“Eight Layer Dip”
EPISODE 240
Let Christ Shape Your Life
What's something you love to make – like, really, really love? And why does Peter’s call to build on our faith remind us of a delicious festive side dish? In this final Square One episode, we're asking the big question: “What’s next?” Discipleship is about consistent growth, staying moldable on the potter's wheel, and allowing the Lord to make changes in your life. Ever struggled with patience or consistency in your daily walk with God? We’ve been there too! Tune in as we wrap up Square One and look ahead to a life of discipleship! Thanks for joining us on this epic journey this season!
Takeaways
The Big Idea: Daily training as Christ’s disciple leaves us looking more like him every day.
This Week's Challenge: Through the week, begin taking small steps each day to be in the Word, prayerful, active, and connected to the church.
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Introduction and Welcome
Bryan: it's like a multi-layer burrito of, things that I'm putting together.
Ryan: Yeah, eight layer. So it's like an eight layer dip,
Bryan: Well, hello everyone, and welcome to the Bible Geeks podcast. This is episode 240. I'm Bryan Schiele,
Ryan: I'm Ryan Joy
Bryan: and thanks so much everyone for tuning in. It is the very last episode here of our season and of square one. This has been a journey, and thanks so much for being on that journey with us.
Reflecting on the Challenge
Bryan: Before we get into a discussion here about this 13th session in our guided study, let's follow up with the challenge that we had from last time, which was to tell somebody you care about something important you've learned in these discussions. How'd you do with that one, Ryan?
Ryan: I thought that was a pretty easy challenge these sessions have a way of naturally spilling out into other Conversations, you know you're thinking about these things and also into my teaching and that kind of thing Especially this week our VBS our vacation Bible school was all about the Holy Priesthood
Bryan: Oh, fun.
Ryan: dressed up in the high priestly gear and we had a tabernacle with all the
Bryan: e-fads.
Ryan: Yeah, we well we had one and they sort of took turns and they walked him through it They tied the rope, you know in case, you know you have to drag him out all of the things that it was beautifully set up tabernacle with all of the the stuff and pretty easy one pretty natural. How about you?
Bryan: Well, got the opportunity a couple of weeks ago to start doing this square one study with my daughter. that's been super fun. We're at session two now. So we're just getting into that discussion we had about the Bible being a guidebook for our life. I think I spent about two hours with her just going back and forth, explaining things, answering questions.
She's kind of being my guinea pig right now for this whole series and talking about these kinds of things with another person has been really helpful. So I'm not really doing the challenge as you'd expect it. I'm just gonna do the whole square one series with her.
Ryan: Definitely counts. That's cool. Yeah, I'm excited about Hearing about that process. We're gonna be using square one in our junior high class in about a month from now We're gonna work through it with with that class. So some good user experience Testing to help us update all of this.
But yeah, I'm excited for those conversations with Ashlyn and I'll be praying about
Session 13: What's Next?
Bryan: So here we are, we're in session 13. We're at the very end of our square one series, as we just said. And the question we're gonna be tackling here on this last discussion is what's next? And I think, you know, all good things come to an end. So it's time to wrap up this series.
But I think this feels way more like a beginning than it does an ending. I don't know about you, but this question of what's next is more focused on the future than it really is about this whole thing coming to an end. 'Cause
That's what's next is a life of discipleship.
Ryan: Yeah, absolutely You get to the end of a study like this and you really just want to give someone Clarity about where they go from here and you want them to continue in the faith Paul and Barnabas went around visiting churches and acts 14 the sermon summary that that acts gives is Continue in the faith for we must go through many tribulations to enter the kingdom.
So just keep going That's the biggest thing we want people to do give them some momentum and good habits and support and that's the idea of this lesson I
Bryan: All right. So let's kick off this first part of the discussion And then we'll get into our icebreaker question that we'll cover in just a minute.
Square One - 13: This is Square One. What's next? Have you ever seen a video of a potter at their wheel? They start with a spinning lump of clay that doesn't look like much at all, but with skilled hands, steady pressure, and a clear vision, the potter shapes that formless lump into something amazing, a bowl, a mug, something both useful and beautiful.
The prophet Isaiah uses that picture to describe our relationship with God. He said, "Oh Lord, you are our father. "We are the clay, and you are our potter. "We are all the work of your hand." So when we ask, what's next after deciding to follow Jesus, the answer is simple. We climb onto the wheel, trusting the hands of the potter as he begins to shape us.
But before we talk about God remaking us, what's something you like to make? Do you like to build or bake, design or decorate? And what do you enjoy about it?
