Bible Teacher. Pastor.Educator.

In God I trust Part 2. I will not allow fear destroy my life Genesis 37:12-24

Genesis 37:12-24: “Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” “I am seeking my brothers,” he said. “Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” And the man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan. They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt. When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?” Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” Then Jacob tore his garments and put a sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son for many days. All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept for him. Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.”

            Are you living in fear of the devil? Are you constantly anxious about the work of the devil in your life? Do you lie in bed dreading evil events happening to you? Do you believe you will never get pregnant? Are you frustrated with your children? Do you have a medical condition that is getting worse and you are afraid that it will kill you? Child of God, I want you to know that amidst all these challenges you are going through, God has a plan for you. Worry less and relax. Truth is, God’s plans cannot be thwarted. Ask Him for His peace, then make your plans in accordance to His word. 

         In all that you do, never allow fear to hinder you from making any plans for the future. Remember, God’s plan is not always easy but His timing and strategy are perfect. In the scripture above, you will find that the main character in the passage is not Joseph or his brothers, but the sovereign God of heaven whose plan cannot be delayed or stopped by anyone.  

God’s plan cannot be thwarted. Why? Because He is our creator, sustainer and Lord of all. 

“Therefore, hide yourself in him; the name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run into it, and they are saved” (Proverbs 18:1). 

No power of the devil can stop the plan of God for your life; His will for your life will always come to pass. Keep in mind that nobody can assault you without God’s permission.  Children of God, you are indestructible unless God calls you home.  Today, many Christians are more afraid of a witch doctor than God. Learn to not allow the fear of evil men and women stop you from moving forward with making plans for the future. I am here to tell you that no demon can destroy or attack you without God’s permission. Why? Because you are a child of God, and should not be afraid of evil men and women. 

  One of the things that hold us back from making plans is that we secretly wish some people will fail in their endeavors. We have allowed the devil to plant seeds of unforgiveness in us. We all need to be careful to not allow jealousy become a tool used by the devil against us. The hatred Joseph’s brothers had towards him led them to consider murder to satisfy the jealousy and bitterness in their hearts. Believer in Christ, jealousy, bitterness and hatred has no place in your life. Joseph’s brothers could not stop hating him; they were jealous of all God had deposited in him. His brothers drank out of the cup of hatred and bitterness and it almost led them to murder. Their father, Jacob, who was also a deceiver, was experiencing the results of his evil acts. However, God could not stop loving and protecting Joseph. His brother's hatred towards him was driven by lack of fear of God. When we fear God, it eliminates any evil action towards our fellow man. This story was driven by God’s love for Joseph. God’s love for you as His child is not based on your understanding of His love but His plan for your life. It is based on the heart of God for His children. 

  1. What are five lies the devil tells us about the plans of God?

• • God does not care about your future plans.
  • God will only help you if you know the right person and are well-connected to the right people.
  • God does not allow U-turns. If you mess up, there is no chance for God to change your life.
  • You do not deserve God’s grace and mercy because you have not been reading your Bible or praying 
  • God’s plan for us is not good.

   2. What are five life-changing truths you should know about the plans of God?

• God's plan cannot be stopped by any act of the devil.
• God’s plan for your life is good. It will lead to your personal development and growth.
• God’s plan for your life will be accomplished in His way and timing. “All the events of a believer’s life are controlled by God’s divine plan. God’s divine plan when experienced always leads to receiving His blessings. (Romans 8:28). God’s divine plan gives purpose and meaning to a believer’s life.” Gary Barker
• God’s plan can be delayed by your lack of preparation. However, it cannot be destroyed.

Let's take a minute to reflect on these verses:

Jeremiah 29:11: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Proverbs 16:9: The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

Proverbs 19:21: Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

Jeremiah 29:11-14: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

Now, let's reflect on our last question for the day:

3. What are the 10 things I should do when a close family member is making my life miserable by causing me physical pain or emotional discomfort? 

1. Remember God’s plan for your life cannot be stopped by their evil actions.
2. Be wise in all your conversations with evil men and women in your life. Your innocence does not require you to be careless. Joseph was innocent, but totally naive. We look at Joseph’s story and are amazed that he never suspected his honest report of his brothers’ failings (37:2), his father’s open favoritism (vv. 3–4), and his narration of his dreams (vv. 5–11) would make his brothers jealous and his life miserable. Joseph was only 17 at the time, so you have no excuse.  “It is often a quality of the virtuous to expect others to be as honest, generous and good as they are. Innocence is attractive and to be cultivated. But we need to guard against a naivete that unwittingly provokes hostility.”-The Bible Reader's Companion.
3. Do not stay with them if you feel your life is in danger. It is not God’s will for you to be tortured by one who loves you. 
4. Be honest with them about the pain they are causing you.  
5. Remember, God is wiser than you. So, do not trust your own wisdom. 
6. Do not allow Satan to plant the seed of bitterness in you. Walk in love but be wise in all your interactions with them. . 
7. Leave and love them from a distance. Establish clear and specific boundaries. Be humble but be honest about your desire for respect and honor.
8. Pray for them each day, for God to show them the evil of their ways. Learn to say no without providing any explanation.
9. Resist the urge to attack them. Do not get into arguments or physical confrontation with them. 
10. Talk to a wise Christian counselor.

 

This sermon was preached at Bridge of Grace Baptist Church on Sunday Jan 9th 2022 by Pastor James Owolabi. www.jamesowolabi.com/donate

Preaching with Excellence!

Family! God has been so kind to me lately!!!! He has been teaching me so much lessons about preaching with excellence. Church was awesome this past Sunday! The response to my preaching was very heartwarming from the people of God. It is so good to be given the chance to preach every Sunday this month at my home church (www.thebridge.church). Preaching great sermons demand that the preacher be a student of the word of God and a student of human beings in his geographical location. Anybody can give a talk but it takes a man of God to be the mouth piece of God. Good preaching takes work but great preaching takes great work.

The preacher must be studious standing on the shoulders of church scholars and theologians across church history begging God for the anointing and wisdom  to precisely communicate the heart of God to the people of God. When I first started serving there, my preaching responsibilities were only twice a month at one of three locations. Preaching is hard work.

But now I am scheduled to preach at one of our three locations every Sunday this month!!!! This happened in July 2020 when God challenged me to practice my sermons out loud at home before preaching them to our church family. I never used to practice my sermons. I felt just memorizing the outline was enough, but recently God has been challenging me to “preach” my sermons out loud before preaching them on Sunday. I resisted at first because it required discipline, patience and humility. God has helped me so much. I believe that practicing my sermons out loud before preaching them has made me an effective speaker. Family! Please pray that I sharpen my speaking skills and that I find a coach to help me with my pronunciation of difficult words.
Evangelist James Owolabi
President Grace for Life International 

Dodge the Bullets ( Lessons from 20 years of Ministry)

Dear  Young and Gifted Leader! 

In the past 20 years of being in ministry, I have experienced a lot of pain and joy from serving Christ. My life has been a joy ride filled with unexpected opportunities and obstacles but God has been faithful even when I have been faithless! I’ve made plenty of my own mistakes, as well as observed others that have fallen victim to ministry malpractice. As you grow in your leadership skills and continue your journey guiding the young people of this generation to God, I urge you to heed the advice I am about to give.

Below is a list of seven bullets with which the devil keeps loaded in his gun. The bullets are  busyness, bitterness, blurred vision, boredom, bad budgeting, bad buddies, and blind spots all have the potential to be lethal. Since I want you to thrive, and I want your ministry to be prosperous, I am using this moment to give you some knowledge that will hopefully allow you to make a bulletproof vest for yourself.

I have watched way too many young leaders start well and end poorly. Leading a ministry is the most wonderful life calling if handled correctly.

