Inner Views
BIO
Barbara is an author, sought-out Bible teacher, and national speaker. She is the author of the bestselling books “I’m Not Every Woman” and “The Promises of Milk and Honey: Rediscover the One Who Keeps His Word.” She is also the founder of the “Not Every Woman National Conference” and her passion is to see followers of Christ transformed and equipped for success in careers and life.
Join Barbara Bryant in our next FREE online event Promises, Promises, Promises! Claim Them! on November 19th!
INNER VIEW
Kathleen Cooke: You are constantly on the go, just as I am—we all are. How do you know when to say “yes” and when to say “no” when you have a caring heart and want to serve and help everyone?
Barbara Bryant: Entrust ministry to others. You are not called to be everything and do everything. In ministry, it’s important to let people help you and to encourage others to do the same. Ministry, in its simplest form, is serving God in front of others, planting seeds of hope in those around us, and letting people know there is a place in God’s kingdom for them.
Kathleen: Those who work in the media, entertainment, arts, and music industries are driven. We are ambitious. We push hard, often forgetting that God has His perfect timing. What have you learned about letting ambition take control instead of God?
Barbara: If I can control a matter, I push. When only God can control a situation, I back off. Experience has taught me how to cease being involved in a situation or step back when it is out of my hands.
Kathleen: We live in challenging times when we all want to do the right things, be in the right places, and … be right. Until we aren’t. We find ourselves needing to forgive ourselves and others for our failings. What has God taught you about forgiveness?
Barbara: I have learned that people who have a hard time forgiving others usually have a hard time forgiving themselves. Forgiving someone who has hurt you can feel like you are ignoring the pain they caused, but forgiving will ensure you are left with only a scar and not an open wound that can never heal.
Kathleen: I have found that when we are unwilling to forgive ourselves and others, it hurts us more than the other person, steals our joy and robs the influence we might have on others’ lives who see our choice to forgive. What have you learned about choosing joy in difficult situations?
Barbara: Joy does not always come easily to people. I have a responsibility to ignite the joy of the Lord in others and allow my life to demonstrate God’s goodness. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” This means I should live a life of integrity and inspire and influence others to do the same.
Connect with Barbara:
Instagram: @barbarabryant98
Facebook: @Barbara Bryant
Inner Views
Do you have trouble setting boundaries and trusting God with your career choices? With decades of experience in corporate America, Dr. Debra Dean is an expert at integrating faith in every aspect of life. In this INNER VIEW, she candidly shares the lessons she’s learned to become a successful leader who influences others for an eternal difference.
Bio – Dr. Debra Dean is a Christian, first and foremost, wife and mother. She is co-founder of His Kingdom Matters, president and CEO of Dean Business Consulting, and adjunct professor at Regent University. Dr. Dean served in corporate America for 25 years. Her most recent position was Director of Business Transformation nested in the Business Intelligence Department.
Dr. Dean is a published author and public speaker. Her TEDx talk Restorative Justice and Disrupt HR presentation Respectful Pluralism: Including Everyone relates to her faith at work passion. Dr. Dean has received numerous awards, including the Colorado Springs Business Journal 2020 Women of Influence Award and the 2020 Global CEO Excellence Award: Most Influential Business Consultancy CEO. She was nominated in 2019 as an operational excellence leader with OPEX Week: Business Transformation World Summit, and in 2018, she won the Outstanding Reviewer Award for Management, Spirituality, and Religion.
Dr. Dean was born and raised in Kentucky, spent nine years in Iowa, and currently resides in Colorado with her husband Steve and their youngest son Gavin. They have six children and four grandchildren. Her mission statement is to “Inspire each person to identify their human potential and pursue authenticity while living a life of eternal focus.”
INNER VIEW
Kathleen Cooke: We all think we are smart until things flop. What has God taught you about trusting Him for the unknown and seeing failures as opportunities for what He desires for us and not what we thought we wanted for ourselves.
Debra Dean: God is teaching me to trust him. It is so easy to get distracted with self-doubt about my ability or calling, but God is teaching me to trust that He has a plan, and I need to follow His plan. When I left corporate in 2018, I thought I was following God, but I got off track and started my business instead of God’s business. The past few years have been lessons of listening, praying, trusting, obeying, surrendering, and being willing to let God provide and guide me. I’m a hard-headed woman, so this is hard. But, when I surrender and trust Him, everything else works out much better. In December 2020, I had a call from a woman that worked with the White House Faith & Opportunities Initiative. We had planned an agenda for the call, but she started crying. I could hear how overwhelmed she was with work and life in her voice. She asked me, “Where are all the Christians?” She was fighting a good fight in D.C., but she felt all alone.
This gave me fuel to move from my business to God’s business and launch His Kingdom Matters in June 2021. Wow! When I trust God, BIG things happen. I did not want people to feel alone or unequipped with fighting the Christian battle in our world today. I have prayed and asked God for wisdom and guidance, and I trust that He divinely pre-plans all the content in the ministry. We start with Bold & Courageous and move into Revival. In retrospect, there is no way I could have come up with this content. It is God. Trusting Him is still a struggle I face daily, but when I trust Him with all aspects of life, He delivers miraculous works.
Kathleen: You have worked in leadership positions in the corporate business world for many years. What are some key things you have learned in your career journey? (more…)
