There are moments in life when obedience to God collides directly with the future we imagined for ourselves. For Will Jones, that collision happened just as his basketball career was beginning to open doors he had spent years working toward.
After years of intense discipline and training, Will found himself playing professional basketball in Europe. Opportunities with NBA teams were beginning to emerge. The trajectory of his life seemed clear.
And then God interrupted it.
In the latest episode of Called Beyond, Will shares how the Lord began awakening him to something bigger than personal success: the eternal reality of people who still do not know Jesus.
As he spent time overseas, God began reshaping not only his calling, but also his understanding of mission.
“I didn’t really have a framework for missions growing up,” Will explains. “I knew church, but I didn’t yet understand God’s heart for the nations.”
That began to change as he encountered the reality of spiritual lostness around him and sensed God inviting him into a completely different future.
Remarkably, Will says he received calls connected to NBA opportunities just moments after surrendering himself to God’s call into ministry.
For many people, that might have felt like an impossible decision. But for Will, obedience mattered more.
Obedience Before Understanding
One of the strongest themes throughout the conversation is the idea that God rarely asks us to understand everything before saying yes.
Instead, He asks us to trust Him.
Will reflects on a quote from the late Charles Stanley that has deeply shaped his life:
“Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.”
That posture of surrender became foundational for his journey into evangelism, disciple-making, and eventually founding GoEthne—a ministry focused on equipping believers to engage in God’s mission among the nations.
The conversation continually returns to Psalm 67, the episode’s featured passage:
“May your ways be known throughout the earth, your saving power among people everywhere.”
For Will, the nations are not simply a missions strategy or ministry category.
They represent the heart of God.
More Than Church Attendance
Another powerful part of the episode centers on discipleship.
Will challenges listeners to think honestly about whether modern Christianity is producing disciples who truly follow Jesus—or simply church attenders who consume spiritual information.
“Are we inviting people to make a decision, or are we inviting people to become followers of Jesus?”
That distinction matters.
Throughout the conversation, Tim and Will discuss how discipleship is formed through imitation, obedience, and participation in the mission of God—not merely accumulating knowledge.
As Will puts it, every believer has a role to play.
Some are called to go. Some are called to send. But everyone is invited into God’s mission.
Becoming Nothing
The conversation concludes with one of the most memorable reflections of the entire episode.
Quoting Martin Luther, Will says:
“God creates out of nothing. Therefore until a man is nothing, God can make nothing out of him.”
In a culture constantly pushing people to become more impressive, more influential, and more successful, those words feel deeply countercultural.
But they also reflect the way of Jesus.
The Kingdom of God is not built on self-importance. It is built through surrendered people who are willing to trust God with their lives.
People who are willing to say yes before they have everything figured out. People who understand that every gift, opportunity, and calling ultimately belongs to Him anyway.
“Be okay with being nothing,” Will says. “God creates something out of nothing.”
And maybe that is where courageously taking root truly begins.
Not in proving ourselves. But in surrendering ourselves.
Reflection Questions
What areas of your life feel most difficult to surrender fully to God right now?
What “hallmark moments” in your story have shaped your understanding of God, eternity, or calling?
Are you currently approaching faith primarily as a learner, or as an active disciple-maker? What might it look like to “get in the game”?
Featured Guest
Will Jones is the founder of GoEthne, a ministry focused on evangelism, disciple-making, and equipping the local church for mission among the nations. After walking away from opportunities in professional basketball, Will devoted his life to sharing the gospel and mobilizing believers to participate in God’s mission both locally and globally.