Woman Evolve with Sarah Jakes Roberts - Just Keep Going w/ Erica Campbell

Episode Date: March 29, 2023

What to do when you’re starting from the ground up? That’s the question this episode answers. This week let’s wrap up our #ThrowbackPajamaInterviews with a woman of resiliency—the faith-filled Erica Campbell! Sis, we’re no strangers to the role she played in the Kingdom invading our culture. Erica tells SJR how the desire to win souls & serve Jesus would at times leave her with a residual faith, but even then, she pressed towards the mark. Girl, press PLAY to get your cup full! And yes, the streets are talkin’…NEW podcast episodes are on the way, so hang tight! This podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp.com/evolve + LumeDeodorant.com/evolve.

God can't bless you for ten to be or who you can care yourself to. He can only bless you and the lane that was created for you. I feel that for somebody. You don't need no itch, it's a two-year-old boundary. What? I don't need your lights, I don't need your elevation. All I need is a God-party program that says all things, all things, all things. Child.

I don't know how I can't do this with me. Absolutely. Listen, I'm always up for pajamas and blankets. I know I was like stuff. For all time, it's like the best. It's so necessary. So I have to tell you, one of the things that people tell me all the time is about how my Ministry is so effective because it's kingdom, but it invades the culture and I sit back and although it's like

complimentary for me I also know that I'm not the first person to do that because I remember when shackles came out and it wasn't just like something that you were listening to on Christian radio, it invaded the culture. And so I just want to honor you and thank you for your commitment to authenticity and to your sound because it gave girls like me who often felt lost in the church a way to say, wait, there is a way that we can do this and still be relevant. Yeah, thank you so so much. I had no idea that that's what was happening. That was totally God's orchestration and the whole process. I knew that growing up in church and we sang all the church you saw was in the choir. I was like, what's I enjoyed? But I knew that my dad did prison ministry and that we always were out in the street talking to people who didn't speak Christianese.

Right. And so we had to figure out how do I love on these people and let them know that God's love is for them to, without beating them up, giving them truth and so we kind of figured it out. Of course, with the help of my husband who wouldn't let us be as church, church, church he is, we wanted to be like Like we wanted to be more like, ah, just belting it out and he was like, nah, just chill.

And as we realized what God was doing, he was like, oh, we are, we're not just singing to church girls, right? You know what I mean? It got a little scary, but then it got, it became an honor. Like, you wanna use me? Like I have enough information. I have enough to give to the world. And it's got, it became an honor. Like, you want to use me? Like, I have enough information.

I have enough to give to the world, and it's just, it's still, I'm still very honored to anytime I can present my brand of gospel. And I don't know if that's the right way to say it, but what I do to audiences everywhere, it's amazing. So, like, how much of it is intentional, and how much of it is you just being authentic and that just happens to translate in a way that is relevant? So I'll give you an example. So the song Little Girl, I think that's on the second or third record and I was talking about she was just 13 and she didn't think she'd ever see her own beauty.

And security plagued me antenna because our family was poor and because we moved a lot. And you know, a school they call you the corny church girl, not that business. So you feel like, I'm never gonna be fresh ever in life. And so learning that song is steeped in so much truth of what we really realized.

And then there was a song that we didn't know that we would have to face, like can't give up now. We're like, oh, you know, let's do tribute. You know, James Cleveland, yes, let's take no ways tied, make it can't give up now. So, you know, it's a little more relatable and then you actually face the moments where you're singing it and you have to live it. And you know, oh, okay, God, that's what you were. Oh, so I have to keep going and I want to give up. Yeah. And I have to sing for all these people and tell them, I just want to praise you and I kind of don't right now. Yeah.

