In this thought-provoking and deeply personal episode of Crazy Unbelievable Faith, Brian and Kersha Owen return for the second installment of their series exploring the friction between the "American Dream" and God’s ultimate design for our lives. Recording from a remote destination, they unpack the reality that while the world promises success through control and calculated outcomes, faith often requires the exact opposite: a total surrender of our blueprints in exchange for His guidance. This isn't just a discussion on theology; it’s a challenge to look at the "inputs" of our lives and ask if they are feeding our souls or hushing the fruit of the Spirit within us.

The conversation centers on the uncomfortable tension between wanting clarity and offering surrender. Brian and Kersha get honest about the "information constipation" that keeps us stagnant and the "rebellious tendency" to delay the very things God has called us to do. From the hard-earned wisdom of mentors to the lighthearted (yet pointed) analogies of perfectionism and "the right containers," this episode serves as a roadmap for anyone feeling stuck in the "99% surrender" trap. It is a powerful reminder that while obedience may look foolish to the world, it is the only path to a peace that guards the heart and a power that flows from the authority of Christ.

🔥 What You’ll Learn:

• Surrender vs. Clarity: Discover why faith feels risky when we prioritize having a clear map over having a surrendered heart to the One who knows the end from the beginning.
• The Cost of Delay: Understand the heavy weight of "delayed obedience" and how procrastinating on God’s call is, at its root, a form of disobedience.
• Redefining Success: Learn to distinguish between having an "amount of money" and having a "quality of life" by looking at the marriages and relationships of those ahead of you.
• The Trap of Partial Surrender: Explore why being 99% of the way there is still a failure to fully trust, and why "partial surrender" is actually a form of rebellion.
• Looking Up, Not Out: Shift your perspective from keeping up with "the Joneses" to finding your "True North" by looking heavenward instead of at material status symbols.
• God’s Strategic Foolishness: Unpack the biblical truth that God often uses things the world deems "foolish" to shame the wise and accomplish His greatest purposes.
• Equipping the Called: Gain encouragement from the reality that you don’t need to be perfectly equipped to start; God provides the tools and the paving as you take the first step.

💬 Memorable Quotes:

• Kersha: "Faith always feels risky because we want clarity and God just simply wants our surrender." 
• Brian: "Delayed obedience is still disobedience... it paralyzes people sometimes." 
• Kersha: "Partial surrender is still rebellion. It’s like going 99% of the way—it’s still failure." 
• Brian: "God cannot steer a parked car. Taking those obedience steps... they might seem infant, but you have to crawl before you walk." Kersha: "The humanly aspect is that we're guaranteed to be born, pay taxes, and die. But when God lays something on your heart, what He says is done." 
• Brian: "Just because somebody looks successful from the outside, they may be totally broken on the inside. They might be on their third marriage." 
• Brian: "They make fun of your journey, but then they relish in your fulfillment. Are you willing to do the work they did to get what they have?"

🛑 Reflect + Apply: Questions to Ask Yourself

1. Are you currently holding back your "yes" because you are waiting for clarity that God has already replaced with a call to surrender?
2. Is there a specific task or "house plan" God has put on your heart that you have been delaying? What would it look like to act on it today?
3. When you look at people 5 or 10 years ahead of you, are you looking at their bank accounts or the quality of their marriages and peace?
4. In what areas of your life are you "99% surrendered"? What is that final 1% that you are still trying to control?
5. Are your daily "inputs" (media, social circles, habits) pulling the fruits of the Spirit out of you or hushing them up?
6. How can you shift your focus this week from "looking out" at your neighbors to "looking up" toward your True North?

Scripture Focus:

This episode provides a practical application of several key biblical principles:

• Hearing the Shepherd (John 10:27): The reminder that Christ’s sheep hear His voice and follow without the need for endless debate or analysis.
• The Definition of Lordship (Luke 6:46): A challenge to the listeners: "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?"
• The Wisdom of the Foolish (1 Corinthians 1:27): How God uses the "foolish" things of the world—like unconventional career moves or simple obedience—to shame the wise.
• The Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23): A check on whether our daily environment is cultivating kindness, joy, and humility.
• The Great Commission & Kingdom Building: The overarching call to build God’s kingdom here on earth while heading toward our final destination.

🙌 Join the Movement

If you’ve been chasing the American Dream only to find it leaving you empty, or if you’re struggling to take that first step of obedience, this episode is your invitation to let go. Brian and Kersha invite you to move past "information constipation" and into a purpose-driven faith that moves heaven. Stop waiting for the perfect "container" or the perfect plan—just start moving, because God can’t steer a car that’s stayed in park.

💻 Visit crazyunbelievablefaith.com to sign up for behind-the-scenes content, submit a prayer request, and stay updated on the exciting things coming in the Spring and Summer of 2026, including our upcoming book launch!

📩 Got questions or want to connect? Brian and Kersha would love to hear how this series is impacting your walk.

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Crazy Unbelievable Faith: Because the life God calls you to isn’t always easy, but it is always worth it.

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