Hole in One Mindset: Surrender, Purpose, Love for Jesus

Jul 19, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Surrendering the Scorecard to the Caddy

The golfer’s caddy holds the club they need before they even ask. Surrender isn’t passive resignation but active trust in the One who knows every hazard and green. Just as a pro golfer leans on their caddy’s wisdom, we’re called to release our need to control outcomes. Jesus isn’t a backup plan—He’s the coach who sees the entire course. True worship begins when we stop negotiating with God and hand Him the scorecard. What feels impossible to release today might be the very thing keeping you from a birdie with God. [51:26]

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” (Romans 12:1, NIV)

Reflection: What “club” have you been white-knuckling instead of surrendering to Jesus? How might releasing it shift your focus from frustration to trust?

Day 2: Renewing the Mind, Not Just Resolutions

New Year’s resolutions crumble when willpower fades, but transformed minds outlast January’s hype. Paul doesn’t say “try harder”—he says “be transformed.” Like a golfer fixated on a bad shot, we often rehearse past failures instead of God’s mercies. Renewal starts when we replace “I have to” with “He already did.” Every thought is a seed: plant gratitude, not guilt. What mental weeds need pulling to make room for hope? [47:36]

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2, NIV)

Reflection: Which repetitive thought drains your spiritual energy? What truth from Scripture could replace it today?

Day 3: Gratitude as the Gateway to God’s Presence

A golfer stuck in the sand trap forgets the 17 good holes. Gratitude isn’t denial—it’s defiance against despair’s tunnel vision. Listing 100 blessings isn’t bragging; it’s rewiring the brain to spot God’s fingerprints. The psalmist wrote hymns in caves, not castles. Even “thank You for this breath” cracks open heaven’s door. What mundane gift have you overlooked because it didn’t come wrapped in lightning? [56:41]

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, NIV)

Reflection: Write three “small” blessings you’d miss if they vanished tomorrow. How do they reveal God’s nearness?

Day 4: Your Putter Isn’t a Driver (And That’s Okay)

No golfer wins using only one club. The body of Christ needs teachers, servers, and mercy-showers—not solo stars. Comparing your 7-iron to someone’s wedge breeds jealousy, not joy. John the Baptist didn’t resent being the warm-up act; he thrilled at fading so Jesus could shine. Your role isn’t a consolation prize—it’s a custom-designed assignment. Where have you undervalued your swing because it isn’t flashy? [59:39]

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach…” (Romans 12:6–7, NIV)

Reflection: What unique “club” has God placed in your bag? How can you use it this week without apologizing for its shape?

Day 5: Hate the Sin, Love the Savior

The best golfers don’t ignore hazards—they study them to avoid disaster. Hating sin isn’t self-loathing; it’s guarding your heart’s green. Jesus’ love isn’t soft on evil—it’s a wildfire that purges compromise. Like a caddy pointing out hidden bunkers, the Spirit helps us despise what harms our walk. What habit have you rationalized that’s slowly sinking your spiritual scorecard? [01:05:06]

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.” (Romans 12:9, NIV)

Reflection: What “hazard” in your life needs honest naming? How would hating it create space for deeper love of Jesus?

Sermon Summary

The whole in one mindset begins with the plain truth that the mind can either become a greatest asset or a greatest liability. Golf gives the picture, because one great shot can mess up the next one if the mind stays stuck on what just happened instead of what is right in front of it. The Christian life works the same way, because circumstances, unanswered prayers, bad outcomes, and roller coaster seasons cannot be allowed to run the mind.

Romans 12 gives the shape of that mindset. The first eleven chapters of Romans show what God has done through Jesus, and chapter 12 starts showing how a person lives because of the cross. The renewed mind does not conform to the patterns of the world, especially when pressure tries to make faith blend into the culture around it. The whole in one mindset starts where Romans 12 starts, with surrender.

Surrender means a person stops trying harder and starts denying self, taking up the cross, and following Jesus. The struggle with pornography shows how sin keeps people trapped by convincing them that they can beat it on their own. The breakthrough comes when control gets handed over and the prayer becomes, “God, give me your strength. I’m not enough, but you are.” Gratitude also becomes a real way to surrender, because gratitude is the key that unlocks the door into God’s presence.

Purpose becomes the second part of the mindset God wants. Romans 12 names different gifts in one body, and that means every person has a lane, a club in the bag, a part to play. Basketball, injury, and identity show how worldly purpose can rise and fall with performance, but God uses trials to root identity in Him. A person does not need a microphone to lead people to Jesus; the workplace, the family, the street, and the everyday places matter.

