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When I first started my business, the partnership between the founders was great! Two of my best friends and I, coming together to take matters into our own hands and leave the corporate life. But as we grew, we experienced conflicts with various parts of the business. From money to marketing, and hiring and firing, we bumped heads on a lot of things. Attitudes flared, pride jumps in, one email would set a wildfire of email attacks, and we were back in conflict. As entrepreneurs, we all experience conflict in business partnerships much as we do in our personal relationships. Joint ventures gone wrong, teams that fall apart, we have times where we feel left out, singled out, treated unfairly, or undeserving of a harsh comment. As I grew closer to God in the years that my business grew, I would begin to handle these conflicts differently. The Bible verse I had to memorize was Romans 5:3-4: “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” You have to learn to stop and ask yourself “what can I do to grow (or help someone else grow) in the midst of these experiences? You should trust God to work through the situation. Just pray. God will teach you and your partners valuable business lessons through dealing with conflict in entrepreneurship. Godpreneur Rule #28: In times of conflict, Godpreneurs realize it’s a moment of potential growth and pray for God to work through the situation in hand. #BuildMyPersonalBrand #AgencyOwners #BusinessPartnerships

When I was a kid, I wanted to own my own business. My dad wanted me to get a ‘real career’. Maybe I’d become a lawyer?. So I entered Cornell as a pre-law student. The first year killed me! I hated it. So I switched to what I wanted to do, business. And school became a joy. Sometimes we’re doing things to please other people, conform to culture and society, or worst of all, for money!! That’s the worst. What I’ve come to discover after meeting with thousands of entrepreneurs and running my own business is that we have to do a deep discovery into our purpose on this earth in order to be in the right business. The Bible says in 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.” God already knows what we’re supposed to do, and life is a journey of drawing closer to God so He reveals that great purpose and then carries you from season to season in your life, directing what you should do next. Are you starting a business someone else wants for you? Before you jump to a “no!” reaction, reflect deeply on this question. Most entrepreneurs are unconscious about what influences have directed their business choices to date. Look, your parents, siblings, wife, friends, and business partners want that life for you for one of two reasons: They want the best for you (from THEIR perspective) They want the best for themselves (how what you do reflects on THEM). So, what do you do? You need to, first, become aware that this is the case. You may need to pray and meditate about this for some time. But don’t get frustrated and start blaming them for lost years. This is on you. You were the one that didn’t ask the important question of ‘what on earth am I here for?’. Understand their intent and perspective but don’t fault them for it. Now that you’re in total awareness, you can look inside to plan out the changes you need to make in order to get on your path. What if everyone in the world was living the purpose God intended for them? That’s my life mission!! What’s yours? Comment with your life purpose below. #ShareYourTestimony #FindingMyPurpose

I’m convinced my previous business partnerships didn’t work because we were fighting for different causes. I was on a spiritual revolution and I was changing my life from things that didn’t please God. I didn’t necessarily know where I was going, I just knew it wasn’t where I and my partners were at the time. I began to steer the ship in a different direction and this is when troubles began. Eventually, I had to let go of the ship completely and jump off it. I partnered up with new people who were going in the same direction I was and my new company got massive momentum and took off. It’s amazing to have a partner who also believes in the same mission and business vision as you do. In Ecclesiastes chapter four King Solomon says, “Two are better than one” and “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves” and finally “A cord of three strands is not easily broken.” Look at what happens in these verses. He makes his case first for a married couple locking arms and standing together against anything and everything that the world throws at them. Then he takes it up to a whole new level with the “cord of three strands.” I believe this is also a picture of two Godpreneurs along with God bound together in a business partnership ready to take on the world. The God of the universe. The God of all creation. The God who is everything cares about your business partnership. He cares so much that He will put Himself right in the middle where He belongs – if you let Him. Nothing will ever be able to stand against your business if you are united and putting God first. If there is something standing behind you fighting together. Is it something from the past that is still unsolved? Maybe it is an issue of broken trust or un-forgiveness. Whatever it