Do you dread getting
up and going to work?
00:00:01.36\00:00:02.70
Do you ever feel
like you're not satisfied
00:00:02.73\00:00:04.43
with where you are in life?
00:00:04.47\00:00:05.93
Well, stay tuned to meet
a man who shares his journey
00:00:05.97\00:00:08.34
as it pertains to his
restless pursuit of purpose.
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My name is Jason Bradley,
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and you're
watching Urban Report.
00:00:12.77\00:00:15.04
Hello, and
welcome to Urban Report.
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My guest today is
Pastor Marlin Perkins, Sr.,
00:00:39.87\00:00:42.60
pastor of the Living
Waters Worship Center
00:00:42.64\00:00:44.67
of Seventh-Day
Adventist in Dallas, Texas.
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He is also the founder
of Purposeful Pursuits, LLC.
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Welcome to Urban
Report, Pastor Perkins.
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Thank you,
Jason. Good to see you.
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It's great to have you here.
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You know, so many people
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are searching for their purpose.
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And you see that a lot of people
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are leading empty lives
because they haven't found it.
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Have you always been
walking in your purpose?
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No, that's a great
question. It's a great lead.
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And you're absolutely right.
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For me, it started
probably about at age 13.
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I was just
beginning middle school.
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And I had a lot of
academic success early in life.
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And I had struggled a
little in middle school,
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or I should say,
from fifth or sixth grade.
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But about age 13,
I had a conviction...
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Okay.
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That I look back on,
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I know it was God given that
my life was going somewhere.
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And I didn't know where.
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You know, I
fancied myself sometimes
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being a successful businessman,
flying all over the world.
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I knew I wanted to
one day have a family.
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But I saw myself as, you know,
a huge materialistic success.
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Got you.
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But about age 13,
I had a conviction,
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my life was going somewhere.
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And it really
became a compass for me.
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Let me ask you this question
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because success is
something that is subjective.
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Yes.
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And oftentimes,
like you just mentioned,
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a lot of people think of success
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in a materialistic way.
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So what is success?
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What does
success look like to you?
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For me, it's very simple.
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Knowing God's will and
living God's will for your life
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as faithful as you can.
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I know it's very simple.
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But trust, knowing
God's will for your life.
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And that's important to
know God's will for our lives.
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The Bible says,
"Cause me to know your way."
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It says in the Book of Psalms.
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So knowing God's
will for your life,
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not somebody
else's, for your life.
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Yeah.
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Resting at peace with that,
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and then faithfully allowing
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God's will to be
worked out in your life.
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I think if you do that,
heaven will deem you a success.
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Amen. Amen.
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Well, so tell me a little
bit about your upbringing.
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What type of values
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did your parents instill in you?
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Well, I was
raised in a big family.
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There were eight of us,
five boys and three girls.
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I'm from
Memphis, Tennessee. Okay.
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My father, my mother, my father
worked for as postal worker,
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my mother was a
stay-at-home mother.
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We were raised in Seventh-day
Adventist Christian home.
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Okay. Went to church weekly.
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And then about when I
was about seven years old,
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my parents separated
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and then they
eventually divorced.
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And my sister Madeline,
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who was the third
daughter in our family,
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she's about seven
years older than me.
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I'm actually the
seventh child in our family.
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Wow.
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And I talk about
that in the book.
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So Madeline is seven.
There's a seven-year gap.
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Interestingly
enough, all the sevens,
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and the seventh
child has a seven year gap
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between she and me.
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So her, myself, and my
younger brother, Chris,
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my mother took us,
we were her last three,
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to go live with my
oldest sister near Fort Knox.
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I had a sister Marcia,
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was stationed near
Fort Knox, Kentucky.
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And we stayed
there about a year,
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and then we
moved back to Memphis,
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and we moved on to
northern part of town.
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And my mother was a
very God fearing woman.
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So we were raised
in a Christian home.
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You know, my father,
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who we'll talk
about a little later
00:03:56.97\00:03:58.30
who became one
of my best friends.
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You know, I was
able to put to peace,
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a lot of the differences
that led to their divorce.
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And I credit a lot
of that to my mother.
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But later in
life, even my father
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and his acceptance
of some of the ways
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that led to their divorce.
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But yes, I was clearly
raised in a Christian home,
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even I didn't appreciate it.
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You know, and I haven't always
appreciated it, to be honest.
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But I thank God that I
did come to appreciate it.
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Did you ever stray away?
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I didn't stray away drugs
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and a lot of at-risk behavior.
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But I wasn't a
born again believer.
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I mean, I went to
church, my friends were there.
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My younger
brother, Chris, and I,
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and my mother didn't have
to force us to go to church.
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But I wasn't a
born again believer.
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Yes.
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You know, I went to
church, it was a thing to do,
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my friends were there.
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That wouldn't happen
until my college years
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between my junior
and senior in college.
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Okay. Okay.
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And so you said
earlier when you were 13,
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that's when things
began to click for you
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in terms of finding purpose,
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and what direction
you wanted to go in.
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When I was 13,
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God really instilled
a conviction in my life
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that I was going somewhere.
00:05:03.83\00:05:05.20
And to give you a clue
00:05:05.23\00:05:06.57
to how strong
that conviction was,
00:05:06.60\00:05:08.34
it produced such
powerfully positive feelings.
00:05:08.37\00:05:12.07
I had a picture in my
mind that ultimately my life
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was going to take me someplace.
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It was very beautiful.
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And I was definitely
afraid of doing anything
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I thought would derail me.
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I was definitely afraid
of getting a girl pregnant
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and having a child.
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Not that I didn't
want to be with girls.
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I certainly
wanted to be with them.
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But I was definitely
afraid of doing anything
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I felt would derail me.
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And the frustration at times
00:05:31.59\00:05:33.36
was throughout my middle school,
00:05:33.40\00:05:34.73
even high school years,
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was that I didn't know
where it was going to be.
00:05:36.63\00:05:38.53
But that conviction propelled me
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to do well academically,
00:05:40.04\00:05:41.37
it propelled me
to become a leader
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as early as my
high school years,
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just this focus that
you're going somewhere.
