How Faith-Fueled Leadership Turns Setbacks Into Strategy

We sit down with Bishop Kevin Foreman to trace a journey from Orange Mound to global ministry, exploring how faith, leadership, education, and health weave into a life of shalom. We share practical steps to pivot under pressure, reflect daily, and lead from the future with courage.

• early lessons from danger and choice
• calling to lead and embrace difference
• kings and priests approach to work and worship
• rise, collapse, and humility in business
• God-made success versus self-made myth
• founding Harvest Bible College for accessible depth
• faith as the engine of visionary leadership
• Fit Harvest and sustainable weight loss strategy
• fasting as a rhythm for clarity and breakthrough
• shalom as posture: panic less, pivot more
• daily reflection to grow one percent at a time
• winning strategies amid uncertainty and downturns

Chitchatters, if you would like Bishop Freeman's merch, you can text Bishop, to 555498 to receive 10% off any of Bishop Foreman's books and select items

Transcript

New Season Kickoff & Guest Intro

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hey y'all, hey, it's your girl Paula, and we are back with another exciting season. Welcome to season 13, and we have an awesome guest in the house this morning. But before we introduce him, guys, you know how we do it. Let's shout out the coffee of the week, which is a banana bread latte. Today's guest is Bishop Kevin Foreman, a dynamic leader whose life is a powerful testament to God's grace. From his roots in Denver and growing up in Orange Mound, Memphis, Bishop Foreman defied the odds and transcended limitations to become an influential pastor, bishop, church planter, success coach, author, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is the founder and chancellor of Harvest Bible College and the Visionary behind the hashtag BitHarvest Movement, promoting healthy living and holistic wellness. His journey, including losing over 95 pounds, reflects God's desire for us to live in Shalom. Nothing missing, nothing lacking, nothing broken, and all is well. Welcome, welcome. Thank you for taking time like your busy schedule.

SPEAKER_02 1:09

Oh, thank you so much for having me. I listen, thank you. Big salute to you for creating this podcast to create conversations that become catalysts for transformation. What you're doing is amazing. And I just have to say, I am a um, so when I was a kid growing up in Orange Mound, my great-great-grandmother would make me coffee, and it was mainly a lot of milk and sugar with little coffee in there. Because I, you know, I wanted to be grown. So I had to, you know, the conversation. And I had to write that down, banana bread latte. Because I said, I don't know if you saw my face, but I said, that sounds amazing. So uh, but but in all seriousness, thank you for what you do. Big salute to you and your team for making it happen to have these types of conversations. I know it's gonna add a lot of value to everybody watching today.

SPEAKER_01 1:54

Thank you, thank you. We can't wait because I follow you on uh Facebook, TikTok, and love the motivation, so I'm so excited that you're here with us today to chat a little bit.

SPEAKER_02 2:08

Wow, I didn't know that part, so that's awesome. So that's that is amazing. Wow. Well, that is you never know how many say it just like what you're doing. You never know how who you're impacting. That is amazing.

SPEAKER_01 2:20

You never know. When uh we we received our analysis and our statistics back for the year, and it said we were in 25 countries. I was like, oh god, thank you.

SPEAKER_02 2:29

Wow, come on here. I love that. That's amazing.

SPEAKER_01 2:32

And so a lot of people are gonna hear you today, Bishop.

SPEAKER_02 2:35

I love it, I love it.

SPEAKER_01 2:37

So, growing up in Orange Mail, what lesson from your early life still guides you today?