You know, and I know that's for some people, maybe they don't get to that level of honesty, but you know, sometimes I just didn't want to. Yeah. And the mission of purpose was bigger than me, bigger than my sister, bigger than my family, bigger than, you know, all of that because souls are at stake and they're somebody who didn't grow up in church

that needs to hear this song that's going to be played in a club that's gonna do the research and go, oh, so there's a different way to live. I was at an event and this lady came up to me and she was crying, she was so excited and she said she heard God in me in the club and she thought the song was cool. So she bought the album and she said she heard God and me in the club and she thought the song was cool so she bought the album and she said she bought the album and she was like I don't want to hear no blank blank gospel. I was like oh wow

she was like I was not trying to hear it because she's still crying I don't want to hear no gospel. She said but every song I heard Jesus and I was like okay let me try it and she was like and I went to church and I got saved and it's all because this song was in the club she was like, and I went to church. And I got saved and it's all because the song was in the club. She was like, please keep the music in the clubs. And it was just so encouraging to hear that in contrast to, oh, some religious people, they plan a song in the club. Well, you're not going.

Right. And they're not coming here. So how we going? Exactly. It encouraged me so much. And I've heard that story time after time of people who, you know, they just thought it was a cool song, you know, talking about, you know, people call themselves God now, you know, so they thought it was something speaking to that level of self awareness where I become

God, you know, I know there's a whole thing, you know, but I was talking about some, I'm God's child who lives inside of me. It's his power, not mine. And so it's kind of helped a lot of people get to know him in an unorthodox way of hearing it in a club. And I'm still amazed that he does it time and time again. And it is never initially the plan. Yeah, that's never initially the plan. It's like let's make a good song.

Let's make sure we put everything we can into it. Let's make sure it's hot. Let's make sure it's groundbreaking. Have we said this before? So we'll listen to all old music and go, say that before, say that before. Okay, some million songs like that. What can we do?

Yeah. And then we step out in this territory where nobody's playing music like that. So I have to fight harder to get it played on gospel radio. Secularity radio, once Jesus, but they don't want to feel judged. So we have to fight there to prove to them that you have people who want to hear this.

So I'm in a position where I always have to fight. Yeah. And it's made me really tough and kind of resilient. So I don't get my feelings hurt and I don't get offended. You know, as easily when people go, oh, that song sucks, sir. I go, you like it, you just don't know it yet. God's gonna use this.

It's gonna be a tool for you, just wait. And so it's maybe really confident in always making sure that God was in the center of putting the song together. Right, right, right. And so he allows it to flourish and go where it's supposed to go. You said something about like singing, can't give up now in moments where you really want to give up.

And as you were speaking, I think about all of these different eyes that were against you that you've had to overcome. How do you balance like feeling like I don't want to give up? I can't give up now. I got to get up here. I need to minister. But also I have some brokenness that I need to deal with. So how do we in ministry serve the people,

but also make sure that we're dealing with our own brokenness when we're finished in that ministry capacity? Is there ever time where you're like, I can't do that right now because I need to work on me. And how do you know when it's enough is enough? I'm really, really in love with Jesus, which means I trust him with my pain. And I trust that if I move forward in his strength,

the scaffold heal, the beautiful thing about a scab is the healthy blood cells rush to it. And the scab is ugly and it's there, but when it comes off your heel underneath. So sometimes I'm working and I'm scabbed. You know, maybe I'm not bleeding anymore, but I'm scabbed. And so I know I have to keep going. And I just, I trust the healer, I trust the comforter because he doesn't say work for me when everything is great. Sometimes you are your are at your best when you are your weakest

because you know that you're relying on him. I remember doing the radio show one morning and one of my kids, and this is maybe small for somebody else. My baby's tooth fell out and I missed it and I'm on radio and I'm doing all this stuff and I just was empty. And so I said to you guys, I'm empty today. But there's enough residual faith.

And there's enough residual word on the inside that I still have something to say. Even if I'm not bubbling over and full, we'll have our full moments, and we'll be excited and on fire. And then sometimes those times where I barely made it here, I barely, I was quiet the whole drive and just, you know, praying in the spirit.

