Breaking Free from Lies: The Realities of Spiritual Growth

The central premise of this podcast episode revolves around the stark contrast between cultural expectations of comfort and the authentic demands of discipleship as articulated in the Christian faith. We assert unequivocally that the journey of following Jesus is not one characterized by ease or self-indulgence, but rather a challenging path that necessitates self-denial and the willingness to embrace discomfort. I delve into the pervasive misconceptions surrounding faith, particularly the erroneous notion that faith in Christ guarantees an uncomplicated life. We candidly discuss the necessity for men to confront the distractions and false securities that impede their spiritual growth, urging a radical reevaluation of what it truly means to carry one's cross. Our discourse aims to catalyze a transformative awakening, compelling listeners to relinquish their hold on superficial comforts in favor of a deeper, more authentic relationship with God.

In this compelling episode of Discipleship Decoded, the host Malden Mitchell addresses the pervasive issue of superficial faith that has infiltrated modern Christianity. He asserts that many individuals have been misled by a diluted gospel that promotes the idea of an effortless Christian life, devoid of trials and tribulations. Through a forthright examination of scriptural truths, Mitchell dismantles these misconceptions, drawing listeners' attention to the core tenets of discipleship that demand both sacrifice and a radical reorientation of one's life toward following Christ. He emphasizes that true discipleship is not merely about self-improvement or comfort but involves a profound transformation that requires the relinquishment of one's old self, aligned with the biblical directive to take up one’s cross daily.

Mitchell engages the audience in a critical reflection on what they are safeguarding in their lives—comfort, pride, and societal validation. He provocatively questions whether their pursuits are hindering their spiritual growth and authenticity in their relationship with God. The host employs a blend of personal anecdotes and scriptural references to illustrate the inner turmoil many face when confronted with the call to a deeper faith. He encourages listeners to confront their fears and to embrace the difficult yet rewarding journey of surrendering to God's will, illustrating that true freedom comes from relinquishing the very things they seek to protect.

As the episode progresses, Mitchell underscores the importance of community in the discipleship journey. He exhorts men to seek accountability and to engage in genuine relationships that foster spiritual growth rather than mere comfort. The dialogue culminates in a powerful invitation for transformation, challenging listeners to step out of their comfort zones and into a life of authentic faith. By the end of the episode, the message is clear: true discipleship is a call to die—figuratively and literally—to one’s old self in order to fully embrace the life that God has in store, thus fostering a faith that is deep, real, and impactful.

Takeaways:

• This podcast challenges listeners to confront the uncomfortable truths about discipleship.
• The host emphasizes that true discipleship requires the death of personal comfort and pride.
• Listeners are encouraged to identify what they are protecting instead of surrendering to God.
• We must recognize that following Christ involves a sacrifice that transcends cultural expectations.

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
If you came here looking foranother feel good sermon, you're
in the wrong place.
If you want someone to tellyou that you are perfect just the
way that you are, then keep scrolling.
But if you're tired of beinglied to, if you're sick of playing
church while your life fallsapart, if you're ready to hear what

(00:23):
the Bible actually says aboutwhat it means to be a man of God,
then buckle up because we'reabout to decode some truth that is
going to make you feel uncomfortable.
This is discipleship decoded.
Where we don't do soft, we do scriptural.
Where we don't do safe, we do sanctified.
And we don't do fake, we do faith.

(00:45):
I'm your host, MaldenMitchell, and for the next few minutes,
I'm going to tell you whatnobody else will.
The truth about followingJesus ain't what you think it is.
You ready?
Let's go.
You just locked intodiscipleship decoded, where we get
raw, real and irrelevant aboutwhat it means to follow Christ in

(01:06):
a culture that is absolutelylosing its mind.
This ain't about playing church.
We're here to make disciplespreach the truth and call out everything
that opposes the kingdom of God.
So if you're tired of watereddown messages or already for some
real talk, you're in the right place.
I'm your host, Malden Mitchell.

(01:26):
Now let's get into it.
Hello everyone everywhere, andwelcome to another episode of Discipleship
Decoded.
Let's be real.
Most of y' all have been solda lie.

(01:47):
A watered down, sweet, sticky,sugar coated prosperity gospel packaged
American dream with Jesussprinkled on the top.
They told you to follow Christand life gets easier.
They lied.

(02:10):
Jesus didn't lie.
But he also didn't die toupgrade your lifestyle.
He died to end your life sohis life could begin in you.
You've been treating the crosslike some kind of good luck charm

(02:30):
instead of what it really is.
An execution.
Dev.
Luke, chapter 9, verse 23 saysit like this in the Christian Standard
Bible.
Jesus speaking.
No filter, no fluff.
He says that if anyone wantsto follow after me, let him deny

(02:54):
himself, take up his crossdaily and follow me.
Not when you feel like it, notwhen it's convenient, not when your
mama's watching.
See, the Bible doesn'twhisper, so why should you?

