End-Time-Disciples Podcast

Have you ever had someone explain a verse, share wisdom, or encourage you in a way that helped you keep following Jesus? Don’t let that blessing stop with you.

Paul told Timothy, The things which you have heard from me, entrust these to faithful people who will be able to teach others also.

Notice the progression. Paul taught Timothy. Timothy was to entrust that truth to faithful people, and those faithful people were to teach others also. That’s how disciples grow God’s kingdom.

God doesn’t teach you only for your own benefit. He teaches you so you can grow, and so you can help someone else grow too.

You don’t have to know everything before you can encourage another believer. You can pass on what God has already shown you.

Has God taught you how to pray through anxiety? Maybe He has helped you forgive someone. Has He strengthened your faith through a difficult season?

Or maybe He has shown you how to read Scripture more carefully, resist temptation, serve quietly, or trust Him when life is uncertain.

Those lessons are not just your private story. They’re how you can help someone else. Of course we aren’t trying to impress people with what we know. We’re simply sharing what God has taught us through His Word, through His people, and through His faithfulness in our life experiences.

So this week ask, “Lord, what have you taught me that could help someone else follow you?”

Then look for one simple opportunity to pass it on. Share a scripture. Tell someone how God helped you. Or, remind a struggling friend what is true. What God teaches you can become encouragement, wisdom, and strength for someone else.

Jesus still says, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.end-time-disciples.com

Hebrews 3:13 says: “Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”

Most of us know we need encouragement when we’re going through a crisis. But this verse tells us we need encouragement daily.

Sin is deceitful. It usually doesn’t announce itself.

It works gradually.

Over time it can weaken our faith, distort our thinking, and make our hearts less responsive to God.

And because sin is deceptive, we don’t always recognize what’s happening within us.

We may think we’re doing fine when we’re actually drifting.

That’s one reason Jesus never intended for us to follow Him alone.

We need other believers who’ll listen to us, and pray with us, reminding us of what God has said, and lovingly challenge us when they see us moving in the wrong direction.

But encouragement isn’t only something we receive. It’s also something every disciple can give.

You don’t have to be a pastor, Bible scholar, or trained counselor.

You can ask someone how they’re doing—and care enough to listen to the real answer.

You can share a Scripture.

You can pray with them.

You can remind them that God is faithful, especially when they’re struggling to believe it.

Sometimes encouragement can be as simple as saying, “I’ve noticed you seem discouraged lately. How can I pray for you?”

A few sincere words may be exactly what someone needs that day.

That’s what a Discipleship Partner can provide—two believers helping each other to continue following Jesus.

Every disciple needs encouragement.

And every disciple can encourage someone else.

So, this week, think about who you can encourage.

And allow someone else to encourage you.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.end-time-disciples.com

How can you tell if someone is growing as a disciple of Jesus?

Is it Bible knowledge?

Church attendance?

Religious activity?

Those things can be good, but Jesus gave His disciples a very clear mark of genuine growth.

He said:

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”—John 13:34

Then He added:

“By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”—John 13:35

Jesus did not say the world would know we are His disciples by how much we know, or how hard we work for Him.

He said they would know by our love.

And so, discipleship is not merely learning more about Jesus. It’s becoming more like Him.

Jesus loved patiently.

He loved sacrificially.

He loved people who were weak, confused, slow to understand, and difficult to love.

That means growth in Christ becomes visible in the way you treat other people.

In your home.

At work.

In a store.

Whether you truly forgive.

And in the way you serve when no one is watching.

Love does not mean we ignore the truth about people or situations.

But truth without love can become harsh, and love without truth can become shallow.

A mature disciple learns to speak truth with humility, and to serve others with the heart of Christ.

So this week, ask:

“Lord Jesus, who are You calling me to love more like You?”

Maybe that means forgiving someone.

Maybe it means serving someone quietly.

It may mean listening before speaking.

