When Your Story Includes a Business (Part One)

ln this episode When Your Story Includes a Business (Part One), Dr. Yvette Rice discusses what the Bible says about being an entrepreneur. 
  She dives into these topics below with scripture to educate the listener and gives principles as a firm foundation for guidance.

• Entrepreneurship and how it is God's desire that we prosper.
• Multiple Streams of Income as a Kingdom Entrepreneur
• Men and Women Entrepreneurs in the Bible 
• The Virtuous Woman in the Bible
• Explaining Entrepreneurship vs. Intrapreneurship and is it a part of your story

Dr. Rice gives the breakdown and the "How to's" as a Biblical Entrepreneurship guide for the following topics :

• How to seek creative ideas from God.
• How to operate their business using Kingdom Principles while making business decisions.
• How God owns everything including are business.
• How we acknowledge our faith and business are intertwined. 

Scripture References 

• Deuteronomy 8:18 AMP
• Proverbs 8:12 KJV
• Matthew 25: 14 – 30 
• Matthew 25: 20 - 26
• Genesis 1: 27 – 31 AMP
• Genesis 13
•  Genesis 14 through Genesis 21
• Acts 16:15
• Luke 5: 1- 11
• Acts 18:1 – 5
• Proverbs 31:10, 13 – 19
• Proverbs 8:12 KJV
• Deuteronomy 8:18 AMP
• Joshua 1:8 AMP
• Hebrews 2: 10a CEV
• John 15: 1 – 8 AMP

Additional References

• Investopedia
• Strongs Exhaustive Concordance

Connect with Dr. Yvette Rice

Social Media:
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Facebook.com/LLVELLC

Website: LLVE-LLC.com

For Executive Coaching:
https://calendly.com/llve-consult/30min?month=2023-12

TikTok Page:
@victoriousladies_llve

Transcript

We women often face obstacles, crises, and detours on the way to fulfilling our purpose. Then we realized what we thought was the laying purpose was part of the process to fulfill our purpose. Hello, I'm Dr. 

Yvette Rice and welcome to ""There's More to Your Story podcast. In each episode, we share inspirational insights and encouraging biblical principles that help women overcome obstacles, crises, and detours on the way to the next part of their lives, careers, and purpose. 

God has a divine plan for you that unfolds daily. So remember, There Is More to Your Story. There is one part of my story I didn't anticipate early on. Neither did I understand or know that God had it already written in several chapters in my story. 

What was it? Entrepreneurship.. Let's talk about it. Today's episode addresses when your story includes a business. In Deuteronomy 8:18 in the Amplified translation, we are told," But you shall remember with profound respect the Lord your God, for it is he who is giving you power to make wealth, that he may confirm his covenant, which he swore solemnly promised to your fathers as it is. "is this day. You know that scripture rings in my heart over and over again and every time I felt like I was failing in a business or I may have started a business and then it didn't work out the way I thought. 

I came back to the same scripture Deuteronomy 8:18 and finally I realized it wasn't that God did not want me to have the power to make wealth. I had to tune in and listen to the Holy Spirit as He guided me to which business I was supposed to own. 

So when we look at that scripture that it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, I looked up those words to get wealth or to do or make wealth and it translates accomplish, bring forth. Be busy, have the charge of commit, deal, or establish. 

And there's another scripture that will confirm this as well. And it is Proverbs 8 :12. And I'm reading from the King James Version, or it's King James translation, and it says," I wisdom dwell with prudence and find out knowledge of witty inventions. "

You see, I realize, and I'm wanting to share with you now that it is God's desire that we prosper. And entrepreneurship is a way to make that happen. It is also the Lord who gives us those God -given ideas for the marketplace. 

And if we study His word and we allow Him to guide us by the Holy Spirit, we can own our own businesses and we can be successful. We can create generational wealth. We can promote economic change in our circles of influence and we can also represent the Kingdom of God on this Earth through our giving and our living. 

You see, entrepreneurship is nothing new. It's all over the Bible. It goes all the way through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. If we look in the Word of God and how He has blessed us and encouraged us to build, to multiply, to increase, I think we'll be inspired not to give up on those ideas, even when those times get hard or things get difficult. 

