Tag Archives: Mentorship

Meet our GUEST OF THE MONTh. His name is Dr. Albert Femi Oduwole, perhaps you have read one of his books, see him on TV or listen to him on Radio or attend any of his high impact seminars. He’s a versatile Author, Mentor, media personality, consultant to fortune 500 companies and the founding Pastor The TRIUMPHANT ASSEMBLY.

We are glad to have him  here and to glean from his well of wisdom principles that separate high achievers from the rest of men. In this interview, he shared on Vision, Mentoring and Life. Enjoy it.

Can I meet you Sir?

I am Albert Femi Oduwole , a mentor, versatile author, media personality, minister and life coach. 

I am happily married to Olateju Aramide, a Chemical Engineer cum Human resource Manager and together we preside over WORD ABLAZE MISSION INTERNATIONAL a multifaceted mission comprising of an international outreach ministry, training centers, publishing outfit, Media Corporation and THE TRIUMPHANT ASSEMBLY,  a fast growing network of churches. 

I am also the CEO of “get inspired inc.” a peak performance consulting incorporation.

I travel the world speaking at civil, corporate & Christian organizations. I oversee many organizations worldwide. 

You are a man of vision Sir, how would you define Vision?

In one of my books titled RUNNING WITH A VISION I wrote 

“One of my favourite definitions of vision is the one given by George Barna. He says, “Vision is a foresight based on an insight with the benefit of hindsight”.

Foresight, Insight and Hindsight.

Foresight comes from two main words, “(be) fore” and “sight”.  This implies that foresight is what you see before others. If vision is a foresight, then it is that glimpse of your life from God that you see before others. Imagination cannot work properly without memory

Now, insight too comes from two words, “in (side)” and “sight”. This means that vision is not what you see with your physical (outside) eyes. No! It is what you see with your inward eyes. Of course, that automatically makes it impossible for others to see it; therefore, only he that can see the invisible can do the impossible.

Hindsight also is a combination of the two words “(be) hind” and “sight”. What is the benefit of hindsight? Although it takes your heart to receive a vision, it takes your mind to analyse and digest it. Now your mind is made up of two compartments- memory and imagination. Your memory replays the past, while your imagination pre plays the future. In light of this revelation, imagination is for “foresight” while memory is for “hindsight”.

Imagination cannot work properly without memory”

Your ministry, The Triumphant Church, has been a great blessing to many people around the world, how did you start Sir?

I remember during our 12th anniversary as a ministry (we will be 20 this year) severally print and air media celebrated with us. There’s this one that caught my attention and here’s my reaction as recorded in my book UNLOCKING POWER FOR EXPLOITS

“FROM TWELVE PEOPLE TO TWELVE CHURCHES IN TWELVE YEARS!  Read the bold headlines. It got me thinking about how I started out in ministry twelve years ago. A kitchenette for an office; a congregation of twelve [actually twelve and a half. Yes, half. The supposed half guy represented half a presence since he would always spend the entire service sleeping! So the dilemma was, should we count him in or not? We finally chose to count him as half!] Of the twelve, two were university graduates, one was a Youth Corper [my fiancée then and now my wife]; few were undergraduates-including me, the ‘president and founder’; the rest were secondary school students. We really looked like the pitiable team of David in the cave of Adullam (1 Sam 22:2), or Jephthah’s gang of vain men (Judges 11:1-3).

We had neither musical instruments nor a good public address system except for an F.M microphone that worked with the frequency of a radio system-the only problem was, none of us had a radio set big enough, so we had to borrow from the Falodes. None of us had a bicycle, let alone a car. No money, but we had a mission. No financier, but we had faith. No crowd, but we had the cloud of glory. No electric power generator, rather divine power demonstrations! No glass pulpit, yet we pulled men out of the pit. Most people thought we had no chance of survival, but we had a choice.

We were mocked, jeered at, misunderstood, misrepresented…that was then…but now, twelve thriving churches, many international outreaches, twelve fast selling books, television and radio ministries, a school of ministry with graduates in various parts of the world, and so on, have made ours  a ministry recognized nationally and internationally for exploits and integrity.

What are the challenges that come with running with a vision?

Challenges are normal to life. No challenges no championship. Only people going upwards experience resistance. Though what makes some to break makes some others to break records. 

So if you are running with a vision you will have many challenges 

Have you had any? If yes, what are your coping strategies?

I have had more than my share of challenges just like every achiever. My coping mechanisms remain

God and His grace 

Vital and Godly relationships. 

