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About the Book
"How to Trouble Your Trouble" by Creflo Dollar is a guide to overcoming life's challenges and troubles by turning to God for help and following biblical principles. The book offers practical advice and strategies for handling difficult situations and finding peace and strength through faith. It encourages readers to trust in God's plan and to take control of their thoughts and emotions in order to overcome obstacles and experience lasting transformation in their lives.
Lecrae Moore
Lecrae Devaughn Moore, or simply Lecrae, is an American Christian rapper, songwriter, and record producer who performs both as a solo artist and as the leader of a group named â116 Cliqueâ. He had a troubled beginning in life but all that changed after he found his faith at 19. Heavily influenced by 2Pac Shakur, and motivated by his new found faith, he ventured into a musical career. He and his friend Ben Washer set up their own independent record label âReach Recordsâ and through it, he released his debut album âReal Talkâ in 2004. In the following years, he brought out six more studio albums, three mix tapes, and two EPs as a solo artist and three studio albums, one remix album, and one EP with his group. He has received six âGMA Dove Awardsâ, two Grammys, two âBET Awardsâ and more. Lecrae is very active in the community and in 2005, he established âReachLife Ministriesâ, the mission of which was to âbridge the gap between biblical truth and the urban contextâ. He is a vocal supporter of the preservation of responsibility and believes that fatherhood should be considered as a value to be installed among men in the United States. He has authored several op-ed articles on race relations in the modern-day America which were published by âBillboardâ.
Childhood & Early Life
Lecrae Devaughn Moore was born on October 9, 1979, in Houston, Texas, USA. His father had always been absent from his life and later became a drug addict. He was raised by his poor but hardworking mother and grandmother. He attended services with them at their local church but the initial response to religion was indifferent at best. Growing up, he lived in San Diego, Denver, and Dallas.
He suffered sexual molestation at the hands of a female baby sitter when he was eight, and according to Lecrae, it left a long-term negative impact on his views on sexuality. In a life full of abuse and violence, hip hop provided him with a refuge.
Besides 2Pac who he admired for his rapping skills, he also looked up to his uncle who introduced him to a life of crime. He began doing drugs at 16 and soon started dealing as well. He kept a Bible with him that his grandmother had given him as a good luck charm.
The turning point in his life came when he was arrested for drug possession. The officer let him go upon Lecraeâs promising that he would read and follow the Bible. He thus started visiting the church again. Upon an invitation from a friend, he also started attending Bible studies.
He was once involved in an accident where he wrecked his car but he himself came out unscathed. This incident further strengthened his belief in Christ and he devoted his life fully to his faith. He returned to his college, the âUniversity of North Texasâ and volunteered and sang at a juvenile detention centre.
Career
Six years after his conversion, Lecrae Moore released the album âReal Talkâ (2004) through âReach Recordsâ, a label he had founded with his friend Ben Washer. It reached #29 spot on the âBillboard Gospel Albumâ chart after being re-released in 2005 by âCross Movement Recordsâ.
In 2005, he formed â116 Cliqueâ with other artists who had signed with âReach Recordsâ. The group owes its name to the Bible Verse âRomans 1:16â. They debuted with âThe Compilation Albumâ in the same year. They have since released three more albums, âThe Compilation Album: Chopped & Screwedâ (remix, 2006), â13 Lettersâ (2007), and âMan Upâ (2011), and one EP, âAmpedâ (2007).
He was nominated for a âStellar Awardâ for the âRap/Hip-Hop/Gospel CD of the Yearâ for his second solo album âAfter the Music Stopsâ (2006). In 2008, he put out his third studio album âRebelâ.
In his fourth studio album, âRehabâ (2010), Lecrae talks about freedom from inhibiting addictions and habits. Both Lecrae and his album received accolades in the 2010 âRapzilla.com staff picksâ, being hailed as the âArtist of the Yearâ and the âAlbum of the Yearâ, respectively.
His fifth studio album, âRehab: The Overdoseâ (2011) was a direct follow-up to âRehabâ, both being highly conceptual works. While âRehabâ was about the victory over addiction, âRehab: The Overdoseâ focused on attaining "grace, love, peace and hope" in Jesus. He won his first two Doves because of this album, one for the âRap/Hip Hop Album of the Yearâ and the other for the âRap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Yearâ for the track, âHallelujahâ.
âGravityâ, released on September 4, 2012, was his sixth studio album and had 15 songs with a total runtime of 57 minutes. It peaked on the âRap Albumsâ, âChristian Albumsâ, âGospel Albumsâ, and âIndependent Albumsâ charts.
