To Know and Love God

Craig and Luke explore the disconnect between what is and what could be. Most of us don't resist change because we're afraid. We are protecting what works. Protecting what works feels wise.Craig unpacks a reframe: disappointment can be a gift. It's a signal in the soul that says, you were made for more than this. Luke brings the practical: when you catch yourself living inside an old pattern, you have exactly three options. He walks through each one with honesty and clarity, helping you see that awareness alone isn't transformation. Together, Craig and Luke map the inner journey from resistance to reception.  If you've ever felt stuck between who you were and who you're becoming, this conversation is your next step.

Luke and Craig why connection is so hard. We pick up beliefs that keep us where we are. How do we unstuck and experience what we only hope is possible?

It's hard to make friends as adults. More of us spend more time alone than at any other point in history. Isolation is not good for us. When we're isolated we grow suspicious of our neighbors. When we're isolated we stunt our growth. What can we do? Join a group. To lead a group click here

It's so hard to make friends as an adult. We want to remove obstacles to find connections. Use the your hobbies to build a bridge toward connection. Over the next 2-3 weeks we will be gathering leaders to lead a hobby group. To sign up to lead a hobby group click here.

We need trust to experience connection. Yet trust is hard to find. Craig and Luke walk through three things we can do to create trust, regardless of what others are doing. Sign up to facilitate a hobby group here

Were we really made to evangelize? In this episode Craig argues that evangelism is NOT telling people about Jesus. Find out what it is, and how practicing evangelism can be one of the most life giving practices for followers of Jesus.

Serving is not doing things for people. We quickly head towards burnout when we define service as doing things for people. In this episode Craig and Luke discuss how coming along side others so they can find their purpose is better than filling gaps.

How do we close the gap between who we are and who we want to be? How do Christians grow? Today Craig and Luke discuss discipleship. Christians throughout the ages have disagreed on this topic. How does a Christian grow. Craig and Luke give two key ingredients that are essential to our growth: Joy and Hesed. Craig and Luke then discuss thanksgiving plans. Luke talks about how he's learning to be with God in different seasons. Craig discusses surprising findings about folks who are spiritual but not religions.

We continue our mini series on the shared purposes of followers of Jesus with fellowship. We define fellowship as being present to another and being committed to their good. Luke and Craig also discuss Luke's trip to LA, what Craig did with Halloween candy he found on the street, and plans for 2026.

At Garden City we come along side people so they can: experience presence, discover their purpose, and be a force for good in the world. We're going to take a few weeks to talk about the second part: discover your purpose. What do we mean by that. On the one hand all disciples of Jesus share a five fold purpose: Worship Fellowship Discipleship Ministry Evangelism And on the other each disciple of Jesus has an individual purpose. Over the next several weeks we are unpacking the five fold shared purpose before we unpack the individual purpose. Today Luke and Craig unpack worship. They define worship as an embodied response of reverence. They then discuss how we become what we worship. In the To Know and Be Known part Luke and Craig talk fear of dogs, what they're both learning, Craig refuses to watch Christmas movies with Luke, and Craig tried to find out what grocery stores Luke will be visiting on his upcoming LA trip.

Hero makers come alongside others so they can be the hero in God’s unfolding story. Paul used hero making to build the early church. He celebrated the Thessalonians for spreading the gospel through Macedonia and into Achaia. They took the gospel farther than he did (1 Thess. 1:8).  One tool Paul used to be a hero maker was vulnerability. He did not shy away from sharing his needs. He said he became like an infant to the Thessalonians (2:7). How do vulnerability and hero making go together?A vulnerable hero maker embraces their limits for the common good. Heroes try to do everything. Hero makers know there are people who can do more than we are able.Craig and Luke share 5 practices to cultivate vulnerability1. Share weakness 2. Give away influence3. Be more curious than closed4. Lead from story not persona5. Take a risk every day. To learn more about garden city visit comogardencity.com

Motivation matters. Why do we do what we do? Luke and Craig discuss three motivations that may get results but leave us depleted. Shame motivates us with the message, "I'm not good enough. Try harder." Pride motivates us with the message, "I can handle this, and I'll prove it!." Fear motivates us with the message, "If I don't ____ then _____." Luke shares how belonging counters al of those messages. Then in the "To Know and Be Known" Segment, Luke asks the "kinda deep" question, "What stories shaped your identity?" Craig talks about getting in trouble as a kid but also feeling affirmed. He tells two stories that propelled him to be a pastor. Luke shares his stories on his way to being a pastor.

 A hero maker is a leader who shifts from being the hero to making others the hero in God’s unfolding story. As disciples of Jesus we are called to be hero makers. Jesus made disciples through hero making.And yet, we struggle to become hero makers. Craig and Luke discuss three objections:  

The death of Charlie Kirk leaves us at a fork in the road. Some have said his death means war. Some have even celebrated his death. Obviously neither of these are options for followers of Jesus, but how do we navigate a path forward? Craig and Luke then discuss how politics in America is built on resentment narratives, stories of injury. For those on the right secularism causes an injury. Secularism is trying to take God out of the public space. On the left the Christian right causes the injury. The Christian right is not worried about love and equality but has made peace with late capitalism. Craig and Luke discuss being a faithful presence in the midst of resentment narratives.We spend most of the time talking about what secularism isn't. Craig makes a case that secularism isn't a "God free space." (Think Christians music vs. secular music) When we define secularism that way the most logical solution is to put God back in those spaces. This works against faithful presence and gives energy to a culture war.

Too many churches function like military bases: fall in line, know who's in charge, do what you're asked. What if we thought of church as a secure base instead. In attachment theory someone can act as a secure base for us if we believe we are: SAFE, SEEN, SOOTHED, and SECURE. What does it look like for churches to be secure bases. Luke and Craig discuss.

Why is there such a disconnect between the spiritually curious and practicing Christians? This episode dives into the cultural mismatch between these two groups. The two groups have different values, expectations, and ways of engaging the world as two distinct “cultures” that often talk past each other.We explore what the spiritually curious long for—safe spaces for questions, authenticity, and relational trust—and what practicing Christians often need—clarity, structure, and closure. Along the way, we’ll unpack how Jesus’ metaphor of new wine and old wineskins applies to these differences, why many church models are failing to bridge the gap.

Belief in the supernatural in on the rise in the secular west. Many of us feel skeptical about the supernatural. How could a belief in the supernatural help us love each other?

Craig and Luke discuss the evolving landscape of Christian spirituality, while diving deep into the complex topic of slavery in the Bible. They unpack the "vibe shift" in modern faith - moving from antagonistic debates to curious conversations. Craig then seeks to answer the question, "why didn't Paul just say 'slavery is bad.'?" Paul's teachings on slavery reveal a profound message of grace, human dignity, and transformation that continues to challenge and create beauty today.

What if our desires aren't something to suppress, but actually invitations from God to live with greater purpose and meaning?

Janna is moving! In this special episode of Midweek, Luke and Craig sit down with Janna to discuss her move. Janna shares what it looks like to find freedom through telling the truth and discusses her hopes for the future of Garden City.

What would someone hope happens when they join a church? Luke and Craig discuss their hopes to help people find their purpose, rather than providing a one size fits all purpose. They talk about the upcoming family gathering. They discuss the difference between guides and heroes. They also talk about the goats living at Craig's house. To learn more about what's coming up go to comogardencity.com/events

If you've ever felt, "my life doesn't feel that messy" this episode is for you. Luke dives deeper into the idea what he means by a messy life. He gives some prompts for slowing down to hear God.