Keeping my eyes on God not on oppositions because if you mind opposition you might lose your position. 

Thank you Sir, what are tools/skills to get a vision running successfully?

1. ​Learn to think

One common thing among achievers, no matter their color, age, background and profession is that they have learnt to think. Only great thinkers make good leaders.    A man of God once said, “lf you fail to think, you will stink”. It is my belief that breakthrough is a product of “pray through” and “think through”.

A believer should by far be a better thinker than an unbeliever because he has the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2: 16), the best of all minds. This gives the believer spiritual sense, which is the superior sense that produces superior results. If you operate only on the level of common sense, all you’ll get are common results.

I mean the easiest way to contact an active mentality is by the way of

active Christianity and you will soon discover that there is no hopeless situation, only men that think hopelessly.

2. ​Learn to Increase in faith

The late Archbishop Benson Idahosa once said, “when you take from a man his wealth, you have hindered him, but when you take from him his faith, you have stopped him”. Such is the power of faith. “Any man can be ordinary, but only a man of faith can be extraordinary”, said Smith Wigglesworth, a father of faith himself.

Though the Bible says that God has given to every man a measure of faith (Rom. 12:3), yet it is your responsibility to increase it, for faith that is not absolute is impotent. Your source will be your sustenance, and the same thing goes for faith.

“Faith cometh by hearing and hearing … ” (Rom. 10: 17), and that is how it grows too. Strong faith is a must for your vision to be fulfilled. I have learnt to faith my faith and to doubt my doubt for I discovered that doubt has no benefit, and so I never give the benefit of doubt!

So run to the Word and grow in faith. No wonder, it is said that if you will not allow the Word to raise you, you’ll soon be erased from the world.

3. ​Learn to keep on keeping on

No matter the situation, battle or struggle, learn to stay put and not give up. The pressure might be much, but you need to remember that if you dodge the pressure, you will miss the prize because it takes your sweat to eat the sweet of victory. Make up your mind never to give up but to hold on.

H. E. Jansen once said, “The man who wins must have been counted out many times but he didn’t hear the referee”. Be informed that the road to

success is dotted with many tempting parking places. Don’t be caught!

In your opinion Sir, why do vision(s) fail?

VISIONS NEVER FAIL, VISIONEERS DO. Allow me to quote once again from my book RUNNING WITH A VISION

1. ​Wrong Association

1 Corinthians 15:33:

“Do not be deceived and misled! Evil companionship, (communion, associations) corrupt and deprave good manners and morals and character” (AMP).

Indeed, your vision cannot be fulfilled alone, as isolation is the beginning of desolation. Yet like John H. Mason said, “I’d rather be alone than be in the wrong company”. Let me add this: You don’t need to know everybody but only the right people to succeed. Some have mistaken popularity for priority and thus have ended up in the pit. Remember that, “… He that walks with the foolish shall be destroyed” (Prov. 13:20). Don’t just walk with anybody. Your friends determine your end. You have a choice. Friendship is by choice and not by force.

2. ​Sins and weights

Paul said in Hebrews 12: 1 “… we should throw off every weight and the sin that so easily entangles us and hinders us from running with the vision” (paraphrased). We are meant to leave our mark in the world, not have the world leave its mark on us. It’s better to get rid of all sins and weights that can destroy us; though intellect can get us to the top, only integrity will keep us there. You have to clean up to climb up. Don’t give an excuse for sin because the sin you excuse today will expose you tomorrow! Beware!

Also, be careful not to glory in the fall of anyone, for he that glories in the downfall of another will soon fall from glory (himself).

3. ​Lack of a winning attitude

Some people’s greatest enemy is the man between their ears, or the man they see every time they look into the mirror. The reason is that they lack a winning attitude and as the saying goes, it is your attitude that dictates your altitude.

Some Christian folks are just slothful in business. I love the way Romans 12:11 puts it: “not slothful in business… “

Slothfulness is terrible. It paralyses initiative. Somebody once said that good resolutions are like babies crying in the church, they must be carried out immediately!

All some believers do is complaining, but the more you complain, the less you obtain: and don’t tell me your situation is hopeless for there are no hopeless situations, only men that think hopelessly.

Some folks just refuse to do anything. They forget that the word “triumph” is just “umph” added to “try”.

