WWomen Mag single pages

W E L C O M E 

My dear sisters, I’m so excited to welcome you to this year’s 

Winning Women convention. 

I am excited because of what I know and believe God 

wants to do in our lives. When I received the theme Made for 

Greatness I realised that God wants to literally open the eyes of 

our understanding and show us who we really are in Him and what 

we are truly capable of. 

We are pre-destined to be women of greatness: Women of honour, 

excellence, self-respect, strength and distinction. 

Over the next few days I believe that we will experience what this 

means and that we will receive the tools, guidance and a spiritual 

foundation to go out there and truly exhibit our greatness to the 

world. 

What has happened in the past cannot change what God has 

created us to do. Be bold. Trust God. Let Him heal you and change 

your enhance focus. Believe what God has said: “I have called you 

by name, you are mine” (Isaiah 43.1). You are Made for Greatness. 

Welcome to the Winning Women Convention 2018 

Yemisi Ashimolowo 

MADE FOR 

GREATNESS 

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06 

08 

10 

12 

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18 

20 

CHOSEN FOR 

GREATNESS 

GLOBAL 

TESTIMONIES 

ABOUT THE WINNING 

WOMEN MINISTRY 

KICC IN THE 

COMMUNITY 

WWC2017 

IN PICTURES 

LIVING BY 

DESIGN 

GREATNESS IN THE 

MARKETPLACE 

GREATNESS IN 

RELATIONSHIPS 

CONTENTS

We’re living in a world where 

many people are either suffering 

from an identity crises or are 

defining themselves by society’s 

ever-changing opinions. It is (therefore 

of great importance) important that 

we know who we are in Christ and 

understand that we have been chosen 

for greatness. 

The following scriptures re-inforce this 

truth: 

Deuteronomy 7:6: “For you are a holy 

people to the LORD your God; the 

LORD your God has chosen you to be 

a people for Himself, a special treasure 

above all the peoples on the face of 

the earth. 

Jeremiah 1:5: “Before I formed you 

in the womb I knew you; before you 

were born I sanctified you; I ordained 

you a prophet to the nations.” 

John 15:16 (AMP): You have not 

chosen Me, but I have chosen you 

and I have appointed and placed and 

purposefully planted you, so that you 

would go and bear fruit and keep on 

bearing, and that your fruit will remain 

and be lasting, so that whatever you 

ask of the Father in My name [as My 

representative] He may give to you. 

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE 

CHOSEN? 

To be chosen is to be sought after 

and separated from the crowd of 

many. It’s to be defined, predestined, 

selected, approved, confirmed, 

recognised, recommended, singled out, 

and unopposed. You are unopposed 

because God has chosen you. He 

chose you to be a part of His family. 

You are a special treasure. God 

has purposefully planned you. He 

has appointed you. You are not an 

accident. 

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE 

GREAT? 

The world view of greatness is about 

what you’ve achieved, where you live 

and how much is in your bank account. 

However, greatness is not measured 

by what you have or by what you can 

do. 

As Christians we are chosen to 

manifest the strength, dignity and the 

character of God. We are a chosen 

generation, a royal priesthood, a holy 

nation, His own special people, that 

we may proclaim the praises of Him 

who called us out of darkness, into His 

marvellous light (1 Peter 2:9). We are 

not chosen to blend in, or be ‘normal’. 

We are above normal, we are an 

outstanding, exceptional people. 

Our greatness flows out of giving, not 

getting. It is about sacrifice, serving 

others and selflessness. The disciples 

measured the word ‘greatest’ in the 

sense of being the most important but 

Jesus, taught them otherwise, saying: 

‘Whoever wishes to become great 

among you shall be your servant.” 

Matthew 20: 26 (AMP) 

CHOSEN TO DISPLAY GOD’S 

GREATNESS 

We have to remind ourselves that we 

have been chosen for greatness. The 

story of David challenges us to look 

beyond outward appearances into a 

person’s heart and character. God saw 

something in David that no one else 

did. You may not qualify before men 

but God has chosen you. 

4 

THE WINNING WOMEN MAGAZINE | MADE FOR GREATNESS

Y e m i s i A s h i m o l o w o 

God knows where (and who? Or who) 

you are. He sees your potential, not 

your looks, your university degree or 

your accomplishments. God did not 

choose David for his looks, He chose 

him because of his heart. Inside the 

shepherd boy was Israel’s greatest king 

waiting to get out. There is a king on 

the inside of you. There is more to you 

than meets the eye. 

When Samuel arrived in the house of 

Jesse to ordain the man who would be 

king, six sons of Jesse passed before 

Samuel one by one – but none of 

them qualified to be king. 1 Samuel 

16:11-13 says: 

So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the 

sons you have?” “There is still the 

youngest,” Jesse answered, “but he is 

tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send 

for him; we will not sit down until he 

arrives.” 

So he sent and had him brought in. He 

was ruddy, with a fine appearance and 

handsome features. Then the LORD 

said, “Rise and anoint him; he is the 

one.” 

So Samuel took the horn of oil and 

anointed him in the presence of 

his brothers, and from that day on 

the Spirit of the LORD came upon 

David in power. Samuel then went to 

Ramah.” 

The odds were against David. He was 

born out of an extra marital affair 

(Psalm 51:5), he was the lowest in the 

family pecking order, his own father 

forgot about him when Samuel asked 

to see his sons and his mother was not 

there to argue for his inclusion. 

To the rest of the family David may 

have been something of a joke. 

However, it was not a joke when the 

horn rested on David’s head, it was 

not a joke when the oil began to flow 

unhindered to anoint David’s head, it 

was not a joke when Samuel declared, 

“behold, the Lord’s anointed”. You too 

will have the last laugh. 

