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?
In Episode 21 of the Soil & Roots podcast, 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.
Jesus taught that the mouth speaks from what fills the heart. Our instinctive speech, our conversational habits, and our silence expose whether we’re operating from the kingdom of light or from hidden, performance-based or control-driven assumptions.
This episode challenges us to examine our volume of words, our off-the-cuff responses, and the topics we avoid. If we want genuine deep discipleship, we must move beyond information and into honest formation.
Our words are not random. They are windows into the soil of the heart.
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?
In this episode, we wrestle with a deeper question beneath our theology and language. The Kingdom isn’t just heaven, the church, or a private spiritual experience. It is God’s active rule over all things—visible and invisible, present and future—and it demands something from us.
That demand exposes us.
Because while we want the benefits of the Kingdom—peace, justice, restoration, and reconciliation—we’re far less certain we want the cost. A life shaped by radical love, surrender, and detachment doesn’t fit easily with our plans, our comfort, or our control.
So perhaps the Kingdom hasn’t been lost at all.
Perhaps, at some level, we’ve chosen to forget 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 impacted their view of the afterlife, how those ideas have adapted and changed in recent years, and how they affect their journey to become more like Jesus. Then they wrestle with how and why Splitters and Joiners disagree on the impact of the Kingdom on creation and culture today, and what that means for the everyday follower of Jesus in everyday life.
Ep 94: Thy Forgotten Kingdom Come!
As we review and wrap up Season 4 (The Forgotten Kingdom), Brian explores a challenging question: what exactly are we praying for when we ask, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done?" The Lord's Prayer has been uttered countless times, though has it become such a rote habit that we haven't truly considered what we're requesting when we pray it? Let's look at the very first petition Jesus taught us to pray in light of our deep dive into the Kingdom of God. What does it mean for the kingdom to come in each of our four relationships (God, others, self, creation)?
Ep 95: (GH) Thy Forgotten Kingdom Come!
What do we mean when we pray for the Kingdom to 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. Is the Kingdom spiritual, or is it also physical? Is the Kingdom right now or just in the future? Does the Kingdom refer to Heaven, or does it include some form of Heaven on Earth? Of our four relationships (with God, others, self, and creation), which are included in the Kingdom? Join us for the last episode of Season 4, as we finish our months-long exploration of the Forgotten Kingdom!
Season 5, Episode 96: Soul Care w/ Adam Ormord
Welcome to Season 5! 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. As we continue to wrestle with all we’ve explored in the first four seasons, Adam helps us step back and contemplate what “spiritual formation” truly is. Is it the same thing as discipleship? How does the modern church play a role in our formation? And what does this odd term “soul care” mean? What role might it play in our discipleship journey? Jump on into this fascinating, challenging, provocative conversation with one of the leaders of the modern spiritual formation effort.
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.” What is a helpful definition of spiritual formation? And what does it mean that we are being formed more like Jesus for the “sake of the world?” How might our expectations of God be off-center, and how does that affect our daily lives and the care of our souls? Lastly, Adam mentioned some of us function from the idea that the trinity is the Father, Son, and Bible. What did he mean by that??
