Summary: "Next ONE – Dr. Anita Phillips"

ONE | A Potter’s House Church Podcast
Date: May 26, 2025
Speaker: Dr. Anita Phillips

Overview

In this episode, Dr. Anita Phillips delivers a stirring and practical message to the ONE Church family about embracing change, evolving as individuals and community, confronting personal and generational patterns, and boldly stepping into the "next one" God calls us to be. Using the calling of the disciples in Matthew 4 as a framework, Dr. Phillips invites listeners to examine their openness to change, the necessity of humility, and the importance of emotional and spiritual wellness as prerequisites for fulfilling God’s purpose in this new season. The talk blends biblical insights, personal stories, and therapeutic wisdom to encourage listeners to mend what's broken, partner with others, and embrace the excitement of God’s unfolding plans.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Standing on the Precipice of "Next"

• Scripture Reference: Matthew 4:18-21; the calling of Peter, Andrew, James, and John.
• Dr. Phillips opens by affirming, prophetically, that every listener is at the edge of their "next" season.
  Quote:

  "You are on the precipice of your next. Every one of you... Some of you should be excited about that because you needed to be in a different place." (02:51)

2. The Unique Call of ONE Church

• Reiterates the church’s mission: “To equip and empower people to live fearlessly, love unsparingly, grow exponentially, create intentionally, and serve humanity.”
• Everyone plays a part as “fishers of men” using diverse backgrounds, gifts, and professions.

3. Change Aversion and the Challenge of Transformation

• Definition (from Pastor Touré Roberts):

  “Change aversion is the psychological resistance or discomfort that people feel when faced with new circumstances, ideas, or environments.” (09:14)

• Even positive change provokes resistance due to threats to stability, identity, or control.

• Personal anecdotes (e.g., switching from dairy to almond milk, lifelong ice cream habit) illustrate how even small changes can challenge us.

• Biblical Parallel:
  Comparing our attempts to patch “the new on the old” (Luke 5:36-39: wineskin parable) with spiritual transformation. Surface changes are insufficient—a true new wineskin is needed.

4. The Deceitfulness of Self-Knowledge and the Necessity of Humility

• Peter’s over-confidence (Matt. 26) in his loyalty to Christ, followed by his denial, exemplifies the dangers of overestimating our spiritual maturity.
  Quote:

  “The Number One reason why it is difficult for us to be transformed into our next is because we think we know ourselves and we don't." (22:31)

• On Humility:
  Humility is not self-debasement but the clear-eyed embrace of strengths and weaknesses.

  “Humility is me having a full embrace of my gifts, my talent, my strength, my power, and my weaknesses, my failures.” (32:08)

5. Gardening Metaphor for Soul Care

• “We are gardens… seeds of weeds [are] living in every soil. Weeds only grow when the garden is malnourished.”
  Time of fatigue, stress, or neglect can reactivate old unhealthy patterns.
• Practical Tool: HALT reminder—don’t get too Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.

6. Dealing with Disappointment and Unmet Expectations

• Personal testimony: how mishearing God and going through heartbreak led, with time, to gratitude for God’s unexpected protection and timing.
• Exhortation: Never let disappointment take God out of the “good” slot.
  Quote:

  "Let the confusion be anywhere else but God… Never take God out of that slot." (39:51)

7. The Necessity of Emotional Wellness (“Mending the Nets”)

• James and John “mending their nets” (Matt. 4:21) is a metaphor for emotional and spiritual preparation.

• Generational trauma: Using the example of Jacob (James’ namesake) to show the importance of healing old wounds and unhealthy family dynamics (Genesis 27 onward).

• Dr. Phillips explains the reticular formation (a “net” in the brain), which determines how we process experiences and focus.

  “If your struggle, generation after generation… has not been healed, you will cast torn nets.” (50:22)

• Healing Requires Truth:

  • Telling the whole story—to yourself, to those who help you, and to God.
  • Therapy is highly recommended; admitting the full truth is critical for true healing.

8. Grace is Essential in Healing and Ministry

• The story's power is only redemptive when fully edited by God’s grace.
• Don’t pressure others to heal as you did; extend patience and compassion.
• Quote:

  “How dare you get impatient with the grace journey in someone else’s life? … Weave your story through with the grace of God.” (1:00:12)

9. Surrender and Willingness: The Isaac Sacrifice

• True readiness for the next requires offering everything to God, trusting Him with outcomes.
• “Never go to God … with a question until you are willing to get the answer you don’t want. That’s the heart posture of humility.” (1:06:58)

10. Transforming Anxiety into Excitement

• “Anxiety about next” is normal—typically rooted in fear of negative emotions if things go awry.
• By trusting God fully and partnering with others, anxiety can be shifted to genuine excitement for God’s plan, even when unknown.
• Prophetic Encouragement:

  “Your dreams are reachable. God wants this for you … Be excited. Do not be afraid to be excited.” (1:12:09 – 1:13:05)

11. Response: Ministry & Prayer for Newcomers

• An open call for those wanting to know Jesus; new members are welcomed, emphasizing belonging and the simplicity of receiving salvation.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Change:
  • “Is this for good? You mean like never again? Because we start trying to figure out how much we can be in the next and how much we can stay.” (13:18)
• On Humility:
  • “Humility… will make clear to you right now that there is always room for you to lay something down.” (24:14)
• On Grace in Community:
  • “If it's just your story, you will try to get people delivered the exact way you did … but grace is really how you got it done.” (1:01:32)
• On Patience and Dream Fulfillment:
  • “Stop limiting God with your impatience. Baby, he’s baking big things. Get excited, get excited for you … Anoint them to see it without limiting it.” (1:17:42)

Important Timestamps

• 00:54: Introduction to main scripture and theme—“Next ONE”
• 09:14: Definition and exploration of “change aversion”
• 22:31: The trap of thinking we know ourselves better than God does
• 32:08: Definition and necessity of humility
• 47:32: The importance of emotional wellness (“mending your net”)
• 1:00:12: Embracing grace in personal story and community ministry
• 1:06:58: On surrendering plans and approaching God with an open posture
• 1:12:09 – 1:17:42: Prophetic encouragement to rekindle excitement for dreams
• 1:19:00: Invitation for salvation and family welcome

Takeaways

• Embrace Change: True evolution requires surrendering old ways and welcoming God’s new thing.
• Stay Humble: Recognize your strengths and weaknesses. Be teachable and open to God’s surprising plans.
• Pursue Healing: Be proactive in addressing emotional wounds and generational trauma; authenticity and therapy are tools for wholeness.
• Partner in Purpose: Ministry is collaborative; your gifts find their greatest impact when combined with others.
• Let Grace Lead: Your story’s power comes through the grace God weaves into it; extend that same grace to others.
• Transform Anxiety into Excitement: As you surrender control, let anxiety about the unknown shift to anticipation of God’s “ultimate dream come true.”
• Trust the Timing: God’s promises may exceed your timeline and imagination—don’t let impatience make you settle for less.

This episode is a powerful call to readiness for “next”—not just through action, but through heartfelt healing, radical humility, community partnership, and unwavering trust in God’s unfolding plan.