MAINTAINING GREATNESS 

You have been chosen to do great 

Once we accept who we are in Christ, 

we need to maintain this identity 

through our lifestyle. 

David was different from his brothers. 

What made him stand out was his 

spirituality, which was expressed 

through faithfulness, prayer, worship 

and holiness. 

The fear of God will keep us in right 

standing: The [reverent] fear of the 

LORD [that is, worshiping Him and 

regarding Him as truly awesome] is 

the beginning and the preeminent 

part of wisdom [its starting point 

and its essence], And the knowledge 

of the Holy One is understanding 

and spiritual insight. Proverbs 9:10 

Amplified Bible (AMP) 

When we know the God we serve for 

ourselves and have a reverent fear of 

Him we will live right, abide in Him, 

obey Him and reflect the greatness of 

God’s power and character. 

This article is based on the message 

Chosen for Greatness © Pastor Yemisi 

Ashimolowo. To purchase your copy of 

the full message contact the MAMM 

Bookstore on: 020 8525 0000 

THE WINNING WOMEN MAGAZINE | MADE FOR GREATNESS 5

Sharing your 

TESTIMONY will glorify God 

and encourage other believers. 

Send in your testimony 

today by text or 

Whatsapp to: 07430 779 284 

or email kicctv@kicc.org.uk 

Last year my 3 year old daughter was 

diagnosed with bone cancer and a 

gallstone in her stomach. This led to 

her having tests, MRI scans, x-rays and a 

biopsy. My daughter was transferred to 

and from various hospitals before finally 

being transferred to Great Ormond Street 

Childrens Hospital. 

Today, as I testify: God has healed my 

daughter. The bone cancer and the gallstone 

in her stomach have completely disappeared. 

This is completely the LORD’s doing and I 

give Him all the glory. 

O.J 

KICC PRAYER CITY 

THE LORD IS MY SHIELD 

I 

could have lost my unborn child or even gone mad when 

I heard the news of my late husband’s death but God 

strengthened me and gave me a new heart to go through the 

bereavement and childbirth. I could have been made homeless 

with my children but God gave me a house fully paid for. 

In February 2013, I put in a new application to renew my visa 

because I was on my late husband’s visa but my application was 

refused and we were asked to go back home and I appealed. 

Again it was refused. In 2016 I applied for my indefinite leave to 

remain and by His grace it was granted. However, my children 

were asked to go back home even though they were born in the 

United Kingdom. I kept holding onto the word in Isaiah 43:1 - 3 

that ‘He would shield and protect us wherever we are.’ 

During The River event in January, I applied for naturalisation. 

The Home Office stated that it would take a maximum of 6 

months so I kept praying for the application to be granted and 

arrive early. By His special grace naturalisation was granted to all 

of us exactly one month after I submitted the application. 

I want to let you know whatever you’re going through be 

encouraged just like Joseph. Your pain, toil and disappointments 

are to get you to your dreams. Hold on to God’s Word and He 

will see you through. Thank you Jesus. 

E.B 

KICC PRAYER CITY 

GLOBAL TESTIM 

GOD IS A MIRACLE WORKER 

I 

have been trusting God for another child although there have been challenges. In June I began bleeding. This lasted 

several months until Communion Sunday in August. During the service Pastor instructed that all members should ask 

God for one specific request. I asked that the bleeding would stop. After service I went to the restroom and noticed 

it had stopped. I monitored the situation. The bleeding did not return. 

I went for a medical appointment and it was confirmed that I was pregnant. In the fullness of time the baby was 

born by caesarean section and declared a still birth. However, our God is a miracle worker and as the lifeless baby was 

being taken away by a nurse I requested them to bring the baby to me. I touched the baby and commanded the baby 

to come to life. The nurse then began to walk out of the room, as they got to the door the baby sneezed. Glory to 

God. My daughter and I are doing well. 

KICC ASABA 

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ONIES ‘...Tell them what GREAT things the Lord has done for you...” Mark 5:19 NLV 

JEHOVAH RAPHA 

My brother was sick for quite some time 

before it was discovered that he had a kidney 

problem. He saw several medical practitioners 

but in October, the month of Abundance, I discussed 

the issue with my Pastor, who advised that we start 

having Holy Communion along with his medication. 

I did that and to God be the glory, my brother is 

getting better by the day. I can testify to God’s healing 

power. My brother have received Abundant Life. 

Mrs. A 

KICC Akure 

GOD IS FAITHFUL 

God has been Faithful to me in all areas of 

my life. I want to specifically testify of His 

divine guidance and direction especially in 

my career. I almost lost a patient of mine who was 

operated on and was bleeding to death. 

I made declarations of faith and my patient, 

who was given up for dead miraculously stopped 

bleeding and was revived. She is alive and well 

today by the glory of God! 

Sis H. B 

KICC Kuje 

THE LORD IS MY SHIELD 

My brother was travelling to a coffee shop with a friend from his school and friends from a neighbouring school. 

The boys from the neighbouring school saw three young men with whom they’d had a previous altercation. 

They confronted the three men at knife point and stole their trainers and bags. The police charged my brother 

with robbery. He maintained that he knew nothing of the robbery and did not participate in it. The family instructed 

lawyers and they informed us that CCTV footage showed that my brother did not participate in the robbery. They 

believed this would settle the case during a pre-trial hearing. However in January 2018, we were advised that the 

Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had refused to drop the charges against my brother because he was driving the car 

that one of the young men who had participated in the robbery had travelled in, making him party to the offence. 