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 theorizes there are six phases in our walk to become 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. Jim and Brian explore the ups and downs of the modern church, our deep desire for connection and spiritual formation, and the impact of The Great Omission on our souls and communities. Jim spent many years in pastoral ministry and Christian leadership before he and his wife launched an effort to help people wade into the deep end of spiritual formation on a more personal, individual level. He is a keen cultural observer, critical thinker, and wonderful communicator. #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
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 regarding The Critical Journey, one way of describing our spiritual adventure. It’s a passionate and animated dialogue, and it covers three main questions: 1. If modern church institutions help us prepare and walk through the first three stages of our discipleship but don’t help or guide us into the last three, what is the impact of that void on individuals, church, and culture? How does it impact The Great Omission? 2. There have been several recent high-profile celebrity pastor scandals in the U.S. These men preached the Gospel and claimed biblical accuracy for decades. What does that say about “being right” compared to “being formed?” 3. Jim brought up the spiritual discipline of "cinema divina" (and Kyle happily jumped out of his seat). What does it mean to look for Jesus’ speaking to the world through means many consider "secular” or “bad?” Lots of good material to discuss, debate, and argue with your friends! Follow us online! Web: soilandroots.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Substack: https://soilandroots.substack.com/ #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
Ep 100! Deep Discipleship & the Redemption of Civilization
Today we celebrate 100 episodes of the podcast with you! Thanks for being a part of the Soil & Roots community. Brian carefully walks through key highlights from the last four seasons, tying together The Great Omission, the vital importance of "ideas," and how we come together to restore New Testament discipleship. Then he asks a key question: So what? What is the cost of not making deep disciples on the individual and civilization? What is the benefit to society when we do become people of spiritual depth? Let's celebrate 100 episodes with this special bonus! Follow us online! Web: soilandroots.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Substack:https://soilandroots.substack.com/ #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
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? Doc guides a transparent dialogue on how this lack of depth impacts individuals and the culture. They wrestle with the often misunderstood passage, "be in the world but not of the world," what happens to the human heart when we aren't aware of the ideas that govern us, and how a return to deep discipleship fosters hope, love, and human flourishing. Follow us online! Web: soilandroots.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Substack: https://soilandroots.substack.com/
Ep 102: Have We Lost the Plot? w/ Zach Leighton
Storytelling is essential to Jesus, makes up a large portion of the Bible, and is fundamental in 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? Brian welcomes innovator and entrepreneur Zach Leighton to the podcast. Zach is a leading thinker in the realm of storytelling, its role in the Bible, and its impact on the church and culture around the globe. He and Brian discuss what happens when the church fails to tell stories, why that habit is missing today, and how we recapture this essential piece of our journey to become more like Jesus. Follow us online! Web: soilandroots.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Substack: https://soilandroots.substack.com/
Ep 103: (GH) Have We Lost the Plot? w/ Zach Leighton
What part does story play in modern Christianity? If it is vital to our spiritual formation, where do we find people and places to explore God’s story and how ours fits into His? 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. Follow us online! Web: soilandroots.org Substack: https://substack.com/@soilandroots YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
Ep 104: Spiritual Formation and Children w/ Emily Riffe
Over the years, we’ve mentioned how the most supple, malleable time in a person’s life is childhood. The heart is the most impressionable and formable when it’s new. So why do we hear so little about spiritual formation in children? Why does so much of the modern discipleship/spiritual formation movement focus on adults? 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? It’s a fascinating, wide-ranging, and at times surprisingly discussion about how the West often misses key elements in child formation, and how the Church can lead the way to restoring a holistic, loving approach. And check out Emily’s book, Raising Wildflowers, which is all about educating kids with character as the primary focus. Just search for it on Amazon. Follow us online! Web: soilandroots.org Substack: https://substack.com/@soilandroots YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
Ep 105: (GH) Spiritual Formation and Children w/ Emily Riffe
Doc, Kyle, and Brian further the last episode's interview with Emily Riffe, in which she and Brian explore character development in children. 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? Follow us online! Web: soilandroots.orgSubstack: https://substack.com/@soilandrootsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandrootsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
Ep 106: This Beautiful Mess w/ Matt Davis
