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Around 2014 I had an identity crisis in my business. My branding and marketing agency served the best nightclubs in the world. We were highly sought after, and I was climbing the ranks of authorities in nightlight marketing. But God began to convict me of serving that industry. I was a follower of Christ, yet my business served the opposite force. I was already tired of the nightlife, I was ready for a change, but I was scared, confused, and didn’t know which direction to go. So I asked God to reveal to me what I should do. Shortly after, my church asked me to lead a Bible study on any book I wanted to teach from. I chose a book called Chazown by Craig Groeschel. The premise of the book is “where there is no vision; the people will perish.” After leading the group to help them discover their vision for their businesses, I had inadvertently found the vision for MY business. Through that group, God revealed to me that I needed to help entrepreneurs discover what they were born to do (vision), help them bring that to life (branding) until the whole world knows (marketing). It all made sense! I had a clear vision for the calling over my business life. But remember…. it all started when I came to God and asked Him to lead me and my business in a new direction. That’s when God moved through someone at my church to ask me to lead a Bible study, and the rest is history. We Godpreneurs have the ability (and, quite frankly, the obligation) to ask God for His guidance and allow Him to lead our business and marriage. Some of us aren’t experiencing the breakthroughs we so desperately need because we’re not asking God to reveal to us THE WAY. We’re not letting God show us our calling in business and marriage, and we’re missing out on the breakthroughs He wants to bring us. We may have an idea of what’s needed in our business and marriage. We might have some of the pieces of the puzzle in place, and parts of our life seem to be going well, but if one part isn’t firing on all cylinders, the entire machine isn’t working at its best. Listen, I was born to tell all entrepreneurs that God already knows what is in our future. And because God already has a plan, we simply have to ask Him to reveal to us what He wants from our business and marriage, and He will bring the breakthrough! God wants one thing from us – to do what He created us to do. The Bible says: For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. (Jeremiah 29:11‭-‬12 NIV) If you hired someone in your company for a purpose, wouldn’t you want that person to do what you created the position for? And if that person calls you with questions, wouldn’t you stop what you’re doing to make sure they are doing that thing correctly? I hope so, or else that person could be costing you a lot of money if they mess up your well-oiled business processes. In the same way, God has a position for our business and marriage in the marketplace, and you and your spouse were created to fill different roles. Regardless of the spouse actually working in the business or not, there are roles each plays in the overall dynamic of the family and business operating efficiently. How do you uncover the plans God has for you, your business, and your marriage? Simple. You simply ask for guidance. The answer isn’t going to come by the heavens parting immediately and God’s thundering voice telling you what your calling is. God can use your church as He did for me. God can use a dream, a neighbor, a sunset… whatever He wants! We just have to ask and wait in expectancy. This is called surrender to God and letting Him lead. When I asked God to take over my marriage because I had no idea how to fix it, He used a friend to tell me that I had a lot of baggage I needed to let go of and that all the problems I was experiencing were as a result of ME. God used that friend to tell me that the purpose of my marriage was to make me a better follower of Christ by overcoming the problems. Now my marriage is a complete BLESSING! It’s the best marriage ever! I asked, and God revealed, then the breakthrough came. When we ask, God gives us the grace to deal with our problems. We find that the same situations that used to set us off now make us stronger. That’s what happens when God leads! God will give us the stamina to make it through the current times before the breakthroughs. The next chapters of our business and marriage are right around the corner. Ask God to reveal and let Him lead. Godpreneur Rule: Godpreneurs ask God to reveal His vision for our business and marriage and to receive strength to go through tough times until the breakthrough comes. #BusinessBibleStudy #MarriedEntrepreneurs 21 Days of Breakthroughs in Business and Marriage This course provides needed strength and faith, in the truth of God’s holy Word, for breakthroughs in both your business and marriage. Heard of the Godpreneur Academy? Grow Your Business, God’s Way! Bible-Based Video Courses for Entrepreneurs Putting God First In their Businesses Click here to create a Free Account

I used to go to Gold’s Gym and pump heavy weights. I’d get up to 275 pounds on the bench press. When you’re lifting heavy you inevitably get to a point where you need a spotter in case you get stuck. In a moment when you’re weakest, the spotter comes in to save the day. As a business owner, there are situations that make us feel inadequate because there is nothing we can do to “fix” the situation. Insults being hurled at us by employees who think they can do it better, clients persecuting us for any little mistake, and the hardships that come around with the bank account has $25 left in it. There is nothing you can do because what’s done has been done. But you’re strong enough to get through it on your own. After all, it’s us against them, right? Wrong. Our own sense of strength wants to kick in at these times, and we feel like we need to fix it all….all alone. But the truth is that this is when God wants to partner with us the most. This is when God wants to spot you at the gym, help you lift the heavy burden so you don’t do it alone. I like troubled times because its when I can embrace my need for God. Its when I feel God the most. Its when I can experience His presence in my business. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Let your weaknesses become an opportunity to call towards the real source of strength: dependence on Christ. #WorkLifeBalance #DifferentiatingMyself

