The Last Step of Discipleship (And Why Most Christians Skip It)

In this episode of the Disciples Made Here podcast, Drew and Heather are joined by David Krall, pastor of adult ministries and director of DMH, to wrap up the imitation week of the 21-Day Challenge and step into the final movement of the Disciples Diamond, innovate.

This one gets real fast. Heather opens with a story about her son Porter threatening a classmate with a neck chop, and the mortifying realization that he learned it from her. That's the episode in a nutshell. Someone is always imitating us whether we know it or not. The question is what is our life actually pointing to when we're not thinking about it.

From there the conversation goes deep on spiritual disciplines, not as a performance or a checklist but as the only way to slow down long enough to let God actually form us. Fasting, Sabbath, silence, solitude. Not extra things to add to your life but fundamental things that create space for transformation. Because imitation is not a fake it till you make it situation. Proximity will always reveal what is actually there.

David shares what it looked like to come back to his first love,  joy in Jesus, and how that one shift from professional pastor to everyday follower changed everything. Drew talks about ugly crying in a staff meeting over his yet to believe ones. And both of them land on the same truth. It's really simple. But it's not easy. And those are not the same thing.

The episode closes with a look at innovation and multiplication, from Pam baking bread for her neighbors, to a young adult who realized his role is now to disciple his own parents, to the vision that every person at every church could one day say disciples are made here wherever I live work and play.

This is the Season 1 finale. And it ends the way every good campfire does, with stories worth telling and a clap to break huddle.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:10

Hey guys, welcome back to the Disciples Made Here Podcast. I'm your host, Drew Sodestrom. We have Heather Hodson joining as always, as well as today a special guest, our pastor of Adult Ministries and Director of DMH, David Kroll.

SPEAKER_03 0:22

Hey guys, so fun to be here. Been listening along to the pod. So fun to actually be able to join in to the discussion. And I kind of love this stage of the process where we're talking about imitation because I feel like this is where discipleship really becomes real. You move from just talking about Jesus to really wrestling with what does this mean to concretely live this out, to follow him in these really real ways.

SPEAKER_01 0:46

Yep. So we just wrapped the imitation week and we're getting ready for the innovation week and really that multiplication that comes from that. And so again, that this 21-day challenge is designed to equip you to be the living proof of loving God. A son who sent, a daughter who's deployed. We go from imitation to innovation.

SPEAKER_00 1:02

Yeah, and we like these challenges because they just they just get us into this like rhythm. Um, because at first you kind of have to be a little bit deliberate and really intentional about it. And I do think once you do a challenge like this or iterate it a few times, it does start to become a little bit more natural. But this is just like a good kick start for kind of testing it out and walking through all of this and and letting it become part of your normal rhythm. But it doesn't feel natural right off the get-go. Um, so you know, the first little bit of it, you're you're really doing internal work. You're praying, you're watching, you're identifying, you're kind of like talking with God, like, okay, what do you have for me? And, you know, you keep doing all of that stuff, but as we go, everything starts getting more outward. You're inviting then, and then you're then you're like inviting someone in to really see your life and and and imitate you, which now you're just on display. So it just gets a little bit more tangible.

SPEAKER_01 2:00

And we really do believe as we study the words of Jesus that the ways of Jesus was he invited them to follow him, to be with him. Yep. And that in that context, part of what takes place then is that discipleship is caught, not taught. So we do teach, we use words, but it is about how are we living out our life. And they do, they get that front row seat to who you are as a dad, as a mom, as a son, as a brother. They start to see your time, your talent, your treasure, how you invest your life, how you respond to pain, what do the gaps look like, what does repentance look like? Like they get a front row seat to your life with Jesus. Um, and that's a beautiful process, but like you're saying, scary.

SPEAKER_03 2:34

Right. And that's where imitation becomes, I think, this really powerful piece. It becomes this really powerful thing because everybody's imitating someone, whether you recognize it or not, whether you're even aware of, man, who am I imitating? You are imitating and following someone. And for our c culture and context, a lot of times that's like a celebrity or a social media influencer, or uh, it might be Taylor Swift. I know big Taylor Swift fan here, Steph Curry. Like, you're imitating someone, whether you're recognizing it or not, and that's where Jesus comes along and says, Man, imitate me. And Paul says, now imitate me as I imitate Christ, and that just continues for us. So we get to say that to others of just come imitate me as I imitate Christ. That doesn't mean we're perfect, but there is this movement towards actually just authenticity in seeking to imitate Jesus together.

SPEAKER_00 3:18

Yeah, and on the flip side of that, you're always gonna be kind of inadvertently imitating somebody, like you're saying, but also people are imitating you, whether you like it or not. So I was thinking about this the other day, and I was like, oh, you know, like kind of like trying to like put handholds to this. And I was thinking the first story that popped into my mind, and I asked Drew, like, should I not share this? So don't judge me. This isn't my best moment. Okay, so as a joke, I don't even know where I got this, but I started saying, like, when people would irritate me, like, oh, I want to judo chop you in the neck, okay? I'm sure I've said it to you a hundred times. So I said it to my kids a lot. Like, I've never hit judo chopped anyone. Okay, so this is just like, I don't know where I got it. It was just like, oh, I want to judo chop.

SPEAKER_02 4:02

It's coming out of you.

SPEAKER_00 4:03

Okay, so it's like I think second or third grade, and I get a call from Porter's teacher. I'm like, oh no, what is it now? Because he's he's kind of a wily one, you know. So I'm like, oh no. She's like, yeah, Porter's in trouble. Um, he threatened a student. And I'm like, oh my gosh, like what happened? And she's like, yeah, he said he was gonna chop someone in the neck. And I was like, oh my gosh, I have no idea where he got. Oh no. I was just, I mean, it's funny now because that was like a lot of years ago. Yeah. Um, but I was mortified. I'm like, oh, he's just imitating me. And now I have I didn't, I say it as a joke. I didn't even think, you know, obviously he was saying it, not truly threatening, but it is a threat. So, anyways, I was just laughing about it with Drew because I was like, that was a great example, albeit embarrassing, of like him imitating me and me not like thinking about what I was pointing him towards. So, like, all jokes aside, what we're kind of talking about is someone's gonna be imitating you, whether you like it or not. Yeah. So, what is your life pointing to?

SPEAKER_02 5:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:09

Um, because a lot of times, like, I'll I know what I believe and I say what I believe, but am I living what I believe? Because that's what people are gonna be imitating. So it's it's a little funny. I never meant to point him towards that, but I was. And so it made me think, you know, like, okay, and and so that's really what we're doing right now is like, what are you pointing to when you're not thinking about it? What are you what does that mean for you?

SPEAKER_01 5:33

You know, so and we've talked about, I just said to you, right, that I see Jackson in you, or I see like a Carson, like he's my mini me. And so that means, well, who is it that they're following, which is why us following Jesus as the hero, that he's the lead disciple maker, that he's the rabbi is so important. Right. And so this week we talked a lot about spiritual disciplines, which is really creating space for the spirit of the living God to form me, to transform me into his image, not into little Andrew, but to to grow him up. And I do think for me, like I live in an achievement culture, and all of us do in this context, and yet the kingdom is an abiding culture. It's a less of Drew, more of God. It's a how do I get the flesh to be transformed to the spirit, creating that space to cooperate with him and to be led by him. And so as we do that, it's me walking with Jesus so that Carson starts to look more like Jesus because he's reflecting his dad who's actually trying to walk like Jesus. So that's really what we're after. It's it's what I'm trying to do for sabbatical. I told our church the best thing I offer you is my vertical relationship with God. Yeah. That that that's my call. Yes, I have roles and responsibilities as a pastor, but my first one is to be a son, to just faithfully walk with Abba, to be transformed by Christ, be empowered by the Holy Spirit. Um, that the the only verse in our office, Heather and I share an office, is to be still and know that he's God so that I can extol his excellencies. And we only quote the first half, not the last half. But the more I'm still with God, the more I set apart time to practice the disciplines, to be with God, I'm transformed into his image so that those imitating me are actually imitating Christ, exactly, not little Andrew.

SPEAKER_03 7:04

Yeah, and and that's what's crazy about imitation is that it's not a fake it till you make it type situation. You just can't do that. Like proximity with someone, whether that's with our kids, um, whoever that's with, whether with a friend, a neighbor, or coworker, it will always reveal what is actually there. And that's why I think the importance of O is this has to be connected to my genuine journey with Jesus from this R1 perspective, that that's actually going on in a real way, that that's flowing out then to our R3 relationships, and we're we're living in that reality. I remember a couple days ago we were in a staff meeting, and you were kind of like ugly crying in the staff meeting. It's a beautiful moment, a beautiful moment. Um, but I have actually like really appreciated that because we were talking about who our ones are and just yet to believe that didn't know Jesus, and uh you were just expressing your heart for them, praying for them, and like that was a cool moment of imitation being modeled and flowing out of your just ongoing journey with Jesus that then flows outward. Those things are just always connected together. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 8:07

Yeah, and I do love, you know, we've been talking about the spiritual disciplines, and like I do think that they are so important and can be thought of maybe a little bit wrong. I think that it can be easy to be like, I'm gonna put this on this spiritual discipline, and it and it looks good, and it's like, so then they'll imitate me because you know, I, you know, I Sabbath or I fast or I whatever. And it's like I think we really need to like latch on to the fact that those things in this harried world that we live in, and like I'm gonna be going a hundred miles an hour every day. That's just how I'm wired. So building these spiritual disciplines is so much less about what I'm showing and what I to what I'm like just building for me with God, like just to slow down and pause and actually have space to talk to him and think with him and like let him speak to me and all of that because I'm just gonna I'm just gonna go too fast otherwise. And so, anyways, we're talking about all these things, and I just think like that is there's a value in that that is just it's just incomparable.

SPEAKER_01 9:11

Yeah, because there really is more joy in Jesus, and we can get confused that there's more joy in either doing things for Jesus instead of just being with him, sure, and so the disciplines help me like when I fast, it's a regular part of my rule of life with Jesus, it's to remind me that the greatest hunger that needs to be met is my hunger for God, not for activity or productivity, but it's for intimacy with Christ or silence and solitude. Like in our culture, we hate it. At least I do. Oh, and I it's so good for me. It is uh and and I even I I listen to a lot of praise music, and one of the songs I'm latched onto right now is Go Slower. And I'm in a hurry this morning because there's a lot of things going on, and that song comes on, and I'm like laughing at myself because I'm like, gosh dang it, Andrew. Like, come on, like you're better. And then it's like, actually, I'm not better than that. Yeah, like that was my you're better than that. Nope, no, I'm not. And so the practice of fasting, of Sabbath, of stillness, of solitude, that allows me to bring my whole self to the spirit because it's safe with him. Yeah, and just be like, Lord, make me more like you. I want to abide, not to achieve. Yeah, and those are upside-down languages from the empire. That's the kingdom of God. They're not extra things that you're adding to your life, they're fundamental things that are helping me become more like Christ. And the language I like to use is so that we might become Jesus with skin on. Like we're the representative, we're the living proof, we're the ambassadors. And that means there's a lot of brokenness in my living proof and repentance, but there's also a lot of transformation that allows me to do that really well. And so everything in the book is designed with very intentional language to help us slow down, to help us surrender, um, to help us show up. Like everything's kind of an acronym, right? It allows us to say more because we don't have a lot of great models in our life. Like Rick joined us right a couple weeks ago. He's one of my models. I want to follow him as he follows Jesus. And so we're inviting people, but if we're inviting them to follow us, let's make sure that the us that they're getting is the the little Jesus, the like the imitation of Jesus, the imitator of Jesus. I think that's so imperative as we show up for people.

SPEAKER_00 11:07

Yeah, yeah. And it is it's important, and I don't think anyone would argue that. Like, I think that any conversation that you have with somebody who wants to follow Jesus, they'd be like, Yeah, yeah, yeah, that. So why don't we all do it? Because it's really simple, but it's not easy. Yeah. And so it's just like those aren't the same thing.

SPEAKER_01 11:25

And so we're trying to break down those concepts. Simple pray, watch, train yourself to hear the voice of the Spirit, take steps appropriately, like showing up. So simple but also easy. Uh, invite them into a relationship with you as you follow Jesus. So that's got to be the first thing that you have more joy in him, so that when they're following you, they're seeing your joy in Jesus. Um, they're seeing Matthew 9, 36 through 38 is what you're referencing, right? The pray watch list, Jesus has compassion. That's what breaks our heart. And so we do weep at times, even if you weren't trying to uh leading a staff meeting, right? And so that's a good thing because we're literally saying, follow me as I follow Christ. Now, this has been fun for me to have both you guys on camera at the same time as Rad. So, Heather, you grew up in the faith in this context of the campfire, the everyday missionary, you've been here since day one. David, you kind of joined us partway through, like kind of at the halfway point. If we've if we had a full game so far, you came at halftime, and I'll never forget you were past another church, you had a friend that was on staff, you kept hearing these ideas of what the spirit was doing to us and through us. You came to a church in the park, and both Jen and I, my bride, was just like, this guy gets what we're about. Like, there was a holy discontent in you, there was a hunger, a humility, but you're also like, I want to run in the right direction. I want to run after Jesus as my rabbi, I want to invite people into that process. And so, what has that been like for you joining the team really halfway into the existence? But personally, what's that been like for you coming from the outside in?

SPEAKER_03 12:47

Yeah, it's just been so much fun because I think it's been five and a half years now, and I just believe in what God is doing in his kingdom movement through this more than I even knew when I started. Yeah. And for for me, that really started with coming back to this place of joy in Jesus, of like, okay, just hit pause on all this. Like, just come back to doing what you did at first. What Jesus says to the church in Revelation 2 of don't forget your first love. That's where all of this starts from. It's not about being a professional pastor, it's not about being successful, it's not about building a big ministry or a name or a brand or anything like that. This has to start with this R1 joy in Jesus, ongoing relationship with him, that then really flips the paradigm, really does flip that funnel and it and it changes the whole mindset where it's like, oh, this isn't about me. This is just about being somebody that's trying to follow Jesus, imitating him and inviting others to do the same, which is just a shift when suddenly it's like, oh, all I all I try to do now is equip and mobilize and send the church to every everyday saints to go live that out themselves. And nothing is better than that. I mean, I think that's where God's has this global kingdom movement that is this unstoppable force when your everyday saint recognizes that they are sent. They're an everyday missionary, they're an everyday disciple. Uh, and nothing's better than that. You get a front row seat to that in ministry, and but then that always comes back to starting with myself first, of just, okay, am I am I living in that joy in Jesus? And then am I living that out with my one first? Like that's where I think the that that we we always have to go back to of just what does this mean today? Today I've got some baseball uh games tonight where I'm coaching with a few other coaches, Benny and Edmund and Nathan. And how do I just show up in that space thinking about, okay, God, what are you inviting them into? Some soccer buddies that I try to intentionally walk with of, okay, God, what are you doing in Nick's life? What are you doing in Rob's life? Just we're out here on the soccer field, but that leads to conversations and lunches and Easter invites and hangouts, and okay, God, you're doing something here. How do I just pay attention to that and just really live into that myself first, always and always, again, with my one right there with them.

SPEAKER_01 14:49

And it's fun because I see in you what I see in us is that soccer is sacred.

SPEAKER_02 14:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:53

There is no sacred secular divide anymore. Like, I'm not saying CrossFit is church, but it's where we take the church to. Those who don't want to come to church, we take the church to them. We take the worship that we have of God, the relationship that we have with God, the imitation we have of God, and they see something in us. And it's just so fun for me to watch that in both of you, where this is a real-time, real life relationship with God that then overflows to those who are in life with me. And everything about me is not saying follow me, they're saying follow the hero. Jesus is the hero. Here's where the joy is. I just want you happier tomorrow than you are today at CrossFit or baseball. And then so follow me as I follow him. I love that.

SPEAKER_00 15:29

Yeah, and the what we're hoping for everybody from this is that like this isn't unique to Drew and David, who are professional pastors. Like, this isn't their their job. Yes, it is in in a formal context, but like it's for everybody. And so as we walk through this and and we get to the final step, uh, which is innovate, it's it's really with all of us in mind, with every person in mind. And so the innovation is just endless, like the endless capabilities of it.

