Podcast Archive
The Soil and Roots podcast is a primary means of journeying together into deep discipleship with people from all over the world. Join Brian Fisher (along with Kyle Moody and Dr. Tim Boswell) as he takes us on a guided path into aspects of spiritual formation not normally explored in modern churches.
Soil and Roots’ primary media outreach is the Soil and Roots podcast, found on all major podcast platforms.
Join host Brian Fisher on this weekly series as we venture into a slow, progressive journey into deep discipleship, exploring the hidden ideas that form us, the church, and the culture.
Featuring occasional visual aides, personal stories, and a very different perspective on discipleship and modern Christianity, listeners and readers have described the podcast as “rich,” “paradigm-shifting,” “interactive,” and “transformative.”
Along the way, Brian welcomes co-host Kyle Moody and frequent guest Dr. Tim Boswell as they (sometimes hilariously) wrestle with the deeper aspects of the faith, all in the quest to become more like Jesus.
The podcast is designed to be listened to in sequential order starting at the beginning, as newer episodes build on older ones. Many episodes are also available as blog entries here on the site.
Come join us as we dig underneath our belief statements to explore the depths and mysteries of the heart of God, others, and ourselves.
Season 1, Ep 1: Let’s Dig In! (An Introduction to Deep Discipleship)
Season 1, Ep 1: Let’s Dig In! (An Introduction to Deep Discipleship)
Ep 2: The Idea of the Gospel
We start our journey into our hearts to discover the hidden ideas that govern and power us, what we at Soil and Roots call “deep discipleship.”
Ep 3: The Magnificent Seven (The Kingdom of Light)
In Episode 3, we explore the Kingdom of God through seven defining attributes that reshape how we understand the Gospel. What if the Kingdom is bigger, more physical, more cosmic, and more unstoppable than we’ve imagined? The Magnificent Seven helps us examine whether our hearts are rooted in a reduced gospel or the full story of a growing Kingdom that restores all things.
Ep 4: It’s the End of the World as We Know it
In Episode 4 of the Soil and Roots Podcast, Brian Fisher completes his exploration of the Idea of the Gospel by examining how our expectations about the future shape Christian life and discipleship. This episode challenges Christian fatalism, contrasts the Gospel of Salvation with the Gospel of the Kingdom, and asks whether Jesus is Lord of all—or only Lord of souls.
Ep 5: You’re Only Human (And Why We’re Confused About It)
What does it really mean to be human? This episode explores Christian anthropology and how our assumptions about humanity shape discipleship, identity, and spiritual formation beneath the surface.
Ep 6: Total Eclipse of the Heart (Why We Might Be Bored With Church)
Let’s explore the six stages of discipleship and why we may be missing the last three.
Ep 7: Take My Breath Away (Bonus Episode)
This episode reviews the Deep Discipleship Framework, including The Great Omission, the Six Core Ideas, and the Five Elements of Formation. Brian Fisher explains how hidden ideas shape our hearts and how Jesus models transformation through time, habit, intimacy, community, and instruction.
Ep 8: The Anatomy of Ideas (And Why This Isn’t a Typical Christian Podcast)
In Episode 8, we explore the Anatomy of Ideas and how hidden beliefs form the soil of our hearts. Learn how ideas of light and darkness shape identity, power, love, and spiritual formation. This episode reframes discipleship at its deepest level.
Ep 9: I Saw the Sign (How to Discern What’s Really Going On in Our Hearts)
In Episode 9 of the Soil and Roots podcast, Brian introduces the Eight Heartview Indicators—thoughts, emotions, health, actions, relationships, words, time, and money—and explains how they reveal the hidden ideas shaping our discipleship. This practical step launches us toward deeper integration between heart and belief.
Ep 10: For What It’s Worth (Two Opposing Ideas of Human Value)
There are two sets of ideas that govern us: ideas of light and ideas of darkness. Today, we’ll dig into just one Core Idea (Value) and compare the light version with the dark version. Then we’ll practice Heartview to determine which Core Idea of Value is powering our own hearts.
Ep 11: The Formation Conundrum (Are We Really Being Discipled in Church?)
In Episode 11, we explore the Formation Conundrum and ask a difficult question: is the modern church truly designed to form mature disciples? By comparing early childhood, college, marriage, the military, and the New Testament church, we uncover why today’s lifestyle conflicts with deep spiritual formation and what that means for discipleship.
Ep 12: Supersize Me
In Episode 12, Supersize Me takes a hard look at the institutional church and why modern discipleship often becomes fragmented—sermons, programs, and one-off events instead of an immersive culture of formation. We explore why we are integrated beings in an integrated world, why institutions drift and grow impersonal, and why “simpler and smaller” communities may be the path back to deep discipleship.
Ep 13: Let Me Sum Up
Episode 13, Let Me Sum Up, closes Season 1 by crystallizing what we’ve uncovered about deep discipleship and the Great Omission. We revisit the power of unconscious ideas, the Five Key Elements of formation, and why modern Christianity often produces converts without mature disciples. Then we set the stage for Season 2 by introducing the Three Primary Problems: the Forgotten Kingdom, the Discipleship Dilemma, and the Formation Gap.
Season 2, Ep 14: Unbreak My Heart
Welcome to Season 2!