Bryan: Okay.
Creative Outlets and Building with God
Bryan: So that question there, do you like to build, bake, or design, or decorate stuff? Like what is it that you enjoy about making things? Ryan, I know you made a lot of things. What do you love to build?
Ryan: oh man, I just love I love creating. I'm not a handyman kind of I don't I don't build you know Construction kind of things I didn't get that from my dad
Bryan: Nope.
Ryan: But I love the creative process andfor the most part these days my work is my main creative outlet.
I find it really satisfying So I just love what we're doing. I love learning from Scripture I love putting ideas together to help people grow in sermons and in classes and in a series like square one.
Bryan: I was gonna say, you've got the perfect job now to kind of combine all of your interests into one. It's like being creative and being spiritually focused. It's like, yeah, you found the right job for that. So
I'd have to say like, if I had to really nail down something that I like to make, it's probably this podcast.
And it's probably how in all of these things we do, the production side of it, the video and the audio and the website building It's as close, I think, as I can get to a job like you have doing this stuff full time my creative interests into one basket that I feel like is pretty important work.
Ryan: Yeah. Well, it's a it's a sweet spot for you You have all the tools to do it. Well, andand it's more fun Honestly, we're talking about building things and we're talking about building in partnership with God in this lesson But you know always building in partnership and collaboration is for me.
That's even better than creating alone So
Bryan: probably leads right into the second part here as we get into it deeper. Let's cover the purpose here, the big idea, and then we'll get into a reach out question that I really am excited about.
The Potter's Wheel: Consistency and Patience
Square One - 13: Let's get into it and learn how to let Christ shape our life. The journey ahead is about being intentionally formed into the image of Jesus. It's a lifelong process of growth, requiring consistency, watchfulness, and an ongoing commitment to learning.
Jesus challenged his followers, saying, "A disciple is not above his teacher, "but everyone when he is fully trained "will be like his teacher." The goal of following Jesus isn't just to be a student who knows a lot about him, but to become a person who lives and loves like him. It's a hands-on apprenticeship with the master craftsman.
But this apprenticeship isn't a short six-week course. Jesus was honest that it would be a long and sometimes difficult road, warning that his followers would face challenges and should be prepared to endure to the end. And so, to be shaped by the master demands a lifelong commitment to consistency and endurance, trusting the potter's hand even when the pressure is on.
So here's the big idea. Daily training as Christ's disciple leaves us looking more like him every day. This transformation isn't magic. It's a partnership where we actively participate with God as he shapes us into the people we were created to be. So if you climbed onto the potter's wheel tomorrow, what changes would the Lord make?
Bryan: Okay, so if you climbed onto the potter's wheel tomorrow, as we've been kind of getting into this analogy of the potter and the clay and how we're shaped and formed, what changes do you think the Lord would make in your life,
Ryan: The word that comes to mind right now is consistency which goes I guess with the theme of this whole thing, but I am great at bold bursts of Commitment and growth and like just sprints, you know But I eventually lose steam and I go back to a lesser baseline I have to work and build up some strength to push forward more I guess the one good thing about it is that the baseline seems to slowly inch higher You know like three steps forward two steps back, but it ends up being really frustrating.
Get irritated with myself a few months back as the church faced some threats. I found myself deep in constant daily prayer as my main source of Peace and just a lot of what I was doing with my days was really setting aside time for Regular prayer. I had a practice of three times a day really intentionally doing that work and it was transformative
it doesn't Happen you can't just it's there's not time sitting there on the shelf for you to just grab it's like you have to carve it out and We bring up the word intentional or purposeful a lot in this lesson And so anyway, I think the Potter wants me to set aside more time redeem the time and I don't always know what to let Go of but I have to do less and and make time with the Lord to be more Consistent in those kinds of practices.
Bryan: I think consistency is always something that is like on the back burner of my brain, is just really this whole idea of stringing one habit after another, you know, connecting these dots in a way that just becomes like my life instead of becoming like some really excited activity that I do.
And I'm with you there totally that like, I can do that short bursts of, you know, real fervor, let the fire burn real bright for a while. And then there's, those times where it ebbs and flows maybe more than it should. And I'm with you, I think struggle that, you know, we're really focused on here in conversation 'cause we are comparing this to like daily habitual actions.
And I think that's a good picture for what we all struggle with is making a consistent life where we actively participate, actively partner with God as he shapes us, but it's not a one-time thing. It's like every single day on the potter's wheel.
