"Kingdom Creatives Are Coming with Marc Afshar" S4 Ep9

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Welcome to Keep It 100 podcast with Sean and Christa Smith.

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Join us in this space where we take on real issues with real insight and real inspiration.

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This podcast is for those not looking for temporary relief to change circumstance, but

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revelation to forever change lives.

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Hey everyone, welcome to another episode of Keep It 100 with Sean and Christa Smith.

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Hey everybody, welcome back.

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Hey, we're so excited to talk about today's topic of Kingdom creativity because I tell

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you what, being a creative person, this subject gets me really, really excited.

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But since we've been with you last, we've actually had really some cool assignments.

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We have.

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We did three straight ministry network conferences, which for some of you that may not understand

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the lingo, they're district councils for a Pentecostal denomination.

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And so I did one that was for the state of Washington and it was actually in Corder Lane,

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Idaho.

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And then we went to Minnesota and then we went to Alaska and I'll just jump in Christa.

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When I went up and it brought a good friend of mine and we went up to Corder Lane, Idaho,

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it was just really powerful as the pastors of the Northwest and they were, they're seeing

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like they were a good 800 to 1000 pastors that represent all these different churches.

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So you're ministering to leaders and it was so awesome, they sovereignly on their own

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came and fell at the altar before the Lord.

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It was just a mighty time we had before God.

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There were healings.

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I've gotten some words back on that, but it was just this thing of us all saying together

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that we want to tap back into the power of the Holy Ghost, that the whole COVID thing

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was about delivering us from programs and getting us back to presence.

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It really was powerful and you went to Washington, Idaho with Mark who's actually going to be

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on this episode, which is awesome.

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And I was able to be a part of the Minnesota and Alaska one and it was just, it was incredible.

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Like you said, the hunger in the room was just tangible and what God did was really,

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really special.

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I would say both places where I was obviously in Minnesota and Alaska, we had leaders really

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sovereignly respond to the altars like you're saying.

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And I just see such a new hunger in pastors and leaders across the board and I see God

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bringing all of us kind of back to our roots, our first love, just almost recalibrating

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us to God's heart.

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Once again, where maybe we've gotten a bit off track, maybe partnered with a bit of fear

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from the last season, a little bit of PTSD from everything many church leaders have gone

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through.

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People are getting healed, re-envisioned, full of hope.

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And that's just pretty exciting because I just feel like we're sovereignly watching

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the hunger and people really move things in the spirit and things that I believe we've

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been praying for for years.

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So to be a part of that in a small way, I always find it such a privilege that we get

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to go speak at these places and we get to connect with leaders because that just always

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feels like such an honor.

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And then it was really fun because we were in Alaska and we met a Keeb 100 tribe person,

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Mr. Terry.

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He was awesome.

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He's like, Hey, I'm a part of the Keeb 100 tribe.

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I thought that was so cool.

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That is cool to think someone's in Alaska is listening to our podcast.

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That was super fun.

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And again, in Alaska, although it was cold, the fire of God fell.

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And there was a good 400, maybe ministers there and leaders and they just leaned into

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the Lord and just embraced and you did such a great job.

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Oh, you did too, baby.

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And the power of God.

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And there was so much prophetic.

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We even had people baptizing the Holy Ghost.

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Come on, come on.

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So fun.

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Sean is so gifted this.

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And I was telling him, like, man, he's so anointed at this and I love it.

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He just felt a wooing in the room, called out anyone, not baptism, Holy Spirit come

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up.

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And because it was mainly leaders that were in the room, you would think a majority of

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them, but I would say we had like 25 or so that responded.

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And to my knowledge, all of them received the baptism Holy Spirit and it was just so

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powerful and exciting to watch them get that for the first time.

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You could see like the joy and the excitement and they were just wrecked.

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I mean, they were just like weeping before God.

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Cause I think it's that thing that just connects you with the father's heart in such a different

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space.

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Um, so it was just, it was really cool.

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You did so well doing that.

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Just you led those alters beautifully.

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Really time of encounter.

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Also keep your 100 tribe.

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We just want to let you know that May 12th, we're going to have a momentum night in Oakland,

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California, 42 92 Keller Avenue in Oakland, California.

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These nights we're just inviting the hungry to join us to alter history.

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Last time we did it, we had over 400 people.

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It was capacity and there were deliverances.

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There were people that got healed.

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There were salvations, uh, people lingered.

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I mean, lingered.

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I mean, lingered.

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And so we're believing that this is going to be super powerful.

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So mark it down, get out there, join us May 12th, Friday night, seven o'clock.

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It is a incredible opportunity to bring folks, get help us get the word out again, momentum

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night, May 12th.

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That's right.

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It's a free event.

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You don't have to register.

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Just show up.

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It's on our website.

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It's on our social media.

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It's on our website.

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And we're going to be talking about the power of God and how God is in the room.

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Cause Sean and I always say there's something about when you get in the room, God encounters

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in a special way.

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And I'm preaching that night.

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Yes.

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So I'm going to go for it and I got the word of the Lord.

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So get in the room, May 12th.

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All right.

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Let's dive in.

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We are talking about some creativity with Jesus, you know, let's begin when we talk

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about kingdom creatives and I really believe that the kingdom creatives are coming forth

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and they've been coming forth for a while.

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And I think that this really ties into the fact of Joel too.

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When the spirit of God is poured out,

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obviously the prophetic begins to happen,

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but I think we think of simply the prophetic

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maybe as us speaking something forth

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or us maybe having a dream or vision,

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but there are other expressions

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that we're seeing coming forth in this hour.

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Let me just take a moment to define

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what we mean by kingdom creativity.

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Kingdom creativity is the process

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by which the nature of God flows through a vessel

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in conjunction to the unique design

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and it displays and demonstrates a beauty, a joy, a pleasure.

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It carries with it revelation.

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It often releases this beauty, but this refreshment

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and ultimately it's for the purpose

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of demonstrating his glory.

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We know that God is not a once upon a time creator.

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That God has continually created sense genesis

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and I think it's just so important that we understand that.

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You know, I always kind of laugh

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because I being a person that is creative,

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I'm really excited about this topic,

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but I always kind of laughed when people are like,

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oh, I'm not creative and I'm like, well, God's creative.

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And if you and I are created in this image,

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therefore there is some creativity in you

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in some way, shape, or form, right?

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Because if we're made in this image

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then there's aspects of God within us.

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So there is not a void of creativity in you.

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It might look different.

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It might be more dominant in some people,

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but there's creativity in all of us.

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And so if God's the source of our creativity,

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then we have to really understand

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that our ultimate creativity

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has to be rooted and grounded in Him.

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And that's really where our search for creativity begins.

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That's really where it evolves in our life

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is really discovering the fullness of God's expression

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in us and through us.

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I think when we understand how creative God actually is,

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how creative God's personality actually is,

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it helps us think outside the box

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and actually connect with God in not ways

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that are so connected to the way we think as humans.

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We serve a God who is outside of our realm.

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And so there's a creativity in everything that God does.

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And so we understand that He is not within our boxes

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or our limitations.

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It helps you understand that He's gonna come at you

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in different ways.

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I think that really helps us understand

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and connect with God at a deeper place

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because He really is so creative.

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Oh my gosh, you read the word of God

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and it's like mind-boggling just how creative God is.

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So when you begin to grasp

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that you really are a unique person,

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that's the creation of a unique God,

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then you really begin to walk in a greater creativity

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in all aspects of your life.

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Cause you're like, whoa, God is incredibly creative

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and He created me to actually create with Him.

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Then all of a sudden you realize, wait, I am creative

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because that's actually what it's created to do,

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create with God.

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I think I'm exhibit A exactly what you're talking about

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because I would have never considered myself artistic

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in any way or as we would define today a creative.

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I wasn't good at drawing as a kid.

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I wasn't good at art and painting.

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I grew up in a different era

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where there wasn't as much of a pro health,

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anti-smoke or secondhand inhalation stuff

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that was out there.

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So whatever I made in art class always turned into an ashtray

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cause you couldn't go wrong.

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So I was the art kid that just was not great at art.

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So I really believed I was non-creative

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until I got saved and began to recognize

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my creativity is with words.

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And although I didn't do well in English throughout school,

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wouldn't it be God to take something that you were weak at

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and turn it around?

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When we talk about kingdom creatives gang,

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they're biblical examples of this.

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And if you go into the Old Testament in Exodus 31,

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it says, then the Lord said to Moses,

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see I've chosen Bezalel of the tribe of Judah

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and I have filled him with the spirit of God.

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This is key.

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He's filled with the spirit of God and skill.

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And it says with ability and knowledge

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and all kinds of crafts to make artistic designs

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for the work in gold, silver, bronze to cut and set stones

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to work in stones and to engage in all kinds of craftsmen.

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So we have this guy in the Bible, a craftsman.

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He's anointed.

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He's a kingdom, pre-kingdom in terms of the kingdom of God

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came through Jesus, but he's a pre-kingdom creative.

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And I love the fact that this dude is basically an artisan

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and anointed to do so.

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You know, I love that.

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Because when we began to really think about

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what is creativity and we're seeing biblical examples,

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and I remember reading that in my 20s

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because I was in the fashion industry post college

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and I minored in art in my university.

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And I'm a natural creative.

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Like I love to design, I love beauty.

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Literally, I received a prophetic word from Shambles

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in my 30s now, but it was probably one of my favorite

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prophetic words over my life that I'd ever received.

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He says, you have the gift of beauty

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that you bring beauty wherever you go.

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And I just love that because it's literally

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how I connect with God.

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You know this about me, baby, of course.

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Anyone that's close to me knows.

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And so I think when we understand that it's actually

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in the word of God, that we're the craftsmanship of God.

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And I just think we're all doing that,

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but in very different ways.

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But I think it's all this expression of who God is.

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Because when you look and think about creativity,

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we go to the obvious, right?

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We think, oh, art, of course, poetry, music,

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and but really there's creativity in business,

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how people design business, how people are super innovative

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in technology and engineering or maybe IT.

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And in the medical world, think about how many

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incredible medical inventions or innovations

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that have been created.

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And we know personally, multiple testimonies

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of people that love Jesus and they're in the medical

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community and God's given them the download

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and cures have been discovered, right?

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There's been like the creativity of God.

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And of course we see this in like entrepreneurs

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and people that begin with dreams and projects

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and they build the business.

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There's a creativity in all of which we do.

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And we have to understand that God's constantly giving us

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access to innovation, creativity, new designs,

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new approaches.

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And I think when we understand that we're actually

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have an invitation through God to live in a creative realm

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that it's actually a realm in which I think we can access

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every single day of our lives.

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We have to understand that we were created to create

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because we serve the creator.

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Our master, our savior, our refuge is the creator

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of the world, right?

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And so no matter what mountain of culture,

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sometimes there's multiple spheres of influence of culture.

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God has deposited within you some sort of creativity in you

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to enable you to really deposit into that sphere of influence,

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to deposit in that sphere of society.

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And I really believe that every single one of us

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have untapped creativity that we have to activate.

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And I think there's an untapped thing that we really want

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people to access even by listening to this podcast today

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to really begin to take inventory in their own life

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of like what in me actually is creatively connecting with God?

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Not just like linear thinking, but actually like connecting

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with God on a much greater grander scale.

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And that's such a great point.

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I was thinking about George Washington Carver.

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He was an African-American.

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I used to professor at Tuskegee Institute back in the day.

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And I think he spanned at like 1800s to the mid 1900s.

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This guy was so creative.

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He literally got all these different ideas

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in terms of what to do with a peanut.

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Like I'm forgetting, but there is like dozens upon dozens

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upon dozens of inventions.

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And the guy was a scientist.

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He was environmentalist.

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But there's no doubt the creativity in that guy may not

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have ever showed up on a canvas, but it showed up

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in the area of environmentalism.

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So to your point, there's creativity in all different areas.

