressionand keeping the of our trust in God.doors open to think Move away from theabout ways to bring fundraising and buildingmore money into the fund campaigns andchurch. At times this implement stewardshipleads to preaching sermons about money designed sermon series more than once a year.for people to give more based on a church need rather Be a generous church – your church shouldthan teaching them to give out of their relationship model generous giving by making room in the churchwith Christ. budget for generosity. Be intentional about giving toThere is nothing wrong with asking members to give and supporting ministries, organizations, and peopleto take care of a church need and at times this is a outside of your local church.necessary gesture. However, this focus creates onlygiving for emergency sake rather than giving to the Want more “for” the members of theLord. We must reevaluate and change the way we church – develop the heart for seeing people wintalk about, teach about, and demonstrate giving in and have liberty in every area of their lives. Peoplethe church. What would happen if we go beyond the give more freely when they aren’t stressed about or“typical” money talk and instead switched the focus struggling in their personal finances. Teach peopleto building people? How would your church change that God cares about every area of their lives includingif you began to teach what the Word of God says the finances. Build them up in their personal financesabout giving and generosity? I believe that you will and show them how to be excellent with their money.see more people growing in their faith as it relates to Provide free classes, free counseling, or tools/resourcestheir finances. You will also begin to experience more that will teach people how to properly manage theirpeople becoming extravagant givers who are excited personal finances.about financially supporting God’s work in your As pastors and ministry leaders we have thechurch. responsibility of providing opportunities for peopleSo how can you develop extravagant givers in your to grow in generosity. It’s important for us to makechurch or ministry? While there are many ways to the shift from talking about money for the purposego about it, I would like to share a few that you can of giving to a need. We have to lead people intoimplement right away. becoming more generous followers of Christ. This creates a congregation that consistently gives out of obedience, love, and worship for God which ultimately makes them extravagant givers!

DA LeeajdiinYg Suurvsiuvorf

Burned over 35% of his body as a result Each one of these books will teach and inspire you toof a house fire as a young child, Deji live your dreams. We are also dedicated to assistingYusuf struggled with bouts of low-self first time authors in publishing their own books. Weesteem and shattered dreams. Yet, are also dedicated to empowering people through ourthrough Christ, he discovered he had seminars, workshops and one-on-one/group coaching.a purpose to lead others through God KEM: Why do you believe it’s so hard for people tosaving him from that tragic ordeal. accept and live out their dreams?Today he assist others to live through DY: People have a hard time living out their dreamstheir dreams as they watch him live because they are generally in the wrong environmentthrough his. KEM had the honor of surrounded by the wrong people. Where and whointerviewing this Leader-Suvivor from you surround yourself with determines the positiveLondon, England.KEM: How would you describe your method or styleof leadership?DY: My method of Leadership has always been to and negative outcomes of your life. If you surroundserve everyone wholeheartedly. I believe in meeting yourself with wrong people they will pull you down.everyone where they are in order to nurture and serve Therefore, it’s important to surround yourself witheffectively. I have experience that people will follow people who make you feel better about you. You needwhat they see you doing, not what you say. Similar to people that will support you towards making yourthat of Jesus Christ’s leadership method. Jesus preached dreams a reality.about faith in Luke 17: 6 and demonstrated faith by Another element is procrastination. You can’t serve arebuking the wind in Mark 4:39. Therefore my method hardworking God and be lazy. God will always giveof leadership is to lead by demonstrating practical you tasks that are beyond you in order to test yourexample… level of faith. Task that seem impossible at first, and procrastination comes along and tells you that you can“And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard wait because time can be regained and that is truly aseed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou lie. I remember when I was 20 years old just like it wasplucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; yesterday but I can never go back to that age again!and it should obey you.” – Luke 17:6 Time goes quick and we must be determined to take the first step towards our dreams. Even if you don’tAnd he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the know how, what to do, hire a coach, invest in yourself,sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a invest in a mentor, get the help you need to get started!great calm. – Mark 4:39 Then people have issues with living in their dreamsKEM: Through your company DY EmpowermentEnterprise explain a few ways in which you inspireothers to operate in their God-given purpose?DY: DY Empowerment Enterprise inspires throughmy written materials. I have currently written threebooks, “Change is Possible”, “Success Winning andAchieving Greatness”, “How To Live Your Dreams”. http://kingdomexec.com Pg. 15