Ryan: Yeah. Yeah, I think it I Didn't even realize how much it was tying in with this lesson when I started to ask myself this question and and that showed Up, what did you think of when he thought about what the Potter wants to recreate and remake in
Bryan: think for me, and maybe it's another side of the coin of consistency, but it's about patience because I love progress. You know, I love getting things done and it can be a strength of mine to just really knuckle down and push through and these bursts of commitment. You know, I can sometimes get impatient when circumstances and people and, God's timing isn't exactly lining up with what I think should happen so I imagine that God is gently but firmly refining all of that in me when I get onto the potter's wheel. I need to be reminded that God is in control and that I need to trust the process more fully and to embrace the waiting and to know that he's shaping me in a way that isn't always about speed, but it's about depth.
And it's like what James says in James 1, verses 3 and 4, "The testing of your faith produces steadfastness and steadfastness having its full effect that you may become perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." It's like that steadfastness. It's all about endurance and it's about, continuing to be steady and consistent.
And so I think sometimes I get into these modes where I can become anxious and I've got these sort of edges that needed to be smoothed out pottery. If you could draw the analogy out more, but like I wind up just not being easygoing, going with the flow, going with the Lord's direction. just being more patient like him, realizing that this is an ongoing work and it's something that I just need to constantly and consistently, like you talked about, put myself under the Lord's control to let him help me to become a more patient person.
Ryan: it's interesting how both of ours really go well together and with this topic And so the idea of the Potter is really as in this analogy we're working with we are always on the Potter's wheel We are never completed until we arrive someday With him, you know as long as we're living We need to stay soft and moldable and not think of ourselves as a completed vessel of honor But as someone that is always a work in progress in the Potter's hands
Bryan: And it's that work in progress that I think leads us to the third part here, where we get into the book. This reading from 2 Peter we're gonna get into, I think is really helpful in seeing that point that you're making there, that we have this responsibility to be soft and moldable and to let the Lord do with us what he intends to do with us and to increase in these things every day.
It's like an ongoing process.
Reading from 2 Peter
Bryan: So
Ryan: whenever the clay hardens like once it's done It's done. You don't you don't change it anymore And so the idea of the Potter is really as in this analogy we're working with we are always on the Potter's wheel We are never completed until we arrive someday With him, you know as long as we're living We need to stay soft and moldable and not think of ourselves as a completed vessel of honor But as someone that is always a work in progress in the Potter's hands
then moving into part three, I think this is taken even further we'll get into the description here of the reading and then we'll come back and read 2 Peter 1, verses 3 to 12 together.
Square One - 13: The apostle Peter explains that God has already given us everything we need to live a godly life. Our part is to actively and consistently build on that foundation. He describes a process of spiritual construction urging us to make every effort to add goodness to our faith, knowledge to our goodness, self-control to our knowledge, and so on.
If these qualities keep increasing, it will keep us from becoming spiritually stagnant and ineffective. So read 2 Peter 1, verses 3 to 12 together to see how Peter describes our active partnership in the shaping process, noticing how we add one quality to another. After reading, take some time to discuss it.
Considering Peter's closing encouragement to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, what does this reading tell you about the importance of consistent lifelong growth?
Ryan: All right So I'll start our reading there in verse 3 of 2nd Peter chapter 1 and then you can do the second paragraph It says his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire for this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue and virtue with knowledge and knowledge with self-control and Self-control with steadfastness and steadfastness with godliness and godliness with brotherly affection and brotherly affection with
Bryan: these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities, you will never fall.
For in this way, there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore, I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have." So the question there that we asked at the end of that reading was, what does this reading tell you about the importance of consistent lifelong growth?
And I figure this fits right into what we were just talking about in our reach out question. What do you think this verse really has to do with that idea of consistency?
Ryan: well three key words here for me are and are Increasing there in verse 8 he says for these qualities are yours and are increasing they keep you from being ineffective or Unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ I was thinking about how right now in the summertime people around here go out kayaking and canoeing We're trying to plan a trip with some friends from the congregation to get a bunch of families going these aren't whitewater rapids or anything But it's it's more work.
It's you could sit and just drift downstream, but you don't drift upstream You have to kind of fight against some factors that are working against you And and that's how it is in this world and in our life as we are trying to grow if you aren't Growing if you aren't moving forward if you aren't putting in the diligence as he talked about to keep adding more and more Faith and more and more knowledge and more and more gentleness, then you're gonna start drifting backward And there's this just how growth seems to work now We do have things that work with us certainly as we talked about back in session 9 and we're talking about the Lord helping It's like the Lord's in the boat with us So he's gonna paddle too if you are paddling But we have to put that work in And it's like you gotta be pushing forward and growing and bringing more life or else you start to stagnate So that you know the the idea of this passage is about adding and harmonizing All of this but growth is at the heart of it.