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I think when you talk about that creativity,

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by its very nature, it bypasses mental logistics.

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And I think that's why left brain logical people typically

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score less.

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And now when I say this, I'm excluding the God factor.

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Like you put God in the equation,

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the most left brain logistic person

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could be the most creative person.

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But typically left brain people aren't considered

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the artistic people.

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It's right brain people.

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It's because I think creativity bypasses that mental logistics.

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And it really, I think it's more of a spiritual aspect

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of what God has created within us.

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And I think art is like the prophetic.

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It goes straight to the heart, spirit to spirit.

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For instance, every time you create a piece of art,

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someone produces something, someone designs something,

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someone communicates in a way, it could be down to poetry,

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it could be book writing, it could be movie producing,

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it could be art, it could be music, entertainment,

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whatever it is.

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If you love the Lord, you're releasing the kingdom

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in a creative way.

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And in that, what happens is you allow the father

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to flow through you with the Holy Spirit.

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How often have we been in a movie theater, Tur?

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For instance, recently, the movie Jesus Revolutionaries,

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and they were put forth by Christians.

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I found myself weeping.

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It's because all the creativity in the movie

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really was a vehicle for God to allow an expression through it.

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And I believe through this art, through this creativity,

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people get an opportunity to prophesy.

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And that's why people listening,

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it's so important that you discover your aspect

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that God is breathing on for you to create something.

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Because God, as Christ said earlier,

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you've been created to be a creative.

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And as you're able to release that,

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God is able to use that to release His light,

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His love to other people.

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And your creative voice, I think like for many of you,

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maybe your aspect of creativity is your testimony,

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is your voice, it's how you speak to people.

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It has the capacity to transmit and communicate

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the light and life of God.

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We know that creativity is designed by God

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to go straight to hearts, spirit to spirit,

345
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and God wants to use His children in Kingdom creativity.

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We've certainly seen the opposite of that.

347
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We've seen where people who were operating

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00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:12,200
under a demonic spirit go to the arts

349
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and create something that you feel defiled when you see it.

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You feel like something's wrong.

351
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I've seen some of this art and I go, oh my God,

352
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there's chaos in that art.

353
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I don't feel peace in that art.

354
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And so we know that this can be a spiritual communication.

355
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You know, I think all the creatives

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when I make this next statement,

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they all go, yes and amen.

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You know, creatives process the world

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different than other people.

360
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And I certainly know that's true.

361
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You know, I live that.

362
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You know, creatives, we see other things

363
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that other people don't see.

364
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And we hear sounds and we recognize things.

365
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And we notice the nuances that other people pass by.

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And we recognize kind of the little things.

367
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We're just paying attention to those little like God moments

368
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in the midst of like a day

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that other people will simply pass over.

370
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And what I love about creatives,

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it is it helps other people slow down and stop

372
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and have those encounters with God.

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Like I remember, because I minored in art at my university,

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there were many nights that I had projects that were due,

375
00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:10,960
you know, and so me and some other creatives

376
00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:12,560
were always in the painting studio.

377
00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:15,760
And I loved it because I would put on like worship music

378
00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:17,600
and I always found myself connecting with God

379
00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:20,760
and then I remember watching Charites of Fire with my dad

380
00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:23,200
and this man was his movie about a runner.

381
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And it kind of put to verb it.

382
00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:26,600
It verbalized something

383
00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:29,640
that I hadn't necessarily consciously articulated,

384
00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:32,160
but it was like the guy that was the lead of Charites of Fire.

385
00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:33,320
It's based off a true story.

386
00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:34,160
Very gliding.

387
00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:35,000
Yeah.

388
00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:37,040
He said that he could, he felt like he connected with God

389
00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:37,960
when he ran.

390
00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:41,280
And I remember like when that statement was made,

391
00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:43,480
I thought, I feel like I connect with God

392
00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:44,640
when I create beauty.

393
00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:46,320
Like I feel like I connect with God

394
00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:48,840
when I make something from scratch

395
00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:52,520
and I make something that isn't existing.

396
00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:55,360
There's a part of myself that connects with God

397
00:16:55,360 --> 00:16:59,680
because he created, he's created so much from nothing

398
00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:00,520
into something.

399
00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:03,640
And there's that partnership in the creative process

400
00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:05,080
that's really incredible.

401
00:17:05,080 --> 00:17:07,280
But I've just noticed like for me,

402
00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:10,440
that's just such a powerful place

403
00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:13,680
when I understand that there's a attribute of God

404
00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:15,960
that we can tap into through creativity.

405
00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:18,040
All the more it makes me want to make sure

406
00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:19,920
I'm really guarding that space of creativity

407
00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:22,200
because it really is a place of connection.

408
00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:23,240
That's so good.

409
00:17:23,240 --> 00:17:25,440
And that leads us, speaking of a creative,

410
00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:27,760
that leads us into our special guest.

411
00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:30,600
Mark Afshar is an incredibly gifted

412
00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:32,800
and creative young man of God.

413
00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:35,280
And he's married and he's got three kids.

414
00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:36,680
He's particularly dear to us.

415
00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:39,960
I actually got a chance to officiate his wedding ceremony.

416
00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:43,160
He is the campus director of CHI Alpha at my alma mater,

417
00:17:43,160 --> 00:17:44,480
the University of Pacific.

418
00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:48,200
He does a lot of chapel service for various sports teams

419
00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:51,320
across the Bay Area and Sacramento area.

420
00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:53,680
He's in demand as I guess you would call

421
00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:56,240
a videography person or videographer.

422
00:17:56,240 --> 00:17:57,080
He's incredible.

423
00:17:57,080 --> 00:17:59,920
He's got Mark, Stevie visuals.

424
00:17:59,920 --> 00:18:02,640
He creates some of the freshest reels.

425
00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:07,400
The guy's an incredible, I mean an incredible Christian rapper

426
00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:09,640
who has gone on tour and has written some

427
00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:12,480
of the most clever bars I've ever heard.

428
00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:15,640
But probably maybe one of the best ways I could introduce

429
00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:17,320
Mark is that everything I've seen him do,

430
00:18:17,320 --> 00:18:20,600
I've seen a creative expression where he's out of the box.

431
00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:21,640
I love this guy.

432
00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:24,680
So jump in this interview with us with Mark Afshar.

433
00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:26,080
Keep your 100 tribe.

434
00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:27,120
Oh my goodness.

435
00:18:27,120 --> 00:18:29,320
I get a chance to have one of my favorite people

436
00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:31,840
on the planet on Keep Your 100.

437
00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:33,960
He is a mighty man of God.

438
00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:35,760
He does so many things.

439
00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:37,200
He's a spiritual son to me.

440
00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:39,840
But when we're thinking about this podcast

441
00:18:39,840 --> 00:18:41,200
of kingdom creativity,

442
00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:44,760
I couldn't think of a better guy to bring on the pod.

443
00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:47,440
And so I want you guys to just give a warm Keep Your 100

444
00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:49,440
tribe welcome to Mark Afshar.

445
00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:50,280
What's up, Mark?

446
00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:51,520
What's up, what's up, Sean?

447
00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:52,560
Good to be on here with you.

448
00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:53,400
Love you, man.

449
00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:54,240
Keep your 100.

450
00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:56,720
If you recognize the voice, you might recognize the voice.

451
00:18:56,720 --> 00:18:57,560
Hey, that's right.

452
00:18:57,560 --> 00:19:00,520
In case you don't know it, Mark's on every podcast.

453
00:19:00,520 --> 00:19:04,120
Mark literally is the one that does our intro.

454
00:19:04,120 --> 00:19:05,640
He put together the music.

455
00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:08,240
So anything you hear musically on the podcast,

456
00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:10,920
our intro and outro, speaking of creatives,

457
00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:13,520
this mighty man of God has done that.

458
00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:16,120
The guy has his hands on so many different things,

459
00:19:16,120 --> 00:19:18,200
but we're going to just jump right in this, Mark,

460
00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:19,920
because I think this is so amazing.

461
00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:22,520
First of all, I was thinking about kingdom creativity, man.

462
00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:26,360
And this dude, they named the Hubble Telescope after him.

463
00:19:26,360 --> 00:19:27,560
He came up with the Hubble Law.

464
00:19:27,560 --> 00:19:29,680
But basically, people have improved on it.

465
00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:33,640
What they found out is God is not a once upon a time creator.

466
00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:36,880
And man, some people listen to you need to let that just set

467
00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:37,440
for a minute.

468
00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:39,240
He's not a once upon a time creator.

469
00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:41,880
They say the universe right now is ever expanding,

470
00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:45,560
which means the creator is still creating at the end of the day.

471
00:19:45,560 --> 00:19:48,800
They said, not only are we moving through space,

472
00:19:48,800 --> 00:19:51,320
we know that solar systems and stuff they rotate,

473
00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:54,360
but they've proven that not only are we moving through space,

474
00:19:54,360 --> 00:19:56,040
we're moving in space.

475
00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:58,640
And here is their conclusion that the universe

476
00:19:58,640 --> 00:20:01,200
is expanding to eternity.

477
00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:03,120
That's the words of scientists.

478
00:20:03,120 --> 00:20:03,600
It's crazy.

479
00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:05,600
So I was just thinking this whole thing of creativity.

480
00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:07,880
And I thought, man, we got to do justice to this.

481
00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:09,120
So let's jump in this, Mark.

482
00:20:09,120 --> 00:20:10,680
Let's begin here, man.

483
00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:12,800
Tell me, man, coming up and everything,

484
00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:15,360
how did Jesus make heaven real to you?

485
00:20:15,360 --> 00:20:18,880
Man, I grew up in the Bay Area.

486
00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:21,640
Family background, kind of Catholic, something like that.

487
00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:23,960
Got water baptized as a baby, that type of stuff.

488
00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:26,000
And you know, with the priests, closing curtains

489
00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:28,080
when they had to go perform their duty on our behalf.

490
00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:30,080
So that was kind of my grid for Jesus.

491
00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:31,920
So heaven wasn't real at that point.

492
00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:34,840
Just the priestly duties were, that's all I knew.

493
00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:36,520
But I went long story short.

494
00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:39,920
I got accepted into a college in Northern California,

495
00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:42,720
UC Davis, and didn't know the Lord.

496
00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:44,720
But I ran into, I was intercepted

497
00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:47,080
by these Christian Jesus-loving college students,

498
00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:49,320
which I never knew existed on a collegiate campus.

499
00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:50,520
You know, in my mind, I'm like, all right,

500
00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:51,520
where the frat party's at?

501
00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:52,120
Let's get lit.

502
00:20:52,120 --> 00:20:52,800
Let's turn up.

503
00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:53,720
You know why I'm here.

504
00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:55,840
You know, no parents in the house.

505
00:20:55,840 --> 00:20:59,200
But they so loved on me, introduced me to Jesus.

506
00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:00,840
And I would attend their long story short.

507
00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:02,840
I would attend their meetings, their worship services.

508
00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:03,920
They would have some fun events, too.

509
00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:05,080
That's kind of what pulled me in.

510
00:21:05,080 --> 00:21:07,640
And man, I just started experiencing Jesus,

511
00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:10,280
like as if he walked into the room during these meetings,

512
00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:11,360
I would feel his presence.

513
00:21:11,360 --> 00:21:12,240
I would sense him.

514
00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:14,360
I would know that, wow, like Jesus is real.

515
00:21:14,360 --> 00:21:15,320
Heaven is real.

516
00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:17,320
I mean, I'm here experiencing it right now.

517
00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:19,240
I want to give my life this, like, I don't care

518
00:21:19,240 --> 00:21:20,480
about my biology class anymore.

519
00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:20,920
I did.

520
00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:21,960
I graduated everybody.

521
00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:23,880
But like still, like Jesus became real to me,

522
00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:26,360
not like every other concern, kind of just sifted away.

523
00:21:26,360 --> 00:21:28,160
And so, man, yes.

524
00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:29,200
That is so awesome.