00:05:45.31\00:05:47.94
And it made me realize,
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again, that if I
made certain decisions,
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it could derail
me from that course.
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And I was definitely
afraid of doing anything
00:05:54.48\00:05:57.12
I thought would take
me off of their course.
00:05:57.15\00:05:59.02
And it was until
I went on to college
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between my junior
year and senior in college
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that I will come face to
face of what that purpose was.
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Really? Yes.
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Why don't you talk a
little bit about that?
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Well, I will.
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Again, as I told you, I
had a lot of fanciful ideas
00:06:10.87\00:06:13.47
that I'd be a big
well-known businessman
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flying all over the world
and having a lot of success.
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I knew that I
wanted to have a family.
00:06:19.57\00:06:21.31
Now that was important to me,
00:06:21.34\00:06:22.68
despite the fact that
my parents had divorced,
00:06:22.71\00:06:25.21
it was important to me
to have a family of my own.
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Yes.
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When I went to college,
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I initially chose
business as a major.
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Didn't, that wasn't my
cup of tea, so to speak.
00:06:32.39\00:06:35.16
So I went on to
choose political science
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with a prelaw emphasis.
00:06:38.33\00:06:39.86
I end up getting an
internship from my congressman
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between my sophomore
and junior year in college.
00:06:42.03\00:06:44.37
So I worked in Washington DC.
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But between my junior
and senior year in college,
00:06:46.57\00:06:48.77
I was good at my
studies in prelaw.
00:06:48.80\00:06:51.91
But I knew that
being an attorney
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deep down inside really
wasn't what I wanted to be.
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Yes.
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I just didn't know
what it was going to be.
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It wasn't until God
started moving on my heart
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between my junior and
senior year in college,
00:07:01.88\00:07:04.25
that I became a Christian.
00:07:04.29\00:07:05.62
And interestingly enough,
00:07:05.65\00:07:06.99
He also called me into
ministry about that same time.
00:07:07.02\00:07:10.29
And it was that understanding
00:07:10.33\00:07:12.03
that God was
calling me into ministry
00:07:12.06\00:07:14.13
that I finally had
that aha-aha moment.
00:07:14.16\00:07:16.67
And that's something
that I think everybody
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should reach at
some point in your life
00:07:18.80\00:07:20.34
is that great
aha-aha moment that says,
00:07:20.37\00:07:22.50
"This is what I'm
here on this earth to do."
00:07:22.54\00:07:23.94
Yes.
00:07:23.97\00:07:25.31
And it happened to
me between my junior
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and senior year in college.
00:07:26.71\00:07:28.04
Wow.
00:07:28.08\00:07:29.41
Now I know the Bible
speaks about purpose, right?
00:07:29.44\00:07:30.95
Do you have any verses
that you want to share?
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Well, it's
interesting, you should ask that
00:07:33.38\00:07:34.72
because it seems like perhaps
00:07:34.75\00:07:36.35
the most
well-known is Jeremiah 29:11.
00:07:36.38\00:07:38.25
Yes.
00:07:38.29\00:07:39.62
You know, "For I
know the thoughts
00:07:39.65\00:07:40.99
that I think towards you."
00:07:41.02\00:07:42.36
But I like to
reference Luke 19:13.
00:07:42.39\00:07:44.53
And I actually have my
Bible open because I thought,
00:07:44.56\00:07:47.20
you know, we might be
able to talk about it.
00:07:47.23\00:07:48.73
But Jesus says in
Luke 19:13, it says,
00:07:48.76\00:07:51.90
"And He called his ten servants
and delivered them ten pounds,
00:07:51.93\00:07:55.70
and said unto them,
'Occupy till I come.'"
00:07:55.74\00:08:00.71
God, when He saves us,
He saves us on the cross.
00:08:00.74\00:08:04.15
But He also
saves us for a purpose.
00:08:04.18\00:08:06.75
And Jesus wants us to occupy.
00:08:06.78\00:08:08.88
Now, perhaps the
most obvious idea
00:08:08.92\00:08:12.55
of occupying is some people
00:08:12.59\00:08:13.92
may be giving Bible
studies and witnessing,
00:08:13.96\00:08:15.79
and those things
are extremely important.
00:08:15.82\00:08:18.13
But there are
vocational pursuits
00:08:18.16\00:08:20.10
that He instilled within us
00:08:20.13\00:08:22.86
to live out His
purpose for us on this earth.
00:08:22.90\00:08:25.93
He wants us to occupy
in very specific ways,
00:08:25.97\00:08:29.17
vocationally, as well as
spiritually until He comes.
00:08:29.20\00:08:32.41
Unpack that a little bit?
00:08:32.44\00:08:34.88
Well, when Jesus
says, "Occupy till I come,"
00:08:34.91\00:08:38.61
again, that's talking
about your God given purpose.
00:08:38.65\00:08:41.58
God gives you
your purpose in life.
00:08:41.62\00:08:43.28
People think that you
need to go looking for,
00:08:43.32\00:08:45.59
it comes to you.
00:08:45.62\00:08:46.96
In the Old Testament, you
will hear this phrase used
00:08:46.99\00:08:49.02
over and over in
relation to the prophets.
00:08:49.06\00:08:51.76
The word of the
Lord came to Jeremiah,
00:08:51.79\00:08:54.63
the word of the
Lord came to Isaiah,
00:08:54.66\00:08:57.20
the word of the
Lord came to Malachi.
00:08:57.23\00:09:00.34
Just as a prophet received
00:09:00.37\00:09:02.04
his prophetic ministry from God,
00:09:02.07\00:09:04.41
you receive your
God given purpose.
00:09:04.44\00:09:06.68
He may speak through a sermon,
00:09:06.71\00:09:08.34
a conversation
you have with someone,
00:09:08.38\00:09:10.21
a book, well, life experience,
whatever medium that He uses,
00:09:10.25\00:09:14.32
the message will be
clear that God will say,
00:09:14.35\00:09:16.75
"This is what I have
put you on this earth to do,
00:09:16.79\00:09:19.22
and I want you to occupy
00:09:19.25\00:09:20.76
in this capacity until I come."