The CPS offered a settlement for a plea of guilty: The alternative was that the case went to trial. The family decided 

not to allow my brother to accept culpability for something he didn’t do and the case went to trail. I started to pray that 

the charges would be dropped and as a tither I rebuked the devourer using Pastor Yemisi’s declaration ‘that there will 

be no emergency spending.’ I also met with Pastor Dipo and asked him to pray for my family. During The River, I arrived 

at a service just in time to hear Pastor Matthew declare “Anyone who wants to align you to something you didn’t do, I 

sever you from it.” Later in the service Pastor Matthew also mentioned Psalm 89:23 for divine vindication. I received 

it and used that scripture as a declaration into my brother’s situation. To the glory of God, on Tuesday 27th February, 

we got a call from my brother’s lawyers stating ‘the CPS had dropped the robbery charge.’ Hallelujah!I would like to 

thank Pastor Matthew, Pastor Yemisi and Pastor Dipo for their timely declarations that spoke directly into my family’s 

situation. Thank you for your dedication as shepherds over this house. My family and I give all the glory to God for this 

victory. 

Sis NKB 

KICC The Land of Wonders 


About The Winning Women Ministry 

The Winning Women ministry 

at Kingsway International 

Christian Centre fulfils an 

essential function within the 

church. Since its establishment in 

1996, the ministry has consistently 

pressed towards its overall goal to 

challenge women to become the best 

that God has ordained them to be. 

Headed by Pastor Yemisi Ashimolowo, 

the Resident Pastor of KICC at the 

Winning Women ministry brings 

women together and aims to create 

a refreshing, renewal and re-focus to 

the vision of God’s daughters through 

the Spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord. The 

Winning Women ministry’s mandate, 

through fellowship, interactive 

seminars, counselling and mentoring, 

is for women to do exploits for the 

Lord as Ruth, Esther, Deborah and 

other women did in Biblical times. 

THE VISION 

As 21st century women our vision for 

every woman who comes into contact 

with the Winning Woman ministry is 

for them to experience God in a new 

dimension, fully aware that when you 

encounter the joy releasing barrier 

breaking power of God, you are able 

to lead a life of excellence and be 

empowered to make a positive impact 

in your families, church communities 

and the world. 

Winning Women is open to women 

of all age groups, nationalities and 

backgrounds. This is reflected through 

our regular meetings for women from 

all walks of life. 

CURRENTLY, WINNING 

WOMEN MEETINGS ARE HELD 

FOR: 

• Mothers in Waiting (wives believing 

God for the fruit of the womb) 

• Ladies in Waiting (single ladies) 

• Successful Wives (married women) 

• Senior Sisters (aged 50 and above) 

• Annual general meetings 

THOUGH WORD-BASED 

PREACHING AND TEACHING, 

WE SEEK TO: 

• Encourage women to have more 

confidence in what they can 

achieve through God’s power, in 

order to reach their potential for 

Christ. 

• Help women to move beyond 

the personal, environmental and 

societal limitations to becoming 

winning women for Christ. 

• Encourage women to develop Godly 

self-esteem and a God-glorifying 

confidence. 

• Help women feel successful and 

fulfilled, whether married or single. 

• Encourage women to excel by 

challenging them to be focused and 

to be the best they can be. 

IT IS OUR GOAL TO: 

• Hold bi-monthly meetings covering 

topics of relevance to women and 

the challenges they may be facing in 

today’s society. 

• Hold annual conferences that seek 

to empower women to reach their 

potential. 

• Work with other women’s groups 

and ministries to continue to share 

the Gospel. 

• Help women to develop a deep faith 

and belief in Jesus Christ. 

• Conceptualise and implement 

creative, social and educative 

opportunities for women to 

fellowship together, share the Word 

of God, encourage each other with 

testimonies and form productive 

partnerships. 

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KICC IN THE C MMUNITY 

Kingsway International Christian Centre’s Noah’s Ark Food Bank (NAFB) Ministry is dedicated to its assignment to take a stand against poverty 

Through its outreach initiatives; 

Noah’s Ark Food Bank, the 

Noah’s Ark Community Kitchen 

and Noah’s Ark Cares, the 

church is able to bring practical 

help to those in need. The team Leader 

Minister Peju Oluyomi said: “We believe 

we are sent out to disciple the nations 

and express the unfailing love of God 

to all, particularly those who are going 

through a crisis. 

“We are the hands, feet, ears and eyes 

of Christ. We are to empower people to 

overcome poverty and suffering. It’s our 

role to reveal Christ to our communities. 

As we disciple the people, we aim to 

bring them to church and ensure they 

settle into regular fellowship.” 

THE NAFB MISSION 

Team work based on Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 

“Two people are better off than one, for 

they can help each other succeed. If one 

person falls, the other can reach out 

and help. But someone who falls alone 

is in real trouble. Likewise, two people 

lying close together can keep each 

other warm. But how can one be warm 

alone? A person standing alone can 

be attacked and defeated, but two can 

stand back-to-back and conquer. Three 

are even better, for a triple-braided cord 

is not easily broken. 

THE VISION 

• Grow up 

• Grow big 

• Grow together 

THE OBJECTIVE 

Zero tolerance to hunger, lack and 

poverty through: 

• Food distribution 

• Empowering families and individuals 

to overcome poverty 

THE NAFB PROGRAMS: 

THE NOAH’S ARK COMMUNITY KITCHEN 

In collaboration with Basildon council 

the Community Kitchen project provides 

a three course meal once a month for 

local elderly residents. The Community 

Kitchen also hosts quiz evenings and 

talks on various subjects including 

benefits, personal safety, bridging the 

age gap, carers support and housing. 

The team reaches out to the homeless 

(an average of 20-30 persons) based 

10 


at Branches Homeless Unit in 

Walthamstow, every first Saturday of 

the month. They are provided with a 

freshly cooked three course meal. 

