Tony Gaskins, Jr. will be my special guest on to open our fall season of Passion in Action TV Thursday, September 5th. Tony has been a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show to share his dark story of once being a toxic and abusive boyfriend while in college with his ex-girlfriend. Tony admitted to things the average man would carry to his grave. His reasoning was to turn his mess into his message and to use his story for God’s glory. He knew that in order to help others change their lives, he had to be willing to admit his own faults as a man. It was his pain which birthed his purpose. He humbled himself and revealed his mistakes as a young man. The day after appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show, the producers of The Tyra Banks Show called Tony. Tony was featured on Tyra Banks’ show as a guest expert with his self-published book in hand. This was a book that Tony wrote at the mere age of 22 years old when he was fresh out of the dating game. He played the game worse than most men and survived to tell about it in his books. After the talk show appearances, Tony was featured on TBN’s 700 Club. He had visited three globally-televised shows all within a few months while acting as his own agent, manager and publicist.

Tony has traveled all over the country speaking to groups of all ages. He is one of the most sought-after speakers in the USA. He speaks on topics of love, business, success and self-development. He has addressed audiences for countless colleges and universities, major sports organizations and churches. In addition, he is finally conquering his fear of flying so that he can accept the hundreds of invites from around the globe. Tony is an author of several books and a professional life coach by day, coaching people from all walks of life all around the globe. He is also a TV & film producer on the rise, ghostwriter and an author/business/social media consultant. Because of his vast life experiences, Tony has become a jack-of-all-trades but a master of service. It is his belief that as we live, we should teach. This philosophy urged him to create online schools for people who desire to learn about love and relationships, entrepreneurship or becoming a life coach. He also organizes and hosts retreats for those who need to get away, have a great time, and change their lives in the process.

Tony’s story is a testament that it doesn’t matter where you come from or what you’ve been through; if you want better for your life, then you can have it. The choice is yours!

No, I'm not talking about the NFL or Scandal. I'm talking about the new season of Passion in Action TV! I'm very excited for the increasing opportunities we have to bring to our growing audience inspiring guests and compelling topics that will ignite you to transform your aspirations into action and your ideas into impact. We look forward to you joining us. See you next week!

Check out the new Brotha Online Magazine and my weekly column Thrive!

Your health is your greatest wealth! Watch the video below to learn more about his exciting event taking place Saturday, September 7th that will focus on helping you improve the health of your mind body and spirit.

I'm very excited to be one of the moderators. Register today at www.mywellnessbydesign.com

We are excited to launch our new Community Partnership Network, which consists of businesses, churches, and community organizations who are living their passion and changing lives. We will use this network to highlight these great organizations, promote their projects, and bring positive attention to the wonderful work they are doing.

One of the major focuses of this network is our work with Metro Merge, a faith-based small business incubator and shared office space in South Atlanta, whose goal is to create 300 jobs in 3 years through entrepreneurship training and business coaching. As we continue to grow this network we will definitely be expanding to more locations around the U.S. and globally in the future.

Fortunately, the benefits just don't go to Metro Merge. For  those of you who decide to partner with us in this network you will receive these incredible perks:

• Visibility to more than 1.5 million potential viewers per month through our relationship with LifeStream.TV
• Hyper-linked company logo on our Community Partners page
• Promotion of your organization or project on Passion in Action TV with a hyperlink to your web site
  
• Promotion of your organization or project at our local events
  
• Inclusion of your organization in our marketing campaigns

• Inclusion of your organization in our press releases involving Passion in Action or Metro Merge
• Special discounts for services provided by Metro Merge
• Special discounts for products and services provided by Kingdom Business University
  
• You company logo will appear in the Metro Merge newsletter
  
• Inclusion in an extensive email marketing campaign promoting our programs, which will identify you as a Community Partner
  
• Your company will receive a mention during special events hosted by Metro Merge during the year
  
• More benefits to come!!!

Check out these great organizations currently in the network who you will be associated with...

Please join us today in our efforts to fight poverty, grow businesses, and create jobs for those who are unemployed.

We would like to share one of our new initiatives with you that will allow you to get something great while doing something good. As we previously announced Kingdom Business University is joining forces with Metro Merge to fight poverty and create jobs by strengthening small businesses. Your purchases at the KBU Online Store will help fund programs that provide entrepreneurship training and business coaching for youth and adults. We are committing 20% of all product revenues to Metro Merge. 