1) BUSYNESS

Busyness is probably the easiest bullet to fall victim too. Many young leaders make the mistake of equating productivity with busyness. By that I mean they are under the illusion that because they have a full schedule, they are getting a lot of work done. THIS IS FALSE.

Productivity is based on how smart you work, not how hard you work. Working less, but being focused and intentional, can produce greater results and lasting impact on the lives of people  than long distracted hours of busyness. You want to make sure that you’re busy with the right projects.

An example would be, if you have to preach every Friday, and you know that by Wednesday you need to schedule time to prepare the lesson, but instead you busy yourself with attending sporting events for your teeangers, spending time on social media platforms and making personal phone calls.

Look at your schedule and plan out your week meticulously.  Begin on Sundays. Schedule everything. Schedule a day off. Schedule personal time off.  Not everything can fit but if you space it out well, you will get things done. Remember if it is important, you will make time for it.

2) BITTERNESS

A leader who refuses to pray about anything will become bitter about everything. Pray! Pray! or you will be bitter! Too many times I see young leaders, or people in ministry in general, who are bitter with God about their lives. This could be for countless reasons, such as being single, unexpected divorce, false accusations, reckless comments from parishioners, cheating spouses, rebelliousness children, medical problems, marital infidelity, stagnant churches, betrayal from a subordinate, physical illness, death in the family, marital problems, being overworked, unappreciated, etc. It is a very sad sight to see people of God upset at their Lord because life isn’t going their way or the way that they think it should be going. Pray! If you don’t , you will become bitter!

Bitterness leads to prayer-less. A prayer-less leader will destroy relationships with great people.  An emotionally bitter leader attracts emotionally unhealthy workers, who attract emotionally unavailable youth, which leads to an overall bad environment. This is the worst kind of domino effect to get into.

Learn how to handle conflict well so that you won’t be experiencing bitterness. Below I have used some animal references to explain what I mean taken from Pastor Chip :

1. Dogs - You should strive to be a dog. Dogs are domestic, relational, loyal, and learn not to bite their owner. Even if a dog gets upset, they won’t attack someone they know, and after a long day, they are always a figure of comfort for those who love them. As a youth leader, you want to be loving like a dog. You might “bark” lightly to communicate, but always operate in love.
2. Sharks - Sharks go for blood, they wreak havoc and destruction on people using harsh words to crush people around them. When you hear that a shark is in the ocean near the beach, you know not to even enter the water. Human forms of sharks are sarcastic, critical, and self-made “expert” psychologists who believe they have a great assessment of other people’s motives.
   Friend, you are not a shark, you are a leader! Leaders lead with convictions, tempered with compassion. Be wise in a conflict. Be humble with your words and do not assume you know what people mean. As a Youth Pastor, you never want to take the insecurities that you have sensed from people and use it as ammunition to hurt them.
3. Snails - Snails are slow to address issues, and when they do, they are very passive aggressive. Never use prayer time or preaching time as an excuse not to address conflict. Of course, you want to be Spirit-led, but God never instructs you to keep something bottled up. Learn to have hard conversations with peers and parents with gentleness and grace.
4. Snakes - Snakes hold onto words and phrases, and they remembers grudges to a “T”. A snake is the type to bring up a situation of you upsetting them months earlier. The difference between a snake and a snail is that the snake is even more meticulous in their records of your wrongdoing. They’ll know your outfit, the date, and even the weather of the day you hurt them. Their use of biting comments to communicate, breeds frustration, and the way old situations get brought up are always a surprise to whomever the victim is.
5. Turtles - Turtles hide behind excuses, isolate themselves, and shut down. Doing that with Senior Pastors, parents, and youth that have upset them make the church unhealthy. This Christian walk is not about isolation - it’s never a good idea to use avoidance as a solution to a problem.

