Women We Love – Sarah Jakes Roberts

September 6, 2017

Bishop T.D Jakes is a name that needs very little introduction. He is the charismatic and powerful Pastor of the successful mega church, The Potter’s House.

But T.D. Jakes is not the only Jakes in the spotlight; over the past five years, his second daughter, Sarah Jakes-Roberts, has joined her father in the quest of preaching the gospel. And despite her father’s large shadow, Sarah has managed to carve out a name for herself – she runs a successful online blog, she has over 400k followers on Instagram, 133k followers on Twitter, and 537k likes on Facebook.

At just 29, Sarah has become the voice for today’s millennial woman, a woman who wants to hear the gospel in a real, relatable and non – judgmental way.

Here are 5 reasons why we love this preacher’s kid turned first lady!

She has an inspirational story

Though Sarah stands firmly on the altar with a microphone in her hand, preaching the gospel to thousands of people across the world, she took a hard and long road to where she is today.

Sarah got pregnant at 13 and gave birth to her first child at 14. In the Christian community, with a father like T.D. Jakes this was definitely a major scandal for her family. But Sarah tried to make amends – she graduated high school in the top ten percent of her class and attended Texas Christian University at the age of 16.

Then she got married to NFL Linebacker, Robert Henson, and had another child. But this marriage was far from what Sarah hoped it would be. It was filled with infidelity from her partner, loneliness, and public altercations. In the trying period of her marriage, Sarah started a blog, Lost and Found, detailing her experiences through the lens of the gospel. This blog resonated with thousands of women around the world who could identify with her story.

After summoning up the courage, Sarah divorced her husband, a second major scandal in her 24-year-old life at the time. Now she was a single mother, with two children from different fathers. But Sarah quickly turned her life around – due to the success of her blog, she nabbed a book deal and released her highly acclaimed memoir, Lost and Found – Finding Hope in the Detours Of Life. The success of her memoir sky rocketed her to fame; she started getting numerous interviews and speaking engagements across the country. In the midst of this, she met the Pastor of One Church LA, Toure Roberts. They got married in 2014 and together, they Pastor One Church LA.

What Sarah’s life proves is that no matter how hard you fall, no matter how far you go off track, you can still make amends and start your life over again!

She serves the word of God like no other

In the first minutes of watching one of Sarah’s YouTube videos, you will be drawn in by her gentle voice and calm demeanor. But don’t be fooled. As the sermon goes on, you will watch Sarah transform, dishing out the word of God with stunning acuity and unbelievable resonance. Her sermons are relatable – every one, both male and female, from all walks of life can identify with what she says.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ6qAaC74PI

She is a Stylish Preacher

It is a common notion that there is a specific fashion mold that female preachers should fit into, but Sarah is walking a path that is completely hers. She is super stylish and she rocks trendy pieces, but the great part is that she also does not compromise on decency. Sarah shows that slaying and praying are not mutually exclusive!

She is a great mum and step mum

Sarah’s family is a blended family – with two children from her previous relationships, one child with her husband Toure Roberts, and three step children from her husband’s previous marriage.

Being 29, with six children can seem like a lot to handle, but it seems that Sarah does so with grace beyond her years. During her sermons, it is common to hear her give examples of the joys and challenges of raising children in a funny and witty manner, which still passes the message of good parenting across.

One of her step daughters, Ren Taylor Roberts, had this to say about Sarah.

My heart is full to know that my current situation is like a fairytale, except my mother is still alive and my step mother is nowhere near evil. I could talk about how irreplaceable and significant my mom Lori is. How she is the queen of my heart. I could talk about how proud I am to be the step daughter of someone as incredible as Sarah. How she’s taught me so much in such a little time.

She has 4 AMAZING BOOKS!

If you are searching for inspiration, you may find a good dose of it in one of Sarah’s four books – Colliding With Destiny, Lost and Found, Dear Mary and Don’t Settle for Safe. A common theme in all her books is this – No matter the mistakes you have made, you can always begin again. And if there was a phrase that could define Sarah’s life, it would certainly be this!