Become Good Soil

Discipleship to Jesus is the greatest opportunity individual human beings have in life and the only hope corporate mankind has at solving its insurmountable problems. – Dallas Willard What is discipleship?  What is salvation? And what relevance do these sometimes abstract concepts have for sharpening our ordinary, everyday lives?  What if salvation is both an individual and communal process that is daringly lived out across the days and decades of our relational lives? Friends, it is my joy to welcome my very favorite guest onto the Become Good Soil podcast to explore these waters with me: Cherie Snyder. She is my bride, my best friend, and the inexhaustibly loving mother of our kids. In this episode, she offers what she has lived and who she has become through 25 years of discipleship to Jesus. You don’t want to miss this.  For the Kingdom, Morgan

Churches are not the kingdom of God…but they are primary and inevitable expressions, outposts, and instrumentalities of the presence of the kingdom among us. They are "societies" of Jesus. – Dallas Willard Friends, Thousands of years ago, St. Paul invited us to participate in the mysterious nature of the Church. Writing to the Corinthians, he penned, You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts—limbs, organs, cells—but no matter how many parts you can name, you’re still one body. It’s exactly the same with Christ. By means of his one Spirit, we all said goodbye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything. (This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were baptized.) Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and sustained at one fountain—his Spirit—where we all come to drink. The old labels we once used to identify ourselves—labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free—are no longer useful. We need something larger, more comprehensive…..The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don’t, the parts we see and the parts we don’t. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance. (1 Corinthians 12:12-13, 25-26 MSG) A global revolution among men is building. Over 50 local Fires have been launched, and more are being lit. They all start with one man and one match. Join me in Part 2 of this conversation with Bryan Byrd of Wild Courage and Jay Heck of Being Sons as we slowly and steadily capture afresh this New Testament vision of the Church. For the Kingdom, Morgan You can find out more at https://www.wildatheart.org/fires

"Tell me your story" is the most revolutionary phrase you can ever say to a man. – John EldredgeFriends, The revolution ignited by Wild at Heart and Become Good Soil is well under way. Though hidden from many, it is irrevocably life-changing for the men who have risked their lives to enter in. Bryan Byrd of Wild Courage and Jay Heck of Being Sons are two of our Kingdom allies at the fore of Wild at Heart Fires, taking new ground in this revolution by inviting men into the ancient practice of story-telling and question-asking around an open flame. We believe hearing authentic stories from the front lines of this movement will spur you to join us. After 70 years of apprenticeship to Jesus, Tim Keller said, “What worked for our generation to proclaim and live out the Gospel will not work for yours. I don’t know what will. My time is coming to a close. You will have to figure that out for your generation.” Brothers, I believe Wild at Heart Fires offer a fresh dimension of Heaven’s provision for Kingdom-living in our generation. These come-as-you-are spaces welcome all men to risk, love, listen, ask, share, and get their hearts back. They offer a context for the authentic masculine community essential for our hearts to thrive. As we launch this episode, we know of almost 30 Fires under way. God willing, there will be 300 this time next year, with more to follow. Imagine a day when every man in the world is within driving distance of a monthly Fire shared with like-hearted men. Join us. Come along and dream about starting a Fire in your community. Put the word out. Invite a few others who are interested in recovering the ancient path. Then light the flame. Low bar, good risk. Masculinity restored. For the Kingdom, Morgan You can find out more at https://www.wildatheart.org/fires

Life is our resume. It is our story to tell, and the choices we make write the chapters. Can we live in a way where we look forward to looking back? – Matthew McConaughey, Greenlights Friends, In some ways, much of my public mission in the world began with inviting men to recover the deepest questions of their masculine souls. And in that recovery, to risk giving God a decade. Choosing to enter into the radical choice of taking the lowest seat at the table. Excavating over building. Forsaking shortcuts. Recovering curiosity. Breaking limits we have placed on God. And choosing to recover our masculine initiation as the primary storyline in which we can recover our hearts as men and become trustworthy guides for others. None of that can be done alone. It was over a decade ago that longtime ally and dear friend of mine Aaron McHugh started to make different choices alongside me.  Choices toward life. Choices for play and adventure. Choices to stop being the victim.  Choices to love. Choices to risk living in a way where if God didn't come through, all would be lost. Most of these choices were small, hidden, and seemingly obscure. But in time and over time, Aaron has started to live in a way where he eagerly looks forward to looking back.  By day and by decade, he is learning to master the art of living.  We slowed the onslaught of daily demands to celebrate together as like-hearted apprentices a sacred mark in his initiation. Aaron is inviting us to come along. To taste and see. There is more. Dive in here to this declaration of hope. It’s yours if you want it. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Christ is before all things, and in him all things hold together. – Colossians 1:17 Friends, What vision of the human person and the way of restoration do our Scriptures offer? Consider these verses: So many times I have longed to gather your wayward children together around me… (Luke 13:34 TPT) Like a city that is broken down and without walls [leaving it unprotected] is a man who has no self-control over his spirit [and sets himself up for trouble]. (Proverbs 25:28 AMP) They will forget their shame and all their unfaithfulness….When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the scattered countries of their enemies…then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. (Ezekiel 39 NIV) These verses refer to the restoration of fragmented communities, but could this pattern be relevant to our inner healing as well? As Dallas taught in Renovation of the Heart, the individual is also divided into incoherent fragments. If gathering around God’s Kingdom is heaven’s pattern to heal external communities, could a like-kind reunion of our scattered inner parts around the Presence of the Triune God be the path to restoring internal harmony and peace? Let’s find out together.  In the final episode of the BGS Parts Work series, we’re returning to a fresh session on the big ideas of parts work where Cherie and I taught as a team. We conclude the session with a beautiful and bold opportunity to put into practice some of this deep integrative work. All of the meditations within the series, additional resources, and referenced materials can be found at BecomeGoodsoil.com/PartsWork. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Delve into the depths of your psyche with a meditative visualization that guides you to connect with the fragmented parts of your soul. Explore the nurturing instincts of your inner child versus protective responses through engaging exercises. Reflect on childhood memories to enhance self-awareness and emotional healing. Embrace the metaphor of a 'lost child' to foster self-compassion and curiosity while integrating your internal experiences. Conclude with contemplative practices that invite spiritual reflection and actionable insights.

