Everyday Disciple Podcast

It’s easy to look across the auditorium–or across the room–and ask why the church and our small groups or missional communities are not more diverse. But are racial differences the only form of diversity there is? This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we’ll look at some of the reasons we don’t see greater diversity in the church and why there may be false expectations in connection with some of this. We’ll give you practical ways to look at your own church and community groups and begin to discern new opportunities for diversity. True, life-giving relationships with others who are different than ourselves take humility. We will have to lay down our pride and any snobbery we have and be willing to include, learn from, and even follow others. In This Episode You’ll Learn: Why Sunday is the most segregated (or most homogenous) day of the week. The “thing behind the thing” when it comes to our lack of diversity in the church (and life). Why diversity is not just about skin color and race. How when the Bible speaks about “all nations worshiping together”, it is not talking about a giant church service in heaven someday. Practical steps to intentionally growing a missional community that is more diverse in every way. Get started here... From this episode: “Diversity isn’t something that happens automatically—which should be clear from history—it’s something that takes place and grows through our intentionality. But most of us live in a pretty diverse community if we choose to acknowledge and celebrate all the differences that God has already brought together.”   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   In light of today’s topics, you might find these posts and videos helpful: These 3 Things Are True Discipleship Killers  

After several years of marriage, the passion in your relationship can begin to fade into the normalcy of everyday life. If you have lost some of the romance in your marriage and are needing to turn up the fire, this episode will show you how. This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we’ll teach you 7 ways to romance your wife on Valentine’s Day and every day! Ladies… you may need to pass this one on to your husband. We have been created for love. We need to be loved throughout our lifetime. For many people, they also have been in love and desire romance in their life. Of course! But there is a difference between these two very important aspects of relationship–especially within marriage. In This Episode You’ll Learn: The difference between love and romance… and if both last forever. Why “falling in love” feels so amazing and why we all want more of that feeling. How God is the author of love and romance and His example for both. 7 ways to romance your wife all year, with tips for this Valentine’s Day too. Attention wives: you’ll love this episode too… all of this works in the other direction! Get started here... From this episode: “Putting intentionality and effort into romancing your wife over the course of your lives together and maintaining a deep romantic connection is the best way to safeguard your marriage against future crisis.”   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   In light of today’s topics, you might find these posts and videos helpful: 5 Steps To An Awesome Date Night With Your Spouse  

Church discipline is a term found nowhere in the Bible. But its taught, often necessary, and it is usually very difficult to practice in ways that show the love of God. And many of us, and those we know, have been hurt by churches not doing this correctly. This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we discuss how to do church discipline with love and purpose… instead of just “handing people over to Satan” and being done with them. :-/ So much of what is written about church discipline is steeped in old covenant, temple theology, and language. It’s taught as if Jesus never came and died for all of our sins already; forgetting that we are now the righteousness of Christ. What should be the goal and purpose of church discipline? In This Episode You’ll Learn: How ‘discipline’ and ‘disciple’ have the same root meaning and goals. How Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 18 may surprise you when read in its full context. Who should be involved with doing church discipline and when. What it really means to “turn someone over to Satan”. Practical steps for addressing someone who has sinned against you. Get started here... From this episode: “It is rare that we, ourselves, don’t also have at least some role in the situation where someone has hurt us or sinned against us. A good starting point is to humble ourselves and seek the other person’s forgiveness before approaching them about their sin against us. I think you’ll be surprised at what will happen after that!”   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   In light of today’s topics, you might find these posts and videos helpful: Want to Stop Sinning? Here’s How to Get Started  

Missional community life can be tricky and hard to sustain. Leading missional communities can seem even harder to navigate. How do you determine if you are like-minded enough to lead with another person or couple? How do you get started? This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we’re gonna teach you how to determine who you should lead a missional community with and what should happen when you don’t agree on things. When discussing leadership within new or existing missional communities, there are two roads we need to look at: 1. working with leaders you’ve developed and they too are now leading with you, and 2. putting a new team of leaders together. In This Episode You’ll Learn: What missional community (MC) leadership looks like. How MC leaders can build stronger relationships outside of a weekly meeting. The best ways to bring up conflict as leaders and how to deal with it. Getting leaders on the same page as to “what the mission is” that we are on. How practicing the 23 “one-anothers” found in scripture is key to healthy leadership. Get started here... From this episode: “God shows his grace on Earth through people, and leaders show others God’s grace and what it looks like to know and live out the good news of the Kingdom in every area of life. Your job in leading a missional community (or a church for that matter) is primarily that–not to be in charge and make all the decisions about what everyone else is supposed to do.”   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: Get a free copy of Caesar’s book BIGGER GOSPEL and Learn to Speak the Good News of the Gospel Into Everyday Life! Click Here Now. Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources Caesar Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources   In light of today’s topics, you might find these posts and videos helpful: Who Are Your Next Leaders?  

Wouldn’t it be great if Jesus had just left us his “5 Big Steps” or “3 Important Ingredients” for disciple-making? It would be so much simpler if discipleship in the real world was a little more spelled out and outlined into a few basics. This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we’re going to show you how discipleship looks less like one big thing or series of classes... and more like a million little things. We’ve made discipleship a lot more complicated than it was ever meant to be. When Jesus commanded us to “go and make disciples,” he was not commanding us to hold a specific set of classes or scheduled routines but to enter into the everyday lives of people. Into all the little stuff of life. In This Episode You’ll Learn: Why there will never be a perfect set of classes or “one big thing” that adds up to maturity in our churches. How Romans 8:28 helps clarify what God is up to when it comes to our sanctification. Why dependence on the works of the Holy Spirit is crucial in discipleship. Why disciple-making was never meant to be the job of a few professionals. Get started here... From this episode: “I think we’ve overcomplicated discipleship... and sort of dumbed it down to a set of learnings and head knowledge instead of an experience with others of how the gospel of Jesus speaks into and shapes a million little things that all add up to the life we were created to live: His life.”   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   In light of today’s topics, you might find these posts and videos helpful: Jumpstarting, Restarting or Resurrecting Your Missional Community  