SPEAKER_01 16:00

Yeah, and that's where it's been fun to have you as the the co-host because this isn't a pastor thing, this is an everyday person thing in their everyday living where they live, work, and play, so that more people can see about the joy of Jesus, can discover who he is. Um, and we even as a church kind of shifted our structure a few years into David's time here on staff because we recognized we had pastors coming from kind of all over the region and and the country saying, How do you help us be a sending station? How do you help us equip everyday missionaries? And so that's part of David's role now. He's no longer a full-time pastor at this micro location. He's actually serving with disciples made here to help other churches live this out. And part of that is my dream and desire is that what I'm in the middle of is not a vision of Drew for DMH or for Heather for DMH or vintage. It's actually everyone. Like my dream for every church in America would be that every person at every church could say, disciples are made here where I live, work, and play. On the sacred soccer field, on the church of CrossFit. Like, this is what's taking place. Worship of God, everywhere, enjoying God, receiving his love, reflecting his love. That's a normal thing. Um, and we're seeing that in our church plants. We're seeing that in church plants in urban settings, rural settings, suburban settings, because it's not about some magic methodology. It's the words of Jesus fleshed out through the ways of Jesus, which is as he was going, everywhere he went, there were opportunities. And I love that. And so again, part of this podcast for you and me is for the everyday missionary. Yeah. And that everyone is involved in this. David, part of your role with disciples may here is leading senior pastor cohorts all over the globe, but really all over the country, to say, man, every church, this is it. This is the joy of Jesus, having that front row seat pour out where every saint knows he's a sent one, every daughter knows she's deployed. I love that.

SPEAKER_03 17:42

Yeah, and it's where it's where the mission starts to really multiply in these cool ways. Where a lot of times when we talk about discipleship, we think about, okay, cool, somebody got helped. They grew a little bit as a disciple, but it doesn't end there. That is just the first part of actually this discipleship movement that God is doing that continues to multiply on, that really creates this ripple effect where multiplication starts to happen and it just continues on and on, where someone is actually growing and going as well, where they have this one who is then going out and making disciples as well. It's moving from just addition type of mindset to actually multiplication mindset where that discipleship movement just continues on and on and continues to replicate itself. And that's where I think it becomes really fun and exciting where God's doing all these different things, all these different contexts that is being multiplied on. The gospel goes forth. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 18:31

Yeah, and the innovating really speaks to the fact that like your one doesn't have to like become you. That's really not the point at all. It's like you're you're just iterating with that one, and then they're gonna go do a completely different version of it with that next person, and so on and so forth. So it's it's just super nuanced.

SPEAKER_01 18:48

Because if they do imitate you perfectly, they're gonna be judo-chopping people. Exactly, which is not what we want. And what I love is I'm pretty confident that you and Porter had a conversation about. So when I say that, have you ever seen me actually do it? 100%. Right? And and even as we talk about this language of inviting people in to imitate you as you imitate Christ, and then sending them to innovate, we're not innovating on the gospel. Right. The gospel is a completed work, it's a story, it's a story of the good news, but it's being played out through you, not just to you, but through you, with your kids, at your soccer field, everywhere that you live, work, and play. And so we don't want them to be like Drew or Heather or David. We want them to be like Christ. Exactly. And so we're doing these disciplines so that we become more like Christ for our joy, for his glory, and for the good of people that are following us as we follow him. And so that's just a beautiful way. We do it in a highly, highly relational way, because that was the way of Jesus, not us, him.

SPEAKER_00 19:37

Yeah, and that's the permission that I think some people need to hear. It's like you don't have to become someone else. You're just doing you're already doing this. That's the point. You're already doing it, and now it's just to be a little bit more intentional about how you're doing it and make sure that your life is actually pointing to God and you know. Um, so the the role just kind of shifts a little bit when you think about it that way, which I do think is freeing. It's just a little less pressure.

