I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to “restart” my business. One day things are going great, there’s momentum, the vision is clear, we´re making money. COURSE HERE I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to “restart” my business. One day things are going great, there’s momentum, the vision is clear, everyone’s on board, we’re making money. Then, bad news. Bad news has come in many forms. For me, it happened each time a partner of mine left the company. It also happened when I lost my biggest client. The latest one happened in November when I dropped the nightlife from my service list and the accountant told me I had a couple of weeks of survival before it was all over. We’ve all had set backs in our business. We have good days and bad days. But sometimes we get news so big that it rocks the entire foundation of your business, your plans for the future, and ultimately, your identity as an entrepreneur. We feel depressed, lonely, like a failure, like the dream is over. I’ve been there, and its likely I will be there again. But there’s good news! God has a plan, and he wants us to REBUILD! Yup! And in these next series of posts, we’ll look at the book of Niahmiah and how he was sent to REBUILD the city of Jerusalem. Most of the time in the bible when something bad has occurred we see people going straight to God first. TAKE COURSE HERE #GodprenerAcademy #BusinessBibleStudy #LaunchingMyBusiness

One of my business partners walks into the office and says “Hey dude, you gotta get on TikTok, it’s the funniest thing ever! People post videos of themselves in extremely creative and entertaining ways.” I’m curious. So I check it out. He was right. It’s fun. It’s addictive! People WILL BE INFLUENCED by the content creators on it. The question is: what’s the best strategy for us Christian entrepreneurs to develop our personal brands on TikTok so that our message can be one that is heard…even if it’s a younger demographic. What is TikTok? We all have teenage and early-twenties friends that have mentioned TikTok, it’s the newest rage. And it’s not just for teens. God brought this powerful branding platform for us Christian personal brands the same way He allowed for Instagam, YouTube, and Facebook to exist. Welcome to a Christian entrepreneur’s introduction to TikTok through the perspective of leveraging TikTok for growing your God-first personal brand and influence for the Kingdom. TikTok is a Chinese social network that puts video first. People can post short videos, edit them, add music, and post them to their TikTok followers. It’s estimated that over 500 million people use TikTok, meaning the network is larger than Twitter and Pinterest. WOW!! TikTok (Douyin抖音) is an amazing platform to promote our Christian personal brands because if it is true that spreading our message is our calling, then short videos give us the chance to influence others with our skills, art, abilities and inspired ideas in a fast and smart consuming way. I use TikTokmyself for 2 main reasons: To promote my @DailyGodpreneur Personal Brand To study this trend and adapt my B2C marketing strategies to brands that I consult and my own companies In personal branding and marketing, things change quickly and we can’t rely on a single platform. Today we need to concentrate not only on Instagram and YouTube, but also on Tik-Tok to reach new communities online with Kingdom-minded thoughts and inspiration. The bible says, He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15) Our primary calling as Christians is to spread the word. Our SECONDARY calling is to use our business and personal brand as a means to do that. I’ve put together a mix of strategies, tips, and advice on building a Christian personal brand on TikTok. We focus on China, a powerful country that offers incredible possibilities for foreigners able to adapt to the social media ecosystem. For more insight about Personal Branding for Christian Entrepreneurs, click here. Who is Behind TikTok? TikTok is for short videos mostly 15 seconds long, but with the ability to make 60 seconds long clips. While using this platform, you’re supplied with a number of songs and many filter options to customize the videos. TikTok is owned by ByteDance. That’s the privately held company, founded in 2006, that is, according to reports, now the most highly-valued tech startup in the world. It just raised a $3bn round of funding that valued it at $75bn. So TikTok has a lot of capital behind it, which could make it more difficult for incumbents to quash it. TikTok burst out in 2018 and became the most downloaded iPhone app, getting the nickname of “China’s Snapchat”. Chinese adore it and they use it to show their life, passion, and talents. Its audience is extremely young and active. According to a survey, nearly 67% of TikTok’s users are under 30 and 56% of them are students. At the same time, data shows that 43% of users live in first and second-tier cities, the developed metropolitan areas. There are so many users and they are so different, different