525
00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:31,880
Now, when you say, Mark, you felt this presence,

526
00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:33,440
he made himself real to you.

527
00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:38,040
Was it just like you felt like this altogether otherness?

528
00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:42,200
Did you see some specific miracles and some moves of God?

529
00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:45,480
Did you experience maybe some sort of physical touch

530
00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:47,280
on your body that you felt from the Lord?

531
00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:49,040
Kind of break that down a little bit for us.

532
00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:50,320
Man, can I say all of the above?

533
00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:51,640
I mean, really, it was an accumulation.

534
00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:57,080
But I think the main moment that I had with Lord was,

535
00:21:57,080 --> 00:21:59,880
I guess my whole life, prior to that moment where Jesus

536
00:21:59,880 --> 00:22:02,000
became real to me in my eyes and heart,

537
00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:04,080
was my heart was always searching for something.

538
00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:07,040
And it was never at rest until the moment that Jesus,

539
00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:09,320
I was introduced to Jesus in his presence.

540
00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:10,800
I truly felt at rest.

541
00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:14,040
My heart was no longer needed to search for whatever,

542
00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:17,600
affirmation, accolade, success, a college degree, money,

543
00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:21,040
whatever it may be, it was finally connected.

544
00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:22,560
And so that was it for me.

545
00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:24,880
Ever since then, I just have had that small heart.

546
00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:28,040
And shout out to Jesus, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords.

547
00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:31,840
But along with that, I had that journey and that experience

548
00:22:31,840 --> 00:22:34,400
was also, I was out of service early on.

549
00:22:34,400 --> 00:22:36,240
Like I recently gave my life to Jesus.

550
00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:39,480
I went to like a week long service retreat camp

551
00:22:39,480 --> 00:22:41,880
where you go and donate your time and help out

552
00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:42,960
build some of the church.

553
00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:44,920
Well, anyways, here comes this guest speaker

554
00:22:44,920 --> 00:22:45,800
at the end of the week.

555
00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:49,080
And the whole week we were being fed and they took care of us.

556
00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:50,880
And I couldn't eat the morning breakfast

557
00:22:50,880 --> 00:22:52,560
that was serving us because it was cereal.

558
00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:54,600
And I was just lactose intolerant at the time.

559
00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:57,840
And so everybody was just kind of giving me a hard time.

560
00:22:57,840 --> 00:23:00,000
Oh, I guess you're fasting breakfast or whatever.

561
00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:01,480
And I was like, all right, whatever.

562
00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:03,680
Here comes this guest speaker and at the end of his service.

563
00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:04,800
I mean, just a fire service.

564
00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:05,840
He's preaching fire.

565
00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:07,000
I'm like, this is incredible.

566
00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:09,360
He says someone in the room has a food allergy

567
00:23:09,360 --> 00:23:13,080
and you're lactose intolerant, allergy, whatever.

568
00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:15,240
And everybody just looks back at me

569
00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:17,480
as if I'm that person because I was that person.

570
00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:19,080
Anyway, I stand up.

571
00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:20,440
I say, yeah, that's me.

572
00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:21,280
I get healed.

573
00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:22,600
I'm eating ice cream ever since.

574
00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:24,560
Like salt and straws might, like, I mean,

575
00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:26,840
I know we don't have like a brand shout out to them.

576
00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:28,400
Like, we're not getting money from this,

577
00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:29,600
but like salt and straw.

578
00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:31,480
It's my go to, Sean, it's the best ice cream

579
00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:32,440
in Northern California.

580
00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:35,000
So anyways, man, I mean, just stuff like that,

581
00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:37,080
like God would introduce himself like to me

582
00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:39,600
in just new ways and like affirm his love for me

583
00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:40,840
if something simple is that.

584
00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:43,320
And, you know, gotta see just some awesome miracles

585
00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:45,160
and healings on the college campus.

586
00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:47,640
Gotta see students lives transform where maybe they walked

587
00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:49,160
away from the Lord came to college

588
00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:50,360
and walked away from the Lord

589
00:23:50,360 --> 00:23:53,080
and then just see their hearts come back to Jesus.

590
00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:56,360
Water baptizing college students in a recreation pool

591
00:23:56,360 --> 00:23:57,560
on the college campus.

592
00:23:57,560 --> 00:23:59,920
I mean, seeing a whole fraternity infiltrated

593
00:23:59,920 --> 00:24:01,840
because the president got saved.

594
00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:03,440
He weak water baptized them all.

595
00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:05,560
His brothers were high, smelled like weed,

596
00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:07,240
but heaven came down, man.

597
00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:09,080
Ain't nothing like the aroma of Christ, Sean.

598
00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:10,480
You know what time it is.

599
00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:13,000
Hey, hey, come on, bro.

600
00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:15,400
You know, and I think one of the things that's so,

601
00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:18,040
our listeners need to understand is that

602
00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:20,440
you had such an immediate hunger.

603
00:24:20,440 --> 00:24:23,640
You reached out to me and we connected.

604
00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:26,320
I couldn't even tell you how many years ago that's been.

605
00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:28,360
I think it was like 20, 30, man.

606
00:24:28,360 --> 00:24:29,560
It might be, I think it's 10 years

607
00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:31,120
because that service that I was talking about,

608
00:24:31,120 --> 00:24:32,720
it's like that was Sean Smith Ministries.

609
00:24:32,720 --> 00:24:36,280
If you guys didn't know, but I believe that was 10 years ago.

610
00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:39,840
Wow. And you reached out to me and just,

611
00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:42,360
I think you came to a meeting.

612
00:24:42,360 --> 00:24:43,480
We connected.

613
00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:44,520
We talked a little bit.

614
00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:47,520
I immediately sense that level of hunger on you.

615
00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:50,480
Immediately sense the touch of God on your life

616
00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:53,840
and been able to see God do some phenomenal things.

617
00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:56,640
You know, Mark, one of the things that you were sharing

618
00:24:56,640 --> 00:24:58,720
just about receiving a miracle.

619
00:24:58,720 --> 00:24:59,920
I was thinking about what it's going to take

620
00:24:59,920 --> 00:25:01,960
to reach and impact the generation.

621
00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:05,440
Yes, 30 and under, but just people breathing air on earth.

622
00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:07,960
And we can't be handing out old stale traditions.

623
00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:09,960
If we serve a God that is,

624
00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:13,120
ever we've established, he's still creating.

625
00:25:13,120 --> 00:25:14,600
He's still innovating.

626
00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:16,080
And you know, I think about Joel too,

627
00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:17,360
when he says, God will pour on us,

628
00:25:17,360 --> 00:25:20,240
spread on all flesh, sons and daughters of prophesies,

629
00:25:20,240 --> 00:25:22,200
or men dream, dreams, young men see visions.

630
00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:24,200
I think we think that the God point out

631
00:25:24,200 --> 00:25:26,280
to spread on all flesh means everyone's going to jump

632
00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:27,400
into pulpit and preach.

633
00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:29,800
But I think what we've missed is that

634
00:25:29,800 --> 00:25:31,240
when he part of spread on all flesh,

635
00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:33,600
number one, obviously it's going to hit the streets.

636
00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:34,880
But I think it's going to look different.

637
00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:36,960
I think his spirit pouring all flesh,

638
00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:39,440
it's going to raise the level of creativity.

639
00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:41,720
We're establishing God as a creative God.

640
00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:43,960
And so we're going to see creativity.

641
00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:45,480
I think that's why we have so many

642
00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:48,560
of the emerging generation into arts, into dance,

643
00:25:48,560 --> 00:25:51,440
appreciative of the aesthetics of things.

644
00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:53,320
Like, you're going to reach the emerging generation.

645
00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:56,000
You can have some old, dead, tired looking,

646
00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:57,520
religious building.

647
00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:00,440
You need to give some thought and put it together.

648
00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:02,680
Aesthetics, because there is this creativity.

649
00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:05,120
At what point in your come up, Mark,

650
00:26:05,120 --> 00:26:07,480
did you begin to discover that there was something

651
00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:10,200
that God had wired you towards creativity

652
00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:11,080
and being a creative?

653
00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:13,080
Because we'll break this down in a minute.

654
00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:15,760
Maybe you could share, but you are creative

655
00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:16,880
in so many different ways.

656
00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:20,320
But how did you begin to realize that that was on you?

657
00:26:20,320 --> 00:26:22,640
You know, I mean, looking back in retrospect over my life,

658
00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:25,040
I mean, I was like four years old in front of my mirror

659
00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:27,240
in my room with a fake microphone in my hand just

660
00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:27,760
performing.

661
00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:30,240
But I just kind of always felt like I had that in me.

662
00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:34,120
Just wanted to express myself, even the way I was dressed

663
00:26:34,120 --> 00:26:36,240
as a kid and just kind of out there,

664
00:26:36,240 --> 00:26:38,000
but just very expressive.

665
00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:39,760
And I appreciated that.

666
00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:41,840
I don't know if that was encouraged by my parents

667
00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:42,600
or anything like that.

668
00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:43,400
Maybe it was.

669
00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:45,920
I least didn't discourage it.

670
00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:49,120
But even in high school, I would

671
00:26:49,120 --> 00:26:51,600
make these music mix tapes and I would sell them.

672
00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:54,600
And just I would know what was in at the time.

673
00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:56,720
Yeah, that was my side hustle, Sean, in high school.

674
00:26:56,720 --> 00:26:57,320
I was lit.

675
00:26:57,320 --> 00:26:58,280
I was like a DJ.

676
00:26:58,280 --> 00:26:59,640
But not really a DJ yet.

677
00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:02,200
So I would make these mix tapes and sell them.

678
00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:04,040
Even on my high school basketball team,

679
00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:07,320
everybody looked to me to control the music of what

680
00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:08,600
we came out to.

681
00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:11,240
Just so I always felt like I had.

682
00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:12,200
I didn't know it at the time.

683
00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:14,800
I just kind of felt like I had that creative insight that I

684
00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:18,200
guess maybe not a lot of other people would be thinking about.

685
00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:20,720
Maybe some of the basketball, they were better at playing

686
00:27:20,720 --> 00:27:22,080
the game and they were kind of locking in.

687
00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:24,640
And they didn't really have that concept of, no,

688
00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:27,960
I want to feel like I'm coming out cool and swaggy and ready

689
00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:28,560
to play.

690
00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:29,760
And they didn't know how to channel that.

691
00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:30,480
And I felt like I did.

692
00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:33,640
And so then going into college and joining the campus

693
00:27:33,640 --> 00:27:37,760
ministry, which was predominantly not cool.

694
00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:39,560
The students in there weren't cool in the world's eyes

695
00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:40,080
or whatever.

696
00:27:40,080 --> 00:27:43,120
And so I felt like I got to help bring that factor

697
00:27:43,120 --> 00:27:46,000
into the campus ministry and kind of brought some relevancy

698
00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:47,320
to the campus at large.

699
00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:50,040
We started seeing some influencers come in, some athletes

700
00:27:50,040 --> 00:27:52,400
and stuff like that, which I felt like God was using me

701
00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:53,560
as a bridge.

702
00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:55,040
So yeah, and then now I'm like, man,

703
00:27:55,040 --> 00:27:57,520
people like companies, businesses, brands, colleges

704
00:27:57,520 --> 00:28:00,600
are coming to me because they want me to create stuff for them

705
00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:03,360
that is competing in the world that shows them

706
00:28:03,360 --> 00:28:05,520
as the way that they want to be shown,

707
00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:06,320
but they don't know who I do.

708
00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:08,200
So they're coming to me to make videos for them.

709
00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:11,000
And so yeah, man, I'm kind of like finally coming into that

710
00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:13,360
realization that God has given a gift and really just

711
00:28:13,360 --> 00:28:16,600
to go at it with all I can and honor God and bring Jesus

712
00:28:16,600 --> 00:28:18,040
with me everywhere I go, man.

