Everyday Disciple Podcast

There was a time when neighbors knew each other’s names... when children and old folks in the neighborhood had more than their families looking out for them. What happened? This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we talk with author, Lance Ford, as we ask the question: can you really love your neighbor as much as you love yourself? We live in an age when it feels like we have very little time for new and trusting relationships–and it’s hard to trust people! So we tend to isolate or stick closer to home and keep to ourselves. But people are dying for real relationship, and isolation only breeds further distrust. Maybe it’s time to change the narrative. In This Episode You’ll Learn: What the Bible really says about loving your neighbor. How God created you for relationship–not isolation. What we have lost as a society through hiding away and loving ourselves. Why incarnational presence is the “Jesus Model” for loving your neighbor. (This is awesome!) Practical steps to restoring our actual neighborhoods to being communities filled with love and redemption. Get started here... From this episode: “People are dying for relationship and connection. We can choose to push back against the consumerism and individualism that is so toxic. Let’s not let our affluence buy the very walls that keep us apart from real gospel centered relationship.”   Each week the Big 3 will give you immediate action steps to get you started. Download today’s BIG 3 right now. Read and think over them again later. You might even want to share them with others… Thanks for Listening! Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Join us on Facebook and take part in the discussion! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of this page or right below. Also, please leave an honest review for The Lifeschool Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them. Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Lance’s book: Next Door As It Is In Heaven In light of today’s topics, you might find these posts and videos helpful: 7 Ways to Be a More Generous Person How to Share Your Faith in a Non-Creepy Way   .cf-scroll-wrapper { background: #00000075;}

Can all knowledge, sex, affection, and every other need be found just a click away? For a few dollars? Are we letting online companies replace and fulfill the most basic needs God has built into our lives? This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we talk about 4 companies that we all know, love, and use that are replacing God and changing our lives… This is pretty amazing. New York University academic, marketing guru, and entrepreneur Scott Galloway recently gave a talk about this, and he laid out some pretty amazing theories that really stopped me in my tracks. I have to admit… I’ve been sucked in too. In This Episode You’ll Learn: The 4 HUGE companies that are part of most of our daily lives in a powerful way. How our basic needs, created to draw us to God, are being replaced by these companies. Why this is dangerous and leads down a dead end road. How our natural desire for instant gratification has made us susceptible to this. Why this is really a problem connected to a false understanding of the Gospel. Get started here... From this episode: “We've taken God, we've taken love, we've taken consumption, we've taken sex, we disarticulated those four things and reassembled them in the form of the enterprise with shareholder value and have created more economic value across the small number of people than ever before.”   Each week the Big 3 will give you immediate action steps to get you started. Download today’s BIG 3 right now. Read and think over them again later. You might even want to share them with others… Thanks for Listening! Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Join us on Facebook and take part in the discussion! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of this page or right below. Also, please leave an honest review for The Lifeschool Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them. Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources Caesar Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources  

More and more people are questioning the validity of the relevance of the Bible in today's culture. Is it all true... is it literal or figurative… does it apply to our lives today? On the Lifeschool Podcast this week, we’ll walk you through the most common misunderstandings about the Bible and the ways people read this unique document that are leading to confusion or distrust. We’ll give you the tools to properly read the Bible in context to the divine author’s original intent. To study the Bible in a straight comparison to any other book in history starts us off on the wrong foot. And to slice and dice out the parts we don’t like or understand leaves us with an incomplete picture. But you can learn to understand this beautiful, powerful, and important book! In This Episode You’ll Learn: How the Bible was originally, for thousands of years, an oral document. Why the Bible should not be viewed simply as a history book. How scripture was originally read together in community and why. Why understanding the genre of each book in the Bible changes everything. The importance of reading and understanding the Bible in chronological order. Get started here... Quote from this episode: “The Bible is best read and understood as a series of stories, narratives, that God has given to us humans to best understand who he is and what he is like. He proves this over and over as the Story that unfolds really does repeat itself from a zillion angles. All of this shows us what is true about us, our identity and how God sees us and how we get to live in this world and rightly interact with God and care for his creation, which includes other humans.”   Each week the Big 3 will give you immediate action steps to get you started.Download today’s BIG 3 right now. Read and think over them again later. You might even want to share them with others… Thanks for Listening! Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Join us on Facebook and take part in the discussion! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of this page or right below. Also, please leave an honest review for The Lifeschool Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them. Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources Caesar Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources  

