Does Your Gospel Actually Sound Like Good News
A lot of us have been in church for years. We’ve heard the sermons, read the books, studied the theology. But when a real conversation opens up — with a neighbor, a coworker, a friend in crisis — we freeze. The gospel we know in our heads just won’t come out naturally. That tension is real. And it matters.
In this episode of the Everyday Disciple Podcast, we’re going to explore why so many believers struggle to talk about faith naturally — and what actually changes when you get the gospel right. You’ll discover how your upbringing shapes the way you see God, and why the gospel is genuinely good news for every part of life today.
In This Episode You’ll Learn:
- How your upbringing quietly shapes the way you see and share the gospel
- Why so many believers feel awkward or scared talking about their faith
- What it looks like to experience the gospel in everyday life — not just Sunday
- How gospel fluency transforms your relationships, community, and conversations
From this episode:
“Don’t settle for a small gospel that’s only about getting to heaven someday. The gospel is transformational good news for every part of your life right now — your relationships, your conversations, everything. When we get this right, everything else changes.”
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…
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Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
Coaching and Mentorship in Missional Living by Caesar and his wife Tina
Resources for missional living and group training – Missio Publishing
The Gospel In Everyday Life Workshop Register Now FREE
Transcript
The kingdom will take you new places, and it'll mysteriously change the way that you see everything in life.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It shouldn't just be a slight upgrade.
Speaker:Being a Christian and living in the Kingdom of God shouldn't just feel like a bit of an upgrade- Sure ... or a promise of eternity one day or something.
Speaker:It's kinda like that first r- ride.
Speaker:Hmm.
Speaker:And it changes everything, and that's why Jesus called it good news.
Speaker:The kingdom is about living and loving and leaving our purposeless and passionless quest for the American dream to just crazily and whimsically follow Jesus on his great mission to transform the lives of people on every street in our cities, and in every home- Hmm
Speaker:in our neighborhoods.
Speaker:But you know what?
Speaker:Most of us settle for memories and mundane religion, and what could be, and what if, and I guess it's just that way.
Speaker:And we know things about the gospel, and we've heard a zillion sermons- Sure ... that are called the gospel, but we really don't know the gospel.
Speaker:And we don't know how to speak it into every area of life, and how it applies to good news, bad news, joys- Right
Speaker:pains.
Speaker:Welcome to the Everyday Disciple Podcast, where you'll learn how to live with greater intentionality and an integrated faith that naturally fits into every area of life.
Speaker:In other words, discipleship as a lifestyle.
Speaker:This is the stuff your parents, pastors, and seminary professors probably forgot to tell you.
Speaker:And now, here's your host, Caesar Kalinowski.
Speaker:Thank you, Heath.
Speaker:It is super good to be with you again this week, and our awesome listeners.
Speaker:Yeah,
Speaker:man.
Speaker:I continue to be so encouraged by the emails we get, and stuff going on Facebook, and man, the last few episodes have just been a blast, and
Speaker:they've been great.
Speaker:So today we're gonna talk about how the Kingdom of God is actually now among us, and available to be lived in- Right now ... even today.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:C- Heath, can you imagine if eternity is a lot, a lot like our current, like, religion and church services?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It's gonna be, like, really long.
Speaker:It's like my grandma used to tell me, like, you just, you know, you wear your robes, and you float around, and you sing songs.
Speaker:Did she
Speaker:really
Speaker:say it?
Speaker:Oh, yeah.
Speaker:And I'm like, "Oh, God." The Bugs Bunny cartoon version of heaven.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It's like, is there any
Speaker:other options?
Speaker:Well, if health.
Speaker:Well, see, I mean, but partly because to use a big old Christian-y Bible word, eschatology, you know?
Speaker:There you go.
Speaker:Like, we, we just, we don't really know what it's gonna look like.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Like, really?
Speaker:'Cause it's all allegory and, you know.
Speaker:I mean, there's descriptions, but it's like, wait a minute, that's not saying exa- a- actually that, you know?
Speaker:Anyway.
Speaker:Yeah, like Santa Clause.
Speaker:And so we're all, you know, opinions are all over the map, but so, like, we're like, oh- So what are we... We're left to think it's probably a lot like church services.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:We're like, "No way." Please, no.
Speaker:I can't, I can't do that, I can't do that song forever.
Speaker:I, I never liked it the first- Except you're looking for, at your watch, like, for what time lunch is coming.
Speaker:And once again, we sound too like we hate church services.
Speaker:Like, I don't, but- No, we love most of them.
Speaker:So today we're talking, uh, about the Kingdom of God, and one of the things we're hitting on is gospel fluency.
Speaker:Uh- Yeah, I mean, probably if our listeners follow us, they've heard that term before.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:Gospel fluency.
Speaker:This, fluency is a word connected to language.
Speaker:Yeah, it's the ability to, so to understand-
Speaker:Sure
Speaker:... and speak into and s- understand for yourself and others and speak good news into every area of life.
Speaker:But it's actually, it's such a big deal because our understanding the gospel- Mm-hmm ... is, is basically how we see who God is.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And it's, like, what we think is gonna happen, uh, for eternity.