And when I got there, God did something amazing. I think he honors that sacrifice. I think he can use me best when I'm out of the way and out of my head and I don't care about my clothes. I don't care what my hair looks like. My makeup is not top notch today. Oh well, bringing what I have, this is what it is. But I, And God, you will make up the rest. And he always makes up the difference. I mean, that's how I keep going. Yeah, I feel like when ministry, when your ministry is about you,

like it, I am producing the type of ministry that helps me. So when I am operating in that capacity, it helps me to move past whatever I'm feeling in that moment. Yes. Because it's just nothing like being reminded. Like this is why I got into it. Absolutely. So that I could lead people to you so that I could help someone who was hurting. And right now, even in my own hurting, I see that I'm doing what you call me to do. And it gives me the strength I need to keep going. I do take my moments though. I do, you know, there's been times when, you know, I come off stage and I usually do loads of meat and greets and I take pictures

and I talk to people. But, you know, my, my team, there's a, we have a code and they know, okay, she's done it. And I'll just, well, I won't say anything. I'll just, yeah. And in my ends, I'm going, get me out of here and go to explode in two seconds. Good bye. I love you all. Good bye. Cause I don't have anymore, and I will work to my end, but I know when that end comes, and I'll take it, and just like this past holiday season, I didn't really do a lot of concerts.

I didn't do Christmas concerts, I didn't do Thanksgiving, I didn't do much of anything, I was at home, and I feel like I really needed that. Cause usually, it's a time when people want you a lot. They want Mary Mary. They want me by myself. And it's a lot to do. And there is revenue, but I'm going,

is the revenue more important than refreshing? And sometimes that's the balance. And then if I'm just going after the revenue, am I some way and somehow going, God won't supply my needs? So I have to sacrifice my sleep to do all of this. I'm going to know, you'll supply my needs and I'll be refreshed in time with you and learning that has really, really, really helped me a lot.

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And it was the first time in our marriage and in our household where we were like completely shut down as a family, no church for six weeks. Wow. Like, it was a thing. It seems. I know he goes, I'm gonna do this every year. He goes, I'm gonna take this time off every year.

It just happened. It was like the Wednesday before Thanksgiving through New Year's Eve. And he goes, I'm gonna do off every year. It just happened. It was like the Wednesday before Thanksgiving through New Year's Eve. And he was, I'm going to do this every year because being connected with the kids, being present in the house, it just did something for us as a family that we don't get to have when we're like going from thing to thing to thing.

So I was going to ask you, because people asked me this all the time, they're like, how do you balance it on? I'm like, I don't think it's all about it. No, it on? I'm like, I don't think it's all about it. No, it's a lot of grace. I don't think it's all about it. People ask that question all the time. And this may sound corny and like, like I'm speaking, Christiane's,

but really, I do it through the strength of the Holy Spirit. I stop when he says stop. I go when he says go. When I get a big idea, I know something big is coming and I just pay for the grace to pace myself. When I'm at home, I try to leave my phone somewhere else. So if I'm with the kids or cook, and I'm like way domestic, so I'm cooking.

I ain't too much love in the middle. That's where I like really refreshed, I think. Yeah, I feel like I feel like I can hold a microphone or a spatula, whatever I need to do. I need to do. And so I'm able to do that and be okay in that and I don't feel less than. And I think it's because I have the other thing,

but you know, I know there's someone in the middle, only have home. And so sometimes they feel like this is all I am. I need those moms to understand that you are building lives. You are cultivating the legacy of your family, your children, your home is everything. And it needs to be that place of peace. When your home is not a place of peace,

it feels like a dungeon. You can feel under arrest at home. Some people walk to the front door and have to take a deep breath because they don't know what they're walking into. And you have to create that environment where when you go home, it's okay. I don't only wanna get to a hotel and go,

ooh, yeah, exactly. That's bad. I've been there before. I've done that and I was like, ooh, Lord, forgive me, what's going on? Why is this shouldn't feel better than the people who love me? This shouldn't feel better, you know,

than spending time with my kids in the bed, even though they kick me. You know, you know what I'm talking about? Those things, I think, Frank Ballet. I'm just like doing it. I think that like cooking and doing things at home, it's the one place where I can see something go from a mess to like completely

order in order like within hours. Everything else I do, I'm just like throwing spaghetti on the box. If it sticks, we'll see if it works in about six months. But here at home, like I can go to the grocery store and have dinner on the table. Like I can complete something fully and I love it. And my kids love my cooking, so that like just eggs me on and I made your way. I feel very professional when they like my food and they ask a more and my husband's like feeding people I think that's a black

