E128: King Before Kingdom: John Bushman on Making Jesus the Center of Our Teaching

About this episode

The episode discusses the importance of centering teaching around Jesus Christ rather than checklists or legalism.

Have you ever wondered if teaching the gospel sometimes gets tangled up in checklists instead of what matters most? In this conversation, we reflect on what it means to shed old mindsets and refocus on Jesus Christ at the heart of teaching, faith, and everyday church life. We share stories about our own experiences growing up in the church, recognize where legalism creeps into teaching, and dig into the difference between testimony and true conversion. Special guest Speaker C (John Bushman) joins us to talk about insights from his book, "King Before Kingdom," and how making Christ central changes everything—whether it’s how we teach, parent, or worship. We talk through: The impact of growing up with a checklist mentality and how it shapes faith What it means to be converted to Christ, not just the church or gospel principles How our language and traditions might unintentionally shift focus away from Jesus Practical ideas for making lessons, prayers, and even sacrament meetings more intentional and Christ-centered Personal stories of wrestling with trials, teaching youth, and finding relevance and meaning in everyday moments with the Savior Throughout, we keep coming back to one…

People in this episode

Host: Kevin Jones

Guest: John Bushman

Topics covered

• teaching the gospel
• focus on Jesus Christ
• legalism in teaching
• testimony vs true conversion
• intentional teaching
• personal faith experiences

Keywords

• gospel
• teaching
• faith
• conversion
• church life
• intentionality
• youth teaching

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: King Before Kingdom

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