In this engaging discussion, Grant Lighthizer, a trusted friend and guide, walks through a transformative parts work session. They explore the significance of embracing our inner parts, especially the protector and vulnerable aspects, to foster healing. The dialogue encourages understanding internal conflicts and nurturing the inner child, promoting emotional depth and self-awareness. With vivid metaphors, they underscore the journey to emotional freedom and the reclamation of joy, all while creating a safe space for introspection and growth.

Life is not about you. – Adam's Return Brothers, I want to suggest that our lives, our stories, our maturity are not finally about us. The aim of this Parts Work series is not to achieve a new spiritual height. Nor is it to create yet another template for the self-life.  Rather, the aim is Christ. To love him with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. And to engage our world for the well-being of others in union with Christ.  “It is no longer I who live—but Christ lives in me.” (St. Paul) It is the wholehearted soul who is truly free and able to let God be the center of his story. Let's recover this ancient way together.  For the Kingdom, Morgan

“I have come to heal the broken hearted….I have come to set the captives free and release prisoners from darkness.” – Isaiah 61 In the confusion of your life, have you ever found yourself having one of these internal conflicts? I am overtired but under-rested. I am overworked, yet I feel unproductive. I am overweight but undernourished. I am overstimulated yet under-engaged.  I am working to make a meaningful contribution, yet I often feel under-celebrated. What if these internal conflicts are invitations to deeper integration? What if the Restorer of Eden Justice and Peace is providing a way forward to wholeness within you as well?   What if pursuing, accepting, and extending love is not only the answer to our external relationships but to our internal relationships as well? And what if each of our internal fragmented parts has a redemptive and essential role in the person we are meant to become? Part 1 of this series provides a vision for the integration of differentiated parts within the human soul. That’s where you’ll want to start if you haven’t yet had the chance. But there’s nothing like real-life examples to move us from theory toward practical application. So I took the risk of engaging with a few of my like-hearted allies. BGS Intensive alumni Grant, Isaac, and Tony give us an in-depth look at parts work in the intersection of our daily lives.  It is my hope that this conversation will help flesh out the ideas of Part 1 so we can dive even deeper into parts work in the sessions to come.  All the resources referenced in this Parts Work series (and more) can be found at www.BecomeGoodSoil.com/Parts. My prayer is that as you listen, you will invite God to shine his light on the unique parts where Love is pursuing even more healing and integration. You’re worth it. So let’s risk, together. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Spiritual transformation in Christ is the process of all of the essential parts of the human self being effectively organized around God, as they are restored and sustained by him. Its result is love of God with all of the heart, soul, mind, and strength, and of the neighbor as oneself. – Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart Friends,  The most important thing you can ever know about a person is that they bear the image of God.  But what does this mean?  There is a Father, providing abundantly generative life to all who choose to receive it. There is a Son, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who daringly stands forever in solidarity with us amidst our messy and beautiful humanity.  And there is the Holy Spirit, wildly leading us in our moment-by-moment lives.  As we explore the landscape of our triune God, we discover that God is a dynamic, interactive community of persons. What might he be revealing about the wildly complex landscape we find within our own souls? You know that feeling: Part of me wants to do the very thing I don’t want to do.  Saint Paul wasn’t immune to it. He said, “Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.” (Romans 7:21-25, MSG) How do we make sense of this seeming duplicity within?  Even more, how do we participate in a process through which, over time, every disintegrated and fractured part of our brilliant personality can be brought back into alignment and abiding connection with God? Friends, I want to invite you to take a huge risk and begin to wonder with me about the parts of us we find "covertly rebelling."  This is a dynamic series intended to serve as an immersive introduction to the integration of our many parts within. In this first part, I want to invite you behind the scenes to a session from our most recent Become Good Soil Intensive. We’re all trying to make our way home. What if that is as true within us as it is true without? What if Love is the answer, not only in our external world, but in our internal world as well? Enjoy. For the Kingdom, Morgan Access additional resources at www.BecomeGoodSoil.com/parts.