You can’t be refined by what you refuse to release.
In this week’s episode, Jonathan Sheppard unpacks one of the hardest truths of the Christian life — that the idols we protect are often the very things destroying our obedience, peace, and purpose.
Building on Sunday’s message from Luke 18 and the story of the Rich Young Ruler, this episode is a radical call to abandon every false god of comfort, control, and convenience that keeps us from full surrender.
Jonathan shares a deeply personal struggle from his own journey — the tension between trusting God in full-time ministry and clinging to the safety of secular work. Through Scripture and honesty, he reminds us:
“The idols you refuse to kill will kill you.
The fire can’t refine what won’t enter the flame.”
If you’ve ever struggled to fully let go, this conversation is your invitation back to freedom.
Luke 18:18–23 — The Rich Young Ruler
Matthew 16:24–26 — Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me
Malachi 3:2–3 — “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.”
Exodus 32:1–6 — The making of modern golden calves
“Most idols in our lives aren’t evil things — they’re good things that have taken God’s place.”
“We’ve asked God to bless what He’s been trying to burn.”
“Jesus doesn’t compete for thrones. He simply says, ‘Follow Me.’”
“Every idol dethroned makes room for the presence of God.”
“The furnace can’t refine what won’t enter the fire.”
Why safety can become your biggest idol
How the Rich Young Ruler exposes our love for control
The difference between confession and surrender
How to identify and kill the idols that quietly rule your heart
What happens when refinement turns from theory into reality
📖 Refined: A 12-Week Devotional Journal — available now HERE
EPCC Sermon: The Rich Young Ruler – “Almost Refined”
📘 Event. Process. Promise. — coming soon
🌐 Visit The Average Pursuit for more resources
Take ten minutes in silence this week. Ask the Holy Spirit:
“What’s the one thing I’ve refused to surrender?”
Write it down, name it, and lay it before God.
Freedom begins where idols die.
“Don’t walk away sad — walk forward surrendered.
Because the same fire that burns away your idols will reveal God’s glory in you.”