What did you see
Bryan: like this is not just a nice suggestion. I feel like sometimes, you know, we view growth or spiritual maturity and pressing on deeper discipleship as like a added bonus or like a, well, if you, you know, extra credit or something, like, I don't know. Sometimes I view it as like not really necessary, but it would be nice to have someday.
But like, this isn't just a good idea. It is absolutely necessary. Like Peter's encouragement here is that these things have to be in you, number one, and increasing. this active language that he uses to make every effort, it reminds me that this is not passive.
know, that's the work required here. We've got to put in the effort. Of course, we're not the only ones, as you said, but it is not like God is just gonna zap us with some, deep level of maturity. This is a dynamic partnership that we need to be engaged in.
Ryan: it's like this passage gives me a clear roadmap to developing patience. As he's, listing out these virtues, like steadfastness, it's so close to patience. it's almost the same idea, but it is not a standalone quality, if you notice here.
Bryan: it's built on self-control and then self-control is built on knowledge and knowledge is built on goodness and all of that goodness is built on faith. And so it's like this spiritual scaffolding, like each of these qualities strengthening the next one.
it's like a multi-layer burrito of, things that I'm putting together.
Ryan: Yeah, eight layer. So it's like an eight layer dip,
Bryan: It's eight layers, exactly. So now you're like, you know, each one of them complimenting the other one.
But the idea that it's like, it's not about fixing one flaw or one character issue that I'm trying to deal with. it's about cultivating like this whole spectrum of a Christ-like character. And all of those things together will support each other to be more consistent.
and as Peter says here, to keep me from becoming ineffective or unfruitful. So
Ryan: love that point about the spectrum, you know this picture of I see, you know Like this rainbow colored spectrum of all of these different qualities one blending right into another and it helps you to understand
what's missing here in in what we're you know In my life in my habits and certainly in these traits that the Lord gives us here starting with faith with the pinnacle in love kind of the ultimate Christian virtue, but this is a Sampling a representative list of all the character qualities of Christ that we're trying to develop.
Bryan: It's an interesting idea, this whole conversation about shaping, because we've used it so many times. In our past guided study history and also on the podcast, like if you think about, back to our parenting series that we did, Training Wheels, one of the whole sections there was about shepherding and shaping.
Like as a parent, we're trying to shape our kids and mold them into the image of Jesus. we talk about these kinds of ideas in our cross-training series. And this next section that we're gonna get into here on the conversation.
Square one is just a precursor to cross-training. And if you don't see that as a part of this next conversation, you should go back and take a look at some of the cross-training work that we did, 'cause it is all over the place in this next section. So we'll get into that and then we'll come back and we'll get into our big question.
The Big Question: Daily Changes
Square One - 13: Ready to go deeper? Like a master craftsman, the Lord uses a few key tools to form us. These tools aren't mysterious forces.
They're the regular daily habits we choose to adopt. Just as a potter repeatedly uses water and pressure, God works in our repeated habits to shape us as we engage with His Word, pray, act in faith, and connect with the church. When we intentionally draw near to Him, He draws near to us. And so, putting ourselves in the path of His grace, we partner with the potter to mold our lives.
First, we spend time listening to our teacher to let his teaching shape our thinking. You have to open the blueprint to build the house, to be formed in Christ's image, we must first let His Word renew our minds. Jesus told His followers, "If you abide in my Word, you are truly my disciples, "and you will know the truth, "and the truth will set you free."
Abiding in the truth means building our lives on its foundation, allowing it to correct, guide, and shape our worldview until we see things the way God sees them. Making a daily habit of reading scripture is like sitting at Jesus' feet to learn from Him directly. So let's get specific with a few practical challenges.
First, you can start a truth journal. Set aside a notebook as you spend time in the Word recording your notes, questions, and insights. Start by writing out one verse that stood out to you, along with a few sentences about why it matters. And start with Jesus. Pick one of the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, and spend the next several weeks reading one chapter of it a day.
Don't be afraid to mark your Bible or create highlights in your Bible app, interacting with the text to note words and verses you find particularly helpful, challenging, or confusing. Or commit it to memory. Memorize one verse this week that speaks to you. Write it on a sticky note and put it on your bathroom mirror or car dashboard to help you meditate on it.
Second, we spend time talking with our teacher to let his values shape our affections. A life change that doesn't include the heart is just behavior modification, and God is after something deeper. Our attitudes and desires are the engine room of our lives. The Bible says, "Keep your heart with all vigilance, "for from it flow the springs of life."