is, your first step is to let God search your heart and reveal you what needs to be changed in order to make His will in your life. That can be a little scary, because when you open yourself up and completely let Him in, things are going to change. The control passes from your hands into His, I mean He always got control of your life, but now you are realizing it. I promise you this, God will never do anything that is not the very best for you, your business partner, and your business. The Bible says: "Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others." Colossians 3:13 NLT Now you can do things differently. Now you can stand together instead of apart. Now you can lock arms with God and take on the world. Your life will be better. Your business partner’s life will be better. Your business? You cannot even imagine all that our amazingly good God will do for it. Godpreneur Rule: Godpreneurs ask God to fight with you and your business partner as you seek together the incredible business that He has for you. #BusinessPartnerships

When my business is doing great, I’m like ‘Yes God, you are amazing! Thank you! You’re rewarding me and pouring your blessings!’ When my business is down, I’m like ‘What did I do God? I’ll never do that thing again, I promise! Please stop punishing me!…’ I tend to see God the same way my parents raised me; Good gets rewarded and bad gets the belt. What goes around, comes around. I know I’m not alone. I think we all think this in business. A downturn in the financials has us thinking about where we went wrong. A customer service complaint has us dwelling on the past mistakes we might have made. The problem with what-goes-around-comes-back-around thinking is that it constantly has us walking on eggshells. Analyzing past actions to course-correct in the future is amazing, but analyzing the past to beat yourself up is exactly what the enemy came to do. To live in guilt will destroy the visions God gave us and put up walls of fear that will keep us from living the ‘risk it all’ lifestyle that an entrepreneur must endure. God gave us Paul in the book of Acts as an example of a man that knows his past but only focuses on his future. He’s not walking around shamed by the things of his past but instead focuses on the hope of the visions come to life of his future. In Acts 27 and 28, we see Paul get caught in a huge rainstorm on his way to Rome. There were 276 men on board this ship and Paul somehow finds a way to make this an opportunity to show everyone who God is. All men on board were prisoners and the guards in charge of them. All of them should have died, but Paul had a vision he shared, so their lives were spared. Everyone at home hearing about a shipwreck would have been like ‘they deserved to die for the actions that got them to jail’ but what goes around didn’t come around. God was good. While shipwrecked on an island, they were building a fire, and a venomous snake bit Paul. The natives on the island immediately said ‘this guy must be a murderer, he’ll be dead in minutes for the crimes he committed. But Paul shook the snake off and was never ill. In fact, with that same hand, he healed the father of the chief of the island. You see, the world has us thinking that what goes around comes around. But this simply isn’t true…not under God’s economy…not under God’s business plans. Instead, if you stay focused on your gifts and talents, and keep believing you are on a mission for Christ, then you will be able to shake off the seemingly life-threatening setbacks that befuddle us and chain us to guilt that we were already forgiven of. Godpreneur Rule #60: Godpreneurs learn from their mistakes, but don’t live in their mistakes. #GodpreneurAcademy #BecomeDisciplined #EnhanceFocus

Would you do the marketplace a favor and be you? Because the other entrepreneurs have their calling in business. Do your industry the favor of being you. The world needs the products and services you uniquely created to bring to life, or God wouldn’t have made you be you. If God wanted me to be some other business owner, I wouldn’t be me, and I would be them. Stop trying to be somebody else's company, stop letting the worldly business culture define what’s successful; God says you’re accomplished. The Bible says in Psalms 139:13‭ and 14, "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it." Have you been checking Instagram and Facebook, seeing other friends of yours succeeding in their business, but when you look in the mirror, you feel dejected, wondering why you can't be like them? Meanwhile, God is looking at you, saying, "Child, you are victorious!" Too many entrepreneurs go around feeling wrong on the inside. They don’t like who they are; they focus on their faults, weaknesses, they are constantly critical about themselves. That recording of everything they’ve done wrong is always playing in their mind - "You’re impatient, you blew that deal, you lost your temper. You still struggle with finances. You should be ashamed of yourself." - They wonder why they’re not happy. It’s because they have this war going on inside of them. You’ve not supposed to be in business to feel wrong about yourself. Quit focusing on your faults. Quit over-analyzing your weaknesses. Quit beating yourself up because you’re not where you thought you would be. Here’s the key: you’re not a