God's Plan vs. The American Dream
God's Plan vs. The American Dream
In this fiery and thought-provoking episode, Brian and Kersha Owen challenge listeners to examine whether they're truly following Jesus—or following Jesus plus the American Dream. What begins as a discussion about resolutions versus intentions quickly becomes a deep dive into the tension between cultural expectations and God's calling, asking the uncomfortable question: Are you chasing comfort or chasing God?
Between stories of buying boats they couldn't afford, the pressure to "keep up with the Joneses," and Brian's confession about building a house that never felt like home, this episode delivers both brutal honesty and biblical truth that Crazy Unbelievable Faith is known for. Brian and Kersha unpack the danger of seeking God's approval on our blueprints rather than surrendering to His plans, the difference between chasing God's calling versus chasing God Himself, and why real faith requires stepping into uncomfortable waters. They challenge listeners to evaluate whether they're storing up earthly treasures or heavenly ones, whether their eyes are fixed 20 feet ahead or fixed above, and whether they're willing to let God stretch them in the areas they're holding onto most tightly.
With powerful imagery of light defeating darkness and Peter stepping onto the water, Brian and Kersha remind us that God doesn't call us to comfort—He calls us to faith. This isn't just about rejecting materialism; it's about surrendering our timelines, our money, our comfort zones, and our carefully constructed plans to a God who sees the bigger picture. It's about being counter-cultural in a world that worships success, and choosing to follow Jesus even when it costs us everything we thought we wanted.
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🔥 What You'll Learn
Jesus vs. Jesus + The American Dream: The critical distinction between genuine faith and the comfortable Christianity that adds God's blessing to our own plans while keeping control of our comfort, money, and timeline.
The Joneses Mindset: Why society's pressure to have the boat, the big house, and the picture-perfect life is a "monopoly mindset" that sets us up for stress, debt, and chasing things that ultimately don't satisfy.
Uncomfortable Waters: Why God's calling will always push you into discomfort, and how the absence of being stretched or challenged might be a sign you're following your own plans rather than His will.
Chasing God's Calling vs. Chasing God: Brian and Kersha's most profound question—are you hyper-focused on what God wants you to do, or are you longing to be closer to who God is? The distinction changes everything.
Earthly Treasures vs. Heavenly Treasures: A fresh look at Matthew 6:19-21 and why placing our security in material things, career success, or societal approval leaves us vulnerable to loss and disappointment.
Eyes Fixed Above, Not Ahead: The difference between looking 20 feet in front of you (keeping your gaze on outcomes and goals) versus looking up to God (keeping your gaze on Him and trusting His direction).
God's Timeline, Not Yours: Why surrendering to God's timing is one of the hardest parts of faith, and how financial and material pressures can reveal what we're truly holding onto.
Light Defeats Darkness: Brian's powerful illustration of how light shining from above can penetrate any darkness, while light reflecting up can only illuminate the ground—and why the direction of our focus matters.
The Broader Picture: Why Christians can get so hyper-focused on one piece of God's calling that they miss the fullness of what He's inviting them into, and how stepping back reveals the bigger puzzle.
What God Wants to Break Down: The uncomfortable truth that whatever you're clinging to most tightly is exactly what God wants to stretch you on—whether it's a house, a job, a relationship, or your sense of security.
💬 Memorable Quotes
Kersha: "Let's be real. Are we really following Jesus, or are we following Jesus plus the American dream?"
Brian: "Are we following Jesus plus the American dream? Is it this overlapping? Like I'll do God's will as long as we're staying comfortable?"
Kersha: "Society puts these things on us that you need the boat, you need the nice big house. It's a keeping up with the Joneses mindset. Who's Jones? I don't know. Who are they?"
Brian: "We have 13 plus years that's been fed to you to go to school, get good grades, get a good job, and you'll be comfortable. You'll be happy. But we know a lot of people—we have gone through unhappy seasons having walked that path."
Brian: "Am I chasing the material things or am I chasing the things that God has put in my life?"
Kersha: "Are we chasing earth or are we chasing heaven?"
Kersha: "If we're living for God, he's going to call us into uncomfortable waters. He's going to call us into doing uncomfortable things."
Kersha: "Are you doing things that aren't making you uncomfortable? And is it really God's will for you?"
