I would say for me it’s probably curiosity. I’ve always just wanted to know answers to the big questions. I’ve always sought that out, whether it’s going to school, finding the best mentors that I could find, studying as many books as I could find on whatever it was that I was researching. Just curiosity, wanting to know what’s the best answers for helping people make positive changes. How they can incorporate that into their life so they can live the way that they know they’re destined to.

Fun. I love curiosity. I’m always asking questions. I’m always asking my client questions and I think that you just need to ask a question and the solution will appear. We talk a lot about sacred purpose on this show. How sacred purpose is what you’re profoundly here to experience. And then offer that experience to others. With that definition, what do you consider your sacred purpose?

I think probably my biggest purpose is helping to teach other people how to truly have freedom. Whether that’s in their spiritual life, in their personal life. It’s understanding the difference between what is faith versus maybe a traditional practice of religion. I use a lot of stories to compel people to see things that may seem impossible can become possible. Trying to just show people that there’s always an answer for whatever that they’re trying to change in their life. Or if they feel stuck, there’s always a way out of that. My purpose, not just to be a teacher, but experiencing that myself. Just having breakthroughs in my own life. Seeing the change that can happen in a moment when somebody comes to that place of decision where they decide they’ll no longer settle for how things are. Just wanting people to see, again, through a lot of stories that I share. Even things that seem like a mountain can never be moved, that truly anything can become possible.

I love that.

You hinted there a little bit about how your sacred purpose reflects in your work. Can you talk a little bit about that? Can you talk about how do you serve your community? What does that look like? What does that feel like?

I work in jails as well as courts on a regular basis. I try to just be compassionate with the people that I come into contact there. Also though, every week I’m a minister, so every Sunday I’m teaching. Whether it’s during a worship service, we also have a radio program we host every Sunday. Try to serve people through the messages that we share about grace, forgiveness, new beginnings. Trying to just show people, again, that tremendous things can happen when people just have the smallest amount of faith. Or they come to a place where they’re just ready to make a change and they make a decision that today’s that day.

Serving people through resources that I share on the radio. As well as writing. I’ve studied with people like Tony Robbins, to try to get some of the best coaching for mentoring for myself. I use that counseling people or just day-to-day interacting with people. Understanding what maybe they’re going through, the needs they have at that moment. How you can speak to those needs in a way that shows that compassion and care.

What has been this common theme that your soul has shared with you throughout your journey? I mean, it sounds like questions are a lot. It sounds like you really want to experience and then offer freedom in a new way of being for people. But what are some of the other themes that your soul has shared with you?

Probably the main thing was that we all need grace. Everybody needs grace. Everybody needs a new chance, a second chance, a third chance. That we all need forgiveness. That when it comes to starting over, we all need to have that opportunity to do that again. Whether it’s the first time, second time, 10th time. So grace is something that I believe fully in. That God’s grace is there for our forgiveness. That we need to offer that grace to each other, especially in our closest relationships and spiritual needs. 

That’d be probably the thing that’s driven much of what I teach. I try to just share with people that no matter where they’ve been or where they are, they can always start over. And extend that grace to their life. Because I know I’ve experienced it in my own life, as well.

I define grace in two different ways and I want to hear your definition. My definition is in the favor of God. That’s what I call my higher power. Or as the influence or spirit of God, or whatever you call your higher power. Operating in humans to regenerate and strengthen them. How do you define grace?

I would actually agree with both of those. I more commonly use it as a favor, divine favor that’s not earned. It’s something that’s freely given. That God is love and that grace is there. It’s something that’s … his favor that’s free, you don’t have to try to earn it. So, you can’t really earn-

Or pay it back or anything.

Yes, absolutely.

Before we do our break here. Let it everybody know how to get in touch with you.

Either tobincrenshaw.com or akronfirst.com are great places to reach out to me.

Beautiful. Okay, everyone, stay tuned. This is Jennifer Urezzio. And we’re talking with Tobin Crenshaw when we get back on spiritual needs of powerful change.