finished product. God is still working on you through your entrepreneurial ventures. The scripture says God changes us from glory to glory (2 Cor 3:18). You have to learn to enjoy the glory that you’re in right now. You might have some weaknesses, all of us business owners do! You might have some areas where you know you need to improve, but being down on yourself will not help your company make more money. Having that nagging feeling that's telling you, "you don’t measure up in the marketplace, God’s not pleased with you, you´ll never get it right," - It’s not going to help you and your business move forward. You have to accept yourself right where you are on your entrepreneurial journey, faults and all. God is the potter, and we are the clay. He’s the one making you and molding your business. It may not be happening as fast as you'd like, but you don’t control the timetable. Will you trust Him in the process? Will you accept yourself in the glory that you’re in right now? Don’t go around being against yourself. You may be doing some things backward in your business, but can I tell you, you have a lot more right going on than wrong. You're always doing better than you think you are. You may have a long way to go to reach that financial goal, but if you look back, you’ll see how far you’ve already come. Keep your flaws in perspective: every business owner has something they’re dealing with. When you are for yourself, you agree with God. Some entrepreneurs have never once said, “I like myself. I like my gifts. I like my personality. I like my leadership skills. I´m happy with who God made me be in business.” If you don’t like yourself in a healthy way, your employees and clients will not like you. You project what you believe on the inside. If you feel wrong about yourself, you project inferiority, unfriendliness, and discontentment. I’m asking you to feel good about who you are - a Godpreneur. Your business might not be where you want it to be; however, you’re on the way! God is changing you from glory to glory. Start enjoying the glory that you’re in right now. You may have some weakness in certain areas of your company, we all do. But don’t travel this entrepreneurial road against yourself. God is saying, "today, you are my beloved son, my beloved daughter in whom I am well pleased." Now, do your part. Start putting on the breastplate of God’s approval before starting your business day. If we all did this, the chains that hold us Christian entrepreneurs back could be broken. God is going to keep making you and molding your business. You’re going to come up higher, overcome those obstacles, and become everything He’s creating you and your business to be. #GainConfidence

In my business, I use this CRM (customer relationship manager) called Infusionsoft. It’s a contact manager, pipeline manager, e-commerce store manager, AND email marketing manager. Oh, and did I mention that it does automated drip marketing and fulfillment too? COMPLICATED is an understatement. I still get overwhelmed when they come out with new stuff. Just purchasing this system took months of deliberating and planning because it was so highly complex. The more complex the thing seems the more resistance we have to get started. Even though the packaging promises that it’s going to save you thousands of hours (and thus dollars) if we implement it, we still have trouble making the decision and diving in. And once we’ve purchased it, sometimes we get overwhelmed that was just….another waste of money on a product or service I just couldn’t commit to getting to know and trust. If we can be honest with each other, we do the same thing with God. We know He’s good for business, for our life, for everything! But sometimes it can seem so complicated, such a commitment, so much to learn, and know, and do! We quit, we stop daily reading, we don’t pray every meal, we stop trusting, and the next thing we know, we’re off track. Here’s God’s promise in Psalms 91:14‭-‬16: “If you’ll hold on to me for dear life,” says God , “I’ll get you out of any trouble. I’ll give you the best of care if you’ll only get to know and trust me [my emphasis]. Call me and I’ll answer, be at your side in bad times; I’ll rescue you, then throw you a party. I’ll give you a long life, give you a long drink of salvation!” This Infusionsoft program I use is a MIRACLE MAKER for my sales and marketing. It does deliver on everything it promises, but only if I commit to getting to know it, use it, and apply it in my business. I’ve had it for 6 years now and I wouldn’t be able to operate without it. That’s the same with God and bringing Him into my business. He has worked wonders beyond my imagination! It was all because I got to know and trust God. This commitment to building a relationship with Him daily and applying biblical principles in my business has made all the difference in my ability to REST in His presence, during good times and bad. Godpreneurs, if you’ll see God the same way you see a big investment in machinery or software in your business, you’ll be able to reap amazing benefits from the promises God has in store for you. Imagine if we all committed to getting to know God better and pulling the trigger of letting Him fully into every fabric of our businesses?! Godpreneur Rule # 12: commitment to knowing and trusting God is key to unlocking rescue from trouble in your business. #FindMyCalling #ArticulatingMyIdeas #FindingMyPurposes