Over time, some of these people have 

started attending services at KICC The 

Land of Wonders. Every month it also 

donates breakfast packages for the 

breakfast clubs of four primary schools 

in Rochester, Kent. In collaboration with 

The Open House Project (OHP), based at 

the Quaker Meeting House, Rochester, 

Kent, the Food Bank supports local 

homeless and vulnerable persons. The 

OHP (co-ordinated and managed by Mr 

John Spencer) is also supported by local 

Hindu, Sikh and Islamic groups. 

“On the last Saturday of every month 

we join these agencies to provide 

hot meals, drinks, snacks, toiletries 

and good company to between 40-70 

homeless and vulnerable people from 

all parts of Medway. We respect the 

views and choices of everyone but 

maintain our identity as Christians. 

As such, we believe that the Lord will 

work through us as living testimonies 

and some of these people will be led to 

Christ and start to attend our church”, 

said Min. Peju. 

THE NOAHS ARK FOOD BANK 

The Food Bank distributes food 

packages on the third Saturday of 

every month at KICC Prayer City and 

KICC The Land of Wonders, London. It 

also supplies toiletries, clothing, baby 

formula and food and products. It has 

a stock of kitchen utensils and may 

supply ethnic foods based on interview. 

NAFB also works with Fareshare Kent, 

a charity that redistributes food at 

subsidised rates to charities and 

community organisations working 

with disadvantaged people across the 

region. The Food Bank is not exclusive 

to KICC members. Referrals come via 

KICC Branches or Chapels in and around 

London, local health groups, single 

parent clubs and other churches. 

NAFB products are supplied through 

a mix of retail partners at subsidised 

rates, structured shopping at local 

grocery stores, individual donors, local 

schools and businesses. Min Peju said: 

“We welcome everyone’s support. They 

can fundraise for us, volunteer, and 

after discussions with us, people can 

contact their local schools, businesses 

and grocery stores on our behalf.” 

NOAHS ARK CARES 

This program serves the needs of the 

elderly in care homes. A Visitation 

Team goes to the Fort Horstead 

Nursing Home, Chatham, Kent on 

the last Saturday of each month. The 

team conducts a church service in the 

care home’s common room and also 

visits the bedbound in their rooms. 

In Walthamstow, the teams visit the 

residents of Aspray Care Home, Street, 

Walthamstow on the 3rd Saturday of 

each month. 

JOINING THE TEAM 

It’s easy to join the NAFB Ministry, you 

only need to ask. “Serving in the NAFB 

offers the joy of pleasing God, knowing 

that we are ambassadors for Christ 

and KICC, personal contentment and 

fulfilment and serving God’s purpose 

in our generation. NAFB stewards serve 

intentionally, lovingly, respectfully and 

with a heart of gratitude excellence and 

great grace. It is humbling and fulfilling 

to be a part of the NAFB team, we are 

a family. Renowned author Malcolm 

Gladwell has an idea that it takes at 

least 10,000 hours of practice, plus 

talent, to achieve mastery a particular 

skill. 

The stewards who serve in this 

department, build up their own 10,000 

hours of practice through several 

activities including community 

engagement with local and national 

agencies, producing monthly, quarterly 

and annual reports, interview skills 

(face-face & telephone), team building, 

project management, logistics efforts 

and so much more.”, explained Min 

Peju. 

For more information about the Noah’s 

Ark Food Bank Ministry please call the 

church office on +44 (0) 20 8525 0000 or 

email: noahsark@kicc.org.uk 

KICC ALSO RUNS THE FOLLOWING 

FREE SERVICES: 

Legal Counselling, Educational 

Counselling, the Christmas hamper 

Challenge, Homeless Outreach 

(befriending team), Prison Ministry 

and Career Counselling. For more 

details please call the church office 

or email admin@kicc.org.uk. 


Guest Speaker: Pastor Funke Felix-Adejumo 

Guest: (left-right) Pastor Christina Obeng and Rev. Desiree Sills 

WWC2017 I 

Guest Speaker: Dr. Pat Francis 

Guest Speaker: Pastor Dolapo Adelakun 

Guest Speaker: Pastor Jazz Sculark 

During the Winning Women’s 20th Anniversary 

Celebrations Pastor Funke presented Convention 

Host Pastor Yemisi Ashimolowo with an award in 

honour of her faithfulness, diligence and selfless 

service to God’s calling. 

Guest Speaker: Pastor Nike Adeyemi

Breakfast at the Palace Guest: Prophetess Francina Norman 

Convention Guests (l-r) Mr Kayode Osho 

(Consort to Mayor of Waltham Forest) and Cllr. 

Yemi Osho (Mayor of Waltham Forest) 

N PICTURES 

Breakfast at the Palace guests 

Breakfast at the Palace drama

LIVING BY 

DESIGND I 

P O O L U Y O M I 

Among a number of 

dictionary definitions for it, 

the word ‘design’ means: 

‘to intend for a definite 

purpose.’ 

This definition suggests 

that behind every design, 

there is forethought. A reason for the 

design being conceived in the mind of 

the person designing it. A designer of 

any sort designs with the intent that 

his or her idea will result in a certain, 

definite outcome. That is, something 

tangible will come into existence. 

DESIGN 

God intends for a definite purpose. 

He doesn’t do anything just for the 

sake of it. The very universe, the 

cosmos and world we all live in, were 

created by God with intent for a 

definite purpose. 

Revelation 4:11 says: “You are 

worthy, our Lord and God, to receive 

glory and honor and power, for you 

created all things, and by your will 

they were created and have their 

being.” (NIV) 

God’s intent is commensurate with 

His will. The will of God is exercised 

in His divine plan for mankind as 

conceived in His ‘mind’. This leads us 

to another dictionary definition of 

‘design’. 

