Blessed + Bossed Up

In this episode of the Blessed + Bossed Up Book Club, we continue wrapping up The Spirit-Filled Life by Charles Stanley by exploring one of the most important markers of living in step with the Holy Spirit: the Word of God.

If you want to know what the Holy Spirit is saying, you must know what He has already said. The Bible is not just a collection of stories—it is the Holy Spirit’s thoughts on paper. It is objective, timeless truth that anchors us when our emotions, desires, and circumstances try to pull us in different directions.

In this episode, I share why Scripture is the most reliable way to discern God’s will, the difference between subjective and objective study, and how to approach the Word in a way that produces spiritual maturity. I also share personal reflections on discipleship, parenting, and how God uses everyday moments to redirect us back to His truth.

We also announce our next Blessed + Bossed Up Book Club pick: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer—a powerful follow-up that will help us establish a pace of life that keeps us aligned with the Spirit.

• The Bible is the Holy Spirit’s most objective tool for revealing God’s will
• Scripture is not just stories—it is a living, relevant, and authoritative guide for our lives
• Many believers rely too heavily on subjective feelings instead of objective truth
• Spiritual maturity requires balancing personal application with disciplined, objective study
• Principles in Scripture provide timeless guidance for decision-making
• Eliminating hurry is essential to maintaining sensitivity to the Holy Spirit
• Discipleship begins at home and in everyday conversations

• 2 Peter 1:20–21 — Scripture inspired by the Holy Spirit
• Galatians 6:7 — You reap what you sow
• Proverbs 13:20 — The influence of your associations
• Proverbs 12:1 — Correction produces wisdom
• Proverbs 12:19 — Truth endures
• 2 Corinthians 9:6 — Generosity produces increase
• Philippians 4:19 — God provides for His people

Our next Blessed + Bossed Up Book Club selection is:

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer

This book addresses one of the greatest threats to our spiritual sensitivity: hurry. It will help us establish rhythms that allow us to remain emotionally healthy, spiritually alive, and aligned with God’s pace.

Get your copy and read along with us. https://a.co/d/0cBAB6G0

• The Spirit-Filled Life by Charles Stanley: https://a.co/d/0cBAB6G0
• The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer https://a.co/d/0cBAB6G0

In this episode, Tatum shares a timely message about building spiritual muscle memory—the discipline of training your spirit to respond automatically to God, especially in seasons of pressure, warfare, and transition.

Just as physical muscle memory develops through consistent repetition, spiritual muscle memory develops through daily prayer, studying the Word, obedience, and intentional separation from environments that weaken your spiritual strength.

This episode serves as both an encouragement and a call to action for those who know they are being stretched, tested, and prepared for greater responsibility. Tatum explains why spiritual consistency—not emotional intensity—is what sustains you through seasons of elevation and opposition.

If you have been feeling pressure in multiple areas of your life, this episode will help you understand what is happening, how to respond, and how to strengthen your spiritual posture so you can stand firm in what God has called you to do.

• What spiritual muscle memory is and why it matters
• Why spiritual disciplines must become automatic, not occasional
• How consistent prayer strengthens your spiritual resilience
• The difference between repetition and quality repetition in spiritual growth
• Why studying and understanding scripture deeply increases its effectiveness in your life
• How environments and habits can either strengthen or weaken your spiritual position
• The importance of accountability in maintaining spiritual discipline
• How to proactively prepare for seasons of elevation and opposition

Spiritual Muscle Memory

Training your spirit to respond to God automatically through consistent prayer, scripture study, and obedience.

Quality Repetition

Not just hearing the Word, but studying it, writing it down, understanding it, and applying it so it becomes embedded within you.

Proactive Spiritual Discipline

Building strength before crisis occurs so your response is rooted in truth, not emotion.

Separation and Protection

Removing yourself from environments and habits that weaken your spiritual clarity and authority.

Accountability and Spiritual Covering

Strengthening your spiritual consistency through prayer partnerships and community.