because they are concerned about what people will Kingdom of God.think about them. Some people will never take the firststep towards their God given dream because they listen KEM: Can you tell us the purpose of your Foundation,to people more than God. They pray just to talk with Deji Yusuf Burns Foundation?God but never to listen to God. Note, prayer is two-way communication. We must bear in mind; men will DY: The ultimate goal of the Deji Yusuf Burnsalways have opinion about you forever and ever. If God Foundation is to encourage burns sufferers to live fullput the passion and the desire in your heart, go for the and fulfill their dreams. We are also dedictaed to:dream whole-heartedly. You will never be forsaken.KEM: In doing business have you notice any distinct • Develop healthy self-esteemdifferences in the way that entrepreneurs do business • Encourage group networking events andin England as opposed to other countries in the world?DY: Whether in England or some other country, a activities to boost self-confidence and preventgreat idea will strive. It truly depends on the individual isolation.and what strategies they have put into place. We can’t • Reduce societal pressures, which could lead somedo things the same way due to the laws and few others into gangs or unhealthy behavior.things. However entrepreneur must apply great Godly • Connect with other burn victims to ease themprinciples to become successful. from their own issue.KEM: As a Coach, what advice do you give to leaders You can find out more information regarding thewho are struggling with identity? foundation at http://www.dejiyusuf.com/foundation.DY: That is very simple, it’s time to believe in yourself, htmlpray specifically and meditate on scripture that dealswith identity issue for example. One of the most “If God put thefavorite scriptures, Psalm 139:14 says, I will praise you passion and thefor I am fearfully and wonderfully made. It’s important desire in yourthat people not keep their insecurities in! They should heart, go for themake it point to speak to a counselor or a pastor inorder to gain advice and wisdom in becoming secure dreamin who God has called them to be. whole-heartedly”KEM: What tools and resources do you use to stayencouraged as a leader? -Deji YusufDY: Well of course the Word of God. Studying theBible is the greatest resource you can have. Alsomotivational tapes from various preachers, as well ashaving good friends and family members around willreally help. Being a leader is not easy, but surroundingyourself with positivity will allow you to walk the walkwith much less stress.KEM: Is the Kingdom of God lacking in the area ofleadership development?DY: There is always room for improvement. As theBody of Christ we must consistently develop ourselvesspiritually and personally. Maturity is a must for thewww.kingdomexec.com Pg. 16

Mature leaders are truly needed in the Body of Christ. As leaders we must lead as Jesus Christ did. We must live and lead by example. We must live and lead by practical example. And finally, we must demonstrate love to all mankind. - Deji YusufDeji Yusuf is a motivational Speaker, life Coach and Preacher of the Gospel.At a very young age Deji was involved in a fatal house fire accident which almostclaimed his life. He jumped out from 4th floor down to the ground floor to save hislife. As a result, he sustained 35% burns which left him with permanent scars onhis upper parts of the body. “The doctors emphasized that Deji’s story is one in amillion!” Due to the permanent scars caused by the fire, Deji endured a very difficultchildhood because he felt so bad about his new look!As a teenager, he was bullied, and picked on at school because of his outwardappearance. As a result of this, he failed his GCSE three times. However, with sheerdetermination, hard work, and perseverance, he finally passed his GCSE on thefourth attempt. In 2004, he gained an admission at Tower Hamlet College to studyBTEC National Certificate in Applied Science. Towards the end of the course in July2006, Deji was noticed to be one of the best academic students of the year in Sciencedepartment. This resulted in him being awarded Certificate for being the best studentof the year.In the same year, September 2006, he gained an admission at University of Greenwich to study Bachelor in Biomedical science. In 2009, he completed the course with first class qualification honors. After his graduation hedecided to set up his own business and today he is the CEO – Founder of DY Empowerment Enterprise. The aim ofthe company is to empower dreams and to manifest happier people.He has also written three books titled, “How To live your dreams, Change is possible and Success WinningAchieving Greatness (SWAG)”. Deji strongly believes that everyone is born to live their dreams regardless of theobstacles they may face in life.

