EP 391: The Cost of Calling: What It Really Takes to Follow Jesus

Equip & Empower Podcast with Christine Caine

Equip and Empower

Religion & Spirituality, Christianity

4.9 • 1.8K Ratings

🗓️ 20 April 2026

⏱️ 24 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What if the very thing holding you back from your future is what you refuse to let go of? Following Jesus isn’t comfortable, convenient, or predictable—but it is always worth it. In a culture that celebrates options, security, and self-promotion, God calls us to something radically different: surrender, faithfulness, and full devotion. In this episode, Christine Caine unpacks 1 Kings 19:1–21 and the powerful moment when Elisha burns his ploughs to follow God’s call. Through this message, you’ll discover why calling is not something you chase—but something you prepare for through faithfulness right where you are. This episode will challenge you to let go of what’s familiar so you can step into what God has prepared, reminding you that a life fully surrendered to Jesus is always worth the cost. ✨If you ever asked questions like… ● Why does following Jesus feel so costly? ● How do I know when it’s time to let something go? ● Do I have to have everything figured out before I obey God? Then this is for you. 💡What you’ll learn: ● Why you must let go of the past to step into God’s future ● How faithfulness in the “ploughing” season prepares you for your calling ● What it really means to go all in with Jesus—without a backup plan 📘 Want to grow deeper in a flourishing life with God? Christine explores this more in The Faith to Flourish: 👉 ChristineCaine.com/Flourish 💛 Download your FREE Episode Reflection Guide: 👉 http://bit.ly/4gx1ZYk 🔔 Subscribe for weekly biblical teaching that will help you grow in faith, lead with courage, and live on mission for Jesus. + + + + 🖥️ SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/ChristineCaineSubscribe PRE-ORDER Christine’s NEW book, The Faith to Flourish → https://linktr.ee/christinecaine ORDER Christine's new devotional, "You're Not Finished Yet" → https://linktr.ee/christinecaine 💛 For more great stuff, check out: LISTEN to Christine Caine’s Life and Leadership Podcast→ https://linktr.ee/christinecaine DONATE to Equip & Empower Ministries: https://linktr.ee/christinecaine 📲 Follow Christine on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ChristineCaine/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theChristineCaine/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristineCaine Christine Caine is a speaker, New York Times bestselling author, and activist who has been serving the local church globally for over 30 years. She and her husband, Nick, founded the anti-human trafficking organization, The A21 Campaign, which works at the local, domestic, and international level to end modern-day slavery. They also founded Equip & Empower, a ministry that is mobilizing people everywhere to live on mission for Jesus. Propel Women is an initiative of the ministry dedicated to coming alongside women around the globe to activate their God-given purpose. You can tune in to her weekly Equip and Empower Podcast to be encouraged by the hope of Jesus wherever you are. Christine holds a Master’s Degree in Evangelism and Leadership from Wheaton College. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	The truth is everything that I have done today that's incredibly visible
0:04.0	came out of a place of plowing in invisible places.
0:08.0	I didn't wait to start serving God until somebody gave me a position or a title or an opportunity.
0:15.0	It was because I was serving God in anonymity and obscurity that all of these things came to pass.
0:30.1	I am so grateful that you've joined us today and I believe that God has a word for you.
0:35.2	Okay, so on my 21st birthday, a long time ago,
0:38.1	I was sitting on a balcony in Zurich, Switzerland,
0:41.1	when I made the most important decision of my life,
0:44.7	I made the decision that I was going to truly surrender everything
0:48.2	and follow Jesus.
0:50.0	Now, that decision meant I had to break up with the person that I was dating.
0:54.0	I had to go back to Australia person that I was dating. I had to go back
0:55.2	to Australia, finish my degree at university and actually start going to church. It meant that
1:01.7	my life had to radically and permanently change. And over the next few months, I've got to tell
1:07.7	you, I lost my friend group, I lost some family members that didn't want to
1:12.5	associate with me anymore, and I basically lost everything that I had been pursuing up to that
1:18.8	point.
1:19.8	Now, as painful as that season was in my life, I know that there is no way that I would be doing
1:26.2	what I'm doing around the world today
1:27.8	if I was not prepared to let go of the things that were holding me back from the
1:32.1	promises of God. You see, you can't lay a hold of the future and simultaneously hang on to the
1:38.2	past. So I wonder today, would you turn with me to First Kings chapter 19 verses 15 to 21 where we are going to discover
	...

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