All Episodes — Become Good Soil

163: Unpacking the Daybreak Prayer, with Cherie Snyder (Part 1)

God is perfectly capable of saving the world he created. – Dallas Willard Friends, In the section of his Gospel known as the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew tells the story of Jesus drawing his apprentices away from the crowds and up a mountainside to teach them about the heart of our Father and the way of his gracious Kingdom. On the subject of prayer, Jesus says this: And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either….Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace. (Matthew 6:5-15 MSG) What a breathtaking invitation to honesty, simplicity, and connection in prayer. In this podcast series, Cherie and I invite our fellow apprentices to join us in exploring this posture of prayer in fresh ways. Rooting ourselves in the spacious architecture of the <a href="https://becomegoodsoil.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/BGS_DaybreakPrayer_v2.mp3" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Become Good Soil Daybreak Prayer</a>, let's explore deepening our prayer life together. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Jun 18, 202447 min

162: The Great I Am, with Jared Anderson (Part 2)

There is no power in hell Or any who can stand Before the power and the presence of the Great I Am. – Jared Anderson Friends, Jared Anderson penned these arresting words over a decade ago. His song has become a rallying cry and a lifeline to Reality for the friends of God. But behind the song is a story. And behind the story is a soul. Jared is a husband, father, risk-taker, and renowned soul-poet-musician. Serving in a megachurch during a time of heartrending fallout from failures of leadership and culture, he has traversed essential miles of his initiation. And he still has heart. He still has God. Deeper still, God still has him. In Part 2 of this studio session and conversation, we consider the intersection of Jared Anderson’s hidden life and the years of becoming a wholehearted leader in the Body of Christ. Let’s take another deep dive together. For the Kingdom, Morgan You can explore more of Jared’s work on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jaredanderson/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and wherever music can be found.

Jun 4, 202435 min

161: The Great I Am, with Jared Anderson (Part 1)

The male must be taught "the tears of things" before he is given any power. Friends, The goal of masculine initiation is always God. It is not ultimately healing, though that comes as well. It is not even wholehearted maturity. Above all, the goal of masculine initiation is God himself. Though our Father’s aim is always to connect us more deeply to himself, the chaos, losses, failures, pressures, and complexities of our lives obscure the brightness of his good heart. So in the midst of seemingly incoherent pieces, our soul whispers, Where is God? What is God doing? Why is this happening? Where do I go? God, ANSWER ME. In these bewildering moments, let us borrow faith and hope from a man who, in passing through his own initiation, has blazed a path for many to follow. “I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer. You are yourself the answer. Before your face, questions die away. What other answer would suffice?” Jared Anderson is a husband, father, risk-taker, and renowned soul-poet-musician. But it is his hidden and unique story that clarifies our central aim: to gaze into the eyes of our Father and discover who we are. Let’s dive into Part 1 of this studio session and conversation. You can explore more of Jared’s work wherever music can be found. For the Kingdom, Morgan

May 21, 202453 min

160: The Metanarrative of Masculine Love (Part 3)

Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least. – Goethe Friends, Years ago, as a father in the faith led a group of young, thirsty apprentices and me through a series of exercises and questions for our masculine souls, we came across this question: What is your dream assignment in the Kingdom? In other words, if you could be charged with any task, vocation, or work in God’s Kingdom, what would you love it to be? My peers and I sincerely (and rather hastily) shared our responses: Author Life coach Film producer Professor Real estate agent Counselor Our teacher benevolently received the desires of our hearts. He paused. And then he answered the prompt himself: “My dream is to become a grandfather.” You could hear a pin drop. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. He had my attention. The stark contrast between my peers' and our teacher's answers revealed a gap between our souls' unfinished places and the geography to which God was beckoning us. Somewhere in this man’s initiation, he had taken a radical path that transplanted his soul from the narrow field of self-centeredness to the vast open place of wholehearted others-centeredness. He had become the kind of man who had nothing to fear, nothing to prove, and nothing to hide. He had more than enough. And he had become more than enough, in and through the One who made him. In a phrase, he was full, secure, and free to love with the unconditional generosity of heaven. The Father is inviting us along a path to become this wholehearted. Join me for Part 3 as we conclude this series on the metanarrative of masculine love. For the Kingdom, Morgan

May 8, 202448 min

159: The Metanarrative of Masculine Love (Part 2)

Home is both an origin and a destination. Friends, When the time is right, a man must leave his father and mother to find his True Father and Mother in God's heart. Returning home to God is the destiny of his soul and the consummation of his initiation. Linger. Every man must leave his mom and dad to find his God. On a soul level, most men, to some degree, still haven’t left home. In walking with men for over two decades and paying attention to my challenges, resisting leaving our “home” is one of the inhibitors to becoming mature and more fully united to God. Most of us know this resistance and challenge all too well, though we may not have been able to name it. If a man has never entirely left, he can never come home again and know it for the first time. In it all, our Father does not pull away from us. His affection never leaves us, and his daring invitation remains: Receive the kingdom afresh like a little boy, innocent again. Free, here and now. So often, we mistakenly conclude that our boy-hearted innocence is the source of our pain, stirring us to open our hearts and only to be so deeply let down. Yet along the path of recovered innocence, we will find ourselves finally at home with God. Let's take another deep dive together. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Apr 23, 202432 min

158: The Metanarrative of Masculine Love (Part 1)

I came from the Father. Now I come home to the Father. – Jesus of Nazareth Friends, We come from the Trinity. We will return to the Trinity. So what is in the way of our homecoming? Perhaps better said, where do we find ourselves along the journey of home-going? The mission and message of Become Good Soil reach thousands globally, nourishing men from 18 to 83. Men of different ages and at different stages of masculine initiation. At first glance, the diversity of our stories is outstanding. But there is a universal ache informing and uniting us all: We hunger and thirst for the love, validation, and intentionality of a man who is stronger than us. In a phrase, we hunger and thirst for God himself. Brothers, we do not hunger and thirst for this wild and generous Father in vain. We find him, realize him, feast on him, and, from this nourished place, carry him with us into the dearest relationships of our daily lives. The Father is undefeated. His love is winning. His goodness is prevailing. His intentional and scandalous validation of us is immeasurable. And he is just getting started. Let’s pick up the next first track of our masculine initiation and be visited again by this ancient truth: It all starts with the Father. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Apr 9, 202457 min

157: From Success to Failure to Sonship

God’s cheatin’ in our favor. – Shia LaBeouf Friends, It’s been said that when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. Over decades, alongside like-hearted brothers, I've discovered a profound revelation in this idea. Perhaps even more essential is this truth: When the son is ready, the Father appears. My longtime ally, friend, and like-hearted brother Ryan Ruebsahm is a man who has lived into this very truth. Ryan's personal narrative is a compelling invitation. He has embarked on a journey from orphanhood to slavery and, finally, to rebirth as a son. His story challenges us to take risks, let go of our old selves, and embrace a new life infused with the unbreakable spirit of Christ. Let’s dive into this story together. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Mar 26, 202442 min

156: The Metanarrative of Feminine Love, with Cherie Snyder (Part 3)

He trusts her without reserve and never has reason to regret it. – Proverbs 31:11 MSG Friends, To say the proverb another way, masculinity trusts femininity without reserve and never has reason to regret it. Femininity trusts masculinity without reserve and never has reason to regret it. What if this is intended to both include and transcend marriage, plunging us into the possibility and finally the scandalous destiny of Galatians 3? “...you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (3:28 NIV) In The Sacred Romance, Brent Curtis goes as far as to say that Heaven holds for us “multiple intimacy without promiscuity.” Oh, to plumb the depths of integrity and recover even more of what might be intended when we wrestle with what it means to be formed in the image of a Trinitarian God. What would it be like to truly embody the New Testament vision of the Body of Christ and become creatively unified in whole-hearted interdependent relationship with one another, as men and as women? Let’s dare to discover together. Join Cherie and me for Part 3 of the Metanarrative of Feminine Love. We think you’re going to love it. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Mar 12, 202429 min

155: The Metanarrative of Feminine Love, with Cherie Snyder (Part 2)

As a man matures and increases in power, he is absolutely dependent on the integration of feminine love for him to flourish, mature, and thrive in God’s Kingdom. – Morgan Snyder Friends, What if integrated masculinity dynamically engaging with integrated femininity was essentially designed by the Living God to communicate abundance, peace, dignity, and the endless safety of God’s extravagant and irrevocable love? Husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, friends of both genders slowly and steadily maturing in ever-increasing union—all were intended to radically and creatively bring the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in the heavens. Heaven's intention has not changed. Men and women need one another, deeply. Our world has perhaps never needed to see the loving and creative partnership of the masculine and feminine as it does now. Let’s find our way together. Join Cherie and me for Part 2 of this deep dive into the major theme of God and his Kingdom regarding feminine love: The Living God is relentlessly and lovingly pursuing us in and through the feminine. Let's dive in. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Feb 27, 202436 min

154: The Metanarrative of Feminine Love, with Cherie Snyder (Part 1)

God loves you more tenderly and more irrevocably than the best of mothers. – Stasi Eldredge Friends, What does the integration of wholehearted masculine love with wholehearted feminine love feel like? For most men, considering the impact and role of feminine love—or its absence—elicits a wide range of emotions. Simply put, we can easily lose heart in our ambivalence, unmet longing, or pain around it. What if underneath the pain, confusion, and even mistrust is one of the great secrets to “Heaven on Earth” finding its way within our souls? What if the integration of the feminine and the masculine is a part of the redemption of creation and the path toward human flourishing? Join Cherie and me for part one of a three-part series exploring the possibility and hope of the Living God pursuing us in and through restored femininity. Let's dive in. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Feb 13, 202441 min

153: The Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life (Part 2)

Any place you don’t find a track is not wasted, but part of refining where to look. – Boyd Varty, The Lion Tracker's Guide to Life Friends, Boyd Varty’s life has enticed me into ever deeper waters of my masculine initiation. His stories of tracking animals in wild spaces offer stunning insight into the experience of tracking our souls as men during this bewildering hour on Earth. Boyd's insight offers particular treasure for our community of apprentices to Jesus, inviting us to become men whose wise hearts and skilled hands can engage in our Father’s intention to share his power and authority on earth as it is in heaven. One Kingdom irony is that our Father invites us into this risky endeavor of power-sharing through the unlikely doorway of losing track of our lives. As Boyd suggests, “There is a last track, and then it's gone. Trails can be like life in that way. You are clear on a path one minute, and the next instant, it's gone. You get fired, you lose a loved one, the company fails, you retire, she dumps you, and you get divorced. Where you thought you were going vanishes. Who you thought you were is lost….More than any other part of tracking, losing the track might be the most metaphorically rich.” What if losing the track—and what we do with being lost—is an essential practice to engaging in the unbroken line of God’s masculine initiation of our souls? If we are to dare greatly and fail forward, we must practice accepting that losing the track is an essential part of tracking. We must courageously accept that to admit we are lost is to discover we are found by a good and strong Father lovingly leading us home. Join Boyd Varty and me for Part 2 of this daring conversation. For the Kingdom, Morgan P.S. If you want to journey deeper with Boyd, visit <a href="https://boydvarty.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">www.BoydVarty.com</a>.

Jan 31, 202453 min

152: The Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life (Part 1)

I have no idea where I’m going. But I know exactly how to get there. – Boyd Varty, The Lion Tracker's Guide to Life Friends, Boyd Varty’s life illuminated in and through The Lion Tracker's Guide to Life has been a steady stream of nourishment for my masculine soul in recent years. I’ve returned time and time again to the disruption and enticement of his life, wondering with hope and curiosity... What does it mean to be a man in this hour on earth? Where is the path to wholehearted, integrated masculinity today? Amidst the poison and disintegration of postmodern life, is any of it concretely possible? Masculine initiation is meant to be the interpretive grid and narrative arc for every relationship, aspect, and dimension of our lives. Boyd’s experience in the God-breathed and terrifyingly wild spaces of South Africa reveals to us a freshly discovered universal truth of masculine initiation: Too much uncertainty is chaos. But too little is death...and we are invited to track this narrow path of uncertainty under and within the heart of a Father who is extravagantly loving and wholeheartedly forging us into deeper maturity as men. Join me and Boyd Varty for the first part of a daring conversation on all things masculine initiation. For the Kingdom, Morgan P.S. If you want to journey deeper with Boyd, visit <a href="https://boydvarty.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">www.boydvarty.com</a>.

Jan 18, 202451 min

151: A Soul’s Review

“Where are you, Adam?” – Genesis 3:9 Friends, Something is over. Something is next. How do we choose an intentional pause in the in-between to recenter our soul in the heart of God and in his Kingdom, which is at hand? Last year, we invited our tribe to engage in a soulful transition from one year to the next. As a result of the responses we received, we've made some updates to the guided exercise and are bringing it back to help you navigate the transition from the year behind to the year ahead. This is another fresh invitation to slow down and thoughtfully consider the lives we find ourselves living in light of the generous offer of sonship to a good Father. Together, we will look back to look forward. You are worth your time. Set aside a day retreat or a half-day break from the routine to give yourself to this exercise. Better yet, invite your spouse—or a brother or three—to join you in this soul’s journey. Before you make a decision about what of yourself you’ll give to this, ask God. Because you’re worth it. And his invitation might surprise you. <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/pxxgf41q7rikswmmd3n9b/BGS-A-Soul-s-Review-V3.4-2024.pdf?rlkey=pf81y4batdm7lh14irdg4klhn&e=1&st=uq16xj2x&dl=0" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">You can download the free guided reflection here.</a> For the Kingdom, Morgan

Dec 27, 20231h 0m

150: A Christmas Feast (Part 2)

The only thing which we may take with us from our life on earth are those things which we have given away. – <a href="https://www1.villanova.edu/content/dam/villanova/mission/faith/CFL_Fall2019DinnerReading/Babettes-Feast.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Babette’s Feast</a> Friends, The feast of Christmas is drawing near. In preparation, I invite you to share this gift for the soul with the like-hearted among our global community. In Babette’s Feast, Isak Dinesen explores the riches of Christ’s grace in story form. This dialogue from one of his characters caught my attention: “‘Man, my friends,’ said General Loewenhielm, ‘is frail and foolish. We have all of us been told that grace is to be found in the universe. But in our human foolishness and short‐sightedness, we imagine divine grace to be finite. For this reason, we tremble….We tremble before making our choice in life, and after having made it again tremble in fear of having chosen wrong. But the moment comes when our eyes are opened, and we see and realize that grace is infinite. Grace, my friends, demands nothing from us but that we shall await it with confidence and acknowledge it in gratitude. Grace, brothers, makes no conditions and singles out none of us in particular; grace takes us all to its bosom and proclaims general amnesty. See! That which we have chosen is given us, and that which we have refused is, also and at the same time, granted us. Ay, that which we have rejected is poured upon us abundantly. For mercy and truth have met together, and righteousness and bliss have kissed one another!’” Let’s jump into Part 2 of a Christmas Feast. May hope rise fresh in our hearts with holy defiance as we remember together the trajectory of our God-authored stories: God has the first word. And God has the last word. This is good news, my friends. Merry Christmas, Morgan

Dec 19, 202350 min

149: A Christmas Feast (Part 1)

All the stories we tell borrow their power from the Great Story God is writing. – John Eldredge Friends, Isak Dinesen suggests God's plans run across the sea and the snowy mountain where man’s eyes see no track. What if it is true? It is true, my friends. Everything is going to be okay. God is drawing all of our stories toward the breathtaking restoration of all things. Along the way, his bright Kingdom often breaks in through what seems at first only mundane and insignificant. As his Spirit becomes the strength of our hearts and teaches us to feed on him as our portion forever, our Father readies us to love in ways previously impossible, becoming by day and decade vessels of a Kingdom outbreak in the lives of those around us. As we immerse ourselves in Advent and prepare for the wonder and beauty of Christmas, I invite you to join me for Part 1 of A Christmas Feast. Together, let us remember the beauty, cost, and largeness of the Tale that has woven our ordinary lives into its surprise, delight, and power. I think you’re going to love it. Merry Christmas, Morgan

Dec 12, 202343 min

148: DadAwesome, with Jeff Zaugg (Part 2)

Then our sons in their youth will be like well-nurtured plants, and our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace. – Psalm 144:12 NIV Friends, The Psalms were penned by regular men walking through the real and raw depths of the human experience. With body and soul, animated by the life of God, these brave authors invite us into a God-permeated vision of Reality more visceral and personal than our often emotionally reserved contexts reflect. In Psalm 144, the psalmist vividly depicts the robust well-being of future generations as they stand on the shoulders of men and women seeking and interacting with the Living God. What depth and breadth of life in God would prepare the way for our children and grandchildren to experience this quality of soul-flourishing? “What story are we inviting our kids into? Is the story they are watching us live big enough to contain all the hopes, dreams, disappointments, and fears? Is the story that our lives tell filled with life and promise? Or do our lives tell a small story, a religious story, a limp and narrow story that is painfully less appealing than the competing narratives they’re also being offered? Sports achievement, mind-altering substances, unrestricted sexual expression, a girlfriend or boyfriend, and followers on social media—these are powerful stories. If I’ve learned anything, it is this: our kids’ hearts will gravitate toward the biggest, best, and most life-filled story they can find. If we don’t model a Christianity brimming with life, it simply won’t be attractive enough to captivate their hearts. So our first mission must be to come home ourselves to a Gospel and a God so vibrant with life that we can’t help but model the joy and vitality of what we have discovered. And then we must find ways to give our kids direct access to the Kingdom of our Father for themselves in order to cultivate their own faith journey.”* Join me and longstanding Become Good Soil like-hearted apprentice Jeff Zaugg for Part 2 of this conversation as we recover another ancient stone in the narrow road that leads to life. For the Kingdom, Morgan *<a href="https://becomegoodsoil.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/BGS-Fathers-Day-Devotional.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">BGS Father's Day devotional PDF</a>

Dec 6, 202335 min

147: DadAwesome, with Jeff Zaugg (Part 1)

The glory of children are their Fathers. – Proverbs 17:6 KJV Friends, Our sacred Scriptures whisper to us the invitation God has woven into reality for men to once again consent to the path and process of becoming fathers. The Proverbs winsomely teach us that the weight of the lives of our children points back to the headwaters of our faithful Father. Who is he? What is he like? Is he available? Deeper still, is he interested? These questions, though often hidden below the surface, haunt us. They beckon the male soul to stop and think. They invite us to reconsider the impact of our own becoming, not with shame or regret, but with hopeful curiosity of the possibility of participating in a Father-initiated restoration. A God-orchestrated initiation. In a phrase, a story that is far larger than us. As I’ve suggested before, “Parenting, like everything else in masculine initiation, has no shortcuts. So I want to suggest that the first questions in raising wholehearted children turn right back on us: If I can only lead my child where I’ve gone myself, what’s next in my initiation? What is the frontier of my masculine soul? What is it that I am intimidated to engage, but that I know is essential to wholly enter the life that I was meant to live? Thankfully, God is the great Initiator, and our great work is simply and bravely to respond to his particular invitation. When we give him our yes, we become what we most want to offer. And in becoming, we will find the path to shepherd our children in the way that is good and right for their souls. Only on this path of responding to our Father for the initiation of our hearts as men can we release outcomes in our parenting and find joy in whatever unfolds. For them and for us.” Come along into a conversation with like-hearted son, student, and father Jeff Zaugg, founder of <a href="https://www.dadawesome.org" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">DadAwesome</a>, as we consider fatherhood and return to curiosity, hope, and strength in a Good Father. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Nov 21, 202339 min

146: Wild Courage, with Jeremy Morris

I have no idea where I’m going. But I know exactly how to get there. – Boyd Varty, The Lion Tracker's Guide to Life Friends, In the Kingdom of God, we are never behind and it is never too late to consent to our unique version of the universal pattern of masculine initiation. We are always on time. What if that were true? What if we believed it? What if we lived it? Masculine initiation as apprentices to Jesus of Nazareth is the only story big enough to anchor our hearts and hold the collective weight of our suffering and triumph. It is the only story that releases the shackles of regret and worry and delivers us into the present-moment possibility that we are right on time. That we are being led. And that the affection of our Father will, in the end, win. Come along into a conversation with like-hearted apprentice and ally Jeremy Morris of the Wild Courage team as we encounter afresh the gift of consenting to the slow and steady process of masculine initiation. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Nov 7, 20231h 2m

145: Resilient, with John Eldredge

Salvation is a process, not an event. – Resilient Friends, Steady. Strong. Resilient. What would it be like for these words to describe the sons of God in this hour on earth? It's hopeful. It's powerful. And, brothers, it's available. John’s most recent work, <a href="https://amzn.to/3tHrXV0" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Resilient</a>, is a life raft amidst our contemporary turbulent sea. Singularity of heart is no longer an option. It is essential for us to thrive in this moment in the Larger Story. John and I have been chasing singularity of heart for over two decades, and we have discovered one simple but powerful truth: The soul is healed through union with God. It was my joy and privilege to host a call alongside John to unpack how union with God expresses itself in our ordinary, everyday lives. You don’t want to miss this. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Oct 25, 20231h 4m

144: Jesus, Our Older Brother (Part 2)

Pointing to his disciples, Jesus said, “These are my brothers and sisters, my true family. Whoever does the will of my Father is my family.” – Matthew 12:49-50 (paraphrase) Friends, As Dallas Willard reminds us, Jesus is the most brilliant person to ever live. His brilliance shines not only in the what of his rescue but also in the how. By becoming human, the Triune Creator not only redeemed our bodies, minds, hearts, emotions, and wills, he redeemed all our relationships, taking the brokenness of our intimate and consequential connections into the wholeness of the Family of God. In his incarnation, he comes to us as the Beloved Son of God and the True Older Brother to all humanity. If the Family of the Trinity is the first template of reality, then Jesus’ inclusion of us into his Family moves reality forward toward its breathtaking conclusion. As we observe Jesus engaging men and women, we discover a brotherly extension of love, care, and invitation from him. Redeeming every dimension of siblinghood, Jesus undercuts competition, dismantles violence, and flies in the face of division—relentlessly treating people as his beloved brothers and sisters. And he is inviting us to do the same. What if all masculine and feminine initiation is to prepare our souls to fully and creatively participate in the Family of God? Our Older Brother is generously showing us the way. Let's follow his lead together. Join Cherie and me for Part 2 of this conversation. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Oct 10, 202340 min

143: Jesus, Our Older Brother (Part 1)

Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. – Hebrews 2:11 NIV Friends, It was George MacDonald who wrote that the central misery of the masculine soul is the refusal and incapacity to look up to God as Father. I want to suggest a parallel source of impoverishment and pain: our refusal to look up to Jesus as our Older Brother. If it is true that the Son of God became human so that humans might in turn become sons of God, then we find ourselves enticed once more to go ever deeper into our masculine initiation. Jesus became a brother to mankind, that we might more fully come home to the Family of God. It could change…everything. What if Jesus is our true Older Brother? Let's explore together. Join Cherie and me for Part 1 of this conversation. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Sep 26, 202346 min

142: Rise, with Rob Porter (Part 2)

Answers before questions do harm to the soul. – Henri Nouwen Friends, For the heart of a boy, questions come quite naturally... for a time. Then, slowly, like the tide, the questions ebb and become fewer and fewer. The false self takes root, and we increasingly operate under pressure to have life figured out. Curiosity atrophies, and we trade childlike dependency and whole-hearted questions for the self-imposed pressure of well-manicured answers. We become self-sufficient. In Part 2 of this conversation with Rob Porter, we rediscover the innocence and hope of asking questions. For every question eventually leads us back to the heart of God. Join us as we re-engage our question marks and respond to the invitation to live as men outrageously loved by God. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Sep 12, 20231h 6m

141: Rise, with Rob Porter (Part 1)

We’re lost males, all of us, cast adrift from the community of men, cut off from our masculine heritage—abandoned to machines, organizations, fantasies, drugs. – Gordon Dalbey, Healing the Masculine Soul From this central abandonment, we men often find ourselves, consciously and unconsciously, painfully fulfilling the plot line of an isolated and individualized story. It's all up to me. I’m way behind. It’s too late. I am all alone. For many of us, these ideas mock, discourage, and sap our strength with harrowing familiarity. Yet there is another Voice that calls to us, the voice of our Father God and Brother Jesus and empowering Holy Spirit who reach out to us every minute of our lives, inviting us to enter God’s Kingdom and live lives of endless power and beauty in union with God. These are not easy times for choosing the courageous path of becoming a wholehearted man. Yet, friends, we have been bestowed with the dignity of choice coupled with the promise of God’s supernatural power to prevail in becoming everything God means us to be. We can choose to risk. To receive. To become men who, in time and over time, root themselves in the Kingdom Among Us and travel the ancient path and process of masculine initiation. My like-hearted brother Rob Porter is one of these men. In his sacred rebellion against the enemies of the souls of men, Rob spent decades taking staggering risks, discovering the concrete reality of living as a son, and living into the new storyline of sonship, wholeness, and strength. It’s not up to me. I’m on time. I have more than enough. I am being led by a good, true, and beautiful Father who is brilliantly orchestrating my rescue, redemption, and masculine initiation. What would it be like for that all to be true? Come along, and let's find out together. For the Kingdom, Morgan Show Notes: If you or someone you know are in the region, consider attending the <a href="https://wildatheart.org/allies/becoming-king-retreat/becoming-king-retreat-auckland-nz-rob-porter" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Becoming a King Retreat hosted by Rob in Auckland, New Zealand</a>. To discover more about Rob Porter and his new work, visit <a href="http://www.letskeeprising.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">www.LetsKeepRising.com</a>. Rob discusses a formative blog during this conversation. You can find it here: <a href="https://becomegoodsoil.com/2017/11/29/anything-anywhere-the-four-primary-questions-for-masculine-initiation/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Anything, Anywhere: The Four Primary Questions of Masculine Initiation</a>.

Aug 29, 202355 min

140: Eugene Peterson, with Winn Collier (Part 2)

In fiction, we should have no agenda except to be truthful. – Winn Collier, Love Big, Be Well: Letters to a Small-Town Church Friends, it was Wendell Berry who, after seven decades of apprenticeship, penned these words: I can remember those early years when it seemed to me I was cut completely adrift, and times when, looking back at earlier times, it seemed I had been wandering in the dark woods of error. But now it looks to me as though I was following a path that was laid out for me, unbroken, and maybe even as straight as possible, from one end to the other, and I have this feeling, which never leaves me anymore, that I have been led. These words have both haunted and beckoned my masculine soul for years. They lead me to this question: How do I become the kind of man whose ever-increasing inner experience is that of being led? In Part 2 of this conversation, Winn Collier and I explore the beauty of surprise and the agony of mistakes that our Father affectionately uses in the unique mosaic of our masculine initiation. Winn is honest. He is passionate. He has a huge heart. And with his PhD in the life and context of Wendell Berry’s central fictional character, Jayber Crow, he is indeed a kindred spirit. Not only is Winn a man through whom God is bringing the life and legacy of Eugene Peterson, he is a man with his own rich and deep Kingdom life and legacy to offer to many. Come along for Part 2 of this conversation. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Aug 16, 202352 min

139: Eugene Peterson, with Winn Collier (Part 1)

We become what we behold. – Eugene Peterson, A Burning in My Bones Known primarily for rendering the Message paraphrase of the Scriptures, Eugene Peterson was intimately faithful to the extensive range of his vocation. Not only was he the most influential pastor of our time, he was a son, husband, father, student, writer, and sage. Though all these titles surely mark waypoints along the geography of Eugene Peterson's soul, no description rings more true than this one: He beheld the Presence of God. Eugene fell in love with the Scriptures, but not from obligation to a religious hoop or as an abstract exercise in scholarship. No, he fell in love with the Scriptures as the space of face-to-face encounter with the Living God who pursued him. Winn Collier is the longstanding friend and author of Eugene’s provocatively honest biography, A Burning in My Bones. In Part 1 of this conversation, Winn invites us into the story of this modern sage whose life and way invite us all into Greater Presence. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Aug 1, 202358 min

138: The Cost of Non-Discipleship, with Cherie Snyder

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

Jul 18, 202356 min

137: Fires, Part 2

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 <a href="https://www.wildatheart.org/fires" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.wildatheart.org/fires</a>

Jun 29, 20231h 7m

136: Fires, Part 1

"Tell me your story" is the most revolutionary phrase you can ever say to a man. – John Eldredge Friends, 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 <a href="https://www.wildatheart.org/fires" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://</a><a href="http://www.wildatheart.org/fires" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">www.wildatheart.org/fires</a>

Jun 19, 202351 min

135: Mastering the Art of Living, with Aaron McHugh

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

May 23, 20231h 14m

134: Parts Work, Part 6

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 <a href="http://www.becomegoodsoil.com/partswork" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">BecomeGoodsoil.com/PartsWork</a>. For the Kingdom, Morgan

May 9, 20231h 15m

133: Parts Work, Part 5

I will not leave you as orphans. – Jesus of Nazareth Friends, We’re deep in this series exploring a path and process to integrate a man's soul under the care and direction of the Triune God. In Part 5, I’m inviting you to put this process into practice. Through the help of a trusted guide, Grant Leitheiser, this episode offers a personal experience of care for the fragmented parts of your soul. When you’re ready and have an hour of protected time for your soul, dive in here. For the entire series and all the related visuals, resources, and more, go to <a href="http://www.becomegoodsoil.com/parts" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">BecomeGoodSoil.com/PartsWork</a>. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Apr 25, 202325 min

132: Parts Work, Part 4

In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways so that we may walk in his paths.” – Isaiah 2:2-4 Friends, So often we skillfully distance ourselves from pain, shame, loneliness, and fear. Heroically (and understandably), we set off on a myriad of self-salvation projects. The contexts, details, and templates are different and often endless. But what if the parts of us committed to self-protective habits are not inherently bad? The compulsive reach for relief from a false comforter. The teeth-gritting heroism of doing the "right thing.” The addiction to appearance and reputation. Our regular rage against authority or our unquestioning posture of a bended knee before it. What if the part caught in these compulsive behaviors is, at its core, a valuable aspect of our personhood that is ripe for redemption when connected to the love and life of God? Friends, we want to suggest that there are no bad parts of our hearts as men and women made in the image of God, but rather, parts meant to reflect the image of our beautiful Triune God that have become disintegrated, marred, and desecrated. Perhaps we would experience the compassion and unconditional love of Jesus in even greater measure if we took the next step in believing and embracing this. Let’s keep diving deep—together. Here’s Part 4 of our series on Parts Work. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Apr 11, 20231h 5m

131: Parts Work, Part 3

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

Mar 28, 202353 min

130: Parts Work, Part 2

“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? <a href="https://becomegoodsoil.com/podcast/129-parts-work-part-1/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Part 1</a> 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 <a href="http://www.becomegoodsoil.com/Parts" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">www.BecomeGoodSoil.com/Parts</a>. 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

Mar 14, 202353 min

129: Parts Work, Part 1

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 <a href="http://www.becomegoodsoil.com/parts" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">www.BecomeGoodSoil.com/parts</a>.

Feb 28, 20231h 11m

128: The Salt Life, with Jared Sayers

We are made in the image of God; we carry within us the desire for our true life of intimacy and adventure. To say we want less than that is to lie. – <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Journey-Desire-Searching-Always-Dreamed/dp/0718080785?ref_=ast_sto_dp" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">The Journey of Desire</a> Friends, It started with an ocean lifeguard dory boat race. Two-man teams set to row from the coast of Catalina Island across the twenty-two-mile open-water channel back to the mainland near San Pedro. To add to the adventure, it was the opening of lobster season. In response, Jared and his buddy cooked up an off-the-couch adventure to dive for lobsters all day around Catalina, camp on the beach, wake up in the predawn, and launch their self-powered dory at 4:00 a.m. to complete the epic race back home. This is a glimpse into the heart of Jared Sayers, a trusted friend of mine who has consented to the path and process of becoming a king. Husband, father, waterman, entrepreneur, recovering business executive, adventurer, artist, and craftsman, Jared is a man who seeks to drink deeply of life in the fullest possible measure. Above all, he has taken risks and carries scars of failure, heartbreak, and triumph that tell a story of masculine initiation. Through the doorways of pain and desire, Jared is passing through his initiation into an adventure with God he would never have imagined. And he’s inviting us to do the same. The invitation is to allow the Father to use Jared’s story as an interpretive grid to shine a light deep into your heart as a man and to attune you to who God wants to be for you and what he is up to in calling you out to deeper waters and bigger surf. Join us for this unique but universal story of masculine initiation. Locate your own heart and take the next risk, if you dare. For the Kingdom, Morgan To dig even deeper and glean from all Jared is stewarding, check out more at his blog, <a href="https://www.jaredbsayers.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">A Blue Mind</a>, and his <a href="https://www.saltnseacamp.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Salt & Sea Camp</a> for kids.

Feb 14, 20231h 3m

127: Stories from the Frontlines, Part 3

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the path that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the path that leads to life, and only a few find it. – Jesus of Nazareth Eugene Peterson phrased Jesus’ words this way: “Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention.” (Matthew 7:13-14 MSG) The Becoming a King Retreat is vigorous and requires total attention. It is not easy or cheap. It doesn’t provide a shortcut or easygoing formula. It’s an evergreen invitation back onto the narrow path that leads to life. And it’s working. Men are being formed and forged. They're discovering healing and hope. They’re finding their smiles and their tears again. And they’re being initiated deeply into the Kingdom of God. We’re concluding this three-part series with more stories from the frontlines of the Becoming a King Retreat. We think you’re going to love it. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Jan 30, 202356 min

126: Stories from the Frontlines, Part 2

We don't believe something by merely saying we believe it, or even when we believe that we believe it. We believe something when we act as if it were true. – Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart In Part 2 of this conversation, we hear another fresh batch of stories from the frontlines of our newest mission: the <a href="http://becomingakingretreat.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Becoming a King Retreat</a>. Constructing a four-day context that shepherds men into their masculine initiation, the Becoming a King Retreat weaves together story, teaching, rest, play, and worship. Men all over the globe are getting their hearts back through it. And it’s only just beginning. What if you had another chance? What if you could be courageous, again? Friends, join me and a few courageous others choosing to invest in the holy and daring work of strengthening the hearts of other men. They are men who have risked offering strength, love, and service on behalf of others, and they are discovering the deep fruit of doing so. Come along into Part 2 of this conversation as we encounter men who not only believe God is a good Father, but are risking to act as if it were true. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Jan 18, 202357 min

125: Stories from the Frontlines, Part 1

Rule with the heart of a servant. Serve with the heart of a king. Friends, we’re pulling back 50 yards from the frontline to hear fresh stories from the field. The Becoming a King Retreat is slowly and steadily building an irreversible revolution in the hearts of men all over the world. We’re hoping the stories of men like you taking risks all around the globe will inspire you to do the same. What if there was a way to be good again? It isn’t cheap. It isn’t quick. It isn’t easy. Few things will facilitate our masculine initiation more deeply than offering strength, love, and service on behalf of other men. This series is an invitation to join us in bringing the mission and message of Becoming a King on behalf of other men—that they might become the kind of men to whom God is glad to entrust the care of his Kingdom. Come along into this first conversation as we hear reports from men courageously choosing to serve with kingly hearts...and rule with servant hearts. Find an exclusive event to attend or offer one in your local area at <a href="https://becomegoodsoil.com/retreat/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">www.BecomingAKingRetreat.com</a>. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Jan 3, 202351 min

124: A Soul’s Review

“Where are you, Adam?” – Genesis 3:9 A disruptive phrase in Isaiah 44 has grabbed my attention and refused to let go. Notably grieved, the prophet utters these words: “They know nothing, they understand nothing. Their eyes are plastered over so they can’t see, and their minds closed so they cannot understand….No one stops to think...” (44:18-19 NIV) The prophet was urgently inviting the people of his day to stop everything and consider afresh God and his engagement with them. More than 2500 years later, the Spirit urges us to do the same. This new guided exercise from Become Good Soil is intended to help you slow down to reflect with the Spirit through the close of this year and the launch of the next. Together we will look back in order to look forward. Honoring your own masculine heart and life in God, I encourage you to set aside two or three hours of distraction-free time to engage in this Soul’s Review. Download the free guided reflection here. I recorded this podcast to walk together through the entire reflection. The podcast includes everything in the PDF with even more examples, explanations, and guided prayer. You can go through this reflection using only the PDF, or engage the podcast and PDF together for a more shepherded experience. The choice is yours. What if your whole story is one unbroken line of intentional initiation as your Father shepherds you into the wholehearted, mature man he intends you to be? What if pausing with him to review this past year will uncover the particular treasures and clarify priceless insight for the journey ahead? He’s worth it. And so are you. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Dec 20, 202253 min

123: The Carpenter’s Gift

Each human soul has to enact for itself the gigantic humility of the Incarnation. Every man must descend into the flesh to meet mankind. – G.K. Chesterton Friends, We have a gift for you. Take up a childlike heart again and be swept up into the awe and beauty of Immanuel—God with us. Join us for this special BGS Christmas podcast. Through the generosity of Penguin Random House Publishing, it’s our joy to take you into a generous portion of <a href="https://www.rhcbooks.com/books/209605/the-carpenters-gift-by-david-rubel-illustrated-by-jim-lamarche" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">The Carpenter’s Gift</a>. Written by David Rubel and whimsically illustrated by Jim LaMarche, this modern-day parable and timeless classic is sure to access the childlike place in your soul. This Christmas season, we invite you to revel at the miracle of God pursuing us and forever joining us in the fullness and limitations of our humanity. For the Kingdom, Morgan We encourage you to bless someone this Christmas season with <a href="https://www.rhcbooks.com/books/209605/the-carpenters-gift-by-david-rubel-illustrated-by-jim-lamarche" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">The Carpenter’s Gift</a>. <a href="https://www.rhcbooks.com/books/209605/the-carpenters-gift-by-david-rubel-illustrated-by-jim-lamarche" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a>

Dec 6, 202221 min

122: But It’s Worth It (Part 2)

The difference is not in what people suffer, but in the way they suffer. In the same fire, gold glows and straw smokes. – St. Augustine Suffering is brutal. Suffering is lonely. And suffering is a sacred space of masculine initiation. As we mature, we are made ready to walk through suffering redemptively, allowing it to transform us rather than destroy us. In The Problem of Pain, C. S. Lewis wrote, “We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” So often in masculine initiation, it is through this megaphone of pain that God rouses parts of us long dead and dormant. Aaron, John Scott, and Ryan have become the kind of men transformed by pain. In Part 2 of this conversation, we explore the brutally beautiful intersection of pain and possibility in masculine initiation. It hasn’t been easy. But it’s worth it. Join us for the second part of an intimate conversation between like-hearted men of the Become Good Soil fellowship. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Nov 23, 202247 min

121: But It’s Worth It (Part 1)

In the larger-than-life, spiritually transformed people I have met, I always find one common denominator: in some sense, they have all died before they died. They have followed in the footsteps of Jesus, a path from death to life. – Adam’s Return In his account of the Larger Story, Matthew writes, “Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said: 'You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.'” (Matthew 5:1-3, MSG) In this episode of the Become Good Soil Podcast, I’m joined by three of Jesus’ climbing companions: Aaron McHugh, Ryan Ruebsahm, and John Scott Mooring. All three are men who at some point reached the end of their ropes. All three have sat in the pain and limitations of their own private resources. And all three have found even more of God and his rule in their lives. In time and over time, these men have followed the path and process of Jesus, passing through death into more and more life. In Part 1 of this conversation, they share stories from the blood, sweat, and tears of their own masculine initiation. Spiritually transformed, they are men who have become larger than life. And they’re inviting us to do the same. Come along into an intimate conversation between like-hearted men of the BGS fellowship. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Nov 8, 202248 min

120: Land I’m Livin’ In (Part 4)

However quickly or slowly the call of God comes, it is always accompanied with an undercurrent of the supernatural….If a man or woman is called of God, it doesn’t matter how difficult the circumstances may be. God orchestrates every force at work for his purpose in the end. If you will agree with God’s purpose, he will bring not only your conscious level but also all the deeper levels of your life, which you yourself cannot reach, into perfect harmony. – Oswald Chambers How do we steward the kingdoms God has entrusted to our care? What do we do when things go sideways? What can we do now so that we will be thriving a decade from now? The Helsers entice us to plunge deep into mature sonship and daughtership. As Melissa beautifully teaches, “Our lives are one percent talent and gifting, but 99 percent trust and dependence in friendship with the Lord.” We get to choose, friends. We get to choose to be with God, rather than impress him. In the hidden parts of our lives, in time and over time, we can experience friendship with God that far outweighs the fleeting nature of talents. Join us for the fourth and final episode of this series as the Helsers blaze yet another Kingdom trail that leads to Life. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Oct 26, 20221h 8m

119: Land I’m Livin’ In (Part 3)

