How's Your Soul?: Recent Episodes
Andrew Nobilini
An exploration of things we don't normally have conversations about. Pain and suffering, religion and faith, past wounds and relationships, joy and happiness, etc. This podcast tackles a fundamental question, "how's your soul?"
A theory I love to believe is that being made in the "image of God" has less to do with physical appearance, and more so with the ability to create. Creativity feels essential to the human experience and necessary for the health of the soul. So I invited a close friend and fellow creative, Ivan Gonzalez, to explore aspects of creativity and how they permeate the human experience. From good to bad to ugly, we cover everything from the Garden of Eden to nazi propaganda.
Episode Notes:
Exodus 31:1-11 | Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent— the table and its articles, the pure gold lampstand and all its accessories, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, the basin with its stand— and also the woven garments, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests, and the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commanded you.”
Music - Show Out by Theevs
I've been thinking a lot about this concept called technical debt. It's when developers and software engineers create code that isn't ideal and may have problems but is a short-term solution to hit a deadline or push a release. The more I think about it the more I find parallels to how our souls operate in our day to day. This episode is an exploration of what "Soul Debt" is, how we can understand it, and what are the ramifications for unpacking our past to help define our future.
Technical Debt - Building on a foundation of code that is messy, not perfect, and potentially broken.
Soul Debt - Building on a foundation of decisions that are messy, not perfect, and potentially painful.
Example of Soul Debt:
- Genesis 12:10–20 - Abram tells the Egyptians that Sarai is his sister.
- Genesis 26:1-26:11 - Isaac tells the Philippines that Rebekah is his sister.
- 1 Samuel 13:8-14 - Saul doesn’t wait for Samuel.
- Luke 22:54-62 - Peter denies Jesus three times.
- Acts 8:1-2 Saul persecutes the church
- Numbers 20:11 - Moses strikes the rock instead of speaking to it.
- 2 Samuel - David sleeps with Bathsheba and then kills her husband Uriah.
- Adam & Eve have to live with a dead son.
- Jacob robs Esau’s blessings and spends his life on the run
- Solomon dies a horrible person
We often believe we will fix our past but the next season of life comes our way and ends up getting buried deeper.
If we don't heal from our past we will simply become more of who we already are, we cannot just change. Habits, routines, and memories are powerful forces to push up against.
Soul debt isn't just spiritual, philosophical, or ideological... it is tangible, physical, and weighty.
Soul debt requires us to slow down, break into our past, and begin to understand how our past has impacted our present and will impact our future.
The application of this goes beyond the episode, but I can see community, mentorship, patience, boldness, grace, and so much more being an intricate part of the process of removing soul debt to free our souls up for the future.
Music - Come a Little Closer by Lance Conrad
This is a short episode for you. I wanted to explore what it means for us to pursue great things over good things. I often find that good things are easy to come by, and most of our days are spent pursuing such things, but great things take time, sacrifice, diligence, discipline, and focus. It's a good reminder to pull back, evaluate our day-to-day, and choose to pursue great things.
Music - Chillicon Valley by Samurai Royal
I'm stoked for this episode. It's a long one, but a good one. I wanted to unpack the idea of power and how it interacts with the human soul, both from the perspective of those in power and those impacted by power. This episode tackles how we perceive power, how power draws the soul, the impact of power, the restraint of power, and ultimately how to handle the responsibility of power. It's a wild ride, a few soap box moments, and even some unfiltered passion, but hopefully it sparks a conversation so desperately needed in our community.
Episode Notes:
"Absolute power corrupts absolutely" - Lord Acton, 1887
1971 Stanford Prison Experiment (https://exhibits.stanford.edu/spe)
- Lead by Dr. Philip Zimbardo
- Only lasted 6 days
- Shut down due to “guards” abusing the “prisoners”
Power doesn’t corrupt, it reveals and heightens.
“Power doesn’t always corrupt, power always reveals. When you have enough power to do what you always wanted to do, then you see what the guy always wanted to do.” - Robert Caro, Pulitzer Winner, speaking about Lyndon B. Johnson.
“Any man can withstand adversity; if you want to test his character, give him power.” - Abraham Lincoln
“All governments suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it is magnetic to the corruptible. Such people have a tendency to become drunk on violence, a condition to which they are quickly addicted.” - Frank Herbert in Chapterhouse: Dune
Leaders are chosen by charisma, often times at the expense of character.
