What is money for?
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Is it a helpful
resource to use for good?
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Or is the love of it
the root of all evil?
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Actually, it's both.
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But God may have a
different definition
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of success.
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Real success
doesn't come overnight.
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It takes hard work
and faithful planning.
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To use your dollars well,
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it takes more
than a little sense.
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Welcome to Dollars and Sense.
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My name is Yvonne Lewis
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and I'm the
co-host for this program
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but our primary
host is Ryan Mack,
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financial literacy expert,
author, speaker, teacher...
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Thus the list
goes on and on and on.
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Always great to be
with you. Oh, thanks.
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It's so good to be
a part of this series
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because we're learning
such great information.
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Well, I tell you Christ is real.
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Yes, He is.
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And Christ is, a
lot of people say
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that you know the
evidence of things aren't seen,
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but no, you could
see evidence of Christ
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and just by looking around
at all the brilliant things
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that we have even in the world
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that we live and
some of the things
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that we are able
to produce ourselves,
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and the purpose of
this particular show
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was really just demonstrating
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the concrete
tangible economic value
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of faith in Christ.
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And there are many individuals,
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I mean, if we're
going to recover,
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and there are a
lot of individuals
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who are having a hard
time out there economically.
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If we're going to be successful
and recover, we need Christ.
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That's right.
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And we need to
have faith in Christ.
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And we're not going to
be successful without it.
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That's right. And so
I have a scripture here.
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Oh, good.
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Of course, James 2:17,
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one of my favorite
verses in the Bible,
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it says, "Even so faith,
if it hath not works, is dead,
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being alone."
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And there is a mathematical,
I was thinking numbers,
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if there's a
mathematical equation for faith
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that would be one
half belief in Christ
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and the other half is action.
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And so we have to
have both elements
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in order to be successful.
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You just can't
believe in and of itself
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and then expect
things to happen.
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We have to put
some work behind it.
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And so the question
that I always ask is that,
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are we acting
according to what we believe God
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is going to
perform in your life?
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You know, faith is essentially
the expectation of God
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to perform His will.
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So we must act
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as if God is going
to perform His will.
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So we need to
start setting things up
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and really start
making provisions
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for the abundance that
God is going to bring us.
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And so there's a
difference between
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the truth and facts of life,
again, we talked about this,
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is really just understanding
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that the facts
show your situation
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that scientific
explanation of what is.
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But the truth is
what God has for you.
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What He has planned for you.
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So we might not see it
today but we can work for it
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because we know God is
going to bring it tomorrow.
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And that is what
this verse is about,
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that's what the
scripture is all about.
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You know, Ryan, it's interesting
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because when we think of faith,
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you know, we think
of reliance upon God.
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And also, faith
without work is dead,
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so we have to prepare.
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That preparation is
critical because that's how,
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if a door opens for you
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and you're not
prepared for that opportunity,
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what happens?
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It folds. Exactly.
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I always say like,
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when I was doing
mission work in South Africa,
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when I prepared for the trip,
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I packed my bags and
I checked the weather
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but I didn't check
the weather for Detroit,
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I checked the
weather for South Africa.
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Come on.
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So we have to
prepare for where I'm going,
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not for where I was.
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And so when I got there,
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I was able to
have the right jackets
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and I was
prepared for the climate
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because seasons change
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and different
changes when we go around,
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and that happens
in life all the time.
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So that's what
God wants us to do.
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He wants us to
prepare and pack our bags
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for the appropriate
place where we're going.
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And make sure
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that we're just
doing all the things
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that are necessary
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to when we get
to where we're at,
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it's already there.
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And then, you know, my
Pastor Warren always says,
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you know, "The table
is already prepared."
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You know, he's not preparing
the place where you're going,
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he's preparing you
right now to be prepared
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for where you're going
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'cause it's already set for you.
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You just have
to receive it. Yes.
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And so when you get there,
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the blessings are
raining down on you.
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Amen. Well, we
want some blessing.
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Absolutely. All right.
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And we serve a God
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who wants to bless His children.
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Right.
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He wants to give
good gifts to us,
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so why not we position ourselves
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to receive those blessings?
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You're right.
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And I have a great story,
a great video segment today.
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Yeah. Let's do it.
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Crystal Nexton,
she is an individual
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that I actually hired
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when I was working
with Operation Hope.
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And her story is just amazing.
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She was able to
overcome homelessness.
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And she started
her own business.
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And I think that
because of her faith
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and because she was
able to just grab on
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to where she knew
that God was taking her
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and she talked about the prayer
that she had and she had to do
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and again the perpetual belief
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that things are
going to happen for her.
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When things happened for her,
now she's on the front cover
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of the free press all the time.
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I mean she's doing her
thing and I mean but to know
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where she came from,
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living in drug houses
and crack houses to now
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where she is today
overcoming all the obstacles,
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I think is very inspirational
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and I want her
to share her story.
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Oh, let's check
it out. Absolutely.
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Okay.
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When I think of Romans 8:28,
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I think about a very
dark time in my life.
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I was homeless at the time
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and I belonged
to a local church.
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And I decided to get baptized
because from what I heard
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and what people would tell
me that when you get baptized
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everything else will be great
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and all my
problems will be solved.
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And everything would be fine.
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So I went to
church, I got baptized,
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and the man threw
me down in the water
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and I came up
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and I didn't feel any different.
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And I thought
something was wrong with me.
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I left church, I went home
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to finish
packing up all my stuff
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because I was
homeless, I had got evicted.
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And I decided to go to the bar
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after I got
baptized the same day
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because I didn't
feel any different.
