Lecrae Tells His Story – I Am Second
“I want my music to offer the hope and encouragement I didn’t get…” – Lecrae
As a child, Hip Hop artist Lecrae’s world was void of good role models. Growing up with a single mom, he would watch rap videos at his grandmother’s house and developed an ability to rap himself. Yet Lecrae wrestled with insignificance, having never met his father and enduring a life of abuse and neglect. He sought to fill this void by surrounding himself with gangsters.
Before long, Lecrae was embroiled in a world filled with drugs, theft, alcohol and gang activity. “I didn’t fit in anywhere. I was just a misfit of a person,” he said.
Little did he know that his view on life would soon be jolted, opening his eyes to the One who valued his life as significant. The One who cared enough to die for him. The One who is behind his music…
From I Am Second
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Discovering Your Creative Calling: Interview with Visual Artist Tony Snipes Founder of Art Lessons From God
Author, speaker and ministry leader Tony Snipes helps today’s gifted artisans answer questions about their purpose and creative calling through his initiatives Art Lessons From God and Kreative Kingdom.
“What is it that you love doing that you wouldn’t even have to have anybody pay you for… That’s your passion…the beauty of it would be that if you’re pursuing that and you’re getting paid for it then it’s not even like work.” – Tony Snipes
Be sure to check out the resource links at the end of the interview including a free download of Tony’s audio resource “How To Identify Your Creative Calling: Your CALLING, Your CAREER, Your JOB…What’s The Difference?”
Most everyone has asked these questions:
- Who am I?
- Why am I here?
- What should I be doing?
Artists in particular, from painters to musicians, may ask these questions regarding their gifts:
- Who am I as an artist?
- Why do I have this talent?
- What does God want me to do with it?
Tony Snipes, a gifted artist himself and founder of Kreative Kingdom, Inc. a non-profit faith-based art initiative, began asking these questions and created a resource to help other artists discover their creative purpose.
Tony’s project, Art Lessons from God delves into these questions of gifting and calling. The blog, workshops, books and other resources were created with the goal of helping artists and designers discover God’s purpose and plan for their artistic talent. Watch Tony introduce the site below:
Though the site is targeted toward visual artists it has much insight that could inspire artists of any type from writers and performers to musicians and filmmakers. Many of the topics explored can apply to a variety of arts, like “Anointed versus Talented: What’s the Difference?” to “Discovering a “God” idea vs a “Good” idea.”
Often in our society we acknowledge the “how” regarding talents of individuals but may not always consider the deeper questions involved with “why”. In this interview Tony Snipes discusses his background in the visual arts and gives advice to other artists in figuring out their “why” and God’s purpose for them:
Dream in Soul: Hi Tony, thanks for speaking to me today. Can you tell us a little about who you are: What is your background in art and your profession?
Tony Snipes: Well prior to going into graphic design and illustration I have been drawing and painting all of my life but especially kind of training myself to draw and sketch from my comic books as a kid. So I did a lot of drawing back then, and am professionally trained as a graphic designer – graphic design and illustration…that’s pretty much my professional background with art…
Below is one of Tony Snipes’ pieces entitled “Endure.”
DS: What inspired you to start your website “Art Lessons From God”?
Tony Snipes: What really started challenging me is and kind of pushed me towards starting the site was based on a conversation that I had with a young man back in the late ‘90s. He was an artist as well and he was about to graduate from high school, and was contemplating going to art school or taking something else… We were talking in church and both of us started asking, where is the artist in the Bible?
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Message Pick: 5 Things Every Adult Should Know from Axis
For this Soul Connection Message Pick, here’s “5 Things Every Adult Should Know” from Axis, the 18-20+ community at Willow Creek Community Church. If you live near South Barrington, IL, check out their Gatherings every Wednesday night.
Message Notes:
– What do some of the plots of children’s movies in America tell us about the messages we give to kids about adulthood?
– “How do we begin to move out of our passivity and out of our consumption to begin to experience life in a real way?”
– “Life’s not about you, it’s about something way bigger than you, you just get to be apart of it…”
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Kierra Sheard & Bold Right Life Presents BOLD RIGHT LIFE Experience 2011 & Music Pick Mighty
Music Pick: Mighty – Kierra Sheard
I love the upbeatness and message of Kierra Sheard’s song Mighty, from her upcoming album:
Kierra Sheard and her young adult ministry Bold Right Life are presenting another conference this year, the BOLD RIGHT LIFE Experience 2011. Special guests include Pastor Donnie McClurkin, Pastor Welton Smith IV, Pastor Jonathan Miller, Jonathan Nelson, DA T.R.U.T.H, BRL and many more. The event is taking place August 11-13, in Detroit, MI. Register Online today at www.boldrightlife.com Kierra also has new music coming out on in October 2011 featuring BRL and entitled FREE.