In prayer, we grow our relationship with God, aligning our will with His, and asking Him to renovate our hearts. So we not only know what He knows, but we love what He loves. Again, let's get specific with a few practical challenges, like starting with gratitude. As soon as you wake up this week, start thanking God for specific blessings in your life.
Watch how focusing on God's good gifts early starts to rewire your brain for the whole day. After you've shared your heart with God, sit in silence for a few minutes and enjoy the peace of God that passes understanding. Don't try to fill the space. Just be still, listen, and quietly know He's with you. Or be an intercessor.
Choose one person in your life who's struggling and commit to praying for them by name every day this week. Third, we get on the road with our teacher, letting his actions shape our behavior. Faith has feet. Knowledge that isn't put into practice is just data. As James bluntly asks, "What good is it, my brothers, "if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
"So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, "is dead." Our daily choices are the chisel marks that reveal what we truly believe. We choose obedience even when it's hard. Trusting that Christ's way is best as He shapes our behavior to match the faith we say we have. - So how can we put all this into action?
We can practice secret service. Do one helpful act for someone without them knowing who did it. Take out a neighbor's trash can, leave a positive note for a coworker, or pay for the coffee of the person behind you. - We can focus on integrity. This week, be hyper-aware of the words you use. Make sure you keep every commitment you make, big or small.
Let your yes be yes and your no be no. - You can also be a builder. Make it a point this week not to say a single critical thing about another person. Instead, find three opportunities to give someone a genuine and encouraging compliment. Finally, let our teacher shape all our relationships, especially those within the church.
We must do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. Because everyone matters, but not all relationships are the same. Those who don't meet together with the church miss out on that regular encouragement. Like iron sharpens iron, the bond we forge with one another sharpens us.
So we let God shape how we build up other believers and how we reach out with mercy to those who don't yet know Him. - Getting specific with some practical challenges, we can take the initiative. Invite someone from church you don't know very well to grab coffee or have lunch this month. The first step to community is an invitation.
Or you can get involved. Ask a leader in your church, "Where is there a need that I can help with?" Being shaped in community often means serving the community. - And open up. In a conversation with a trusted Christian friend this week, share one real struggle you're facing and ask for prayer. - So here's the big question.
Are you ready to make the daily changes needed to continue being shaped by the Lord?
Bryan: All right, so the big question there, are you ready to make the daily changes needed to continue being shaped by the Lord? There was a lot there. We just kind of rapid fire machine gunned a bunch of challenges at you and some teaching along the way on these ideas of truth, you know, reading our Bible about heart and getting into a deeper relationship with the Lord and prayer about action and really putting these things into daily practice.
So are you ready to go, Ryan?
Ryan: think I'm ready you know, I think about all this stuff all the time, but we're in rubber hits the road territory and thinking about it doesn't matter so much as getting busy doing it and So this lesson is a good push a little kick in the backside to focus on am I gonna create some changes and really making it happen?
In some new ways taking some new steps and some new ground I want to focus on mornings and then setting aside some time midday for the Lord And so I'm gonna start that, today with that midday time and get going with Getting back to some practices that I think are important that I've maybe let slip a little bit in my consistency as I mentioned What about you?
Are you ready to make the daily changes needed to continue being
Bryan: Yeah, bring it on. It's like, you look through challenges like this and after you see a lot of these specific things kind of laid out, you know, like practicing gratitude more frequently, engaging in like, covert ops, secret service style and, connecting with someone more deeply at church.
It's like, makes it feel a lot less overwhelming for me and way more actionable when you can kind of see some real easy things you could do, but they're not just like hollow actions. They come from a deeper place. So I think it takes this whole idea of being shaped by the Lord into a more concrete direction that I can do something with today.
Like you said, it doesn't really matter how much I'm like, pontificating about it or like pondering all of the implications of all these things into my life. It's like, these practices are the pressure that the potter is using. These are the kinds of consistent things in my life. This daily posture of prayer, intentional acts of faith.
All of these things are where things like my impatience get really confronted and refined.
And I don't know, it's, for me, I think it's just seeing how to be continuously day by day formed is, like you said, it's where the rubber hits the road, right? It's whereGod is molding me through the spirit into who I need to be. Am I willing to set the potter's wheel every day to let that happen?
Ryan: hopefully when we talked about repentance and what we do and then what God does And the work that that happens there back in seven eight nine of these Lessons, because I could hear somebody saying well if you're just talking about daily habits Isn't that you changing yourself?