• Ephesians 6:13–17 — The Armor of God
• James 5:16 — “The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.”
• Ephesians 6:12 — Spiritual warfare is not against flesh and blood

• Pray daily and consistently
• Study and write down scripture to deepen understanding
• Put on the armor of God intentionally
• Remove yourself from environments that weaken your discipline
• Establish accountability through prayer partnerships or community
• Meditate on the Word so it becomes your automatic response

• What spiritual disciplines have become inconsistent in your life?
• Where is God calling you to strengthen your spiritual foundation?
• What environments, habits, or distractions may be weakening your spiritual clarity?
• What daily practices can you implement to build spiritual muscle memory?

• BibleHub.com
• BibleStudyTools.com
• GotQuestions.org
• A study Bible for deeper context and understanding

In this episode of Blessed and Bossed Up, Tatum reframes commitment from a biblical perspective. Rather than defining commitment as discipline, motivation, or consistency, she defines it as spiritual restraint—the willingness to restrict your freedom of action in order to fully submit to God’s way.

This teaching explores why commitment is a distinguishing mark of believers and how inconsistent restraint can quietly lead us from dependence on the Holy Spirit into self-sufficiency.

• A biblical definition of commitment as restraint
• Why commitment is a marker of spiritual maturity
• How good intentions can still lead to compromise
• The difference between good ideas and God ideas
• Why God cares about how we start, continue, and finish

Tatum examines the lives of King Asa and King Jehoshaphat to show how waning commitment and partial obedience produced long-term consequences.

Both kings were generally faithful but inconsistent in restraint:

• Asa obeyed God early in his reign but later relied on alliances rather than the Lord.
• Jehoshaphat followed God in major decisions but compromised in daily and strategic ones.

Their stories reveal that partial obedience and strategic compromise can open doors we never intended to open.

Commitment to the Lord should be distinguishable. These five competencies serve as markers of true spiritual commitment:

1. A Clear and Clean Heart
2. Commitment begins with the inner condition of the heart. Unaddressed pride, bitterness, anger, and self-reliance hinder obedience.
3. Scriptures: Matthew 5:8; 1 Samuel 16:7
4. Courage
5. Courage is the spiritual strength to obey God despite fear, risk, or opposition. Obedience often requires moving forward without certainty.
6. Scripture: Joshua 1:9
7. Diligence
8. Diligence is steady, faithful obedience over time. Longevity in calling, business, and ministry is built on faithfulness, not motivation.
9. Scripture: Proverbs 21:5
10. Precision
11. Precision means doing exactly what God said—no more and no less. Dependence on God is required to walk out assignments with accuracy.
12. Contentment
13. Contentment is an inner sufficiency rooted in trust in God’s sovereignty, independent of external circumstances.
14. Scriptures: Philippians 4:11–13; 1 Timothy 6:6–8

Research shows that commitment bridges the gap between intention and action. Many people struggle not because they lack desire, but because they lack commitment.

This biblical framework for commitment not only produces consistency in action, but also spiritual fruit, deeper intimacy with God, and alignment with His will.

Commitment is not about productivity alone. It is about pleasing the Father, finishing the assignment, and stewarding the life God entrusted to us.

If this episode blessed you, please leave a five-star review. Thank you for listening to Blessed and Bossed Up.

In this episode of Blessed + Bossed Up, we continue our book club discussion of The Spirit-Filled Life by Charles Stanley, wrapping up Part Three of the book. These final chapters focus on the spiritual markers the Holy Spirit uses to confirm God’s will—and today’s conversation dives into the first two: peace and the conscience.

Tatum unpacks why peace is often the first and clearest indicator that the Holy Spirit is either affirming or resisting a decision. Through a powerful story from Charles Stanley’s own ministry—where waiting on God led to a debt-free miracle—this episode challenges the tendency to panic, self-rely, or rationalize disobedience when God seems silent.

The episode also includes several personal testimonies illustrating how the absence or presence of peace has guided major life decisions, from entrepreneurship and ministry to relationships and family choices. These stories highlight that spiritual maturity is not a prerequisite for the Holy Spirit to lead—He speaks from the very beginning of our walk with God.

In the second half of the episode, the discussion turns to Stanley’s second marker: the conscience. While acknowledging the biblical framework presented in the book, Tatum offers honest reflection and thoughtful critique, questioning whether the conscience should be treated as a distinct marker separate from the Holy Spirit’s work of renewing the mind. This portion of the conversation invites listeners into deeper discernment, encouraging them to study Scripture, pray intentionally, and test what resonates with the Spirit.

The episode closes with practical reflection questions from the book to help listeners evaluate decisions they may be facing—especially when peace seems unclear or external advice conflicts with inner conviction.

This episode is an invitation to slow down, listen closely, and trust that the Holy Spirit is actively leading—even when His direction doesn’t make logical sense

Today’s episode is a special one—Tatum sits down with Raevyn Hokett, a longtime friend and fan-favorite guest who first entered Tatum’s life as her business coach back in 2014, helping her transition from employee to full-time entrepreneur. Their relationship has grown over the years into genuine friendship (Tatum even officiated Raevyn and her husband Tim’s wedding!), and in this conversation they go deep on what it really means to build a legacy God’s way.

Together, they unpack legacy and longevity in entrepreneurship, how to steward influence and resources, and why “doing business God’s way” often includes wilderness seasons that teach dependence, humility, and true alignment.

Want to watch the interview? This episode is also available on YouTube (link in the show notes).

• Why Raevyn is an OG guest and always a listener favorite
• What legacy looks like when you’re building with eternity in mind
• The difference between being self-made vs. submitted to God
• How success without God can become a “cocktail for danger”
• Learning to trust God in manna seasons—daily provision and dependency
• When obedience doesn’t look like immediate overflow
• The moment God told Raevyn to shut down a lucrative coaching business
• How God uses closed doors as protection (including a major 2020 “dodged bullet”)
• How spiritual gifts (especially prophecy + discernment) protect and guide in business
• Why business models must evolve—and how God leads transitions ahead of time
• Guarding your gates: distraction, comparison, AI “busy work,” and spiritual compromise
• The power of abiding—stillness, hearing God, and resisting hustle culture

Raevyn is currently offering Rich Disciples Academy, specifically the Calling to Cash Flow Starter Kit, designed to help believers turn their God-given calling into sustainable income.

Blessed + Bossed Up listeners get 50% off with code: BLESSED

(Link: https://stan.store/richdisciples/p/the-calling-to-cashflow-starter-kit)

In this episode of Blessed + Bossed Up, the host continues the book club series with The Spirit-Filled Life by Charles Stanley, covering Chapters 13 and 14, which focus on the Holy Spirit’s role in guidance, decision-making, sensitivity, and neutrality before God.

The episode opens with an invitation to the Clarity Reset, a free two-week challenge inside The Society, designed to help participants realign their capacity, priorities, and spiritual focus by slowing down rather than adding more.

• Why many people struggle due to lack of clarity—not discipline or work ethic
• How busyness and goal-driven living can dull spiritual sensitivity
• The Holy Spirit as a guide, not a controller
• Four key truths about the Holy Spirit:
• He guides
• He is trustworthy
• He is God’s mouthpiece to believers
• The Holy Spirit speaks
• Real-life examples of Spirit-led guidance in parenting, career decisions, and resisting distractions
• Why God cares about both major and seemingly small decisions
• The importance of recognizing and trusting how the Holy Spirit communicates personally

• Why God often remains silent when believers approach Him with fixed agendas
• The danger of asking God to bless plans already made
• How emotional attachment can distort discernment
• Why worship helps cultivate neutrality and clarity
• How misplaced faith in promises God never made leads to disappointment
• The connection between neutrality, obedience, and peace

Clarity comes from sensitivity, and sensitivity grows when believers approach God with a neutral heart—willing to release their own agendas and fully submit to His will.

• The Spirit-Filled Life by Charles Stanley: https://amzn.to/45Jzcf6
• The Clarity Reset (free two-week challenge inside The Society): thesocietychallenge.com

In this episode, I’m joined by my friend and podcast fave Kristen Hopkins Vincent—and yes, we’re talking about the Vincent part today! Kristen returns with powerful updates on her life (she’s a wife and a mom now!) and on the incredible work happening through Black SEL.

We dig into Kristen’s transition from Dangers of the Mind to Black SEL, why culturally-rooted social and emotional learning is essential for Black communities, and what it looks like to build a mission-driven organization with radical obedience to God. Kristen shares moments where obedience didn’t make sense—like moving forward with a major conference during a hurricane—and how God confirmed the vision through provision, research, and undeniable fruit.

