Friday, January 9th: Spiritual transformation rarely begins with dramatic action—it begins with quiet availability. In this final episode of Week 2 on The Daily Grind, we explore why openness to God matters more than intensity, productivity, or spiritual performance. Jesus consistently worked through people who were willing to be present, interruptible, and attentive, not impressive or perfectly prepared. Drawing from The Divine Conspiracy and The Great Omission, this episode invites listeners to reconsider what it means to make room for God in everyday life. Availability creates space for grace, formation, and trust to grow slowly over time. Transformation happens not by doing more, but by staying open to God’s presence in ordinary moments. The quiet power of availability is that it places our lives where God can meet us and gently shape us.

⁠⁠Email me your questions, comments, and suggestions. I'd love to hear from you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If y'all wanna talk more 'bout this, I'm all ears. Just give me a holler. You can also help by sending me your favorite trivia or dad joke(s) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠spencerjd@thedailygrind.website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Or respond below with comments, trivia or jokes.

Thursday, January 8th: Following Jesus is not about escaping real life or trying to imitate a first-century lifestyle. It’s about learning how Jesus would live your life—your schedule, your responsibilities, your limitations, and your relationships. In this episode of The Daily Grind, we explore discipleship as a deeply personal apprenticeship shaped by trust, attention, and faithfulness in ordinary moments. Drawing from The Divine Conspiracy and The Great Omission, this conversation invites listeners to move beyond abstract imitation and into lived formation. Jesus meets us where we are and teaches us how to live differently right there. Discipleship unfolds slowly, through small obediences, patient trust, and a growing confidence in God’s presence. You don’t need a different life to follow Jesus—you need to learn how he would live the one you’ve been given.

⁠⁠Email me your questions, comments, and suggestions. I'd love to hear from you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If y'all wanna talk more 'bout this, I'm all ears. Just give me a holler. You can also help by sending me your favorite trivia or dad joke(s) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠spencerjd@thedailygrind.website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Or respond below with comments, trivia or jokes.

Wednesday, January 7th: In a culture driven by productivity and performance, it’s easy to assume that faith is measured by what we do for God. But Jesus consistently reversed that order. Before sending his disciples out, he called them to be with him. In this episode of The Daily Grind, we explore why presence always comes before action in the life of discipleship. Being with Jesus forms our character, reshapes our desires, and anchors our lives in God’s reality. Without presence, doing becomes exhausting and faith turns into performance. Drawing from The Divine Conspiracy and The Great Omission, this episode invites listeners to rediscover discipleship as a life rooted in communion, not constant activity. True transformation flows from time spent with Jesus, not merely effort spent for him.

⁠⁠Email me your questions, comments, and suggestions. I'd love to hear from you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If y'all wanna talk more 'bout this, I'm all ears. Just give me a holler. You can also help by sending me your favorite trivia or dad joke(s) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠spencerjd@thedailygrind.website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Or respond below with comments, trivia or jokes.

Tuesday, January 6th:Belief is essential—but belief alone was never meant to carry the full weight of discipleship. In this episode of The Daily Grind, we explore why Jesus consistently invited people into apprenticeship, not just agreement. Jesus didn’t simply ask people to believe true things about him; he taught them how to live with God in everyday life. Drawing from The Divine Conspiracy and The Great Omission, this episode examines how faith becomes fragile when it remains theoretical and how it gains strength when practiced. Apprenticeship invites us to trust Jesus enough to try his way of living. Discipleship is not about perfection, but direction—learning, practicing, and growing over time. The question isn’t just what we believe, but who we are apprenticing under. Belief opens the door, but apprenticeship is where belief becomes life.

Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus DRAY‑koh DOR‑mee‑enz NOON‑kwahm tih‑tih‑LAN‑doos means Never tickle a sleeping dragon. Solid life advice.

⁠⁠Email me your questions, comments, and suggestions. I'd love to hear from you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If y'all wanna talk more 'bout this, I'm all ears. Just give me a holler. You can also help by sending me your favorite trivia or dad joke(s) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠spencerjd@thedailygrind.website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Or respond below with comments, trivia or jokes.