713
00:28:18,040 --> 00:28:20,440
I've been to some big Bay Area like rap concerts

714
00:28:20,440 --> 00:28:22,480
where some big barrier rappers are not Christian,

715
00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:24,560
but man, I got to lay hands on them, pray for them,

716
00:28:24,560 --> 00:28:25,520
heaven show it up.

717
00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:28,200
Like just some really cool opportunities as a result of,

718
00:28:28,200 --> 00:28:30,200
you know, just the creative, gifting.

719
00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:31,040
And that's so cool.

720
00:28:31,040 --> 00:28:33,440
And Mark, you're such a humble guy.

721
00:28:33,440 --> 00:28:36,120
Mark is a Christian rapper, but to be more accurate,

722
00:28:36,120 --> 00:28:38,880
he's a preacher who happens to rap Jesus.

723
00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:43,120
And so you, first of all, tell us how did you begin to spit

724
00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:44,720
like the obviously you said you're in your room

725
00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:46,840
and then you began to make mixtapes.

726
00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:49,640
But to our listeners, Mark is travel on tour.

727
00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:53,200
Mark has iTunes downloadable.

728
00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:55,960
He is probably in my estimation, obviously he's anointed,

729
00:28:55,960 --> 00:28:58,880
he lives for Jesus, but your bars, your lies,

730
00:28:58,880 --> 00:29:01,200
your lyrics are so clever.

731
00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:03,280
I love it and lifts up Jesus.

732
00:29:03,280 --> 00:29:06,280
And it's like you said, it's something that I recognize.

733
00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:09,120
You know, when Paul says I became all things to all men

734
00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:11,080
that in some way I might win some,

735
00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:14,440
I see you doing that and doing it uncompromise.

736
00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:16,400
So how did the rap thing, first of all, tell us,

737
00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:19,920
how many downloads have you had in this area

738
00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:23,120
and you've had collabs with different Christian rappers?

739
00:29:23,120 --> 00:29:26,680
I mean, folks, y'all need to look up Mark Stevie right now, man.

740
00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:27,880
It's incredible.

741
00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:31,080
But tell us how, what has that been like for you

742
00:29:31,080 --> 00:29:33,960
and how has that been an expression of God's creativity?

743
00:29:33,960 --> 00:29:35,280
Kind of tell us about that, bro.

744
00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:36,760
No, I totally agree with that.

745
00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:38,560
It's like I started doing chapels

746
00:29:38,560 --> 00:29:40,600
for some of the sports teams on my university,

747
00:29:40,600 --> 00:29:43,000
as it means to just connect with students and stuff.

748
00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:45,960
But I'd start my introduction with a rap.

749
00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:48,560
And you're right, it totally diffuses like,

750
00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:50,800
oh, this like pastor dude is trying to come and talk to me.

751
00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:52,800
Like I'm not trying to hear you, but like, oh, wait, hold up.

752
00:29:52,800 --> 00:29:55,720
He's rapping and it's lit and it gets their attention

753
00:29:55,720 --> 00:29:57,440
and you just kind of like just help connect

754
00:29:57,440 --> 00:29:59,520
a little bit more and so, man, it's been amazing.

755
00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:01,320
Like ever since I was in high school,

756
00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:03,040
you know, we would travel on the bus,

757
00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:05,280
somebody would hit the back of the seat to create a beat

758
00:30:05,280 --> 00:30:07,440
and we'd all just take turns freestyling, you know?

759
00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:09,680
And that evolved into, you know,

760
00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:11,400
getting my own equipment in my house,

761
00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:13,680
my room and my computer and start recording myself

762
00:30:13,680 --> 00:30:15,200
and with my friends, all for fun.

763
00:30:15,200 --> 00:30:16,600
And, you know, when we were in high school,

764
00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:19,120
we thought we were so lit and we'd pull up to house parties

765
00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:21,600
and perform and, you know, we try to be like those dudes

766
00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:23,720
and we had a really good, like it was fun, you know?

767
00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:27,240
And we got a little buzz and then got to college,

768
00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:28,160
gave my life to Jesus.

769
00:30:28,160 --> 00:30:30,160
And so there was kind of this like, well, you know,

770
00:30:30,160 --> 00:30:31,440
I still love rap.

771
00:30:31,440 --> 00:30:34,080
It might not be as encouraged in the space that I'm at,

772
00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:36,800
but let me bring that flavor in.

773
00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:39,880
And so I made a anthem for my local ministry

774
00:30:39,880 --> 00:30:41,880
and I got all these like kids that like don't,

775
00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:43,320
like they probably listened to Taylor Swift

776
00:30:43,320 --> 00:30:44,840
or something like that to all rap

777
00:30:44,840 --> 00:30:46,400
and make this music anthem.

778
00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:48,040
And like it went crazy.

779
00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:49,760
And then I did one for the national

780
00:30:49,760 --> 00:30:51,320
Cai Alpha campus ministry.

781
00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:53,680
And then I just got all these texts and people like saying,

782
00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:55,800
like, dude, we play that song like as the intro,

783
00:30:55,800 --> 00:30:58,040
when students are coming in, that's our pre-service music.

784
00:30:58,040 --> 00:30:59,040
And then it just dawned on me.

785
00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:00,560
I'm like, wow, like I feel like, you know,

786
00:31:00,560 --> 00:31:02,680
rap can really help bring, you know,

787
00:31:02,680 --> 00:31:04,600
be that bridge to these college students.

788
00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:06,560
And so I started rapping more

789
00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:08,400
and I met a really good close friend of mine right now,

790
00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:11,920
named Mission, who is a veteran Christian rapper, incredible.

791
00:31:11,920 --> 00:31:13,240
He kind of took me under his wing

792
00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:14,360
and we really did some cool stuff.

793
00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:16,800
We did some tours, did some really cool music.

794
00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:19,280
I almost hit a million streams last year on Spotify,

795
00:31:19,280 --> 00:31:20,160
which is insane.

796
00:31:20,160 --> 00:31:22,880
I mean, like, honestly guys, like that's not my goal,

797
00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:24,960
but like, man, I got on a couple of playlists

798
00:31:24,960 --> 00:31:26,040
that were like Christian rap.

799
00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:29,040
And, you know, that exposed me to a lot of people that,

800
00:31:29,040 --> 00:31:30,880
you know, Christian people that enjoy Christian rap.

801
00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:32,920
And so, man, it's a lot of fun.

802
00:31:32,920 --> 00:31:34,280
Like I love it.

803
00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:35,240
I'm grateful for it.

804
00:31:35,240 --> 00:31:36,760
The tool that it has become

805
00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:38,520
and also just the creative expression

806
00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:40,800
that I'm able to just kind of express myself

807
00:31:40,800 --> 00:31:42,760
and man, if I could reach people with that, man,

808
00:31:42,760 --> 00:31:43,600
I love that.

809
00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:44,440
That's incredible.

810
00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:45,360
Like, because I love to do it.

811
00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:46,280
I love being clever.

812
00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:49,360
Sean, me, you go back and forth on clever lines,

813
00:31:49,360 --> 00:31:51,560
you know, even communication and like, man,

814
00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:55,080
to be able to express that and be heard and impact, awesome.

815
00:31:55,080 --> 00:31:56,280
Hey, keep it 100 tribe.

816
00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:59,800
Probably have never heard me quote Jimi Hendrix, the rocker,

817
00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:03,520
but he said himself, he says, music is spiritual.

818
00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:05,400
He says, music is supernatural.

819
00:32:05,400 --> 00:32:07,240
He says with it, you could preach

820
00:32:07,240 --> 00:32:09,320
into the subconscious of people.

821
00:32:09,320 --> 00:32:12,320
And so I don't know if we recognize just the power of that.

822
00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:14,840
I mean, you think obviously Satan, we know him today,

823
00:32:14,840 --> 00:32:18,280
was Lucifer, but Lucifer, according to you cross reference,

824
00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:20,400
different places, Ezekiel, Isaiah,

825
00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:23,080
he was an anointed cherub and there was musical instruments

826
00:32:23,080 --> 00:32:26,960
built in the enemy and he still uses music.

827
00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:29,320
But I mean, you know, he was created like that

828
00:32:29,320 --> 00:32:30,640
to be creative.

829
00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:34,080
I think nowadays we see that just emerging.

830
00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:38,280
You and I have done outreaches together at universities.

831
00:32:38,280 --> 00:32:40,400
And I remember one time we were in Texas

832
00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:42,920
at one of the largest conferences, Mark currently.

833
00:32:42,920 --> 00:32:44,520
Obviously he was a part of a CHI Alpha

834
00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:45,960
in terms of when he got saved as a student,

835
00:32:45,960 --> 00:32:48,400
but he's a director of a campus ministry now.

836
00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:51,360
It's at Spiritfield, outreach to secular universities.

837
00:32:51,360 --> 00:32:53,040
But we brought you to Texas.

838
00:32:53,040 --> 00:32:54,960
You did many concerts each night.

839
00:32:54,960 --> 00:32:56,520
I'm telling you, there's some kids

840
00:32:56,520 --> 00:32:59,640
and we weren't in like urban center Dallas.

841
00:32:59,640 --> 00:33:01,080
We were in another place,

842
00:33:01,080 --> 00:33:04,640
a little more like Texas walking rangers up in the air.

843
00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:08,200
And man, they jumped on and started dancing,

844
00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:11,480
started going for it at night, preach, prophesied.

845
00:33:11,480 --> 00:33:13,560
We had so many people get saved in those meetings.

846
00:33:13,560 --> 00:33:16,280
So many students get baptized in the Holy Ghost.

847
00:33:16,280 --> 00:33:17,360
It was so awesome.

848
00:33:17,360 --> 00:33:20,920
Mark, how do you access new levels of creativity?

849
00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:23,160
Cause man, you're a preacher.

850
00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:26,600
You have had incredible and still do favor

851
00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:28,120
with reaching out to sports teams.

852
00:33:28,120 --> 00:33:29,680
You're in Christian rap.

853
00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:31,960
You make videos and your reels.

854
00:33:31,960 --> 00:33:34,000
I don't know if anyone better, you know, Instagram,

855
00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:35,640
you see reels are such a thing.

856
00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:37,240
To me, you're the king of reels.

857
00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:39,040
Like people need to hire you, reach out to you.

858
00:33:39,040 --> 00:33:41,120
I don't know if they'll be able to get time with you.

859
00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:46,120
But now even your photography, even your consulting,

860
00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:49,400
people are bringing you in, flying you across the country.

861
00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:52,320
I mean, how do you tap deeper levels of creativity?

862
00:33:52,320 --> 00:33:56,160
I'd be one that I falsely labeled myself non-creative.

863
00:33:56,160 --> 00:33:57,480
I didn't think I was very creative,

864
00:33:57,480 --> 00:33:59,280
but God made us all creative

865
00:33:59,280 --> 00:34:00,760
and I began to discover, you know,

866
00:34:00,760 --> 00:34:02,280
I'm not trying to compare myself

867
00:34:02,280 --> 00:34:04,000
to someone's else's creativity.

868
00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:08,280
I need to locate what the all creative God in me has put.

869
00:34:08,280 --> 00:34:10,560
How do you tap into new levels of creativity?

870
00:34:10,560 --> 00:34:11,400
That's so good.

871
00:34:11,400 --> 00:34:12,400
I love that.

872
00:34:12,400 --> 00:34:15,320
Yeah, I think right now it's like sometimes,

873
00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:17,120
well, like I guess the creativity

874
00:34:17,120 --> 00:34:19,800
that I've been able to express and put out in the world

875
00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:21,080
so far has landed, man.

876
00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:22,960
And you know, a couple of gigs, you know,

877
00:34:22,960 --> 00:34:24,960
especially like mentioned, like for video work.

878
00:34:24,960 --> 00:34:26,520
And it's sometimes it's a challenge

879
00:34:26,520 --> 00:34:28,480
because it's like come to a place where like, you're right.

