1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,800 The word influencer has been used in the English language since the mid 1600s. 2 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:09,200 This pivotal term has changed over the centuries, evolving from the movement of 3 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:12,800 heavenly spheres to the movement of human speculation. And in the past few 4 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:17,480 years, the term is virtually unavoidable. Yet before TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, or 5 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:21,320 Twitter, Jesus influenced 12 men who turned the world upside down from a 6 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:25,680 grassroots movement. In this episode, we hit the table to ignite the influencer in 7 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:31,520 you and hear from the author of created for influence, Will Ford. 8 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:54,920 Hey everybody, welcome to Keep It 100 podcast. This is Sean and Christa Smith. 9 00:00:54,920 --> 00:01:00,880 Hey. We are so amped about this episode. We're like a shook up can of monster energy drink. 10 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:05,640 Yeah, you are. You're excited. I love it. I'm excited too. This is great. I'm super 11 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:09,720 excited. Hey, something really unique just happened. Christa and I both were on 12 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:13,320 separate ministry trips, which is kind of rare for us. We usually only try to be 13 00:01:13,320 --> 00:01:17,800 away from each other once a month, but she was in Chicago and I was in Baltimore 14 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:23,000 and she did and spoke to some leaders and then she did an outdoor meeting and 15 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:26,960 then she spoke in a church. I did a mince conference that was completely 16 00:01:26,960 --> 00:01:31,800 outdoors and then the church service itself was outside due to the social 17 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:35,280 distancing laws and the things that are going on in Maryland right now. So it's 18 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:38,960 very interesting that we both were in outdoor meetings. I know and what I loved 19 00:01:38,960 --> 00:01:42,720 is that I think it brings us back to our roots. I mean, remember the 10th revivals 20 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:46,440 of the 40s and the 50s and it just kind of felt like we're back outside. We're 21 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:50,040 connecting with God through His creation and I just think it's such a cool 22 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:53,600 opportunity for people that would normally be more intimidated to maybe 23 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:57,640 come inside a church or maybe more open to come to an outdoor gathering. I think 24 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:01,080 it's actually really cool. I personally really have been enjoying it. And you know 25 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:05,520 the history of great revivals, Krista, is obviously book of acts. All their things 26 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:09,280 were outside for the most part, aside from meeting from house to house. The 27 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:13,560 Cain Ridge revival that spilled into the second grade awakening, it was outside. 28 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:18,560 Even up to the Jesus people movement that largely had all of these outdoor 29 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:24,800 Jesus festivals culminating in Expo 72 where Billy Graham took tens upon tens 30 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:30,000 of thousands of, at that point in time, Jesus Freaks is what they would call them. 31 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:34,400 Right, right. That they packed out but it was an outdoor event. So we've got great 32 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:37,640 history there. You know, funny story to say that because I really feel like during 33 00:02:37,640 --> 00:02:41,760 this time there's another unique thing that's happening is we're experiencing 34 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:45,520 more outdoor meetings because of the current crisis. The other thing is I 35 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:49,560 really sense an interseason. God is marking the body of Christ with an 36 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:53,880 Isacar anointing and have given us an Isacar mandate. For those of you don't 37 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:57,400 know the tribe of Isacar, they were one of the 12 tribes and particularly in the 38 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:02,960 book of Chronicles, David was needing to build up his army and so each of the 39 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:06,440 tribes brought something. But it's interesting about the tribe of Isacar. 40 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:10,280 They were the only tribe that didn't bring something that was overtly 41 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:15,160 militaristic to the army but it says of the sons of Isacar that they discerned 42 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:18,960 the times and knew what it is we're all to do. So it was another way of saying 43 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:24,600 they were deeply intuitive, highly intelligent and profoundly influential. 44 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:28,600 When you think about influence and you think about what it is they brought, no 45 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:33,240 wonder that this was such an important crucial aspect that they brought to 46 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:36,960 David's army. I mean when you think about what they possessed and we're 47 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:41,880 talking today about influence because it is such a needed conversation and such a 48 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:45,920 pertinent topic. So many people want to be influencers but they're not 49 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:50,340 understanding the significance nor the responsibility that comes with what it 50 00:03:50,340 --> 00:03:53,820 is to be an influencer. Alright I have a question for you Krista. Okay, alright. 51 00:03:53,820 --> 00:03:57,960 Outside of your parents, who are some of the major influencers in your life? 52 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:01,680 That is a great question and my parents are amazing so they would 53 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:05,600 definitely be in that but besides them, I would really say a man by the name of 54 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:10,800 Herb Marks. He has been such a spiritual father and a mentor in my life. He's the 55 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:14,160 one that really called out the prophetic in my life, helped develop that gift 56 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:17,400 within me, taught me what it is to really keep my heart clean before the Lord, 57 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:22,200 really what it is to walk in integrity, just a different level when you have a 58 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:27,280 prophetic voice. I would say someone else is Cindy Jacobs actually. I have 59 00:04:27,280 --> 00:04:31,080 gotten to know her personally through you because she's a spiritual mom but for 60 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:36,000 years I would go to her meetings and she was just such a strong female and 61 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:40,160 moving in the prophetic unapologetically. She'd just be like this battering ram in 62 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:43,480 the spirit that would just cut through and bring the presence of God and the 63 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:47,960 word of the Lord and it really marked me and I feel like also gave me permission 64 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:52,920 to really move in the prophetic in my life and then I think this might surprise 65 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:58,280 some people but Benny Hinn actually super influenced me in my 20s. I would watch 66 00:04:58,280 --> 00:05:02,200 all of his meetings and I was just mesmerized by the power of God moving 67 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:06,360 through him, people's lives being impacted. I read his books. I was very, of 68 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:09,800 course, I have never met him personally but from afar I felt really like 69 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:14,040 mentored by him but also inspired and challenged and lastly, Catherine Coleman. 