January 3, 2025 • 53 mins
In this episode of Give It Your All, we sit down with DJ Hepburn, a visionary DJ, music producer, and community leader whose life is a testament to intentional purpose and faith. Anchored by the promise of Jeremiah 29:11, Hepburn shares his journey from mastering instruments as a young child to launching a Multimedia Production Studio and co-leading impactful initiatives through Time 2 Win Academy.
We dive into his commitment to aligning passion with purpose, how he transforms potential into action, and his mission to create opportunities that inspire others. From hosting events like Lit N Fit to annual toy giveaways, DJ Hepburn offers insight into living a life that's not only creative but also deeply compassionate and faith-driven.
Connect with DJ Hepburn on Instagram at @Diegebaby and follow his business @Createatlikeminded. Learn more about his work at Createatlikeminded.com.
Join us for an inspiring conversation about turning dreams into meaningful impact, fueled by unwavering trust in God's divine plan.
Give It Your All Podcast
Website: www.giveityourall.us
Need Prayer? www.giveityourall.us/prayer
Email: info@thespiritfilledcollective.com
Sponsored by: The Spirit Filled Collective LLC
Visit us at: www.thespiritfilledcollective.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Unknown (00:00):
Daryl, welcome to give it your all the
(00:04):
podcast where we dive deep intolife's biggest challenges and
victories through a biblicallens. I'm your host, Daryl
Baptist junior, and I'm excitedtoday to introduce you to my
namesake. You know both firstname and nickname, my brother.
DJ, man. DJ, Hepburn. And we goway back. DJ lives with
intentional purpose, anchored bythe promise of Jeremiah 2911,
(00:25):
and a profound trust in God'sdivine design. His journey
seamlessly weaves musicalcreativity with community
impact, transforming potentialinto meaningful action. From
mastering instruments at agefour to becoming a versatile DJ
and music producer, Hepburn isconsistently pursued paths that
align that align passion withpurpose. His multimedia work and
(00:46):
community leadership reflect thestrategic approach to making a
difference, not by chance, butby a deliberate choice as CO VP
of Time to Win Academy andcommunity community
organization, Hepburn has beenstrategically positioned to make
a meaningful difference. Hisrecent launch of a multimedia
production studio is more than aprofessional milestone. It's a
(01:07):
deliberate step in pursuing hislife's purpose through community
events like life and fit andannual toy giveaways. He
transforms purpose into tangiblecompassion. At 32 Hepburn
remains committed to living alife that transcends personal
achievement, focusing instead oncreating opportunities and
inspiring potential in othersthrough faith driven and
(01:29):
innovation. Welcome to the show.
My brother, how you doing? Man,yo, what's the word? What's the
word? Man, this is doing well,bro, yes, sir. Oh man, it's been
a long time coming. Guys, I metthis man back in third grade.
Man,back at Roosevelt Elementary
man, there's a long time coming.
(01:52):
So we've known each other for awhile, separated over the years
from middle school to highschool and college and stuff.
But you know, it's just justsome of the childhood
relationships and friendships,you know, you just kind of hold
on to and just have a mutualrespect for later in life, you
know, for people like that. So,man, just again, I'm just happy
to relink with this brother thistime through Christ. So even
(02:14):
it's even better, you know. Sowelcome, man. Tell us how you
doing today, man. Man doingwell, just one step at a time.
You know,just been working on a lot,
creating a lot, just living lifewith purpose. Every second,
every minute is purposeful. Sothat's just,
(02:38):
you know what I've been on? Uh,yeah,
that's amazing. Man, that's,that's phenomenal. Man, is so
motivational to see you inaction. Man, to see that you've
been workingsince I randomly bumped into you
a few years ago. You're DJ, inthat,
that bowling alley downtown, youknow, been shut down. Now that
(03:00):
little silent part. I'm like,oh, shoot us for dog. DJ, you
know, it just right before, butJesus stuff, you know, so did
later on your life, you know,making up and stuff. So it's
just amazing, just to see thatyou just out there, that you've
been putting at work, out therein the community, making an
impact. Man,facts. Man, we still, we still
pushing forward. Got, uh, gotthis toy drive going on next
(03:23):
week. Um, I think that's likethe 21st
and, you know, we about to, we,bro, we put the event bright up.
Literally, the next day, over100 RSVPs. Come on, come on.
Right now. It's just, it'sreally amazing. You know, we
(03:46):
partner with this law firm inWest Palm, Lionel and writer,
okay?
And they, they just kind ofembraced us and reached out to
us, um, my church, and theyreached out to us. And now we
putting it together, and now welooking like we about to give,
(04:08):
give away to a voice, to maybeabout 200 250 families. Man,
wow, bro, that's phenomenal.
Man, that's that's such a hugeimpact, especially in this,
these times we living in rightnow, man, I'm so excited,
because it just like came out ofnowhere, like, and I think
that's, yeah, that's really atestament to just God and just
who he is, and how he could justmove so swiftly to where you go
(04:32):
from, like, having the idea orjust thinking about something,
and he just brings it right toyou, bring the opportunity right
to your front door to be able toexecute on it. So I think it's
really cool and just a testimonyto just our faith. Man, come on.
Man, that's, that's, that'sgood. Man, so hey, man, hey,
listen, guys, this episode isgoing to be out after this, but
(04:56):
you definitely imma definitelyleave something.
And stuff. So you can check outsome recaps from it and how you
can stay involved, get involvedin everything else he got going
on. But we going to jump rightinto the show, man. So who has
been a significant spiritualinfluence, and how have they
impacted your journey?
I would say for me, my parents,my parents have been a really
(05:21):
big spiritual influence for me,because
just from a young age, from mygrandfather my grandmother, all
the way up to now, they'vealways led by example. I've
never had to questionor waver on where they stood
when they came to their faithand their belief system, and how
(05:43):
things would come to fruitionand happen. It was always, you
know, Christ leading the way.
And you know Christ reallywalking that path and helping
them to be able to do a lot ofdifferent things, whether it be
the business, whether it be, youknow,
the church and ministry like itwas just times throughout my
(06:07):
life where my parents would bethat example for me and help me
to kind of have even more faithand even give me the fuel to be
able to go after What I'm goingafter, to take risk and just
have faith and just trust Godpolitically, knowing that, you
know,eat him halfway. He just going
(06:28):
to be right there walking youthrough it, you know. So, wow.
So you say, you know they soyour parents were not only a
spiritual influence, but when itcomes to, you know, ministry,
you know, and just that kind ofaspect, but so you're saying,
also in the business realm too,they really help be examples and
influence, influential for you.
(06:52):
Yes, sir. Okay, talk about thata little bit. So we started Time
to Win Academy around 2012mm, and you know, I left my
current job, or I left my job atthat time to, you know, help my
family start the business up.
(07:13):
And, man, when I tell you, likethat first year, it was kind of
rough. You know that first yearis rough. You going through
inspections. You're goingthrough just startup things,
just like we was talking aboutbefore we started. Just start up
the whole startup process, andyou just dealing with that
uncertainty if, like, everythinggonna work out, like, you know,
(07:35):
if this is something that I'mreally supposed to be pursuing,
I left the school district tooka leave of absence. So now you
leaving like safe government payto go pursue something that
comes with a lot of uncertaintyand you don't know what the end
result will even be.
So that came with a lot ofquestions, a lot of backlash, a
(08:00):
lot of everything. So duringthat process, I kind of just
just like I said, like myparents led by example my mom,
she just never lost faith inwhat God spoke to her. God spoke
to her, told her to start theschool up. She never lost faith.
She never wavered. She had timeswhere she probably wanted to
quit. She had times where itprobably got really difficult
(08:22):
and tough, but she continued topersevere and just in business,
I think that's important,because most businesses don't
make it past five years. So it'slike when you when you're
starting out, you might not haveall the money you might have,
you might not have all theclientele. You might not have
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all of the resources necessaryto get the job done, but you
just have this vision, and youjust have, you know, drive to
want to, you know, accomplishthese things. So just following
by her lead and my, my father'slead, you know, I was able to
persevere with them and justwalk with them all the way up
(09:03):
until the point where we aretoday. You know, 1213, years
later,and it's like everything has
been just prosperous, I couldsay,
just in order of how, just howthat one risk and that one, that
one leap of faith, changed thewhole dynamic of our family's
(09:27):
life. You know, like some peoplefeel like, you gotta, you know,
make millions and billions inlike, you know, duties, crazy
things. But sometimes it couldbe just one leap, one leap of
faith, or just one risk that youtake that can significantly
impact and change your yourfamily's bloodline, and just the
(09:49):
whole landscape of how you guysmove so,
man, that's powerful bro. Man,that's that's really powerful.
Man, I didn't know that startedlike that, so that was good for.
Asian, um, so that kind of leadsus into the next question. So
tell us about the moment of timewhen God called you to step into
your purpose. Then how did yourespond?
(10:09):
Um, I would say,when it came to stepping into my
purpose, I think I've reallyjust stepped into my purpose,
like last year, probably I wouldsay, yeah, yeah, talk to me.
(10:30):
Hey, like last year, two yearsago, I literally just kind of
made that decision. And I think,I think it, it doesn't happen.
How most people expect it tohappen? I think it's more of
likeyou have a choice to make, and
when it comes to stepping intoyour purpose, only you know,
like when it's time to reallywalk into that calling, and
(10:53):
really walk into, you know, whatGod is calling you to do. And
for me, I would say thathappened when I was moving back
to West Palm, and I felt likeGod was just calling me to kind
of do something different. And Iwas nervous. I was, I still am
(11:15):
nervous, you know? I think it'sjust yeah, I responded by just
doing it, by just executing, notreally executing, but applying
myself and really seeking Him,and really leaning into that
relationship, really having thatrelationship with Christ, to be
(11:36):
able to understand, like, whatthe next steps are, and what you
know which way to go, in whichdirection to go.
So I think that's how Iresponded. I think even just
with him recently, kind ofpushing me into my purpose, I
(12:00):
responded by just applyingmyself and getting after it,
and yeah, I think that's, Ithink that's kind of where we
are now, where, you knowdifferent things are coming to
fruition and happening that Iprobably would have never
imagined or I probably dreamtabout or prayed about, but now
(12:21):
it's like, happening right now.
Yeah, it's like, but be carefulwhat you ask for the present.