Why do you keep bringing up God like he's the Potter but you're missing something there If that's what you're thinking because this is not like other regular Changes, you know, this is not like your normal as we talked about your normal, resolutions you might make to exercise more at the beginning of the year or something like that because each of these Practices are as we said at the beginning in the intro there They're putting us in the path of God's grace through God's Word He changes us and he does a work that is beyond what you know You would you would normally expect his word is living and active Hebrews 4 says whenever we Pray he moves into action the prayer of a righteous man avails much, you know Whenever we obey and draw near to him he draws near to us, you know, whenever we follow him He starts to to shape us in a different way and then he's given us the church He's equipped his body with gifts to form the body into what he wants it to be And so whenever we build those relationships with the church and the church is doing what it's meant to do Then it can God can do his work through his body.
Bryan: it's like the problem of reading Philippians 2 verse 12 alone, where it's like work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. You walk away from just that verse out of context. You're like, wow, I've got a lot of stuff I'm responsible for doing and it's all on me, right? And you miss verse
Ryan: Keep reading.
Bryan: Yeah, keep reading, exactly, for it's God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
unless you're willing to put in the effort and make the daily choices to be in the line of his work, it's gonna be you working for your own pleasure and there's not a lot the Lord's gonna be able to do with you.
Final Thoughts and Encouragement
Bryan: Like that hardening you talked about, I really liked thatso let's move on to our last part here, part five, where we wrap this whole thing up. We offer like one last hurrah challenge. We point some folks to cross training if you're interested in it and offer a closing blessing.
Square One - 13: So let's move from thinking to doing. Through the week, begin taking small steps each day to be in the Word, prayerful, active, and connected to the church. - As you look at your life as God's workshop, the question isn't about achieving perfection, but about taking the next step in your formation.
It's the simple, daily, lifelong adventure of becoming more like the one who saved you. Begin now building positive momentum towards real change by repeating small, meaningful actions. - If you're looking for more guidance in developing Christlike character, our cross-training series might make a good next stop on your journey.
Find it at biblegeeks.fm/crosstraining. - You've covered a lot of ground here in square one. Not everyone commits themselves like this to working through big questions about life and faith, but God always blesses those who look for Him. As Jesus promises, "Seek and you will find." - May you find joy and confidence in knowing you are the work of His hands.
And may you trust the potter as he continues to shape you into a vessel of honor and beauty for His glory.
Bryan: All right, so the challenge that we had there, we had in part four all of these different little things you could do and really just kind of generally summing it all up, the idea here is just to start stacking. It is time to start building the scaffolding and let God shape us in all those big and little areas in our life.
And as we wrap up this whole discussion, we're not really gonna be able to check in on these things moving forward. So it is giving people momentum to go out and just start building.
Ryan: Yeah, that's exactly right. there's a lot of talk these days about Small habits tiny habits autonomic habits There's all these books about this the power of habit And so the idea of doing little things that can make a difference that's the Christian life I mean, it'ssometimes there are these Giant visible things that are clearly major change But most of us aren't having to lay down our lives as martyrs It's a living sacrifice that we offer to God and so it's in these living choices We make
A Closer Look: Leading the Discussion
Bryan: Okay, so let's get in here as we've wrapped up this conversation, let's get into a closer look on our thoughts on leading this session.
Bryan: Okay, so Ryan, what are you thinking about here? We've got a lot of material that we've covered here in this discussion, a lot of things we could talk about.
What's the general gist of what you wanna send somebody out into the world with after this 13th session of Square One?
Ryan: that's a good way to put it Send someone out into the world, which is like they're not ready for that. Aren't they ready for that? We just we've barely started and there's so much more but in first Thessalonians 2 Paul compares himself to a father And he also compares himself to a mother to the Christians He had taught and when I get to this stage of a study, this is when I start feeling that way I'm just protective of these babes in Christ We're sending out like our children that we're sending out and maybe that's why this session Reminds me so much of that parenting guided study as you Mentioned earlier we called it training wheels and that study and this session are both about giving someone that Positive momentum as they start their next stages of growth and sending them out And so as we get to this stage with the study, I'm thinking okay.
I want to be around I want to help you. I want to continue supporting you But at some point they're gonna be facing these challenges these conversations with Unbelievers these temptations, you know the pressure of the world all of these things themselves Are they gonna be consistent in building a relationship with the church?
Are they gonna stay in the word and and that's what this is all about
Bryan: Yeah, it's such a big topic to tackle in general. You're
Ryan: it
Bryan: paint this whole picture of what life is going to be like. And it's like, an impossible task without really just setting them up with the tools they need I think this session for me, what I would like for somebody to walk away with is just to have their appetite wedded to really some specific ideas about how to be a more well-rounded and holistic disciple.
