The Being Formed Podcast

What do you imagine God feels when you come to mind?
Many of us believe that God loves us, yet our hearts live from the assumption that he is disappointed in us. We trust that we have been forgiven while continuing to perform for God’s approval. We know that God welcomes us, but struggle to imagine that he genuinely enjoys our company.
In this episode, Adam welcomes back Brian Fisher, founder of Soil & Roots, host of the Soil & Roots Podcast, and author of Soil & Roots: Cultivating Deep Discipleship.
Together, they explore the difference between the beliefs we affirm with our minds and the deeper ideas from which our hearts actually live. Brian introduces “Heartview,” a practice of noticing how our thoughts, emotions, words, behaviors, relationships, health, time, and money reveal what we truly believe about God, ourselves, and the world.
Brian also shares what Soil & Roots learned from its recent spiritual formation survey, including the widespread desire to hear from God more clearly, become more loving, and experience a more secure attachment to God. The conversation then turns toward Greenhouses, two-year guided communities designed to accompany people through the inward journey with Jesus and trusted friends.
This is an honest conversation about suffering, transformation, spiritual community, and learning to recognize God’s delight in the ordinary experiences of our lives.
In this conversation:
Why theological accuracy does not always produce inner transformation
The inward journey and meeting God at the wall
The difference between intellectual beliefs and the ideas held within our hearts
Why knowing God loves us is different from experiencing that God likes us
Heartview as a practice of noticing
What Soil & Roots discovered through its spiritual formation survey
Why deep formation requires time, safety, relationship, and community
The vision behind Soil & Roots Greenhouses
Recognizing God’s affection through Scripture, creation, friendship, beauty, and everyday life
About Brian Fisher
Brian Fisher is the founder of Soil & Roots, host of the Soil & Roots Podcast, and author of Soil & Roots: Cultivating Deep Discipleship. His work helps Christians explore the hidden ideas, desires, wounds, and stories that shape their hearts so they can become more like Jesus from the inside out.
Learn more:
Soil & Roots
Explore Greenhouses
Brian’s book: Soil & Roots: Cultivating Deep Discipleship
Brian’s writing on Substack
The Soil & Roots Podcast
The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources.

Originally released on September 4, 2024, as “Deep Listening Might Save Us,” this conversation returns to The Being Formed Podcast exactly two years later. Once again, on Adam’s birthday.
Coincidence? We don't think so...
Bringing this episode out of the archives feels like a birthday gift because its message reflects the heart of LifePoint Resources: every soul deserves to be heard.
Stephen W. Smith has been a friend and mentor to Adam Ormord as he has found his way more deeply into spiritual formation, spiritual direction, and the care of the soul. In this powerful conversation, Steve and Adam explore our fundamental need to be heard and the healing that can happen when another person offers us their attentive presence.
Deep listening is more than a communication skill. It is a way of loving. When we listen without rushing to fix, advise, interrupt, or prepare our response, we create space for another person to feel seen, known, and received.
The conversation was inspired by Steve’s article, “Deep Listening Might Save Us,” published in July 2024. Steve later returned for Episode 41 to discuss his book of poetry, Greening: Poems in the Unfolding of Our Lives. Including this "remixed" episode, Steve has now appeared on The Being Formed Podcast more often than any other guest.
A Practice for Deep Listening
Near the end of the conversation, Steve invites listeners to create an acrostic using the word LISTEN. Allow each letter to represent a posture or skill that helps you become more present to another person.
Consider:
Who in your life needs to be heard?
What keeps you from offering that person your full attention?
What might become possible if you simply listened?
Links:
Read “Deep Listening Might Save Us” by Stephen W. Smith
Listen to Episode 41: “Greening (with Stephen W. Smith)”
 
The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources.

What happens when the ministry you have poured your life into is suddenly no longer yours?
After more than three decades of ministry together, Mike and Lori McDaniel found themselves facing an unexpected and painful ending. What followed was a season of grief, disorientation, and the difficult work of discovering who they were apart from the roles and ministry that had shaped so much of their lives.
In this episode of The Being Formed Podcast, Adam Ormord (host) invites Mike and Lori into a heartfelt conversation about the subtle ways identity can become entangled with what we do for God, learning the language of grief and lament, slowing down enough to pay attention to our souls, and redefining what success looks like when much of what once made it visible has been stripped away.
At the heart of Mike and Lori's journey is what they now call The Great Invitation, the invitation of Jesus in Matthew 11 to come to him, learn from him, and discover a sustainable way of life with God. Before the Great Commandment and the Great Commission, perhaps we first need to hear again the Great Invitation: Come to me.
About Mike & Lori McDaniel
Mike and Lori are co-founders and Directors of The Great Invitation, a ministry providing soul care to pastors, church leaders, and missionaries through retreats, individual coaching and spiritual direction, and onsite coaching for ministry teams. They have spent 36 years in ministry together, leading in pastoral ministry, church planting, soul care, and spiritual direction. They founded Grace Point Church in Bentonville, Arkansas, in 2001, where Mike served as Lead Pastor for 23 years while Lori built and led ministries in children's, missions, and women's ministry. They have also lived overseas as missionaries, training leaders and planting churches. Their shared love for the nations has taken them to over 30 countries, strengthening indigenous leaders and cross-cultural workers.
Mike is first and foremost a pastor at heart, having shepherded congregations for over two decades and mentored other pastors and church leaders along the way. He holds his Doctorate in Ministry from Dallas Theological Seminary and is a certified Spiritual Director through Denver Seminary. He is also an Associate Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation and completed the Flourishing in Ministry Life Coach certification at BIOLA University. He is the author of The Resurgent Church.
Lori is an experienced ministry leader, author, mentor, and Bible teacher who speaks at conferences globally. Lori holds a BS in education and psychology, an MA in theology and intercultural studies from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care at Talbot School of Theology (BIOLA University). She completed the Flourishing in Ministry certification at BIOLA and is completing both her International Coaching Federation credentials and Narrative-Focused Trauma training at the Allender Center (Seattle School of Psychology and Theology). She is the author of The Mission of God and You.
Mike and Lori were high school sweethearts and have been married for 35 years. They have three married adult children and seven grandchildren.
To learn more about Mike and Lori and their soul care ministry, visit https://greatinvitation.org.
The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources.

