From Calling to Commission — Preparing for Apostolic Leadership: Overseer Gregory Ford

In Episode 5 of Gospel Unfiltered, host Cornell Bunting sits down with Overseer Gregory Ford for a timely and powerful conversation as he prepares to be ordained as Apostle Gregory Ford.

This episode explores the journey from receiving a calling to carrying the responsibility of spiritual leadership. Overseer Ford shares insight into his personal faith journey, preparation for ministry, the meaning of apostolic leadership, and the importance of humility, accountability, service, and sound character.

Together, Cornell and Overseer Ford discuss the difference between seeking a title and accepting an assignment, the weight of leadership, the role of mentorship, and the responsibility spiritual leaders have to strengthen churches, develop future leaders, serve families, and reach the wider community.

The conversation also examines how leaders can remain grounded, protect their integrity, respond to correction, and continue serving faithfully through seasons of transition, pressure, and growth.

This episode is especially meaningful for pastors, ministers, emerging leaders, and anyone seeking greater clarity about calling, preparation, ordination, and Kingdom responsibility.

Guest: Overseer Gregory Ford
Host: Cornell Bunting
Topic: From Calling to Commission: Preparing for Apostolic Leadership

Join us as we go Beyond the Pulpit for honest conversations, real stories, and Kingdom truth.

New episodes of Gospel Unfiltered air every Friday.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:56

Yes, yes. Welcome everyone to another episode of Gospel Unfiltered. This is episode five. Today is very meaningful, and I gotta tell you guys why. You know, the guest we have on the show today is preparing to enter a new season of spiritual leadership. And this is big, people. When I tell you guys, our current guest served as overseer Gregory Ford. Okay? And he's preparing to be ordained as apostle. Gregory Ford. This is big. So October, the first, first part of October, we got a lot going on. We got a lot happening. You know, so from calling to mission, preparing for apostolic leadership. This is beautiful. I want you guys to understand. You have a whole lot that will be coming at you guys today. We're going to break down the word. You guys have a lot that you're going to learn. So, you know, if you have a Bible with you, get out your Bible. It's a beautiful thing. And so, without further ado, help me welcome overseer Gregory Ford to Gospel and Field. Honestly with you, brother. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. This is good. Hey, and listen, for you new guys, I gotta tell you guys, you know, my very first show, which is, you know, the old show, Stories to Create, Pastor Ford blessed us with his present, and it was beautiful. Thank you. Completed seventh season, and that show was still top five show from very first. That's beautiful right there.

SPEAKER_02 2:46

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 2:47

Yes, sir. Yes, sir. This is good. So what we want to do for the guests, you know, just a light little bit, synopsis. You know, where are you from? Where you where you grew up, where you were born.

SPEAKER_04 3:00

Well, I was actually born in not far from here, about 45 minutes from here, south of Fort Myers, uh is uh Naples. Naples. Yes. Great city called Naples. Yeah. Naples, Florida. So yeah, I didn't have to travel far to get here.

SPEAKER_01 3:16

That's beautiful. That is beautiful. Now, you know, a lot of individuals that have listened, and you know, for you guys that want to hear more on his earlier journey, because we have a lot to unpack, so we're not gonna be able to go into all of that, you know, some of the drama stuff and all that. The beautiful things that have created the wonderful men that you're seeing today. You guys gotta go back and listen to stories to create all the way to episode one of season one. But this is good. So today what we want to do, you know, people they don't necessarily understand, you know, what ministry is about, the formation, you know. How how does it look for the life of an overseer or a pastor in a regular life outside of the, you know, when you when you're at work for God. You know, uh, because people have like this this this thing that they think is unfolding, and that's why we want to go behind the pulpit today. Okay. Okay But we wanna you know, we want everyone to understand what the the show is about today, and the show today is about really you, you know, from the you know where you are now to apostolic leadership. So actually, if we could, let's let's just help everyone understand what that looked like on a on a pyramid type of scale or whatever. What what does that look like if you could break that down for them?

SPEAKER_04 4:59

Well, you have to understand that the the actual Bible reference that's in Ephesians chapter 4, yes, where he speaks from verse 11 through 13 about the fivefold ministry. Yes. Okay, and the Bible says that uh he gave gifts unto men, and one of those gifts was the office of an apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher. You know, these five were actually gonna be the ones that were gonna be there for the purpose of perfecting the saints. Yes. Okay, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ until we all come into a joint unit of faith in alignment, whatever, fulfilling God's will. So this is this is our job, you know, especially those of now. I've been I've been operating all my 30-some years in the ministry in these particular offices. Okay. I I started off as an evangelist first, you know. I was out evangelizing, traveling the world, you know, traveling mostly around the Florida, the West Indies, you know, doing all things, just preaching and you know, leading people to Christ. You know, because really my first passion was evangelism. Okay. You know, I just wanted to just win souls. Yes. And I still want to win souls, but but then I came into pastorship while I was at an evangelist. And then from there I became a teacher, you know, and then from there, you know, I did teaching because you have to teach a lot as a pastor. Right. Because a lot of your people, you have to raise them up. They need to be discipled. Yes. You know, so this is something that's very important. That teaching is a very strong foundation of ministry. So from there, I went to the office of uh a prophet, because I mean God uses me in those ways, you know, to speak into people's lives. Yes. Okay, to open them up and show them a little bit about what God is saying about their future, about their present, and you know, even at times inside of the prophetic call is when God would also take us down the journey of where they've already come along.

SPEAKER_02 7:06

Right, right, right.

SPEAKER_04 7:07

And sometimes that's where the amazing part comes in, because how can you know what I did such and such a time three or four years ago of where I was, it's not us, it's just the spirit of the Lord that that opens us up and gives us the insight of the picture of what actually took place. And then there's the apostle. The apostle is the one that kind of on the top of those levels. Now, and now we have more scenery, we want to spread our scope, we want to do more planning, we want to do more reaching, we want to go further, we want to do more, you have more oversight, and you're raising, you're not just raising up members or leaders, you're raising up mostly leaders to go forth and to impact cities, nations, you know, working through schools, working through conferences, working through different things in that way. But training up the future. I love that. The succession of the future.

SPEAKER_01 8:01

I love that. So with you saying that is gonna take us into our first Bible verse. And we're going into the book of Jeremiah, as you guys know. The guests get to read that. Oh, Jeremiah. Okay, wait a minute. So Jeremiah 1, 5.

SPEAKER_04 8:19

Okay. Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee. Before thou cometh cameeth forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nation.

SPEAKER_01 8:31

Woohoo, hoo, hoo! And you know, you you did say a little bit of that, you know, where you tell him someone.

SPEAKER_04 8:39

That's the prophetic gift, yeah, because he was speaking to Jeremiah because Jeremiah didn't even know that he had already been given his job description.

SPEAKER_02 8:47

Right.