I do I like feed I will feed you honey you use are you going to do something let me feed you that will make it all better absolutely I feel like I don't know if it's just my generation, but I'm going to ask you, I feel like we struggle a lot with this idea of being domestic. And I think maybe a lot of it has to do with just feeling like our mothers didn't have the opportunity to go out into the workplace and conquer something. So we're going to be the opposite of that. But I did this post about leather and lace a few weeks ago and like this idea that women can be both leather and Lays, but I don't know that we have fully come to a place where we're ready to balance that do you see that with a lot? I do. I think we have glorified our careers and our brands and Our style and we don't understand the beauty in serving your family because that's really what it is

You know my mom served us and I wouldn't be who I am today without her nurturing, and she didn't go to the spa, and I don't remember nail treatments, and she didn't take weeks off to go anywhere with her girlfriends. You know, they may have gone to Denny's to eat after church. That was about it. And I think I want my kids to adore me the way I adore my mom, but that only comes from the sacrifice and praying for them and nurturing them. So that's something

that happens at home with family. So you have to make time for both. I believe I have the family that I have for the ministry that I have. I was talking to Martha Munizia about balance. This is when I only had two. And she was telling me some of the ministry that I have. I was talking to Martha Munizzi about balance. This is when I only had two. And she was telling me some of the things that she told her children. She was like, do you enjoy your life? And she said her daughter said, yes. Do you enjoy traveling?

She said, yes. And she said, that means mommy and daddy have to be gone sometimes. And so it gave her kids perspective. So I've learned to do that with my own kids. So I know that I have to be there and nurture because I want Christa to see both. So as she grows, I want learned to do that with my own kids. So I know that I have to be there and nurture because I want Christa to see both. So as she grows, I want her to understand

that you can cook and ask your husband is hungry and feed him and bring him breakfast and bed and all that and still be a fabulous CPC. I want entrepreneurs. You can do a both, right? You don't have to sacrifice one for the other. And I know a lot of my sisters out there have sacrificed because they feel like I can't, I just, it's going to take too much of my time. They feel like submission is a bad word. You know, they feel like, you know, asking, you know,

how do you feel about what I'm doing? Just, you know, what relationship requires asking how you feel are, are you okay with this? Or even getting, saying, getting permission. Is it cool if I go out of town on this particular day? That is usually a family day. Those things, I think, when people understand they go, oh, well, maybe I can be married and have a high-powered career. But I don't think they always see it, especially because relationship, I'm so glad I'm not dating.

Yeah. You'll have a hard way, ladies. And so I think that's why they don't see it that way. They think I just have to go for my career relationships. Too hard is too difficult. It's unpredictable. He's not gonna cooperate. He has to fit.

You have to be what I put on my vision board. And I think that's what a lot of women today think relationship can be. And it's just, it can't be that. I don't know, I might be naive. But I just, I went through my divorce and I was like, okay, I'm just gonna work on who I am. You know, I write books, I'll just do whatever

from this point on and I'll be that CEO. I wasn't really necessarily looking for marriage. I was a single mom, I had my two kids, and so I was just kinda like gonna live my life. And then I met my husband, and he's so radically changed my life. I was like, girl, do you really wanna let him walk out? to him? I was like, yes, you're a boss. Yes, you bought your own house. But do you really want to let him go somewhere and be someone else's

dream, and get your life together? But I do think that there was something about me coming to a place of wholeness within myself that attracted wholeness to me. And that made our marriage come together a lot easier. I think a lot of times we've made marriage just kind of be like this fix all thing. Like a woman's purpose is just to get married and then when she gets married she has her identity and I think the more that we lose that as the societal norm that we can make it easier for a woman to feel like maybe CEO was more available to me right now than marriage,

but that doesn't mean that marriage is an impossibility, but the pressure that is put on women to become like married and wives, and I know like I'm in the marriage club talking about it, but I do feel like that pressure is why I got into my first marriage and I just, I don't know what we can do to help them see a different narrative. You gotta see yourself pass the relationship.