00:09:20.79\00:09:25.29
I like that. I really like that.
00:09:25.33\00:09:28.26
Speaking of
purpose and all of that,
00:09:28.30\00:09:30.03
what inspired you
to write the book?
00:09:30.07\00:09:33.20
That's a great question.
00:09:33.23\00:09:34.57
I want to say right off the bat,
00:09:34.60\00:09:35.94
I've never
fancied myself a writer.
00:09:35.97\00:09:37.77
I write now.
00:09:37.81\00:09:39.14
But I never fancied
myself a writer years ago.
00:09:39.17\00:09:42.24
I got the idea to write
this book interesting enough
00:09:42.28\00:09:45.15
in a very nonconventional way.
00:09:45.18\00:09:47.65
My wife Shurla is from Bermuda.
00:09:47.68\00:09:49.45
And she was visiting,
our kids were smaller.
00:09:49.48\00:09:52.39
She was visiting
home, 1 May I think it was.
00:09:52.42\00:09:56.29
And one Saturday afternoon,
I was out playing basketball
00:09:56.32\00:09:58.86
and thinking I'm Michael Jordan.
00:09:58.89\00:10:00.46
And I came down real
hard... That's what we all do.
00:10:00.50\00:10:03.73
I came down wrong on my ankle,
I badly sprained my ankle.
00:10:03.77\00:10:07.24
And no one was
there at the house but me,
00:10:07.27\00:10:09.47
and I finally made my
way back to the house.
00:10:09.50\00:10:11.84
I'm sitting up on the
bed with my leg propped up,
00:10:11.87\00:10:14.78
and I'm just
flicking through the channels.
00:10:14.81\00:10:16.75
And I landed on
interesting enough
00:10:16.78\00:10:18.71
the Lifetime channel for women.
00:10:18.75\00:10:20.25
Okay.
00:10:20.28\00:10:21.62
I'll let you know, and
I'm just really just flipping
00:10:21.65\00:10:22.98
through the channels.
00:10:23.02\00:10:24.35
And I started
watching an interview
00:10:24.39\00:10:25.72
with Suzanne Somers.
00:10:25.75\00:10:27.09
A lot of people may
remember her as Chrissy...
00:10:27.12\00:10:28.72
Okay.
00:10:28.76\00:10:30.09
On the sitcom "Three's Company."
00:10:30.13\00:10:31.59
When she was being
interviewed about her life,
00:10:31.63\00:10:33.56
and she talked about a
book that she had written
00:10:33.60\00:10:35.63
which became a bestseller
called "Keeping Secrets."
00:10:35.66\00:10:39.00
And she said
something in that document
00:10:39.03\00:10:41.30
and she said that the
pain in her life was so strong
00:10:41.34\00:10:44.31
that one day she just sat
down to start writing about it.
00:10:44.34\00:10:47.04
And she said 18
months later, I was finished.
00:10:47.08\00:10:49.61
And I never forget that line.
00:10:49.64\00:10:51.41
When she said that
the Lord spoke to me
00:10:51.45\00:10:52.81
and said, "You
need to write a book."
00:10:52.85\00:10:54.98
Just out of the blue like that.
00:10:55.02\00:10:56.65
And I remember
in my mind saying,
00:10:56.69\00:10:58.15
"Write a book about what?
00:10:58.19\00:11:00.09
You need to write a
book about destiny."
00:11:00.12\00:11:02.86
I'm like,
"Well, why would I want
00:11:02.89\00:11:04.23
to write a book about destiny?"
00:11:04.26\00:11:05.59
I'm having this
conversation in my mind.
00:11:05.63\00:11:07.33
And then the Lord spoke to me,
00:11:07.36\00:11:08.70
and said,
because you've lived it.
00:11:08.73\00:11:10.07
Wow.
00:11:10.10\00:11:11.43
And I immediately thought
that to that same conviction,
00:11:11.47\00:11:13.87
it came to me at age 13 that
you're going somewhere like,
00:11:13.90\00:11:17.17
and a light bulb
went off in my mind.
00:11:17.21\00:11:19.07
Not only did the light
bulb go off in my mind, Jason,
00:11:19.11\00:11:21.64
but I want to share with you
00:11:21.68\00:11:23.01
that this conviction to write...
00:11:23.04\00:11:24.68
Remember now, I
was not a writer.
00:11:24.71\00:11:26.65
But there was a
strong conviction
00:11:26.68\00:11:28.12
that I needed to write the book,
00:11:28.15\00:11:29.82
that conviction led
me to write my book.
00:11:29.85\00:11:32.65
Wow.
00:11:32.69\00:11:34.02
And what can people
expect when they get your book?
00:11:34.06\00:11:36.22
What are some of the topics
that are covered in your book?
00:11:36.26\00:11:39.89
In the book, I talk about
00:11:39.93\00:11:41.26
how purpose is developed
at different stages of life.
00:11:41.30\00:11:44.17
So I use a lot of biographical
material from me as a kid
00:11:44.20\00:11:47.84
through middle
school, high school, college,
00:11:47.87\00:11:50.84
up until to the point where
00:11:50.87\00:11:52.21
I discovered my purpose in life.
00:11:52.24\00:11:53.78
That's where the book goes.
00:11:53.81\00:11:55.14
And so at each successive stage,
00:11:55.18\00:11:56.78
from little kids
to the teenage years,
00:11:56.81\00:11:58.91
which can be very awkward years,
00:11:58.95\00:12:00.65
to sometimes
into your middle 20s,
00:12:00.68\00:12:03.45
whatever the point is
that you discover your purpose,
00:12:03.49\00:12:06.35
I talk about how
purpose is developed
00:12:06.39\00:12:08.52
at each successive stage.
00:12:08.56\00:12:09.89
Nice.
00:12:09.92\00:12:11.26
So if you're a parent
and you have young kids,
00:12:11.29\00:12:12.66
and you're trying to figure out,
00:12:12.69\00:12:14.80
develop your parenting skills
00:12:14.83\00:12:16.43
to help pour into
your children idea
00:12:16.46\00:12:18.43
that God has a
purpose in life for you,
00:12:18.47\00:12:21.04
you're going to find
something in this book.
