You're Meaner to Yourself Than God Is to You (w/ Earl McClellan)

You're Meaner to Yourself Than God Is to You (w/ Earl McClellan)

Author: Bob Lotich, Linda Lotich March 6, 2026 Duration: 57:37
Get Your Spirit Back: Breaking Free from the Lies Holding You Back - with Pastor Earl McClellan
What if the biggest thing holding you back isn't your circumstances… but the lies you've believed about yourself?
 
In this powerful, deeply honest conversation, Bob & Linda sit down with Pastor Earl McClellan, lead pastor of Shoreline City Church and author of Get Your Spirit Back, to talk about negative self-talk, fear, calling, identity, and what it really looks like to walk by faith when you're scared.
 
This isn't a hype-up, "just believe harder" episode. It's a grounded, biblical, and deeply human conversation about doing what God's calling you to do even when you don't feel qualified — and learning to see yourself the way God sees you, not the way others have labeled you.
If you've ever felt stuck, hesitant, intimidated, or like you're living beneath your potential, this episode is for you.
 
 
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
  • The two powerful questions God asks repeatedly in Scripture — and why they change everything
  • How negative self-talk creates "self-made prisons" (and how to walk out of them)
  • Why Gideon's story resonates so deeply with fear, insecurity, and calling
  • What it means to do the hard thing scared — and why that's often real faith
  • How other people's words (teachers, parents, leaders) quietly shape our identity
  • Why community is essential for spiritual growth — and why "just me and God" isn't enough
  • How to handle criticism, misunderstanding, and being judged for your motives
  • The difference between humility and shrinking back from what God has asked you to do
  • A powerful picture of laying down both criticism and praise before God
 
Key Moments & Themes:
  • "Who told you?" — Identifying the source of the lies you're believing
  • Earl's upbringing with a single mom and how God used unlikely environments to shape his calling
  • The freedom that comes from realizing you cannot control how others perceive you
  • Why tearing down old "altars" from your past is part of stepping into your future
  • The danger of listening to voices that don't have authority in your life
  • Learning to accept God-given responsibility without turning it into pride
 
A Quote You'll Want to Sit With:
"The pride isn't stepping forward — the pride is refusing to step into what God has asked you to do."
 
Action Step for This Week:
Ask God — honestly and quietly — these two questions:
  1. "Where am I really?"
  2. "Who told me this about myself?"
Then, share what comes up with one trusted, godly person in your life. Don't process it alone.
 
 
Resources Mentioned:
 
Final Encouragement:
You don't have to feel ready.
You don't have to feel confident.
You just have to be willing.
 
God isn't asking you to be fearless — He's asking you to be faithful.
 
 

Watch this episode on our SeedTime Money Podcast YouTube channel (https://youtu.be/Yahvsl-ry0I)!

If you haven't checked out our best-selling book Simple Money, Rich Life (https://seedtime.com/smrl/), we think you'll love it. It was named the 2022 Book of the Year by ICFH and has over 1,000 5-star reviews on Amazon, and is best described as "a money book for people who don't read money books." 

You can take it for a test drive for FREE at https://SeedTime.com/sample where you can download chapter 1 of the audiobook, grab the 1st 2 chapters of the ebook version, and even get the 5-week book study companion guide.

What does it look like to manage money well when your faith is the foundation of your life? That’s the central question explored in SeedTime with Bob and Linda Lotich. This isn't just another financial advice show; it's a conversation about integrating biblical principles with the practical realities of budgeting, investing, and building a secure future. Bob and Linda approach finances from a unique perspective, one that challenges conventional wisdom by framing stewardship as a spiritual practice. Their discussions move beyond spreadsheets to consider how financial health directly impacts your marriage, your sense of purpose, and your ability to live generously. Each episode aims to provide actionable steps to simplify your finances, eliminate debt, and cultivate a sense of peace and control over the resources you've been given. The goal is to shift your focus from anxiety about money towards freedom, allowing you to invest your time and energy into what truly matters. If you've ever felt that typical money advice misses the heart of the matter, this podcast offers a different path-one where faith and finances are seamlessly connected. Tune in for honest conversations that blend personal experience with practical strategy, all centered on building a life of purpose and provision.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

SeedTime with Bob and Linda Lotich
Podcast Episodes
The Bible's Hidden Habits for Financial Success [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:28
In this episode, Bob and Linda unpack spiritual habits found in Scripture that quietly shape financial outcomes—habits that have nothing to do with spreadsheets or hustle culture, but everything to do with becoming the k…
Even after spiritual abuse, THIS is why I still tithe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:55
Spiritual abuse around money almost made us stop giving altogether. We've seen manipulation from the pulpit. We've witnessed leaders mishandle funds. We've felt the tension between honoring God and distrusting institutio…
Why God's blessings can be dangerous (so burn the chariots!) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:09
In today's episode, Bob & Linda explore one of the most overlooked spiritual tests in the Christian life: how to stay dependent on God in the midst of blessings. Drawing from Joshua 11, they unpack the strange moment whe…
Faith isn't what you think it is (Bible Study) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:05
Most of us were taught that faith means "trying really hard to believe" — especially with our finances. But in the Bible-study-style episode, Bob & Linda unpack Hebrews 11, Romans 10:17, and Jesus' "abide" teaching to re…
The Hidden Costs of Entrepreneurship No One Talks About [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:29
Everyone online makes entrepreneurship look like the ultimate path to freedom—but the truth is far more complicated. After 18 years of building SeedTime, Bob & Linda open up about what most people never say out loud: the…
Why you can't actually "get rich quick" (with Mark Batterson) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:25
Pastor and bestselling author Mark Batterson joins Bob to unpack one of the most misunderstood principles of growth: the way breakthroughs actually happen—gradually, then suddenly. From Warren Buffett's compounding to Ji…