It's something that we should be pushing towards to become more mature, more like the image of Christ in our life. And it's not gonna be easy for sure, but hopefully that's the image we're trying to put in somebody's mind as we teach them in this series.
And maybe that'll send them out into the world with some momentum. What do you think about this idea, this metaphor of the potter to start this thing out?
Ryan: my wife has a potter's wheel and she'll go through phases where that's her creative outlet it's like magic It looks so weird, you know Just a little tiny bit of pressure and all of a sudden there's a big hole in the middle of the lump whoa It was four seconds of pressure in this way and now it's shaped totally different.
So I love it I think it's a good visual and certainly biblical the Bible uses it several different ways But I think it is true to the text true to that song. We sing all the time clay in the potter's hands That's the message that we're going with here. I think it fits perfectly.
Bryan: as with all metaphors in analogy land, they eventually do break down. So, you know, while God is absolutely the master potter, we have an active partnership in that shaping, which is a little bit of a different picture, right? When you're viewing the clay, the clay actually has a role to play here.
And we as the clay, this is not a passive process for us. So hopefully that's something we can highlight here. And for you might broaden the idea of making to include other creative, intentional activities that they might be interested in, or you could just keep it vague and let them find the answer and jump in where they can.
I've found at least, in my own activity with these square one sessions, at least the first couple with my daughter, the most engagement, the most excitement usually happens around the icebreaker. So, keep it weird, get interesting here, make connection and break the ice to start this conversation.
Ryan: Love it. Yeah, I can see those conversations being fun with a 13 14 year old, especially
Bryan: talking about aliens in session two with her was real cool and the Loch Ness monster. So anyway, so we get into part two here where we get into the purpose, this big idea here that we tackle. think it's helpful maybe to be upfront here in this discussion with how challenging the journey can be.
That is also an important idea here that this is not gonna be an easy process. Like there will be pressure, there will be some discomfort along the way, but Jesus' words about enduring to the end is hopefully going to prepare people for that lifelong learning on this difficult road that leads to life.
need to make sure that that's clear for people as well, that this is a journey and it will be difficult, but it is absolutely worth
Ryan: Yeah, I mean that verse was really important to me to have in there and that idea of Continuing to the end as we said right at the beginning like if I any Christian whether it's a new Christian a Christian That's been at it for a while if I had to emphasize one thing I always think it's just about keep going just keep hanging on keep going forward and the Lord will be with you and the Lord Will help you you just have to commit yourself to stay with him
Hopefully they're starting to pull together and see how it all fits together.
Bryan: vision I think is a nice one here of everything coming together. And really I think highlighted by this third section here where we get into 2 Peter 1:3-12, I think this reading is a really helpful way of somebody being able to see that our goal is about fruitfulness, our goal is about a consistency that we've been talking about through this whole conversation.
But I would like to emphasize to somebody that God has already equipped us with everything we need here. It is like an uphill battle. LikeI don't want somebody to become so overwhelmed that they think that they're not enough or that they don't have what they need.
Like I think what Peter's really doing here is helping us see that we've got what we need, we have all the tools at our disposal, we just need to put them together into this wonderful eight layer burrito of faith or whatever it is. we just need to put it all together one after another to build that scaffolding on what God is providing for us.
Ryan: Yeah, and the question about the importance of consistent lifelong growth gives you some rails Because there's so much in this reading that you could grab on and go off of which is fine Like if there's something they're grabbing a hold of it's from God's Word But consistent lifelong growth is really the focus that we wanted to take and it's true to the focus of the passage
Bryan: Yeah. So we get into part four here where, I mean, part four is the meat, right? Like part four, you're gonna maybe, it'll take you a little while to get through it if you're listening to the audio of it or watching the video or anything like that. Like it's gonna take you a little while to make it through this part.
'Cause there's just a lot. There's a lot of stuff we talk about in there. No specific kinds of practices that somebody might wanna know about, things that they might wanna be thinking about. And as you think through this here, what do you want somebody to walk away from section thinking about for themselves?
Yeah.
Ryan: I would start to as we come to the close here I would want to find a way to have a check-in even though you're not gonna have a 13th session if you can could you maybe you invite them to check in with you?
Hey, here's what I'm gonna try to take on this week Could you follow up with me and check in? Shoot me a text next week or when I see you at church ask me about this because I really think the accountability part could be a helpful piece, But but yeah, anyway, that's what I think we need to take from it is this is Actionable.