When I first started my company I told people I did logos and websites. But that’s not how God would describe what I do. When I take into consideration His point of view and commit my work to Him, He reveals to me what I should really be doing. I help businesses and entrepreneurs find their God-given marketplace identity. Proverbs 16:3 says: "Put GOD in charge of your work, then what you’ve planned will take place." My challenge to all of my clients is to ask them WHY they are in business. Not all of them are Christian. I can’t have that conversation with everyone. But I can bring God in through the work I do and establish seeds that could potentially grow. Since I’ve committed my work to God, He continues to bless me with clients paying me more than I would have ever dreamed of charging. He’s also moving my business in directions I could have never taken on my own. Commit your business plans to God’s purpose for your entrepreneurial career. #FindingMyPurpose

If you read my previous post, you’ll read on how to partner with God on your business decisions. So, now what? Once you discover what God wants you to do you have to then FOLLOW THROUGH on what you discover. Knowing without doing could lead you to a fallen business, but when you make a plan to discover what God says and then follow through and do it, you’re setting your business up to win. #EnhanceFocus #FindMyCalling

I was watching the show “The Profit”, and Marcus said that many small businesses have layers of management that shouldn’t be there. This salon owner hired a general manager to, essentially, do everything that the owner should have been doing, but didn’t want to do. I went through the same challenges with my business. Managing people was not my thing. I tried to let others do the job of managing people. I was wrong. If you’re going to have a business with employees, then your role as a business owner is to MANAGE people, products and profits. Unless you have a business partner(s) that is/are going to assume those clearly defined roles and responsibilities, then they fall on you. The bible says in Luke 12:42-43 NIV: “The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns.” (Luke 12:42-43 NIV) The trick to managing people is knowing that God is YOUR boss and he’s going to get a quarterly report and grade you. Either he’s going to grade you well, and trust you with MORE (profits), or he’s going to keep you where you’re at because you have lessons to learn, or he will take away because you’ve been a bad manager. How you MANAGE your vendors, clients, employees and contractors is crucially important to your success, and God’s blessings over your business. #AttractingRightClients #HiringtheRightPeople

I made a huge breakthrough in my business that forever altered the purpose and passion I felt towards the services I offer. I make websites and logos. Well, that’s what I used to tell people BEFORE the breakthrough. Websites and logos are the overall deliverables that entrepreneurs think they need in order to launch a business.  Yes, of course this is true. But when I came to know God, and sought after His will over my life and my business, I began to ask myself “why does God care about logos and websites when there are medical mission trips I could be focusing on.” I thought what I did was so trivial compared to ‘real world problems’ to solve. But as I started to know God more through daily prayer and Bible reading, I began to learn about a side of God I had no clue existed: God cares about IDENTITY. He cares that each of us are doing what we were born to do. He cares that we’re in the business He designed us for because it’s part of His bigger plan. See, the plan all along for me was to make logos and websites because… that’s IDENTITY. I give people an identity. I’m doing God’s will. That’s when I stopped telling people I do logos and websites and started saying that I’m a Branding Specialist. Branding is the art of expressing outwardly what an entrepreneur feels internally. It’s bringing to life the vision within. We can all make a connection to God’s greater purpose and His will for our business. But this can only happen if you FIRST know God’s greater purpose. In my case, God’s greater purpose (with or without me) is for people to know what they were born for and to do just that and wrap their identity around that. We all struggle with identity. God knows that, and willed people like me to help his children discover, uncover and recover that lost (or never found) identity. The Bible says: “From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth— he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.” (Psalms 33:13-15) I think a lot of us feel somewhat lost and too insignificant to be used by the creator of the universe. Listen, God has a good and perfect will for you and your business. You might be in a place where you totally know it.  Stay connected to God always because that will comes in seasons and will adjust and change. You also might be in a place of total loss and confusion.  That’s the enemy keeping you from accomplishing all that you’re designed to be.  Every day you don’t spend trying to get to know God is another opportunity for the enemy to keep you on a path that God didn’t design for you. We all have the same choice: we can keep looking at the service or product we offer as a means to an end (money in the bank) or we can see the same offerings through God’s bigger purpose and let that drive us to continue to innovate and offer the best solutions that God (through you) has to offer. What is most difficult for you to believe about the way God rules over the world? How confident are you that God has specific purposes for your business? Godpreneur Rule #36: Godpreneurs are confident that God has a specific purpose for their business. #FindMyCalling