No, that's awesome, man, I likethat one word you use when you
were saying that. Just that onthe relationship in particular,
with Christ. You know how thatyou know really is your anchor
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and your and what you hold onto, and the fact that you even,
not only did he push you intoit, but he told you what it was,
but both of those things seemedlike it required a strong,
intimate relationship with him,right?
It definitely does. I thinkrelationship is way more
(13:02):
important. A lot of people have,like, a religious viewpoint of,
like, you know, like religionand tradition and stuff like
that. But I think when youreally have a relationship with
Christ, when you really likeseeking, it really, you know,
seeking to just know him more, Ithink it just, I think it just
(13:23):
begins to open up, like lifejust begins to open up. My
counselor, he put me on to averse where I think it's
Proverbs, A pro, a verse inProverbs where it said, the way
it adjusts, likethe way it adjusts man God
reveals the path. Like day byday, right, right, right, right,
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moment by moment. Like it mightjust be one step here, come on,
and it's the next step, and thenit's the next step, and then you
don't know, like from day today? What? Yeah, what, what will
come next. But it's just okay,I'm gonna just take this step
here, right? Okay, you callingme to do this. Okay, I'm gonna
(14:08):
just do that. And then I'm like,All right, what's next? I don't
know what's next, but you'recalling me to do this. Okay, all
right, what's next after that,man, it just keep, yeah, keep
opening up, you know? And Ithink that's really more of like
relationship, where you havethat relationship with Christ,
and it just begin to open up,and you just like, Oh, okay.
Like, now I see it. Now Iunderstand, yeah, why he had me
(14:30):
to do this and that and and makethese moves, you know, right?
Exactly, all preparation, Yep,yeah, we at least when you're
walking in purposes preparation,right? Fact, yeah, yeah. And if
not too sure, Romans, Romans sayhe'll turn it Roman they say
he'll turn it all around for ourgood, anyway, for those who are
called so either way, it's goingto work out for His glory. So,
(14:52):
right? Fact, so big fat. That'sbeautiful. So what is your
favorite?
Bible verse of passage thathelps you stay encouraged during
challenging times. And how doesthat look in
action? Well, for me, I alwaysgo to Jeremiah, 2911,
(15:14):
and the way that I evendiscovered that that was my
favorite verse, or a verse thatnavigated my life was I just
couldn't escape itlike it just kept like it just
kept popping up. And you know,just for reference, Jeremiah,
(15:34):
20, 2911, For I know the plans Ihave for you, declares the LORD,
plans to prosper you and not toharm you, plans to give you hope
in the future. So with thatverse right there, I remember I
had never read it before, andthen I remember one year, on my
birthday,I got like a somebody got me a
(15:58):
Bible verse, but it was, like,a, like, a picture that you
could hang up, okay? And it wasJeremiah, 2911 and I'm like,
wow, okay, this is a dope verse.
Like, I never knew the Bibleeven had this. This was, like,
couple years ago. Like, Man, Iain't even know this was in the
Bible for real, like that. Andthen, then
(16:21):
I was at another, at another,like Christmas party or
something like that. And thenthey had everybody, like,
drawing these,these Bible cards, Mm, hmm,
drawing these Bible verse cards.
And they was face down. They wasface down. And then I went to
pull it. Boom, I just picked onerandom, pulled it. What was it?
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Jeremiah, 2911bro, what is up? I'm like, yo,
this verse. Just keep followingme. No. So that, just that, just
that I felt like I was justspeaking to me. And I think it's
a message to all of us, like youknow that he always have the
best interest of us. You know,when times get hard, even when
(17:05):
it gets tough, even when it's alot of uncertainty and doubt in
our minds, you know, like at theend of the day. You know, God's
main thing is to prosper us andnot to harm us. And you know,
just how that looks in action isjust that is fuel for my faith,
to be able to even to, like,keep hope alive. Mm, because I
(17:32):
heard in the sermon, like coupleweeks ago, they were saying,
like, hope is an action. Like,it's not just a word, like
you have to really execute hope,like you really have to apply
yourself to have hope.
So like with this verse, the waythat that just plays out in
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action would just be, you know,it gives me the hope and the
faith to know that, okay, everystep that I'm making, every step
that I'm taking, is purposeful,amen. It's going to be useful
God's glory. So, yeah, yeah, Isecond that, yeah. You know
(18:18):
journey. You know about thatjourney, bro, it's so beautiful
man that he, he just man. He'sso good, bro, I can't, you know,
Words can't express it, bro. Youknow, like every everything I'm
doing is purposeful andintentional for, you know, for
what he got for me, and he said,man, like the things he have for
us is,is bigger than whatever we have,
(18:39):
we seen, heard or imagined. Iwas like, what? Like, what are
you because I done, seen somestuff, heard some stuff, and I
showed up and think about somestuff. So you telling me it's
bigger than all that? Lord, no,that's so it's so confident,
like you said, that's just,that's, it's like your anchor
right there, just to keep yougrounded. Like, alright, God,
(19:00):
listen, this thing look crazy,right now, but what? Jesus,
right, it would look crazier. Soright? I know you got the glory
out of that at the end of theday, right? I, I'm, I'm sticking
it to the end, bro. Because,hey, if you, if I gotta make it
to the end one day, I'd ratherbe on his side. Facts, big
facts, bro. So Nah, man, that'sthat was great, bro. That's
(19:22):
great. That kind of transitionto the next one. In a sense, I'm
not sure if it's if you tie thisor you got something else for
it, but how do you navigatemoments of doubt or questioning
in your relationship with God?
Prayer,prayer and journaling, okay, and
and versus like, like this one,you know, having one thing that
(19:45):
I started doing, like, a couplemonths ago is highlighting a lot
of verses that I just foundinsightful and that, you know,
could help me. You.
At, like, when I feel,when I'm overthinking,
(20:06):
I just feel like the enemy justtrying to, you know, attack that
mental because, you know, whenhe can't get to the physical,
then he start trying my game,yeah, so he good at it,
you know, get with divine game.
So I'm like, Okay, right, atleast I have, you know, verses
that can reassure me andreaffirm me of like the promises
(20:32):
Christ, you know, gave to us.
And you know, just help tohelp our thoughts to, you know,
hold our thoughts captive in asense of life, when we, when we
hear those negative thoughts andthose negative questions you've
been being like, Nah, that'snot, that's that ain't that
word, that ain't it that word.
(20:56):
Ain't that word. This is thatword, though. Come on. Like,
this is that word. So even forme, I think in times of where it
just get crazy and it just getssuper hectic, it's like,
Alright, let me just slow downreally, like, pray. Let me take
some breaths. Let me journal alittle bit, write down how I
(21:16):
feel. Let me like, really prayand, you know, just take time
and just reaffirm myself inthose moments and continue to
push forward. You know,that's That's amazing, man,
that's amazing. That even aspectof journals. So I made a
journal,like a a daily journal, I think
it's a 21 day journal on Amazonand stuff.
(21:41):
You know, I was just reallymessing around with that Amazon
KDP thing.
So I got, I got one on there,and it was cool, like, you know,
in my head, I'll just, you know,hey, look, I'm just gonna do
something, obviously, you know,it was decent. Of course, I'm
not just gonna put nothing,anything out there, but, um,
right. But it was amazing, bro.
The response was lit. I justsent it to a few people just to,
(22:01):
like, just, Hey, I got somethingout there. And, bro, it was
phenomenal. People wereliterally using it, you know,
people telling me, oh yeah, Ibought the journal. It was so
I'm like, Whoa, wow. You know,that's crazy. So, because I
journal, you know, well, I can'tsay I journal. I take, I guess
I'm a scholar, bro, I just takea lot of notes. So whenever
(22:22):
something on my mind while I'min Scripture, I kind of write
that down. So that's some kindof my journaling, I guess. But
either way, nevertheless, man,it's good that you even, you
even got that exercise, bro,just spending that quality time
with God, because it when you'rejournaling, you've you're
forcing it out. You can't, youcan't fake the funk when you
like right, journaling, right,right. Oh, my goodness, bro,
(22:43):
that's and I think that's thepower of just that practice. So
I think that's even why theresponse that you received was
just so powerful on a journal,because so many people start to
notice, like, Man, I need this.
(23:04):
Like, I need to, like, justempty my thoughts. Like, I need
to just empty my brain on paperand be able to see it ain't
cool. I and let me pray overthis and Come on, move forward.
Come on. And it's, and it'samazing too, that you can always
reference it, not just you, butmaybe your children, or dad
(23:26):
grandchildren, you know, or, orwhen you pass away, like, you
know somebody else, like, oh,shoot, man. This is like, these
are the thoughts he had. Howmany other people have the same
thoughts and see how you work,the way stuff, you know? It's
like, man, it's so it's so richand some the Holy Spirit just
dropped something on me. I'mgonna move on. But the Holy
Spirit dropped something on mewhen it comes to the journaling,
(23:47):
because I, I started this maybecouple years ago, but I stopped.
But, um, I don't know if he wantme to hear it. You to hear it.
Somebody ought to lie to hearit. But right, right in writing
the verses out, bro, likeliterally, practice, practice,
writing scripture out as apractice. You know,
(24:09):
that's a personal thing, so justwanted to put on, oh no, that's
that's for me, because immastart it again. I have to be
obedientto that. But Nah, man, that's
for everybody. Whoever listen tothe podcast, whoever encounter
this,like, that's, I think that's so
powerful, bro. Come on, man,that's right. Help with memory,
too. That's what I'm saying,bro. Imagine just having that as
(24:32):
a part of your devotional time,just like, Alright, I'm writing
out the verses that, even ifit's just a few verses you read
in that day, you know, justwriting that out and just having
it there, looking back at it,you know, it's like, alright,
you literally sketching it intoyour heart, you know. So
either way, now, that's cool,man, that's that's good. That's
(24:53):
good. So how do you stay calmwhen balancing everything you.
And I would say it's reallyimportant to have gratitude and
(25:13):
stay present like stay in thepresent moment
of whatever it is you're doing,it's deep bro,
like, because when you're tryingto balance a lot, it's almost
like you're thinking about thefuture. You're thinking about
(25:38):
what's going on currently. Itmight have some past emotions
and different things happening,and then everything could just
feel so crazy. You know what I'msaying? Like we both and you
could have a point in timewhere, man, you and your lady
getting into it. Now you gottado stuff with the business
thing. You gotta do stuff overhere with ministry. Then you
(25:59):
gotta do this. Like it justseemed like it's just so much
going on all at the same time.