‘Design’ is also defined as ‘to form 

or conceive in the mind’. A ‘design’ 

being conceived in the ‘mind’ of 

the designer indicates that it’s an 

intentional and deliberate act. ‘Design’ 

is therefore premeditated – ‘thought 

out beforehand’. 

We are all conceived in the mind of 

God, in His will and according to His 

good pleasure. 

God knows each and every one of 

us intimately and sets us apart for His 

purpose from the foundation of the 

earth. 

DEFAULT 

So we see that ‘design’ is intentional 

and deliberate. The concept of 

something being in ‘default’ however, 

is the complete opposite. According 

to Dictionary.com a ‘default’ is: 

“… a value that a program or 

operating system assumes, or a 

course of action that a program or 

operating system will take, when 

the user or programmer specifies no 

overriding value or action.” 

A ‘default’ therefore occurs when 

there is an absence of control: where 

there is no intentional or deliberate 

effort to prevent a primary action 

from occurring. It’s actually inaction 

or neglect, doing absolutely nothing, 

letting things just happen, without 

resistance. 

Where there’s no intentional or 

deliberate effort in the face of a given 

set of circumstances or situation, 

where there is no overriding action 

taken, then the ‘system’ assumes 

one. Whether it’s a computer system 

or any system for that matter, it 

effectively goes into default mode. 

This is why when a person or even 

a nation owes money to a debtor (like 

a bank, mortgage lender or the World 

Bank, for example), and doesn’t pay it 

back, they are in arrears, and are said 

to have ‘defaulted’ in their payments. 

They haven’t taken the necessary 

actions to pay the monies owed, 

they’ve neglected to pay. They are in 

default. 

What is interesting is that defaulting 

in life, doesn’t only occur in financial 

terms. One can live life in default 

mode through inaction or neglect. 

Simply sitting at home, doing nothing, 

taking little or no action on the issues 

of life is living a life in default mode. 

But there are consequences. 

ARE YOU LIVING BY 

DESIGN OR BY DEFAULT? 

If we want to live life by design and 

not by default we must take action: 

overriding action that is the result of 

deliberate and purposeful thought, 

applied to the particular situations 

that we want to gain control over. 

In order to live a purposeful life, 

continues on page 16 

14 


we need to be clear about what particular 

situations and circumstances we need to 

gain control of. We need to know in order to 

optimise our decisions, optimise our actions 

and thereby optimise our lives. 

We all need to be aware of where we 

are in life and make a decision to make the 

necessary changes. When we ask ourselves 

the difficult questions, and give real, honest 

consideration to the answers, we can 

determine whether we are living by design 

or by default. Once we know this, it’s then a 

matter of deciding whether or not we want to 

make changes. 

Ask yourself for example: what kind of life 

do I want to live, and am I living it? What kind 

of family life do I have now, and is this how 

I want it to be? What kind of marriage do I 

want to enjoy? Is it the kind of marriage I’m 

experiencing now? What kind of business and 

financial life do I want to establish, and is that 

what I have now? What kind of ministry do 

I want to operate in and am I operating in it 

now in the way I want to? 

RECOGNISE WHERE YOU ARE 

When you find yourself restless, unfulfilled 

in life, be aware that this may be an indicator 

that something in your life may be out of 

line. For example, where there is pain, it’s a 

sign of disorder. Pain in your life, pain in your 

body, pain in your marriage is always a sign of 

disorder. There may be an alignment problem. 

Just as with a car when the tyres are out of 

alignment, they are said to be non-aligned or 

misaligned. When there’s non-alignment or 

misalignment in life, just as with cars, people 

experience ‘shaking’. Things are uncomfortable 

and bumpy. 

That’s why often on a daily basis, my prayer 

is ‘Lord, help me to name the days you have 

appointed for me. Help me to know on a daily 

basis what to do when I’m 50, when I’m 60 ...’ 

That’s why we should pray at the beginning 

of the day: ‘Lord, what’s your plan and 

purpose for me today.’ Every day of our lives 

is significant. Every day God has a purpose 

and a plan for us. Psalm 68:19 says: “Blessed 

be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with 

benefits.” KJV 

You are important to God. You are made 

in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:27). 

We have a ‘Big God’, who has the capacity. 

He is able to and does take care of millions 

and billions of people. He knows everybody 

because He is God. God said even the 

hairs on our head are numbered (Luke 12:7, 

Matthew 10:30). All things are known to Him, 

as Romans 11:33–36 says. 

Now, it’s possible that you are going through 

something and you are wondering ‘is this part 

of the plan?’ I’m not suggesting that when 

things are part of the ‘design’ they are smooth 

sailing and painless. No! Part of the ‘design’ 

was that Christ had to die on the cross – it 

wasn’t easy! 

When you’re wondering why some things 

are not happening at the time you really want 

them to, realise that other things that should 

be in place for it to happen, may not yet be. 

God has you waiting. There’s often a waiting 

time, for the fullness of God’s time for that 

particular thing to come to pass. A time to 

patiently wait on the Lord. 

At these times let your prayer be ‘Lord, let 

the people and provision you’ve prepared for 

me, before the foundation of the earth, be 

ready for what you have ordained for me to 

do. I believe you for divine connections and to 

open the doors at the right time.’ Remember 

“all things God works for the good of those 

who love him.” (Romans 28:8) 

LIVE BY HIS DESIGN 

There are many things people desire to 

do and be in the Kingdom of God, but they 

often allow themselves to be limited by their 

circumstances, limited by the way they think, 

and/or limited by a lack of knowledge and 

understanding. 