There's the way the world does business, and there's God's way. How do you grow a successful, profitable, meaningful God-first business? You have to learn what the Bible says about your entrepreneurial journey and apply it to every business situation. This devotional guides high-achieving Christian entrepreneurs who want an efficient formula for drawing closer to God, improving their Bible reading habits, AND grow their businesses God's way. Plan Devotional Here TAKE PLAN HERE #BusinessBibleStudy

I had a client that, after completing everything for the job, put in a chargeback for $2500 with her credit card claiming she didn’t get the deliverables she wanted. The problem was that I didn’t have that much money in my bank, so when the credit card company pulled that money back from my account, it overdrafted. This then caused a domino effect because it was unexpected, so I had paid bills and all of those payments began to bounce, causing over a dozen overdraft fees of $35 each. Also, I couldn’t pay myself for a short period of time there. I wouldn’t have been so shocked if it was my fault if I deserved the chargeback because I didn’t deliver the services. But I did some of my best work! I spent so much time and energy on the project, going above and beyond what was agreed and paid for. I sent in the paperwork required to prove I was right, and eventually, the money was returned to my account as her credit card sided with me and denied her claims. I had a right to be bitter. I could have been very angry. I should probably still be holding on to resentment against her. After all, she caused me great distress and embarrassment as checks bounced and overdraft fees piled up. I have witnessed a lot of tribulation, abuse, and hurt by the powers of the marketplace. When I feel I have been created by a client, partner, or employee, I make a choice to allow myself to become bitter and withdrawn or I can decide to learn from the experience and become better. Here is the wisdom I’ve gained on the subject of forgiveness from the Bible: "Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends." Proverbs 17:9 NLT At the peak of my agency life, my partner was stolen from me by my best client. This rocked the entire operation. Both my client and my partner were an integral part of my income. But this was not the end of my life as I supposed. It was merely a temporary detour that eventually helped me move in a more positive direction with my company. God has revealed to me that the way I choose to interpret what happens in my business life, more than the actual circumstances and experiences, is what determines my destiny. Bitter or better—I get to decide! Here is my observation: It is the one who has been wronged in business who has all the power, not the one who does the wrong. And my power comes in the form of forgiveness. When I forgive, I liberate myself to live the business life God has given me. Godpreneur Rule: Forgiveness is a powerful force in the hands of the Godpreneur who has been wronged. #DebtFreedom #LaunchingMyBusiness

I think Missionaries have the hardest, yet most rewarding job on the planet. They get to invest in people’s lives down here, who will one day join them in heaven. Could you imagine being thanked in heaven by someone who’s like “Hey man, thanks for telling me about Jesus, I’m here because of you!” We entrepreneurs can also participate in missions. I don’t mean that you should go on a mission (of course you can go on a short-term mission – I go on two missions per year). What I mean is that God’s given us the opportunity to make money and support things that will bring people to Christ! So how can we do this? Jesus says in Luke 16:9: “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”(Luke 16:9 ) You and I have businesses that accumulate worldly wealth. It’s paper money that we don’t take with us when we’re gone. It’s the house and car that don’t follow us to heaven. But what Jesus is indicating is that there is something that DOES follow us to heaven: people we directly or indirectly lead to Christ. This is how you invest in heaven. A portion of your investment portfolio can and should go directly towards efforts in bringing people to Christ. Here are some practical ways Tithe – when you give money to your church, they are supposed to be using it to grow the church. The more the church grows, the more people come to know Christ. You had an indirect impact. Great investment! Support a Missionary – Maybe you’re not going to stop everything you’re doing to go to Guatemala for five years to do mission work and plant churches. But my friend Gabriel is! And my friend Stacy is going on missions too! You and I have friends that do mission work. Invest in them. Lunch with Colleagues – God’s put employees, vendors, contractors, partners, prospects, and clients all around us. Business is our mission field! You can set aside a budget for taking individuals out to lunch for the purpose of Discipleship and ministering the gospel. However you choose, a portion of your investment money should be used to bring people to Christ. Purpose to add that line item to your budget sheet. It’s the best financial investment a Godpreneur can make! “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:20-21) We can send investments to heaven not only because people will meet us there, but because it makes sure our heart is in the right place to continue to receive MORE of God’s financial blessing. When He sees that we understand the true investment, He channels more money and opportunity our way. Godpreneur Money Rule #6: Godpreneurs make investments into eternity by investing money into spreading the gospel. #BusinessBibleStudy #FindingMyPurpose #ShareYourTestimony The 19 Rules of Money Management for Christian Entrepreneurs This course will help you develop a better sense of money management God’s way. Heard of the Godpreneur Academy? Grow Your Business, God’s Way! Bible-Based Video Courses for Entrepreneurs Putting God First In their Businesses Click here to create a Free Account

