Become Good Soil

Morgan Snyder
  • 4.8 (303)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED SEMIMONTHLY

For men, and the women they champion, who are recovering the path and process to become wholehearted mature apprentices of God and His Kingdom. 9326c130-f4a0-11ef-a275-5bd47b0c8b59

  1. 206: Our Common Faith – Become Good Soil Foundations Series (Part 1)

    4D AGO

    206: Our Common Faith – Become Good Soil Foundations Series (Part 1)

    “The creeds function like a treasure chest, waiting to be opened and explored. The creeds are not meant to reduce our faith to simple facts; they are not intended to drive away mystery and complexity. Rather, the creeds secure a framework for the whole of our faith, so that we can freely go and explore the riches of the mystery in each part and in the whole.”   —Jason Ortiz and Daniel Keating in The Nicene Creed: A Scriptural, Historical, and Theological Commentary Friends, beneath every value we express and every thought we act upon lies an underlying belief. Though often unexamined, each of us has developed a comprehensive worldview that shapes every moment of our lives. What are those beliefs and assumptions—and to what degree do they align with reality as revealed by God? Join us for the first episode of the Become Good Soil Foundations Series, where we explore these core beliefs and assumptions of our faith and the fellowship of Become Good Soil. Drawing on Jesus’ imagery in Matthew 7, we ask: what would it look like to make a fresh assessment of the foundations upon which the “house” of our lives is built? What might we notice if we paused to appreciate the beauty and strength of the “rock” itself—and to reckon honestly with the areas of our lives still resting on shifting sand? As a fellowship, what does it look like to freshly receive and act upon Jesus’ invitation to relocate the whole of our lives onto the Rock—who is Christ Himself, His teaching, and His beautiful Kingdom? Come along in a courageous global fellowship as we venture together down a path and process that leads to a life truly worth living. It’s all been prologue. The best is yet to come. For the Kingdom,  Morgan & Cherie  Note: In our conversation on The Nicene Creed this is the reference. For further exploration: Ortiz, J., & Keating, D. A. (2024). The Nicene Creed: a scriptural, historical, and theological commentary. Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

    58 min
  2. 205: Where Am I Going? – Origin Story (Part 3)

    JAN 27

    205: Where Am I Going? – Origin Story (Part 3)

    “We are greatly strengthened for life in the kingdom now by an understanding of what our future holds, and especially of how that future relates to our present experiences. For only then do we really understand what our current life is, and are we able to make choices that agree with that reality.” — Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy Where are we going? Friends, this simple question continues to wake us, gently and insistently, again and again. As we linger with it, we remember that every path—whether chosen or assumed—is always leading somewhere. The question meets us as both invitation and mercy, asking us to notice where we are headed and to hold our lives up to the light of God and His kingdom. In doing so, this question stirs our imagination toward the greatest end—the long-awaited day when God’s kingdom is fully revealed on earth as it is in heaven, when all things are gathered up and made right, good, and beautiful. With that ultimate future shimmering before us, we find ourselves able to turn—sometimes subtly, sometimes decisively—and set our course again toward the good, the true, and the beautiful, trusting God to lead us faithfully in the present moment and into what is yet to come. For more than a year, we have carried this question in our minds and hearts as we have listened for God on behalf of Become Good Soil. Through prayer, discernment, and many honest conversations—with God and with so many of you—a clearer sense of where Become Good Soil is being led in this new season has slowly come into view. It is our deep joy to finally share this emerging vision with you. In this final episode of Our Origin Story, we reflect on the expanded mission and vision of Become Good Soil. At its heart is a simple and steadfast desire: to walk alongside you as you continue your apprenticeship to Jesus—the gradual, grace-filled transposing of your whole life into the life of Christ—and as you faithfully steward the generative outposts of Eden entrusted to your care. It’s all been prologue. The best is yet to come. For the Kingdom, Morgan & Cherie

    53 min
  3. 204: Where Am I? – Origin Story (Part 2)

    JAN 13

    204: Where Am I? – Origin Story (Part 2)

