In this episode, Giles and Alison share about the importance of developing good habits and spiritual disciplines in our journey as an everyday disciple. In an "immediate gratification" culture, developing disciplines is not always a popular topic. In fact, some of us even have a negative reaction to that word “discipline.” However, the truth is that in any context, we need to be intentional (“disciplined”) in order to grow - whether spiritually in being conformed more into the likeness of Christ, physically in becoming a healthy person, or relationally in improving our relationships with others. This requires effort on our part, but also a willingness to trust the process and shake off perfectionism and comparison.

Giles talks with Michael Froedge, a leader in our young adults community called the Remnant, about the loneliness epidemic, the necessity of community, and the transforming power of the gospel in shaping identity and culture.

In this episode, we talk with our dear friend, Sue Farmer. Sue and her husband Gib entered our story at the beginning of our missionary journey, and for almost a decade now, we’ve walked together as family in the Lord.

A pastor’s daughter and faithful Christian for nearly all her life, Sue approached us at the age of 80 to be discipled through Kaleo, the replicable, multipliable disciple-making process that we’ve developed and used for the past several years. Sue was profoundly changed through Kaleo, and now in her mid-80s, she has become a prolific disciplemaker, leading other believers into a deeper relationship with Jesus.

Sue shares with us her journey of learning the ways of Jesus. Her testimony shows us that if we’re curious, humble, and teachable, we’ll never stop growing and learning from the Lord and His Word to us.

Relational tensions cause a lot of stress and anxiety in our lives, even when we’re trying to love others well. Setting appropriate boundaries and communicating well may help ease some of those tensions and minimize mischief in our relationships.

Healthy boundaries produce good stewardship, freedom, and self-control in our lives - all things the Bible talks about as Kingdom values and walking as a disciple of Jesus. Rather than being unkind or unloving, boundaries allow others to be responsible for their own behaviors, choices, and emotions, which is actually very loving.

Resource: “Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life” by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend.

In a post-truth, “you be you” culture, how do we effectively share the gospel with our family members, friends, and co-workers who are non-believers?

In this episode, we explore practical ways to share the gospel through personal story, meeting people’s needs, and leading with love, as Jesus did.

Becoming a trusted person is key to sharing the hope within us, but even when someone is hostile to the gospel, we can still love them well. We may never see the fruit of our labors, but love motivates us to carry on in journeying alongside others.

It can be difficult to sit in the tension of the “both-and,” the paradox of experiencing two seemingly conflicting emotions at the same time. Like joy and sorrow, fear and trust, anger and love, forgiveness and relational distance.

Yet the Bible is filled with paradoxes - truths that seem contradictory. Faith itself is a paradox (evidence of things unseen). As we celebrate Jesus’ birth - God incarnate - we’re celebrating a paradox. The entire gospel is made up of paradoxes - about Jesus, God, and even our human condition. The bad news of our sin is actually Good News - that we need a Savior!

We must learn to embrace paradox, the “both-and” of life and faith, in order to live out our faith in obedience. Thankfully, God is with us in it. He embodies paradox, so he understands the tension and can help us navigate it with a "peace that passes all understanding.”

Our friend and Wayfinders’ teammate Matt Curts joins us to talk about how we began this journey together of intentional, relationship discipleship and what it means to be a disciple of Jesus in the everyday - how he came to truly know Jesus, not just about him; what he’s learned from his friend Victor John in India about discipling in the everyday; and how the illusion of secular vs. sacred spaces can create barriers in our own discipleship and to authentically loving others in the way of Jesus.

Spending time with God daily - listening to Him, talking with Him, and living out what He says - is fundamental to being a disciple of Jesus and also making disciples. One way we can draw close to God daily is by meditating on His Word - reading beyond the words on the page to encounter the Living God and understand His heart. Through meditation, I allow Scripture to penetrate my soul, exposing my thoughts, attitudes, motivations, and feelings, in order to transform the content of my heart (Hebrews 4:12). The ancient practice of Lectio Divina can help us meditate on God’s Word as we prepare, read, reflect, respond, pray and obey His truth. As I meditate daily on God’s Word, it starts shaping my identity. It becomes who I am, not just something I do during my quiet time, as I become more aware of God’s presence throughout my day and invite Him into each moment of my day.

Downloadable Resource: Lectio Divina

Challenge: Read Galatians 5:13 and practice each movement of lectio divina, perhaps journaling your thoughts. Answer these two questions as you reflect on this passage: What is God saying to me; and what am I going to do about it?

Let us know in the comments how it went for you this week!

Giles and Alison discuss the distinction between "being" and "doing" when it comes to living out our faith in the everyday. Abiding in Christ increases our love for God and others. As we grow in love through abiding, we also grow in obedience. Abiding also restores our unity with the Triune God- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and reaffirms to our hearts our true identity in Jesus. By practicing silence and solitude, we learn to abide by hearing God's voice and listening to ourselves in the presence of God.

Here are the books mentioned in this episode, plus a few additional books that have helped us learn to abide and live from the inside-out:

"Ordering Your Private World" by Gordon MacDonald

"Invitation to a Journey: A Roadmap for Spiritual Formation" by M. Robert Mulholland Jr.

"A Theology of the Ordinary" by Julie Canlis

"The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry" by John Mark Comer

"With: Reimagining the Way You Relate to God" by Skye Jethani

On Part 2 of "What does it mean to be a disciple in the everyday?", we continue to explore more practices and perspectives for what it actually looks like to be a disciple in the everyday:

(5) Nurturing relationships with other believers in community;

(6) Loving people well by being healthy in my relationships; and

(7) Recognizing and asking God to remove idols in my life.