70 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:17,920 I studied her life again, watched all her stuff that anything I get my hands on, 71 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:21,240 read her books and again just someone that was really surrendered to use 72 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:25,000 mildly by Holy Spirit. Those are the people that really marked me and I 73 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,680 believe helped shape in addition to many others that I haven't mentioned of who I 74 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:33,400 am. That's so cool. I could see that and those influences in your life. Really? I love that. 75 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:38,320 Thanks baby. Okay, back at you. Same question. Who has been some of the key 76 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:41,640 influencers in your life? Well, I got saved at a university with a ministry 77 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:46,080 called Kaiafa. Shout out to the Kaiafa Nation and my original campus pastor was 78 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:51,800 Donnie Moore and he was so bold. He just was spiritually fierce. He had no fear 79 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:56,440 of man and I really feel that boldness really impacted me. Right after that, 80 00:05:56,440 --> 00:06:00,640 Mario Marillo who is still a spiritual mentor of mine today, that he is a 81 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:06,040 revivalist, moved in words of knowledge, consistent with healing and always had a 82 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:11,680 cutting-edge relevant message. He really impacted me and still does. Another is a 83 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:17,040 guy who's a dad to me today, Gaylord Inns, a pastor in the Chico area. Really a man 84 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:21,320 of wisdom, a man of humility, a man that really walks in the fruits of the 85 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:24,960 spirit and then someone else both by their writings and the fact that I spent a 86 00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:29,440 weekend with this man, Leonard Ray Mill, author of many books including 87 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:33,600 Wide Revival Terries. I spent a weekend with he and Martha in Lindell, Texas. 88 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:39,120 Mildly marked my life. What a gift to get a weekend with Leonard Ravenhill. Life 89 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:42,960 changing. That is life-changing. You know, talking about what it is to be an 90 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:46,400 influencer, there's this incredible quote by a man by the name of Philip Brooks 91 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:51,200 and he said, no man has come to true greatness who has not felt in some degree 92 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:56,440 that his life belonged to his race and that what God gives him, he gives for 93 00:06:56,440 --> 00:07:01,560 mankind. Philip Brooks is very interesting because he was around in the 1800s. He was 94 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:05,400 part of the North in the Civil War so he fought against slavery and was very 95 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:10,400 vocal being against slavery. The man wrote, O little town of Bethlehem, that 96 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:15,320 Christmas song and when he says that no one has come to true greatness and that 97 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:18,800 his life to some degree belongs to his race, obviously speaking of the human 98 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:23,000 race, but I love the latter part of that quote you just gave, Christa, it says that 99 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:28,000 what God gives him, he gives for mankind. That is the definition of being a biblical 100 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:33,760 influencer. I love that. It really is a profound statement. Another definition, 101 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:37,160 and if we just look technically, what is the definition of influencer, which I 102 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:40,520 think is important for the Keep It 100 tribe to really understand what we're 103 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:45,240 basing this on. An influencer is used to refer to someone with the power to 104 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:51,520 alter beliefs of individuals as a result, it impacts the course of events. I love 105 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:56,520 that definition because it's about altering beliefs, not just getting 106 00:07:56,520 --> 00:08:00,360 people to like you. I think so many people today think an influencer just 107 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:03,920 gets a lot of likes, a lot of hearts, a lot of follows, but I love that you're 108 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:07,840 altering beliefs. You're changing culture. You know the history of early 109 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:11,440 influencers from a marketing perspective because obviously if you're talking 110 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:15,080 about early influencers you got to go to the Old Testament, the New Testament, the 111 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:19,080 Bible, but the original early influencers from marketing perspective 112 00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:24,760 were kings. Very often the King of England would be asked to lend his 113 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:28,200 endorsement to a certain play that was out. A playwright would approach him, so 114 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:32,400 many people in England would go see that play or there were poets that asked 115 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:37,120 the kings to lend endorsement. And so early on these guys were influencing and 116 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:42,360 then the Queen of England jumped in the game and she was used to endorse medicine 117 00:08:42,360 --> 00:08:46,800 for the benefit of common people. And here's another really cool person we're 118 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:52,280 talking about, historical people used for marketing. The Davis Milling Company 119 00:08:52,280 --> 00:08:57,000 was the first to introduce an influencer into the marketing arena, a woman by the 120 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:00,440 name of Nancy Green. She was an African-American who became the face of 121 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:07,720 the popular pancake mix, Aunt Jemima. Right? And so in 1890, in a time of 122 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:12,400 segregation, slavery, they're using the face of an African-American woman until 123 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:16,360 her death in 1923. Isn't that incredible? Oh, it's super incredible. And to this day, her 124 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:21,040 face is still on the box of Aunt Jemima pancake mix. Unbelievable. What a bold move 125 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:24,160 by that company. Right? We used to play this thing called the dozens in the hood. 126 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:26,760 That's where you talk about each other's mama. We could only do that to each other. 127 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:30,960 One of the lines we would say is, Aunt Jemima on a pancake box is if to say 128 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:36,600 isn't your mother on a pancake box. But now I recognize when they said that, that 129 00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:41,720 was a compliment. She was an amazing woman. That's right. Now, a more modern face of 130 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:48,080 marketing influencers is Kanye West. Obviously, and Yeezy, sneakers, Adidas is 131 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:52,480 making a lot of money. But before there was Kanye and Yeezy's, back in the day, 132 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:56,800 there was a point in time where Adidas profits and market share was at the 133 00:09:56,800 --> 00:10:00,720 bottom and they weren't doing very good. And all of a sudden, kind of the proverbial 134 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:06,640 three brothers with three stripes, Run DMC, came through in 1986 with me and 135 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:11,240 Maya Adidas. And when they did that, all of a sudden, it began this kind of 136 00:10:11,240 --> 00:10:16,080 modern, as we know now, entertainers that will lend their name to certain 137 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:20,600 marketing brands. And so now, when we think of influencers, we have bloggers, we 138 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:25,880 have fashionistas, we have gamers pushing certain headphones, we've got certain 139 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:30,760 people on Instagram giving a shout out. And so now we see that there's this whole 140 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:35,320 social media influencer game that has opened up to a lot of people. What's 141 00:10:35,320 --> 00:10:39,360 really crazy is that when we were researching this out, we discovered that 142 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:47,040 by 2022, the influencer marketing world is estimated to be worth $10 billion. I 143 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:51,680 mean, isn't that incredible? And if you actually Google the word influencer, over 144 00:10:51,680 --> 00:10:57,640 263 million results come up. That's how profound and how, in a sense, is the 145 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:02,040 pulse of current culture today. And you know, it's funny