Are you living a “Kingdom of God lifestyle” today, in a very real sense? Do you feel like growth, abundance, and victory are all a part of your community life and church experience? This week on the Everyday Disciple Podcast, Caesar and Heath discuss how Jesus explained normal life and growth in the Kingdom of God. In This Episode You’ll Learn:

• The true definition of a Missional Community.
• Caesar’s story of a pretty rocky start to all of this 😳
• How Jesus explained life (all of it) and growth, and what to expect.
• The Pattern and Promise we see throughout the Parables in the NT.

Get started here... From this episode: “There is a reason Jesus lived and taught in the ways he did. He wasn’t random or cleverly trying to adapt to the local customs of his day. Yes, his methods were rooted in real life, and they were immersed into his culture, but there was something far more eternal and subversive going on.”

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 subscribe and leave an honest review for The Everyday Disciple Podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. 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 with Caesar and Tina in discipleship and missional living. Caesar’s book: Small is Big, Slow is Fast Get Caesar’s latest book: Bigger Gospel for FREE… Click Here  

Caesar: 00:00:01

How did I miss all this for so long?

Caesar: 00:00:03

This was not in Sunday school when I was a kid or in seminary, Jesus taught in parables a lot, little short stories, had super deep meanings and that offered his disciples and us still a pattern and a promise.

Caesar: 00:00:16

For life in the kingdom, we're gonna go through a few and you're gonna go, oh, whoa.

Caesar: 00:00:20

I never saw how those connected maybe.

Caesar: 00:00:22

I mean, I'm sure some of our listeners will have seen this, but these parables offer a pattern for how life works.

Caesar: 00:00:27

Okay.

Caesar: 00:00:28

And a promise for how it's gonna turn out.

Caesar: 00:00:31

And this is, I think you'll see, is gonna directly correspond to our small beginnings of Missional communities that failed.

Caesar: 00:00:37

Sure.

Caesar: 00:00:37

So I'm thinking of that verse right now, for who have despised the day of small.

Caesar: 00:00:41

Right.

Caesar: 00:00:41

Don't yeah, like don't so check this out in Luke 13, where we read Jesus explaining how the good news of the kingdom, what we commonly refer to as the Gospel works itself out, starting with this basic principle.

Caesar: 00:00:54

Small is

Caesar: 00:00:59

big.

Heath: 00:01:05

Welcome to the Everyday disciple Podcast where you'll learn how to live with a greater intentionality and an integrated faith that naturally fits into every area of life.

Heath: 00:01:13

In other words, discipleship as a lifestyle, this is the stuff your parents, pastors, and seminary professors probably forgot to tell you.

Heath: 00:01:21

And now here's your host Caesar.

Heath: 00:01:22

Kalinowski

Heath: 00:01:24

. Caesar: Okay, here we go again.

Heath: 00:01:26

Thanks for being with me.

Heath: 00:01:27

Hey, do you remember a couple of episodes back?

Heath: 00:01:30

I talked about getting a whole bunch of new fishing gear.

Heath: 00:01:32

I was pretty excited.

Heath: 00:01:34

well, a whole bunch of us in team.

Heath: 00:01:35

K.

Heath: 00:01:36

We got to go away for a few days of R and R on the water here up in the Pacific Northwest.

Heath: 00:01:40

The Puget sound is just nuts and beautiful.

Heath: 00:01:43

And I was like last week and I got to use all my gear or most of it.

Heath: 00:01:46

And as always, it would've been great to catch a few more fish than we did.

Heath: 00:01:51

But it was a blast getting to do some fishing with my son and his two boys, two of my grandsons.

Heath: 00:01:56

I really love that they are hooked on fishing already.

Heath: 00:02:00

See what I did there hooked on fishing.

Heath: 00:02:03

oh, anyway, sorry.

Heath: 00:02:04

Hey, I wanna do a shout out to Missio publishing.com.

Heath: 00:02:07

They sponsor the podcast.

Heath: 00:02:09

They help us keep this on the air and do you know all the expenses and gear and stuff related to keep the Everyday Disciple Podcast going.

Heath: 00:02:16

And I still think that, uh, they have some of the absolute best.

Heath: 00:02:21

Discipleship and Missional resources out there.

Heath: 00:02:24

If you're thinking about, Hey, what's ahead for our church and for our community.

Heath: 00:02:28

Oh, wow.

Heath: 00:02:29

Just check out some of the resources they offer there.

Heath: 00:02:31

I always have to, you know, all joking aside, I have to say, Hey, the Gospel primer, which I, I wrote has been a very big resource for.

Heath: 00:02:40

Thousands and thousands, 50, 60,000 people I think have used it now in community preach through the whole thing while your church is going through it.

Heath: 00:02:48

I oh, it's powerful.

Heath: 00:02:49

If you wanna grow in your gospel fluency, you can check that out, but there's so many good resources there.

Heath: 00:02:55

Just head on over to Missio publishing.com and see what they have.

Heath: 00:02:59

And I'm sure you're gonna find some stuff that's gonna really help you move forward in the mission.

Heath: 00:03:03

And I wanna extend the invitation as well to check out our.

Heath: 00:03:07

I want to tell you about what we do in couples, coaching, Tina and I coach together.

Heath: 00:03:11

And we coach as a couple and we coach couples.

Heath: 00:03:13

And what a difference that is made when trying to get families living on mission and whole communities, cuz as the marriage goes, so goes the family.

Heath: 00:03:21

So goes the community and the church.

Heath: 00:03:23

And so I'd love to tell you more about that.

Heath: 00:03:25

Maybe even set up a phone call or a short zoom call.

Heath: 00:03:27

We're starting to form some new cohorts that are gonna kick off pretty soon here.

Heath: 00:03:32

And this would be a good time to do.

Heath: 00:03:34

We're heading into new seasons and the, the fall opening up.

Heath: 00:03:37

And I'd love to help you plot this out and give you like all the tools and the encouragement and the accountability to keep things moving forward.

Heath: 00:03:44

Go over to every day.

Heath: 00:03:45

Disciple dot com slash coaching that's every day.

Heath: 00:03:49

Disciple dot com slash coaching.

Heath: 00:03:51

Get a whole lot more information.

Heath: 00:03:53

There's a little form you can fill out there.

Heath: 00:03:54

You're not committing to anything, but we can get a, you can get a hold of me that way we can hop on a zoom call or set up a phone call or whatever.

Heath: 00:04:00

All right.

Heath: 00:04:01

Cool.

Heath: 00:04:02

Now I am really excited for our talk today.

Heath: 00:04:04

Heath is gonna join me again, feels like old times, and we're gonna dig into how Jesus explained life and growth and freedom in the kingdom of God, which for us has come it's here now and we get to live in it.

Heath: 00:04:18

Yeah, right now.

Heath: 00:04:20

And I've noticed that much of Jesus' teachings include a pattern and a promise that we can apply to everything as we continue to live in and expand the kingdom here, we.

Heath: 00:04:31

Hey man today, kingdom of God and Jesus and life and growth and kingdom, what that looks like

Caesar: 00:04:36

there's so much, obviously, uh, there's so much good stuff that Jesus says and teaches that.

Caesar: 00:04:43

I think I got numb to it.

Caesar: 00:04:44

Like when I was a kid with the over flannelgraph of everything and Jesus also being taught.

Caesar: 00:04:49

So outta context yeah.

Caesar: 00:04:50

That some of the stuff I go back to and I go, oh my gosh, look how simple and crazy profound this is.

Caesar: 00:04:55

Oh, well that changes something in my life.

Heath: 00:04:58

is that interesting?

Heath: 00:04:58

I was thinking about that the other day, about how most of what I think I learn, uh, in teaching when I'm being taught scripture is very little Jesus.

Heath: 00:05:06

Most of it's Paul actually.

Heath: 00:05:08

I mean, we spend a lot of time in, in the letters

Heath: 00:05:10

and we've been taught to interpret Jesus through Paul.

Heath: 00:05:13

Yeah.

Heath: 00:05:14

Instead of we should always interpret everything else through Jesus, through Jesus.

Heath: 00:05:17

Yeah.

Heath: 00:05:17

Yeah.

Heath: 00:05:18

I'm like, man,

Heath: 00:05:18

I don't, I don't get taught Jesus much.

Heath: 00:05:20

I, I get taught Jesus,

Caesar: 00:05:21

but through Paul versus yeah, Paul's we have a little sexy love affair with Paul.

Caesar: 00:05:24

You know, we love Paul.

Caesar: 00:05:26

We love you Paul.

Caesar: 00:05:27

Cause you know, I, cause we think, well, Paul was human.

Caesar: 00:05:29

Like.

Caesar: 00:05:29

Yeah, someone's Jesus.

Caesar: 00:05:30

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:05:30

That's the whole point of the incarnation.

Caesar: 00:05:32

That's the a hundred percent, God hundred percent mandate.

Caesar: 00:05:34

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:05:34

Anyway, this is cool.

Caesar: 00:05:35

This is good stuff today.

Caesar: 00:05:36

And it will, I think it'll apply to everybody in any area of life because when Jesus taught parables, it was to apply to life.

Caesar: 00:05:42

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:05:42

But it's gonna really specifically also apply to anybody starting, or even, I wouldn't say starting, but yeah.

Caesar: 00:05:48

Maybe starting Missional communities or trying to transition small groups.

Caesar: 00:05:51

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:05:52

Or they're taking their church Missional and they're really bumping.

Caesar: 00:05:55

Against the level of intentionality it takes.

Caesar: 00:05:58

And I wonder, are we doing enough?

Caesar: 00:05:59

Sure.

Caesar: 00:06:00

And all that stuff.

Caesar: 00:06:00

So that's good,

Heath: 00:06:01

man.

Heath: 00:06:01

You know, one of the things that comes up quite a bit in the podcast group on Facebook is questions from our listeners.

Heath: 00:06:07

There's a lot of listeners that have actually tried to start Missional communities in the past, but not always with the best results.

Heath: 00:06:12

And yeah, if we're gonna be completely off script and honest here, I'm gonna say so have I, right?

Heath: 00:06:16

Yeah.

Heath: 00:06:17

Uh, and it can actually make a person wonder if this lifestyle that we talk about on the show.

Heath: 00:06:21

If it actually could really exist, like

Caesar: 00:06:23

yeah.

Caesar: 00:06:23

Discipleship and mission as a lifestyle.

Caesar: 00:06:25

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:06:26

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:06:26

Like, and it does, or someone give

Heath: 00:06:27

it like, eh, we tried it for about three weeks and it just wasn't J with us about three months

Heath: 00:06:31

or three . Yeah.

Heath: 00:06:32

So, um,

Caesar: 00:06:33

I just had a guy like last week, talk to me, stoked.

Caesar: 00:06:36

His whole community wants coaching.

Caesar: 00:06:38

They're gonna go take things to the next level.

Caesar: 00:06:40

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:06:41

I didn't hear back from him for a little while.

Caesar: 00:06:42

Like I wrote him, he goes, oh, by the way, the group just disbanded.

Caesar: 00:06:45

I mean, they went from like, we're hammering the gas.

Caesar: 00:06:48

New level of slamming on the brakes to like breaks nothing.

Caesar: 00:06:51

We threw everything out the windows and parked the car.

Caesar: 00:06:53

You know, I was like, holy cow, man.

Caesar: 00:06:54

So it happens.

Caesar: 00:06:55

I get.

Heath: 00:06:56

So what's your experience, especially like a few years back when you were first trying to get in this whole Missional Community thing,

Heath: 00:07:01

when you were figuring that out for yourself.

Heath: 00:07:03

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:07:04

Let me start kind of at the beginning a little bit.

Caesar: 00:07:06

Cause like I, you know, we throw out that term Missional and I'm guessing most of our listeners at this point are pretty aware of that, but for me, so I wanna go back, I'll tell this story from as back then, I began to hear people using that term that describe the life of Jesus disciples.

Caesar: 00:07:19

You know, the way the first believers lived.

Caesar: 00:07:21

Sure.

Caesar: 00:07:21

Connected to that as well as those who live like missionaries today.

Caesar: 00:07:25

and that was that Missional word.

Caesar: 00:07:27

Okay.

Caesar: 00:07:27

Now Missional there again, if you know, for maybe people are new to it or they've attributed something else to it, carries with this idea that our lives should be radically reoriented around the mission of Jesus, the same mission that he send his disciples out to replicate, which is always, and only making disciples who make disciples.

Caesar: 00:07:46

Sure.

Caesar: 00:07:46

And doing that together as a family of mission.

Caesar: 00:07:49

That was what Jesus modeled.

Caesar: 00:07:50

That's what he said to do.

Caesar: 00:07:51

And that's what Missional means.

Caesar: 00:07:53

Okay.

Caesar: 00:07:53

So it's not just like, Hey, my small group decided to go, you know, once a year, once a quarter and go out, serve over here.

Caesar: 00:07:58

Good thing.

Caesar: 00:07:59

That's unless you're making disciples, it's not Missional.

Caesar: 00:08:01

So sure.

Caesar: 00:08:02

As we began to learn more about what it meant to live this way, Tina and I decided we'd begin to gather up some of our closest Christian friends, you know, the church and start eat meals together and discuss what it looked like for us to start living as a Missional community.

Caesar: 00:08:13

Hmm.

Caesar: 00:08:14

So this is a long time back.

Caesar: 00:08:15

Okay.

Caesar: 00:08:15

Really long ago.

Caesar: 00:08:17

And we wanted to start treating each other more like a family, and we were really close friends already, but then, and then we thought, okay.

Caesar: 00:08:22

And then we'll start to invite those that God would hopefully call us to Disciple and hang out with us to join us and all that.

Caesar: 00:08:28

And so people have probably heard that term Missional.

Caesar: 00:08:30

That's how we first got started.

Caesar: 00:08:32

But.

Caesar: 00:08:33

Missional.

Caesar: 00:08:33

Isn't really a form of church.

Caesar: 00:08:35

Okay.

Caesar: 00:08:35

It's a label that we give to the qualitative and descriptive aspect of how the church actually lives.

Caesar: 00:08:40

Mm-hmm is the church.

Caesar: 00:08:42

Are we as a group, as a community, even as a family, are we living with God's priority Jesus priority in commands to make disciples, to make disciples in community?

Caesar: 00:08:50

Are we taking it?

Caesar: 00:08:52

Seriously.

Caesar: 00:08:52

Hmm.

Caesar: 00:08:53

Okay.

Caesar: 00:08:54

So in other words, how Missional you are is largely determined by the extent to which you and your community model, the life and activities of Jesus, cuz he was all about his disciples and making disciples.

Caesar: 00:09:04

So that sounds good, right?

Caesar: 00:09:05

Absolutely.

Caesar: 00:09:06

Everybody goes Christian.

Caesar: 00:09:07

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:09:07

I'm down for that.

Caesar: 00:09:08

our friends all thought so too.

Caesar: 00:09:10

so we were all excited to be Missional, to live as a Missional Community and exciting as that is until things.

Caesar: 00:09:16

I mean, people were loving.

Caesar: 00:09:17

Until we got to the point where we moved beyond our weekly meal and discussion about being Missional.

Caesar: 00:09:22

Sure.

Caesar: 00:09:22

To, I was trying to help us start to head out and build new relationships.

Caesar: 00:09:26

And let's go to some places where a bunch of, not yet believers hang out like regularly, you know, cause none of 'em are church, you know?

Caesar: 00:09:31

Yeah, absolutely.

Caesar: 00:09:31

And let's start to serve those that have needs in our city or right in the neighborhood actually, you know, going.

Caesar: 00:09:37

To make disciples, like Jesus said, go and make disciples.

Caesar: 00:09:39

That's when everybody kind like, you know, kind of recoiled a bit, they're like, Hmm, that would mean my schedule I'd have to change quite a bit, or we're just too busy right now.

Caesar: 00:09:48

Sure.

Caesar: 00:09:49

Or, you know, we had a lot of different friends and I know there's a lot of stuff and I don't know, you know, or they maybe in the winter, once we get past our kids' sports stuff and we'll see, then, you know, That's kind of, when it all started to fall apart, pretty quickly, our little band of brothers and sisters, um, fell apart and really discouraged.

Caesar: 00:10:05

We decided, well, maybe this kind of life doesn't work in the suburbs of Chicago.

Caesar: 00:10:09

That's where we were at at the time.

Caesar: 00:10:10

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:10:11

So I'll dig deeper into how that story goes a little later.

Caesar: 00:10:14

There's a little teaser, but for now the point is that not.

Caesar: 00:10:18

not everyone who was a Christian was willing to jump right into this new Missional lifestyle with us.

Caesar: 00:10:22

Hmm.

Caesar: 00:10:23

Like, it sounds good on paper and you read acts two, and you're like gorgeous I'm in.

Caesar: 00:10:26

They all agree that it was biblical.

Caesar: 00:10:28

You can't really argue with it.

Caesar: 00:10:29

There it is.

Caesar: 00:10:30

It's in writing.

Caesar: 00:10:30

This is how Jesus lived, this how disciples live.

Caesar: 00:10:32

Sure.

Caesar: 00:10:32

But their existing preconceptions of Christianity and going to church bad theology that that is, and their own priorities acted as this huge gravitational pull backward away from.

Caesar: 00:10:44

Well away from the life where priority and focus was living on mission with God making disciples.

Caesar: 00:10:48

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:10:48

So we had a lot to learn about it.

Caesar: 00:10:50

We had, I mean, at that point, obviously we had the terminology, but not, we weren't really understanding what Jesus was doing yet.

Heath: 00:10:57

Well, there you go.

Heath: 00:10:58

The most depressing episode ever have,

Heath: 00:11:02

uh, so.

Heath: 00:11:03

I can totally relate to this man.

Heath: 00:11:04

It sounds a lot like some of the experiences I have had even in this Missional Community sort of lifestyle, cause it's not easy at all.

Heath: 00:11:10

Please tell me not first

Heath: 00:11:12

cuz you're yeah, once you grow into it, it becomes great.

Heath: 00:11:15

But please tell me that you have some sort of happy ending as part of this because in my reading of the Bible, what you're calling Missional is the way that I see Jesus living.

Heath: 00:11:23

Both with his disciples and his friends.

Heath: 00:11:25

Like this must be real and a possibility for us too.

Heath: 00:11:27

Right?

Heath: 00:11:28

This isn't just, well, that was first century Israel.

Heath: 00:11:30

It's not, it's not for us today in, in Seattle.

Heath: 00:11:32

What's Jesus gotta say about.

Heath: 00:11:34

Us living this way together

Caesar: 00:11:35

now.

Caesar: 00:11:36

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:11:36

Okay.

Caesar: 00:11:37

Well, I think there's a reason that Jesus lived and taught the way he did.

Caesar: 00:11:41

Just hear that again.

Caesar: 00:11:42

Jesus has certain motivation.

Caesar: 00:11:44

Okay.

Caesar: 00:11:44

He wasn't random or just cleverly trying to adapt to the local customers today.

Caesar: 00:11:49

Like, Hey, I'm God, but I'm coming down.

Caesar: 00:11:51

I'm gonna wear like a scratchy robe and grow a beard down out where some sandals watch me adapt, you know?

Caesar: 00:11:55

Sure.

Caesar: 00:11:56

Yes.

Caesar: 00:11:56

His message were rooted in real.

Caesar: 00:11:59

They were immersed in his culture.

Caesar: 00:12:01

I mean, he was born like, and says, grew like everybody else and loved his crap from his dad.

Caesar: 00:12:05

And, but there was something far more eternal and I think subversive going on with Jesus.

