Is discipleship mainly about trying harder—or is it something God does in us?

In this short, focused segment on the Thinking Christian Podcast, Roger Ross explains why the Holy Spirit is the prime mover in the entire work of Christian discipleship. If spiritual growth becomes merely human effort, Roger argues, we’ve missed the point of how God actually transforms people.

Using growth as a concrete example, Roger describes how the Holy Spirit opens our minds and hearts to what God wants to teach us—often through ordinary means like books, worship, relationships, and even painful experiences. God can use any moment as a formative “teaching point,” and mature disciples learn to recognize when something they’re hearing or experiencing is a clear prompt: “That was for me. I need to pay attention.”

This episode will encourage you to rethink spiritual formation—not as self-powered improvement, but as Spirit-led transformation that can happen through every circumstance of life.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why the Holy Spirit—not discipline alone—is the engine of discipleship

• How God uses ordinary and difficult experiences to produce spiritual growth

• What it means to be spiritually attentive to God’s “this is for you” moments

• How to avoid turning discipleship into self-help Christianity

You can purchase Kinda Christian: From Curious to Serious about Jesus here.

Thinking Christian is hosted by Dr. James Spencer, president of the D. L. Moody Center and author of Digital Discernment (InterVarsity Press). Each conversation reads the Bible as the final authority for life and faith, questioning the assumptions of our culture, even our Christian culture, so that we don't settle for a narrower vision than God's word offers.

Unsettling convention. Cultivating conviction.
Episodes, articles, and questions: thinkingchristian.org
About James Spencer: thinkingchristian.org/james
The Thinking Christian Framework: thinkingchristian.org/framework
Order Digital Discernment: amazon.com

Subscribe: YouTube · Apple Podcasts · Spotify

Advertising and partnership inquiries: info@thinkingchristian.org

This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. “Whether we’re helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments, Trinity has the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org/

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.