Please join us in this fight and get some great resources for your spiritual and professional development at the same time! Learn more at www.kingdombusinessuniversity.com. 

Of course if you just want to make a tax-deductible contribution to Metro Merge, we can accommodate you with that also. Thank you in advance!

I changed the original theme for Thursday's episode of Passion in Action TV from "Find a Dream Job" to "Create a Dream Job." The main reason is because the more I thought about it, a bunch of "dream jobs" aren't just waiting to be found. If that's the case Millennials wouldn't be struggling so hard to find a job out of college. Did you know that, according to a May report in the New York Times, the U.S. has the highest rate of unemployed young adults (26.6%) between the ages twenty-five and thirty-four? This is higher than in other larger, wealthy economies, including those of France, Britain, Germany, Japan, and Canada. Further evidence of how difficult this job market is for Millennials and young minority adults: according to a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data in 2012, 63 percent of 18- to 31-year-olds had jobs, down from the 70 percent of their counterparts who had jobs in 2007. 

The truth is the job market hasn't just been difficult for Millennials and minorities to find basic jobs (let alone dream jobs), it's been hard on everyone. Fortunately, all is not lost. I believe God put the desire and capacity inside all of us to do meaningful work that is unique and fulfilling to how He designed each of us. The challenge is identifying where that work is.

That's why I'm excited about this week's show, because my special guest, Frank T. Mitchell, is a Human Resources and Talent Management expert who will share his perspectives and experience on how to create your dream job versus just hoping it exists somewhere. A recession can't stop God's blessings from getting to you!

Join us for this timely conversation Thursday at 7PM eastern on www.passioninaction.tv.

Kingdom Business University is joining forces with Metro Merge to fight poverty and create jobs by strengthening small businesses. Your purchases at the KBU Online Store will help fund programs that provide entrepreneurship training and business coaching for youth and adults. We are committing 20% of all product revenues to Metro Merge. Please join us in this fight and get some great resources for your spiritual and professional development at the same time! Of course if you just want to make a tax-deductible contribution to Metro Merge, we can accommodate you with that also. Learn more at www.kingdombusinessuniversity.com. 

This week on Passion in Action TV I'm pleased to welcome human resources and talent acquisition expert Frank T. Mitchell. Mr. Mitchell is a dynamic proven Human Resource professional with years of leadership within fortune 500 companies across major industries including Financial, Legal, Advertising, Technology, Startups, and Hospitality. Frank’s experiences include developing & executing strategies that enhanced overall business productivity regarding Human Capital. Frank is a driven leader responsible for implementing staffing solutions and practices to attract, hire and retain top talent. Frank has the proven ability to effectively impact associate engagement by communicating consistent messages across the organization and living the organizations core values. 

Frank has a Diverse Human Resources background with a great deal of time spent in the Staffing function from many sides (Agency, Corporate & outsourced Vendor). Frank also has a solid background in Labor Relations spending time working in the Labor intense New York City Market.

Frank has been responsible for hiring over 1,600 people across several industries and has spent over $75 Million buying talent for those organizations.

You definitely don't want to miss this show. Learn more about how Frank's strategies for finding a dream job in a down economy this Thursday, August 15th, streaming live at 7 PM EST only at www.passioninaction.tv. You can watch on your computer or any mobile device. See you Thursday!

by Lavonya Jones

Once Jesus had accomplished His mission in the Earth, He instructed us to “’Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen” (Matthew 28:19-20). According to Ed Silvoso, in his book Transformation, “to disciple a nation means to impact its life so that it will conform to a set of specific values and develop a corresponding behavior.” This means to cause the culture of the nations to conform to the values of God’s Kingdom of love, joy, and peace. Therefore, as a Church, we are not just called to transform the lives of individuals, but also the conditions and environments in which they live. We are called to restore back unto the nations their honor and glory. Ed Silvoso further states that, “The premier social indicator that transformation has taken place is the elimination of systemic poverty.” Our efforts as the Church must provide value to the vitality of the entire community.

