Mindsets are tricky simply because they hide in plain sight. We say we believe something that contradicts how we live without ever getting a sense that something is wrong.

Some strongholds don’t shout.

They whisper.

If I was addicted to heroin I would most likely recognize it as a stronghold in my life.

If I am addicted to a Poverty Mentality, am a Zero-Sum Thinker, then I most likely think that I am acting in wisdom.

Some strongholds disguise themselves as “just being realistic”… or “wise with what I know about how life works.”

But underneath?

They’re built on fear, competition, and a deep belief that God’s blessings are limited.

It’s called zero-sum thinking — and it quietly shapes how we see God, ourselves, and each other.

In this post, I’m sharing 10 soul-searching questions that will help you expose and uproot this mindset wherever it’s hiding.

Why Reflective Questions? Because they are some of the best tools for exposing Mindsets that contradict how God thinks.

As always, these aren’t here to shame you — they’re here to free you.

They only work if you do the work.

Find a quiet spot and inquire slowly of your soul.

Let the Holy Spirit highlight what He wants to heal.

Enjoying the Abundance Journey with you, Les

PS: Below the picture I have put the 10 questions just in case that makes it easier for you. And, here is an idea: How about using these to generate some productive and healthy conversation around this topic between you and a friend?

10 Questions for Reflection

* Do I feel less valuable when someone else is winning?

* Do I secretly believe there’s only so much success or opportunity to go around?

* Am I more comfortable when others stay on “my level”?

* Do I find it hard to celebrate others when I’m waiting for my own breakthrough?

* Do I hold back from giving, encouraging, or sharing because I’m afraid there won’t be enough for me?

* Do I think forgiving someone means they “get away” with what they did?

* Do I compare my life constantly to others and always come up short?

* Do I see other churches, ministries, or leaders as competition?

* Do I avoid helping others grow because I fear being replaced or forgotten?

* Do I think God’s blessings are selective — like a lottery I haven’t won yet?

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The way we THINK can be holding us back.

Zero-sum thinking is a Mindset that we see played out in politics and in almost every media news cycle—on every topic.

It is a Mindset that says, “I can only win if you lose”, as well as, “If you win then I lose”.

And, I not only lose but I am now identified as a Loser.

It is the Mindset that makes us arrange people debating into winners and losers instead of assessing the points for truth and alignment with God’s heart and plans.

Zero-Sum Thinking is the idea that life is a fixed pie — if someone else gets a bigger slice, there’s less for you.

And it shows up in more ways than we realize:

* You feel jealous when someone else wins

* You hesitate to give because you fear losing

* You withhold forgiveness because it feels like letting go means losing control

* You compare your pace to someone else’s and assume you're behind

The thing is… none of that aligns with the Kingdom.

God doesn’t deal in scarcity. He multiplies. He overflows.

He gives without running out.

There is unlimited Pie in the Kingdom of Heaven.

In this part of the episode, I walk through some of the sneakiest signs of zero-sum thinking that can quietly infect how we lead, love, and live. And I’m asking you — not just to listen, but to let the Holy Spirit highlight anything He wants to shift.

* Let Him press on the places you’ve been holding back.

* Let Him show you where you’ve confused competition with calling.

* Let Him renew your mind and your vision.

You don’t have to stay stuck in a mindset of not-enough.

There is room for your story. There is time for your breakthrough. There is grace for your path.

Watch or listen to the 5-minute episode — and as always, let it move you to action, not just agreement.

Please Subscribe, Like, Comment and Share!

Enjoying the journey with you,

Les

PS: If you missed #1 you will find the link below.

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Have you ever felt like someone else’s success somehow shrinks your chances?

Like God passed out favor… and skipped your name?

Or maybe you’ve caught yourself thinking, “If they win, I must be losing.”

That’s zero-sum thinking. It’s not just bad psychology, it’s bad theology.

We don’t talk about it often, but this mindset runs deep in so many of us. It hides under our jealousy. It masks itself in false humility.

And sometimes, a lot of the time, it even shows up in our theology; making us believe that God’s blessings are limited, like grace is on a budget.

In this week’s video and two others videos (coming soon), I tackle this head-on:

* What zero-sum thinking looks like in real life

* Why it doesn’t line up with the gospel

* And how you can start shifting into a Kingdom mindset that multiplies instead of competes

* In #3 I ask 10 powerful, reflective questions that will help you expose any zero-sum thinking that might be lurking within your mindsets.

Enjoying the Abundance Mindset journey with you,

Les

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We live in a world that celebrates speed—fast results, instant answers, quick fixes. But life with God was never meant to be lived in a hurry.

