đïž Episode Summary
In this episode, we sit down with Jesse Cruikshankâneuroscientist, author, missional strategist, and former roller derby player (yes, really!)âto dive deep into the brain science of discipleship. We unpack how our understanding of spiritual formation has been shaped more by the Enlightenment than by Scripture, and how the way we teach and learn often inoculates us against transformation rather than leading us into it.
This conversation is a must-listen for anyone wrestling with how the church should teach, disciple, and form people into the way of Jesus. Spoiler: it's not through 40-minute sermons and passive listening.
đ Key Themes & Topics:
- The difference between semantic memory (facts) and autobiographical memory (identity & transformation)
- Why most sermons and passive teaching methods don't lead to real change
- How risk, experience, and relational learning create real discipleship
- The Enlightenmentâs impact on the church and why we prioritize information over formation
- Why status and power play such a major role in how we think about church leadership
- How to rethink church gatherings to actually form people spiritually
- Why shame can only be healed in community and not in your prayer closet
- The importance of identity formation in discipleship
đĄ Notable Quotes:
đ§ "Your brain doesnât care about truthâit cares about identity. If we were designed to seek truth, it wouldnât hurt to change our minds."
đ "The way we teach in church actually inoculates people against transformation. They think they know something just because they heard it."
âȘ "Weâve been handed a model of church from the Enlightenment that prioritizes intellect, status, and controlânone of which actually transform people into Christlikeness."
đšâđ©âđ§âđŠ "How do you deep-teach your children? Do you sit them down for a 40-minute monologue? No. You teach them in the rhythms of everyday life. Why do we think church should be different?"