So I was engaged twice before I met Warren. And you know, the first was because we both went to church together and I knew that I didn't really love him like that. But I was such a good girl. I thought it was mean to say no. So I said yes, and I came home and told my parents, this is literally what they do. Mommy and daddy, I thought it was mean to say no. So I said yes and I came home and told my parents this is literally what they did.

Mommy and daddy, I'm engaged. What? I said, oh, well I guess they're not with this. Literally, they said nothing, they pull the covers over their faces. And so I was like, okay, so I have to get out of this because this isn't it. The second guy was a very nice guy.

His father was a pastor. He had his own business, had some guy, all of that. And I decided to ask God about it after I had the ring, the ring, the address and the church and the dark for it. And so God was silent. And I started asking everybody, I started asking my leaders who they were my faith almost. Let me make a system. Okay, sister so I said, what do you think? Okay, I'll just say what do you think. And I would ask them, and nobody would give me an answer.

And I was like, you guys have been giving me my answers. I'm like, what? What? And they just wouldn't. And I found my favorite scripture, Proverbs 35 and 6, trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not until you're on understanding. but in all their ways acknowledge him and he'll direct your path. Part of the reason I wanted to be married because all my girls were getting married, they had all their weddings and they were starting to have

babies. And here I am, Erica Atkins at the time, who's a singer at the church who's still single, what is wrong with you? And I had to let go of this, whatever, I was actually competing with them and I didn't realize it. I had to let go of this, whatever I was actually competing with them and I didn't realize it. I had to let that go. And my desire to please God more than my flesh and more than anything else became bigger. And my dad told me, the best, the biggest decision that you'll let in your life that you'll make next to your decision to serve Jesus is who you'll marry.

He said, it's not, it's not a fly by night decision. It is a big deal. And so when God was silent, I gave the ring back. I let my cousin who was in New York use the dress. I canceled everything and I came home. And I was so embarrassed because people had planned their vacations. They were coming to LA, his family lived somewhere else.

And that's when I really learned to depend on God fully and completely. And I knew that relationship wasn't the end all be all because my career actually took off. And I wasn't engaged to anyone. And I started working in traveling and I didn't have, you know, I wasn't missing anything. I was just Erica, you know, I wasn't missing anything. I was just, Erica, you know, and I love, still came my way. You're right. But I think God has to do something in us

where we don't feel like this has everything, you know? And, yeah, that's my story. Yeah, I did not know that. But it's not like you came to your own place of fullness too before love could come into your life And I don't think that we can stress that enough when you make it about you Then that's when you get to become everything that God has in mind and then we get to determine what love and Relationships and family looks like it's it's not a trophy. Yeah. Yeah, it's not a trophy. Yeah, it's ministry marriage is Yeah, it's not a trophy. Yeah, it's ministry marriage is for procreation

sanctification and illustration We're supposed to illustrate that love to God the way he loves us You know all the scriptures about loving your wife is Christ love the church and all these things about forgiveness and long suffering and compassion Why do you think those words are in there when it talks about love because that's what it entails It is not for the faint at heart. And if you don't love yourself, you're not going to have compassion for him. Yeah. You know, if you haven't had your own relationship with God where the Holy Spirit, because really, the moment you have an argument with your husband or your spouse, and you take time away from that and go get in the

face of God, you'll come back to that argument with a different spirit because if you don't Yeah, yeah Well, I and I'm this and I don't and ego will get in the way at the time What are you talking to you? Yeah, this is what I could do by myself Exactly this house and I could and your ego just goes you just start pump the enemy starts pumping you up Shhh Okay, so you said something about the second fiance. Are you ex-god, actor, the fact, and got with silent?

Mm-hmm. So what is the difference for you in your own relationship with that? Like, how can you tell when God is being silent? First is when God is speaking, because that's the question I get a lot from the women of woman evolved. They're like, how do I know when God is talking? How do I know if God is being silent? And like, what is your own experience with that being?