Speaker:And, and do we actually believe it started already, or is it something we're waiting for?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:'Cause, 'cause I've said it before, but for so many of us, our understanding of the gospel is so dinky, so small, so truncated, so not actually the gospel, that it was primarily about saying a prayer and then waiting for some sort of eternity to start or heaven.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And, and there is heaven coming, and there is... We, we've already entered into eternal life according to scripture.
Speaker:But it is so much bigger and such good news than just kinda waiting around for something.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:It's now, man.
Speaker:It happens here and now, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And yeah, uh, we've said this in many episodes, but it's the truth, and it's really at the core of why we even do this whole podcast.
Speaker:It's 'cause how does faith and the gospel and who God is and what's true of us now fit into all of life- Yep ... and every area of life?
Speaker:And how do we grow in that, right?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:'Cause I tell you what, the way I was raised, and, you know, I was born in the church, and I still love it, but, uh, it, it wasn't necessarily a whole lot about now.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:And so we're gonna keep pushing that.
Speaker:It's coming up, yeah.
Speaker:We're gonna keep pushing that in every, every topic, and we're gonna keep getting after the, the fact that eternity has begun, that the kingdom's now, where it can bring heaven to earth, and the gospel is the good news and the answer to everything, so.
Speaker:So when I first heard this concept of gospel fluency- Yeah ... you were talking about it, and like, just like you did in the, in the concept of language, uh, where did this concept, for you... It made sense 'cause fluency and language go together.
Speaker:Uh, where did this concept come from, uh, in your own life?
Speaker:Well, yeah, uh, I think, I think my, my, uh, friend Jeff Vanderstelt probably the first guy to ever put those two words together.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Just to give credit where credit's due, like this idea of, you know, speaking it with fluency.
Speaker:Thanks, Jeff.
Speaker:Um, yeah.
Speaker:Thanks, Jeff.
Speaker:And um, and I'll tell you, like, a- as a, as a bit of an illustration, w- I've, I've visited Eastern Europe many, many times, and a lot of time spent in Czech.
Speaker:And- Okay ... people who follow me might have heard me tell this story before, but, um, I've learned a little bit of their language.
Speaker:I know enough, you know, I've learned a little, but little, little bit of Czech.
Speaker:Um, but when I try to speak Czech, I end up sounding more like a caveman,
Speaker:you know?
Speaker:Like, I was just in Poland a couple weeks ago.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Uh, at, at the time we're recording this, I was just in Poland, and just a little bit of holiday, working holiday, and uh- You know, Czech and Polish is pretty close.
Speaker:Man, oh, man.
Speaker:I gotta tell you, man, I'm busting out what I got, and it ain't great.
Speaker:It's doesn't sound like good news, let's just say that.
Speaker:And I, and I, and I wonder if, um, how we sound to other people when we try to talk about religion and the kingdom, and it's such good news.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:We're like, "It doesn't sound like good news," you know?
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:We try to describe our spiritual rhythms of life or, you know, our churches and all that.
Speaker:They're like, "It doesn't sound that great." And, and I think what it is, is it's 'cause we're not fluent- Hmm ... in the good news and how it's good news for every area of life.
Speaker:We kind of have canned presentations- Sure
Speaker:or a little corner of the gospel.
Speaker:We, we, we understand truth, but it's so... It's not the whole truth.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It's not the whole big gospel.
Speaker:It's, it's like, "Hey, that's part of the gospel." Yep, it is.
Speaker:Is it true?
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:There's a thousand times more, a million times more.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And so, so it doesn't necessarily... It's not fluency.
Speaker:You know what I mean?
Speaker:Like, the way we sound to people sound a little bit like my Czech- Yeah ... to a Czech waitress or Polish bartender.
Speaker:"I might, I might know what he's talking about." "I kind of think I know what
Speaker:he's saying," and wow, that's embarrassing.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And you were saying even just right here before we started recording about, uh, a story with a motorcycle, right?
Speaker:And how that kind of plays into this.
Speaker:Yeah, unrelated but related, right?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So, um, yeah, check it out.
Speaker:A few years ago, um, well, six years ago, to be exact.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:No, no surprise there.
Speaker:But, um, I, I was... I received the best gift I ever got in my life.
Speaker:It was really, really good news, okay?
Speaker:So, uh, way back machine.
Speaker:I've grown up riding Harleys my whole life.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And I loved them, and I loved them.
Speaker:And I, um, six years ago didn't have one, 'cause, like, years ago as a parent I had sold my Harleys, you know- Sure ... and just, you know, braces, summer camp, you know- Yeah ... shoes.
Speaker:They haven't sponsored our show yet either, so we can- Yeah, no, I know
Speaker:feel free with it.
Speaker:I'm giving them some hit, right?
Speaker:Anyway, and you know, I'm starting to, I'm starting to really get the itch again, and I'm going into Harley shops on vacation and whenever I drive past one, and I'm kind of ogling the new models and, you know, I'm buying the occasional magazine full of bikes- Sure
Speaker:and all that, right?
Speaker:And, uh, man, oh, man.
Speaker:So in, like, what was a jaw-dropping surprise for my 50th birthday, my son, Little C, Caesar IV, right, he gave me a beautiful black and chrome Harley.
Speaker:Wow.
Speaker:I mean, it's crazy.
Speaker:He gives me this, this little bag, you know, with a couple of gifts in it, and there was a letter, and in the letter he just said all the nicest things in the world about me.