This Season is all about the Discipleship Dilemma. As we seek to become more like Jesus, we need to not only know Him but also ourselves. However, exploring our own hearts is not currently a prominent aspect of modern Christianity. Exploring how our stories (our historical relationships and experiences) impact our spiritual formation today is not normally a part of our lives.
Ep 15: I Think Therefore I’m a Mess
Season 2 turns practical with Thoughts—the first of eight heart indicators. In Episode 15, Brian explores thought patterns, Ideas in the Air, and how Uncover–Determine–Immerse helps transform darkness into light.
Ep 16: The Way You Make Me Feel
In Episode 16, Brian explores Emotions as a key indicator of the heart. From miscarriage and grief to rage and healing, this episode offers a practical path to feel honestly, uncover hidden ideas, and move toward light.
Ep 17: The Bedrock (Bonus Episode)
In this bonus episode, we step back to explore the deep discipleship bedrock beneath our lives. Why do our beliefs and behaviors often misalign? Through the Creation Picture 2 and Heartview framework, we uncover how desires, ideas, and personal story shape our spiritual formation. If we are what we love—not merely what we believe—then true transformation begins below the surface.
Ep 18: Let’s Get Physical. And Mental. And Spiritual.
Let’s dig into our third Heartview Indicator, our health!
We’re exploring how outward signs point to the inward realities in our hearts. When it comes to our health, as disciples, it’s vital that we first understand how God put us together. We are integrated beings living in an integrated world. So what does that mean when we consider the three separate, major branches of health: physical, mental, and spiritual? How do they interact with each other, and how do they impact our journey to become more like Jesus?
Ep 19: On Our Best Behavior
Episode 19 explores the Heartview behavior indicator—how repeated patterns of action reveal the hidden desires and ideas shaping our lives. Using the four relationships (God, others, self, creation), we examine why some “good Christian behaviors” can still function as avoidance or performance, and how dark formation can shape patterns through time, habit, intimacy, community, and instruction. This episode invites a holistic inventory of behavior that goes beyond church activity and into the places where our hearts are most revealed.
Ep 20: Why Can’t We All Just Get Along?
How do attachment styles shape your relationship with God and others? In Episode 20, we explore avoidant and ambivalent attachment, how your origin story formed your heart, and how Jesus leads us toward secure attachment and deeper discipleship.
Ep 21: What Would You Say?
We explore the sixth Heartview indicator: our words. What we say, how much we say, what slips out when we aren’t thinking, and even what we refuse to say all reveal the core ideas shaping our hearts.
Ep 22: Do You Remember the Time?
In Episode 22, we explore stewarding our time as a powerful Heartview Indicator. How we spend time—and who we spend it with—reveals the deep ideas shaping our hearts. Through a personal story of formative influence and relational wounds, we examine how time, community, and presence shape spiritual formation, healing, and hope.
Ep 23: Wardens and Wingers
Money is one of Scripture’s most revealing heart indicators. In this episode, Brian Fisher explores the “Money Heartview Indicator,” unpacking two common patterns—wardens who cling tightly to control and wingers who spend freely to soothe pain. Both patterns can mask deeper wounds and distrust, and both invite healing through discipleship in community.
Ep 24: The World As Best As I Remember It, Vol. 1
Season 2 is rounding the corner, and this episode ties the Discipleship Dilemma to culture-shaping “Ideas in the Air.” Using Rich Mullins as a model of courageous curiosity, Brian traces key shifts in Western thought—from the ancient world to post-modernism—and asks how these assumptions have seeped into our churches and our hearts.
Ep 25: The World As Best As I Remember It, Vol II
In the Season 2 finale, Brian Fisher closes the Discipleship Dilemma by showing why Heartview is not navel-gazing—but a practical path to becoming like Jesus. We examine how “idea systems of evil” spread through culture, how post-modernism has shaped the church (intellect-over-formation, devaluing the individual, disintegration), and why discipleship must be communal, embodied, and integrated.
Season 3, Ep 26: Mind the Gap
Season 3 launches with the Formation Gap—the distance between New Testament discipleship and what many experience today. We preview the Five Key Elements of Formation: time, habit, community, intimacy, and instruction.
Ep 27: Weird Science
Why didn’t Jesus instantly heal broken relationships the way He healed physical bodies? In this episode we explore why spiritual formation takes time, how trauma shapes the heart, and what neuroscience reveals about discipleship and relational healing.
Ep 28: Not Enough Time (Bonus Episode)
If Greenhouses and deep discipleship require time, where do we find it? This bonus episode reframes the question: you’ve already reordered your life for love—so what would it look like to reorder it around Jesus?
Ep 29: Cat’s in the Cradle
What does time have to do with becoming like Jesus? This episode explores how modern life trains us for distraction, why discipleship needs presence and dialogue, and how the church often confuses information with formation.
Ep 30: Time in a Bottle
This episode concludes Soil & Roots’ exploration of time as a key element of formation, showing how deep discipleship is shaped by time with God, others, ourselves, and creation.
Ep 31: The Seven Habits of Highly Defective People
This episode begins Soil & Roots’ exploration of habits as a key element of formation, showing how repeated patterns of thought, emotion, behavior, and desire shape deep discipleship.
Ep 32: I Don’t Drop Shoes (The Habit of Hearing from God)
How do disciples learn to hear from God? In this episode we explore spiritual habits, the Formation Gap, and how a conversational relationship with God grows over time.