SPEAKER_04 8:48

Right. What his assignment was gonna be even before he even got to the earth, the Lord was letting him know you was already on my radar. Right, right. You know, you was already gonna, you already got a job. You already got your job description before he was even born. Already. If you keep reading down, then you'll see what you're gonna pluck up, you're gonna build up, you're gonna tear down, you're gonna do all these things on my behalf.

SPEAKER_02 9:08

Right, right, right.

SPEAKER_04 9:09

He said, that means when he said I ordained thee, that means I place you, I I set you in that place.

SPEAKER_02 9:14

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 9:15

And then so now that it's ordained, you know, he said I sanctified thee. That means I set you apart.

SPEAKER_02 9:21

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 9:21

I mean you're not like everybody else. You're consecrated for this job.

SPEAKER_01 9:24

Right. Now, for a lot of you guys that are hearing all this and you're still a little confused, we're gonna bring it down a little more simple and say, what does the word calling mean? Calling.

SPEAKER_04 9:38

Calling means you have been approached by God to fulfill a certain assignment. Yes, yes. Wow, wow. God calls you, you don't call yourself. You can't. I mean, a lot of people want to do godly things, which are not bad. Right, right. But there's a difference between a person who just signed up and just wants to do this because he figures it's a good thing to do, right? But then there's a difference between one who has been called, chosen by God to fulfill a certain task or assignment.

SPEAKER_01 10:14

Can someone be called but not yet prepared?

SPEAKER_04 10:19

Yes. Okay. You guys heard that? Yeah, yeah, because like like like uh let's go in example, good example. David. Okay, King David.

SPEAKER_02 10:28

Yes, yes, that's right.

SPEAKER_04 10:29

They went to the house to go find the king.

SPEAKER_02 10:32

Right.

SPEAKER_04 10:32

Okay, and uh when they went to go find the king, they called all the brothers out, and there were seven of them that came out. They were all big, fit, and strong and mighty looking. And but then the Lord, the oil that was in the in the in the horn did not even flow because they said, No, these are not the ones.

SPEAKER_02 10:49

Right.

SPEAKER_04 10:49

So what happens is now he said it's got to be another one. And but then they said, Well, you can't be talking about him. Yeah, because he he's the baby, and he's on top of that. He's out tentative to cheating. Yeah, and he's the little ruddy kid. He's the baby kid, okay? He says, but what happened was when God, he said, go get him. They said, go get him, bring him here. And then the moment that child, that little David, showed up on the scene, yes, the word of God said that uh that that that that the oil started moving in the Bible, and the Lord spoke into the ear of the prophet and said, This is he. Yes. Anoint him.

SPEAKER_03 11:24

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 11:25

Okay?

SPEAKER_03 11:25

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 11:26

But he didn't look like the package. Right. He didn't look like a king, he didn't like somebody that was no, but but God said, Here he is, this is the one, and when he came, the order started flowing.

SPEAKER_02 11:37

Wow, wow.

SPEAKER_04 11:37

And what I mean by training because even at that moment, they sent him back to his previous job.

SPEAKER_03 11:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 11:46

Yeah of tending to the sheep. Yes, yes. That was the place where he was learning how to cover, how to protect, and how to defend the people whom he had been called. Because he'd been doing it as a as a shepherd. Yes. Now he's gonna be moving into a shepherd of God's people.

SPEAKER_02 12:07

Right.

SPEAKER_04 12:08

He had the training as a shepherd of God's sheep. Right. And everything he did for them, he did for the people.

SPEAKER_01 12:17

Yes, yes, yes. You know, this this is so powerful. And you know, what you just said, it literally helped to confirm what I've written for the show. Because I said, you know, with all of this, after you've done talking, I was says, calling does not remove the need for preparation. David was anointed before he became king. Come on, that was beautiful. Come on, that's good.

SPEAKER_04 12:43

Listen, oh old preacher showed me told me one time this word. He told me to stop me down off. He said, let me tell you something. Proper preparation prevents poor production. Ooh. Yeah. Proper preparation prevents poor production. And God would take you through a lot of things. A lot of things he was learning while he was just out there turning to the sheep. And then he had times where he had to fight against lions and bears to defend the sheep. Yeah. But wasn't he the man that they all gonna call Saul kills his thousands, but David kills his ten thousands? Yeah. He was fighting for what he fought for the sheep and the animals, but he fought the same way for the people. Yeah. And he became a mighty warrior. Yeah. And he was in training. But all the training was leading him up to be the king of Israel. And as a matter of fact, he was, there was actually three different types of anointings that he received as being king. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:47

Yeah. You know, one of the things when you, and for you guys that want to know where that story is in, 1 Samuel. But one of the things that I love about how they write the story, even after David was anointed king, he still respects that God that chose Saul as king, even though Saul wasn't seeing how much that that young man loved him, you know.

SPEAKER_04 14:09

Uh-huh. Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_01 14:10

But he got bitter and he wanted to get rid of him.

SPEAKER_04 14:13

There was a there's a there's a scripture. I'm not on the top of my head exactly where it is the scripture, but it says, touch not my anointing.

SPEAKER_01 14:19

Yes. David. So he took that.

SPEAKER_04 14:22

David knew that. David understood that. Yeah. And he wasn't going to get in the way of God.

unknown 14:27

Wow.

SPEAKER_04 14:28

Because David knew that God had appointed him. Yeah. And he had known he knew God had appointed Saul.

SPEAKER_01 14:34

Right.

SPEAKER_04 14:35

Even Saul was had a bad spirit, went a bad way, was rejected by God, but he still wasn't going to touch him.

SPEAKER_01 14:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 14:44

He still wasn't going to do anything to hurt him or offend him. Yeah. He said if God put him up there, let God take him down.

SPEAKER_01 14:49

Wow. And when you guys read into that story, you will see where after Saul is chasing David for a while and he went to rest. David couldn't kill him. And he had several times with him, but he left little marks.

SPEAKER_02 15:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 15:05

Little things there, just explain to him, let him know. Yeah. You know, I had an opportunity, I had another chance. I could have did it. Right. He said, but because I wouldn't do it, I'm not going to touch God's anointed.

SPEAKER_01 15:17

Yes. That is amazing. And now, you as a God anointed, we're going to tap into our next scripture that I want you to just break down a little bit for our individuals here. We're going to go into Ephesians 4, 11 to 12. Okay. Which I quoted earlier. Yes, you did.

SPEAKER_04 15:41

And the Bible says, uh, and he gave gifts unto men, okay?

SPEAKER_01 15:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 15:46

And he gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers. And this is what their job was going to be. This is their job. Just like he gave Jeremiah a job description.

SPEAKER_01 16:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 16:01

He gives this group of leaders a job description for the perfecting of the saints.

SPEAKER_02 16:05

Right, right.

