Bro. Kinsey, tell us a little about yourself and your ministry.
I have been in full-time ministry since graduating high school, having received a call on my life at the age of 11. I started out as an evangelist and traveled for 10 years before accepting a pastorate in Provencal, Louisiana. During the five years I served in Provencal, I became involved in youth ministry and eventually became youth president of the Louisiana district. By then I had felt the call back to evangelism and had been traveling for three years, basing my family in Alexandria, Louisiana. In 1994, I was elected general youth secretary of the UPCI, and we relocated to St. Louis, Missouri. The following year I became youth president of the UPCI and served for one term before joining the Home Missions Department as home missions secretary. In 2000, my wife and I accepted the invitation to become pastor of First Pentecostal Church in Pensacola, Florida, and in 2007, I became senior pastor of this great church.
What prompted you to write this book?
At an early age, God directed me to begin a discipline of “going back to the King’s gate,” as Mordecai did after being honored by the King. I have come to call these disciplines my Rule of Five, and time has proven the power of taking simple, consistent steps to discover your purpose and achieve your potential. We all instinctively understand that God has a plan for us, yet many never are able to identify their potential or implement strategies to help them reach it. That is why I wrote Made for More, laying out seven spiritual principles that will help others open their eyes to weaknesses in their life, make them aware of the more that God has for everyone, and ensure that our relationship with Him remains intimate, vibrant and strong. Once these strategies are implemented, the reader will have a clearer picture of what his or her life could be, and will have identified practical action steps for moving in that direction. I believe the reader will be energized, equipped and motivated to set out on the greatest adventure of life—reaching our full potential in Christ.
What does it mean to accept personal responsibility and how does it work for you?
Spiritual transformation does not result from adding more religious practices to your life, such as church attendance, tithing and Bible reading. All these things support growth, and they certainly result from it; but alone will not make you a better person. I accept personal responsibility to grow in God by taking the time to understand, identify and remove the barriers to a deeper relationship with God. We grow by our connection to Him; therefore, it is essential to understand the things that will enhance that relationship and the things that detract from it. No one else can do it for me. I am responsible for my own growth and only I can do the work that is required to achieve it. To implement the strategy of accepting personal responsibility in your life, you must discipline yourself to faithfully do all the things you must do and to avoid doing the things you should not. Responsibility depends on self-discipline.
How can we practice spiritual authority and what impact has this had in your life?
Spiritual authority is exercised when we realize that we are in a war. The first great battlefield is our minds, the voice within us, so I have to take dominion over myself, and lead myself to be more than I am now. Circumstances definitely assail us, along with the voice of others who misunderstand your motives and try to defeat you to keep you from your destiny. The only remedy to such attacks is the power with God in spiritual authority that gives you the ability to “walk above the tree tops.” We all know that we have an enemy, Satan, who seeks to kill, to steal and to destroy. However, God has given us power over all the power of the enemy. You do this by sticking to your Rule of Five. Don’t ever forsake your daily sacrifice. It will be the deciding factor in lifting you above the crisis in your life and help you fulfill your destiny and realize your full potential.
How does learning from our pain help us grow?
Pain helps us to grow by motivating us to change. Physical pain drives us to a physician to seek treatment. Hunger drives us to seek the nourishment we need to grow strong. Financial pain forces us to deal with debt and drives us to earn and save money. The spiritual pain of guilt, shame and conviction brought by the Holy Spirit are what lead us to listen to the voice of God and accept His offer of salvation. We would make very little progress in this world or in our lives if we never felt discomfort. We grow through pain if we allow it to drive us to self-examination and change.
Describe the principle of strategic thinking and how it works in your life.
Strategic thinking simply put means you must have a plan. We do well to recognize that prayer is our default starting point for any spiritual endeavor; however, we must also engage in critical thinking, planning and action to accomplish our goals. Good intentions are worthless in the absence of a practical strategy, and strategy ultimately determines outcome. How you choose to accomplish your goal—and not the goal itself—will determine whether you are successful.
Where can your book be purchased?
Made For More can be purchased online at Amazon as a hard copy or Kindle edition. It is also available at my website: www.briankinsey.com, our church website: www.firstpent.org, or by calling the church office at 850.477.1100.