Knowing the right path does not always mean knowing how to follow it. Without practical guidance, encouragement, and honest self-reflection, people can struggle to recognize what is influencing their choices, repeating unhealthy patterns, and allowing temptation, fear, pride, or the need for acceptance to shape their decisions. Simply hearing biblical teachings may not be enough if those lessons never make their way into everyday life. The challenge is turning knowledge into action and understanding how faith can guide the choices people make when faced with real-life pressures.
Lisa Owens, Founder of Surrender All LLC, is turning her own journey of faith, perseverance, education, military and federal service, teaching, and ministry into a mission to help others make wiser choices and grow spiritually. What began with her book Don’t Be Deceived: The Three Sins of the World has grown into a platform for books, speaking engagements, Bible study, and educational resources designed to connect biblical teachings with everyday life.
Built on her “Teach. Connect. Apply. Empower.” approach, Lisa highlights that knowledge matters most when it leads to action. She helps people understand biblical principles, recognize how they relate to real-life struggles, apply them to their decisions, and find the confidence to make meaningful changes.
Her own life demonstrates that philosophy. A childhood struggle with reading comprehension did not prevent her from earning multiple degrees. Being told she was not prepared for college did not prevent her from graduating with honors. Being told she did not know how to write did not prevent her from excelling in graduate-level writing and eventually becoming an author, founder, and CEO of Surrender All LLC.
Her journey has taught her a lesson that now influences how she teaches others: what people say about you may be their opinion, but it does not have to become your truth.
From Early Doubts to a Love for Learning
Lisa Owens was born and raised in the Bronx, New York City, where her early years were shaped by both academic challenges and personal instability. At an early age, her mother was informed that Lisa struggled with reading comprehension. Although mathematics came more easily and she maintained decent grades, the concern about comprehension affected how she viewed her own academic abilities.
Her childhood also required considerable adaptability. Within a two-year period, she lived in five different homes before moving to North Carolina, where she entered the eighth grade. She had to adjust to a new environment and a different way of life.
Throughout these changes, her mother continued to encourage her to stay in school and complete her education. And Lisa did exactly as her mother hoped. After graduating, Lisa joined the military, with dreams of traveling, experiencing new places, and building a life beyond what she had known growing up. Ironically, military service would eventually lead her back to education.
While stationed in Germany, Lisa Owens visited an education counselor after learning about opportunities for soldiers to attend college. Because of her low ASVAB scores, she was told that she was not prepared for higher education and she would need to take the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) before attending. The conversation revived the insecurity she had carried since childhood. Lisa walked away discouraged and abandoned the idea of college for several years.
Her outlook changed when she was later stationed at Fort Knox and met with another education counselor. The counselor expressed that because she had not taken the SAT, she would take a placement test to determine the appropriate academic level for her skills. The results showed that she needed additional reading support, but Lisa did not see the class as a reason to stop. Instead, she saw it as an area she needed to strengthen to move forward.
That moment changed how she viewed both education and educators. One counselor’s words had caused her to walk away from college. Another counselor provided a pathway forward. For Lisa, the lesson became bigger than academics: identifying a weakness should not mean defining a person’s potential by that weakness. Effective education provides correction, encouragement, resources, and an opportunity to improve.
Turning Setbacks into Academic and Teaching Success
Lisa Owens began college at Elizabethtown Community College and earned an associate degree in General Studies before transferring to her next military assignment at Fort Lee, Virginia. There, her roles as soldier, instructor, and student converged.
While serving as an instructor for Advanced Individual Training soldiers, Lisa pursued a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a specialization in Management through Saint Leo University. Her days began with military physical fitness, continued with hours of instruction, and often ended with college classes. Some evenings included back-to-back classes lasting until 10 p.m.
For approximately two years, she balanced the responsibilities of soldier, instructor, and college student. And the effort paid off! Lisa earned her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a 3.71 GPA, graduating cum laude. The young girl who had carried insecurity about reading comprehension and the soldier who had once been told she was not prepared for college had become an honors graduate.