Lecrae released his first mixtape âChurch Clothesâ on May 10, 2012, through digital download for free. It was followed by âChurch Clothes 2â (November 7, 2013), and âChurch Clothes 3â (January 15, 2016). He has also released two Extended Plays till date, the EP version of âChurch Clothesâ, and âGravity: The Remix EPâ, both released in 2012.
He has collaborated with the likes of Trip Lee, Tedashii, Canon, Mali Music, and Ty Dolla Sign. âColumbia Recordsâ signed him in May 2016, in a contract between them and his label. His most recent work, a track named âHammer Timeâ, which is a collaborative effort with 1k Phew, was released on June 23, 2017.
On May 3, 2016, he published his memoir titled âUnashamedâ through âBroadman & Holman Publishersâ. It debuted at #19 spot on the âNew York Times Best Sellersâ list.
Philanthropic Works
In 2011, Lecrae, through â116 Cliqueâ and the âReachLife Ministriesâ, instigated the campaign âMan Upâ, focused on providing guidance to young urban males on fatherhood and Biblical manhood. In March 2015, ReachLife was deactivated and â116 Cliqueâ shifted its attention to contribute to âPeace Preparatory Academyâ, a Christian school in Atlanta.
In May 2013, he worked alongside several other celebrities on a media initiative named âThis is Fatherhoodâ. Jay Z, Barack Obama, Joshua DuBois, Lecrae himself, and others have appeared in the initiativeâs promotional public service announcement videos.
Major Works
In a career marked by successful artistic ventures and awards, Lecraeâs greatest musical achievement is unarguably his seventh and the latest studio album âAnomalyâ, released on September 9, 2014. It was the first album in history to debut at #1 on both âBillboard 200â and âTop Gospel Albumsâ charts. It was also certified Gold by the RIAA.
Awards & Achievements
Lecrae Moore received a Grammy in 2013 for the âBest Gospel Albumâ for his sixth studio album âGravityâ. He won his second Grammy in 2015 for the âBest Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Songâ for the track âMessengersâ which also featured the Christian pop band âFor King & Countryâ.
He was named the best gospel artist at the â2015 BET Awardsâ. In 2017, he was the recipient of the âBET Best Gospel/ Inspirational Awardâ for the song âCanât Stop Me Now (Destination)â.
On March 14, 2016, he was conferred with an honorary doctorate from âCanada Christian Collegeâ.
Personal Life & Legacy
Lecrae Moore met his wife Darragh at a Bible study when they were both teenagers. They have three children together, two sons and a daughter. The family resides in Atlanta, Georgia.
In 2002, he was informed by his then girlfriend that she was pregnant with his child. The couple had an abortion, a decision which he has regretted since. The incident was the subject of the song âGood, Bad, Uglyâ from âAnomalyâ.
Trivia
Lecrae portrayed the character Dr. Darnall Malmquist in the 2014 independent film âBelieve Meâ.
when they hurt you with words
The spirit of the old adage âwords will never harm meâ is not the sentiment of the Scriptures. Words can hurt, even when directed from an unknown profile online. God made a world in which words are powerful. âDeath and life are in the power of the tongueâ (Proverbs 18:21). And as public discourse falls to new lows in the digital age, God has not left us without a guide for how to respond to the pain when we are persecuted with words. Leaf through the New Testament, and youâll find verbal attacks on Jesus, his apostles, and his church on nearly every page. At times, these attacks escalate to physical persecution â the stoning of Stephen, the martyrdom of James, the imprisonments of Peter and Paul, the crucifixion of Christ â but what remains constant, and significant, is a torrent of verbal persecution against Jesus and his people. And verbal persecution is not less than persecution because itâs verbal. Have You Been Reviled? Slander  and revile  are two of the main words for verbal attack in the English New Testament, and both occur frequently. Early Christians were so accustomed to being spoken against that they developed a rich vocabulary (if you call it that) of being slandered, reviled, insulted, maligned, mocked, and spoken evil against (at least six different Greek verbs, along with several related nouns and adjectives). Of the English terms, revile  may be the least common in normal usage today. One dictionary defines it as âto criticize in an abusive or angrily insulting manner.â To take our cues from specific biblical texts, revile  can mean âto speak evil againstâ (Matthew 5:11; Mark 9:39; Acts 19:9; 23:4); it is the opposite of verbally honoring someone (Mark 7:10). Reviling is an attempt to injure with words (1 Peter 3:16). We see it at Jesusâs crucifixion, where âthose who passed by derided himâ with their words, and the chief priests, scribes, and elders âmocked him,â and âthe robbers who were crucified with him also reviled  him in the same wayâ (Matthew 27:39â44). But Jesus not only endured it; he prepared us for it as well. He and his apostles, and the early church, model for us how to receive and respond to slander and reviling. 