Podcast Summary

Podcast: Lakepointe Church with Josh Howerton
Episode: Why Most Christians Get Discipleship Wrong: It Starts Here | Boot Camp | Pastor Josh Howerton
Date: January 4, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode inaugurates the “Boot Camp Training for Team Jesus” series for 2026. Senior Pastor Josh Howerton sets the tone for the year by addressing what true discipleship is—and isn’t—emphasizing the importance of starting from a clear, biblical foundation. Howerton explains why many Christians misunderstand discipleship and outlines Lakepointe Church’s intentional, Bible-driven approach to raising the bar on following Jesus.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Raising the Bar of Discipleship

• Opening Illustration: Howerton tells a striking Marine Corps recruiting story from the 1960s, highlighting that people desire a mission worth living (and dying) for, not an "easy button" for life ([09:22]).
  • Quote: “What people want more than an easy button for their life is they want a mission worth living for and dying for.” – Josh Howerton ([13:30])
• Parallel to Faith: Jesus didn't lower the bar or make following him convenient; instead, he called for radical commitment—"come die with me" ([15:20]).
  • Quote: “If anyone would follow me, you must be willing to take up your cross... Deny yourself and follow me.” – Josh Howerton ([15:50])

2. Lakepointe’s Vision & Church Updates

• 2025 Achievements:
  • Planted 11 new autonomous churches in unreached North American cities; total is now 90 ([20:40]).
  • Weekly attendance at planted churches surpasses Lakepointe’s own attendance ([22:25]).
  • Rooted discipleship completion: 3,854 people in 2025 ([23:49]).
  • Baptisms: 3,131 people surrendered to Jesus and were baptized ([24:30]).
    • Quote: “Every number is a person. And every person matters to God.” – Josh Howerton ([27:03])
• New Initiatives for 2026:
  • Launching the new Royse City (a.k.a. "Buc-ee's") campus to alleviate crowding; inviting 2,000 Rockwall attendees to shift campuses ([30:30]).
  • Emphasizes that church growth is about reaching "one more," not pursuing size for its own sake ([33:40]).
    • Quote: “We literally have never...set a numeric goal... We are about making disciple-making disciples.” – Josh Howerton ([34:15])
  • Introduction of the "One More" card: a practical tool to encourage everyone to pray for, invest in, and invite one person who is far from God ([35:00]).

3. How Lakepointe Makes Disciples

• The Field Guide: A tool for aligning personal and church life to biblical vision ([39:10]).
• Annual Rhythms: Families don’t rise to intentions but fall to the level of regular habits; Lakepointe’s "family traditions" are cornerstone events (e.g., annual Prayer and Worship Night, January 21, 2026): ([41:00]).
  • Quote: “We have to win the war in the spiritual before we wage it in the physical.” – Josh Howerton ([44:01])
• The Word-Centric Culture: Every member is encouraged to bring a physical Bible, engage in line-by-line teaching, and use supplementary resources: Rooted, Live Free podcast, Bible reading plan via new Lakepointe app ([46:08]).
  • Quote: “Every single word of this thing came from the living God... You can lean your life...against the promises in this book.” – Josh Howerton ([47:16])

4. What Does It Mean to Be a Disciple?

• The Foundation: "It Is Finished"

  • Discipleship must begin with trusting, not trying ([56:12]); Christianity is not advice, but news—good news.
  • Examination of Jesus’s last words from the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:28–30), unpacking the Greek word Tetelestai ([01:02:28]).
    • Contextual Insights:
      • Tetelestai used in business (debt fully paid), judicial (sentence fully served), and military (victory declared) contexts.
    • Evangelion: “Gospel” as military victory announcement ([01:09:42]).
  • Quote: “Your salvation had nothing to do with what you do or how good you can be. In fact, you didn’t contribute anything to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary.” – Josh Howerton ([01:17:54])

• Common Errors in Discipleship:

  1. “It Was Finished” (Grace Lost): People believe God loved them before, but now they’ve blown it ([01:23:00]).
  2. “It’s Kinda Finished” (Grace + Works): Faith plus works equals salvation; called out as the official Catholic doctrine and countered with Galatians 2:16 ([01:27:10]).
  3. “It Will Be Finished” (Grace Deferred): People believe God will love them once they improve ([01:30:01]).
     • Quote: “Jesus didn’t die for the fake you. Jesus died for the real you.” – Josh Howerton ([01:32:00])

5. Your True Identity in Christ

• You Are Not Your Sin, Addiction, Past, Orientation, or Even Your Success ([01:39:12]).
  • Only Jesus gets to name you; “you are not your activity, only Jesus gets to tell you who you are” ([01:41:19]).
  • A litany of biblical identity statements is proclaimed over the congregation, declaring scriptural truths about who Christians are because “it is finished” ([01:44:31]).

6. Invitation to Faith

• A closing altar call: “A disciple believes it is finished—so they’re always running to the Father.” ([01:53:00])
  • Quote: “If you have never bent your knee to the lordship of Jesus in faith, not a single thing I said is true about you. But God loved you so much that he gave his one and only Son... and if you believe, you will receive.” – Josh Howerton ([01:55:42])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [15:50] “If anyone would follow me, you must be willing to take up your cross, an instrument of death. Deny yourself and follow me.” – Josh Howerton
• [24:30] “We are all about the number of people saved, of lives changed, of families fixed, of orphans adopted, of addicts freed, and eternities changed to the glory of God. Yes, we are all about those numbers.”
• [46:08] “Every single word of this thing came from the living God... You can lean your life and your family's life up against the promises in this book.”
• [56:12] “Discipleship to Jesus does not begin with trying; it begins with trusting.”
• [01:09:42] “The victory has been accomplished. The enemy has been defeated. And instead of steal, kill, destroy, we get life, life, abundant life.”
• [01:17:54] “You didn’t contribute anything to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary.”
• [01:32:00] “Jesus didn’t die for the fake you. Jesus died for the real you.”
• [01:41:19] “Only Jesus gets to tell you who you are. Only Jesus has purchased the naming rights to your soul with his own blood.”
• [01:53:00] “A disciple believes it is finished—so they're always running to the Father.”
• [01:55:42] “If you’ve never bent your knee to the lordship of Jesus in faith, not a single thing I said is true about you. But...if you believe, you will receive.”

Important Timestamps

• [00:00]—Opening and Welcome; Setting the tone for 2026
• [09:22]—Marine Corps Story: The power of a high calling
• [20:40]—2025 Recap: Church planting, Rooted completions, Baptisms
• [30:30]—New Campus (Royse City/"Buc-ee’s") Launch Details
• [35:00]—“One More” Card/Discipleship Focus
• [41:00]—Annual Lakepointe “Family Traditions” & Prayer/Worship Night
• [46:08]—Bringing a Bible; Word-centric discipleship tools & app
• [56:12]—Mini-Message: “It is finished”—Discipleship begins with trust
• [01:02:28]—Exegesis of “Tetelestai” and its cultural meaning
• [01:23:00]—Common misconceptions: “It was/kinda will be finished”
• [01:32:00]—Real vs. fake self; “Jesus died for the real you”
• [01:39:12]—You are not your sin, past, or orientation
• [01:44:31]—Litany of biblical identity: Who are you in Christ?
• [01:53:00]—Salvation invitation and prayer

Tone and Style

Pastor Howerton’s tone is direct, passionate, and often uses humor. He blends scriptural insight, cultural commentary, church vision, and real-life application with an approachable, sometimes playful demeanor (“communion will be grape juice and beaver nuggets”). Quotes maintain the preacher’s energy, his heart for both biblical depth and practical discipleship, and his conviction that following Jesus is not the “easy button” but a mission worthy of full commitment.

For Listeners

This episode is essential for anyone wanting to understand how Lakepointe Church approaches biblical discipleship—and why “trying harder” is not the answer. It resets what it means to be a Christian, urging listeners to trust and rest in Jesus’s finished work before embarking on growth and outreach. Expect strong teaching, practical tools, transparent vision casting, and a stirring gospel invitation.