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When was the last time you felt the pressure to "bring God" to a situation? What if God was already there, working long before you arrived? This episode challenges our fundamental assumptions about mission and discipleship by exploring the conviction that God's presence always precedes our participation.

We dive deep into what "missional" truly means – not as a trendy church growth strategy, but as a theological reality that reshapes how we engage with the world. From examining Jesus' own approach of only doing what he saw the Father doing, to unpacking common misunderstandings of missional theology, we reveal how this perspective shifts our posture from striving to discernment.

When God is the primary agent in mission, we're freed from the weight of producing spiritual results through our own efforts. All of life becomes sacred ground for spiritual formation – from workplace conversations to washing dishes. Church leadership transforms from performance to equipping, and our metrics shift from outcomes to faithfulness.

With suggestions for developing a divine detective mindset, attending to God's work in others through better questions, and prayer walking with new awareness, you'll discover how to spot God's activity all around you. This isn't just theological abstraction – it's an invitation to a lighter, more collaborative way of discipleship that centers God's movement rather than our own.

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What if the way Jesus saw the world could transform how you live your everyday life? In this illuminating conversation, we unpack the concept of mental models—those invisible frameworks that shape everything from how we parent and lead to how we interpret Scripture and engage in mission.

Think of mental models like prescription glasses. While rarely noticed, they constantly filter how we see reality.

Where do these frameworks come from? Our first formation in family, personal experiences that shape our beliefs, education that trains our thinking, and the cultural waters we swim in all contribute to our unique set of lenses. These mental models are neither inherently good nor bad—they're simply the tools our brains use to make sense of a complex world. The question becomes: are they accurate and life-giving?

What makes this conversation particularly powerful is realizing that Jesus was consistently in the business of disrupting flawed mental models. He challenged how people viewed God, showing Him as an intimate Father rather than just a distant deity. He transformed perceptions of the marginalized, treating each person as an image-bearer. He inverted models of power, demonstrating that true leadership comes through service.

Join us as we preview our exciting new series exploring the mental models behind Jesus' approach to missional discipleship—convictions like "God's presence precedes our participation," "God is like Jesus," and "God cares about who we are, not just what we do." Through examining and updating our mental models, we can align our thinking more closely with Christ and participate more fully in His mission.

How might your life change if you could see the world through Jesus' eyes? Listen now and begin the journey of transformation.

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What does it truly mean to love your enemies in the way of Jesus? This question isn't just theological theory—it's a practical challenge we face whenever someone wrongs or mistreats us. In this powerful conclusion to our forgiveness series, we explore what might be Jesus's most radical teaching: not just breaking free from cycles of enemy-making, but actively loving those who harm us.

Most people naturally default to either fight (retaliation) or flight (passive submission) when wronged. Jesus offers a stunning third way—what we're calling "Kingdom Aikido"—that refuses to mirror evil while still actively resisting it. By examining Jesus's teaching in Matthew 5:38-48 through its historical context, we discover that "turn the other cheek" wasn't advocating doormat Christianity, but a creative nonviolent resistance that exposes injustice while preserving human dignity.

Through compelling examples and personal stories, we unpack four essential components of this approach: refusing to respond in kind, reclaiming your agency, holding up a mirror to injustice, and inviting the wrongdoer to repent. This isn't just about theoretical ethics—it's about practical wisdom for transforming conflicts in our families, workplaces, and communities. What might change if we approached challenging relationships not with passive resignation or aggressive hostility, but with the creative, dignity-affirming resistance Jesus modeled?

Loving enemies isn't easy, but it's at the heart of the gospel. After all, "we love God only as much as we love our worst enemy." Join us as we explore what it means to follow Jesus in the radical art of turning enemies into friends.