    You are here. It turns out this matters more than we have come to believe. Consider this reflection from Henri Nouwen in The Wounded Healer: A waiting person is a person practicing patience. The word patience means to practice a daring willingness to stay where we are and live the situation out to the full, in the belief that something hidden here will make itself known to us. Impatient people are always expecting the real thing to happen somewhere else—the better thing to be somewhere other than here. Therefore, practicing impatience is to entertain and cultivate a longing to be somewhere else. The present moment is empty for them. Patient people dare to stay where they are. Patient living means living actively in the present and daringly waiting right here. Waiting, therefore, in God’s Kingdom, is not passive. It involves bravely nurturing the moment as a mother nurtures a child growing in her womb. As Nouwen reminds us, waiting carries with it both opportunity and temptation—the opportunity to become more whole and mature, united with God, and the temptation to give way to impatience, to hustle for control, or to force our will on others. In this second episode of Our Origin Story, we explore a core challenge to fully inhabit the present moment: the twin thieves of fixation on the past and preoccupation with the future. We examine the subtle seduction of living in the past—not only the pull of regret, but also the empty cistern of nostalgia. We also explore the thievery of vaulting ourselves prematurely into the future—not only the anxiety and fear this can produce, but how visions of what might be can quietly morph into fantasies of a better life somewhere else or with someone else, rather than in the place and with the people to whom we are presently called. Join us as we take a deeper dive, considering both the temptation and the gift of this present moment—and the audacious joy of coming home to where we are, here and now, held within the epic story of God revealing who He truly is and restoring all of His creation, together, with us. It’s all been prologue. The best is yet to come. For the Kingdom, Morgan & Cherie

    53 min
  4. 203: Where Am I From? – Origin Story (Part 1)

    12/30/2025

    203: Where Am I From? – Origin Story (Part 1)

    “In the darkness, something was happening at last. A voice had begun to sing. The hills were coming up. The earth was heaving and swelling like a wave of the sea. ‘Man, I give you the rule of this land. Treat it gently and cherish it.’” — C.S. Lewis, The Magician’s Nephew The apostle Paul reminds us that we have been grafted into the origin story of the People of God—a story that begins with God creating a good and beautiful world, and humans as beloved and creative stewards made in God’s image. Before long, the story takes a tragic turn, giving way to exile from our original Home. Since then, a quiet homesickness has haunted the human experience—a sense that, for all its awakening beauty, the world is not now as it was meant to be. Yet the story does not end in exile. Scene after scene, we witness God’s persistent and passionate initiative to rescue and restore all of creation and His cherished human image-bearers. From Noah to Abraham, from Israel’s return from exile in Babylon to the bright expectancy of Anna and Zechariah in Luke’s Gospel, the story unfolds across centuries, culminating in the incarnation of Jesus, the promised King and Rescuer. And now the story continues—handed down from one generation to the next—inviting each generation to freely and creatively enter, participate, and carry the story forward. This great, cosmic history is the story within which our own personal histories unfold and find their meaning. What might it look like to recover our origin story—both the cosmic and the personal? What if remembering where we come from is essential to our apprenticeship? Our origin stories help us name who we are, locate us within a larger story, and gently orient us toward the way forward. As pastor and teacher, Jason Jackson writes, origin stories are “seeds that are planted, becoming the identity of today and the vision of tomorrow.” So we pause and wonder: What are the seeds of your origin story? Where do you come from—and who do you come from? As you reflect, what patterns begin to emerge? How might God be inviting you to notice what He is forming in you today, in light of where you have come from and where He is leading you? As we unpack the seeds of the Become Good Soil story, we pray this episode might support you in recovering and strengthening the promise carried in the seeds of your story as well. It’s all been prologue. The best is yet to come. For the Kingdom, Morgan & Cherie

    54 min
  5. 202: A Soul's Review for Groups

    12/16/2025

    202: A Soul's Review for Groups

    “Before I can tell my life what I want to do with it,  I must first listen to my life telling me who I am.”  — Parker Palmer Important Note: HERE IS THE LINK to the most updated version of A Soul’s Review for Groups. Updates were made on 12/15/25. Please download THIS VERSION for any use of the guided Examen. God comes to us brilliantly disguised in the ordinary moments of our everyday lives. With this in mind, we offer an invitation. For several years, we have invited you into the ancient practice of an annual examen. This year, we have released an updated edition designed for groups of all sizes. The first portion of this podcast is an invitation to host a group. It might be a regular circle of friends, family, or coworkers with whom you share life. Or perhaps a group of people you’ve been longing to invite into a deeper exploration of the geography of their soul and a reawakening to God’s pursuit. Here’s the invitation: pray about whom you might share this with. Choose a date between now and mid-January to host a simple gathering. It is structured around a minimum of two hours, though giving it more time allows the experience to breathe. If possible, we encourage you to include a simple meal. Listen to the entire podcast as a preview and prayer. When you gather, provide a printed PDF of A Soul’s Review for Groups, which you can download HERE. Then begin playing this episode at the 11:15 time code. It’s all been prologue. The best is yet to come. For the Kingdom Morgan & Cherie