Brian is joined by Matt Davis, former megachurch pastor and now head of an organization committed to helping leaders and laypeople heal and find purpose after church hurt. In a wide-ranging conversation, they discuss and debate several key questions about the modern church: Do the power structures that so often characterize our churches help or hurt? Is the assumed role of the modern pastor what the Bible envisions for a pastor? How often is the institution valued over and above the needs of the individual? If we go to a church where we remain lost in the crowd, can that even be considered discipleship? Listen in to their raw, unfiltered conversation as they wrestle with modern Christianity in modern churches. You can reach Matt at www.pastoraltransitions.com and check out his fabulous podcast (which he cohosts with his wife, Marilee) called Life After Ministry. Follow us online! Web: soilandroots.org Substack: https://substack.com/@soilandroots YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
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. Dr. Tim guides the conversation through some challenging questions: What is the role of the modern pastor today, and does it reflect a biblical shepherd? Are mega-churches helpful for spiritual formation? Are they necessary and good? We hear news of near-constant scandals and abuses of power in Christian institutions. How do deep disciples evaluate and process these power structures in light of Christ as a suffering servant? Join us for this thoughtful and thought-provoking dialogue regarding our journey to become more like Jesus in modern Christian institutions. Follow us online! Web: soilandroots.org Substack: https://substack.com/@soilandroots YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
Ep 108: The Kingdom Regardless w/ Dr. Darrell Bock
In Season 4, we spent a few episodes exploring how our views of the End Times impact our journey to become more like Jesus today. We briefly examined the four major modern perspectives: pre-millennialism, dispensationalism, amillennialism, and postmillennialism. Today, we dive back into that discussion with Dr. Darrell Bock, Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies and Executive Director for Cultural Engagement at Dallas Theological Seminary. Dr. Bock is 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. Though we talk through some of the primary differences between his views and others, we quickly hear Dr. Bock’s heart for unity in the church, serving those with whom we disagree, and how we should live in and testify to the Kingdom of God, regardless of how we think the world is winding up. Follow us online! Web: soilandroots.org Substack: https://substack.com/@soilandroots YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
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. Discussions and debates about different theological views can be confusing and frustrating, so the guys take a page from Dr. Bock’s playbook and focus on how we love and engage people with whom we might disagree. Follow us online! Web: soilandroots.org Substack: https://substack.com/@soilandroots YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
Ep 110: The Desperate Need for Deep People (Bonus)
If what the world desperately needs is “deep people,” what do we mean by that? In this Season 5 bonus episode, Brian provides one of his occasional reviews, pulling back out to 30K feet and giving us a flyover of The Great Omission and how we come together to solve it. He also dives into the definition of a deep person. Thoughtful luminaries such as Dallas Willard and Richard Foster agree that the most pressing need in the entire world is genuine apprentices of Jesus – men and women of great spiritual, emotional, and relational depth. However, as Brian explores, the characteristics of a genuinely deep person are not what we might expect. Come along for a short overview of the Soil & Roots journey and what it means to be awake or attuned to God and the world around us. Follow us online! Web: soilandroots.org Substack: https://substack.com/@soilandroots YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
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. If a deep disciple is someone increasingly attuned to the heart of God, others, and themselves, what does that mean, exactly? And why is a consistent awareness of our own thought patterns, behaviors, inner desires, and assumptions so essential to our walk with God? Join us online! Web: soilandroots.org Substack: https://substack.com/@soilandroots YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
Ep 112: The Desperate Need for Deep Communities (Bonus)
For almost five seasons, we’ve explored the world’s desperate need for deep people and how those people are formed. We’ve concluded that we best become more like Jesus in small, organic communities that often look and function differently from some modern church experiences. While we love and support our local and national institutions, what do we do if we conclude that we are missing these types of intimate, deeply formative communities?
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. If many modern church institutions only help us with the first few stages of our discipleship, where do we go after that? Perhaps the “Dones” are not so much guilty of a lack of church attendance as they are signaling a need to which the church should respond. As usual, Doc poses insightful and difficult questions and delights in watching Kyle and Brian struggle to provide helpful, articulate responses. He invites us to explore genuine definitions of “deep” and “community,” and then presses into what the church should do if it agrees that we are not providing small, vulnerable groups in which we grow to become more like Jesus.
Ep 114: (Season 6) How Did I Get Here?
