In the final episode of the New Mind, New You series, I’m breaking down Mindset #6: I have everything I need for the season I’m in.

God doesn’t waste a season. The hard moments, the waiting, the failures, the lessons, and even the things I never would have chosen can all be used to prepare me for what’s next. Looking back, I can see how God used different seasons of my life to teach me dependence on Him, develop my character, strengthen my marriage, build my business skills, heal old wounds, and give me the courage to use my voice today.

I’ve learned that sometimes a season feels hard because God is teaching me how to become someone I’ve never been before.

One of the biggest lessons has been surrender. When I stop gripping so tightly, trying to control every outcome, and finally give God the wheel, I make room for Him to work. This year especially, surrender has been transforming me spiritually and mentally and preparing me for whatever He has next.

Every season gives us tools. The patience, discernment, self-control, resilience, wisdom, and faith we develop today become things we carry into tomorrow. Instead of asking God to hurry me into the next season, I’m learning to ask, “What are You trying to teach me here?”

I’m also learning to pay attention to my default response when life gets hard. Do I complain my way through it, or worship my way through it? Nehemiah 8:10 reminds us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Joy isn’t something we have to postpone until life gets easier. We can choose joy, worship, gratitude, and growth right in the middle of the mess.

God has placed each of us where we are for a reason. Our workplace, family, relationships, struggles, and current circumstances can become our mission field. Colossians 3:23 reminds us to work at everything wholeheartedly, as though we are working for the Lord. Even the ordinary, difficult, and boring parts can have purpose when we remember why we’re doing them.

I believe God has been preparing me all along and He’s preparing you too. So don’t wait for the next season to experience His presence. Seek Him here. Grow here. Worship here. Let Him plant seeds here.

You already have everything you need for the season you’re in, and God can use this season to equip you for the one that’s coming.

As we close out the very first New Mind, New You series, I pray these six mindsets have challenged you to think differently, trust God more deeply, and become more rooted in Him. This may be the end of the series, but I know it’s only the beginning of what God is doing.

Stay rooted in the Word and real in your walk.

Elevation full sermon > https://youtu.be/jbhAQ9wcZ1o?is=F4NyzLbt21DvusT-

In this episode of Rooted Real Talk, I’m breaking down Mindset #5: My Joy Is My Job.

It’s easy to believe that we’ll finally be happy when our circumstances change—when the finances get better, the relationship feels easier, the goal is reached, or the pressure finally lets up. But biblical joy isn’t dependent on everything going right. Joy comes from knowing who God is and trusting that He is with us, even when life feels anything but easy.

In Acts 16, Paul and Silas were beaten, imprisoned, and chained for doing what God called them to do—yet instead of waiting for their circumstances to change, they worshiped. They praised God in the prison, and eventually the chains broke loose. Their story reminds me that I don’t have to wait for the breakthrough to experience joy. I can worship while I wait.

I’m also getting real about what this looks like in my own life—the mood swings, frustration, pressure, spiritual opposition, and those moments when my emotions get the best of me. I’m learning that I can be called, anointed, and on mission while still having very human moments. The key is not allowing those moments to become the source of my identity or determine the direction of my life.

Joy doesn’t mean pretending everything is okay. Joy means deciding that the difficulty doesn’t get the final word. I may not be able to control what happens around me, but I can take responsibility for what I focus on, what I speak, what I give my attention to, and where I look for my joy.

So stop outsourcing your joy. Stop postponing it until everything is perfect. The joy of the Lord is your strength, and you can choose to tap into that source right here, right now—even in the middle of the process.

Your joy is your job.

Elevation Church sermon > https://youtu.be/gIvmtVX1Opo?is=HEsiocj5cbjIrTrR

Mindset #4 is one I have to remind myself of constantly: God is not against me. He is with me, working through me, and fighting for me.

In this episode, I talk about how easy it is to mistake God’s protection for punishment. When a prayer isn’t answered the way I hoped, a door closes, or life doesn’t go according to plan, my mind can immediately wonder what went wrong. But sometimes God isn’t withholding something from me He’s protecting me, redirecting me, or preparing something better than what I thought I wanted.