    41 min
  6. 201: Styles of Relating – A Deeper Cut Series (Part 3)

    12/02/2025

    201: Styles of Relating – A Deeper Cut Series (Part 3)

    “The main thing God gets out of your life is not the achievements you accomplish. It is the person you become. Spiritual transformation is not about behavior modification; it is about allowing the life of Jesus to permeate our whole being. This is a process that is slow, steady, and deeply relational. We become the kind of people who can naturally and easily do what Jesus would do, because His life has formed our life from the inside out.” — Dallas Willard Friends, We’d love for you to join us for the final episode in this three-part series. In this conversation, we take a hopeful look at what the Styles of Relating can become as we grow in maturity—as fear and shame loosen their grip, and as trust, courage, and love begin to shape our reactions more than our old habits do. Our hope is that you’ll find encouragement for your own relationships and a renewed sense that change, even slow change, is possible. We’re grateful to walk this road with you—toward deeper wholeness, steadier love, and a growing belonging in God’s Kingdom and Family. Please note there is a COMPANION PDF for this episode that includes deeper reflection questions for the Styles of Relating. You can find it HERE. It’s all been prologue. The best is yet to come. For the Kingdom, Morgan & Cherie

    1 hr
  7. 200: Styles of Relating – A Deeper Cut Series (Part 2)

    11/18/2025

    200: Styles of Relating – A Deeper Cut Series (Part 2)

    “When we intentionally bring awareness to our internal world—our emotions, our sensations, our impulses; we begin to see the patterns that have been driving us. And once we see them, we are no longer bound by them. Awareness creates choice. Choice creates change.”  — Dan Siegel ​Friends, In this second episode of a deeper dive into Styles of Relating, we reflect on how fear, hedging, and self-protection show up in our relationships, in contrast to the moments when, by God’s grace, we find ourselves relating from trust, dignity, and self-giving love instead. Nothing has exposed and transformed our own patterns more than this work. Slowly, we are learning to pause, to notice what’s actually motivating our reactions, to identify when fear and shame have snuck in sideways. But here’s the gift: awareness really does open space for change. And that change has brought us more joy, safety, and connection in our marriage than we ever imagined. We are grateful to be on this journey with you—toward wholeness, deeper love, and a growing trust in God and His Kingdom. It’s all been prologue. The best is yet to come. For the Kingdom, Morgan & Cherie

    53 min
  8. 199: Styles of Relating – A Deeper Cut Series (Part 1)

    11/04/2025

    199: Styles of Relating – A Deeper Cut Series (Part 1)

    “We are born out of the laughter of the Trinity."  — Meister Eckhart (1260-1328),  Medieval Mystic Dear Friends, Around 2011, we discovered the work of Karen Horney and her insight into how humans relate to one another, especially under stress, in uncertainty, or for the sake of self-protection. Her work on the styles of relating became catalytic for both of us. It gave language to dynamics we were feeling but didn’t yet understand — why, despite our love for one another, we so often felt hurt, alone, or misunderstood. We were desperate for clarity, longing to discover what was not working, and what needed to change within us and between us to grow the kind of marriage we both believed was possible. In 2014, we recorded a live conversation exploring how our styles of relating had been colliding — and sometimes colluding — since before we were married. That conversation became Episode 9 of the Become Good Soil podcast, marking an early milestone in our journey toward healing and deeper connection. Now, we invite you to join us again as we revisit this territory. This is the first episode in a three-part series reflecting afresh on the Styles of Relating — a return to what these styles are, an exploration of how they may be showing up in our relationships, and an honest look at what it could mean to employ them in the service of Love instead of fear. We’re honored to walk this path with you. For the Kingdom, Cherie & Morgan P.S. If you haven’t explored our first two podcasts and the blog on Styles of Relating recently, we would encourage you to check out the following soul-nourishing resources as well: Wild, Unfettered, and Free - Jesus Modeling Styles of Relating (Blog) Getting Naked - BGS Podcast Episode 014 (Part 1 of 2) Getting Naked - BGS Podcast Episode 015 (Part 2 of 2)

    1h 11m
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4.8
out of 5
303 Ratings

About

For men, and the women they champion, who are recovering the path and process to become wholehearted mature apprentices of God and His Kingdom. 9326c130-f4a0-11ef-a275-5bd47b0c8b59

Information

  • Creator
    Morgan Snyder
  • Years Active
    2014 - 2026
  • Episodes
    207
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Become Good Soil
  • Show Website
    Become Good Soil

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