Welcome to Season 6! We’ve mentioned numerous times that the primary purpose of following Jesus is to become more like Him. We intend to think, act, relate, and love like Him more. It’s now time to explore what that really means—and it’s not as simple as we might think. As usual when we start a new season, today we’ll review the key points from Seasons 1-5. Then, we’ll look forward and sketch the idea-transforming route we’ll take in this new season. Thanks for coming along as we venture into exploring the object of our spiritual formation! Follow us online! Web: soilandroots.org Facebook: /soilandrootspodcast Instagram: / soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr42… YouTube: / @soilandroots
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: -What is the difference between being like Jesus and simply doing the things He said to do? -Just how complex and mysterious is Jesus, the object of our formation? Thanks for being with us! Join us online! Web: soilandroots.org Substack: https://substack.com/@soilandroots YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
Ep 116: What is Love? (Baby, Don’t Hurt Me)
We’ve turned our attention to exploring what it means to think, act, relate, and love like Jesus, and the answers aren’t necessarily straightforward. At the same time, coming to an agreement on definitions of key words such as “love” and “goodness” can be challenging in our modern culture. How can we love someone if we disagree on what love is? What does it mean to “seek goodness” if we can’t agree on what’s good? So, let’s dig in and wrestle with what it means to love God, ourselves, others, and creation. Join us online! Web: soilandroots.org Substack: https://substack.com/@soilandroots YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
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. As our hearts continue to be formed, we seek to love more like Jesus loves. If we define love as "seeking goodness according to God's ideas," how do we define love and goodness in a world that can't agree on any such definitions? Join us online! Web: soilandroots.org Substack: https://substack.com/@soilandroots YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
Ep 118: A Voice From the Clouds
As we continue to explore Jesus, the object of our formation, we marvel at one of His most compelling characteristics: his relational and emotional security. He isn't anxious, rattled, confused, or manipulated by other people's perspectives and opinions. He operates from a rock-solid sense of identity. If we are to become more like Him, is this type of groundedness also for us? Join us online! Web: soilandroots.org Substack: https://substack.com/@soilandroots YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
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.” They also explore ways that relationally insecurity finds its way into our faith today – and some of those explorations are surprising. Come on in and enjoy another deep, perhaps out-of-the-box Greenhouse discussion. Join us online! Web: soilandroots.org Substack: https://substack.com/@soilandroots YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
Ep 120: The Beloved
We continue to explore what it means to increasingly think, act, relate, and love more like Jesus. Jesus is the most relationally secure person in history. His love flows from a deep, abiding attachment to his Father, so he is not swayed by people's opinions or manipulations. How might we become more like that? Today, we focus on experiencing what it means to be "the beloved." Our identity and security are ultimately wrapped up in experiencing and living in the reality of being beloved by God. This is not simply an intellectual statement – it is a way of experiencing God in the depths of our souls. Let's jump in! Join us online! Web: soilandroots.org Substack: https://substack.com/@soilandroots YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/soilandroots/episodes/Ep-119-GH-A-Voice-from-the-Clouds-e2vq7eb YouTube: https://youtu.be/bGhHowZJRc0
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 an intellectual agreement and a heart experience and how we need both for a “complete belief.” This leads to some vulnerable and transparent story-telling, as well as what it means to experience God’s love when life doesn’t go our way. Come alongside for this very personal episode! Join us online! Web: soilandroots.org Substack: https://substack.com/@soilandroots YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
Ep 122: A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery
Jesus often confused people—and it seems He did so on purpose. While this isn’t a characteristic we typically highlight in Sunday school, a quick look through the Gospels shows that our King didn’t always speak plainly, explain Himself, or behave in the ways people expected. In short, Jesus was often enigmatic. He could be mysterious. Even puzzling. So, if the goal of discipleship is to become more like Jesus, should we expect to carry a bit of that mystery as well? And if so, why? Let’s begin a two-part exploration of one of Jesus’s most intriguing traits. Join us online! Web: soilandroots.org Substack: https://substack.com/@soilandroots YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
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. 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? Once the guys finally settle into the topic, they debate whether this aspect of Jesus is for Him alone, or whether we may sometimes confuse people in our quest to become more loving. One thing is for sure – Jesus is tough to pin down. Join us online! Web: soilandroots.org Substack: https://substack.com/@soilandroots YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
Ep 124: Snakes and Doves