What if the greatest obstacle to the life God is inviting you into isn't a lack of ability, but the stories you've come to believe about yourself?
In this episode of The Being Formed Podcast, Adam sits down with transformational coach, author, and founder of We Train Coaches, Jeff Caliguire. In 2021, Adam entered Jeff's coach training program with a dream that had been sitting on the back burner for years. During that season, God rekindled the vision that would eventually become LifePoint Resources.
Rather than focusing on strategies for success, this conversation dives beneath the surface, to the places where limiting beliefs, fear, and transition often keep us from becoming who God created us to be. Together, Adam and Jeff explore why transformation is always relational, why listening for God's voice matters more than simply changing behaviors, and how coaching, spiritual direction, and authentic community can help us recover the dreams we've stopped believing are possible.
Whether you're standing at the beginning of a new chapter, wrestling through a season of transition, or wondering what God may still have for you, this conversation offers both hope and an invitation to take the next step.
In this episode:
Jeff's journey from church planter to transformational coach
Why so many leaders feel alone
The difference between transformational and transactional coaching
Limiting beliefs and how they shape our lives
Learning to recognize God's voice in seasons of transition
Why spiritual formation is essential to lasting change
The courage to pursue dreams we've placed on the back burner
Why retirement may not be the finish line, but the beginning of your next mountain
Helping the next generation navigate an AI-shaped world through wisdom, formation, and presence
Memorable Quotes
"The transition is often harder than the change."
"A great coach doesn't allow you to stay where you are."
"When we're connected to the Vine, transformation becomes possible."
"Young men see visions. Old men dream dreams."
"What's the downside of not taking the next step?"
Resources Mentioned
The Habits of Hope by Jeff Caliguire (Purchase on Amazon)
We Train Coaches (https://www.wetraincoaches.com)
The Next Mountain (https://thenextmountain.ai/)
Whisper Ranch (https://www.soulcare.com/whisper-ranch)
Reflection
As you finish listening, consider taking these two questions into prayer:
What might be the next mountain God is inviting me to climb?
What story or limiting belief has kept me from taking the first step?
 
The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources. Copyright 2026.

In Part Two of this special dual-release conversation, Adam Ormord continues his dialogue with Jessica Vangsnes, host of the Transforming Us Podcast.
While Part One explored some of Adam's story, this episode turns toward Jessica and her journey of ever-increasing friendship with Jesus. Together, Adam and Jessica explore how attachment, friendship, and the healing presence of Christ have shaped her own process of becoming.
Throughout the conversation, they reflect on what it means to move beyond performance and self-protection into deeper trust, greater relational wholeness, and the freedom of walking with Jesus as a faithful Friend. They also discuss the importance of spiritual companionship, the gift of being known, and why transformation is rarely a solo endeavor.
The episode concludes with an Ignatian-inspired prayer practice and a conversation about LifePoint Resources' upcoming Sacred Way Community—a journey of relational spiritual formation designed for those longing to grow in community with fellow pilgrims.
In this episode:
Jessica's story of transformation
Attachment and relational healing
Friendship as a catalyst for becoming
Moving from self-protection to secure attachment with God
Ignatian spirituality and walking with Jesus
Why lasting transformation happens in community
An introduction to the Sacred Way Community
A reflective practice helping us return "home"
Connect with Jessica Vangsnes and Transforming Ushttps://www.transformingus.org
Learn more about LifePoint Resources and the Sacred Way Communityhttps://www.lifepointresources.org
If these conversations have encouraged you, consider sharing both episodes with someone who longs for a deeper, more relational journey with Christ.
Thank you for listening to The Being Formed Podcast. Wherever you find yourself on the path today, may you discover that Jesus is already walking beside you, and that His invitation is not simply to arrive somewhere, but to be formed into a person of love.
The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources.

In this special dual-release episode, The Being Formed Podcast welcomes Jessica Vangsnes, host of the Transforming Us podcast, for the first of a two-part conversation exploring pilgrimage, attachment, and the slow work of spiritual formation.
Jessica is a certified trauma-informed relationship coach, group facilitator, and the visionary behind Transforming Us. Integrating a rich background in ministry, soul care, Gottman 7 principles facilitation, and the Enneagram in relationships, Jess guides individuals and couples away from internal division and toward sacred wholeness with Christ.
Her work is forged in the fire of her own need for wholeness. For 18 years, she and her husband, Travis, have navigated the beautiful, complex terrain of marriage, foster care, adoption, and caregiving. It was through her own profound seasons of pain and personal healing that Jess discovered her calling: helping others tend to the shadowy places of their souls.
Today, Jess lives in South Carolina with Travis and their five children, ages 7 to 20. Jess views every person as a unique reflection of God’s image. Believing that true healing is a collaborative process with Jesus, she helps people unearth subconscious patterns and name attachment wounds, bridging practical psychological tools with spiritual formation.
Part One of our two-part conversation focuses a bit more on Adam's story - from discovering spiritual direction and walking the Camino de Santiago to the lessons learned about trust, embodiment, and the transforming love of God. Along the way, Adam and Jessica explore how the Enneagram, attachment theory, and the ministry of presence can help us move from striving to abiding, from performing for God to walking with Him as a beloved friend.
In this episode:
Jessica's journey into spiritual formation and soul care
Lessons from walking the Camino de Santiago
Pilgrimage as a way of life
Anxious attachment and discovering God's loving gaze
Friendship, presence, and spiritual companionship
Learning to live in the easy yoke of Jesus
Part Two continues the conversation by exploring more of Jessica's story, her journey into attachment work and relational transformation, and the ways God has shaped her through coaching and the Enneagram.
Connect with Jessica Vangsnes and Transforming Us:https://transformingus.org
If this conversation encourages you, consider subscribing to The Being Formed Podcast, leaving a review, and sharing the episode with someone who could use a fellow pilgrim on the journey.
The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources.

Adam Ormord (LifePoint Resources) sits down with author, worship leader, coach, and spiritual director Becky Ykema to discuss her new book.
After more than two decades serving in churches ranging from church plants to one of the largest churches in the country, Becky began noticing subtle patterns shaping ministry culture. Those observations became her new book, Composing Church: Considerations for the Modern Creative Leader.
While written with worship leaders and creative teams in mind, this conversation reaches much further, exploring the formation of ministry leaders, the culture of our churches, and the invitation to become people who lead from authenticity rather than performance.
Whether you're a pastor, worship leader, volunteer, elder, or someone who simply longs for a healthy ministry culture, we believe you'll find encouragement and hope in this conversation.
In this episode, we discuss:
• What it means to "compose" a church culture.• The subtle pressures ministry leaders often carry.• Performance versus presence.• How church culture shapes the souls of those who serve.• Henri Nouwen's timeless warnings about relevance, spectacle, and power.• How spiritual direction has further shaped Becky's understanding of leadership.
Resources Mentioned:
Composing Church: Considerations for the Modern Creative Leader (by Becky Ykema)
Connect with Becky:
www.beckyykema.com
Thanks for listening to The Being Formed Podcast. If this conversation encouraged you, consider sharing it with someone who loves the Church and longs to see her become more like Christ.
The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources.

What if the deepest truth about you is not what you do, what you believe, or even what you have accomplished, but that you were created for relationship?
In this solo episode, Adam Ormord explores the idea that we are, at our core, relational souls. Drawing from the work of Richard Plass and James Cofield, Todd and Elizabeth Hall, Trevor Hudson, Henri Nouwen, and others, Adam reflects on the transformative power of loving relationships and why trust sits at the heart of spiritual formation.
Along the way, he shares personal stories of God's faithfulness, explores the difference between knowing about God and knowing God relationally, and invites listeners to consider what it means to live as God's beloved.
Whether you find yourself longing for deeper connection, wrestling with trust, or simply seeking a more experiential relationship with God, this conversation offers a timely reminder that transformation happens in the context of love.
In This Episode
What it means to be a "relational soul"
The difference between informational knowing and relational knowing
Why trust is central to spiritual formation
How loving relationships shape our ability to love God and others
The connection between attachment, belovedness, and transformation
Hospitality, presence, and the ministry of spiritual direction
Learning to receive God's love more deeply
The invitation to come home to the Father
The Sacred Way Community (LifePoint's Cohort-Learning Community)
Books and Resources Mentioned
The Relational Soul — Richard Plass & James Cofield
Relational Spirituality — Todd Hall & Elizabeth Hall
Seeking God — Trevor Hudson
Reaching Out — Henri Nouwen
The Life We're Looking For — Andy Crouch
A Reflection Question
Where in your life might God be inviting you to move from simply knowing something about Him to experiencing it more deeply through trust?
Closing Thought
"Perhaps the deepest invitation of the spiritual life is learning to come home - home to the God who sees us, delights in us, and has never stopped watching the horizon for our return."
The Being Formed Podcast is a Soul Care Ministry of LIfePoint Resources.