ages, different income, different interests that almost any Christian brand could find here its target and any creator — his audience. As far as it’s a short-video app, it is often compared with Vine (remember that!?) Vine was actually acquired by Twitter in October 2012 prior to its official launch. In 2016, however, thanks in part to growing competition from other apps including Instagram and Snapchat, it was shut down. Vine became popular with content creators who used it to create comedy and music shorts, and it eventually grew to 200m active users. Not surprisingly, brands were eager to get in on the act as well. 6 Reasons Why You Should Use TikTok for Your Christian Personal Brand 1) Videos are easily “digested” by your fans People love video. Our society is hectic and TikTok offers quick bits of consumption without unnecessary complications. Short videos force you to show interesting things about your talent without tricks; the storytelling must be simple and the skills easily recognizable. This makes the platform extremely natural and interesting to follow. 15-second videos are an extremely easy way to promote your inspired ideas, make people think and awaken their interest. People adore these videos because they are easy to understand and can help them to relax. By you recording your day-to-day business life and sharing unique points of view on God via vlogs, Christian entrepreneurs can boost their personal brands and fill an unsatisfied educational, motivational, or entertainment niche in their industry. 2. Your Fans are Millennials You can just use simple in-app tools of TikTok and create original and authentic content which immediately will be delivered to a huge number of users and your customers. Are you looking for a fresh and young audience? They’re looking for your brand here. With the average age of a TikTok user being 13- to 24-years-old, mostly girls, TikTok is a gold mine when it comes to getting your #GodFirst message in front of Gen Z’ers. Very creative and active, they will promote you to their friend and families, if they like you. They are looking for new things, so you can absolutely find new followers and customers here. 3. Personal Branding to Buying Your Products – Making the Switch Ok, you’ve started and got your first audience. And what’s next? Enjoy the easy conversations with them! This audience is so affable you can receive feedback as soon as you post things. The fastest and easiest way to engage them is by using daily challenges and a wide network of hashtags. Some of the big western brands already have created their own highly welcomed challenges. Not so long ago fashion brand Guess launched its #InMyDenim hashtag challenge, the first-ever branded partnership with TikTok. Guess posted several “Official” videos accompanied by Bebe Rexha’s “I’m a Mess,” and then let the content creators do their work. NBC Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon lauded the app and created the #Tumbleweed Challenge. Users posted more than 8,000 videos using this hashtag. If you want to be involved with something buzzy, something shining brand new, operate in a different way and on a platform that has the potential for visibility in a less-crowded space. TikTok was definitely created for you. 4. Learning as a process on your Personal Branding Pilgrimage After downloading the TikTok app you’ll find yourself in the brand new world of lifestyle and culture. Actually, it’s a good way to understand the 15-24 year-olds, what they want, what they’re looking for, what they are used to. Just spend some time scrolling through videos and soon you’ll understand how your potential audience thinks. 5. Christian Speakers: use TikTok as your Online Stage Do you have the gift of teaching? Simply show it. Film a few short videos about yourself, your life, your work. Let people get to know you as a speaker and exhibit your skills of influence. You can take short videos when you’re at an event, you can even have your team go LIVE with you on stage. 6. Collaborate with Other Christian Entrepreneurs Nowadays young, highly-influenceable Christian entrepreneurs are presented with a lot of options and alternatives of similar type teachings. So we have to collaborate to present new and innovative thoughts to those that will listen. I’ve been collaborating more with other Christian business influencers, it’s definitely on the rise within our industry. If you want to TikTok together, let me know! Since we share common goals, values, target market, and business objectives, it’s a no-brainer. Together, we could reveal the one thing our audiences never done which could transform their business life forever. Everyone wins! Conclusion and Tips on using TikTok for Christian Personal Brands At the moment, TikTok is a new and unfamiliar territory for us Christian business owners. Many companies are still afraid to step on unstable soil. But for Christians who want to spread their message to the world, especially the young, the return on investment might be high for the months to come! I