Now, I won't go into a lot of detail on my earlier businesses, but I can tell you this. I have had the heart of an entrepreneur for a very long time and there were times and seasons where I'd started business and it didn't work out and then I realized I moved hastedly, I didn't do the research that I needed to do to start the company, and I was not prepared for the marketplace relative to the industry. 

Because all these things are critical when it comes to building and to developing a business, especially when we want to do it God's way. We can't be really quick to jump in, but then when the opportunity comes, we have to move on it because if we hesitate, we may miss the moment. 

We may miss that opportunity. So let's explore and establish what the Bible says about entrepreneurship. In Matthew 25, 14-30, there is a comparison between what the kingdom of heaven is like And what we are expected to do with the monies and the abilities that we have been given as children of God. 

So let's read those verses. I'm not going to read all of them. I strongly encourage you to go back and read the entire portion that I called out. But I'm going to read verses 14 through 15, and this is the amplified translation. 

And it says, "for it, the kingdom of God is just like a man who was about to take a journey, and he called his service together and entrusted them with his possessions. To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one, each according to his ability. 

And then he went on his journey. So I want you to pay attention to something. First of all, it's talking about talents. And many times in our English translation or from our English culture, we think of talents as abilities. 

But in this specific scripture, it was talking about money. To each he gave money or in gold or a civil equivalent. And if we look at the scriptures, it was usually a talent was anywhere between 58 to 50 pounds. 

One talent of civil was worth more than 15 years wages, and gold was worth more than that. So if we look at this, he gave to each servant a different amount based on their own ability. So God already knows our capabilities. 

He knows when we're at a maximum capacity. And so sometimes we may try to take on more than we have the ability for at the time. And sometimes we have to remember that. Along with the money, we need training, we need development, we need understanding of the industry, we need the knowledge necessarily to run a business, and we need to use the wisdom of God that's in his word to help us get there. 

So when we think about each according to his own ability, that word ability translates is dutimus. It means force, miraculous power, mighty work, strength, workers of miracles. Dutimus almost always points to a new and higher force that has entered and is working in our world through us. 

So it is power and ability, physical or moral, as residing on the inside of us, that causes us to have the power to take action and move forth to perform miracles, to do signs and wonders. even in the marketplace and even in our businesses. 

So if we go back, remember the scripture in Deuteronomy in verse 18, but you share remember with profound respect the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth. So you have Dunamis power the power of the Holy Spirit guiding you with the word of God, with the heart of God to make wealth. 

The thing is, many times we'll get a witty idea, invention, God will give us a plan or He'll keep speaking things over and over to us. And what do we do? We sit on it and we sit on it. And we say, okay God, I'm going to get started but we never act on it. 

And that's where we miss out. And if we look at the story of the servants and what they were given, each of them were given money based on their own ability. But look what each one of them did with what they were given. 

Matthew 25 verses 20-26 says this "and the one who had received the five talents came and brought him five more talents, saying, master, you entrusted me five talents. See, I made a profit and gained five more talents. "

So he doubled his money. So what he did, the master was actually, he could have been an investor in the business. He could have been an angel investor for this entrepreneur. And what the entrepreneur came back and said to him was look, master, look, investor, I took what you gave me and I invested it and I doubled the money. 

All right, let's look at verse 20. And his master said to him, well done, good and faithful servant, you have been faithful and trustworthy over a little. I will put you in charge of many things, share in the joy of your master. 

And let's look at verse 22. Now here, this word master is not to be translated as a slave owner. That's not what that means. So let's go and look at verse 22. Also, the one who had the two talents came forward saying, master, you entrusted two talents to me and see, I have made a profit and I've gained two more talents. 

So this individual took what the investor gave him. He went into the marketplace and he doubled his money. And look what the master or the owner. Or the investor came back and said in verse 23. Well done, good and faithful servant. 

You have been faithful and trustworthy a little. I will put you in charge of many things. Share in the joy of your master. Now, even though both the servants were given two different amounts of money, the investor knew their capabilities and they both doubled their money, doubled the investment based on the knowledge and the wisdom and the resources they had. 