Sometimes I get jealous when I see other competitors get certain clients. I start to compare our portfolios, and I get all worked up because I feel they have better clients than me. The same also happens to me with money and material possessions. I’m happy for my friends that succeed in business, but deep down, I’m jealous they have great offices and more revenue coming into their companies than mine. We Entrepreneurs all do this. We see our friends on Instagram traveling to Disney, and we get the itch to book a vacation. We notice someone opening a new location and we get down on ourselves for not having launched that new growth opportunity that keeps haunting us. We Entrepreneurs compare, and it robs us of our contentment. When we’re not content, we’re not able to think in the abundance that God has for us. Inadvertently, we block money from channeling to us. If we don’t get this contentment issue under control, it will be hard to manage any money. We’ll want to buy more things and make bone-headed decisions all in the name of keeping up with the Jones’s. The first thing we must do is stop comparing ourselves to other entrepreneurs and become content where God has us today. This mindset shift will take a lot of time and practice. But don’t take my word for it. The Bible is clear when it says: “You shall not covet … anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:17) God cares so much about changing our “comparison” mindset that He made it the 10th commandment – right alongside not murdering or stealing! Why? Because wanting someone else’s blessings is telling God that what He’s doing for you isn’t good enough and that you’re not willing to manage and grow what’s already yours. So, do you think God’s going to give you more to manage with that attitude in your mind? You’ve got to stop comparing your business to someone else’s if you’re going to learn full contentment and receive the next level of release that God has in store for you! So, how can we stop comparing? Great question! The answer is to start admiring. Yes, do the opposite. Why? Because it’s not like you can isolate yourself from the world so that you don’t see other things. You can’t disown your friend that’s succeeding. You can’t stop looking at Instagram or visiting your friend’s new office or house. Instead, you must learn the art of Authentically admiring what they have, and not need to acquire it yourself. God is blessing your friends and competition. God is doing something great in their lives, and you must learn even to thank God on their behalf – especially if they don’t know Christ. What an opportunity to turn to your friend and say “God is good. He’s blessing you tremendously. Praise God.” You’re there to admin what God’s done for them and give the credit to God. Be authentically happy for other business owners with they prosper without any feelings of jealousy or envy! Imagine that you can ENJOY what others have without having to own it yourself. Imagine that one day that same thing that used to make you jealous and mad is now making you proud and glad for your fellow entrepreneurs. The Bible says: “It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to be always wanting something else” (Ecclesiastes 6:9b GNT). Let’s be clear though – it’s OK to desire something. Desires come from God. It’s when the desire is uncontrolled that it becomes coveting. If the desire is bringing up feelings of jealousy or envy, that’s a red flag that you’re coveting. Desiring is the positive antithesis to coveting. It’s controlled, it’s methodical, and it’s spiritual. We can’t do anything unless we desire it, so desiring is a great thing! But when we’re in the bad habit of comparing ourselves to other entrepreneurs, it stops becoming desiring, and it starts becoming covetousness. Godpreneur Money Rule #4 Content Godpreneurs don’t compare because comparing leads to coveting. #BusinessBibleStudy #GodpreneurAcademy The 19 Rules of Money Management for Christian Entrepreneurs This course will help you develop a better sense of money management God’s way Heard of the Godpreneur Academy? Grow Your Business, God’s Way! Bible-Based Video Courses for Entrepreneurs Putting God First In their Businesses Click here to create a Free Account