880
00:34:28,480 --> 00:34:30,560
Like I need to go deeper in my creativity

881
00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:33,080
because right now I'm just churning out kind of things

882
00:34:33,080 --> 00:34:34,480
that, you know, people enjoy still,

883
00:34:34,480 --> 00:34:35,960
like, and it's still creative work.

884
00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:37,800
But lately I've been searching for like, yeah,

885
00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:39,480
how do I go deeper?

886
00:34:39,480 --> 00:34:41,400
And so what I've really been trying to tap into

887
00:34:41,400 --> 00:34:42,960
and think about lately is like,

888
00:34:42,960 --> 00:34:45,800
I don't think it's so much the result of the creative,

889
00:34:45,800 --> 00:34:47,120
like what you're creating.

890
00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:50,840
It's more so the state that the creator lowercase is in

891
00:34:50,840 --> 00:34:53,440
at the moment, you know, when they begin to create.

892
00:34:53,440 --> 00:34:56,680
And so I feel like, man, like when I'm more at peace

893
00:34:56,680 --> 00:34:57,880
with the whole, I mean,

894
00:34:57,880 --> 00:34:59,040
you're always at peace, you know, with God,

895
00:34:59,040 --> 00:35:00,440
but like, if you're like, just have it,

896
00:35:00,440 --> 00:35:01,360
don't do that, you'll be at God.

897
00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:03,640
But like, if I'm in a better state,

898
00:35:03,640 --> 00:35:06,280
like if I'm being fed more by the Lord,

899
00:35:06,280 --> 00:35:08,840
if I'm, you know, my consecration time, my devotion time,

900
00:35:08,840 --> 00:35:11,040
like I just feel like if I'm in like,

901
00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:14,200
in that better state than like my creativity

902
00:35:14,200 --> 00:35:16,480
is going to be like just worlds apart, you know,

903
00:35:16,480 --> 00:35:17,880
as opposed to if I'm busy, busy, busy.

904
00:35:17,880 --> 00:35:19,920
And so I just feel like new ideas blossom

905
00:35:19,920 --> 00:35:22,920
when I'm like in a more like just like non-busy state,

906
00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:24,120
I'll make space for God.

907
00:35:24,120 --> 00:35:27,200
And you know, for him to speak to my heart and, you know,

908
00:35:27,200 --> 00:35:29,000
I think it's that, and then, you know,

909
00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:30,840
on the practical level, I think it's seen

910
00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:33,680
what other people are doing and be inspired by them.

911
00:35:33,680 --> 00:35:35,640
I think it's also putting yourself in situations

912
00:35:35,640 --> 00:35:36,880
that you maybe you're unfamiliar with

913
00:35:36,880 --> 00:35:38,840
and you have to have to make something happen.

914
00:35:38,840 --> 00:35:41,480
And oftentimes I go into these video shoots with no plan

915
00:35:41,480 --> 00:35:43,480
and I just want to like, you don't know how it's going to go.

916
00:35:43,480 --> 00:35:44,680
And I think you need to be open to that.

917
00:35:44,680 --> 00:35:46,440
And I think that unlocks creativity,

918
00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:48,520
the certain, you know, sense of spontaneity

919
00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:50,560
that you need to be okay with and comfortable with

920
00:35:50,560 --> 00:35:53,400
to achieve greater results of creativity levels.

921
00:35:53,400 --> 00:35:55,360
Because like you just can't, with creativity, like,

922
00:35:55,360 --> 00:35:56,520
you know, Sean, you've mentioned it before,

923
00:35:56,520 --> 00:35:59,560
it's like, it's not a science, it's a art, you know,

924
00:35:59,560 --> 00:36:02,720
it's a dance and there's no formula to this

925
00:36:02,720 --> 00:36:03,800
because you're right, you're,

926
00:36:03,800 --> 00:36:05,360
how could you judge your creativity

927
00:36:05,360 --> 00:36:07,080
based upon somebody else's creativity?

928
00:36:07,080 --> 00:36:08,880
And it doesn't work like that, you know?

929
00:36:08,880 --> 00:36:12,800
And so, man, I think just keep opening yourself to, you know,

930
00:36:12,800 --> 00:36:14,920
new methods or try new, you know,

931
00:36:14,920 --> 00:36:17,120
talk about video, new angles or, you know,

932
00:36:17,120 --> 00:36:20,080
why don't you instead of capturing the action of the game,

933
00:36:20,080 --> 00:36:23,480
what about people's reactions to what's occurring, you know?

934
00:36:23,480 --> 00:36:26,760
Yeah, I mean, it's just, I think it's all of that, you know?

935
00:36:26,760 --> 00:36:29,960
You know, you did a reel for me one time we were in,

936
00:36:29,960 --> 00:36:31,840
we were in Texas, but in a different place.

937
00:36:31,840 --> 00:36:34,720
You do this cool thing, you have me walking into the plane

938
00:36:34,720 --> 00:36:37,200
and then all of a sudden you went out of the portal

939
00:36:37,200 --> 00:36:39,240
of one of the windows of the plane,

940
00:36:39,240 --> 00:36:41,200
I've never seen anyone else do that.

941
00:36:41,200 --> 00:36:43,880
And I thought, wow, that is super creative.

942
00:36:43,880 --> 00:36:46,800
I mean, you're not only spitting rhymes over here

943
00:36:46,800 --> 00:36:49,560
and then getting words of knowledge and creative thoughts

944
00:36:49,560 --> 00:36:52,040
to evangelize people that, you know,

945
00:36:52,040 --> 00:36:54,920
don't have a propensity towards the gospel per se,

946
00:36:54,920 --> 00:36:56,440
but then it's even coming out here.

947
00:36:56,440 --> 00:36:57,680
And the more I'm thinking about it,

948
00:36:57,680 --> 00:36:58,720
I think I'm arriving at something,

949
00:36:58,720 --> 00:37:02,560
I think in the same way that you prepare yourself

950
00:37:02,560 --> 00:37:06,160
and grow in prophecy, because the more I'm thinking about it,

951
00:37:06,160 --> 00:37:09,400
I think, okay, why is this emerging generation?

952
00:37:09,400 --> 00:37:12,000
There's such a higher level of creatives,

953
00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:14,760
there's such a draw to the aesthetics of things.

954
00:37:14,760 --> 00:37:17,080
And I think it's twofold, I think one, we touched upon it.

955
00:37:17,080 --> 00:37:19,440
I think God has pouring out the spirit of creativity,

956
00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:21,440
you'd be honest, you know, even in the Bible,

957
00:37:21,440 --> 00:37:24,840
there was these artisans that were in the temple,

958
00:37:24,840 --> 00:37:28,040
the spirit of God came on them and they began to work

959
00:37:28,040 --> 00:37:30,280
as obviously an art and a craft.

960
00:37:30,280 --> 00:37:32,120
But I think the other thing too is, you know,

961
00:37:32,120 --> 00:37:34,040
Mike Bickle talked about the seven longings

962
00:37:34,040 --> 00:37:36,680
of the human heart and one of them is a longing

963
00:37:36,680 --> 00:37:37,800
to be fascinated.

964
00:37:37,800 --> 00:37:39,800
And I think in this generation,

965
00:37:39,800 --> 00:37:41,760
there's a longing to be fascinated.

966
00:37:41,760 --> 00:37:44,360
And when you look at God, you look at the sky,

967
00:37:44,360 --> 00:37:46,840
you look at the sunrise, you look at the birth of a baby,

968
00:37:46,840 --> 00:37:48,200
you recently, not too long ago,

969
00:37:48,200 --> 00:37:50,400
you had a beautiful baby girl, your third child.

970
00:37:50,400 --> 00:37:54,120
Those things bring an awe that I think in a world

971
00:37:54,120 --> 00:37:56,640
where a generation has come up with so many things

972
00:37:56,640 --> 00:37:59,440
that are crisis, toxic, traumatic,

973
00:37:59,440 --> 00:38:01,960
I think there's even a greater desire

974
00:38:01,960 --> 00:38:05,000
for that beauty of the Lord to be seen

975
00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:06,440
and it's seen through creativity.

976
00:38:06,440 --> 00:38:08,200
And I just so love the way you do it.

977
00:38:08,200 --> 00:38:09,720
So anyway, back to this thought, you know,

978
00:38:09,720 --> 00:38:12,520
you were saying you get around creativity, you get still,

979
00:38:12,520 --> 00:38:14,760
I think that's the way you grew on the prophetic, right?

980
00:38:14,760 --> 00:38:17,560
Saul, King Saul in the Old Testament got around the prophets,

981
00:38:17,560 --> 00:38:20,320
he began to prophesy, so there's association, you know,

982
00:38:20,320 --> 00:38:23,360
that Elijah said, bring me a musician,

983
00:38:23,360 --> 00:38:24,840
and he began to play and he got still,

984
00:38:24,840 --> 00:38:26,040
he began to prophesy.

985
00:38:26,040 --> 00:38:29,400
So I think there's so much to it in that area.

986
00:38:29,400 --> 00:38:31,280
You work with university students,

987
00:38:31,280 --> 00:38:33,200
and I just want you to speak to that.

988
00:38:33,200 --> 00:38:35,720
Tell me, what are some of the things you're seeing

989
00:38:35,720 --> 00:38:39,200
about this current generation of university students

990
00:38:39,200 --> 00:38:42,640
and what has been your journey from the time

991
00:38:42,640 --> 00:38:45,760
that you were a student and kind of what you saw

992
00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:47,400
from a university minister perspective,

993
00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:50,240
and now that you're directing a campus ministry

994
00:38:50,240 --> 00:38:51,080
yourself?

995
00:38:51,080 --> 00:38:52,960
Yeah, that's a great question.

996
00:38:52,960 --> 00:38:55,560
I'd say, you know, I think when I was coming up, you know,

997
00:38:55,560 --> 00:38:57,880
like in college ministry and just being a student myself,

998
00:38:57,880 --> 00:38:59,640
I think a lot of it was, you know,

999
00:38:59,640 --> 00:39:01,520
being inspired by the front, you know,

1000
00:39:01,520 --> 00:39:03,920
whoever was at the front preaching, you know,

1001
00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:06,600
man, let's lead, you know, a Bible study, you know,

1002
00:39:06,600 --> 00:39:08,720
that was like very attractive to me during that time.

1003
00:39:08,720 --> 00:39:10,920
And I think, you know, I don't know, like the college students

1004
00:39:10,920 --> 00:39:12,680
that I'm, you know, encountering on a daily basis,

1005
00:39:12,680 --> 00:39:15,360
you know, are they're more inspired by like, man,

1006
00:39:15,360 --> 00:39:16,960
the works of the Lord, you know, like,

1007
00:39:16,960 --> 00:39:18,560
and not to say like, you know, preaching isn't like,

1008
00:39:18,560 --> 00:39:20,400
I think that's fundamental, obviously, so,

1009
00:39:20,400 --> 00:39:21,240
we do that on our campus.

1010
00:39:21,240 --> 00:39:23,880
Like, you know, man, like they want to be activated

1011
00:39:23,880 --> 00:39:24,720
into something.

1012
00:39:24,720 --> 00:39:27,680
They, like I got this one kid who like goes to a Baptist church

1013
00:39:27,680 --> 00:39:29,280
and I've been discipling them and he's like,

1014
00:39:29,280 --> 00:39:31,040
I have no idea how to reach, you know,

1015
00:39:31,040 --> 00:39:32,400
these students that I'm befriending

1016
00:39:32,400 --> 00:39:34,040
that are of other faith walks.

1017
00:39:34,040 --> 00:39:36,360
And, you know, he's like, man, what knowledge can I share

1018
00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:38,160
with them that might convince them that this is the truth?

1019
00:39:38,160 --> 00:39:40,000
He's like, I'm having a hard time like talking to them

1020
00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:40,840
about it.