Um, letting the Holy Spirit be the regulator and never my emotions. So when I'm waiting to hear from God or I'm getting some information, I try to try the spirit by the spirit, does what I'm thinking and feeling fit into what God's plan for my life is because my feelings may say, oh, I want to do this. And then I have to ask myself, why do I want to do it? What was the motivation? Where did this, where did he thought these thoughts and feelings start? Was I watching a show that I loved? Was I looking at someone's relationship or someone else's event and go, oh, I want to do that, too, but I was never called to that. You know, you have to start really questioning yourself. Where did this come from?

Is this a God idea? Or was it just a little bit of envy? How I could do that better? And then you start moving forward and trying to figure out why things aren't working. But it's because God was never in it in the first place. That's a hard pill to swallow when you, you know, for me, make a new record or write a song.

And, oh, this is gonna, this is gonna, this is gonna. And the Holy Spirit, I didn't have to talk about it. I have nothing to do with that. That was your vision. Now, if you come over here, I promise you a blessed, I promise the provision and the ideas and the peace that you need to get it done will be there. But when it's your own ideas, sometimes it's, it's turbulent and not to say the God ideas aren't turbulent

because the enemy is always fighting, but there's still a certain amount of peace that you have. And for me, that's what it's been, whether I was traveling, touring, you know, my husband starting the church, all those things, there was still a certain amount of peace, even though I was trying to figure it out, because there was so many things that I had never done before, you know, going solo and kids growing up. There was so many things that were brand new. The radio show, all that's happened in the span of one year.

So I was like, do I, did I do this? Am I, you know, Mary Mary stopped? And so now I'm trying to be over ambitious, but I now I can clearly see that it was the hand of God and me saying yes was yes to him and not me just wanting to stretch myself to be whatever I think I need to be. I always go, Lord, when you said give me the desires of my heart, give me what to want.

Yeah. Because sometimes I want my own thing. And so, in hearing his voice and understanding, his voice, I go, make sure that I'm wanting what you want for me, not something that I picked up along the way, something that I enjoyed in a song or something that I watched in a movie that, you know, we get all emotional watch movies.

Yeah, I want that. Yeah. I want that. Yeah. It's like, that's a movie that, you know, we get all emotional watch movies and then we write it in the end. I want that, yeah. It's like that's a movie. The end. Okay. Back to real life. God, what are you speaking?

What are you calling me to? And that helps me regulate. This show was brought to you by BetterHelp. Who am I called to be in this season? That's a question I like to reflect on from time to time. In changing environments, meeting different people, and facing new opportunities, I get to rethink the way I see myself. My husband and I recently had a conversation that

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That made me realize all of those transitions did happen from here. Like I'm on the outside looking in and I'm like celebrating like, oh she had already, I should all day start an adventure. But when you are on the, I know because I've had some major transitions in a short window, like what that feels like on the inside, like wow, I just realized so many of us go through so many transitions and we don't realize how many times our identity changes in a short gap. Absolutely. A million heads.

I was used to being a duo. And then I got used to doing the reality show. And then, you know, God turned team as world upside down. And I was like, okay, what am I? I knew I was supposed to keep singing. And even my husband was like, I really don't know what your solo music is supposed to sound like. I have no idea.

And I felt offended. Like, what do you mean? You don't know. You should, you know, it was all of that. And then a little more Jesus came out of pain. Out of me standing in the closet, literally going, I need just a little more Jesus because I felt ill equipped. My father had died of cancer. My manager was was suing me in Tina and Tina was like, I don't want to work anymore. And it wasn't like Mary Mary was over. We had just put out go get it that I want to Grammy. And I was like, you want to stop now? Yeah. But her life was in chaos. She was like, doose this music. I'm going to make sure my home. This is my first ministry. Yeah. This man and these children and she took the time and I was left to sort out my pieces. And I was so used to standing next to her.