SPEAKER_02 2:43

Well, you know what? Um, I would say, so so let me back up. So the joke is I came out of my mom's room with a Bible and a briefcase that I had this affinity towards spirituality, and I had this affinity towards business and success and what have you. And I just was naturally drawn in both ways to both things. And many times people see those things as divesting. I see those things as converging. I see those two things as working hand in hand. God makes his kings and priests to be spiritual and successful. It's not either or, it's both and. I don't even know that people even talk about those anymore. But for those unfamiliar with it, literally somebody is driving by in a car and discharging a firearm. And so I know what it is to do that. And I saw a lot as a kid, but what it did is it gave me a choice. Sometimes the gift that God gives us is it is a desire to not be something. And sometimes the gift isn't what to be, sometimes it shows you don't be this, don't do this. And that's what it was for me. So those early lessons were so important. Like I learned that, you know what, it didn't matter where I was, I could thrive and succeed. Because even at Dunbar as a kid, I was uh, you know, I was gravitated towards leaders. And so uh while other kids wanted to be friends with one another, I wanted to be friends with my teachers and the principal and what have you. I gravitated towards leaders and the people who sat in seek the power because that was the leader in me. You know, I was the spokesperson for the homework hotline, which was cutting-edge technology back then. So parents could call in and get their, you know, the kids' homework. I was spokesperson for smokers' jelly and jams and all that when they came through. And so it taught me a powerful lesson that just because you are in um what may be difficult, you can still succeed and to do well. And I I carry that with me today that no matter where I'm at, I can win. No matter what I'm in, I win.

SPEAKER_01 5:15

That's awesome. So it seems like you were a leader and not a follower.

Embracing Difference And Calling

SPEAKER_02 5:19

Yes, yes. And you know what? And I had to embrace that because I was different. And I had to learn how not to demonize that difference. Because, you know, you know, when you when you're a kid, you know, you want to be accepted. You want people to include you in this and that. And I just realized I was different. And I just had to accept that difference. I wasn't like everybody else. And I had to accept that even when it meant feeling isolated, even when it meant feeling like, you know, nobody gets you, nobody understands you. Uh, I just had to accept that and walk that out.

SPEAKER_01 5:51

I love it. So it just brings us right into the next question. When did you first realize God was calling you to lead?

SPEAKER_02 5:57

Ah, you know what? Really early on. So as a kid, once again, um, you know, so much of our life is formed and it's clear early on. It doesn't make sense while you're in it. But when you look back, you can say it's right there in front of my face, it's right there. So I used to watch on Friday nights, there was this pastor that came on TV from out of Los Angeles, California. And so I would have everybody at my great-great-grandmother's home, it didn't matter. They call me Rev when I was a kid. So they were prophesying over my life. They'd say, Y'all, Rev is in here, Rev is watching, he's watching Reb and Price. That was the preacher, Dr. Price out of LA. Uh uh, and uh, and so they said, Rev is in here. Yes, yes. So, you know, Rev is in here, y'all. Rev is in here, Rev is in here watching Rev and Price, Rev is watching Rev and Price. And uh, it's it's it's it's amazing because they were really speaking it. But I knew, again, I was just different. Like I was drawn to business, I was drawn to leadership, I was drawn to spiritual things. So I knew it very early on. I didn't know what to do with it though, because I didn't have any examples of it in my bloodline, which is why I teach a lot about breaking generational cursors, because um, most times you don't even, people aren't even aware of what's operating behind the scenes. It's like an operating system on your computer. It's working behind the scenes, and if you don't know what's happening, you won't really, you know, uh understand the full value of it. And so I knew really early on, like I'm different. I like being around the teachers. I'm in here grade, my cook school makes papers. You know, I'm I'm I'm uh sitting in the room with the teachers, praying for them, counseling them. Like it was just crazy. As I look back on my childhood and think about it sometimes, it's like what kid lives like this? Like, what kid is doing this?

SPEAKER_01 7:38

No, right. So they manifested it right on.

SPEAKER_02 7:42

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 7:43

You becoming this bishop, right?

SPEAKER_00 7:45

Yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01 7:47

And how you know, because like today, a lot of our spiritual leaders and some of the the uh mega ministers, sometimes they kind of fall from God's grace. How do you stay spiritually uh grounded while we're in so many hats?