1021
00:39:40,840 --> 00:39:43,760
And so now it opened up this whole idea of like, you know,

1022
00:39:43,760 --> 00:39:47,400
he, you know, he wants to start walking in the supernatural

1023
00:39:47,400 --> 00:39:49,840
and he wants to begin to engage in the prophetic

1024
00:39:49,840 --> 00:39:52,280
because, you know, countless, you know, time,

1025
00:39:52,280 --> 00:39:53,920
man with countless testimonies of walking up

1026
00:39:53,920 --> 00:39:56,240
to a college students on campus and just reading their mail,

1027
00:39:56,240 --> 00:39:58,240
you know, just asking God, what do you have for this person?

1028
00:39:58,240 --> 00:39:59,080
And, you know what I mean?

1029
00:39:59,080 --> 00:40:00,840
God's speaking, you know, God wants to speak to these bull.

1030
00:40:00,840 --> 00:40:04,280
And so, you know, I say it's gone from, you know,

1031
00:40:04,280 --> 00:40:05,880
maybe like a front-based ministry

1032
00:40:05,880 --> 00:40:09,720
to a more like action-based, you know, hunger from students

1033
00:40:09,720 --> 00:40:12,080
that like they want to learn, absorb information,

1034
00:40:12,080 --> 00:40:14,240
but they also want to be used of God, you know?

1035
00:40:14,240 --> 00:40:16,240
And so like, let's get out there, you know,

1036
00:40:16,240 --> 00:40:18,120
and they have such an affinity for that.

1037
00:40:18,120 --> 00:40:20,360
Like they are craving for that opportunity.

1038
00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:22,080
Like, and so, but they value both.

1039
00:40:22,080 --> 00:40:23,400
Like, you know, so I think it's great.

1040
00:40:23,400 --> 00:40:25,640
I think it's, I think it's blazing new trails, you know,

1041
00:40:25,640 --> 00:40:28,520
for this next generation of Christians that are just on fire

1042
00:40:28,520 --> 00:40:30,080
and want to partner with the spirit of God

1043
00:40:30,080 --> 00:40:31,320
and what he's doing in the earth.

1044
00:40:31,320 --> 00:40:34,000
And so, man, I say that as the biggest thing, you know?

1045
00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:35,760
Hey, that's so good, man.

1046
00:40:35,760 --> 00:40:38,120
What do you feel is the biggest challenge you see

1047
00:40:38,120 --> 00:40:42,480
as ministering to university students right now in this year,

1048
00:40:42,480 --> 00:40:45,520
this season, this post-COVID years now?

1049
00:40:45,520 --> 00:40:47,760
What do you see as the biggest challenge you face

1050
00:40:47,760 --> 00:40:49,920
or the biggest challenge they face?

1051
00:40:49,920 --> 00:40:52,960
Yeah, I think right now, I think a lot of, you know,

1052
00:40:52,960 --> 00:40:57,080
like good ideas are sometimes like kind of merged

1053
00:40:57,080 --> 00:40:59,920
into the idea of truth nowadays, you know?

1054
00:40:59,920 --> 00:41:03,000
Like, yeah, you know, all these, you know,

1055
00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:05,440
like on my campus particularly, they try to merge in

1056
00:41:05,440 --> 00:41:07,160
all the kind of faith groups as, you know,

1057
00:41:07,160 --> 00:41:09,720
let's try to be one, you know, and, you know,

1058
00:41:09,720 --> 00:41:12,440
just different buzzword ideas that are like positive

1059
00:41:12,440 --> 00:41:13,720
in the world today, which are great.

1060
00:41:13,720 --> 00:41:15,000
I mean, nothing against it, you know?

1061
00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:17,000
But I think, you know, like, especially talking

1062
00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:18,960
with my students, like, they're like, ah, I mean,

1063
00:41:18,960 --> 00:41:20,840
those are all great ideas, but I know that Jesus

1064
00:41:20,840 --> 00:41:23,760
is the way the truth, you know, like, and so, like,

1065
00:41:23,760 --> 00:41:26,640
how do we, you know, continue to demonstrate

1066
00:41:26,640 --> 00:41:28,720
that that is the one true king, you know,

1067
00:41:28,720 --> 00:41:30,120
that is the one true reality?

1068
00:41:30,120 --> 00:41:31,240
He is the truth, you know?

1069
00:41:31,240 --> 00:41:33,520
And so I see like sometimes my, you know,

1070
00:41:33,520 --> 00:41:34,840
as I mentioned with that no kid,

1071
00:41:34,840 --> 00:41:36,880
I'm discipling him, sometimes I struggle with, you know,

1072
00:41:36,880 --> 00:41:39,840
how do I navigate this absolute truth in a, you know,

1073
00:41:39,840 --> 00:41:42,400
where all these other, you know, good ideas are

1074
00:41:42,400 --> 00:41:44,880
at the forefront of my university speed on, you know?

1075
00:41:44,880 --> 00:41:46,840
So, you know, I say, I think that's the challenge

1076
00:41:46,840 --> 00:41:48,920
to fold for us as campus ministers

1077
00:41:48,920 --> 00:41:50,280
and also as students coming to that.

1078
00:41:50,280 --> 00:41:53,520
Man, what has it been for you so far?

1079
00:41:53,520 --> 00:41:56,240
There's been like the most enjoyable outlet

1080
00:41:56,240 --> 00:41:58,400
of creativity that you've experienced,

1081
00:41:58,400 --> 00:42:00,760
obviously preaching the gospel and leading people to Christ.

1082
00:42:00,760 --> 00:42:02,920
So that aside, what has been,

1083
00:42:02,920 --> 00:42:04,320
because you're in so many different things,

1084
00:42:04,320 --> 00:42:07,280
I'm wondering what is the most life-giving,

1085
00:42:07,280 --> 00:42:09,640
what's the most exciting for you and why?

1086
00:42:09,640 --> 00:42:13,160
Man, I mean, I'll say, filming Sean Smith

1087
00:42:13,160 --> 00:42:15,400
was a close second, but being up close

1088
00:42:15,400 --> 00:42:16,720
and personal with Steph Curry, man.

1089
00:42:16,720 --> 00:42:20,920
I mean, being able to film him on multiple accounts,

1090
00:42:20,920 --> 00:42:22,960
like just, he's such a cool dude, by the way.

1091
00:42:22,960 --> 00:42:24,880
He's just, you know, he's a regular guy, man.

1092
00:42:24,880 --> 00:42:25,720
He's incredible.

1093
00:42:25,720 --> 00:42:26,880
He's about to win his fifth championship ring.

1094
00:42:26,880 --> 00:42:27,720
Like, let's be honest.

1095
00:42:27,720 --> 00:42:28,560
Amen.

1096
00:42:28,560 --> 00:42:31,680
But, you know, I think just being around

1097
00:42:31,680 --> 00:42:33,480
like some really high level people,

1098
00:42:33,480 --> 00:42:35,800
like and be able to just capture for them, like,

1099
00:42:35,800 --> 00:42:36,720
I mean, it's just inspiring.

1100
00:42:36,720 --> 00:42:39,200
I was at the Warriors game and got to film

1101
00:42:39,200 --> 00:42:40,720
some of their game at the Chase Center.

1102
00:42:40,720 --> 00:42:42,960
And I was like in tears, you know, as I was shooting,

1103
00:42:42,960 --> 00:42:44,640
because how cool is this?

1104
00:42:44,640 --> 00:42:47,680
You know, like, I mean, security guards made a way for me

1105
00:42:47,680 --> 00:42:49,480
to be on the floor so I can get better footage

1106
00:42:49,480 --> 00:42:51,320
because they didn't want me to be a couple rows back,

1107
00:42:51,320 --> 00:42:52,760
which I was just trying to be courteous

1108
00:42:52,760 --> 00:42:53,800
and not be too close.

1109
00:42:53,800 --> 00:42:56,840
But, you know, just how cool, you know, people that I,

1110
00:42:56,840 --> 00:42:59,000
you know, that the world looks up to as, you know,

1111
00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:02,480
the people that are, you know, world leading icons, man.

1112
00:43:02,480 --> 00:43:04,080
And just, you know, getting to serve them,

1113
00:43:04,080 --> 00:43:05,240
I think it's been incredible.

1114
00:43:05,240 --> 00:43:06,200
So yeah, don't get it twisted.

1115
00:43:06,200 --> 00:43:08,560
Sean Smith, documenting Sean Smith

1116
00:43:08,560 --> 00:43:11,000
is a very close second to Steph Curry.

1117
00:43:11,000 --> 00:43:11,840
You're awesome.

1118
00:43:11,840 --> 00:43:14,640
You've made some of the most amazing,

1119
00:43:14,640 --> 00:43:17,400
if anyone follows our Instagram or our stuff,

1120
00:43:17,400 --> 00:43:19,640
when we've done special events or anything,

1121
00:43:19,640 --> 00:43:21,480
Mark is the guy that we go to that does it,

1122
00:43:21,480 --> 00:43:25,560
to think that dude is married, got three kids,

1123
00:43:25,560 --> 00:43:27,600
is directing the campus ministry,

1124
00:43:27,600 --> 00:43:30,600
entrepreneur because of the creativity of filming.

1125
00:43:30,600 --> 00:43:32,160
And hopefully you're not hanging up the mic.

1126
00:43:32,160 --> 00:43:33,800
You got to give us at least another rap.

1127
00:43:33,800 --> 00:43:36,960
What's, one, I need a Sean Smith collab, man,

1128
00:43:36,960 --> 00:43:37,800
on the rap side.

1129
00:43:37,800 --> 00:43:39,960
That's the only way I'll drop another song.

1130
00:43:39,960 --> 00:43:43,360
I think I told our listeners on our earlier podcast,

1131
00:43:43,360 --> 00:43:45,840
back in the day, I used to be a rapper and a DJ.

1132
00:43:45,840 --> 00:43:47,640
And the interesting thing is,

1133
00:43:47,640 --> 00:43:49,760
there were no Christian rappers that I was aware of.

1134
00:43:49,760 --> 00:43:52,160
I never, at that time, I didn't hear of any,

1135
00:43:52,160 --> 00:43:54,240
but I used to do raps back in the day.

1136
00:43:54,240 --> 00:43:56,400
I pledged a fraternity, so we would march.

1137
00:43:56,400 --> 00:43:58,320
In fact, we came to Davis for Black Family Day

1138
00:43:58,320 --> 00:44:00,760
and we marched and we came in third, we got shafted.

1139
00:44:00,760 --> 00:44:03,120
But there were a lot of different fraternity.

1140
00:44:03,120 --> 00:44:05,760
But what made ours innovative and it was funny,

1141
00:44:05,760 --> 00:44:07,560
it got a little bit of clap back,

1142
00:44:07,560 --> 00:44:09,320
is that we're doing our march, right?

1143
00:44:09,320 --> 00:44:13,000
Our whole thing and I wrote up a rap for all of our guys.

1144
00:44:13,000 --> 00:44:15,400
So our entire line, and it was personal,

1145
00:44:15,400 --> 00:44:18,040
it was telling who their name was, but there was rap.

1146
00:44:18,040 --> 00:44:20,040
But I was in safety at the time,

1147
00:44:20,040 --> 00:44:22,920
I would include a diss on a particular fraternity.

1148
00:44:22,920 --> 00:44:24,440
So there's one fraternity, they always brag,

1149
00:44:24,440 --> 00:44:25,520
they were the first.

1150
00:44:25,520 --> 00:44:27,400
So my line was, you're the first that begun,

1151
00:44:27,400 --> 00:44:28,520
but you're still not number one,

1152
00:44:28,520 --> 00:44:29,600
you're fourth on the list.

1153
00:44:29,600 --> 00:44:31,200
Why did you persist?

1154
00:44:31,200 --> 00:44:34,120
You have no reason to exist like cookies by the batch.

1155
00:44:34,120 --> 00:44:35,320
I record that as scratch.