Five Forms of Power - French and Raven, 1959
- Legitimate
- Reward
- Expert
- Referent
- Coercive
A form of power that is often hidden - Emergency.
How do you handle power? Give it away.
Jesus was an excellent example of having immense power and yet serving in humility and grace.
A genius with a thousand followers will have significantly less impact versus a strong team - Jim Collins in Good to Great
Music - Free Spirited Future by Lance Conrad & Above the Clouds by Kagen
How does our soul experience community and what role does community play in our day to day? It often feels as though community comes and goes, perhaps in cycles, putting us in a position to yet again go out and seek new relationships. The cycle of community can become tiresome, frustrating, and challenging. What does it look like to root ourselves in a local community? What are the benefits of becoming vulnerable to those around us and diving deep to connect at a soul level?
Episode Notes:
Diverse community can pull you together, instead of divide.
We often are driven to those who are just like us, while not a bad thing, doesn't give us the opportunity to be challenged, to face disagreement, or to compromise in a communal setting.
Community is often broken up into two camps:
-
Those who we mutually pursue and deepen for longer than a season
-
Those who we develop a meaningful relationship with for just a season
It is ok to let relationships go.
It is ok to give yourself grace in pursuing community.
Recognize that your soul deeply needs local community.
When community breaks away or falls apart, continue to seek it, don't settle for subpair relationships that will only remain surface level, drive deep and look for those who will go with you.
Music - Shine by Kagen
Music is a fundamental part of the human experience. Some of our deepest memories involve music. We often use music to entertain, ponder, grieve, and rejoice, for weddings, funerals, events, etc. How does our soul truly interact with music? Why does our soul need it? What role does worship play in connecting with God?
Episode Notes:
Jon Bellion - https://open.spotify.com/artist/50JJSqHUf2RQ9xsHs0KMHg?si=Cz-bRgbHQe-JtPlKpyBKwQ
Isle Vista Worship - https://open.spotify.com/artist/6SPi7yJRY3SAhwhUlFFsNB?si=ySZbWK7MQe2X_pVGD3CSxQ
Bethel Music - https://open.spotify.com/artist/26T4yOaOoFJvUvxR87Y9HO?si=dVOXKQ00Rrebc4EiLPldzg
Kings Kaleidoscope - https://open.spotify.com/artist/6P9fFbQ875B2bnmdiYwN9A?si=6ajWKMcLQZOHAG8BhZITwQ
Music invites the soul to connect on a level the soul needs to grow.
Music extends the soul's ability to express deep emotions like grief, joy, anxiety, suffering, delight, etc.
Worship positions the soul to connect with God.
Worship extends the soul's ability to express deep emotions like grief, joy, anxiety, suffering, delight, etc.
Corporate worship deepens unity with each other.
Ephesians 5:19 (NIV) - “Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord...”
Colossians 3:16 (NIV) - “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”
Psalm 150:1-6 (NIV) -
“Praise the Lord.
Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.”
Music - Break of Dawn by Captain Qubz
How the soul perceives wealth can alter the course of our life. It’s a powerful resource that is often pursued at face value without asking deeper questions about wealth's influence on the soul.
Episode Notes:
1 Timothy 6:17-18 (NIV) - “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.”
We know that wealth itself is not sinful. Wealth is not offensive to God because He often blessed His servants with wealth when they pleased Him (Deuteronomy 28:1–8). Abraham (Genesis 13:2), Jacob (Genesis 30:43), and King Solomon (1 Kings 10:23) are examples of wealthy men in the Bible who were used by God in mighty ways.
The Rich Young Man - Matthew 19:16-22 (NIV)
And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Music - Ocean Breath by Sunny Fruit
The past can be a difficult place to ponder. Full of regret, bitterness, and locked-up pain... the soul can wrestle with unpacking the past. But there is something profound about those who face their history, recognize the brutal facts, and are able to uncover wisdom for the future. It's a discipline, no doubt, but the healing to the soul may be worth the cost.
Episode Notes:
We can gain valuable insight into our future if we are willing to wrestle with our past.
Three places our souls benefit from remembering where you came from:
- We gain wisdom from our past mistakes and regrets that inform our future decisions
- We recognize grace and blessing when we won't have in the moment
- We remember that God is intimately involved in our life and that his wisdom and understanding is what should ultimately guide the soul
Deuteronomy 6:12 (NIV) - be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
Deuteronomy 32:7 (NIV) - Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you.
