Move, Mountain!

🎙️ Move, Mountain | Faith, Authority & Mustard Seed Belief for Christian Single Moms

What did Jesus really mean when He said, “If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Move,’ it will move” (Mark 11:22–24)?

In this powerful episode of It’s a Single Mom Thing, we unpack the biblical context behind mountain-moving faith and what it means for Christian single moms navigating fear, finances, co-parenting, and rebuilding after divorce.

This isn’t about manifestation or hype.
 It’s about identity, spiritual authority, and mustard seed faith (Matthew 17:20).

If you’ve been feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or quietly believing small stories about yourself, this episode will challenge you to stop negotiating with your mountain and start speaking to it.

You don’t need giant faith.
 You need alignment with God.

And when you begin speaking truth over your past, present, and future… something shifts.

Move, mountain.

Need prayer or support? Call our 24-hour prayer line at 855-822-PRAY or visit shepherdsvillage.com for resources and community.

Chapters

• 0:00 Naming Your Mountain
• 2:20 What Jesus Meant About Mountains
• 4:40 Temple Tension And Fig Tree Lesson
• 8:30 Activated Authority, Not Abandonment
• 11:30 Remembering Identity As Image Bearers
• 15:10 Naming The Mountain And Your Words
• 18:20 Mustard Seed Faith In Practice

Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 0:00

Welcome to It's a Single Mom Thing, the show for single moms by single moms. This is Sherry, your host, and I am happy you are here today. Remember, it's a single mom thing, and not the simple thing that stops you.