Kersha: "Or is it: God, bless my plans. Approve of my blueprints. Don't touch my comfort. Don't touch my money. And don't touch my timeline."
Kersha: "If that's the way in which you're coasting through life, then you really are trying to say, I will follow Jesus plus the American dream, rather than I will follow Jesus."
Kersha: "I had my eyes fixed 20 feet in front of me rather than my eyes fixed above me."
Kersha: "I think that we have to determine, are we chasing God's calling or are we chasing God?"
Brian: "Are we just going to stay surface level in 2026? No. We're going there."
Brian: "Are we chasing God's call on my life? Or am I chasing God? Am I longing to be closer to him as a whole, or am I longing to be closer to him in this one little slice of his call?"
Kersha: "His calling is much broader than the thing that he's asking you to do."
Brian: "It's important for us as Christians to assess and reflect—what are we doing? Are we chasing the American dream? Are we chasing God's plan? Or are we chasing both?"
Kersha: "Make sure that your eyes aren't fixed in front of you. They're fixed above you."
Brian: "The light coming this way can only hit the ground and reflect up. The light shining down can cast into any form of darkness."
Kersha: "Light defeats darkness. As long as we're looking for it."
Kersha: "It's like we think, oh my gosh, this world is caving in. This challenge, this job, this scenario. I don't think I'm ever going to get out of it. People can get out of it. There is a way. It's just being focused on God, his path. But it's also allowing it to be in God's timeline."
Brian: "God will stretch you and whatever you're holding onto, he's going to try to break down to show you you're holding on to that."
Brian: "I remember the night that I first laid my head down, I—it didn't feel like my home. It felt like his. But that's okay."
Kersha: "Are you chasing the American dream? Are you chasing God's will? Or are you chasing both?"
Kersha: "Which is: God, I will take up my latte and I will follow you instead of take up my cross and follow you."
🛑 Reflect + Apply: Questions to Ask Yourself
Are you following Jesus, or are you following Jesus plus the American Dream? What's the difference in your life?
When was the last time God called you to do something that made you genuinely uncomfortable? Did you obey, or did you negotiate with Him to stay comfortable?
What are you holding onto most tightly—your comfort, your money, your timeline, or your plans? Is God asking you to surrender it?
Do you pray "God, bless my plans" or "God, I surrender to Your plans"? What does your prayer life reveal about who's really in control?
Are you chasing God's calling (what He wants you to do) or chasing God Himself (who He is)? What would change if you shifted your focus?
When you think about "success," are you measuring it by cultural standards (house, career, comfort) or by kingdom standards (obedience, faith, intimacy with God)?
Are your eyes fixed 20 feet ahead—focused on outcomes, goals, and timelines—or are they fixed above on God? Where is your gaze in this season?
What would you describe as your "American Dream"? Is it aligned with God's calling on your life, or are they in tension?
Have you experienced a season where God stretched you financially, materially, or emotionally? Looking back, what did you learn about what you were holding onto?
Are there areas of your life where you've been hyper-focused on one piece of God's calling while missing the broader picture He's inviting you into?
When you evaluate your recent decisions, are they motivated by "keeping up with the Joneses" or by keeping up with Jesus?
Do you believe that God's light can penetrate any darkness in your life? Or are you still trying to generate your own light from below?
If Peter stepped out of the boat in faith and started sinking when he took his eyes off Jesus, where are you in that story right now? In the boat? On the water? Sinking? Being rescued?
What earthly treasures are you storing up that moth, rust, and time can destroy? What would it look like to invest in heavenly treasures instead?
Are you willing to let 2026 be the year you stop chasing comfort and start chasing God—even if it costs you everything you thought you wanted?
📖 Biblical Principles Focus
This episode centers on the profound tension between cultural expectations and biblical surrender, challenging believers to examine whether they're truly following Christ or merely adding Him to their pursuit of the American Dream:
Principle of Undivided Allegiance (Matthew 6:24, Luke 14:33): "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." Jesus's words cut to the heart of the American Dream dilemma—we cannot simultaneously chase cultural success and kingdom faithfulness. Brian and Kersha's challenge to evaluate whether we're following "Jesus plus the American Dream" echoes Christ's call to radical, undivided allegiance. Adding God's blessing to our own plans is not the same as surrendering our plans to God.
Principle of Heavenly Treasure vs. Earthly Treasure (Matthew 6:19-21): "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven... For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Kersha's question—"Are we chasing earth or are we chasing heaven?"—directly applies this teaching. The cultural pressure to accumulate, achieve, and display success runs counter to Jesus's instruction. Our investment reveals our values, and earthly treasures are temporary and vulnerable.
Principle of Uncomfortable Obedience (Matthew 14:28-31, Luke 9:23): Peter stepping out of the boat to walk on water exemplifies the kind of faith God calls us to—faith that leaves the safety of the familiar and steps into uncomfortable, impossible circumstances. "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." Kersha's insight that "God is going to call us into uncomfortable waters" reflects the biblical pattern: Abraham leaving his homeland, Moses confronting Pharaoh, the disciples leaving their nets. Comfort is not the goal; obedience is.
Principle of Seeking First the Kingdom (Matthew 6:33, Colossians 3:1-2): "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." Brian's illustration of eyes fixed ahead (20 feet in front) versus eyes fixed above captures this principle perfectly. When we prioritize God's kingdom over our own advancement, when we look up rather than forward, our entire perspective shifts. The "Joneses mindset" of comparison and accumulation is fundamentally about horizontal vision—looking around at others. Kingdom vision is vertical—looking up to God.
Principle of Surrendered Plans and Timeline (Proverbs 16:9, James 4:13-15): "In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps." "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow... Instead you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'" Kersha's challenge about surrendering our comfort, money, and timeline reflects the biblical call to submit our plans to God rather than asking God to bless our plans. The prayer "God, approve my blueprints" is fundamentally different from "God, show me Your blueprints."
Principle of Light Overcoming Darkness (John 8:12, 1 John 1:5-7): "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Brian's powerful imagery—light shining down penetrates darkness while light reflecting up only illuminates the ground—illustrates why the source and direction of our focus matters. When we look to God as our light source, His illumination can reach into every shadowed area of our lives. When we try to generate light from our own efforts, resources, or understanding, we can only see what's immediately in front of us.
Principle of Intimacy vs. Activity (Psalm 42:1-2, Philippians 3:8-10): The distinction between "chasing God's calling" and "chasing God" reflects the tension between doing for God and being with God. Paul writes, "I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings." The psalmist declares, "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." God's calling is not merely a task list or a mission statement—it's an invitation into deeper relationship with Him. We can become so consumed with what God has asked us to do that we neglect who God is inviting us to become.
Principle of God's Refining Process (Malachi 3:3, James 1:2-4): "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." "Consider it pure joy... whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." Brian's insight that "God will stretch you and whatever you're holding onto, he's going to try to break down" reflects the biblical understanding of God's refining work. The areas we grip most tightly—whether material possessions, relationships, timelines, or our sense of control—are often the areas where God most wants to grow our faith and trust. The stretching is not punishment; it's transformation.
🙌 Join the Movement
If you've been coasting through a comfortable Christianity that keeps God at arm's length from your wallet, your calendar, and your comfort zone, let this episode be your wake-up call. The American Dream promises security, success, and satisfaction—but it can't deliver on any of those promises in a way that lasts. Only God can. This week, we challenge you to get brutally honest: Are you following Jesus, or are you following Jesus plus your own plans? Write down the areas where you're asking God to "bless your blueprints" instead of surrendering to His. Identify what you're holding onto most tightly—your comfort, your money, your timeline—and ask God if He's inviting you to release your grip.
Remember: uncomfortable obedience is still obedience. God doesn't call us to comfort; He calls us to faith. Stop praying "God, don't touch my comfort" and start praying "God, I'm Yours—stretch me, use me, take me wherever You want." The light shining down from above can penetrate any darkness in your life, but you have to be willing to look up instead of ahead. You have to be willing to step out of the boat even when the water looks impossible.
Are you chasing God's calling, or are you chasing God? The answer to that question will determine the trajectory of your entire year—and your entire life. Be counter-cultural. Be uncomfortable. Be fully surrendered. And watch what God does when you stop adding Him to your plans and start living fully inside His.
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