suggest approaching the platform with a Personal Branding Strategy that leads to a clear God-First Business Branding Focus. Step by step. Don’t be boring on TikTok, be influential! TikTok has the potential of being a major platform like Instagram and Facebook and shouldn’t be easily dismissed. The app is still in its infancy, but the number of users joining is impressive. It’s still too early to tell the future of the app, as it may continue to rise in popularity or it could plummet. If you are looking for your way to reach a young, new audience, an easy way to understand it and gain some interest from it TikTok is for you. Get more Tiktok fans and strengthen your brand on this platform by checking out this infographic from Digimush. P.S. I did a Business bible study called 7 Steps to Launching Your Christian Personal Brand. Check it out: 7 Steps to Launching Your Christian Personal Brand This business Bible study will help you launch a God-first personal brand that will help you strategically, financially, and personally. Developing your personal brand starts with launching something new and completely different from what you already have. Also, coaches and Christian business leaders, you can use, edit, and repurpose the teachings for your own tribe! Check it out. #GainConfidence #SharpenLeadership

What miracle do I need Jesus to perform in my business life? I’ve been chewing on this question for a few days. I have a lot of things I want (more money, more employees, better clients, etc.), but these are all wants, not needs. All of my wants have been idols in my life at one point or another, so I’m searching deeper need. If I were blind, I’d say to Jesus, “Make me see again.” But I’m blessed that at the time of writing this blog I don’t have any physical needs. My need will have to come from within…deep within me. We all need Jesus to perform a miracle on us within our business. Every one of us has some shortcoming that holds us back from experiencing the joyful success of leading a God-First business. The reason we can’t take the Godpreneurial pilgrimage alone is that Jesus has to be there to bring us the miracle we need. We might be able to travel some distance on our own, but at some point along the journey, the season changes and the way becomes too strenuous for our strength. For most of us it will be difficult to separate needs from wants and identify exactly what deficit we have that will keep us anchored to Christ. The things we want in business will reveal idols in our heart, while the one thing we need will reveal our need for God and unlock the meaning, joy, and contentment we truly seek. So, how can we identify what we need amongst all the distractions of our wants and the sins that entangle us? Self-examination is necessary to know that God is necessary. Knowing what we need involves the one thing that so many of us don’t wish to face: our shortcomings in business. The bible says "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting". (Psalms 139:23‭-‬24 NIV) The thing you struggle with the most in business, and likely in other areas of your life, too, is the very thing that God will use to command your full attention. This “blind spot” in your life is what you bring to Jesus when he asks you “What do you want me to do for you?” You have to be able to know and articulate your need for the miracle to come on the Godpreneurial pilgrimage you’re on. He wants to teach you a lesson in commanding your full attention – a lesson you’ll remember for the rest of your life. For me, I’m beginning to realize that I have passions and desires that are still “of the world.” As much as I write and teach about Godpreneurship, I stand here before you and admit that my flesh is still alive – kicking and screaming for its way. Dear Jesus, crucify my flesh with its passions and desires. -Your Devoted Follower, Alex When we go to Jesus, if we are as desperate and as definitive as I have just shown you, things will happen. We see many in the bible be as transparent and desperate about their deficits – David, Paul, Peter… we’re not alone in our despair. All of us, Godpreneurs, need Jesus to do something on this pilgrimage of Godpreneurship we’re on. The only requirement from each of us is that we know what to answer when Jesus meets us along the journey and asks us “What do you want me to do for you?” We’ve all had people ask us “what can I pray for in your business,” and how many of us pray for money, a contract, or a situation? How many of us are praying for the miracle only Jesus can perform…what we need, not want? This is the most important question we’ve all probably been given the opportunity to answer many times, but we keep on giving the wrong answer. Our answer, as managers of God’s business on earth, will show if we want to lead a God-First business, whether we want Jesus’ healing in our business lives or if we want to continue to pursue our desires and passions. The most important thing you’ll ever do in business won’t be the product or service you do; it will be the serious self-examination that is owning a business affords us to do so we start running operations fully dependent on God. #LaunchingMyBusiness #BusinessBibleStudy #GodprneurAcademy 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