We also talk about the very real emotions that come up when you’re following God’s timing: shame, guilt, feeling unseen, and learning how to embrace seasons of being hidden. And Kristen’s testimony around marriage and motherhood is such a needed reminder: it’s not too late, and God is always intentional.

Before we get into it: Kristen and her husband received the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award—and she forgot to mention it in the conversation because that’s what happens when you’re focused on obedience and doing the Lord’s work.

• What Black SEL is and why it’s necessary
• Kristen’s transition from Dangers of the Mind to launching a nonprofit
• The 5 core competencies of social-emotional learning (and how Black SEL frames them)
• Why SEL must be culturally affirming to truly serve Black students and communities
• Building “God’s way” vs. building in your own might
• The difference between a “me” assignment and a “we” assignment
• Navigating shame, guilt, and the pressure to be seen
• Seasons where God hides you—and why that protection matters
• Kristen’s hurricane conference testimony and how God made the way
• The research that revealed how little SEL scholarship centers Black communities
• Waiting on God for marriage and motherhood—and what it means to pray for alignment with your assignment
• A word for the woman juggling purpose, business, love, and obedience
• “The position of your mind determines the posture of your life”

• Visit: BlackSEL.org
• Donate + learn more about the mission and programming
• Get involved / volunteer (especially if you’re in North Carolina)

In this bonus episode, we officially pick back up our book club read of The Spirit-Filled Life by Charles Stanley after pausing in Q4 due to major life transitions, including starting law school and welcoming a new baby. The goal now is simple: finish the book together and apply it practically as we move into a new year.

If you are new to the book club, all previous episodes are linked in the show notes, along with the link to purchase the book. This remains one of my top Christian books of all time and one I believe should be reread regularly, especially at the beginning of the year.

While this episode technically covers Chapters 11 and 12, the primary focus is Chapter 11. Chapter 12 largely reiterates themes already covered earlier in the book regarding the Holy Spirit, so today’s discussion centers on what it truly looks like to build, work, and live by God’s Spirit rather than our own strength.

The chapter opens with Zechariah 4:6–7:

“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”

Using the story of Zerubbabel rebuilding the temple, Charles Stanley reminds us that:

• God knows we will face opposition
• God does not always remove obstacles
• God prepares us instead
• Self-sufficiency is often the greatest opposition

This scripture is a critical anchor for anyone building a business, pursuing goals, or stepping into God-ordained work.

Colossians 3:23–24 reminds us that “whatever you do” is service to the Lord. God does not divide life into sacred and secular categories. Your job, business, career, and daily responsibilities are all part of your calling.

Even in environments where faith cannot be openly expressed, excellence, humility, integrity, and Spirit-dependence still glorify God. Your work ethic and posture can be a bridge to someone who may never step into a church.

Doing God’s work in the flesh looks like:

• relying on skill, experience, influence, and strategy
• planning first and asking God to bless it later
• measuring success by numbers, money, or visibility
• operating in stress, pressure, and control

Doing God’s work by the Spirit looks like:

• beginning with dependency
• hearing from God before planning
• remaining flexible and surrendered
• allowing God to receive the glory

God’s work done God’s way carries an unmistakable mark. It produces transformation, not just emotional stimulation or surface-level success.

According to Charles Stanley, Spirit-led work is marked by:

1. Knowing the work will fail if God does not intervene
2. Seeing God as your only true source
3. Looking for evidence of the Spirit’s intervention
4. Living without chronic stress
5. Spending more time thanking God than asking Him

If these are not currently descriptive of you, that is not condemnation—it is an invitation to course-correct.

This episode is especially timely for the beginning of the year, when many of us are setting goals and making plans. If you started the year operating in the flesh, now is the time to bring those plans back to God, repent of self-sufficiency, and realign your posture.

Write these five indicators down. Keep Zechariah 4:6 somewhere visible. Check yourself often and intentionally choose to do God’s work God’s way.

We have two more bonus episodes to finish the book before moving on to our next book club pick.

Thank you for listening to another episode of the Blessed + Bossed Up podcast.