Or, encouraging another believer who is tired or discouraged.

A Discipleship Partner can help you notice where God’s Spirit is calling you to change.

To learn more about discipleship at Good Hope, or request a Discipleship Partner, visit: https://goodhopelive.com/discipleship

Jesus still says:

“Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.end-time-disciples.com

Jesus described discipleship as a full-time, lifelong commitment.

He said, If anyone wants to come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Notice that word, daily.

Following Jesus is not limited to a Sunday service, a Bible study, or a spiritual decision that you made years ago. It’s a daily response to his leadership.

What does it mean for a disciple to deny himself? It doesn’t mean pretending you have no needs or no personality. It means that Jesus becomes Lord over your desires, your plans, your priorities, and your will. A disciple learns to say, Lord, not my will, but yours be done.

Jesus said we must take up our cross daily. The cross doesn’t represent inconvenience. It represents total surrender and death. It means the old life is no longer in charge.

When he says, follow me, Jesus calls us to surrender the following, pride, bitterness, selfish ambition, comfort, and control. The call is costly, but it’s also good. He doesn’t call you to lose what is best. He calls you to leave behind what cannot give life, so you can walk with the one who is life.

So this week ask, Lord Jesus, what do I need to surrender today? And then take one obedient step.

When obedience is hard, a discipleship partner can encourage you, pray with you, and help you be a faithful disciple.

Jesus still says, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.end-time-disciples.com

When you hear the word discipleship, what comes to mind?

* A class?

* A Bible study?

* A church program?

Those things can be helpful, but discipleship is more than a scheduled activity.

Discipleship is a way of life.

In Deuteronomy, God told His covenant people: “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.”

Notice where spiritual formation happens.

* At home.

* On the road.

* At bedtime.

* In the morning.

* In ordinary conversations.

* In everyday life.

God never meant for us to divide our lives between sacred and secular.

All of our life is to be sacred.

A disciple learns to follow Jesus at church, but also at the kitchen table,

* at work,

* in traffic,

* during conflict,

* while making decisions,

* and when no one else is watching.

Discipleship is about bringing every part of your life under the loving lordship of God’s Holy Spirit.

This is where a Discipleship Partner can be so helpful. Together, you’re learning to ask:

“How does God’s Word shape my attitudes?”

How does it shape my words?

My priorities?

and my relationships?

Discipleship doesn’t happen in a classroom. It happens as you walk with Jesus ‘twenty-four seven’ in your daily life.

Jesus still says: “Follow Me! And I will make you fishers of men.”

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.end-time-disciples.com

Have you ever gone through a difficult time, and then discovered that God placed the right person beside you at just the right moment?

Sometimes we think spiritual growth is simply between us and Jesus. Our relationship with Him is personal, but it was never meant to be isolated.

Ecclesiastes says:

“Two are better than one. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion.”

We all sometimes get discouraged, confused, tempted, or spiritually tired.

The danger of walking alone is that it’s hard to recognize when you’re beginning to drift. And even when you do recognize it, you may not have the strength to recover by yourself.

That’s one reason God places other believers in your life.

God uses others to encourage us, remind us of truths from the Bible, lovingly correct us when we move in the wrong direction, or help us stand when we feel weak.

Hebrews tells us:

“Encourage one another, day after day, so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

You can often see another person’s blind spot more clearly than your own, and another believer often sees danger in your life before you recognize it.

That’s not interference. When it’s done with humility, love, and Scripture, it’s one of God’s gifts to you.

So ask yourself:

“Who has permission to encourage me, correct me, and help me follow Jesus?”

And then ask:

“Whom is God calling me to walk alongside?”

A Discipleship-Partner is someone who walks beside you so that neither of you has to grow alone.

Jesus still says, “Follow Me! and I will make you fishers of men.”

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.end-time-disciples.com

Have you ever sensed God speaking to you through the Bible, a sermon, or another believer, then agreed with what He was saying but changed nothing in your life? Jesus said, “Everyone who hears these sayings of Mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.”