SPEAKER_04 16:06

Okay. For the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Amazing. Okay. Building up the church. Yes. Okay, so they said, but till we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, until the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

SPEAKER_01 16:30

Come on. Wow.

SPEAKER_04 16:32

Man, that's that's good.

SPEAKER_01 16:33

Yeah. It's a lot of cure. It is. It is a lot to chew. And I, you know, I feel now, like, you know, you have individuals that they get a calling on their life, but they don't necessarily understand what that calling is or the signs to say this is what's unfolding right now. Right. What do you say to those individuals? What should they look for to say, you know what? That's a confirmation. I need to move.

SPEAKER_04 17:02

Oh, God's everybody in a different way. I mean, everybody don't get the same kind of calling. Remember he called Moses from the burning bush? Yeah. Okay, he called Paul from turning on the lights real bright on the raid to Damascus Road.

SPEAKER_02 17:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 17:18

I mean, everybody's calling is a little different, how he calls you into ministry. Even me, I had an out-of-body experience.

SPEAKER_02 17:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 17:24

Where he called me while I was in a jail cell.

SPEAKER_01 17:27

Come on.

SPEAKER_04 17:27

You know, to call me out of darkness into the marvelous light, to answer the call.

SPEAKER_01 17:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 17:32

You know, even though it's been prophesied over my life several times. Yeah. Others. Yeah. But until God visits you, until God explains to you that, hey, hey, hey, I need you, and I need you now. Yes. And he said, hey, I need you to come on. And that's when I, you know, the callings are different. Callings could be different forms, different ways. But the calling, you'll know it's of God because there's no way you can doubt that the Lord has been with you. There's no way. No way.

SPEAKER_03 17:59

Wow.

SPEAKER_04 18:00

My sheep know my voice.

SPEAKER_03 18:02

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 18:02

And a stranger they will not follow. Come on. Wow. One of the things I would say, you know, to what you're saying here, for a lot of individuals, ordination, ordaination. I can never pronounce it. Ordination. Yes. Is more than a sermon. Yes. Oh yeah. And, you know, there's because you have quite a bit that's going to, this, this is like a three-day event that's going to be on further.

SPEAKER_04 18:29

Actually, they're going to be doing a Pastor's Appreciations week. But just that Saturday alone is going to be the elevation time. Yes. That a Saturday, October the 3rd, it's going to just be an affirmation of establishing that I'm moving to another level, a degree of leadership. Right. Moving from the what we call the overseer bishop role to the level of an apostle.

SPEAKER_01 18:59

Come on. You saying that, we we definitely got to touch into the next Bible verse, which is 1 Timothy 4, 14. Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_04 19:10

Okay. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy. Oh my God. Which which with the laying hand laying laying on the hands above the presbyter. And that's exactly what's going to take place on October 3rd.

SPEAKER_01 19:27

Yeah, oh yeah.

SPEAKER_04 19:29

I was told a long time ago that someone greater than you has to affirm you. Yes. Yes. Okay. You just don't step up on your own. No. That means someone has to see something in you. Right, right. And recognize that there's something in you. And then they they confirm it. They acknowledge it. Right. They are the one who lays hands on, does that promote you or lead you into a different place. So that's kind of like what's going to be happening because we have an archbishop that's going to be coming in, also another several other apostles who would be coming, who are already validated, stated, you know, apostles around the country is going to come, and they're going to be actually one who's going to be facilitating in and just actually, you know, carrying out this particular ceremony.

SPEAKER_01 20:13

That's amazing. And as you said that, you know, to help you guys understand how serious that is. I don't know. For some of you guys that don't know the David story yet, and you're about to read it, you know, there was a point when David got real old and, you know, was getting ready to leave. When one of his sons decided to just take over. Take over, just appoint himself the leadership. Right, right. Which which that was supposed to go to Solomon. Right. You know, but uh, and I think they killed him. I think Solomon got the brothers had a little dispute.

SPEAKER_04 20:48

Yeah, yeah. And uh uh, I think it was with his Absalom. Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 20:54

Excuse my language, but yeah. You know He had to go. He had to go, people. You know, as we move into the weight of spiritual leadership. Okay. And I think this is where a lot of individuals wrestle, you know, with what you look like. So what I want to do before before we even before you even start talking into that, what I would love for you to do just touch on James 1. James, yeah, James 3 verse 1.

SPEAKER_04 21:34

Okay. James 3, verse 1. Okay. My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. Okay? This is beautiful. Where do you want me to go, sir?

SPEAKER_01 21:55

This is beautiful. I want, you know, individuals to understand the responsibilities. Once you now understand that you have a spirit that can guide you or lead you, how do you allow that to lead you? What do you say to it? Or, you know, how do you obey knowing that the flesh wants something that you're not supposed to be doing?

SPEAKER_04 22:22

Well, one thing is you I think we're in a series right now, even on our Sunday morning services. I just entered into a series called last week called The Power of Consecration. And that's that said, hey, you have to draw closer to God. Yes. There will always be a battle or conflict with the flesh. For the flesh and the spirit, they battle constantly. Right, right. The Bible says there's no condemnation unto them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh, but after the flesh. The spirit. Come on.

SPEAKER_01 22:54

Wow.

SPEAKER_04 22:54

Okay, so if you obey the flesh, you're going to be a slave to that. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 22:58

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 22:59

But the one that you serve is the one that you belong to.

SPEAKER_02 23:02

Right, right, right.

SPEAKER_04 23:03

But but but as you go forward, you gotta understand that there's gonna be times in ministry, times in life where that's gonna be a pulling on you. You know, just because you're a preacher, prophet, whatever you may be, it doesn't eliminate you from being tempted.

SPEAKER_02 23:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:17

You'll be challenged. I love that. And so, and we're kind of speaking a little bit now into some of other leaders. And and this is for like other leaders that, you know, listen to the show and stuff. How should leaders respond to criticism?

SPEAKER_04 23:38

Don't respond to your criticism. I mean, leave that alone. Let us do what they're gonna do. They're gonna do that anyway. Yeah, just leave it beyond. I'm just saying, they're gonna they're gonna they're gonna talk about you, they're gonna canalize you. Jesus said if they talked about him, they're gonna talk about us. If we if he had to suffer, we're gonna have to suffer.

SPEAKER_03 23:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 23:55

So don't let that happen. But then don't get in a battle fussing with people about something you know you didn't do.

SPEAKER_03 24:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 24:01

I love that. So don't get in a battle or argument or uh uh uh replying back and forth with your critics. Let them do whatever they're gonna do, let them say what they're gonna say, and but but don't you get in it.

SPEAKER_01 24:14

With that being said, what role should transparency play in leadership?

SPEAKER_04 24:20

I think we ought to be open to an extent to where we we have to protect our families too now. We gotta protect our environment. Uh you don't you don't want to be transparent, you wanna let people know a little bit about hey, you what you walk through in life, what you've experienced in life, you know, to give them examples, because they're like, you know, most people see a pastor or preacher, leader as someone that's just perfect.