00:12:21.07\00:12:23.20
If you're a young teenager,
00:12:23.24\00:12:24.57
and you're
struggling with feeling awkward,
00:12:24.61\00:12:26.81
or, you know,
being self-conscious
00:12:26.84\00:12:28.58
about how you look
and really wondering
00:12:28.61\00:12:30.28
where you're going, I
talk about some of those things
00:12:30.31\00:12:32.85
I struggle with that that age,
00:12:32.88\00:12:34.38
you're going to
be able to connect
00:12:34.42\00:12:35.75
with the book in that capacity.
00:12:35.78\00:12:37.79
If you're a 20 or 30, something,
00:12:37.82\00:12:39.45
and you've been working
in a career for a while,
00:12:39.49\00:12:41.52
but you're wondering,
"Where's this all taking me?"
00:12:41.56\00:12:44.06
You're going to
be able to connect
00:12:44.09\00:12:45.83
because I talk about
how purpose is developed.
00:12:45.86\00:12:48.50
And so you're going
to connect with that.
00:12:48.53\00:12:50.60
And then interestingly enough,
00:12:50.63\00:12:52.07
if you're in
your retirement years,
00:12:52.10\00:12:53.80
and you're thinking about
what you're going to do next
00:12:53.84\00:12:56.57
or how you can pour
into the younger generation,
00:12:56.60\00:12:58.91
and you're looking for resource
00:12:58.94\00:13:00.64
that you can give
to your grandchildren
00:13:00.68\00:13:02.58
or to someone
who you're mentoring,
00:13:02.61\00:13:04.65
"Restless Pursuit"
is the book for them.
00:13:04.68\00:13:06.11
Wow.
00:13:06.15\00:13:07.48
So in other words, you
have something for everyone
00:13:07.52\00:13:09.42
in that book?
00:13:09.45\00:13:10.79
It didn't set out to be
that way, but it's that way.
00:13:10.82\00:13:12.75
Yes. Yes.
00:13:12.79\00:13:14.12
And because we're
all to walk with purpose.
00:13:14.16\00:13:15.66
Yes. Yes.
00:13:15.69\00:13:17.03
How rewarding would
you say it is for you
00:13:17.06\00:13:19.89
to be walking in your purpose?
00:13:19.93\00:13:22.93
There's a piece
that comes over your life
00:13:22.96\00:13:25.83
when you know what
you're about in life.
00:13:25.87\00:13:28.14
I feel very
fortunate that I had,
00:13:28.17\00:13:30.41
I had that happened
to me early in life.
00:13:30.44\00:13:32.61
I'm reminded of a
book by a gentleman
00:13:32.64\00:13:34.48
by the name of
Carlyle B. Haynes.
00:13:34.51\00:13:36.04
Okay. It's
called "God Sent a Man."
00:13:36.08\00:13:38.61
And it's a book
about the life of Joseph.
00:13:38.65\00:13:41.68
And so he narrates
the life of Joseph,
00:13:41.72\00:13:43.99
but from the angle that God
has a purpose for your life.
00:13:44.02\00:13:47.52
In that book, he talks about
how it's a good thing to come
00:13:47.56\00:13:51.13
to an understanding early
in life what you are fit for,
00:13:51.16\00:13:54.53
what God has you
on this earth to do.
00:13:54.56\00:13:56.83
He says it saves you
much fretting in life,
00:13:56.87\00:13:59.83
trying to grope about
00:13:59.87\00:14:01.20
as if you're
groping in the darkness.
00:14:01.24\00:14:03.04
You know who you are,
you know what you're about,
00:14:03.07\00:14:05.77
there's a compass in your life.
00:14:05.81\00:14:07.68
And then there's
a peace in knowing
00:14:07.71\00:14:09.54
that God has
saved you that your life
00:14:09.58\00:14:11.81
is not just
something that's temporary,
00:14:11.85\00:14:13.35
that is an
extension of life eternal.
00:14:13.38\00:14:16.45
So what you do on this earth,
00:14:16.48\00:14:18.55
there should be
a direct connection
00:14:18.59\00:14:20.06
between what you do here
now and your eternal destiny.
00:14:20.09\00:14:24.69
So it does give you a
great amount of peace,
00:14:24.73\00:14:26.96
life hits all of us.
00:14:27.00\00:14:28.33
Yes.
00:14:28.36\00:14:29.70
But what life doesn't have to do
00:14:29.73\00:14:31.07
because of your
God given purpose
00:14:31.10\00:14:32.97
is dictate how you live.
00:14:33.00\00:14:35.77
That's deep. That's deep.
00:14:35.80\00:14:37.47
And I think that, you
know, when you focus on the fact
00:14:37.51\00:14:40.61
that there is a
life after this...
00:14:40.64\00:14:42.98
That is correct.
00:14:43.01\00:14:44.35
You know, I think that shifts
the definition of success.
00:14:44.38\00:14:47.58
Yes.
00:14:47.62\00:14:48.95
I think that that
redefines success.
00:14:48.98\00:14:51.09
Yes.
00:14:51.12\00:14:52.45
We have some
pictures. Wonderful.
00:14:52.49\00:14:54.42
Yes, we have some pictures
that we're going to put up.
00:14:54.46\00:14:57.03
And I just want
you to briefly tell us
00:14:57.06\00:14:58.66
what's going on
in each one of these.
00:14:58.69\00:15:00.03
Sure, sure.
00:15:00.06\00:15:01.63
Well, that's me.
00:15:01.66\00:15:03.16
I was about six
months old there.
00:15:03.20\00:15:05.10
I have my little
carriage there in our backyard.
00:15:05.13\00:15:08.14
And it's one of my
favorite pictures that we took.
00:15:08.17\00:15:11.01
It's taken of me by my
family. That's my father.
00:15:11.04\00:15:13.24
He passed away in March of 2018.
00:15:13.27\00:15:15.21
I had to preach his eulogy back
in Memphis at my home church.
00:15:15.24\00:15:19.18
And that's a precious
picture of he and I together.