You cannot be successful until you have tried to do something. The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary. Somebody said that the secret of success is to start from the scratch and keep scratching. Don’t be scared of taking risks because it is risky not to take a risk. As a man of God put it, there are many ways to become a failure but not taking chances is the surest. Even if you have failed before, don’t worry, keep on keeping on. In the long run you’ll discover that it pays. You don’t stop trying because you have failed, but you’ll fail if you stop trying.

4. ​Past Victories

Apostle Paul said. .. …I forget the past (the victory, glory, honour; et al) and I press forward… (Phil. 3:13). Some people have allowed past victories to disturb their vision. Success is sometimes the enemy of progress; therefore don’t let your better disturb your best. Make the victories of the past your launching pad and not your lounging chair. I love this statement of Thomas Jefferson: ‘I love the dreams of the future more than the victories of the past ‘. You need to move from hindsight to foresight.

5. ​Past failures

Let me state outright that champions are not those who never fail but those who never quit. Everyone fails but only the great ones bounce back, because it takes guts to leave the ruts. Failure is meant to be a bridge not a barricade to your future. Don’t let your mistakes become memorials. They should be cremated not embalmed or else you’ll poison your future with the pains of the past. Don’t even bother making an explanation for past failures as it takes less time to do something right than to explain why it was done wrong. I have made up my mind to live my life as an exclamation and not an explanation!

Lastly, remember that when you are down to nothing, God is up to something!

Many people who have great visions in life never get started because of fear, what is your counsel Sir?

Fear has been described as an acronym for False Evidence Appearing Real. All men experience fear but many have succeeded in spite of it not in the absence of it. That’s why I love this quote 

‘Bravery is the ability to perform with courage, especially when scared half to death’.-General Omar Bradley

Rev’d Albert calls his wife “swift sixteen”

What is your counsel to those who are finding it tough on their visions?

Are you on the verge of giving up? Is your dream fast becoming your doom, and your commission, your confusion?

Is this why you have decided that the dream is not realistic, and the vision not visible? Listen to me before you throw your dreams, ambitions, visions, etc, to the trash-can. God said I should say to you: don’t forego it but go for it!

You see when God give a sight He will also give the might. It does not matter what you have been through, or how tough it looks, make up your mind now not to forego it but to go for it. Remember that it is a matter of destiny and your destiny can only be refuted not relegated. It can only be contested, not castrated.

Winners never quit and quitters never win. The definition of a winner is a potential loser that persists and a failure a potential winner that quits. All it takes is a decision (success is a product of decision, not day dreaming) so go for it! There is a go in every gospel and two third of the word God is go. Go for it! There is nothing that can stop a determined mind, turn that scar to a star, turn that breach to a bridge (to success), turn that shame to fame.

You can decide to be a victor and not a victim. It is your choice. Though you may be knocked down today, just remember that you are not knocked out yet. Setbacks indeed pave way for comebacks. It is not over until it’s over; let’s go for it!

  You pursue your passion. You spend time and favor for what you value. The protégées business is to pursue the mentors and not the other way round. Elijah tried all he could to shake off Elisha. Jesus tried all he could to shake off the apostles but they said “where you go we shall go…” Approach mentors with a clear vision. Don’t seek what’s in there hands but what’s in there

 What role does mentoring play in translating a vision to reality?

Mentors deliver from tormentors and fathers give us feathers to fly further. Mentors because they know the way and had walked the way can show and help you walk the paths to actualization of your visions.

These days Sir, getting a mentor has become a hard job (maybe because they are very busy), how do young people with vision overcome this challenge?

You pursue your passion. You spend time and favor for what you value. The protégées business is to pursue the mentors and not the other way round. Elijah tried all he could to shake off Elisha. Jesus tried all he could to shake off the apostles but they said “where you go we shall go…” Approach mentors with a clear vision. Don’t seek what’s in there hands but what’s in there hearts. 

You are a successful minister of the Gospel Sir, what role(s) has your family played?

GENERALLY SPEAKING relationship is vital to every success especially family relationships 

“Isolation is the beginning of desolation. To live in isolation is inevitably to die in desolation”. Even Jesus, the pattern son called twelve men for this purpose. “…that they might be with Him”. This shows he realized the power in relationships.

Relationship is a boost not a barrier, a lift not a load; it is a bridge not a barricade into your future. Without vital divine associations, plans and purposes remain just that plans and purposes.

Proverbs. 27:17 in The Living Bible translation reads thus:

“A friendly discussion is as stimulating as the sparks that fly when iron strikes iron.” 

Your final words Sir

Keep on keeping on no matter what you meet on the way.

Thanks for your time Sir.

You are welcome.

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