My parents aren’t entrepreneurs; they are middle-class Americans that chose to work for the public sector. Dad’s retired from the Army and from teaching high school in Miami, and mom has also put in over two decades of public work for the Army. But THEIR parents were both entrepreneurs. My mother’s side owned a convenience store. My father’s side was in the auto repair business. What I learned later on in my thirties was that both sides of the family had failing businesses. Neither accumulated the wealth needed to pass along to the next generation (my parents). So how do you think that affected their decision NOT to start their own business? And, how do you think it affected the way they brought me up? They urged me to get an education and seek a stable job, preferably with the Army. Money is guaranteed, and retirement plans run themselves, so you don’t have to put much thought into wealth building, and to get rich, you can just live comfortably while avoiding the pains you saw your parents go through. God designed our minds like computers. By his design, the most important programs were installed in childhood- the patterns anchored within us are based on our earliest impressions. The things we heard our parents repeatedly saying about money as children are permanently saved in our minds, forming our ideas that end up determining the way we think about money later in life. Sayings like “Money is the root of all evil;” [misquoting 1 Timothy 6:10 on purpose] “Money doesn’t grow on trees;” and “You can’t buy happiness” were ingrained in our minds as money blueprints, thus forming our opinion on wealth. These were told to us over and over because our parental figures thought they were “protecting” us from something negative they experienced in their lives. Since our parents influence our behavior mostly when we’re young, there are only one of two possible ways to deal with their ideas about money and fortune: Identify with and accept them Rebel and reject them The Bible says: “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:2) You can either think about money and wealth on the same scale as your Earthly parents, or you can do things radically differently and think like your heavenly father. WARNING: When I say “rebelling,” I mean the POSITIVE rebel, not the NEGATIVE rebel. I warn you not to let resistance against your parent’s principles, alone, be your motivation to break the pattern of your financial blueprint. Rebelling for the wrong motivation won’t lead to wealth. You don’t want to get rich- you just want to recoil against your broke, sometimes un-spiritual, parents or feel superior to them. Instead, all of us ‘Godpreneurs’ must rebel against the enemy that has our behavior captive to the way our parents thought. If we rebel against our parents, the thought is still there, and we’d be fighting the wrong enemy. Even if we put a lot of effort into our businesses, and earn some money, we’ll probably lose it quickly because we haven’t worked thoroughly on our mindset to break the chains that internalized the money blueprint in us. As ‘Godpreneurs,’ if we believe anything is possible with God, then anything is possible when God provides us with more money to manage. We’ll all have a facile time making money due to our motivation is to be free from the thoughts of the enemy by holding on to the possibilities of God! Godpreneur Rule: We ‘Godpreneurs’ can identify and turn from our family’s mindset on money, and acknowledge that God wants us to take on His new mindset for our business’ profit. #BusinessBibleStudy #FindingMyPurpose #GainConfidence Secrets of the Millionaire Mind A Christian entrepreneur’s book summary of the New York Times best-seller Secrets of the Millionaire Mind. Heard of the Godpreneur Academy? Grow Your Business, God’s Way! Bible-Based Video Courses for Entrepreneurs Putting God First In their Businesses Click here to create a Free Account

The COVID-19 pandemic has made many people think twice about their decision to be an entrepreneur. Many people who were passionate about opening a restaurant won’t be re-opening. Business owners who didn’t have their finances in order and can’t pay their bills will second-guess the love and commitment they once felt for their venture. It’s easy to tell ourselves, “This is a good time to throw in the towel. I gave it a shot, but now it’s time to go back to the 9-5 grind and see who’s hiring.” But this is NOT a time for Christian entrepreneurs to be settling. Settling will only bring more depression into the heart because it begins to believe the lie that our purpose and calling in business is over. The dream dies a slow death but leaves in its place a void that depression and regret fill. No matter the tragedy of having to close your doors and lay off people. No matter what unpaid bills you face today. No matter what circumstances arise in the future after this pandemic is over. Jesus heals the darkest wounds of the Godpreneur’s heart. Instead of retreating or giving up, a battle-wounded Christian business owner needs to assume a fighting position he or she should have already learned to be in daily — knees bent, bowed head, hands together, and a heart crying out for Jesus saying “This battle in my business is not mine, it’s the Lord’s.” When the COVID-19 pandemic began to hit the United States, my clients started calling me to “pause” their retainers with my agency. I was counting on their monies for payroll, rent, bills, and payments. From one day to the next, 75% of my revenue dropped. It could have been easy for me to throw in the towel, lay off all of my employees, tell myself “Oh Alex, how many times are you going to go through these financial struggles before you realize you just need to go work for someone. You don’t know how to run a business. You can’t keep your clients. You’re not going to make it past this one this time. Your time is up.” And although I’ve had those same thoughts throughout my 15-years of entrepreneurship, I was already battle-ready when I begin to hear those thoughts creep into my head. As business owners, we’ve already been through trials, tribulations, challenges, anxiety, stress, back-stabbing, layoffs, debt, and every other negative circumstance in business. The journey of entrepreneurship isn’t a straight road with perfectly paved roads. No. Going out and starting a business is a pilgrimage of twists, turns, and unknown dangers around every corner. And how did we get back up every time? We guarded our hearts and our minds of any negative thoughts. We silenced the enemy and the critics. We went against the sage advice of our mothers-in-law and we kept on fighting for our calling of entrepreneurship. The