Ep 33: Linda, Linda, Listen! (Listening to Others’ Hearts)
This episode explores heart listening as a spiritual habit—learning to hear not just what people say, but what their hearts reveal through questions, patterns, and relationship.
Ep 34: Roxette Was Right
What does it mean to listen to your own heart? In Episode 34, we explore the spiritual habit of inner awareness and how Heartview helps us grow in deep discipleship.
Ep 35: Everybody Wants to Rule the World
In Episode 35, Brian Fisher explores the habit of stewarding the earth and what it means to multiply, subdue, and rule creation with God as part of Christian discipleship.
Ep 36: Houston, We Have Three Problems! (Part 1)
In this first bonus episode, Brian Fisher introduces the Three Primary Problems behind the Great Omission.
Ep 37: Houston, We Have a Problem (Part II)
In this bonus episode of the Soil & Roots podcast, we step back from our deep dive into the Formation Gap to revisit the Three Primary Problems shaping modern discipleship.
Drawing on insights from Dallas Willard and the concept of the Great Omission, we explore why so many followers of Jesus feel spiritually stuck. The episode walks through two of the central challenges: the Discipleship Dilemma and the Formation Gap.
Ep 38: Where Everybody Knows Your Name
Season 3 explores the Formation Gap, and this episode turns to the third key element of spiritual formation: community. Brian reviews the Forgotten Kingdom, the Discipleship Dilemma, and the Formation Gap, then shows why immersive, trusted, five-element communities are essential for deep discipleship. Using the surprising analogy of sitcom communities, this episode paints a vivid picture of the kind of belonging, commitment, restoration, and shared life our hearts long for—and why Soil and Roots calls these communities Greenhouses.
Ep 39: The Greenhouse Episodes
Brian and Kyle sit down to “Greenhouse” Episode38, which introduces “sit-com” communities – safe, long-term, small groups that our hearts long for.
Ep 40: Let the Professionals Handle It
Can authentic Christian discipleship happen outside traditional church structures? This episode explores five-element discipleship communities, institutional church assumptions, and the New Testament vision of formation through immersive relationships.
Ep 41: (GH) Let the Pros Handle It
Five Element Communities Kyle and Brian head back into the Greenhouse to discuss the previous episode, Let the Professionals Handle It. As we continue to explore Immersive Communities of Formation as a means of discipleship, Kyle digs into questions about the Gospel of the Kingdom, evangelism, our fears about being in vulnerable, transparent groups of fellow sojourners, and the role of church institutions. Sit in on their conversation and enjoy the journey! Listen on YouTube!
Ep 42: One of These Things is Not Like the Other
We’re continuing to explore the “Immersive Community of Formation” as a solution to the Three Primary Problems currently facing the West. But is an “ICF” simply another term for corporate worship, community group, small group, family, or close friendship? Or is an ICF something different, specific, and particular to our time and circumstances? Let’s dig in.
Ep 43: (GH) One of These Things Is Not Like the Other
Kyle and Brian head back into the Greenhouse to explore why ICFs aren’t the same as other Christian communities and how making genuine disciples in Kingdom-centric communities shapes our view of reality and the mission of the church, including evangelism.
Ep 44: Danger, Will Robinson!
Narcissism in Christian community can quietly destroy trust, relationships, and spiritual formation. Learn how to recognize it and respond with wisdom.
Ep 45: (GH) Danger, Will Robinson!
Brian and Kyle sit down in the Greenhouse for a casual yet earnest conversation about narcissism in the church, continuing their exploration of Episode 44. Pulling from their respective stories and Brian’s study of narcissism, they explore some key questions.
Ep 46: The Discipleship Sandwich (Bonus Episode)
This episode explores the “Discipleship Sandwich”—how ideas, the Kingdom of God, and intentional community shape deep spiritual formation. Discover why unseen assumptions may be the most powerful forces shaping your life and faith.
Ep 47: (GH) The Discipleship Sandwich
Kyle and Brian take a deeper dive into the three layers of The Discipleship Sandwich: Spiritual formation, the Gospel of the Kingdom, and Five-element communities.
Ep 48: Tearin’ Up My Heart
Why do we long to be known—and why does it feel so risky? This episode explores intimacy as a critical element of spiritual formation and how our relationships with God, ourselves, and others are deeply connected. If we avoid being known, we may be limiting how deeply we can know God.
Ep 49: (GH) Tearin’ Up My Heart
Back in the Greenhouse, Kyle and Brian dig into intimacy as a formative element in our journey to become more like our King. Why is it that the modern small group or community group effort often struggles between being “informative” and “formative?”
Ep 50: Trapped In The System
Why doesn’t more knowledge lead to transformation? This episode explores how intimacy, ideas, and relationships truly shape the heart of a disciple.
Ep 51: (GH) Trapped in the System
In this very personal episode, Brian asks Kyle to share parts of his own story that reveal what we all struggle with – a disconnect between our bedrock desires and ideas and the Christian beliefs we espouse. Making room in our lives to recognize these gaps and in our hearts for communities to help us better integrate our ideas and beliefs is a foundational aspect of discipleship.
Ep 52: You Can Check Out Any Time You Like…
What does a truly mature disciple look like? In this episode, we explore intimacy in discipleship and challenge common assumptions about spiritual maturity—from power and knowledge to emotional calm. Instead, we uncover a deeper, more human, and more Christlike vision of transformation rooted in love, attunement, and community.