And again Jesus asked, “Why do you call Me Lord, but do not do what I say?” Likewise, the Apostle James warned us, saying, “Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” Many christians hear God’s word and agree with it without letting it change the way they live.

James compares that person to someone who looks into a mirror then walks away and forgets what he saw. But a mirror accomplishes nothing unless you respond to the truth it reveals. God’s Word is a mirror. It reveals the truth about God, about you, and about the way you are living.

Obedience does not earn God’s love. You obey because He already loves you and because you trust that His His way is better than your own.

Obedience is faith put into action. As you act on what God has shown you, He uses that obedience to change you and strengthen your faith. Faith grows when you take the next step of obedience Jesus has placed before you.

So this week do not ask only “What did I learn?” Also ask, “What will I do?” Choose one clear truth from God’s word and put it into practice. James says that the person who hears God’s word and puts it into practice will be blessed in what he does.

To learn more about discipleship at good hope, visit goodhopelive.com/discipleship. Jesus still says, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.end-time-disciples.com

Have you ever read a passage of Scripture and immediately realized, ‘The Lord is speaking to me about this?’ Hearing Jesus is important, but discipleship happens when we respond.

Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” Notice the sequence. His sheep hear his voice, and then they follow him.

We hear Jesus most clearly through God’s Word as the Holy Spirit reveals and applies it to our lives. His voice will never contradict His written Word. Sometimes He comforts us, sometimes He corrects us, and sometimes He calls us to take a step of obedience that we would rather avoid.

A disciple does not merely ask, What does this passage mean? A disciple also asks, What should I do to obey it? This week, when you read or hear God’s Word, pause and ask, What are you showing me and what step of obedience should I take? Then take that step and consider sharing it with a trusted believer who can encourage you and help you remain accountable.

This is why discipleship matters. We are helping each other to hear, obey, and grow in maturity together. To learn more about discipleship at Good Hope, see our current progress, or request a discipleship partner, visit goodhopelive.com/discipleship.

Jesus still says, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.end-time-disciples.com

Jesus compared His followers to branches growing from the same vine.

Every branch receives its life from the same source. In the same way, every believer receives spiritual life from Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.

But healthy branches do not grow alone.

Throughout Scripture, God calls His people to walk together, encourage one another, pray for one another, bear one another’s burdens, and build one another up. Spiritual growth is personal, but it was never meant to be solitary.

Discipleship is not about replacing the Holy Spirit or becoming dependent on another person. Rather, it is two believers intentionally partnering together to hear and be transformed by the Holy Spirit.

God often uses other believers to encourage us when we are discouraged, strengthen us when we are weak, and help us stay on the path when we begin to drift.

This week, take a few moments to reflect:

• Who is helping me grow spiritually?

• Who am I helping grow spiritually?

• Am I intentionally investing in the growth of another believer?

God designed us to grow together.

Healthy branches don’t grow alone. They grow together. And together, they bear more fruit.

Follow Jesus. Be Changed.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.end-time-disciples.com

Jesus compared our spiritual lives to branches connected to a vine.

A branch remains alive and fruitful only while the life of the vine continues flowing through it. In the same way, spiritual growth happens when we remain connected to Christ through His Spirit.

In John 15:5–7, Jesus gives both a warning and a promise. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. But as we abide in Him and His words abide in us, His life flows through us, producing spiritual fruit and deepening our fellowship with Him.

God never intended believers to grow alone. Throughout Scripture, He calls His people to walk together, encourage one another, and grow together in Christ.

This week, take a few moments to reflect:

• Am I intentionally abiding in Christ day by day?

• What practices help me remain connected to Him?

• Who is helping me grow spiritually?

May the life of Christ continue flowing through us by His Spirit as we remain connected to Him and follow Him together.

Follow Jesus. Be Changed.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.end-time-disciples.com