SPEAKER_03 20:00

And I think this is what you see Jesus just always do with the disciples. It's not just that they helped and grew themselves, but they were sent out. That actually that multiplication continued. He left them so that they would continue to be sent. This has been really fun for me on like a personal uh level because I've just been in some cool conversations with my mom, Pam. We affectionately call some of this material the Pam course. Yep. Um as just someone who, man, she grew up uh in the church. She's she's been very engaged in the local church for a long, long time. But we've been having these really fun conversations about like, this isn't just doing church programs. This isn't just trying to get people to your local church. This is now you being sent out to your neighborhood, to every single person that you're walking with. We're having fun conversations about, man, she's baking bread and just taking it to the neighbor and starting up a new conversation with them. Uh, she's got this group of friends called the Front Porch Friends. Uh they are just reading through Hugh Halter's flesh book to continue to wrestle with what does this mean that we're actually called into these different spaces and places to go live, sent out, to be the hands and feet of Jesus in all these different places where they are sent out.

SPEAKER_01 21:00

Yeah. And and Pam, we don't get to talk a lot except for when you're visiting your grandkids, but man, Pam, we love you because you are the picture of what we hope the everyday saint in every church of America looks like. Is when is baking bread a part of building the body and a part of the harvest. And it makes sense harvesting bread, but like not just to feed for a day, but so they would never hunger or thirst again. And so that happens not because of a big church gathering people come to, it happens because the people at the church that came went to others. And I love that. That's what this podcast is all about. I appreciate all the notes and the feedback because it helps us again be encouraged to say, no, you're the sent one, and we want to equip you in that context. And the movement piece goes beyond just the ones that are listening with us or us as ones, but every one of our ones has a one, has a one, has a one. And that's that movement that you're talking about, David, of multiplication. And that's how movements start. It's quiet, it's not necessarily big and loud. It's it's over bread, it's over coffee, but it's consistent, it's consistently showing up, consistently imitating. Just this morning, uh, in between a couple of appointments, we had some. Staff kids stop by, but they're not kids anymore. You guys have little staff kids, and I got candy in the office, and I just want your kids to like come into the office. Uh, these are bigger kids, but they were looking for candy in their 20s, and so they come in the office and they're invading all the you know kids' candy, and then they're telling me stories about how they're living this out as young adults in Fort Myers. Like they're telling stories about how, and and some of them are now dating and engaged and married, all sorts of stuff. And they're talking about how like now they're discipling people and they're living out their life. One of these guys in particular who was with the crew of young adults, he's like, Yeah, now I realize my role is to disciple my parents who don't know the gospel, but they're getting it through me. And so this is a movement of disciple making. It's not any one thing, but people are growing up in the faith and then being released in the faith, and that's just so exciting when the one, the Pam, and the people are actually living out the mission of God.

SPEAKER_03 22:47

I think that's just what fires me up so much about this is it's it's just us joining God's global kingdom movement. And it's been super fun. And my role with Disciples Made here to be able to just walk and see how he's at work in all these different places, walking with pastors who are in Kosovo and Albania. My cousins living this out with the groups of different missionaries in Laos. We're walking with uh a group of pastors in LA right now and in Iowa and Idaho. I was just with the church yesterday who's in Fort Collins, Colorado, and they're they're talking about how do we flip this paradigm? How do we move from being a cruise ship to being a battleship on a mission? And so that's what's so fun about this is it's just these conversations. It's people going on those individual journeys that also then become these collective journeys and movements. And we just want to keep journeying with you. If you're listening, following along, we've got cohorts that are always getting off the ground. You can sign up for those at disciplesmatehear.org and and continue that journey of okay, what does this look like to innovate in my context? Right, right where God's put me, where I work, live, play, he's doing something there, and nothing's better than just walking along that path with each other.

unknown 23:47

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:49

Yeah. So, you know, as we come conclude this challenge and and this little part of our podcast, um, we do end with the questions of like, do you see yourself as someone who sends? Because I think that that is an important lens that you need to put on. Um, and do you see your one as someone who will be sent? Like, think it forward and then their one. So, but it's again thinking in that framework that gives you the vision um to kind of carry all of this out and be a part of what, like we said, is already happening, God's chain reaction. It's already, he doesn't need us, um, but we get to be a part of it, which I think is cool.