Love for Jesus becomes the most important part. Romans 12 says love must be sincere, hate what is evil, and cling to what is good. Love is not just a feeling, because feelings can get people in trouble. The love of Jesus, the hero dying for the villains, touches the heart so deeply that obedience stops being just rule keeping and becomes fire. The whole in one mindset asks three questions: what needs surrender, what is the God given purpose, and is the heart on fire for Jesus?

Key Takeaways

1. Surrender beats trying harder Surrender names the moment a person stops treating sin like a private project and starts leaning into the strength of Jesus. Romans 12 calls the body a living sacrifice, not a self-improvement plan, so the center has to shift from control to dependence. Temptation becomes an invitation to lean on Jesus, because bondage grows when a person believes the lie that sin can be defeated alone. [54:15]
2. Gratitude opens God’s presence Gratitude does not pretend life is easy, but it refuses to let lack, stress, or sin occupy the whole room of the mind. A grateful mind cannot stay in the same place as an ungrateful one, because praise reorients attention toward the goodness of God. Gratitude becomes more than a mood; it becomes a doorway into relationship with the Father. [56:07]
3. Purpose belongs to the body Romans 12 presents gifts as different parts of one body, which means purpose is not a competition for visibility. The person at work, at home, or in a hard season may be placed there to plant one seed that God can water. Calling is not always glamorous, but obedience in the assigned place can carry eternal weight. [59:58]
4. Love makes obedience burn Sincere love for Jesus does not stay soft toward whatever destroys intimacy with Him. Romans 12 ties love to hatred of evil, because real affection learns to reject what steals the heart. The fire of God is not a passing feeling; it is the settled choice to cling to Jesus no matter what circumstances or emotions are saying.

## [66:54]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[41:52] - Opening Thanks and Honor
[42:55] - Golf and the Power of Mindset
[44:45] - Mindset as Asset or Liability
[47:10] - Romans 12 and Renewed Thinking
[50:27] - Roman Pressure and Faithfulness
[51:26] - Be Surrendered
[52:37] - Addiction, Control, and Denying Self
[56:07] - Gratitude Opens God’s Presence
[57:15] - Know Your Purpose
[60:36] - No Microphone Needed
[63:29] - Love Jesus
[66:54] - Fervor and Fire for Jesus
[69:34] - Three Questions and Prayer
[70:50] - Invitation to Receive Jesus

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Romans 12:1-2
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” [47:36]

Observation questions

In Romans 12:1-2, what are believers told to do with their bodies and their minds?
What contrast does Romans 12:2 make between being conformed and being transformed? [48:00]
What are some things that were named as poor foundations for a person’s mindset, like circumstances, outcomes, or unanswered prayers? [45:40]
What three big areas were held together as part of a whole mindset: surrender, purpose, and love for Jesus? [01:09:34]

Interpretation questions

Romans 12 begins with “therefore,” pointing back to the mercies of God. Why does a renewed life start with what God has done first, instead of with people trying harder? [51:03]
Presenting the body as a living sacrifice sounds active and costly. What does that reveal about surrender being more than religious activity or outward behavior? [55:12]
If believers are told not to conform to the world, what kinds of pressure might make faith slowly blend into the culture around it? [50:27]
Romans 12 connects renewed minds with knowing God’s will, and later speaks about different gifts in one body. How might a renewed mind help a person recognize both their purpose and their place in serving others? [59:06]

Application questions

A living sacrifice means handing real control over to God. What is one area of life where control is still being held tightly right now: a habit, a fear, an addiction, a relationship, a disappointment? What would surrender in that area actually look like this week? [54:39]
Trying harder can still leave a person stuck, but dependence on Jesus opens the door to real change. When temptation or weakness shows up, what does the inner conversation usually sound like? How could that conversation change into a prayer for Jesus’ strength? [54:15]
Gratitude shifts the mind and opens the heart to God’s presence. What tends to fill the mind first in stressful seasons: complaint, numbness, self-pity, distraction? What is one practical gratitude habit that could help reorient the heart each day? [56:12]
Purpose is not only for visible ministry; it belongs in daily life. Where has God placed each person right now: home, work, school, neighborhood, family? Who might be the one person there that needs prayer, encouragement, or a seed of the gospel? [59:58]
Identity rooted in performance rises and falls with success and failure. Where is the strongest temptation to build identity on performance right now: parenting, work, ministry, image, sports, money, or approval? How does that affect joy and peace when things go badly? [57:37]
Love for Jesus is more than a feeling; it becomes a choice to cling to what is good and reject what pulls the heart away. What competes most for affection right now? What would it look like to love Jesus so sincerely that compromise starts to lose its pull? [01:03:49]
Spiritual fervor means staying on fire for Jesus even when emotions are flat or life is heavy. What usually cools spiritual fire down the fastest? What helps it burn again: prayer, worship, repentance, Scripture, honest community, serving, or something else? [01:06:54]

Sermon Clips

36s

#NeedJesusNow

“``I need Jesus in my life y'all, I need Jesus in my life and it's one of the greatest ways the devil keeps us trapped and in the same habitual sin patterns is by convincing us that we can do it ourselves. You know what changed me in my addiction? Was I stopped trying to fix it myself and I started saying, God, give me your strength. God, give me you father, I need your strength. I'm not enough, but you are. What would be the point of Jesus dying on the cross if we didn't use his strength to defeat sin? Come on.”

35s

#LoveOfJesus

“I tell you, in order to have a whole in one mindset, you don't need more rules. You just need to be touched by the love of Jesus more. I said this the last service. I don't think we're intellectually there and then we'll ever be to understand the love of Jesus. The fact that this dude died on a cross, was beaten, whipped, insulted for what? Nothing. He did nothing wrong. Sinless man, but he chose to do it because he loves you that much. Imagine that.”

39s

#SmallImpactBigEternity

“So you don't need a microphone to lead people to Jesus. Can I tell you your little difference on earth can make a big difference in eternity? In golf, each club has a unique and specific role. When I'm in the middle of the fairway or on the tee box, I'm not gonna use my putter guys. Like that's gonna go nowhere. That'd be silly, right? And the same thing with us, like do what you Don't do what you wanna do, do what you're called to do. The people I can reach are not the people you can reach. God's called me in a different area of my life than He's called you. And I'm not saying one's better than the other.”

44s

#HateSinMotivation

“You gotta love Jesus so much you begin to hate anything that doesn't glorify him. I tell you in golf, when I play bad, I hate the way I play. I hate it. It drives me nuts. I'm a competitive guy. I don't like losing. Losing is not in my dictionary. I can tell you that I hate it so much that I'm gonna keep playing so that I get better. I'm gonna get I'm gonna keep remembering how much I hate losing, how much I hate playing bad, and I'm gonna continue to put in the work to get better. Same thing's with our relationship with Jesus, y'all. And we hate sin so much, we just wanna chase after him more. Hate can be a bigger motivator than love sometimes.”

37s

#DailySurrender

“So what does it look like to fully surrender? I don't mind you, but I need things laid out simple. Okay, great. I got to surrender. How do you surrender? And start getting on your knees every morning and saying, God, I need you. Help me to operate out of your spirit and your strength, not my own. That's what it looks like to surrender. It's admitting that you cannot take this life on by yourself. I may be young, but I ain't dumb. Life is hard y'all. Stuff gets thrown at you left, right, back, front, whatever. And so you need Jesus to give him your junk.”

34s

#TrialsBuildIdentity

“Six months later, I tear my ACL and my lateral meniscus. I tell you that when you try to seek Jesus for your purpose, He doesn't just snap His fingers like a genie and just give you what you want. But what He does do is He gives you a circumstance and a trial to find your identity in Him. That's what happened to me. I can tell you I wake up every day, I'm ready to go y'all, not because I'm living some great life and because I worship the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords who loves each and every single one of us.”

30s

#GiveGodYourAll

“I tell you can do all kinds of work for God, but never give him your true self. You can show up to church every Sunday, you can read your Bible occasionally, you can serve on a team here, give money to the homeless, whatever it is for you. But if you haven't fully surrendered your life to Jesus, I'm not saying that stuff doesn't matter, but you gotta get the priority straight. You can't do those things and not have God at the center of it all.”

37s

#ChooseLoveDaily

“I tell you Jesus came to serve and to love people. The older I get in life and I know I'm young, is a choice. You get to choose and wake up. You get to wake up and choose every single day how you're gonna act. You get to wake up every day and say, am I gonna choose love or am I gonna choose hate? Am I gonna choose God or am I gonna choose the devil? It's not a feeling. Can I tell you feelings can get you in trouble y'all? I didn't feel like giving up my addiction for God, but I can tell you now that was the greatest thing I've ever done in my life. My biggest accomplishment in life is giving up that addiction for God.”

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