The Dusty Discipleship Podcast

Mitchell Feliciano
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  • Christianity
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Dusty Discipleship is a discipleship journey through Scripture, helping listeners follow Jesus more closely by seeing the Bible as one unified story. Each episode reads the text, traces the story, and asks what it means to live as a disciple of King Jesus today.

  1. Jul 10

    Episode 13 - Soil and Seed (Matthew 13)

    Episode SummaryIn Matthew 13, Jesus introduces us to parables — kingdom stories that do more than teach simple moral lessons. They reveal what Jesus is doing, but they also reveal the hearts of those listening. In this episode, Mitch walks through the parables of Matthew 13 and shows how the parable of the sower becomes the linchpin for the chapter. The seed is the gospel of the kingdom. The soil is the condition of the heart. The question is not just whether we understand Jesus’ stories, but whether we are becoming people who can receive, treasure, and bear fruit from the word of the kingdom. Episode OutlineOpening ThoughtJesus’ parables are not just cute stories, morality tales, or religious illustrations. They are artistic, prophetic, imaginative kingdom stories. The Sower: The Seed Is Good. The Question Is the Soil.Jesus begins with a farmer scattering seed. The seed is the word of the kingdom — the good news that God’s reign is arriving in and through Jesus. The soil is the condition of the heart. Some hearts are hard, some are shallow, and some are crowded by worry, wealth, ambition, comfort, distraction, and control. But good soil hears, receives, understands, and bears fruit. Wheat and Weeds: The Kingdom Grows in a Messy FieldJesus then tells another field story. Good seed is sown, but an enemy sows weeds among the wheat. This parable helps answer the question: if the kingdom has come in Jesus, why is there still evil, resistance, opposition, and confusion? Jesus’ answer is patience and trust. Good soil does not mean a weed-free world. Mustard Seed and Leaven: The Kingdom Starts Small and Works HiddenThe kingdom is like a mustard seed and like leaven hidden in flour. It often starts smaller than we expect and works deeper than we realize. That is how much of discipleship works: small acts of following Jesus. Treasure and Pearl: Good Soil Treasures the KingdomThe treasure and pearl parables move us from receiving the kingdom to valuing the kingdom. The man does not sell everything because he hates his life. He sells everything because he has found treasure. Good soil does not merely understand the kingdom. Good soil treasures the kingdom. The Net: What Is Hidden Will Be RevealedJesus says the kingdom is like a net thrown into the sea that gathers fish of every kind. At the end, there is a sorting. The kingdom may be hidden now, but it will not be hidden forever. The true condition of the heart will eventually be revealed. Nazareth: Familiarity Can Make Soil HardMatthew 13 ends with Jesus in His hometown. The people are astonished by His wisdom and mighty works, but instead of receiving Him, they take offense at Him. They are familiar with Jesus, but they do not have faith in Jesus. Hard soil can exist among people who know the stories, use the language of faith, and are familiar with Jesus. You can know the stories of Jesus and still resist the formation of Jesus. Application / How Do We Get Dusty With This?Matthew 13 invites us to examine the soil of our hearts. Not so we can feel condemned or label everyone else, but so we can honestly come before Jesus and say, “Lord, would You cultivate this soil?” From the beginning of the Bible, God is pictured as a gardener. He forms humanity from the dirt, plants a garden, and creates a place of life, fruitfulness, and fellowship with Him. So if Matthew 13 reveals the soil of our hearts, the good news is that we are not left to cultivate that soil alone. Who better to break up hard ground, remove stones, pull thorns, plant what leads to life, and make us fruitful than the Gardener Himself? Closing TaglineThe seed is good. The kingdom is real. Jesus is still speaking. So let anyone who has ears, hear — and let’s keep getting dusty.

  2. Jul 3

    Episode 12 - Sabbath Rest: Stopping, Settling, and Sharing (Matthew 12)

    Episode SummaryIn Matthew 11, Jesus invites the weary and burdened to come to Him and find rest. Then Matthew 12 immediately moves into Sabbath stories, showing us what happens when the Lord of the Sabbath stands in front of restless people. In this episode, Mitch walks through Matthew 12 and explores the biblical theme of Sabbath rest. Rest is not just taking a break or stopping activity. Biblical rest is learning to stop striving, settle into God’s presence, receive the rule of Jesus, and become people who extend His rest into a restless world. Episode OutlineOpening Thought / SetupMatthew 12 flows directly out of Jesus’ invitation at the end of Matthew 11: “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” That raises an important question: What kind of rest is Jesus talking about? Most of us know what it feels like to stop working but not actually rest. We can take a day off and still be anxious. We can sit on the couch and still feel unsettled. We can have a quieter schedule and still carry a noisy soul. Matthew connects Jesus’ invitation to rest with two Sabbath stories because Jesus is not simply offering a nap. He is offering the rest humanity was made for from the beginning: life with God, under God’s rule, in God’s good world. Sabbath Rest in the Story of the BibleSabbath does not begin with the Ten Commandments. It begins on the first page of the Bible. God creates for six days, bringing order out of chaos, light out of darkness, and life into empty spaces. Then, on the seventh day, God rests. God is not tired. Creation has reached its goal: God dwelling with His image-bearing humans in a world ordered by His presence. Two Hebrew words help frame this idea: Shabbat means to stop. Nuakh means to settle, dwell, or rest in place. Biblical rest is not just stopping. It is stopping so we can settle into God’s presence. Israel was given Sabbath as a weekly practice of trust — a way to remember that they were no longer slaves to Pharaoh and that everything did not depend on them. Sabbath later expands into Sabbath years and Jubilee, pointing toward restoration, freedom, release, and the day when God would make all things new. So when Jesus says, “Come to me…and I will give you rest,” He is making a kingdom announcement. The rest Sabbath was always pointing toward is found in Him. That rest can look like: Rest from religious burdensRest that restores what is witheredRest for the bruised and burned outRest from the powers that bind usRest that recognizes, receives, and is filled by JesusRest in the family of God Application / How Do We Get Dusty With This?Matthew 12 invites us to ask: Where do I need to stop? Where do I need to settle? Where do I need to share rest? Scripture ReferencesGenesis 1–2 — God’s seventh-day rest and humanity’s original calling Hosea 6:6 — “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice” Isaiah 42:1–4 — The servant who will not break the bruised reed Jonah 1–4 — Jonah, Nineveh, and repentance 1 Kings 10:1–13 — The Queen of Sheba comes to hear Solomon’s wisdom Closing TaglineDon’t just take a break. Come to Jesus. Stop striving, settle into His presence, receive His rule, and become the kind of person who carries His rest into a restless world.

  3. Jun 26

    Episode 11 - The Yoke of Expectations (Matthew 11)

    Episode SummaryIn Matthew 11, John the Baptist is in prison, wrestling with a question many followers of Jesus eventually face: what do we do when Jesus does not do what we expected Him to do? John expected the Messiah to bring judgment, fire, and immediate kingdom power, but Jesus is healing, restoring, eating with sinners, and preaching good news to the poor. In this episode, Mitch walks through the yoke of expectations, the difference between honest questions and hardened resistance, and Jesus’ invitation to true rest. Jesus does not offer a yoke-free life. He offers the right yoke — His yoke. Opening Thought / SetupJohn is in prison, hearing reports about Jesus’ ministry. Jesus is healing, cleansing lepers, raising the dead, and more. But John expected the Messiah to come with judgment, fire, and immediate kingdom power. This chapter asks a deeply human question: What do we do when Jesus does not match the expectations we brought to Him? John’s Question: The Yoke of ExpectationsJohn asks Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come...?” This is not merely a theological question. It is a prison question. It is the kind of question that rises up when Jesus does not do what we thought He would do. John expected something else. But Jesus points John back to the signs of the kingdom: the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed...etc. Jesus does not shame John for asking. He reorients him. Questioning Is Not FailureAfter John’s disciples leave, Jesus honors John in front of the crowd. He does not call John weak or faithless. Instead, He says John is not a reed shaken by the wind. John is not soft. John is a prophet — and more than a prophet. This matters for how we talk about doubt, questions, disappointment, and faith. Honest questioning is not failure. A faithful disciple can be confused, disappointed, and still bring those questions to Jesus. The danger is not bringing questions to Jesus. The danger is refusing to be taught by Jesus. When Expectations HardenJesus then warns about people who refuse to respond. John came fasting, and they said he had a demon. Jesus came feasting, and they called Him a glutton. The problem was not John or Jesus, the problem was that they did not want to respond. This section reminds us that expectations can harden into criticism, indifference, and pride. John brings his expectations to Jesus and is reoriented. The crowds, cities, and proud protect their expectations from Jesus and become resistant. The Yoke That Gives RestMatthew 11 ends with one of Jesus’ most famous invitations: “Come to me...and I will give you rest.” This is not a random ending. Jesus has been exposing the heavy yokes people carry: expectation, disappointment, criticism, indifference, and pride. Then He invites the weary to come to Him. But Jesus does not say, “Come to me and I will give you nothing to carry.” He says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me.” A yoke is a way of life. A yoke is a teaching. A yoke is an invitation to come under the way of a rabbi. Jesus is not offering a life without obedience, surrender, mission, or discipleship. He is offering the right yoke. Application / How Do We Get Dusty With This?Matthew 11 invites us to ask: What expectation have I been carrying about Jesus?Have I brought my questions honestly to Jesus, or am I trying to protect them from Him?Where are my expectations hardening into criticism, indifference, or pride?What would it look like this week to take Jesus’ yoke instead of my own?Getting dusty with Jesus means we do not simply ask Him to bless our way. We come to Him, take His yoke, and learn His way.ClosingJesus does not offer a yoke-free life. He offers the right yoke. And His yoke is the only one that leads to rest.

  4. Jun 19

    Episode 10 - Sent People Surrender (Matthew 10)

    Episode SummaryIn this episode, Mitch walks through Matt 10 and explores what it means to be sent by Jesus. Matt 9 ends with Jesus seeing the crowds as harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd, and Matt 10 begins with Jesus sending His disciples into the mission. The big idea is simple: restored people become sent people. But being sent by Jesus is not always easy, comfortable, or safe. Sent people surrender comfort, control, fear, and lesser loyalties as they join the restoring work of Jesus in the world. Episode OutlineOpening Thought / SetupMatt 10 flows directly out of Matt 9. In Matt 9, Jesus restores the whole person, the outsider, the broken, and the shepherdless. But the chapter ends with Jesus telling His disciples to pray for workers because the harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few. Then Matt 10 begins with those same disciples becoming part of the answer to that prayer. Context and BackgroundMatt 10 begins with the compassion of Jesus. Before the chapter is about mission, surrender, or persecution, it is about Jesus seeing people as sheep without a shepherd. The mission of the disciples is born from the compassion of Jesus. This episode also reflects on the story of Hagar in Genesis 16, where she calls God “El Roi,” the God who sees. That image connects with Jesus seeing the harassed, helpless, overlooked, and wounded. Main Teaching Movement1. Sent People Surrender ComfortComfort is not evil. Rest, home, rhythms, family, and stability are good gifts. But comfort becomes dangerous when it becomes the highest goal of our lives and makes us unavailable to Jesus. 2. Sent People Surrender ControlJesus tells His disciples not to take extra money, extra supplies, or the normal things people would use to secure themselves for the journey. They have a message, but they cannot force people to receive it. They can speak peace, proclaim the kingdom, and bear witness, but they cannot control the outcome. Sent people do not carry the burden of being the Savior. They carry the message of the Savior. 3. Sent People Surrender FearJesus tells His disciples He is sending them out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Fear may be present, but fear does not get to be Lord. Fear does not get to silence our witness, reshape our discipleship, or edit Jesus down into someone safer. 4. Sent People Surrender Lesser LoyaltiesJesus says He did not come to bring peace, but a sword. This does not mean Jesus loves conflict. It means allegiance to Him will sometimes create division. Jesus names some of the closest relationships in life: father, mother, son, and daughter. He is not anti-family, and He is not minimizing family. He is reordering allegiance. Being sent by Jesus means death to the old center of life. Jesus is not an accessory to our lives. He claims the center. 5. Sent People Practice Ordinary FaithfulnessMatt 10 ends with something surprisingly ordinary: receiving, welcoming, supporting, and giving a cup of cold water. The sent life is not always dramatic, but it is always meaningful. Sometimes it looks like public and bold and other time it is a simple cup of cold water in Jesus’ name. Application / How Do We Get Dusty With This?1. Where has comfort made me unavailable to Jesus?2. Where am I refusing to obey because I cannot control the outcome?3. Where has fear made me quiet?4. What lesser loyalty is competing with Jesus?Scripture ReferencesGenesis 16 — Hagar calls God “El Roi,” the God who sees Matthew 11:28–30 — Jesus invites the weary to come to Him and find rest Resources & LinksBible translations mentioned: ESV, NET, and NLT. Closing TaglineRestored people become sent people. And sent people surrender comfort, control, fear, and lesser loyalties.

  5. Jun 12

    Episode 9 - Restored to Follow (Matthew 9)

    Episode SummaryIn Matthew 9, Jesus does more than perform miracles or fix visible problems. He restores people at every level: the whole person, the outsider, the broken, and the shepherdless. In this episode, Mitch walks through Matthew 9 and shows how Jesus brings restoration to sin, shame, sickness, isolation, death, blindness, oppression, and spiritual exhaustion. This chapter invites us not only to receive the restoration of Jesus, but to become disciples who join His restoring work in the world. Episode OutlineOpening thought / setupMatthew is not just giving us random stories about Jesus or stacking miracles on top of one another. Matthew is showing us who Jesus is, what His kingdom is like, and what it means to follow Him. The big idea of Matthew 9 is simple: Jesus does not just fix problems. He restores people. Jesus restores the whole personMatthew 9 begins with a paralyzed man being brought to Jesus. Everyone can see the obvious problem: the man cannot walk. But Jesus begins deeper by saying, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” Jesus is not ignoring the man’s body. He does heal him physically. But He also sees the wound underneath the wound. Jesus restores the whole person, not just the visible issue. Jesus restores the outsiderJesus then calls Matthew from the tax booth. Matthew was not the obvious candidate for discipleship. As a tax collector, he would have been viewed as compromised, dishonest, unclean, and traitorous by many around him. But Jesus calls him right where he is. Then Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners, showing that He does not avoid broken people. He moves toward them as the true physician. The Pharisees see contamination. Jesus sees patients. Jesus restores the brokenMatthew then gives several stories back-to-back: a ruler’s daughter has died, a woman has been bleeding for twelve years, two blind men cry out for mercy, and a mute man oppressed by a demon is brought to Jesus. This section shows every kind of brokenness: death, disease, isolation, uncleanness, blindness, silence, and oppression. And Jesus moves toward all of it. Everywhere Jesus goes, broken creation starts to look like new creation. Jesus restores the shepherdlessThe chapter ends with Jesus looking at the crowds and having compassion because they are harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. This is where the chapter shifts. Restoration is not only something we receive from Jesus. Restoration becomes something we are invited to join with Jesus. Jesus tells His disciples to pray for laborers, and Matthew 10 will show those same disciples becoming part of the answer to that prayer. Application / so what?Matthew 9 cannot just be a chapter we admire. It has to become a pattern we learn. A few questions to carry with you: Where do I need Jesus to restore the whole person, not just the visible symptom?Who have I treated like an outsider?What brokenness do I avoid because I do not know what to do with it?Do I see crowds the way Jesus sees them? Sometimes getting dusty means being present where restoration is needed. We are not the Savior, the healer, the physician, or the true shepherd. But we are disciples, and disciples learn to walk with people as they go to Jesus. Scripture ReferencesHosea 6:6 — “I desire mercy and not sacrifice” 1 Peter 2:9 — God’s people as a royal priesthood Exodus and Leviticus — referenced through the imagery of priests entering into the mess of sacrifice and restoration Closing TaglineJesus does not just fix problems. Jesus restores people. And if we are going to get dusty, we cannot just admire His restoration; we are called to join Him in His restoring work.

  6. Jun 5

    Episode 8 - Admiration and Authority (Matthew 8)

    Episode SummaryJesus has finished teaching on the mountain. Now Matthew shows us what happens when His authority steps into everyday life. In Matthew 8, Jesus encounters sickness, suffering, uncertainty, and spiritual darkness—and in every situation He reveals His authority. The question is no longer whether Jesus has authority, but how people will respond to it. In this episode, we explore four areas where Jesus demonstrates His authority and discover why faith is more than believing Jesus exists. Faith is recognizing His authority and trusting Him enough to build your life around it. Episode OutlineOpening Thought / SetupThe Sermon on the Mount ends with a surprising observation: Jesus teaches with authority.Matthew 8 immediately asks what happens when that authority enters real life.Faith is not simply believing Jesus exists; it is trusting His authority.Authority Over Human Brokenness (Matthew 8:1–17)The leper's question: "If you are willing..."The centurion's remarkable understanding of authority.Peter's mother-in-law and restoration for service.Jesus moves toward what is broken rather than away from it.Authority Over Our Allegiance (Matthew 8:18–22)Two potential followers.The cost of following Jesus.Why Jesus' authority challenges our priorities.Following Jesus is not one commitment among many—it is the commitment that orders all the others.Authority Over Our Circumstances (Matthew 8:23–27)The disciples obey Jesus and find themselves in a storm.Jesus addresses their fear before He calms the sea.Connecting the storm to the wise and foolish builders from Matthew 7.Learning to trust Jesus when outcomes are beyond our control.Authority Over Spiritual Darkness (Matthew 8:28–34)The demons recognize Jesus immediately.The townspeople ask Him to leave.The disruptive nature of Jesus' authority.Why authority and acceptance are not the same thing.Application: Faith Under AuthorityThe leper trusted.The centurion trusted.The disciples learned to trust.The townspeople resisted.Every encounter with Jesus' authority requires a response.Referenceshttps://www.bemadiscipleship.com/84Key TakeawaysJesus has authority over what is broken.Jesus has authority over the direction of our lives.Jesus has authority over circumstances we cannot control.Jesus has authority over spiritual darkness.Faith is recognizing His authority and responding with trust.Closing ReflectionWhere is it hardest for you to trust the authority of Jesus right now?Is it something broken in your life?A decision you're facing?A circumstance you can't control?A fear you've been carrying?Matthew 8 invites us not merely to admire Jesus, but to trust Him.Closing TaglineMatthew 8 reminds us that faith is not admiring the authority of Jesus from a distance—it is trusting His authority enough to build your life around it.

  7. May 29

    Episode 7 - Two Builders, Two Houses, One Storm (Matthew 7)

    Episode SummaryMatthew 7 can feel like a collection of disconnected teachings—don't judge, ask and seek, the narrow gate, false prophets, and the wise and foolish builders. But what if all of those teachings are connected? In this episode, we explore how Jesus repeatedly places two paths before His listeners: two ways of seeing, two roads, two trees, two claims, and ultimately two foundations. Together, these contrasts reveal the central question of the SOTM: What are you building your life on? If you've ever wrestled with spiritual growth, discipleship, trusting God, or what it means to truly follow Jesus, this conversation will help you see Matthew 7 as the culmination of Jesus' teaching on Kingdom living. Episode OutlineOpening Thought / SetupRecapping the journey through Matthew 5–7Why Matthew 7 feels disconnected when read quicklyThe repeated pattern of 2's throughout the chapterEvery contrast points toward one final image: two houses in a stormContext & BackgroundThe SOTM as a unified teaching rather than disconnected sayingsJesus repeatedly presents 2 options before His audienceThe wise and foolish builders as the climax of the sermonFormation over information: hearing Jesus versus building on His wordsMain Teaching MovementsTwo Ways of SeeingThe log and the speckDiscernment versus condemnationHow pride distorts our visionWhy humility is essential for spiritual growthTwo Kinds of DependenceAsk, seek, and knockTrusting the Father rather than relying on self-sufficiencyThe connection between dependence and the Golden RuleHow trust reshapes the way we treat othersTwo RoadsThe broad road and the narrow roadDirection eventually becomes destinationThe road you walk shapes the person you becomeTwo TreesFalse prophets and true fruitWhy fruit reveals what has been forming usRoots, habits, and spiritual formationTwo Claims"Lord, Lord"Admiring Jesus versus aligning your life with HimReligious activity versus genuine discipleshipThe danger of hearing Jesus without building on His teachingsTwo FoundationsThe wise and foolish buildersTwo houses, one stormStorms reveal foundationsApplication / So What?The Sermon on the Mount isn't merely asking us to agree with Jesus—it is inviting us to build our lives on His way. Building on the rock happens through ordinary daily decisions: Choosing forgiveness over retaliationPracticing hidden faithfulnessReturning to prayerSeeking first God's KingdomWalking the narrow road one step at a timeEvery road leads somewhere. Every root produces fruit. Every hidden trust becomes a foundation. The question Jesus leaves us with is simple: What are you building your life on? Scripture ReferencesMatthew 7:1–29 — Two ways, two roads, two trees, two foundationsMatthew 5:1–48 — Kingdom character and transformationMatthew 6:1–34 — Hidden motives, desires, and fearsPsalm 1:1–3 — The imagery of fruitful treesProverbs 4:18–19 — Two paths and two ways of lifeClosing TaglineStay on the narrow road, bear good fruit, and keep building on the rock. And as always, I hope you find yourself just a little bit dustier.

