Biblical Teaching for
Everyday Believers
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Helping you grow into a fully devoted follower of Christ — through clear Scripture teaching, honest conversation, and practical tools for real life.
Helping you grow into a fully devoted follower of Christ
Disciple Blueprint provides clear biblical teaching, practical resources, and tools to help believers grow in faith and understanding of Scripture.
I’m Raymond Smith — Bible teacher, author, and disciple-maker. I built Disciple Blueprint for believers who want more than Sunday morning.
Disciple Blueprint Podcast
Helping everyday believers grow in faith and live like Jesus. Join Raymond—Bible teacher, author, and disciple-maker—for short, powerful episodes on spiritual growth, prayer, leadership, grief, and bold faith. Whether you’re new to the journey or growing deeper, this podcast equips you to become a fully devoted follower of Christ. Learn more at DiscipleBlueprint.com
DISCIPLE BLUEPRINT PODCAST
Hope & Despair Series — Episode 3 of 5
GOD IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK
What Scripture actually says about where God is when you're brokenhearted — and why His nearness doesn't depend on how you feel.
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KEY VERSE
Psalm 34:18 (NLT)
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
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EPISODE OVERVIEW
One of the most damaging things the spiral does is distort your perception of God. You can still believe all the right things — and still feel like He is somewhere far away from wherever you are.
This episode goes directly at that feeling. Not with a lecture. With Scripture. Because what God says about where He is when you're brokenhearted is more direct than most people realize.
We cover:
– Why the spiral distorts your perception of God's nearness even when your theology is right
– Psalm 34:18 — the qualification for God's nearness is brokenheartedness, not spiritual strength
– Lamentations 3:21-23 — hope chosen from the ruins, in the middle of devastation
– How God responded to Elijah — a meal, not a sermon
– Romans 15:13 — hope is something God produces, not something you manufacture
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FROM THIS EPISODE
SCRIPTURE LIBRARY — Hope and Despair Scripture passages organized for when you need them most.
https://discipleblueprint.com/scripture-library/hub/
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RESOURCES & LINKS
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Free Guide — When Hope Stops Feeling Real: https://discipleblueprint.com/?ff_landing=44
Free Stuff Library: https://discipleblueprint.com/free-stuff/
Scripture Library: https://discipleblueprint.com/scripture-library/hub/
Explore Membership: https://www.discipleblueprint.com/explore-membership
Disciple Blueprint Store:
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ABOUT RAYMOND SMITH
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Raymond is the founder of Disciple Blueprint, a Baptist deacon, retired IT executive, and author of three books. He launched Disciple Blueprint in October 2024 — six months after losing his wife Wendy of 33 years to pancreatic cancer. His mission is helping Christians become fully devoted followers of Christ.
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