because in 2014, it 146 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:06,920 wouldn't have been that big. Right. I charted and saw that from 2014, the term 147 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:11,480 influencer began to pick up as far as when you would Google it. Now, what is an 148 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:16,040 influencer? The word literally comes from a Latin word, which means inflow and 149 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:21,320 flow into. But Jesus was the head of the game in John 737 when he said, 150 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:25,360 if anyone is thirsty, let them come to me and drink and out of their innermost 151 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:30,240 being shall flow rivers of living water. And influencer is a person that drinks 152 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:34,720 of Jesus and allows that drink to become a flow to the world around them. 153 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:40,240 So good. Then Jesus, he referred to his followers as light of the world and salt 154 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:44,680 of the earth. And when he did it, he was addressing your influence. And the obvious 155 00:11:44,680 --> 00:11:50,200 thing is that the decisions we make impact those around us. Here's what's 156 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:54,000 really important. And these are just a few principles of influence that we wanted 157 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:57,720 to pass along to the Keep It 100 tribe. First and foremost, we all have to 158 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:02,600 understand you as a listener, myself included, every one of us has influence. 159 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:06,120 Do you know that on an average, we discovered that each of us have an 160 00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:10,600 average of 10,000 people in our lifetime that we're going to influence? And that 161 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:14,400 influence isn't necessarily because of our position or based on fame or wealth 162 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:17,120 because there could be some of our listeners like, I don't have a lot of 163 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:19,920 followers. I don't have a lot of money. I don't have a lot of connections. But 164 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:23,840 guess what? You still have influence. You and I have influenced by the way we live. 165 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:27,520 And if we actually believe that we are in fact the light of the world and the 166 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:31,080 salt of the earth that Jesus declares over us, which again, like Sean just said, 167 00:12:31,080 --> 00:12:36,240 is addressing the influence in us, Jesus calls it out. That's what he created us 168 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:39,520 with. We have to understand we're going to live different when we know we have 169 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:44,240 influence. That is such an empowering belief to understand everybody has 170 00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:48,800 influence. Second principle of influence is influence is like a muscle. We all 171 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:52,920 know if you don't use a muscle, it atrophies, it diminishes, it gets weaker. 172 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:57,760 So you got to use what you got to get more stronger. And so whatever 173 00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:01,160 influence you have, even if it's just a little bit of influence, a little bit of 174 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:05,600 followers, a little bit of likes, use that influence. And the more you use it, 175 00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:09,640 the more that muscle will grow. And you also have to understand if you're not 176 00:13:09,640 --> 00:13:13,480 influencing the world, then the world is influencing you. You've got to get on the 177 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:17,520 right end of that equation. So it's time to step up your influence game, keeping 178 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:22,120 100 tribe. You know, and we have to be reminded you and I are accountable to God 179 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:26,440 on how we use our influence. And the truth is, I'm reminded of the parable of 180 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:31,440 the talents. And there was three people that the master gave talents to. Two of 181 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:34,840 them multiplied their talents and they steward them. And then one actually 182 00:13:34,840 --> 00:13:39,320 buried his talent because he was afraid of the harsh master. And I'm so reminded, 183 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:43,200 if we don't believe who we are for insecure, for afraid, for intimidated, we 184 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:47,040 will bury what God's given us, our talent, quote, unquote, our gift. And let's 185 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:51,160 actually translate that to what we're talking about today. Our influence, if we 186 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:55,000 don't understand who we are, what we carry, we bury it, we sabotage it, we don't 187 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:59,680 utilize it, we don't maximize it. But if we actually believe that we have a 188 00:13:59,680 --> 00:14:06,040 valuable, not only message, but that we carry a light of Jesus that can pierce 189 00:14:06,040 --> 00:14:10,240 darkness all around us in a world that is aching for an encounter, if we really 190 00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:12,960 believe we can change things and bring an influence, we're going to live 191 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:17,400 different. I love that because we must see ourselves as accountable. Right. Because 192 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:22,000 if we use it, then we will wield that influence wisely. Well said. I'm so 193 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:25,960 excited to keep it 100 tribe. We're introducing a new segment in our Keep 194 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:30,800 it 100 podcast called the discipleship discussion. And for our discipleship 195 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:35,480 discussion on this episode, we have a great friend of ours, Will Ford. Will 196 00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:40,520 Ford is an educator. Will Ford is a marketplace advisor. He is also an 197 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:46,200 author. He travels the globe. He has been called to speak in terms of the racial 198 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:51,080 inequities in our nation. And so right now, I want you to get super excited as we 199 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:55,760 have this discipleship discussion with Will Ford. Will, Will, what's going on? 200 00:14:56,880 --> 00:15:01,320 I got to keep it 100. This is one of my closest friends on the planet. 201 00:15:01,840 --> 00:15:05,760 Author three books, his most recent book is called the dream King. Right. We're 202 00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:10,120 actually going to talk about second book you wrote. Yes. Second. I did another 203 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:14,400 addition to it. So created for influence, transforming culture from where you 204 00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:18,560 are. Awesome, man. Well, I'm super excited about this because back in the day, 205 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:22,400 when you talked about influencers, you talked about coaches, you talked about 206 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:26,480 teachers, you talked about upright people in the community. Now it's a 207 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:31,400 fashion blogger that name drops. Right. It's a gamer that tells you headphones 208 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:36,680 he's wearing is his playing. All right, right. Amongst millennials and Gen Zs, 209 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:41,360 they say that 86% want to be influencers and the majority of them want 210 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:46,560 to be paid to give their little shot on Instagram. So get it 86% want to be 211 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:53,080 influencers, but only 12% believe they are influencers. Wow. 74% of the 212 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:57,440 emerging generation, they want to be, but they don't feel they are. And so 213 00:15:57,560 --> 00:16:01,720 this is maybe a great place to begin with you. Well, yeah, what does being an 214 00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:07,040 influencer mean to you? Yeah, well, I want to speak to that 74%. And I want to 215 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:10,840 tell you, believe it or not, you are an influencer. What do you like it or not? 216 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:15,440 You are an influencer, especially as a believer, you're an influencer. In 217 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:18,560 other words, I believe God has created everybody for leadership. And that's 218 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:21,840 