Something I choose to work on a lot in my personal development is the art of patience – waiting for the right time to launch a new product or service, or waiting on the best time to hire someone. I have such big visions, I want to grow so fast! It’s likely tied to my need/want for success. It probably has roots in pride as well, since I want to be the first and only one doing what I do. I could even trace a bit of ego because I want to prove to others that I can create a big business that has tons of momentum and buzz. I’ve been down the road a handful of times, and each time I’ve LOST IT ALL. Yup, my pride, greed, and ego all got in the way of the ONE THING that entrepreneurs need when growing a business: patience to wait on God. I’m better every day and with every new venture because of the truth of Proverbs 6:1-5: "My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger,  you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth.  So do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighborʼs hands: Go—to the point of exhaustion— and give your neighbor no rest!  Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids.  Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler." Proverbs 6:1‭-‬5 NIV Just a couple of years back I had gone too fast, tried to run too far ahead of the plans, and I found myself in debt and having to make deals with contractors and vendors to reduce the amounts I owed them. A huge blow to my ego. Godpreneurs, it is never too late to throw our life into reverse if we detect that we are on the wrong road. Have courage today. Be honest with yourself and ask God to help you develop the patience you need to wait on Him and not create your own success. When we see a door of opportunity, there is nothing wrong with turning the door’s handle to see if it will open but a lot of heartaches can follow if we break down a door that is locked. I have learned some bitter lessons when I have done this. Creating my own success also places a burden on me to sustain that which I have created. On the other hand, when God allows me to go through a door, it is He who keeps the door open and I can rest in that partnership. Godpreneur Rule: Patiently wait on God for your business success and He will give you results greater than you could engineer on your own. #NewEntrepreneurs #LaunchingMyBusiness #SharpenLeadership

I struggle with an identity crisis all the time. Who am I as an entrepreneur? What’s my next move, and how will others see me when I make that move? I’m constantly second-guessing my moves…in pursuit of an identity that pleases the market. We all do this. It’s in our nature. We seek to identify with people, groups, communities, brands, sports teams, etc. It gives us a sense of belonging. Since my gifting is to help people and companies find their identity, I’ve dedicated a lot of my time in thought and prayer to the subject. What I know from God is that there are two identities. 1) Our first identity that never changes is in Christ. When we accept Christ, we put on our new selves. This identity never changes. We are children of God. From this comes our primary purpose which is to spread the good news and help others receive their identity. 2) Now that we know that identity, God wants to reveal to us our second identity and second purpose. This is the one I’m heavily involved in because it has to do with connecting God’s purpose with your entrepreneurial venture. You’re constantly strengthening your primary purpose in Christ, but it never changes to anything else. Your secondary purpose is constantly changing due to your first purpose constantly growing. This means that business identity is something that needs to be constantly reevaluated and changed due to purpose changing. Is it time for your evaluation? #MarketingMyServices #DifferentiatingMyself

Some of us entrepreneurs are limiting our commitment. I love physically training at a CrossFit gym. It’s a high-intensity fitness program incorporating elements from several sports and types of exercise. It also has a mental component: commitment. See, once the clock starts, you can’t stop. It’s 20-30 minutes of non-stop action. Once the class begins, there’s no turning back! I’ve learned that developing my skill of “COMMITMENT” is paramount to my growth as a person and as an entrepreneur. The Bible has a lot of references for us as Christians when it comes to commitment to various aspects of our lives. We see a commitment to our health, our church, our employees, our neighbors, our families, and in all things we say and do (Ephesians 6:5; Hebrews 10:25; 1 Corinthians 6:19, 31). And of course, we know that the chief commissioner in our lives is God Himself (Matthew 22:37-38). The same commitment I learn in CrossFit, and we learn by committing to God Himself is the same commitment we need to attain wealth, affluence, and becoming rich. Yet, some of us entrepreneurs are limiting our commitment. We define the amount we’re willing to work or the things we’re eager to do, to be committed to success. We need to improve our commitment to our financial success before seeing any economic change in our bank accounts. The Bible says: Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.