Caesar: 00:12:10

Okay.

Caesar: 00:12:10

So Jesus was on his father's mission, which was restoring all things to the way he originally created them to be and his life okay.

Caesar: 00:12:19

Modeled certain things.

Caesar: 00:12:20

And his teachings provide both the example for us, but I think they also open, open up a new possibility for.

Caesar: 00:12:27

For all of us to, once again, live in a close relationship with God under his rule and reign, but also living on his mission.

Caesar: 00:12:34

Okay.

Caesar: 00:12:35

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:12:35

And that's what I was saying, though, what I'm gonna get into here.

Caesar: 00:12:37

I was like, how did I miss all this for so long?

Caesar: 00:12:39

This was not in Sunday school when I was a kid or in seminary.

Caesar: 00:12:42

Sure.

Caesar: 00:12:42

Um, so Jesus taught in parables a lot, right?

Caesar: 00:12:46

Yep.

Caesar: 00:12:46

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:12:46

Little short stories had super deep meetings and that offered his disciples and us still a pattern and a promise.

Caesar: 00:12:54

For life in the kingdom.

Caesar: 00:12:55

Hmm.

Caesar: 00:12:56

Okay.

Caesar: 00:12:57

So think about that.

Caesar: 00:12:58

We're gonna go through a few and you're gonna go, oh, whoa.

Caesar: 00:13:01

I never saw how those connected.

Caesar: 00:13:02

Right?

Caesar: 00:13:03

Maybe.

Caesar: 00:13:03

I mean, I'm sure some of our listeners will have seen this, but these parables offer a pattern for how life works.

Caesar: 00:13:08

Okay.

Caesar: 00:13:09

And a promise for how it's gonna turn out.

Caesar: 00:13:11

And this is, I think you'll see, is gonna directly correspond to our small beginnings of Missional communities that failed.

Caesar: 00:13:18

Sure.

Caesar: 00:13:18

So I'm thinking of that verse right now, for who have despised the day of small things.

Caesar: 00:13:21

Mm-hmm right.

Caesar: 00:13:22

Don't yeah.

Caesar: 00:13:23

Like.

Caesar: 00:13:23

So check this out in Luke 13, we see Jesus where we read Jesus explaining how the good news of the key kingdom, what we commonly refer to as the Gospel works itself out, starting with this basic principle.

Caesar: 00:13:35

Okay.

Caesar: 00:13:36

Small thing are really important.

Caesar: 00:13:38

Small is big.

Caesar: 00:13:39

Sure.

Caesar: 00:13:39

Okay.

Caesar: 00:13:39

Probably heard me use that phrase before in my book, Jesus asks, he goes, what is the kingdom of God?

Caesar: 00:13:44

Like what shall I compare it to?

Caesar: 00:13:46

And he says, it's like a mustard seed.

Caesar: 00:13:48

That's tiny, which a man took and planted in his garden, but then check it out.

Caesar: 00:13:52

It grew and it became a tree.

Caesar: 00:13:55

Hmm.

Caesar: 00:13:55

And then many birds perched and lived in its branches.

Caesar: 00:13:59

So the pattern here is pretty clear and simple.

Caesar: 00:14:02

I think we get this one, this new kingdom of restoration, doesn't start off big with everyone jumping on board.

Caesar: 00:14:08

So, you know, even in our own life right now, we got a circle of friends and we're trying to move to a greater level of intentionality.

Caesar: 00:14:13

Sure.

Caesar: 00:14:14

It's not a million.

Caesar: 00:14:15

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:14:15

And not, everybody's probably gonna go forward.

Caesar: 00:14:17

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:14:18

We love them.

Caesar: 00:14:18

They love us.

Caesar: 00:14:19

But, so Jesus is saying here's the pattern kingdom restoration.

Caesar: 00:14:22

Doesn't start off big with everybody jumping on board.

Caesar: 00:14:24

Notice that Jesus tells us that that little mustard seed is first planted in the man's wear own garden.

Caesar: 00:14:30

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:14:30

Own garden.

Caesar: 00:14:31

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:14:31

So where does this whole Missional shift start?

Caesar: 00:14:35

in our hearts.

Caesar: 00:14:36

That's what he's saying there.

Caesar: 00:14:38

See, I never, I never caught.

Caesar: 00:14:39

So now after it's plant.

Caesar: 00:14:41

it starts to grow in your own heart.

Caesar: 00:14:43

It grows into something larger.

Caesar: 00:14:44

That's something that others can find their place in.

Caesar: 00:14:47

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:14:48

There are many small steps on the journey to a kingdom life.

Caesar: 00:14:50

Okay.

Caesar: 00:14:51

Uh, lived on, you know, the way Jesus did and all of our steps, all of your steps will be baby steps.

Caesar: 00:14:57

At first they'll be small.

Caesar: 00:14:58

Sure.

Caesar: 00:14:59

And they start out planning them in your own garden.

Caesar: 00:15:01

So I can confess.

Caesar: 00:15:02

There's been times when, before I undersell a lot of the stuff I do now, I try to throw lasso around a bunch of friends and talking me to doing stuff out.

Caesar: 00:15:08

Hadn't taken root in my own heart.

Caesar: 00:15:10

Wow.

Caesar: 00:15:10

My own life doesn't work.

Caesar: 00:15:12

See how that ends up.

Caesar: 00:15:13

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:15:13

Feels manipulated.

Caesar: 00:15:14

And that's kinda what that beginning of that story was like.

Caesar: 00:15:15

Sure.

Caesar: 00:15:16

Now that's the pattern, but the promise is also clear after the good news of the kingdom takes root and changes your own heart.

Caesar: 00:15:24

Jesus promises.

Caesar: 00:15:24

It will expand outward to include others.

Caesar: 00:15:28

See, we're starting to get a little, uh, maybe what was wrong with that first group of mine?

Caesar: 00:15:32

Yeah, absolutely.

Caesar: 00:15:32

The way it was starting off in white fell.

Caesar: 00:15:33

Absolutely.

Caesar: 00:15:34

Now the seemingly first small steps you take to cultivate growth in your own life will grow over time and they have a large effect on others that you're hanging out with.

Caesar: 00:15:43

Okay.

Caesar: 00:15:44

So we're not called to build elaborate.

Caesar: 00:15:47

Uh, structured programs and systems, and then expect lots of people to come in and fill 'em up for us.

Caesar: 00:15:52

Sure.

Caesar: 00:15:52

Instead we're to plant small Gospel seeds that will eventually grow into starting with our own hearts changed lives and changed families and changed communities.

Caesar: 00:16:03

Hmm.

Caesar: 00:16:04

That's why I say small is big.