What does it mean to reflect the relational wisdom of Jesus in a complex world? In Episode 124, we explore the striking balance Jesus models between innocence and shrewdness—what He called being "wise as serpents and innocent as doves." Jesus didn’t relate to everyone the same way. Sometimes cryptic, sometimes candid, He always saw to the heart. He navigated human motives with remarkable discernment, adapting His approach with stunning nuance. Drawing from the stories of Sherlock Holmes, the Hebrew midwives, and the parable of the shrewd manager, we unpack what it means to engage others with holy perception. We also revisit the practice of Heart Listening—attuning ourselves to the deeper signals beneath words, behaviors, and emotions. If Jesus is our model for love, wisdom, and relationship, we must learn to listen like Him, discern like Him, and respond like Him. This episode invites you to pursue spiritual maturity that’s not just innocent—but also perceptive, courageous, and creatively compassionate. Join us online! Web: soilandroots.org Substack: https://substack.com/@soilandroots YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
Ep 125: (GH) Snakes and Doves
In this episode, Doc, Reverend Pastor Handsome Kyle, and Brian explore the relational discernment of Jesus 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. We wrestle with how discipleship is more about being than doing—an ongoing formation in Christlikeness that embraces complexity, welcomes grace, and prioritizes love over perfection. As Western Christianity often sidesteps the moral gray areas of real life, let’s try a Spirit-led approach rooted in empathy, discernment, and community. Join us online! Web: soilandroots.org Substack: https://substack.com/@soilandroots YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
Ep. 126: Do-It-Yourself Log Removal
We all judge—and we all get judged. But what does it mean to judge like Jesus? In this episode, we explore one of Christ’s lesser-discussed traits: his role as judge. We unpack the tension between “Do not judge” and “judge with righteous judgment,” examining why judgment is inescapable, how it reveals the hidden ideas and desires in our hearts, and what it looks like to remove the logs from our own eyes before helping others. With insights from Dallas Willard, the Bible Project, and personal stories, we learn that discerning, humble judgment can become a powerful act of love—if rooted in Kingdom ideas. Join us online! Web: soilandroots.org Substack: https://substack.com/@soilandroots YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
Ep 127: (GH) Do-It-Yourself Log Removal
Greenhouse time! Handsome Kyle, Doc, and Brian review Ep 126, which was all about Jesus as judge. We all make judgments every day, about people, information, events, and conversations. Yet we live in an age where we are repeatedly told not to judge one another. We should just “live and let live.” 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? Today’s Greenhouse features the normal depth, humor, and sarcasm found in most of our conversations…Enjoy! Join us online! Web: soilandroots.org Substack: https://substack.com/@soilandroots YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
Ep 128: Gentleness on the Brute Squad
What does it really mean to be gentle? Is it weakness, meekness, or something far stronger? In this episode, Brian explores the biblical virtue of gentleness through surprising stories—from Andre the Giant in The Princess Bride to the quiet strength of Jesus on the cross. We’ll look at how gentleness is often misunderstood in Western Christianity, especially around masculinity, and why true gentleness is actually power restrained, strength refined, and love expressed with precision. Along the way, we’ll consider how gentleness shapes our four core relationships—with God, with others, with ourselves, and with creation and culture. Discover why gentleness isn’t just “being nice” but a crucial marker of deep discipleship and Christlike formation. Join us online! Web: soilandroots.org Substack: https://substack.com/@soilandroots YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
Ep 129: (GH) Gentleness on the Brute Squad
Most of us would never talk to a friend the way we talk to ourselves. Yet our inner “talk tracks” run all day—and they quietly shape how we relate to God, others, creation, and even our own souls. 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. (Kyle’s out this week at a very important men’s hair and beard convention—we expect him back looking sharper than ever.) We begin with the four relationships we’re made for and why “self” belongs there. Then we dive into metacognition—thinking about what we think about. What do you say to yourself when you mess up? Would Jesus say that to you? We also tackle why so many Christians struggle here: a “reductionist gospel” that emphasizes sin management and leaves little room for God’s delight in us. Along the way, we contrast Sinclair Ferguson’s “God accepts us despite who we are” with Dallas Willard’s “Jesus wants to be with the you-that-is.” Gentleness is power restrained. It’s how Jesus treats us—and how he invites us to treat ourselves. Join us online! Web: soilandroots.org Substack: https://substack.com/@soilandroots YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
Ep 130: Rested and Relaxed
Brian explores one of Jesus’ most surprising traits—how deeply relaxed He is—and why that matters for deep discipleship. Building on this season’s portrait of Jesus (emotionally secure, living as the Beloved, relationally shrewd, just, and gentle), Brian shows how Jesus moves calmly through storms, conflict, and pressure without losing agency or love. The invitation? If we’re becoming like Jesus, we’ll grow in that same inner ease—rested, present, and at peace. Instead of rewriting the past or controlling the future, we practice living in the present, so our hearts loosen their grip and rest in God. It’s not emotionless; it’s anchored. As we receive our identity as the Beloved, we learn to relax from the inside out—even when life isn’t.