(Proverbs 16:3) As a Godpreneur, you have committed to putting God first in your businesses. That commitment then gives us the discipline we need to invest in other areas of our lives, and God will establish those plans! Wealthy business owners have one mindset – – affluence. They have a “burn the ship” commitment to prosperity. There is no going in the other direction. There is no stopping. There’s only one way – – FORWARD! There’s a big difference between wanting to follow God, and committing to following God, right? Committed Christians do whatever it takes to follow the Lord, even to the point of letting go of friends and family that aren’t equally yoked. (Luke 14:25-27) Similarly, you must be committed to wealth by doing whatever it takes. You must be willing to bet your life on becoming prosperous. You have to be committed to working 18 hour days for the foreseeable future and accepting that you’ll be giving up some freedoms in the meantime. And similarly to how we must continue to work on our personal spiritual growth by going to Church, we must work on our own financial growth by attending seminars and reading books about investing and managing money. If you haven’t attended a Dave Ramsey “Financial Peace University” seminar, you need to do so! Every Christian business owner needs to visit one. You need to familiarize yourself with money and wealth-building strategies, and Dave Ramsey shows you how to do it, biblically. The better you know the world of money, and especially what God has to say about it, the more money you will be able to earn. Of course, we Godpreneurs know about commitment. We’ve established businesses and are entering into lucrative industries, I’d hope. Remember that God’s favor is over you (the world calls it luck), and this will always be the “X factor” on your side! And if you haven’t launched your business yet, make a plan that will begin to generate profits, and go after it! I’ve created three Steps to Launching a God-Centered Business so you can do it quickly…like NOW! If you’re not sure what industry will work best for you, start by working at any trade you’re interested in. Want to open a restaurant? Commit to working for a catering company or a franchise restaurant so you can learn from entrepreneurs who have already built something. Imagine if all of us Godpreneurs (and future business owners) all agree with ourselves to become a millionaire (or more) and fully commit ourselves to pursue the business visions God has given us. Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9) Godpreneur Rule: Give it all to the Lord. A Godpreneur’s commitment and diligence are richly supplied. #MakeMoreMoney

When you’re putting your business idea together, there’s an amazing excitement that happens at the beginning. You tell a couple of friends, and the next thing you know you’re starting a business with a couple of your buddies….maybe even your significant other. What did you dream that partnership would look like? What kind of people would you be to each other? Kind and gentle? Firm and fanatical? Dedicated and devoted? Committed and costs conscious? What sort of partnership workload? 50/50 all the way? Now….think about the relationship with your partners today… When our realities don’t live up to our expectations, problems begin to arise. And if you’re reading this after you made that agreement, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Business partnerships are like a marriage. No, not in the spiritual aspect – well, I won’t get into that in this blog post. But I mean that some days are better and others are worse, some days you’re richer and some days poorer, and sometimes the business is healthy and sometimes it's sick. The business and the partnership will always contain these things. No matter what circumstances, choices, shortcomings, or surprises may have landed us in the less-than-dreamy present business, we can’t look to the past to make it better. We can only commit to a better future starting now — or as married people would say “from this day forward.” If having the business partnership of your dreams were easy, you’d already have it, right? If you don’t have the strength, you’ll have to learn to rely on Christ’s strength, which is always enough. And even if you’re in a place where you feel like you’re all out of love for your business partners — you can rely on His love that never runs out. Coming to know God midway through my partnership in The Creative Complex helped me keep the organization together for a longer time period. It helped me realize this partnership was like a marriage, and I needed to be unselfish and fight for the unity and common vision of the future. I pray the same for your partnerships. If you have any questions on succeeding in business partnerships, comment or message me. #BusinessPartnerships