Problems with the Propheticin Relation to the Five-FoldI can only speak from my experiences about some preconceived notions about when and how God should move. And, with this mindset, we’ll miss him everyof the interesting things I’ve encountered with mostly time. I thank God that His thoughts and ways are notpastors, others prophets and apostles as it pertains to the like ours! Hallelujah!prophetic and the five-fold ministry. First, I want to startoff by saying that we are called to be the body of Christ. I’ve noticed that if you don’t have a strong/loud voice,We should fit so uniquely together that we’re seamless, you may not be given the opportunity to release thebut unfortunately that isn’t the case. And, because we word of the Lord. I remember once when I was givendon’t have a united front as “the body,” the world looks the microphone, I was told to be strong, which meant toupon us as hypocrites. We say one thing and do another yell. Well, that’s not what I do or who I am. The bibleand we wonder why we haven’t had the opportunity does not read at any given time that Jesus was yelling,to bring anyone to Christ as a new convert. I’m sure screaming or talking extremely loud when he taught. So,there are many who think the body of Christ is double- what’s that all about?! Another thing, I’ve seen is thatminded. if you don’t have a church or some kind of following, you will not grace the platform to release the Word ofIf you recall, God gave a donkey the ability to speak. the Lord. I’ve also noticed that if you’re a man, yourWhy is it that people judge the person giving the chances are greater than a woman in releasing the Wordprophetic word as opposed to judging the word itself?! of the Lord or better yet if you’re not buddy-buddy withI’ve heard, with my own two ears, people say over the the set person of that house, your chances are also slim.pulpit that they’ve chosen certain people to be on theirprophetic team or council because those people say what These prejudices are truly sickening and I know they arethe pastor/apostle wants to hear. not pleasing to God. You may not agree with me and that’s okay, but this is what I’ve encountered. On oneAs a prophet, I speak the blessings of the Lord upon His occasion, things were done so out of order that I sat inpeople but I come to sound the alarm and bring warning service and was telling the Holy Spirit this is wrong andand correction. Years ago when the Lord told me that I He agreed with me. If we don’t get this right, divided wewill speak into the lives of “seasoned” leaders, I told him stand and divided we’ll fall.they will surely reject me because they’ve been doingthis thing much longer than I have. Obviously, that was no concern to him and he has backed me every step of Wanda Y. Arnold is a womanthe way. I’ve even been told that I don’t hear the voice of perseverance & endurance.of the Lord. Yeah, please believe I hear him loud and In 2009, she birthed Diademclear. I just say those things that others are afraid to say Ministries where there’sor those things that you don’t want to hear. healing, equipping and the discipleship of women. SheThe problem I see as it pertains to those who grace the is also the CEO of God’spulpit often is that they don’t receive the new thing Anointed Gifts Ministriesthat God is doing. Apostle John Echkardt said it best. where she is equippingHe said, “God sometimes calls people outside of your generations of emergingcircle. I believe this is often necessary because people leaders on the fundamentalscan become accustomed to a certain kind of prophetic of leadership. The heart offlow. Sometimes our circles can become the norm. a servant and the fruit of theSometimes we need to break out of our circles, and be spirit are important in herexposed to different prophetic types and streams.” walk as a leader.It’s so very unfortunate that we have so many