Staying Grounded Through Sudden Change

SPEAKER_02 8:00

Ooh, so good. You know what? I think one of the things that's important to me is that I'm so you know, having this dualistic nature of kings, priests, and and the scriptures, Revelation 5, 10, it makes us kings and priests spiritually successful. Um I built this very successful business. I started my first business when I was 12. Got into ministry when I was 12, also. By the time I was 21, I built Denver's largest black-owned mortgage company. And very successful, hired tons of people. I used to hire a lot of people who were, you know, marginalized, disenfranchised to show them there's a way where you can create an amazing life, an amazing quality of life, and not necessarily go about it the traditional path where you got to get a bunch of debt to do it. And so um I did that, and we just opened a brand new office. The industry collapsed. When that industry collapses, everything changes. Literally, quite literally over the weekend. Friday, we're riding high on top of the world. Monday, there is no world to be on. Like Monday, it's like, whoa, like what's happening? What's going on? And I was a, you know, I believe in faithful giving. I was a tither, faithful giver above my tithe. So I'm like, God, how am I even here? Like, this is not supposed to be happening to me. And I remember going through that valley, and um, God was, you know, making it clear to me that I'm gonna give you an anointing financially. You you're going to go through this valley, but I'm going to show you how to always get victory over this area. Like, any place that you're annoyed is and antagonized is normally a place where you are anointed and appointed. Any place uh where you're afflicted, that's normally the same place that you're gifted. And so I go through this financial valley and I'm like, okay, everything has to change. I bring that up to say I learned how quickly life can change. And I learned how quickly conditions can change. So when you say what keeps me spiritually grounded is that I realize things can change quick. They can love you on Sunday and crucify you by Wednesday. So I've learned that you know what? Don't believe the height, celebrate, enjoy, um, maximize, but never ever think that things can't change and change quickly. So just enjoy the moments, but also recognize that um it's God that never leaves you, that never forsakes you. It's God that's gonna build you up. And it's God that um everything you have is He's responsible for. You do it, you do the work, you put in the effort, but at the end of the day, if God didn't breathe on it, if he doesn't add a super to your natural, it's just a natural mess.

SPEAKER_01 10:35

Okay, I love that. That was good.

SPEAKER_02 10:38

Yeah, I love that.

SPEAKER_01 10:40

So you are God made and not self-made.

SPEAKER_02 10:43

Oh, listen, absolutely that. Absolutely that. And you know, and I think that's an important distinction because a lot of people, you know, I did this, I did this, I did this, I did this. Yeah, but who gave you the strength to do it? Who gave you the idea to do it? Who gave you the the the favor to do it? Like who who did all of that? And I think that's such an important thing. So every time I look at my life, there's days I'll just be sitting back and out of nowhere, I start smiling. And I'm just smiling, thinking about, man, God has been good to me. Like, like this is amazing to see the journey. And I'm and I feel like I'm just scratching the surface. I don't really felt like I've really even delved deeply into all of what I would do in the earth. And I'm always like, you know, God, God did this. And you know what? I celebrate that you celebrate me, but I recognize you might not always celebrate me. So I'm gonna let I'm gonna be thankful and I'm gonna learn to celebrate myself. That keeps me grounded too. That I don't look to the applause of people. That doesn't, it's great, but it doesn't mean anything to me in the sense of uh getting a sense of worth or value from it. I learned to celebrate me.

SPEAKER_01 11:47

Awesome, awesome. So Harvest Bible College, what inspired you to start a whole Bible college?

God-Made Success Over Self-Made

SPEAKER_02 11:54

Oh my goodness. So you know what? I was I I like depth, right? I like to go, I like depth, I like knowledge. I live as a student, so I love to learn. Like if somebody was to look at my YouTube, it's gonna be all kinds of things. I mean, history, biographies, um, business stuff, spiritual, it's all over the place. Um, you know, markets, economies, economics, you know, you you name it. You know, then I'll then I'll go down a whole, you know, like history thing, and then like a whole earth thing. And I'm studying the tectonic plates. I mean, it's just all over the place. And one of the reasons that I'm bringing that up is because I like depth, I like knowledge. And as a shepherd, as a pastor, my responsibility is to take something complex or to take something deep or to take something that's got a lot, and then be able to make that palatable, chop it down, chop it up, just like a parent would chop up food for their child, so that, you know, a child, you can't give an infinite steak and say, he ain't gonna eat that steak. You got to chop that thing up and make sure that you feed it to them for your kid. And so that's my responsibility as a shepherd. But I still had this desire. I was like, but I got all of this knowledge I want to get out. I got all of this depth I want to teach. And so I said, I have to have an outlet, I have to have a vehicle to get it out. There and they and there come in uh Bible college, where I said, this will be my vehicle to get uh and to go in depth. And it's amazing. We're the only, to my knowledge, the only degree-granting theological institution authorized in the state of Colorado. So the state authorizes us to offer uh associates to doctoral level degrees because even though we've moved our imports to Atlanta, we're still based in, founded in and uh uh out of Colorado. And so uh it's the only way to my knowledge that that's the case. And uh it's really amazing because we see students go through it, they learn, they grow. And I wanted to create something where it was a good quality education, but also at a um at an investment, I like to use the term price, at an investment that anybody can make. I always think in terms of a single mom, and I never want a single mom, uh, because effectively I was raised by one, effectively. My mother was married, my stepfather, what have you. She really did the job by herself. And so the truth is, I was about a single mom, and I said, I don't want I do this. So we made it extremely affordable, uh, a very reasonable, more than reasonable investment because the goal wasn't for it to be um, you know, this profit-building machine. The goal was to be a way for people to get the information. So really it's it's because I needed to get the depth out.