Monday, December 5th: In this episode, John delves into the concept of discipleship, emphasizing that it is not merely about belief but about actively learning from Jesus. He discusses the importance of embodying teachings, the challenges posed by distractions in modern life, and the necessity of trust and transformation in the discipleship journey. The conversation encourages listeners to reflect on who or what is shaping their lives and to consider practical steps to learn from Jesus in a meaningful way.

Takeaways

• Discipleship is about learning to live as Jesus lived.
• It requires proximity, patience, and presence.
• Discipleship is not passive; it demands active engagement.
• The goal is to become the kind of person Jesus was.
• Discipleship is disrupted by distractions in modern life.
• Everyone is being formed by something, consciously or unconsciously.
• Trust in Jesus is essential for true discipleship.
• Discipleship aligns us with reality as God intends it.
• Learning from Jesus involves practice, not just theory.
• A disciple is someone who is willing to learn and grow.

Outline

1. Understanding Discipleship
2. The Nature of Learning from Jesus
3. The Challenge of Distraction in Discipleship
4. The Importance of Trust and Transformation
5. Practical Steps to Learning from Jesus

⁠⁠Email me your questions, comments, and suggestions. I'd love to hear from you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If y'all wanna talk more 'bout this, I'm all ears. Just give me a holler. You can also help by sending me your favorite trivia or dad joke(s) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠spencerjd@thedailygrind.website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Or respond below with comments, trivia or jokes.

Friday, December 2nd: Psalm 23 offers a vision of faith marked not by anxiety or bravado, but by quiet confidence in God. In this episode, we rediscover the psalm as a lived confession rather than a ceremonial reading. David’s confidence isn’t rooted in the absence of trouble, but in the presence of a faithful shepherd. This kind of trust reshapes how we face fear, uncertainty, and unmet expectations. Casual confidence in God grows through daily interaction and lived trust, not mere repetition of words. When we believe God is truly with us, we begin to rest—even in the valley.

⁠⁠Email me your questions, comments, and suggestions. I'd love to hear from you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If y'all wanna talk more 'bout this, I'm all ears. Just give me a holler. You can also help by sending me your favorite trivia or dad joke(s) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠spencerjd@thedailygrind.website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Or respond below with comments, trivia or jokes.

Thursday, January 1st - Happy New Year: In a world overflowing with information, many wonder whether Jesus is still relevant. This episode explores why Jesus continues to matter—not as a relic of the past, but as a guide for living a fully human life today. Jesus speaks directly to the inner dynamics of fear, anger, desire, and love, offering not just insight but transformation. He doesn’t merely tell us what to do; he teaches us how to become the kind of people who live well. In a fragmented, anxious culture, Jesus remains deeply relevant because he understands formation, not just behavior. He still knows how life works.

⁠⁠Email me your questions, comments, and suggestions. I'd love to hear from you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If y'all wanna talk more 'bout this, I'm all ears. Just give me a holler. You can also help by sending me your favorite trivia or dad joke(s) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠spencerjd@thedailygrind.website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Or respond below with comments, trivia or jokes.

Wednesday, December 31st: We often believe certainty must come before action—but Jesus taught the opposite. In this episode, we explore why obedience isn’t the result of spiritual knowledge but the pathway into it. Jesus invites us to learn by doing, not by waiting until all doubts are resolved. Spiritual understanding grows through trust expressed in action. As we obey in small, faithful ways, reality begins to clarify and confidence deepens. Obedience isn’t blind—it’s responsive. And it places us where God can be known, not just discussed.

⁠⁠Email me your questions, comments, and suggestions. I'd love to hear from you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If y'all wanna talk more 'bout this, I'm all ears. Just give me a holler. You can also help by sending me your favorite trivia or dad joke(s) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠spencerjd@thedailygrind.website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Or respond below with comments, trivia or jokes.