But I think really it's justbeing present and being like
calm in the midst of, like, allof that, and then just being
grateful, man, and really justhaving that gratitude to be
like, okay, like, even thoughall of this is happening, even
(26:22):
though it feels unbalanced andit feels like a lot going on,
God, I still thank you for this,and I still thank you for that,
and I still thank you for thisthing and for that thing, and I
still thank you forbeing God of my life, even when
it feels unbalanced, even whenit feels crazy, even when it
(26:43):
feel chaotic, like I just thankyou for even giving me the
patience, giving me thewherewithal to be able to even
navigate this, to even be ableto do this, you know. And I
think that's something thatreally helped me, because I used
to feel like,I used to feel like just
(27:03):
balancing everything was just adaunting task, and what I
learned was is that one of thestrategies of the adversary is
to make your blessings feel likea burden. So then you'll be
blessed to be able to dosomething, but then now it's
like, and I feel so burdened. Mydoing is like, Oh my gosh. Why
(27:26):
do I have to do this?
You know? But it's like, theimpact that's being made, like,
sometimes, sometimes the impactthat's being made, that's the
thing that's like, that gets,you know, the devil mad, bro,
like the impact of that ministryget the enemy mad. But then it's
(27:49):
like, okay, it feels burdensome,because I gotta come here after
work. I gotta do this, I gottado that, I gotta do this. Like,
it's like, all these differentthings that you might do, but
now it's like, okay, even inthese moments of feeling chaotic
or just feeling unbalanced,like, you know what? I thank you
(28:09):
God for this period and for thisthing, and I thank you for the
impact that's going to come fromthis, from these moments in time
and these things that'shappening, you know, because at
the end of the day, I feel likethat's the
that's the peace, right? Likethat's the peace that Christ
promised us, mm, like, as longas we thanking him for
(28:34):
everything that we presentlyhave. Because even the times
where life feel unbalanced andlike, feel like, crazy and
chaotic. It's still somebodythat wished they had that same
chaos in their life, or had theproblems that you having. Come
on now. Come on now. So it'slike being grateful and thankful
for like, Man, listen, I knowthat this is a lot, but I'm just
(28:58):
thankful that you even chose melike I'm thankful that you chose
me to carry this Come on, comeon.
So that's, I think that's how Istay calm. It's just being
thankful and grateful and justknowing that man, I just thank
you God for choosing me, foreven choosing me to to do it,
(29:23):
because not everybody can do it.
Some people would have quit.
Some people would have it gotchaotic, and they would have
been like, Man, I can't do this.
No more. Y'all got it.
Wow, wow, bro, that's, that'sprobably, man, that's probably
my favorite answer.
And I heard so far. Do you wantto be biased like that, you
know, but that's,it's just I was very profound
(29:44):
man, and I second and agree withall of that man that's, you
know, that's a beautiful brobalance. I mean, stay in balance
is just that being present,having that spirit of
gratefulness and.
Thankfulness, man, like youcan't,
yeah, man, it's hard not to.
(30:06):
It's hard not to stay calm whenyou think about how good God has
been and how blessed you are toeven have these stresses.
Because the concept of anythingthat's worth something with no
issues and no complicationsattached to it, especially at
its inception or or duringpivotal moments. It's just non
(30:28):
existent. It's never heard of.
So the fact that, like you say,that you the one that's enduring
this that like, Yo, God, thankyou, because, like you said, he
one, he could have chosesomebody else, and two,
everybody can't do this, so thefact that he chose you is like
he trusts you. So, right? That,you know that's that's
beautiful. I like how you brokethat down. And I think it's
(30:49):
crazy too, because I really feellike that answer just even came
from just this week. You knowwhat I'm saying, like feeling
like that this week, and nowit's Saturday, I kind of get to
chill, have a little lazySaturday, little cool, you know,
just do what I want to do. Butjust this week, it just was like
(31:10):
balancing 100 things, and thatwas the solution to helping me
to, like, get out that headspaceand really like, yeah, yeah,
present and just stay, you know,just stay, stay at peace. Wow,
at all, you know,that's beautiful, man. That's
(31:35):
beautiful. Wow. So can you sharean example of how God turned a
failure or set back intosomething good in your life.
I would say, I would sayI have like, multiple examples.
(32:03):
Hey, we good. We got as muchtime as you did whatever.
I have multiple examples. Butwhat I will always say is
times where God turned a failureor setback
into something good, I think isso I moved to Miami,
(32:31):
and I was having an amazing townnetwork with some amazing
people, and then God was callingme to move back to West Palm,
and I had a decision to makethere, right?
And the decision that I had tomake was like, Okay, do I want
(32:52):
to ignore this call and stay inMiami, or do I want to follow
what God's telling me to doand move back to West Palm now,
at this time, I didn't have nostudio, I didn't have, like,
nothing going on, like I wasn'tmarried, like nothing was going
on, you know.
(33:16):
And I'm like, Alright, Imma justmove back, you know. And I think
at that point in time, I kind offelt like that was a failure,
like that was a setback, becausenow all my stuff is in storage.
And, like, you know, now I'mmoving back home, and it's like,
I'm not moving from Miami livingin an apartment to, like, moving
(33:38):
back to West Palm, living in anapartment. I'm like, Alright,
now I'm like, kind of reset andfully, you know, and I'm like,
back at my parents crib. Andit's just I was just feeling
like a failure at first.
And I remember I heard somethingsomewhere, or somebody told me
(33:59):
that sometimes, like, yoursetbacks could be a slingshot,
right? Because you could feellike you're being set back. But
then if you notice the mechanicsof a slingshot, like you gotta
pull it back in order for theobject inside of the slingshot
to propel forward. So sometimesthe setback that I experienced,
(34:20):
for example, which just like Isaid, I have multiple, um, it's
like, every setback that I had,there were lessons in that that
propelled me to another level ofwhere God wanted me to be. So I
think even in these moments,it's kind of like, okay,
even that moment, I could havebeen so down on that, and been
(34:42):
so like, Oh, I'm such a failure.
I'm so this, I'm so that, andjust believed all the lies, you
know. But instead, you know,that same year I met my now
wife, you know that, like evenlater on the following year, I
did my first community.
Event with my church and withwith my family, you know. And
(35:04):
then just everything juststarted to build on top of that,
you know. And then thatfollowing, like, later on that
year, we ended up, uh, getting astudio and doing all of that. So
it was just like, everything wasjust opening up, and it was just
opening up, and I'm like, Okay,God. Like, I don't know what's
(35:25):
happening here, but it seemedlike okay in Miami. I thought
that. I thought that I will bedoing what I'm doing now,
but you move me from one spaceto this space, so now only you
can get the credit from all thisspace.
(35:49):
Like nobody, nobody could tryto, like, share the glory and be
like, Oh, I made youlike, now you're in a place, in
a space where it's like, Listen,this is only my glory. Like,
these are things that can't betaken away. Wow,
wow, you know. But then inreflection, you sit back and
(36:11):
think like, what if I didn'tmove, come on. What if I didn't
What if I didn't make like, whatif my pride was so high that I
was like, Man, I'm not goingbackwards. Like, you not like,
I'm not doing it and and messaround and get you some a little
bit of money on top of that,right? That's what that's
(36:32):
dangerous, but that's the day.
That's, you know what I'msaying? Come on.
Come on, bro.
All the time. I'm like, bro, Icould've went to another high
rise, bro, come on. I could've,I could've moved and did
whatever it was, but it's justlike, at that point in time,
(36:54):
it's like, okay, am I gonna beobedient? And know that what God
called me out here to do? I'vedone it, I've done my part, and
now he's calling me back towhere he needs me to be.
Or am I just going to beprideful and kind of be in my
own way and be like, Man, no,like, I'm creating something out
(37:14):
here. And, you know, I just wantto do what I want to do,
you know? And I think a lot oftimes, that's an example of how
that moment felt like a setbackat first, because to others, it
looked like I gave up.
But for me, I had the the theknowledge and just the knowing,
(37:37):
knowing that God was calling meto do something different, even
though I didn't know what thatlooked like at that time.
So in that motion of like abeing in that motion, it was
like, Okay, this is just asetback that's going to propel
me to another level and like,and then, and then, I'm even
(37:59):
leaving out that in that same,that same moment of moving back,
like I spoke my first sermon,hmm, I was like, I was just
doing a lot of different stuff,bro, go on, go on. I was just
like, Dang God. Like, what areyou doing? Like, what like, what
like? This is like, I don't evenlike being the front man, you
(38:24):
know, like, I don't even likethe front stuff, but God was
just calling me into leadershipand calling me into, you know, a
new a new assignment for him.
Come on, man, utilizing me as avessel. So I had to be willing
to, you know, put my pride asideand put what I wanted to do away
and die to self, and be willingto just walk in what he called
(38:47):
me to do. And that's kind of,you know, how that transpired. I
feel like, and I think that thatcould, you know, minister to
somebody who hear this that youknow, even if you feel like
you're going through a setbackright now, you probably might
have just got evicted at yourcrib, you might have just lost
your job, you might have just,you know, got your car repo. You
(39:10):
might have just went through somany strenuous, stressful
circumstances. But, you know,I'm here. We're here to let you
know that man like that setbackis really just a slingshot into
your future that you know, thatis propelling you into another
(39:30):
level that you know eyes havenot seen, ears have not heard.
So we, we will be like, Man, whydid you reopen my car? But then
a year later, he bless you witha better car, better house, and
(39:52):
a better you know? So with thefinancial literacy right, with
the financial literacy to keepit, come on.
Get more. Come on, come on, man,come on.
Yeah, yeah, that's, that'sbeautiful, man, I'm, I'm glad
you're encouraging the peopleout there, bro, that's they. I
know they need to hear it. Ineed the reminding of it.
(40:15):
Yes, that's so freeing, bro.
That's so freeing though, nomatter, no matter what, it's
just a it's just a slingshot. Hejust, he just gearing you up. So
sit tight. Just sit tight andremain obedient. And just Hey
and just go, just go with him.
He, what, come on, man. He like,he messed around. I'm a licensed
(40:39):
minister now, bro,never in the my life have I
thought I was going to be nominister, right? Never I shoot,
man, I'm a baby Christian. I'mnext year will be seven years.
No, this is seven years. Nextyear be eight years.
