Podcast Summary: "This is Not a Sentence, It’s a Season"

Podcast: Red Rocks Church Weekend Messages
Date: February 7, 2026
Speaker: Uncle Jimmy (Jimmy Rollins)
Series: Miracle Mindset

Overview of the Episode’s Main Theme

In this deeply personal and faith-filled message, Jimmy Rollins brings a word of encouragement from his current place “in the middle” of pain and uncertainty. Centered around the biblical story of Hannah from 1 Samuel, Jimmy explores how to develop a “miracle mindset” while navigating seasons of disappointment, unanswered prayer, and suffering. His foundational assertion is: “This is not a sentence, it’s a season.” Through honesty, humor, and scripture, he shares his family’s ongoing health battles (his wife, Irene’s cancer diagnosis) and how faith sustains, even when there are more questions than answers.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Faith in the Middle—Between the Prayer and the Promise (00:01–13:40)

• Personal Story: Jimmy shares about his wife Irene's ongoing battle with Lyme disease and a recent cancer diagnosis, highlighting the struggles of being “in the middle” between praying and receiving God’s promise.
  • “If God, if you can use me to bless other people, why does this keep happening so close to home?” (09:25—Jimmy)
• Miracle Mindset: True miracle mindset isn’t just about supernatural wonders, but about finding God’s peace while you wait, even when you’re unsure.
• The Message Title:
  • "This is not a sentence, it's a season"—cancer, chronic illness, setbacks, prodigal children, etc. are seasons, not lifelong sentences. (15:02)
• Pain as Currency:
  • “I believe that Irene and I are billionaires in the Kingdom, but the currency is pain.” (07:21—Jimmy)
• Encouragement: Being honest about discouragement does not disqualify faith.

2. Biblical Foundation: The Story of Hannah, 1 Samuel 1 (13:41–29:41)

• Hannah’s Pain:
  • Hannah is barren, taunted by her rival Peninnah, receives less from her husband. The pain is cyclical and relentless.
  • “Year after year, it was the same…each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat.” (17:45)
• Historical Context:
  • Israel in the Judges era: morally confused, with failed leadership. God is orchestrating a leadership and spiritual transition—Hannah’s perseverance sets the stage for Samuel, who will anoint David, leading to Jesus’ lineage.
• Greater Purpose:
  • The pain in the present can serve a bigger, long-term purpose, even if you cannot see it yet.
  • “If God can use Hannah’s pain for a greater purpose, then God can use Irene’s cancer for a greater purpose.” (27:07—Jimmy)

3. Principles for a Miracle Mindset (29:42–1:02:25)

a) Don’t Let Voices Stop Your Pursuit (29:42–47:09)

• Internal Voices:
  • The story focuses not just on external voices (others), but internal voices of doubt, discouragement, and expectation.
  • Example: the voice of Elkanah, representing limited provision; the voice of Peninnah, representing taunts and shame.
  • “I will not allow what’s in my head to get to my heart.” (39:15—Jimmy)
• Combatting Lies:
  • “The voice will try to have you take part in counterfeit remedies.” (42:07)
  • Importance of having honest friends (“I can be completely honest with [Sean] and say, man, the voice is saying this, man, we gotta snatch you out of that.” 43:13)

b) Make God’s Presence a Priority (47:10–55:46)

• Hannah’s Consistency:
  • “Year after year, Peninnah’s there… but you know where I’m going to be found? Year after year? In the house of worship.” (48:38)
• Community:
  • Healing and encouragement are found in God’s presence and among God’s people.
  • “Confess your sins to God that you may be forgiven. Confess your sins to one another that you may be healed.” (51:55)
• Humorous Illustration:
  • Story of playing hide and seek, hiding so well “joy can’t find you.” Invitation to “come out, come out, wherever you are” in the presence of God. (53:17–55:00)

c) Find Peace by Changing Your ‘Why’ (55:47–1:02:25)

• Hannah’s Shift:
  • At first, Hannah prays for a child to silence taunts, end shame, and restore dignity. In God’s presence, she shifts: “If you give me a child, I’ll give him back to you.” (56:44)
• Purpose in the Pain:
  • “I don’t want God to heal cancer so that we can feel better. I want Him to heal cancer so that those who don’t know Jesus know that God is a healer.” (58:43—Jimmy)
• Peace Defined:
  • “Peace is not the absence of pain, but peace is the presence of God in the pain.” (1:02:01—Jimmy)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On honest faith:
  • “Someone asked me a week ago, ‘How do you feel?’ And I was like, ‘You want the truth? I can’t say those words on this phone.’ But I said, ‘God is faithful. I think.’” (13:10)
• On the construction zone of life:
  • “Sometimes what feels like a sentence is not that at all. It's really a construction zone. The construction is not punishment, it's improvement.” (19:50)
• On community & transparency:
  • “We have too many God-believing, God-fearing Christians walking around forgiven and not healed because they are not in a small group.” (52:44)
• On legacy:
  • “The anointing oil that Samuel poured on David was through Hannah knowing how to deal with the taunting of Peninnah.” (57:30)
• On facing the voices:
  • “Can we cancel the assignment of voices today? … I’m sleeping tonight, baby. You're sleeping tonight. We're gonna deal with the voice.” (45:14, 46:37)
• On hiding from healing:
  • “Some of you here today, you've hidden so good, joy can't find you. You've hidden so good, peace can't find you. … Come out, come out, wherever you are.” (53:20–54:10)

Important Timestamps

• 00:01–07:20: Welcome, gratitude, personal testimony about Irene’s illness & healing in progress
• 07:21–13:40: Announcement of cancer diagnosis, sharing from his “middle”
• 13:41–29:41: Hannah’s story, scripture read, historical context, purpose in pain
• 29:42–47:09: Principle 1: Don’t let voices (internal/external) stop your pursuit
• 47:10–55:46: Principle 2: Make God’s presence and community a priority (including “hide and seek” illustration)
• 55:47–1:02:25: Principle 3: Find peace by shifting your reason and recognizing a greater purpose
• 1:02:26–end: Encouragement, prayer, call to respond, invitation to come forward for prayer/miracle, closing exhortation

Flow, Tone, and Takeaways

Jimmy speaks with remarkable vulnerability, humor, and perseverance. His message is raw—he doesn’t hide the pain his family is experiencing; he names his doubt, fear, and fatigue honestly. At the same time, he draws listeners from sympathy to hope: seasons of suffering do not define us permanently, and faith is forged in “the middle.”

The tone balances realism and encouragement: acknowledging tears, late-night anxiety, and the very real “voices” of discouragement—but not letting them have the last word. Community is crucial; so is honesty with God and others.

Conclusion: For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

If you’re walking through disappointment, discouragement, or feel you’re stuck between your prayer and God’s promise, “This is Not a Sentence, It's a Season” is a powerful, honest sermon to hear. Jimmy Rollins, preaching from his own pain, uses Hannah’s story in 1 Samuel to encourage you that the pain of your "middle" can become purpose, especially when you refuse to hide, stay in God’s presence, and let the community support you. Don't let your current season define you—it’s not your sentence.