Speaker:Hmm.
Speaker:Like, it was, it was like every... you know, everything a dad would hope to hear eventually from his son.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:You know, hoping it was true.
Speaker:But then he also said, "Hey, you gave me a love for bikes and Harleys, and it's not right that I have a couple and you don't have one," and he gave me one, and there was a title in there and- Wow.
Speaker:It's out in the garage right now.
Speaker:You know what I mean?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It's like... It was just amazing, right?
Speaker:And I mean, I was proud, right?
Speaker:And you know, other guys when I show it to them are like, "Oh, my gosh, that's... I can't believe it," and, you know, expressing their desire to join me.
Speaker:"Wish I had a son that would give me a bike."
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:You know, whenever I tell this story it's like, "You hear this, son?" You know?
Speaker:"Wish he was my boy." Exactly, right?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And, uh, but I'll tell you, um- It's been a few years now, right?
Speaker:And, and I've had that bike, and, and I love it.
Speaker:And so when I can't ride, 'cause often that's the case here in the Pacific Northwest- Sure
Speaker:'cause of the rain, you know, I, I like to just go out in the garage and start it.
Speaker:Huh.
Speaker:It's got two-inch straight pipes.
Speaker:It's crazy loud.
Speaker:Brr.
Speaker:I mean, literally- Yeah ... it shoots fire.
Speaker:Turn the lights off at 9:00 sharp, you fire it up.
Speaker:That's cool.
Speaker:I'll fire it up for little kids, thinking, "Oh, they're gonna like this," and they grab the thing, and then they cry.
Speaker:It's so loud, right?
Speaker:It's amazing.
Speaker:And, uh, a- and don't get me wrong, I really enjoy looking at it, and, you know, and shining it up and firing it up and all that, but, um, you know, over time you start to go like, "Man, it'd be great to ride this thing." Sure.
Speaker:Like, it's way better to ride it.
Speaker:What it was intended to do.
Speaker:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:Mm. And I, you know, I can imagine the wind in my face and, you know, s- the sea breeze if I'm, like, riding around the coast down here, and all that.
Speaker:And, uh, but, you know, just looking at the bike and remembering past moments of glory don't really do it anymore.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:'Cause I, I've been, like I said, I've been riding since I was young, and I always wanna get back on that bike and ride again.
Speaker:That, that, that thug, thug, thug- Mm-hmm ... of that Harley and the engine and just, for those of you who don't ride Harleys, you don't, maybe don't know it, but those of you do, I know.
Speaker:And I wanna smell the exhaust, and I wanna feel it.
Speaker:So, like, if you've been following me for a long time, or even for a little while listening to Heath and I on the podcast, y- you, you've heard us say that, um, our whole approach is to move beyond concepts.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Move beyond a concept of religion, a concept of, of the gospel.
Speaker:And small momentary experiences or memories of the past don't get it for us.
Speaker:Hmm.
Speaker:Just, you know, traditions, 'cause, well, that's what we've always done.
Speaker:We wanna really experience the ride.
Speaker:Yeah,
Speaker:exactly.
Speaker:The wind
Speaker:in our face now.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:And not just go and shine it up and talk about how great it was, right?
Speaker:Yeah, it has to be felt.
Speaker:So I
Speaker:mean, that's how the gospel is, too.
Speaker:We have such ancient sort of small understandings of it.
Speaker:It's kinda like going out in the garage and just looking at it or, like, looking at pictures of, like, my grandpa used to ride.
Speaker:You know, it's like- Yeah ... great.
Speaker:Wouldn't it be great to ride?
Speaker:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker:Wouldn't it be great if
Speaker:eternity was now?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So I kinda get, uh, well, I, I get what you're saying.
Speaker:My question is, like, why do you think this is so important for Christians to get?
Speaker:And, and the answer to that question- The Harley part or the gospel part?
Speaker:The gospel part, yeah.
Speaker:Every, every Christian needs a Harley is what I'm hearing.
Speaker:So why is it so important for the Christian, for Christians to get this gospel, and what do you think happens when we don't, or we think we do but we might not getting the fullness of it?
Speaker:Well, yeah.
Speaker:Great question, man.
Speaker:Uh, obviously I think a lot of people think they get it.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And I'd say you probably get parts of it.
Speaker:I'm not here to tell everybody what they know or don't know.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:But, um, see, the gospel proclaims that the kingdom is now.
Speaker:Hmm.
Speaker:And it's among us, and it's available to be lived in.
Speaker:And this life, which can be experienced and enjoyed and offered to those around us- Yep ... is kinda like jumping on your first Harley.
Speaker:Hmm.
Speaker:Okay?
Speaker:The kingdom will take you new places, and it'll mysteriously change the way that you see everything in life.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It shouldn't just be a slight upgrade.
Speaker:Being a Christian and living in the Kingdom of God shouldn't just feel like a bit of an upgrade- Sure ... or a promise of eternity one day or something.
Speaker:It's kinda like that first r- ride.
Speaker:Mm. And it changes everything, and that's why Jesus called it good news.
Speaker:The kingdom is about living and loving and leaving our purposeless and passionless quest for the American dream to just crazily and whimsically follow Jesus on his great mission to transform the lives of people on every street in our cities and in every home- Mm
Speaker:in our neighborhoods.
Speaker:But you know what?
Speaker:Most of us settle for memories and m- mundane religion and what could be and what if, and I guess it's just that way, and we know things about the gospel, and we've heard a zillion sermons- Sure ... that are called the gospel, but we really don't know the gospel.
Speaker:Mm. And we don't know how to speak it into every area of life and how it applies to good news, bad news,
Speaker:joys- Right
Speaker:pains.
Speaker:So oftentimes, uh, the Western way of viewing things is such a personal, like, my own relationship with Jesus.
Speaker:It's not important for you.
Speaker:It's not your concern.
Speaker:It's me and God.
Speaker:Why do you think that this concept of growing in gospel fluency, uh, why do you think we need to grow in that personally but also, like, in family and how that plays out in a community sort of
Speaker:life?
Speaker:Well, I'll have to answer it in a couple pieces.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:But, um, that's, man, you right on the nose with that.
Speaker:Well, having spent years, like, concerned about this and speaking to it and writing it and pastoring people who are asking these same kinds of questions and, and feeling the ineffectiveness of applying more traditional spiritual disciplines- Right
Speaker:right, I began to wonder how the apostles, guys like Paul and Peter and the other disciples, how did they manage to live such transformed lives?
Speaker:Mm. Lives that were not only personally transformed, like you're saying, right?
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:But also changing the world and changing their oikos, their community around them, the cities they lived in.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Now, don't get me wrong.
Speaker:I'm in favor of, and I found, like, super benefits, um, from, you know, many of the more traditional forms of spiritual disciplines, time in the Word each day, prayer, uh, off and on I've kept a journal.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:Um, even prayer walking and stuff, you know, just going around seeing need and, and talking to God about it.
Speaker:But those, quote, "disciplines" can easily leave you sorta s- you know, staring at your Harley- Mm ... instead of actually riding it.
Speaker:And starting with Jesus and his original disciples, people who have changed the world found a beautiful connection between spiritual disciplines and the vibrant life of God's spirit-led mission, and they understood the real gospel.
Speaker:Mm.
Speaker:They were living out of the gospel.
Speaker:They had great, to use that term, gospel fluency.
Speaker:That's why it's so important- Yeah ... 'cause we're not gonna change the world and change our communities and leave a lasting legacy for our families and our kids- That they're just in love with God, in love with Jesus and His good news.
Speaker:If all we have to offer up is just tradition and- Yeah ... religion- Yeah ... not gonna happen.
Speaker:Absolutely, man.
Speaker:Well, the, the, uh, there is some good news even to this podcast in that there is a resource out that has been absolutely helpful, not just for me, but it's been used by tens and tens of thousands of people over the last couple years.
Speaker:Um, and what it is ultimately, it's an eight-week guide to transformation in community that includes daily activities, but teaches how to grow in different areas, gospel fluency, gospel listening.
Speaker:I've used it in our Missional Community, and everybody that has been in church for their whole life got massive amounts of, of goodness out of this, like new truths, new things being- Yeah
Speaker:unveiled in their heart.
Speaker:I personally have loved it.
Speaker:I love the daily layout of it.
Speaker:Um, and it's called The Gospel Primer, and it's amazing.
Speaker:Full
Speaker:disclosure, you know, I was privileged to write it.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I actually say I didn't write it.
Speaker:I just wrote it down.
Speaker:'Cause, like, it was so shaped in community- Sure ... by the lives and words of so many people.
Speaker:Mm.
Speaker:But full disclosure, Heath's tootin' my horn, I suppose, but it's not really my horn.
Speaker:I just was the guy who got to write it down.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:And then Missio Publishing put it out, and it's been, yeah, it's been the craziest adventure to watch people all over the world use it and... Well,
Speaker:I know sometimes some of these thoughts are like, I remember when I first heard of gospel fluency, I wasn't even living here in Washington, and it was kinda this nebulous idea, and I wanted to figure out how to practically work it out, and I couldn't figure out how to do that, and at this time, the book wasn't out.
Speaker:So this resource has actually helped put some legs on it and some daily practices where I'm actually able to go- Yeah ... "Oh, I do agree with that, and here's how I can actually start practicing." Like, here's how I slowly put one leg over the Harley bike, you know?
Speaker:Like, it is- Yeah.
Speaker:Some people listen and probably go like, "Yep, been there, used it."
Speaker:And we've never got a bad review or a bad, like, "Nah," or, you know.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, but if you've not, I hope it's okay.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I wanna talk about it a little bit because- Let's do it ... it is, there's some cool, exciting stuff coming that I'm trying to figure out, like, okay, what else could I give people to really help them engage this and help- Sure
Speaker:their people engage it, you know, like their churches or their s- their small groups and Missional Communities.
Speaker:But if it's cool- Mm-hmm ... I just wanna talk about, a little bit about that rhythm you were talking about.
Speaker:Yeah, I would love to unpack that a bit.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So The Gospel Primer is about learning how the gospel of Jesus Christ transforms, first off, your identity- Okay
Speaker:and reshapes the very rhythms of your life, and that's why it's kinda eight weeks daily done in community with others.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:Um, not like you have to live in the same place, but I'll, I'll explain all that in a minute.