Be StillandKnow is a Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. He delights in seeing our faith. He delights in an attitude of gratitude. Today, let your faith say thank you. Praise Him throughout the day with a humble heart and watch what He will do on your behalf! Danai Throughout life, there will always be something Young that will try to take our joy. If it’s not a grumpy sales person, it’s a family member aggravating you, trafficWhat you dwell on is what you will draw into your life. is backed up, your flight got delayed, or your spouseWe can either focus on our problems, or we can focus is taking too long! Don’t go the next 20 years allowingon our blessings. The question is: do you want more the same people and same circumstances to frustrateproblems, or do you want more blessings? you. Change your approach. What’s upsetting you now doesn’t have to upset you anymore. You can choose to keep your cool and stay calm and steady. Remember, a relaxed attitude is going to lengthen your life. The next time you’re tempted to be upset, ask yourself, “Is this really worth me giving up my joy?” If you’ll make this decision to not give away your joy, to live each day happy, God promises you’ll be strong, you’ll have better relationships and you’ll accomplish more. He says a joyful heart is good medicine! Hold on to your joy and move forward into the abundant life God has in store!One thing I’ve noticed is that when you live with an Will you do something for me?attitude of constant gratitude, not only do you thank Will you try to find joy in each day? You are alive untilGod for what He’s done in your life, you start thanking you are not, and while you are still breathing I reallyHim for what He will do in your life. You thank Him want you to be happy. To figure out what happiness isfor opening doors for you in the future. You thank to you. I want you to fight for it. Create it. Choose it.Him for increasing you. You thank Him for bringing Believe you are worthy of it.the right people into your life. When we say “Thank If there are things you want to learn, then make theYou” to God for the things that are coming, it’s really effort to learn them. Try out that recipe. Take thata declaration of our faith in Him. It’s like saying in class. Pick up that guitar and strum your heart out.essence, “God, I’m so sure of Your goodness, I’m so Do the things you want to do with the time you havesure that You’re working in my life that I’m going to to do them. If there are people you want to get tothank You right now for what You are going to do know, make the effort to know them. Say hi, ask themtomorrow!” questions, be honest, and be true to who you are. TheFriend, that’s the kind of faith that pleases God. He people who deserve to be in your life are the peoplewants us to trust in His goodness and believe that He who love the real you, and not some mask you wear. Continued on page 22

Don’t keep hesitating because of fear of failing, being significant, loved, and needed human being that yourejected, or embarrassing yourself. There is nothing are.and no one in this life you cannot recover from. Youare stronger than you think, and more significant than We are better people because we know you. You helpyou know. You can learn. You can connect with people. make this world a brighter place, and I just don’t wantYou can be free. you to forget that the brightness is in you. You areDon’t let the pain keep you down. Don’t let it be the capable of things you cannot even dream up, but if youonly thing you ever feel. There is a lot more out there never try you will never know the amazing things youfor you than pain. You might not be in a state to alone can do. Will you try? Forget trying for me, pleasebelieve those words, but they are true. Pain is not the try for you. Try because you are precious and worthend of your story. You still have so much to live for. Joy, it. Try because doing nothing is a waste of the personlove, warmth, peace, laughter, friendships, and growth you are. Try because to live is to try, and I don’t wantare waiting for you to try, to believe, and to seek them to watch the light leave your eyes without you everout day by day. knowing what it means to live.Be gentle with yourself. Please, do this for me. Begentle with the process. Be patient with the progress. “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is Good: his love enduresHealing, change, recovery, and finding your way take forever” 1 Chronicles 16:34 NIV.time. It will take longer than you’d like, but the time isnecessary for the harvest to come. Take it a breath at atime, a day at a time, and a goal at a time. I don’t needyou to conquer the world. Love, I need you to conqueryour demons and vanquish your ghosts. I need you tosee that there is no guarantee you will greet tomorrow,so make the most of today.Life is a gift. You are a gift. Time is as precious as it isfleeting, and I want to see your soul dancing in eachsecond you are alive. I want to see your smile and hearyour laughter. I want to watch you try. I want to cheeryou on as you soar beyond your doubts. I want to seeyou finally embrace the beautiful, radiant, powerful,Danai L. Young was born in Fresno, CA but grew up inHarlem, New York the majority of his child hood. Mr.Young has lived in many places including 13 differentcountries, playing professional basketball in Europe.Now he calls Waco, Texas home. Danai has a Bachelor’sDegree in Sociology and Psychology graduating from theUniversity Of Nebraska at Lincoln.Danai is really big on family and a leader for all thosewho want to dream big. His vision is to help othersaccompliish their purpose in life!