Scripture doesn’t always use modern words like “slow down,” “notice,” or even “awareness.” But the wisdom behind those words runs deep through the Bible—especially in Psalms, Proverbs, and the teachings of Jesus.

God didn’t design you to run past beauty, burnout while striving to fulfill your call, or have fast, superficial relationships. He designed you to walk with Him. And sometimes, walking means slowing down, not to stop everything, but to see what is right in front of you—to see what you’ve been missing.

Slowing down isn’t giving up. It’s not laziness or passivity. It’s about leaning in—looking closer, listening deeper, and engaging fully with what God is doing right now.

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In this week’s episode of the podcast, we explore 7 biblical truths about slowing down and noticing—about cultivating what I call holy awareness. These aren't just nice thoughts—they’re spiritual tools for living wisely, loving well, and walking closely with Jesus.

This one’s for anyone who feels like they’ve been moving too fast to hear God… or even notice His hand in their daily life.

Let’s pause together—on purpose—and remember how to walk at God’s pace.

Click the image above to listen, and let’s slow down…together.

Enjoying the journey with you, Les

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This summer in Houston has been different, not the scorcher we’re used to, but surprisingly cooler and wetter. And yet… almost no one is talking about it.

It struck me how quick we are to complain when things go wrong. I know I am!

And how quiet we get when things are going right. When things are normal. Average.

Why is that? And what does that say about our hearts, our habits, and maybe even our ability to hear God?

In this episode, I unpack four reasons why we often overlook the good, and how choosing to notice and celebrate the “normal” can actually draw us closer to God.

Because gratitude isn’t just good manners, it’s a spiritual practice that re-tunes us to the voice of the Father.

Hit play, and let’s explore this idea.

And if it speaks to you, share it with someone who could use a reminder to pause and praise.

Grateful to be on the journey with you,Les

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Almost everyone I talk to as a friend, a coach or a pastor make the false assumption that they are the only ones dealing with what they are dealing with.

It is a little, almost perfect lie designed by the enemy of your soul to keep you in shame, to keep you from talking about it, which always keeps you in bondage.

When it comes to ANTs, Automatic Negative Thoughts, it is important to express them to God in conversation, through a journal and to trusted others.

Once we start doing this we realize that, well, this is just an ANT common to man—which means it is an ANT that can caught and crushed.

When you can name an ANT, you can tame it.

You can talk back to it and replace it with something true.

In POD #70 I cover the 9 most common ANTs and give a Scripture as replacement thought. It is a powerful exercise and puts into practice the scripture about “Taking Every Thought Captive”.

It takes some work but it is the right kind of work that leads to life and life more abundantly.

If you’ve ever wondered “Why do I keep thinking like this?” — you’ll probably see yourself in this list.

The list is not to shame you — but to show you where to start talking back.

I have put a short list of the 9 most common ANTs below the image.

If you have not listened to The ANT Introduction, POD #69, then go back and do that before listening.

Enjoying the ANT Crushing Journey with You,

Les

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The 9 Most Common ANTs

* All-or-Nothing ANTEverything is black or white. If it’s not perfect, it’s a total failure.

* Always ANTYou use words like “always,” “never,” or “every time.” One bad moment becomes “this always happens.”

* Focusing on the Negative ANTYou overlook what went right and fixate on what went wrong.

* Fortune-Telling ANTYou predict the future and assume the worst — as if it’s already true.

* Mind-Reading ANTYou assume you know what other people are thinking — and it’s usually negative.

* Guilt-Beating ANTYou “should” and “must” yourself into shame and regret.

* Labeling ANTYou call yourself names based on one situation or mistake.

* Blaming ANTYou blame others for how you feel, giving away your power.

* Personalizing ANTYou make things about you when they’re not. You assume people’s actions or words are aimed at you.

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Talk Back to Your ANTs — And Take Back Your Mind

Your mind is a beautiful place, created by God and in His image.

But sometimes it gets crowded with thoughts that don’t belong there. Recently I was listening to several Dr. Daniel Amen Podcasts and he calls these thoughts ANTs — Automatic Negative Thoughts.

They sneak in, settle down, and multiply if you don’t deal with them.

I really like that! And, it gave me a creative image for the coaching I do that helps people “take every thought captive”.

I know I do this and I think you probably do also: One small thing goes wrong, and suddenly you’re replaying every mistake you’ve ever made. You’re predicting a doomed future or calling yourself names you’d never say to someone else.

These ANTs show up automatically — but whether they stay is up to you.

Proverbs 23:7 says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”

Your thoughts shape your life.

And Romans 12:2 reminds us, “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

God knew your mind would need a regular rinse cycle. While sleep is the rinse cycle for our Brain (muscle), crushing ants is the rinse cycle for our Mind.

Negative thoughts often feel true, but feeling true isn’t the same as being true.

Most of the time they’re just mental gossip: “Nobody likes you.” “You’re not enough.” “This will fail.” But you can choose to talk back — and build a new trail in your mind, one thought at a time.

In POD #69 we explore what are ANTS, why we have to talk back to them, and how to kill them. It runs just over 8-minutes but it just might be the beginning of a new way of thinking for you!

And, stay tuned for POD #70, which comes out tomorrow (Thursday). In #70 I go over 9 of the most common ANTS and I guarantee that you will hear yourself in some of those!

Enjoying the ANT Killing Journey with You!

Les

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I like deep, complex things that are true, as well as applicable.

Many Christian conversations I stay away from because, well, they so often lead nowhere, as if two people have put their intellectual engines in Neutral and are stepping on the gas making a lot of noise and pollution but never moving forward.

Or worse! They put it into reverse and move backwards into more religious bondage rather than forward into more spiritual freedom and life.

I like to read scripture and meditate on it in order to simplify it—not to water it down but to make it Knowable and Applicable.

This scripture is so well known and so deep that a few minute video cannot do it justice—in fact, a life time of messages preached on it cannot do it justice!

In this video I focus on the importance of the sequence of this scripture. The idea that we must start with Jesus BEFORE we know The Truth and that BEFORE we can have The Life, we must know The Truth.

Order Matters.

Enjoying The Way, The Truth and The Life with you!

Les

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REFLECTION

What is one simple shift you can make this week to walk in The Way, be renewed by The Truth, and come alive in The Life?

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When I did the Train to Maintain Video (POD #65) I kept thinking of all the things I have heard people say that alerts me to the fact that they are not Training Spiritually.

In this video I share 10 very casual statements many Christians make that reveal they are not training to maintain…and why it is important to challenge yourself if you say them.

At the bottom of this article I put a Reflection Exercise you can do by yourself or with a friend.

Listen in and let me know if you are saying any of these statements.

Enjoying the Spiritual Training with you!

Les

PS: This is the second part of Train To Maintain (see POD #65 or SUB Article from this past Wednesday if you missed it).

Reflection Exercise

* Which of these 10 statements do I say most often?Be honest — which one hits closest to home?

* When did I start saying it?Was there a moment or season when my training slipped?

* What is this statement protecting me from doing?Is it keeping me comfortable? Lazy? Spiritually unchallenged?

* Who in my life hears me say this?How does my casual language shape my family’s or friends’ spiritual hunger?

* What would it look like to replace this statement with a declaration of growth?For example: “I don’t feel like reading my Bible” can be stated as: “I choose to feed my spirit today.”

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I recently heard a fitness coach say something that caught my attention: “You’ve got to train to maintain.”

He was talking about aging physically—how after a certain age, the goal isn’t to hit personal bests or break records anymore. The goal is to stay strong, stay flexible, stay mobile… to maintain what you’ve built and keep yourself useful for life.

But I immediately thought of the spiritual life.

Aging in faith is no different. You’ve got to train to maintain.

When we’re young in the faith—on fire, full of fresh revelation—it feels like growth just happens. Every worship service is an encounter. Every scripture feels alive. Every prayer seems to bear fruit.

But somewhere along the way, if we’re not intentional, we settle. We get comfortable. We live off of yesterday’s spiritual strength. And slowly, quietly, our agility in the Spirit diminishes. Our hearing dulls. Our responsiveness to the Spirit’s nudge fades.

Just like in the physical life, if you stop training spiritually, you start losing ground.

You start stumbling, grumbling and mumbling.

Paul told Timothy:

“Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things…” 1 Timothy 4:7–8 (NIV)

Notice that word—train.

Not attend.

Not dabble.

Not “go when you feel like it.”

Train.

Why? Because maintaining spiritual strength, agility, and adaptability—especially as we grow older—requires effort. It requires consistency. It requires learning new rhythms and adapting to new seasons.

If you want to remain sharp, flexible, and useful to God in your later years, you’ve got to train to maintain.

* Keep feeding on the Word.

* Keep practicing listening prayer.

* Keep moving in the gifts of the Spirit.

* Keep pursuing fresh encounters with Jesus.

* Keep surrounding yourself with people who stretch your faith.

Aging in the Spirit is not about coasting. It’s about cultivating. You may not sprint like you once did—but you can walk in a depth, a steadiness, and a richness that the young cannot yet know.

Train to maintain.

Enjoying and training on the journey with you, Les

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