Bro, eight years ago I did noteven believe in the Bible, you
(41:01):
know, not fully, at least. Sothe fact that he transformed me
to that to now is man, only Him,only his glory, like you said
earlier, he he puts you in asituation to be like, yeah, you
have no choice but toacknowledge it was me and only
me that's doing everything thatyou like you just like you
(41:21):
thought you would be doing now,you're doing it for me, and I'm
doing it in a way that's goingto blow your mind, because you
ain't gonna have nothing to dowith it. So, you know, I like
that. So it's like, how do youeven navigate
like that? You know, like, howyou just said seven years ago or
eight years ago. You know, itwasn't even there to, like, now?
(41:44):
Man, licensed minister, like,how do you even navigate like,
life now? Man, I would say Igave up so and so. Yeah, I gave
up. Bro, 2017 also, no, it wouldbe seven years next year,
because it's six years becauseit'll be six years, because it's
2018 when I gave up. So 2017 Istarted tapping in, and
(42:07):
he started talking to me in 2016I started tapping in 2017 and by
2018 bro, I literally gave upeverything, all my
entrepreneurial stuff, anythingthat I had going on that I
quote, unquote, created or gotmyself into bro. I told him, I
won't. I told him, actually, I'mnot gonna do anything. I said,
(42:27):
Listen, all I'm gonna do isbuild my relationship with you.
Because bro, I was once Irealized that the stuff that I
was running from bro, I wasrunning for stuff from years,
and in a matter of, like, coupledays, stuff I've been running
from from years, bro, he willswitch it up, just because I
decided to face it with him.
(42:50):
And it was so after like, thethird to fourth thing, bro, I
was just convinced. I say, Youknow what? I'm just gonna go,
I'm going all in, dog. I'mbetting it all on you. I said,
I'm not doing nothing, unless,if you bring it to me, Imma do
it. But I'm not anything that Idone set up. I'm I'm throwing it
away. And bro, for like, twoyears, pretty much till COVID.
Bro started, um, every month,bro, like, I didn't know where
(43:14):
my money was coming from, andevery month I had more than what
I needed.
I'm talking about to the last 10minutes, sometimes
just pop up, like, boom. I'mlike, Lord only. But again, that
was that built my faith. So nowwhat it is my faith, bro, it
(43:35):
can't be shaken, though. I don'tcare what goes on, and I'm not
I'm not saying can't be shake.
Well, it can't be broken. I'msure it can be shaken, but
Right? But it's nothing, nothingwill break me, bro. And I'm
sure, if you know, I got adaughter now, so I'm thinking,
okay, dang, what if somethingtragic happen to her? Because
stuff happens the lady, man,anything, my mom or something?
What is something like? Tragichappens like it? Will my faith
(43:57):
be that? Then? Because it's easyto say, but man, I'm convinced,
bro, no matter how many tears Icried, no matter how much I do,
I'm convinced that I'm stillgoing to trust in the Lord, bro.
Because I know, dawg. I know. Iknow the end of the story.
That's my thing. I know in theend I win. And he said that, you
know, no matter what you gothrough here is going to it's
(44:18):
going to be incomparable dog.
That was the word that I read inmy word, it's incomparable to
the blessings and riches andglory he has for you on that
side, if you remain obedientuntil that final breath. So I
just, I literally becameconvinced, and up until this
point, bro, he ain't failed meyet, dog, so that's, that's how
and why, and bro and I got pastthat point where bro, he can
(44:42):
fail me now,locked in like, bro,
you too good. I deserve thatone. But, you know, I know he's
not like that. So which is evenbetter? But, um.
But no, on a serious note,that's really what it come from,
(45:02):
bro. I just was so I was so lostfor so long. Bro, I tried
everything but God, bro, to behonest with you, you feeling me.
Well, God, how he wanted to bedone. Because, of course, I
would say the word God, but notain't that, ain't that, ain't
that wasn't right, right? Feelme so, but yeah, bro, that's, my
little that's my journey. Bro,so that was my I was my setback.
(45:26):
I was my setback. Bro, sometimesit be like that too. Come on,
man. Even still, it waspreparation for that's it, bro,
come on now, bro. So bro, thankyou for saying that in 2016 when
he first kind of shook my world,we was kind of having a dialog.
And it's funny, I knew it wasGod because I wouldn't talk to
me in the way he would talk tome like he wanted me to read the
(45:48):
Bible. And I'm like, bro, I'mnot doing that. You know what? I
mean? I'm like, I just ignoredhim. So one day I messed around
and responded, that's what I'mlike, But y'all better be
careful. You let God in an inch,but you're taking your whole
life. You better, you betterkeep that door closed. Don't be
asking who this is.
You better ignore again, anyway,because, boy, once you open up,
(46:10):
well, he it's too late. It's toolate. But either way, um, bro,
anyway, it was going back andforth. Man, why? I don't believe
the Bible, so I'm going, Man, Ifeel like it was manipulated,
you know, translated that welost books, that I'm going all
this stuff. It was foreconomics. And I bro, I just
feel God, like a big homie justlooking at me, like, every time
I'm saying something, I feellike he just like, Yeah, okay,
(46:32):
what? And I'm kind of gettingagitated because I'm over here
using logic to break down why Ican't believe in the Bible. So
he pretty much asked me, So youtelling me all of that you can't
believe in the Bible? I say,yeah, man, like, if, if, if this
is real, if my soul is real, andheaven and hell is real. I don't
want to base my soul off of alie. So this, this way he got
(46:58):
me, bro, this is what blew mymind, he says, So you telling me
the only reason you can't trustin the Bible is because it's
flawed. I say, Yeah. He waslike, but don't I trust you and
you're flawed. And I'll boom,check me,
bye, bye, check me. ButI get goosebumps. No, I feel you
Holy Spirit, but I feel youright now, oh man, he
(47:23):
said, don't I trust you and you?
I was like, well, and I knew me.
Maybe somebody else can't saythey feel like, God, trust them.
Maybe that's not they'retestimony. But right? I couldn't
lie and say, Nah, God, you don'ttrust I know he trusted me, bro,
right? Undeservingly trustingme, bro. I don't deserve it. I'm
a, I'm a, I'm living in theheight of my sin at this point,
(47:45):
but I know he still trusts me sobut then just how you brought
that up,the whole journey, how he worked
everything out after I after Iwalked around, I was outside, in
the front yard. I had to walkaround the house, like three,
four times, bro, just outsidethe house,
blew my whole body so that,after I kind of calmed down,
(48:06):
they kind of was posted up inthe front. I'm in the grasses
and just chilling down. I'm justin awe. He said one more thing
to me in that moment. That waslast thing. He said he was, how
do you know I didn't allow youto go through all of that just
so you can help my people comeback to me, and I was like, bro,
how can you ask me? I don't knowthe kind of question is that,
(48:26):
but now look at me. Now I'mhelping the people. I can argue
anti Christian, anti Bible stuffbetter than the non believers.
So I can take their pointsfurther it then completely smash
it with the with God and withthe Bible down. So it's like,
right? I done helped so manypeople come to Christ because of
(48:47):
my testimony and the lifestyle Iused to live. And I'm like, Dang
God, you really did. And Ididn't notice that at first. Um,
he said that in 2016 but hedidn't start showing me that
again to like, 2021 2022 once Istarted walking in purpose. And
yeah, bro, so that was my thing.
So now I'm just fully convincedthough I didn't, I didn't grow
up in the church.
(49:10):
You know, my people, apparently,both of my parents was raised in
the church. They ain't have nochoice, but they ain't give me
that, like I was, like, tryingto set me up.
But I love up here, you know forsure, but, um, but yeah, bro, I
never prayed. And, well, we praylike Thanksgiving stuff. I never
had a prayer with my mom and mydad, bro, you know they never,
they prayed for me, you I wouldprobably sleep or something, and
(49:33):
they got their own thing goingon. But I never was taught how
to pray. I never was taught howto open the Bible. But who my
daughter, my baby, she like 19months now, she, she says Amen
after every time I pray withher. Devorah, you know, that
night, she's Amen. She, youknow, it's a smiley, clapping,
you know, so stuff like that,bro, you know, I'm so grateful
(49:57):
for that. So, yeah, that's,that's where I'm at, bro.
That's how I do it. I just, I'mjust sold out. Yeah.
Man, bang, bro, that's sobeautiful. Bro. Appreciate you,
bro. Man, like, so beautiful.
Man, just to witness, like, howfar we've come just throughout
our lives and just havingmoments of where
(50:23):
we was out there in the world,bro and I was like, man, it's
completely different. Come on,bro, you can't. I can't. There's
nothing for me out I can't turnI can't, I can't go back, even
if I, when I find myselfslipping, I'm like, bro, what
I'm God, don't even I'm like,What am I doing? Oh,
(50:45):
none of this feel right, bro.
Like, I'm, I'm, I gotcomfortable. I ain't gonna lie,
bro, I just got lazy with thepeace. Bro, I want peace, bro,
nothing else but his peace thatsurpasses my understanding, bro,
when I go to thinking, bro, Idon't like it, bro.
Lord. Tell me what to do. Idon't even want to, you know,
(51:06):
use No, no brain power outsideof the brain when you need me to
use, you know, like, give me thedirection, Lord, please. And,
you know, and imma go, buteither way. So, you know, like
you said, bro, it's justamazing, man. I'm, I'm so proud
of you and your faith. I ain'tknow you done, got up and
preached too. Man, so that'seven more confirmation for me.
Like, yo, we all on the rightpath, bro, especially walking
(51:27):
with God. It's just moreconfirmation got married this
year. Man, that's just sobeautiful. Man, God opening so
much for you, and I'm just gladto be connected to you, my boy.
Man, likewise, brother, yes sir,anyway. Man, thank you for
coming through today. Man, anylast words you led to say to the
people you know, God is great,and you know, just keep going.
(51:52):
Keep walking, keep keep movingforward. Don't let anything hold
you back. Don't let anythingrelegate you to,
you know, be living yourself orfeeling feeling inadequate, but
just keep moving forward. Keepwalking forward. If you're
looking for a studio in WestPalm Beach to create, go to
(52:15):
create at like minded.comYes, sir, yes, sir. And
yeah, you know, keep the faith.
