Mature Me w/ Rich Wilkerson Jr.

What if the pressure you’re trying to escape is the very thing God is using to grow you?

This week on Mature Me, @dakotaduron and I sit down with one of my dearest friends @lukebarry. Luke has been part of VOUS since the very beginning and today we’re celebrating the release of his first book, "The Story of Your Soul."

We talk about taking steps of faith, staying committed when things get difficult and learning to embrace the tension that comes with life.

Something Luke has really stuck with me: “The tension of life has an intention and the intention is transformation.”

I love that. Sometimes we see discomfort as a sign that something is wrong, when it might be exactly where God is growing us.

The weight doesn’t always get lighter, but we do get stronger.

What if the moments that seem small today are actually part of something God has been writing for years?
This week on Mature Me, I sit down with @mattycrocker, worship leader and songwriter with Hillsong UNITED, who helped write songs like “Oceans” that have impacted people around the world.
Matt takes us back to the early days of songwriting, the people God placed in his life, and how losing his sister shaped his perspective on what really matters.
I love the reminder that God is in the details. The relationships, the transitions, even the seasons we wouldn’t have chosen. Sometimes it takes looking back to see how God was working all along.
And the older we get, the more we realize it’s not just about what we accomplish, but who we’re becoming along the way.

What happens when what you do for God becomes more important than being with Him?This week on Mature Me, I sat down with someone I admire, ‪@TiffanyHudsonMusic‬ a wife, mom, worship leader and songwriter, for a conversation we recorded all the way from Bondi Beach, Australia!One thing that really stayed with me was hearing Tiffany say, “I don’t feel called to lead worship. I feel called to His presence.”I love that. Because sometimes we get so caught up in what we're doing for God that we forget to simply be with Him.We talk about the power of the words spoken over our lives, the years of preparation nobody sees and why so much of our growth happens in the secret place.You can be around the things of God and still miss time with God. We don't learn His voice on a platform. We learn it in private. And no matter how long we've been following Jesus, we never outgrow our need for Him.My prayer is that this conversation encourages you to make room for His presence.

It’s one thing to sing about surrender. It’s another thing to have to live it.

This week on Mature Me, I sat down with one of my friends and heroes @joelhouston . We had such an honest conversation about stepping away from the platform, wrestling with disappointment and finding God in the middle of unanswered questions.

Joel has helped so many of us put words to our worship through Hillsong UNITED. He shares how he felt closer to God alone than in some of his most intimate moments on stage. The very things he’d written songs about, he found himself walking through.

It’s hard to say “I don’t know” when people expect you to have the answers. But we can bring our questions to God. We don’t have to have it all figured out to come to Him.
If you’re navigating a season where your faith feels more like a wrestle, I believe this conversation will encourage you.

How do you know if it’s God speaking or just what you want to hear?
This week on Mature Me, I’m joined by Dr. Allen Tennison and Dakota Duron to talk about hearing God’s voice and learning to trust His direction.
I think so many of us can relate to wanting a clear answer. We want to know which decision to make, which door to walk through, what comes next. But becoming familiar with God’s voice starts with getting to know His character.
Even when we don’t find an immediate answer, time in His Word is forming us. We’re learning to recognize His voice and obey what He’s already said.
My prayer is that this conversation helps you grow in confidence that God is with you, even while you’re waiting for direction.