Fulfilling a Lifelong Dream

When your eyesight is at stake, it pays to travel to one of the world's leading eye surgeons. Dr. Johnny Gayton is an author, speaker, Christian leader, and a renowned surgical eye expert, whether it's cataracts, PRK, Lasix, or implanted lenses.

When only the best is needed, see Dr. Johnny Gayton at eyesightassociates.com. But our goal with the podcast has helped you to try to find your way in this difficult world. Your chosen Truth Network Podcast is starting in just seconds.

Enjoy it, share it, but most of all, thank you for listening and choosing the Truth Podcast Network. Introducing first, from Lithuania, he weighs 123 kilos, The Russian Nightmare, Nikita Kolov. Now, The Devil's Nightmare. Welcome back to another episode of It's Time to Man Up. Welcome back to another episode of The Man Up Show with yours truly, Nikita Kolov.

Great to have you back and listening in each and every week. Hey, I have a question for you. Like, have you ever thought about starting your own church?

Like, for real, ever thought about what that might take? Because, you know, many of you out there in listening land are probably churchgoers. You know, you do it on a, hopefully on a weekly basis or at least a regular basis that you're attending church. But, you know, you walk in through the doors, you sit down in probably a comfortable chair or old school pew, perhaps, and, you know, you listen to a few worship songs, you hear a sermon, and then you head back out to your car and you move on through the rest of your day, right? That rings a bell with some of you, right? But you ever stop for a moment and think, what's involved?

What's it take for this church to actually function outside of me just showing up and giving them my hour or two? Well, with me today, no stranger to the Man Up show is Derek Hawkins, and we're going to talk about that. Derek, welcome back to the Man Up show. Key, there's always a privilege to be on Man Up, and you know how much I love you.

I talk about it all the time about growing up, watching you on television, but my parents let me stay up late. So, man, so grateful to be on the show today. I look forward to having a great conversation and discussion with you. Well, and so that was, hey, thank your parents for just telling, saying the key to Colossians, thank you for letting me stay up late and watching him entertain me in those wrestling days.

And of course, you know, I mentioned, you know, you're no stranger to the Man Up show. You know, you've been on in the past or you've been on with a mutual friend of ours, Pastor Jay Stewart. Because you've been a part of the Refuge Church there in Kannapolis, North Carolina. How many years, because I don't remember, Derek, how many years have you been a part of the Refuge Church? I've been knowing Pastor Jay Stewart for 10 years.

It'll be 10 years, June of 2024. I've been on staff as a campus pastor, now serving as an executive pastor for the past, actually make, November the 1st, make seven years that I've been on staff with the Refuge. Seven years on staff. You've known Pastor Jay for 10 years. And of course, I want to refresh our listeners who may not be aware of some of the things you guys have collectively done together. I know you blended, because when you first met him, you were part of the church in Greensboro, is that correct?

Yes, sir. I was a part of a church called the House of Refuge Church in Greensboro, North Carolina, and I was presented with an opportunity to become a lead pastor. Met Pastor Jay in Salisbury, North Carolina. We connected eventually over the course of a year or two. He asked me about being a part of the Refuge, being a campus, so I went from being the lead pastor of the House of Refuge to us merging our churches back in 2017. And so from there, we've been connected since then. And I mean, we've co-opted a book called Welded, Forming Racial Bonds That Last Together.

And we've done a lot of things to get our most staff there, serving as an executive, of course, on the teaching team there. And Pastor Jay and I have a tremendous relationship. He's a father figure to me and has been very, very deeply ingrained in the details of my life.

And boy, that makes a statement in and of itself that he has been a father to you. But I want to back up just for a second, and so I want to just unpack a little bit of what you just said there. So let's first go, let's talk about the experience of, take a minute, let's talk about the experience of blending two churches together. So what was that experience like for our listeners? Well, merging the church together back in those days, it was fresh off of a new presidency. You know, President Trump was assuming the seat as president at that time.

The country was not as divided as it became over the course of a few years, but there were rumblings of this division. We didn't really know. We had a mutual connection with David and Jason Benham, the Benham brothers, if you guys have ever heard of those guys.

They were a part of the refuge family, of course, connection at that time. Then we saw the story at a restaurant in Kannapolis. You know, we were just actually going out to eat that day. We shot a video just about the story of what God was doing with merging. That story went viral, which led to us being thrust into the national media spotlight. We didn't know that a black guy and a white guy coming together to do church was a big deal, but it was a big deal at that time. It still is a big deal, too, Derek.