Her educational journey continued during another assignment in Europe. After initially enrolling in a graduate program that proved difficult, Lisa Owens encountered another painful academic moment. A professor told her that he did not know how she had progressed so far academically because, in his opinion, she did not know how to write.
The words brought back the insecurities she had carried for years.
But they did not become the end of her story.
Lisa later enrolled in the University of Oklahoma’s Human Relations program, where writing was an essential part of the curriculum. There, a professor gave her a completely different assessment, praising the quality and flow of her writing and even suggesting that she should write a book.
Lisa Owens earned her Master of Human Relations with a 3.85 GPA.
Years later, after relocating to Alabama and experiencing a job layoff, another setback became an opportunity. She returned to school and earned an Educational Specialist degree from Liberty University with a 3.53 GPA. When ministry responsibilities later created a desire for greater biblical knowledge, she returned to Liberty University and earned a certificate in Biblical Studies and Pastoral Counseling.
Her academic journey taught her that success is not always reflected by perfect circumstances or even a perfect GPA. Sometimes success means continuing when responsibilities, disappointment, family obligations, work, and life give you reasons to stop.
Teach. Connect. Apply. Empower.
Lisa’s educational philosophy has developed across four distinct teaching environments: military instruction, ministry teaching, college instruction, and authorship.
Throughout her teaching journey, she has developed four simple principles: Teach. Connect. Apply. Empower. First teach the principle clearly. Then connect the information to experiences people recognize. Next, demonstrate how the information can be applied. Finally, empower individuals to use what they have learned to make informed decisions.
Lisa learned early that presenting information does not guarantee learning. People must be able to connect the information to something meaningful and understand how to use it. That philosophy followed her from military warehouses to church classrooms, online college instruction, Bible study, speaking engagements, and eventually the pages of her books.
She briefly served as an online adjunct instructor with Axia College, working with adult learners from different backgrounds and locations. The experience strengthened her ability to facilitate learning, encourage critical thinking, and connect academic concepts to real-world experiences.
Writing eventually became another extension of teaching. Lisa Owens describes authorship as “a classroom without walls or dashboards.” A book allows her to teach people she may never personally meet and gives readers an opportunity to revisit a lesson, reflect on their behaviors, discuss what they have learned, and apply the information long after the initial reading.
From Military Training to Ministry
Lisa Owens developed her teaching skills through her work as an Army logistics professional and instructor. At the U.S. Army Quartermaster Center and School at Fort Lee, she spent two years as an instructor and writer, teaching warehouse operations to more than 2,000 AIT soldiers and training officers and small-group leaders on the Material Release Order Control System.
The environment itself presented challenges. Classes were taught in an open-bay warehouse, sometimes alongside other classes, and the facility did not have air conditioning. Lisa quickly learned that standing in front of students and lecturing for hours would not keep soldiers focused and involved.
Her teaching methods included:
- Hands-on activities and practical examples
- Collaboration and active participation
- Teacher- and student-centered instruction
- Relatable examples connected to real situations
- Tests and demonstrations to measure learning
Rather than simply completing the material, Lisa Owens wanted soldiers to understand it well enough to use it in their military missions. She aimed for a 95% passing rate, a standard reflected in her instructor evaluations.
Her teaching journey later expanded into ministry. At Christ the Healer Church, Bishop Calvin Lockett encouraged Lisa Owens to explore teaching after asking about the gifts she could contribute to the church. That conversation eventually led her to teach the New Members class. She later taught teen and adult Sunday school and teen Bible study.
Today, at Union Chapel Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership of Pastor Dr. O. Wendell Davis, she previously served in Teen Church and currently serves in the choir, Veterans Ministry, Singles Ministry, and as one of the Pastor’s Associate Ministers.