SPEAKER_01 14:25

That's awesome. So is it in Atlanta or can you go online?

SPEAKER_02 14:29

You could do it anywhere. So that's it. Yeah, it's it's online and it's all you don't have to stop your life. You know, a lot of times people don't go to school because they have stopped their lives and they got this and they got kids and they got jobs, they got this, and they got a spouse, or whatever it is. And so it's really it's it's amazing because it's online. Um, many of the courses um are self-paced. Now, obviously, there's some some rigidity in some of the courses predicated upon what it is, but uh it's it's anybody can do it anywhere across America, around the world, and it can grow and what have you. So it's uh, you know, it's something that we're we're super excited about, and we're excited to to reach even more people with it. Because in most Bible colleges, you can earn like a you know certificate of completion, that type of thing. It's very rare that you can earn a theological degree, not an arts and sciences, but a theological degree. And so I think that's that's important because at the end of the day, you want to not just have the information, but come on, we live in a world where people want to see something. Like you got all that wonderful stuff on your wall. People want that stuff on their wall. And listen, I'm celebrating it. People want some stuff on their walls. Let me get you something to put on your wall.

SPEAKER_00 15:25

Yeah, that's cute. Thank you. But it's it's my husband in my retired military.

SPEAKER_02 15:32

Yes, yeah, no, but but again, but but and and I and I celebrate that because we first thank you both for your service. But even in that, my late grandfather uh was military also. But um, but in that, it's it's it's the accomplishment. We did something, we we completed something. And so I think that's important. There's nothing wrong with that. I think that's something to be celebrated at every level of life.

Why Start A Bible College

SPEAKER_01 15:53

Yeah, we um I grab it from HBCU, but I do thank God for you know, just just the um the camaraderie and then just meeting all the good people that we've met along the route.

SPEAKER_02 16:03

Yes, yes, that journey, yes, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 16:06

Oh, yeah, it was a whole journey, but God saw us. I love that. So that's awesome. Chit chatters, you guys listening. Um, make sure you go and Google Harvest Bible College if you're thinking about that theology degree.

SPEAKER_02 16:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:19

And why do you believe faith and leadership go hand in hand?

SPEAKER_02 16:22

Oh, listen, I think it takes, I think it takes uh faith to be a leader, especially in today's culture and today's time. I think it takes faith to be a leader, and I think that um the best leaders are those, you know, when you think of faith, faith really is, you know, the Bible describes it as the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. So there is a level of faith that is a risk. It's living in the future. And if you're a leader, you got to live in the future. A manager is simply maintaining now. A leader lives in the future. Often you got to lead and manage at the same time. But the reality is those are two different skill sets. Management is like keeping the aquarium, leading is like going fishing. Management is like, you know, it's it's managing and taking care of what we've already accomplished. Leading is causing us to accomplish something new. And I think faith is such an important component to that because you got to live in a future that you've not yet seen yet. You got to live on a future that you've not yet experienced yet. And this is where great visionary leadership comes into place because I'm living somewhere that I've not been, and I got to take all these people there. And I've not been yet. It's sort of like you think of Moses going to leading the Hebrews out of 430 years of bondage. Like, come on, let's go. Well, where are we going? To the promised land. But before we get there, we're gonna stop at this mountain. And there's some places in our journey. God's about to take us through there, He's about to take us on this journey. But in that, there's a level of faith because I've got it, we're all headed somewhere that we've never ever quite been. And the only place I've been there is in my mind. And so I think those two components go hand in hand. The best leaders uh are visionaries, they live in the future.