Bible says: "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." (Proverbs 4:23) The heart has to be guarded because not only is our own heart deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), but everyone’s hearts are also plagued with wicked hearts. This is why GUARDING the heart is the most important thing an entrepreneur needs to do daily. God has called you to Entrepreneurship, right? God gave you a vision for a business, correct? You feel a purpose and a passion to fix a wrong in this world, true? You have a burning desire to lead a movement and share something God’s put on your heart, amen? If you let your heart drift towards negative thoughts of defeat, failure, and uncertainty, then it will be easy for the enemy to sell you a lie as the truth. Even our well-intentioned parents can unknowingly be attacking your calling in business, and these are our most trusted advisors! The truth about who you are can only be found in one place: Jesus Christ. If you don’t guard your heart and the calling that God has over you and your business, you’re leaving the door of depression wide open to destroy the destiny God has for your entrepreneurial journey. Depression can creep in when your heart begins to question God’s truth. That’s how depression kills. And that’s exactly why Jesus came to heal. The enemy sold a lie to Adam and Eve, made them question their purpose and calling from God, and changed the trajectory of humanity. Your depression might be a deep cut that’s been untreated for many years, and this pandemic re-opened wounds that are simply too painful to bear. Jesus wants to heal those deep wounds that have resurfaced. He wants to take the darkest tragedy in your life, and turn it into your biggest triumph! Let Jesus into your heart to fight the enemy, heal your wounds, and set you free into the business God created you to start. Say “The battle is not mine, it’s the Lord’s.” Imagine if we would have developed the habit of presenting our concerns every morning in the loving hands of our Heavenly Father. When this pandemic hit and things went haywire, we wouldn’t have been hit so hard. The anxiety wouldn’t have stayed for more than 24 hours. The depression wouldn’t have been allowed to form because we would have turned it over in our morning time with God. Now is the time to develop the habit of guarding our hearts and minds by giving the current circumstances over to God, resting in His presence, and awaiting his marching orders for our businesses. The time of solitude from others is a time we all joyfully persevere by guarding our entrepreneurial hearts, all the way through this valley to the end of this quarantine. We must protect our joy for business ownership. Let’s rely on God, not ourselves or the news. Praying every morning and pressing into God’s word is more powerful than turning on the news to find comfort in being informed. Only the personal presence of God powering our spirits will produce the INSPIRATION we need to move into the NEW He has for us. Every morning, we need to authentically come to God with the deceitful lies and wicked thoughts of our hearts. He already knows He’s waiting for us to RELEASE it to Him so that He can fight the battle while we go out and fulfill the calling He fashioned us from the womb to accomplish. Godpreneurs, this isn’t about us. Stop making this circumstance so personal. We need to take ourselves out of the economic scenario in the world. God operates in a whole different stock market. In His kingdom, Jesus is the President, King, Prime Minister, Minister of Health, and Head of the Federal Reserve. It’s all about following the way Jesus followed His own calling and purpose. Jesus guarded his heart in the desert, and that allowed him to finish his purpose. We need to do the same. In everything we do, we need to strive to become the entrepreneur Christ died for us to be. Let’s pray Today, I pray that you will guard your heart against the things that take away your joy and delight in the PURPOSE God gave you for your business. May we never drop the precious gift of your calling over our entrepreneurial life in exchange for things like worry, anxiety, and depression that are not meant for us to carry. Your presence over the thing we were BORN TO DO is enough, will always be enough, and is what I commit to staying focused on. Even when things around me are uncertain, my calling in the marketplace is still true today! Rid my heart of toxic thoughts and replace them with thoughts that please You and obey your calling over my identity in entrepreneurship. Lord, because of You I am forever grateful and equipped for every good work. Guide me towards the problems you need me to solve; the light you need me to be in this NEW world you’re creating. The world is shaken, but my purpose in You is not. Amen! #BusinessBibleStudy #GainConfidence Overcoming Depression in Entrepreneurship Join us on a 5-Day Plan to shift your mindset to the MORE God has for you. Heard of the Godpreneur Academy? Grow Your Business, God’s Way! Bible-Based Video Courses for Entrepreneurs Putting God First In their Businesses Click here to create a Free Account