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After that, I
struggled for about two years
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with homelessness,
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sleeping pillar to
post in abandoned houses,
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don't know what I
had to do to make it
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and the whole
time that I was doing
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and I was
thinking, well, where is God?
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Everybody says I
would feel different
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and that he would rescue me
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and I would be a
whole new person.
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And I wouldn't have
anything to worry about.
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Shortly thereafter,
while I was homeless,
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I did meet my current husband.
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And when I met him
I started hearing God
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and I started hearing him
say, "You have to do better.
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You have to do
better, you have to do more,
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you have to do better.
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You have to do more."
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So from the
moment I met my husband,
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who God sent to me,
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I decided to do
better and do more.
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We got married, we had a baby,
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I started going to
college when she was two.
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I graduated four years later
with my degree in accounting.
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And I now own my
own small business
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accounting firm.
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It's just me but I
like the word firm.
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And I also work for
a wonderful nonprofit
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who helps people
just like me financially
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with financial literacy to
get their finances in order,
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getting the credit together.
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And I'm just out here
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trying to find
another me to help another me
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and if I could
tell anybody anything
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it would be two things,
number one, God does hear you.
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He does hear
you and He is there.
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And number two, go out
and get it yourself, honey.
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He's going to be
there in the background,
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but you got to do it yourself.
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Okay. That's all. It's life.
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Wow. I love it.
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She has a good story
and her spirit is so strong,
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and her faith was wayward
but she came back to God.
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She came back to Christ.
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And it was Christ
who never abandoned her,
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had never forsaken her
but she had to figure out
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some things that she had to do.
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Yeah.
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Well, you know, I
think it's a misconception
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that you have
to feel differently
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when you get baptized
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because if we rely on feelings,
we can get so deceived.
00:08:25.87\00:08:28.97
So it's not about feelings
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but it's about
what the Bible says
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and, you know, she also felt
that the Lord was telling her,
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"You have to do
better, you have to do more,
00:08:37.85\00:08:40.05
you have to..."
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And the Lord
wants to bring us up
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to a different level.
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The word says that,
00:08:45.35\00:08:47.76
"He wants to give
us an abundant life."
00:08:47.79\00:08:50.83
And so in order to
have that abundant life,
00:08:50.86\00:08:53.93
we invest in Christ,
00:08:54.00\00:08:56.87
we seek first
the Kingdom of Heaven
00:08:56.93\00:08:58.63
and its righteousness
00:08:58.67\00:09:00.07
and then all these
things will be added to us.
00:09:00.10\00:09:02.20
Because if we're
seeking Him first,
00:09:02.24\00:09:04.64
then whatever
our hands find to do,
00:09:04.67\00:09:06.71
we're going to do
with all our might,
00:09:06.74\00:09:08.58
we're going to
focus on doing it right,
00:09:08.61\00:09:10.61
focus on Him and then
He opens the doors for us.
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Absolutely. He
makes such a difference.
00:09:15.85\00:09:18.99
I remember for me
briefly that I didn't know
00:09:19.02\00:09:22.99
what I was going to do
00:09:23.02\00:09:24.36
when I left
traditional Chinese medicine.
00:09:24.39\00:09:27.23
I didn't really know
what I was going to do
00:09:27.23\00:09:30.27
because that was
95% of my income.
00:09:30.30\00:09:32.97
And I knew the Lord
was leading me out of it
00:09:33.00\00:09:34.97
but the Lord
consistently opened doors for me
00:09:35.00\00:09:38.07
and opened this
door here at 3ABN
00:09:38.11\00:09:40.68
and I ended up
having the best job
00:09:40.71\00:09:42.48
I ever had in my whole life.
00:09:42.51\00:09:43.85
Right.
00:09:43.88\00:09:45.21
So to me it's
like, if we just trust,
00:09:45.25\00:09:48.32
God have faith in God,
00:09:48.35\00:09:49.75
we don't know
where He'll take us
00:09:49.78\00:09:51.55
but we do know
He'll take us somewhere.
00:09:51.59\00:09:52.92
That's right.
00:09:52.95\00:09:54.29
And the question we
have to ask ourselves
00:09:54.32\00:09:56.29
is what other choice do you have
00:09:56.32\00:09:59.53
but to not have faith?
00:09:59.56\00:10:01.60
I mean we're sitting
down and many of us have,
00:10:01.63\00:10:06.23
I mean, a lot of
the economic struggles
00:10:06.27\00:10:08.40
every single day
00:10:08.44\00:10:09.77
and we're living
check to Tuesday.
00:10:09.80\00:10:11.44
And we've tried everything else,
00:10:11.47\00:10:13.34
we've tried this scam over here
00:10:13.38\00:10:16.75
or this financial
predator who said,
00:10:16.81\00:10:18.15
"I can give you some
money, quick fast over there."
00:10:18.18\00:10:20.58
And we've tried everything else.
00:10:20.62\00:10:22.42
But why not just
try Christ? Come on.
00:10:22.45\00:10:24.79
Why not just try Him
and just see what happens.
00:10:24.82\00:10:26.65
Come on.
00:10:26.72\00:10:28.06
Because, I mean, Christ has done
00:10:28.09\00:10:30.19
so many things for me
00:10:30.23\00:10:31.56
and I remember
00:10:31.59\00:10:32.93
when I walked
away from Wall Street
00:10:32.96\00:10:34.83
and God said to me
00:10:34.83\00:10:36.23
that you will be the
teacher and educator of many,
00:10:36.26\00:10:40.10
and I said,
00:10:40.17\00:10:41.50
"Okay, well, I'm
going to believe in
00:10:41.54\00:10:42.87
what You said,"
and I got an offer
00:10:42.90\00:10:45.04
but something inside of
me that said that offer that,
00:10:45.07\00:10:47.51
when that individual
said that I can only work
00:10:47.54\00:10:49.64
with high net worth individuals.