Now, let's look at verse 24 and see what happened with the last one who was only given one talent, a smaller amount of money. The one who had received one talent also came forward saying, master, and we'll say investor, I need you to be a harsh and demanding man, reaping the harvest where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter seed. 

So I was afraid to lose the talent and I went and hid your talent in the ground, see, you have what is your own, but his master answered him, you wicked lazy servant. You knew that I reaped the harvest where I did not sow and gather where I did not scatter seed. 

Then you ought to have put my money with the bankers and at my return, I would have received my money back with interest. So take the talent away from him and give it to the one who has the 10 talents. 

So look what happened. happened. He called him wicked. He called him lazy. He had an opportunity to make wealth like God has promised us. And he dug a hole and he buried it in the grass. He didn't even put it in the bank to draw interest. 

He didn't even use wisdom enough to go to the bank and invest it to make maximum, the maximum amount of money in an investment with the bank. He did nothing and he was scolded for it. And so that's why I think in this hour, you know, even what I'm teaching, I really felt led by the Lord to teach because some of us have some money. 

Some of us have ability. Some of us have opportunities right now that we're sitting on because we are afraid. We're listening. to what the world is saying. We're listening to outside voices, the people around us who are quite lazy, some of them, or they're scared to leave an opportunity or a job where it's nine to five and you make it well for someone else to take that chance to go start that business or invest or do open the door for multiple streams of income. 

I remember when I first started Live LLC, I was in a comfortable position money -wise. I was working as a program manager for a small business owner that was a veteran small business owner. Now in the government, small business owners for the US government, you could be making multiple, multiple millions of dollars and as long as you had less than 500 employees, you were still considered a small business. 

And so at the time, people could have said, well, this is comfortable. You're making a great opportunity, you have a great job, you get to travel all over the country, you get to travel across the world doing what you're doing. 

Why do you wanna leave and start a business? It's risky, you don't know if it's gonna work. It's not guaranteed, but I knew that entrepreneurial spirit on the inside of me was pulling on me and I knew God was calling me to the marketplace. 

And if I had not answered the call, I wouldn't be here talking right now on this podcast, sharing with you, building up your faith to go and do what he has signed and he has called you to do. And I remember the day that I went in and I told the business owner that I was leaving to start my own company and his words to me were, I'm very proud of you. 

Go forward and don't look back. You're going to be successful. Just go do what you're supposed to be doing. And that blessed and encouraged me. And looking back a few years after I left the company, the owner of the business actually died and his daughter took over the business and that contract that I was the program manager over actually changed and the amount of people on the staff was decreased. 

So God was preparing me to make that transition and to move. Did live LLC start to grow rapidly? Just everything worked right away? Absolutely not. I had to work hard. I'm still working hard, but I'm learning to work smart. 

I had to go back and get an MBA. when I was 59 years old, because I needed to understand the industry and business. Yes, I already had a doctorate and a master's in theology. I had an engineering degree. 

So I understood what it was like to work as a woman in STEM, but that wasn't enough. I needed it to understand business. If I was gonna be a small business development coach, if I was gonna be an executive coach, I needed more training. 

And I trusted God, he opened up the doors and I went back and got a master's degree in business with a specialty in leadership. And so when we trust God and he gives us the money, he gives us the abilities, he gives us the opportunity, we can't sit on it. 

We have to go forth and make that opportunity happen because we trust God. Let's take a break. We will discuss entrepreneurs spoken about in the Bible when we return. Welcome back to There's More to Your Story. 

We're discussing when your story includes a business and we were about to discuss entrepreneurs that are in the Bible. So when we think about the word entrepreneurs, I wanna give a definition based on the Merriam West 3rd online dictionary. 

And it says that entrepreneurs are creative people who organize and operate. business or businesses taking on greater than normal financial risk in order to do so. Think about it. They're saying that when we become entrepreneurs or business owners that we're taking on a greater risk or risk greater than normal in order to do so. 

Now, if God has given me this assignment and told me, hey, you're supposed to start this business, it may be risky in some perspective, but when I look at, if I'm doing it when God says it's time and I'm doing it according to his word, then it's not as risky as other people might believe. 