As disciples, Jesus summed up our job in two tasks: love God and love our neighbor. As Christians who live out our faith in the Christian tradition, we are challenged to engage in these tasks throughout our lives, seeking to grow a little deeper in our love for God and neighbor each day. This growth occurs as we worship, spend time in the Scriptures and prayer, fellowship with other Christians, serve our neigh- bors and join in God’s redemption of this world. Many of our congregations and ministries have an incomplete understanding of what evangelism means. Are we talking about accepting a set of prescribed beliefs? Is evange- lism welcoming the stranger? Is it engaging in intentional discipleship practices? Is it reaching out and helping our neighbors? Or, is it all of the above? Most churches understand evangelism as sharing a set of beliefs, growing in one’s personal relationship with Jesus or loving their neighbors in tangible ways. Rarely does the understanding encompass all three. When this disconnect occurs, we find our congregations filled with people who do not have a foundational belief structure from which to build, are stuck in a confirmation-class level of discipleship and don’t understand why they are called to love their neighbors for any other reason than “it’s what a good person should do.” “Most of us are quite proficient at compartmentalizing our lives, and our religious life is one of the compart- ments” –Rev. Heather Lear UMC. We talk about God at church. We serve God at church. We might read our Bibles or pray at home, but we often do not think about living out our faith in all of the other areas where we invest time and energy. Church cannot be where we stop! Church is where we learn and are reminded of who we are and how we fit into God’s larger story. It’s where we practice articulating our individual faith stories and have others help us to discern our gifts and calling in God’s Kingdom. But that cannot be where we stop. Here are a few questions to consider in evaluating your understanding and practice of evangelism. • Is our congregation/ministry grounded in the doctrine of the church? Do we actively teach what we be- lieve as Christians, or do we make assumptions that our people are already grounded in it? • What are our current discipleship practices and processes, and do we challenge people to grow in their love of God and neighbor at all ages and stages of life? • Does our faith inform how we engage the world beyond the walls of the church? How do we seek to part- ner with God in God’s Kingdom? We invite (Invitation) people into a lifetime of growing in love of God and neighbor (Discipleship), so that they may join in God’s world-transforming work (Mission). This cannot happen if people don’t know who they are, who God is, and how they are to live in relationship to their neighbors (and even who their neighbors are for that matter). Remember this, discipleship leads to evangelism. Jesus fellowshipped with his disciples, walked and ministered to others and he ministered to his disciples. As a congregation you must do as Jesus did to reach His people.Evangelism & Discipleship -Lolita Cleveland



The Power of a SeedPart - III -Apostle Sharon R. PetersGenesis 26:1-6, 12-14: And there was a famine in the God led Isaac to a place called (Gerar); a place whereland, beside the first famine that was in the days of there was a famine. He did not want Isaac to go toAbraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Egypt. Egypt is symbolic of a place of bondage. KnowPhilistines unto Gerar. this, God will lead you into a famine (with a seed) before he sends you back into a place of bondage.And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not As long as you have a seed to be sown, not evendown into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell a famine can stop your harvest. However, yourthee of: Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, obedience is vitally important. When God tells you toand will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I sow that seed you must respond with obedience. Youwill give all these countries, and I will perform the oath must not allow your condition, circumstance or yourwhich I sware unto Abraham thy father; “current situation” dictate to you what not to do with your seeds!And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of Seeds were meant to be sown even during a famine orheaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; we can say when your current situation looks like youand in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be can’t sow. Again, your seed is famine proof!blessed; Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and The aforementioned scripture says that Isaac sowed inkept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and that land (Gerar) and he reaped a 100 fold in the samemy laws. year! However, prior to the sowing and the reaping, Isaac had a word from God that said that his seedAnd Isaac dwelt in Gerar: was going to take over the countries and that his seed would cause nations in the earth to be blessed. This isThen Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the powerful!same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him. Some possessions won’t take place until you sow yourAnd the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew seed. Some blessing won’t be released until you sowuntil he became very great: For he had possession that seed where God instructed you to sow it.of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of Isaac not only reaped 100 fold in the same year but heservants: and the Philistines envied him. himself waxed great and the Bible said he grew and he went forward!Your “seed” is famine proof when you obey God when Most people stop progressing and moving forwardhe strategically leads you to that place to sow it. during difficult times in their life, but if you continue to sow (even in tough times) you will see how God willWhen you are a “sower,” God will begin to instruct you also use your seed sown to increase you and push youwhen and where to sow your seeds. It is imperative forward for there is power in your seed.that you adhere and obey God when he directs yoursowing. You must not question God, neither shouldyou look at the condition in the land to determinewhether or not you should obey God and sow. TheBible says that the steps of a good man are orderedby God and we see here in Genesis that God will alsodirect your seed also.