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. Instead of the performance-driven, always-busy version of Christianity so many of us grew up with, they reflect on Jesus’ calm, centered presence—rooted in His secure attachment to the Father. From raccoons clinging to shiny distractions (yes, just like our anxieties) to the distinction between intellectual belief and heart-level trust, the three unpack how transformation flows from receiving God’s love first, then surrender, and then obedience—not the other way around. The crew also digs into where this kind of relaxed life really takes root: in small, intentional communities. Doc, Kyle, and Brian highlight how these spaces help us notice God in the ordinary—through conversations, creation, and the most mundane parts of life. The invitation is simple but profound: let go of the shiny substitutes, receive the love that makes sin less appealing and obedience more natural, and discover that being relaxed like Jesus isn’t passivity—it’s the steady freedom of knowing you’re deeply loved. Join us online! Web: soilandroots.org Substack: https://substack.com/@soilandroots YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
Ep 132: My Two Sons (Bonus Episode)
In this special bonus episode, Brian invites his two young adult sons, Caleb and Zachary, on to the show to discuss spiritual formation in different generations. Caleb and Zach grew up in the church and are now involved with a church plant in their area. Both share some of their stories of apprenticing with Jesus, what they find fascinating about Him, and their perspective on discipleship and institutional churches. We hope you enjoy this fun, intimate look at three men who are all following Jesus in their own ways, and seeking the Kingdom as they continue to be wrestle with what it means to become more like Jesus in our age. If you watch this on video, be advised Zach’s camera was having hissy fits! You will hear him perfectly, but his video alternatives between clear and blurry. Join us online! Web: soilandroots.org Substack: https://substack.com/@soilandroots YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soilandroots Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoilAndRootsPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soilandrootspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kStr423THe8lYQoLwf3J3?si=c79a43c83fa84a4e #SoilAndRoots #DeepDiscipleship #DiscipleshipPodcast #SpiritualFormation
Ep 133: The Love That Surpasses Knowledge
Click above for audio. Click below for video. Episode 133 Summary: In the Season 6 finale of Soil & Roots, Brian takes us on a sweeping journey through the core themes we’ve explored over the past three years—The Great Omission, the tension between the head and the heart, the hidden power of ideas, and the path toward becoming a deep person shaped by divine love. If you’re new to the podcast, this may be the single best place to start; if you’ve been with us from the beginning, this episode connects and clarifies everything we’ve wrestled with so far. Together we revisit the three primary problems of story, community, and purpose, confront the Formation Gap, and rediscover the invitation to a life rooted in the love that transforms from the inside out. A perfect setup for Season 7.
Ep 134 (Season 7): Rediscovering the Good Life
Episode 134 of the Soil & Roots Podcast explores Rediscovering the Good Life, the with-God life, and why deep discipleship is often missing in modern Christianity.
Ep 135: (GH) Rediscovering the Good Life
In the first Greenhouse episode of Season 7, we continue the conversation from Episode 134, Rediscovering the Good Life, and slow things down to explore what this vision means for our actual formation.
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.
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