When it comes to launching and growing businesses, the number one excuse I get as to why people don’t take action in their business is lack of money. Since my main business is to do branding for companies, I get to meet the entrepreneurs at the very beginning of the venture or a turning point in the company. And most of the meetings I have the excuse for not pulling the trigger is finances. But I don’t turn the clients away. Instead, I try to have them focus on what they DO HAVE around them and paint a picture of doing the business without needs to invest money, but instead, use what’s already available to them to get going. For example, I consult people all the time that you don’t need a website and a logo to launch a company. Instead, I tell them they need to get on the phone and call 100 people that they know and let them all know what you’re up to and that you’d appreciate them sending you business. I go on to point out that you have a phone, you have a voice, and you have friends, family, and even acquaintances that want you to succeed. We all have things missing in the equation of a “perfect business.” All of us have some kind of defect, disability, shortcoming, or deficiency. We’re all struggling in some area of our life, and as humans, we tend to focus on that as a defense mechanism to avoid pain, loss, and rejection. On the pilgrimage of launching and growing our God First business, God has provided more than we can imagine for us to succeed. But the enemy doesn’t want us to see what’s available to us. Instead, he wants us to be down and depressed about what we don’t have and what we lack so that we don’t launch and grow the business God needs us to create. The bible says: "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see". (Hebrews 11:1 NIV) You might not have money, time, experience, or connections, but God’s given you other resources and talents to use, and most importantly, you can have FAITH. When things are going wrong as you journey to launch and grow your business, you’ll tend to focus on what you don’t have. Instead, choose to see what’s working! If you stay focused on what you’re missing, you’ll keep dreaming until the dream dies. We all need to have faith and be sure we’re using what God’s provided and turn those things up! When we do this, we’re standing up against the enemy and showing our faith in God to provide and fight our battles for us. We need to find the one thing we do have, and let God take care of what’s missing. We Godpreneurs may not have everything that other entrepreneurs have, but we have faith. God is for us! Keep your eyes on God, don’t get caught up in the negative and don’t focus on your age, income, or lack of experience. In this pilgrimage of launching and growing your business, God wants to help you create a business that provides an abundant life! If you have faith to use what God’s already provided, then God will bless you with your breakthrough. #BusinessBibleStudy #LaunchingMyBusiness

When I was a kid, I loved playing soccer. My favorite position was the goalie. In elementary school, I was always the starter. My team could count on me to stop most of the balls from scoring. But when I got into middle school, the level of competition changed. Guys were taller, skinnier, faster, and older than me, and I didn’t have a chance at starting. I sat the bench, watching from the sidelines, waiting to see if my number would ever be called. It took almost two years, but one day, the coach called my name to substitute for the starting goalie. I played the game of my life, and from then on, the starting goalie and I shared the position. This gave me the confidence I needed because, honestly, I was going to quit and find another sport. When coach called me, and when I started playing more at the varsity level, my confidence skyrocketed, and I played goalie throughout high school and even into college. In our pilgrimage to start and grow businesses, we’re all sitting on the sidelines and looking at the other successful entrepreneurs pass us by. They are bigger, wealthier, more experienced, faster, and seem to dominate so much that we don’t even know if there will be space in the market for us. We’re thinking about quitting and switching industries or even going back to a cushy nine-to-five job. But we’re Godpreneurs, not entrepreneurs. We’ve been Called. We’re purposely putting God-First, but everything changes when the caller speaks a calling to the entrepreneur that’s hanging on to the last piece of hope – for our chance to shine! The bible says "On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17 NIV) If your business is sick, if your bank account skinny and frail, if your dreams have died, then you’re in the EXACT place where God can do His best work! You’ve willingly entered an entrepreneurial pilgrimage where