Ordinary Discussions with Jeremy McCommons

Discipleship is the most-used word in the church right now, and almost no one can define it. Most of what we call discipleship isn't. It's a good thing that got mistaken for the whole thing. Bible study, Sunday attendance, serving, a powerful moment at a conference. All real. None of them, on their own, is discipleship. Jeremy and Alex walk through the activities churches most often confus...

He gave his life to Jesus on a mountaintop in 1971 — and he's been reproducing his faith every single year since. He's in his 70s now. An auto mechanic by trade. No seminary, no title, no platform. And he has no intention of slowing down. I didn't sit down with Jim Albert to teach. I sat down to get challenged — and to learn from a man who's been making disciples longer than I'...

Jason Shepperd built a megachurch that has no small groups. Instead, more than 4,000 people across Houston meet weekly in dozens of house churches, each one led by an unpaid lay pastor with a day job: firefighters, business owners, real estate guys doing the actual pastoral work of the church. He calls it "a church of house churches" and it might be the most unusual functioning church st...

Most Christians live with one foot in the world and one foot in church. That's how Matt described his first six years following Jesus. Saved at Texas A&M in 2015. Faithful on Sundays. Attending some small groups. Then he was invited to a discipleship group. Not another Bible study. A discipleship group. He didn't know what the word meant. He showed up anyway. This week's episode is...

Most Christians feel stuck — reading, attending, doing all the right things, and still not actually changing. Jamie Winship calls it "The Primer Problem." And it's not about your effort. It's about your identity. Jamie Winship is a former FBI agent and founder of Identity Exchange who spent years working in high-stakes conflict zones across the Middle East — including raising his...

Women's small group producing fellowship but no disciples? This episode breaks down exactly why — and what a group that actually multiplies looks like. Most women's small groups are good at community. They're good at getting through a curriculum. What they rarely produce is women who go out and disciple other women. The problem isn't the heart. It's the model. In this episode w...

Men's Bible study producing good conversation but no disciples? This episode breaks down exactly why — and what a group that actually multiplies looks like. Most men's groups are stuck in what David Watson calls the "knowledge acquisition loop" — curriculum after curriculum, semester after semester, with men who know more about God but never actually go make disciples. The proble...

Most people don't wake up and decide to abandon their mission—it happens through a series of small, unchecked decisions. Becca Spradlin (On Mission Advisors) joins the podcast to reveal why even the best intentions aren't enough to keep you on track. Whether you are leading a multi-million dollar business, a local church, or your own family, these principles are invaluable for staying true...

It happens slowly. Then all at once. Small compromises. Quiet trade-offs. One day you wake up and realize your life, your leadership, or your organization has drifted from what it was supposed to be about. The mission that once drove everything is now just words on a wall. Peter Greer wrote the book on it — literally. In How Leaders Lose Their Way, he unpacks why drift is the default and what it t...

An exponential Disciple-Making Movement requires real resources. But what if you could give once and fund disciple-making forever? Most ministries are stuck in an endless fundraising cycle. They spend more time chasing dollars than making disciples. But here's the reality: our discipleship model already multiplies on its own. The constraint isn't the engine—it's predictable, sustainabl...

Nearly all of us want to give wisely—but few know how to make their giving truly multiply Kingdom impact. In this episode, Jeremy sits down again with Doug Kiesewetter—CEO of Cogency Power, Founder & Chairman of WaterStone Foundation, and a veteran entrepreneur who’s led ten successful startups and helped steward over $2B in charitable giving. Doug shares how ordinary believers can give smarte...

Giving as a practice simply can’t be ignored if we are to follow Jesus. In fact, some studies show 15% of Jesus’ teachings have to do with money or possessions. Jeremy dives into the conversation with Doug Kiesewetter—CEO of Cogency Power & Chairman of WaterStone, veteran of 10+ successful start-ups. He’s grown 3 companies from inception to over $100MM in capital value. Doug sets the bar high...

Jeremy nearly died on this one. A massive elk. And one of the clearest reminders that God wants to speak—even in the middle of the wilderness. Jeremy just got back from an intense hunt that almost ended in disaster, but through it, God reminded him of something powerful: it’s okay to enjoy what He’s made you to love. In this episode, we talk about how God meets us in the things we’re passionate ab...