Check out the promo video below:
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Oraia Speaks On Gods Dreams for Us – Inspiring Spoken Word at Teen Mania
In vivid, moving expression Oraia, a writer, minister and and spoken word artist, delivers a powerful piece at a Teen Mania Conference, on God’s dreams, and how we can follow His lead making an impact on our culture. The story she tells through her words is raw and passionate:
Visit www.oraiaspeaks.com for booking information and more videos, from Oraia.
As both a writer and public speaker, Oraia has fused her gifting into a powerful creative tool through the art of “Spoken Word”. This unique anointing has given Oraia a distinct voice not only within the body of Christ but far beyond. Her message has torn down walls of cultural and racial division and is gripping the hearts of young men and women from every walk of life. Oraia has been honored to minister at an extensive collection of diverse churches and venues including The Potter’s House & Teen Mania’s “Battlecry”. She also sits on the Creative Team for Upsidedown Inc. and is the Producer for Youth Explosion Ministries in New York City where she serves under the leadership of Pastors Michael, Adam and Chris Durso.
Oraia Speaks On Using Our Gifts for Him & God’s Dreams- Inspiring Spoken Word
In another piece called “Dead Breathe” Oraia speaks on how so many waste their gifts and talents when they don’t use them them to the glory of God. The piece is bold and sure to inspire you…
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“I Will Wait for You” A Poem by Official P4CM Poet Janette…ikz
The Passion 4 Christ Movement’s Official Poet Janette…ikz shares a beautiful piece during P4CM’s Lyricist Lounge 4 on “Waiting” on love. She has an amazing way with words and I’m sure you can relate to her waiting woes. Check out www.P4CM.com for more poems and the date of the next Lyricist Lounge.
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Inspiration for a Generation: Youth of Christ Movie Premieres In South Florida
A few months back Dream in Soul Interviewed Stephanie Rodnez, a young filmmaker who is using her passion for making movies to inspire other young people through her company Christ Effect Entertainment. Stephanie’s latest project is Youth of Christ, a fun feature length film about a lazy youth group’s struggle to host a youth revival at their church. The message of the movie is that no matter what age you are, you’re never too young to do big things for Jesus Christ. If you are in the South Florida area you are welcome to attend the screening which is open to the public with free admission, Friday, March 4th at 7:30pm in Fort Lauderdale. See below for more details.
Click Here for the Dream in Soul Interview with Stephanie Rodnez
Check out the trailer for the film Youth of Christ below:
More About Youth of Christ & The Upcoming Release Event
South Florida native Stephanie Rodnez is out to build a strong Christian film industry in South Florida, starting with the premiere of her first feature length film created for theatrical release, “Youth of Christ.” The event is taking place on Friday, March 4th, 7:30pm, at the First Baptist Church of Plantation, where she’s been a member since she was four years old.
Now 24, Rodnez is eager to see filmmakers and South Florida churches closely aligned. “Youth of Christ is a movie that inspires teenagers to get out of their pews and do something big for Jesus Christ, and we’re praying that once churches see this film, we’ll see a boom in young adult led ministries here in South Florida,” says Rodnez.
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Video Pick: Dianna Hobbs – I Sing For You
Dianna Hobbs, who Dream in Soul interviewed a few weeks ago, just released the video for her new song, “I Sing For You.” The song is a reminder of giving our devotion to God in whatever we do, and the music video is youthful and energetic. Check out the video below and the song on Amazon or Itunes.
Click here to view our interview with Dianna and to find out more about her empowering ministry.
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Recap of Impact 2010: THE COME BACK Part 2
This is a continuation of the previous post about the Impact Movement’s conference for college and high school students. Click here for Part 1 of the Recap.
The Thursday (December 30th) online broadcast of Impact 2010 The COME BACK brought the four-day conference to a close but the powerful ministering and teaching was far from over…
In the morning the attendees went to various locations in the Atlanta community, including homeless shelters and juvenile detention centers for a Day of Outreach. They first got training on witnessing through a series of funny but real skits, discussions and practice sessions. After worship with the group SoulLoved and the praise team, Pastor James White brought a message on sacrifice and obedience, and the legacy of the conference.
Afterwards everyone headed out to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to people around the city, a part of the conference the online audience couldn’t see. In the meantime web host (and Vice president of the Impact Movement) Rebecca Gilmer brought more behind the scenes interviews with attendees and Impact leaders.
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Dream in Soul is a new media site for the young-at-heart and purpose-full, inspiring you to live and use your talents passionately for God. To learn more, 
Click Here for our Interview with Music Artist & Producer TJ Pompeo on Dreams, Faith & Trust