Ep 53: (GH) You Can Check Out Any Time You Like…
Brian welcomes guest Dr. Tim Boswell into the Greenhouse to finish up our exploration of intimacy. As a means of forming us to be more like Jesus, what role does intimacy play, particularly as we struggle to form long-term communities for that purpose?
Ep 54: Another Brick in the Wall
Why does modern Christianity feel shallow despite endless teaching? In this episode, we explore why instruction alone cannot form disciples—and what’s missing from our journey into depth.
Ep 55: (GH) Another Brick in the Wall
“Instruction” is virtually ubiquitous for people desiring to grow in Christ today, but do the available materials help us in the later, deeper stages of discipleship? Are they designed to guide us, in community, when we inevitably hit “the Wall?”
Ep 56: The Participation Award
We have more access to Christian teaching than ever—so why are we less formed? This episode explores how shallow expectations and fragmented instruction stall true discipleship.
Ep 57: (GH) The Participation Award
Further exploring Episode 56, Kyle and Brian dig into this critical question: Why do most of us not experience repetitious and increasingly complex, formative Christian education today?
Ep 58: What is a Greenhouse?
What is a Greenhouse? This episode explores how intentional discipleship communities use five key elements—time, habit, community, intimacy, and instruction—to foster deep spiritual formation.
Ep 59: Greenhousing the Greenhouse
In our last episode of Season 3, Brian and Kyle share their thoughts and perspectives on their personal spiritual formation in and through their local Greenhouse, and how the vision of Soil and Roots is to help form and support them worldwide. They also answer some common questions about these five-element communities before giving a sneak peek at Season 4.
Season 4, Ep 60: Secret Invasion
What if the Kingdom of God is an invasion of life-giving ideas into a world shaped by darkness? This episode launches Season 4 by reframing discipleship as a cosmic battle between competing idea systems that shape our hearts, culture, and lives.
Ep 61: (GH) Secret Invasion
Kyle and Brian step back into the Greenhouse to debate and discuss Episode 60, which is an introduction to Season 4 and the Kingdom. An aspect of living in the Kingdom is being “awake,” and the guys clarify and explore what that really means. Then they revisit the on-going conflict between ideas and darkness and light, and how our expectation of the impact and power of those ideas affects how we live and operate in the world. Deep stuff on today’s episode!
Ep 62: The Magic Kingdom
What if the Kingdom of God is far bigger than we imagined? In this episode, we explore the Forgotten Kingdom as a powerful “great reversal”—where dark ideas are transformed into light, and all things are being reconciled back to God’s original design.
Ep 63: (GH) The Magic Kingdom
As we continue digging into the primary problem of the Forgotten Kingdom, Brian and Kyle further explore the answer to our first question: What is the Kingdom of Light? Despite the fact that the Kingdom is a primary theme of the Bible, there isn’t always a strong consensus on what it is, when it is, or what our role in it is.
Ep 64: The Neverending Story
What if the Gospel is bigger than personal salvation? This episode explores the Kingdom of God as the central story of Scripture—from Eden to New Creation.
Ep 65: (GH) The Neverending Story
In this special Greenhouse episode, Brian and Kyle welcome Dr. Tim Boswell, our favorite intellectual scholar. Though the jokes and verbal barbs fly, they dig under the surface of our assumptions about the Kingdom to further explore what it actually is and how our view of it dramatically impacts our discipleship.
Ep 66: Everybody Hates Brian
How do your beliefs about the end times shape your discipleship? In this episode, we explore four major perspectives and uncover how they influence the way we live in the Kingdom of God.
Ep 67: (GH) Everybody Hates Brian
As we continue this mini-series on how our End Times views impact our spiritual formation in the Kingdom, Kyle and Brian further explore and clarify the four main perspectives: premillennialism, dispensationalism, amillennialism, and postmillennialism (continuing our discussion from Ep: 66).
Ep 68: Splitters and Joiners
How do hidden assumptions shape your view of the end times? In this episode, we explore the deeper ideas behind the four perspectives and their impact on the Kingdom of God.
Ep 69: (GH) Splitters and Joiners
Kyle, Tim, and Brian sit down to discuss “Greenhouse,” the previous episode, which explores the two primary groups of End Times views – those who hold to a “two people, two plan” storyline and those who hold to a “one people, one plan” storyline of the Bible.
Ep 70: Things That Make You Go “Hmmm”
How your End Times beliefs shape your understanding of the Kingdom of God, spiritual formation, and your purpose in this age.
Ep 71: (GH) Things That Make You Go “Hmmm”
Kyle, Doc, and Brian head back into the Greenhouse to further explore how our End Times views impact our assumptions about the Kingdom and our spiritual formation.
Ep 72: A Hobbit Shoots Free Throws (Bonus)
A last-second free throw for thousands of dollars. A high school gym. A life shaped by a single moment.
In this bonus episode, we step back and trace the deeper story—how defining moments, both beautiful and painful, form our hearts and quietly shape our journey into deep discipleship. From the Great Omission to the Formation Gap to the Forgotten Kingdom, this episode reconnects the threads of the Soil and Roots journey and invites you to examine the story that is forming you.
Ep 73: (GH) A Hobbit Shoots Free Throws
Back in the Greenhouse (further discussion of Episode 72), Brian and Kyle have an in-depth, helpful discussion about the overall themes of Seasons 1 through 4 so far. What is the Great Omission, and how is it solved? What does it mean to explore our hearts and stories as we become more like Jesus? Where do we find specific communities designed to help form us? And just how confusing and diverse are our views of the Gospel of the Kingdom in modern Christianity? Let’s dig in!
Ep 74: Thy Kingdom Come?
What if we haven’t just misunderstood the Kingdom of God…what if we’ve quietly resisted it?
Ep 75: (GH) Thy Kingdom Come?
The guys engage in an animated exploration of the previous episode, questioning whether they really want the kingdom to come. Kyle went the extra mile and polled his friends about their definitions of the kingdom, and his survey reveals the current confusion about a primary theme of the Bible. Then they banter about whether a “Stage 6” disciple is realistic or possible. Can we truly experience a life of peace, contentment, and sacrificial love?
Ep 76: Kingdom Dwellers – Courageous Curiosity
What if one of the most essential qualities of a deep disciple isn’t knowledge or discipline—but curiosity? In this episode, we explore how courageous curiosity unlocks deeper intimacy with God, others, and ourselves, and why it may be the missing ingredient in modern discipleship.
Ep 77: (GH) Courageous Curosity
Based on Episode 76’s idea that curiosity is a primary characteristic of someone journeying to become more like Jesus, the guys take a few steps even deeper. In a transparent and wide-ranging dialogue, Brian and Kyle explore obstacles to curiosity (sometimes including the church), and what it means to ask questions of God, others, and even ourselves.
Ep 78: Kingdom Dwellers – Particularity
episode, we explore “particularity,” the lost art of truly noticing and pursuing others as individuals. From a disengaged medical system to an unexpectedly attentive vacuum salesman, this conversation exposes how modern life has trained us to settle for transactional relationships—and how Jesus offers something radically different.
Ep 79: (GH) Particularity
Dr. Tim Boswell joins Brian and Kyle again, and they wrestle with this wonderful quality of a deep disciple: the habit of intentionally noticing the individual, or “particularity.” Jesus routinely noticed and pursued individual hearts, thus restoring many from loneliness and isolation.
Ep 80: Kingdom Dwellers – Release Control
Why do we find ourselves constantly taking control? We attempt to control situations, conversations, people, circumstances, and even the future. A deep disciple, a kingdom dweller, is characterized by releasing our control as we become increasingly “abandoned” to Jesus, yet so many of us find letting go incredibly difficult. Why?
Ep 81: (GH) Release Control
If a characteristic of a deep disciple is releasing control, why do we struggle to do just that, especially when attempting to control so many aspects of our lives, which often results in anxiety, fear, or even depression?
Ep 82: Confessions of a Deconstructing Lifelong Christian
A raw and honest reflection on Christian deconstruction, unmet expectations, and the journey beyond institutional faith. This episode explores the “Wall,” spiritual formation stages, and why modern church models often fail to produce deep discipleship. Through personal story and the metaphor of Eustace Scrubb, we uncover how God transforms us at deeper levels—painfully but purposefully—into people of love.
Ep 83: (GH) Confessions of a Deconstructing Lifelong Christians
The guys debate a current buzzword in Christianity: “deconstruction.” Is there good deconstruction and bad deconstruction? What if some sort of healthy tearing down and rebuilding of elements of our faith is necessary and helpful in the quest to train our hearts to release control? Do we embrace it, or do we do our best to avoid it?
Ep 84: Kingdom Dwellers – Restful in the Tension
Most of us don’t struggle because we lack belief—we struggle because our deeper ideas and desires don’t align with what we say we believe.
That gap creates tension.
And the question isn’t how to eliminate it. The question is: how do we live there?
In this episode, we explore why deep disciples don’t avoid tension—they learn to rest in it. Not through clichés or quick answers, but through wrestling with God until something real is formed in them.
Ep 85: (GH) Restful in the Tension
The journey to the somewhat elusive “peace that passes understanding” promised in Scripture involves more than quoting Bible passages and Christian euphemisms. It includes struggle, suffering, and periods of intense wrestling with God and (sometimes) ourselves.
Ep 86: Kingdom Dwellers – Inside Out
What if real change doesn’t start with systems—but with hearts? In this episode, we explore inside out discipleship and how Jesus’ ideas transform individuals, cultures, and entire systems from the ground up. Discover why deep discipleship—not just conversion—is the key to lasting spiritual and societal renewal.
Ep 87: (GH) Inside Out
Dr. Tim Boswell is back and joins Brian in the Greenhouse to break down Episode 86, which explores the concept of both individual and social transformation happening from the inside out.
Ep 88: Kingdon Dwellers – Suffering Well
Suffering is unavoidable—but what if it’s also formative? In this episode, we explore how deep discipleship is shaped through pain, authenticity, and community. Drawing from Scripture, lived experience, and classic works on suffering, we unpack what it truly means to “suffer well” and how hardship can become a pathway to deeper spiritual formation.
Ep 89: (GH) Suffering Well
Brian, Kyle, and Doc come together to explore Episode 88, explaining and debating what it means to “suffer well.” Each shares some of their journey of suffering, while stressing the need for ongoing kindness, compassion, and a long-term commitment to each other in our formative communities.
