If God has given you a vision, there is no time like the present to get to work! Dr. Bob Dudley is a shining example of what can happen when we choose to follow God’s call without delay, and in this inspiring episode of The Beacon Show, he shares his incredible journey of perseverance, faith, and God’s provision.
Dr. Bob Dudley is a motivational speaker, evangelist, and #1 international best-selling author with an almost unbelievable journey of perseverance and God’s provision.
Growing up in the projects of Los Angeles, Bob faced countless challenges, from gangs to drugs to homelessness and family instability, but a divine encounter at a Bible camp set him on a transformational path.
Since then, Dr. Dudley has gone from high school dropout to rocket scientist, earning five college degrees, building successful businesses, and impacting tens of thousands of lives through his ministry. But beyond the impressive resume, it’s Bob’s wholehearted pursuit of God’s call that truly sets him apart.
Now, he’s on a mission to equip the next generation of Christian leaders through the launch of Wise Bible College in Orlando. With a pioneering model that combines practical evangelism training, entrepreneurial skills, and strategic partnerships, Bob envisions a prototype for Bible colleges of the future.
In this inspiring conversation, Bob shares jaw-dropping stories of God’s miraculous provision, hard-won wisdom from hearing from heaven, and a contagious passion for the urgency of the gospel. He also opens up about the power of faithful mentors, the importance of working in community, and the key to living with “no Plan B” faith.
If you’ve ever doubted God’s ability to use your past for His purpose, felt daunted by the size of your God-given dreams, or simply needed a reminder that the harvest is ripe and the time is now, this episode is for you. Get ready to have your faith ignited and your vision expanded!
Watch or listen to Dr. Dudley’s full interview on YouTube and Apple Podcasts!
The Long Road to Success: Finding Faith and Breaking Generational Curses
Dr. Bob Dudley’s childhood was fraught with abandonment, poverty, and instability. By the age of 12, he had fallen into a gang.
But his life started to change when he heard an evangelist at Bible camp ask the question: “Are you 100% sure that if you died today you would go to heaven?” In that instant, Bob knew that he needed a savior. He committed his life to Christ then and there.
Despite the change that had ignited in Bob’s heart, however, he still had many lessons to learn and much growth to experience. After his moment of conversion, Bob fell back into the gang lifestyle, dropped out of high school, and lived on the streets for a while before joining the Army.
Slowly, Bob began transforming his life for the better. He earned his GED, returned to church, and briefly attended Bible college. Eventually, following God’s leading, he enrolled in university to study physics.
Despite having to start over academically, working full-time to support his family, and other stressors in his personal life, Bob graduated with honors at the top of his class in just three years.
Breaking generational curses is a long, difficult process. But, as Bob’s story testifies, God can accomplish things that seem impossible in the lives of those who put their trust in Him.
“If you’re teaming up with God, you both have a responsibility,” Dr. Dudley says now. “Your responsibility is to do what He says, which is to stay in His Word and follow His lead. His responsibility is to make it successful. And if you can take that load off your shoulders and give it to Him, it’s amazing what you can accomplish in life.”
Nothing Is Wasted: How Learning Diverse Skills Paved the Way for Future Ministry
Dr. Dudley’s amazing life experiences didn’t end after he graduated from university. His next accomplishments and adventures included:
- Earning a second bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering and then a master’s degree in astronautical engineering through the U.S. Air Force.
- Teaching as a professor at the United States Naval Academy.
- Learning to sail — and surviving a storm that stranded him and his crew in the Bermuda Triangle for more than 24 hours.
- Failing to open a martial arts studio, realizing he needed to learn fundamental business principles first, and then starting a new studio that grew to become one of the largest in Southern California.
- Learning — and then teaching — ballroom dancing.
Now, Dr. Dudley can point to skills and knowledge gained from each of these ventures that would later pave the way for things he never could imagined himself accomplishing.
It’s a powerful reminder that, with God, nothing is wasted. Even if we can’t see a purpose for our current situation, we can trust that God has a plan to use it for His glory — just as the skills Dr. Dudley learned from selling dance lessons are the same skills he now uses to win souls for Christ.
“A lot of people say success is right on the other side of your comfort zone,” Dr. Dudley says. “But I think success is on the other side of you being willing to learn the lessons that God wants to teach you.”
By making a commitment to follow God’s guidance and learn something new in every new chapter of his life, Dr. Dudley has seen God sow seeds of success in and through him that have later grown to yield truly incredible fruit.