God is going to reveal exactly what you were born to do. Be ready to take heart; rise, and respond to what he is calling your business to in 2019! You come across as the hero and get recognized in business when you are audacious and tenacious in recognizing your need for God along this journey. What you may not have realized is that Jesus has always known your business, always believed in you, and always called you! That’s what the meaning of “born to do” is. When God calls us, God defines us. Don’t let the world stop you from what God wants you to launch. Godpreneurship is about having faith that God’s got your best interest at heart. We just need to be willing to wait in expectancy. When God calls us, God defines us. We Godpreneurs can’t let the world stop us from what God wants us to launch. Godpreneurship is about having faith that God’s got our best interest at heart. Godpreneur, are you willing to sit, wait, and watch from the sidelines for your number to be called? Be ready. #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’ve launched and re-launched many businesses of my own since 2000. The journey is different each time, but the fact that I learn from my past makes the next journey different. When I started walking with God in 2008, launching entrepreneurial ventures took on a new light because I was inviting God into the process with me. What I noticed, thereafter, was an amazing revelation – Jesus would begin to heal me of my past experiences to help me be stronger in my future endeavors. See, before, when I would launch a new business venture, I brought a lot of past pain, hurts, frustrations, and expectations. The business would do good for a bit, but eventually, that past caught up to me, and the business would suffer. Old wounds would sabotage partnerships, client relationships, and even my ability to innovate. We Entrepreneurs have a choice when we decided to embark on the pilgrimage of launching and growing a God-First business: we can do it by carrying the weight of our past, or we can partner with Jesus to be spiritually healed and move forward with a new light. The bible says: "And the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all". (Luke 6:19 NIV) While Jesus was leading His own pilgrimage of launching the church, the people recognized that, through him, they could receive healing. The healing empowered their faith more, and of those around them, and they could follow him more closely and experience life in a whole new way. In the say way, you have the chance to launch and grow your business as if Jesus had just given you new legs and new eyes! But, if you were honest with yourself, there are likely areas that we haven’t given over to Jesus yet for healing. Launching a business WITH God is the perfect opportunity to let God do some healing of past business hurts. THAT’S THE POWER OF LAUNCHING WITH JESUS! See, God is using your entrepreneurial venture to heal you! The pilgrimage of starting and growing a business can reveal the areas you still haven’t surrendered, and Jesus can pull you to the side of the road when you’re ready to call out to him! Jesus wants to heal us on this pilgrimage of entrepreneurship! But we Godpreneurs need to be careful to not let our pride, rebellion or bitterness keep us from God working on certain areas of our life. Our businesses growth and success depend on us overcoming anything that be holding us back from more! Remember, the enemy only exists to keep you from achieving everything that God has for you in your business. The enemy will keep you blind to your own hurts. But thank God we can be set free from that, and launching and growing a business is just another tool God can use to show us grace and mercy! When Godpreneurs are ready to be fully spiritual healed, we have to be willing to write down the answer to questions like “God, what hurts am I carrying into this venture?” Be honest with recognizing addictions and flaws that you know God wants to deal with, and let Him do it through your business. Maybe this is your 2nd or 5th business venture, and you want things to be different this time around. If you want a new experience, you need to be a new you. Let God make the adjustments to your Godpreneurial career through the pilgrimage of business ownership. #LaunchingMyBusiness #BusinessBibleStudy #GodpreneurAcademy 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

The thought of going on a Pilgrimage has fascinated me since I was a kid. I’d see it in old Bible movies and think how cool it would be to travel with thousands of people to a destination. When I started reading more about pilgrimages in the Bible, I made a big realization: although I’m not riding in a caravan through the desert, launching and growing a business sure does feel like a Pilgrimage, especially as a Godpreneur. See, in my studies, I learned that a Pilgrimage is anywhere we’re trying to get while staying focused on God. We Godpreneurs may do this several times a year, depending on how much of a serial Godpreneur we are (ME!!). When we set out on this pilgrimage of entrepreneurship, we want to take the most direct route, but we understand the road will be bumpy with unexpected twists and turns. But that’s why we partner with Christ to embark on this journey together. The bible says "I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord , the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep". (Psalms 121:1‭-‬4 NIV) You’re on a Pilgrimage to launch and grow your business, and you’ve invited Jesus to join you on the journey. Along the way, you’ll pray during meetings, you may participate in Bible studies together, and you might even go to some church conferences as a group to continue to learn and grow both spiritually and professionally. We Godpreneur recognize our need for Christ on the journey of running a God-First Business! And it’s important that we travel this journey with another Godpreneur, and alongside other Christian businesses and partnerships trying to do the same thing. The pilgrimage of Godpreneurship towards something that will bring glory to God. As we’re on our journey, we must recognize and know that we’re not trying to meet God somewhere. We’re not trying to accomplish something FOR God. God has everything He needs, He just missing our 100% devotion and dependence. God is already with us. By starting the journey with Him, we’re already bringing Him 100% of the glory we can. There’s nothing more we can do but to TRY to stay in this same attitude along the journey. As we know, that’s easier said than done. Those that love control will have to give it up, and those that fear not having control will need to learn a new mindset along the route. #BusinessBibleStudy #LaunchingMyBusiness #GodpreneurAcademy 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

From elementary school, I can always remember being in some kind of leadership position. Oftentimes, I think this can lead to leadership fatigue, pride, and a slow-down in our true potential We can find rest from our own feelings of leadership responsibility if we can understand that Jesus came (Acts 2:32‭-‬33 NIV) When Jesus ascended into heaven, it started his leadership role as king over every

Back in 2007, I got into some huge tax problems. I had hired a bunch of employees, but I wasn’t sending their personal taxes to the IRS like I should have been. It turns out I needed $14,000 to repay the IRS or I could face more penalties or even jail. I had no idea I was breaking a law at the time. It wasn’t until my accountant pointed it out that I realized what I was doing was not only wrong, it was illegal. I was basically stealing from my employees and the government. I was in big trouble and I needed $14,000 quickly or the trouble was going to get worst. Embarrassed and ashamed, I told my parents about the issues I was facing. Without hesitation, they agreed to pay the debt off for me. I was now free from that weight on my shoulders! The price of my mistake was paid by my loving parents. Of course, I promised I had learned my lesson and I wasn’t going to let that happen again. We all have areas in our business life where we break the law, bend the rules, or even unknowingly do something wrong that eventually catches up to us. And if those sins we commit aren’t exposed and brought to justice, we will continue to do them for the rest of our business careers. Some of us are stuck in a pattern of sin in our businesses that we don’t have the power to break free from. We have a client that’s paying us illegally, but it works out because we’re saving money. We have business coming in from places that don’t honor God, and still willingly do it, even though we know it’s wrong. This is called sin. And until sin is put to death, we are dead businessmen transacting in a corrupt world. But… The bible says "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life". (John 3:16 NIV) The death of Jesus stands at the center of the solution to the very sin that traps you. On the cross, a sinless man pays the price of your sins in business so that you can be alive and free from all the sins that hold you down. Jesus’ death on the cross is both the most tragic evil done, but the greatest good of all time. All the sins you commit in your business have a penalty. And for every crime caught, there is a penalty. Like when I got caught not paying taxes when the penalty was paid, you say that justice has been served, and that’s a good thing. Whether you’ve been caught or not, our sins are a rebellion against God. Those sins still trap you in a world that God didn’t have planned for you to operate your business in. This sin that you have carries a penalty by God – death. It’s not just physical death, but a spiritual one too. When we’re spiritually dead, we’re separated from God, and we continue our sinful existence until our physical death. But like my parents paid my $14,000 IRS debt, Jesus paid the penalty for your sins in business when he died for us. This doesn’t mean you stop sinning, it means that the penalty of the sin was incurred for you, payment was made by Jesus