People who remain in a limited or 

compromised mind-set, people who live a 

compromised life, do become frustrated; 

even angry and intolerant of those around 

them. They can end up feeling very resentful 

and become embittered. Bitter because 

they haven’t found fulfilment, they didn’t 

achieve what they’d intended to or they didn’t 

maximise life to the level they knew they were 

capable of. It’s a very, very dangerous place 

to be in. 

If you have many dreams and desires, things 

you want to accomplish in life, for them to 

come to pass, ask yourself are they part of the 

plan of God for your life. It really isn’t about 

wishful thinking. God will fulfil and give us 

the desires of our hearts, when we trust and 

delight in Him (Psalm 37:4), True! But our 

plans have to be in consonance with His will 

and desire for our lives. 

The good news is that God has a good 

plan. His plan for our lives is for us to have 

an abundant life (John 10:10), for us to have 

all things that pertain to life and Godliness 

(2 Peter 1:3). If you’ve got to the point in life 

where you know you had the capacity to 

do this or that, and you didn’t, or if you feel 

you’re on the wrong road, it’s not too late. In 

fact, you have an opportunity now to get it 

right. 

Make up your mind about the life you’re 

going to live. Decide that your life is going 

to be great, your home joyful, your business 

or career prosperous, your call and ministry 

successful. 

Decide that you’re going to walk by the 

Spirit. Decide that you’re not going to be 

entangled in sin or a life that doesn’t please 

God or befit a child of the Most High. 

This article is 

based on the 

Book Living by 

Design and not 

by Default 

© Dipo Oluyomi. 

Available to purchase on Amazon

LIVING BY DESIGN Continued from page 14 

we need to be clear about what particular 

situations and circumstances we need to 

gain control of. We need to know in order to 

optimise our decisions, optimise our actions 

and thereby optimise our lives. 

We all need to be aware of where we 

are in life and make a decision to make the 

necessary changes. When we ask ourselves 

the difficult questions, and give real, honest 

consideration to the answers, we can 

determine whether we are living by design 

or by default. Once we know this, it’s then a 

matter of deciding whether or not we want to 

make changes. 

Ask yourself for example: what kind of life 

do I want to live, and am I living it? What kind 

of family life do I have now, and is this how 

I want it to be? What kind of marriage do I 

want to enjoy? Is it the kind of marriage I’m 

experiencing now? What kind of business and 

financial life do I want to establish, and is that 

what I have now? What kind of ministry do 

I want to operate in and am I operating in it 

now in the way I want to? 

RECOGNISE WHERE YOU ARE 

When you find yourself restless, unfulfilled 

in life, be aware that this may be an indicator 

that something in your life may be out of 

line. For example, where there is pain, it’s a 

sign of disorder. Pain in your life, pain in your 

body, pain in your marriage is always a sign of 

disorder. There may be an alignment problem. 

Just as with a car when the tyres are out of 

alignment, they are said to be non-aligned or 

misaligned. When there’s non-alignment or 

misalignment in life, just as with cars, people 

experience ‘shaking’. Things are uncomfortable 

and bumpy. 

That’s why often on a daily basis, my prayer 

is ‘Lord, help me to name the days you have 

appointed for me. Help me to know on a daily 

basis what to do when I’m 50, when I’m 60 ...’ 

That’s why we should pray at the beginning 

of the day: ‘Lord, what’s your plan and 

purpose for me today.’ Every day of our lives 

is significant. Every day God has a purpose 

and a plan for us. Psalm 68:19 says: “Blessed 

be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with 

benefits.” KJV 

You are important to God. You are made 

in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:27). 

We have a ‘Big God’, who has the capacity. 

He is able to and does take care of millions 

and billions of people. He knows everybody 

because He is God. God said even the 

hairs on our head are numbered (Luke 12:7, 

Matthew 10:30). All things are known to Him, 

as Romans 11:33–36 says. 

Now, it’s possible that you are going through 

something and you are wondering ‘is this part 

of the plan?’ I’m not suggesting that when 

things are part of the ‘design’ they are smooth 

sailing and painless. No! Part of the ‘design’ 

was that Christ had to die on the cross – it 

wasn’t easy! 

When you’re wondering why some things 

are not happening at the time you really want 

them to, realise that other things that should 

be in place for it to happen, may not yet be. 

God has you waiting. There’s often a waiting 

time, for the fullness of God’s time for that 

particular thing to come to pass. A time to 

patiently wait on the Lord. 

At these times let your prayer be ‘Lord, let 

the people and provision you’ve prepared for 

me, before the foundation of the earth, be 

ready for what you have ordained for me to 

do. I believe you for divine connections and to 

open the doors at the right time.’ Remember 

“all things God works for the good of those 

who love him.” (Romans 28:8) 

LIVE BY HIS DESIGN 

There are many things people desire to 

do and be in the Kingdom of God, but they 

often allow themselves to be limited by their 

circumstances, limited by the way they think, 

and/or limited by a lack of knowledge and 

understanding. 

People who remain in a limited or 

compromised mind-set, people who live a 

compromised life, do become frustrated; 

even angry and intolerant of those around 

them. They can end up feeling very resentful 

and become embittered. Bitter because 

they haven’t found fulfilment, they didn’t 

achieve what they’d intended to or they didn’t 

maximise life to the level they knew they were 

capable of. It’s a very, very dangerous place 

to be in. 

If you have many dreams and desires, things 

you want to accomplish in life, for them to 

come to pass, ask yourself are they part of the 

plan of God for your life. It really isn’t about 

wishful thinking. God will fulfil and give us 

the desires of our hearts, when we trust and 

delight in Him (Psalm 37:4), True! But our 

plans have to be in consonance with His will 

and desire for our lives. 