Previous episodes:

https://www.blessedandbossedup.com/podcast/episode/39405540/the-joy-youve-been-missing-starts-with-the-holy-spirit

https://www.blessedandbossedup.com/podcast/episode/3255ebb2/the-holy-spirit-is-not-an-it-or-a-ghost

https://www.blessedandbossedup.com/podcast/episode/20f3c1c7/faith-over-formula

https://www.blessedandbossedup.com/podcast/episode/4df616ba/abiding-over-achieving

https://www.blessedandbossedup.com/podcast/episode/2213e340/the-faith-factor

https://www.blessedandbossedup.com/podcast/episode/28425033/keeping-in-step-with-the-spirit

Welcome to the first episode of 2026—and the 9-year anniversary year of Blessed + Bossed Up! In this special New Year kickoff, Tatum opens with prayer, gratitude, and a powerful reflection on what God has taught her through nine years of consistent podcasting and nine years of full-time entrepreneurship (11 years as an entrepreneur overall).

This episode is part celebration, part reset, and part practical mentorship: nine lessons to help you build what God called you to build—with skill, strategy, and spiritual sensitivity.

• A New Year prayer + encouragement for anyone coming out of a hard 2025
• A thank-you message to listeners who’ve supported the show over the years
• Why year 10 is a big deal—and what may be coming next (YouTube + format experiments)
• An invitation to join The Society (with a free trial) and what’s being added in 2026
• The core teaching: 9 lessons from 9 years of entrepreneurship and podcasting

Tatum shares that she’s not committing to a full video podcast, but you can expect more video elements in 2026:

• YouTube-exclusive episodes that may also be added to the podcast feed
• Some podcast episodes recorded live
• More experimentation with format as the landscape continues shifting

Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TatumTemia

Tatum invites you to activate a free 2-week trial in The Society, the membership community created for Christian entrepreneurs who want a space where they don’t have to “leave Jesus out” or “leave entrepreneurship out.”

New for 2026: She’s bringing her former coaching program, She Is Uncompromising Executive Leadership Training, into The Society—broken into monthly modules (about 12 total).

• Topics include operations, marketing, business planning, strategic planning, and accounting (modules taught by her CPA)
• The legal module will NOT be included (permission was for the original program only)
• Membership is $19.99/month, and the first module drops end of January

Link to join: blessedandbossedupsociety.com

Leave a 5-star review for the 9-year anniversary—share what this podcast has meant to you

**Disclaimer** We are currently on our annual winter break. This is a replay of an episode that aired earlier in 2025.

In this continuation of the Bible on Business series, Tatum walks through Acts 16:6–10 to illustrate how critical it is for Christian entrepreneurs to embrace mobility and flexibility when building a business God’s way. Using Paul’s second missionary journey as a framework, this episode explores what it looks like to make strategic plans while remaining fully open to divine redirection.

If you’re someone who knows you’re called but keeps facing closed doors, delays, or redirections that don’t make sense, this message is for you. Tatum speaks to the emotional and spiritual tension of following God with excellence while trusting Him to guide every step—even when plans change.

She also shares a personal story about obeying the Holy Spirit with no confirmation and how that decision ultimately protected her and her family. This episode will shift your mindset around delays, reframe how you view closed doors, and help you move forward with peace and confidence.

• A closed door is not failure—it can be divine redirection.
• The Holy Spirit often leads us as we move, not before.
• Flexibility and mobility are vital for kingdom entrepreneurs.
• Being spiritual is not the same as being Spirit-led.
• Obedience does not always come with external confirmation.
• The people God is calling you to serve are already prepared to receive you.

• Acts 16:6–10 (ESV and The Message)
• Proverbs 16:9
• Romans 8:14
• Galatians 5:25

• You are clear about your calling but uncertain about next steps.
• You’ve experienced unexpected closed doors and felt discouraged.
• You struggle to distinguish between faith and fear in business decisions.
• You are tired of waiting for external confirmation before obeying God.
• You want to operate in peace rather than anxiety as you build your business.

• Strategic planning vs. spiritual discernment
• What to do when you face delays, pivots, or redirections
• The importance of maintaining spiritual rhythm in business
• How over-attachment to your vision can block divine movement
• The role of fear and anxiety in clouding discernment
• How obedience leads to favor and alignment with your ideal clients