I remember the first time I tried my hand at a sales job. I was twenty-two years old, living in London, England. I’d done very, very well in customer service with the company I worked for. I was young, energetic, and full of confidence (in myself - and not the right kind). Pride preys upon the spiritually inexperienced. I wanted to sell for that company, but they took so long to move me to sales that I applied elsewhere … and got offered a job selling memberships at a health club in the financial district. Everything seemed to be going right. But the truth is I didn’t know what I was doing. Very quickly, I found myself spending one day after another, getting nowhere. I sold “zilch, zero, nada” for most of my brief tenure at my new employer. Typical of the time, they offered little to nothing in the way of true sales mentorship. Eventually, I blew my stack (via e-mail) to my boss, and he fired me. Without going into detail, those days led to a lot of “if only” moments. If only I’d realized how good I was at customer service and stayed where I was, I might be part of an executive team today! If only I’d understood that in the Kingdom, service IS sales … I probably could have sold quite well! But I was just an infant in my journey, and I thought sales was about having charisma and “knowing all the right things to say.” For any observant reader, my story sheds light on how deeply pride and greed operated beneath my new Christian façade. (Is it any wonder Paul counsels against the appointment of new believers to high office in the church?) To make truly valuable sales, I believe Yeshua would have us operate from humility and generosity instead. But among His people who wrestle pride and greed, those two qualities are not easily developed. In this podcast conversation with one of my mentors, Shae Bynes, I detail how these pivotal decisions led me to 20 years of professional chaos afterward. How To Sell Biblically: The Close of Boaz One example of this appeared in the ancient Book of Ruth. One of Yeshua’s ancestors, a wealthy tzaddik (righteous man) named Boaz, used the same strategy to outmaneuver social traditions so he could marry Yeshua’s ancestral grandmother, Ruth. Similarly, Messiah allowed Himself to be sacrificed according to prophecy and tradition. Boaz approached his kinsman (who had first rights to Ruth and her deceased husband’s land), detached from controlling the outcome. He risked losing the entire deal. Boaz led off by reminding the unnamed relative he was “first in line” to increase his estate by purchasing it from Ruth’s mother-in-law, Naomi. The man excitedly declared his intent to follow through. It was only then that Boaz reminded him, “By the way, on the day you acquire it, you also acquire the man’s widow as your wife.” Oops, wait a minute. Acquiring an “unplanned wife” can complicate any estate plan, but mostly a Moabitess! No respectable Jewish business person with lands and houses to pass on to his heirs would want to go near a widowed woman of Moab. Boaz artfully withheld this “make-or-break” tidbit of information … until just the right time. You might think I overstate the case, but I believe there’s a reason Boaz didn’t merely walk up with a bag of silver and offer to “buy” Ruth outright. He respected tradition and social order. He honored the inheritance rules and treated his relative with complete honesty, and didn’t try to “steer” him in any particular direction. Boaz was: Authentic - he refused to engage in deceit or trickery. Transparent - he told the whole truth, accurately. Vulnerable - he risked losing the deal upfront Above all else, Boaz understood that outcomes belong to God. He took the chance that it might not end the way he hoped it would. Not everything God orchestrates dovetails with how we think it should go, but that doesn’t make it bad. As the First Century Rabbi Gamzu was known to say, “This too is for good.” I believe this is how Yeshua would have us approach sales conversations - authentic, transparent, and vulnerable - entrusting outcomes to Him. This is why we can say, in reviewing the results, “You either win or learn.” #MakingMoreSales #RaisingCapital

Are you a Christian entrepreneur who wants more than a job, and wants more than a business, but wants to make a difference in this world? You know God has called you to start a business, but you don't know what's missing. You're just like most of the rest of us, then. Jesus knows struggle. He knows all the feelings that we have. Not just because He’s God, but also because life’s circumstances caused Him to go through all life’s troubles that we have as well. Let’s look at the first Christmas to see how struggle played a significant role. According to Jewish culture, Mary and Joseph were engaged (it was almost like a marriage at that point, so more than engaged). They were preparing for marriage already, and God had other plans for them. God was going to bring Himself into the world through Mary. The curse from the Garden of Eden was on the seed of man, so there wasn’t a way for God to come into the world by using Joseph, or else Jesus would have been born into sin. What happens next is amazing. In Biblical times, adultery was forbidden by the law (and even punishable by death). Joseph had the chance to send Mary away, as it appeared that she had been unfaithful to him. While Mary didn’t give birth to Jesus out of wedlock (as in having cheated on Joseph), God used this very out-of-ordinary circumstance to change Jesus’ human past. There would have certainly been rumors spread about his family, leaving the family in a very unusual predicament. This was Jesus’ human past, perhaps having people look down on him and his family. This is what Jesus went through and is, therefore, able to identify with us as humans. But it wasn’t just Jesus who went through this, his entire family, which must have included at least four siblings (since the Bible talks about his brothers and sisters, plural). They all went through the struggle because it was God’s Will. It was predetermined that they would have this struggle, and there was nothing they did that was wrong. More parts of the Christmas story show struggle (though these were more Mary and Joseph’s struggles, not struggles related directly to Jesus). Joseph was responsible for traveling hundreds of miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem with Mary, who was pregnant (Luke 2). There were likely dangers on the way, but even the journey without hazards would have been a hard struggle, as likely Mary would have had to ride