1156
00:44:35,320 --> 00:44:38,240
And I mentioned the name of fraternity, you are no match.

1157
00:44:38,240 --> 00:44:41,200
But I didn't be where, oh, but then the judges said,

1158
00:44:41,200 --> 00:44:44,320
well, this is supposed to be a stomp contest.

1159
00:44:44,320 --> 00:44:46,600
But now the crazy part about it is,

1160
00:44:46,600 --> 00:44:48,720
a lot of these shows are here in Atlanta,

1161
00:44:48,720 --> 00:44:51,840
they'll march and they'll do some rap and stuff.

1162
00:44:51,840 --> 00:44:54,240
And so it's funny, but I got saved.

1163
00:44:54,240 --> 00:44:55,760
And then I would share my testimony

1164
00:44:55,760 --> 00:44:58,320
and I was reaching out to youth and so my campus pastor,

1165
00:44:58,320 --> 00:45:01,440
said, hey, you know, share your testimony,

1166
00:45:01,440 --> 00:45:03,160
but you know, give the kids something you think

1167
00:45:03,160 --> 00:45:04,000
would bring them in.

1168
00:45:04,000 --> 00:45:05,720
And the only thing I thought of is, hey, I used to rap.

1169
00:45:05,720 --> 00:45:07,120
So I wrote some Christian raps,

1170
00:45:07,120 --> 00:45:08,800
I know we're near like you,

1171
00:45:08,800 --> 00:45:11,560
but I remember people were recorded on cassette

1172
00:45:11,560 --> 00:45:14,440
and Mark, amen, what would you, this is going so good.

1173
00:45:14,440 --> 00:45:15,960
I just got to throw one more question, man,

1174
00:45:15,960 --> 00:45:17,600
cause it's so awesome.

1175
00:45:17,600 --> 00:45:20,360
You're a young man, but what would you tell

1176
00:45:20,360 --> 00:45:23,440
your 20 year old self if you could go back,

1177
00:45:23,440 --> 00:45:26,960
do one of them, Ant-Man and Quantamania things or whatever.

1178
00:45:26,960 --> 00:45:29,480
And you could go back and tell your 20 year old self,

1179
00:45:29,480 --> 00:45:32,320
what advice, I know it's probably 101 things,

1180
00:45:32,320 --> 00:45:34,560
but what do you, if you had to say one thing,

1181
00:45:34,560 --> 00:45:35,880
what would you tell yourself?

1182
00:45:35,880 --> 00:45:38,400
Trust your, there's a popular phrase out there.

1183
00:45:38,400 --> 00:45:39,360
Oh, I don't know how popular it is,

1184
00:45:39,360 --> 00:45:41,040
but like I say like trust your dopest.

1185
00:45:41,040 --> 00:45:44,000
And I think at the time, like I would kind of second guess

1186
00:45:44,000 --> 00:45:45,360
myself, I was unsure about myself.

1187
00:45:45,360 --> 00:45:46,440
Maybe that's part of adolescence,

1188
00:45:46,440 --> 00:45:49,840
but like man, if you have something that you're just like

1189
00:45:49,840 --> 00:45:52,840
passionate about, like be proud of it and put it out there.

1190
00:45:52,840 --> 00:45:54,760
Like even if it's different than, you know,

1191
00:45:54,760 --> 00:45:57,440
what other people are doing at the time, like go and do that.

1192
00:45:57,440 --> 00:45:59,440
Like what God puts on your heart, like be proud of that.

1193
00:45:59,440 --> 00:46:00,920
And I think oftentimes in my 20s,

1194
00:46:00,920 --> 00:46:02,960
I was a little insecure about, you know,

1195
00:46:02,960 --> 00:46:04,080
not that what people would think,

1196
00:46:04,080 --> 00:46:06,360
but just like what I would see, especially like in the church,

1197
00:46:06,360 --> 00:46:08,240
you know, like, oh, maybe, maybe I'm like too,

1198
00:46:08,240 --> 00:46:11,280
I got to turn down my swag a little bit, you know?

1199
00:46:11,280 --> 00:46:12,880
But like nah, like you shouldn't, you know,

1200
00:46:12,880 --> 00:46:15,360
like completely be yourself and God himself.

1201
00:46:15,360 --> 00:46:16,480
I would say, man, encourage that.

1202
00:46:16,480 --> 00:46:18,920
If you got a gift and go crazy and lead,

1203
00:46:18,920 --> 00:46:21,240
don't be afraid to like be a leader in the world,

1204
00:46:21,240 --> 00:46:22,360
amongst the world.

1205
00:46:22,360 --> 00:46:24,320
You know, I think us Christians need to be the most

1206
00:46:24,320 --> 00:46:27,800
influential, most impactful creatives to lead the world.

1207
00:46:27,800 --> 00:46:28,640
Come on, bro.

1208
00:46:28,640 --> 00:46:31,120
Hey, we are to be light in the world.

1209
00:46:31,120 --> 00:46:33,200
And the bottom is pretty clear.

1210
00:46:33,200 --> 00:46:36,680
If you hide light, it ceases to reach the purpose

1211
00:46:36,680 --> 00:46:37,640
of its functionality.

1212
00:46:37,640 --> 00:46:38,880
Light is meant to shine.

1213
00:46:38,880 --> 00:46:40,520
Light is meant for darkness.

1214
00:46:40,520 --> 00:46:41,520
Like the beam.

1215
00:46:41,520 --> 00:46:43,520
They don't do that in Sacramento anymore.

1216
00:46:43,520 --> 00:46:44,520
I'm sorry, Sacramento.

1217
00:46:44,520 --> 00:46:46,440
We love you, but yeah.

1218
00:46:46,440 --> 00:46:47,840
We'll light the beam for Jesus.

1219
00:46:47,840 --> 00:46:49,240
Come on, bro. That's right.

1220
00:46:49,240 --> 00:46:51,360
So tell us, man, how can we stay in contact with you?

1221
00:46:51,360 --> 00:46:52,880
How can we support what you're doing?

1222
00:46:52,880 --> 00:46:54,560
Yeah, first of all, you have to go through my manager.

1223
00:46:54,560 --> 00:46:57,360
It's Chris Smith at SeanandChristaSmith.com.

1224
00:46:57,360 --> 00:46:59,400
So that means you guys have done a good job.

1225
00:46:59,400 --> 00:47:01,320
But nah, you can hit me up on my Instagram,

1226
00:47:01,320 --> 00:47:03,920
StevieVisuals, that's kind of like my main account.

1227
00:47:03,920 --> 00:47:05,880
And then I'm Mark Stevie account.

1228
00:47:05,880 --> 00:47:07,880
If you know, it's got my own music and stuff like that.

1229
00:47:07,880 --> 00:47:11,200
But man, you can connect with me on social media,

1230
00:47:11,200 --> 00:47:12,800
Instagram and whatever you need.

1231
00:47:12,800 --> 00:47:14,560
Like I really love helping people,

1232
00:47:14,560 --> 00:47:16,960
love helping Sean like get out there, you know,

1233
00:47:16,960 --> 00:47:17,800
just to help.

1234
00:47:17,800 --> 00:47:18,640
I want to serve.

1235
00:47:18,640 --> 00:47:20,520
Like that's like my main focus in my creativity.

1236
00:47:20,520 --> 00:47:21,360
So yeah.

1237
00:47:21,360 --> 00:47:22,600
Come on, man. That is so awesome.

1238
00:47:22,600 --> 00:47:24,960
You got anybody got any students at the university

1239
00:47:24,960 --> 00:47:26,240
of Pacific?

1240
00:47:26,240 --> 00:47:29,440
You need to be looking for Mark Afshari's out there.

1241
00:47:29,440 --> 00:47:32,680
And you do some amazing chapels as well with sports.

1242
00:47:32,680 --> 00:47:34,240
I love all the things that you're doing.

1243
00:47:34,240 --> 00:47:35,680
Hey, bro, we love you.

1244
00:47:35,680 --> 00:47:36,520
We love Nat.

1245
00:47:36,520 --> 00:47:37,840
We love Natalie.

1246
00:47:37,840 --> 00:47:39,680
That was his wife.

1247
00:47:39,680 --> 00:47:41,120
We love the kids, man.

1248
00:47:41,120 --> 00:47:41,600
Give him our love.

1249
00:47:41,600 --> 00:47:44,640
Thanks so much for taking time to pull up to keep it 100,

1250
00:47:44,640 --> 00:47:45,200
man.

1251
00:47:45,200 --> 00:47:46,080
Blessings, son.

1252
00:47:46,080 --> 00:47:46,920
Man, sure appreciate it.

1253
00:47:46,920 --> 00:47:47,480
Love you, man.

1254
00:47:47,480 --> 00:47:48,040
Love you, pops.

1255
00:47:48,040 --> 00:47:48,800
You're the man.

1256
00:47:48,800 --> 00:47:49,680
All right, bro.

1257
00:47:49,680 --> 00:47:50,360
All right.

1258
00:47:50,360 --> 00:47:51,800
Oh, I love Mark.

1259
00:47:51,800 --> 00:47:52,920
I love who he is.

1260
00:47:52,920 --> 00:47:54,360
And like, I just love his heart.

1261
00:47:54,360 --> 00:47:56,760
Like he's just, he's a legit creative, you know?

1262
00:47:56,760 --> 00:48:00,080
So I just love him sharing his heart, his process, who he is,

1263
00:48:00,080 --> 00:48:01,680
and just how he connects with God through that.

1264
00:48:01,680 --> 00:48:03,160
I just think it's so awesome.

1265
00:48:03,160 --> 00:48:06,000
We're going to revive just for this episode of Keep it 100,

1266
00:48:06,000 --> 00:48:08,360
Take Away, because we really feel like this could be something

1267
00:48:08,360 --> 00:48:09,280
that could help you.

1268
00:48:09,280 --> 00:48:12,400
So Kristen, I just want to give you two keys to creativity

1269
00:48:12,400 --> 00:48:15,000
on following the interview that we just had with Mark.

1270
00:48:15,000 --> 00:48:18,320
And the first thing is you need to sanctify your imagination.

1271
00:48:18,320 --> 00:48:20,200
And when you sanctified, what I mean by that

1272
00:48:20,200 --> 00:48:22,640
is set it apart to the Lord and build it up.

1273
00:48:22,640 --> 00:48:23,120
Why?

1274
00:48:23,120 --> 00:48:26,880
Imagination is really the first step in creativity,

1275
00:48:26,880 --> 00:48:30,720
because I believe the imagining is where the creative process

1276
00:48:30,720 --> 00:48:31,720
begins.

1277
00:48:31,720 --> 00:48:34,720
When the Bible speaks of imagination, God, the word

1278
00:48:34,720 --> 00:48:36,760
their heart is translated imagination.

1279
00:48:36,760 --> 00:48:38,760
So we're talking about imagination.

1280
00:48:38,760 --> 00:48:40,440
We're talking about that place in your heart

1281
00:48:40,440 --> 00:48:42,040
where God meets with you.

1282
00:48:42,040 --> 00:48:43,840
And that imagination of that heart

1283
00:48:43,840 --> 00:48:47,120
has the capacity to interact with the Holy Spirit.

1284
00:48:47,120 --> 00:48:49,320
And it's thin that we process it.

1285
00:48:49,320 --> 00:48:51,800
And whatever the inspiration is, the experiences are,

1286
00:48:51,800 --> 00:48:54,200
the understanding, we begin to allow

1287
00:48:54,200 --> 00:48:57,080
that to become some sort of manifestation of art

1288
00:48:57,080 --> 00:48:58,080
and to create something.

1289
00:48:58,080 --> 00:49:01,880
But creatives are people that have set their imagination.

1290
00:49:01,880 --> 00:49:03,520
We're talking about Kingdom creatives.

1291
00:49:03,520 --> 00:49:06,360
They've sanctified their imagination.

1292
00:49:06,360 --> 00:49:08,560
And I think that there are some practical ways to do it.