I did not know what it meant to stand by myself. We made all the decisions together, the business, the money, the clothes. When we put it was always together. And it was now all on me. I was singing with her all the time. So I didn't have to sing a full concert by myself. So I had to even get new physical strength because I was not used to doing a whole concert by myself. There was so many things that was new. And, you know, because the enemy wants to take you down when a little more Jesus came out the first comment

that I read on iTunes when I was excited. I went to iTunes to see the reviews. The first comment was, oh no honey, you need a little more Tina because you're just the cute one. You don't even sing like that. I had to take a deep, okay. I'm not stopping because of it. Let me keep going. And it hurt and it's stung. And then my voice started going out on me because I was trying to still do Mary

Mary and the reality show and the church. It was, I was like, Lord, this is not fair. As we see now, it eventually worked itself out, but there was a lot of tears and a lot of times where I felt like, why would you ask me to do this? But it was similar to when I was in the second situation with the fiancee learning to just trust God. I was, my trust was in Sony records and my block records.

It was in Mantina together. It was in what had been, I know what this process works like I know I didn't know how any of it worked for myself and so going to a new label new people You don't know you know and then having to live up to Mary Mary Are you gonna come out and flop? You know, you know, God is gracious so the music came out and did well Even the stellar awards. I had hosted twice. I had won about 20 something stellar awards and for my solo career when I asked for four performance, they said no initially. So I was like, what do you mean? Yeah. And so

then we went back and asked again and they said, well, you can do a collaborative performance and we'll give you a minute and 34 seconds. I said, but the song is history and some change. I need all of my time to tell people get the song. You have a minute and 34 seconds. And my husband said, take it or don't. Why complain? Okay, we know how many sellers you have. Mary-Mary has it. Erica doesn't. They don't know if people are going to stand up and clap. Will it be a wamp, wamp moment? Will people change the channel? They don't know if people are gonna stand up and clap will it be a wamp, wamp moment? Will people change the channel? They don't know. And so he said, saying like you lose in your mind

in that minute and 34 seconds and live. Mm-hmm. I was accustomed, I had a hat, I had lighting, I went all out as if it was a full concert. And it was a beautiful moment. I remember being backstage with one of my gospel friends and he was like, this is so not cool man, I can't believe they only gave you a minute and thirty five. I was like, dude, I'm good. Yeah. This is, I'm starting here. I have

to build. I have to pay my dues. I have to start over. I'm not marry, marry by myself. I'm just Erica. They don't know her by herself. And so I took that moment and it was, they were on their feet, you know, and I gave it everything that I had and it was a beautiful performance actually with, I think it was Jikelyn Carr, it was Lexi and it was Latise Crawford and it was a moment that we all had together and it was what it was supposed to be. And I didn't need all that time to do what I thought I needed and I felt cheated, but in the end I switched and God got the glory out of me. Taking what I was given, you know, as opposed to complaining about what I felt I deserved.

Wow. And, you know, and now I'm here today, the album came out and won a Grammy and, you know, all that jazz, but it started as, you know, honey, you need a little more Tina. That is crazy. Because just from the outside looking in, all I see is like success after success after success and to think that you were like starting from the ground uh oh yeah. You just never know what's on the other side of people's story. I just kept going. So like what is if you could go back and tell Erica then she's starting her solo career as Mary Mary is going through and the management and all of those things like what is the one thing you tell her?

The gift God placed inside of you he's going to get the glory out of it It may not look the way you want it. It won't be the day you want or the way that you want what is coming I remember Joyce Meyer said something at her conference that I've like carried with me coming. I remember Joyce Meier said something at her conference that I've like carried with me. This was in October, but she said whenever she felt stressed and she feels like things are just out of control, but she just speaks to the situation. She says it out loud. If she can, I believe God is working. I believe God is working in just that simple phrase reminds her that no matter what is around me, there is a greater plan at work. Yeah, absolutely. It's two songs that I use.

One is Power Belongs to God by Hezekiah Walker. In that empire, when he's singing, there's nothing too hard for God. I just sing it over and over and I turn it loud. And sometimes I'll say, husband, I need to go for a drive and I'll just crank it, roll the windows down, scream it to the top of my lungs,

that song and victory by tight tribut. When he says, every situation I face, I win, that gives me, like, I feel like a superhero saying that, like every situation I face, I win. I don't care what it looks like, what it feels like I'm gonna, I'm gonna win this battle.

