The Potter's House Podcast

Episode: Walk It Out Wednesday: The Danger of Entitlement
Speaker: Bishop T.D. Jakes
Date: December 11, 2025

Episode Overview

This Wednesday Bible Study episode features Bishop T.D. Jakes delving deeply into the scriptural dangers of entitlement, drawing from the parable in Mark 12:1-12. Jakes explores how entitlement can erode gratitude, stewardship, and spiritual growth, illustrating how God’s blessings are neither owed nor earned but are acts of divine grace. Using vivid biblical analogies and personal reflection, he challenges listeners to inventory their lives, acknowledge God as the true owner, and embrace humility and gratitude.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Parable of the Tenants (Mark 12:1-12)

• Scriptural Foundation: The class begins with a reading and exposition of Mark 12:1-12—Jesus’ parable about tenant farmers who abuse the owner’s servants and ultimately kill his son.
• Divine Setup & Stewardship (06:13 – 08:03):
  • The owner completes all work: “He did the digging, he built the tower…They walked into a finished work.”
  • Paralleled to Genesis, highlighting that humankind walks into God’s finished work, not by their own effort but by grace (07:09):

    “Five is the number of grace…all the things that God does for us that we walk into. And we didn’t have any right, so we just walked into it and received it by the grace of God.”

2. Stewardship vs. Entitlement

• Faithful Accounting (08:03 – 08:21):
  • “We are stewards of what God owns, and we are judged by how well we steward what we have been given.”
  • The need for honest self-inventory of gifts and resources, using Acts 3 as an example (“Silver and gold have I none…”).
• Returning God’s Portion (10:19 – 12:29):
  • Giving back is an act of trust and faithfulness:

    “He’s given so much to you, He’s got a right to ask something of you.” (10:59)

  • Keeping it all = robbing the owner; the issue is trust, not finances.

3. God’s Patience vs. Human Rebellion

• God’s Longsuffering (13:10 – 15:52):
  • God’s repeated sending of servants is highlighted as patient, gracious, and longsuffering even in the face of increasing violence and rejection:

    “What I want you to see is how long-suffering He was. Our God is gracious… He gives you time after time after time to get yourself together.” (14:44)

4. Christ as the Chief Cornerstone and the Rejected Stone

• Mixed Metaphors—Grapes & Stones (18:23 – 29:51):
  • Jesus, both the “grapes” (symbol of blood, sacrifice) and the “stone” (cornerstone of faith).
  • Rejection as Divinely Intentional:

    “His rejection is direction…God allowed you to be rejected to indicate He was going to do something massive in your life.” (23:41)

  • The cornerstone concept: Jesus as the reference and foundation for both Jews and Gentiles, accessible and essential to all:

    “You’re not my plumb line. Jesus is…He’s What I measure up to. He’s what I come into alignment with.” (29:52)

5. Living Without Entitlement—Gratitude and Perspective

• The Folly of Entitlement (39:19 – 54:04):
  • Entitlement breeds greed, arrogance, and ingratitude:

    “You think I was supposed to do it? That’s why you won’t praise me. You think I was supposed to heal you? You think I was supposed to bring you out? I’m looking for somebody who’s grateful.” (40:18)

  • All possessions and opportunities are on loan; nothing is owned eternally.
  • Sobering realities: mortality and replaceability emphasize humility:

    “You are expendable. That’s why you got to be humble. That’s why you got to be grateful. He chose you… He picked you out.” (49:23)

  • Skills, jobs, relationships—never to be taken for granted.

6. Practical Application & Reflection

• Spiritual Inventory (54:08 – 60:13):
  • Take account of all God has entrusted—children, health, job, talent.
  • Repeated scriptural emphasis: “To whom much is given, much is required.”
  • “I got everything I need to do what God called me to do…including my brokenness.” (56:51)
• Humility Over Entitlement:
  • “As long as you don’t get entitled…what God has for you is for you.” (58:26)

7. Pride, Confidence, and Authentic Humility

• Defining Confidence vs. Pride (79:45 – 88:58):
  • Confidence = trusting what God has done within; Pride = image-obsession, external validation.

    “Confidence is all about what God has done inside you… Pride is all about how you are perceived by the viewer.” (80:17)

  • True spiritual maturity leads to increasing humility, not self-importance.

    “The more confident you become, the more experienced you are—the more humble you become.” (85:41)

8. Gratitude, Growth, and Offering

• Rejecting Entitlement in Worship & Life (91:08 – 100:31):
  • “Substratum of the text…is the refusal to let greed overtake growth. And if greed overtakes growth, it will bring us to a place that we are denied gratitude.” (90:29)
  • “When we worship the Lord in an offering, it is never because God needs the money…It breaks the curse off of you by saying, God, I will not worship the gift more than the giver.” (98:04)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On God’s Grace
  “We don’t do anything to save ourselves. We walk into the finished work of Jesus Christ.” (06:50)

• On Rejection
  “You can’t allow yourself to stay wounded over being rejected, no matter how bad you hurt. Because rejection helps to fulfill the prophecy that God is going to build something out of those who have been rejected.” (24:08)

• On Stewardship “God is going to judge you according to what He gave you…He’s only going to judge you over what He put under your control.” (45:27 – 45:46)

• On Entitlement and Humility “You are expendable. That’s why you got to be humble…You can never be entitled, you got to be grateful.” (49:23)

• On the Chief Cornerstone
  “The stone that the builders rejected has been made the chief cornerstone…It sets the parameters of the building…He is accessible to both sides…He is the chief cornerstone.” (24:03 – 25:23)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Scripture Reading & Parable Intro: 02:16 – 07:47
• Stewardship, Self-Inventory, Divine Ownership: 07:47 – 11:59
• Entitlement, Rebellion, and God’s Patience: 13:10 – 16:49
• Cornerstone & Rejection Theology: 18:23 – 29:51
• Plumb Line & Living by God’s Measure: 29:51 – 37:20
• Humility, Expendability, and Practical Examples: 39:19 – 54:04
• Historical/Biblical Reflection & Inventory: 54:08 – 60:13
• Bonus Text—Matthew’s Account: 61:46 – 66:43
• Worship, Gratitude, and the Offering: 98:04 – 103:40
• Altar Call: 105:09 – 112:24

Final Reflection

Bishop Jakes closes with a call to humility, repentance, and gratitude, rejecting the spirit of entitlement:

“I am not entitled. I’m expendable. I’m replaceable. You just chose to bless me.” (103:40)

He emphasizes that eternal life, blessings, and every good gift derive from God’s grace, not any human merit. The altar call and final prayers invite all to forsake entitlement and embrace stewardship, humility, and gratitude as paths to spiritual fulfillment and alignment with God’s purposes.

Summary prepared for your spiritual enrichment and practical application.