111 | Following Jesus: The One Area You Never Optimized

What if you believe in Jesus but have never actually followed Him? In this special Christmas-week episode of the Vital Wealth Strategies Podcast, host Patrick Lonergan, founder of Vital Wealth, challenges high-achieving entrepreneurs to examine a quiet but unsettling tension many successful people feel. After building businesses, optimizing finances, and doing “all the right things,” why does life still feel incomplete? Patrick explores whether success, discipline, and even belief can exist without true surrender and why that gap matters both now and eternally.

In a solo, deeply reflective teaching, Patrick unpacks the difference between cultural Christianity and biblical discipleship, using clear business analogies and direct Scripture to confront false assurance and surface-level belief. This episode is not about religion, performance, or self-improvement. It is about authority, identity, and what it truly means to follow Jesus rather than simply admire Him. If you are a driven, thoughtful leader who has ever wondered whether belief alone is enough, this episode offers clarity, conviction, and a compelling invitation to something deeper.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Why belief without surrender leads to false assurance
• The difference between cultural Christianity and true discipleship
• How success can mask spiritual stagnation
• Why Jesus calls people to follow, not just agree
• The role of repentance, faith, and new identity in real transformation
• Why abiding, not striving, is central to spiritual growth

Resources:   

Visit www.vitalstrategies.com to download FREE resources     

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Credits:    

Sponsored by Vital Wealth    

Music by Cephas    

Art work by Two Tone Creative 

Audio, video, research and copywriting by Victoria O'Brien