I also dive into how the choices we make today are shaping the future we’ll live tomorrow. There were years of my life when I continued choosing things I knew weren’t good for me, especially alcohol, and then wondered why I kept ending up in the same painful places. God had been trying to get my attention long before the consequences finally forced me to change. I had to repent, surrender, and choose a different way of living.

But there’s another side to this: sometimes you can be doing exactly what God called you to do and still find yourself sinking. Opposition doesn’t automatically mean you’re outside God’s will.

I experienced this recently when several episodes of my podcast were removed from the platforms. I felt behind, overwhelmed, and started questioning whether I knew what I was doing at all. For a moment, I let the circumstances convince me that maybe I was failing. But God reminded me that faith doesn’t mean I’ll never sink it means I don’t have to stay there.

Sometimes the very thing the enemy tries to use to discourage us can become the thing God uses to realign our priorities, strengthen our dependence on Him, remind us of our identity, redirect our steps, and deepen our faith.

So when life gets hard, I’m learning to stop asking only, “God, why is this happening to me?” and start asking, “God, how are You with me in this?”

The battle isn’t proof God abandoned me. The waiting isn’t proof He forgot me. The resistance isn’t proof I’m going the wrong way. And just because I can’t see what God is doing doesn’t mean He isn’t working.

I don’t have to understand everything ahead of me. I just have to trust the One walking with me and take the next faithful step.

God is not against me. He is with me. He is working through me. And He is fighting for me.

New Mind, New You Series #3 — With God There Is Always a Way

In mindset #3 of the New Mind, New You series, we’re focusing on a powerful truth: With God there is always a way, and by faith I will find it.

Through the story of the bleeding woman and Jairus in Mark 5, we see what it looks like to keep believing when circumstances tell us there’s no hope. The woman had suffered for 12 years, yet she refused to let her hurt steal her hope. She believed that if she could just reach Jesus, everything could change and her faith moved her to action.

We also dive into God’s timing and the purpose found in waiting. What feels like a delay may actually be a season of development and preparation. God is still working, even when we can’t see it. Sometimes the question isn’t “What do I need to do next?” but “Who is God developing me to become?”

Faith doesn’t require having the entire plan. It requires trusting God enough to take the next step. Stop treating every obstacle like a dead end. Stop allowing “I don’t know how” to become “It can’t happen.” Shift your thinking from “What if I fail?” to “What if God uses this?”

You may not see a way forward, but God does. Lean not on your own understanding, put your hope in Jesus, focus on possibility, and keep moving.

Faith is a verb. Reach. Move. Believe. Trust.

You don’t need the entire map you just need enough faith to take the next step.

With God, there is always a way. By faith, keep moving until you find it.

Elevation full sermon > https://youtu.be/r3Xl10rDYu8?is=qhFeIhsiGbK7hCzZ

In this episode of the New Mind, New You series, I unpack the powerful truth that our worth doesn't come from our abilities, accomplishments, or the opinions of others it comes from Christ living in us.

Many of us struggle with feeling inadequate, believing we're not qualified or capable enough to fulfill God's calling. But Scripture reminds us that God intentionally uses ordinary people, just like Peter and John in Acts 4, so that His power, not ours, gets the glory.

I share lessons from Pastor Steven Furtick about taking one faithful step at a time, trusting God's voice over the world's, and embracing the mindset of "enough for now." Through personal stories of overcoming rejection, fear, and self-doubt, I explain how God transformed my identity as I surrendered to Him.

This episode is an encouragement to stop comparing yourself, stop performing for people's approval, and start seeing yourself through the Father's eyes. Because when Christ is in you, you already have everything you need for today's assignment.

Key takeaway: Your enoughness isn't found in yourself it's found in Jesus. When you remember whose you are, you'll have the courage to take the next step in faith and become who God created you to be.

Watch P. Stevens sermon here > https://youtu.be/S6T5-Ml1bO4?is=m1cPv_ywflUGBBRk

IG video > https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUbsQJ-kuB-/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==Join the Rooted community > rooted413.org

In this first episode of my New Mind, New You series, I dive into one of the biggest mindset shifts that has transformed my own life: I'm not stuck unless I stop.

Using Matthew 20:29–34, the story of the two blind men who refused to stop calling out to Jesus despite the crowd trying to silence them, I share how I've had to overcome fear, self-doubt, comparison, and limiting beliefs that once kept me from stepping into what God was calling me to do.