The previous generation has many stories to pass down, how can we be receptive to their wisdom and understanding?
Music - Pink Desert by Samurai Royal
Grace is a necessary component for the soul to heal. It mends the soul, allows love and care to embellish the soul, and moves us to a place of receptivity to learn and grow alongside others. And yet, fully embracing grace can also potentially lead us to complacency, living outside of wisdom, and abusing the infinite grace given to us. So the question becomes, "How can the soul become disciplined enough to accept grace when we fall short of ourselves and God, without using grace as a crutch to become comfortable in our shortcomings?"
Episode Notes:
Romans 6:1-2 (NIV) - What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
*Grace = Blessing
Mercy = Withholding Punishment*
Romans 3:23-24 (NIV) - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
A true acceptance of grace seems to involve a movement of humble action.
1 Corinthians 15:9-10 (NIV) - For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
The Parable of the Lost Son - Luke 15:11-32 (NIV)
Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
Healing involves recognition, invitation, and action; all within the confines and freedom of grace.
Music - On and On by LiQWYD
Accountability is often met with strong emotions from past experiences. It's a word that imposes deep vulnerability and opens the door to manipulation, shame, and guilt. The wounds left on the soul cast doubt on trust and intimacy in future relationships. But can accountability be done differently, and does the soul ultimately desire deep relationships grounded in the concept of accountability?
Episode Notes:
James 5:16 (NIV) - Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Galatians 6:1-5 (NIV) - Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load.
A friend’s countenance is a look or expression of encouragement or moral support.
How's Your Soul: Episode 19 - Loneliness - https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/AXYkzZHwhtb
**When is the last time you had a friend call you just to ask how you were doing?
When is the last time you called a friend and asked her if she needed to talk?**
Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV) - And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Music - Break of Dawn by Captain Qubz
"Love others as yourself". So often the emphasis and focus are placed on how we ought to love others but rarely do we dive into how we ought to love ourselves. To love our soul is not the end but rather an invitation to love others. So how do we love ourselves without becoming self-consumed?
Episode Notes:
Mark 12:31 (NIV) - "The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Matthew 22:39 (NIV) - "And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’"
Loving yourself is the only way to fully understand how to love others.
Love often starts inward and then moves to outward action.
When we choose to accept the invitation for soul-work, we then can invite the Holy Spirit to lead us.
Surrender is far from passivity, it is an active process of allowing someone else to lead you.
Self-help is simply, "the process of helping yourself heal".
The beauty in soul-healing is often God uses that process to give you a platform to then speak life and healing to those who are struggling with the same thing.
Music - Selfish by Theevs
Where does adventure sit with your soul? Does risk and unknown stir your soul towards self-reliance or Christ? Life is often full of risk and adventure, but God understands the soul also needs rest. The trick is to find a balance in which life embodies both risk and rest while doing it with people you love and within a community you trust.
Episode Notes:
The audio may be a little scuffed. The more I do these podcasts the more I learn what works and doesn't. ;)
Adventure looks different for everyone, but the underlying truth is that within a relationship with God, you will be called into adventure.
Adventure is often the place we must rely on God, it's full of unknowns, risks, and challenges. The goal is rarely to just get by, it is often an invitation to experience God deeper.
Risk must almost always be accompanied by rest and vice versa. God often knows the limits of our souls and sets seasons of risk and rest in place. To those who are experiencing a season of risk can hold onto hope, believing that God has a season of rest for you. To those who are in a season of rest, be ready for God to call you into a season of risk.
The church is biblical built as a unifying community, compelled to love one another as we go through difficult seasons of life. However, rarely is that unity experienced.
The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill: Healing and Resurrection After Spiritual Trauma - https://open.spotify.com/episode/7IJ4zAFNPRz37p5owm3nNa?si=M9jV7EQwRMWu7eEIvY3qrg
Our souls desire a deep spiritual community, and whether that's a small group, house church, or mega-church... it is found within those who follow Jesus.
If you have been hurt by the church, taking time away is necessary, but God will most certainly call you back to his bride.
If you are in the church, recognize that God can and will call you outside of those walls into the world, where you will experience him in a new and powerful way.
Music - Freedom by Rex Banner
Great moments are often the result of small wins. Our soul craves the end reward but often forgets the importance of the simple things.
Episode Notes:
Majically News - https://www.youtube.com/c/MajicallyNews
How are we supposed to change the world when we can’t even make the bed?
Luke 16:10 (NIV) - “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”
1 Peter 4:10 (NIV) - “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
Music - My Universe by Johnny Gorillas
What does "to die is gain" in Philippians 1:21 mean? Is it to embrace death or is Paul reaching for a deeper truth that has profound implications for the human soul?
Episode Notes:
Philippians 1:21 (NIV) - “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
https://www.gotquestions.org/to-die-is-gain.html
When we think about death, our souls wrestle with the concept of fragility and finality.
We strive to avoid death. It seems in many ways that humanity for as long as history can trace has been trying to avoid it.
Within Christianity, there seems to be a hopeful view of death and life after. A historical account of early church members would demonstrate an embracing of death in the midst of their circumstances. Although the Old Testament is rather perplexing as deep mourning ensues after the loss of a loved one, which aligns with how many experience death.
The question as to why Paul seems so comfortable with death is answered in the life of Christ.
Jesus regularly talked about death, eternity, and the inheritance promised in the resurrection to those who were adopted into the family of God.
Jesus’s death and resurrection are clear evidence of bodily life after death and were the primary foundation needed for the human soul to begin processing the weakened impact death now had on humanity.
This evidence and belief was the motivator for Paul during many of the challenges he faced.
It was a recognition that while life on earth could provide joy, peace, and fulfillment, it was also full of suffering, hardship, and sacrifice
Whereas life after death seemed to dwell in a state of joy, peace, and comfort all the while enjoying the rewards set before them.
If that belief is true? Then why live?
**To carry on the message of Christ.
And yet, we can also live without fear of death, as the finality and "sting" of death is no more in Christ.**
Music - Wandering by Sunny Fruit
Are we born good or evil? The answer is often found in the repetitious nature of humanity from past to present. The soul has been hardened by generations of cyclical chaos, and it would go unchanged until a man named Jesus would begin inviting people to become new humans.
Episode Notes:
There are general two camps of thought on the intrinsic nature of the soul: You are born good and learn evil or you are born evil and learn good. This becomes a fundamental worldview as we often designate ourselves as good, without fully understanding the measure of goodness.
Kingdom of empire and the kingdom of shalom - A Tale of Two Kingdoms, The Bema Podcast by Marty Solomon & Brent Billings (https://www.bemadiscipleship.com/18)
The New Human - Has the capacity to live like Christ, love like Christ, serve like Christ, sacrifice like Christ, enjoy the peace of Christ, the confidence of Christ, etc.
New humans have a redefined purpose, not necessarily to change what they are doing but to adopt their position and shape it towards the Kingdom. Though some will experience a shift in purpose as they are called to a new purpose.
The embodiment of the new humanity is a decision, often daily, to live in the new rather than the old.
John 14:12 (NIV) - "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father."
The visual symbol of the new human is baptism. A figurative picture of one dying to their old habits, lifestyle, purpose, fears, anxiety, anger, bitterness, etc., and adopting the peace, love, wisdom, purpose, joy, confidence, etc. of Christ.
Music - So Close by Cosmonkey
Loneliness is our soul's cry for intimacy. We can be surrounded by friends and family yet feel detached and abandoned. We can be married for many years and yet feel alone. We can pursue deep community with others, yet something about the soul's origin desires to be connected with the divine. What is loneliness? And why does our soul express it?
Episode Notes:
Loneliness is the soul’s cry for intimacy
Seasons of life can produce loneliness, regardless of your relationship status, friend group, family, etc.
Loneliness isn’t supposed to be escaped, nor do I believe enjoyed, it’s meant to draw something out of our soul that shapes us as humans.
We often experience loneliness in these ways:
*Lack of intimacy with our spouse
Lack of intimacy with our community
Lack of intimacy with our creator*
Seasons of loneliness are the soul searching for both the human and divine. To escape it perpetuates our soul's desire for intimacy. To become absorbed by it is a self-fulfilling prophecy. To understand and appreciate it is an opportunity to explore intimacy in a way never before experienced.