SPEAKER_00: 0:15

Hey ladies, and welcome back to another episode of It's a Single Mom Thing. So today's episode is called Move Mountain, and I want to start by asking you something a little personal. What's your mountain? Not the pretty mountain in a travel brochure or not the one on your screensaver. I'm talking about the one that keeps you up at night, the one that makes your chest tighten, the one that whispers, this ain't gonna change, the one that feels immovable. Maybe it's finances, or maybe it's co-parenting tension, or fear about your kids, loneliness, rebuilding after divorce, or maybe it's the quiet belief that somehow you're now disqualified. What's your mountain? Because listen, Jesus said something bold about mountains, and he said it in Mark chapter 11, verses 22 through 24. And I quote, he says this, have faith in God, truly I tell you. If anyone says to this mountain, go throw yourself into the sea, and does not doubt in their heart, but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours. Now, I don't know about you if some of you have been confused by all that business and what it meant. And you're like, okay, Jesus. If you grew up in church, I'm sure you've probably heard that verse before. It's been printed on mugs, put on t-shirts, quoted in Bible studies. But today, we're not going to treat it like a cute coffee cup scripture. Oh no, we are going to dig into it. What did Jesus? Why did he say that? What was actually happening when he said it? And what did it mean to the people standing there? And certainly, what does it mean for us Christian women as single moms, navigating the real 2026 pressure, real responsibility, and some real mountains? Because listen, if Jesus meant what he said, then some of us have been living way smaller than we were created to live. My hand is raised. And if we truly believed, like we talked about in the last episode, what will we do if ultimately we knew that we couldn't fail because God backs us, He's got our back. Well, then what mountain would we finally speak to? So today we're not just talking about faith. We're gonna go on a little hike. We are talking about authority, we're talking about belief, and we are talking about living free, and we're talking about what it looks like to actually say move mountain. So who's ready to dig in? So listen, before we apply this to our lives, we need to understand what was actually happening. We need to go all BC, okay? So now put yourself in the disciples' sandals for a minute. And ladies, listen, go ahead and prepare yourself. Our feet might get a little dusty here because we're gonna be walking some ancient roads. We are in Jerusalem, okay? And listen, it's loud, it's tense, and it's political and it's spiritual. Jesus had just entered the city on Palm Sunday. It was some palm Sunday energy crowds be cheering, hopes are rising, expectations are high. People will think that he might overthrow Rome. And then, ooh, he does something totally different. He walks into the temple and he does what? He flips some tables. Not metaphorically, physically. Coins be flying, chairs moving, religious leaders furious out of their mind. And if I am one of the disciples, I am probably glancing at the exits thinking, uh Jesus, slow your roll. Jesus, chill. You need to not 10x this right now. We don't need to get any more people upset with us. Let's not get canceled here in Jerusalem, Jesus. Maybe. Maybe we just need to be a little more politically correct, a little more PC, Jesus. Because tension is arising. The religious leaders are watching, the Romans are watching, crowds are unpredictable. But he doesn't stop there. Then on the way, he sees a fig tree full of leaves. It looks healthy. But when he gets close to it, he sees that there's no fruit. And he says to it, May no one ever eat fruit from you again. Then the next day, that tree is completely withered from the roots. And the disciples are, well, they're kind of stunned. And they say to him, Rabbi, the tree uh is dead. And instead of calming things down, oh no, Jesus escalates it, and he says, Quote, Have faith in God, truly I tell you. If anyone says to this mountain, go throw yourself into the sea, and does not doubt in their heart, but believes it will be done for them. And again, we are quoting Mark 11, verses 22 through 23. Now, imagine standing there, looking at an actual mountain, looking at a massive temple system, looking at Roman occupation. Okay, and he says, speak to it, not work around it, not tiptoe past it, not blend in. He says, speak to it. And here's what I think is happening. Jesus knows a little something, something. Jesus knows something that they don't fully understand yet. He knows he's about to leave. Within days, he's going to be arrested, crucified, resurrected, and ascend. He will not physically be there to calm storms, flip tables, or take the heat for them. They're going to feel exposed. And he is preparing them. He's teaching them, your authority doesn't disappear when I'm not physically standing next to you. Now in verse John 14, 16, he tells them, and I quote, I will ask the Father and He will give you another helper to be with you forever. He wasn't abandoning them, he was activating them. And ladies, maybe, and I wonder if he's doing the same thing for us. So listen, remember who you are. There's something else we have to talk about here, okay? Because a lingering thought that you might have that I have had is, well, who am I to speak to a mountain? And that's where we have to go all the way back to the beginning. And I'm talking Genesis chapter 1, verse 27, where it says, and I quote, So God created mankind in his own image. In the image of God, he created them. Well, what does that mean? Well, that means we're made in his image. That means his nature is reflected in us, his design is stamped on us, his authority has been delegated to us from the beginning. Humanity was given dominion, not domination over people, but stewardship, authority, influence. And here's what the enemy has done ever so slightly. He's worked overtime to make a woman forget who they are, to make a single mom feel disqualified, less than second tier, like a mistake disqualifies authority, like divorce erased identity, like struggle erased calling. But if we're made in his image and his spirit lives in us, then we have to remember who we are. You are not just a single mom, okay? You are an image bearer of God. Let that sit with you for a second. You are an image bearer of God. That means you are not abandoned, you are indwelt, you are not powerless, you are partnered with heaven. And when Jesus says, speak to this mountain, he's not asking you to pretend to have power. He's reminding you, sister, listen, he's reminding you of what was already placed inside of you right now. And maybe, just maybe, the reason we hesitate is because somewhere along the way we started believing small stories about ourselves. Kind of like the ones that say, I'm not spiritual enough, I don't know enough scripture. Oh, I messed up too much, or I don't have enough faith. But listen, Jesus didn't say, if the spiritually elite say to this mountain, he didn't say that. He said, If anyone says uh anyone means what? Yeah, anyone. The authority then isn't based on your perfection, and we talk about that, we are not trying to be perfect and up in this podcast, okay? But it is based on your position in him. And when you forget who you are, you shrink. But when you remember who you are, listen, girl, you speak differently, you pray differently, you parent differently, you even decide differently. Not because you're louder, but because you're angered. And here's something even more powerful to consider. If the enemy can't remove your calling, well, he'll try to reduce your confidence. If he can't steal your salvation, well then he's going to try to shrink your voice. Because listen, a woman who knows who she is is dangerous to fear. Mm-hmm. I know that's right. And listen, ladies, you were not designed to tiptoe around your mountain. No. You were designed to stand in front of it. Remember who you are and speak. So well, what does that actually look like? What does it feel like? Because listen, sometimes when we say speak to your mountain, well, it sounds a little bit dramatic, doesn't it? But in real life, it's a lot quieter than that. It looks like maybe you sitting at your kitchen table after the kids are in bed, okay? It looks like you driving alone and finally emitting what you've been avoiding. It may look like you saying out loud what you've only been thinking. And I want to ask you something a little specific. Have you given your mountain a name? Or does it just float around like this undefined heaviness? Because listen, some clarity matters. So is it fear? Is it lack? Is it rejection? Shame, control, comparison? Is it I'll never recover from this? Do you say it often? Do you even know what you're saying? Because if you keep saying things like, I'm just overwhelmed, or I'm always broke, I always choose wrong, this is just my life. Well, girl, listen. Then you are already speaking to your mountains, just not in the direction you want. So let's be clear. And this is the time when I hope you got some pen and paper handy. I hope you know when you listen to my podcast, you should always have some pen and paper handy, or at least get ready to hit pause. Because we're gonna break some mountains down. So, number one, we're gonna start with by writing down your mountain. And so listen, this is time to be honest, not spiritual, not polished, but honest. What feels immovable right now? What feels like it has more authority than you? And you need to name it because unnamed mountains quietly rule us, but name mountains, well, they can be confronted. Oh, I see you. And then number two, we're going to break the faith statement down into mustard seed size. Okay, so now here's where it gets a little beautiful. And we're going to go to Matthew chapter 17, verse 20, where Jesus says, and I quote, If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will move. He didn't say, uh, wait until your faith feels gigantor. No. He did not say when you feel spiritually confident and emotionally stable. No. What did he say? He said, if it's as small, S-M-A-L-L, as a mustard seed. And girl, you know a mustard seed is tiny, it's not impressive, it's not dramatic, and it's not even Instagram worthy. It's small. So how small is faith? Well, faith can sound like, mmm, I don't see how, but I believe God can. It sounds like, oh, I am scared, but I am trusting him. Or it even sounds like this feels impossible. But listen, what do I know? Nothing is impossible with God. It sounds like I'm not strong, but he is. Girl, that is some mustard seed faith. Faith, listen, it isn't the absence of doubt, okay? It's choosing though to trust in the middle of it, in the middle of the mess. So when you write your faith declaration, girl, listen, I want you to break it down into the smallest true element. Not everything's perfect, but maybe, well, God's with me. I'm not abandoned. This is not the end. He will provide even if I don't know how. My job is not the how, my job is to stay in the now. Start there. You see, because mountains move because of who God is, not because your faith feels giant. Number three, understand what you're actually doing. And now listen, this is quite important. And I this really blew things up for me when I really started to understand this. You see, when you speak to your mountain, you are speaking to, listen, this is cool, your past, your present, and your future. Now let me explain that to you. See, when you declare I'm not disqualified, you're speaking to the past that tried to label you. When you declare profission is coming, you're speaking into your present anxiety. And when you declare my future is not defined by the season, you are speaking into what hasn't happened yet. You see, your words realign timelines. They break agreement with old lies, they calm current fear, and they frame a future with expectation. And listen, scripture even tells us in Proverbs 18, 21, and I quote, death and life are in the power of the tongue. Well, girl, listen, we are not gonna be pretending reality away, but we are gonna be choosing which reality we agree with. Am I right? So let's move on to step number four then. We're gonna take one, just one, aligned action. Because listen, faith speaks, but then faith steps. If you declare provision, apply it somewhere. Provision, that's why I said not division. If you declare healing, book the counseling session. If you declare calling, volunteer. If you declare peace, turn off the chaos. You see, faith without movement, ladies, becomes theory. But we're not designed for theory, we are designed for transformation. Can I get an amen there? Yes. And here's what it feels like when you start living this way. You feel steadier. Not because the mountain vanished overnight, but because it's no longer owning your voice. You feel braver, not because you're fearless, but because fear doesn't get the final say anymore. You feel clearer because you're no longer negotiating with something God already gave you authority over. And over time, the mountain either moves or you realize it was never bigger than you thought. So as I close, I want you to sit here for a second and I want you to watch and what let's go back. I want you to watch what begins to shift. Excuse me. Sometimes around you, but always within you. Let's let's watch that because when you start speaking differently, you start thinking differently. And then when you start thinking differently, well, girl, you start choosing differently. And when you choose differently, your future begins to look a little different. This is not just spiritual language, ladies. This is formation. And when Jesus tells us to speak to the mountain, he's not inviting us to stare backward at what was. Uh no, he's inviting us to look forward at what can be. You see, mountains keep you looking behind, but faith moves your eyes ahead. We need to be looking ahead. And here's something important. When you start doing this, it might feel a little uncomfortable at first. I know it does for me. Because when you're doing something new, ooh, you are rewiring a belief. You are firing a new neural pathway, you are creating a new spiritual muscle memory. You see, because for years, maybe you said, I can't. This always happens, I'll never get ahead. Oh, it's just my story. Those thoughts, ladies, you need to understand that they carved a path in your mind. But when you begin to say, this is not the end, I am not disqualified. God is with me. I have authority in Christ. You are doing what you are building a new path. And new paths, well, they feel a little unfamiliar at first. It might feel awkward, it might feel forced, it might feel like you're acting, it may feel like you're not sure you fully believe it yet. But listen, I want you to give yourself permission to say that's okay. Because listen, mustard seed faith doesn't feel giant, it feels small. But let me tell you what, it is rooted. You're not pretending the past didn't happen. You're refusing to let it dictate the future, though. You're not denying reality, but you're choosing alignment. And every time you speak truth over unbelief girl, listen, you weaken the old agreement and you strengthen the new one. That be looking good on you. That's how transformation happens. Not in one dramatic moment. Okay, that's not reality TV here, but in repeated aligned declar declarations. And slowly, listen, slowly. Your brain follows your belief. Your belief follows truth, and your future follows both. I don't know about you, but that excites me. So, yes, watch what shifts around you. But more importantly, watch what shifts inside you. Because when the internal mountain moves, the external one doesn't stand a chance, girl. Now, if this episode stirred something in you and you need someone to stand in agreement with you, you can call our 24-hour prayer line anytime at 855-822 pray. And for classes, resources, and community, you need to visit ShepherdsVillage.com. Listen, ladies, you don't have to move that mountain alone. Have a wonderful week and remember it's a single mom thing and not the single thing that stops you.

SPEAKER_01: 19:32

Thanks for listening to It's a Single Mom Thing. I hope you enjoyed our time together. If you have more questions on how to have a relationship with Jesus or need prayer, visit us at www.shepherdsvillage.com backslash prayer. For more information and resources, check out our show notes.