what influence balls down to. And you're either a good leader or a bad 219 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:26,080 leader, but you're a leader and people are going to follow you. Everybody has 220 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:30,080 their own sphere of influence with your creative for influence matter of fact. 221 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:34,720 So the way I stumbled into this whole understanding of it was it wasn't 222 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:37,520 through looking what's happened with social media. And those things were 223 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:42,600 just kind of coming on the scenes in 2004. But I began to realize though, even 224 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:46,920 before all this stuff happened, that influence first and foremost is something 225 00:16:46,920 --> 00:16:51,600 that comes over your life. And it's the favor of God given to you for a specific 226 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:56,760 mandate. In other words, favor is not about status. It's about purpose. That's 227 00:16:56,760 --> 00:17:00,360 what I've learned over the years. At the end of the day, when you get like 228 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:04,000 uncanny, ridiculous favor in your life, when you get that kind of favor on your 229 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:07,240 life, at the end of the day, it's not about you. Come on, man. Say that. It's 230 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:10,240 about all the other people who are hanging on the other side of your 231 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:14,640 obedience. In other words, favor opens doors, but it's influence that changes 232 00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:20,280 nations. Because at the end of the day, you'll have to trade favor with man for 233 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:23,920 influence for God. And so there's this place where you have to make that 234 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:28,840 shift. You'll see in everybody's life, you see it with Nehemiah. Nehemiah 235 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:33,520 there in Nehemiah 2, he's working for a wicked king at the time and you could 236 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:38,480 not come into presence of the king with a sad countenance. So Nehemiah's 237 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:43,040 heart is broken over the condition of his nation, Israel. He's broken over the 238 00:17:43,040 --> 00:17:47,360 walls of the torn down. And so he comes before the king with a sad countenance 239 00:17:47,360 --> 00:17:51,240 and he's like, so what is this? And so he tells the king about what's happened 240 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:55,840 in his nation. And then God gives him favor in that moment. He releases 241 00:17:55,880 --> 00:18:00,000 influence. He transitions from favor to influence. And he gets the influence to 242 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:04,320 go back and rebuild the broken walls of the nation. And then Nehemiah says that 243 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:08,360 the good hand of God was on me. It's the interesting word he uses there. The word 244 00:18:08,360 --> 00:18:13,200 hand. It's the Hebrew word Yod which sometimes translators translate as the 245 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:18,000 word influence. And so he got turned the heart of the king and that king gave 246 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:23,480 Nehemiah what he needed to go ahead and restore the nation of Israel. So anyway, 247 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:28,480 the way I dove into it was a dream. I had a dream. Come on, please share that. 248 00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:32,080 Yeah. And then this dream, spiritual pops to me. Dutch, she says to me, you know, 249 00:18:32,080 --> 00:18:35,280 God's teaching me a lot of this story about a hit the fel. I can't remember a 250 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:38,560 hit the fel in the Bible just right off hand right now. Well, it was a little while 251 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:44,200 later, I go on a fast, my Bible falls open to second, semi chapter 15. And I see 252 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:47,280 the name of hit the fel and I freak out. And I was like, oh, this is a real person. 253 00:18:47,520 --> 00:18:51,920 So I read the stories. This amazing story about King David, the most anointed, 254 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:55,760 got the greatest approval ratings of any king ever after that time period. But the 255 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:59,360 whole nation, the sentiment of the whole nation shifts against the most anointed 256 00:18:59,360 --> 00:19:03,800 King ever. And they turn against him so radically that David has to leave because 257 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:09,840 his son, Absalom, has turned against him. Right. So turn against him. And the Bible 258 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:14,800 says that Absalom was a real handsome dude had the long hair and he shifted the 259 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:18,720 influence of the whole nation by hanging out at the city gates, stealing the hearts 260 00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:22,800 of the people one by one. That's what second, semi 15 talks about. And so David 261 00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:27,200 has to flee for his life. But the person who helped engineer this whole thing was 262 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:31,120 a guy named the hit the fel. So you study it out, you find out that David and the 263 00:19:31,120 --> 00:19:36,160 hit the fel were best friends. So how is it that this man who is this consultant 264 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:40,280 for King David, how could this person turn against the Lord's anointed and 265 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:44,040 really his counsel sound like that some come from the demonic realm, because he 266 00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:49,160 actually is the person who tells Absalom to go into all the Davis concubines on 267 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:54,440 top of the palace roof. Now, the prophet, Nathan actually prophesied that was 268 00:19:54,440 --> 00:19:58,200 going to happen to him, but it happens to David through his son. But a hit the 269 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:01,800 fel is a person who gives that counsel. He told him he needed to make himself 270 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:05,960 totally odious to David because the nation had turned so horribly against 271 00:20:05,960 --> 00:20:09,560 King David, he had to separate himself from him to show people that, Hey, I'm 272 00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:12,320 not in a line with my dad at all. Matter of fact, I'm gonna sleep with all his 273 00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:16,320 wives on top of the palace rooms with this horrible that advice comes from a 274 00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:20,680 hit the fel. So like, why was like, God, why would he turn like that? And most 275 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:24,200 scholars believe that hit the fel is the person who engineered that whole cool 276 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:29,200 attempt. Wow. This whole scenario was all about the influence that this man was 277 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:34,600 able to wield against the most anointed King ever in Israel. Now mind you, they 278 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:39,120 did this without Twitter, Facebook, say that, you know, the whole time with their 279 00:20:39,120 --> 00:20:42,200 error spring thing, you know, you had Mubarak and all these other kings in 280 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:47,120 Egypt, yeah, Gaddafi and others there in Libya, they were all taken down, you 281 00:20:47,120 --> 00:20:51,560 know, because of social media influence, the mob start showing up, taking them 282 00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:56,600 out, taking them down. Several nations were shifted in that summer. Listen, this 283 00:20:56,600 --> 00:21:01,120 happened with King David, no Twitter, no Facebook, no social media, just the 284 00:21:01,120 --> 00:21:04,560 influence of human beings and the influence of what's going on in the 285 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:09,520 unseen realm demonically. Wow. And so I was reading that story. And the Lord said 286 00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:13,040 to me, William, we you will not understand this story without understanding 287 00:21:13,040 --> 00:21:19,000 the power of influence. So I thought I knew what influence is or was but first 288 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:23,440 of all, I didn't know the influence and addiction, it's not a verb. It's a noun. 289 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:27,760 I always thought of in some sense that you do, but first of all, an addiction is 290 00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:32,880 it's a substance and the original definition for influence rock my world. 