Wouldn’t it be great if you could get any (all) of your questions about discipleship, relationships, and life on mission answered by a couple of “experts”? Here ya go... This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, you have asked, and we’ve listened! Caesar and Heath answer a pile of your questions about discipleship and missional living in this special “LifeSchool Cafe: Your Questions Answered” edition. We get a lot of emails and questions here at the Lifeschool Podcast, and we love it! And we understand that it can be easy to get stuck or feel uncertain of how to navigate certain relational waters when making disciples and doing life in community on mission. In This Episode You’ll Learn: How to correct weird or damaging “Christianese” without coming off as rude. What is a good starting point to start discipling people after they are baptized? What are the most formative books on theology, ecclesiology, and mission you’ve read? How do you navigate friendships with believers with whom you’re finding your theology and philosophies of discipleship/mission are increasingly different? And a bunch of other questions along the way! Get started here... From this episode: “It’s been my experience that it is not usually the problem with a group or community becoming TOO outward focused. True discipleship is outward focused and happens best with a combination and balance of gospel-centered community increasingly living like a family on mission. Without all three (including a strong outward focus), it’s hard to move to maturity.” 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: This week, instead of us giving you the Big 3 for Episode #197, you’re invited to give us your Big 3 takeaways after listening to this special episode. Just login to Facebook and drop your Big 3 in the Lifeschool Group :-) Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources Caesar Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources   In light of today’s topics, you might find these posts and videos helpful: Discipleship: The One Person You Need to Worry About  

Imagine Jesus being born today, in our times. Do you think he'd be received as God’s own son? Would the world believe... would you? This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, Caesar and Heath celebrate their second annual Christmas episode, as they dive deep into the Incarnation and what it means for us today. It’s crazy to think that we get so lost in the consumerism of Christmas, even as Christians, that we forget about the magnitude of God becoming man. God putting on flesh. This year, let’s recapture the essence of the Incarnation as we are now the flesh that is wrapped around God’s Spirit! In This Episode You’ll Learn: What Jesus’ name(s) teach us about the Incarnation. How Jesus’ incarnation is a model for how we “go” into the world and make disciples. That we have the exact same Spirit of God dwelling in us as Jesus. (This is huge!) Ways we can make this a special Christmas for those whose burdens we seek to bear. Get started here... From this episode: “We now know that we have been taken up and borne in the humanity of Jesus, and therefore that new nature we now enjoy means that we too must bear the sins and sorrows of others. The incarnate Lord makes his followers the brothers of all mankind.” ― Dietrich Bonhoeffer   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 Bible Makes Sense by Walter Brueggemann Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources Caesar Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources   In light of today’s topics, you might find these posts and videos helpful: Is Time Running Out on Your Relationships? (How Gospel Fluency Changes Everything)  

Rising sea levels... raging storms. Ferocious fires and punishing floods. Is something changing on our planet, or is all of this just… normal? This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we revisit a powerful conversation we had with renowned climate scientist, Katharine Hayhoe. Recently, the US federal government issued a new National Climate Assessment, and Katharine is one of the co-authors! We will also leave you with a TON of resources and next steps for helping to combat climate change so you can begin to make a small (but big) difference in the world! This is not a political issue for Heath and I (Caesar). We’re not advocating for the left or the right in this. We believe that it is less important to try and place blame for this shift in the climate and learn how to unite, rather than divide, over solutions and in a hope to offer help and assistance to those on our shared planet who are most affected by these changes. In This Episode You’ll Learn: About the new National Climate Assessment that is over 2,000 pages long with hundreds of peer-reviewed publications and citations... and why it is important. How some of us may be confusing “weather” and “climate” and the important distinction between these two things. Some hard statistics (and truth) about our climate patterns. Why Christians are the perfect people to care about climate change. 100+ ways you can fight climate change. Get started here... From this episode: “I want my head to be right on this, basing my understanding on facts, and more importantly, I want my heart to be right and offer a response that glorifies God and shows the world and those in need his true heart.”   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: (includes the links to over 100 ways you can fight climate change and make a difference today!) Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources Caesar Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources   In light of today’s topics, you might find these posts and videos helpful: Want a Crazy Early Jumpstart on New Year Goal Setting?  

As God’s kids and together as his family here on Earth, we get to serve others as an expression of our identity in Christ. And sometimes, the smallest acts of service can have the biggest impact! This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we’ll show you how serving your city in little ways provides a picture and experience of the good news of the gospel. You’ll hear about 12 small ways you can improve your city individually or as a group together. This is fun! Working from a list of 101 ways to improve your city (which we’ll give to you), we share twelve of our favorites. These are things that can be done almost anywhere by anyone. All hands on deck! In This Episode You’ll Learn: Why serving others is a display of what God is like in the world. How restoration and reconciliation often flow from small acts of service. 12 things we LOVE that you can do to improve your city through serving. (Easy stuff!) How you, your family, and your community group can get started serving right away. Get started here... From this episode: “Sometimes it only takes a few lights to completely transform a city block. A bunch of us did this in our neighborhood in Tacoma… what a difference! Casting light on a forgotten building or dark alley can bring a renewed sense of appreciation and safety within the community.”   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   In light of today’s topics, you might find these posts and videos helpful: Life on Mission is Organized and Organic Resting is Hard Work  

Much of the Church today seems to be operating with a “functional Great Commission”: Go into all the world and make more worship attenders, baptizing them in the name of small groups, and teaching them to volunteer a few times a month. This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we talk with author and sought-after consultant, Will Mancini, about why intentional disciple-making = real church growth. More than we’d like to admit, so much of our default strategy for seeing people come to faith in Jesus begins and ends with pumping people through our priority programs. It’s the classic attractional mindset. In This Episode You’ll Learn: Why the Church has slipped into a functional, versus original, Great Commission mindset. How your language will reveal what’s most important to you as a church. The 3 types of Christian churches we’ll experience in the next 20 years. Why programs don’t attract people; people attract people. Get started here... From this episode: “The dirty little secret among so many pastors is that we are really good at faking disciples rather than making disciples. The quantity and quality of our programs—and our sheer busyness keeping it all going—distract us from the truth.”   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   In light of today’s topics, you might find these posts and videos helpful: Who Broke the Missional Movement? Is It Time to Reimagine the Church?  

Thanksgiving meals give us an opportunity to turn strangers into friends and friends into family. Who will you invite to be part of your family this year? This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, Caesar’s wife, Tina, joins him and Heath and teaches you how to include others from outside your immediate family in a new tradition–Friendsgiving. Let’s start making room at God's table! There may be no more appropriately suited time of year than Thanksgiving to express our gratitude for all that God has blessed us with in this life. And no better way to express our thankfulness than by sharing it with others. In This Episode You’ll Learn: Why it may be time to rethink who we include in our understanding of “family”. Who to invite to your “Friendsgiving”. How to deal with your family members who are less excited about having “strangers” at their table this year. How to express thankfulness around the table without it being weird or forced. Tips for putting on an easy and stress-free Friendsgiving meal that everyone enjoys. Get started here... From this episode: “Don’t worry about trying to pull off the ‘perfect’ dinner! A place at the table and flexibility are the key things to remember. When you open up a space at your table for someone, it is like they are being invited to ‘God’s table’... because, in fact, they are!”   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   In light of today’s topics, you might find these posts and videos helpful: Stop Hiding Your Imperfections Why You Should Treat Everyone Like Family  

We all have those people in life who just rub us the wrong way. How are we supposed to deal with that? Ignore them, avoid them? Or... is there another way? This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we’ll teach you how to deal with difficult people in your life. Whether they’re family members, co-workers, or people in your community, this will help you maintain healthy relationships–and your sanity. Jesus dealt with lots of challenging people. And compared to him, everyone is a difficult person! Look in the mirror to see one. Truth is, you can be pretty sure that you may be on someone’s “list” as hard to deal with in certain ways too. In This Episode You’ll Learn: A deeper look at some of the difficult people Jesus encountered and how he dealt with them. How to identify 4 different types of difficult people. How to understand ‘the thing behind the thing’ with each of the 4 types. Why difficult people present easy opportunities for discipleship. Get started here... From this episode: “When we take the time necessary to gently address a person in a way that they can hear and receive, a bond of trust is built that can change how they act and how we respond to them. When you listen, ask good questions, and seek to understand “the thing behind the thing”, it is always a gospel issue that leads to any of us being difficult or argumentative.”   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   In light of today’s topics, you might find these posts and videos helpful: The One Person You Need to Worry About The Best Parenting Advice I Ever Got  

Church doctrines of grace and salvation, in some cases, may actually prevent us from creating an expectation that we are to be and make disciples. Do our existing models of evangelism and discipleship fail to produce true followers of Jesus? This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we dive into the importance of recovering a robust view of the gospel and taking seriously the connection between conversion and discipleship with Bill Hull, a “discipleship evangelist” (I love that term!) who’s the author of a bunch of bestselling discipleship classics. A person can profess to be a Christian and yet still live under the impression that they don’t need to actually follow Jesus. Being a follower and disciple is seen as an optional add-on, not a requirement. It is a choice, not a demand. Being a Christian today, unfortunately, has little connection with the biblical idea that we are formed into the image and identity of Christ. In This Episode You’ll Learn: A historical definition of “conversion” that you’ll find clarifying. Why conversion and discipleship are two sides of the same coin. The problems the Church experiences because they’ve split (or ignored) these two functions. Why having a bigger view of the gospel is the solution to this problem. Get started here... From this episode: “You’ll never make a disciple from a non-discipleship gospel. A gospel that does not include disciples making disciples, and all true Christians are disciples of Jesus, is actually a very truncated gospel and not really the gospel Jesus proclaimed and preached.”   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: Bill Hull’s book “Conversion and Discipleship–You Can’t Have One Without the Other” Get Caesar’s latest book: Bigger Gospel for FREE… Click here.  

Something isn’t working. More and more we’re seeing people leave the church because it seems less relevant to them, and they are not being discipled in the normal aspects of everyday life. Jesus… can you help us?! This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we look into why Jesus didn't make disciples in a classroom or only sitting in rows at the temple once a week. And we’ll show you the discipleship environment he created. (You’ll want to live the same way too after hearing this!) Most of the time Jesus spent with his disciples was in the normal rhythms of life as they ate, traveled, taught, and served others. While there were times when he taught in more formal settings, it was his consistent example of love, generosity, encouragement, prayer, etc. that probably had the greatest impact on their lives. Jesus modeled the life he wanted his disciples to go and live. In This Episode You’ll Learn: How Jesus’ discipleship happened outside of classrooms. (And what it looked like.) Why a gospel-centered community living together on Jesus’ mission must be the context for discipleship. How the Holy Spirit is the primary discipler of people’s hearts and lives. The organized and organic aspects to discipleship and why we need both. Get started here... From this episode: “Jesus placed a high value on service and evangelism to those who were not yet his followers, especially to those in great need. Jesus was consistently exposing the disciples to different kinds of people, in different kinds of places, with different kinds of needs. He often placed the disciples in situations where they could learn to love and serve “the least of these” by serving alongside him.”   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: Download Caesar’s notes on the Discipleship Environment of Jesus. Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources Caesar Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources   In light of today’s topics, you might find these posts and videos helpful: The Biggest Mistake You Can Make in Disciple-making Be The Church - FREE eBook  

The Church has been run in much the same way for decades; we’ve run programs, services, built buildings, and held conferences. I wonder if we’ve really achieved the thing that is most on the heart of God? This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we talk with author and movement leader, Nic Harding, and try and explain why our leaders need to reimagine the church as it functions today. For many of us caught up in the treadmill of Church activity, we’ve lost sight of the abundant life Jesus offers us. Needless, stress-inducing busyness is a sure sign that we have got something badly wrong. But joy and a truly abundant life is the hallmark of getting this right. You in? In This Episode You’ll Learn: How to clarify the “win” that Jesus gave us for the Church. What to do when you find yourself WAY TOO busy (and stressed) leading in the Church. How discovering your true purpose will set you free from crazy, religious busyness, Great resources for walking step-by-step in making disciples and developing leaders. Get started here... From this episode: “If you’re a leader in the Church today, are you focusing your energies and living your life for the approval of others… the board, the elders, the congregation... or living in the truth that you are a child of the King, who is your loving Father?”   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: Get Nic’s book: Reimagine Church and $250 in bonus materials (Free!) Kairo Connection Kx Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources Caesar Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources   In light of today’s topics, you might find these posts and videos helpful: 4 Generation Leadership Explosion Why You Should Stop Going to Church  

It seems like it only takes a few seconds being on social media or TV to see people crying out for justice. We often speak of “getting justice”, but the Bible speaks of “doing justice”. This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we discuss the command in scripture to love mercy and do justice… and if our cultural understanding and experience of justice is lining up with God’s heart and hopes. Justice is disillusioning... Where do you draw the lines of where justice starts and end? We all have different ideas on correct levels of justice—what is just and what is not. How do we set a baseline of what justice (or maybe even injustice) looks like? Who sets the bar? In This Episode You’ll Learn: Life-changing (and biblical) definitions of mercy and justice. What exactly produces a “love of mercy” in our own hearts and lives. How God’s “justice” will change the world. How we can participate in God’s restorative justice in the lives of others. Get started here... From this episode: “Justice is really about restoration. Getting even or punishing people for their screw-ups is going in the wrong direction. It’s working against God’s purposes. God is not interested in getting even; he wants people to see who they really are–who they were meant to be. How they should live. For things to be made right, restored.”   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 Justice Primer will walk you step-by-step as a group into understanding what it means to love mercy and do justice among the least of these in your area. Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources Caesar Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources   In light of today’s topics, you might find these posts and videos helpful: The One Person You Need to Worry About Lifeschool 165: This is What Will Keep You From Living On Mission  

Unless seeds are planted, watered, and given enough time for growth, there is little expectation of a harvest. That’s how it works in farming; it seems it is similar with people and their faith. This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we discuss the spiritual metaphor of sowing and reaping. Is it possible to do any reaping if there’s been no sowing done before us? And what is the “harvest” that Jesus actually talked about? This topic gained quite a bit of traction and interest when we posted it on the Lifeschool Facebook group. And it appears that while harvesting is where the “action” is, Christians are often unsure how to do it and are left curious about previous seed sowing efforts that would lead to a spiritual harvest in a person’s life. In This Episode You’ll Learn: What Jesus taught about the amount of “fruit” that is ready to be harvested. The harvest Jesus was actually talking about and interested in. (It’s different than you were taught.) What constitutes “sowing seeds”. Why sowing and reaping is an ongoing cycle (like on a farm), not a once-and-done type of thing. Get started here... From this episode: “Are you looking to “close the deal” or give your life away? Seeking to get a “decision for Christ” or invite people into your family–God’s family–and lay your life down for them?”   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: Coaching that Caesar is offering. If you are interested in learning more about being coached and mentored by Caesar toward life in a missional community, and learning how to disciple others, click here now.  

It can seem like the scariest and most awkward thing to do in life and relationships: you’re having a nice conversation, and you feel it’s time to bring up Jesus or transition to spiritual things. Yikes! This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we discuss how to transition normal, everyday discussions to spiritual conversations—without it being weird. We are too often compelled by guilt to transition to spiritual conversations. We are supposed to try and slip in a little “Jesus talk” or church stuff whenever we can… right? But most of the techniques we’ve been taught are just that–techniques. And they can feel like a sales pitch to others and ourselves! In This Episode You’ll Learn: Why we are afraid to engage in spiritual conversations. The most common excuses we have and the lies behind them. How past “techniques” rarely, if ever, end up being beneficial. Why the gospel is NOT a set of facts about sin, hell, and our afterlife. Effective ways to transition to spiritual conversations that are actually Good News. Get started here... From this episode: “If our understanding of the gospel and spiritual things is focused primarily on some yet-to-be-seen afterlife, it will probably always seem weird or irrelevant to talk about 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: Coaching that Caesar is offering. If you are interested in learning more about being coached and mentored by Caesar toward life in a missional community, and learning how to disciple others, click here now.   In light of today’s topics, you might find this resource helpful: How to Share Your Faith in a Non-Creepy Way  

Other than a weekly meal and hangout, what does a missional community need to do together? Are there set patterns for being together, or are we just trying to fit everything into a neat little once-a-week box? This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we discuss what a missional community is supposed to do from week-to-week. This is surprisingly simple, yet powerful! Too often what is labeled as a Missional Community is just a renamed, traditional small group or Bible study together. Maybe there’s an occasional service project added in. But what if a missional community actually lived like a family with both organized and organic rhythms? That’s what a missional community needs to do together. In This Episode You’ll Learn: A working definition for what a missional community actually (biblically) is. What the mission of a missional community is and always has been. The organized and organic rhythms of a healthy missional community. How to include and balance the involvement of our kids in community. 6 natural rhythms of a missional community that fit every context. Get started here... From this episode: “Structuring your missional community life and time like a family with family rhythms takes into account the needs of everyone. A few organized family rhythms will perpetuate and facilitate numerous organic opportunities to BE a family and do a lot of normal life stuff together. Don’t over-complicate things!”   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: Coaching that Caesar is offering. If you are interested in learning more about being coached and mentored by Caesar toward life in a missional community, and learning how to disciple others, click here now.   In light of today’s topics, you might find this resource helpful: Be The Church  

“Missional community life probably works great where you live, but you don’t understand my context. People are different here…” I've heard this a zillion times. This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we discuss whether or not it’s actually possible to start and sustain a missional community in any context: urban, suburban, rural… the moon! Jesus commanded us to go and make disciples, teaching and modeling his life to people, in every context… in every nation. He only and always made disciples in community, living his life closely with others. I think we oughta trust Jesus on this one! In This Episode You’ll Learn: Why Jesus always made disciples in community. Did Jesus start the first missional community? The surprising similarities to the challenges people face in every context. The close correlation between how healthy families function and missional community life. Tips for figuring out the DNA of your particular community, in your context. Get started here... From this episode: “One thing that is universal about a missional community in any context, is that this sort of lifestyle is going to be messy. It is not a weekly Bible study or an hour-long, one-on-one meeting. You’ll need to give your whole life to making disciples the way Jesus did!”   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: Coaching that Caesar is offering. If you are interested in learning more about being coached and mentored by Caesar toward life in a missional community, and learning how to disciple others, click here now.   In light of today’s topics, you might find this resource helpful: The First Time I Tried Starting a Missional Community I Failed  

Whether caused by fear of man or the fear of missing out (FOMO), most of us need to learn to say “no” a whole lot more often. This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we’ll teach you how to say no more often in life and how to un-commit yourself from the things that you shouldn’t have said yes to in the first place. Saying no to people is not easy. Sometimes we give in and say yes to please others, but saying yes to everything and everyone is impossible and leads to burnout. Let's master the art of gracefully saying no and uncommitting. In This Episode You’ll Learn: Why we find it so hard to say “no” to people. What the Bible teaches in connection with bailing out on commitments. 10 ways to gracefully say no to people… plus a bonus to use with telemarketers! The right way to uncommit to things you should not have said yes to. Get started here... From this episode: “The more we think about what we are giving up when we say ‘yes’ to someone, the easier it is to say no. If we have no clear sense of the opportunity cost—in other words, the value of what we are giving up—then it is especially easy to fall into the nonessential trap of telling ourselves we can get it all done. We can’t. A graceful 'no' grows out of a clear but unstated calculation of the trade-off.”   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 Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources   In light of today’s topics, you might find these resources helpful: Want to Stop Sinning? Here's How to Get Started How to Talk About Politics Without Being a Jerk  

When we hear the word "conflict," it is usually perceived as a negative thing. However, there is a reason why conflict is not all bad, and can be either a positive or negative thing. The key is understanding the difference. This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we are going to show you how to recognize and engage in healthy conflict in a way that repairs relationships and shows the world what God is truly like. The problem with conflict is that the two types usually run counter-intuitive to our inherent emotional state as humans. Therefore, human nature is to squash the conflict that is most apparent (the good kind) and adjust to the subtle conflict that no one can quite put their finger upon (the bad kind). In This Episode You’ll Learn: The glaring difference between the two kinds of conflict you experience. Why we're hard-wired to avoid the good type of conflict and embrace the bad. How conflict actually presents you with an ideal environment for discipleship. Ideas and steps for resolving a current conflict in your life or community. Get started here... From this episode: “Behind every conflict lives a series of lies and unbelief. Identifying those and replacing them with the truth about God, ourselves, and how we GET to live is always the goal. That’s what discipleship is and how we experience the Kingdom of heaven now… here!”   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 Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources   In light of today’s topics, you might find these resources helpful: 7 Reasons Why Gossip is Poison. And 3 Ways to Stop It How to Move From Forgiveness to Reconciliation  

Most of us would agree with the age-old saying, “The youth of today is the future of tomorrow.” But how many of us take that sentiment seriously enough to actually do something about it? This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we talk about the opportunities for mentoring those who are eventually going to take our place in the world with author and experienced mentor, Dr. Rick Bartlett. Kids and youth today are open to you engaging them in the journey of discovery they are on. As their world moves from concrete and simple to more abstract and nuanced, they are looking for guides, sounding boards, and encouragement. You can be that for them! In This Episode You’ll Learn: Why you don’t need to be married or a parent to be an excellent mentor. How the Church can offer youth a different message than the culture does today. The ways that young people may be “called” at an early age. Ways you, your church, and your community can help young people engage with their faith. Get started here... From this episode: “You can pour words of affirmation about true identity into the youth in your life. Reinforce that they are image bearers of God... and have been given a very high calling, authority, and privilege through Christ.”   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 Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources   In light of today’s topics, you might find these resources helpful: How to Pray for Your Child's Future Spouse Life in a True Gospel-Centered Community: Kirstan's Story   .cf-scroll-wrapper { background: #00000075;}

It’s easy to listen to sermons and read books on theology and missional living… nod our heads in agreement… yet very little change happens in our lives. Jesus made some surprising (maybe unreasonable?) commands to his potential disciples. This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we continue our talk on Gospel Motivation and why what we truly believe will become evident by the work of our hands and the patterns of our lives. This is not just a message for “leaders”, but it is really a message about the gospel and how it changes our affections and reshapes every area of life. In This Episode You’ll Learn: Jesus’ surprising commands to his potential disciples. Why we are all full-time, paid missionaries regardless where we work. Ways to look at a leader’s life to see if they are being motivated by the gospel. Why you absolutely cannot make a mature disciple without 3 crucial things. Where the power to live out of a gospel motivation comes from. Get started here... From this episode: “It can be hard to rightly motivate people on mission… we have well-worn grooves, patterns, and language that end up being more law than grace, more hard work than gospel freedom. To grow in your gospel fluency and learn the “language of the gospel”, I want to invite you to a powerful free training and webinar I’m hosting… The Gospel in Everyday Life. Reserve your spot now. I know of no other training that can change your life as much in one hour!”   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: Free training webinar Caesar mentioned – Gospel in Everyday Life Caesar Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources   In light of today’s topics, you might find these resources helpful: Why You Should Stop Going To Church It’s Time to Reinvent the Church   .cf-scroll-wrapper { background: #00000075;}

“I have a whole bunch of people that have bought into this missional community thing and lifestyle–living like missionaries in our city–but HOW do you keep them motivated? They start out all fired up, but after a while, they seem to fizzle out.” Sound familiar? This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we talk about why you need Gospel Motivation to lead your church, small group, or family toward a life on mission with God... and what happens when you don’t. For those of us that were raised in the church, there is a sense of the law and legalism when it comes to having a motivation to live on mission with God. Legalism, at times, produces outward change but not on a lasting heart level. Using “should” and “supposed to” only leads to fear or self-righteousness. Neither of these are good motivators if you want to sustain a lifestyle and movement within your tribe. In This Episode You’ll Learn: How the ‘American Dream’ life may be a smokescreen in your life and a convenient excuse for not living on mission. Why what you believe in your head will change what you believe in your heart. How the gospel changes ALL of our motivations, affections, and even our locations. Why a “Christian life” lived under the wrong motivation is not attractive to non-believers. Get started here... From this episode: “The Good News of Jesus comes into our lives with the reality that we are both horribly sinful and needy AND more loved and accepted than we could ever hope for. We have new, eternal life as our inheritance. No possible carrot could entice or fulfill beyond this. There is no condemnation for us in Christ; gone are any sticks that would beat or shame us into action. Love is our clarion call and gratefulness is our motivation!”   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: Free training webinar Caesar mentioned – Gospel in Everyday Life Caesar Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources   In light of today’s topics, you might find these resources helpful: Is Your Church Suffering From Spiritual Schizophrenia? How to Lead Your Small Group or Church Toward True Missional Living   .cf-scroll-wrapper { background: #00000075;}

Many of us have a sense of the two or three things we are really good at, either naturally or we’ve put in the time and investment to learn and develop certain skills or abilities. Do you know how to figure out your personal superpower? This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we are going to show you how to figure out your personal superpower and also discover what your “kryptonite” might be. It’s not prideful to know the things you are really good at in life and to develop and share those things with others. All of us have certain things we are good at doing or noticing or perceiving. We also have blind spots and weaknesses in life that, if left unchecked, could take us down or hurt others. Beware of the kryptonite in your life! In This Episode You’ll Learn: Your strengths in life can be your primary way to display God’s glory. Why it is not prideful to know and exercise the things you are really good at. Tips and tools for identifying your personal “superpowers”. A process (it’s crazy!) for pinpointing character issues and potential kryptonite. The difference between being open to feedback vs. actively seeking feedback. Get started here... From this episode: “Start with some honest self-assessment. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to identify any areas of your life and character that he would have you be more aware of and begin to look for any unbelief (in who God is and what is really true of you) behind these things. Write these down and pray over them for three days.”   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: StrengthsFinder Assessment Caesar Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources   In light of today’s topics, you might find these resources helpful: Call Me Batman! Is the Church Guilty of False Advertising?   .cf-scroll-wrapper { background: #00000075;}

When I was a kid in Sunday School, I can remember being taught about not having idols in our life. I envisioned totem poles or statues in my room… NOPE, none of those! But we all have idols galore. This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we are gonna teach you how to identify and then crush idols and counterfeit gods in your life. What is so central or essential in your life that, should you lose it, you’d feel like life would hardly be worth living? We let these false “gods” gain such controlling positions in our hearts that we will spend large amounts of passion, energy, and emotional and financial resources on it without a second thought. In This Episode You’ll Learn: What idolatry really is and how to recognize it in your own life. Why we are quick to defend our idols and counterfeit gods. How to uncover “the thing behind the thing” that exposes the real idol. Why idols will never just go away in our life… always demanding more. 20 Idol-Crushing Questions that will help you root out your idols. Get started here... From this episode: “An idol is whatever you look at and say, in your heart of hearts, ‘If I have that, then I’ll feel my life has meaning, then I’ll know I have value, then I’ll feel significant and secure.’ There are many ways to describe that kind of relationship to something, but perhaps the best one is worship.”   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: (Includes the 20 Idol-Crushing Questions from Counterfeit Gods) Free training webinar Caesar mentioned – Gospel in Everyday Life Counterfeit Gods book by Tim Keller Caesar Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources   In light of today’s topics, you might find these resources helpful: 3 Simple Words That Will Change Your Life How to Stop Loving Stuff and Start Loving People  

Summer is here again, yes! And for many involved in vocational ministry or even a regular part of a small group or missional community, summer is a time for a taking a break from ministry… Don’t do it! Your neighbors and friends are all out looking for fun and relationships this summer. This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we are gonna show you why and how to take advantage of these summer months to boost your community life and discipleship this fall. Summer is gold! And there is a level of intentionality we get to live with as we "breathe out" beyond our own family and closer circle of friends. The rhythms you already live in are the perfect way to build deeper relationships with new friends and people of peace this summer. In This Episode You’ll Learn: Why summer's the time to “lean into” new relationships rather than take a break. Where new friendships are “hiding” in your neighborhood. Why kids are such a great opportunity for building relationships in the summer. How to set yourself up for autumn and discipleship with these new friends. A pile of fun, easy, and practical examples to try this summer in your neighborhood or community. How to get started this week in a way that fits your schedule! Get started here... From this episode: “After just a few weeks of hosting our Friday night BBQ with our neighbors, we started hearing them say things like, ‘You are giving us the neighborhood we always wanted to have and live in!’ and, ‘Could we start to have this over at our house once in a while too…?’”   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 Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources   In light of today’s topics, you might find these resources helpful: Is Your Parenting Style Transactional or Grace-Based? Gospel Fluency: A Relational Game-Changer   .cf-scroll-wrapper { background: #00000075;}

Should all Christians be married? Although we might quickly respond "no," our cultural stories and norms―including those in the church―often communicate "yes!" This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we’re joined by Kutter Callaway, an author and assistant professor of theology and culture. We talk about this and how culture is redefining marriage and singleness... and what this means for those who follow Jesus. If you’ve ever turned on the TV or read a newspaper in the last few years, it’s pretty apparent that marriage is being redefined by the culture, and the purpose that the Church places on this institution is also changing. It's time to redefine the value of marriage and singleness. In This Episode You’ll Learn: What the Bible teaches about the institution of marriage. Ways to think about biblical marriage and the reasons to get married. How the legal and cultural definitions of marriage differ from the Bible. How our narratives have limited our understanding of marriage. Ways that Christians talk about marriage and singleness that may be a hindrance to many. How we can craft a new story that transforms the way we look at marriage and affirms the contributions of all to the body of Christ. Get started here... From this episode: “Think about the language you use to talk about marriage to single people. Is it life giving or limiting? Is it filled with a ‘wait for God’ focus, or a ‘fullness in Christ’ focus? If single, what aspect of your identity and overall happiness is based on ‘some day’ getting married? Have you placed limitations on all that God wants to do in and through your life as you wait for some possible future union?”   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: Kutter Calloway’s book: Breaking the Marriage Idol: Reconstructing our Cultural and Spiritual Norms Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources Caesar Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources In light of today’s topics, you might find these resources helpful: How to Pray for Your Child's Future Spouse 5 Steps To An Awesome Date Night With Your Spouse  

The church was once the premier creator of art and beauty within culture. Christian artists throughout history saw it as their honor, and even their duty, to portray Christ and his Kingdom in ways that spoke to the hearts of people. This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, Caesar talks to Heath about art, identity, and the importance of letting your true self be known and loved and why artists need to be embraced in our churches. (This is a very special episode!) If we can learn anything about God’s character from looking at the world around us, it is that he is creative and diverse and is fascinated with detail and beauty. And then you look at people and see the result of his handcrafted pleasure! We could live in a black and white boring world with just enough grayscale to provide the very basics of existence, but we live in the massive detonation of beauty and awe and diversity. In This Episode You’ll Learn: A little about art, music, and the Church throughout history. How pragmatism has taken over and is killing the beauty of art in the church today. Why the way we have been taught to read scripture has contributed to this loss. Why Heath decided to write a book that explores art and identity. Ways to recapture and promote our role as “artistic image bearers” within our own churches. Get started here... From this episode: “The reason that this is so important to me is that our ultimate meaning stems from the fact that God has invested and imparted in us the very essence of himself. We are image bearers of this fascination and wonder. And so to not constantly look out and admire, we are missing a big part of what it means to be human…”   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: Heath’s book: The Holistic Artist: An Exploration Into Art + Identity Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources Caesar Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources In light of today’s topics, you might find these resources helpful: The Story of God Why You Should Stop Hiding Your Imperfections  

Discipleship is not a series of classes. Discipleship is the process of moving from unbelief to belief in every area of life... It must be done life on life, life in community, and life on mission. This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we talk about a form of discipleship that includes cigars, fireplaces, and an occasional glass of fine spirits. Some of you will LOVE this… some will be freaked! There is a level of intentionality that must be employed in order to actually disciple a person in all of life. And there is no way to model and observe people actually living out the life of Jesus unless we do normal life stuff with them and roll discipleship and training into it. In This Episode You’ll Learn: A little about the environment that Jesus discipled in. (Hint: it was never a classroom.) Why it’s vital to disciple and model the gospel in normal, everyday rhythms of life. Why “everyday discipleship” methods translate and reproduce better and more naturally. Caesar and Heath’s personal experience and model for doing “Cigars & Theology” as a part of their community life and discipleship. Alternatives that may work better in your church and context. Get started here... From this episode: “The Good News is just as good (and some times better) experienced with a cold beverage and friends. Don’t think that God somehow looks down on your efforts of discipleship if they are not done in a church building. Your old school board members may, but God does not. Jesus went into all the places participating in the customs that the people he loved did. You can too...it’s okay.”   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: Join Caesar and Heath for Cigars & Theology at Caesar's house! In light of today’s topics, you might find this video helpful: Should You Focus on Discipleship or Evangelism? Surprise! You Are the Missionary In Your Neighborhood  

A new(er) building. The nicer children’s ministry wing. The best preacher. Comfy seats and a great band. Many Christians approach their churches, and their faith, as consumers. Even the term “church shopping” betrays the reality of our spiritual consumerism. This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we expose and articulate the ways that consumerism is killing the church today. And how you can identify and stop it in your own life and church. We think that the problem with our lagging “spiritual fervor” may be a problem with our church. That’s why we start “shopping around”. But we are the church–you and I–so moving our family to another spiritual mall across town only brings the same issues and problems with us. And when that doesn’t solve the issue beyond the first month or two, we slide further into a spiritual boredom. We may have been chasing the wrong tail all along, and our churches trained us to do so... In This Episode You’ll Learn: A startling and familiar definition of consumerism that will alarm you. 3 examples of how consumerism can creep into our ways of thinking about church. What Jesus teaches about consumerism and materialism. Ways that your church can stop feeding the consumerism beast. Get started here... From this episode: “When we approach our Christian faith, experience and responsibilities as consumers rather than seeing it as an all-encompassing way of life, a lifestyle... and a fully interpretive set of beliefs and values, then our church and Christianity becomes just one more brand or product we consume along with Amazon, Apple, Starbucks, Facebook… and all too deeply, it’s how we express our identity too.”   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 In light of today’s topics, you might find this video helpful: These 3 Things Are True Discipleship Killers Be The Church  

Global warming: it's one of the hottest scientific and political issues of today. But we've all found ourselves asking… It's freezing outside—where's global warming now? The climate is always changing—how do we know this isn't just a cycle? Why should Christians care about global warming when we know the world won't end that way? This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, listen to Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist and evangelical Christian, who absolutely blew Caesar and Heath’s mind on this topic with her grace and wisdom. This will change you! Katharine says she gets slammed every day on social media for her contributions to establishing that climate change is human-made. But she’s learned that most people don’t really have a problem with the science or even the theology of climate change. People’s real objections are based on the fact that they believe the solutions to climate change conflict with their ideology and even identity. In This Episode You’ll Learn: The difference between climate change and global warming. Some hard statistics (and truth) about our weather patterns. What the Bible teaches about stewarding the environment. Why Christians are the perfect people to care about climate change. First and next steps to get involved in the solutions (these are easy!). Get started here... From this episode: “I don’t accept global warming on faith: I crunch the data, I analyze the models, I help engineers and city managers and ecologists quantify the impacts.” ~ Katharine Hayhoe   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: Katharine’s video: “What is Global Warming?” Katharine’s book: A Climate for Change: Global Warming Facts for Faith-Based Decisions Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources Caesar Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources In light of today’s topics, you might find this video helpful: What’s the Big Deal With Gay Marriage?   .cf-scroll-wrapper { background: #00000075;}