Caesar: 00:16:06

That's great.

Caesar: 00:16:07

That's the first kingdom principle that Jesus.

Caesar: 00:16:09

but wasn't the only one.

Caesar: 00:16:11

Okay.

Caesar: 00:16:12

Now these parables often come like in two or threes.

Caesar: 00:16:15

Sure.

Caesar: 00:16:15

And Jesus is kind of boxing you in like, yeah, but what about, wait, hold on.

Caesar: 00:16:18

So he goes on and continuing Jesus taught him another kingdom code and it wasn't small as big.

Caesar: 00:16:24

Now he teaches him about slow is actually faster.

Caesar: 00:16:27

Hmm.

Caesar: 00:16:28

Okay.

Caesar: 00:16:28

Again, Jesus asks this I'm quoting scripture.

Caesar: 00:16:30

Now what should I compare the kingdom of God to?

Caesar: 00:16:33

He says it's like yeast.

Caesar: 00:16:35

that a woman took and mixed into about 60 pounds of flour until it's worked itself all the way through the dough now here's the pattern like yeast, which is a catalyst for change in growth.

Caesar: 00:16:45

Sure.

Caesar: 00:16:46

The Gospel begins to affect our lives slowly at first, igniting a change within us that influences every aspect of our existence.

Caesar: 00:16:54

Hmm.

Caesar: 00:16:54

It starts out slow.

Caesar: 00:16:55

Jesus says, but just a little will change a.

Caesar: 00:16:59

that's what he teaches in that that's pattern.

Caesar: 00:17:01

So what's the promise there in that same parable, the good news of the kingdom is about more than just our afterlife.

Caesar: 00:17:07

What happens to us when we die?

Caesar: 00:17:09

Christianity's more than just about our sin and heaven and hell.

Caesar: 00:17:13

And thinking about that now Jesus kingdom rule and reign is present now.

Caesar: 00:17:18

That's great.

Caesar: 00:17:18

And it transforms everything about us.

Caesar: 00:17:20

That's why you see so much yeast stuff, both in old Testament stuff and, you know, with a feast and all that.

Caesar: 00:17:27

Hmm.

Caesar: 00:17:28

And celebrations, there was always this idea of yeast and all that.

Caesar: 00:17:32

There's a lot of that because the kingdom of God is present now, but it's transforming everything.

Caesar: 00:17:38

And that's how works with yeast.

Caesar: 00:17:39

You put a little bit of yeast in a ball of do nothing.

Caesar: 00:17:42

Five minutes later.

Caesar: 00:17:43

Ah, starting to swallow a little bit.

Caesar: 00:17:44

Yeah, a little bit later.

Caesar: 00:17:45

Oh, it's completely starting to change texture.

Caesar: 00:17:46

Ah, boom.

Caesar: 00:17:47

It's loaf of bread.

Caesar: 00:17:48

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:17:48

It's like, it's amazing.

Caesar: 00:17:49

It's slow.

Caesar: 00:17:49

So it's slow is fast and that's, that's what he's teaching.

Caesar: 00:17:53

And I think it changes our perspectives, priorities and motives and methods.

Caesar: 00:17:58

When we think about that, when we take Jesus pattern and promise seriously.

Caesar: 00:18:01

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:18:02

Living on God's mission and making disciples is about small shifts and belief and practice that over time.

Caesar: 00:18:09

And I don't know how much time.

Caesar: 00:18:09

Okay.

Caesar: 00:18:10

It's maybe different every make a huge difference.

Caesar: 00:18:12

So just as a ball of dough takes time to rise, like be patient like with yourself and with others God's process of change and growth in your hearts.

Caesar: 00:18:20

It's happening.

Caesar: 00:18:20

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:18:21

It's

Heath: 00:18:21

beautiful, man.

Heath: 00:18:21

And it's like you said, the mustard seed to a tree that's not an overnight or even in a month.

Heath: 00:18:25

This is years and years and years

Caesar: 00:18:27

of growing.

Caesar: 00:18:28

That's the smallest big, and this is the slow is fast.

Caesar: 00:18:30

Now these were back to back parables.

Caesar: 00:18:33

See how he's teaching this pattern and promise, flipping it, pattern and promise.

Caesar: 00:18:36

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:18:36

So we can see

Heath: 00:18:37

this and we can see Jesus flipping angles on this.

Heath: 00:18:39

And if we truly believe what Jesus is teaching in these parables, what does this all lead to?

Caesar: 00:18:45

Like connected back to our, like our Missional.

Caesar: 00:18:47

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:18:47

In light of who we are.

Caesar: 00:18:49

Well, I think there's an underlying principle in both these parables.

Caesar: 00:18:52

Uh, another, there's a goal that these two principles lead to and that's in both cases, it's multiplication.

Caesar: 00:18:58

Hmm.

Caesar: 00:18:58

Think about it.

Caesar: 00:18:59

A little seed grows into a tree at first it's what's growing in your garden and then who's there.

Caesar: 00:19:04

Lots of people.

Caesar: 00:19:05

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:19:05

Multiplication, a yeast takes a small bit of dough, makes it into a huge thing.

Caesar: 00:19:09

You know how you start the next batch.

Caesar: 00:19:11

You take a little bit of that dough that take a little bit of dough to feed.

Caesar: 00:19:13

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:19:13

Right.

Caesar: 00:19:13

So both these are actually these two principles lead to multiplication.

Caesar: 00:19:17

Hmm.

Caesar: 00:19:18

The good news is the kingdom.

Caesar: 00:19:19

Jesus kingdom rule and reign is not just about the small changes in your life.

Caesar: 00:19:23

That lead to transformation over time, nor.

Caesar: 00:19:26

Okay.

Caesar: 00:19:26

Is it simply a matter of taking time and having patience to do the right things?

Caesar: 00:19:31

Both of these parables?

Caesar: 00:19:32

I think really also teach us that life in the kingdom always leads to multiplication.

Caesar: 00:19:37

Yeah, it does.

Caesar: 00:19:39

If you stay the course now, if I took the seed and I stuck in the ground and I screamed at it and it's not growing quick enough and I ripped it back out, there's no tree, right?

Caesar: 00:19:46

There's no lots of people roosting in it.

Caesar: 00:19:48

If I drop yeast in the dough and then.

Caesar: 00:19:51

say well that doesn't look like bread and I throw it away, give it some time.

Caesar: 00:19:54

We have to big it yet.

Caesar: 00:19:55

So both of these parables teach us that life in the kingdom always leads to multiplication.

Caesar: 00:20:00

Hmm.

Caesar: 00:20:01

And guess what?

Caesar: 00:20:01

Multiplication always beats out hard work and sacrifice and our giant goals and dreams.

Caesar: 00:20:08

And eventually it changes the world multiplication because it's one of those things where like, Hey, it took forever to go from one to two, but.

Caesar: 00:20:16

In about the same amount of time we went from two to four.

Caesar: 00:20:18

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:20:19

But then a little quicker, we went to like six or seven.

Caesar: 00:20:21

Oh, wait a minute.

Caesar: 00:20:21

Multiplications kicking in.

Caesar: 00:20:23

Or you could just keep trying hard to start one and then start another ball, you know?

Caesar: 00:20:27

It's like, yeah, exactly.

Caesar: 00:20:28

Okay.

Caesar: 00:20:29

Now it's interesting to me that in Matthew's Gospel right after Matthew records, those first two parables mm-hmm, the mustard seed grown into a huge tree.

Caesar: 00:20:37

Small is big.

Caesar: 00:20:38

And then the yeast in a ball do like slows fast.

Caesar: 00:20:42

It's you know, it's gonna.

Caesar: 00:20:44

He goes on.

Caesar: 00:20:45

Okay.

Caesar: 00:20:46

And he says, the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field.

Caesar: 00:20:51

When a man found it, he hit it again.

Caesar: 00:20:54

And then in his joy, like he stoked, he went and sold everything he had and he bought that field and he goes on, he goes, again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.

Caesar: 00:21:04

And when he finds that primo one, that one of great value.

Caesar: 00:21:08

Yep.

Caesar: 00:21:08

He went away and he sold everything he had and he bought it.

Caesar: 00:21:12

Hm.

Caesar: 00:21:13

I don't, I don't catch.

Caesar: 00:21:14

So after sharing that, those first two short parables, Jesus wraps up his teaching time with the disciples, telling them a final parable about some fishermen.

Caesar: 00:21:24

Okay.

Caesar: 00:21:24

So, so after those first ones, he tells 'em those two in a triplet, right?

Caesar: 00:21:27

Sure.

Caesar: 00:21:28

Okay.

Caesar: 00:21:28

Wait a minute.

Caesar: 00:21:28

Something valuable.

Caesar: 00:21:29

It's hidden.

Caesar: 00:21:30

Uh, I, I it's worth everything I have.

Caesar: 00:21:32

And then he tells them after those two, he wraps, he wraps us up by telling a final parable about some fishermen who let down their nets to catch.

Caesar: 00:21:40

It says.

Caesar: 00:21:41

All kinds of fish.

Caesar: 00:21:43

Hmm.

Caesar: 00:21:45

Now this would've likely reminded them of an earlier time when Jesus commanded Peter and his buddies to throw out their nets after a long night of fishing.

Caesar: 00:21:51

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:21:51

Flashback.

Caesar: 00:21:52

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:21:52

And they're like, uh, man, Jesus, it's been all night.

Caesar: 00:21:55

We got, but when they pulled their nets back into the boat, the Bible tells us they were overflowing with fish to the point of breaking mm-hmm Fishman were amazed.

Caesar: 00:22:02

Right.

Caesar: 00:22:02

and it is almost if Jesus was saying to them, that's how I roll.

Caesar: 00:22:06

And here's what.

Caesar: 00:22:07

Don't miss this.

Caesar: 00:22:08

He wants them to understand that the kingdom life will always lead to expansion and abundance.

Caesar: 00:22:14

Hmm.

Caesar: 00:22:14

Now these are all in a row here.

Caesar: 00:22:16

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:22:17

You know, they will all the kingdom life don't miss.

Caesar: 00:22:19

It will always lead to expansion and abundance.

Caesar: 00:22:21

He's saying to them healthy things grow and will multiply if you're trust me.

Caesar: 00:22:27

yeah.

Caesar: 00:22:27

And that's how God's ordered all of life.

Caesar: 00:22:30

And I'm gonna show.

Caesar: 00:22:31

How to live this way and teach others as well.

Caesar: 00:22:33

That's what he, that's what he was telling them.

Caesar: 00:22:35

And he was giving 'em these little parables, so they couldn't miss it.

Caesar: 00:22:37

And I don't think they missed it cuz they went out and did it.

Caesar: 00:22:40

Sure.

Caesar: 00:22:41

I think I've missed these, this pattern and promise yeah.

Caesar: 00:22:44

All these years.

Caesar: 00:22:45

And we're always trying to take every parable and make it to like, I.

Caesar: 00:22:48

Trying to get somebody saved.

Caesar: 00:22:49

Exactly.

Caesar: 00:22:50

Itself felt very, but it's like, no, no, this is Jesus saying, this is how life works in the kingdom of God.

Heath: 00:22:55

Things grow.

Heath: 00:22:56

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:22:56

Everything.

Caesar: 00:22:57

Now, I think we're applying it today to like Missional Community life or community growth or church growth.

Caesar: 00:23:01

But I think you could apply this to like, I'm trying to like raise my kids.

Caesar: 00:23:04

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:23:05

Like would that apply like something small, the right small things would actually grow big and it would take forever.

Caesar: 00:23:12

It would seem, yeah, boy, it'd be big.

Caesar: 00:23:14

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:23:14

Don't rush that in between.

Caesar: 00:23:15

Right.

Caesar: 00:23:15

It'd be so much faster than doing the wrong thing for a bunch of years and trying to fix it when they're teenagers.

Caesar: 00:23:18

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:23:18

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:23:19

I think these, this pattern promise Jesus gives here is huge.

Caesar: 00:23:23

That's amazing, man.

Caesar: 00:23:24

So what I'm thinking of is, even as you're sharing is like, if this kingdom mindset of pattern and then this offer of promise of growth and multiplication.

Caesar: 00:23:32

Is true.

Caesar: 00:23:33

How does it actually tie into your story?

Caesar: 00:23:35

Like when you were starting out to.

Caesar: 00:23:37

early on your Missional communities.

Caesar: 00:23:38

Did it explode finally with tons

Caesar: 00:23:40

of growth?

Caesar: 00:23:40

Boom.

Caesar: 00:23:41

Just, yeah.

Caesar: 00:23:41

It's, it's

Heath: 00:23:42

happy.

Heath: 00:23:43

the biggest church in America,

Caesar: 00:23:44

so yeah, biggest church in the world.

Caesar: 00:23:47

Um, okay, so, well, a year or so after that failed attempt.

Caesar: 00:23:51

Sure.

Caesar: 00:23:51

That I was telling you at the beginning, God called Tina and I and our girls.

Caesar: 00:23:55

Our son was, uh, back in Washington and right on the verge of going into the Marines at the time he called us though from Chicago to pack up and move out here to Tacoma.

Caesar: 00:24:02

We're we kinda still live in the area.

Caesar: 00:24:04

Right.

Caesar: 00:24:04

Promised land mm-hmm and he calls out here to join our friends, Jeff and Janie.

Caesar: 00:24:08

Vanel mm-hmm a lot of our listeners probably know of Jeff Vanel yeah, definitely.

Caesar: 00:24:12

Janie's the better half anyway, but calls to join them out here, this new adventure, and we moved out Tacoma to help him start new churches that would be formed like people living like missionaries.

Caesar: 00:24:21

Right?

Caesar: 00:24:21

Sure.

Caesar: 00:24:21

And the stuff that Jeff and I had talked about over many, a cigar and scotch about the book of acts.

Caesar: 00:24:27

Gosh, they look at this, they live this way.

Caesar: 00:24:29

Can't we have churches.

Caesar: 00:24:30

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:24:30

Yep.

Caesar: 00:24:30

And we looked, and we said, these are churches that follow a different pattern.

Caesar: 00:24:33

One that was in line with this new recalibration that Jesus was showing us.

Caesar: 00:24:38

And so Jeff and Jeanie and Tina and I actually, there was this circle of friends that they had been pulling together and they see Jeff and Jeanie had actually been part of that original group.

Caesar: 00:24:46

Oh, cool.

Caesar: 00:24:47

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:24:47

Back in Chicago.

Caesar: 00:24:47

I don't think I ever knew that.

Caesar: 00:24:48

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:24:48

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:24:48

And that ones where we never quite crack the nut.

Caesar: 00:24:51

Sure.

Caesar: 00:24:52

But they were determined to give it another try.

Caesar: 00:24:53

In fact, they had moved out here and then we ended God, let us out here to join them.

Caesar: 00:24:56

So we started asking the question, how would Jesus live here?

Caesar: 00:24:58

Well, God's answer to our question.

Caesar: 00:25:01

Was to birth a new community that ended up being called Soma.

Caesar: 00:25:04

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:25:04

And I, I think a lot of our listeners have probably heard of Soma or Soma communities, Soma family churches.

Caesar: 00:25:08

So we started really simply, it was a small group of friends doing really normal everyday stuff.

Caesar: 00:25:13

Mm-hmm , but with an intentional commitment to live, as Jesus would live, if he was living our life.

Caesar: 00:25:19

That's cool, man.

Caesar: 00:25:20

So we are, you know, we are doing all stuff we saw in actual, regular eating meals together and we're serving one another, trying to meet the needs of our families and our, our new neighbors.

Caesar: 00:25:28

New friends and all that.

Caesar: 00:25:29

And we learned to apply the good news to the Gospel, to like every area of life.

Caesar: 00:25:33

And we started watching this pattern and promise.

Caesar: 00:25:36

And so little by little, everything began to change for us as we experienced growth.

Caesar: 00:25:42

And as I said earlier, healthy things always grow.

Caesar: 00:25:44

Yeah, they do.

Caesar: 00:25:45

So out that, out of that new that new attempt, like many, many years later when I started the story, our community, we, from that little core, we sent out four groups of brothers and sisters into their own neighborhoods right here in Tacoma.

Caesar: 00:25:58

and they all had the same commitment to continue in the same rhythms that we had been following, believing that pattern and promise of Jesus.

Caesar: 00:26:05

Sure.

Caesar: 00:26:05

Okay.

Caesar: 00:26:05

It wasn't always easy.

Caesar: 00:26:06

Okay.

Caesar: 00:26:07

But those communities grew and the same rhythms of life, that the way we shared meals and served and learned together, uh, were now being repeated in the lives of many, many others sort like that mustard seed many was coming to, but now it's distributed all over town.

Caesar: 00:26:21

So before too long, some of those new Missional communities, they started birthing groups of their own Hmm.

Caesar: 00:26:26

Multiplication expansion.

Caesar: 00:26:28

it was like, Jesus, you were right.

Caesar: 00:26:29

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:26:29

This principle working now, this didn't happen in a weekend.

Caesar: 00:26:31

We're talking over the course of many, many months.

Caesar: 00:26:33

And then ultimately a couple years before we started really seeing the expansion it, yeah.

Caesar: 00:26:37

Okay.

Caesar: 00:26:38

So it ended up growing into dozens of Gospel, centering communities all over our town and then eventually into other cities.

Caesar: 00:26:44

And anyway, what we experienced over time was that when we focused on small.

Caesar: 00:26:49

but really important in ordinary parts of life, submitting him to Jesus, seeking to build his kingdom, instead of our own, everything began to change.

Caesar: 00:26:58

And not only did others start to notice, but they wanted to be a part of what we were doing.

Caesar: 00:27:03

Others were coming to take roots in attraction.

Caesar: 00:27:06

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:27:06

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:27:06

And it was not uncommon to hear friends say stuff like, well, I'm not really into going to church, you know, or religion or that sort of thing, but I love you guys.

Caesar: 00:27:13

Well, be a part of that, whatever it is.

Caesar: 00:27:14

Sure.

Caesar: 00:27:15

So I wanna sum it up by saying small is big.

Caesar: 00:27:17

And slow is fast and multiplication wins every time.

Caesar: 00:27:22

Yep.

Caesar: 00:27:22

And that was Jesus pattern promised, realized as we lived it out.

Caesar: 00:27:26

Okay.

Caesar: 00:27:27

Now

Heath: 00:27:27

remember a book called Small is , big Slow is, fast.

Caesar: 00:27:29

I think it's such a good title, right?

Caesar: 00:27:31

so for our listeners, I'm being cheeky, but I mean, part of this story comes from that book, smallest, big Slow is, fast.

Caesar: 00:27:36

And in the book, it builds out the entire process and timeline yeah.

Caesar: 00:27:40

That we actually started to use and teach each other.

Caesar: 00:27:42

So if anybody's interested in like the rest of the story and also a lot of tools in the time.

Caesar: 00:27:46

Check it out and you'll see Jesus pattern promise as in really the whole, a lot more of the story belong with the tool sets and all that stuff too, man.

Heath: 00:27:54

What a great story, right?

Heath: 00:27:55

Like the, you saw the faithfulness of God 2000 years later in America, the principle actually works,

Caesar: 00:28:01

but it didn't start out that way for us.

Caesar: 00:28:02

Like I carry, it was like years previous 5, 6, 7 years had gone.

Caesar: 00:28:06

But gotta in there, God starts showing us this pattern and promise and it's true.

Heath: 00:28:09

Okay.