Through ministry, Lisa learned that teaching Scripture means more than explaining what the Bible says. It means helping people understand how biblical principles can shape their choices, relationships, behavior, and daily lives. This requires preparation, compassion, wisdom, and careful study.
From a Book to a Bigger Purpose
Surrender All LLC began with Lisa Owens’s book Don’t Be Deceived: The Three Sins of the World and soon grew beyond book sales into a greater purpose: to plant and water seeds of biblical truth that encourage people to draw closer to Christ, while trusting God to give the increase. The name reflects its Christian foundation and the belief that meaningful transformation begins when people surrender their minds, bodies, and souls to Jesus Christ.
The concept grew from Lisa’s own personal reflection. During a season when she loved God but recognized areas in which her choices did not always align with what she believed, she began asking why. Why can people know something is wrong yet still desire it, recognize potential consequences yet return to certain behaviors, and understand biblical truth while struggling to live according to it? Those questions led to deeper study and eventually contributed to both her book and the mission of Surrender All LLC.
Today, the faith-based company seeks to educate, encourage, inspire, and equip people with biblical truth that can be applied to everyday life. Its platform includes books and speaking engagements, with a growing vision for educational resources and products supporting spiritual growth and intentional living.
At the heart of the organization is a challenging question: What have you truly surrendered to God? The question invites people to examine their thoughts, relationships, desires, habits, pride, plans, need for approval, and other areas that may compete with God’s direction. The objective is not condemnation. It is honest self-reflection.
Strategic Partnerships
Lisa Owens believes meaningful impact rarely happens alone. One of the most valuable institutional relationships for Surrender All LLC is its partnership with the Redstone Arsenal Post Exchange (PX), where she operates as an authorized vendor and sells her books through a kiosk or table while connecting directly with the military community.
The partnership holds special meaning for Lisa because it represents a full-circle moment in her life. As a U.S. Army veteran and retired government civilian with 32 years of combined military and federal service, she gained discipline, accountability, perseverance, adaptability, and a strong sense of service throughout her career. Today, she has returned to the military community in a different role, as an author and entrepreneur.
The PX offers Lisa Owens more than a place to sell books. It allows her to meet active-duty personnel, veterans, retirees, military families, government employees, contractors, and others connected to Redstone Arsenal. These face-to-face interactions allow her to build relationships and have conversations that may not happen through online sales, and it allows her to explain why she wrote her book, discuss its message, answer questions, and hear directly from readers.
One encounter particularly reinforced Lisa’s belief that purpose should remain greater than a transaction. A young woman passing the kiosk admitted that she did not enjoy reading and told Lisa that even if she purchased the book, she might never read it. Lisa responded that she would rather the woman not purchase the book if she had no intention of reading it. For Lisa, receiving the money was less important than someone receiving the message.
Surprised by her response, the woman decided to purchase the book. She told Lisa Owens that she appreciated her kindness and honesty and that the interaction made her want to read it.
The experience reinforced an important principle behind Surrender All LLC: sometimes impact does not begin with a sales pitch; it begins with a genuine conversation.
Turning Biblical Truth into Everyday Action
One of the primary issues addressed through Surrender All LLC is deception. Lisa Owens believes deception is not always an obvious lie. Sometimes people become vulnerable when something appeals to desires already within them. That is why the organization encourages them to ask, “What feeds my desire?”
A desire for acceptance may create vulnerability to unhealthy relationships. A desire for status may influence financial decisions. A desire for attention may affect behavior. A desire for success may encourage someone to compromise personal values.
Understanding what feeds a desire can help people recognize what makes them susceptible to temptation or deception.
Surrender All LLC helps people move beyond simply hearing biblical truth to applying it in daily life.
Applying truth may involve:
- Changing an unhealthy habit
- Setting healthy boundaries
- Reconsidering a relationship
- Forgiving or apologizing
- Walking away from something harmful
- Recognizing when personal change is necessary
Surrender All LLC serves individuals seeking spiritual growth, greater discernment, personal development, and practical biblical understanding. Its resources also have the potential to serve churches, ministries, book clubs, educational groups, and community organizations seeking meaningful conversations about faith, decision-making, relationships, temptation, responsibility, and spiritual development.