Ep 90: Kingdom Dwellers – Idea Revolutionaries
What if your deepest assumptions—not your beliefs—are shaping your life? In this episode, we explore how Jesus transforms hidden ideas in the heart and culture. Learn how deep disciples become “idea revolutionaries,” identifying dark ideas and replacing them with light, leading to real spiritual formation and Kingdom impact.
Ep 91: (GH) Idea Revolutionaries
Kyle and Brian “Greenhouse” Episode 90, which explores how Jesus is the ultimate “Idea Revolutionary,” challenging and transforming Ideas in the Air (those in culture) and Ideas in the Soil (those in our hearts).
Ep 92: Heaven is a Place on Earth
Is heaven really a distant, spiritual escape—or is God bringing heaven to earth? In this episode, we challenge common assumptions about the afterlife and explore the biblical vision of the New Heaven and New Earth. Discover how your view of the Kingdom shapes your purpose, your discipleship, and how you engage the world today.
Ep 93: (GH) Heaven is a Place on Earth
The guys head into the Greenhouse to explore modern ideas about Heaven versus the biblical concept of the New Heaven and the New Earth. They share how their personal stories have shaped their views of the afterlife, how those ideas have changed in recent years, and how they affect their journey toward becoming more like Jesus.
Ep 94: Thy Forgotten Kingdom Come!
What are we really asking when we pray “Thy Kingdom Come”? This episode unpacks the true meaning of the Kingdom of God, exploring how it reshapes our purpose, discipleship, and the restoration of all things—right here and now.
Ep 95: (GH) Thy Forgotten Kingdom Come!
Dr. Tim Boswell returns to the Greenhouse for a vulnerable and in-depth conversation about our modern ideas about the Kingdom, and how they may or may not align with what Jesus meant when He instructed us to pray for it to arrive.
Season 5, Episode 96: Soul Care w/ Adam Ormord
We kick off this new season (called Conversations) with Brian’s short introduction to the new material. Then he has a fascinating conversation with pastor, thinker, spiritual director, and innovator Adam Ormord.
Ep 97: (GH) Soul Care
Episode 97 finds the guys back in the Greenhouse to dig into Brian’s interview with Adam Ormord (Episode 96) regarding spiritual formation and “soul care.”
Ep 98: The Critical Journey w/ Dr. Jim Reiter
Dr. Jim Reiter joins Brian to discuss The Critical Journey, a book we’ve discussed a few times on the podcast.
It posits six phases in our walk toward becoming more like Jesus, though modern Christianity focuses almost exclusively on the first three. Our lack of education on and guidance through Stages 4, 5, and 6 is one of the key drivers of The Great Omission – the condition we are all here to explore and help overcome.
Ep 99: (GH) The Critical Journey w/ Dr. Jim Reiter
Kyle, Doc, and Brian sit down to unpack Brian’s recent conversation with Dr. Jim Reiter about The Critical Journey, one way to describe our spiritual adventure.
Ep 100! Deep Discipleship & the Redemption of Civilization
If we’re going to heaven, why pursue deep discipleship? This episode tackles the “so what?” question and reveals what we lose—and what we gain—when we follow Jesus deeply.
Ep 101: (GH) Deep Discipleship & the Redemption of Civilization
Doc, Kyle, and Brian pull apart some key points from Episode 100, where Brian begins to answer the question, “So What?” Why does it matter if we live in an era of The Great Omission (a lack of genuine disciple-making)? If we are “saved” and have our ticket to Heaven, does a lack of deeply formed people really impact anything?
Ep 102: Have We Lost the Plot? w/ Zach Leighton
Storytelling is essential to Jesus, comprises a large portion of the Bible, and is fundamental to our spiritual formation journey. However, according to our guest, less than 1% of all church communication worldwide involves story. What does this say about modern Christianity and our quest to become deep disciples?
Ep 103: (GH) Have We Lost the Plot? w/ Zach Leighton
The guys are back in the Greenhouse to further explore Brian’s conversation with Zach Leighton (Episode 102). Dr. Boswell brings his usual zinger questions, researched quotes, and heartwarming stories to help us mine the depths of how narrative weaves its way into the life of a Christian, and how repeating and exploring our stories are often pathways to healing, hope, and a deeper experience in the Kingdom.
Ep 104: Spiritual Formation and Children w/ Emily Riffe
Author and innovator Emily Riffe joins the podcast today to explore these and other questions. She draws heavily on the work and thinking of British educational reformer Charlotte Mason, who held to a very high view of the personhood of the child and the potential of human beings as image-bearers of God. What role do the home, nature, creation, culture, and self-knowledge play in the spiritual formation of our children?
Ep 105: (GH) Spiritual Formation and Children w/ Emily Riffe
Doc, Kyle, and Brian continue the discussion from the last episode with Emily Riffe, an expert in children’s character development.
Are children “empty vessels” waiting to be filled, or are they independent, unique persons waiting to be inspired? What light and dark ideas are at work in school systems, churches, and families in the hearts of our kids? And how can parents relate to their children in ways that best help form their hearts?
Ep 106: This Beautiful Mess w/ Matt Davis
Brian is joined by Matt Davis, a former megachurch pastor and now head of an organization committed to helping leaders and laypeople heal and find purpose after church hurt.