I remember in 2020 when COVID hit and I was doing training in person. I was coaching in person. But my business was actually limited to the North Alabama region because I had not expanded online. And when COVID hit and everything was shut down, guess what? 

I had to go online. Which in that case and in that situation, I began to grow because I began to reach out to people all over the country. I was coaching in different parts of the state of Alabama and throughout the country. 

And so doors began to open up for me, which expanded my opportunities. And it also caused me to have to go back, look at my business plan, which we're gonna talk about on our next episode and begin to expand that business plan. 

Because a business plan is a living document. It's gonna change based on circumstances, based on the economy, based on new opportunities that may unfold for you as a business owner. But let's look at entrepreneurs in the Bible. 

Okay, first of all, there was Abraham. He owned Livestock. You can find that in Genesis 13. And then you can also find it in Genesis 14 through Genesis 21. Jesus was part of a family owned business. He was a carpenter. 

Lydia of Thyatira. She was a dealer of purple cloth. According to Acts 16 and 15, she sold luxury fabrics. Now this was extremely unique at this time because of the male dominated Roman Empire. But she was a woman owned business. 

How about that? The disciples. If we go and look through Luke chapter 5: 1-11, some of the disciples were fishermen. One was a tax collector, but they were entrepreneurs. Let's look at Apostle Paul, Priscilla and Aquila. 

Now they were united together in Acts 18, 1- 5, and in fact, Paul stayed with Priscilla and Aquila, who were both ministers of the gospel, along with Apostle Paul. And they all three were tent makers. 

And so they had a ministry and they had a business. Sounds familiar? Yes, it's part of my story. And then I want to especially look at the woman in Proverbs. Let's talk about her. Proverbs 31, I'm going to read verse 10, and then I'm going to read verse 13 through 19. 

And this is in the Amplified. An excellent woman, one who is spiritual, capable, intelligent, and virtuous. Proverbs 13, I'm going to read verse 13, and then I'm going to read verse 13. who is he who can find her? 

Her value is more precious than jewels and her worth is far above rubies or pearls. She looks for wool and flax and works with willing hands in delight. She is like the merchant ships abounding with treasures. 

She brings her household food from far away. She rises also while it is still night and gives food to her household and assigns tasks to her maids. She considers a field before she buys or accepts it, expanding her business prudently. 

And with her profits, she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard. She equips herself with strength, spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God -given tasks and makes her arms strong. She sees that her gain is good. 

Her lap does not go out at night, but it burns continuously through the night. She is prepared for whatever lies ahead. She stretches out her hands to the staff and her hands hold the spindle as she spins wool into thread for clothing. 

Now, when I was growing up, when I read Proverbs 31, I always thought about this woman as a homemaker, a woman that worked within her home. And that's the way she was always preached, taught, and pictured in our culture. 

But when I really began to study in scripture about this woman, I found out so much more. This woman was an entrepreneur. This woman had multiple income streams. She had a conglomerate, is what I would call it. 

Let's look at what she did. She also was married with children. So there goes some of our other excuses that we may have. Let's look at what she did. She was a manufacturer. She made and sold linen garments. 

She was a realtor. She had a real estate business. She was a farmer. And I'm going to assume that she had organic farm products. She owned a vineyard. She was an upholsterer. And she had an import -export business. 

And then she ran a nonprofit because they said that she gave to the poor and those that were in need. She had maids. She had servants. So she ran her household while she ran her business. She had help. 

She had assistance. She had employees. So think about these women. We have the opportunity as women of God. to do great things and to be income providers and to be the one that breaks forth with our income, extra income and revenue streams for our households, whether you're married or single. 

In fact, she was so successful. They said her husband sat at the gate. He had every confidence in the world that this woman knew what she was doing. She had the heart of an entrepreneur and she knew how to make it happen. 

We should be really encouraged by that ladies. Don't let anyone talk you out of your dreams of what God has given you.  If He wants you to own a vineyard, if He wants you to be import & export, if He wants you to have merchandise on Etsy, if He wants you to be a writer and a speaker, whatever God is assigning to you in this hour, real estate agent, car dealership owner. 

Some people are into selling health products that encourage us to walk in fitness and in health. Do whatever God is blessed at giving you the ability to do.  You know, don't let circumstances and situations talk you out of doors that God has open. Let's take a break. And when we come back, we will finish this episode by asking this question. Is entrepeneurship or intra-peneurship a part of your story? 

Welcome back to There's More to Your Story. We're discussing when your story includes a business. Our final thought is actually a question. Is entrepreneurship or intrapreneurship a part of your story? We've already defined what entrepreneurs do. 

They are creative people who organize and operate a business or businesses taking on greater than normal risk factors in order to do so. Now, let's talk about intrapreneurs. I -N -T -R -A -P -R -E -N -E -U -R -S. 

This is an employee who is tasked with developing an innovative idea or product within a company. They don't own the company, but they're doing work, innovative work and ideas within a company. The entrepreneur may not face the outsized risk or reap the outsized rewards of an entrepreneur. 

However, the entrepreneur has access to the resources and capabilities of an established company. Now, I got that definition from Investopedia. But when we look at whether or not we're an entrepreneur or we're that person that God has set us within a company. 

He didn't have us to go and start our own, but he wants to use us to be innovative, to be able to create and give back to that company or organization, but be profitable and blessed at the same time. 

You know, we have to know which one has God called us to. So let's look at entrepreneurs and business owners from a biblical perspective. Biblical entrepreneurs seek creative ideas from God that meet unmet needs, leading them to entrepreneurship and a God -inspired passion to build, develop, and promote those ideas through business ownership. 

There were multiple kinds of business that I was a part of. There was a time when I was in a joint business ownership situation. And then also, I started a business based on a networking market situation where the product was already established. 

And I would just sell it and share it with other people and get them to invest or actually become salespeople or establish a sales team with this product. Now, one thing I did realize, and everybody is not called to this, And I found out that I am not a salesperson. 

And so I realized that when it came to marketing products, even if they were good products, I did not have the personality to be able to get out there and sell those products. Now I still use some of those products, but at the time it wasn't what God was calling me to. 

It wasn't my assignment, but the opportunity and the exposure opened me up and prepared me for now. In fact, one of those marketing businesses that I was a part of, I really got introduced to the love of God and the power of the Holy Spirit working in my life and in my business. 

And it changed me forever. So some doors that open, they may not be there for the entire part of your life, but they're there for you to learn and to grow and to develop in what God is assigning for you as a business owner. 

And so don't shunn away from opportunities when they come. If it's God, is something in there that you're supposed to get out of that opportunity? Now, let's look at something else regarding the Biblical principles behind entrepreneurship and being an entrepreneur. 

I wrote down that Biblical entrepreneurs operate their business according to the word of God, using biblically based kingdom principles when making decisions. So let's look at Joshua chapter verse 1:8, and I'm reading from the Amplified Translation. 

And it says, "this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall read and meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything in accordance with all that is written in it, for then you will make your way prosperous and then you will be successful. "

You know, when I read that scripture and I continue to read that scripture, if I would abide or read and study God's words and follow the direction, it is so much in Proverbs that gives us wisdom about business development and about how we run our business. 

And it's funny how people in the secular world who are not even believers will take word from Proverbs, the scriptures from Proverbs and apply those principles to their businesses. Yet, we who are believers won't use those principles for our business. 

It's like we're afraid to act. actually apply God's Word to a setting in the marketplace or in an industrial setting. But what did God's Word say? It is He that has given us power to make wealth. So if He gave us power to make wealth, He also gave us the instructions to follow to make that wealth. 

So let's use wisdom. Let's use the Word of God. Biblical entrepreneurs recognize that God owns everything, including our business. In Hebrews chapter 2:10a, and I think this is the CEV translation. 

It says, "everything belongs to God and all things were created by His power."  You know, even with live LLC. I recognize God owns this business. I have been given the opportunity to be the steward over this business, but it was God that gave me the business idea. 

It was Him that gave me the name. It was him that gave me the name of the podcast that I'm doing. It was him that gave me the name of the "5 Minutes to Victory vlog". It was Him that has given me the ideas and the approach for how I coach small businesses, how I coach executives that are in the marketplace. 