A Life of Purpose - Whose Plan Is It Anyway? -Kasama LeeWhen asked, “What is your purpose?” What thoughts willingness to go through the explorative process,come to your mind? Are you thinking about the asking hard questions, for an organization or anpurpose at your work, in your life, in your family or individual to take that walk toward its purpose. Thein your community? Or are you thinking this whole process of discovering our purpose is not simple.purpose conversation is so daunting, let’s not even go Once discovered, it changes your perspective of whatthere? is possible. What would our world be like if we were all living a life of purpose? WOW!!!!There is no right or wrong answer. We are exactly “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares thewhere we are in our life, so the answer we have is Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plansexactly where God has orchestrated for us to be. to give you hope and a future” Jeremiah 29:11.I have certainly been at a place where I did not want As I look at my own life, having grown up in anotherto talk about my life’s purpose. There was simply country; not knowing how to speak English until thenothing to talk about since I did not know the answer. age of 14 (yes, I am writing this article in my secondI mean it’s not like you could run to the local store and language); raised in another religion; then in my 40’s,purchase your purpose. You can’t even order it online. God said, “Ok, I have prepared you and now I knowI believe our purpose is developed over time and a you are ready to meet your Savior.” Just like that!series of learning experiences of losing and winning. I From the day I was saved by a trusted business mentor,believe our purpose requires our willingness to grow my life has taken on a whole 180° spin, which I know Iand stretch to discover it. The last time I checked, would have never discovered on my own!I had not found another way of learning about our After six years in the leadership development andpurpose. personal growth industry, I started developing aAs a leadership trainer and coach, when I lead a leadership academy designed for our next generation,strategy session with my coaching clients, I have the youth, to impact the world with all the God-found that developing a core purpose and values given greatness that is already inside of them. Theirwork in a similar manner. It takes the leaders of hidden greatness just needs to be tapped on, shakenthose organizations engaged in a facilitated dialogue up, whispered to, and inquired about, so their newto discover and develop its purpose. It requires their awareness will not let them settle for mediocrity. Sounds like a big job? Yes, it is. Am I afraid that I might fail? Not really. And I know why. It’s because I know this was part of the Lord’s plan and I am simply the vessel to delivery His mission. Have I found my purpose? You had better believe it! The purpose is so clear; I cannot deny the power of it. The people I have met because of this path I have taken are Christ-loving people I would have never met otherwise. Some of my leadership academy studentshttp://kingdomexec.com Pg. 26

are children of church leaders. That’s when you know it is God’s purpose for your life. When it is not somethingyou would have ever stepped into on your own. A logical person would not do it.Here’s a catch about when God has given you a purpose. You still have to do the work with absolute couragebecause many will think and say that you have gone off the deep end. It will not make sense to many people.And that is ok. As long as it makes sense to you, to those who truly love you and to Him. There is no other wayto go but upward.“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” Proverbs 3:5-6.So I ask you, what is the purpose God is leading you to?



The Portrait of the Five-Fold Ministry Teacher... -Jackie GoldenLook Like a Teacher – arrests one’s attention and causes one to listen andSound Like a Teacher – receive something life changing in the moment. ThisBut, Are you a Five-Fold teacher type escorts the believer to understanding byMinistry Teacher? serving as a conduit or channel through which God gives instruction to the Body of Christ. Upon hearing,Often when we think about or hear the term teacher, the listener is inclined to act immediately. It is atinstantly an image is formed in our minds of what a this point that knowing moves from the head to theteacher is. After all, we’ve all had a teacher of some heart. The hearer is equipped with all that is neededkind in some capacity all our lives. We hear this term to make a right-now decision. It is at this point thatin school systems; we hear it in the church. But, who isthis teacher we call five-fold ministry teacher? the hearer becomes accountable for carrying out theEphesians 4:8 states, “…He gave some apostles, tasks associated with the instruction. It is at this pointsome prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and when the hearer deliberately chooses to change orteachers.” Teacher as mentioned in this passage means deliberately chooses to remain the same.“didasko” in the Greek. It means to instruct, deliver a So, are you a five-fold ministry teacher? If youdiscourse, impart knowledge, instill doctrine, explain, answered yes to this question, consider this. Becauseand administer clarity. As you examine his definition of the aforementioned level of impact of this office,more closely, it makes a clear distinction between one you must be very careful and only say what Holywho goes to school to learn how to “become” a teacher Spirit gives you to say. Speaking something other thanversus one who is “graced to be” a teacher. what God has told you to say can lead a person to misaligned expectations. And, when this happens, thatPreaching in the Greek is “kerisso,” which means to person begins to look to God to fulfill something toherald as a public crier or to proclaim. Preaching is which He never committed. In the final analysis, manyfor the purpose of calling the attention of people to may end up being disillusioned and disappointedtruth. Preaching says, “A truth exists.” Teaching is because of how you misrepresented God. Woe to thefor the work of making truth clear. Five-fold ministry one who misrepresents God!teaching says, “Here is the meaning of that truth.” Itdelivers understanding, and the receiver does not haveto employ extensive research if any to comprehend theintended message.Now, the goal here is not to get lost in semantics asone might ask, “How is preaching different fromteaching, and teaching from preaching?” Or, “Howis this kind of a teacher different from a college-bredteacher?” Perhaps this explanation will make this abit clearer. From the example laid by Jesus, the MasterTeacher, the five-fold ministry teacher is one whohttp://kingdomexec.com Pg. 29

No Passion, No Fruit -Billie Miller“Passion says, ‘You might as well give up, because I’m not “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteous-going to quit. If you knock me down, I’m going to get up. ness, for they shall be filled” Matthew 5:6.If you knock me down again, I’m going to get up again.I’m going to keep getting up until you get tired of knock- Without passion, you’ll go through the motions, buting me down.’ Get up and get on with it! There is no life you will never reach your destination. Too many leaderswithout passion.” ~ Dr. Myles Munroe begin but never finish. Many get off to a good start butSharon was a young lady who struggled financially and when pressure comes, they quit. They give up too soon. Itwas tired of working minimum wage jobs. Sharon heard takes little effort to start, but it requires relentless passionthat nurses make a lot of money, and thought to her- to finish. Leading without passion is like having no seed,self, “I’ll go to college and major in nursing.” So that’s but expecting a bountiful harvest. You’re only going towhat she did. Things started off well for Sharon but then get but so far. Therefore, passion is one of the most vitalsomething interesting happened. She was faced with components that a leader must have.cleaning up a patient’s solid matter. LOL. In other words,she had to clean up an elderly adult who pooped on Passion is contagious. When people feel your passion, itherself. She thought to herself, “I can’t do this!” So can makes them want to partake in the very thing that you’reyou guess what Sharon did? She quit the nursing program passionate about. If you’re a leader, but you lack passion,and changed majors. Was it wrong for Sharon to want the following are inevitable:more pay? Was it wrong for her to want a great career? Ofcourse not! The issue was that Sharon chose a major that • Your team won’t have passion.she wasn’t passionate about. Her only drive for the posi- • Your staff won’t have passion.tion was money. It wasn’t that she loved helping people or • Your church members won’t have passion.she had a knack for it, she just wanted better pay. When • Your customers won’t have passion.you let money drive you rather than passion, you’ll crashevery time. Not only will you fail, but your team will fail…your min-Lack of passion is the reason for many business failures, istry will fail…your business will fail. You see, it’s easy toministry breakdowns, and dreams unfulfilled. As a leader, plant the seed, but passion is what waters that seed…andyou must have passion. You must continue to refuel it, so helps you to endure to fruition.it remains fresh and new. What is passion?Passion – intense, driving, or overmastering feeling; “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just thean energetic pursuit of an aim or devotion to a cause; a right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’tstrong liking, delight, or desire for some activity, object, give up.” Galatians 6:9 NLTor concept; a strong desire or zeal; a hunger or appetite;to have tenacity and courage; not easily pulled apart; per- BILLIE MILLER, “The Motivational Minister” is a Biblesistent in maintaining or clinging to something valuable. teacher, speaker, and the #1 Amazon Bestselling AuthorDo you have zeal for your business? Do you have tenacity of “Life in Righteousness: The Word is Your Life” and “30for ministry? Do you have a hunger, desire, and appetite Days of Righteousness: The Word is Your Life Action Plan”.in your heart for the things of God? Thousands of lives have been changed through Billie’s pow- erful teachings. For more information please visit www. BillieMiller.com. Follow Billie on twitter (@BillieMiller7) and on facebook (BillieMillerPage).



