Purpose, Identity and Calling

Sep 9, 2025

Will Chung, a pastor focused on discipleship in North Orange County, and Luke Lezon, a young adults pastor in Orlando, dive into the identity challenges faced by Gen Z and Millennials. They discuss the dangers of comfort culture and emphasize the importance of self-denial in the journey of faith. Personal stories reveal struggles with burnout, depression, and the need for authentic ministry. The conversation highlights how transient cities provide unique opportunities for gospel engagement and the role of mentorship in fostering spiritual growth.

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INSIGHT

Identity Versus Dignity

Will distinguishes identity (who I am) from dignity (what I'm worth) and says dignity is the pressing question for his congregation.
Cultural identity fluidity erodes consistent worth unless rooted in Christ.

INSIGHT

The Identity Fair And A Better Story

Luke calls today's culture an 'identity fair' where people sample identities to feel at home and asks them to join a better story in Jesus.
The church's consistent message offers stability where cultural narratives constantly change.

ADVICE

Design Discipleship Around Sending Windows

Treat transient cities as mission fields and design discipleship with a sending mindset and specific time windows.
Use predictable scope-and-sequence discipleship, e.g., a five-year window, to equip and send mature believers.

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I sat down with Luke Lezon and Will Chung to explore how Gen Z and Millennials are wrestling with identity, dignity, and discipleship in a rapidly shifting culture. These young pastors are preaching into cities like Orlando and LA—transient places that offer gospel-sending opportunities—and we unpacked the dangers of comfort culture and over-therapeutic narratives. We talked about how the call to follow Christ includes self-denial, repentance, and mission. Each of us shared stories of wilderness seasons, pastoral burnout, and the deep healing required to lead from wholeness. This is a deep dive into the joys and costs of courageous ministry today. I pray it encourages you — whatever context you’re in.

In This Episode

[02:00] Identity vs. Dignity: Will’s Pastoral Lens
[05:30] Cultural Pressures and Fragile Worth
[06:30] Luke on the “Identity Fair” and a Better Story
[07:45] Gospel Ministry in a Collapsing Secularism
[08:45] Ministering in Transient Cities: Orlando & LA
[10:00] Mission Field Mindsets and “Sending Capacity”
[12:00] Five-Year Discipleship Windows
[14:00] Lies This Generation Believes About God
[17:30] The Overcorrection of Self-Care & Gospel Rest
[21:00] Rest vs. Replenishment: Jefferson Bethke’s Shift
[23:00] Gen Z’s Pain Tolerance & Hunger for Mission
[24:00] Will’s 2020 Breakdown: Performing to Be Enough
[29:00] Depression and Identity
[31:00] Luke’s Story: Betrayal, Leadership, and God’s Timing
[35:00] “Cut Robes, Don’t Kill Kings”: Leading Through Hurt
[38:00] Repentance + Healing = Transformation
[41:00] Therapy, Trauma, and the Gospel of Repentance
[45:00] What Christian Therapy Is—and What It’s Not
[47:00] Courage in the Pulpit: What It Looks Like Now
[50:00] Don’t Be Lazy with the Word: Clarity Over Comfort
[52:00] Hermeneutical Bubbles and Pastoral Cowardice
[54:00] What the Church Needs to Repent Of (Apathy)
[56:00] The Radical Disciple and the Lost Mission
[58:00] Stop Selling Out for Ministry Success
[01:01:00] Hearing from God, Not Social Media
[01:04:00] Final Words + A Call to Spiritual Fathers

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