The heart of the nation is the city, and the heart of the city is the marketplace. Therefore, transformation must begin here. Without a clear presence of the Kingdom of God in the marketplace through the placement of marketplace ministers, what happens inside our four walls is nothing more than a spiritual parade or pep rally. The Church must proactively seek a point of inception into the marketplace through the seven mountains of culture (family, government, media, economy/business, arts/entertainment, education, and religion), enforcing the Kingdom of God over the four values of control of the kingdom of darkness (control, immorality, pride, and exploitation of nature) with the righteousness, peace, joy, and power of the Kingdom of God (Rom 14:17). As we see in the world today, anyone with resources can address social issues, but only Spirit-filled believers have the access to the Tree of Life (wisdom-Prov. 3:18; the fruit of righteousness-Prov. 11:30; desire fulfilled-Prov. 13:12; a soothing tongue-Prov. 15:4) to solve the problems of the world, and to bring healing to the nations through the demonstration of God’s power with signs, wonders, and miracles. This is the most powerful key to opening up the nations to be transformed by the Kingdom of God.

Statistically, over 90 percent of the Church does not feel that they are properly equipped by nuclear church leaders to impact their areas of influence in the marketplace. Marketplace ministers must be taught that they are called to do business, with the expectation to succeed, so that they may be granted influence, or authority, over their cities to be able to release the culture of Heaven in their cities. Every member in the Body of Christ has been given a specific assignment to display God’s glory and power, and to usher in the Kingdom of God among the nations. With this assignment, God has designated particular groups of people, particular regions, and particular areas for each of us to pour out our gifts and talents, for His glory, in order that we might fulfill our assignment on this earth. Therefore, marketplace ministers are key to city transformation and just as important and vital to the Kingdom of God as nuclear church ministers. As marketplace ministers we are to use our anointing to display God’s glory and power in our area of influence “so that sinners will turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God” (Acts 26:18), transforming people and their environments. When we get the revelation that God has called us, He has anointed us, He has graced us, and given us authority, power, and jurisdiction in the arena of the marketplace we are well on our way to allowing God’s kingdom to replace Satanic systems in the heart of our communities and cities.

Lavonya Jones is a fierce new generation Business Strategist and Leadership Coach with over fourteen years of business, ministry and leadership experience. Armed with a passion to challenge the status quo within the upcoming generation, Jones is on a mission to bridge the destiny gap and equip leaders around the world with the spiritual and practical tools they need to fulfill God’s dream for their lives.
Website: http://www.ReturnToYourDreams.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachLavonyaJones
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Return2UrDreams

It's going to be another exciting and empowering week on Passion in Action TV. My guest this Thursday is Dr. Robert J. Watkins, CEO of Kings and Priests Unlimited, Inc., a business-focused ministry committed showing the Body of Christ how to build wealth, leave a legacy and develop into the leader God designed you to be. According to Robert, "I’ve made it my life’s passion to develop leaders at all levels. I understand how it feels to live a life in holy frustration without support, resources or purpose.  That's why I made "solving problems for people, corporations and non-profits" my business."
 
Married for 20 years with two wonderful daughters, Robert has had the privilege to serve in the military, write best-selling financial and business books, possess relationships with world-class leaders and speak to hundreds of thousands of people who, like you, value what it takes to become a great leader. His audiences not only leave my sessions with memorable experiences, but it changes the way they think.

He truly believes that if you follow God's specific plans good things will happen for you. Learn more about Dr. Watkins and you can benefit from his ministry this Thursday on Passion in Action TV at 7 PM EST only at www.passioninaction.tv.

In recent years there has been a shift in the conversation of how we can more effectively eliminate poverty in third world countries. And most of the discussion centers around increasing enterprise and entrepreneurship among the poor vs. increasing aid given to them. One of the leading voices in this change of thought is Michael Matheson Miller,  a Research Fellow at the Acton Institute and the Director of Poverty Cure. He wrote this in a recent article:

God desires that all of His children would prosper, so the conversation around this shift to creating prosperity shouldn't just be for third world countries. I believe these is a very timely and relevant discussion even for Christians in America. We need to more deeply consider how we are strategically attacking the issues of poverty in our own national backyard, especially as it relates to utilizing enterprise and entrepreneurship to empower people to becomes agents of their own transformation.

I'm excited about this shift and I hope to part of not just the conversations but the practical application / implementation of these ideas and concepts.

Read Miller's full article posted on QIdeas: http://www.qideas.org/blog/the-shift-from-alleviating-poverty-to-creating-prosperity.aspx