I talk about the lies I believed when starting this podcast, how God used my own struggles to strengthen my faith, and why I've learned that my identity cannot be rooted in what people think of me it has to be rooted in Christ.

My prayer is that this episode encourages you to stop believing the lies that are holding you back, trust God with your next step, and remember that you don't have to see the entire path to move forward. God isn't asking you to have it all figured out He's simply asking you to keep following Him one step at a time.

If you've been feeling stuck, I hope this episode reminds you that with Jesus, you're never without hope. Keep going, keep calling on Him, and don't let the enemy convince you to stop. Because the truth is... you're not stuck unless you stop.

Link to Pastor Steven Furtick YouTube episode

https://youtu.be/Z6uLxXDu3rk?is=ovYnTDemAzCi2VzaLink to his book Do the new you

https://a.co/d/0aG8FLS8

Have you ever wondered why the same struggles seem to keep showing up in your life? What if those challenges aren't random but opportunities for growth?

In this episode we're diving into what Scripture says about the tests God allows us to face and why they're essential to our spiritual growth. Together we'll unpack James 1:2-4, 1 Peter 1:6-7, Romans 8:28, and other powerful passages that reveal how God uses trials to strengthen our faith, build perseverance, and shape us into the people He's calling us to become.

We'll talk about:

• Why God allows tests in our lives
• How to recognize when you're resisting what God is trying to teach you
• The difference between surviving a trial and growing through it
• Why joy is a perspective not a feeling
• How every test is preparing you for what's next

If you're walking through a difficult season, feeling discouraged, or wondering why life seems so hard, this episode is a reminder that your trial is not your destination. God isn't wasting your pain He's using it to refine your faith, strengthen your character, and prepare you for His purpose.

Join the community at rooted413.org

In this episode, I'm sharing one of the biggest lessons God has taught me: partial obedience is still disobedience.

For years, I loved Jesus, went to church, and knew Scripture but I wasn't truly living it. I was picking and choosing what I wanted to obey while ignoring the parts that challenged my flesh. Looking back, I can clearly see how every compromise led me further from the life God had for me.

I'll share pieces of my own journey, from breaking free from alcoholism to learning what it really means to surrender every area of my life to Christ. We'll talk about why we negotiate with God, how delayed obedience keeps us stuck, and why knowing God's Word without applying it changes nothing.

I'll also walk through what Scripture teaches about obedience, the blessings that come from trusting God's ways over our own, and how every step of surrender strengthens our faith and brings us closer to the life He created us to live.

If you've been telling yourself, "I mostly obey God," or you've been waiting for the perfect time to say yes to what He's already asked you to do, I pray this episode challenges and encourages you.

The question I'm leaving you with is simple: What is God asking you to fully surrender today?

In this episode, I share how I've learned that spiraling isn't the real problem it's what I choose to do next that matters. We all experience moments where fear, comparison, shame, and insecurity try to take over, but those thoughts don't have to define us. Together, we'll explore what Scripture says about taking our thoughts captive, replacing lies with God's truth, refusing to let feelings lead our lives, and recognizing temptation before it gains momentum. If you've been stuck in a cycle of overthinking or old patterns, I pray this episode reminds you that growth isn't about never struggling again it's about returning to Jesus faster every time you do. Freedom begins the moment you stop agreeing with the lie and start standing on God's truth.

Subscribe to the Rooted Report > rooted413.org

In this episode of Rooted Real Talk, I get real about an area where God has been convicting my own heart: the Fruit of the Spirit. After recognizing that stress, exhaustion, and a poor mindset were affecting how I treated the people around me, I realized it wasn't just about being "nice" it was about becoming more like Christ.

Together, we take a deep dive into each of the nine qualities found in Galatians 5:22–23 love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control and explore what they truly mean, why they matter, and how they transform our everyday lives. This isn't a checklist of behaviors to master; it's the evidence of a life being changed by the Holy Spirit.

If you've been struggling with difficult people, overwhelming circumstances, impatience, or simply feeling convicted that your actions aren't matching your faith, this conversation will encourage and challenge you to let God produce lasting fruit in your life from the inside out.