Ep 107: (GH) This Beautiful Mess
Sometimes our institutional churches provide comfort, care, instruction, and community. And sometimes not. Much like the human person, our Christian communities are beautiful messes.
The guys jump back into the Greenhouse to expand on Brian’s conversation with ex-mega church pastor Matt Davis and our exploration of The Formation Gap.
Ep 108: The Kingdom Regardless w/ Dr. Darrell Bock
Today, we dive back into that discussion with Dr. Darrell Bock, a progressive dispensationalist, which means he doesn’t quite fit into the “boxes” we outlined earlier this year!
Dr. Bock shares some of the foundational aspects of progressive dispensationalism, including how they read and interpret the Bible, the role of Israel, and the nature and purpose of the Kingdom.
Ep 109: (GH) The Kingdom Regardless
How do our views of the End Times impact our understanding of the Kingdom of God? And how does that impact our journey to become more like Jesus?
The guys meet in the Greenhouse to wrestle with Brian’s previous conversation with Dr. Darrell Bock. Dr. Tim raises some challenging questions about the role of Israel, the church, how we anticipate the future, and why it all matters as we seek to be spiritually formed more like our King.
Ep 110: The Desperate Need for Deep People (Bonus)
What does it really mean to be a “deep person”? In this episode, we explore the urgent need for deep discipleship and how true spiritual formation goes far beyond knowledge or activity. Drawing on insights from Dallas Willard and Richard Foster, this conversation reframes discipleship as a journey of becoming—awakening to God, others, ourselves, and the world around us.
Ep 111: (GH) The Desperate Need for Deep People
Handsome Kyle and Brian jump into the Greenhouse to further explore Richard Foster’s comment that what the world needs most is deep people.
Ep 112: The Desperate Need for Deep Communities (Bonus)
If deep discipleship forms deep people, where does that formation actually happen? In this episode, we explore why small, intimate communities—not large institutions—are the primary environment for true spiritual transformation and life in the Kingdom.
Ep 113: (GH) The Desperate Need for Deep Communities
Doc, Handsome Kyle, and Brian reconnect in the Greenhouse to wrestle with our bedrock desire for deep, intentionally formative communities in a culture that often promotes the
opposite.
Ep 114: (Season 6) How Did I Get Here?
What does it really mean to become like Jesus? In this episode, we revisit the core ideas behind deep discipleship—exploring the Great Omission, the Kingdom of God, and the hidden ideas that shape our lives. If discipleship is more than belief or behavior, how do we actually experience transformation from the inside out? This conversation lays the foundation for a deeper, more intentional journey of spiritual formation.
Ep 115: (GH) How Did I Get Here?
As we launch further into Season 6, Doc and Handsome Kyle rejoin Brian for the first Greenhouse episode of the season.
We are spending this season exploring what it means to think, act, relate, and love like Jesus. The guys briefly review the path we’ve taken to get here so far, and then wrestle with two key points leading into the rest of the season.
Ep 116: What is Love? (Baby, Don’t Hurt Me)
What is love—and who gets to define it? In this episode, we explore one of the most misunderstood ideas in our culture and in the church. If discipleship is about becoming like Jesus, then we must wrestle with His definitions of love and goodness—not our own. This conversation reframes love as seeking someone’s true good based on God’s ideas, challenging our assumptions and inviting deeper spiritual formation.
Ep 117: (GH) What is Love? (Baby, Don’t Hurt Me)
What does the Bible mean by “good” in reference to the creation story? Is creation still good today? Are human beings “good”? How do we reconcile some sort of inherent goodness with the pervasiveness of harmful behaviors?
Doc, Brian, and Handsome Kyle delve into these and other challenging questions raised in the previous episode.
Ep 118: A Voice From the Clouds
What if your deepest struggles—anxiety, control, people-pleasing—aren’t personality traits, but signs of relational insecurity?
In this episode, we explore how Jesus lived with perfect relational security and what it means for us to become “the beloved.” From attachment theory to the limits of formulaic evangelism, this conversation reframes spiritual formation as a journey into deep, secure relationship with God.
Ep 119: (GH) A Voice from the Clouds
What does it mean that Jesus is the most relationally and emotionally secure human being in history?
The guys jump back into the Greenhouse to dissect the idea that, based on Jesus’s life, we can become more relationally secure, attuned, and restful in our relationships with God, others, and ourselves. Though this is not normally explored in modern-day discipleship, it is directly related to the biblical concept of “abiding.”
Ep 120: The Beloved
What does it actually mean to live as “the beloved”?
In this episode, we explore how relational security with God reshapes everything—our identity, our relationships, and even how we engage culture. This isn’t just a theological idea. It’s an experience the heart must learn to inhabit over time.
Ep 121: (GH) The Beloved
The guys head back into the Greenhouse to explore what it means to live like the beloved.
Along the way, they wrestle with the difference between intellectual agreement and heart experience, and with how we need both for a “complete belief.” This leads to some vulnerable and transparent storytelling, as well as what it means to experience God’s love when life doesn’t go our way.
Ep 122: A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery
Why does Jesus sometimes seem confusing, cryptic, or even unsettling? In this episode, we explore the enigmatic nature of Jesus—how His riddles, parables, and unexpected interactions are not barriers, but invitations. Rather than offering simple answers, Jesus draws people into deeper relationship, challenges cultural assumptions, and leads to genuine heart transformation. If discipleship means becoming like Him, what does it mean to embrace mystery, ambiguity, and depth in our own formation?
Ep 123: (GH) A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery
In this funny yet thought-provoking episode, Brian, Doc, and Handsome Kyle take on one of Jesus’s intriguing characteristics—his enigmatic style. This episode continues the dialogue from the previous one.
Jesus was sometimes puzzling, confusing, and vexing. So, if we are to become more like Him, should we expect to be more enigmatic? What would that even look like?
Ep 124: Snakes and Doves
Jesus possessed an extraordinary ability to discern the hearts of others. In this episode, we explore heart listening, relational discernment, shrewdness, and what it means to think, act, relate, and love more like Jesus.
Ep 125: (GH) Snakes and Doves
In this episode, Doc, Reverend Pastor Handsome Kyle, and Brian explore Jesus’s relational discernment and its significance for deep discipleship.
Jesus engaged people not as categories, but as individuals—offering personal attention, deep listening, and an unhurried presence. This stands in contrast to modern Christian culture’s tendency to prioritize systems, sermons, and superficial connections over the slower, riskier work of authentic relationships.
Ep. 126: Do-It-Yourself Log Removal
Jesus said, “Do not judge,” yet He also taught His followers how to judge rightly. In this episode, we explore discernment, heartview, condemnation, and what it means to judge according to the heart.
Ep 127: (GH) Do-It-Yourself Log Removal
Let’s take a look at what Jesus said about judging, and how He did or did not judge. Since we are to become more like Him over time, how should we judge or refrain from judging?
Ep 128: Gentleness on the Brute Squad
What does it really mean to be gentle? In this episode, Brian explores how the gentleness of Jesus is not weakness but restrained strength, shaped by love and wisdom. Through Scripture, storytelling, and practical reflection, discover how gentleness transforms our relationships with God, others, ourselves, and creation—and why it is essential to deep discipleship.
Ep 129: (GH) Gentleness on the Brute Squad
In this episode, Brian and Doc take a fresh look at self-gentleness—what it is, why it’s missing from most church conversations, and how it deepens real discipleship.
Ep 130: Rested and Relaxed
What if one of the clearest characteristics of Jesus was that He was deeply relaxed? In this episode, Brian explores the peaceful inner life of Christ and what it means to surrender control, live fully present, and experience deep relational security with God. Through stories, spiritual formation insights, and practical reflection, discover how deep discipleship leads to a calm, rested, and abundant life.
Ep 131: (GH) Rested and Relaxed
Brian, Doc, and Handsome Kyle engage in a lively, honest conversation about what it means to live a relaxed life, just like Jesus, based on Episode 130.
Ep 132: My Two Sons (Bonus Episode)
In this special bonus episode, Brian invites his two young adult sons, Caleb and Zachary, onto the show to discuss spiritual formation in different generations.
Ep 133: The Love That Surpasses Knowledge
Explore deep discipleship, the Great Omission, and the transforming love that surpasses knowledge and reshapes the heart.
Ep 134 (Season 7): Rediscovering the Good Life
In this episode, Brian Fisher explores what Scripture and Christian tradition call the Good Life—what Dallas Willard famously named the with-God life. It’s a life marked by deep relational security, inner freedom, and a two-way, conversational intimacy with God.
Ep 135: (GH) Rediscovering the Good Life
Jesus speaks of a “life to the full,” yet many sincere followers experience anxiety, exhaustion, and spiritual dissonance instead of peace and freedom. Why is that? And what does the Good Life actually look like when it is lived from the inside out?
Ep 136: The Prodigal Son & the Christian Mystic
In Episode 136, we explore what the Prodigal Son reveals about Christian mysticism and the path into the Good Life. Why do so few Christians experience a secure, peace-filled, with-God life when the New Testament assumes it as normal?
By examining vulnerability, our unconscious core ideas, and the transforming love of the Father, we discover how deep discipleship moves beyond information into experiential union with God.
Ep 137: (GH) The Prodigal Son & the Christian Mystic
Doc, Handsome Kyle, and Brian sit back down in the Greenhouse to further explore the previous episode, which details the Good Life and common obstacles to living it.
Ep 138: Don’t Get the Wrong Idea
What are your real ideas about God? Discover how hidden beliefs shape your spiritual life and why they may block the Good Life with Him.
Ep 139: (GH) Don’t Get the Wrong Idea
Dr. Tim comes loaded with insightful questions about the vital role ideas play in our spiritual formation and our quest to become deep disciples.
Ep 140: The Most Important Thing About Us?
What if the most important thing about you isn’t what you believe—but what you actually experience about God? In this episode, we explore how our hidden ideas of God shape everything in our lives and why uncovering them is essential for deep discipleship and spiritual formation.
Real Stories,
Real Transformation
The Soil and Roots podcast and our Greenhouse have reformed my entire paradigm about what discipleship is and how to journey into it.
Pennsylvania
When talking about our Greenhouse, my friends will say, ‘So it’s like a small group or Bible study.’ ‘No,’ I say. ‘It’s a Greenhouse. You just have to experience it to understand it.’
Texas
I never realized how my own story is tied to my spiritual formation and journey with Jesus. The podcast and my Greenhouse give me space to explore how those are connected.”
Florida
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