00:10:49.68\00:10:51.45
And I won't
reveal the company's name
00:10:51.48\00:10:52.81
but they said I
could work with them
00:10:52.85\00:10:54.95
but I can only
work with rich people.
00:10:54.98\00:10:57.92
And I remember that
scripture that said,
00:10:57.95\00:11:00.56
"Do not withhold good
from those who deserve it
00:11:00.59\00:11:02.39
when it's in your power to act."
00:11:02.42\00:11:04.96
And I had to have faith
00:11:04.99\00:11:06.33
that I had to
stand on God's word,
00:11:06.36\00:11:07.66
then I said, you know what,
00:11:07.73\00:11:09.03
if this is not for me
00:11:09.06\00:11:10.43
and I think that
God is leading me
00:11:10.47\00:11:11.80
in a different direction,
00:11:11.83\00:11:13.17
I've got to have faith
and walk in that direction.
00:11:13.20\00:11:14.54
That's right.
00:11:14.57\00:11:15.90
And long story short,
I eventually came on CNN.
00:11:15.94\00:11:19.57
And God just
blessed me so wonderfully
00:11:19.61\00:11:22.28
and it was all
because of Christ,
00:11:22.31\00:11:23.81
it's all because of Christ.
00:11:23.85\00:11:25.18
And I think today I
would like to just exemplify
00:11:25.21\00:11:28.02
how we have to have
that crazy faith, right?
00:11:28.05\00:11:31.49
Okay.
00:11:31.52\00:11:32.85
That's that crazy
faith is when you do things,
00:11:32.89\00:11:35.76
you know, Crystal, for example.
00:11:35.79\00:11:37.93
For her to believe
00:11:37.96\00:11:39.29
that as she was
a homeless person,
00:11:39.33\00:11:40.76
to say I'm going to
be an accountant one day,
00:11:40.80\00:11:42.56
many people might have
looked at her and said,
00:11:42.60\00:11:43.93
"You know, you're crazy,
00:11:44.00\00:11:45.33
you're never
gonna be an accountant,
00:11:45.37\00:11:46.70
you're homeless,
you're living in drug houses,
00:11:46.74\00:11:48.37
and you're not
going to be successful."
00:11:48.40\00:11:49.84
But she had that
crazy faith enough
00:11:49.87\00:11:51.87
to believe that,
yes, we can do something.
00:11:51.91\00:11:55.74
And so we have to believe that
00:11:55.78\00:11:57.21
because God is going
to give you a message
00:11:57.28\00:11:58.61
that no one else can hear.
00:11:58.65\00:12:00.05
That's right.
00:12:00.08\00:12:01.42
God is going to give
you a signal, a dream,
00:12:01.45\00:12:03.69
a vision that no
one else is going
00:12:03.72\00:12:05.52
to be able to recognize but you,
00:12:05.55\00:12:07.56
not your
mother, not your father,
00:12:07.59\00:12:08.92
not your best
friends, not anybody else,
00:12:08.96\00:12:10.96
nobody else on the
face of this planet
00:12:10.99\00:12:13.19
will be able to
receive the message the way
00:12:13.23\00:12:15.03
you receive it from Christ.
00:12:15.06\00:12:16.40
It is a unique
and special message
00:12:16.43\00:12:19.00
only for your ears.
00:12:19.03\00:12:20.80
And your spirit, and
so you have to take that
00:12:20.84\00:12:23.10
and grab hold of it.
00:12:23.14\00:12:24.61
And as we develop
Christ like innovation,
00:12:24.64\00:12:26.74
I want to read one
more scripture here.
00:12:26.78\00:12:28.11
Yes, please.
00:12:28.14\00:12:29.48
And this is John 2:7-9,
00:12:29.51\00:12:32.98
that says,
"Jesus saith unto them,
00:12:33.01\00:12:35.82
Fill the waterpots with water.
00:12:35.85\00:12:38.05
And they filled
them up to the brim.
00:12:38.09\00:12:40.96
And he said unto
them, Draw out now,
00:12:40.99\00:12:43.69
and bear unto the
governor of the feast.
00:12:43.73\00:12:46.80
And they bare it.
00:12:46.86\00:12:48.23
When the ruler of the
feast had tasted the water
00:12:48.26\00:12:50.70
that was made wine, and
knew not whence it was."
00:12:50.73\00:12:54.17
This, to me,
exemplifies what Christ can do.
00:12:54.20\00:12:59.51
He can take
something that is just water
00:12:59.54\00:13:02.31
and make it into wine.
00:13:02.34\00:13:03.68
We saw that also
I believe in Matthew
00:13:03.75\00:13:05.21
where He created
00:13:05.25\00:13:06.82
one loaf of bread
and fed the masses,
00:13:06.85\00:13:08.98
and the fish and
fed the masses, right.
00:13:09.02\00:13:11.52
So this is what Christ can do.
00:13:11.55\00:13:13.86
So if we are to
strive to be like Christ,
00:13:13.89\00:13:16.73
then we also should be
able to do similar things.
00:13:16.76\00:13:19.73
When people say all
right, you know, you're talking,
00:13:19.76\00:13:21.40
you know, you're
talking crazy talk,
00:13:21.43\00:13:23.67
this is not possible.
00:13:23.73\00:13:25.40
Well, there are many
examples of individuals
00:13:25.43\00:13:27.80
actually doing
things every single day.
