Mature Me w/ Rich Wilkerson Jr.

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.

This week on Mature Me, I’m sitting down with my dear friend @jabinchavez, whose new book, “What to Do in the Valley,” released TODAY! I’ve known Jabin for decades and I loved this conversation about how we grow through the seasons we wouldn’t choose. Even in the promised land, there are still hills and valleys. Being where God called you doesn’t mean you won’t face difficult days. There are things about His character we only learn in the valley. Could the very area you feel most insecure be the place you learn to depend on His strength? His grace is sufficient, even there. And while you’re waiting, keep speaking life. Get a verse. Say it out loud. Speak God’s Word over your situation, even before it changes. You don’t have to have every answer to keep trusting Him. Tune in tonight at 7:30 PM on the Rich Wilkerson Jr. YouTube Channel and get a copy of his book today 🔗

Is the Holy Spirit welcome or is He needed in your life? This week on Mature Me, I sit down with my friend Russell Johnson lead pastor of The Pursuit NW, for a conversation about bold faith and what it means to stay dependent on God. We go after the things we want in life, but when it comes to our faith, we can settle for being open. Open to a miracle. Open to God moving. But are we pursuing Him? Are we praying with expectation and taking steps that require us to trust Him? As we mature, our dependence on God should deepen. More experience, more opportunity, and more responsibility should keep bringing us back to the same place: we need Him. We can be grateful for what God has done and still be hungry for more.

You can believe what God says about everyone else and still struggle to believe it about yourself. This week on Mature Me, I’m sitting down with @hellomanouchka and @dakotaduron to reflect on 11 years of VOUS Church and our recent “Confessions” collection at @vouschurch. We talk about the early days, the friendships that have sustained us and the beliefs we’ve had to confront along the way. “I’m not enough.” “I’m too much.” “I’m not smart enough.” So much of maturity is learning to recognize the lies we’ve accepted and return to what God has spoken. You don’t have to wait until every insecurity disappears to walk in what He’s called you to do. Tune in tonight at 7:30 PM on the Rich Wilkerson Jr. YouTube Channel. 🔗

Your calling can be clear while your development is still incomplete. This week, I’m sharing a message from last week’s staff meeting about growing with what God is doing around you. A growing church needs growing people, and a growing staff needs growing leaders. Growth requires humility. Stay curious. Keep asking questions. No matter how experienced you become, remain teachable. Don’t rush God’s timing or defend your gaps. Let Him develop the character and capacity you need to carry what He has called you to carry. If you’re called to lead, you’re still called to grow. Tune in tonight at 7:30 PM on the Rich Wilkerson Jr. YouTube Channel. 🔗

Men, when you look in the mirror, do you see the man God has called you to be? This week, I’m sharing a commissioning charge from our Man Alive Prayer Breakfast: Stand firm in the faith. Be strong. Act like men. To be a man is to be meek, accountable and needed. To know you are a loved son, fight for your character, and carry the burdens of others. Real strength isn’t about flexing. It’s about guarding your integrity and holding the line. That’s what it means to come alive in Jesus: becoming the man God has called you to be and living with strength, humility, and purpose. Tune in tonight at 7:30 PM on the Rich Wilkerson Jr. YouTube Channel. 🔗 You might of missed this Man Alive Prayer Breakfast, but you don’t have to miss our on the next time we’re gathering 🔥 On October 29, we’re taking a bold step of faith and bringing @vousmanalive to Bayfront Park. We’re making room for 8,000 men to get together and grow in strength. Men of Miami, this is your call. Bring a friend and come alive 💪 RSVP NOW: https://brushfire.com/vouschurch/VOUSMan/637113/tickets

What if the thing you keep excusing is the very thing destroying you? This week on Mature Me, I’m sharing a message I preached at @motiongen called “Don’t Live With It.” The enemy doesn’t start by destroying you overnight. He starts with compromise. One small excuse. One hidden habit. One line crossed so many times that conviction becomes easier to ignore. Jesus warned us that the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. We cannot afford to make peace with what is slowly taking us captive. Train yourself in the Word or you will be defeated in the wilderness. The Word of God is not just something to read. It is a weapon, sharper than any double-edged sword. God doesn’t need your strength. He wants your surrender. If there’s something in your life you know you can’t keep excusing, hiding, or living with, this message is for you. It’s time to draw a line in the sand and fight for the freedom Jesus came to give you. Tune in tonight at 7:30 PM on the Rich Wilkerson Jr. YouTube Channel. 🔗

You don’t notice balance until you lose it. Right before night one of VOUSCon, I shared a message titled “Get Your Balance Back” In a world of extremes, spiritual maturity is learning how to hold the tension. Grace and truth. Conviction and compassion. Awareness without obsession. Because if you can’t balance, you can’t stand. If you can’t stand, you can’t walk. And if you can’t walk, you certainly can’t fight. And we are in a fight. Our wrestle is not against flesh and blood. We need the discernment to recognize the battle without becoming consumed by it. Balance isn’t found in having all the answers. It’s found in staying attached to Jesus. Get your balance back. Tune in tonight at 7:30 PM on the Rich Wilkerson Jr. YouTube Channel. 🔗

There’s a difference between leading from your calling and leading from your cracks. This week I’m sharing a message from a staff meeting titled “Insecurity Is Not Your Identity” We look at Peter’s story, from boldly declaring who Jesus is, to denying Him, to being restored and reminded that his failure never canceled his calling. God already knew Peter would deny Him, and He still chose him. The same is true for you. Insecurity is not your identity. You are seen, called, and chosen. So much of maturity is getting good at returning. Returning to His grace. Returning to the God encounter. Returning to why you started. The calling doesn’t expire when the feeling does. Don’t give up on what God has called you to. Tune in tonight at 7:30 PM on the Rich Wilkerson Jr. YouTube Channel. 🔗

When something isn’t growing, don’t be so quick to blame the seed. On this episode of Mature Me, I sit down with my new friend @lukelezon . I found a clip of him preaching the gospel using The Lion King and knew I had to get him on Mature Me 🔥 Luke is a husband, father, and pastor of @quaychurch. We dive into all things leadership, culture, communication, trust, and forgiveness. Whether you’re building a church, a team, a family, or your own life, healthy things don’t grow by accident. They grow in healthy soil. The same is true in our leadership, relationships, and walk with God. When we cultivate the right environment, we often see God do what once seemed impossible. This conversation is full of practical wisdom for anyone who wants to stop chasing quick growth and start cultivating lasting fruit. Tune in tonight at 7:30 PM on the Rich Wilkerson Jr. YouTube Channel. 🔗

Everyone wants the platform. Few embrace the preparation. On this episode of Mature Me, I sit down with my friend @mannyarango Manny is a husband, father, pastor of @thegardenchurchhtx, and one of the most joyful leaders I know. I've wanted to have this conversation for a long time, and it was worth the wait. We talk about his salvation story, preaching for the first time at just eleven years old, planting a church, and why God often develops us in private long before He ever uses us in public. This conversation is a reminder that fruit takes time, pain can become a teacher, and the season you're in right now deserves your full stewardship. We spend so much time looking ahead that we forget to be faithful with what's already in our hands. As Manny says, we often overestimate what we could do with what we don't have, while underestimating what God can do with what we already do. Don't rush the process. Steward the season God has entrusted to you. Tune in tonight at 7:30 PM on the Rich Wilkerson Jr. YouTube Channel. 🔗

What you can withstand? THAT’S what leadership is On this episode of Mature Me, I sit down with my dear friends @earlmcclellan, @jabinchavez, and @johntermini for a conversation about vision, leadership and the cost of following God’s call. Sometimes vision is not a full picture. It is simply enough light for the next step. We talk about how vision gives pain purpose, why your burden may be connected to your assignment, and what it takes to keep leading through growing pains. We also go deeper into marriage, lust, sexual immorality, studying the Bible, and the difference between collecting information and becoming a disciple. The platform is easy. Dependency is costly. It is in the pressing, the crushing, and the messy parts of the process that God forms us. Tune into the premiere tonight at 7:30 PM on the Rich Wilkerson Jr. YouTube Channel 🔗

We don’t get filled just to stay full. We get filled so we can be poured out. Sat down with one of my friends @chelseaplankk for this week’s episode of Mature Me Chelsea is a wife, artist, singer, songwriter, and Worship Director at SEU. Her music has blessed so many people, including one of our favorite worship songs, “What A God” On this episode of Mature Me, we talk about following the peace of God, preparing for His presence, songwriting, ministry, the student-led revival at SEU, and why His grace, not our gifting, is what sustains us. One line that stayed with me:“Preparation is a sign of expectation.” This conversation is a reminder that worship is more than a moment. It is a life of surrender, preparation, and dependence on God. Tune in tonight at 7:30 PM on the Rich Wilkerson Jr. YouTube channel. 🔗

Peace is YOURS. Jesus left it for YOU. On this episode of Mature Me, I sit down with my dear friend @upsetthegram . Husband, father, pastor, communicator, podcaster — someone who has spent years helping people find language for faith, healing, and freedom. This conversation goes a lot of places, but at the center of it is a deep invitation into peace. We talk about change, calling, controversy, therapy, trauma, rest, lust, and the kind of peace Jesus actually left us. Not a temporary peace. Not a peace that depends on everything being easy. A peace that guards your heart, settles your mind, and reminds your body that God is still in control. Tim said something so powerful: peace comes before power. Because power without peace can destroy. But when you have Shalom first, you can lead, love, respond, and heal from a different place. This episode is a reminder that you just do not have to trade your peace for panic.

Imagine a bunch of Pastor’s Kids in a room recording a podcast… that’s exactly what we did for the Mature Me 100th episode I sat down with @grahamfurtick @charliehughez @dakotaduron on a special episode diving into all things being a pastor’s kid, Gen Z, and ministry. We talk about the story behind @thelivingroom.clt - a young adult Bible that became a movement We get into next gen leadership, growing up in the spotlight, the pressure of influence, surrendering dreams, preaching with purpose, and why maturity is not about being impressive. It is about becoming impactful. This episode is honest, funny, and full of wisdom for anyone learning how to serve faithfully, lead authentically, and keep becoming who God has called them to be. Tune in tonight at 7:30 PM on the Rich Wilkerson Jr. YouTube Channel 🔗

What would change if we recognized that the Holy Spirit isn't optional... he’s essential! On this episode of Mature Me, I sit down with a dear friend @alexseeley. She shares the journey from a young woman praying for purpose to helping build The Belonging Co, while unpacking the message behind her new book, The Divine Counselor. We dive into the topics like why prayer language is an evidence, not the evidence, trusting God's timing when your calling feels delayed, and the difference between spiritual gifts and spiritual maturity Whether you're curious about the Holy Spirit or longing to grow deeper in your walk with God, this episode will challenge, encourage, and expand your perspective. 🔗 Tune into the premiere tonight at 7:30PM on the Rich Wilkerson Jr. YouTube Channel

Did you wake up sober this morning? How about zealous for good works? This week I get to share a conversation that I’m still thinking about. I got to sit down with my friend @triplee a rapper, teacher, worshipper, song writer, husband and father. From being in the christian hip-hop scene for nearly two decades to recently launching his new collection Brag Worship — Trip has a heart to bring theology to melody. We dived into the heart of worship and what that looks like as a Pastor, rapper, church goer, and believer. In this podcast we talk bringing up the next generation, loosing loved ones, being diagnosed with a chronic illness, the christian hip-hop scene, starting new projects, and scripture. This conversation is powerful. I pray it meets you right where you are. Tune into the premiere on the Rich Wilkerson Jr. YouTube Channel at 7:30pm 🔗