SPEAKER_01 24:41

Right. And we're not perfect. Right. And I I love that you said that because it dives into this next question. Should leaders admit when they are wrong?

SPEAKER_04 24:50

Yeah. You hear that. We expect that people to do that. God expects us to do that. Yeah, yeah. Confess your sins.

SPEAKER_01 25:00

You know, so now for ministries that, you know, and we we have ministries all over the world right now that is dealing with this challenge. What advice would you give a ministry on recovering when the trusts have been broken? When the trust for the people have been broken.

SPEAKER_04 25:22

Well, one thing is it's a journey. Get ready, it ain't gonna be fixed tomorrow. Right, right. And it takes a little while, but you can recover. Get this yeah, you can recover from a great fall. You can make mistakes and recover. God is a forgiving God.

SPEAKER_03 25:39

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 25:40

But not necessarily mankind. Everybody puts you in a different category after you have fallen.

SPEAKER_01 25:47

Right, right, right.

SPEAKER_04 25:48

But the people of faith, the people of God, the people who know that the same God that forgave them, you know, they have an assignment to forgive others.

SPEAKER_02 25:59

Right, right.

SPEAKER_04 26:00

But if there's something that's done that's morally wrong, something that's really damaged the, you know, the look of the church or whatever, the the bylaws of the church, what we stand for and what we preach, then there has to be some type of disciplinary process that an individual will have to go through in order to re-establish. Number one, trust. Yes, yes, and then re-establish their positions. Right. Because we all fall down. I think that Donnie McClerkman song that but we get back up and we get back in line. Yes. So that means every time if your child makes a mistake, you just don't never use that child, you'll never bless that child no more, you'll never encourage that child. No. You correct that child. Yes. You discipline that child. But then you give that child opportunities to grow and do better. Right, right. And I think that's where the church sometimes draws the line. We really think about dropping the hammer on pastors and leaders and teachers. When they're just like us, yeah. They're just humans. They're humans, they make mistakes.

SPEAKER_01 26:58

That's it.

SPEAKER_04 26:59

We were all born in sin, shaped in iniquities. I'm not giving nobody no pass on sin.

SPEAKER_02 27:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 27:05

But I am saying, if there be such one, the Bible says, I think there's some Galatians, Galatians uh one and Galatians six and one. Six and one. Where it says, if a brother is overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, strengthen such a one in the spirit of meekness, restore that person.

SPEAKER_02 27:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 27:28

Because you don't know if you're the next in right.

SPEAKER_02 27:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:33

Help a young leader or help a, you know, someone that's in leadership understand this. When should they respond when a member asks a difficult question?

SPEAKER_04 27:49

Well, if they know the difficult question and have the answers to the difficult questions, and a lot of leaders do have some of those answers. Right, right, right. I would suggest that he would try to address it and reply to it in his best ability. He knows.

SPEAKER_03 28:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 28:04

But if he's not sure about the answer, or not sure about replying to it, and he does know nothing about what that person is asking. Right. At least give yourself the, you know, the consideration that, hey, give me a moment, I'll tell you what I'm gonna do. I'll I'll get back with you. Yeah. Let me do a little research on that. Because sometimes I'm not perfect, I don't know everything. I'm not a uh both of you think of you a pastor or bishop or whatever.

SPEAKER_02 28:31

Right.

SPEAKER_04 28:31

You're a scholar in the word. You know, no, maybe the word, I'm still learning, I'm still eating, I'm still becoming. Okay, right. So, so so that means I don't have everything. I don't know everything. And some things God don't give to you until you get there.

SPEAKER_01 28:44

Right. I love that.

SPEAKER_04 28:46

Okay?

SPEAKER_02 28:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 28:46

And so I'm just recommending that. Hey, if you can answer the question and you in a knowledgeable way, right. And you're sure about those things, these are factual things that you're gonna share. Communicate that. You can communicate. But if you can, if you know this is not your area of expertise, leave it alone.

unknown 29:02

Leave it alone.

SPEAKER_04 29:03

I don't want to say that to all the other people, yeah, not just the pastors. Right. You know, people jumping in the conversation always got something to say about every little thing. I mean, come on, you you know you're not the expert on everything.

SPEAKER_02 29:15

No, no.

SPEAKER_01 29:17

Come on, study to it's a push, study to be quiet. Yes, yes, this is so true. And this right here, this next piece, goes right into servant leadership. Okay. And this is for you guys, Mark Tanner, from 43 to 45. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 29:38

But so shall it not be among you. But whoever will be great among you shall be your minister. And whosoever of you will be the chiefest shall be a servant of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many.

SPEAKER_01 30:04

Oh, that's big right there. I want you to answer this question. Can someone lead effectively without humility?

SPEAKER_04 30:14

No. No.

SPEAKER_01 30:17

He can't have it.

SPEAKER_04 30:19

No.

SPEAKER_01 30:20

He can't have it.

SPEAKER_04 30:21

You have to be a humble servant. You gotta learn how to work with people and learn to humble down. You can't be harsh, mean, aggressive.

SPEAKER_02 30:27

Right.

SPEAKER_04 30:28

You know, you can't be, you know, a drill sergeant in the, you know, like you're in the military. Right. You gotta learn how to work with people getting in that area where their needs are.

SPEAKER_02 30:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 30:37

And then you gotta learn how to work. Every child is not the same. Every student is not the same. Same.

SPEAKER_02 30:42

Right, right, right.

SPEAKER_04 30:43

Some of you have to learn how to teach them different ways. You gotta go to God a lot of times and pray about what would you have me to do for this one. Right. Even though you got the same word, same teaching books and instructions, but each one of them don't receive it the same. Right, right, right. Okay, so that's where your gift makes room for you. So you have to be gifted and learn how to be, learn how to adapt, learn how to pray and ask God for direction or how to, you know, instruct and how to guide. Because all of my members may not the same. I have to pray for all of them in different ways.

SPEAKER_02 31:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 31:15

Because all of them deal with different things. But God, who is wise, understanding, will be there to guide you if you lean on him, acknowledge him in all your ways. Yes. Okay? And he will direct that path. He will direct that path.

SPEAKER_01 31:32

Now, a lot of a lot of individuals, they, and you know, they've said this, some of them have struggled with this. They feel a lot of pastors are not approachable. What would you say? What would you say on that? Because I don't even know if you speak to the pastors or you just help the member or that individual understand the circumstances.

SPEAKER_04 31:57

But there's a there's a two-way to that. I mean, it's like a two-side coin, okay? I've learned in my earlier days, I spent a lot of time down with my people because we were a small church then at the time. Uh family type environment. So everybody be touchable. But as your church grows, you have to have systems in place. Yes. You have to set up things that not only just protect you, but protect the people. Yes. But also give you time to be who you need to be. Right. And then everybody doesn't have access to you all the time. Right. Not at their own will. Yes. Okay? Yes, yes. They have to call in, set appointments, if they want to see you, got to do things right. Because you're not just a man of God, but you're a community leader. You're the community leader. But you're a family man.

SPEAKER_02 32:44

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 32:44

Okay, you got kids too. You got a family, you got children that need you, family that needs you. All these things are important. And so, so, yeah, but a lot of times people try to pull you, just feel like they can just come in at any time and just demand your time. Yeah. But it's not that way. Some get offended by that because they feel like because what we had at that little small church. Yeah. Yeah. When we start getting bigger, we don't have at the big church. Right. Right. And they start thinking that you're unapproachable. You're not reachable. But then on the other side of that is this pastors should always be open.

SPEAKER_02 33:18

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 33:19

Kind, gentle, loving, approachable in many ways. I mean, sometimes, you know, some of the best leaders I've ever known, even though we're busy people, they had entourage, they had protectors, I mean people all around them. But but but if they knew you, if they saw need, they would address it.

SPEAKER_02 33:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 33:38

In love. I love that. In love. That's why you gotta be guided by spirits. See, a lot of times people are guided by systems, but not guided by the spirit.

SPEAKER_02 33:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 33:48

Because if there's, if you got systems in place, you put your sometimes, you need those, you need those structures. But at the same time, but if the spirit is involved, it tells you when to disrupt that.

SPEAKER_01 33:59

I like that. I like that. Which go into this question. How do you balance authority with compassion?

SPEAKER_04 34:08

Well, one thing, if you're in an authority, you don't have to push your push yourself around. Right. Right, right. You know, like some people do say I do that sometimes. Yeah. But I really don't. I try not to at all. If it did, it's it's just you don't have to push your title on people, you don't have to push your weight on people. Right. You who you are.

SPEAKER_02 34:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 34:26

The establishment, the organization in which you operate in, your position as who you are, establish you as that person.

SPEAKER_02 34:33

Right.

SPEAKER_04 34:34

Okay, so that don't mean you gotta always go and open up every meeting establishing who you are. Yes. Okay? Yes. That's nonsense. So what you need to do is operate in that, be confident about that, and do it in love and do it in the right way.

SPEAKER_01 34:49

I love that.

SPEAKER_04 34:50

You know, because authority has been given to all of us. That don't mean you abuse it.

SPEAKER_01 34:53

Yeah. I love that.

SPEAKER_04 34:55

You don't abuse your authority. You use that authority to get things done, yes. To execute business, yes. But at the same time, you still have to be careful about offending. You still have to be careful. Let me have to say this again. Some people you're gonna offend you know you offended them.

SPEAKER_01 35:15

Yeah. One of the things you said earlier, and this goes right into this, you know, the apostolic ministry should not only build platforms, but it should build people. So what I would love for you to speak on right here, 2 Timothy 2, verse 2 said, and the things that thou had heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou of faithful men who shall be able to teach others also.

SPEAKER_04 35:50

Well, that's secession. Sucession means, first of all, when you find people who have been declared faithful, you have given them assignments, you've given them the charge, you put them in tough box, you I mean whatever, you had time to watch them and observe them. A lot of people want to be the pastor, leader, and teacher, and they haven't gone through any process, haven't taken any classes, don't have no understanding. And then it takes a time that's how you have to review a matter, you have to watch a person.

SPEAKER_02 36:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 36:20

You got to get to know an individual. Because how in the world are you gonna put somebody up you don't know?

SPEAKER_02 36:25

Right, right.

SPEAKER_04 36:26

And you haven't seen them in action and work their skills and how to deal with tough situations as well as conflict, as well as scripture, as well as counseling, as well as the different options. I mean, the different things that we have to do in our ministry.

SPEAKER_02 36:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 36:40

But when a person, you know, sometimes gets to the point where, hey, man, they don't want to let you do that. Right. You know, hey, you know, I had a situation in the church. One guy came in not long ago, and he wanted me to just accept him based on credentialing that he received from another place. You know. You know. And I said, okay, I'll receive the credentialing.

SPEAKER_03 37:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 37:04

He said, but what do you want me to do? I said, well, he wanted me to just acknowledge him as a minister and do whatever. I said, well, I can't do that. I don't know you. We need to know what you came from, love, man. I don't know you. You just came in with license and paperwork.

SPEAKER_03 37:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 37:24

Nowadays you can get those offline. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 37:26

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 37:27

You know what I'm saying? I'm not saying you're lying either. Right, right. I'm just saying I I that's not enough for me. Okay, for me to sign off on you and then validate you.

SPEAKER_01 37:38

Oh, I like that. And that that takes us right into the next segment of the show, which is the importance of accountability. Oh.

SPEAKER_04 37:46

Accountability is out of all you're giving, get understanding. If we can't count on you, it's just like, what? Let's go to let's go to, I'm gonna think about boot camp. Why, why, why in the in the n the in the army of the Lord, yeah, I mean the natural army, yes, they send us through boot camp. Right. Why is boot camp necessary? Yes. They want to know what you're capable of. Yes. What can they say? Hey, he'll fight for us. Right. He can run, he can write, he can do whatever. Right. Uh he can take harshness, he can put him on different assignments, because we know where his accountability levels are.

SPEAKER_03 38:26

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 38:27

All right, we wake him up at three in the morning, put him on the wall, put him on the march, whatever. He's able to do that. He's able to follow orders, he's able to commit to certain tasks, he's able to follow through, is because that's where we examine a matter.

SPEAKER_01 38:41

Come on.

SPEAKER_04 38:41

Because if he cannot do these things, come on. He's not qualified to be a soldier in the army. Wow. So there are certain things, even in ministry, you have to, you have to see where a person is in order to hand them any type of, you know, responsibilities, give them an organization, give them a department, especially with our kids. We can't give no just know anybody. Yeah. The kids, the babies, the youth.

SPEAKER_02 39:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 39:09

You know, and then they don't know God.

SPEAKER_02 39:10

Right.

SPEAKER_04 39:11

They're telling me what they know, but then you go in and listen to them teach.

SPEAKER_01 39:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 39:14

This sounds like rubbish and rabbit. They're just making noise. Yeah. They're not teaching. Wow. So, so what I'm saying is you have to study a matter. You have to examine an issue to see can this person be first found accountable and faithful to that.

SPEAKER_01 39:34

Wow. No leader should become too elevated to be corrected. And so I would love for you to read Proverbs 27, 17. This is one of my one of my brother in my group favorite verse. Iron sharpens iron.

SPEAKER_04 39:53

So a man sharpen it, so a man sharpen it the continence of his friend.

unknown 39:59

Love it.

SPEAKER_04 39:59

Love it. Yes. Love it.

unknown 40:00

Love it. Love it.

SPEAKER_04 40:01

Iron sharpened. When we have in that particular verse, you want to be around people who make you better. Yeah.

unknown 40:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 40:10

And people who will correct you too.

SPEAKER_01 40:12

Yeah, yeah. Well, you need those.

SPEAKER_04 40:15

Every friend is not just a pat on the back friend.

SPEAKER_02 40:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 40:20

Every friend, you got some friends, they're gonna tell you, you know, you got people that they just slap you on the back, always celebrating you, always telling you about your goodness. Yeah. But then you always gotta have that other friend that tells you about where your where your weakness is. Right. Right. Where you're messing up at. Yeah. And you better stop doing that. Yeah. That ain't gonna work. Yeah. Man of God, you can't mix it up. You gotta be one or the other. Wow. And that's what you need. And iron sharpens iron. People who help you stay on track. Right. People who help you not only just get to where you're supposed to go, but help you stay where you're at.

SPEAKER_01 40:59

Right.

SPEAKER_04 40:59

And help you grow in that area where you're at. Yeah. And they're tough. Jethro was tough. Father of uh Moses. Moses.

SPEAKER_01 41:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 41:08

Well, actually his father-in-law.

SPEAKER_01 41:10

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 41:11

But he was tough.

SPEAKER_01 41:12

Yeah, his wife, his wife, uh Dan.

SPEAKER_04 41:14

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, he was tough. He went in there one day and saw Moses in there by racking his brains down. He's gonna be gonna try to do too much. Yeah, yeah. So he goes to him and says, hey, you got an idea, man. Yeah. Maybe if you try this, then you're right here. He followed those instructions, became a better man, created a better system. Because he was willing to let the iron that was in Jethro sharpen him. Sharpen him. I love that. So he can be more effective and get more, get more done.

SPEAKER_02 41:48

Wow.

SPEAKER_04 41:48

Now, a lot of times people struggle with the people around them. They think that the people around them don't put don't have nothing to say to them. Don't build a team around, don't build a team around you that you can't feed from.

SPEAKER_01 42:01

Right. Right.

SPEAKER_04 42:02

Because you want people around you that's better than you in the area in which they work.

SPEAKER_01 42:05

Definitely.

unknown 42:06

Definitely.

SPEAKER_04 42:06

Because if I had if I have the best one in the area, area in my church, we'd be in a mess.

SPEAKER_01 42:11

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 42:11

We we we no, we don't have that kind of things.

SPEAKER_01 42:14

Yeah. Now, with a man of your experience and stature, you know, we had to dive into this part of the scripture, and I'll just, you know, just touch on it real quick. 1 Timothy 3.5, because of course, you know, you speak into leadership, family, marriage, all that stuff. Well, 1 Timothy 3.5 says, For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God? That's a major one. That is a major one. What I would ask you is, how does ministry affect your family? Oh man. My family?

SPEAKER_03 42:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 43:00

A lot. A lot. A lot. Yeah. Because ministry is my is is my place of employment.

SPEAKER_01 43:10

Yeah. Full time. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 43:11

I don't it's what I do, eat, sleep. Yeah. Yeah. And they understand the call. Yeah. But at times, sometimes they don't understand the weight of that call. Right. You talked about weights. And when you said that, I went to my phone uncle. I got a section in there on number of weights. The weight of ministry. Yeah, yeah. And a lot of times people don't understand because when your kids have to walk in a certain way, your mother, your wife got to walk a certain way, your family's on, because a lot of times when we're out in hospitals, out dealing with people doing disaster issues and different things going on in the world. You know, our our part-time and our overtime and all extended hours. Sometimes when we're home at night, we get calls from the members, you know, whatever thing. This one is in the hospital, this one just died, whatever, you know. I mean, uh, it's a lot of things go on. Cause in one day, I could be doing a wedding, I could be doing a counseling in the morning. I mean, dealing with an early morning domestic issue or whatever, and then 12 o'clock, I'm I'm burying someone. Yeah. And three o'clock that same day, I'm marrying someone.

SPEAKER_01 44:18

That's a good thing. I've had those kinds of days. You have had, yeah. Yes. Wow. Wow. Wow.

SPEAKER_04 44:23

But that's the multifaceted stuff. And my family, you can't, I can't go into those things and not take my family with me. What about my daughter? What about my son that uh that got basketball games, football games, and little things like that? There's a pool on that. Yeah, yeah. And and then and and them being able to understand and me being able to understand and keep balance there, that's a major deal. It took me a while to get there because I was the all man of God.

SPEAKER_02 44:46

Right.

SPEAKER_04 44:46

And then I had to say, I mean, I need to show up for my daughter. You have to. I need to show up for my son. You have to. I need to you know, be there for my wife.

SPEAKER_02 44:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 44:54

You know, I mean a lot of these things you have to like you learn on the go. A lot of times people don't tell you. They didn't tell me till I got there on what to do with that. Right.

unknown 45:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 45:02

Because they didn't think it was part of the training, but but we need to be taught all things concerning you know the work of the Lord.

SPEAKER_01 45:10

And so, you know, with you saying all that, you know, I think this question is very fitting. Can you succeed publicly and fail privately? No. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 45:29

Well I don't know because some people hide things pretty well. Right, right, right. Let me say that. Yeah, I don't want to get too headed on this.

SPEAKER_02 45:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 45:39

Of course, you know, what's done on the inside is going to show up on the outside eventually. Eventually.

SPEAKER_03 45:45

Eventually, yes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 45:46

Don't you can't hide it forever. What's done in the dark is going to come to the light. Am I right? Yes, this is true. So eventually these things will be revealed. But God is giving you time to try to get this thing nipped in the butt. Yeah. Give you time to bring healing or you to confess your sins. Or you to make a knowledge of what the situation is so that you can get help.

SPEAKER_01 46:09

Right. Right.

SPEAKER_04 46:10

You could you could sit there and die by being ignorant and not acknowledging the issue. Right. Or either you can go get help and say, hey man, I'm not as strong as y'all think I am. I made a mistake. I failed.

SPEAKER_00 46:24

Ooh.

SPEAKER_04 46:25

Yeah. Yeah. You know a lot of things now with with with pastors and leaders, you know, sometimes they have affairs and all the kind of stuff. They had a fall or they mishandled the finances or whatever. I mean it's a lot of stuff out there so much going on now.

SPEAKER_02 46:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 46:40

And uh but the thing is it's all for us to be to be as clean as we can and confess as much as we can without giving away stuff that don't need to be given away.

SPEAKER_02 46:52

Come on.

unknown 46:53

Man.