SPEAKER_01 18:04

I love that. Yeah. Because, like you say, maybe your people that are following don't know uh or haven't like really caught on to your vision, but you haven't that faith in understanding and knowing that, hey, I'm taking y'all to some point where it's gonna be a good thing.

SPEAKER_02 18:17

Yes, yes, exactly. And listen, and being and the faith component is this is that I believe it's gonna be good even though I haven't seen it. Like I believe it's gonna be good even though I haven't been there. I believe it's gonna be good, and and I and it's just purely based on belief. And I think that's the way faith works, right? It it's the expectation that now is not permanent, it gets better, even if it's great, it gets better.

SPEAKER_01 18:45

I love that. I love it. So, what's what sparked your vision behind the hashtag fit harvest movement?

Accessible, Accredited, And Affordable Study

SPEAKER_02 18:52

You know what? I so listen, I was so again, as since I've been a kid, I was um I was sort of built like a middle linebacker. And so, you know, I you know, I was solid, you know, and then coming up in the south, you know, um, you know, we're reared in Memphis back to Denver, born in Denver, reared in Memphis back to Denver. Um, I um, you know, we eat biscuits and you know, and and macaroni and cheese. Oh, but y'all had it real good because y'all ain't gumbo and all the rest of it, you know. Uh, but you know, we eat good. And so, you know, the challenge with eating good is that uh, you know, there's uh uh there, you know, there's some things that come with that. And so, you know, I I had gotten, you know, fairly solid, fairly thick. And uh, and in doing that, it um I remember as a pastor, I would do the two morning services, and I'd come home and I'd be, I'd just be wore out. Uh, and uh, and I said, this is this is a lot. This is a lot. And I said, I don't want to be the type of pastor who goes through life and I can't, you know, enjoy life because I'm wore out, because I'm tired. I said, I want to live a long, healthy, anointed, prosperous life. So I tried everything to slim down. Slim fast, sim slow, eat all the carbs you want, eat all the protein you want, drink this juice, and in 24 hours you're gonna lose. Like I tried everything. Nothing really worked for me. We were on a 21-day Daniel fast. Um, actually, while we're doing this interview, I'll be on one now. But we're on a 21-day Daniel fast. At the end of the fast, I prayed and said, God, you gotta give me a strategy. You gotta give me a way um to, you know, you know, to do this. And so it gave me a strategy. I changed my eating, and from there, I lost the first 75 pounds in like three months. After that, I lost another 20 pounds a few months later. Now the total weight loss is probably like 120, 130 pounds total. Um, it's difficult to measure because I got into the gym and started, you know, uh working out and what have you. But all of the initial weight loss was just changing my diet because you can never out train a bad diet. So a lot of people say, I've been in the gym, been in the gym, but ooh, yo, eating is awful. And uh and the same thing is true in life, is that it doesn't matter how hard you train if you're not intaking and receiving the right things. And so that principle, you know, goes in life too. A lot of times people say, I'm not liking the results I'm getting. Well, maybe it's not the work you're doing, maybe it's the information you're receiving to do that work.

SPEAKER_01 21:13

That's good. Maybe it's not the right information.

SPEAKER_02 21:16

Exactly. Exactly.

Faith And The Work Of Leadership

SPEAKER_01 21:18

Exactly. I always tell people that a lot. It's like you just seem so happy all the time and you're always smiling. And um are you that happy in in life? Or I said, Yeah, I am, because when God wakes me up, thank you, Jesus. You know, I said, and um, to me, it's like uh people when we we've moved diff this place, that place, and we always forget to go, you know, visit quite a few churches to make sure that um you know that we have something for everybody. All the people that have two young men and Britney. And we could all I always tell people get in a good Bible teaching church, get the good information.

SPEAKER_00 21:53

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01 21:56

You know, don't get into something that you have no clue about. Make sure it's Bible teaching. Right.

SPEAKER_02 22:03

Right. Absolutely.

unknown 22:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:06

And I just got to throw this on there, you know, because there's a scripture that says that, you know, God says my people are just short for lack of knowledge. And I think that is so true in so many ways. I mean, obviously it's true because the word says it, but beyond that is you look at a lot of the difference between people. And it's the information. Like, where did you get that information? Where did you get, where did you even look in Genesis? God says to Aaron, who told you that? Where did you get this information?

SPEAKER_00 22:32

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 22:34

Where are you getting this from? Because what you're getting, just because it feels good or feels right or seems good or seems right doesn't mean that it's for your good.

SPEAKER_01 22:42

That is I love that because I'm constantly having that conversation. Who told you that?

SPEAKER_02 22:48

Yes, yes, yes. And sometimes we gotta ask ourselves that. Like, who told you that? There's a lot of dumb rules we make in life that come from information that's sometimes not even articulated. Sometimes it's just assumed or presumed. Um, like you know, you may think, well, I could never do that. Well, who told you that? Oh, I'll never be able to do that. Who told you that? This is never gonna work for me. Who told you that? That's not true. Not true.

SPEAKER_01 23:14

I love it. I love it.

unknown 23:16

Right.

SPEAKER_01 23:16

And so I think we kind of answered uh the next question about, you know, how did your health journey strengthen your walk with God? That 21-day uh the Daniel's fast. We used to do the 40 and then we went down to 21. I think this year we did a 12-day consecration, but I love that Daniel's fast. It's great.

SPEAKER_02 23:36

Oh, yes, yes. You know, it it's it's to me, it's it's about living a fasted lifestyle. Um, you know, this scripture that says Matthew 17, 21, some things only happen with fasting and prayer. And so sometimes it's just about living a fasted lifestyle. But said this is the way I have to modify my life. I have to change my life, um, you know, to be able to move like this. And so, you know, it's it's uh it's something that I do, and it's something that I do at least two or three times a year. And I encourage everybody to do that. Like there's certain things that you're not gonna see, and there's certain things that are not gonna happen um unless you're you're fasting. And you know, people have done it throughout, you know, throughout history, but it it's it still works, still works to this day.

SPEAKER_01 24:17

I love it. I love it. And when you talk about shalom, what does that look like in your day-to-day life?

Fit Harvest: Health As Holy Stewardship

SPEAKER_02 24:24

Oh, so good. So so the word shalom, it's just it's a Hebrew word for peace, but it means nothing missing, nothing broken, nothing lacking, all is well. And many, so the scriptures doesn't promise that what we go through will be peaceful, but he promises that he will give us peace for whatever it is that we go through. That being said, in our daily lives, that looks a few different ways. Number one, it looks like um recognizing that whenever I feel like something is missing, I need to go look again. Because often it's not that it's missing, it's just that it's misplaced. If I feel like something is lacking, often it's not that it's something is lacking, it's just that you're not looking properly. You're not looking properly. Uh, all is well. There's a story um of this woman that she's called a Shunamite woman. And her son literally is unalived. He's gone. He bumped his head, he's gone. While she holds his corpse in her hands, she takes him up to the room. Her husband says, What's wrong? Everything okay with our son? Listen to her response. All is well. Now, most people would have experienced that and said, Oh my god, you know, the natural human response. Shalom says, I will not panic, because there is a solution. I will not panic, I will instead pivot. So, what does she do? She pivots, she gets on her animal, she travels to Elisha, the man of God. She gets there. His servant says, Go ask the woman, how's everything going on with her, her and her son, and her family, and all that? You want to know what she tells the servant? All is well. All is well, ma'am. You just left the house. It's not like you caught an Uber if you went 15 minutes up the street, like this took a little time for you to get to him. All is well. And she gets before the man of God, and she then says, Man of God, I told you you didn't even have to give you this child. But since you gave me this child, what is going on? I need you to come take care of this for me. He goes, and uh, of course, the story, for those unfamiliar with it, he goes, gets into the house, her son comes back to life. The principle there is even in the midst of a moment where most would panic, she pivoted. And her statement was, All is well. So, how does that play out in our everyday life? Is that even when it would be easy for me to panic, my response is all as well.

SPEAKER_01 26:55

I love that. That all is well, completeness, harmony.

SPEAKER_02 26:59

I love that all is well, even if it doesn't look well, even if it doesn't feel well, all is well.

SPEAKER_01 27:07

All is well, all is well. That's a great way to look at it. I love that. And what's one faith habit you believe every believer should practice?

