The Wake-Up Call

Episode Summary: The Measuring Stick of Transformational Growth

Host: John David Walt (Seedbed)
Date: March 26, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of The Wake-Up Call centers on the "measuring stick" of real spiritual growth: divine love (agape), as described in 1 Corinthians 13:4–8. Host John David Walt guides listeners through reflecting on what true transformational growth looks like in the life of a follower of Jesus—not as self-improvement, but as the increasing indwelling and manifestation of the agape love of Christ.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Setting the Stage: Awakening to Love

• Walt encourages listeners to invite friends and step into the ongoing journey of spiritual awakening:

  "The awakening is the journey of love from Jesus to a person, through a person, to a person, through a person, to a person. And it keeps on going. That's how it came to us." (01:02)

• The focus is not on mass marketing, but on personal invitation and spiritual multiplication.

The Scripture: The Description of Love

Text: 1 Corinthians 13:4–8

• Walt reads the iconic passage, noting how love is:

  "patient… kind… does not envy… does not boast… is not proud… does not dishonor others… is not self seeking… is not easily angered… keeps no record of wrongs… always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." (03:28)

Measuring Growth: The Agape Test

• Walt explores how to assess spiritual growth, introducing a simple but profound self-examination:
  • First, he replaces the word “love” in the passage with a blank, then reads it with his own name:

    "John David is patient. John David is kind. John David does not envy. … I can't keep a straight face even reading that out loud." (07:26)

  • This illuminates both the aspiration and the impossibility of meeting the standard by personal effort alone.
• Realization: The Christian life isn’t about self-achievement, but about the presence and power of Jesus within.
• Next step: Read the passage with "Jesus" in the blanks instead.

  "Jesus is patient. Jesus is kind. Jesus does not envy. … Jesus never fails." (08:32)

• Key Spiritual Principle:

  "The Christian life is not about my performance, but Jesus’ presence and power." (08:17)

The Secret of Transformation

• Drawing from Colossians 1:27:

  "The secret is simply this. Christ in you... If Jesus is agape love and Jesus is in me, I am agape love." (10:36)

• Walt frames personal growth as "studied participation" in Jesus’ life—a dynamic engagement with who Christ is:

  "He is the revelation. I am the responder. My life now becomes a studied participation in his life. An empowered improvisation of his craft and infused reception and profused demonstration of his love." (11:08)

• Memorable summary:

  "This is the gospel." (11:51)

The Journey: Participation, Not Performance

• Walt stresses that discipleship and transformation are about "rising up" into the love already present through Christ:

  "Not trying harder to do more, to be better… but waking up, rising up, shining out. That's Jesus in us—learning to participate with his presence, his very personhood, by the power of the Holy Spirit in and through our lives." (19:30)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On self-effort vs. Jesus’ indwelling:

  "I was attempting to measure my performance against a divine standard. So you see, the Christian life is not about my performance, but Jesus' presence and power." (08:17)

• On Christ as the true source of love:

  "If Jesus is agape love and Jesus is in me, I am agape love… He is the performer, the worker, the doer. I am the participant, the follower, the friend." (10:36)

• On making love practical:

  "This is what I mean by studied participation. We're just getting down on the ground... Jesus, show me how you do it. Show me what you mean here. Show me what you were thinking about. How did you come up with that?" (14:32)

Practical Reflection & Journal Prompts (13:31)

• Walt encourages listeners to connect each characteristic of love from 1 Corinthians 13 with a story from the life of Jesus:

  "Can you remember a Jesus story for each of the dynamics of love listed…? If you can't remember one, can you find one?"

• The point: Make the study of Jesus’ love hands-on and practical, not abstract.

Worship Medley (16:10–18:41)

• The episode ends with a worship segment, combining hymns and a chorus:
  • "Come Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy"
  • "O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus"
  • "I Love You, Lord"
• Emphasis on joining hearts in song and being reminded of the steadfast and unchanging nature of Jesus’ love.

Closing Encouragement (19:30)

• Walt sums up the episode’s message:

  "If Jesus is agape love, and we know that he is, and Jesus is in you and me, then you are agape love and I am agape love. We just got to rise up into it. That’s what discipleship means. That’s what transformation means."

• Call to action: Go into the day carrying these "seed thoughts"—actively sowing the love of Jesus as awakened people.

Key Timestamps

• 01:02 – The mission and invitation of The Wake-Up Call
• 03:28 – Reading of 1 Corinthians 13:4–8
• 07:26 – The personal insertion exercise ("the straight face test")
• 08:17 – Realization: It’s about Jesus’ presence, not self-performance
• 10:36 – The secret: Christ in you, the hope of manifesting love
• 13:31 – Reflection and journal prompts: finding Jesus stories for each love trait
• 16:10–18:41 – Worship medley
• 19:30 – Final charge: Rise into the agape love within; true transformation

Summary

This episode gently but clearly reorients listeners from measuring spiritual growth as self-improvement to understanding it as surrendering to the indwelling love of Christ. Walt walks through a practical exercise, a theological correction, and concludes with practical next steps—woven together with story, Scripture, and song. The result is an accessible, hopeful invitation to let Jesus’ agape love transform us and flow through us into the world.