When God created us, entrepreneurs, He put a dream in our hearts. Most of us start our businesses off with that dream. We have some kind of dream, plan, or project that we want to do with our business life, our vision. I’ve read comments and talked to hundreds of Godpreneurs over the years, and I discovered while everybody tends to start early in business with a vision, as days and months and years go by, people give up on the dream before it’s accomplished. Most people give up on their business vision and goals because it doesn’t happen fast enough. Some of you have had your dream battered or bruised. Some of you have had your dream broken, and out of discouragement and disappointment, you have buried your entrepreneurial dreams. You’ve given up. But God doesn't want you to do that. The Bible says For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. (Habakkuk 2:3 ESV) If God gave you that dream for your business life, it's going to happen in His timetable, not in yours. He has a will for your business life from the beginning to the end. He knows your past; He knows why you’re where you are, and he is willing to help still. He is going to pick you up right where you are, and He’ll give your company a whole new beginning. That’s what grace in business is all about! Are there second chances in business? We have a second, a third, a fourth, a fifth… I mean, praise God that we can keep on launching and relaunching! He doesn’t just cut us off because we missed it somewhere. God has a plan for your business life. That plan is fantastic, it’s perfect, and it’s perfectly suited for you! Whoever you are, wherever you are, whatever is going on in your bank account, His business plan is the best. It brings him glory and honor and is fulfilling to you and me. Now get up and go! #WheretoStartFirst #GainConfidence

It’s hard to look back over my first thirty years and find anyone teaching me solid, Biblical lessons about money. My dad did encourage me to save for a rainy day but never enforced it through consequences. We were middle-class, but constantly afraid of running out. We moved a lot; he was frequently between jobs - good-paying, executive-level ones. We were not a Christian household. Public schools taught me nothing, in the days when I would have paid attention. I took an economics class my senior year in high school … mostly because I had to. I was far too disinterested by that time and did not get along with the teacher. My first two decades in the workforce were a hodgepodge. I could interview well, and make good first impressions. After a while, however, my true colors of pride, selfishness, greed and laziness would show. In my early twenties, I hopped from one job to another. I needed a job from which I could neither get fired, nor easily resign - so I joined the US military. They had briefings and classes you could take for financial readiness. But by then, the best things they could tell me were things I already knew - “Don’t spend more than you earn.” My integration into the Kingdom of God also proved financially … mediocre. Though my wife and I married debt-free (and remain so to this day), and though we are two-time graduates of Financial Peace University … I still couldn’t manage to raise my personal income above the federal poverty level. The clock kept ticking, until shortly after reaching the age of 38, I got fired from my job selling insurance in Olympia, Washington, where we live. I made the decision - it was “now or never” to attempt something I’d always feared - becoming an entrepreneur. I went at it … and for the first 17 months, I didn’t earn anything. If it sounds painful … it was. I found myself, as late as December 2019, wondering the same things I wondered in the same end months of 2009 and 1999 … “How am I ever going to earn more than the bare minimum?” But by 2019, there was one key differential - I not only knew what Yeshua (Jesus) said about worldly wealth … I also knew what He meant. Why Money Matters to God Six years in the insurance business taught me a key lesson: Nobody wanted to talk about insurance. It forced me to learn to sell a different product - myself. I learned, experientially, that the simplest way to get someone to “buy into” doing business with me was to be generous up front. To give, without any thought of return. In my book, Influencer Networking Secrets, I call this “Be A Magnet, Not a Pusher.” It didn’t occur to me, because of Christianity’s awkward, mixed attitudes toward wealth, that Yeshua could possibly want His disciples to be wealthy. But when I looked closer, I found Him saying something that dovetailed so deeply with how I’d learned to do business, that I could no longer accept the church’s “monetary neutrality.” “I tell you,” He said in Luke 16:9, “use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” Now why would a Great King who abhors wealth tell His subjects to busy themselves acquiring and using it, for the strict purpose of ensuring they’re welcomed into His eternal rest? Why, if He prefers His people to live in poverty and squalor, would He give such a command? Why not say, “I tell you, avoid worldly wealth at all costs. Stayest thou broke, that thou mayest feel pathetic and needy all thy days ... and then enter, exhausted and embittered, seething with resentment at My indifference to your plight, into My eternal rest”? Seriously now … our Great King sits on His throne, roaring with mocking laughter at His subjects, reveling in their shame and dependency on handouts?! Would you take more pleasure in watching your son or daughter succeed and prosper? Or is it infinitely preferable that they struggle, and live in shame? But God also knows - we will idolize our wealth, prestige and position. So He warns us in Ezekiel 14:4-5, “Whenever any of My people comes to inquire of me, and sets up an idol in their heart, I Myself will