(03:17):
Man, I remember sitting inchurch thinking I was saved, thinking
I was sanctified, thinking Iwas all that in a bag of chips.
But I was living for mycomfort, my plans, my dreams, my

(03:41):
reputation with a little Jesussprinkled on the side.
Regrettably, I was treatingGod like a cosmic butler.
Hey, God, bless this.
Hey God, fix that.
Hey God, make my life work.

(04:04):
But never.
Hey God, kill what needs todie inside of me.
I mean, absolutely never.
I never said, hey God, crucifymy pride.
Never.
I never said hey God, Isurrender everything.
Family.

(04:24):
I was trying to live whileclaiming to follow the one who died.
And I'm here to tell you fromexperience that you can't do both.
You can't do both.
But here's the most thing thatmen don't realize.
The thing that you'reprotecting, the comfort that you're

(04:48):
clinging to, the reputationthat you're guarding, is the very
thing that is keeping you fromthe life that God has for you.
I mean, we so manydistractions, man chasing women,
money, fame, status, feelingas though we got the right label

(05:15):
on our clothes, the right logoon our shoes, the freshest haircut,
beard lined up, or whateveryou wear.
We felt like these are thethings that give us life, but they
don't.
And if you be honest withyourself, the things that you pursue,

(05:39):
the things that you say, thatmakes you happy.
Even when you acquire thesethings, whether it be, quote unquote,
your dream girl or your dreamwoman, your dream car, your dream
house, your dream salary, whenyou acquire all those things, there
still is a God sized hole thatis in your heart or in your spirit

(06:00):
that only he can feel.
Once we commit and once wesubmit and surrender to the things
that he wants.
And some of us, externally, welook like a man.
We have the stature, theheight, the muscle, the muscle mask
and all those things.
But inside, we're stillspiritual little boys.

(06:21):
And so when we come back, I'mgoing to expose what you're really
protecting and why it's got to die.
Don't go nowhere, because whatI'm about to tell you is going to
be revolutionary, but it'sgoing to actually set you free.
This is Discipleship Decoded,and we'll be right back.

(06:46):
You're tuned in to theDiscipleship Decoded podcast, where
we unravel the mysteries offaith life and spiritual growth.
But before we dive into ournext enlightening segment, here's
a special message for all our listeners.
Are you looking to deepen yourspiritual journey?
Do you crave meaningfulconversations about faith life and
discipleship?
If your answer is a resoundingyes, then you won't want to miss

(07:08):
a single episode of theDiscipleship Decoded podcast.
Join our growing community ofseekers and believers by following
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trove of wisdom, offeringinsights and practical advice to
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Whether you're on yourcommute, at the gym or having a quiet
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(07:32):
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thriving.

(07:52):
Welcome back to Discipleship Decoded.
Before the break, I told youthat you can't live for yourself
and follow the one who died.
Now I need you to get realhonest about what it is that you're

(08:15):
actually protecting.
And I'm going to tell you thatthis is about to get real uncomfortable.
You're going to be switchingaround in your seat, but.
But surgery always hurtsbefore it heals.
So family, I want you to checkyourself right now.
What are you trying to protect?

(08:37):
What are you holding on tothat you are calling it being wise,
but it's actually really just fear.
You keep saying over and overagain, God knows my heart.
And yeah, he does.
And that's the problem.
Your heart is protecting whatthe cross is supposed to kill.

(08:59):
It's supposed to kill yourcomfort zone, your reputation, this
insatiable need to be right,the insecurity that you need to be
seen and your need to be safe.
So I want you to stop lying to yourself.
You are not confused aboutGod's will.

(09:23):
You just don't like what it cost.
You ain't waiting on God'stiming, but what you're actually
doing is you're negotiatingwith God's requirement.
But I'm here to tell you, bro,out of love, stop making excuses
and start making room for God.

(09:46):
See, culture told you to buildyourself up, but Christ called you
to lay yourself down.
Culture told you to findyourself, but Christ actually told
you to lose yourself.
Culture told you to live yourbest life, but Christ said die to

(10:09):
your old life.
Culture gave you self help,but God gives you, check this out.
Self death you got to pick aside.
There is no middle ground atthe cross.
You and I both know that ifyou try to straddle the fence, it's
a delicate tightrope becausethere is some vital, sensitive areas

(10:33):
that can be exposed if we slipand if we lose our balance.
So here's what you're going todo today.
You're going to stop callingyourself A Christian.
If you ain't willing to becrucified, get honest about what

(10:53):
you're protecting.
Write it down, name it, andman up and face it.
Find one area in your lifewhere you've been choosing comfort
over obedience and surrender it.