How to Run a Godly Business in Any Vocation
From a career as a rocket scientist to direct evangelism, success coaching, managing rental properties, and his current undertaking of starting a Bible college to train students simultaneously in both evangelism and entrepreneurship, Dr. Dudley has held many different titles and vocations.
Through it all, his mission and primary focus is to serve God. Dr. Dudley has learned through experience that ministry doesn’t always have to follow a traditional structure or serve God in one specific way.
“A godly business is what you and God decide it is,” he explains. As Christians, our job is simply to seek God’s will, obey His commands, and trust Him to bring about success in whatever way He sees fit.
Additionally, Dr. Dudley’s vast array of experiences have taught him several key principles for a successful blending of business and ministry.
Hold a Business Meeting with God Every Morning
Dr. Dudley reserves time each morning to worship and talk to God about his plans for the day. The key, he says, is not to ask God to bless the plans you make on your own, but rather to ask God what He is doing and what part He wants you to play in it. Through this practice, Dr. Dudley has been led to take part in many endeavors he never would have considered otherwise.
Trust God to Provide
Time and time again, Dr. Dudley has seen God’s hand at work to provide funds, resources, and people at just the right time. So instead of clinging to your finances and trying to make it all happen by your own capability, simply follow where God leads you, entrust your resources to Him, and He will make a way for you to accomplish His will.
Operate in Community with Other Christians
God doesn’t always speak directly to our hearts — often, He speaks to us through fellow Christians. Instead of trying to work in solitude, surround yourself with a network of faithful people who can help you accomplish the dream God has placed on your heart.
Minding the Time: Building Kingdom Warriors
Despite already having accomplished so much in his lifetime, Dr. Dudley knows his work for God’s Kingdom isn’t finished. That’s why he’s not hesitating to follow God’s leading, even when it seems impossible — because time is of the essence.
“We have to mind the time because the devil is not waiting,” Dr. Dudley says. “He’s destroying as many lives as he can, as fast as he can. Jesus said the gates of hell shall not prevail against us. The reason the gates of hell cannot prevail is because we’re on the attack. We’re not sitting in defense inside a church.”
Spurred on by this conviction, Dr. Dudley says he hopes his new Bible college blending business and ministry will become “the prototype of how we build Kingdom warriors — Kingdom leaders that love to tell the story of Jesus and know how to make it all work and grow in the world that we’re in today.”
About Dr. Bob Dudley
Motivational Speaker, Evangelist, and #1 international bestselling author, Dr. Bob Dudley currently keeps his plate very full. He is the senior partner of the premier success mentoring company, Life Changers 180. He is also the lead evangelist and Executive Director of the Lura B Walker Foundation.
Bob was born in Los Angeles County in 1957. As the oldest of 7 children, he grew up in the rougher parts of town. At the age of 18, after moving around enough to go to 17 different schools, Bob dropped out of high school and left home. He found his way into the Army Infantry where he spent three years of his life. While stationed in South Korea, Bob earned his GED and, ultimately, received a high school diploma.
In 1980, Bob made a discovery that completely changed the course of his life and, ultimately, became the seed for his latest book, “7 PERFECT Steps to Success.” After leaving the Army, he found himself in Bible College. That lasted 3 semesters before he quit. With a childhood in the projects living on welfare and dropping out of high school and college, he felt he was destined for a life of mediocrity.
Before he faded into complete obscurity, he decided to prove to himself he could accomplish something. This came in the form of going to the local university to get a degree. He decided to get a degree in Physics – he had no idea what this was but, it sounded hard to him. With several strikes against him in getting this degree, he jumped in with both feet. The result: he earned his BS in Physics in 3 years and graduated with honors at the top of his class. He also learned an important lesson that would serve him the rest of his life – how to be successful… at anything!
For the next 30 years, Dr. Dudley dominated everything he tried. Here is the short list:
- Earned black belts in several martial arts
- Started and ran a successful chain of martial arts studios
- Became a professional dancer and dance instructor
- Earned 5 college degrees – as diverse as physics, aerospace engineering and theology.
- 20-year career in the military – retiring as a Major in the United States Air Force
- Went from a high school drop out to a rocket scientist
- Started and ran a successful aerospace software consulting company
- Written 8 books (one a #1 international bestseller)
- Owner of several profitable real estate investment companies
- Founded an evangelism ministry responsible for 10s of thousands of people finding God
- Co-founder and senior partner of Life Changers 180.
And, today, Dr. Dudley is anxious to share his 7 PERFECT Steps to Success with everyone who desires to be successful.
Learn more about Dr. Dudley’s success coaching and mentoring company on the Life Changers 180 website and Facebook page. Learn more about Wise Bible College here.