Hopefully, my animal examples  from Pastor Chip gave you an idea of what bitterness can look like so that you can identify it in other people or yourself. Every time there is a conflict, you have to ask what you can learn about yourself, God, and other people. If any of those animals sounded like you, then you need to make sure you do a heart check tonight and figure out what you can do to let go of the bitterness.

3) BLURRED VISION

God is the ultimate creator, and as His children, we have creative genes. Sometimes we get so many ideas for our ministry it is hard to decipher what is God’s vision and what is our own. Therefore, I suggest consulting with wise people - people who know you and can help you get confirmation on your vision.

When God gave visions to Moses, Joshua, and Paul (Saul), there was someone there to help refine the vision and help with execution. Young leaders with charisma think they have wisdom, but subsequently, they will refuse counsel because it’s “their vision”. I need to point out that just because you’ve had one vision that works, doesn’t mean they will all work - It also doesn’t mean that it’s from the Lord.

Visions are not infallible, no matter how pure your heart is, and every idea is not a good idea. One person is not smarter than everyone else together, so there is no harm in getting some opinions from people who care.

Sometimes, the vision is blurred because of money, strengths, weaknesses, bias, prejudices etc. Sit on ideas and revisit them after a few days to ensure that they aren’t poorly thought out. Also, pray about them for a few days to be sure it’s something the Lord is directing your towards.

An extra tip I want to give is to LISTEN when you are receiving feedback. Learn to say thank you, and don’t snap at people if they come against your idea. During a feedback session is not the time to defend your thoughts. Get in the habit of gathering advice, then in showing appreciation to the people who have taken the time to pray and critique you.

4) BAD BUDGETING

Financial problems have a way of destroying ministry because they distract from our calling by giving us mental distress. Money management is emotional, not logical. Unfortunately, many  bible  colleges do not teach young leaders about money management. It should though, because poor money management can “KILL” ministry. You will easily lose credibility for mishandling money.  (one day, I plan to send a bill to congress to make all my ministry leaders take a class by Dave Ramsey on finances. It truly is of the utmost importance!). 

Pay attention to how you can raise, spend, save, and invest more. Your ability to manage resources will also affect how much God can trust you. Be hard on yourself as you make your monthly budget. If you learn to be specific about costs when you plan staff dinners, youth retreats, and extra events, then that will show wisdom. You want to keep track of where your money is going and how it is being spent.

Another good tip is to send out a letter to people in the community, parents, businesses, and other organizations about how much your youth events cost - many don’t know - and they may send more or try to donate in order to bless the ministry or help it succeed. If you write things down, pray diligently and plan well, God has the opportunity to send you sponsors!

5) BAD BUDDIES

Your future is not determined by the dreams you have but the friendships and habits you develop. Habits are horrible masters. There are three categories of friends that most people have - healthy friends, good friends, and great friends. Spend most of your time with healthy friends, a lot of time with great friends, and little time with good friends. I say that because if you show me your friends, I can show you your future.

The three categories of friends that you want to work your way up to are coaches, cheerleaders, and confidants. All of these types are pretty self explanatory. My coaches help by giving me guidance and instruction. My cheerleaders motivate and hype me up when they see me doing well. My confidants are people who I trust with my emotions that can help me pray and give me wisdom when I am lacking.

Bad buddies will destroy ministry - they give bad advice that seems good, like with Job. His friends were Bible students, but they ultimately advised him incorrectly. That’s another reason why it is good to ask at least two people for advice, not just one. Ask God for great friends like    my good friend Jeff....

My only extra feedback for this area of “buddies” comes into play if you are married. A spouse is a life partner and a ministry partner. Any relationship with a person of the opposite sex that causes friction in your marriage is automatically a bad buddy! I have seen Youth Pastors in relationships too close with students or other people at the church, and then giving their families left over energy. That is not how God designed it to be. Your ministry should not ruin your marriage or cause any bitterness. That is poor management of the household, which is not good in the eyes of God. Keep your family as your first line of buddies, and then everyone else after that.

