Blessed + Bossed Up

In this episode of Blessed + Bossed Up, we continue our book club discussion of The Spirit-Filled Life by Charles Stanley, wrapping up Part Three of the book. These final chapters focus on the spiritual markers the Holy Spirit uses to confirm God’s will—and today’s conversation dives into the first two: peace and the conscience.
Tatum unpacks why peace is often the first and clearest indicator that the Holy Spirit is either affirming or resisting a decision. Through a powerful story from Charles Stanley’s own ministry—where waiting on God led to a debt-free miracle—this episode challenges the tendency to panic, self-rely, or rationalize disobedience when God seems silent.
The episode also includes several personal testimonies illustrating how the absence or presence of peace has guided major life decisions, from entrepreneurship and ministry to relationships and family choices. These stories highlight that spiritual maturity is not a prerequisite for the Holy Spirit to lead—He speaks from the very beginning of our walk with God.
In the second half of the episode, the discussion turns to Stanley’s second marker: the conscience. While acknowledging the biblical framework presented in the book, Tatum offers honest reflection and thoughtful critique, questioning whether the conscience should be treated as a distinct marker separate from the Holy Spirit’s work of renewing the mind. This portion of the conversation invites listeners into deeper discernment, encouraging them to study Scripture, pray intentionally, and test what resonates with the Spirit.
The episode closes with practical reflection questions from the book to help listeners evaluate decisions they may be facing—especially when peace seems unclear or external advice conflicts with inner conviction.
This episode is an invitation to slow down, listen closely, and trust that the Holy Spirit is actively leading—even when His direction doesn’t make logical sense

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com
* Check out Bobbie: https://www.hibobbie.com
* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.com
* Check out Marley Spoon: https://marleyspoon.com/offer/BLESSED

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/blessed-bossed-up7264/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today’s episode is a special one—Tatum sits down with Raevyn Hokett, a longtime friend and fan-favorite guest who first entered Tatum’s life as her business coach back in 2014, helping her transition from employee to full-time entrepreneur. Their relationship has grown over the years into genuine friendship (Tatum even officiated Raevyn and her husband Tim’s wedding!), and in this conversation they go deep on what it really means to build a legacy God’s way.
Together, they unpack legacy and longevity in entrepreneurship, how to steward influence and resources, and why “doing business God’s way” often includes wilderness seasons that teach dependence, humility, and true alignment.
Want to watch the interview? This episode is also available on YouTube (link in the show notes).
In This Episode, We Talk About
Why Raevyn is an OG guest and always a listener favorite
What legacy looks like when you’re building with eternity in mind
The difference between being self-made vs. submitted to God
How success without God can become a “cocktail for danger”
Learning to trust God in manna seasons—daily provision and dependency
When obedience doesn’t look like immediate overflow
The moment God told Raevyn to shut down a lucrative coaching business
How God uses closed doors as protection (including a major 2020 “dodged bullet”)
How spiritual gifts (especially prophecy + discernment) protect and guide in business
Why business models must evolve—and how God leads transitions ahead of time
Guarding your gates: distraction, comparison, AI “busy work,” and spiritual compromise
The power of abiding—stillness, hearing God, and resisting hustle culture

Resource Mentioned + Listener Discount
Raevyn is currently offering Rich Disciples Academy, specifically the Calling to Cash Flow Starter Kit, designed to help believers turn their God-given calling into sustainable income.
Blessed + Bossed Up listeners get 50% off with code: BLESSED
(Link: https://stan.store/richdisciples/p/the-calling-to-cashflow-starter-kit)

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com
* Check out Bobbie: https://www.hibobbie.com
* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.com
* Check out Marley Spoon: https://marleyspoon.com/offer/BLESSED

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/blessed-bossed-up7264/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode of Blessed + Bossed Up, the host continues the book club series with The Spirit-Filled Life by Charles Stanley, covering Chapters 13 and 14, which focus on the Holy Spirit’s role in guidance, decision-making, sensitivity, and neutrality before God.
The episode opens with an invitation to the Clarity Reset, a free two-week challenge inside The Society, designed to help participants realign their capacity, priorities, and spiritual focus by slowing down rather than adding more.
Episode Highlights:
Why many people struggle due to lack of clarity—not discipline or work ethic
How busyness and goal-driven living can dull spiritual sensitivity
The Holy Spirit as a guide, not a controller
Four key truths about the Holy Spirit:
He guides
He is trustworthy
He is God’s mouthpiece to believers
The Holy Spirit speaks
Real-life examples of Spirit-led guidance in parenting, career decisions, and resisting distractions
Why God cares about both major and seemingly small decisions
The importance of recognizing and trusting how the Holy Spirit communicates personally
Chapter 14 Focus: The Principle of Neutrality
Why God often remains silent when believers approach Him with fixed agendas
The danger of asking God to bless plans already made
How emotional attachment can distort discernment
Why worship helps cultivate neutrality and clarity
How misplaced faith in promises God never made leads to disappointment
The connection between neutrality, obedience, and peace

Key Takeaway:
Clarity comes from sensitivity, and sensitivity grows when believers approach God with a neutral heart—willing to release their own agendas and fully submit to His will.
Resources Mentioned:
The Spirit-Filled Life by Charles Stanley: https://amzn.to/45Jzcf6
The Clarity Reset (free two-week challenge inside The Society): thesocietychallenge.com

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com
* Check out Bobbie: https://www.hibobbie.com
* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.com
* Check out Marley Spoon: https://marleyspoon.com/offer/BLESSED

