Can I Laugh On Your Shoulder? - The 7 Habits for Exponential Spiritual Growth | EP 261: Justin Kendrick, Pastor of VOX Church

The 7 Habits for Exponential Spiritual Growth | EP 261: Justin Kendrick, Pastor of VOX Church

09/01/21 • 53 min

My guest today is Justin Kendrick, the lead pastor of Vox Church, which he founded in 2011 with a small group of friends on the doorstep of Yale University. Since then, Vox has grown to multiple locations across New England. Justin’s newest book, “Bury Your Ordinary: Practical Habits of a Heart Fully Alive,” walks you through seven different habits to live the life that you were created to live.

3:30 – Justin 101

Justin is 38 and lives in the northeast. He grew up in a typical home and had an encounter with God as a teenager that changed his life.
His dad dragged him to an urban, inner city church, and it was the first time he heard about God’s grace. The whole direction of his life changed.
In 2008-09, he and his wife dreamed about starting a church. Vox Church turns 10 this September.

10:11 – Bury Your Ordinary

Justin heard the voice of the Holy Spirit in his heart.
You need to ask yourself what your plan is for spiritual growth. It’s growth in love, and that can seem ambiguous.
It’s not how many Bible verses you know. It’s about habits. Justin’s book helps people grow in their love for God.

20:40 – Spend time with God

You need to spend time alone with God regularly. Try spending the first hour alone with Him.
Jesus is not at the center for a lot of us, and we need to keep him there.
You don’t do these habits so God likes you more. You do them so you can learn to love God more.

30:40 – Most difficult habit

Habit 6, a weekly Sabbath, was the most difficult. Everybody in Justin’s area walks, talks, drives and moves fast. Taking a break to pause and pray felt very unnatural.
That time to rest is so important for your soul. There are seasons for harvest, and there are seasons for rest.

43:05 – The idea of grace

No matter what religion you practice, grace is so important.
God deeply loves you. Don’t obey God to be accepted. You are fully accepted, so that should make you want to obey God.

46:54 – Get to know you

What would Justin want to win an Olympic medal in? Basketball
Best vacation ever? Mexico with his wife

FEATURED QUOTES

We had always seen church as a profoundly boring and irrelevant part of the culture of New England. So we started dreaming about what it would look like to start a church for our friends.

I heard the voice of the Holy Spirit in my heart.

If you don't have a plan for spiritual growth, it really won’t grow.

LINKS:

About Justin Kendrick:

Justin Kendrick is the lead pastor of Vox Church, which he founded in 2011 with a small group of friends on the doorstep of Yale University. Since then, Vox has grown to multiple locations across New England. The dream of Vox Church is to see the least-churched region of the U.S. become the most spiritually vibrant place on earth. Justin and his wife live outside New Haven, Connecticut with their four children.

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THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS:

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Truly, this is a company that set out to change lives and make a positive impact in the world. It started when the founder, Julie, wanted to create dignified jobs in Haiti, a place she was growing to love, and that was exploding with creativity. She wanted to share this talent with the world.

Julie set up an educational program to train people with artisan skills and then went on to build a factory that operates on 100% solar energy. Deux Mains now employs more than 40 artisans that handcraft premium leather goods, jewelry and sandals. Their lives are forever changed by their craft.

What’s also cool is their produc...

3:30 – Justin 101

Justin is 38 and lives in the northeast. He grew up in a typical home and had an encounter with God as a teenager that changed his life.
His dad dragged him to an urban, inner city church, and it was the first time he heard about God’s grace. The whole direction of his life changed.
In 2008-09, he and his wife dreamed about starting a church. Vox Church turns 10 this September.

10:11 – Bury Your Ordinary

Justin heard the voice of the Holy Spirit in his heart.
You need to ask yourself what your plan is for spiritual growth. It’s growth in love, and that can seem ambiguous.
It’s not how many Bible verses you know. It’s about habits. Justin’s book helps people grow in their love for God.

20:40 – Spend time with God

You need to spend time alone with God regularly. Try spending the first hour alone with Him.
Jesus is not at the center for a lot of us, and we need to keep him there.
You don’t do these habits so God likes you more. You do them so you can learn to love God more.

30:40 – Most difficult habit

Habit 6, a weekly Sabbath, was the most difficult. Everybody in Justin’s area walks, talks, drives and moves fast. Taking a break to pause and pray felt very unnatural.
That time to rest is so important for your soul. There are seasons for harvest, and there are seasons for rest.

43:05 – The idea of grace

No matter what religion you practice, grace is so important.
God deeply loves you. Don’t obey God to be accepted. You are fully accepted, so that should make you want to obey God.

46:54 – Get to know you

What would Justin want to win an Olympic medal in? Basketball
Best vacation ever? Mexico with his wife

FEATURED QUOTES

We had always seen church as a profoundly boring and irrelevant part of the culture of New England. So we started dreaming about what it would look like to start a church for our friends.

I heard the voice of the Holy Spirit in my heart.

If you don't have a plan for spiritual growth, it really won’t grow.

LINKS:

About Justin Kendrick:

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THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS:

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What’s also cool is their produc...

Previous Episode

WORKSHOP: How (and WHY!) to Get Started Wholesaling with Emily Grey of The Flourish Market | EP: 260

Today we have a special guest, Emily Grey of The Flourish Market. She is one of my nearest and dearest friends and was one of the first guests on this show. Today she’s sharing her expertise in wholesaling and how to thrive with your business, even during a pandemic.

If you are a brand owner, this is your episode. If you are a consumer, I think you might be fascinated by our discussion. Today we’re talking about how to get started wholesaling and why it matters.