This is a test, and I'm gonna pass the test, because I don't wanna see it again. You know, and sometimes we are being tested in our faith and our belief in our wherever it is, and will you pass the test because I don't want to see it again. You know, and sometimes we are being tested in our faith and our belief in our wherever it is and will you pass the test or will you face it again? Will I get too upset? Will I blow up at somebody? What I was really supposed to operate in peace or operating compassion? This is a test. Will you pass the test?

One more question for you. Okay. Okay. What do you think the kingdom needs to know about the culture and that the culture needs to know about the culture and that the culture needs not about the kingdom? I think The culture needs to know about the kingdom and I think that they need to there's a lot of misconceptions and There's a lot of wrong information and it's all subject to their experience and brokenness So if they had a bad experience in church, then they have a, then they just write it off. If they saw a bootleg preacher that stole money,

they put that blanket over the whole of the kingdom. And they don't realize that the kingdom of God is life and grace and love and peace and victory. They just, they feel like I can do it without it. I talked to a non-believer who told me everything that you do with faith, I can do without, I don't need it. And I think the kingdom needs to understand that that is where people are coming from because a lot of times on the kingdom side, we feel like, oh, they know better. Sometimes they don't. Yeah. Sometimes they didn't grow up in church on Sundays. Sometimes their grandma, Mama, wasn't a praying grandma, maybe she cussed and carried a gun and that alcohol every Sunday. So we have to have a different level of mercy and grace for the culture. And then the culture needs to be open to understanding that we are human.

And that we see it too. We're not blind. Right, right, right. I have that conversation a lot with people. I see them too. I just decide to put my eyes on God and not the people because we're all flawed. Right. we're all flawed. We're all in need of a Savior. And they attribute sometimes the culture will attribute the Savior to his representatives. And his representatives, we should live better. We should do better. But if we present our humaneness and our perfection, then if there is an era or a flaw, they can have grace for us.

But they can't have grace for us if we've been mean, condemning and self-righteous. So the church needs, the kingdom needs to understand that there's still grace that needs to happen. And you always need to be wise to win souls, you know, with loving kindness. Have I drawn thee? You know, but if the world could just understand for God so love the world Yeah, everybody that he gave his only son that holds so ever Believe it than him should not perish but have everlasting life if they understood that and I know that's a scripture that most people know

But I don't think they take time and just pick it apart for God so love the world that he gave he gave you time We're the only creation that has the option to choose Him. Nature obeys, animals obey, the oceans, the seas they all obey, but us. He gave us the option to choose Him. And sometimes we do and sometimes we don't. And the ones of us that have chosen Him, we have a responsibility to tell him how beautiful it is. Not just, you don't want to go to hell. You don't want to miss him. Tell him about the love, tell him about the peace, tell him about the favor, tell him all

the good stuff that God offers. And you fall so in love with Jesus, I don't have to be scared of hell because I don't want to go there because Jesus isn't there. That's not the cool place. This is a much better option. You know, and I think it's all in presentation. It's all in understanding. It's all in patience. And I think people like us have a lot of work to do.

It's so tough. But it's good work. And I'm enjoying it. I love seeing people come to Christ. I love even seeing certain secular artists, rappers or actors express their faith. You know, I'm going, it's working and they say stuff like, oh, I watch Bishop Jake's podcast or I heard a song or it's like, yes, guys, it's working. Yeah.

You know, we don't have to be discouraged because the whole world ain't safe today. We know that why it is the way that leads to destruction and there will be many that won't choose Christ. But we can be instrumental and influential in drawing somebody just in my community or whatever he's assigned me to. I'll take that and I'll do my best. And that's what we have to take comfort

and trust that the Holy Spirit's gonna do the work as long as we make ourselves available. Yeah. Well, thank you. You make me proud to be a God girl. Oh, you make me proud to be a God girl. Oh you make me proud to be a God girl. I love you. you