Biblical Teaching for
Everyday Believers
Ready to Go Deeper
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 1 of 5
WHEN STRONG PEOPLE HIT BOTTOM
The biblical evidence that even the strongest faith can reach a breaking point — and what God did about it.
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KEY VERSE
1 Kings 19:4 (NLT)
”I have had enough, LORD,” he said. ”Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”
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EPISODE OVERVIEW
In this episode we look at four of the most significant figures in Scripture — Elijah, Moses, Paul, and Jonah — who all hit the bottom of despair. Not discouragement. Not a hard week. The place where life felt like too much and they asked God to take their lives.
If you've been carrying something heavy and quietly wondering what that says about your faith — this episode is for you.
We cover:
– Why strong men of God hit bottom — and what that means for you
– The dangerous lie that strong faith means you won't feel this way
– What was behind the breaking points of each man
– Why God documented these moments in Scripture on purpose
– The difference between despair as a faith failure and despair as a human response to real weight
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FROM THIS EPISODE
FREE DOWNLOAD — When Hope Stops Feeling Real
Five biblical truths for the moments when you've stopped believing it gets better.
https://discipleblueprint.com/?ff_landing=44
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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: https://www.discipleblueprint.com/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.
Follow us on Facebook and YouTube @discipleblueprint
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