What about you?
Bryan: I'm with you 100%. So much what we could get into is very abstract. And I think Square One in general has tried to nail things down to specific actions, at least in these challenges, that we've been doing along the way, like just little things you can do throughout the week. But this is where it all really comes to a head.
LikeOf course, it's a whole life transformation we're after here and not little bits and pieces. But all of the ways we can transform our entire life through the Lord's help, through his shaping, is really within reach, like you said.
And I think that's a helpful way of viewing this. And like you said, in part five there with the challenge, we're just asking somebody to think about for themselves what they wanna do. And being able to check in with them is super good. you're looking for more guidance in developing a Christ-like character, we do have this cross-training series that we did.
It's available on our website. It's totally free. It's an entire year if you wanna go through it, you know, sequentially, but if you wanna just dip in to little bits and pieces here along the way, that's also good. It's a great resource, not a required resource for sure, but it's definitely where this whole series has been
Ryan: Yeah, we definitely had that in mind as hey How do we get you can't just start somebody with cross-training? What if
they're all the way back at square one? Not knowing anything and you want to get from there from square one to cross-training and this is the bridge to that
Bryan: Yeah, I do wanna say here too, if you're leading this discussion, like you need to have an idea of where you want to go. If you do wanna continue to study with them, I mean, there's a lot of options there. Like cross-training is one. If you wanna continue maybe a daily Bible reading with them, we have "Into the Book" available.
We have all kinds of guided studies on our website. And if you wanna study those questions with them and kind of share your insights on what the Bible has to say about the things that they've been struggling with, that would be a great opportunity from this moment onward.
But like at the very least, if you're not going to do anything else with that person, like just show so much gratitude and recognize that this just is a lot that they've gone through and how grateful you are that they've spent that time. If they have made it through 13 sessions with you, I mean, they have really invested in this relationship and in their own spiritual development.
And just remind them how much God appreciates that commitment that somebody might spend that much time thinking about their spiritual life. And whatever choice that they've made up to this point, that's between them and the Lord, of course, but you have committed yourself as a teacher of this Square One series to them in a way that maybe few other people would have done.
So also gratitude for you and for your work in this effort.
Ryan: amen to that there is something special about people getting together to discuss God's Word and to read it together Whether you can see the fruit of it at this point as you finish session 13 I want to say I guarantee that it's there but I don't need to God has made his promise Isaiah says that his word never goes out and returns to him without Accomplishing what he has purposed it for it is making a difference It is doing an unseen work in the mystery of the soil of their heart and hopefully in yours as well So I echo everything you said Appreciating what they have done and what you have done This is a special,commitment and we thank those who have been with us this season Through these 13 sessions and hopefully they've blessed you as you've gone through this study And and thank you Bryan for being part of this whole conversation with me putting all this together And I've really appreciated and grown from these their basics But it's always the basics that is where you you have your biggest growth, you know You just keep coming back to the simple things and that's how we learn
Bryan: Well, it's been a blast to put all this together with you. So thanks again. hopefully this is a resource that everyone will find helpful. I know for myself, I'm already finding it helpful.
So that has been Square One.
Conclusion and Upcoming Plans
Bryan: We're at the end of our season here, this summer season,Typically, we've been taking some breaks during these times, and we're gonna do that. But while we're off, we've got something very exciting to talk about and to announce over the next few episodes, next few weeks, actually seven weeks, we're going to be releasing a whole bunch of teachings and lessons that we've done in our congregations.
And we even have a buddy who we are going to ponder with a little bit about some very important deep spiritual connections. And we're gonna release a bunch of these episodes over the summer so that we can stay in your ears and you can keep listening But we're not gonna have full-on episodes for a little while. So we'll be back in the fall. We're excited about our next season coming up. But while we're gone, it's the Summer Spectacular Sermon Series, something or other, I don't know, some bunch of S's that we're getting into. We're looking forward to that.
Ryan: Yeah, it'll be great and Thanks again to everybody for listening with us here and we'll look forward to getting back into it next fall.
Bryan: this has been episode 240 of the Bible Geeks podcast. You can find us on our website, as Ryan just said, at biblegeeks.fm/240.
We've got the show notes here from this episode there. If you wanna check out this square one series in its entirety, you can go to biblegeeks.fm/squareone, Get in touch, reach out, talk to us. If you need to ask us any questions, we'd love to get in touch with you.
We'll be checking our mail. Don't worry about it while we're, I don't know, on the beach somewhere, out the pool or whatever. It'll be great. So until the fall, everyone, may the Lord bless you and keep you.
Ryan: Shalom