Comfort Zone-ectomy… Remove the blocks to your best life! -Libba LeweyNone of us will ever step beyond our comfort zone and 2. In growth environments people desire and embraceachieve something great if we haven’t caught a vision of Change.what’s on the other side. How do we maintain or evencreate a vision of our best life in the chaos of daily life? 3. The Focus is… Forward in growth environments.One of the simplest ways is to take a fresh look at the 5 People talk solutions versus problems.environments where we spend most of our time: 1. Our Home 4. The environment is Positive and Affirming. It builds 2. Our Friendships you up as opposed to ignoring you or tearing you 3. Our Workplace down. 4. Our Place of Worship 5. Our Recreational Outings such as Restaurants, 5. A growth environment encourages you to step out of your Comfort Zone. The classic biblical example Sporting Events, Movies, Concerts, etc. is Peter getting out of the boat and walking on the water to Jesus!Then ask a powerful question: 6. In a growth environment you are celebrated, notAre these environments helping you go in the direction tolerated.you want for your life? Or, are they causing you to driftfrom your “heartbeat”, your life purpose, your goals, or 7. People in a growth environment wake upyour faith? Excited about life. They are focused, intentional, enthusiastic, and live with an overarching purpose.You and I will only be able to reach our potential–regardless of our profession or chosen path–when we So where to begin? Which environment do we start with?disengage from some of our comfort zones and place Here’s my confession and where I started. For 27 years ofourselves in growth environments. my career I was an Interior Design Consultant. One day it hit me! I had helped countless men and women turnOtherwise, as leadership expert John Maxwell describes their homes into places of beauty, order, and joy; yet I hadin his book: Everyone Communicates, Few Connect… ignored my own. Did I not believe that I was worthy of“You’ll be like a nuclear power plant disconnected from having an environment of beauty and order to come homethe grid. You’ll have incredible resources and potential, to?but you will never be able to put them to use.” Therefore I started with the Home Environment. I set out to make my home a “Sanctuary” versus a “Stopover”.So how do we recognize a “Growth Environment” versus In other words I made it a refuge, a place full of all thean environment that may be holding us back? colors I enjoyed. I made sure the fridge was stocked with healthy foods. I purchased bookshelves and found storage7 Characteristics of a Growth solutions so I’d be able to get organized. I even allowedEnvironment: myself to relax at home instead of always going into my home office to work. 1. If you’re in a growth environment, you will have others around you who are ahead of you. You’ll be surrounded by people you admire and would like to pattern your personal and/or work life after.

Then I looked at all of my recreational outings such as the restaurants I frequented. I decided to seek out restaurants where the employees reflected the values and work ethic of they leader they were working with. Wow…what a difference! And I kept going from there, moving through the 5 environments and slowly stepping out of comfort zones. Get Unstuck! Become Intentional about Your Best Life So here again is a question you must ask yourself: Are the environments that you are currently in helping you go in the direction you want for your life? Or, are they causing you to drift from your “heartbeat”, your life purpose, your goals, or your faith? If you’re feeling stuck? Give yourself a “Comfort-Zone-ectomy”. Enjoy the journey as you become strategic and highly intentional about placing yourself in growth environments— environments that cause you to stretch into your best life. Don’t let stale environments pull you back to the self that you left long ago. Do something today that your future self will thank you for. You my friend are worth it! And if you’d like encouragement along the way…I’d love to have you join me on my Facebook Coaching Page: Reload Life with Libba I used to have a comfort zone, where I knew I couldn’t fail, The same four walls of busy work were really more like jail. I longed so much to do the things I’d never done before, But I stayed inside my comfort zone and paced the same old floor. I said it didn’t matter that I wasn’t doing much, I said I didn’t care for things like diamonds, furs and such. I claimed to be so busy with the things inside my zone, But deep inside I longed for something special of my own. I couldn’t let my life go by just watching others win, I held my breath and stepped outside to let the change begin. I took a step and with new strength I’d never felt before, I kissed my comfort zone good bye and closed and locked the door. If you are in a comfort zone afraid to venture out, Remember that all winners were at one time filled with doubt. -Author unknown