Heath: 00:28:09

So there's a few things we could take away from today, but we try to boil 'em down into the big three, which we're gonna

Heath: 00:28:14

get to now

Caesar: 00:28:14

for sure.

Caesar: 00:28:15

And you probably already know that you can get a printable PDF of this week's big three as a free download just by going over to everyday Disciple dot com slash big three.

Caesar: 00:28:25

That's B I G three.

Caesar: 00:28:26

We'll send it right out.

Heath: 00:28:27

And again, these are things we just three takeaways, immediate takeaways.

Heath: 00:28:30

We'd love for you to get from this episode, if nothing else.

Heath: 00:28:32

Yeah, nothing else.

Heath: 00:28:33

So C what are the big three for this

Heath: 00:28:34

week?

Caesar: 00:28:34

Okay.

Caesar: 00:28:35

In, uh, first one embrace the kingdom pattern of small is big.

Caesar: 00:28:39

Hm.

Caesar: 00:28:40

all right.

Caesar: 00:28:41

This idea that everything we endeavor to do in life for ministry has to start off huge.

Caesar: 00:28:46

And with lots of people in attendance or in tow it's broken.

Caesar: 00:28:49

Yep.

Caesar: 00:28:50

It was fo and you know, it's, it's been falsely reinforced by our own churches over the last 50 years or so too.

Caesar: 00:28:55

And it goes against Jesus teaching and example, Jesus, didn't hit the ground running with you know, Hey, are those 5,000 people when we fed 'em that's it, that's our congregation size now.

Caesar: 00:29:04

No.

Caesar: 00:29:04

Back to 12.

Caesar: 00:29:05

He takes off, right?

Caesar: 00:29:06

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:29:06

So, uh, he started off with a dozen.

Caesar: 00:29:09

And transformed the world.

Caesar: 00:29:10

Yep.

Caesar: 00:29:11

And so again, I'm reminded that Isaiah four 10 do not despise the small beginnings for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.

Caesar: 00:29:19

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:29:20

So it's funny you say even he starts with a 12 and you're like, man, even the night before he was crucified, He was losing them too, you know?

Caesar: 00:29:25

It was, yeah, exactly.

Caesar: 00:29:26

So he started with 12,

Caesar: 00:29:27

went backwards and it grew again, I just wanna point out, like, we don't hear about all of them again after the resurrection.

Caesar: 00:29:32

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:29:33

Like I they're all around, but they're not all recorded doing something.

Caesar: 00:29:36

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:29:36

Did some of them never, they just went back to fishing.

Caesar: 00:29:38

We don't know exactly.

Caesar: 00:29:39

So, but I love it.

Caesar: 00:29:40

I love that into that verse for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.

Caesar: 00:29:44

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:29:44

That's cool.

Caesar: 00:29:44

Or begin again or again, so wherever you're at, you're hearing this today.

Caesar: 00:29:48

Let this be an encouragement.

Caesar: 00:29:49

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:29:49

Second.

Caesar: 00:29:51

The big three, God's not measuring your performance and numbers and growth, and then basing his love for you on that.

Caesar: 00:29:58

Hmm.

Caesar: 00:29:58

Gotta believe that in your heart.

Caesar: 00:30:00

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:30:00

If you're feeling discouraged, you're like, yeah, we did start and it failed and I haven't started again.

Caesar: 00:30:04

And I kind of feel distance in my heart about that from God.

Caesar: 00:30:06

You're like, no, that's you, that's not him.

Caesar: 00:30:08

Yep.

Caesar: 00:30:08

Okay.

Caesar: 00:30:09

Jesus, life, death and resurrection has accomplished the work of restoring us to a right relationship with dad.

Caesar: 00:30:15

And it never has to be, or can be earned.

Caesar: 00:30:18

Okay.

Caesar: 00:30:18

Including in starting Missional, you know, all this stuff believe that your beginnings and your re beginnings are all a part of how God is shaping your heart of trust for him.

Caesar: 00:30:28

Yep.

Caesar: 00:30:29

As he accomplishes the mission in and through your life and then outward to others, it really is.

Caesar: 00:30:33

That's good.

Caesar: 00:30:34

Like, I think it was exactly what God had for us to quote, fail.

Caesar: 00:30:37

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:30:37

Or like I say, suck forward.

Caesar: 00:30:39

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:30:40

Back in Chicago.

Caesar: 00:30:41

But look what he did then once we got here.

Caesar: 00:30:42

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:30:42

And how that's now gone out all over the world.

Caesar: 00:30:44

I love that, man.

Caesar: 00:30:45

Okay.

Caesar: 00:30:46

All right, man.

Caesar: 00:30:46

Number three.

Caesar: 00:30:48

Faithfully live out the small Missional rhythms.

Caesar: 00:30:50

You're learning that Jesus promised leads to big growth and reproduction.

Caesar: 00:30:54

Hmm.

Caesar: 00:30:55

Don't try everything you read or even hear about from us.

Caesar: 00:30:58

Everything you hear about discipleship and Missional.

Caesar: 00:31:00

Don't try it all at once.

Caesar: 00:31:01

Sure.

Caesar: 00:31:02

Continually ask the spirit.

Caesar: 00:31:03

What next Lord.

Caesar: 00:31:05

And live then obedient lead to what you hear the spirit saying there.

Caesar: 00:31:08

Remember Jesus pattern and promise is true for you too.

Caesar: 00:31:12

Yeah.

Caesar: 00:31:12

Okay.

Caesar: 00:31:12

So ask the spirit and do that faithfully.

Caesar: 00:31:15

Don't give up.

Caesar: 00:31:16

Don't shrink back.

Caesar: 00:31:16

Remember small is big slowly is that?

Caesar: 00:31:18

It's true.

Caesar: 00:31:19

Love that, man.

Caesar: 00:31:20

Thanks heat.

Caesar: 00:31:20

And thanks again for helping me through all of this.

Caesar: 00:31:23

Well, time's up.

Caesar: 00:31:24

I hope you'll join us again next week.

Caesar: 00:31:26

We'll continue to talk about this lifestyle of discipleship and mission and how the Gospel is really good.

Caesar: 00:31:32

For all of life now, today, I know you'll join us for that.

Caesar: 00:31:37

I'll look forward to it.

Caesar: 00:31:37

I hope you will too.

Caesar: 00:31:38

Talk to you soon.

Heath: 00:31:41

Thanks for joining us today.

Heath: 00:31:42

For more information on this show and to get loads of free discipleship resources, visit everyday Disciple dot com.

Heath: 00:31:48

And remember you really can live with the spiritual freedom and relational peace that Jesus promised every day.

Heath: 00:31:57

Unlocking Kingdom Growth in Everyday Life | https://EverydayDisciple.com