Soil and Roots

As Brian Fisher continues the End Times and Formation mini-series, he explores one of the most important questions beneath every end-times framework: What are Christians actually doing here? Drawing on the distinction between Church-Age Optimism and Church-Age Pessimism, Brian examines how our assumptions about the future shape our understanding of discipleship, mission, and the Kingdom of God. If...

Why do faithful Christians hold such different views of the end times? In this Greenhouse discussion, Brian Fisher, Kyle Moody, and Dr. Tim Boswell continue exploring the themes from Episode 68 by reflecting on how believers inherit, evaluate, and wrestle with different end-times perspectives. Together they discuss growing up within particular theological traditions, discovering alternative viewpo...

Why do sincere Christians read the same Bible and arrive at radically different conclusions about the end times? In this episode, Brian Fisher moves beneath the surface of prophecy charts, rapture debates, and millennial timelines to explore the assumptions that shape how we read Scripture itself. Drawing on the work of Dr. Michael Heiser, he examines two foundational questions that sit beneath th...

Is the world getting better or getting worse? In this Greenhouse discussion, Brian Fisher and Kyle Moody continue the conversation from Episode 66 by exploring one of the central questions beneath every end-times framework. While Christians often debate timelines, tribulations, and millennial views, the deeper issue may be how we understand the direction of history itself. Together they unpack the...

Do our beliefs about the end times actually matter for discipleship? Many Christians view the end times as a peripheral topic—interesting to discuss but largely disconnected from everyday spiritual growth. In this episode, Brian Fisher argues the opposite. Because we are integrated beings living in an integrated world, our assumptions about the future shape our understanding of the Kingdom of God,...

Is the Bible a collection of spiritual stories, or is it one unified narrative? In this Greenhouse discussion, Brian Fisher, Kyle Moody, and Dr. Tim Boswell continue unpacking the themes from Episode 64 by exploring how the Bible's grand narrative shapes our understanding of discipleship, the Kingdom of God, and the mission of Jesus. Together they discuss childhood assumptions about Scripture,...

What story is the Bible actually telling? In this episode, Brian Fisher explores the grand narrative of Scripture and explains how the Kingdom of God provides a unifying framework for understanding the entire biblical story. Moving from Genesis to Revelation, he examines themes of creation, rebellion, redemption, restoration, and renewal while showing how God's original intention for humanity...

What is the Kingdom of God actually doing in the world today? In this Greenhouse discussion, Brian Fisher and Kyle Moody continue exploring the ideas introduced in Episode 62 by wrestling with the nature of the Kingdom of God, the goodness of creation, and the ongoing conflict between the kingdoms of light and darkness. Together, they discuss how personal stories shape our understanding of discipl...

What is the Kingdom of God? Many Christians talk about the Kingdom, but few have a clear definition of what Jesus meant when He made it the centerpiece of His ministry. In this episode, Brian Fisher explores one of the most foundational questions of discipleship by examining the nature, scope, and purpose of the Kingdom of Light. Drawing on Scripture, Dallas Willard, Jeremy Treat, and Albert Wolte...

What does it mean to live awake to the Kingdom of God? In this Greenhouse discussion, Brian Fisher and Kyle Moody continue unpacking the themes introduced in Episode 60. Together they explore the role of ideas in spiritual formation, what it means to become more aware of the deeper forces shaping our hearts and culture, and why discipleship requires learning to see beneath the surface. The convers...

Season 4 begins by exploring one of the most important—and most overlooked—themes in the teachings of Jesus: the Kingdom of God. In this opening episode, Brian Fisher reviews the major ideas from the first three seasons of Soil & Roots, including the Great Omission, Heartview, the Formation Gap, and the Five Key Elements of Formation. He then introduces the Forgotten Kingdom, arguing that much...

Why does spiritual growth seem to happen more deeply in some communities than others? In this Greenhouse discussion, Brian Fisher and Kyle Moody conclude Season 3 by reflecting on their experiences inside a Greenhouse and exploring why intentional communities play such an important role in spiritual formation. Together they discuss the four Greenhouse rhythms, the role of facilitators, the importa...