Today we’re talking about the value of intentional relationships—a key part of our discipleship process. Every group that launches doesn’t just meet to study Scripture; they build real relationships by spending time together outside the sessions. In this episode, we’ll break down how to do that in simple, natural ways that lead to genuine connection. Ordinary Movement is a discipleship platform th...

Don't just lead a group and then do a hard stop! Stay connected, develop more intentional relationships, do mission together, and keep the first things first. Launch an OC Group. They are independently run by past group participants or leaders and exist to keep the disciple-making movement an ongoing reality. How frequently groups meet are up to each facilitator. Meet monthly, bi-weekly, or whatev...

In light of recent events, we thought it was important as an organization to share our thoughts. In this episode we will reflect on Charlie Kirk, and some comments made by Erika Kirk at his funeral. The aftermath of Charlie’s death has seen a massive increase in church attendance, and a generally increased interest in Christianity. As disciples who make disciples, how we respond in this time is cr...

If you care about disciple-making and the witness of the Church, this episode matters. Jeremy sits down with the directors behind one of the most talked-about church documentaries to ask hard questions—and separate headlines from hard data. Across the American church we are seeing:Widespread Financial Fraud and EmbezzlementLack of Financial Transparency and AccountabilityMisallocation and Ineffici...

Recently, Jeremy began shifting toward one-on-one discipleship, and he loves it! Here's the deal: it seems small group culture and leadership talks have led many to feel that small-scale or one-on-one discipleship is inefficient or low-impact, but we're pushing back against this mindset and emphasis. Just make disciples. Helping one person grow in their relationship with Jesus is worth it! Be fait...

Trey Herring is an amazing inspiration! Listen in to hear how he is changing the landscape with the most forgotten people in the Houston and beyond. We discuss ex-cons as disciple makers, what it means to be a GOER, why prisons are possibly the best soil, what makes a successful church, and discipling the streets! Find Eyes On Me here: https://www.eyesonmeinc.org/ Ordinary Movement is a disciplesh...

After serving time in prison, Gary Skinner discovered the power of fully surrendering to God. In this inspiring episode, he opens up about overcoming shame, finding forgiveness, and tackling debt. Through his faith, Gary transformed his life and now leads a powerful prison ministry, helping thousands find hope and purpose in God. Join us as ministry leader, author, and entrepreneur Gary Skinner sh...

We cover it all—church hurt, hidden struggles, the necessary sacrifices of real discipleship, and even the concern of orphaned disciples. Tim Ross doesn’t hold back. From confronting porn and anger to naming the need for therapy and breaking the stigma around Christian counseling, this episode gets real. Toward the end, we lean into what it looks like to actually upset the world like Jesus did—not...

What if your family engaged in discipleship and mission together? Jeremy Pryor shares how reframing families as disciple-making teams presents a powerful and strategic opportunity. He also explains the different levels of work involved in building a healthy family foundation that supports multi-generational ministry. Learn more about Jeremy and Family Teams at https://familyteams.com/

What if discipleship could feel less overwhelming—and more like a movement? In this episode, Discipleship Pastor Leo Loughmiller from The Vail Church (https://thevailchurch.com) interviews Jeremy about how Ordinary Movement works as a discipleship pathway within the local church. They dive into:What Ordinary Movement isWhat makes it different from typical small group modelsHow everyday people are...

To see a disciple-making movement, we all need to shift our mindset around leading groups—from thinking in terms of one-time investments or semester-based commitments to seeing ourselves as invited into a deeper level of disciple-making, walking with our initial participants as they begin leading their own future groups. We’re drawing from the idea in 2 Timothy 2:2 that any and every ordinary lead...

Looking for a framework and disciple-making process for your church? Patti shares how her church has integrated Ordinary Movement groups to spark a disciple-making movement within and through their community. If you've been wondering how churches are using our discipleship process, this is a great episode for you! Connect with Patti at South Point Church here: https://www.southpoint.tv/Ordinar...