Keep walking. I'm so thankfuland grateful that you invited me
on this platform and that youinvited me to your podcast. Man,
I'm just, I'm just thankful,bro. No. Man, I'm thankful. Man,
(52:35):
this has been amazing episode,definitely one of my top, if not
the top for me, justconversation wise, you know, and
I and shout out to all myguests. Man, I love my guests
and stuff, but, you know, it wasjust something special about
this conversation. Man, I don'tknow. It just felt, it just felt
amazing, bro. Just feel HolySpirit here. So again, Imma,
leave all his information in theshow notes for the studio, any
(52:59):
potential contact information toget in touch with him when it
comes to your creative side, andagain, just thank you. DJ one
more time, and until next time,guys, thank you for listening to
give it your all a podcastsponsored by the Spirit filled
collective. If you found thattoday's episode has been
encouraging in any way, we askthat you like, comment, share,
(53:19):
subscribe or follow, so we cankeep giving you this valuable
content. Thank you.
Daryl, welcome to give it your all the
(00:04):
podcast where we dive deep intolife's biggest challenges and
victories through a biblicallens. I'm your host, Daryl
Baptist junior, and I'm excitedtoday to introduce you to my
namesake. You know both firstname and nickname, my brother.
DJ, man. DJ, Hepburn. And we goway back. DJ lives with
intentional purpose, anchored bythe promise of Jeremiah 2911,
(00:25):
and a profound trust in God'sdivine design. His journey
seamlessly weaves musicalcreativity with community
impact, transforming potentialinto meaningful action. From
mastering instruments at agefour to becoming a versatile DJ
and music producer, Hepburn isconsistently pursued paths that
align that align passion withpurpose. His multimedia work and
(00:46):
community leadership reflect thestrategic approach to making a
difference, not by chance, butby a deliberate choice as CO VP
of Time to Win Academy andcommunity community
organization, Hepburn has beenstrategically positioned to make
a meaningful difference. Hisrecent launch of a multimedia
production studio is more than aprofessional milestone. It's a
(01:07):
deliberate step in pursuing hislife's purpose through community
events like life and fit andannual toy giveaways. He
transforms purpose into tangiblecompassion. At 32 Hepburn
remains committed to living alife that transcends personal
achievement, focusing instead oncreating opportunities and
inspiring potential in othersthrough faith driven and
(01:29):
innovation. Welcome to the show.
My brother, how you doing? Man,yo, what's the word? What's the
word? Man, this is doing well,bro, yes, sir. Oh man, it's been
a long time coming. Guys, I metthis man back in third grade.
Man,back at Roosevelt Elementary
man, there's a long time coming.
(01:52):
So we've known each other for awhile, separated over the years
from middle school to highschool and college and stuff.
But you know, it's just justsome of the childhood
relationships and friendships,you know, you just kind of hold
on to and just have a mutualrespect for later in life, you
know, for people like that. So,man, just again, I'm just happy
to relink with this brother thistime through Christ. So even
(02:14):
it's even better, you know. Sowelcome, man. Tell us how you
doing today, man. Man doingwell, just one step at a time.
You know,just been working on a lot,
creating a lot, just living lifewith purpose. Every second,
every minute is purposeful. Sothat's just,
(02:38):
you know what I've been on? Uh,yeah,
that's amazing. Man, that's,that's phenomenal. Man, is so
motivational to see you inaction. Man, to see that you've
been workingsince I randomly bumped into you
a few years ago. You're DJ, inthat,
that bowling alley downtown, youknow, been shut down. Now that
(03:00):
little silent part. I'm like,oh, shoot us for dog. DJ, you
know, it just right before, butJesus stuff, you know, so did
later on your life, you know,making up and stuff. So it's
just amazing, just to see thatyou just out there, that you've
been putting at work, out therein the community, making an
impact. Man,facts. Man, we still, we still
pushing forward. Got, uh, gotthis toy drive going on next
(03:23):
week. Um, I think that's likethe 21st
and, you know, we about to, we,bro, we put the event bright up.
Literally, the next day, over100 RSVPs. Come on, come on.
Right now. It's just, it'sreally amazing. You know, we
(03:46):
partner with this law firm inWest Palm, Lionel and writer,
okay?
And they, they just kind ofembraced us and reached out to
us, um, my church, and theyreached out to us. And now we
putting it together, and now welooking like we about to give,
(04:08):
give away to a voice, to maybeabout 200 250 families. Man,
wow, bro, that's phenomenal.
Man, that's that's such a hugeimpact, especially in this,
these times we living in rightnow, man, I'm so excited,
because it just like came out ofnowhere, like, and I think
that's, yeah, that's really atestament to just God and just
who he is, and how he could justmove so swiftly to where you go
(04:32):
from, like, having the idea orjust thinking about something,
and he just brings it right toyou, bring the opportunity right
to your front door to be able toexecute on it. So I think it's
really cool and just a testimonyto just our faith. Man, come on.
Man, that's, that's, that'sgood. Man, so hey, man, hey,
listen, guys, this episode isgoing to be out after this, but
(04:56):
you definitely imma definitelyleave something.
And stuff. So you can check outsome recaps from it and how you
can stay involved, get involvedin everything else he got going
on. But we going to jump rightinto the show, man. So who has
been a significant spiritualinfluence, and how have they
impacted your journey?
I would say for me, my parents,my parents have been a really
(05:21):
big spiritual influence for me,because
just from a young age, from mygrandfather my grandmother, all
the way up to now, they'vealways led by example. I've
never had to questionor waver on where they stood
when they came to their faithand their belief system, and how
(05:43):
things would come to fruitionand happen. It was always, you
know, Christ leading the way.
And you know Christ reallywalking that path and helping
them to be able to do a lot ofdifferent things, whether it be
the business, whether it be, youknow,
the church and ministry like itwas just times throughout my
(06:07):
life where my parents would bethat example for me and help me
to kind of have even more faithand even give me the fuel to be
able to go after What I'm goingafter, to take risk and just
have faith and just trust Godpolitically, knowing that, you
know,eat him halfway. He just going
(06:28):
to be right there walking youthrough it, you know. So, wow.
So you say, you know they soyour parents were not only a
spiritual influence, but when itcomes to, you know, ministry,
you know, and just that kind ofaspect, but so you're saying,
also in the business realm too,they really help be examples and
influence, influential for you.
(06:52):
Yes, sir. Okay, talk about thata little bit. So we started Time
to Win Academy around 2012mm, and you know, I left my
current job, or I left my job atthat time to, you know, help my
family start the business up.
(07:13):
And, man, when I tell you, likethat first year, it was kind of
rough. You know that first yearis rough. You going through
inspections. You're goingthrough just startup things,
just like we was talking aboutbefore we started. Just start up
the whole startup process, andyou just dealing with that
uncertainty if, like, everythinggonna work out, like, you know,
(07:35):
if this is something that I'mreally supposed to be pursuing,
I left the school district tooka leave of absence. So now you
leaving like safe government payto go pursue something that
comes with a lot of uncertaintyand you don't know what the end
result will even be.
So that came with a lot ofquestions, a lot of backlash, a
(08:00):
lot of everything. So duringthat process, I kind of just
just like I said, like myparents led by example my mom,
she just never lost faith inwhat God spoke to her. God spoke
to her, told her to start theschool up. She never lost faith.
She never wavered. She had timeswhere she probably wanted to
quit. She had times where itprobably got really difficult
(08:22):
and tough, but she continued topersevere and just in business,
I think that's important,because most businesses don't
make it past five years. So it'slike when you when you're
starting out, you might not haveall the money you might have,
you might not have all theclientele. You might not have
(08:43):
all of the resources necessaryto get the job done, but you
just have this vision, and youjust have, you know, drive to
want to, you know, accomplishthese things. So just following
by her lead and my, my father'slead, you know, I was able to
persevere with them and justwalk with them all the way up
(09:03):
until the point where we aretoday. You know, 1213, years
later,and it's like everything has
been just prosperous, I couldsay,
just in order of how, just howthat one risk and that one, that
one leap of faith, changed thewhole dynamic of our family's
(09:27):
life. You know, like some peoplefeel like, you gotta, you know,
make millions and billions inlike, you know, duties, crazy
things. But sometimes it couldbe just one leap, one leap of
faith, or just one risk that youtake that can significantly
impact and change your yourfamily's bloodline, and just the
(09:49):
whole landscape of how you guysmove so,
man, that's powerful bro. Man,that's that's really powerful.
Man, I didn't know that startedlike that, so that was good for.
Asian, um, so that kind of leadsus into the next question. So
tell us about the moment of timewhen God called you to step into
your purpose. Then how did yourespond?
(10:09):
Um, I would say,when it came to stepping into my
purpose, I think I've reallyjust stepped into my purpose,
like last year, probably I wouldsay, yeah, yeah, talk to me.
(10:30):
Hey, like last year, two yearsago, I literally just kind of
made that decision. And I think,I think it, it doesn't happen.
How most people expect it tohappen? I think it's more of
likeyou have a choice to make, and
when it comes to stepping intoyour purpose, only you know,
like when it's time to reallywalk into that calling, and
(10:53):
really walk into, you know, whatGod is calling you to do. And
for me, I would say thathappened when I was moving back
to West Palm, and I felt likeGod was just calling me to kind
of do something different. And Iwas nervous. I was, I still am
(11:15):
nervous, you know? I think it'sjust yeah, I responded by just
doing it, by just executing, notreally executing, but applying
myself and really seeking Him,and really leaning into that
relationship, really having thatrelationship with Christ, to be
(11:36):
able to understand, like, whatthe next steps are, and what you
know which way to go, in whichdirection to go.
So I think that's how Iresponded. I think even just
with him recently, kind ofpushing me into my purpose, I
(12:00):
responded by just applyingmyself and getting after it,
and yeah, I think that's, Ithink that's kind of where we
are now, where, you knowdifferent things are coming to
fruition and happening that Iprobably would have never
imagined or I probably dreamtabout or prayed about, but now
(12:21):
it's like, happening right now.
Yeah, it's like, but be carefulwhat you ask for the present.
No, that's awesome, man, I likethat one word you use when you
were saying that. Just that onthe relationship in particular,
with Christ. You know how thatyou know really is your anchor
(12:42):
and your and what you hold onto, and the fact that you even,
not only did he push you intoit, but he told you what it was,
but both of those things seemedlike it required a strong,
intimate relationship with him,right?