SPEAKER_04 46:54

That's why you need strong leaders around you. Every pastor, leader, apostle, whatever, needs an inner circle of three people. Wow. He needs a the interestor that prays for him, someone there as a life coach or someone as a spiritual father, a leader. And he also needs someone amen that just helps him keep, you know, himself, keep be have fun, man. We go to have fun. Yeah. I'm not saying take you out in the Sin Light. I'm saying but someone, hey, go, go boat on a boat, go fish and go do some. I mean, no, I don't fish much, but but I'm just saying get out of that cycle sometimes because if you're stuck there all the time, you know it's not empty.

SPEAKER_01 47:40

Yeah, I like that. And you know as we we we touch more on leadership through trials. Come on. We want to dive into 2 Corinthians 4 8 to 9.

SPEAKER_04 47:56

We are troubled on every side yet not distressed. We are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed. Wow. So that means we're going to walk in that tight rope here. Yeah. Because on one side we got lovers on the other side we got enemies. Oh yeah oh yeah on one side we got peace calm on the other side we got chaos yeah disruption yeah all that going on we're balancing it as we go forth. Because this is talking about a lifestyle this is Paul sharing about his journey. Right. Because like I said earlier one morning like I said just quoted that excuse me that you in the morning could be one way in the evening on another assignment. In the evening late in the morning or late at night or first thing in the morning sometimes you can just be getting the I've just been at the hospital all night because we had an emergency you had to go to and work with that's that perplexed side. Okay. He said but then not forsaken knowing that every time you go through anything, you're not in it by yourself.

SPEAKER_01 49:14

Wow.

SPEAKER_04 49:14

Because the Lord gave you a promise that's one thing you got to keep in your pocket. Don't leave home without it you know what they said that is that the chase card on those cards somebody's card. American they said that was an American express card. Yeah. Don't leave home without you don't leave home without knowing that you got this security in your back pocket that the Lord is on your side. He's going to be with you in every situation. Yes. In every circumstance. Every one of these circumstances right here okay troubled on every side amen there was places where death threats were going on in Paul's life. Right. You know even he was in places where he'd been naked he'd been cold he'd been he'd been he been shackled one time they beat him with somebody talked him outside the city and they left him for dead because they thought it wasn't going to come. They thought they had done done their job. Yeah yeah then the saints circled around him this is God even in the midst of all of that being with beaten and stone he still had the saints gather around him and they did not touch him. They just gathered around him and by them being close enough to him he renewed his strength.

SPEAKER_01 50:18

I love that for for leaders how can they heal without abandoning their assignment you got to have a prayer life and you got to have people praying for you.

SPEAKER_04 50:36

Yes you gotta have people sometimes hey I'm not even talking about the church members I'm talking about people that that down through the years that walked with you and seen you in all types of situations.

SPEAKER_02 50:47

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 50:48

But they know the words of prayer and you know they pray. You know they know what to do. And you know when you talk to them they ain't gonna beat around the bush.

SPEAKER_02 50:57

Right.

SPEAKER_04 50:58

They're going to tell you what's what you need to hear.

SPEAKER_01 51:00

Mm-hmm I I like that and you know we I want you to speak to the next generation a little bit as well because you know we we're moving into a place now where a lot of the younger generation feel that we did a lot of things wrong but first we're going to touch on this guy.

SPEAKER_04 51:25

We're going to touch on Psalms 1454 and then I would love for you to just speak on that just a little bit one generation shall praise thy works to another shall declare thy mighty acts one generation shall praise thy works to another and shall declare thy mighty acts you know one thing I love about I always talk to the saints about every now and then on the Sabbath you know a day you the the Jews will celebrate the Sabbath they rest that Friday evening six o'clock they go in. Yeah they're done yeah okay they're done and they come back out the next day six but in that time in that time while they're in there they're rehearsing they're going with they're reminding the kids rehearsing the time when God brought them through Egypt. No doubt how God hand moved how God kept them how God fed them how God delivered them how his mighty hand did mighty things in a most mighty season turbulent season let me use the album deliver really been a challenge. But here why would they go back and rehearse that they wanted the kids who never walked through that to be able to know that the same God that did it for them would do it for them. Come on I love that why would he say rehearse it? Every time they go in they read the books they open them up they're going to read the books and rehearse go back over those things so the kids would know that whatever they found themselves in a pickle find themselves in a struggle find themselves in a battle find themselves in between two opinions find themselves in between conflict and chaos. When they found themselves there they would know that they're gone.

SPEAKER_01 53:22

I love that that leads to the question of why is mentorship important? Say that one more time why is mentorship important?

SPEAKER_04 53:34

Because I don't want to use that but I'm going to throw it in there never been there can't tell who's going there how to get there. I came about that yesterday yes never been there can't tell who's going there how to get there. There's some bridges we haven't crossed yes there's some path we haven't been down yes there's some situations we haven't encountered right but he said I called the old man he said I called the young man because he's strong yes okay but I call the old man because he knows the way I love that and there's some things that we need to sit down and listen we need each other. I know the generations to come sometimes young generations we don't need you guys more y'all old school y'all back in the day we don't need that let me tell you something you don't need something back in the day. Oh yeah yeah and and then the old you're gonna need something that's new yeah because they got strengths they can do things come on because different gadgets you know you can tell when our phone gets in trouble our phone we don't know what's going on with it what do we do?

SPEAKER_01 54:34

We go give it to one of the kids oh yeah and they and they get it taller.

SPEAKER_04 54:38

Right we need you yes you know but my thing is it's not only just than that it's a lot of things we need each other for yeah because and then it's our assignment it's our job I love that to pour into those that generation you just said one generation shall praise thy works to another and shall declare thy mighty act it's our job to tell them about the God that we serve we walk with even though they're watching us they're watching us they see it but you know what they're watching how we pray yeah through tough times how we live how we cherish each other how we connect with each other through difficult challenging moments but even when ain't nothing broken ain't nothing missing even what we do during that time are we consistent in that prayer life? Are we consistent consistent in the word are we consistent in love?

SPEAKER_01 55:34

Well let me ask you how can the church address mental health without shame well the more I hear about it it has to be addressed we it's not shame we don't feel shame because we were taught to treat it as being a shameful discussion.