Why do most Christians suck at partying? Shouldn’t we be known as the most celebratory people in the world… where everyone we know is really trying to get invited to our parties? In this episode of the Lifeschool Podcast, we dig deep into historical and biblical proof that our God loves to party. And he is good at it and loves when we celebrate. No more weak excuses that keep us separated from the fun, we’ll talk about how to celebrate according to the gospel. Jesus wants us to see that any picture of his Father we have that does not have at its core, as our central understanding, a celebration where God is our provider, caregiver and protector, is twisted. In This Episode You’ll Learn: How God built celebration into the very rhythms of life for us. Why who or what is the focus of our celebrations changes everything. Why a weekly church service alone was never Jesus’ idea of “partying”. How abstinence is a misunderstanding and possible rejection of redemption. How we get to live as a “reminder and demonstration” in the ways that we party. Get started here... Taking things that God created “good” (and he created everything good) and then using them for our own glory, or abusing them, is at the root of all sin. But fearful abstinence misses the heart of God by a mile. You can learn to celebrate in light of the Gospel... Let’s have some fun!   Each week the Big 3 will give you immediate action steps to get you started.Download today’s BIG 3 right now. Read and think over them again later. You might even want to share them with others… Thanks for Listening! Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Join us on Facebook and take part in the discussion! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of this page or right below. Also, please leave an honest review for The Lifeschool Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them. Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources Caesar Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources  

Someone wearing a name badge smiles, opens the door, and greets you. You’re shown to a seat and given some information. And you wonder, “Why is my sister acting this way at Dad’s house?” That may be how people act, but in this episode of the Lifeschool Podcast, we ask the question: do the people coming to your church each Sunday, or the folks coming to your home, feel more like guests or like family? Guests never do any work or preparation; family members always pitch in. We try and impress guests with our hospitality; family members expect to be “part of the flow” and help themselves to whatever they need. Are you treating people like guests or like family? In This Episode You’ll Learn: The difference between treating people like guests or like family. Why treating everyone like family in your home is a picture of the gospel. What people really need… and it’s NOT your perfectly clean house. How your Sunday church services can help people feel like family rather than visitors or guests. How our language connected to all of this reveals our true heart and intentions. Get started here... Helping others feel like part of a family, rather than guests to a program, is the key to really experience the gospel in action. Whether at home or at a church service, it is important to remember: these people are your brothers and sisters. Do they feel like they are at home and are needed?   Each week the Big 3 will give you immediate action steps to get you started. Download today’s BIG 3 right now. Read and think over them again later. You might even want to share them with others… Thanks for Listening! Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Join us on Facebook and take part in the discussion! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of this page or right below. Also, please leave an honest review for The Lifeschool Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them. Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Caesar’s book: Transformed: A New Way of Being Christian Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources Caesar Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources  

Imagine your pastor addressing the congregation’s growing waistlines from the pulpit. Or your faith community helping you heal your fears and past hurts. Is Christianity only about our spiritual health, or does the Gospel speak to mental and physical health as well? In this episode of the Lifeschool Podcast, we talk about the beautiful results of having and believing in a more holistic gospel... One that speaks into all of life: mind, body, and soul. It can seem scary at first to lovingly address the health of others. But we live in a world that is literally sick and dying for a greater love to show up and offer hope. Will you allow the gospel to bring you into those places in others lives? In This Episode You’ll Learn: How the overarching story of God’s interaction with mankind in the Bible is completely holistic in nature. Jesus’ surprisingly succinct and holistic explanation of the Law and Commandments. Why having a more holistic experience of the gospel sends us out on mission. How caring for yourself is often necessary when caring for others. Practical steps to begin caring for your physical, spiritual, and mental health (in light of the gospel) right now. Get started here... The gospel addresses and redeems ALL areas of life. Do you love people enough to speak the truth in love to them in connection to their health? How about their work life and pace, or parenting, etc? This episode will unlock new avenues of faith-life understanding and freedom.   Each week the Big 3 will give you immediate action steps to get you started. Download today’s BIG 3 right now. Read and think over them again later. You might even want to share them with others… Thanks for Listening! Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Join us on Facebook and take part in the discussion! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of this page or right below. Also, please leave an honest review for The Lifeschool Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them. Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Caesar’s book: Bigger Gospel: A Practical Guide to Growing in Gospel Fluency Caesar Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources  

Does generosity flow from our pockets and purses... or does it flow from our hearts? In this episode of the Lifeschool Podcast, we talk to author and cool brother Marty Duren about how we can be more generous people that live lives of blessing. What is it that keeps us from living with the grace and extravagant generosity that we’ve received as Christians? None of us were born with a single possession. We all started off naked. Everything we have in life—family, intelligence, education, money, homes… EVERYTHING—has been added to our lives by God. What we do with all of it, that’s another story. Amazingly, God leaves that in our hands. In This Episode You’ll Learn: How the gospel is a picture of generosity... and vice versa. What lurks in our hearts that keeps us from being more generous people. Our unbelief and fear connected to giving and generosity. Why seeing generosity only connected to money falls way short of the truth. Ways to begin to live less selfishly in all of life today. Get started here... Most people do have forms of giving, benevolence, and generosity they engage in throughout their lifetime. Let’s let the Gospel shape our intentionality and give us new eyes to connect all of this to God’s glory. And… it is a BLAST to bless people when they least expect it!   Each week the Big 3 will give you immediate action steps to get you started. Download today’s BIG 3 right now. Read and think over them again later. You might even want to share them with others… Thanks for Listening! Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Join us on Facebook and take part in the discussion! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of this page or right below. Also, please leave an honest review for The Lifeschool Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them. Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Marty’s book: The Generous Soul: An Introduction to Missional Giving Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources Caesar Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources  

After 30+ years of marriage that includes the raising of three healthy, Christian adult children, Caesar (and his wife Tina) have learned some valuable lessons to pass on to your kids–or live by yourself–when it comes to creating relationships that last. In this episode of the Lifeschool Podcast we’ll help parents and their kids understand the important differences between dating, courtship, engagement, and marriage. This will help you avoid untold, unhealthy relationship threats. Asking God to give you his heart and mind on this, as you prepare yourself or your kids for marriage someday, will help ensure that false hopes and unrealistic expectations aren’t brought into your marriage. In This Episode You’ll Learn: Simple distinctions between dating and courtship. (And it doesn’t look like marriage-lite!) The real purpose of an engagement period prior to marriage. 7 key areas of married life that should be addressed before setting the “date”. How marriage is a powerful picture of the Gospel. Why biblical marriage is between a man and a woman. Get started here... God has given us marriage as a gift and blessing! And his desire has always been to show what he is really like in the world and magnify his image and glory–not ours. Trusting in his timing for his purpose is the beginning of a long and healthy relationship.   Each week the Big 3 will give you immediate action steps to get you started. Download today’s BIG 3 right now. Read and think over them again later. You might even want to share them with others… Thanks for Listening! Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Join us on Facebook and take part in the discussion! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of this page or right below. Also, please leave an honest review for The Lifeschool Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them. Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources Caesar Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources  

The way of the world is: we do things (perform, serve, work, etc) to have value in the eyes of our family, friends, parents, spouse, siblings, boss, pastor, and so on. Out of this activity, we often form our identity and perceived value. But who God says you are is very different. In this episode of the Lifeschool Podcast, we’ll talk about where your real identity comes from and ask the question: who are you, and why do you matter to God? If we are in Christ, then the Bible teaches we have been transformed and given a new identity. We have become part of a family of missionary servants, sent to serve the world and make disciples of Jesus. This is who we are. This is our new identity. This is the secret. In This Episode You’ll Learn: A surprising and powerful truth about you contained in Matthew 28. What it really means to be “created in God’s image”. Who God says you were created to be and why you matter. The dream God has for you and how the Church has often gotten this wrong. The authority and privilege you now possess as a Christian. Get started here... A new way of Being. As you live out of your true, transformed identity and birthright, you will begin to experience the life you were created to live. And you will truly show others what God is like and what life in his kingdom is all about! Each week the Big 3 will give you immediate action steps to get you started. Download today’s BIG 3 right now. Read and think over them again later. You might even want to share them with others… Thanks for Listening! Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Join us on Facebook and take part in the discussion! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of this page or right below. Also, please leave an honest review for The Lifeschool Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them. Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources Caesar Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources  

The heartache, brokenness, and ongoing challenge of addiction affects millions of families every day. But there is hope. In this episode of the Lifeschool Podcast, we talk about this disturbing topic and how to move from addiction to freedom with our special guest, Todd Wermers. No one truly beats their addiction merely by stopping the use or abuse of substances. The underlying issues, emotions, and beliefs that caused the abuse must first be understood and addressed. In This Episode You’ll Learn: The 8 emotions and feelings that we all experience. Why feelings that God created in us as good can lead to addiction. The importance of understanding our own story when dealing with addiction. How the Gospel rewrites our stories and restores our lives. Why a loving community is crucial for recovery and freedom. Get started here... There is hope and freedom beyond addiction. Discovering the truth behind the lies that have led to and fed an addiction is the first step to recovery and lasting life change. Each week the Big 3 will give you immediate action steps to get you started. Download today’s BIG 3 right now. Read and think over them again later. You might even want to share them with others… Thanks for Listening! Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Join us on Facebook and take part in the discussion! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of this page or right below. Also, please leave an honest review for The Lifeschool Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them. Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode: The 8 Feelings Bible Study and Info Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources Caesar Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources