With Passion in Action TV I'm always excited to interview leaders who inspire and motivate you to live the life God designed you for and this week's show is definitely no exception.  My special guest is Paul D. Jones, a Kingdom entrepreneur in a true sense of the word. Here are a few highlights from his bio: 

• Self-made millionaire
• Inspirational and motivational speaker
• Author of “Who Told You... You Were Broke?”
• Author of "Scheduled for Success"
• Author of the DVD series, “What You and Your Kids Need to Know About Credit”
• Published in magazines
• Author of the weekly inspirational E-zine “Pauly’s Team”
• Recipient of Entrepreneur of the Year Award and Most Inspiring Speaker Award
• Dedicated husband and father

If you desire to build wealth God's way you definitely don't want to miss this show!

Learn more about how Paul and how he achieved success as a godly millionaire this Thursday, August 1st, live streaming at 7 PM ET only at www.passioninaction.tv. You can watch on your computer or any mobile device. See you Thursday!

[This video was originally posted at QIdeas.org]

In this current business environment, more brands seem to be coming to the realization that focusing on being a good corporate citizen is more beneficial than trying to manage the risk of questionable or unscrupulous behavior. Dale Partridge, CEO and Co-Founder of Sevenly.org, questions whether a brand, in fact, can contribute to the common good.

Dale brings up some interesting points, but what I most agree with him on the fact that Christian business owners and leaders are best positioned to lead the marketplace forward through ethical, moral, and people-focused business practices.

RELATED: Grow Businesses. Create Jobs. Defeat Poverty.

What say you? Please leave your comments below...

Today is a great day! My good friend Charles Clark Jr. of Nebo Media Group celebrated the 4th anniversary edition of their online magazine BrothaOnline.com. And I'm extremely humbled and privileged to have an article in this edition. The focus of my Kingdom Business column for this issue is "God's Purposes at Work in You at Work" which focuses on how God wants to use your daily work environment to change you and the people around you. Here's a short excerpt:

Finish reading God's Purposes at Work in You at Work...

How do you approach your work life from a spiritual perspective? Please share you thoughts below...

Benita Bellamy is a Marketing and Public Relations executive with over 15 years of experience in arts and entertainment.  She is the founder and CEO of The Bellamy Group, LLC.  Benita spent 5 years with EMI Christian Music Group/EMI Gospel as Marketing Manager working with Stellar and Grammy Award winning artists Smokie Norful, CeCe Winans and The Blind Boys of Alabama, Donald Lawrence and the Tri-City Singers, Bishop T.D. Jakes and the Potter’s House Choir, Aaron Neville, Darwin Hobbs, and many others.

Benita was a Marketing and Publications Manager for Imagination Stage Performing Arts Center (Bethesda, MD), then repositioned back into music as Label Manager for Sanctuary Records Group (Silver Spring, MD) – Reggae and Catalog division managing projects for legendary reggae artists Steel Pulse, Luciano and the late Gregory Isaacs.  She also developed the National Promotions Department for Light Records (Nashville, TN) and was eventually elevated to Vice President of Marketing leading the new radio and retail promotions team with an artist roster that included:  Shirley Caesar, Youthful Praise, RiZen, Evelyn Turrentine-Agee, Bishop Paul Morton, Zie’l, Coko and Judith Christie-McAllister.

Benita is a contributing writer for CCM Magazine and is on the Innovation Nashville leadership team.

Learn more about how Benita achieve success in the "Business of Gospel Music" this Thursday, July 25th, live streaming at 7 PM ET only at www.passioninaction.tv. You can watch on your computer or any mobile device. See you Thursday!

In the last few weeks I have bee highlighting some of the great things that are happening with Metro Merge, the faith based Christian business incubator located in South Atlanta and our efforts to fight poverty through growing creating jobs by growing small businesses (see here and here).

We are preparing to launch some great entrepreneurship training programs this fall for youth and adults to equip them with the practical skills and leadership tools to grow profitable businesses. So to help with our fundraising efforts Kingdom Business University is offering a 50% discount for all of the products in the online store until July 31st. You can get some great audio and video downloadable products that will assist you with growing your business and growing in your relationship with God as a business owner. You can use this content as a great mobile learning platform

To get your discount, just use access code KBUJUL50 at the KBU online store when you check out. Here is a sample of the products:

Log onto our the KBU online store to see the full offering of products at an incredible deal. But remember, this deal will be over July 31st!