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/blessed-bossed-up7264/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, I’m joined by my friend and podcast fave Kristen Hopkins Vincent—and yes, we’re talking about the Vincent part today! Kristen returns with powerful updates on her life (she’s a wife and a mom now!) and on the incredible work happening through Black SEL.
We dig into Kristen’s transition from Dangers of the Mind to Black SEL, why culturally-rooted social and emotional learning is essential for Black communities, and what it looks like to build a mission-driven organization with radical obedience to God. Kristen shares moments where obedience didn’t make sense—like moving forward with a major conference during a hurricane—and how God confirmed the vision through provision, research, and undeniable fruit.
We also talk about the very real emotions that come up when you’re following God’s timing: shame, guilt, feeling unseen, and learning how to embrace seasons of being hidden. And Kristen’s testimony around marriage and motherhood is such a needed reminder: it’s not too late, and God is always intentional.
Before we get into it: Kristen and her husband received the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award—and she forgot to mention it in the conversation because that’s what happens when you’re focused on obedience and doing the Lord’s work.
In this episode, we cover:
What Black SEL is and why it’s necessary
Kristen’s transition from Dangers of the Mind to launching a nonprofit
The 5 core competencies of social-emotional learning (and how Black SEL frames them)
Why SEL must be culturally affirming to truly serve Black students and communities
Building “God’s way” vs. building in your own might
The difference between a “me” assignment and a “we” assignment
Navigating shame, guilt, and the pressure to be seen
Seasons where God hides you—and why that protection matters
Kristen’s hurricane conference testimony and how God made the way
The research that revealed how little SEL scholarship centers Black communities
Waiting on God for marriage and motherhood—and what it means to pray for alignment with your assignment
A word for the woman juggling purpose, business, love, and obedience
“The position of your mind determines the posture of your life”

Connect with Kristen + Support Black SEL
Visit: BlackSEL.org
Donate + learn more about the mission and programming
Get involved / volunteer (especially if you’re in North Carolina)

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com
* Check out Bobbie: https://www.hibobbie.com
* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.com
* Check out Marley Spoon: https://marleyspoon.com/offer/BLESSED

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/blessed-bossed-up7264/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this bonus episode, we officially pick back up our book club read of The Spirit-Filled Life by Charles Stanley after pausing in Q4 due to major life transitions, including starting law school and welcoming a new baby. The goal now is simple: finish the book together and apply it practically as we move into a new year.
If you are new to the book club, all previous episodes are linked in the show notes, along with the link to purchase the book. This remains one of my top Christian books of all time and one I believe should be reread regularly, especially at the beginning of the year.
Today’s Focus: Chapter 11 — Doing God’s Work God’s Way
While this episode technically covers Chapters 11 and 12, the primary focus is Chapter 11. Chapter 12 largely reiterates themes already covered earlier in the book regarding the Holy Spirit, so today’s discussion centers on what it truly looks like to build, work, and live by God’s Spirit rather than our own strength.
The chapter opens with Zechariah 4:6–7:
“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”
Using the story of Zerubbabel rebuilding the temple, Charles Stanley reminds us that:
God knows we will face opposition
God does not always remove obstacles
God prepares us instead
Self-sufficiency is often the greatest opposition
This scripture is a critical anchor for anyone building a business, pursuing goals, or stepping into God-ordained work.
No Separation Between Spiritual and Secular Work
Colossians 3:23–24 reminds us that “whatever you do” is service to the Lord. God does not divide life into sacred and secular categories. Your job, business, career, and daily responsibilities are all part of your calling.
Even in environments where faith cannot be openly expressed, excellence, humility, integrity, and Spirit-dependence still glorify God. Your work ethic and posture can be a bridge to someone who may never step into a church.
Two Ways to Approach God’s Work
Doing God’s work in the flesh looks like:
relying on skill, experience, influence, and strategy
planning first and asking God to bless it later
measuring success by numbers, money, or visibility
operating in stress, pressure, and control
Doing God’s work by the Spirit looks like:
beginning with dependency
hearing from God before planning
remaining flexible and surrendered
allowing God to receive the glory
God’s work done God’s way carries an unmistakable mark. It produces transformation, not just emotional stimulation or surface-level success.
Five Indicators You’re Doing God’s Work God’s Way
According to Charles Stanley, Spirit-led work is marked by:
Knowing the work will fail if God does not intervene
Seeing God as your only true source
Looking for evidence of the Spirit’s intervention
Living without chronic stress
Spending more time thanking God than asking Him
If these are not currently descriptive of you, that is not condemnation—it is an invitation to course-correct.
Final Encouragement
This episode is especially timely for the beginning of the year, when many of us are setting goals and making plans. If you started the year operating in the flesh, now is the time to bring those plans back to God, repent of self-sufficiency, and realign your posture.
Write these five indicators down. Keep Zechariah 4:6 somewhere visible. Check yourself often and intentionally choose to do God’s work God’s way.
We have two more bonus episodes to finish the book before moving on to our next book club pick.
Thank you for listening to another episode of the Blessed + Bossed Up podcast.
Previous episodes:
https://www.blessedandbossedup.com/podcast/episode/39405540/the-joy-youve-been-missing-starts-with-the-holy-spirit
https://www.blessedandbossedup.com/podcast/episode/3255ebb2/the-holy-spirit-is-not-an-it-or-a-ghost
https://www.blessedandbossedup.com/podcast/episode/20f3c1c7/faith-over-formula
https://www.blessedandbossedup.com/podcast/episode/4df616ba/abiding-over-achieving
https://www.blessedandbossedup.com/podcast/episode/2213e340/the-faith-factor
https://www.blessedandbossedup.com/podcast/episode/28425033/keeping-in-step-with-the-spirit

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com
* Check out Bobbie: https://www.hibobbie.com
* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.com
* Check out Marley Spoon: https://marleyspoon.com/offer/BLESSED

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/blessed-bossed-up7264/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy