Episode 230: Closing the Year with Clarity, Alignment, and Authority

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In today’s episode, Mark and I sit down together to talk about something we practice every single year — intentional year-end reflection through the right questions. Not surface-level questions. Not reactive questions. But questions that actually expose what’s driving you, where you’ve been operating from fear or self-reliance, and what needs to change before you move forward.

This conversation isn’t about hustling harder next year.

It’s about upgrading the operating system you’re carrying into the next season.

If you’ve ever wondered why things don’t look that different year after year — despite working harder — this episode will help you see why.

This Episode Is for You If:

• You’re ready to close the year with honesty instead of avoidance
• You want clarity before you set goals, not after
• You feel stretched, busy, or reactive and want to regain alignment
• You’re a leader, builder, or parent who wants your life to reflect intention—not chaos
• You sense God calling you to slow down, reflect, and recalibrate before moving forward

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The Quality of Your Life Is Shaped by the Quality of Your Questions

Most people plan the next year based on what they don’t want from the last one. That’s reactive. In this episode, we talk about why asking deeper, more challenging questions is what actually creates transformation.

Why Reflection Must Come Before Goal Setting

If you don’t pause to examine what got you here — your beliefs, habits, fuel sources, and patterns — you’ll keep building the future with the same materials. Growth requires awareness.

First Fruits Are More Than Money

We unpack what it really means to honor God with the first fruits of your time, energy, attention, and focus — not just finances. Time is one of the most valuable currencies you steward, and how you prioritize it reveals what you truly trust.

Systems Create Peace — Chaos Reveals Gaps

Where your life feels chaotic, there is usually a lack of structure or system. We talk through real examples — from marriage to leadership to health — and why systems don’t restrict you; they give you back time and clarity.

Why Rushing Timing Creates Delay

One of the most confronting questions we discuss is where we’ve been forcing outcomes, rushing God’s timing, or choosing short-term relief over long-term assignment. Often, the delay we’re frustrated by isn’t God’s — it’s self-created.

True Growth Requires Trust, Not Control

There comes a point where strategy alone can’t carry you. The deepest growth happens when you surrender your agenda, stop relying on self-effort, and allow God to lead — even when it feels uncomfortable.

NOTABLE QUOTES

“Most people rush to plan the next year without ever pausing to ask what actually got them here."

“God responds to priority, not leftovers.”

“Time is one of the most valuable currencies you steward — and how you use it reveals what you trust.”

“Where there is chaos, there is usually a lack of system.”

“The delay we’re frustrated by is often the result of rushing instead of trusting.”

“You’ll never feel more alive than when the only way through is total dependence on God.”

SCRIPTURES REFERENCED

Proverbs 3:9–10 — Honoring God with first fruits

Proverbs 11:24–25 — Generosity and increase

Matthew 6:33 — Seek first the Kingdom

1 Corinthians 14:40 — God is a God of order

Mark 8:36 — The cost of short-term gain