answer, in keeping with their great idolatry.” Did you catch the underlined part? It means He will answer you the same way an idol would: blank stares, silent lips, lifeless, completely impotent. This is why stewardship has such enduring legacy in Christendom; we must be unattached to wealth, if we are to wield it for the Kingdom. That’s not a “switch” you just flip … it can take many seasons to mature beyond trusting in money. How To Walk Away From The Idol of Money Because I’d learned to give generously up front, in order to build relationships with clients and referral partners, I came to understand what Yeshua meant. He was speaking of the Giver’s Gain, that timeless principle He elucidates elsewhere in Mark 4:25, that “Generosity begets generosity, but stinginess impoverishes.” So, as I reached the exciting conclusion of my “desert season” as an entrepreneur … I never stopped giving. (Equally important - I never started asking for anything in return, either.) (“Giving” here should not be interpreted strictly in terms of donating or spending money. You can be flat broke and have no treasure; you still have time and talent.) Then one day, Aaron Walker approached me about becoming a writer for his team. “You’ve introduced me to so many amazing people,” he said. “You’ve never asked me for anything in return. You need to let me do something for you.” It was a seminal moment. Only a few weeks remained before I’d agreed to give up on business and look for a job. Instead, this relationship led to my first year in business as a ghostwriter, now becoming a content agency, mentoring three young hotshot freelancers. What’s more - I discovered my view of money had changed drastically. When I received my first client payment, my old impulse kicked in … “How can I spend it on something I want?” But I remembered all the sacrifices my family made to get here, and how unhappy I’d be if I went out and bought something for its own sake. I paid my tithe, my bills and then gave the rest to my wife and children. Soon, I began to pay back all the money I’d spent from our personal fortune, in spades. In time, I found myself bankrolling growth-oriented things for the younger disciples I mentor in church. I suppose it never occurred to me: when Yeshua told us, “Store up for yourselves treasure in heaven,” I didn’t realize you could sometimes make withdrawals. Just be sure to spend them on storing up more treasures in heaven.

One of the worst feelings as an entrepreneur is to wait, especially when it comes to waiting on God. You know what I'm talking about. Some of you right now feel like you’ve been patiently waiting on God. Thousands of visits to your site, but no sales. And you’ve prayed for that one big contract that will make the last ten months of faith-filled trust all worth it. You’re wondering what's taking God so long? Am I doing something wrong? Is He even listening? Have you forgotten me, Father? Do you not care that I'm sitting here daily, seeing my savings account dwindle every week? You might be praying over a business partnership that's turned toxic. Maybe you're praying over a depression that's haunted you over this pandemic. Perhaps you're praying for a spouse to accept your entrepreneurial lifestyle finally; you simply want their love and support through the journey. You might ask God for a client to finally pay their bill, or for the bank to release your funds, or for God to bring you the right employee, and yet the more you pray, the less you see. You’re probably praying on something in your business, having faith for something, believing in something, and yet you’ve got no word from God. You've got no sign that He heard you, no indication that He’s active, no sign that He cares. All you want is some answer, any answer. "Give a sign God, give a feeling, give me anything." And yet, for some of you Godpreneurs, there´s nothing at all. What is God doing while our businesses are waiting? Why does God feel so silent? I want to remind you that just because God feels silent in the marketplace doesn’t mean He’s absent; God is working while you’re waiting and wondering. Behind the scenes, the goodness of God, the power of God, the provision of God, and the grace of God are always at work. Do you think YOU hustle hard? God's operation is 24/7/365. The one who designed you to be an entrepreneur and called you to His purpose is working in all things to bring about good. God loves you. He’s a good father. God has good plans for you. He wants to bless you. God wants to prosper you and your business. Just because you don’t see it happening doesn’t mean he’s not doing anything. What is God doing while you’re waiting? God is always working on our businesses, even while we’re waiting. All of us entrepreneurs have a thing that we are waiting for; a vision to come to pass, problems to go away, or the motivation to finally write that book. And when it’s taking longer than we thought, it’s easy to get discouraged, to become impatient, and think, "when is ever going to happen to me? When is it my turn to finally be debt-free and not have to worry so much?" I know you don't want to hear this, but someone has to say it: sometimes it's not happening because you're not prepared for what God has prepared. You’re ready for what you have in mind, but if you could see what God has in mind, you would realize