Get into the habit of saying, “Speak, Lord,” and life will become a romance. (1 Samuel 3:9) – Oswald Chambers Friends, Jonathan David Helser teaches, “In the Garden, it all began with a kiss. God’s first moment with us is…messy." And though we started out as dirt in the cherishing hands of the Trinity, our God invites us into more. Over a lifetime of maturing, we are intended to become the children, the friends, and, finally, the lovers of God. The Helsers have consented for decades to the movement and invitation of God in their lives. It hasn’t been easy. It hasn’t been cheap. It hasn’t been quick. But through them, God is blazing a path for generations of disciples to become the friends and lovers of God. In time and over time, they’ve practiced trusting the affection of God rather than trusting their gifting. A thousand times a thousand, they’ve chosen to receive and rest in the bottom-line reality that God’s love is better than life itself—and they’re inviting us to do the same. Come along into Part 3 of this series as we follow the Helsers on the path and process of becoming the sons, daughters, and lovers of God. For the Kingdom, Morgan "I will take delight in you. As a groom rejoices over his bride, so will I rejoice over you." – Isaiah 62

Oct 11, 20221h 27m

118: Land I’m Livin’ In (Part 2)

He opened the door of the birdcage to let the eagle fly to freedom. But the eagle had been in captivity for so long it no longer believed it could fly, and it chose not to fly. It was then he realized the bird was not in the cage. The cage was in the bird. – Jonathan Helser Friends, Jonathan David and Melissa Helser have become the kind of people who bring with them, wherever they find themselves, the atmosphere of the Kingdom of God. Through their pain, they’ve grown into their possibility. Their suffering has given way to an even greater desire. They have seen the goodness of God in the land of the living. And they are inviting us to come along, courageously following the Father anywhere. We rise by bowing We live by dying When we give what we could never keep We gain what we will never lose Join us for Part 2 of this series as we weave together story and song to shepherd our hearts ever deeper into the hope and heart of a God unbound by death. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Sep 28, 20221h 18m

117: Land I’m Livin’ In (Part 1)

God loves you unconditionally, exactly as you are and not as you "should be.” – Brennan Manning, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/All-Grace-Ragamuffin-Brennan-Manning/dp/0781412447" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">All Is Grace</a> The best teachers are foremost, always and forever, committed students. Jonathan David and Melissa Helser are unapologetically committed, life-long students of Jesus and his Kingdom. Risk-takers, worship leaders, and courageous parents, the Helsers blaze a path for people to encounter God—exactly as they are. For decades, they’ve invited generations of God’s sons and daughters to come as they are, authentically and intimately, into the presence of God. From that place, they’ve discovered a secret of the Kingdom: The one who knows us best is the one who loves us most. Friends, God is the one who knows us best. And from that place of deep knowing, he is the one who chooses us and loves us most. Come along as we discover afresh that we truly are the dearly loved sons and daughters of God. For the Kingdom, Morgan [Here are some ways to go deeper with the work entrusted to the Helsers' care: Explore their worship ministry, which has traveled the globe to offer live opportunities to encounter our Father together, at <a href="http://www.jonathanhelser.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">JonathanHelser.com</a> and <a href="http://www.cagelessbirds.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">CagelessBirds.com</a>. Check out their small-batch deep discipleship school for young adults through <a href="http://www.18inchjourney.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">18InchJourney.com</a>, one of the premier contexts for apprenticeship in this hour on the globe.]

Sep 15, 20221h 30m

116: Love Wins, with Tommy Colwell (Part 2)

Before I can tell my life what I want to do with it, I must listen to my life telling me who I am. – Parker J. Palmer, Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation Our stories do not define us; the Author of them does. It’s a profound truth and reality that takes many tears, much blood, and many years to fully participate in. Tommy Colwell is one of the men heroically participating in this reality. Through the ups and downs, the triumphs and tragedies, the breakthroughs and dead ends, he has discovered, looking back, that throughout his story he has been led. Deeply. Strongly. Abundantly. By a Father who is far more kind and loving than we dared to believe. How does a man abandoned and abused in childhood, suffering a profound lack of attachment, become a conduit of the Father-heart of God to not only offer to a family what he never had, but also shepherd the hearts of over a thousand individual fallen pastors into restoration and repair? Come along to witness and participate in a living miracle as we dive into Part 2 of this rich story of God fathering a boy, initiating a man, and raising up a seasoned sage. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Aug 30, 202257 min

115: Love Wins, with Tommy Colwell (Part 1)

So take seriously the story that God has given you to live. It's time to read your own life, because your story is the one that could set us all ablaze. – To Be Told, Dan Allender As we share our stories, engage our stories, and begin to partner with God in the restoration of our stories, we experience an increasing measure of what Saint Paul scandalously discloses in Romans 8: None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. (8:38-39 MSG) Though beautiful promises of the Father’s heart saturate the Scriptures, there is perhaps no promise greater than the bottom-line reality that his affection wins. His love gets the last word. And all will be made new in the light of this love. Tommy Colwell is 81 years old—and still courageously consenting to his masculine initiation. He has become an elder, a son, and a sage. Come along into Part 1 of this series and receive Tommy’s story as nourishment and validation, as it mirrors the narrative arc of our own initiation. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Aug 16, 202250 min

114: A Consecrated Life – 2019 BGS Intensive, Part 8

Without God, we cannot; without us, God will not. – Saint Augustine Since we are the sons of God, we must become the sons of God. Since we are the kings of Jesus, we must become the kings of Jesus—kings to whom he is glad to entrust his Kingdom. It brings an honorable sobriety to come to the realization that our heart—our healing and our wholeness—is not about us, nor is it primarily for us. It’s primarily for others. As the sons of God, our will is insufficient as the fuel for transformation. Yet it is always the rudder to set our course. By day and by decade, we always have a choice. How will we accept and engage the particulars of the consecrated life our Father has asked us to live? If you’ve made it this far in the Intensive series, you are among the few. Well done. We’ve traveled some hard and honest miles together, but we’re not done yet. Come along into Part 8, the final session of the 2019 BGS Intensive. We hear from men who have traveled the road before us. We sit in their counsel. And we will stand on their shoulders. You don’t want to miss this. For the Kingdom, Morgan

Aug 2, 20221h 5m