00:15:19.21\00:15:22.42
He became one
of my best friends,
00:15:22.45\00:15:24.02
and I love him to death.
00:15:24.05\00:15:26.65
Interesting enough, I
use this picture in my book.
00:15:26.69\00:15:28.89
That's me at my
high school graduation.
00:15:28.92\00:15:30.69
And standing to my right is
one of my best friends, Tyrone.
00:15:30.73\00:15:34.16
He was valedictorian,
I was salutatorian.
00:15:34.20\00:15:36.23
And to my left is the
young lady named Stephanie.
00:15:36.26\00:15:39.67
That was really a precursor
to be doing public speaking.
00:15:39.70\00:15:42.44
And when I gave my
salutatorian speech,
00:15:42.47\00:15:45.37
it really
ignited something in me.
00:15:45.41\00:15:49.08
That's me during my college days
00:15:49.11\00:15:50.55
at Rhodes College in Memphis.
00:15:50.58\00:15:52.55
That's the cover of
one of the brochures
00:15:52.58\00:15:54.28
for the political
science department.
00:15:54.32\00:15:56.38
We were there at the
courthouse in Memphis
00:15:56.42\00:15:58.39
and that's me
doing my prelaw days
00:15:58.42\00:16:01.56
as a college student.
00:16:01.59\00:16:03.43
That's my mother,
Billy Gloria Perkins.
00:16:03.46\00:16:05.59
We called her Mynta Mae.
00:16:05.63\00:16:07.00
My younger brother, Chris.
00:16:07.03\00:16:08.46
That was in his
college graduation.
00:16:08.50\00:16:10.50
We were her last two boys.
00:16:10.53\00:16:12.27
I refer to us as
Billy's boys in the book.
00:16:12.30\00:16:17.34
That's me doing on set,
there in my office in Dallas.
00:16:17.37\00:16:21.34
I actually
produced an online course.
00:16:21.38\00:16:23.81
That's a companion
course for the book.
00:16:23.85\00:16:25.88
And that's me doing shooting
00:16:25.91\00:16:27.35
some of the video
tutorials for that course.
00:16:27.38\00:16:31.55
That's me at the
launch of my book,
00:16:31.59\00:16:33.19
"Restless Pursuit,"
00:16:33.22\00:16:34.56
and I'm
addressing the crowd there
00:16:34.59\00:16:36.39
and sharing a
little bit about the book.
00:16:36.42\00:16:38.26
That was a wonderful occasion.
00:16:38.29\00:16:39.63
Some of my members
organize it in my church,
00:16:39.66\00:16:42.03
have a wonderful church.
00:16:42.06\00:16:43.40
They organized
that event for me.
00:16:43.43\00:16:45.13
That's me at my 50th birthday.
00:16:46.74\00:16:48.84
Interestingly enough,
00:16:48.87\00:16:50.21
my 50th birthday
took place the day
00:16:50.24\00:16:51.94
after I eulogized my father.
00:16:51.97\00:16:53.98
Wow.
00:16:54.01\00:16:55.34
And so that always has
a bittersweet experience.
00:16:55.38\00:16:57.25
And that's my book
"Restless Pursuit."
00:16:57.28\00:17:00.55
I released it in June of 2019.
00:17:00.58\00:17:03.02
Wow. Wow.
00:17:03.05\00:17:04.99
You know,
throughout those pictures,
00:17:05.02\00:17:07.46
as those pictures were going,
00:17:07.49\00:17:08.82
I was thinking to myself,
like each stage in your life
00:17:08.86\00:17:13.60
kind of played a
part in your purpose.
00:17:13.63\00:17:15.83
Yes. You know.
00:17:15.86\00:17:17.37
It does, from a child,
00:17:17.40\00:17:18.87
you saw the picture
of me as a little kid.
00:17:18.90\00:17:21.10
I tell parents all the
time, you know, your little baby
00:17:21.14\00:17:23.67
may be cooling in your arms,
but that baby has a purpose.
00:17:23.71\00:17:27.18
And God wants you to
understand that purpose,
00:17:27.21\00:17:30.48
to be able to have good parents
despite their differences.
00:17:30.51\00:17:32.95
I had very good parents.
00:17:32.98\00:17:35.28
My wife Shurla, you
saw us there in the picture
00:17:35.32\00:17:37.52
of my 50th birthday
and our two children.
00:17:37.55\00:17:39.45
Yes.
00:17:39.49\00:17:40.82
We've poured into
them about purpose.
00:17:40.86\00:17:42.46
And the fact that the same thing
00:17:42.49\00:17:43.83
I had to go through
when they're going through
00:17:43.86\00:17:45.99
as young
teenagers, I have the benefit
00:17:46.03\00:17:47.70
of being able to
help my kids and say look,
00:17:47.73\00:17:49.96
"Tough times don't always last,
00:17:50.00\00:17:51.73
there's a purpose for your
life and don't ever forget it."
00:17:51.77\00:17:55.07
And then that was about to
take me to my next question,
00:17:55.10\00:17:57.87
what values, what things
did you teach your children
00:17:57.91\00:18:01.08
as they were in
the more coming up?
00:18:01.11\00:18:03.31
It's interesting you
should ask me that question
00:18:03.35\00:18:04.91
and a thought comes
to mind as you say that.
00:18:04.95\00:18:06.92
A few years ago, I was
watching a television docudrama
00:18:06.95\00:18:10.25
on the life of Tiger Woods.
00:18:10.29\00:18:12.55
And I remember there was
00:18:12.59\00:18:14.02
a particular scene in the movie,
00:18:14.06\00:18:15.76
of course, it was
played by actors and actresses.
00:18:15.79\00:18:18.93
But it was a dinner room
scene between Tiger's father,
00:18:18.96\00:18:21.50
and his mother
and then young Tiger.
00:18:21.53\00:18:23.73
And by now he had become
00:18:23.77\00:18:25.10
a little amateur
golfer as a little kid.
00:18:25.13\00:18:27.00
And in this scene, Earl Woods,
00:18:27.04\00:18:29.17
his father is trying
to convince Kultida Woods,
00:18:29.20\00:18:31.57
his mother, that, "Hey,
we got this young phenom,
00:18:31.61\00:18:34.28
we need to give him
more media exposure."