SPEAKER_04 56:00

Yeah but it's not it's not what you fail to confront you cannot change. Right. Okay where there's no confrontation there's not going to be no manifestation of health healing or deliverance right you have to confront it you have to talk about it you have to go there remember we used to always have one word in our house I used to always say this to some people we have one word in our homes you know back in the day crazy. No doubt okay we put that on the uh whatever we had an uncle that was a little different cousin that was a little different grandma that was a little different people in our family little crazy a little different we just say well that's the crazy one over there but they was bipolar. We just didn't know the name right we didn't have the help we didn't get the therapist let me ask you what legacy you want to leave for the next generation it's been an impact in my community in being a changer transformer and I gave it my best I gave it my best I gave it my best my very best I gave it my all I live I'm only here because of the Lord has spared my life yeah yeah I've I've had I was born in the sixth month of my mother's pregnancy I spent nine weeks in the incubator I was only less than three pounds. Yeah wow I think I mentioned to you that I could be in the middle of the pill and flip over three times and still be in the middle you're the year now you're the here now and then not only that but I was in a I was in a train accident when I was 17. Right right I don't had strokes yeah I don't had setbacks on different levels you've been through the ring I've been through a lot yeah yeah I was out on the streets with crack for 11 10 11 years come on out there a sputter man I mean I was a I was I was walking dead my mother called me walking dead wow when she would see me but my thing is that I want to be remembered one who fought back I love that one who denied situations of the past and just told them say no I changed my mind devil I'm not going to tell hell I changed my mind that's I preached that one time yeah that means I wasn't going to hell I'm going to heaven yes and I want to be remembered for for being a fighter a man that uh that that took the ashes and all the damages that could come yeah and use them to help others yeah build others because I want to do keep God's work yeah I want to build his work build his kingdom beautiful and it's not my empire right it's his kingdom yes so I'm gonna be known for that all right we have 10 rapid questions and so what I want you to do is just answer with the first thought that comes to mind okay a scripture that defines your ministry oh scripture defines my 10 um isaiah 10 and 27 come on a person who helps shape your calling whoa my wife oh I love that one quality every apostle or apostolic leader needs is loving people I love that one danger every leader one danger every leader should avoid be selling sins come on a lesson you learn through failure forgiveness I like that a word that describes your present season excited one prior you are still believing God to answer oh god we got a lot on the table for the for the vision in the future of of the ministry in which you have cornerstone to manifest and come forth oh I love that I love that one concern you have for the modern church don't forget the old church come on one reason you remain hopeful is because of Christ come on one sentence you want the audience to remember seek ye first the kingdom of God come on I love that I love that right there you know we and we'll have a lot of individuals that are you know be getting new to the ministry understanding the word when you tell someone starting in in in the the word or in the Bible they have to treat it as if they're baby how important is that for someone that is not new to this that's not new to it or new to it new to it okay okay okay you have to feed them in chunks yeah just like a baby you know like a baby you know gives baby the big piece of meat remember scripture always talks about milk and not meat yeah it's the difference between the milk and the difference in the meat yeah there are times when you will drink milk for a long time and then there's a time when you should be off the milk and be eating meat. I love that yeah yeah yeah so these are short messages we want we want you to just lay two different individuals as final message before your orientation yeah I can see it back there okay okay what would you say to your family before this big big event on phone well excuse me with this cough you want to drink some of my water yeah yeah some water drink some of my water okay thanks yes sir yes sir we go I'm getting over a uh yeah attack with pneumonia but I'm doing better yes but yes let me get to that one what I want family to know and get ready for is that uh ordination is not I'm already doing what I've already done yeah okay it's not that this is just a uh affirming that yeah okay yeah I'm moving up yeah because one thing about God God don't promote you and you just start doing that right right you had to been doing that for a while I had to been doing that yeah you know because the person has to first been found faithful before you promote them or establish. Yes so it's not that I it's just that we're gonna be doing it on a larger scale doing it you know with a lot of love and support that brings honor to that name or that title. Yes yes now what I want to do there's certain things God's gonna give me that on this next level that I'll be able to establish and confirm. But at the same time I'm still gonna be forward beautiful I'm still before I'm still forward yeah still the husband the dad and all that my kids are grown and I got grandkids now and great grandkids so you know I'm still forward yeah but with great grands and and and grands and all that yeah and and and then my extensions are a little more okay you know I get spread out a little further okay and then also I get to impact more people so impact more lives. I love that and then when people see you yeah on a different level they begin to respect and honor you in a different way and then also remember you can't receive from someone you don't honor. I want to get out to the people that need to hear that. I love that I love that because you can't receive the healing the blessing you can't receive the things that God has given me to give to you if you don't never respect me.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:18

Yeah yeah and then if you don't never receive me as being who I am right right remember Jesus his family yeah yeah Jesus um they put in front of the they didn't recognize Jesus they didn't want to recognize him as being a son of God yeah yeah and they couldn't receive he could do very few miracles right in a place where they doubted who he was yes as you say that you know so because your brother was just on the show and he said something that a lot of individuals are like well I don't know if that would be true he said if Jesus was walking down MLK people would think he's a bum because of how he would be yeah people would have think even if I always use uh not Jesus but I use uh John the Baptist yeah if John the Baptist was here now the greatest prophet ever lived right right was here yeah running revival but didn't want to stay at a hotel want to stay in the back of the church right he wanted to get a tent he built him a tent under the tree at the back and he'll stay there that's his zone that's what he feels comfortable at but his gifts yeah the man is gifted beyond measure man when he gets ready to do what he do yeah his lifestyle because what happened the world the modern world has built up this picture of what the modern prophet pastor teacher elder should be like and should be actually let me say not only just be like but but but his life should be like his success what what establishes him as being successful and we saw John come through here like that yeah we pushing John off we probably want to let John in the dope right right right Jesus we probably ain't don't wanna his hands too long yeah come on yeah and his outfit is a little dirty because he's been traveling doing three days up and down the road wow yeah yeah and he got a little smell on him right right that ain't Jesus yeah but the scripture tell us to be careful about when we entertain angels unaware yeah yeah because that could be the one that God aspersed into the room to change everything concerning your life your circumstances and your situation come on we dropping the mic with that people I love it now what we do with the show because we're right at the end of the show right now we would love for you to just close us out in prayer. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:56

Father we come before you this very day Lord I just pray that I said something that empowered that strengthened that helped others to know more about you and more about the purpose of the kingdom. Yes and doing those things that please God. I pray Lord if there be one online right now that don't know you as Lord and Savior I just pray that they would just give you a moment Lord take a moment and ask you to forgive them of their sins and Lord purge them from all unrighteousness and bring alignment into their life that they be saved that they get to know you better every day. That Lord that by this time next year Lord God they'll be on different levels of understanding who you are your purpose in their life and that you are King Lord and provider and priest and protector of all things. Now Lord we ask Lord as they leave we go forth to do whatever we do in our daily routines cover us and keep us until we meet again in Jesus' name and bless this show Lord God to meet for others around the country or other countries with here and Lord receive and grow from the things that bless them from this particular podcast.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:08

In Jesus' name amen well there you guys have it we want to thank you guys for joining us for episode five of gospel unfiltered a special thanks to our overseer Gregory Ford it's beautiful for sharing his testimony wisdom and heart as he prepared to be ordained as the pastor okay he's saying that yeah it's not ordained ordained it's affirmed affirmed service affirmation service people we stand to correct that affirming affirmation service to apostle Gregory Ford so listen guys until next time remain humble in preparation faithful in service and obedience to assignment God has placed upon your life this is gospel unfiltered until our next episode where we have another decorative guest right here in ES Club.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:09

Thank you sir you go hoo hoo hoo