1. Expect the world to say the worst. Amid this rich vocabulary of verbal attack, the New Testament sends no mixed signals as to whether Christians will be maligned. We will. Jews and Gentiles together bombarded Jesus and his disciples with verbal attacks. Physical persecution came and went, but reviling remained constant. When Paul arrived in Rome, the Jews reported to him, about Christianity, âWith regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken againstâ (Acts 28:22). For Christians, being reviled is not a matter of if  but when : âwhen they speak against youâ (1 Peter 2:12). Unbelievers âare surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debaucheryâ â so what do they do? âThey malign youâ (1 Peter 4:4). After all, should we not expect the world, under the power of the devil (1 John 5:19; Ephesians 2:2), to lie about us? The Greek for devil ( diabolos ) actually means slanderer (1 Timothy 3:11; Titus 2:3). As Jesus said to his revilers in John 8:44, âYou are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your fatherâs desires. . . . When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.â 2. Consider the cause. We should not assume that all verbal opposition we receive is good. Being reviled for Jesusâs sake and for his gospel is one thing; being reviled for our own folly and sin is another (1 Peter 3:17; 4:15â16). As far as it depends on us, we want to âgive the adversary no occasion for slanderâ (1 Timothy 5:14). Slander itself is no win for the church. We want to do what we can, within reason and without compromise, to keep Godâs name and word and teaching from reviling (1 Timothy 6:1; Titus 2:5). âDo not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evilâ (Romans 14:16). But when the world speaks evil against us because of Jesus, we embrace it. âIf you are insulted for the name of Christ , you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon youâ (1 Peter 4:14). 3. Do not revile in return. Christâs calling to his church is crystal clear: Do not respond in kind. Do not stoop to the level of your revilers. âKeep your conduct honorableâ (1 Peter 2:12). âSpeak evil of no oneâ (Titus 3:2), including those who have spoken evil of you. Do not become a verbal vigilante, but âentrust yourself to him who judges justlyâ (1 Peter 2:23). And as his redeemed, taste the joy of walking in his steps: âWhen he was reviled, he did not revile in returnâ (1 Peter 2:23). Paul took up the same mantle: âWhen reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreatâ (1 Corinthians 4:12â13). So also Peter charges us to respond âwith gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shameâ (1 Peter 3:15â16). When we do not ârevile in return,â we put our revilers to shame. Christians do not respond in kind. We lose the battle, and undermine our commission, when we let revilers make us into revilers. And itâs not just a matter of strategy, but of spiritual life and death. âRevilers,â 1 Corinthians 6:10 warns, âwill not inherit the kingdom of God,â and Christians are instructed ânot to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is . . . a revilerâ (1 Corinthians 5:11). Christ expects, even demands, that our speech be different from the worldâs, even when we respond to the worldâs mean words. 4. Leap for joy. Leap for joy? That might seem way over the top. Canât we just take our cues from the apostles in Acts 5:41? âThey left the presence of the council, rejoicing  that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.â Amen, rejoice. Yes. Jesusâs own words in the Sermon on the Mount guide us: âBlessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad , for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.â (Matthew 5:11â12). But Luke 6:22â23 doesnât leave it at simply rejoicing: âBlessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy , for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.â Whether youâre just rejoicing in God deep down, or finding the emotional wherewithal, in the Spirit, to âleap for joy,â the point is clear: When others dishonor you, and exclude you, and utter all manner of evil against you, and even spurn your name as evil â and that on Jesusâs account , not on the account of your own folly â this is not new, and you are not alone (âso their fathers did to the prophetsâ). You have a great cause for joy. Their reviling you for his sake  means you are with him! And you will know him more as you share in the verbal persecution he endured (Philippians 3:10). 5. On the contrary, bless. There is one more shocking possibility for Christians, even more astounding than leaping for joy: âDo not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless , for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessingâ (1 Peter 3:9). This indeed is the spirit of Christ, and gives the most striking testimony of the Spirit of Christ at work in us. The grace and power of God not only enable us to expect and evaluate reviling, and not respond in kind but even rejoice, but also repay reviling with blessing . This is Christlikeness. This is Christian maturity (Matthew 5:48). This reflects the magnanimous heart of our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:45). This is the enemy-love to which Jesus not only calls us but works in us by his Spirit. âLove your enemies and pray for those who persecute youâ (Matthew 5:44). In Christ, we have found ourselves blessed when we deserved to be cursed. We have come to know a Father who does not revile those who humbly seek him (James 1:5). When reviled, we now have the opportunity to bless undeserving revilers, just as we have been blessed from above â and will be further blessed for doing so (âthat you may obtain a blessing,â 1 Peter 3:9). The swelling ocean of reviling in our day is not just an obstacle to be endured. It is an opportunity for gospel advance â and for deeper joy.