Why do so many sincere followers of Jesus feel spiritually stuck? Why does church sometimes leave us informed but not transformed?
Join Brian Fisher and the Soil & Roots team as they explore deep Christian discipleship, spiritual formation, authentic community, and life with God. Through Scripture, thoughtful conversation, and the wisdom of teachers like Dallas Willard, discover how our hidden ideas about God, ourselves, and the world shape who we become—and how we can increasingly become more like Jesus from the inside out.
Most people who follow Jesus have heard that God loves them.
But do we live in the idea that He actually likes us?
By “like,” we don’t mean that God merely finds us agreeable. We mean something much deeper: Does He enjoy being with us? Does He delight in us? Does He welcome our presence and desire our company—or does He mostly tolerate us while waiting for us to become more disciplined, holy, useful, or spiritually mature?
In Episode 148, Brian explores another hidden idea of God that can quietly shape our spiritual lives even when our theology says something very different.
We look at David Benner’s simple but revealing question: Imagine God thinking about you. What do you assume He feels?
For many of us, the immediate answer isn’t joy. It’s disappointment.
We explore how family patterns, churches, performance cultures, and the false self can shape us to believe God’s approval must be earned. We also consider why genuine spiritual transformation doesn’t begin with becoming impressive enough for God to delight in us—it begins when we experience His delight before we change.
God not only loves you. He likes you.
Join us online!
Web: https://soilandroots.org (http://soilandroots.org/)
Substack: https://soilandroots.substack.com/ (https://soilandroots.substack.com/)
11 Sept 2026
Does God Like Some People More? (GH) | Ep 147
Most Christians would say that God does not have favorites. But do our hearts actually experience Him that way?
In this Greenhouse follow-up to Episode 146, Brian is joined by Handsome Kyle and Dr. Tim to explore why God can still feel partial even when our theology says otherwise.
The conversation begins with transference—the unconscious tendency to carry patterns from past relationships into new ones. Experiences with parents, pastors, teachers, employers, and institutions can shape not only how we see God, but how we imagine God sees us.
From there, the discussion moves into performance, usefulness, the “looking-glass self,” the masks we wear, suffering, and our tendency to assume that successful or influential Christians somehow enjoy greater access to God.
Why do we sometimes prefer a transactional relationship with God? Why can His delight feel difficult to receive? And what happens when we stop trying to earn love and allow ourselves to be fully seen?
Join us online!
Web: https://soilandroots.org (http://soilandroots.org/)
Substack: https://soilandroots.substack.com/ (https://soilandroots.substack.com/)
31 Aug 2026
Ep 146: Is God Partial? Spiritual First Class and God’s Love
Most of us would never say that God likes some people more than others. We know grace can’t be earned, and we believe God loves ordinary people.
But do our hearts actually experience Him that way?
In Episode 146, Brian explores another hidden idea of God: the idea that God is partial—that greater success, usefulness, discipline, or spiritual maturity earns us greater affection and access.
We explore how this idea can show up in performance, suffering, comparison, spiritual celebrity, and even how we treat other people. And through the practice of Heartview, we consider what our resentment, striving, anxiety, and comparison might reveal about the God we actually experience.
Deep discipleship invites us beyond simply believing the right things about God. It invites us to bring our hidden ideas into the light and allow Jesus to re-form them through relationship and experience.
There is no spiritual first class. And with God, there is no back row.
Join us online!
Web: https://soilandroots.org (http://soilandroots.org/)
Substack: https://soilandroots.substack.com/ (https://soilandroots.substack.com/)
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5.0 / 5
16 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
19 ratings
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