himself, and you are now free to draw closer to God so that you can be freed from the grip of sin. Now you can begin the journey of letting go of the sins you’ve carried for years in your business because the price was paid. I remember when I found out about my IRS problems I was afraid, scared, and I didn’t even want to go into work. But when my parents paid the debt, I was free from those thoughts and able to take my business to new levels that God wanted to show me. Jesus’ death is one of the most important concepts a business owner must understand. I didn’t fully understand its significance, this is why I’m trying to illustrate it in different ways. See, I had committed a crime in my business and the penalty for that crime was $14,000 that I could not pay for. However, my parents could pay the penalty on my behalf. The penalty was paid. The IRS was restored. The cost was real. Yet because of the generosity and sacrifice of my parents, I’m not bound to pay the penalty. So, Jesus died for our business sins and paid the penalty for them out of His love and generosity, allowing us to avoid paying the penalty ourselves if we accept that. I believe the message of the gospel for entrepreneurs will be the hardest to do or understand because we’re the authority in our businesses. The bible says “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich [a successful businessman] to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:25 NIV). As entrepreneurs, we tend to act on our own authority to choose between good and evil in our businesses instead of submitting to the ultimate authority of God. This rebellion is what curses us, causes us to sin, and we fall short of what God has planned for us. But we love our sin, we trapped, we’re separated from God, and we deserve to get caught and pay a price. But God, rich in mercy and love, pursued and saved us by substituting his Son in our place. For me, this means that now I’m free to do what I was Born to Do. And although I still sin, I’m not trapped because I’m forgiven and I can get up and continue to pursue my calling. So to us Godpreneurs, Jesus’ death is the best news in the world for our businesses. It’s the gospel—the good news that though we substituted ourselves in the place of God, God substituted his Son in our place that we might draw near to him in righteousness and continue to uncover and pursue our purpose and calling here on earth. If all of us business owners repent and believe in this, we can receive new life in Jesus, be reconciled to God, our business dealings cleansed from shame, our brands restored to honor, and given an eternal inheritance in the family of God! #BusinessBibleStudy #NewEntrepreneurs #GodpreneurAcademy

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. (1 Peter 4:10 NIV) If you don’t know what’s inside of the spiritual gift God’s given to you, then the gift is useless. It will never benefit you, your employees, or the marketplace around you. God has given you a spiritual gift to use in the marketplace that will take your business to places you could have never gone alone. Every one of us Godpreneurs has a duty, responsibility, and obligation to partner with God to use our gifts in our industries. God’s grace poured over us when we accepted Jesus and our businesses give us the opportunity to serve that gift to others freely. Imagine if we all used our gifts to point people the giver, and give all the praise and glory to God!? Imagine if our gifts encouraged others to want to draw closer to God so that they could find their gifts too?! That’s called Marketplace Ministry, and that’s our true calling as Godpreneurs. #FindMyCalling #BusinessBibleStudy #GodpreneurAcademy 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

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

#EnhanceFocus #FindingMyPurpose

"Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine." (Proverbs 3:9-10) When you tithe, you are showing God that we have our priorities straight in our finances.  You are letting Him that you and your business are committed to keeping the lights on at HIS place of worship – your church.  What God uses your business supports your church. The reason I bring up the tithe as a “membership fee” is so that you would possibly think differently about it.  You’ve probably heard the pastor at your church give all the various verses of tithing, but maybe nobody’s ever put it to you in this way. Personally, if I want to make a change of habit in my life, I have to think differently than I did before to jolt my brain into a new pattern. The same way we put aside money to pay for critical things like rent, cell phone, and car, we need to plan for the tithe in our financial budget. It should be a line item expense that we can’t operate our business without paying. Godpreneur Money Rule #16: Godpreneurs honor God’s plan and purpose for tithing. We allow God to use our business to support our church and it’s growth. #BusinessBibleStudy #BecomeDisciplined #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