We are not alone, Scripture is full of people who experience deep level's of loneliness:
Elijah in the wilderness
Job in his suffering
King David in Psalm 142
Jesus as His father forsaken (abandoned) him
There is something about slowing down, recognizing your soul’s yearning in the season of loneliness, and questioning it with wisdom and truth.
Where is this loneliness coming from? Is it from not having a spouse? Is it from not having a close community? Is it from feeling far and lost from God?
Questions for you:How have you engaged with your soul’s cry of loneliness?
Where have you experienced that source of loneliness, and what has your journey been like?
If you are in a season of loneliness right now, is your dominant feeling to run or escape?
Who we become as humans is imminently tied to our decisions through the wandering.
Music - The Force by HVRDVR
Drive and passion have become buzzwords for success. We are told to give 110%, become relentless, and have grit. Society has become faster, information is immediate, and life is purposed towards convenience. But what is the soul was made to exist in the silence and solitude. That health and well-being are in slowing down, not speeding up. What is the pace our soul desires?
Episode Notes:
This episode content is largely taken from Becoming a King by Morgan Snyder (https://becomegoodsoil.com/becoming-a-king/)
"Our soul is like a stream of water, which gives strength, direction, and harmony to every other area of our life." - Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard.
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” - Abraham Lincoln
Matthew 13 - The Parable of the Sower (https://www.bible.com/bible/111/MAT.13.NIV)
Like good soil, our soul must inhabit a lifestyle that allows us to grow.
We must also seek out a guide to navigate this lifestyle - lady wisdom
Proverbs 8 - The Origin of Wisdom (https://www.bible.com/bible/111/PRO.8.NIV)
"As we slow down, do less, love more. We then give permission for others to do the same." - Becoming a King by Morgan Snyder
"When we are busy, the Father is quiet." - Becoming a King by Morgan Snyder
Convenience has hijacked rest, rhythm, silence, solitude, and stillness; the primary contacts to hear the voice of God.
The gospel of now and desire for instant gratification over a patient process of progression.
"Business is the enemy of intimacy. And it baits the hearts of good men." - Becoming a King by Morgan Snyder
"We are relational to our core and relationships don’t do well when driven by urgency." - Becoming a King by Morgan Snyder
“You will need to choose to take the time to consider why it is you do not have time to practice the sort of things you want to practice.” - Dallas Willard in Becoming a King by Morgan Snyder
"Margin is that gap between the loads I carry and the limits that I'm capable of carrying." - Richard Swenson
We must choose to ruthlessly eliminate hurry in an effort to recover soulful living.
"Hurry is the great enemy of the spiritual life of our day." - Dallas Willard in Becoming a King by Morgan Snyder
"Do it slower. Talk slower. Eat slower. Make love to your wife slower. Do it all slower." - Becoming a King by Morgan Snyder
"When we are busy the Father is quiet." - Becoming a King by Morgan Snyder
A life without care for the soul is simply unsustainable.
Music - Technique by Lux-Inspira
The soul is designed to be on mission. Without it, we often feel lost, frustrated or confused. So we pursue mission with all we have... but what if mission was never meant to be our focus?
Episode Notes:
Mission feeds a sense of accomplishment, that I can do something outside of simply myself. That I can be a part of something bigger.
Mission gives purpose to the soul.
We strive for clarity in confusion, it's uncomfortable not to have a mission or feel a clear sense of direction. The concept of being at peace with the questions of life is difficult for us. We move towards clarity sometimes at the expense of faith and peace in the unknown.
Kingdom mission is often a byproduct of a relationship with Jesus, to focus on a mission can often lead a soul to miss Jesus.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) | “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."
1 Timothy 4:1-4 (NIV) | "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,
To live on mission means to lean into risk and hardship, there will be failure and fear, but without such, there is no faith, which is the ultimate display of living on mission.
As a soul builds faith and trust in the mission given to us, we begin to experience the natural byproducts of such a lifestyle:
**A stronger heart
Movement in the midst of the unknown
A legacy greater than ourselves
A greater impact on those around us**
Mission then becomes less of the focus and our relationship with Jesus becomes our soul's delight.
Music - Ocean Breath by Sunny Fruit
How is the expression of joy connected to our souls? What impact does it have? The journey to discover joy is not an easy one, but well worth it.
Episode Notes:
Christian Hedonism - God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in him
Desiring God by John Piper - https://www.desiringgod.org/books/desiring-god
Joy - The natural reaction to the work of God
https://www.gotquestions.org/fruit-Holy-Spirit-joy.html
Joy and happiness: Both involve emotions, both are pleasurable feelings, and both are mentioned in Scripture in passages that equate the two.
Jeremiah 31:13 (NIV) | "Then young women will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow."
The entire book of Ecclesiastes is an experimental pursuit of joy in worldly things.
The TL;DR is that eternal joy can be discovered in knowing and being satisfied in God.
When Christ was under the immense suffering of the cross, did he have Joy?
Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV) | "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Joy is found in the simple disciplines in our relationship with God: Daily prayer & reading Scripture
Music - LEX by Peter Spacey
How does our soul cope with the reality of the eternal while living in the temporal? What good could come from focusing our attention on the kingdom of God when decisions and direction are based on our current resources, time, and talent?
Episode Notes:
Historically there is a belief that our soul was created with eternity in mind.
Some of the earliest and most popular understandings of this ideology can be seen in the Egyptians' sacred ritual practice of mummification.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV) | “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”
The origins of the eternity paradox date back to the Genesis narrative.
Heaven and Earth were once combined, the soul was intimately involved in both the eternal and what is now temporal.
The sin of man created a split in which eternity is no longer intimately experienced, it is something our soul longs for.
Heaven & Earth | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy2AQlK6C5k
Colossians 3:2 (NIV) | "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV) | “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV) | “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Joni Eareckson Tada writes in Heaven: Your Real Home
“When a Christian realizes his citizenship is in heaven, he begins acting as a responsible citizen of earth. He invests wisely in relationships because he knows they’re eternal. His conversations, goals and motives become pure and honest because he realizes these will have a bearing on everlasting reward. …He gives generously of time, money, and talent because he’s laying up treasure for eternity. He spreads the good news of Christ because he longs to fill heaven’s ranks with his friends and neighbors. All this serves the pilgrim well not only in heaven, but on earth; for it serves everyone around him.”
The eternity paradox is an invitation to:
**Love differently.
Serve differently.
Think differently.**
Music - Snowjah (feat. Tane) by Peter Spacey
Do we simply work to live? Is it a resource to spend on things we enjoy and people we love? It is a means to an end... or is it an end in and of itself? How we choose to see work will greatly impact the health of our souls.
Episode Notes:
Bob Black, 1985, The Abolition of Work | "No one should ever work. Work is the source of nearly all the misery in the world. Almost any evil you’d care to name comes from working or from living in a world designed for work. In order to stop suffering, we have to stop working."
Genesis 1:28 (NIV) | God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
We are given an invitation to have dominion & reign.
Genesis 1:29-31 (NIV) | Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
Genesis 2:15 (NIV) | The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
Work becomes cursed, toil and hardship are introduced.Genesis 3:17-19 (NIV) | To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
Work becomes an identity, we find ourselves validated based on what we do.Genesis 4:2-5 (NIV) | Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
Rest is re-introduced to show that we are deeply loved and valued apart from our work.Exodus 20:8-11 (NIV) | Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
How we are left to see the philosophy of work from a biblical perspective:
Work is a gift from God.
Work is for others as much as for self.
God equips those for work.
Steve Harvey - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x3rEg2qvcQ
BEMA - https://www.bemadiscipleship.com/
Music - Hyrule by Theevs
Accepting the part we played in our own hurt can be a challenging part of the healing process. Many find it easier to distort truth so their soul can cope with the pain. What does it mean to face truth and live in light of it?
*Total side note, I recognize the theology is heavily stacked against the perspective I bring up in the story of Judas. However, I do find it to be a useful exercise to think differently about stories we have grown so accustomed to hearing a particular way. Here's another one that blew my mind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziGD7vQOwl8
Episode Notes:
BEMA - https://www.bemadiscipleship.com/episodes
BEMA | Betrayal - https://www.bemadiscipleship.com/131
Recognize the situation
Acknowledge your pain
Own your part
Choose truth
Music - Status by Jamie Bathgate
Addiction is an often enticing alternative in the soul's pursuit of healing. A short burst of much-needed pleasure, fueling the hedonistic soul, how bad can it really be?