It definitely does. I thinkrelationship is way more
(13:02):
important. A lot of people have,like, a religious viewpoint of,
like, you know, like religionand tradition and stuff like
that. But I think when youreally have a relationship with
Christ, when you really likeseeking, it really, you know,
seeking to just know him more, Ithink it just, I think it just
(13:23):
begins to open up, like lifejust begins to open up. My
counselor, he put me on to averse where I think it's
Proverbs, A pro, a verse inProverbs where it said, the way
it adjusts, likethe way it adjusts man God
reveals the path. Like day byday, right, right, right, right,
(13:46):
moment by moment. Like it mightjust be one step here, come on,
and it's the next step, and thenit's the next step, and then you
don't know, like from day today? What? Yeah, what, what will
come next. But it's just okay,I'm gonna just take this step
here, right? Okay, you callingme to do this. Okay, I'm gonna
(14:08):
just do that. And then I'm like,All right, what's next? I don't
know what's next, but you'recalling me to do this. Okay, all
right, what's next after that,man, it just keep, yeah, keep
opening up, you know? And Ithink that's really more of like
relationship, where you havethat relationship with Christ,
and it just begin to open up,and you just like, Oh, okay.
Like, now I see it. Now Iunderstand, yeah, why he had me
(14:30):
to do this and that and and makethese moves, you know, right?
Exactly, all preparation, Yep,yeah, we at least when you're
walking in purposes preparation,right? Fact, yeah, yeah. And if
not too sure, Romans, Romans sayhe'll turn it Roman they say
he'll turn it all around for ourgood, anyway, for those who are
called so either way, it's goingto work out for His glory. So,
(14:52):
right? Fact, so big fat. That'sbeautiful. So what is your
favorite?
Bible verse of passage thathelps you stay encouraged during
challenging times. And how doesthat look in
action? Well, for me, I alwaysgo to Jeremiah, 2911,
(15:14):
and the way that I evendiscovered that that was my
favorite verse, or a verse thatnavigated my life was I just
couldn't escape itlike it just kept like it just
kept popping up. And you know,just for reference, Jeremiah,
(15:34):
20, 2911, For I know the plans Ihave for you, declares the LORD,
plans to prosper you and not toharm you, plans to give you hope
in the future. So with thatverse right there, I remember I
had never read it before, andthen I remember one year, on my
birthday,I got like a somebody got me a
(15:58):
Bible verse, but it was, like,a, like, a picture that you
could hang up, okay? And it wasJeremiah, 2911 and I'm like,
wow, okay, this is a dope verse.
Like, I never knew the Bibleeven had this. This was, like,
couple years ago. Like, Man, Iain't even know this was in the
Bible for real, like that. Andthen, then
(16:21):
I was at another, at another,like Christmas party or
something like that. And thenthey had everybody, like,
drawing these,these Bible cards, Mm, hmm,
drawing these Bible verse cards.
And they was face down. They wasface down. And then I went to
pull it. Boom, I just picked onerandom, pulled it. What was it?
(16:44):
Jeremiah, 2911bro, what is up? I'm like, yo,
this verse. Just keep followingme. No. So that, just that, just
that I felt like I was justspeaking to me. And I think it's
a message to all of us, like youknow that he always have the
best interest of us. You know,when times get hard, even when
(17:05):
it gets tough, even when it's alot of uncertainty and doubt in
our minds, you know, like at theend of the day. You know, God's
main thing is to prosper us andnot to harm us. And you know,
just how that looks in action isjust that is fuel for my faith,
to be able to even to, like,keep hope alive. Mm, because I
(17:32):
heard in the sermon, like coupleweeks ago, they were saying,
like, hope is an action. Like,it's not just a word, like
you have to really execute hope,like you really have to apply
yourself to have hope.
So like with this verse, the waythat that just plays out in
(17:55):
action would just be, you know,it gives me the hope and the
faith to know that, okay, everystep that I'm making, every step
that I'm taking, is purposeful,amen. It's going to be useful
God's glory. So, yeah, yeah, Isecond that, yeah. You know
(18:18):
journey. You know about thatjourney, bro, it's so beautiful
man that he, he just man. He'sso good, bro, I can't, you know,
Words can't express it, bro. Youknow, like every everything I'm
doing is purposeful andintentional for, you know, for
what he got for me, and he said,man, like the things he have for
us is,is bigger than whatever we have,
(18:39):
we seen, heard or imagined. Iwas like, what? Like, what are
you because I done, seen somestuff, heard some stuff, and I
showed up and think about somestuff. So you telling me it's
bigger than all that? Lord, no,that's so it's so confident,
like you said, that's just,that's, it's like your anchor
right there, just to keep yougrounded. Like, alright, God,
(19:00):
listen, this thing look crazy,right now, but what? Jesus,
right, it would look crazier. Soright? I know you got the glory
out of that at the end of theday, right? I, I'm, I'm sticking
it to the end, bro. Because,hey, if you, if I gotta make it
to the end one day, I'd ratherbe on his side. Facts, big
facts, bro. So Nah, man, that'sthat was great, bro. That's
(19:22):
great. That kind of transitionto the next one. In a sense, I'm
not sure if it's if you tie thisor you got something else for
it, but how do you navigatemoments of doubt or questioning
in your relationship with God?
Prayer,prayer and journaling, okay, and
and versus like, like this one,you know, having one thing that
(19:45):
I started doing, like, a couplemonths ago is highlighting a lot
of verses that I just foundinsightful and that, you know,
could help me. You.
At, like, when I feel,when I'm overthinking,
(20:06):
I just feel like the enemy justtrying to, you know, attack that
mental because, you know, whenhe can't get to the physical,
then he start trying my game,yeah, so he good at it,
you know, get with divine game.
So I'm like, Okay, right, atleast I have, you know, verses
that can reassure me andreaffirm me of like the promises
(20:32):
Christ, you know, gave to us.
And you know, just help tohelp our thoughts to, you know,
hold our thoughts captive in asense of life, when we, when we
hear those negative thoughts andthose negative questions you've
been being like, Nah, that'snot, that's that ain't that
word, that ain't it that word.
(20:56):
Ain't that word. This is thatword, though. Come on. Like,
this is that word. So even forme, I think in times of where it
just get crazy and it just getssuper hectic, it's like,
Alright, let me just slow downreally, like, pray. Let me take
some breaths. Let me journal alittle bit, write down how I
(21:16):
feel. Let me like, really prayand, you know, just take time
and just reaffirm myself inthose moments and continue to
push forward. You know,that's That's amazing, man,
that's amazing. That even aspectof journals. So I made a
journal,like a a daily journal, I think
it's a 21 day journal on Amazonand stuff.
(21:41):
You know, I was just reallymessing around with that Amazon
KDP thing.
So I got, I got one on there,and it was cool, like, you know,
in my head, I'll just, you know,hey, look, I'm just gonna do
something, obviously, you know,it was decent. Of course, I'm
not just gonna put nothing,anything out there, but, um,
right. But it was amazing, bro.
The response was lit. I justsent it to a few people just to,
(22:01):
like, just, Hey, I got somethingout there. And, bro, it was
phenomenal. People wereliterally using it, you know,
people telling me, oh yeah, Ibought the journal. It was so
I'm like, Whoa, wow. You know,that's crazy. So, because I
journal, you know, well, I can'tsay I journal. I take, I guess
I'm a scholar, bro, I just takea lot of notes. So whenever
(22:22):
something on my mind while I'min Scripture, I kind of write
that down. So that's some kindof my journaling, I guess. But
either way, nevertheless, man,it's good that you even, you
even got that exercise, bro,just spending that quality time
with God, because it when you'rejournaling, you've you're
forcing it out. You can't, youcan't fake the funk when you
like right, journaling, right,right. Oh, my goodness, bro,
(22:43):
that's and I think that's thepower of just that practice. So
I think that's even why theresponse that you received was
just so powerful on a journal,because so many people start to
notice, like, Man, I need this.
(23:04):
Like, I need to, like, justempty my thoughts. Like, I need
to just empty my brain on paperand be able to see it ain't
cool. I and let me pray overthis and Come on, move forward.
Come on. And it's, and it'samazing too, that you can always
reference it, not just you, butmaybe your children, or dad
(23:26):
grandchildren, you know, or, orwhen you pass away, like, you
know somebody else, like, oh,shoot, man. This is like, these
are the thoughts he had. Howmany other people have the same
thoughts and see how you work,the way stuff, you know? It's
like, man, it's so it's so richand some the Holy Spirit just
dropped something on me. I'mgonna move on. But the Holy
Spirit dropped something on mewhen it comes to the journaling,
(23:47):
because I, I started this maybecouple years ago, but I stopped.
But, um, I don't know if he wantme to hear it. You to hear it.
Somebody ought to lie to hearit. But right, right in writing
the verses out, bro, likeliterally, practice, practice,
writing scripture out as apractice. You know,
(24:09):
that's a personal thing, so justwanted to put on, oh no, that's
that's for me, because immastart it again. I have to be
obedientto that. But Nah, man, that's
for everybody. Whoever listen tothe podcast, whoever encounter
this,like, that's, I think that's so
powerful, bro. Come on, man,that's right. Help with memory,
too. That's what I'm saying,bro. Imagine just having that as
(24:32):
a part of your devotional time,just like, Alright, I'm writing
out the verses that, even ifit's just a few verses you read
in that day, you know, justwriting that out and just having
it there, looking back at it,you know, it's like, alright,
you literally sketching it intoyour heart, you know. So
either way, now, that's cool,man, that's that's good. That's
(24:53):
good. So how do you stay calmwhen balancing everything you.
And I would say it's reallyimportant to have gratitude and
(25:13):
stay present like stay in thepresent moment
of whatever it is you're doing,it's deep bro,
like, because when you're tryingto balance a lot, it's almost
like you're thinking about thefuture. You're thinking about
(25:38):
what's going on currently. Itmight have some past emotions
and different things happening,and then everything could just
feel so crazy. You know what I'msaying? Like we both and you
could have a point in timewhere, man, you and your lady
getting into it. Now you gottado stuff with the business
thing. You gotta do stuff overhere with ministry. Then you
(25:59):
gotta do this. Like it justseemed like it's just so much
going on all at the same time.
But I think really it's justbeing present and being like
calm in the midst of, like, allof that, and then just being
grateful, man, and really justhaving that gratitude to be
like, okay, like, even thoughall of this is happening, even
(26:22):
though it feels unbalanced andit feels like a lot going on,
God, I still thank you for this,and I still thank you for that,
and I still thank you for thisthing and for that thing, and I
still thank you forbeing God of my life, even when
it feels unbalanced, even whenit feels crazy, even when it
(26:43):
feel chaotic, like I just thankyou for even giving me the
patience, giving me thewherewithal to be able to even
navigate this, to even be ableto do this, you know. And I
think that's something thatreally helped me, because I used
to feel like,I used to feel like just
(27:03):
balancing everything was just adaunting task, and what I
learned was is that one of thestrategies of the adversary is
to make your blessings feel likea burden. So then you'll be
blessed to be able to dosomething, but then now it's
like, and I feel so burdened. Mydoing is like, Oh my gosh. Why
(27:26):
do I have to do this?