8:38 – From fashion truck to brick and mortar

Five years ago, Emily had a fashion truck. She was a one-woman show, packing the orders and shipping.
She now has a team of 16 and has scaled her business with no loans.
When the pandemic hit, she closed her shop and leaned into her investment banking background. She stepped up as a retail consultant.

13:17 – Changing retail landscape

There’s a lot of bad advice on the Internet, for businesses especially.
The biggest thing that’s changed in the retail landscape is they are only asking themselves one question – Will this sell?

17:23 – Smaller, smarter buying decisions

Retailers are now making smaller, smarter and more frequent purchases and ordering every 3 to 4 weeks instead of every 3 to 4 months.
If you’re already wholesaling, lower your opening order to $150 instead of $500 to $1,000.

20:42 – Ship quickly and use online shopping

Businesses are now ordering first from brands that can ship quickly.
Online shopping and curbside deliveries are more popular than ever.
Make your pictures better than ever. Consumers associate the nicety of your product with the nicety of your images.

25:40 – Shopping values

Consumers are focusing on shopping their values when it comes to themselves and when they’re gifting.
Made in the USA, black-owned, female-owned and ethically made are just some of the things people look for when shopping.

31:49 – Product innovation

Retailers want to discover something new and are looking for innovation.
Do 4 to 6 mini collection launches per year instead of just fall and spring.

41:41 – Pitch mistakes to avoid

Reach out to businesses and pitch them. But there are some mistakes to avoid. Don’t copy and paste mass messages. Don’t make it about you, your brand and your brand story. It should be about the retailer.

1:03:33 – Full circle moment

Emily has been successful by surrounding herself with women and coaches who support her. It matters who you spend your time with and who you give your ear to.
There is an absolute need to be around people who say, “I believe in you.”

FEATURED QUOTES

I think it matters who you spend your time with and who you give your ear to. – Emily

That is an absolute need to be around people who say, “I believe in you.” – Emily

Consumers associate the nicety of your product with the nicety of your images. – Emily

I’m known for an inspirational kick in the pants. – Emily

LINKS

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS:

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Julie set up an educational program to train people with artisan skills and then went on to build a factory that operates on 100% solar energy. Deux Mains now employs more than...

Next Episode

A Drink Supporting People in Recovery from Alcohol & Drug Addiction | EP 262: Wes Hurt, CLEAN Cause

My guest this week is Wes Hurt, a father of two boys, a serial entrepreneur and a person in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. His love of business coupled with the desire to use his experiences and gifts for the greatest good resulted in the birth of CLEAN Cause.

Wes created an Organic Sparkling Yerba Mate beverage as an alternative and organic caffeine source. Based in Austin, his business supports addiction recovery with 50% of net profits funding sober living scholarships.

4:43 – Wes 101

Wes began experimenting with drugs and alcohol in high school. Over the next 20 years, his addiction grew.
He went to six rehabs and one psych ward. He had a daily addiction to opiates and was popping 30 to 35 pills a day and added crack on top of that.

11:15 – The root cause

People shared their addiction stories with Wes, and he realized how big the problem was.
Society often focuses on the leaves of a tree versus the roots. The root cause of addiction is more important to understand.
Addiction is just a flavor of affliction. We’ve all got something. We all use something to fix it, to cope or to medicate or to heal.

18:15 – CLEAN Cause

Wes says entrepreneurship chose him, he didn’t choose it.
He enjoyed starting businesses and had an inherent desire to make businesses better.
Within months of getting sober, he had a flicker of inspiration to use his story to help others.

32:03 – Company with a mission

His Organic Sparkling Yerba Mate beverage has low- and no-calorie options.
His company provides scholarships to people who need help.

39:07 – Why a sparkling beverage?

Wes loves caffeine, so he wanted to create a sparkling beverage.
He wanted a drink that didn’t make him feel like crap.

41:57 – What’s next?

He wants to further develop his non-profit, the CLEAN Cause Foundation.
Wes is talking with a few big celebrities about promoting the brand.

47:58 – Get to know you

Who would play Wes in a movie about his life? He doesn’t know, maybe Dax Shepard.
His favorite meal? Pepperoni pizza

FEATURED QUOTES

Addiction is just my flavor of affliction. That’s it. We’ve all got something. We all use something to fix it, to cope or to medicate or to heal.

What I believe is society often focuses on the leaves of a tree versus the roots.

We have a spine. We’re bold. We’re not looking for handouts.

SHOP NOW: https://cleancause.com/discount/PURPOSE (Use code PURPOSE for 30% off your first order!)

ABOUT CLEAN CAUSE:

Clean Cause is on a mission to support individuals in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction by donating 50% of profits to fund sober living scholarships. Coined “CLEAN Kickstarts,” these are intended to bridge the critical gap between rehab & reintegration. The CLEAN Cause product line consists of 9 amazing tasting, USDA organic certified, sparkling yerba maté beverages that come in low & zero calorie options. Each 16-ounce can is packed with 160mgs of organic caffeine to power your everyday passions all the while supporting individuals recovering from alcohol & drug addiction. CLEAN Cause’s 40 plus employees are dedicated to building a brand that empowers consumers to leverage their purchases that ultimately support individuals in recovery from alcohol & drug addiction.

ABOUT WES HURT:

Wes is a father of two boys, a serial entrepreneur, and a person in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. His love of business coupled with the desire to use his experiences and gifts for the greatest good resulted in the birth of CLEAN Cause. Based in Austin, Texas, CLEAN's innovative business model supports addiction recovery with 50% of net profits funding sober living scholarships. Being an avid consumer of caffeine, he created a product that he knew would fill a need he had in his everyday life - an amazing tasting organic sparkling yerba mate with low sugar & 160mg of naturally sourced caffeine per can. Since then, CLEAN Cause has granted over 2,170 sober living scholarships representing more than $1,085,000.

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS: