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A Life Shaped by Living Stones

Discipleship is not something we do alone. It happens as we live among God’s people, the “living stones” Peter talks about, shaped and brought together into a spiritual house.

I learned this truth in a small church in central Illinois.

Raised in a Christian home, my faith drifted in college. By junior year, I found myself back in church, unsure of what I believed but longing for something deeper.

That’s where I met Dan and Gayle Wilkinson.

Dan was a gentle giant with a forgiven past. Gayle was patient and full of grace. They didn’t preach at me. Instead, they showed me Christ by how they lived: steady, humble, and faithful. God used them to set a Godly foundation for my life.

Christ the Cornerstone

“As you come to Him, the living Stone… you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house.” (1 Peter 2:4–5)

Christ is the cornerstone, the first stone laid and the one that sets the direction for the whole building. We are stones shaped for His building.

Discipleship is not merely believing in Jesus. It is becoming like Him. He is shaping it. It is being built together with others.

The Vision: Discipleship as Calling and Obedience

After a graduation reception where the church gifted me nearly $500, Gayle put her arm around me and said:

“Someday you will be able to do this for someone else. And when you do, you will be paying us back.”

Months later, while deciding between two job offers, Steven Curtis Chapman’s My Turn Now came on the radio. Gayle’s words echoed in my heart.

It was my turn.

My turn to obey. My turn to trust. My turn to step into the story God was writing.

Choosing TRW instead of my dream job at Hughes put me right where God wanted me, with my future wife, my church, and the Laotian boys I grew to love.

The Challenge: Following Jesus in Real Life

We live in a world that pulls us toward self, independence, speed, and distraction. But Jesus calls us to slow down, trust Him, and walk with others.

Following Jesus requires intentionality. It requires courage. It requires saying yes when the cost is real.

The Invitation: Your Turn Now

Years later, Dan passed away at 47. He led 46 people to Christ. I was one of them.

Now it is your turn.

Your turn to follow Jesus. Your turn to obey His call. Your turn to be a living stone. Your turn to step into the priesthood. Your turn to be Christ to someone else.

Following Jesus is not about perfection. It is about direction. It is about alignment. It is about love.

Come to The Living Stone. Let Him shape you. Let Him align you. Let Him send you.

It’s your turn now.

• If discipleship teaches us how to walk, Jesus is the One who walks with us. Continue the journey in the next pillar: Jesus →

• Or explore how this walk leads us into unity: Together →

• Or see how this calling fits into the mission of the site: Why →

In His Fields, Jon