Speaker:But- Okay ... it begins to reshape our language and our identity and our rhythms, and it's about becoming so familiar with the power and the purpose of the gospel that it flows out of your life and words in normal, yet pretty extraordinary ways.
Speaker:Now, when the gospel increasingly transforms your life and your perspectives and your priorities, then what happens is we become The good news to everyone
Speaker:Mm-hmm
Speaker:Like, just in showing up we do- Sure ... because the gospel's leaking out of us.
Speaker:That's that gospel fluency again.
Speaker:And we become a living proclamation and display of who God is and the God that we love and His kingdom, and that's very different than just an invitation to an event.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:That's the good news with flesh on.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:That's what Jesus came to be, and that's who we g- are and get to be now.
Speaker:And The Gospel Primer kinda works us through that with some daily rhythms and eight different teachings, 'cause it's an eight-week study, kinda- Yep ... but done in community, and it helps to establish that new language and rhythms and beliefs in your heart.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And what's great is it's quick-moving, but it's also not like, "Hey, let's sign up for a one-year program." It's like, no, eight weeks.
Speaker:Anyone can do it for, for two months.
Speaker:Yeah,
Speaker:yeah.
Speaker:So, so without getting into too much detail about it, there's, like... So there's seven days in a week, right?
Speaker:Of, of the eight topics, and I'll just share them real briefly in a second here.
Speaker:Here's how the rhythm of using this thing in community looks like.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:Okay?
Speaker:And then I've not found anybody where this is too heavy of lifting.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:No, oh, yeah.
Speaker:Like, "I just can't do it.
Speaker:It's too much." It's like, "It's every day?" It's like, "Hold on," you know?
Speaker:So the, the first day of the seven days, you know, every week follows the same rhythm.
Speaker:The first day is exploration.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Okay?
Speaker:And, um, it introduces you to the subject of that week.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:Something to do with gospel fluency, and like I said, I'll share those topics in a minute.
Speaker:Um, and it provides thoughts and stories and definitions to kinda help you get going in understanding that concept.
Speaker:So that's kinda what the first- It's cool ... day does.
Speaker:And then, like always, there's, like, there's questions that you kinda, you engage in- Yep ... and you write down, and you journal.
Speaker:And this thing's beautiful.
Speaker:For peop- people who haven't seen it, it's like a piece of art.
Speaker:It is amazing.
Speaker:This Gospel Primer- It's more than just like the-
Speaker:is like a art piece, right?
Speaker:It's beautiful.
Speaker:And so it kinda just j- keeps you flowing in the journey of answering these questions.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And it's not like fill-in-the-blank stuff, like right or wrong answers.
Speaker:It's gonna, it's gonna expose your heart- Yep ... and unbelief to yourself and all that.
Speaker:It's meant to.
Speaker:Absolutely.
Speaker:And there's only, like, you know, four or five questions, you know, like, on a day or something, but, um, they're heavy.
Speaker:Second day is a meditation day, okay?
Speaker:And we'll provide you with scripture and, and, and some, uh, uh, further ideas to soak in for a while to kinda take what you explored the day before, the new concept- Yep
Speaker:and, and kinda meditate on the Word.
Speaker:What's the Word say about that?
Speaker:Uh, third day of the week is a change day, and that's where you start to get serious.
Speaker:Like, what is this idea and understanding the gospel mean for my life?
Speaker:You know, how would, how would my life be different if I began to let it be changed by the gospel in this way?
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:Uh, pretty powerful, right?
Speaker:So, and again, there's some questions for journaling.
Speaker:Day four is an action day because part of a new rhythm of life is a new rhythm of life, not just a new way of thinking, where our minds, our hearts are renewed.
Speaker:But day four is action day, and your heart's starting to change.
Speaker:You're getting sanded on a little bit by these concepts, meditation.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:Um, and, uh- You know, the change day where you go like, "Okay, what could it look like?" Action day, you actually get out and do something.
Speaker:You put, you put some of these, these things into practice.
Speaker:Hmm.
Speaker:And so we give you, like, pretty easy, but sometimes a little scary- Little, yeah
Speaker:little practices to go out and try and do.
Speaker:Like, the first, the first... You know, some of the first ones are just like, go outside and notice this, you know?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Write down what you think, why this is not that way, or what... You know what I mean?
Speaker:So it's not heavy, but you do actually have to get out and apply what you're learning.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:Day five is always community day, so the people that you're going through this simultaneously with in your church, or, like, if it's, you're doing it as a whole church, or if it's your small group or your missional community, um, you come together, and this actually models... It's meant to be a model for, like, okay, what would all of life look like- Yeah
Speaker:if we were all on the same page, had the same fluency- Yeah ... the same language of the gospel?
Speaker:And you not only discuss what you've been learning all week, but sometimes there's additional activities that you'll do and kinda dig out together.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And that feedback and, you know, and sort of honesty with each other, it's pretty big.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:For sure.
Speaker:Gospel happens in community.
Speaker:Um, day six is calibration day, and we kinda revisit the theme for that week but from a different angle.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:Flip the lens on it, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, we flip the lens, exactly, and, um, you kinda wrestle with the topic again, allowing God to bring transformation from a different angle.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:And then day seven, we call it recreate.