00:18:34.31\00:18:36.78
And she was having
none of this media nonsense.
00:18:36.81\00:18:39.25
She was like, "No, I'm
not going to have my kid
00:18:39.28\00:18:40.98
in front of a cameras
and this and the other."
00:18:41.02\00:18:43.05
And out of frustration,
00:18:43.08\00:18:44.42
finally, Earl
Woods slams his hand
00:18:44.45\00:18:46.65
on the dining
room table and says,
00:18:46.69\00:18:48.02
"Listen, we have a
diamond in the rough.
00:18:48.06\00:18:51.19
And it's our
responsibility as parents
00:18:51.23\00:18:53.36
to help polish that diamond."
00:18:53.40\00:18:55.96
I remember when he said
that it made an impression on me
00:18:56.00\00:18:58.03
because I view
myself as a father
00:18:58.07\00:19:00.87
particularly as having
two diamonds in a rough,
00:19:00.90\00:19:03.44
my son Marlon Jr.
and my daughter Reba.
00:19:03.47\00:19:06.34
And I really have viewed them
00:19:06.37\00:19:08.24
since they were little
kids because I've lived that.
00:19:08.28\00:19:10.08
Yeah.
00:19:10.11\00:19:11.45
And so as
they've come up as kids,
00:19:11.48\00:19:12.81
and now they're
college age students.
00:19:12.85\00:19:14.42
And, you know, they're going
00:19:14.45\00:19:15.78
through that
period in their life
00:19:15.82\00:19:17.15
that where they get,
00:19:17.19\00:19:18.52
their life is
beginning to get started,
00:19:18.55\00:19:19.89
and I help them...
00:19:19.92\00:19:21.26
I try to help them
to understand that,
00:19:21.29\00:19:22.62
"Listen, God has a
purpose for your life."
00:19:22.66\00:19:24.99
My son is an architecture major.
00:19:25.03\00:19:26.73
When you're
spending all that time
00:19:26.76\00:19:28.20
in the architecture building,
00:19:28.23\00:19:29.63
you know, coming
home at 2 or 3 o'clock
00:19:29.66\00:19:31.17
in the morning sometimes,
00:19:31.20\00:19:32.53
and you wonder, "Why am
I slaving away like this?"
00:19:32.57\00:19:35.44
It's more than just the fact
you gonna become an architect,
00:19:35.47\00:19:38.04
it's how God is
going to use you.
00:19:38.07\00:19:40.28
My daughter Reba is a nurse.
00:19:40.31\00:19:42.31
She's falling in the
footsteps of her mother,
00:19:42.34\00:19:44.41
who's a registered nurse.
00:19:44.45\00:19:45.85
And she goes to her clinicals.
00:19:45.88\00:19:47.58
And, you know, they go
through different challenges.
00:19:47.62\00:19:49.78
And I think as a parent,
00:19:49.82\00:19:51.15
especially as a
God fearing parent,
00:19:51.19\00:19:53.36
we have a responsibility to
help pour into our children,
00:19:53.39\00:19:56.16
to help them to
see that this life
00:19:56.19\00:19:57.59
is not all that there is.
00:19:57.63\00:19:59.36
That there is an
eternal life to come,
00:19:59.39\00:20:01.06
and that God has a
purpose for their lives.
00:20:01.10\00:20:03.43
Yes. Amen.
00:20:03.47\00:20:04.87
Now as a pastor,
00:20:04.90\00:20:07.77
how do you
prepare `your sermons?
00:20:07.80\00:20:12.61
That one threw you for a loop,
00:20:12.64\00:20:13.98
you weren't
expecting that question.
00:20:14.01\00:20:15.34
It did.
00:20:15.38\00:20:16.71
It's interesting
you should say that
00:20:16.75\00:20:18.08
because one of the things that
I reject is the idea that...
00:20:18.11\00:20:21.98
And my members know that
I'm writing about purpose,
00:20:22.02\00:20:24.55
I've now released a
book, they know I do,
00:20:24.59\00:20:26.89
speaking about the subject.
00:20:26.92\00:20:28.46
But I really have
resisted the notion
00:20:28.49\00:20:30.76
to make that my pulpit
mantra that every time I get up,
00:20:30.79\00:20:35.03
and I preach a sermon,
00:20:35.06\00:20:36.40
it has some angle about purpose.
00:20:36.43\00:20:38.53
I have
intentionally resisted that
00:20:38.57\00:20:40.37
because we oftentimes see
that with pastors or preachers
00:20:40.40\00:20:43.34
who they may have some gift
00:20:43.37\00:20:44.71
and everything is
about your best life now,
00:20:44.74\00:20:47.74
or, you know, just trust God.
00:20:47.78\00:20:49.74
He'll give you a swimming
pool and a pink Cadillac,
00:20:49.78\00:20:52.45
you know, and all
that type of thing.
00:20:52.48\00:20:55.05
So I prepare my
sermons as a pastor.
00:20:55.08\00:20:57.52
I do believe in
preaching the whole Bible,
00:20:57.55\00:20:59.52
I believe in
preaching through the Bible.
00:20:59.55\00:21:01.76
I'm an expository
preacher by nature.
00:21:01.79\00:21:04.49
Okay.
00:21:04.53\00:21:05.86
And so I feel that I
have a responsibility
00:21:05.89\00:21:08.46
to preach the Bible, to
preach through the Bible.
00:21:08.50\00:21:11.20
And then as a
Seventh-day Adventist pastor,
00:21:11.23\00:21:12.83
I do believe that
I have responsibility
00:21:12.87\00:21:15.10
to keep those precious truths
00:21:15.14\00:21:17.61
that we understand about
00:21:17.64\00:21:18.97
the Bible ever
before our people.
00:21:19.01\00:21:21.31
I'm reminded of a
quote by Ellen White,
00:21:21.34\00:21:23.08
she says that the greatest...