Wisdom, Information, And “Who Told You That?”

SPEAKER_02 27:17

You know what? Um, I would say this, um, because I love the the com the the term faith habit. If a habit is a settled way of uh of living, it's a subtle thing that you do. Settling means not necessarily that it was the best, it was that it became your default. And I think one practice that everybody should have, um, especially when it comes to faith, but this is across life, is reflecting on your day and asking yourself, what could I have done better today? If you never look at on sports teams, they call it looking at the tape. They'll go look at the film or the tape, just look at the last game. Because once the game is over, for most people, your mind is on the next game. But you're gonna make the same mistakes in that game if you don't look back over the most recent game and say, What could I have done better? So I do that every single day. I look back and say, okay, where could I have responded to this better? How could I have applied, like when I'm preaching and teaching, you mentioned the pop-ups and following on social media. I don't just teach that stuff. I let that stuff hit me first. And then I say, okay, now where could I have applied this? Where could I have used this uh differently? Because when you begin to reflect, it helps you to get better results. And I think for most people, they never reflect. Um they just kind of go, go, go, go, go, but you never look back and say, where can I where can I have done this better? And that's how the word really gets applied to your life. It gets applied to your life through you actually looking to see where did I need to apply it. Like there's some lessons you're good with, but there's other lessons like this test keeps coming back. This test keeps coming back, that is telling you we are not passing. This is not passing. Um, and so like let's go back over and look at it again and say, what do you need to do differently? And I literally apply that. And so areas where I used to get upset or frustrated or angry or whatever, it's not the case in those areas anymore. Um, you know, constantly evolving, constantly being a student, constantly getting better. Because I looked at myself and said, okay, you could have done that better. You should have not let that worry you. You should have not, you know what? You should have, you should have what you just preached it in, that's what you should have did, you know, whatever it might be. And so when you let when you look at life that way, that daily habit, it's constantly you getting better. And think of it this way: if you were to just get one percent better each day than you were the previous day, and by the end of every month, that's a 30% improvement on your previous. And so if you begin to apply this, um, that principle, if you were to get a tenth of a percent better, um, the goal is constant growth and progress. And so if you do that, it sets you up to be able to accomplish that.

SPEAKER_01 30:07

I like that. Just reflect. What can I have done here?

SPEAKER_02 30:11

Yep, that's it. Simple question. It's not that deep. You don't have to go into, you know, into into into deep prayer and intercession and walk on the floor, you know, and and supplication and call it on the, you know you know, and you could do that if you want to do that. But sometimes just a simple, hmm. All right, what can I have done better? And praying too before you do it, like, okay, Lord, show me what I could have done better. Because there's certain things that you would no, I did right because you know what, they shouldn't have said that, like me, do that, that that that that, whatever it might be. Um, and sometimes the reality is you need God to point it out for you because sometimes sometimes you can be too critical on yourself, and then other times you can be way too easy on yourself.

SPEAKER_01 30:50

I'm guilty sometimes because I've been like, you know, I probably could have just kept quiet instead of you know saying what it was that I wanted to tell them, peace of my mind, just keep quiet.

SPEAKER_02 31:02

Right, right. And you know what I love about what you just said is because if you constantly give people a piece of your mind, you won't have any of your mind left to give to yourself.

SPEAKER_01 31:10

I'm right, I love that.

SPEAKER_02 31:12

You ain't gonna have nothing left. So I had to learn, like I deal with a lot of, I deal with a lot of things. Again, I've been a CEO and and since I was 12, I've been in ministry since I was 12, I've been a pastor since I was 19, a senior pastor since I was 21. So I I have, and I bring that up to simply say, when you sit in the seat where you're calling the shots all the time, it's easy to sometimes think that all the shots you call are right. It's easy to sometimes think that everything you did was right. And when you live life as a student, students say, What could I have done better? Experts say I'm right. Students say, What could I have done better? Now, what does the Bible say that God has made us to be? Disciples. What are disciples? Disciplined students. I'm a student here. So every day I want to check my grades so I can keep them, get them up the next day.

SPEAKER_01 31:58

I love it. I love it. That was great. And uh, you know, but like everything that's going on, the economy, the leadership, all this stuff, you know, wars and rumors of wars. Yes. If some uh if someone needed encouragement today, or you know, they may feel stuck or at a crossroads, what uh what advice would you give them right now?

