Joshua T. Scott shows selfless concern for the welfare of others and ventures to alleviate the struggles of others without seeking anything for his own personal benefit. With great awareness of his surroundings, not only is he open to opposing views and new ideas, but he also seeks to understand the motivations and obstacles of others in order to better understand their needs and how their needs can best be satisfied. Today’s Purpose Man Magazine interviews the Pastor and Community Leader to talk about how He’s equipping and bringing hope to his community.

Today’s Purpose Man: You’re a Preacher, Philanthropist, Philosopher and so much more. Tell us a little bit about your journey to being the change agent you are today?

Joshua Scott: My journey started in Northeast Houston being reared in North Forest ISD and coming from a long line of entrepreneurs and business savvy family members. Growing up I knew that I wanted to be an agent of change because of the strong men that I saw as patrons of my Grandmother Redell’s barbershop. It was reinforced being in Atlanta when I saw a man eating mash potatoes out of a trash can. I could not believe that in a City as rich as Atlanta no one would feed this homeless man. I was hurt for days, knowing that I could not sit back and allow God’s children to go without a meal. That following Thanksgiving along with 3 of my friends we were able to feed four families for the holiday season. We have aspired to do even greater ever since!

What inspires or empowers you?

Hope, hope inspires me, the hope that people have in each other, the hope that people have in God, the hope that people have in believing that they can achieve anything that they put their minds to. Seeing hope in their eyes, voices, and actions is what motivates me to do the work that I do! I believe that we have to dream big and the hope that those dreams will come true is what keeps us moving forward!

What is your life’s philosophy?

My life’s philosophy is rooted in the scripture, do unto others as you would have them do unto you! It’s not all of the time we can control other people’s actions. I taught a series in January #CTRLMD (Control My Destiny) and one thing that we can control is the way we think, speak, and act! Once we do right by people, it is up to them to receive it and allow God to do the rest!

What issues are people facing today that you feel you are purposed to help solve, and how are you contributing to resolving that issue?

We have so many issues that our nation and world is facing! From poverty to governmental shutdowns, from failing schools to failing churches, from incarceration rates being high to the everyday living costing more than a person can afford. There are so many problems facing our world today. Purposed to help solve (none) each individual have to be responsible for Controlling their own Destiny #CTRLMD. What I do as a Community Leader and Pastor is provide opportunities for people to obtain jobs and have access to resources to help them stabilize and provide for their family.

How are you personally able to relate to those you are purposed to reach and what advice or words of encouragement are you able to share?

Keep moving forward, if you fail, keep moving forward, if you’ve been through a divorce, keep moving forward, lost a loved one, keep moving forward. In all you do and go through you have to always hold fast to scripture and remember that God will never put more on you than you can bare! So truly all things are working together for your good. I was raised by a single mother, worked a job at an early age, struggled in college, made bad business decisions, lost loved ones but in all of it God has kept me and reminds me daily to PRESS to the mark of the high calling.

How has your relationship with God/faith propelled you to where you are today?

Faith, my faith is unbelievable, you are talking to someone who went to college with only $750.00 in there pocket, someone who believed that if I can just get their God will make a way. Someone who stopped working a regular 9-5 in 2007! Faith without works is dead. Therefore, with the faith you have you must work hard every day and watch God do the rest!

You’re the senior Pastor of Humble Praise Center. What is the mission and vision of Humble Praise Center?

Our mission at HPC is to create 21st Believers, we understand that the culture is changing and people don’t have a lot of time for church, but we believe that with Prayer, Praise, and the Word the Believer can still experience God in a small amount of time, hence our 1-hour Service. Because technology is so amazing, Believers can be in church for 1 hour but have access to sermons, scripture and worship 24 hours a day through our YouTube Channel and Facebook Page! My vision is that all God’s children will see the manifestation of what God has for them!

Recently our country experienced a government shut down which left thousands of men and women furloughed. Tell us about your recent efforts in assisting Furloughed Government workers?

Jesus asked Peter during a time of distress do you Love me “feed my People” John 21:15, As we looked out into the country we saw God’s children suffering financially, emotionally and Spiritually. I believe that as a Pastor I had to rally those around me to be concerned about their brothers and sisters. It’s easy to sit in the church and say we will pray for you, but its God’s work when you give the single mother that has been working for TSA for 10 years and didn’t have gas to get back and forth to work and provide her tank of gas to ensure that her job is secure. To talk to the father who is the breadwinner and hear the stress in his voice because he was not able to buy groceries for the family for a week and provide him with a gift card to Wal-Mart. To talk to the seasoned government worker who is six months and retiring and see the stress and nervous look on their face and provide them with a night out. That’s God’s work. Many of the individuals Humble Praise Center assisted were not members nor have they ever visited our church. We gave out thousand’s dollars not to be praised, but to tell the World that God’s hands are still at work every day. We are grateful that when we see God’s people in need we are able to leap into action. I often speak in “we” because as a Pastor I am just one man but it is those who believe in me and believe in the vision that I have that help make our work possible. Although we are small in number, I believe that as God gave the battle to Gideon’s Army He provides us with the tools to overcome whatever obstacles are in our way!

To learn more about Joshua T. Scott visit him at www.joshuatscott.com

Also follow him at @joshua_t_scott on Twitter and Instagram and Facebook Joshua T. Scott for updates, events and more words of encouragement.