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1.2 Attention - What You Train Grows

We live in an age of distraction. Our attention is constantly being captured, pulled, and shaped—often without us realizing it.

In this episode, we explore a simple but powerful truth: what you repeatedly give your attention to quietly forms you.

Spiritual formation doesn’t begin with intensity or effort. It begins with attention. The question isn’t whether you’re being formed—it’s by what.

Rooted in Jesus’ words about the attention and focus (Matthew 6:19–24), this conversation looks at how our daily focus trains our fears, our loves, and our hopes—and how small, grace-filled shifts in attention can reshape us over time.

No heroic practices. No spiritual hustle. Just learning to notice what’s shaping us.

New here? Start with Season 0, a short two-episode introduction to the heart of The Pastor Next Door. It sets the tone—grace-first, honest about doubt, and committed to the slow work of formation.

Transcript

This work is not about tweaking personalities or winning power struggles. It is about creating the conditions for deep change. And that begins with fostering enough safety for courage to grow. It is about staying present long enough for shame to loosen its grip.

Planet Fitness. 📍

📍 Planet Fitness

I am doing shoulder shrugs and hearing my shoulders making a crunching sound. Tell me I’m almost 50 without telling me you’re almost 50.

God's Kingdom Come - The Scandalous Guest List

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To listen to the full unabridged audio listen here: The Scandalous Guest List

Today is Super Bowl Sunday—a day synonymous with gatherings, snacks, and “sportsball.” Whether you’re there for the game or just the commercials, it’s one of those rare nights where everyone chills out and has a good time.

But in the first century, parties were a different story. They weren’t “democratic” like ours today; they were highly structured, intentional, and governed by strict social rules. This context makes the story of Jesus at a dinner party in Luke 14:1-14 all the more shocking.

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Finished reading: The Will of the Many by James Islington 📚

This book read like Red Rising meets Mistborn meets Ancient Rome. I really enjoy the political intrigue that is building.

I’m thankful for the collegial and kind debate that has been happening at the 187th Stated Meeting of the Midwest Presbytery. It turns out that it is possible to disagree well.

“Christianity stands or falls with its revolutionary protest against violence, arbitrariness and pride of power and with its apologia for the weak. – I feel that Christianity is rather doing too little in showing these points than doing too much. Christianity has adjusted itself much too easily to the worship of power. It should give much more offence, more shock to the world, than it is doing. Christianity should take a much more definite stand for the weak than to consider the potential moral right of the strong.”
  • Dietrich Bonhoeffer, from a sermon on 2 Cor. 12:9

Spiritual fitness isn’t about having all the answers.

It’s about forming a faith that can actually carry you.

🎧 New episode of The Pastor Next Door: What Is Spiritual Fitness?

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