on the donkey. Another struggle was finding Mary and Joseph’s place to stay (as there was no room). Mary was about to give birth, and not finding a place to stay would have been very difficult for them. After the Wise Men came, Joseph received word from God in a dream that he had to flee to Egypt. Traveling that distance would have been hard, especially with a newborn child (and, again, likely with a donkey). The next time King Herod killed every baby boy too and under was a huge struggle for Israel. Matthew 2:13-16. This Christmas, remember us that the first Christmas had struggles, just as many of us struggled during this pandemic. For some, the business has slowed down. For others, their businesses had to stop the way it functioned. So, they have had to find other ways to do business or find another business to be involved in. The struggle that Jesus had means that you have an advocate with Jesus, who identifies with everything you’re going through. How often do we, as Christians, try to fix our problems instead of going to the One who can help us? When we face struggles, we have to remember that no struggle is as big as God. Jesus will have the last say in any of your problems. And, if you see anyone struggling this year, be sure to share with them this good news, that they can access the Creator, who also went through struggles and can identify with their struggles as well. This article is written by Jeremy G. Woods, CEO of FaithVenture Media and President of Potter’s House Ministries Romania. #GainConfidence

One of the natural consequences of wealth is influence. Influence should be about impact. However, influence has created more problems for people than it has done them good. Instead of benefiting from the course of influence, society has been oppressed by the beneficiaries of wealth. Personal popularity, ego, and fame seem to override God’s intent for wealth. The ignorance of the purpose of wealth could be responsible for these. I used to think that my wealth is all about me. Many times, Christian entrepreneurs (we) forget the reasons God allows us to handle wealth. Many of us go self-centered and seek undue glorification. This sometimes shows how wretched we are in understanding how well we can reach out to people for a positive impact. Acquisition of wealth is a means to a godly purpose. Let’s consider a Biblical example of one man that used his wealth and influence for a real purpose. “When she got up to go back to work, Boaz ordered his servants; Let her gleam where there’s still plenty of grain on the ground, make it easy for her. Better yet, pull some of the good stuff out and leave it for her to glean. Give her special treatment” Ruth 2:15-16 MSG. The above talks about a man called Boaz, and a young widow called Ruth. In Ruth 2:1, Boaz was introduced as a man of great wealth. This means he had great and abundant possession. He had many servants working for him. His wealth made him influential. At this time in history, Ruth came back from Moab to Judah with Naomi, her mother-in-law. It was the time of harvest. Both had little or nothing to get life going. Ruth decided to go to the field, to whomsoever would favorably allow her to gather leftover grains for food. Anyway, she had no choice but to take this step of faith. As the Lord would have it, she stepped into the harvest field belonging to a wealthy man, Boaz, and started gleaning the corn that fell from the harvesters (Boaz’s servants) by chance. This act suggests to me that, though these servants were not the custodians of the wealth, they had learned to influence others with the wealth they managed. Those who have excuses for not impacting lives because they don’t control wealth yet must think twice. In that regard, Jesus has this to say; “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much…” Luke 16:10 AMP. Incidentally afterward, Boaz reported to duty, and Ruth was introduced to him. Boaz instructed Ruth not to go to another field to glean but remain in his own. Not just that, Boaz gave her lunch, and she was satisfied. He further commanded his servants to permit Ruth to glean from plenty of grain, where the bundles of sheaves were lying. This was against her picking from careless dropouts. Boaz was intentional in impacting Ruth through his wealth. He said, “Also, let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean and do not rebuke her” (Ruth 2:16 NKJV). Boaz just wanted Ruth to have more than enough. She received special treatment that changed her life. The peak of it all was that Ruth kept gathering grain from Boaz’s field until they completed the harvest (Ruth 2:21). Boaz influenced the lives of Ruth and Naomi. I ask, how much influence have you made on someone’s life to make him better? How many people have come to you for leftovers (like Ruth) that you helped turn their lives around? You cannot be wealthy to yourself. That is not God’s design. Some people would not even allow dogs to pick crumbs from under their tables. It is a big shame. Such fellows are tending to poverty (Proverbs 11:24). How wealthy you are should be a reflection of the number of people you have impacted their lives. If your wealth or resources cannot influence lives for good, then you are poor. If you were rich, then you would influence people. Imagine how accomplished you will feel having helped someone’s destiny. Take on one person at a time. If you are not yet wealthy, you may be on your way to becoming. Ruth eventually became the progenitor of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Boaz had no idea he was impacting a woman’s life through whom the wealthiest and most influential man would come. Today, we are all enjoying the benefits of the right influence Boaz created with his wealth. Oh, destiny is beckoning on us today. This is how far-reaching our influence can be. #DifferentiatingMyself