Speaker:It's, uh, the last day of our cycle, and it includes time to rest and reflect.
Speaker:And we call it recreate 'cause it's like rest in God's completed work in this area- Yeah ... of your life already 'cause the good news is it's already been done.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And then out of that, you create and work and all that.
Speaker:So that last day is a day to, like, really just, like, savor the good news of the gospel and rest in it.
Speaker:Hmm.
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And so, so that's kind of the rhythm- Cool, yeah ... man.
Speaker:That's kinda the rhythm of what, you know, you would experience if you were going through this.
Speaker:And each day, I would say... I mean, you've been through it.
Speaker:How long?
Speaker:E- each day's what, 15 minutes maybe?
Speaker:Yeah, 15, 20 minutes.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Except for action day might take you half hour.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:And then community day, we suggest getting together for a meal and worship too.
Speaker:Yeah, and we did it o-
Speaker:every, every week over a meal, and actually, one of the, uh, one of the challenges is to make a meal together on one of those nights where everyone kinda brings some stuff and-
Speaker:Yeah, and that's coming later as we start to move into, uh, s- like, identity and the rhythms of life- Yep
Speaker:and community.
Speaker:So not only is The Gospel Primer kinda helping you grow in your understanding of eternity now, the good news speaking into everything, and all kinds of... eight different ways to do this, but it's also starting to set up new life rhythms as a community- Yep ... that sort of propel you outward- Yeah, which is great
Speaker:'cause it's pretty easy to be the navel-gazing small group that just- A study group, yeah ... studies the sermon outline from Sunday, and so what do you know?
Speaker:What'd you get out of it?
Speaker:You know what I mean?
Speaker:But, but what if we actually had to go out and live that- Yeah ... and then give each other feedback and kinda call each other's unbelief?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:That's what's going on with this.
Speaker:Yeah, you're right, man.
Speaker:So, uh, there's eight weeks to this, even this Gospel Primer, and I remember having gone through it.
Speaker:It's amazing.
Speaker:You wanna run through kinda what those weeks look like with the topics?
Speaker:Yeah, I don't wanna get into crazy long stuff here 'cause, you know, we'll have links in the show notes where people can check it out, and I got a pretty cool offer, some new cool stuff- That's coming up
Speaker:coming up.
Speaker:But so the first week is what is the gospel?
Speaker:And gonna really expand
Speaker:how big it is.
Speaker:Let me guarantee you so- Mm-hmm ... if you think you know what it is, you're gonna start off here and go like, "Whoa, might have had that wrong." Way bigger.
Speaker:Yeah,
Speaker:it's way bigger.
Speaker:Way better news, right?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, the second week we look at the story of God, and we kinda do a, a pretty quick fly-through of the whole arc.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:The whole redemptive arc of history, and how it speaks into our identity and our motivations.
Speaker:Hm.
Speaker:Really, really fun.
Speaker:Um, then the third week we get into, like, okay, in light of God's story, how would you tell your own story?
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:Sometimes called our testimony.
Speaker:Could we learn to tell our story in light of God's story?
Speaker:Yeah, you can, and it's crazy powerful.
Speaker:Fourth week, we flip that around and we go, like, "Well, if my story fits that same mold of God's story, I wonder if everybody else's in life does." Guess what?
Speaker:Surprise.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It does.
Speaker:It does.
Speaker:And once you start to learn to listen through that lens, called gospel listening, wow, man, now you start to know, oh, that's what the good news would be to that person.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:Or to myself, or my spouse or whatever.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, the next week we look at four eternal truths about God- Yeah ... that when not believed lead to every sin.
Speaker:And in a few weeks we've got an episode coming up where I'm gonna even talk about that a little bit.
Speaker:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker:We call 'em the four Gs and all.
Speaker:And I'm not kidding, it'll f- change forever how you look at sin.
Speaker:Hm.
Speaker:And, and give you a way out of it.
Speaker:Um, then we're gonna look at the power and the purpose of the gospel- Hm ... in week six, and we're gonna, we're gonna look at both power and purpose.
Speaker:We call it the two lenses.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:And how some of us have been raised with only one of the two lenses, and that's why we don't understand the full gospel.
Speaker:And then week seven, you look at your identity.
Speaker:Where does our identity actually come from?
Speaker:Bible teaches we're created in the image of God.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:Does that mean, like, we got the same color hair or eyes or skin color?
Speaker:You know, like, what's it really mean?
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Theologically, how does it flow?
Speaker:And, and what does that have to do with the gospel?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It's huge.
Speaker:It's, it's really the core of it.
Speaker:Massive.
Speaker:And then week, week eight we look at, uh, normal rhythms of everyday life and how the gospel begins to speak into those.
Speaker:Super practical, all broken down.
Speaker:And this is where, like you were already referencing, Heath, where we, we'll do some things together.
Speaker:We'll create some things together, have a meal together, invite some other people involved in it.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:We get to practice sort of our story- Yeah ... and all these kind of things.
Speaker:But really it's, it's very casual and, um ... but powerful because it's very intentional.
Speaker:And that's
Speaker:what we loved about it.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:In our, even in our missional community it was great because we're all l- learning together, you know?
Speaker:There's grace to go, "I don't know what, what's going on here," or we're practicing.
Speaker:It's like we're all trying to swim together.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And, like, learning what this feels like and
Speaker:... We used to do all this same stuff for years in our missional communities, Tina and I and others, but we didn't have it, like, in a cool little format and this beautiful, like, art piece.
Speaker:So it was just like scraps of notes and a piece of that and a piece of this, and people were like, "Man, I wanna reproduce this with others." And it's like, "Well, here's a pile of notes," you know, you know?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And so I'm so grateful for The Gospel Primer, and like I said, that I had the privilege to write it down.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And, and it's now available, and so many people have used it.
Speaker:So man, I hope that our listeners today go like, "Man, that sounds exactly what I need for my church or my small group or my missional community."
Speaker:And it sounds like this is for everybody.
Speaker:Like it... I mean, I know I've raised in the church, thought I had a good grasp on stuff, and this blew my mind, and I'm thinking that- I'd say
Speaker:if you've been in a small group or you have a missional community but you're not feeling like it's really getting down to that real level of like we're really doing life on life, and we're able to speak the good news and sometimes even the hard truth in love- Yeah
Speaker:how do we do that more?
Speaker:This is, this is for you.
Speaker:And I, and I, and I'll say that I've been in a lot of small groups over the years, not good ones always.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:And even missional communities that, that flubbed.
Speaker:Um, this is... If there's a s- if there's a, a, you know, secret sauce, this is it.
Speaker:It's growing in our gospel fluency so that our fear of man, our weirdness, everything's offensive- Yeah
Speaker:I don't wanna speak the truth in love.
Speaker:I don't wanna be really speaking into that.
Speaker:That's my business.
Speaker:That's not yours.
Speaker:Hey, those are my kids.
Speaker:All that stuff, you know what I mean?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Like, what if that all changed?
Speaker:What if there was good news for all that?
Speaker:How would we really begin to live together?
Speaker:And then how attractive would that life and community look like to others?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:How attractive would your church be if everyone really believed the gospel, lived out a kingdom, eternity now lifestyle increasingly, 'cause you're not gonna do it in eight weeks perfectly, you know?
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:But what would that look like?
Speaker:And talk about attractional church.
Speaker:Oh, man.
Speaker:Yeah, man.
Speaker:Man.
Speaker:It's beautiful.
Speaker:The church is people, and if people living this way, people would be... Like, what, there's scripture that says, like, they were violently beating the doors down to get into the kingdom.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:This is why.
Speaker:Yeah, I can see that.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:This is why.
Speaker:So I don't know if I'm allowed to, to reveal this yet, but, uh, we were talking beforehand, and there's some stuff you're even doing with this Gospel Primer that's pretty exciting, some, some new stuff that you're creating.
Speaker:Yeah, I- Can we talk about that?
Speaker:Well, yeah,
Speaker:by the time this airs, by the time folks are hearing this, this is gonna be... There'll be a link for you.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:So yeah, I wanna- Tell me about this.
Speaker:Yeah, I wanna make this, I wanna make this even easier, uh, for leaders who are busy as heck, you know, either leading a small group, a missional community, or, like, leading whole churches- Yeah
Speaker:'cause we've had this happen where, like, a whole church has gone through The Gospel Primer, and it's like a sea change.
Speaker:Like, it changes their culture.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:Like, 'cause of course the gospel would, right?
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:Um, and so here's, here's what I have just finished, you know, putting a bow on.
Speaker:I've created eight sermon outlines, so for each week of The Gospel Primer, a sermon outline that doesn't just kinda, you know, rehash what's in the primer but kinda takes a nugget out of it and focuses on it- That's cool
Speaker:for the pastor to be able to, you know, t- you know, if you're a teacher, preacher, like, just really deliver the goods on that.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And you can either do it before your people go through it that week in the primer, or they just went through it that week, and now you go like, "I wanna highlight one aspect of something we discussed this week in community."
Speaker:That's cool.
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:And along with those sermon outlines, um, video for each week so you can kinda throw up a little You know, a minute to two-minute little video Yeah ... uh, you know, part of your kind of pr- sermon prep and all, and it's just, it's just kinda
Speaker:a
Speaker:visual to kinda give you that.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So what I'm trying to do is I'm trying to take a lot of the heavy lifting out.
Speaker:I mean, I know when I was having to, like, write up those sermons, like, a lot of, you know, week after week kind of thing.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:And now you've come along, a primo resource.
Speaker:It's like, but how do I tie these together?
Speaker:I wanted to make it super easy for leaders out there, pastors out there, preachers out there, who'll say, "You know, I wanna take my whole th- church through this thing."
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And so here's the sermon outlines.
Speaker:You know, you put your own illustrations in, but it's all- Sure ... kinda laid out for you.
Speaker:Here's a cool video, make you look like a rock star, you put it up.
Speaker:And, um, and, and you know what else?
Speaker:It's free.
Speaker:And I wanna give you a Gospel Primer for free- That's cool ... just for asking.
Speaker:So there'll be a link in our show notes- Yeah ... that, that I will send you a Gospel Primer, and it's beautiful.
Speaker:There's no digital version, 'cause this thing's like a work of art, and it's a journal.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:And, um, and the sermon outlines and the eight videos, and all you have to do is pick up, like, shipping and handling on the book, okay?
