Podcast Summary: Thinking | Jabin Chavez Leadership Podcast

Podcast: City Light Church Las Vegas | Jabin Chavez
Host: Jabin Chavez
Episode Date: January 14, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode of the Jabin Chavez Leadership Podcast, Pastor Jabin focuses on the vital role that our thinking plays in shaping our lives, leadership, and overall legacy. As the new year begins, he challenges listeners—particularly leaders—to critically examine and upgrade their thought patterns. The episode is packed with practical wisdom on becoming more self-aware, intentional, and healthy in our thinking. Jabin introduces two fundamental mindset shifts around work-life and organizational culture that foster integration and unity rather than division and competition.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Importance of Examining Your Thinking

• Scriptural Foundation:
  Jabin opens by referencing Proverbs 23:7, "As a man thinketh, so is he," underscoring that our thoughts are central to our identity and destiny.

  • "Your thoughts influence your emotions. Your thoughts influence your words. Your words and your thoughts and your emotions influence your actions." (01:06)

• Practical Exercise:
  He urges listeners to identify areas of unhealthy thinking in their lives (e.g., about food, sex, the future, the past, family, staff, church, city) and to write them down as a step toward correction.

  • "I want you to think about this. Where do you know you have unhealthy thinking patterns?" (02:00)

• Quote:

  • "You can have one seed of unhealthy thinking. It will so cloud your view of your entire life." (03:28)

Shift #1: From Work-Life Balance to Work-Life Integration

• Balance vs. Integration:
  Jabin challenges the common pursuit of "work-life balance," advocating instead for "work-life integration."

  • "Don't think work-life balance. Do think work-life integration." (05:10)

• Why Integration is Superior:

  • Balance creates competition (one area must lose for another to win).
  • Integration brings wholeness and harmony among all areas of life.
    • "Integration creates wholeness. Big difference. We don't want competition. We want wholeness." (05:30)

• Illustrative Analogy:
  Uses food pairings like sweet and savory (e.g., sea salt and caramel, ketchup and fries) to illustrate how seemingly different things can come together—not in balance, but in integration.

  • "A ketchup and a french fry is not balanced. They're integrated. They're seemingly different...and they turn into something beautiful." (06:13)

• Spiritual Application:
  Jabin prioritizes Jesus at the center rather than creating a hierarchy (God first, family second, etc.)—everything revolves in integration around the throne.

  • "He's at the center of heaven, the throne of God at the very center. And then everything revolves around the throne." (07:05)

• Memorable Line:

  • "If you're always fighting for balance, you're actually going to miss out...Because if you're not doing it that way, there's always winners and losers, and there doesn't have to be." (08:35)

Shift #2: From “Us and Them” to “Us” (“We” Culture)

• Ditching Division in Culture:
  Jabin stresses the need to move from an “us and them” mentality toward a unified “us/we” language in church and organizations.

  • "Don't think us and them. Do think us. You got to start thinking 'we,' not 'me.' You got to start thinking 'we,' not 'them.'" (10:02)

• Organizational Application:
  Unhealthy cultures are marked by people constantly referencing what "pastor said"—as opposed to owning the mission collectively.

  • "You always know an unhealthy culture: 'You know, pastor said...'" (10:22)
  • "We are doing this. We are hiring. We are moving. We are doing services. We are starting this." (11:20)

• Memorable Analogy:
  Compares unhealthy church culture to businesses competing under the same roof, versus a department store model (like Nordstrom or Macy’s) where all departments succeed together.

  • "We were under the same roof, but we were not together. It was us versus them." (12:35)
  • "We're not just under the same roof. We're under the same mission." (13:20)

• Key Takeaway:

  • "You've got to fight for that culture in your organization." (13:50)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jabin Chavez on Thinking Patterns (01:06):

  • “Your thoughts influence your emotions. Your thoughts influence your words. Your words and your thoughts and your emotions influence your actions. Your actions begin to create your lifestyle and your choices, and those choices, that lifestyle ends up defining and creating your destiny and your legacy.”

• On Integration (06:13):

  • “A ketchup and a french fry is not balanced...they’re integrated. They’re seemingly different...and they turn into something beautiful."

• On Culture (10:22):

  • “You always know an unhealthy culture: ‘You know, pastor said…’"

• On Unity (13:20):

  • “We're not just under the same roof. We're under the same mission."

• Final Encouragement (14:04):

  • “I'm praying that this is going to be the greatest year of ministry you've ever seen in your life. I love you so much.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00-01:50 — Opening thoughts on the power of thinking; Proverbs 23:7
• 02:00-03:45 — Exercise: Identifying and confronting unhealthy thought patterns
• 05:10-09:00 — Shift #1: Moving from work-life balance to work-life integration (including illustrations and spiritual application)
• 10:02-13:50 — Shift #2: Moving from “us and them” to “us” (“we” culture), culture pitfalls and analogies
• 14:04 — Closing remarks and encouragement for the year ahead

Tone & Style

Jabin’s tone in this episode is candid, encouraging, and practical. He speaks directly to leaders with both scriptural authority and relatable analogies, modeling humility and self-awareness while giving firm direction for personal and organizational growth.

For leaders looking to elevate themselves and their organizations in the new year, this episode is an empowering listen full of actionable mindset shifts and heartfelt encouragement.