DREAMS TO REALITY UPDATE!!

Well friends, we are coming up to a HUGE milestone on a journey that is really just beginning! Wow, what a journey this has been so far. I look at the time that we have been involved in this Go Fund Me Campaign. 10 months. In that time, we've done the following:

 

1. We've raised $13,128 of our $14K goal!!!
2. We've recorded, mixed, mastered, and packaged my new EP called Between Dreams and Reality.
3. We've done a national tour called The Dreams to Reality Tour. Like, it was literally across the nation. We ministered to thousands of people.
4. We've opened for and shared stages with some well known acts in the Christian music industry (Jeremy Camp, Blanca, Sanctus Real, Manafest, Royce Lovett, Trinity 5:7, and more).
5. We've signed to JAM Booking. I signed as an artist and my wife as a representative. (I love this!)
6. We've recorded my first national TBN interview.
7. We've got our first radio airplay in the UK (London).
8. We've partnered with a great organization and finished a 2 week arts camp where the finale was held in a public mall. We also passed out 100 backpacks to prepare kids for the upcoming school year.
9. We're promoting our single GO! to 150+ radio stations around the country.
10. We've got music videos in production.

One of the things that has impacted me the most is that this whole process has encouraged others to dream again! I can't tell you how many people approached my wife and me and have told us how grateful they are for the encouraging music AND for being able to watch the process unfold. Many people have started businesses, made big career changes, strengthened marriage relationships, and more for the glory of God. It's been incredible. This could be a good place to say, "You know what? We've done good! We're only $872 away from our goal and that's close enough. Let's stay here and be content." But I can't.

We learn lessons and even discover purpose on the journey. And on my path between dreams and reality, I've received a better understanding of why God even has me going down this road. I don't know if you've really noticed, but my music is very...hmm...eclectic lol! It's not what you would generally think of when you think "rap music". The crowds that I'm in front of are not your stereotypical rap crowds either. By God's grace, my music is able to reach a broad audience. I didn't plan it that way. But given my background, my musical taste, my story, and of course God's grace...it just sort of happened that way. It's taken me a while, but I'm comfortable in my calling. I'm called to be a bridge. And now I see that God has called me to be a bridge in one of the most divided times in recent history. Ethnicities are divided. The poor and the rich are divided. Churches are divided. Those who stand for righteousness and those who stand for justice are divided. Even in the minds of most people, spirituality and practicality are divided. With all of this division, I truly believe that God is raising forerunners to be bridges in different areas of society. And I believe that I have a major role to play in using music to help bridge some of these spiritual and cultural gaps.

Now you see why I can't be OK with average. I can't be fine with almost doing something. That syndrome has plagued me for most of my life. But not this time. The stakes are too high and my faith is too strong. Friends, there are so many great causes to give to today. As the world gets darker, more needs will surface. (And let me be real: Since I launched my Go Fund Me, I feel as though I've unleashed a Go Fund Me spirit because I see them everywhere now lolol!) I believe that how far we've come in our campaign is truly a testimony of God's hand being on this thing. We wrestled with the thought of even doing a Go Fund Me campaign but we felt the prompting of the Lord to do it so we did. And now He is prompting us to fight the good fight of faith, and to trust Him to help me FINISH this leg of the journey.

Friends, will you truly pray and believe with us? Will you give whatever God puts on your heart (large or small)? Will you help spread the word about this campaign? We really believe that God is doing something BIG here. In our times, we don't just need more music. We need people who are submitting every gift to be supernaturally used of God to change the world. Jeneil and I are going to go as far as the Lord will allow us for His glory. It was always in us to inspire the next generation to be passionate pursuers of God's presence. We have already reached thousands around the country and you are helping to extend our reach even further. We love you all and thank you for your continued prayers and generosity!

TO GIVE, PLEASE CLICK HERE!

Thank you,

Jarrell Flowers

Freedom Music Group

What To Do When You're Saved BUT Your Spouse Is the DEVIL!

"Jarrell, I can't take it anymore! My spouse isn't saved...and doesn't the bible say something about not being unequally yoked??"

Oh, and here's one of my favorites: "Now that I'm saved, I see that my marriage was never ordained of God in the first place. So I feel at peace to leave."