6) BOREDOM

Boredom causes many leaders to make bad decisions. Boredom can give entitlement that makes for unhealthy activity, like building an intimate relationship before marriage, trusting teens prematurely, watching inappropriate things online, and being too close to teens of the opposite sex.

Do not depend on teens or church members to entertain you if you are bored. It is important to find a hobby and friends that are your age. Create a diverse crowd around yourself that like to do different things. That way, you’ll have some options when you find some idle time on your hands.

The greatest tool the devil uses is the illusion that you are alone. Isolation and boredom will get you out of the ministry mindset and drive you insane.

7) Blind spots

My last point is to discuss blind spots. Blurred vision is when you don’t see something clearly. Blind spots are when you can’t see something at all, which makes them even more paralyzing.

These blind spots, which many young and old leaders have, are undetected flaws that they can’t see, but other people can. Traditionally, the only way that someone can see blind spots is when they finally experience pain or make a major mistake, such as in their marriage, similar to how a new driver may doubt their car’s blind spots until they hit something.

God uses failure and unexpected storms strategically in our lives because He knows that identifying our blind spots is an important step to being a good leader. Flaws in our personality that we are unaware of hinder us from identifying the cause of major problems that we experience. You might know a blind spot if it’s a sore subject for you, meaning that whenever someone tries to bring it up, you are quick to defend yourself. When your inner attorney is activated, then you can be sure that you’re nurturing and shielding an aspect of yourself that is a problem.

Procrastination, being late, overeating, seeming rude, poor planning skills, and even body odor can be blind spots. Instead of facing the fact, most op to deliver excuses when confronted about the issue. But we can’t always believe what we think. Sometimes our children, spouse, other leaders, and close friends know what they are talking about when they speak about possible character traits that you need to work on.

Here are some ways to regularly check your blind spots:

1. Have intentional conversations with people who are close to you.
1. Refuse to interrupt your mentors.
2. Take notes and listen careful to your coaches.
3. Thank them for taking the time show you your weakness.
2. Read the book of Proverbs every day in the Bible. There are 31 chapters, one for each day of the month. I recommend Proverbs because it gives good perspective on time, relationships, energy, people, money, and especially yourself. The ability to take necessary action will be a catalyst to the impact to the lives of your youth. Proverbs provides amazing insight, and is a great way to begin your self-reflection time with the Lord (and be sure not to make notes for teaching as you read, just enjoy it!).
3. Invest in mentor relationships with older people of the same gender. As mentioned earlier in the “Bad Buddies” section, you need coaches! A great coach is crucial with anything you want to change. There is someone out there who has already experienced your blind spot and will know how to address it quickly, while giving practical advice on how to manage it. Be sure to ask your coach great questions, such as, “what would you tell me if you knew I would not be discouraged or disappointed with myself?”

Conclusion

Your biggest difficulty is leading yourself. That’s why it is imperative to stay in prayer, daily personal bible study, making great honest friends, developing good health habits, pursuing Intergrity and continue to learn from other great leaders! God has been good when I have been bad! God has been super good to me!!! It has not been luck, it has been the favor of God over my life. Yes! God has been good to me!!! God has given me the privilege to meet and preach to over 5,000 people every year and preach in over 500 venues in the last 20 years. I  am honored that you chose to read my article. I love you and I believe in you.

 

Your Mentor and Friend!

Pastor James Owolabi

Preach with a pin, not with a hammer. ......by Scribblepreach..