What does it take to create a community that helps people become more like Jesus? After exploring the Five Key Elements of Formation throughout Season 3, Brian Fisher brings everything together by offering a practical guide to starting a spiritual formation group. Drawing on the Soil & Roots Greenhouse model, he explains how time, habits, community, intimacy, and instruction work together to c...

Should pastors primarily teach information or train disciples? In this Greenhouse discussion, Brian Fisher and Kyle Moody continue unpacking the themes from Episode 56 by exploring one of the central challenges facing modern discipleship. Together they examine how many churches have unintentionally adopted an educational model of spiritual growth, emphasizing information transfer while often negle...

Why do Christians have access to more biblical teaching than ever before yet often feel spiritually stuck? In this episode, Brian Fisher continues exploring instruction as the fifth key element of formation by examining a troubling paradox. Modern believers have unprecedented access to sermons, podcasts, books, Bible studies, and theological resources, yet many still struggle to experience the dee...

Why doesn't more information automatically produce spiritual growth? In this Greenhouse discussion, Brian Fisher and Kyle Moody continue the conversation from Episode 54 by exploring the role of instruction in spiritual formation. Together they wrestle with a common assumption in modern Christianity: that hearing enough truth will naturally transform us into people who live like Jesus. The dis...

In this episode, Brian Fisher begins exploring instruction as the fifth key element of formation by examining a deeper question: What if most Christian teaching only prepares us for the early stages of discipleship? Drawing on The Critical Journey by Janet Hagberg and Robert Guelich, he introduces six stages of spiritual growth and explores why many believers struggle when they encounter the Inwar...

What does a mature disciple actually look like? In this Greenhouse discussion, Brian Fisher is joined by Dr. Tim Boswell to continue the conversation from Episode 52. Together they explore the longing for deep community, the challenges of modern isolation, and the common assumptions Christians hold about spiritual maturity. The discussion revisits three popular images of mature discipleship: the m...

What does a spiritually mature Christian actually look like? In this episode, Brian Fisher challenges several common assumptions about spiritual maturity. Many Christians assume that mature disciples are marked by supernatural power, exceptional theological knowledge, or a calm, unshakable demeanor. But do those ideas truly reflect the life of Jesus? Drawing on examples from Scripture, church cult...

Why do our actions often tell a different story than our theology? In this Greenhouse discussion, Brian Fisher and Kyle Moody continue the conversation from Episode 50 by exploring the gap between our stated beliefs and the deeper ideas that actually shape our lives. Through personal stories and honest reflection, they wrestle with the uncomfortable reality that many of our heart-level assumptions...

Why do Christians often believe the right things yet struggle to live them? In this episode, Brian Fisher explores one of the most important distinctions in spiritual formation: the difference between beliefs and ideas. Drawing on the work of Dallas Willard and James K.A. Smith, he argues that our lives are shaped less by the beliefs we profess and more by the unconscious ideas and desires buried...

Why can church groups still feel lonely? In this Greenhouse discussion, Brian Fisher and Kyle Moody continue the conversation from Episode 48 by exploring intimacy, vulnerability, and the risk of being known. They discuss why many small groups function more as fellowship or information groups than truly formative communities, and why that often leaves people longing for something deeper. The conve...

Why do so many Christians feel lonely despite being surrounded by people? In this episode, Brian Fisher explores the relationship between intimacy, vulnerability, and spiritual formation. Drawing on insights from John Calvin, Curt Thompson, C.S. Lewis, Rosaria Butterfield, and others, he argues that our relationships with God, ourselves, and other people are deeply interconnected. To know God more...

Is the world getting worse, or are Christians looking at the wrong story? In this Greenhouse discussion, Brian Fisher and Kyle Moody continue unpacking the themes from Episode 46 by exploring Christian fatalism, the Gospel of the Kingdom, and how our expectations shape the way we live. Together they wrestle with a common assumption in modern Christianity: that the world is inevitably declining and...

Why do so many sincere Christians struggle to become more like Jesus? In this bonus episode, Brian Fisher brings together the major themes of Soil & Roots and argues that many discipleship efforts fail because they are missing two essential components. While spiritual formation remains the heart of discipleship, formation alone is not enough. Christians also need a compelling vision of the Kin...