But keep going, keep going. Yeah, so we didn't know at the time that it was a big deal. Man, we were just trying to honor the heart of God and what we felt like we were called to do. It was all about just us building relationships amongst each other. We did not have a clue that it would turn into what it's become. So since then, we've done stories with the Associated Press. We've been in the local media stations.

We've done articles in the New York Review Daily. I mean, we've done so much things. The hand of God just kind of thrusted us, but did not realize that there was a deep distrust and racial divide amongst racists when it pertains to church. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. makes this comment that 11 a.m. on Sunday mornings is the most segregated hour of the day in our nation. In America, right?

Yeah. So I didn't know it, just didn't recognize it, but the Lord has definitely knitted our hearts together. Now that Greensboro Church is diverse, we actually have a multiracial couple leading that campus now, and that campus has so many different races from all across the nation. And God has used the story of Welded, the story of Pastor Jay and I as a relationship to help heal the racial divide we believe in the region and the church that we're called to.

Well, and you and Jay, and for others, I just want to pause right there for a moment, give your story, that part of your story, an opportunity to sink into our listeners. Because the two of you are evidence that you can bond, as you said, a relationship with someone of another color, whether black, brown, white, whatever color, that you guys are proven evidence that that can be done if we just be willing to look past the color of another person's skin, right? Yeah, I think the proof of that is that relationships have to be developed. And so most people, we have more things in common than we have, you know, that are separate or indifferent. And so what I think, though, is that most of the time people focused on the things that we have that are different instead of the things that we have that are similar, right? So Pastor Jay and I have nearly 10 years, nearly a decade of friendship that wasn't just about church, it was about getting the chance to know an individual. And Pastor Jay is a mentor to me, he's put into me, he showed me things about manhood, he showed me things about, you know, how to manage my money, how to be a pastor.

And so these are the things that I learned in just watching him, the way that he dealt with his children. All of that stuff goes into relationship. But I think that any place the game with race is to divide us because we are better together than we are apart. And so if the enemy could sow the seed of discord to say, because of the color of your skin, you're this way or I'm this way. No, no, no, we actually can make more impact together than we could ever be apart. Man, that's good. I'm just, I'm making notes as you're talking, we're better together than we are apart. And so let that sink in for a moment that we're better together in that.

And Derek, you bring up an interesting point. I don't think enough people really realize that, you know, that there's real warfare. And by warfare, I'm talking about this spiritual, I'm talking about Ephesians 6, 12, right? We don't wrestle against flesh and blood, we wrestle against principalities. That there is an enemy of our soul who comes, as Scripture says, to steal, kill, and destroy.

Right? That's what your Bible says. And so you're listening to Pastor Derek's story today and take notes. Unless you're driving, don't try to take notes if you're driving.

But take a mental note, all right? We're better together than we are apart. And something else he said that we have more things in common than we do things that separate us. But, you know, the enemy, again, the enemy of our soul will try to get us to focus on the most minute thing that, then try to take that and drive a wedge between us.

And this doesn't, this couldn't even pass the color barrier, right? I mean, we're two white guys, you know, and the enemy tried to drive away, it could be a husband and wife. And the enemy tried to divide, you know, drive a wedge between the marriage, right? And destroy the family.

Why? Because he comes to steal, kill, and destroy. And so, pretty amazing, Derek, how Jay has really, as you said, sewed into you, poured into you in all these different aspects of your life and become, I guess, and I've had spiritual fathers in my life. And you mentioned, you know, he's been like a father figure, and so he's really just, you know, empowered you and enlightened you in many different ways, it sounds like. Absolutely, Pastor Jay is my spiritual father.

One of the voices, and I only have a few voices that I would consider that magnitude in my life, and Pastor Jay is definitely one of those voices in my life. I think, going back to the question about, you know, just, we're better together than we are, a part is that Ephesians 4, you know, unity takes effort. So the Scripture says make every effort. And so, unity without effort, at best will only be uniformity, that we can do our best to become uniform but not actually live together in unity, because it takes more effort to be in unity than it does to be in uniformity.

And so, my goal has always been is that I don't put the responsibility on one race to do it all. You know, it is a collaborative effort because I believe that the body of Christ is better when we are together, helping to serve the mission of what it means to lead people into right relationship, and what is reconciliation, especially when it comes to race, racial reconciliation, if it's not led by the body of Christ. I think we have so much dependency on the world systems to help lead that and I'm not, you know, I'm not discrediting the literature that comes from those scholarly resources, but I'm telling you the Holy Spirit is the only one that can create unity. At best, what we can do is protect it, but we cannot create it. So a life outside of relationship with Jesus and Holy Spirit that does not allow the Holy Spirit to come in to unify that is only uniformity. And we know what happens with uniformity that lasts for short periods of time because it's not needed, not rooted together in love in Christ and sealed with the Holy Spirit. That's good. Yeah. I mean, we can only do so much in the natural, right?

Or in, you might say, in the flesh or, you know, with our own human efforts, but man, you mix the Holy Spirit in there and some amazing things can certainly happen. Now, I want to lead into something else then, too, in speaking to that, is the book Welded. And of course, we've had you on the show before and talking about that, but there may be some listeners out there that are not familiar with the book that you and Jay wrote together.

Take a minute and describe what the book's about and why someone might want to get a copy. You're listening to The Truth Network and truthnetwork.com Many people often ask me, is Nikita Koloff your real name? Well, I have news for you. Now you can get the whole story on my audio book, Nikita, A Tale of the Ring of Redemption, narrated in my own voice, gaining all perspective and insight into my whole life, including my redemption. Nikita Koloff here and I am excited. Did you hear the huge announcement, the big announcement?

Well, maybe it's a minor announcement. Anyway, Facebook, go look up my new fan page, Nikita Koloff Fans, and like it and follow today. If you would like to support Koloff for Christ Ministries for a gift of twenty five dollars, Nikita will send you his two CDs, Adoration and Declaration for a gift of fifty dollars.

Nikita will include his book, Wrestling with Success, and for a gift of one hundred dollars or more, Nikita will include a signed copy of his newly updated life story, A Tale of the Ring of Redemption. Go to www.koloff.net and donate today. Would your company, business or you personally like to partner with me in supporting Koloff for Christ Ministries, The Man Up Show and Man Up Minutes? Go to www.koloff.net and click the donate button.

You can give monthly, annually or one time. God bless you for making a difference around the world. You're listening to the Truth Network and Truth Network dot com. Well, well, it is the book that is the story of Pastor J and I's relationship also written together. Just probably the most spiritless. I've never read the book before. Pastor J had authored a few books. He would say that he never felt such a presence of God in writing the book.

I would say the same thing, even though I had never read the book. But well, it is all about our journey. It tells about our life stories, the things that we face, what we see in the nation through the lives of scripture. And it talks about our last chapter is all about prayer and revival, that we believe that what God is going to do to unify the body at large is going to come only through prayer and revival. And it talks about that.

The last is just all Holy Spirit. There's there's a chapter where we kind of make reference that Billy Graham, when he was preaching his crusades, that him and Dr. King had a relationship and he told them he would not preach until they remove the barrier, the barrier that separated them. He said he would not preach because he valued and respected Dr. King so much that he refused to speak until the barrier was removed.

If we had more godly men of God, women of God, people in leadership positions that say, say, I'm going to refuse to do anything until the barrier is removed. That's what it's about. It is about Holy Spirit giving us insight, giving us details from scripture, real life accounts of people from the Greensboro, Fort that happened right in Greensboro, North Carolina, February the first 1960, you know, where four guys stood at the Woolworths counter and just contended to see the injustice of racism break under our watch, which started a cultural revival of sort. What we did see in the 1960s that you see the civil rights movement be birthed from that. But then there are people like Ralph Johns, there are white men and women and individuals that got utilized to help to see what we see as civil rights movement. So the book highlights all of those things because the enemy would have to say, well, there's nobody helping on either side to help move this cause.

That's just not the case. There are men and women of every race that desire to see the unity of the body of Christ. And I believe that will to help to tell the story and gives us a picture of what heaven can look like in the earth when the Holy Spirit is present.

That's good. And for those who you may not be familiar with, with what Derek is referencing with Dr. King and Reverend Graham, he saw like literally when he says barriers, because I'm somewhat familiar with that story. He's talking about literal barriers, like I'm not coming and doing my crusade in Birmingham, Alabama, unless you remove those physical barriers from trying to separate these folks from coming together. And so certainly in the natural, again, in the natural and the physical, you might say there has been in the past and even in modern day, let's face it, as much as things change, some things remain the same.

There are still some of those barriers in place, but more than anything, there's those spiritual barriers that, again, I believe the enemy tries to convince us you don't need to be friends with that individual because, you know, just for whatever reason. And I also know that the book has gone, Derek, into many prisons and you have many testimonies from prisoners, right? Yeah, Nikita, I will be honest, the biggest testimony that I have, there have been many people that have written us letters and we have that they've been in Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina. We've had the privilege of getting Bibles and I'm sorry, books inside of prisons in North Carolina, South Carolina.

That was a humongous open door. The biggest and largest testimony that I have received from the book world was from my own brother. I got a call one day and my brother, who's been in prison for about six or seven years at this point, called me and said, Hey, Derek, you're not going to guess what I'm reading.

You know, welded, welded. I got your book, man, in prison. And to see the transformation of what he's just because he's read the chapters and the healing that has been able to provide to him. Let me know that if we never reached the audience that I felt like we were supposed to or could have, if my own brother's life could be impacted by the story of welded, man, we've done what the Lewis commanded us to do. There's so many more testimonies, but that testimony sticks out to me because it was just someone that I would have never expected. I would have never thought that in North Carolina or South Carolina, South Carolina, then that my brother would pick up a book, man, that that passage. And I had the privilege of writing and could really glean from the information on the pages. Wow.

Your own brother. Wow. What a what an incredible blessing that that is has got to be. And so you and Jay have have, again, proven that we can cross color barriers and that there can be, as you said, unity. And so and the church in Greensboro, as well as the church in Kannapolis, North Carolina, have proven that, you know, through through the diversity of those audiences.

Once again, that what what you guys have illustrated on a one on one level has as morphed into a on onto a grander scale. Well, so and on that note, God has given you a vision. I kind of opened with, you know, starting a brand new church course. I was fortunate to be a part of the start of the refuge back in 2004 when Jay informed me he had secured my old gym building of all places, Nikita's Fortress of Fitness or short version Nikita's Gym, and that he was transitioning, transforming really that building into a church, which kind of blew me away. And it really illustrated the transformation of my own life by watching the physical transformation of that building turn from a gym training muscles, physical muscles into training, spiritual muscles. And then you coming along 10 years ago and being a part of really a part of that story. Derek, God has given you a vision for starting a brand new church.

And so share it, take a moment and share with our listeners what what what's happening. Well, I always tell people never tell God what you will not do. Yeah, because he laughs, right?

He's like, OK, we've heard that. But I told the Lord I would never play the church. I would never be a church.

That is the silliest thing that I could ever say. But I had no desire to play the church. The Lord came to me on a trip that I was in September 2021. And he told me first, he says, you've always valued the voice of people over the voice of your father. I called you your wife to play the church. And I submitted it to my pastor, Pastor J. Hey, man, I'll go wherever you tell me to go. But I feel like we're supposed to play the church, you know, and that vision was really I was raised by my grandmother.

She passed away in August of two thousand and twenty two. And that's the month I said that I was going to do something different and maybe consider taking another opportunity. But that that next month is, you know, the twenty first of two thousand and twenty one is when the Lord began to download in my heart this vision about planning a church called Promise City Church. You know, it's going to be in my hometown of Salisbury, North Carolina, a place I was born and raised, a place that's filled with so much hopelessness and despair. But I believe that the hand of the Lord is is wanting to do something in that city. And I believe that God is anointing my wife and I with his presence to be able to go into a place that needs hopelessness, a place that's in despair. Some of the people that are there to bring hope to that place and show the unconditional love of Jesus, but also set in the state of the righteousness that God desires to pour out.

So Promise City Church is going to be launching in January of twenty twenty one. My grandmother always wanted me to become, you know, come home. She couldn't understand why I would travel forty five minutes to Greensboro. She didn't understand what I would travel. Twenty six minutes to Kannapolis and jump over my own hometown.

You know, of course, so many things happened in between that. But when she died, I really wanted to leave anybody like that. I want to get away from my hometown. But the Lord gave me a burden from my hometown. He began to grip me with a passion for the people in my community, in my city. And I believe that the vision of Promise City Church is a vision of just that. That the Salisbury, North Carolina is a place that is filled with so many promises and not just spiritual, you know, natural blessings. But I believe that there is a spiritual inheritance of souls.

Fifty three point three percent of the city of Salisbury is unaffiliated with church. You don't know inside of that number of how many people that don't know Jesus. And so what we exist to do is to bring that light of Jesus Christ. We want people to know God. We want people to find freedom.

We want people to discover their purpose and then to go out and make a difference. And we believe that when we do that, that we are a part of the body of Christ that's helping to expand and enlarge the kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of heaven. So I'm excited about what God is doing through Promise City Church and the vision that the Lord has given my wife and I to help steward that.

Yeah, it's amazing. Of course, you got you got a great mentor in Jay Stewart, who who planted a brand new church called The Refuge back in 2004. So I'm sure he can help you forgo some of the pitfalls or, you know, some of the landmines that might be out there in the future. Promise City Church, Salisbury, North Carolina. Derek, do you have a Web site that people can go to to learn more about the church and how to, you know, how to attend and where it's located and all of that?

Yeah, absolutely. Promise City.Church is the Web site. You can go to a culturally diverse church.

I don't just mean diverse in black and white age. It's going to be launched in Salisbury High School, 500 Lincolnton Road, Salisbury, North Carolina, January the 21st at 11 o'clock a.m. And we're believing that souls are going to be safe from the very, very first day. And so that's what we're going to be watching. Information for the launch is going to be on the Web site. Any resources that you guys need, you can go to the Promise City.Church to find more information about what's happening in Salisbury, North Carolina.

Well, I am excited for you. Promise City Church. I mean, there's so much there's so much we've talked about today, and certainly I'm hoping our listeners have have been inspired. If you if you're in the Salisbury, North Carolina area, maybe whether it's passing through or or or you live there, I want to encourage you to check out Promise City Church. I feel confident that you will not be disappointed in your experience, knowing Pastor Derek personally for a number of years now.

And I assure you, you're going to have a great a pastor who will lead you down down down the right path and down the righteous path. And of course, if you've never picked up a copy of Welded, you can do that on Amazon. There's there's a lot there's and there's even more there. There's there's a study book that goes along with the book, right, Derek? Yes.

Yes. We have a four week small group material with right now media so you can go and download. So that's the book.

Take your small groups through that to church or you want to do a study group with other men and women. We've had stories and impact all across the nation with the book Welded and then the small group material on right now. Pastor Derek Hawkins, you know, I was thinking as you were talking about Salisbury and the promises of Salisbury and at one point in time, you're probably familiar that there was a chain of grocery stores started called Food Lion, which which created at one point, like the most millionaires, like per capita right there in Salisbury, North Carolina. So.

Yeah. So it's been a wealthy community over the years, financially speaking for for many. But I sense now with Promised City Church coming to Salisbury, it's going to be spiritually wealthy. Led by Pastor Derek Hawkins. Well, I appreciate you being a part of the show today, Derek.

Man, thank you so much. You guys are blessed. Thank you for every single person, every listener that listens to this broadcast. Thank you for the key to how you guys go and share the love of Jesus Christ openly and so boldly hidden issues and topics.

All of them. And I love you so much. Thank you for this opportunity to be able to share. I appreciate you.

Love you, my friend. And to all of you out there listening land, go out today and live a God filled, God blessed day. This podcast is made possible by the grace of God and your faithful prayers, support and generous gifts.

May God bless you for your continual contributions. Go to Koloff.net and donate today. I, Nikita Koloff, be sure to check out the Man Up show now available on television, broadcast and podcast. Go to MorningstarTV.com or the Truth Radio Network. Check out your local listings or better yet, download the Truth Network app today. If you are enjoying the Man Up show, would you help us spread the word? Tell your family, tell your friends, tell your neighbors to download, subscribe and leave a comment. Nikita Koloff here. If you're needing to buy a car and have marginal credit and considering using buy here, pay here.

That's worse than taking the Russian sickle. Winston-Salem motor cars will put you behind the wheel of a car you can rely on while helping rebuild, repair or establish your credit score. Conveniently located on Silas Creek Parkway in Winston-Salem. Be sure to check them out today at WSMC the number one dot com because you are number one. Are you looking for the perfect gift for your pastor?

Well, look no further. Bless him with a trip to the Holy Land with yours truly, Nikita Koloff, the Russian nightmare. I'll be hosting this once in a lifetime trip December 27, 2023 to January 5, 2024.

Your pastor will never be the same. Go to koloff.net to get registered today. This is the Truth Network.