One point. One single point. So here’s our principle: Preach with a pin, not with a hammer. A pin is a narrow, focused point designed to penetrate through surfaces. A hammer has a wide, flat surface, and its designed to bat around and flatten the outer layers. If we want preaching that penetrates the heart, we must preach with a pin. See what I mean below:

1. A single point forces good editing. If nothing else, preaching a single point is a brilliant help in editing content. The single most important question the preacher can ask himself when creating a final manuscript is: “How does this information contribute to my single homiletical idea?” If the preacher is honest, most of the interesting things we find in exegesis - the stuff that is fascinating, interesting, or relatively relevant – has to be thrown out. We don’t like to do that, because the course of the week digs up so much gold its tempting to put it ALL on display. This is where character comes into play – am I preaching for me, or am I preaching for them? Do I want to show off how much I know, or be funny and entertaining, or do I want to change lives? Lectures delve into details; preaching gets to the point. This is a painful process. At the end of the week, we know so much about the text that we’re often tempted to lump it all into one gigantic, vague “point” of the sermon. Sharpening and defining our point helps us resist this temptation, and limits our preaching to only what people need to hear in order to understand and receive the main point.

2. A single point guides listeners through the sermon. When digging deep into a text, we really do find a lot of great, fascinating information. WE know how it all fits together. But the law of the “curse of knowledge” tells us that we often impose our assumptions on our audience – THEY don’t know how it all fits together. In order to help them follow along, we need a single hook to hang all the points we’re making on. We need a single stake to which the congregation can be drawn back, again and again, so we can say – “See? This is how it all relates.” Even if you don’t give your main point away until the end (inductive preaching – that’s what I prefer), the audience can sense the difference between a focused message and scrambled eggs.

3. A single point makes a better argument. When we lay out several different points in a sermon, we don’t have time to argue well for any of them. When we come up with a boatload of applications, we don’t have time to flesh them out. But when we pick a single point, we have the time we need to make a solid argument for that point, and to flesh out in detail exactly how it looks to live it out.

4. A single point is memorable. Finally, preaching a single point is memorable. A couple of months ago I preached a sermon in which I asked several questions, then answered them. That was fine, but I never heard about it again. The next sermon I preached, I picked one single point, and was amazed at the result. WEEKS later, people were still mentioning that sermon, thinking of specific applications, still chewing on the truth presented that morning. Did I say everything I wanted to say? No. But I said everything I needed to say, and that’s enough. Preaching one point allows us to feed the sheep throughout the week. That is a beautiful, satisfying feeling for any Shepherd.

via scribblepreach.com

Today I turned 34 Here are 34 things I am grateful for...Not in order of Importance.............

34 Random I am grateful for:

1)  Jesus.

2)  My Bible.

3)   The Holy Spirit.

4)  Unanswered and answered prayers.

5)  Social networking.

6)  The privelage and pleasure to live in America and serve Christ in North America.

7)  I am not in the hospital tonight.

8)  My restored relationship with my earthly father.

9)  My mom, sisters and brothers.

10) The generosity of God’s people to me.

11)  Books.....

12) Starbucks.

13)  Asian buffets.

14) My restored relationship with my heavenly father.

15)  A black president.....wish he embraced more Christian values.

16) My immigration lawyer.

17)  Allistar Begg, John Maxwell. John Piper, Andy Stanley and John MacArthur.

18) North Mason Bible Church who took a chance at me at 22 and gave me chance to lead a youth ministry for 10 years.  A black Nigerian in a small town western Washington.

19) My best guy friend and brother in Christ who I have talked every week for the past decade.

20) Fellow Preachers young preachers who have been a part of my life.

21) First Baptist Elma who took a chance at letting me be their interim pastor.

22) My Mentors all over the country in Africa, Alaska and North America. Men and women whom God has used to shape my life and mind.

23) My friends in Alaska who constantly allow me to come serve them.

24) My Car: I love it...

25) Jeff Mosley the owner of the Chick Fil A that gave me a job and hired me 2 days later.

26) Pastor Jim Porter my Pastor and mentor for 10 years.

27) My seminary education and experience.

28) My college Education.

29) My failures...taught me the power of God’s grace and truth.

30)  My students in Belfair.

31)  My students in Alaska.

32)  People I baptized in 2012....10 people awesome time ...thank you Lord!!!!

33) Bill Morgan the man who God used to help me attend college.

34) Temple Heights Baptist Church gave me my first job in college when I was 19.