Episode Notes:
Bad habits can’t become good habits overnight
Atomic Habits by James Clear | https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits
- Make it obvious
- Make it attractive
- Make it easy
- Make it satisfying
“Never” and “always” are words that keep you stuck
Be aggressive, be relentless, be diligent
Becoming a King by Morgan Snyder - https://becomegoodsoil.com/becoming-a-king/
Abba's Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging by Brennan Manning - https://www.amazon.com/Abbas-Child-Heart-Intimate-Belonging/dp/1631463950
Music - Runaway by VESHZA
Anxiety and depression are deep soul wounds that often plague our lives. Is life meant to co-exist with them, or is there an alternative? Jesus claims to offer abundant life, but how does that work in a world consumed by anxiety and depression?
Episode Notes:
Statistics on anxiety and depression:
- Nearly one-half of those diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. (https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/facts-statistics & https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder)
- An estimated 31.1% of U.S. adults experience any anxiety disorder at some time in their lives. (https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/facts-statistics)
- An estimated 21.0 million adults in the United States had at least one major depressive episode. This number represented 8.4% of all U.S. adults. (https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression)
- Suicide was the tenth leading cause of death overall in the United States, claiming the lives of over 47,500 people. (https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/suicide)
- Suicide was the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34, and the fourth leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 35 and 44. (https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/suicide)
People from scripture that wrestled with deep depression and anxiety: https://www.theporch.live/blogs/5-people-in-the-bible-who-struggled-with-depression
Healing starts with you saying yes to the simple things.
Getting up, brushing your teeth, making your bed, going to work, eating, talking with people, going to sleep, etc.
Healing continues with you saying yes to the hard things.
Vulnerability, community, medication, forgiveness, Jesus
Music - Homegrown by Monako
The life of Jonah is an invitation to explore the complicated relationship our souls have with anger. Are we right to be angry?
Episode Notes:
Anger often feels like relief but it is addictive emotion our souls will hunger and thirst for.
Anger is not a sin but exposes what you really love.
Healing often requires forgiveness and grace.
Jonah 4:1-4 (NIV) | But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
Bible Project Podcast - https://bibleproject.com/podcast/amazing-jonah-part-1-running-your-life/
Music - Will You Dance With Me by Lalinea
Wounds often come from those closest to us. Forgiveness is meant to heal the soul, but how we understand forgiveness makes all the difference.
*Apologies for the city soundscape in the background. At times, I dig it, but it occasionally serves as a distraction.
Episode Notes:
Common misconceptions to the process of forgiveness:
Forgiving = Accepting | We accept people for the good they do.
Forgiving = Excusing | We excuse people by no longer holding them accountable for something.
Forgiving = Tolerating | We tolerate what another has done when we overlook or ignore it.
Forgiving = Forgetting | We do not need to forgive if we simply forget.
True forgiveness is a journey (taken from Terry Hargrave’s Families and Forgiveness):
Salvage (finding things to save from the titanic) - means that the damaged individual who has experienced the injustice seeks to gain power and control over the mechanisms of pain and make identification with the humanity of the victimizer.
- Insight: allows a person to objectify the mechanisms of family pain which caused the relational damage so the mechanisms can be blocked and the individual can be protected.
- Understanding: allows a person to identify with the victimizer’s position, limitations, development, efforts, and intent. This identification opens the possibility that the victim will consider his or her own fallibility if faced with the same circumstances.
Restoration (actually restoring the titanic) - means the victim goes back into the relationship to build love and trust with the victimizer.
- Giving the opportunity for compensation: involves the victim allowing the victimizer to rebuild love and trust into the relationship in a progressive manner which eventually erases the gravity of the injustice.
- Overt forgiving: involves the victim and victimizer directly addressing the past damage and hurt.
Romans 12:18 (NIV) | If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Forgiveness vs. Reconciliation (Fellowship)
- Forgiveness (I do)
- Fellowship (We do)
Terry Hargrave’s Families and Forgiveness:
https://www.amazon.com/Families-Forgiveness-Healing-Wounds-Intergenerational/dp/1138121851/ref=sr_1_1?crid=S3H425W6E83J&keywords=terry+hargrave+families+and+forgiveness&qid=1651623293&s=books&sprefix=terry+hargrave+families+and+forgivenes%2Cstripbooks%2C85&sr=1-1
Music - Lie by dazeychain
Shame and guilt. Two often unnoticed powers at play with our soul. We either allow them to refine us or consume us.
*During the episode, I mentioned the "podcast" ended when I was referring to the episode itself. I guess you'll have to put up with me for a little longer ;)
Episode Notes:
Shame & guilt can drive you towards healing but they can also do the exact opposite.
Left untouched, shame & guilt are very much like parasites.
Shame destroys Identity
Guilt destroys Purpose
https://www.redrockschurch.com/attackinganxiety/promises/
Romans 8:1 (NIV) | Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Music - Turn Up by Monako
The wounds of your soul can drive your life, impact relationships, affect how we see ourselves, and can distort truth. So, how do we heal?
Episode Notes:
There are often two perspectives when it comes to healing: Physical vs. Spiritual
Spiritual = Relationship with God, recognizing sin, repentance, vulnerability, etc.
Physical = Hitting the gym, quitting drinking, training for a marathon, getting out to hike, etc.
An absolutely amazing podcast: https://battlereadypodcast.com/
1 Kings 19:1-9 (NIV) | Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said.
“Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.”
He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.”
So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night.
Don't miss this:
God is full of patience and grace
Your next step in the wilderness is to eat and sleep
Be ready for God to show up in not only a way you need but a way you haven’t experienced him before
Music - Typical by Liquify
The church can focus on many good things, but if it abandons its first love, nothing else matters.
Episode Notes:
There is a scary reality that a relationship with Jesus takes hard work.
There is an even scarier reality that I can’t do it apart from the church.
Revelation 2:1-7 (NIV) | To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Our first love is Christ and Christ’s first love is the church.
Church as family. Church as bride. Church as body.
Take pride in the church. You help make it grow.
Be zealous for your church. You guard it from the enemy.
Triumph with your church. You reap the hard work of your labor.
Music - A big adventure by FASSounds
The last commandment given by Jesus was a call to intimate relationships. It's a life of vulnerability and trust. We call it discipleship.
Episode Notes:
Matthew 28:16-20 | Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Discipleship is a gateway to the soul, it’s a level of vulnerability of both the one disciplining and the disciple. It is these relationships, that if mishandled, can lead to deep wounds. It’s often why many believers don’t disciple. It’s risky, scary, vulnerable.
So why is discipleship so important? Because Jesus understood the human soul. Our need for deep intimate conversations that heal the soul, that binds souls together, that refresh the soul.
Music - Leisure by FASSounds
When a church is no longer willing to take risks for fear of losing people or losing momentum it begins to rely on past success rather than the cornerstone it was built on, Christ.
Episode Notes:
There is a fundamental problem with church = brand. The church = people and people are unique.
Obstacles that church leaders used to face head-on become obstacles that strike fear when a church has become too big to fail.
God is zealous for you.
A zealous God isn’t interested in status, size, or success. He is interested in your soul.
The soul immobilized by fear of change cannot be zealous for the things of God.
Music - The Good Life by Theevs
When a church is addicted to growth, it stops focusing on who is showing up and starts focusing on who isn’t.
Episode Notes:
Ezekiel 37:1-14 - The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’ ”
So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’ ” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.
Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’ ” (NIV)
Music - Divergent by HVRDVR
In the beginning. The mission is clear. The community is intimate. The leadership is humbled. But there is something about success that becomes a monster in its own way.
Episode notes:
Being a part of a church plant is a unique experience I wish anyone with a negative church experience could be a part of.
Church growth is a good thing but brings its own challenges and struggles that can cause people, specifically leaders, to lose sight of what is most important.
To those hurt by the church, I encourage you to see the beauty in the beginning.
To those in leadership, never forget the mission and vision of the church. It’s not growth or numbers or promotion or position, it’s humble servitude to the community. As Christ did.
Acts 1:4-11 - On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (NIV)
Acts 2:1-3 - When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (NIV)
"The Divine Servant" sculpture - https://thecomingkingfoundation.org/divine-servant-htm/
Music - Never Thought It Was Real by Kicktracks
Let's talk about your soul, what it is, why it matters, and what I mean when I say, "You are a soul"?
Episode notes:
God’s ruach (breath/spirit) + body = soul
Genesis 2:7 - Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (NIV)
Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (NIV)
Rise and Fall of Mars Hills by Christianity Today and Mike Cosper - https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/podcasts/rise-and-fall-of-mars-hill/
BibleProject Podcast - https://bibleproject.com/podcast/you-are-soul/
Music - Weekends by Sunny Fruit