What distinguishes Lisa Owens’s approach is the emphasis on recognizable human behavior. She wants people to see Scripture not simply as words they hear in church, but as truth relevant to the decisions they make, relationships they establish, desires they pursue, and influences they allow into their lives.
The purpose is to help people move from simply knowing about God to intentionally surrendering their lives to Him.
A Bible Study That Grew Beyond Numbers
On October 25, 2020, under the leadership of Pastor Dr. O. Wendell Davis of Union Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, Lisa accepted her calling as a minister to spread the Gospel. After delivering her first sermon on August 29, 2021, she became a licensed minister.
Her sister, Latarsha, later encouraged her to begin hosting a women’s Bible study. On November 1, 2021, Lisa held the first session through Zoom, and the Bible study continues today.
The experience became an unexpected lesson in perseverance and how impact should be measured.
Attendance was strong when Bible study began, but the numbers gradually dropped. Lisa questioned whether she should continue and even wondered whether her teaching style was the reason people stopped attending.
The disappointment eventually led her to close the Bible study’s Facebook group. With time and reflection, however, she realized that she had valued the ministry by attendance rather than appreciating the people who continued to participate.
Her perspective changed.
She understood that even if only one person attends, she still has an opportunity to plant or water a seed through God’s Word. Her responsibility is to teach faithfully, while the outcome belongs to God.
Lisa Owens eventually reactivated the Facebook group and now uses it to share Bible study information and encouraging messages.
The Bible study continues, but Lisa no longer believes that numbers determine the value of the work.
For her, the ministry is meaningful if even one person is encouraged, grows spiritually, gains a clearer understanding of Scripture, or moves closer to God.
Lisa shares testimonies from her daughter and friends on how her life or the Bible study has impacted their lives:
My daughter, Alisa – a gift from God:
“My mother has impacted my life significantly. In ways she doesn’t even know. My mom has shown me that it is never too late to go after what you want, that you can achieve anything as long as God is at the center of your life. I have learned so much from my mother. Not only has she raised me to be a God-fearing woman, but she has taught me to stick up for myself, to try my best, and to always know that I am the daughter of the Most High.
My mother has always been my number one supporter and has loved me through all phases, trials, and tribulations, and through thick and thin. Although we have had our ups and downs, and sometimes we go through situations, I always know that through it all, she has always loved me and that she has always done everything through love for me. Whenever I look in the mirror, I see my mom’s face.
When I am alone and feel sad, I call my mom. My mom has taught me a lot, and she continues to do so by her own actions. Whenever she says she will achieve something, she does. When she says she will be there, she shows up. All my life I have known I was wanted because of my mother, something not all daughters can say. I am truly blessed to have a mother like Lisa Owens.”
My friend, LaKeisha:
“I find the Bible studies beneficial as a collective because they’ve helped me grow spiritually over the years. So, this testimony isn’t indicative of the most impactful lesson; it’s just a recent one that came to mind.
Before I came to DC in April, you led a Bible study where we talked about self-control, and food was specifically mentioned. I had been “trying” for years to lose weight. I would even say to my friends, “If we could just do right and stay focused for a few months, we would be good.”
Well, after that Bible study, I was determined that I was going to use my time in DC to get this body together. I don’t know why it never crossed my mind before, but this time I involved God in the process.
What I had been trying to do for years on my own- saving Facebook and IG exercise videos that I never went back to watch, attempting random diets, cutting out “bad” foods, meal prepping, purchasing workouts and various subscriptions, counting macros, etc. None of it worked.
God told me to walk. So, that’s what I did, and the weight has been coming off! I’ve lost over 30lbs since I’ve been here.
Have I been lifting weights? No.
Meal prepping? No.