291 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:36,320 So here it is 1918, Mary Webster dictionary says it's about influence 292 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:41,520 influence in ethereal fluid, which flows from the stars and affects the actions 293 00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:46,760 that behaviors a mankind ethereal could mean being said could be said from the 294 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:50,440 heavens could be said a heavenly fluid which flows from the stars and affects 295 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:55,080 the actions and behaviors of mankind. Now that's that's crazy. So think about it. 296 00:21:55,080 --> 00:21:58,600 Here you have theory of fluid flows from the stars with fixed actions and 297 00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:03,360 behaviors of mankind. So they believe back during that time that the stars 298 00:22:03,360 --> 00:22:07,600 had influence on people's destinies. So anything that was catastrophic, they 299 00:22:07,600 --> 00:22:11,280 felt like it came from the stars. So it turns out the word influence and 300 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:16,600 influenza are cousin words. Wow. They use a word like pandemic or epidemic 301 00:22:16,600 --> 00:22:19,760 back during that day when they had something that was a viral outbreak. 302 00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:25,240 They use the word influenza. Interesting. So as the etymology of it and the words 303 00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:29,520 kind of grow over time, what happens is that the word influence gets birthed out 304 00:22:29,520 --> 00:22:34,120 of the word influenza. Any person that favor with the stars with epidemic 305 00:22:34,120 --> 00:22:39,640 popularity or epidemic fame was said to have influence. Right. And the part B 306 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:43,760 definition that's in Mary Webster's dictionary today for influence says this 307 00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:49,600 influence an occult power held to derive from the stars. Wow. Now today the word 308 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:54,840 influence means spiritual force or moral force which normally or unknowingly 309 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:59,200 affects the actions and behaviors of others consciously or unconsciously. So 310 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:03,080 it's not if you're being influenced this what is influencing you. 311 00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:07,440 Well being influenced one way or another. It's like the law of glory. I think you 312 00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:09,840 have the law of influence just like you have the law of gravity. We don't see 313 00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:14,400 gravity but we're affected by it. If I was walking and I tripped and I fell 314 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:18,560 down and fall down because I hit a rock I fell down because the law of gravity 315 00:23:18,560 --> 00:23:21,920 took over and I fell. I believe there's a law of influence too. There are different 316 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:26,720 tipping points that happen at different times and different windows to different 317 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:31,840 seasons, different epics and history, hinges of history. But I believe that there 318 00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:35,080 are those that are there and it's incumbent upon people with the right 319 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:40,120 influence to hit that vacuum, hit that open door before somebody else 320 00:23:40,120 --> 00:23:43,880 feels it or before somebody else tries to close or open it. So that's what I 321 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:47,520 think is really key right now. So I think there are people being raised up to have 322 00:23:47,520 --> 00:23:52,960 epidemic popularity, epidemic fame on one sense but there's another understanding 323 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:55,880 this thing where we need to understand the influence that we have to exercise 324 00:23:55,880 --> 00:24:01,240 first in the unseen realm. Wow. Because influence first is initiated from the 325 00:24:01,240 --> 00:24:05,640 unseen realm. Before it affects any human beings on earth it's about who has the 326 00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:10,160 ability to influence things in the heavenlies. So give an example of what I'm 327 00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:14,400 talking about. You think about it, if influence comes from the stars then we 328 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:18,880 have these stars in Revelation 12. The third of the stars that fell was Satan. Wow. 329 00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:23,760 They occupy that second heaven level realm. Most scholars say we have three 330 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:27,280 different realms in the heavenlies. We have the stars we see at night which is 331 00:24:27,280 --> 00:24:30,880 the third realm. The third heaven which Paul talked about he went to the third 332 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:34,440 heaven. So if you went to the third heaven by the Dutch it has to be a second 333 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:37,800 and a first. That's right. And so most scholars believe that the second heaven 334 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:40,480 level realm that's what the Prince of Palin is in power, the spiritual host of 335 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:44,320 witness. That's what they lodge and so you had these Revelation 12 third of the 336 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:48,000 stars that fell was Satan there and they occupy that second heaven level realm 337 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:52,440 and they try to chain, bind and grip the hearts and minds of people to sway their 338 00:24:52,440 --> 00:24:56,040 opinions away from the kingdom of light and into the kingdom of darkness by 339 00:24:56,040 --> 00:25:00,520 their influence. A great example of that is Job 3831. We got a speaking of Job and 340 00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:03,600 he says, can't style buying the sweet influences of the three of these? 341 00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:08,840 So he's saying can you buy not just the influence job but the sweet influence. 342 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:12,960 The word influence there it means to chain, bind or grip when he says sweet 343 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:17,320 influence. So he's talking about on two different realms. He's talking about how 344 00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:21,360 we, the whole God's majesty, we look at the stars just how it's able to grip us 345 00:25:21,360 --> 00:25:25,520 and we just lay hold of who God is. That's one thing. But on another realm he's 346 00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:29,360 talking about those second heaven level stars, those Prince of Palin's and 347 00:25:29,360 --> 00:25:32,920 powers, the spiritual witness and how places their ability to chain, bind and 348 00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:38,960 grip our hearts and sway our opinions by influence. But, so that's the angelic 349 00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:42,080 falling stars but the beautiful thing is that there's only a third of those. 350 00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:46,520 Come on man. We have at least two thirds according to the math but then beyond 351 00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:51,120 that judges five and twenty talks about it. It's beautiful. There was Deborah and 352 00:25:51,120 --> 00:25:54,520 so Deborah singing her spontaneous prophetic song, this amazing woman 353 00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:59,760 judging Israel. But remember she prophesized to Barak and she says that a woman is 354 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:02,880 going to, Cicero is going to be overthrown by a woman, right? So she 355 00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:08,000 prophesized that and so what happens? Here comes Cicero, 20 years of Midianite 356 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:13,280 Depression, this captain of the Midianite Army, Cicero gets into the tent of 357 00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:18,040 J.O. They get in J.O's tent and she takes a tent peg while he's sleeping, knocks 358 00:26:18,040 --> 00:26:22,480 him upside the head, she takes him out and the spellbinding influence of fear 359 00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:27,480 and intimidation that was over the Israelite army is broken. Wow. 20 years of 360 00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:31,600 oppression gets turned into 40 years of peace because of my black 361 00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:34,360 creature. I have to say it like this, they get double for the trouble, right? 