The good news is that God has a good 

plan. His plan for our lives is for us to have 

an abundant life (John 10:10), for us to have 

all things that pertain to life and Godliness 

(2 Peter 1:3). If you’ve got to the point in life 

where you know you had the capacity to 

do this or that, and you didn’t, or if you feel 

you’re on the wrong road, it’s not too late. In 

fact, you have an opportunity now to get it 

right. 

Make up your mind about the life you’re 

going to live. Decide that your life is going 

to be great, your home joyful, your business 

or career prosperous, your call and ministry 

successful. 

Decide that you’re going to walk by the 

Spirit. Decide that you’re not going to be 

entangled in sin or a life that doesn’t please 

God or befit a child of the Most High. 

This article is 

based on the 

Book Living by 

Design and not 

by Default 

© Dipo Oluyomi. 

Available to purchase on Amazon 

16 


greatness in the 

marketplac 

What we achieve, what we aspire to achieve 

and what we settle for in life, starts in 

our minds. Your mindset can either be 

a springboard to help maximise your potential, or it 

can hinder your progress. The analogy of a cup being 

half empty or full epitomises how people approach 

situations. 

A positive mindset looks at possibilities and constantly 

sees opportunities to increase capacity, while a negative 

mindset focuses on the void and often looks for 

excuses or seeks to blame others for the void. It is 

important we adopt a positive mindset in order to 

transform our careers and future proof them against 

the storms of life. 

18 


e 

Here are 5 steps to apply to 

aid the transformation of your 

career. 

STEP 1 – Devise a career 

development plan: Plans are not 

limited to businesses, we need to 

appreciate the need to plan for a 

successful career. If you fail to 

steer your career in the direction 

you choose, its course is likely to 

be determined by others. 

Always start with the end in 

mind and work backward. 

Identify what it is that you want 

to accomplish and where you 

want to be in 5 or 10 years time. 

Whether it is running your own 

business or getting to the top of 

the ladder in your sector, it won’t 

happen accidentally. You need to 

plan. Effective planning is quite 

simply about setting goals which 

need to be SMART. 

The S in the SMART mnemonic 

stands for specific; you need to 

be able to define your goal. M is 

measurable. You cannot manage 

a goal that can’t be measured as 

this will enable you to know 

when it is accomplished. 

The A means your goal must 

also be Achievable. Whilst 

your goal should be stretching, 

it must be something that you 

personally can attain. It must 

also be Realistic and relevant to 

your future ambitions. Lastly, 

an effective goal must have a 

Timeframe attached to it. You 

should set short, medium and 

long-term goals. Your plan 

should be written down, pass the 

SMART test and be reviewed 

regularly. Achieving short- term 

goals will spur you on to achieve 

the medium and longer-term 

goals. Don’t wait until the New 

Year to map your career goals! 

STEP 2 - Identify your strengths 

and address your weaknesses: 

Businesses analyse their internal 

environment by determining 

their strengths and weaknesses. 

Individuals also need to be fully 

aware of these. A strength can 

be anything you do exceptionally 

well either because it is innate 

and a natural gifting or because 

it is something you have worked 

hard to achieve. In short, your 

strength should make you stand 

out from the crowd. 

There should not be a mismatch 

between your strengths and your 

career goals. Your passion is 

demonstrated in something you 

would be willing to do if money 

weren’t an issue, something you 

can never tire of that puts a smile 

on your face. 

Employers look for passion 

and strengths on your CV and 

are increasingly conducting 

strength-based interviews in 

order to establish what motivates 

you and what you are good at. 

You should keep a log of major 

accomplishments and ensure 

your CV is updated regularly, at 

least once a year. 

Weaknesses are evident in the 

things you struggle with, or 

only do because you have to. 

Unfortunately, many people are 

blind to their weaknesses, but 

they are things that need to 

be addressed in order to turn 

them into strengths. A good 

appraisal review should highlight 

weaknesses and a trusted 

friend can also point these out 

to you. However, you need 

to be receptive to receiving 

constructive feedback. 

STEP 3 - Identify gaps and 

barriers and address them: Many 

of us have dreams, unfortunately 

for many people aspirations 

don’t become actualised because 

they fail to plan and address the 

obstacles preventing them from 

realising their goals. 

Anything preventing your success 

is a barrier and needs to be 

removed. 

continues on page 22 


Whatever a man attains to, if he has a problem with 

relationships it can ruin everything he has ever built. 

Great empires, enterprises, establishments and 

systems have been brought down because of the founder’s 

or manager’s inability to build positive relationships. 

Greatness in 

IT STARTS WITH YOU 

Positive relationships must first 

start from within. You can only 

achieve fulfilment, lasting joy, 

self-actualisation and vocational 

success to the extent to which 

you love yourself and others 

unconditionally. 

Sometimes the concept of 

self-love within the Christian 

teaching of being crucified with 

Christ sounds like an anomaly. It 

is not hard for some theologians 

to look at the subject of self-love 

and say, ‘Didn’t Christ say that 

we must carry the cross and 

follow Him, Didn’t He say we 

are unprofitable servants?’ Luke 

17:10 

This is true however, Christ also 

said to love your neighbour as 

yourself. The simplest meaning 

of that sentence is that you can 

only love your neighbour to 

the degree to which you love 

yourself. You cannot give more 

or less than what you have. 

Self-love is the ability to 

understand yourself and value 

who you are. It is also strongly 

connected to self-acceptance and 

self-knowledge; that is, knowing 

who you are and accepting your 

strengths and limitations. 

The goals you set, the visions 

you have, the dreams and ideals 

you strive for, the ability to be 

the best, are always attached to 

the degree of self-acceptance 

and self-love. 

If you love and respect yourself, 

you will have confidence in other 

people too. Positive relationships 

are not only about believing in 

your own gifting and ability, they 

are about investing the same 

confidence in others. 