Cutting out sugar/carbs? No.
Cooking? No.
That’s how I know God has a sense of humor. In 4 months, I have only cooked a meal once. On another occasion, I boiled some eggs. I literally eat out all the time. Involving Him has made all the difference. The Holy Spirit lives in us. He’ll tell you when to stop eating and even let you know it’s okay to have that cake or ice cream.
When I think back on it, I wish that I had this epiphany earlier. God designed each of us. Who else would know better than Him how our bodies work and what they need to perform optimally? All these professionals had to study and learn. I had been listening to their guidance designed for the masses and had never considered going to the Creator. By doing so, I got my own customized workout/meal plan with a built-in 24/7 accountability partner/coach! Being a Christian comes with the best benefit package…we just have to take advantage of what’s already been made available to us.”
My friend, Latoya:
“Hello love, I wanted to share how the Bible Study has been a blessing to me. It has been a safe space for me and other women to come together and share things that we are struggling with, that we may need prayer for, and just have a common ground and space to learn more about the Lord, grow spiritually, and be an encouragement to one another.
Personally, it has allowed me to come out of my shell a little regarding praying for others out loud. It allows me to talk about the lesson and retain the information because we’re having dialogue. It allows me to see how God is working in other people’s lives, giving me hope and encouragement that He will do the same for me. I just have to keep believing and trusting in Him. And it serves as a reminder not to give up on God and to know that He is always with me. I just have to keep my heart and mine open to Him and to His Word.
Most importantly, the Bible Study has allowed me to see who I am through God‘s Word. Reading His Word truly fills some voids that let me know how much He loves me and how valuable I am to Him. It’s a feeling that no one can tell you or express to you, but it’s something that you experience for yourself by being in His Word.
I’m grateful for the opportunity of being in Bible Study, having this outlet to share with other women of God, to grow in my faith and my knowledge and understanding. And I’m grateful to you for being obedient to have this platform for us.”
Life Before and After Stepping Into Entrepreneurial Role
Before
As a child, Lisa Owens learned to adjust to change, deal with difficult situations, stay strong, and find her place despite uncertainty.
After
Lisa later realized that these experiences prepared her for adulthood by building her strength, shaping her outlook, and teaching her how to lead.
A Day in Lisa’s Life
5:00–7:00 AM | Early Morning
The day begins with prayer, Scripture, reflection, quiet time with God, and sharing encouraging or Scripture-based messages on social media.
8:00–11:00 AM | Start of Workday
Weight training and cardio help strengthen the body, clear the mind, and build energy.
11:00 AM–1:00 PM | Midday
Time for personal errands, appointments, emails, and messages.
1:00–5:00 PM | Key Work Priorities
The focus is on Surrender All LLC, writing, book-related activities, Bible study preparation, and encouraging content.
5:00–9:00 PM | Evening
Evenings are for family, ministry, scheduled Bible study, reflection, relaxation, and preparing for the next day.
9:00 PM Onward | Wind-Down
The day ends with reading, an app game, prayer, and rest, trusting God with tomorrow: “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” — Psalm 4:8.
Quick Takes
- Motivating Quote: Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
- Advice to Future Entrepreneurs and Leaders:
“Write the vision and never give up.” Galatians 6:9 reminds us not to grow weary while doing good, because in due season we will reap if we do not lose heart.
- Book Recommendation: Don’t Be Deceived: The Three Sins of the World
Lisa Owens’s 5 Impactful Business Mantras
- Turn Setbacks into Strength: Challenges can become lessons that build confidence, resilience, and purpose.
- Teach with Purpose: Share knowledge in a way that helps people understand, grow, and move forward.
- Connect Learning to Life: Knowledge creates greater value when people can apply it to real situations.
- Stay True to Your Purpose: Meaningful work is about serving people and creating impact, not simply achieving numbers.
- Keep Going with Faith: Progress may take time, but perseverance, faith, and consistent effort can turn a vision into reality.