Not everyone gets the privilege of starting a relationship with Jesus at the center. Sometimes during a relationship, one person surrenders to Jesus while the other wants nothing to do with Jesus. And when the struggle gets real, we Christians tend to get all kinds of spiritual confirmations on why we should leave our spouses. Good news, though! God has given us instruction in His word about what to do when we've given our life to Jesus, but we're convinced that we're married to Satan!

Check these verses out. 1 Corinthians 7:12-16:

12 To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. 13 If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. 15 But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you[b] to peace. 16 For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

Heavy truth here. Paul is saying that if your spouse is happy to live with you, then you should not divorce that person. This implies that there are times when spouses will see that their husband/wife's life has changed and they won't be able to deal with it. At THAT time, it is ok to divorce because God has called us to peace. But because God has called us to peace, your spouse shouldn't want to leave the house because you're always calling him/her a "good-for-nothing heathen" who is destined for the fires of hell. Your life should scream "JESUS LOVES YOU AND SO DO I". When it does, you have a great chance of being a witness to your spouse. He or she could come to know Jesus based on the way that they see you live.

As believers, we have been given an assignment to bring people back to God. Here are four tips to help you love your spouse into the kingdom. Understand that:

1. Your spouse is not the devil. He/she is another soul in need of God's grace as you are.
2. You are not the Holy Spirit. Human tactics isn't going to produce the righteousness you want to see in your spouse.
3. Greater is He (Jesus) that is in you that he (the devil) that is in the world. God's influence flowing through you to your spouse is greater than the devil's influence on your spouse (or even you for that matter).
4. God's goodness leads us to repentance. Is your spouse seeing the goodness of God in you? Or are you making Christ unattractive with your attitude?

We love God because He first loved us. Most of the time, love needs to be shown insanely well before it is reciprocated. So make a commitment to grow in God's love and to show God's love. Then just see what happens next! 

Thanks for reading,

Jarrell

Who's Waiting On The Other Side of YOUR Obedience?? #DreamsToReality

This is Abbie. After my first stop of the Dreams to Reality Tour, she came up to me all excited and nervous. Then she gave me a quick testimony. She told me that she first heard my music in Oklahoma (which was weird because I never knew that my music traveled that far) lol! She began to tell me that my music really helped her out during a dark time in her life. I was so happy to hear her testimony! It was truly a humbling experience to know that God would use something that I love to do in order to effect a real person! A lot of times, music goes into cyberspace and you never really know who it's impacting. I encouraged Abbie to keep living for God, prayed with her, gave her a big hug, we followed each other on Instagram and that was it. What an experience!

Me being so overjoyed and invading Abbie's space lol!

This is Madi. I also met her after one of my tour concerts in December. That particular night was incredible! The concert was awesome. The atmosphere was great. The youth leaders were on point. The ministry time after the concert was definitely on point! The Holy Spirit was truly changing hearts. I specifically remembered Madi because she was just so happy that day. She bought the same beanie that I had on and asked if we could take a picture together. So we did. I encouraged her, gave her a big hug, we followed each other on Instagram and that was it. A few months later, I found out that she took her own life. I was heartbroken. My heart went out to her family...especially her youth pastors and church friends. And you know that the enemy tried to mess with my head too. Thoughts like, "You're trying to reach a generation with hope in Jesus, but it's not good enough to stop someone from killing themselves." I was really discouraged until the Holy Spirit reminded me that Jesus was in the same situation and could have felt the same way. I'm glad that He didn't buy that lie.

Me and Madi being awesome!

Here's the truth:

I was privileged to be a part of God's overall narrative in the life of these two young ladies. God used my life to have a positive impact on their lives. At the end of the day, all that I'm called to do is to love Jesus and to obey. God, in His sovereignty, takes those acts of obedience and does what He wants to do with them. Those acts of obedience could help pull someone out of a dark situation. Those acts of obedience could be one of the last signs of hope to someone who is desperately trying to make sense of life. These two young ladies were positively impacted by my decision to step out and dream, conquer my fears, focus, and obey God. What if I didn't? What if my music never came out because I was too scared to pursue what God told me to pursue? Who ELSE is waiting on the other side of my obedience?

Who's waiting on the other side of YOUR obedience?? #GO!

To purchase my new CD "Between Dreams and Reality", please CLICK HERE

Thank you for reading!

Jarrell