SELF LOVE vs SELFISHNESS 

Selfishness and self-love are 

two different things. Self-love is 

20 


Relationships 

©Matthew Ashimolowo: Be the Best 

valuing who you are. Selfishness is 

believing that the world belongs to 

you and everything must be about 

you. Selfishness contradicts the 

Gospel of Jesus Christ because it 

enthrones man on the throne which 

Christ should occupy. 

Positive love, on the other hand, 

leads to positive self-esteem 

and self-respect. These qualities 

are necessary for a wholesome 

and healthy personality. These 

qualities are necessary for your 

transformation. 

Self-love is not pride. When 

people are proud it is an indication 

of a deep seated problem of selfrejection 

and low self-esteem. 

THE REAL YOU 

Once you understand that you are 

holy, accepted, beloved, seated in 

the heavenly places and adopted by 

God, your godly self-confidence and 

self-worth will increase. 

This beautiful and Godly 

confidence now affects how you 

relate to other people because 

you now realise that just as you 

are accepted in God, they are 

precious in His sight too. You are 

immediately able to value other 

people (Romans 15:7; Ephesians 

1:4-5). 

Accepting yourself unconditionally, 

irrespective of what has happened 

to you in the past, is very important 

in order for you to make progress. 

God did not start loving you after 

you were cleaned up, He loved 

you when you were still a sinner 

(Romans 5:8). 

Self-love is setting worthwhile 

goals and pursuing them, having a 

clear vision for yourself, knowing 

what you want to become and what 

you want to achieve spiritually, 

physically, mentally, financially etc. 

If you cannot believe in the grace 

and ability of God for your life you 

will not be able to commit it to 

paper. 

THE BENEFITS OF POSITIVE 

LOVE AND RELATIONSHIP 

The bottom line here really is 

‘Why should you develop positive 

relationships? What benefit is 

there? 

Well, the law of focus says that 

whatever you dwell on will occur. 

If you choose to love people, love 

grows around you and in you. 

Love is the antidote to every 

negative relationship. It is the 

answer to conquering behavioural 

problems. 

The kind of love indicated in 1 

John 4:18 and 1 John 4:8 is the 

one which was manifested by God 

through Christ, and led to the 

transformation of the world. We 

must change the world around us. 

You cannot be transformed if your 

life is devoid of positive love. We 

must know the real and powerful 

transformation of love. 

Obtain your copy of Be the Best at the 

MAMM Bookstore Prayer City ME5 9QG 

or visit www.pastormatthew.tv 


greatness in the 

marketplace 

continued from page 19 

Many job seekers see a lack of work 

experience as a barrier. Where you 

lack direct experience, use transferable 

skills which can be drawn from a range 

of sources such as hobbies, work 

experience, your education and home 

life. You don’t have to have worked as 

a manager to demonstrate leadership 

skills. 

Leadership skills can come from 

activities at college, managing your 

siblings, or being a carer for a relative. 

The same applies to budgeting skills. 

A great source of experience for those 

in work is taking on responsibilities 

beyond the remit of the job description; 

managing projects can help plug the 

gaps in your experience. 

Volunteering is a great example of 

acquiring employability skills as it 

demonstrates determination and 

motivation. Consider an apprenticeship 

where you are employed by an 

organisation who pay you a salary 

and cover all training fees (including 

degrees). These are open to young 

people and adults. 

STEP 4 - Constantly update your skills. 

Take every opportunity to continue your 

professional development. 

Increase your net worth by exploiting 

training and development opportunities 

at work or invest in your own training 

and development. Don’t wait until 

you are asked to leave work to retrain. 

Employers are increasingly looking for 

staff that have the capacity to learn new 

skills (“learnability”). 

We live in a world of rapid change, it is 

predicted that 65% of jobs that 

Generation Z will perform don’t 

yet exist. Be aware of the impact of 

technology on your chosen profession 

and learn how to exploit it. 

Consider jobs that artificial intelligence 

will produce not displace, review 

the PEST analysis for your sector. 

The PEST tool analyses the political, 

economic, socio-cultural and 

technological changes in your sector. 

Core and professional competencies are 

as important as technical skills, so ensure 

you can demonstrate that you possess 

them examples include leadership, 

communication, resilience and problemsolving 

skills, which are transferable 

across sectors. Think globally and 

consider learning a new language. Given 

that in the year 2020 four generations 

will be working side by side (baby 

boomers, generation X, Y, and Z) it 

will be imperative, irrespective of age, 

for those in work to ensure their skills 

are current, relevant and economically 

valuable. 

STEP 5 - Build your professional 

network and develop your brand. 

Ensure your network is wide-ranging 

and includes strategic networks, that is 

people with significant influence and 

positioning in their fields. Operational 

networks comprising of people you 

work with and social networks of peers 

and friends. Include mentors or coaches 

in your network. 

Ensure your networks are diverse in all 

aspects of their skills, backgrounds, and 

influence. Rebrand yourself. Restaurants 

and many other local businesses are very 

keen to draw our attention to the fact 

that they are under new management. 

By doing so they raise our expectations 

and make us feel that we will experience 

something new and better. 

It is never too late for us to refresh our 

approach. Make sure you are the go-to 

person for things to be done at work. Be 

consistent, reliable and loyal, not the first 

out of the door when the clock strikes 5. 

Have an impeccable work ethic, at 

all times. Give your CV a makeover and 

have someone look over it. Many people 

are much better at selling themselves 

verbally than they are in writing, not 

realising that a CV creates the first 

impression. 

Teresa Esan, Head of the Career 

Counselling Department. For further 

advice on how to transform your career, 

improve your CV or identify your strengths 

and possible career options contact 

KICC’s Career counselling department: 

career_counselling@kicc.org.uk 

22

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