You know? But it's like, theimpact that's being made, like,
sometimes, sometimes the impactthat's being made, that's the
thing that's like, that gets,you know, the devil mad, bro,
like the impact of that ministryget the enemy mad. But then it's
(27:49):
like, okay, it feels burdensome,because I gotta come here after
work. I gotta do this, I gottado that, I gotta do this. Like,
it's like, all these differentthings that you might do, but
now it's like, okay, even inthese moments of feeling chaotic
or just feeling unbalanced,like, you know what? I thank you
(28:09):
God for this period and for thisthing, and I thank you for the
impact that's going to come fromthis, from these moments in time
and these things that'shappening, you know, because at
the end of the day, I feel likethat's the
that's the peace, right? Likethat's the peace that Christ
promised us, mm, like, as longas we thanking him for
(28:34):
everything that we presentlyhave. Because even the times
where life feel unbalanced andlike, feel like, crazy and
chaotic. It's still somebodythat wished they had that same
chaos in their life, or had theproblems that you having. Come
on now. Come on now. So it'slike being grateful and thankful
for like, Man, listen, I knowthat this is a lot, but I'm just
(28:58):
thankful that you even chose melike I'm thankful that you chose
me to carry this Come on, comeon.
So that's, I think that's how Istay calm. It's just being
thankful and grateful and justknowing that man, I just thank
you God for choosing me, foreven choosing me to to do it,
(29:23):
because not everybody can do it.
Some people would have quit.
Some people would have it gotchaotic, and they would have
been like, Man, I can't do this.
No more. Y'all got it.
Wow, wow, bro, that's, that'sprobably, man, that's probably
my favorite answer.
And I heard so far. Do you wantto be biased like that, you
know, but that's,it's just I was very profound
(29:44):
man, and I second and agree withall of that man that's, you
know, that's a beautiful brobalance. I mean, stay in balance
is just that being present,having that spirit of
gratefulness and.
Thankfulness, man, like youcan't,
yeah, man, it's hard not to.
(30:06):
It's hard not to stay calm whenyou think about how good God has
been and how blessed you are toeven have these stresses.
Because the concept of anythingthat's worth something with no
issues and no complicationsattached to it, especially at
its inception or or duringpivotal moments. It's just non
(30:28):
existent. It's never heard of.
So the fact that, like you say,that you the one that's enduring
this that like, Yo, God, thankyou, because, like you said, he
one, he could have chosesomebody else, and two,
everybody can't do this, so thefact that he chose you is like
he trusts you. So, right? That,you know that's that's
beautiful. I like how you brokethat down. And I think it's
(30:49):
crazy too, because I really feellike that answer just even came
from just this week. You knowwhat I'm saying, like feeling
like that this week, and nowit's Saturday, I kind of get to
chill, have a little lazySaturday, little cool, you know,
just do what I want to do. Butjust this week, it just was like
(31:10):
balancing 100 things, and thatwas the solution to helping me
to, like, get out that headspaceand really like, yeah, yeah,
present and just stay, you know,just stay, stay at peace. Wow,
at all, you know,that's beautiful, man. That's
(31:35):
beautiful. Wow. So can you sharean example of how God turned a
failure or set back intosomething good in your life.
I would say, I would sayI have like, multiple examples.
(32:03):
Hey, we good. We got as muchtime as you did whatever.
I have multiple examples. Butwhat I will always say is
times where God turned a failureor setback
into something good, I think isso I moved to Miami,
(32:31):
and I was having an amazing townnetwork with some amazing
people, and then God was callingme to move back to West Palm,
and I had a decision to makethere, right?
And the decision that I had tomake was like, Okay, do I want
(32:52):
to ignore this call and stay inMiami, or do I want to follow
what God's telling me to doand move back to West Palm now,
at this time, I didn't have nostudio, I didn't have, like,
nothing going on, like I wasn'tmarried, like nothing was going
on, you know.
(33:16):
And I'm like, Alright, Imma justmove back, you know. And I think
at that point in time, I kind offelt like that was a failure,
like that was a setback, becausenow all my stuff is in storage.
And, like, you know, now I'mmoving back home, and it's like,
I'm not moving from Miami livingin an apartment to, like, moving
(33:38):
back to West Palm, living in anapartment. I'm like, Alright,
now I'm like, kind of reset andfully, you know, and I'm like,
back at my parents crib. Andit's just I was just feeling
like a failure at first.
And I remember I heard somethingsomewhere, or somebody told me
(33:59):
that sometimes, like, yoursetbacks could be a slingshot,
right? Because you could feellike you're being set back. But
then if you notice the mechanicsof a slingshot, like you gotta
pull it back in order for theobject inside of the slingshot
to propel forward. So sometimesthe setback that I experienced,
(34:20):
for example, which just like Isaid, I have multiple, um, it's
like, every setback that I had,there were lessons in that that
propelled me to another level ofwhere God wanted me to be. So I
think even in these moments,it's kind of like, okay,
even that moment, I could havebeen so down on that, and been
(34:42):
so like, Oh, I'm such a failure.
I'm so this, I'm so that, andjust believed all the lies, you
know. But instead, you know,that same year I met my now
wife, you know that, like evenlater on the following year, I
did my first community.
Event with my church and withwith my family, you know. And
(35:04):
then just everything juststarted to build on top of that,
you know. And then thatfollowing, like, later on that
year, we ended up, uh, getting astudio and doing all of that. So
it was just like, everything wasjust opening up, and it was just
opening up, and I'm like, Okay,God. Like, I don't know what's
(35:25):
happening here, but it seemedlike okay in Miami. I thought
that. I thought that I will bedoing what I'm doing now,
but you move me from one spaceto this space, so now only you
can get the credit from all thisspace.
(35:49):
Like nobody, nobody could tryto, like, share the glory and be
like, Oh, I made youlike, now you're in a place, in
a space where it's like, Listen,this is only my glory. Like,
these are things that can't betaken away. Wow,
wow, you know. But then inreflection, you sit back and
(36:11):
think like, what if I didn'tmove, come on. What if I didn't
What if I didn't make like, whatif my pride was so high that I
was like, Man, I'm not goingbackwards. Like, you not like,
I'm not doing it and and messaround and get you some a little
bit of money on top of that,right? That's what that's
(36:32):
dangerous, but that's the day.
That's, you know what I'msaying? Come on.
Come on, bro.
All the time. I'm like, bro, Icould've went to another high
rise, bro, come on. I could've,I could've moved and did
whatever it was, but it's justlike, at that point in time,
(36:54):
it's like, okay, am I gonna beobedient? And know that what God
called me out here to do? I'vedone it, I've done my part, and
now he's calling me back towhere he needs me to be.
Or am I just going to beprideful and kind of be in my
own way and be like, Man, no,like, I'm creating something out
(37:14):
here. And, you know, I just wantto do what I want to do,
you know? And I think a lot oftimes, that's an example of how
that moment felt like a setbackat first, because to others, it
looked like I gave up.
But for me, I had the the theknowledge and just the knowing,
(37:37):
knowing that God was calling meto do something different, even
though I didn't know what thatlooked like at that time.
So in that motion of like abeing in that motion, it was
like, Okay, this is just asetback that's going to propel
me to another level and like,and then, and then, I'm even
(37:59):
leaving out that in that same,that same moment of moving back,
like I spoke my first sermon,hmm, I was like, I was just
doing a lot of different stuff,bro, go on, go on. I was just
like, Dang God. Like, what areyou doing? Like, what like, what
like? This is like, I don't evenlike being the front man, you
(38:24):
know, like, I don't even likethe front stuff, but God was
just calling me into leadershipand calling me into, you know, a
new a new assignment for him.
Come on, man, utilizing me as avessel. So I had to be willing
to, you know, put my pride asideand put what I wanted to do away
and die to self, and be willingto just walk in what he called
(38:47):
me to do. And that's kind of,you know, how that transpired. I
feel like, and I think that thatcould, you know, minister to
somebody who hear this that youknow, even if you feel like
you're going through a setbackright now, you probably might
have just got evicted at yourcrib, you might have just lost
your job, you might have just,you know, got your car repo. You
(39:10):
might have just went through somany strenuous, stressful
circumstances. But, you know,I'm here. We're here to let you
know that man like that setbackis really just a slingshot into
your future that you know, thatis propelling you into another
(39:30):
level that you know eyes havenot seen, ears have not heard.
So we, we will be like, Man, whydid you reopen my car? But then
a year later, he bless you witha better car, better house, and
(39:52):
a better you know? So with thefinancial literacy right, with
the financial literacy to keepit, come on.
Get more. Come on, come on, man,come on.
Yeah, yeah, that's, that'sbeautiful, man, I'm, I'm glad
you're encouraging the peopleout there, bro, that's they. I
know they need to hear it. Ineed the reminding of it.
(40:15):
Yes, that's so freeing, bro.
That's so freeing though, nomatter, no matter what, it's
just a it's just a slingshot. Hejust, he just gearing you up. So
sit tight. Just sit tight andremain obedient. And just Hey
and just go, just go with him.
He, what, come on, man. He like,he messed around. I'm a licensed
(40:39):
minister now, bro,never in the my life have I
thought I was going to be nominister, right? Never I shoot,
man, I'm a baby Christian. I'mnext year will be seven years.
No, this is seven years. Nextyear be eight years.
Bro, eight years ago I did noteven believe in the Bible, you
(41:01):
know, not fully, at least. Sothe fact that he transformed me
to that to now is man, only Him,only his glory, like you said
earlier, he he puts you in asituation to be like, yeah, you
have no choice but toacknowledge it was me and only
me that's doing everything thatyou like you just like you
(41:21):
thought you would be doing now,you're doing it for me, and I'm
doing it in a way that's goingto blow your mind, because you
ain't gonna have nothing to dowith it. So, you know, I like
that. So it's like, how do youeven navigate
like that? You know, like, howyou just said seven years ago or
eight years ago. You know, itwasn't even there to, like, now?
(41:44):
Man, licensed minister, like,how do you even navigate like,
life now? Man, I would say Igave up so and so. Yeah, I gave
up. Bro, 2017 also, no, it wouldbe seven years next year,
because it's six years becauseit'll be six years, because it's
2018 when I gave up. So 2017 Istarted tapping in, and
(42:07):
he started talking to me in 2016I started tapping in 2017 and by
2018 bro, I literally gave upeverything, all my
entrepreneurial stuff, anythingthat I had going on that I
quote, unquote, created or gotmyself into bro. I told him, I
won't. I told him, actually, I'mnot gonna do anything. I said,
(42:27):
Listen, all I'm gonna do isbuild my relationship with you.
Because bro, I was once Irealized that the stuff that I
was running from bro, I wasrunning for stuff from years,
and in a matter of, like, coupledays, stuff I've been running
from from years, bro, he willswitch it up, just because I
decided to face it with him.
(42:50):
And it was so after like, thethird to fourth thing, bro, I
was just convinced. I say, Youknow what? I'm just gonna go,
I'm going all in, dog. I'mbetting it all on you. I said,
I'm not doing nothing, unless,if you bring it to me, Imma do
it. But I'm not anything that Idone set up. I'm I'm throwing it
away. And bro, for like, twoyears, pretty much till COVID.
Bro started, um, every month,bro, like, I didn't know where
(43:14):
my money was coming from, andevery month I had more than what
I needed.
I'm talking about to the last 10minutes, sometimes
just pop up, like, boom. I'mlike, Lord only. But again, that
was that built my faith. So nowwhat it is my faith, bro, it
(43:35):
can't be shaken, though. I don'tcare what goes on, and I'm not
I'm not saying can't be shake.
Well, it can't be broken. I'msure it can be shaken, but
Right? But it's nothing, nothingwill break me, bro. And I'm
sure, if you know, I got adaughter now, so I'm thinking,
okay, dang, what if somethingtragic happen to her? Because
stuff happens the lady, man,anything, my mom or something?
What is something like? Tragichappens like it? Will my faith
(43:57):
be that? Then? Because it's easyto say, but man, I'm convinced,
bro, no matter how many tears Icried, no matter how much I do,
I'm convinced that I'm stillgoing to trust in the Lord, bro.
Because I know, dawg. I know. Iknow the end of the story.
That's my thing. I know in theend I win. And he said that, you
know, no matter what you gothrough here is going to it's
(44:18):
going to be incomparable dog.
That was the word that I read inmy word, it's incomparable to
the blessings and riches andglory he has for you on that
side, if you remain obedientuntil that final breath. So I
just, I literally becameconvinced, and up until this
point, bro, he ain't failed meyet, dog, so that's, that's how
and why, and bro and I got pastthat point where bro, he can
(44:42):
fail me now,locked in like, bro,
you too good. I deserve thatone. But, you know, I know he's
not like that. So which is evenbetter? But, um.
But no, on a serious note,that's really what it come from,
(45:02):
bro. I just was so I was so lostfor so long. Bro, I tried
everything but God, bro, to behonest with you, you feeling me.
Well, God, how he wanted to bedone. Because, of course, I
would say the word God, but notain't that, ain't that, ain't
that wasn't right, right? Feelme so, but yeah, bro, that's, my
little that's my journey. Bro,so that was my I was my setback.
(45:26):
I was my setback. Bro, sometimesit be like that too. Come on,
man. Even still, it waspreparation for that's it, bro,
come on now, bro. So bro, thankyou for saying that in 2016 when
he first kind of shook my world,we was kind of having a dialog.
And it's funny, I knew it wasGod because I wouldn't talk to
me in the way he would talk tome like he wanted me to read the
(45:48):
Bible. And I'm like, bro, I'mnot doing that. You know what? I
mean? I'm like, I just ignoredhim. So one day I messed around
and responded, that's what I'mlike, But y'all better be
careful. You let God in an inch,but you're taking your whole
life. You better, you betterkeep that door closed. Don't be
asking who this is.
You better ignore again, anyway,because, boy, once you open up,
(46:10):
well, he it's too late. It's toolate. But either way, um, bro,
anyway, it was going back andforth. Man, why? I don't believe
the Bible, so I'm going, Man, Ifeel like it was manipulated,
you know, translated that welost books, that I'm going all
this stuff. It was foreconomics. And I bro, I just
feel God, like a big homie justlooking at me, like, every time
I'm saying something, I feellike he just like, Yeah, okay,
(46:32):
what? And I'm kind of gettingagitated because I'm over here
using logic to break down why Ican't believe in the Bible. So
he pretty much asked me, So youtelling me all of that you can't
believe in the Bible? I say,yeah, man, like, if, if, if this
is real, if my soul is real, andheaven and hell is real. I don't
want to base my soul off of alie. So this, this way he got
(46:58):
me, bro, this is what blew mymind, he says, So you telling me
the only reason you can't trustin the Bible is because it's
flawed. I say, Yeah. He waslike, but don't I trust you and
you're flawed. And I'll boom,check me,
bye, bye, check me. ButI get goosebumps. No, I feel you
Holy Spirit, but I feel youright now, oh man, he
(47:23):
said, don't I trust you and you?
I was like, well, and I knew me.
Maybe somebody else can't saythey feel like, God, trust them.
Maybe that's not they'retestimony. But right? I couldn't
lie and say, Nah, God, you don'ttrust I know he trusted me, bro,
right? Undeservingly trustingme, bro. I don't deserve it. I'm
a, I'm a, I'm living in theheight of my sin at this point,
(47:45):
but I know he still trusts me sobut then just how you brought
that up,the whole journey, how he worked
everything out after I after Iwalked around, I was outside, in
the front yard. I had to walkaround the house, like three,
four times, bro, just outsidethe house,
blew my whole body so that,after I kind of calmed down,
(48:06):
they kind of was posted up inthe front. I'm in the grasses
and just chilling down. I'm justin awe. He said one more thing
to me in that moment. That waslast thing. He said he was, how
do you know I didn't allow youto go through all of that just
so you can help my people comeback to me, and I was like, bro,
how can you ask me? I don't knowthe kind of question is that,
(48:26):
but now look at me. Now I'mhelping the people. I can argue
anti Christian, anti Bible stuffbetter than the non believers.
So I can take their pointsfurther it then completely smash
it with the with God and withthe Bible down. So it's like,
right? I done helped so manypeople come to Christ because of
(48:47):
my testimony and the lifestyle Iused to live. And I'm like, Dang
God, you really did. And Ididn't notice that at first. Um,
he said that in 2016 but hedidn't start showing me that
again to like, 2021 2022 once Istarted walking in purpose. And
yeah, bro, so that was my thing.
So now I'm just fully convincedthough I didn't, I didn't grow
up in the church.
(49:10):
You know, my people, apparently,both of my parents was raised in
the church. They ain't have nochoice, but they ain't give me
that, like I was, like, tryingto set me up.
But I love up here, you know forsure, but, um, but yeah, bro, I
never prayed. And, well, we praylike Thanksgiving stuff. I never
had a prayer with my mom and mydad, bro, you know they never,
they prayed for me, you I wouldprobably sleep or something, and
(49:33):
they got their own thing goingon. But I never was taught how
to pray. I never was taught howto open the Bible. But who my
daughter, my baby, she like 19months now, she, she says Amen
after every time I pray withher. Devorah, you know, that
night, she's Amen. She, youknow, it's a smiley, clapping,
you know, so stuff like that,bro, you know, I'm so grateful
(49:57):
for that. So, yeah, that's,that's where I'm at, bro.
That's how I do it. I just, I'mjust sold out. Yeah.
Man, bang, bro, that's sobeautiful. Bro. Appreciate you,
bro. Man, like, so beautiful.
Man, just to witness, like, howfar we've come just throughout
our lives and just havingmoments of where
(50:23):
we was out there in the world,bro and I was like, man, it's
completely different. Come on,bro, you can't. I can't. There's
nothing for me out I can't turnI can't, I can't go back, even
if I, when I find myselfslipping, I'm like, bro, what
I'm God, don't even I'm like,What am I doing? Oh,
(50:45):
none of this feel right, bro.
Like, I'm, I'm, I gotcomfortable. I ain't gonna lie,
bro, I just got lazy with thepeace. Bro, I want peace, bro,
nothing else but his peace thatsurpasses my understanding, bro,
when I go to thinking, bro, Idon't like it, bro.
Lord. Tell me what to do. Idon't even want to, you know,
(51:06):
use No, no brain power outsideof the brain when you need me to
use, you know, like, give me thedirection, Lord, please. And,
you know, and imma go, buteither way. So, you know, like
you said, bro, it's justamazing, man. I'm, I'm so proud
of you and your faith. I ain'tknow you done, got up and
preached too. Man, so that'seven more confirmation for me.
Like, yo, we all on the rightpath, bro, especially walking
(51:27):
with God. It's just moreconfirmation got married this
year. Man, that's just sobeautiful. Man, God opening so
much for you, and I'm just gladto be connected to you, my boy.
Man, likewise, brother, yes sir,anyway. Man, thank you for
coming through today. Man, anylast words you led to say to the
people you know, God is great,and you know, just keep going.
(51:52):
Keep walking, keep keep movingforward. Don't let anything hold
you back. Don't let anythingrelegate you to,
you know, be living yourself orfeeling feeling inadequate, but
just keep moving forward. Keepwalking forward. If you're
looking for a studio in WestPalm Beach to create, go to
(52:15):
create at like minded.comYes, sir, yes, sir. And
yeah, you know, keep the faith.
Keep walking. I'm so thankfuland grateful that you invited me
on this platform and that youinvited me to your podcast. Man,
I'm just, I'm just thankful,bro. No. Man, I'm thankful. Man,
(52:35):
this has been amazing episode,definitely one of my top, if not
the top for me, justconversation wise, you know, and
I and shout out to all myguests. Man, I love my guests
and stuff, but, you know, it wasjust something special about
this conversation. Man, I don'tknow. It just felt, it just felt
amazing, bro. Just feel HolySpirit here. So again, Imma,
leave all his information in theshow notes for the studio, any
(52:59):
potential contact information toget in touch with him when it
comes to your creative side, andagain, just thank you. DJ one
more time, and until next time,guys, thank you for listening to
give it your all a podcastsponsored by the Spirit filled
collective. If you found thattoday's episode has been
encouraging in any way, we askthat you like, comment, share,
(53:19):
subscribe or follow, so we cankeep giving you this valuable
content. Thank you.
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