Everything that I do with Live LLC. I am wise enough to know that is not in my own might, but that it is in the power of God by his spirit guiding me every day that I move forth with this business, and it's the same way in ministry. 

When I trust and develop God to do ministry, I trust God to do business the same way I allow Him to develop me and build me up. Now let's look at one last thing before we close. Biblical entrepreneurs acknowledge that our faith and our businesses are intertwined in John chapter 15:1-8 in the Amplified. 

I strongly encourage you to read this and to meditate on it. It says, I am the true vine and my father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away and every branch that continues to bear fruit, he repeatedly prunes so that it would bear even more fruit, even richer and finer fruit. 

Let me go down to verse four and it says, "remain in me and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself without remaining in the vine, neither can you bear fruit, producing evidence of your faith, unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches and the one who remains in me, and I in him will bear much fruit, for otherwise, apart from me, that is cut off from vital union with me, you can do nothing." But it goes on to say this in verse 7," but if you remain in me and my words remain in you, that is, if we are vitally united and my message lives in your heart, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. "My father is glorified and honored by this when you bear much fruit and prove yourselves. to be my true disciples." When you're building your business as an entrepreneur, abide in the Lord. How do you abide in Christ? 

Because that's what Jesus, that was Jesus speaking. He said, I'm the true vine and my father is the vine dresser. We have the Holy Spirit on this earth with us. He's Christ on the inside of us. Allow him to teach you, guide you, direct you, order your steps as you build and develop your business, whatever industry you choose or whatever industry you're in. 

And even if you're an entrepreneur, whatever God guides you by His spirit, allow him to use you to change economic systems, to make a difference in the marketplace and in the lives of the people that you have the opportunity to bless and be a blessing to. 

You have the opportunity, you have the opportunity to meet needs that are out there in the marketplace, whether it's health, whether it's physical well -being, whether it's products and services, whatever it is, whether it's to teach or train or develop, but rely on God by His spirit to do what he has assigned and called you to do. 

You're in business for a reason. You're in business and inspired by God to be that business owner or entrepreneur. Trust him to build your business, to develop it. Trust Him as you lead the people that become a part of your business, those who will work for you. 

And then don't run when God, the vine dresser starts to trim us a little bit. Trim our branches so we can bear more fruit because if we abide in Him and trust Him, you will be surprised and astounded by the success, by the blessings and abundance that not only come into your life, but in the lives of others. 

I want to leave you with this one thought, years ago I had a flower garden and I was growing what's called impatience, they're beautiful flowers, especially when they're low to the ground and in shaded places. 

But sometimes they'll grow scraggly, they'll get too tall and so they don't look as pretty. And I remember one day I had to make the choice to cut my impatience down low. The blooms were at the top but they were very stringy and I needed the blooms to spread out across the flower bed. And as I began to trim, the Lord told me this. He said, sometimes that is how it is with you in your life. I have to prune and cut you back so that you're spread and bear more fruit and beauty that beauty on the inside of you will come out. 

And that always stuck with me because when I trim those blossoms off the top and the bed begin to spread and those impatience was just beautiful along our fence line in our backyard. I would smile and I was reminded of what God said. 

Yes, there are going to be difficult times as an entrepreneur. Yes, there are going to be difficult times as a business owner, difficult decisions that have to be made. And there'll be times where God is pruning us, but he wants us to bear much fruit. 

So don't be afraid. Just listen to God, seek His word, seek his advice, abide with Hm through the power of the Holy Spirit and you will be successful. I

 have three challenges for each of us today. 

First of all, I pray God's blessing and peace over your business and over your life. And if you don't know Christ as your savior, reach out to us so that we can share about the good news of Jesus Christ. 

I want to challenge you secondly to visit our website for more information regarding our small business development consulting and executive coaching capabilities. And then the third thing I want you to do is join us next time to be encouraged and inspired as you pursue your God -given purpose and dreams. 

Until then, I'm Dr. Yvette Rice. Have a victorious day and remember "There's More to Your Story. "