(11:14):
Today.
Not tomorrow, not next week,but today.
And you got to start askingdifferent questions instead of God.
Why is this so hard?
Ask God.
What are you trying to kill in me?

(11:37):
Maybe instead of asking God tomake it easier, ask God to make me
stronger.
Before I give you the finalsteps and before I tell you exactly
what to do next, I need totalk to someone specifically, someone

(11:58):
who's been listening and feelslike this message was written just
for them.
Because when I come back, I'mgoing to speak directly to your soul
and give you the gospel truththat is going to change everything.
So stay with me, because thisnext part is where transformation

(12:18):
begins.
We'll be right back.
Men everywhere are locking inwith discipleship decoded because
they're done with surfacelevel faith and fake strength.
They're tired of carryingsilent battles.
Addiction, anger, broken identity.
And they're finding realanswers, real freedom and real brotherhood.

(12:40):
This isn't about hype.
It's about healing.
It's about becoming the manGod designed you to be.
So if you're ready to grow,ready to change, and ready to lead,
tune in and subscribe todiscipleship decoded because one
thing is clear.
Comfort kills calling.

(13:28):
We're back.
I'm not yelling right now.
I'm talking to the man whoknows this message was meant for
him, the one who's beenplaying church instead of following
Christ.

(13:48):
This moment, right here, rightnow, is your invitation for transformation.
I'm talking to the man who'sbeen praying for breakthrough but
won't break through his own pride.

(14:09):
The one who prays in secretand fights in silence.
This moment, right here, rightnow, is your invitation to stop surviving
and start dying so that youcan finally start living.

(14:34):
Times are such that we'veisolated ourselves with social media
and all these other vices andall these other substitutes to make
us feel as though that we areprogressing in our Christian walk.
I mean, you.
You can turn on YouTube.

(14:54):
I got a YouTube channel, soI'm not hating on YouTube.
But you can turn on YouTube,you can go on a podcast, any number
of podcast directories, andyou can get so much Christian content
that if you're not careful, asbelievers and as brothers, we can
tend to isolate ourselves.
And sometimes we hurt and wesuffer in silence because of the

(15:17):
embarrassment of where wethink we should be, as a result,
as to where we are.
And we never reach out for help.
But you got to get aroundpeople that will hold you accountable
to death, not just to life.
People who will call youhigher and not just make you feel

(15:40):
better.
Luke 9:23.
You need to read that everymorning for the next 30 days and
ask God, what cross am Isupposed to carry today?
And here's the gospel truth.
Jesus was crucified so thatyou could be crucified with him.

(16:05):
Jesus was buried so that yourold life could be buried with him.
Jesus was raised so that youcan walk in the newness of life,
but you can't have theresurrection without the crucifixion.
You can't have the powerwithout the death.

(16:29):
You cannot have the glorywithout the grave.
And so you don't need another word.
You need to surrender.
You ain't waiting on God, buthe's waiting on you.
The cross is calling your name.
The question is, will youanswer if this hit you and you're

(16:56):
tired of playing games with God?
And if you want to be a partof an authentic community, a true
brotherhood where men get realabout getting right, here's what
I want you to do.
Leave me a comment below, andI'm going to give you a number for

(17:19):
our small group called the Huddle.
And I got to be honest, it isa screening because we want men to
be a part of this who aregoing to be, first of all, committed,
that can be honest, that canbe transparent, and that believe

(17:39):
that the Bible is the finalauthority in their lives.
This is not a click.
This is not a male gossiping section.
But it is where we rip off theband aid, we rip off the mask, and
we give you the word of God asa bomb, as a salve, as an ointment

(18:00):
to heal the brokenness and thewounds that you've experienced as
a child, those areas thatyou've never been allowed to mature
in, to grow up in.
This is what this group is for.
So we don't do soft.
We don't do fake.
We don't do comfortable.
We do crucified.

(18:21):
And brothers, if you're readyto die so that you can finally live,
then we're here to walk withyou, man.
God loves you so much, morethan you could ever know.
And it doesn't matter what youhave gone through, God loves you,
man.

(18:43):
So stop suffering in silenceand start living in community, man.
I know what it is to lookaround and to pour into so many people.
And then when it comes time,to you to be poured into.
There is no one around.

(19:05):
This is discipleship, decoded,where we break down the code that
they didn't want you to crack.
Until next time, get crucifiedor stay comfortable.
But you can't do both.
Remember, comfort always kills calling.

(19:27):
Until next week.
I love you and God bless my brothers.

(19:53):
Sa Sam.