362 00:26:34,360 --> 00:26:38,600 Come on now. Come on. But here's the deal. Deborah did an attributive victory to what 363 00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:41,820 happened in the tent, to attribute the victory to what happened in the 364 00:26:41,820 --> 00:26:46,280 heavies. She says this in Judges 5 and 20, she says, from the heavens the stars 365 00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:50,280 fall. From their courses they warred against Cicero. It's like, hold up 366 00:26:50,280 --> 00:26:53,120 Deborah, what are you talking about? I thought Cicero was on the earth. What did 367 00:26:53,120 --> 00:26:56,800 the heavies have to do with his defeat? She's saying, because I had favor with the 368 00:26:56,800 --> 00:27:01,440 bright morning star. He released his influence on my behalf and his angelic 369 00:27:01,440 --> 00:27:04,880 stars warred against Cicero's demonic fallen stars. When I got breakthrough in 370 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:08,400 the heavies, it was done on earth as it wasn't happened because I had influence 371 00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:12,600 in the right place. Well, that's deep. Because when you stake yourself to God's 372 00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:16,400 promises in your prayer tent, God will use your intercession like a peg to 373 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:21,720 annihilate the enemy's influence. Oh my goodness. So we have angelic stars that 374 00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:26,080 war on our behalf. You see that in Daniel 10 and Daniel 9 and the 375 00:27:26,080 --> 00:27:30,760 angel Gabriel showing up after 21 days fast that Daniel has. And he says, hey, 376 00:27:30,760 --> 00:27:36,560 we were warned on your behalf. From the day that you started praying for 21 377 00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:40,000 days, we've been warned. In other words, he hit his knees and then 378 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:44,120 inaugurated a war in the heavenlies. That's the kind of influence I'm 379 00:27:44,120 --> 00:27:48,840 talking about. Shifting things in the unseen realm first so that things start 380 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:54,360 to manifest on earth. Come on, Will. We're called to be stars too. Not the 381 00:27:54,360 --> 00:27:58,200 Hollywood kind of stars. Not the Madison Avenue kind of stars. Here's 382 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:02,440 what it is. And so I love the way Daniel says it. Daniel 12, 3 and 4, he says it 383 00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:06,240 like this. The wise men in those days will shine as brightly as all the 384 00:28:06,240 --> 00:28:09,600 expansive heaven and those who lead many to the righteous will shine like the 385 00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:15,280 stars forever and ever. We're supposed to be Philippians, 215 people that 386 00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:18,880 shine like stars in the midst of a dark and cricket perverse generation. 387 00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:23,920 That's light was made for darkness. So here's the deal. If people can become 388 00:28:23,920 --> 00:28:28,640 stars, biblically, we're called to be stars. Right. He says we're the light of 389 00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:31,280 the world. He's the light of the world. So hold up. We're supposed to be like 390 00:28:31,280 --> 00:28:35,240 these lights in the midst of darkness. These folks in Hollywood, not necessarily 391 00:28:35,240 --> 00:28:40,080 all of them are stars. They could be said they're just celebrities. Right. Who are 392 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:44,640 favorite with falling stars. They are favorite with falling Prince of Powers 393 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:47,920 and powers and they've been given influence. But that influence, like the 394 00:28:47,920 --> 00:28:52,480 flu, is making a whole lot of people sick. Preach. Preach, bro. Give an example 395 00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:56,000 what I'm talking about. And it needs to fuck. I'm praying for these folks. But I 396 00:28:56,000 --> 00:29:01,320 remember like back in the day, Calvin Brown, a Snoop Dogg. But years ago, 2004, 397 00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:06,240 he put out a song with a video on it. Said some really derading things about 398 00:29:06,240 --> 00:29:11,160 women, had drug paraphernalia, other stuff in it. And then he talked about how 399 00:29:11,160 --> 00:29:14,400 if anybody crossing the killin and how to in a place where nobody will find 400 00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:17,320 them all that. Well, why is it during that time period, he puts out this 401 00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:21,840 intense gangster rap. Why would Lea Akoka do a commercial with Snoop Dogg in order 402 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:27,200 to sell Chrysler's during that time period? Wow. Why would during that same 403 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:31,720 time period you had Cadillac come up with a car called the Snoop DeVille? Why 404 00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:35,480 would you have Orbit want to have the endorsement of a gangster rapper to sell 405 00:29:35,480 --> 00:29:39,480 chewing gum at the same time period from Snoop Dogg? Wow. That's because he had 406 00:29:39,480 --> 00:29:43,160 favorite with falling stars. He had favorite with falling Prince of Powers 407 00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:48,840 and Powers. Same thing, Stephanie Germanata, Lady Gaga. She is the first 408 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:55,240 person ever in music history to have over one billion views over videos online. 409 00:29:55,240 --> 00:30:01,920 Bigam would it be? Now, she did that in three years, her first three years of 410 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:05,640 being on the mainstream. Wow. Give it a little perspective. Michael Jackson had a 411 00:30:05,640 --> 00:30:09,600 long career and he became the second person to have a billion views of his 412 00:30:09,600 --> 00:30:15,200 videos online. Wow. And that didn't happen until after he died. My goodness. 413 00:30:15,200 --> 00:30:20,320 And so she at that time, she had the song called Born This Way. And you know, 414 00:30:20,320 --> 00:30:25,480 this is, yeah, in some way we're praying for. I think my people are reaching out to her during 415 00:30:25,480 --> 00:30:29,400 that time period. She went on Good Morning America dressed like a condom. 416 00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:34,000 That's right. I remember that. Yeah. And locked herself up for three days inside 417 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:37,400 of an egg to have the effect that it did here. Therefore, the gay marriage, she 418 00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:41,520 actually became a priest due to that time period so she performed weddings. But my 419 00:30:41,520 --> 00:30:46,200 thing is this, the influence that was released from that came from a different 420 00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:51,520 source. It came from the other side, not from the kingdom of heaven. So there's a 421 00:30:51,520 --> 00:30:55,200 difference between being a celebrity and a star. But unfortunately, Sean, we have 422 00:30:55,200 --> 00:31:00,000 celebrities in the church too. Come on, speak to that, bro. We have celebrities in 423 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:03,720 the church too. See, the difference, the thing about a celebrity is that all 424 00:31:03,720 --> 00:31:09,120 celebrities have to be good actors. Right? A certain way from the camera for just 425 00:31:09,120 --> 00:31:13,160 long enough. You have to act a certain way. You know, people just long enough. So 426 00:31:13,160 --> 00:31:17,400 and the word for actor back in Jesus day was the word hypocrite. It sounds kind of 427 00:31:17,400 --> 00:31:22,240 funny. That's right. The hypocrite was an actor before they had the word actor, 428 00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:24,840 they had the word hypocrite. And so the hypocrite, they didn't have a lot of 429 00:31:24,840 --> 00:31:27,680 actors. They just have one or two people who would act, but they would hold up 430 00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:31,760 several masks and play all these different characters. Well, that's the deal 431 00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:35,520 with the church celebrity. They act one way at church and they hold up a mask. 432 00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:38,840 They act another way at work and hold up another mask. They act another way with 433 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:42,480 their friends and hold up another mask. And here's the deal. If how things look is 434 00:31:42,480 --> 00:31:46,120 what matters most in your life, how things all would never get dealt with. 435 00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:51,120 Wow. That's why you have people right now. You have millions of social media 436 00:31:51,120 --> 00:31:54,120 followers, hundreds of thousands of social media followers, but you're 437 00:31:54,120 --> 00:31:58,640 influenced that run deep because it's coming from a different place. In 438 00:31:58,640 --> 00:32:02,400 other words, it's all about the shallow thing. And we see that sometimes on 439 00:32:02,400 --> 00:32:05,440 some of our leaders right now. I remember Jack, Dave, Jack Haver says something 440 00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:08,800 years ago that was so profound. He says when the church tries to become 441 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:14,440 contemporary sooner or later, it'll become temporary. Because cultural fads and 442 00:32:14,440 --> 00:32:18,640 trends, they change, but the word of God doesn't. And so we have people now who 443 00:32:18,640 --> 00:32:22,400 want to use the broadest amount of favor, greatest amount of favor for the 444 00:32:22,400 --> 00:32:26,400 broadest amount of people that understand that. But then there's something else 445 00:32:26,400 --> 00:32:30,960 about going deep with God, going deep in your relationships and focusing more 446 00:32:30,960 --> 00:32:34,560 about what you're doing in the unseen, in prayer, fasting, and intimacy with the 447 00:32:34,560 --> 00:32:37,960 Lord, instead of how much time you're spending connecting with people online, 448 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:42,720 algorithms. I mean, I have to watch it myself. The Lord has dealt with me 449 00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:46,400 about that. So we have to be in it and not of it because everybody's on the 450 00:32:46,400 --> 00:32:50,440 phone. This is where we're going to reach a generation, but the way we're going to 451 00:32:50,440 --> 00:32:53,560 have the kind of influence to bring change, we have to get it from another realm. 452 00:32:53,560 --> 00:32:58,160 Bro, I love what you're saying, Will, because we're talking to influences. This 453 00:32:58,160 --> 00:33:03,240 generation, we read the stat. They have made that the brass ring to be grass. They 454 00:33:03,240 --> 00:33:09,480 want to be that influencer. And I heard it said, if the light is upon you, greater 455 00:33:09,480 --> 00:33:15,000 than the light that is within you, your platform will become your trapdoor. 456 00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:19,320 And I think there's so many people, they have the spotlight that they want on 457 00:33:19,320 --> 00:33:24,160 them. Again, if the light that is upon you is greater than the light that is 458 00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:28,680 within you, your platform becomes your trapdoor. And I think I love what 459 00:33:28,680 --> 00:33:32,360 you're saying, Will, because what you're saying, man, and keep your 100 listeners 460 00:33:32,360 --> 00:33:36,920 got to get this, is that influence comes in the prayer clause. Influence first 461 00:33:36,920 --> 00:33:41,400 comes in terms of the influence we want to wield as kingdom people, as people of 462 00:33:41,400 --> 00:33:46,600 God, is that we want to get along with God. We want to get God on us. And as we do 463 00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:51,720 that, we recognize we're stewarding this influence because the world's way is 464 00:33:51,720 --> 00:33:56,120 that, hey, and it started with the devil who was Lucifer. You know, he had all 465 00:33:56,120 --> 00:33:59,960 these covering stones inside of him. He was beautiful, cherub. But all of a 466 00:33:59,960 --> 00:34:04,520 sudden, it became about him. I'm not just going to lead worship under the Lord. 467 00:34:04,520 --> 00:34:10,360 I want you to worship me. People today in the kingdom, if we want to be influencers, 468 00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:14,200 we first have got to get to the point where God marks us. 469 00:34:14,200 --> 00:34:17,720 That's exactly what I'm saying, because there's a difference between being a 470 00:34:17,720 --> 00:34:21,560 celebrity and a star. Say it, you know, I'm talking about a star from a 471 00:34:21,560 --> 00:34:25,320 biblical understanding, a celebrity from a worldly understanding of being an 472 00:34:25,320 --> 00:34:30,120 influencer. So the deal is this, celebrities use people to support their 473 00:34:30,120 --> 00:34:34,120 authority. But stars use their authority to support 474 00:34:34,120 --> 00:34:38,440 people. Celebrities are initiated and humiliated in 475 00:34:38,440 --> 00:34:42,040 order to receive their influence. You think about some of the degrading, 476 00:34:42,040 --> 00:34:45,880 humiliating things that people have done in order to become famous. 477 00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:49,960 But true stars, they're not initiated. They humble themselves 478 00:34:49,960 --> 00:34:54,120 and they're discipled. And at the right time, God raises them up. 479 00:34:54,120 --> 00:34:58,120 Celebrities seek crowds and crowns. Stars seek God and lay down their crowns. 480 00:34:58,120 --> 00:35:02,840 Oh my goodness, bro. Yeah, celebrities build their own kingdom. Stars 481 00:35:02,840 --> 00:35:06,120 build God's kingdom. So the deal is this, you can either be a celebrity 482 00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:09,720 that's bound under the influence of the kingdom of darkness, or you could be a 483 00:35:09,720 --> 00:35:12,840 star that rules and reigns with Christ in heavenly places. 484 00:35:12,840 --> 00:35:16,360 Wow. And that's what I'm talking about, y'all. 485 00:35:16,360 --> 00:35:21,320 Influences, listen up. Yep. And you get to that level of influence 486 00:35:21,320 --> 00:35:24,920 after you go through a couple of things. I don't understand it all. I don't know the 487 00:35:24,920 --> 00:35:28,520 why's of how the kingdom operates. But the people that I know that have been 488 00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:32,200 crushed the most are the people that have the greatest influence and unseeing 489 00:35:32,200 --> 00:35:35,080 realm. And a lot of times that manifests on 490 00:35:35,080 --> 00:35:38,760 earth through their ministries in terms of, you know, when they pray for the sick 491 00:35:38,760 --> 00:35:42,440 or whatever, or even the followings that they have. Sometimes those things do 492 00:35:42,440 --> 00:35:47,160 translate in that way. But I'm talking about lasting influence. 493 00:35:47,160 --> 00:35:51,160 Those who won't quit on God. Those who won't use God like he's just 494 00:35:51,160 --> 00:35:54,440 some backseat date or whatever. He's thumbed with people who want to date them. 495 00:35:54,440 --> 00:35:56,920 He's looking for people on the throne of the ring and going to covenant with them. 496 00:35:56,920 --> 00:36:00,120 He wants people who want to birth his desires in the earth. 497 00:36:00,120 --> 00:36:03,720 He's looking for people who are good or for bad, for bad or worse. 498 00:36:03,720 --> 00:36:07,560 And if you get to that place and lay down love with him, you will go to a whole 499 00:36:07,560 --> 00:36:10,600 new place of influence. I love that well. 500 00:36:10,600 --> 00:36:14,200 Because the thing is, in all the definitions I saw for the word influence, 501 00:36:14,200 --> 00:36:19,400 I kept seeing the word affect, AFFECT, affect, which makes up the word affection. 502 00:36:19,400 --> 00:36:24,360 So influence at its core is all about arresting the affections of someone else 503 00:36:24,360 --> 00:36:27,240 so powerfully they cannot make a decision without you in mind. 504 00:36:27,240 --> 00:36:32,040 That's so good. Will, man, I'm telling you what, you are dropping such nuggets. 505 00:36:32,040 --> 00:36:35,640 What does kingdom influence look like in the marketplace? 506 00:36:35,640 --> 00:36:39,720 It means everything. Believers don't change the marketplace. We cannot change the world. 507 00:36:39,720 --> 00:36:42,920 Wow. And so you guys who are in the marketplace, 508 00:36:43,880 --> 00:36:47,640 you are the key people for shifting the nations of the earth. 509 00:36:47,640 --> 00:36:51,720 You are the, we need people like you with influence from heaven, 510 00:36:51,720 --> 00:36:57,480 sitting down at the marketplace of ideas and reorienting people to the ways of God's kingdom. 511 00:36:57,480 --> 00:37:01,320 So you are key. I would say for the marketplace folks, 512 00:37:01,320 --> 00:37:05,640 this is the greatest time for you to be alive. This is your moment. 513 00:37:05,640 --> 00:37:10,200 I love that. But just to understand that there are places for us to influence 514 00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:13,800 and is that there are believers and people that are in universities, 515 00:37:13,800 --> 00:37:17,640 people that are training right now, people that are starting out in different fields, 516 00:37:17,640 --> 00:37:21,080 that we need you in that education, we need you in that government, 517 00:37:21,080 --> 00:37:27,000 we need you in that entertainment industry, we need you in the marketplace for you to be 518 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:31,880 who God's called, you be the impact of the world. Will, man, last question. Oh my God, 519 00:37:31,880 --> 00:37:38,200 this is amazing. What is the connection between the discipling of the nations and influence? 520 00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:41,880 The deal is this, we need to make sure that we can disciple the nations and the nations aren't 521 00:37:41,880 --> 00:37:47,640 discipling us. Wow. In other words, we cannot defeat what we embrace and the world is not 522 00:37:47,640 --> 00:37:51,400 looking for people who are compromising. The world is looking for people who are different. 523 00:37:51,400 --> 00:37:55,240 We can't copy the world and call it Christian and say, hey, y'all, y'all, you want to be like us? 524 00:37:55,240 --> 00:37:59,960 And like, I'm already like that. I watch the same stuff on Netflix. You do what? I mean, 525 00:37:59,960 --> 00:38:03,960 I go to the same movies that you do. What does your Christianity have to offer me that's any 526 00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:09,240 different with the peculiar people? Come on. It's biblical. Yeah. 527 00:38:09,240 --> 00:38:16,520 Peculiar people that were peculiar was actually attributed to a precious jewel in a jewelry box. 528 00:38:16,520 --> 00:38:22,360 Wow. But curious jewels were the ones that were taken out. They had their own box. That's who you 529 00:38:22,360 --> 00:38:29,000 are, believer. Listen, you're a peculiar, you're a star. You're not a celebrity. You may, you're cut 530 00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:34,440 from different stuff and you're called to be different, to be an influencer. You're God's 531 00:38:34,440 --> 00:38:38,920 tuning fork to a generation. There are some people that won't respond to anything to Sean 532 00:38:38,920 --> 00:38:44,520 and I would say, but God has set up his own sphere of influence for you because they're part of your 533 00:38:44,520 --> 00:38:49,000 sphere of authority. They're part of your sphere of influence and it will begin to grow as you begin 534 00:38:49,000 --> 00:38:52,520 to cultivate your relationship with the Lord. It'll grow as you begin to care more about people 535 00:38:52,520 --> 00:38:59,000 than your own agenda. But we cannot allow ourselves to get to this place of compromise 536 00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:05,080 where we were chasing likes and hearts and retweets and reposts and we wound up saying what 537 00:39:05,080 --> 00:39:09,560 people want to hear instead of saying what they need to hear, saying what God's telling us to 538 00:39:09,560 --> 00:39:15,160 tell them instead of giving what engineers want to be entertained by. Will, man, I'm telling you 539 00:39:15,160 --> 00:39:21,800 what, bro, you have taken us on a journey. You dropped knowledge. Keep it 100 tribe. Hey, how can 540 00:39:21,800 --> 00:39:26,840 we follow you? How can we support you? Yeah, we can follow us. I post most of my stuff through 818 541 00:39:26,840 --> 00:39:34,120 The Sign on my Facebook page. So go there also to the Careers with Podcast Network. Be The Sign. 542 00:39:34,120 --> 00:39:39,800 But yeah, follow me and follow us. Keep following Sean and Christian. Keep it 100. They may keep 543 00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:46,840 it at 100 for a minute. This man has opened more doors for me than anybody can even realize. So 544 00:39:46,840 --> 00:39:52,200 anyway, thank God for the friendship and the connection and it's been amazing. Wow, Will. 545 00:39:52,200 --> 00:39:57,960 Thank you for that. That was truly incredible. What a profound conversation. I love how you 546 00:39:57,960 --> 00:40:03,160 just broke it down. He challenges each of us to live out the influencer. You and I, our listeners, 547 00:40:03,160 --> 00:40:08,600 we were called to be for God. Wasn't that so good? Awesome. It was amazing. As always to our Keep 548 00:40:08,600 --> 00:40:13,720 it 100 tribe, we want you to take away five qualities of what it is to be an influencer, 549 00:40:13,720 --> 00:40:20,360 because we're calling out the influencer in you. Number one, respectability. We have to understand 550 00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:26,360 that the life we live is so connected to our credibility. And when we live a life of consistency 551 00:40:26,360 --> 00:40:32,600 in our integrity, it not only leads to a positive reputation, it leads to influence. When people 552 00:40:32,600 --> 00:40:37,240 know that they can respect you, when they know you're credible, when they know that you are consistent 553 00:40:37,240 --> 00:40:42,680 with your value and your belief system and you're living for God, not only are you trustworthy, 554 00:40:42,680 --> 00:40:48,120 you're now one that carries the influence that God's given you and you're stewarding what God's 555 00:40:48,120 --> 00:40:53,160 given you through respectability. That is so incredible. The second quality of an influence 556 00:40:53,160 --> 00:40:59,960 is passion. It's proven that people that are passionate influence others and their excitement 557 00:40:59,960 --> 00:41:04,680 is actually infectious. And when I think of passion, I think of a person that truly cares 558 00:41:04,680 --> 00:41:09,960 about the vertical component. That means that first, we are passionate about Jesus and as we're 559 00:41:09,960 --> 00:41:16,040 passionate about Jesus, then when we begin to speak, that passion really carries heaven's touch 560 00:41:16,040 --> 00:41:22,360 upon it. And I really believe for the new emerging influencers that are coming out, values are going 561 00:41:22,360 --> 00:41:27,000 to be central to this group. And the third thing I've actually understood about passion, it's easier 562 00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:33,160 to become an influencer and harder to stay one. So true. They've seen that believers in their first 563 00:41:33,160 --> 00:41:38,920 year of being saved, lead the majority of people that they ever will lead to Christ, they lead in 564 00:41:38,920 --> 00:41:44,040 their first year. And I believe part of it is that that's when we're most passionate. And after a while, 565 00:41:44,040 --> 00:41:49,720 our passion drops off and as our passion drops off, so does our ability to influence others. So 566 00:41:49,720 --> 00:41:55,960 it's important to maintain your passion. That's so good. You know, the third quality of what it is 567 00:41:55,960 --> 00:42:01,240 to be an influencer is authenticity. You and I can all agree and all our listeners will agree with 568 00:42:01,240 --> 00:42:07,400 us. Few things turn us off like people that are inauthentic. You know, the reality is if someone 569 00:42:07,400 --> 00:42:12,920 is inauthentic and they're wearing masks or they're being fake or a poser or if there's someone that 570 00:42:12,920 --> 00:42:17,480 is not true to who they are and you know that they're kind of putting up a front and they're 571 00:42:17,480 --> 00:42:22,440 presenting themselves not accurate to who they really are, that is so inauthentic. And it's so 572 00:42:22,440 --> 00:42:27,000 hard to feel like you can trust them and that they're someone that you go, okay, I'm going to 573 00:42:27,000 --> 00:42:30,680 actually allow you to speak into my life because they're not even being authentic to themselves. 574 00:42:30,680 --> 00:42:34,840 And I think what's so important is when we remove the mask and we're just honest about who we are, 575 00:42:34,840 --> 00:42:40,200 there really is a safety that comes with that where people go, okay, I can trust you. And again, 576 00:42:40,200 --> 00:42:45,720 we're coming back to that place of authenticity of knowing who you say you are, you really are, 577 00:42:45,720 --> 00:42:51,800 as you do that, that opens up and keeps doors of influence open. Fourth quality of an influencer 578 00:42:51,800 --> 00:42:57,320 is visibility. Jesus said in Matthew 515, to do not hide your light underneath a bushel. In other 579 00:42:57,320 --> 00:43:02,360 words, your light must be visible. You have to have visibility. The difference between a 580 00:43:02,360 --> 00:43:07,720 reformer and a refugee is a refugee hides, but a reformer is out in the open. We're not called to 581 00:43:07,720 --> 00:43:12,840 be a subculture, we're called to be a counterculture. So in order to influence people, you cannot just 582 00:43:12,840 --> 00:43:19,000 hide in Christian buildings that are a-frame and stained glass. You've got to get out in the marketplace 583 00:43:19,000 --> 00:43:25,720 and be at the university, be at your workplace, be online, and just be that light. That's so good. 584 00:43:25,720 --> 00:43:32,280 The fifth and last quality of being an influencer is the area of authority. When you walk in authority, 585 00:43:32,280 --> 00:43:37,320 you know who you are in Christ Jesus, that is what is going to be your greatest place of influence. 586 00:43:37,320 --> 00:43:43,480 Marks 1237, it really talks about how Jesus, he was so loved by the common people, by the tax 587 00:43:43,480 --> 00:43:47,400 collector, the prostitute, they would sit and have conversations with them. They would sit and 588 00:43:47,400 --> 00:43:52,840 share meals. Why? Because there was an approachability and a connectability about Jesus. When people 589 00:43:52,840 --> 00:43:58,360 know you're just like them and they know that you're the person next door, you get their struggles, 590 00:43:58,360 --> 00:44:02,680 you get where they've at because you've lived the same things. They're able to not only draw 591 00:44:02,680 --> 00:44:07,640 wisdom from you and encouragement from you, but there is a commonality of, hey, we're going to 592 00:44:07,640 --> 00:44:11,880 walk this together and we're going to get through it together and there is an authority that you 593 00:44:11,880 --> 00:44:18,120 walk in because you walk in the light and the wisdom of God. That is so good. I love that. 594 00:44:18,120 --> 00:44:24,120 Awesome. You know what? Keep it 100 to try. We love doing this with you every week. As always, 595 00:44:24,120 --> 00:44:28,600 we want to thank you for tuning in, for giving us your time because we want you to know we build 596 00:44:28,600 --> 00:44:34,840 this content for you. As always, thanks so much for coming and joining us as always every Tuesday. 597 00:44:34,840 --> 00:44:39,080 We want to thank you for those that have been rating us, giving us five-star reviews. We're 598 00:44:39,080 --> 00:44:43,480 so grateful for your feedback. I tell you what, Sean and I read every single one and we're so 599 00:44:43,480 --> 00:44:48,760 encouraged and it really motivates us to keep doing what we're doing. As always, continue to get the 600 00:44:48,760 --> 00:44:53,720 word out. Continue to, if you haven't already, review us, rate us and share us. We want to get 601 00:44:53,720 --> 00:44:58,360 this podcast out to as many people as possible and that happens because of you guys. Thanks so 602 00:44:58,360 --> 00:45:03,240 much for doing that. Check us out at www.Seanandchristasmith.com during the week anytime and as always, 603 00:45:03,240 --> 00:45:07,960 find us on Facebook at Sean and Chris Smith Ministries. We'd love to continue to hear how this 604 00:45:07,960 --> 00:45:14,280 podcast has impacted you. Hey, Keep It 100 Tribe, you want to join us next week as we're going to hit 605 00:45:14,280 --> 00:45:20,440 the crucial topic of fears, phobias and anxieties. We recognize in the season that we're in that many 606 00:45:20,440 --> 00:45:25,240 people find themselves with fears that they're facing that they've never faced before. We want 607 00:45:25,240 --> 00:45:31,160 to talk to you how to fight down those fears. So until next week, remember, relief may change your 608 00:45:31,160 --> 00:45:50,440 circumstance, but a revelation to change you.