00:13:27.84\00:13:30.07
I actually found some here.
00:13:30.11\00:13:31.71
There was one
example of a potter in India,
00:13:31.74\00:13:35.18
was a poor potter.
00:13:35.21\00:13:36.75
And he wanted
something to feed his family
00:13:36.81\00:13:38.91
and didn't know
exactly what to do
00:13:38.95\00:13:40.28
but he figured out
that he could design
00:13:40.32\00:13:42.32
from clay a refrigerator.
00:13:42.35\00:13:45.12
So he took his
clay and he molded it
00:13:45.15\00:13:48.42
and he made a refrigerator
and without any electricity
00:13:48.46\00:13:51.89
it could keep food
fresh for many days.
00:13:51.93\00:13:54.73
So he started
making refrigerator,
00:13:54.76\00:13:56.40
he made one for his family
00:13:56.43\00:13:57.77
and that became
their refrigerator.
00:13:57.80\00:13:59.30
But then he started to
sell his refrigerators.
00:13:59.33\00:14:01.60
He didn't make a ton of money
00:14:01.64\00:14:02.97
but he made enough
money to feed his family.
00:14:03.00\00:14:05.14
And then there
is another example,
00:14:05.17\00:14:06.51
out of Lima, Peru, a
region that had high humidity,
00:14:06.54\00:14:09.21
only received one inch of
rainfall every single year.
00:14:09.24\00:14:13.01
Well, an engineering
college essentially designed
00:14:13.05\00:14:16.69
a giant advertising
billboard that advertised
00:14:16.72\00:14:20.06
that absorbs air humidity
00:14:20.09\00:14:22.09
and converts it
into purified water.
00:14:22.12\00:14:25.16
Now, again, this generates
00:14:25.19\00:14:27.10
over 90 liters of
clear drinkable water
00:14:27.13\00:14:30.73
every single day.
00:14:30.77\00:14:32.10
Wow.
00:14:32.13\00:14:33.47
In a place where there's...
00:14:33.50\00:14:34.84
Only one inch of rainfall.
00:14:34.87\00:14:36.67
So they needed water
but it had high humidity.
00:14:36.71\00:14:39.34
So he was able to
look at the air and say,
00:14:39.37\00:14:42.24
"There's water in the air,
00:14:42.28\00:14:44.01
I can design something to
essentially turn this water
00:14:44.05\00:14:48.75
in the air into
drinkable clean water."
00:14:48.78\00:14:50.59
Wow.
00:14:50.65\00:14:51.99
And then there's another example
00:14:52.02\00:14:53.36
here in Kenya
00:14:53.39\00:14:54.72
where two university
students created a mechanism
00:14:54.76\00:14:56.59
that could recharge a
cell phone using bicycles.
00:14:56.62\00:15:00.43
And lastly we
have another example,
00:15:00.46\00:15:02.90
a little girl in Ghana
00:15:02.93\00:15:04.97
who again she was in poverty
00:15:05.00\00:15:08.04
and she didn't
have a lot of money
00:15:08.07\00:15:10.34
but she looked around and said,
00:15:10.41\00:15:13.07
"Look at all these
bamboos around here,
00:15:13.11\00:15:15.11
look at all these trees."
00:15:15.14\00:15:16.51
And she grabbed the
trees and she realized
00:15:16.54\00:15:18.65
that the bamboo was
very hard, it was very solid.
00:15:18.68\00:15:21.82
And she just thought
and she used her mind
00:15:21.85\00:15:24.42
and she said you know what,
00:15:24.45\00:15:25.79
I'm going to
make a bamboo bicycle.
00:15:25.82\00:15:28.49
And she started to
make bamboo bicycles.
00:15:28.52\00:15:30.66
And now those bamboo bicycles
00:15:30.73\00:15:32.19
are being shipped
all over the world.
00:15:32.23\00:15:34.20
Amazing.
00:15:34.20\00:15:35.53
So we've got
examples of individual
00:15:35.56\00:15:37.07
making refrigerators from clay,
00:15:37.13\00:15:40.20
individuals
making water from air,
00:15:40.24\00:15:43.57
an individual making
electricity from a bicycle,
00:15:43.61\00:15:47.64
and a young girl
making essentially a bicycle
00:15:47.68\00:15:51.85
out of trees, out of bamboo,
00:15:51.88\00:15:53.98
something from nothing
00:15:54.02\00:15:55.35
and they make money
off of these things.
00:15:55.38\00:15:57.15
And so what we
have to understand
00:15:57.19\00:15:59.95
and then Ephesians
1:3, I believe it says,
00:16:00.09\00:16:02.76
"Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
00:16:02.79\00:16:05.86
who hath blessed us
with all spiritual blessings
00:16:05.89\00:16:07.83
in heavenly places in Christ."
00:16:07.86\00:16:09.73
So it says, hath blessed us,
00:16:09.76\00:16:11.70
it doesn't say
going to bless us,
00:16:11.73\00:16:13.74
it's past tense.
00:16:13.77\00:16:15.34
So a lot of times
we're asking God for things
00:16:15.37\00:16:18.77
when He's already
provided us things,
00:16:18.81\00:16:21.08
everything we
need to be successful.
00:16:21.11\00:16:23.55
We're waiting on God,
but God is waiting on us.
00:16:23.58\00:16:26.58
So those examples,
00:16:26.61\00:16:28.62
the young girl
didn't have to wait on God.
00:16:28.65\00:16:31.55
God had already
given her the trees.
00:16:31.59\00:16:33.96
The young man
didn't have to wait on God,
00:16:33.99\00:16:35.89
God already allowed
the design of bicycles
00:16:35.92\00:16:38.26
to create electricity.
00:16:38.29\00:16:39.63
The man in India
didn't have to wait on God,
00:16:39.66\00:16:41.40
he had already had clay to
create everything he needed.
00:16:41.43\00:16:44.50
And so now we have a lot of...
00:16:44.53\00:16:47.60
At one time I saw a
protest on television
00:16:47.64\00:16:50.41
and it really upset
me, a group of individuals,
00:16:50.47\00:16:54.04
large group and it's
still going on today,
00:16:54.08\00:16:57.05
were very upset that McDonald's
00:16:57.11\00:16:58.78
was not paying them $15 an hour.
00:16:58.81\00:17:02.42
Now regardless of
how you individuals feel
00:17:02.45\00:17:04.82
about increasing
minimum wages is not the point,
00:17:04.85\00:17:07.09
this is not the point.
00:17:07.12\00:17:08.89
What we have are
groups of individuals
00:17:08.92\00:17:12.06
who have
decided to ask a company
00:17:12.09\00:17:14.73
to give them as opposed to going
00:17:14.76\00:17:17.10
to another organization
like a community college
00:17:17.17\00:17:19.77
to get education for free.
00:17:19.80\00:17:21.97
Again so reading Proverbs 16:16,
00:17:22.00\00:17:24.97
"How much better is it
to get wisdom than gold!
00:17:25.01\00:17:28.81
So to get understanding
00:17:28.84\00:17:30.65
is to be chosen
rather than silver!"
00:17:30.68\00:17:33.15
So if we're chasing money
00:17:33.18\00:17:36.02
to say McDonald's
pay me $15 an hour
00:17:36.05\00:17:39.95
as opposed to chasing education,
00:17:39.99\00:17:41.69
so we can go to
community college for free,
00:17:41.72\00:17:44.23
get free education.
00:17:44.26\00:17:45.76
You know how many individuals
have actually walked over
00:17:45.79\00:17:48.16
to a community college,
00:17:48.20\00:17:49.53
met one
individual that was teaching
00:17:49.56\00:17:51.83
and we had a
workshop and he said,
00:17:51.87\00:17:53.20
"Ryan, you're selling
a false bill of goods."
00:17:53.23\00:17:55.67
And I said, "What do you mean?"
00:17:55.70\00:17:57.07
He said, "Well, I
can't go to college.
00:17:57.11\00:17:58.44
I just don't have the...
00:17:58.47\00:17:59.81
I'm not, I'm in an
alternative high school.
00:17:59.84\00:18:01.68
I can't go to school.
00:18:01.71\00:18:03.04
It's not for me,
00:18:03.08\00:18:04.41
I'm never gonna
get out and repay.
00:18:04.45\00:18:05.78
There's nothing
out there for me."
00:18:05.81\00:18:07.45
I walked that individual
00:18:07.48\00:18:09.02
over to Wayne
County Community College
00:18:09.05\00:18:11.05
and my mother was
working there at the time
00:18:11.09\00:18:12.65
and we sat him
down and figured out
00:18:12.69\00:18:14.19
that he can get
00:18:14.22\00:18:15.56
some remedial
classes to get his GED.
00:18:15.59\00:18:19.09
And we worked with him.
00:18:19.13\00:18:20.63
She was able to enroll him,
00:18:20.66\00:18:21.96
had some financial
aid that was available.
00:18:22.00\00:18:23.33
And he enrolled to school,
00:18:23.37\00:18:24.70
two years later
had his associates,
00:18:24.73\00:18:26.07
four years later
he had his bachelor's.
00:18:26.10\00:18:27.44
It's just that, I mean,
as opposed to protesting,
00:18:27.47\00:18:31.11
okay, if you want
to protest that's fine,
00:18:31.14\00:18:32.94
but make some
time to get education.
00:18:32.97\00:18:35.04
Absolutely.
00:18:35.08\00:18:36.41
Education, I mean
research has shown
00:18:36.44\00:18:38.45
that people
graduating from high school
00:18:38.48\00:18:41.22
make more than
00:18:41.25\00:18:42.58
those who don't
people graduate from college,
00:18:42.62\00:18:44.32
I think make four to eight times
00:18:44.35\00:18:45.69
more than people who don't.
00:18:45.72\00:18:47.39
So I mean it's
your ticket out. Right.
00:18:47.46\00:18:50.99
If you need a ticket out,
00:18:51.03\00:18:52.69
obviously the Lord
is we're not saying
00:18:52.73\00:18:54.76
to the exclusion of the Lord,
00:18:54.83\00:18:56.13
we're saying grab
on to Christ's hand
00:18:56.16\00:18:59.13
and get some
education and learn something.
00:18:59.17\00:19:03.74
If you don't
want to go to college,
00:19:03.77\00:19:05.94
learn a skill,
00:19:05.97\00:19:07.54
get a skill that you can use
because that's also important.
00:19:07.61\00:19:11.91
To have
something that you can do.
00:19:11.95\00:19:13.65
Nowadays, I mean
they had something
00:19:13.68\00:19:15.85
on one of the programs I
listened to on the radio,
00:19:15.88\00:19:18.65
sometimes a talk
program, about coding.
00:19:18.69\00:19:22.09
And you can make a lot of money
if you know how to do coding.
00:19:22.12\00:19:24.96
Tons of money.
00:19:24.99\00:19:26.33
But I mean the education
00:19:26.36\00:19:28.00
which is I'm so,
I'm so right here,
00:19:28.03\00:19:31.63
because education is key.
00:19:31.67\00:19:33.37
And that the
problem that we're having
00:19:33.44\00:19:34.90
when again going
back to McDonald's theory
00:19:34.94\00:19:37.54
and seeing people
protesting McDonald's
00:19:37.61\00:19:39.57
for not paying them $15 an hour.
00:19:39.61\00:19:42.78
Is that what's
happening now is that
00:19:42.81\00:19:45.08
McDonald's is also
investing in technology.
00:19:45.11\00:19:48.52
And then investing in technology
00:19:48.55\00:19:49.88
that essentially
is going to allow them
00:19:49.92\00:19:51.55
to have cashier-less
or a robot cashiers.
00:19:51.59\00:19:56.62
So robotics now is taking over.
00:19:56.66\00:19:57.99
Exactly. And it's already there.
00:19:58.03\00:19:59.83
They have McDonald's now
where you can walk into a store
00:19:59.86\00:20:03.63
and you can walk up
00:20:03.67\00:20:05.00
and you can pay a
cashier which is a robot.
00:20:05.03\00:20:08.00
You put your money
in, you take the order,
00:20:08.04\00:20:10.37
it places order and your
food is then delivered to you.
00:20:10.41\00:20:13.74
So some people will say,
00:20:13.78\00:20:15.78
"Well, Ryan,
that's taking jobs away."
00:20:15.81\00:20:18.45
Well, again in
the world of Christ
00:20:18.48\00:20:20.98
we don't have
small minds like that,
00:20:21.02\00:20:22.48
that's not the
small mindset we have.
00:20:22.52\00:20:24.15
We have to have a...
00:20:24.19\00:20:25.52
We have to take the
tops off our vision.
00:20:25.55\00:20:27.79
If we take the tops off,
00:20:27.82\00:20:29.16
see sometimes we have
this sad glassful of vision
00:20:29.19\00:20:32.39
for ourselves,
00:20:32.43\00:20:34.13
but God wants to give you
an ocean full of blessings.
00:20:34.20\00:20:36.30
That's right.
00:20:36.33\00:20:37.67
And so we have to take
00:20:37.70\00:20:39.03
the top off our
vision and say, "No,
00:20:39.07\00:20:40.47
that's not taking
jobs away from me,
00:20:40.50\00:20:43.17
I can be the one to
design the technology
00:20:43.20\00:20:47.51
and put it in McDonald's."
00:20:47.54\00:20:48.88
Because those jobs have a
less than 1% unemployment rate.
00:20:48.91\00:20:52.95
But the jobs of being a
cashier that you're striving
00:20:52.98\00:20:55.62
for that has less than
maybe $10 an hour if that even,
00:20:55.65\00:21:00.86
those jobs are dispensable.
00:21:00.89\00:21:02.96
How much do you think
fear of success comes to play
00:21:02.99\00:21:07.40
with this like, I can't do
it, I don't have an education.
00:21:07.40\00:21:11.77
Look at me I
live in the projects
00:21:11.80\00:21:13.70
I mean what am I...
00:21:13.74\00:21:15.07
I can't do it.
00:21:15.10\00:21:16.67
I believe it has a huge,
00:21:16.71\00:21:18.04
I believe that much of
poverty is low self-esteem.
00:21:18.07\00:21:21.28
I believe much
of it is believing
00:21:21.31\00:21:22.94
that it's not for us.
00:21:22.98\00:21:24.81
I believe
00:21:24.85\00:21:26.38
if we have other
things like a lack of network
00:21:26.41\00:21:28.42
or a lack of
access to opportunity,
00:21:28.45\00:21:30.49
but much of it is not believing
00:21:30.55\00:21:32.45
that what's in
front of me is for me.
00:21:32.49\00:21:34.72
There have been many times
that I've done many workshops
00:21:34.76\00:21:37.29
to gang members and those
who formerly incarcerated like,
00:21:37.33\00:21:39.69
and I mean,
00:21:39.73\00:21:41.03
I would probably say
that most individuals
00:21:41.06\00:21:43.80
that I've worked with
have not been successful.
00:21:43.83\00:21:46.33
And it's not because
they had a lack of opportunity
00:21:46.37\00:21:48.07
or access because
00:21:48.10\00:21:49.44
I was there
providing them the access,
00:21:49.47\00:21:50.84
I was not just
providing education
00:21:50.87\00:21:52.41
but we also had connections
to different organizations,
00:21:52.44\00:21:55.18
I was the chair of
Medgar Evers College,
00:21:55.21\00:21:56.54
I was, I said,
00:21:56.58\00:21:57.91
"So, here's your
resources I want you to use,
00:21:57.95\00:22:01.55
most of them are free of charge
00:22:01.58\00:22:03.18
that we want you to grab on to."
00:22:03.22\00:22:04.79
But they didn't
believe it was for them,
00:22:04.82\00:22:06.79
they didn't
believe it was for them.
00:22:06.86\00:22:10.03
Christ is so tangible,
00:22:10.06\00:22:11.73
Christ is so
real, He is such a...
00:22:11.76\00:22:14.86
Man, He's just the
most tangible thing
00:22:14.93\00:22:18.80
you could ever
experience in life.
00:22:18.83\00:22:20.20
I'm sorry, I got caught up
00:22:20.24\00:22:21.57
in the moment
there for a second.
00:22:21.60\00:22:22.94
It's all right, it's all right.
00:22:22.97\00:22:24.31
It's all right. We
love it, we love it.
00:22:24.34\00:22:25.67
See, when Jesus
cured the blind man,
00:22:25.71\00:22:29.44
He said, you know, He
said, He placed some clay
00:22:29.48\00:22:34.18
and rubbed it into
the blind man's eyes
00:22:34.22\00:22:35.58
and said, "Walk two
miles to the riverside
00:22:35.62\00:22:37.15
and you'll be able to
and you'll be able to see."
00:22:37.19\00:22:39.89
The blind man had
the choice, he could say,
00:22:39.92\00:22:43.59
"Christ, I don't feel
like walking right now,
00:22:43.63\00:22:45.89
it's not for me.
00:22:45.93\00:22:47.23
I don't feel like moving,
00:22:47.30\00:22:48.66
it's just, I'm a
little bit too tired today.
00:22:48.70\00:22:50.60
Why don't you
just do it tomorrow?
00:22:50.63\00:22:51.97
Can't you just
feel me right here?"
00:22:52.00\00:22:55.90
See, the blind man
understood Christ's logic.
00:22:55.94\00:22:59.77
Sometimes Christ
gives an instruction
00:22:59.81\00:23:02.01
to justify the blessing.
00:23:02.04\00:23:03.98
So the instruction to
walk two miles to the riverside
00:23:04.05\00:23:07.62
to see was that instruction
00:23:07.65\00:23:09.58
that the blind
man had to follow.
00:23:09.62\00:23:10.99
When he followed that,
followed that instruction,
00:23:11.02\00:23:13.36
followed Christ,
he was able to see.
00:23:13.39\00:23:16.36
Following Christ helps you see.
00:23:16.39\00:23:18.39
And there are certain
things that you were asking for.
00:23:18.43\00:23:21.70
We have no right
to ask for something
00:23:21.73\00:23:23.83
if we have not worked for it.
00:23:23.87\00:23:25.30
That is not...
00:23:25.33\00:23:26.70
That is a basic
element of Christianity.
00:23:26.74\00:23:28.67
Absolutely. And you
need to say that again.
00:23:28.70\00:23:31.41
We have no right
to ask for something
00:23:31.44\00:23:34.48
if we have not worked for it.
00:23:34.51\00:23:36.44
And when he saw and so,
00:23:36.48\00:23:38.75
for instance, if you want a job,
00:23:38.78\00:23:42.22
you have not interviewed
up in Christian network,
00:23:42.25\00:23:44.25
you have not done
increased education,
00:23:44.29\00:23:46.92
you're not walking.
00:23:46.96\00:23:48.29
If you want a house
00:23:48.32\00:23:49.66
you have not
increased your FICO score,
00:23:49.69\00:23:51.09
you have not
budgeted, you have not saved,
00:23:51.13\00:23:52.46
not researched
things in a neighborhood,
00:23:52.49\00:23:53.90
you're not walking.
00:23:53.96\00:23:55.26
If you want to
go back to school,
00:23:55.30\00:23:57.00
you have not
researched scholarships,
00:23:57.03\00:23:58.37
you have not done the networking
00:23:58.40\00:23:59.73
and talk to some
counselors, you are not walking.
00:23:59.77\00:24:01.60
If you want to start a business,
00:24:01.64\00:24:02.97
you haven't read a few books
on how to start that business,
00:24:03.00\00:24:05.64
you haven't put a
business plan in place,
00:24:05.67\00:24:07.08
write it down on
paper, you're not walking.
00:24:07.11\00:24:09.28
Christ wants us to walk
00:24:09.31\00:24:10.98
because it's through
that walk that we get growth.
00:24:11.01\00:24:14.48
And we know that the blessings
00:24:14.52\00:24:16.58
that He's
already prepared for us
00:24:16.62\00:24:18.82
at that table as
my pastor would say,
00:24:18.85\00:24:21.36
we're not going
to be ready to eat
00:24:21.39\00:24:22.72
if we're not growing on the way
00:24:22.76\00:24:24.13
to that table.
00:24:24.16\00:24:25.49
And this is the
economic principle.
00:24:25.53\00:24:27.13
See, when you're
getting back to economics now,
00:24:27.20\00:24:29.90
starting that business,
00:24:29.93\00:24:31.97
there are many
ventures that have failed simply
00:24:32.00\00:24:34.30
because I had not
adequately prepared myself.
00:24:34.34\00:24:37.57
And those failures
00:24:37.61\00:24:39.21
really allowed me to
do all that was necessary
00:24:39.24\00:24:42.28
to turn around and
then be successful.
00:24:42.31\00:24:45.25
If I had not done
that walking and then...
00:24:45.28\00:24:48.22
but the failures
say you ain't right,
00:24:48.25\00:24:49.58
I needed to walk
in a different way,
00:24:49.62\00:24:50.95
I need to walk in a better way.
00:24:50.99\00:24:52.32
I need to do
this, I need to do that.
00:24:52.35\00:24:53.72
And it was because of that,
it allowed me to be successful.
00:24:53.76\00:24:56.69
And every other business owner
00:24:56.73\00:24:58.16
that I've ever talked
to says exact same thing.
00:24:58.19\00:25:00.73
But all these
principles are laid out
00:25:00.76\00:25:03.26
in the Word and the Will of God.
00:25:03.30\00:25:04.83
And so we don't
have to go to any...
00:25:04.87\00:25:08.70
Steve Jobs, rest his
soul, he's passed away, Ryan,
00:25:08.74\00:25:12.01
how are we supposed
to learn about that?
00:25:12.04\00:25:13.58
I know Steve
Jobs was a smart guy
00:25:13.61\00:25:15.21
and I admire him a
lot, but guess what,
00:25:15.24\00:25:17.35
there's a book I can find,
00:25:17.38\00:25:18.78
that's probably a
whole lot better than him.
00:25:18.81\00:25:20.52
It's the Bible.
Yes. That's right.
00:25:20.55\00:25:22.45
So just praise God
for all of the things
00:25:22.48\00:25:25.12
that He's been doing for us.
00:25:25.15\00:25:26.49
Yes, yes.
00:25:26.52\00:25:27.86
And for all the
principles that are in the Word.
00:25:27.89\00:25:29.89
You know, when you said
the Lord wants us to walk,
00:25:29.92\00:25:34.20
He wants us to do something.
00:25:34.20\00:25:36.40
You know, when He healed
00:25:36.43\00:25:37.93
the paralytic, rise,
take up your bed and walk.
00:25:37.97\00:25:41.84
You have to have faith in God
00:25:41.87\00:25:44.61
which we're talking
about crazy faith today.
00:25:44.64\00:25:46.94
Faith that we can
do it through Christ.
00:25:46.98\00:25:50.91
And then we get up and do it.
00:25:50.95\00:25:52.55
It's crazy to think
someone who is paralyzed
00:25:52.58\00:25:54.28
and get up and walk like that.
00:25:54.32\00:25:55.65
Right.
00:25:55.68\00:25:57.02
But if you believe
in God, it can happen.
00:25:57.05\00:25:58.39
That's right, that's right.
00:25:58.42\00:25:59.75
So three quick
tips I wanted to give.
00:25:59.79\00:26:01.19
Okay. Just very quick here.
00:26:01.22\00:26:02.56
And then you have a takeaway.
Yeah. Absolutely, absolutely.
00:26:02.59\00:26:04.96
So there are things
00:26:04.99\00:26:06.33
that we have to start
doing in order to make sure
00:26:06.36\00:26:08.13
that we can exemplify
that we have faith in Christ.
00:26:08.16\00:26:11.03
And one of those things
00:26:11.07\00:26:12.40
especially for those individuals
00:26:12.43\00:26:13.77
who are out of
work and underserved,
00:26:13.84\00:26:16.14
one of those as we
can try to relocate
00:26:16.17\00:26:17.61
to another place
00:26:17.64\00:26:18.97
where our skill sets are needed.
00:26:19.01\00:26:20.38
The second tip is
to pursue education.
00:26:20.41\00:26:23.11
Make it sure that
you can get demand
00:26:23.14\00:26:24.58
higher level of skill sets
00:26:24.61\00:26:25.95
than those skill
sets in your local area,
00:26:25.98\00:26:27.88
they can now call upon you.
00:26:27.92\00:26:29.92
And the third one is
start a new business.
00:26:29.95\00:26:32.12
It's time for us to
take a leap of faith
00:26:32.15\00:26:34.66
and be an entrepreneur.
00:26:34.69\00:26:36.09
And we can go
research how to do it, right?
00:26:36.12\00:26:38.56
Absolutely. All right, great.
00:26:38.59\00:26:39.93
You're gonna give us a takeaway?
00:26:40.00\00:26:41.30
Absolutely. Awesome.
00:26:41.33\00:26:42.66
With faith in Christ,
nothing is impossible.
00:26:50.11\00:26:52.74
Faith in Christ
00:26:52.77\00:26:54.14
will make your first
home become a reality,
00:26:54.18\00:26:55.88
that new job happen, any
goal you desire comes true.
00:26:55.91\00:26:59.21
What is faith?
00:26:59.25\00:27:00.65
Faith is not rainbows, unicorns,
00:27:00.68\00:27:02.52
and other false
notions of reality.
00:27:02.55\00:27:05.05
Faith is effort,
faith is diligence,
00:27:05.09\00:27:07.49
faith is consistency,
00:27:07.52\00:27:08.92
faith is real
00:27:08.96\00:27:10.29
and faith in
Christ is hard work.
00:27:10.36\00:27:11.93
You can read all the
empowerment books you want,
00:27:11.96\00:27:14.20
but if you choose to
believe that the principles
00:27:14.23\00:27:16.23
within are not for you
00:27:16.26\00:27:17.93
or that you are predestined
to live a life of lack,
00:27:17.97\00:27:21.34
you will not be successful
00:27:21.37\00:27:22.70
and you will not receive
00:27:22.74\00:27:24.11
the blessings that God
has in store for your life.
00:27:24.14\00:27:26.24
You must believe that
00:27:26.27\00:27:27.61
there is a greater
quality of life for you,
00:27:27.64\00:27:29.44
your family, and your community.
00:27:29.48\00:27:31.71
On the other side
of your hard work,
00:27:31.75\00:27:33.21
sweat and tears,
00:27:33.25\00:27:34.58
there is someone
waiting on the greatness
00:27:34.62\00:27:36.69
in you to bless them.
00:27:36.72\00:27:38.05
So the epitome of selfishness
00:27:38.09\00:27:39.42
is quitting and
not working hard.
00:27:39.45\00:27:41.36
The most important task
00:27:41.39\00:27:43.09
you can contribute to this world
00:27:43.12\00:27:44.63
is making it better.
00:27:44.66\00:27:45.99
The best way to
make a better world
00:27:46.03\00:27:47.60
is to start with
making a better you.
00:27:47.66\00:27:49.43
And through
Christ that is exactly
00:27:49.46\00:27:51.20
what you will receive.
00:27:51.23\00:27:52.57
Be the change you want to see.
00:27:52.60\00:27:53.94
Always remember,
00:27:54.00\00:27:55.34
the purpose of life
is a life of purpose.
00:27:55.37\00:27:57.01
This is Ryan Mack,
Dollars and Sense, signing off.
00:27:57.07\00:27:59.57