1293
00:49:08,560 --> 00:49:11,400
I think one of the big things is praying the Spirit.

1294
00:49:11,400 --> 00:49:16,120
I think another thing, ask God to give you pictures and ideas.

1295
00:49:16,120 --> 00:49:18,520
Meditate on His word.

1296
00:49:18,520 --> 00:49:21,520
And I think one of the things you have to know who you are in Christ.

1297
00:49:21,520 --> 00:49:24,280
Acknowledge and worship God as Creator.

1298
00:49:24,280 --> 00:49:25,840
And acknowledge the Holy Spirit.

1299
00:49:25,840 --> 00:49:27,320
Spend time in worship.

1300
00:49:27,320 --> 00:49:28,840
And just spend time in His presence.

1301
00:49:28,840 --> 00:49:32,280
And as you do these things, you'll sanctify your imagination.

1302
00:49:32,280 --> 00:49:36,680
Because before you ever create something with your hands,

1303
00:49:36,680 --> 00:49:40,200
it's because God first began to create something in your heart.

1304
00:49:40,200 --> 00:49:42,800
The second key to creativity is cultivating,

1305
00:49:42,800 --> 00:49:44,880
hearing God's voice within you.

1306
00:49:44,880 --> 00:49:47,880
You know, for creative people, and really for people in general

1307
00:49:47,880 --> 00:49:51,440
to really tap into the creative aspect of who they are in God,

1308
00:49:51,440 --> 00:49:55,960
connection really is the secret ingredient for creativity.

1309
00:49:55,960 --> 00:50:00,640
Participate in activities that really bring life to you.

1310
00:50:00,640 --> 00:50:03,640
Whether it's a walk in nature, taking that time to journal,

1311
00:50:03,640 --> 00:50:07,200
to worship on your own, to write the spoken word,

1312
00:50:07,200 --> 00:50:13,360
to play with the illustration, to just express or have pain or art

1313
00:50:13,360 --> 00:50:15,920
or do the poetry or the pottery or whatnot.

1314
00:50:15,920 --> 00:50:20,400
Or the graphic design or whatever it may be.

1315
00:50:20,400 --> 00:50:22,200
Really begin to play around with that.

1316
00:50:22,200 --> 00:50:26,160
Because it's fun when you just begin to access the creativity

1317
00:50:26,160 --> 00:50:29,000
within you of what it unlocks within you.

1318
00:50:29,000 --> 00:50:32,040
Because as you give yourself mental and emotional space

1319
00:50:32,040 --> 00:50:34,480
to really breathe and connect with God,

1320
00:50:34,480 --> 00:50:37,920
it's amazing the ideas, the innovation, the pictures,

1321
00:50:37,920 --> 00:50:41,680
the concepts that you'll begin to just form naturally.

1322
00:50:41,680 --> 00:50:44,440
And you'll find yourself more creatively connecting with God

1323
00:50:44,440 --> 00:50:48,120
because you've actually had space to actually create.

1324
00:50:48,120 --> 00:50:50,440
I notice I'll be in really busy seasons.

1325
00:50:50,440 --> 00:50:53,480
And I'll just notice that my creativity has dwindled quite

1326
00:50:53,480 --> 00:50:55,000
a bit because when you're really tired

1327
00:50:55,000 --> 00:50:58,160
or you're running really hard for a period of time,

1328
00:50:58,160 --> 00:51:00,720
your creativity will take a back burner.

1329
00:51:00,720 --> 00:51:02,640
But as soon as you get a little bit of rest,

1330
00:51:02,640 --> 00:51:04,120
get a little bit of that down day,

1331
00:51:04,120 --> 00:51:07,080
get some breath around you, some space around you,

1332
00:51:07,080 --> 00:51:09,200
all of a sudden, boom, that creativity just pops up.

1333
00:51:09,200 --> 00:51:10,640
And all of a sudden, I find myself

1334
00:51:10,640 --> 00:51:12,960
wanting to work on something creative or bring beauty

1335
00:51:12,960 --> 00:51:17,080
or fix that wall or decorate that room that I've been wanting to.

1336
00:51:17,080 --> 00:51:18,760
And all of a sudden, I'll pour myself into something creative

1337
00:51:18,760 --> 00:51:21,280
and I really feel energized.

1338
00:51:21,280 --> 00:51:23,560
Because sometimes being re-energized

1339
00:51:23,560 --> 00:51:25,600
from a season of tiredness isn't about doing nothing.

1340
00:51:25,600 --> 00:51:27,600
It's actually about doing something that fills you up,

1341
00:51:27,600 --> 00:51:29,520
that connects you with God.

1342
00:51:29,520 --> 00:51:32,080
And so I think for creativity, a lot of people

1343
00:51:32,080 --> 00:51:34,480
having what is viewed as slowing down

1344
00:51:34,480 --> 00:51:36,520
is actually giving space to connect with God.

1345
00:51:36,520 --> 00:51:39,880
So to me, really that secret ingredient for creativity

1346
00:51:39,880 --> 00:51:41,720
is space and connection.

1347
00:51:41,720 --> 00:51:43,880
Just lastly, I think we understand

1348
00:51:43,880 --> 00:51:46,400
that the Holy Spirit, it's not just

1349
00:51:46,400 --> 00:51:48,800
imagining what could be, it's imagining followed

1350
00:51:48,800 --> 00:51:52,080
by stepping out in the context of our creative expression.

1351
00:51:52,080 --> 00:51:55,320
Seeing what Holy Spirit gives us, agreeing with that,

1352
00:51:55,320 --> 00:51:56,920
and then seeing what God is showing,

1353
00:51:56,920 --> 00:51:59,320
sensing what he's doing, feeling that he's moving,

1354
00:51:59,320 --> 00:52:02,240
hearing what he's saying, and then really giving it our yes,

1355
00:52:02,240 --> 00:52:04,320
partnering with it, and seeing what comes out of it.

1356
00:52:04,320 --> 00:52:08,200
It's this beautiful expression of this co-laboring partnership

1357
00:52:08,200 --> 00:52:10,800
and creatively expressing through ourselves.

1358
00:52:10,800 --> 00:52:15,400
And so I think for me, I've really learned that connection,

1359
00:52:15,400 --> 00:52:20,560
but also at times quietness, and kind of slowing down,

1360
00:52:20,560 --> 00:52:24,040
and disengaging, and disconnecting from the busy world.

1361
00:52:24,040 --> 00:52:28,240
When I give my brain, my heart, my spirit, my body space

1362
00:52:28,240 --> 00:52:30,920
to just kind of be, all of a sudden that creativity

1363
00:52:30,920 --> 00:52:32,120
surfaces again.

1364
00:52:32,120 --> 00:52:35,080
But one of the best ways to either tap in for the first time

1365
00:52:35,080 --> 00:52:36,440
for those that are like, I'm not creative,

1366
00:52:36,440 --> 00:52:37,960
or for those that are like, I'm creative,

1367
00:52:37,960 --> 00:52:39,640
but I haven't been creative in a while.

1368
00:52:39,640 --> 00:52:42,960
Slow down, disconnect, and really engage with God,

1369
00:52:42,960 --> 00:52:44,800
and allow your imagination, your mind,

1370
00:52:44,800 --> 00:52:47,520
to connect with Holy Spirit, see what happens,

1371
00:52:47,520 --> 00:52:49,080
and then begin to follow that leading

1372
00:52:49,080 --> 00:52:50,520
and how Holy Spirit connects with you.

1373
00:52:50,520 --> 00:52:52,120
That is so true.

1374
00:52:52,120 --> 00:52:53,840
You know, as we just kind of summed this up,

1375
00:52:53,840 --> 00:52:56,480
I think it's so important that God put you here on the planet

1376
00:52:56,480 --> 00:52:58,320
to be a reflection of who he is.

1377
00:52:58,320 --> 00:53:01,360
He is a creative God, and that you need to take time.

1378
00:53:01,360 --> 00:53:04,440
We need to take time to find out what are the things we're

1379
00:53:04,440 --> 00:53:05,320
meant to create.

1380
00:53:05,320 --> 00:53:07,120
Because whatever it is you're meant to create,

1381
00:53:07,120 --> 00:53:09,160
on the other end of that, that will either

1382
00:53:09,160 --> 00:53:13,280
be an inspiration to someone, or a solution to something.

1383
00:53:13,280 --> 00:53:15,600
So you need to take the time to find out,

1384
00:53:15,600 --> 00:53:18,560
God, what have you created me to create?

1385
00:53:18,560 --> 00:53:21,520
Because we are in His image, and you will create something.

1386
00:53:21,520 --> 00:53:25,200
I will create something, but we want to create that God thing.

1387
00:53:25,200 --> 00:53:26,800
And when we're creating that God thing,

1388
00:53:26,800 --> 00:53:28,360
we were purpose beforehand.

1389
00:53:28,360 --> 00:53:31,240
The Bible says that we are the workmanship of God,

1390
00:53:31,240 --> 00:53:33,680
prepared beforehand for good works.

1391
00:53:33,680 --> 00:53:36,920
The word workmanship is a word poema, which is really

1392
00:53:36,920 --> 00:53:38,640
where we get the word poem.

1393
00:53:38,640 --> 00:53:42,520
So the creativity is even found in Ephesians 2 and 10.

1394
00:53:42,520 --> 00:53:44,320
And so we just want you to know right now

1395
00:53:44,320 --> 00:53:47,560
that we believe that some of the best creativity is

1396
00:53:47,560 --> 00:53:48,680
about to be expressed.

1397
00:53:48,680 --> 00:53:52,640
There's no way that a secular world or a fallen world should

1398
00:53:52,640 --> 00:53:54,560
out-create kingdom people.

1399
00:53:54,560 --> 00:53:57,600
Thanks so much for tuning in to the Keep It 100 podcast.

1400
00:53:57,600 --> 00:54:00,320
Make sure to rate, review, and refer us to your friends.

1401
00:54:00,320 --> 00:54:02,280
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1402
00:54:02,280 --> 00:54:04,760
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00:54:04,760 --> 00:54:05,760
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1404
00:54:05,760 --> 00:54:07,920
Share this link on your social media platforms.

1405
00:54:07,920 --> 00:54:10,800
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1406
00:54:10,800 --> 00:54:12,920
You can also find us on Facebook at Sean

1407
00:54:12,920 --> 00:54:14,400
and Christosmith Ministries.

1408
00:54:14,400 --> 00:54:16,480
We would love to hear from you on how this podcast

1409
00:54:16,480 --> 00:54:17,520
has impacted you.

1410
00:54:17,520 --> 00:54:19,400
So be sure to show us some love.

1411
00:54:19,400 --> 00:54:21,520
Hey Keep It 100 Tribe, you do not want to miss our next

1412
00:54:21,520 --> 00:54:25,480
episode as we're going to be bringing to you some live topics

1413
00:54:25,480 --> 00:54:29,240
and just fresh conversation around things that we know

1414
00:54:29,240 --> 00:54:31,760
that God is breathing on in this season.

1415
00:54:31,760 --> 00:54:34,200
And remember, relief may change your circumstance,

1416
00:54:34,200 --> 00:54:35,960
but a revelation will change you.

1417
00:54:35,960 --> 00:54:40,720
We hope you enjoyed today's episode of the Keep It 100 podcast

1418
00:54:40,720 --> 00:54:42,520
with Sean and Christosmith.

1419
00:54:42,520 --> 00:54:44,400
Keep up with us on Facebook and Instagram

1420
00:54:44,400 --> 00:54:47,400
and SeanandChristasmith.com, where you can discover

1421
00:54:47,400 --> 00:54:48,320
more resources.

1422
00:54:48,320 --> 00:54:51,280
If this podcast has impacted you, please subscribe and review

1423
00:54:51,280 --> 00:54:52,880
wherever you listen to your podcast.

1424
00:54:52,880 --> 00:55:09,360
Keep it 100.