How God’s Story Shapes Ours with JT English and Kyle Worley
Today, we get to hear from JT English and Kyle Worley about seeing our whole lives through the lens of Scripture and how that affects our spiritual formation over time. In this conversation, we discuss what it looks like to live as God’s people in God’s presence and to reflect God’s purposes in God’s place.
NOTES & QUOTES
“What begins in the Garden of Eden and ends in the New Jerusalem is a story not of a person, but of a people, right? It's not good that man should be alone, Adam and Eve in the Garden. There's people from the beginning. And at the end, behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will be with them as their God and they will be his people. So the story of the Bible is not about persons. The story of the Bible is about people.” KW
“Holistic, deep discipleship happens at the intersection of Bible literacy, theological formation, and spiritual disciplines and spiritual practices. We really believe that holistic Christians can't just pick and choose one or two of those things, but all three best happen together.” JT
“Every single false story that we've ever lived in in the world begins in Genesis chapter three.” JT
“We all kind of have these false stories. For example, a false story of perfectionism, the belief that I'll be more lovable and loved the more perfect I can become, or the false story of romanticism, which isn't really romantic feelings, but just that my feelings are trustworthy and reliable and I should live my day based upon how I feel. Now, there's true things to both of those stories. Your feelings matter and it is good for you to, even as Jesus says, be perfect as my Heavenly Father is perfect, but ultimately those false stories don't lead to life, they lead us to death.” JT
“The story of the Bible is one true story. And it's not a story of a different world and a different time and a different galaxy. It's the story of this world. It's the story of us, the story of what God is doing through Christ and by the power of the Spirit here in this world. And you can't live in a story that you don't know.” JT
“The reason I think story is powerful is because God is telling a story. He's telling and actually kind of directing the story of this world and at the heart of discipleship isn't a call just to know that story, but a call to live in that story as faithful participants like Christ.” JT
“One of the best tools we can use for evangelism is the story of Scripture.” JT
“If we think we can divorce spiritual formation from spiritual multiplication and evangelism, then we've completely missed it from the jump.” Kyle
“How does the actual act of evangelism shape us more and more into the image of Christ? Well, one thing it does is it exposes our dependency and need. Since conversion is a work of God, when you're sharing the gospel, you become palpably aware of just how much power you lack, how much ability you lack. You cannot convert the people that you're sharing the gospel with. You can only bear witness. So it draws our attention to our dependency on the Lord. It draws our attention to the need for the power and presence and the work of the Holy Spirit and the life of other people and the life of our life as well. It calls us back to God's word as a place where we are able to bear witness and to share the gospel.” Kyle
“We were made to enjoy God's presence as God's people in God's place as we live out his purposes.” JT
“The resurrection of the dead and the kingdom without everlasting is a story worth living towards. And if we believe in the inspiration, authority, and inerrancy of scripture, that's the story of this world that one day truly, King Jesus will get down on his knee and wipe away all of our tears. He will embrace his people. All sickness, all death, all suffering will be no more.” JT
“Every time that we open up God's word or we gather with God's people or we bear witness to God's gospel, it's an opportunity for us individually and collectively to be reminded once again that a day is coming when we will experience in full what we now know in part, which is the glorious presence of God.” Kyle
RESOURCES
Remember and Rehearse by J.T. English
Formed for Fellowship: Becoming What You Behold by Kyle Worley
You are a Theologian: An Invitation to Know and Love God Well by J.T. English and Jen Wilkin
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Are you able to explain the story of the Bible? If not, what could you do to spend some time learning how to articulate the structure and big picture of the story of Scripture?
What is a false story you believe you’ve been living in?
How might you use the story of the Bible in evangelism this week?
How can thinking about the end of the story—that one day Jesus will wipe away all our tears and sickness and suffering will be no more—change how you live today?
What might you do or implement based on what you learned in this week’s episode?
RECENT CONVERSATIONS
IMPORTANT NOTE
Journeywomen interviews are intended to serve as a springboard for continued study in the context of your local church. While we carefully select guests each week, interviews do not imply Journeywomen's endorsement of all writings and positions of the interviewee or any other resources mentioned.
Affiliate links used are used where appropriate. Thank you for supporting the products that support Journeywomen!
FOR MORE OF JOURNEYWOMEN
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Follow Us: Instagram | Facebook
Support the podcast by writing a review