SPEAKER_01 24:29

And one of those guys in the office today was so fun because I invited him into a disciple-making relationship because he was dating someone that I cared about. And so I'm like, look, if this goes anywhere, you better be imitating Christ. And I told him that. And now he's telling me people on his prey watches that he's discipling. And I'm like, okay, now you can marry her. Maybe I don't know. They're just dating still. But it is in that construct of like, man, this is how God builds his kingdom. Mustard seeds, yeast, small, simple. Um, and so if you're with us and if you've been with us, like, just thank you. Thanks for fighting for your joy in Jesus. Thanks for paying attention to how you live, how you pray. Those prayer alarms for me, they're personal, they're practical. Keep praying, keep identifying, keep inviting, uh, keep repenting and in humility, sharing judo chop stories because they're beautiful. Keep imitating Christ, keep living this out, slow, simple, steady, fighting for your joy in Jesus.

SPEAKER_03 25:23

And when the time comes, release your one to go and do the same, to innovate and multiply. That's how the gospel continues to go forth.

SPEAKER_01 25:30

Yeah. Now, today, um, I'm I've got like a little emotionalism. I'm not gonna ugly cry, I promise. Um, but it does, it feels like today it's it's our last episode of this inaugural season, right? Season one. Uh, and more seasons are gonna come, and we're gonna talk about that in a moment. But it does feel like we're signing yearbooks at the end of the school year. Like, David, I just want to say thank you for all the work you're doing with pastors like all over the country. Um it's fun for me. Like, I feel like I'm kind of the tip of the spirit, disciples made here, but you're the relational connection, uh, walking with pastors, like, because then I get texts from them later, you know, like here's what God's doing in Boulder, in Fort Collins, in Texas, in Idaho. And so thank you for your commitment and the way that you're helping us serve the the broader church. It's incredible, but it is just your story. And so you're just helping them live out their story. Heather, like you've been a sister in Christ for a decade now, over to get to walk with your husband and your kids. Like it does, it feels like this this moment to just look back and to be like, what a cool season, what a cool relationship that we get to do together uh in humility and transparency, judo chop all of it, like to just live that out. Um, Trent and Sarah, like I know you guys are gonna be upset that I'm even saying this, but like all the work you do on the back end, all the the production and the guest podcast and all the outtakes and the crazy stuff that you're gonna hold against us for the rest of our lives because you've got all of them recorded. So good. Um, but also more important than what you guys do on a tech front, it's that you guys live this out in Orangevale with your kids, right? As you talk about your prey watch lists in Orangevale and Trent, how you live this out down the hill in Sacramento after a decade of walking with people, that your brothers are becoming not just physical brothers, but spiritual brothers. And so I just want to say thank you. If you're listening with us, if you've been giving us that feedback and that engagement, like we're humbled. I'm humbled to be a son of God. I was dead on the bottom of the ocean floor. And so that that God called me from death to life and that he now invited me to be part of his broader family in the ends of the earth in Albania, but right here in Sacramento. Um, right here with our staff, with you guys now. DMH has become a family to me. Um, and so thank you for those texts and those notes and those emos. Um, they matter. Give us that feedback. Like we'd love to know where we're heading for season two. Part of that is we know season two is coming. We don't have all the answers because we're just trying to listen to the spirit and he's helping us and he's given us some great ideas, and we'll be faithful to come back after this summer break. Um, and so send us those ideas like, hey, what about this? What about that? Uh we're looking forward to it. 100%. Like whatever the spirit invites us into, our job is just to faithfully follow. Um, and so as we break today, I'm gonna clap because that's what we do, right? We clap to break huddle. But before we do, let's not miss the summer break that's coming up, right? You're gonna have opportunities. You're gonna be traveling, you're gonna be with family and with friends, you're gonna be on vacation. Those are spiritual moments. You're gonna be on soccer fields, you're gonna be all over the place. And the spirit came before you, he's gonna continue after you leave. Whatever seeds get sown, he's the Lord of the harvest, he's gonna keep growing them. Um, and so as we clap to break huddle, because that is us say storming the gates of hell, please don't ever forget. Man, we're praying for you. Pray for us, set those alarms. The harvest is plentiful, and you are the sent ones, the disciples who are making disciples everywhere that you live, work, and play.