Fasting As A Lifestyle

SPEAKER_02 32:19

You know what? I would say this. One, you still got a post, God still got a plan. It is not over for you because you're still breathing. Um, to when you look at the things happening in the world today, while they're new in our lifetime, they are not new to God. Um Ecclesiastic says there's nothing new under the sun. If you study history, you studied that superpowers, countries, and then businesses, whatever, uh I'll I'll leave it high level. Um, you studied that things change, leaders change. You have people who come in the seats. One person that's in the seat will not always be in that seat. Napoleon wasn't uh French emperor forever. Pharaoh, Ramses was not uh uh leader of Egypt forever. Moses was not leader of the Hebrews forever. Nothing is forever. And just because something's new in our lifetime doesn't mean it's new in history. So I encourage people that are you know panicking and thinking, oh my God, what's going on? What's going on? Is one, you gotta pulse, there's a plan. Number two, it's not new. So God is not like, what are we gonna do about this? It's not new. He created the solution before there was a problem. And here's the third thing I'd say you got to ask yourself, how am I gonna win in this? Because 2 Corinthians says he always leads us to triumph, which means there's a victory somewhere in this for me. And so even if you feel like you're in a valley right now, there is a victory somewhere for you, you're just gonna have to keep it moving. Even if you feel like, you know what, it's just I'm so worried. I got so much anxiety about what's going on in the world. First of all, let me ask you a question: how is that anxiety fixed or addressed anything? It's not. How is that worry gonna fix or it's it's not gonna change your you're worrying about the economy, it's not gonna change the economy. Instead, what you need to do is say, you know what, Lord, show me how to win in this economy, show me how to prosper in this economy. You want to know what I think is interesting. Most millionaires and billionaires are made during times of economic downturn. Madam CJ Walker, who was the first self-made black millionaire in America. Now, just think about that. That's a big deal today, but imagine what that was over a hundred years ago. You want to know when that was? That was during the great flu pandemic. It was during an economic downturn when there was a lot going on in the in the nation, in the world, uh, a whole pandemic, and here she comes, making, becoming a self-made millionaire, um, with you know, empowering other black women in a time where you know that just was not heard of. I mean, you you look at it today, but it's still an amazing thing, but just imagine. She didn't have an Instagram, she didn't have a podcast, she didn't have a YouTube. You don't remember in many circles, she was called a girl, a grown woman. In certain places, she was she was considered less than. So the question isn't um, if I'm supposed to win, the question is, God, show me how to win. Because even in even in economic downturn, um, what I say to everyone connected to me is listen, we're not even participating in that. I don't know what you're talking about. Because as far as I'm concerned, plus me, there may be famine in the land, but it's not on the man.

SPEAKER_01 35:29

I'm not participating. I'm not participating in that.

SPEAKER_02 35:32

I'm not participating, I have not participated in one economic downturn. I've not participated in one economic shakeup and one political upheaval, and what I'm not participating in any of it. Why? I'm from I'm kingdom, I'm an ambassador, 2 Corinthians uh 5 and 20. I'm an ambassador sent here from another from another kingdom to colonize this area to make it like the kingdom of heaven. So I'm not even from here. Right? So this is this this ain't got nothing to do with me. I'm not from here.

Shalom: Panic Less, Pivot More

SPEAKER_01 36:06

I love it. I hope you guys uh are loving all of this great inspiration. We really appreciate you taking time. It's just so inspiring to listen to your story, and then just inspired in your encouraging words to all these chit chatters that are out here to listen in. So we are just very we have been very inspired. We have we have Bible, we have black history.

SPEAKER_02 36:29

Yeah, all of it.

SPEAKER_01 36:30

I love it. Everything is black history, myself. I just absolutely love it.

SPEAKER_02 36:35

Yes, so thank you.

SPEAKER_01 36:37

And chit chat chatters, if you would like Bishop Freeman's merch, you can text Bishop, B-I-S-H-O-P to 555498 to receive 10% off any of Bishop Foreman's books and select items. And our quote of the week is take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live. That's by Jim Frewan. Stay tuned for another exciting episode on next week.