Web Site: store.kbuonline.com
Discount Access Code: KBUJUL50
Expires: July 31, 2013

There is no doubt the verdict from the Trayvon Martin case in Sanford, Florida has had a polarizing effect across this country. Many people in the black community and others feel a great injustice was wrought with the acquittal of George Zimmerman. In situations like these it's hard not to be emotional no matter which side of the result that you're on. 

One thing for certain is that we still have a race relations problem in this country.  And because this is true, we have to be as diligent and intentional as ever to see things from God's perspective in order to move forward in love, but also with the tools and strategies to root out injustice wherever it exists.

READ: How Your Purpose is Connected to Justice 

"After the Verdict" will be a special broadcast of Passion in Action TV this Thursday at 7pm ET. We'll have a special panel comprised of communities leaders who'll be discussing how to help our communities move forward positively, especially related to our teens and young adults.

Guest Panelists:

Leroy Barber has dedicated more than 20 years to eradicating poverty, confronting homelessness, restoring local neighborhoods, healing racism, and living what Dr. King called “the beloved community.” Leroy Barber is Global Executive Director of Word Made Flesh, an international organization that works among the most vulnerable of the world's poor.  Rev. Barber is on the boards of Mission Year and the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA). He is the author of New Neighbor: An Invitation to Join Beloved Community, and Everyday Missions: How Ordinary People Can Change the World. His third book, Red, Yellow, Black and White: Who’s More Precious In His Sight?, will be published this fall. Learn more at www.LeroyBarber.com.

Kenny Pugh is the author of Can You Do It Standing Up? A Different Position On Relationships, which is a compilation of insights targeted at helping people make healthy relationship decisions.  As a media personality, life coach, and consultant, he has a passion for establishing, enhancing and restoring interpersonal relationships. He wishes to serve as a vessel of understanding in an era of disconnected, aimless, and broken relationships, and to soothe adversities of all forms, whether practical, relational, or spiritual. Kenny is host of the weekly radio show,  Chat Kafe, and is a contributor to CNN and Black Enterprise Magazine. Learn more at www.KennyPugh.com.

Johnnie Porter is a professional chaplain, pastor, entrepreneur, community organizer and counselor. He consistently looks for solutions to empower people to live healthy spiritually, financially, physically, and emotionally. Johnnie has committed his life to serving in the community, mobilizing leaders, and helping those who are overlooked and underresourced. He is also the host of the online radio show Power Up with Johnnie Porter, which provides inspiration and information to help people create positive turning points in their lives.

READ: What About All the Other Trayvons?

Join us for the live stream on your computer or mobile device at 7pm ET only on www.passioninaction.tv.

They offer only superficial help for the harm my people have suffered. They say, 'Everything will be all right!' 
But everything is not all right! - Jeremiah 6:14

Injustice is not just about racism, classism, or socioeconomic disparities. It's a Kingdom issue. It's something God cares greatly about. He will hold us accountable for injustices we see that we don't address. Here's what He says:

"Thus says the Lord: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. For if you will indeed obey this word, then there shall enter the gates of this house kings who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their servants and their people. But if you will not obey these words, I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that this house shall become a desolation." (Jeremiah 22:3-5)

Even Jesus said, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone." (Matthew 23:23 NKJV)

No Justice. No Peace.
Whether its racism, corrupt business practices, inequalities in the legal system, broken educational system, abortion, child slavery, unequal educational resources, neglect and mistreatment of the elderly, and even more, it's our prophetic responsibility as Christians to speak truth to the injustices we see and introduce change through God-inspired solutions. If you don't have any concern for justice, then you will never have peace.

READ: What About All the Other Trayvons?

Racism. Classism. Sexism. Ageism. And every other "schism" are systems designed by Satan to bring division, fear, and chaos among people. These are all deep-seated issues of injustice. They are very real schemes and have very real consequences. They are not vestiges of a bygone era or something that people should just get over. They don't go away if we try to ignore them or just not talk about them. But like God told Jeremiah 1:10, Christians have been appointed to "uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow" kingdoms of darkness. However, like Jeremiah we have to identify and engage what we are called to destroy. We can't defeat what we won't admit is real. 

Purposed to Solve Problems
Did you know your PURPOSE is connected to a real PROBLEMS in the earth? God placed you here on earth to help fix what's broken with His help. He wants partnership in the planet to bring solutions to the people. But if you're distracted by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, or the pride of life, you will miss your opportunity to help change what's wrong in the world. You will also miss your chance to find DEEP fulfillment in this life. 

Don't protest or complain about something for which you're not willing to fervently apply your constructive thoughts, time, talents, or treasures (money). Justice issues deserve and require more than just emotional reactions and Facebook posts. It's ok to get mad as long as you're also willing to get mobilized. Otherwise you're just blowing hot air and we don't need any more of that in the atmosphere.

LISTEN: Racism. Sexism. Classism. From Paula Dean to the Trayvon Martin Case

What are YOU going to do about the injustice you see in your community, city, country, world? The world - and God - are waiting for you to make your calling and election sure.

What say you? Thanks for leaving your respectful comments below...

Last year after the Trayvon Martin tragedy occurred I wrote a blog post talking about what I'll call the "forgotten Trayvons," referring to all the young people over the past few years (and even further back) who have been killed violently and senselessly by guns and other means. Whether it's white-on-black or black-on-black crime, we have a national crisis on our hands that's impacting one community disproportionately more than it's impacting others.

READ: It's a Sin Thing, Not a Skin Thing... Thoughts on Trayvon Martin

This is not a just black problem. This is an American problem. And until we're honest with ourselves - across all ethnicities - about the root causes and very real consequences, we'll waste more time blaming one another rather than collectively and collaboratively creating solutions. In the mean time another Trayvon situation is waiting to happen right around the corner.

It's time to wake up and step up.

I look forward to your respectful comments below. God bless.

LISTEN: Racism. Sexism. Classism. From Paula Dean to the Trayvon Martin Case

In a recent post I talked about my new role with Metro Merge, a South Atlanta based Christian business incubator. Well we are joining a joining a momentum that's happening across the country of organizations who see entrepreneurship and small business development as platforms for empowerment. 

Sunshine Gospel Ministries, a 108-year old non-profit in the Woodlawn community on the South Side of Chicago, is shifting from a charity model to a development model. One of their goals is to launch a business incubator that helps to establish companies that will eventually employ 200 people. Through their 8-week Business Leadership Academy, they aim to teach promising entrepreneurs how to manage capital, leverage technology and wisely choose growth opportunities.

The project is modeled on a successful program run by Rising Tide Capital, a 9-year-old nonprofit based in Jersey City, N.J., that has graduated 750 small business owners from its academy and seen 300 of them operate successfully, employing people other than the sole owner.

We at Metro Merge are excited to begin walking down a similar path. Click here to learn more about our vision for South Atlanta.

Read the full article about Sunshine Gospel Ministries here: http://www.chicagogrid.com/features/small-business-incubator-coming-south-side-hoping-bring-200-jobs/

My guest on Passion in Action TV this Thursday, July 11th is Roland Hairston, II.

Since October of 2011, Roland Hairston, II has been the Publisher of Gospel Today, America's longest-running urban Christian magazine. The need for Gospel Today has never been greater, says Hairston, II who brings a keen understanding of emerging technology with a sensitivity to the rich legacy of the urban Christian community. Hairston, II worked alongside Teresa Hairston, his mother and founder of Gospel Today for years, as managing Editorial and Marketing for the magazine. Our world is captivated by images and stories and we need Christian media that can speak to relevant issues of our culture in a way that empowers people to act.

Readers find the lifestyle focus of Gospel Today and high quality of journalism they have come to know from Gospel Today. On the horizon, however, supporters can expect to see what Hairston, II calls an innovative marriage of print and digital. Hairston, II is committed to using this multimedia platform to shape our generation and tell His story. He requests  the Body of Christ to pray for and partner with Gospel Today to continue changing the way the world sees faith.

About Gospel Today
Gospel Today is an urban Christian lifestyle magazine that seeks to inspire, inform, educate and empower its readers toward Godly standards of excellence. With over two decades of experience, nationwide circulation of its bi-monthly print magazine, an interactive Internet community and more, Gospel Today is a trusted resource within the African-American and faith-based communities. For more information or to subscribe, visit www.GospelToday.com.

Join our conversation on Passion in Action TV Thursday night at 7pm ET, streaming online through your computer or mobile device only on www.passioninaction.tv.