you couldn’t handle it. Right now, you need more time to grow in God-centered business wisdom. You have to develop God-first business systems and processes. You have to gain godly marketplace experience. The Bible says But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (James 1:4 KJV) I've found the patience to be my greatest virtue as an entrepreneur. When I realized what patience produced, I began to enjoy the ‘waiting period’ Patience is like the gym; you might not see anything changing, but something is happening. Patience is working on you. Your spiritual muscles are getting stronger. You’re growing as a Godpreneur that can handle the MORE that God has planned. Patience is building you and getting you prepared so you can sustain what God has to come. Don’t discount the waiting periods along your entrepreneurial journey. Don't get discouraged because it's not happening as fast as you would like. The longer it takes, the more God has to store for your business. When it’s your time, when He knows you’re ready, the business God created you to start is going to be much bigger than you’ve imagined! #WaitingOnGod #GainConfidence

Having a vision is not as easy as everyone thinks. It’s much easier to talk about the vision of that invention coming to life, of starting that restaurant or opening your own massage practice. Anyone can TALK about their visions of owning a business, but it certainly doesn’t make them a business owner…it doesn’t bring the vision to life just by words of their mouth. That’s why there are college and university professors teaching Entrepreneurship and Business management courses, but if you put them out on the streets to start their own business, just because they mastered the books, doesn’t mean they will succeed. There is only one way to make your vision come to life: WORK. Vision without WORK is a dead vision. In the Bible, James tells us that you can know that God wants you to help the poor (faith), but if you don’t give clothing (work) to that poor guy you just met, your faith is dead. He says: “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?” (James 2:14) I believe that if God has planted a vision of a business in your heart, and you’re not taking the steps (work) TODAY to bring that to reality, you’re missing out on the calling of your life. Get this clear: That feeling you have right now of frustration that you haven’t started your dream business is the gap between the vision and the work you start putting in today towards that vision. Close the gap, begin to act! What actions today are demonstrating that you have faith in the vision? In what ways can you bring your work actions more in line with the belief you have in God’s entrepreneurial plan for you? #BusinessBibleStudy #FindMyCalling The Business God Created You To Start Have you ever wondered why you received the talents and gifts you have been given? We, as entrepreneurs, were born to do. 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’ll admit that I live with a restlessness that cripples me with fear, anxiety, and frustration. You’re not going to believe me when I tell you what’s killing me… Here we go – what’s killing me is that I feel that at times I’m not living out my purpose. I feel like there’s so much more for me to do. I wrestle with so many books I want to write and courses I want to teach that it paralyzes me. From the outside looking in, I realize that I’m accomplishing a lot, pushing God’s agenda forward, and making progress on many fronts in my business. But I’m human, and different fears loom over me still. We all have fears that hold us back from reaching our full potential. We know a lot about our businesses, we even know our mission and many of us know our purpose. We know we’re supposed to be in the will of God at all times. But knowing it and actually feeling it fully are two different things. Many of us think that if we change our business model, switch industries, jump ship to another client or close up shop and open up a new business in a different place, we’ll FEEL that purpose we’re seeking. The truth is most of us have enough opportunity right in front of us. It’s not the place that needs to change. It’s our perspective that needs adjustment. The place where God has us both right now is significant, even if you’re struggling to find clients or dealing with a terrible employee. God’s placed us here and has a very important mission for us. The Bible says: "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you". Matthew 6:33 Maybe you’re exactly where God wants you to be, but you’re still seeking to please men or yourself. When you’re seeking to please God, all fear goes away because you’re in His will. When you seek to please others or yourself, you open the door to doubt, frustration, fear of rejection, thoughts that your business doesn’t matter, that where you’re at right now isn’t significant and that you won’t succeed. We Godpreneurs can’t let fear distract us from living a life in God’s full will. He needs us in order to impact the business world. He needs our minds and hearts in the right places: focused on the marketplace mission field He has us on right now, no matter how insignificant we may think it is. What makes you afraid of where you’re at right now? How can you be more intentional in your current situation? #EnhanceFocus