My MLK Breakfast Speech

Date: January 28, 2013 Author: Jroll Categories: Rethink Church, Rethink Family, Rethink Leadership, Rethink LifeNo comments yet.

I had the privilege of being the Keynote Speaker for the Dr. Martin Luther King Prayer Breakfast that held at Anne Arundel Community College on January 21.

Here is an excerpt from my speech. You can download and read the full speech here.

When I was a little boy I would sneak into my dad’s closet when he wasn’t at home, and do my best to imitate him. I would put his shirt on. I would pull down one of his ties off of his tie hanger, and to complete the look I’d find his best pair of shoes in the closet and slip my little feet into his shoes. I’d then try to deepen my voice and mimic him as if to say: this shirt may be big on me now, this tie may drag along the floor, and these shoes may be to big to fill now, but ‘one day’ all of this will fit me just fine. As I look back on those days playing in dads closet and playing on my dad’s basketball team I realize that’s it’s no longer the first quarter, It’s now the 4th quarter!

I represent a generation of people who are not only ready to take the big shot, but are ready to fill the shoes of dreamers!

People we have big shoes to fill and big shots to take. It’s the 4th Quarter so play like a team, move the ball around, don’t waste any opportunities, and lastly keep on dreaming! Who will dare to be a difference maker or a game changer?

MINISTRY BURNOUT?

Date: September 30, 2012 Author: Jroll Categories: Rethink ChurchNo comments yet.

Have you lost your excitement and energy of volunteering or serving in the church? Lately, have you felt more obligated to serve rather than dedicated to serve? At times do you feel like you’re the only who cares about serving well? Are you one who used to be the first to show up and the last to leave, and now you find yourself dreading even going to church? Well if you answered yes to any of these questions you are one of many people in today’s churches around the world who have something that I call “Ministry Burnout”!

DYNAMICALLY DIVERSE-’BAD TIE’ PROOF

Date: September 11, 2012 Author: Jroll Categories: Rethink ChurchNo comments yet.

It was a Friday morning and I was siting in chapel. I was one of approximately 25 to 30 African Americans among 400 to 500 people. I quickly began to realize that I was called to make a difference. As I sat there waiting for chapel to begin, my friends and I joked around like we always did as if we were brothers. When I dragged myself out of bed that morning, I had no idea that this day would be a critical day in defining what God had planned for my future. To be honest with you, I rarely made it to chapel as I was what I would call a bible college slacker. However this day, this chapel would be one that I would never forget. Just as every chapel went, the singers sang, the announcements were made and then the speaker took the mic.

IS THIS THAT? (part 1)

Date: June 8, 2012 Author: Jroll Categories: Rethink ChurchNo comments yet.

Growing up in church to what has seem to be my entire life, I have heard so many preachers talk about revival. I have heard the “proclamation” of revival, we have sung and prayed about revival, but I’ve always wondered what is revival? I had a hard time understanding why we need to pray for something that we should already be experiencing. I would think to myself, “this” should already be “that!” I would ask myself questions like, “If we are praying to be revived, are we admitting that we’ve been spiritually asleep?”