00:21:23.11\00:21:24.78
The highest position to which
00:21:24.81\00:21:26.15
you could be called as a pastor,
00:21:26.18\00:21:28.32
a teacher in the
Lord's institutions, a doctor,
00:21:28.35\00:21:30.65
but she says our
greatest responsibility
00:21:30.69\00:21:33.15
is to fix the scriptures
in the minds of the people
00:21:33.19\00:21:37.03
as a nail in a sure place.
00:21:37.06\00:21:40.23
And I really...
00:21:40.26\00:21:41.60
When you ask me how
I prepare my sermons...
00:21:41.63\00:21:43.00
Yes.
00:21:43.03\00:21:44.37
I use the old adage
by one old preacher,
00:21:44.40\00:21:48.37
Spurgeon,
Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
00:21:48.40\00:21:49.97
He said that his
method is to grab a text
00:21:50.01\00:21:52.51
and make a
beeline for the cross.
00:21:52.54\00:21:54.94
Wow.
00:21:54.98\00:21:56.31
And so when I had
that text in my mind,
00:21:56.34\00:21:58.01
I try to make a
beeline for the cross.
00:21:58.05\00:21:59.98
Amen. Amen.
00:22:00.02\00:22:03.95
What would you
recommend for someone
00:22:03.99\00:22:06.89
who is trying to
find their purpose?
00:22:06.92\00:22:10.16
Where should they start?
00:22:10.19\00:22:12.63
Well, my book would be a
great start "Restless Pursuit."
00:22:12.66\00:22:16.36
But I oftentimes
say if it's some...
00:22:16.40\00:22:18.87
What happens is
again God comes to them.
00:22:18.90\00:22:21.60
What I will tell them is to
stop being anxious about it.
00:22:21.64\00:22:25.71
That's number one.
00:22:25.74\00:22:27.08
The Bible says "Be
anxious for nothing,
00:22:27.11\00:22:28.44
but by prayer and supplication,
00:22:28.48\00:22:29.81
let your requests
be made known to God.
00:22:29.84\00:22:31.18
Yes.
00:22:31.21\00:22:32.55
If it's really burdening
you, then pray about it.
00:22:32.58\00:22:34.55
But pray about it and
ask God to give you the peace
00:22:34.58\00:22:36.92
that He will reveal to you
00:22:36.95\00:22:39.29
what your
purpose is in his time.
00:22:39.32\00:22:41.56
Yes.
00:22:41.59\00:22:42.92
I'm a firm believer of that,
00:22:42.96\00:22:44.29
and I talk about this
in one of my workshops,
00:22:44.33\00:22:46.03
that there are three things
you need to know about purpose.
00:22:46.06\00:22:49.16
Number one is God given.
00:22:49.20\00:22:50.97
He may speak to
you through a sermon,
00:22:51.00\00:22:52.40
a book, a conversation,
00:22:52.43\00:22:54.30
a life experience,
whatever medium He uses,
00:22:54.34\00:22:56.77
His message is clear.
00:22:56.81\00:22:58.84
Number two
purpose is God guided.
00:22:58.87\00:23:01.54
Let God guide you
00:23:01.58\00:23:02.91
in the
development of your purpose.
00:23:02.94\00:23:04.28
Don't you become master
and commander of your life.
00:23:04.31\00:23:06.25
Yes.
00:23:06.28\00:23:07.62
God gives you your purpose,
God purpose is God guided,
00:23:07.65\00:23:09.82
and then ultimately
purpose is God glorify.
00:23:09.85\00:23:13.36
So as you live
your purpose for God,
00:23:13.39\00:23:15.32
you allow Him to guide you,
00:23:15.36\00:23:16.89
you will experience
success in this life,
00:23:16.93\00:23:19.33
but in living your purpose,
you will come to glorify God.
00:23:19.36\00:23:22.63
Amen. Amen.
00:23:22.66\00:23:24.33
Where can people
purchase your book?
00:23:24.37\00:23:26.80
It's available on
Amazon, Barnes & Noble,
00:23:26.84\00:23:29.74
as well as my website
PurposefulPursuits.com/books
00:23:29.77\00:23:35.08
and it will take
them right to the book.
00:23:35.11\00:23:36.44
Okay.
00:23:36.48\00:23:37.81
What are some other
resources that you've developed?
00:23:37.85\00:23:39.48
What I do, as I said earlier,
I develop an online course
00:23:39.51\00:23:42.92
that you can take as a
companion course for the book.
00:23:42.95\00:23:46.39
I've developed in a study guide
00:23:46.42\00:23:48.89
that is correlated to
each chapter in the book,
00:23:48.92\00:23:51.33
and I break down each
chapter into bite size topics.
00:23:51.36\00:23:56.16
I've developed
about 40 video tutorials,
00:23:56.20\00:23:58.53
over 40 video tutorials...
00:23:58.57\00:24:00.00
Wow. In this course.
00:24:00.04\00:24:02.37
I also have
special prayers... Okay.
00:24:02.40\00:24:05.47
That you can pray
00:24:05.51\00:24:06.84
at different stages of
your life about purpose.
00:24:06.88\00:24:08.74
And I have all those
prayers on the website.
00:24:08.78\00:24:11.61
And so it's really a very
interactive type of a course
00:24:11.65\00:24:15.42
where I'm talking to you.
00:24:15.45\00:24:16.79
I'm like your personal coach,
00:24:16.82\00:24:18.35
and I'm taking you
through all of these stages
00:24:18.39\00:24:20.42
from as a young
kid, teenager, adult.
00:24:20.46\00:24:23.46
I even have
material as I've said,
00:24:23.49\00:24:24.96
for people in retirement years.
00:24:24.99\00:24:27.23
There's
something there literally
00:24:27.26\00:24:28.60
for at each stage of life.
00:24:28.63\00:24:30.07
Yes.
00:24:30.10\00:24:31.43
And you can expect to
have me as your personal coach,
00:24:31.47\00:24:33.84
talking like you and
I sit down right now.
00:24:33.87\00:24:35.57
Nice.
00:24:35.60\00:24:36.94
And if somebody wants
to book you for a workshop,
00:24:36.97\00:24:39.01
what can they expect
to see in this workshop?
00:24:39.04\00:24:42.11
Well, I have three
basic workshops that I do.
00:24:42.14\00:24:45.25
One is called
"Four Points to Purpose,"
00:24:45.28\00:24:47.42
where I talk about
the four practical steps
00:24:47.45\00:24:50.15
to understanding purpose.
00:24:50.19\00:24:51.92
I have another
workshop that I typically do
00:24:51.95\00:24:54.26
for high school
or college age kids,
00:24:54.29\00:24:56.76
it's called
"What Are You Missing?"
00:24:56.79\00:24:59.16
Discovering the power,
rather a purpose in your life.
00:24:59.19\00:25:03.40
And then I have one called
00:25:03.43\00:25:04.97
for retirees
called "What's next?"
00:25:05.00\00:25:07.60
Discovering purpose
in the golden years,
00:25:07.64\00:25:09.90
where I talk to older age groups
00:25:09.94\00:25:12.57
about what's
next in their lives,
00:25:12.61\00:25:14.78
how they can come to understand
purpose for their lives
00:25:14.81\00:25:17.35
and use their experiences
00:25:17.38\00:25:19.25
to help pour
into younger people.
00:25:19.28\00:25:21.35
Yes.
00:25:21.38\00:25:22.72
How important would
you say time management is?
00:25:22.75\00:25:25.65
Extremely important.
00:25:25.69\00:25:27.02
But here it is, it's interesting
00:25:27.06\00:25:29.22
that when you have
a focus for your life,
00:25:29.26\00:25:31.36
and you have a
God given purpose,
00:25:31.39\00:25:34.06
you are better
positioned to know
00:25:34.10\00:25:35.93
how to organize
and structure your life
00:25:35.96\00:25:38.00
because you have a focus.
00:25:38.03\00:25:39.63
So time management,
oftentimes people struggle
00:25:39.67\00:25:42.50
with time
management, I still do,
00:25:42.54\00:25:44.11
but it's a lot easier for me
00:25:44.14\00:25:45.97
because I know
where I'm going in life.
00:25:46.01\00:25:47.78
I know what to say yes
to and what to say no to
00:25:47.81\00:25:51.25
because I have
that focus in life.
00:25:51.28\00:25:53.48
There are things that I
know that I need to get done.
00:25:53.52\00:25:55.78
As a pastor, I don't have
to punch a clock every day.
00:25:55.82\00:25:58.62
But I can assure you
if I'm not doing my job,
00:25:58.65\00:26:01.19
it's going to
show up in my church.
00:26:01.22\00:26:03.06
So that inner clock
so to speak helps me
00:26:03.09\00:26:06.49
to develop the discipline
to know how to organize events
00:26:06.53\00:26:09.96
and plans and
time management format.
00:26:10.00\00:26:13.97
Got you, got you.
That makes a lot of sense.
00:26:14.00\00:26:16.10
I want to put your email
up, and I'll have you say
00:26:16.14\00:26:20.14
your email address
so that people know
00:26:20.18\00:26:21.84
how they can get a hold of you.
00:26:21.88\00:26:23.21
Okay. What's your email address?
00:26:23.24\00:26:24.71
PastorPerkins
@PurposefullPursuits.com.
00:26:24.75\00:26:30.55
Say that three times fast? Sure.
00:26:30.59\00:26:32.32
PastorPerkins
@PurposefullPursuits.com.
00:26:32.35\00:26:34.99
Yes.
00:26:35.02\00:26:36.96
But it's
definitely something that
00:26:36.99\00:26:38.33
that people should remember.
00:26:38.36\00:26:40.80
Yes.
00:26:40.83\00:26:42.16
And I hope that
people invite you out
00:26:42.20\00:26:43.53
for some workshops and
also take a look at your book
00:26:43.57\00:26:46.20
as they're
searching for purpose.
00:26:46.23\00:26:47.77
Yes.
00:26:47.80\00:26:49.14
I want you to look
into this camera right here,
00:26:49.17\00:26:50.57
and I want you to
share what's on your heart.
00:26:50.61\00:26:54.51
If you're watching this program,
00:26:54.54\00:26:56.24
you may have been thinking
about purpose for your life.
00:26:56.28\00:26:59.41
I can say that confidently
00:26:59.45\00:27:01.35
because I know that God
has given you a purpose.
00:27:01.38\00:27:03.62
Jesus said,
"Occupy till I come."
00:27:03.65\00:27:07.09
He says, "I know the
thoughts," Jeremiah 29:11,
00:27:07.12\00:27:10.06
"that I think towards
you, thoughts of peace
00:27:10.09\00:27:12.23
and not of evil to
give you an expected end."
00:27:12.26\00:27:15.40
You may be grappling with that
and maybe there's some issues
00:27:15.43\00:27:17.80
that are going on
in your life right now
00:27:17.83\00:27:19.90
that may be clouding
that purpose for you.
00:27:19.93\00:27:23.57
I would just tell
you to do one thing,
00:27:23.61\00:27:25.81
there's nothing to
be embarrassed about
00:27:25.84\00:27:27.61
by falling to your knees
00:27:27.64\00:27:29.68
and just asking
God to speak to you.
00:27:29.71\00:27:31.78
If God could speak
into Old Testament prophets,
00:27:31.81\00:27:35.28
if God could speak
life into inanimate things,
00:27:35.32\00:27:38.45
surely you and me
who have been made
00:27:38.49\00:27:40.79
just a little lower than
the angels as Bible says,
00:27:40.82\00:27:43.53
He will speak to you.
00:27:43.56\00:27:46.90
Amen. Amen.
00:27:46.93\00:27:48.80
Well, I'm glad that
you found your purpose.
00:27:48.83\00:27:51.30
And I know that
there's nothing like,
00:27:51.33\00:27:54.40
nothing better than walking
in God's purpose for our lives.
00:27:54.44\00:27:58.04
Thank you.
00:27:58.07\00:27:59.41
Thank you so much for coming on.
00:27:59.44\00:28:00.78
And thank you for
joining us. Join us next time.
00:28:00.81\00:28:02.91
God bless.
00:28:02.94\00:28:04.28