  8. May 22

    Episode 6 - Seeking First the Kingdom (Matthew 6)

    Episode 6 | Seeking First the KingdomHidden Motives, Desires & Fears in Matthew 6Episode SummaryIn this episode of the Dusty Discipleship Podcast, we continue our journey through the Sermon on the Mount by exploring Matthew chapter 6 and Jesus’ teaching on the hidden life beneath outward behavior. Jesus exposes the invisible forces shaping visible lives — hidden motives, hidden desires, and hidden fears — and shows how rival kingdoms of approval, control, security, and anxiety quietly compete for our trust. Together we explore giving, prayer, fasting, treasure, the “healthy eye,” mammon, anxiety, and the invitation to “seek first the Kingdom of God.” If you’ve ever struggled with image management, fear, striving, control, or trying to follow Jesus authentically in a performative world, this episode is for you.  Episode OutlineThe Sermon on the Mount shifts beneath outward behavior and exposes the hidden life underneathJesus confronts hidden motives, hidden desires, and hidden fears“The hidden life eventually reveals what kingdom we trust most”Context & BackgroundJewish prayer rhythms in the time of JesusMorning and evening prayersThe Amidah / standing prayer traditionThe Lord’s Prayer as Kingdom trust rather than mere religious repetitionHypocrites as actors wearing masksMain Teaching MovementsHidden Motives — Matthew 6:1–18Giving, prayer, and fasting“To be seen by others” vs “Your Father who sees in secret”Spirituality becoming performancePrayer revealing who we are actually living forDaily bread, dependence, forgiveness, and trusting the FatherHidden Desires — Matthew 6:19–24Treasure, the eye, and mammonWhat quietly captures your heartThe “healthy eye” vs the “evil eye”False security and rival kingdoms“Your life slowly bends toward what you value most”Hidden Fears — Matthew 6:25–34Anxiety, striving, scarcity, and controlJesus and mental health / fearful strivingBirds and lilies as reminders of trustCreation as evidence that the Father has not abandoned the world“Seek first the Kingdom of God”Application:What hidden motives are shaping your life?What hidden desires quietly capture your heart?What hidden fears are driving your striving?How can you seek first the Kingdom of God this week?Discipleship is not merely information — it is formationScripture ReferencesMatthew 6:1–34 — Hidden motives, desires, fears, and seeking first the KingdomMatthew 5:1–48 — The good life in the Kingdom of GodPsalm 23 — The shepherd leading one pasture at a timeExodus 16 — Manna and daily dependence in the wilderness1 Corinthians 10:31 — “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God”Resources & LinksInfluences & Resources MentionedRay Vander Laan — “Dusty disciple” imagery and Gospel immersion teachingBibleProject — Sermon on the Mount themes and Kingdom frameworkBEMA Podcast / Marty Solomon — Jewish context and prayer tradition insightsFollowing Jesus is not merely about information. It’s about formation. We are learning to follow Jesus closely enough that His life begins shaping ours.

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Dusty Discipleship is a discipleship journey through Scripture, helping listeners follow Jesus more closely by seeing the Bible as one unified story. Each episode reads the text, traces the story, and asks what it means to live as a disciple of King Jesus today.

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