It is hard to sustain a missional lifestyle! Things get messy, and I start to wear out. Personal preferences and old habits creep back in to destroy things. And it’s not like life is getting any less busy. Today on the Lifeschool Podcast, you’ll find out what is really messing you up and keeping you from living on mission. In many ways, this ongoing life on mission with God is a call to die to self. It begins by simplifying your life as God rearranges your priorities, and you spend more and more of your time living with God’s mission at the center of your life. In This Episode You’ll Learn: A traditional and classic definition of “true discipleship”. 10 things in your life that may need to be put on the altar. How leading your family on mission as a way of life needs to start in your heart. A funny story from Caesar’s life that hilariously illustrates a process for breaking old habits. Practical steps for removing the clutter and idols that keep us from living on mission. Get started here... From this episode: “Ask God to show you things you may need to “die to” as well as new attitudes and rhythms you need to embrace. This is an important step, but it doesn’t happen overnight. You’ve got to start by counting the cost of discipleship before heading out into open waters.”   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: Small is Big, Slow is Fast (Use this link to get the Kindle version for only $3.99) In light of today’s topics, you might find these posts and videos helpful: Surprise! You Are the Missionary In Your Neighborhood How to Lead Your Small Group or Church Toward True Missional Living   .cf-scroll-wrapper { background: #00000075;}

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  

Here comes another opportunity to grow… change… improve our lives and relationships again. The New Year. Are you getting started on resolutions, planning or goal setting to make sure you don’t just sorta slide into another year? In this episode of the Lifeschool Podcast, we’ll give you some immediate steps to help you live with greater intentionality in the areas of your life that are really important. Most people spend a lot more time planning their vacation each year than stewarding the areas of life and ministry that are truly important. Learning to evaluate and intentionally grow in the “5 Treasures” of life will transform the way you look at goal setting and new year’s resolutions forever. In This Episode You’ll Learn: 3 Things to Avoid as you turn an eye toward next year. 5 Areas of your life that are more important than anything else when planning. Why we often measure and set goals for the wrong things each year. Immediate steps to help you start the New Year on the right foot. Caesar’s ‘5 Treasures Evaluation Tool’ [Free Download] Get started here... Time is unlike any other resource in the world: once it’s “spent” you cannot get it back. You can’t get more of it. Being serious about what you truly value and stewarding your time and treasures is honoring to God, and a big part of our discipleship and the discipleship of others. 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: Download this 5 Treasures Evaluation Tool to set you up for future planning. Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources Caesar Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources  

On this very special “unplugged” episode of the Lifeschool Podcast, Caesar and Heath share a bit of their own family stories connected to Christmas when growing up. They’ll also talk about Christmas this year and what they love(d)!Grab a warm (or cold) drink, get comfy, and let’s get to know each other a little better! We want to thank you for being a part of this amazing Lifeschool journey with us this year. What a ride! And we sincerely hope that this holiday season is a blessing and that the good news of the Gospel, and the love of our heavenly Father, becomes bigger and more real for you in the year ahead.Happy Birthday Jesus!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 ResourcesCaesar Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources 

As Christmas and all of the holidays roll around once more, you have to wonder... checking off the box of church services, gift giving, meals, and then back to life as usual... are we missing something? In this episode of the Lifeschool Podcast, we offer hope and suggestions on how your holiday traditions can shape your life going forward throughout the rest of the year. The holidays are a time when the traditions we enjoy become more and more important with each passing year. And these traditions help shape our family and community identity and how we live the rest of the year. In This Episode You’ll Learn: Some fun and powerful family traditions that Caesar and Heath practice. Why these traditions are an important part of our identity as a family. How these traditions have shaped the lives of our adult children in cool ways. How our family traditions are a HUGE picture of what God himself is like. Ways to have your holiday traditions be a picture of the Gospel. Get started here... What will be the “aroma and taste” that others experience when they are spending time with your family–during the holidays and throughout the rest of the year? Will it be a foretaste of Heaven and the Kingdom? Remember, that is why Jesus came–so that we would know our Father! 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  

Are you hearing voices in your head? I’m not suggesting you’re crazy, but you may be listening to people—from your past or present—that are shaping your self-image, value, and worldview in not-so-helpful ways. What voices are shaping your life the most? How do we discern what voice to listen to, which voice to follow? Are we even aware of which and whose voices are most dominant in our lives? There are voices out there telling you who you are, what you should want, who you should be. Who should you trust? In This Episode You’ll Learn: How to sort out all of the chatter coming your way each day. How to discern if God is speaking to you. The importance of other trusted friends “listening” with and for you. Why the voices you listen to shape your own voice in the world. How Jesus gave us his perfect filter to apply to all of these voices. Get started here... Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me…” Whose voice are you listening to? 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  

In the past few weeks, we’ve seen a lot of public officials and celebrity types faced with accusations of wrongdoing, misconduct and unethical behavior. We would hope that all of these people would start with a good old-fashioned apology, but many don’t. It is doubtful that you’ll ever be faced with such public accusations, but hurts in relationships come up for all of us. In this episode of Lifeschool, we’ll show how to apologize the right... and wrong ways. An apology is not always, or necessarily connected with sin against God or another person...but often it is. An apology might be for something that you did, unintentionally, that ended up hurting another person or costing them something. How do you know the difference? In This Episode You’ll Learn: When you need to offer an apology. A biblical basis for apologizing, and what’s really behind it. The three "core" elements of a good apology. 4 things that can torpedo even your most well-intentioned apologies. The “big difference” for Christians when we apologize. Get started here... Putting off making an apology, when you know that you are the offending party, is selfish. And it is probably the result of self-love and/or fear of man issues. Ask God to give you the humility to go and make an honest and full apology, trusting him for the results. This episode will encourage you and help you move toward true reconciliation. 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: Video of UCLA students “apologies”: A wrong way and two right ways to apologize. Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources Caesar Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources  

We all have those people in our lives that we’d rather not be around, but the holidays have a way of forcing us to deal with them–or not. In this episode of Lifeschool, we talk talk about how to handle those family members that you would rather not have to be around at the holidays. What is it about certain people that they just bug the heck out of us… or everyone? Is there a way to actually handle annoying people this holiday, or is it just best to avoid them altogether? In This Episode You’ll Learn: 10 behaviors that toxic people often display. 7 practical steps for dealing with annoying people this holiday. What the “thing behind the thing” is with their words and actions. How to avoid having your holidays ruined this year. How Christians can use these hard situations to display the gospel. Get started here... God loves those people that offend you as much as he loves you! Believe it or not, these types of hard situations within our family dynamics are often fertile ground for healing and restoration. This episode of Lifeschool may be one you need to hear–and share–before it’s too late! 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