Speaker:Like- Amazing ... like, I, I'll give you the thing for free.
Speaker:I'll eat that.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:But if you can pick up the shipping and handling, so I don't know, it's, like, seven, eight bucks or something.
Speaker:I don't even know.
Speaker:And, um, then we'll, we'll shoot that thing out to you.
Speaker:You'll get a digital file with your sermon outlines and videos, and you'll get a Gospel Primer in the mail, like, in a week or something.
Speaker:And the reason I wanna do that is 'cause I, I know when you hold that thing in your hand, and you look over those outlines, you're gonna go like, "Man, I, I want this- That, that has my... ... for my group. I want this for my whole church."
Speaker:Well, we hear from pastors a lot that want to, you know, that have the question of like, "Well, I would love to make that shift to my church.
Speaker:I just don't know how to do it." And you go like, like, "Here you go, man." Here's a leg up.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:But, I mean- Run all your- ... it's the gospel Yeah ... you know?
Speaker:Like- Here's a sermon series.
Speaker:You can have all your small groups go through it.
Speaker:E- everyone's working together.
Speaker:You got the videos.
Speaker:Same language.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It's perfect.
Speaker:So I, I hope that's gonna be another layer of help.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:The primers are already a good deal in the sense that they work.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:They're easy.
Speaker:Everybody can follow along.
Speaker:But I wanted, I, you know, my heart's for, for leaders out there, and I, I wanted to just, man, leg up.
Speaker:So here's, here's eight weeks where you don't have to, like, kill yourself to come up with a prep, something awesome.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And, and then a resource that goes with it and, like I said, the videos and all that stuff.
Speaker:So yeah.
Speaker:Okay, so we're gonna give people, uh, the way to get that free copy here coming up.
Speaker:But let's jump to the big three, 'cause we're running out of time.
Speaker:Great.
Speaker:And you can, uh, we do this every week.
Speaker:The way you get it for free is by going to everydaydisciple.com/bigthree.
Speaker:Again, that's everydaydisciple.com/bigthree.
Speaker:Caesar, what would you say are the big three takeaways that you want us to leave with
Speaker:right now?
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:So in light of gospel fluency, big three.
Speaker:Don't settle for a canned, small, and limited gospel that's primarily focused on your afterlife and getting to heaven.
Speaker:Hm.
Speaker:And don't just stay stuck there with your people, okay?
Speaker:Like, c- start to, start to learn and proclaim and teach them a much bigger gospel.
Speaker:The gospel's amazing good news for every aspect of life and relationships today.
Speaker:And we like to say the gospel's the answer to every question.
Speaker:Hmm.
Speaker:I want people to, to know that.
Speaker:Uh, secondly, believe that you really can learn to see and speak and experience the gospel in every area of your life, and that it will totally transform your personal relationship with God and others, and it can revolutionize your church and missional community or small group.
Speaker:Hmm.
Speaker:Like, believe that.
Speaker:Like, this isn't a bridge too far, and it's why we created this step-by-step baby steps over eight weeks.
Speaker:Um, you can do it.
Speaker:And that kinda leads to the third thing, um, like the action step here of the big three.
Speaker:Jump over to our website and pick up your free copy of the primer.
Speaker:Yeah, it's good.
Speaker:Like, get it, get the sermon outlines, videos, all that.
Speaker:Just, you know, check it out, and I think you will, like Heath and myself and others who have found such great help in it and, and- Yeah, it's been amazing ... and kinda breakthrough, I think you're gonna be blessed by them.
Speaker:Yeah, again, it's one of those resources where you go, like, "Oh, man, I could tell my friends," and until they experience it, they're gonna
Speaker:You know, they're bombarded with resources, but this has been one of the most fruitful things that we've ever found to be in our, in our missional community, all of us tracking together, some really deep stuff coming out, us working through stuff together, speaking the gospel to one another.
Speaker:Changed our marriages.
Speaker:Listening or ... Oh, it's been amazing.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Okay, so to get that, again, all you gotta do is go to everydaydisciple.com/bigthree.
Speaker:We're gonna give you the notes for this week's Big Three.
Speaker:Uh, we're gonna give you the link to pick up your free copy of the Gospel Primer.
Speaker:Plus, it'll also be on the site.
Speaker:If you're enjoying this podcast, join us on our Facebook group.
Speaker:All you gotta do is go to the search bar on the top and type in Everyday Disciple Podcast, growing community of people there, commenting, going a little bit deeper with some of these, uh, podcasts.
Speaker:Uh, and then if you're enjoying the content, if you wouldn't mind going over to iTunes and hit subscribe, you'll get, every Monday morning, you'll wake up to a new alert saying there's another podcast ready for you.
Speaker:Hey.
Speaker:Rate the show with lots of stars, and then also if you write up a short review for us, uh, it helps us, uh, not only in encouraging- We might even
Speaker:read your review.
Speaker:Never even do that lately.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:We might read your ... Thank you for that.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:We're so encouraged by that.
Speaker:Yeah, it helps us get the podcast out to other people as well, so.
Speaker:Thanks for joining us today.
Speaker:For more information on this show and to get loads of free discipleship resources, visit everydaydisciple.com.
Speaker:And remember, you really can live with the spiritual freedom and relational peace that Jesus promised every day.