Podcast Summary: "Maturing Is Growing Into What Is Already True"

Living Influence with Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd
Date: January 1, 2026

Main Theme and Purpose

In this episode, Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd delve into the meaning and process of "maturing" as a follower of Christ. They distinguish between sanctification and maturing, emphasizing that maturing isn’t about striving for a new identity, but about growing into the truth of who God already says we are. The conversation centers on the foundational need for believers to know they are loved, safe, and free from performance-based spirituality, offering a powerful reframe for spiritual growth and influence.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Defining Maturing vs. Sanctification

• Sanctification happens at the moment of faith, when a person receives a new life in Christ (01:31–04:30).
  • “When Jesus died for me, he gave me a new life... I am now sanctified.” – Bill (01:39)
• Maturing is not about 'earning' spiritual life, but growing into what is already true.
  • Like babies, new believers are alive but need to grow up; their life is never in question (03:23–04:05).
  • The confusion arises when churches present maturity as a new set of rules, rather than a lived reality (04:21–05:06).

2. Faith vs. Performance

• True maturing happens through faith—not by effort or religious performance.
  • “God's sanctification, his work in my heart, was accessed through faith, not effort...” – Scott (00:28)
• Danger of "performance theology" and focusing on doing to earn God’s favor (06:03–06:28).
  • “We’ll get trapped into a performance theology that'll make my godliness depend on how hard I perform. And that is not sanctification.” – Bill (06:03–06:28)
• The Armor of God is put on through belief, not works (05:31–05:49).

3. The Journey of a New Believer

• New believers arrive with self-centeredness and profound needs for love and healing (06:33–07:26).
  • “Every new believer does…needs to be loved, desperately needs to be loved.” – Bill (08:06, 08:41)
• The indicator of maturing: When a believer’s focus starts to shift from themselves to others (07:26–08:41).

4. The Need for Safe, Loving Environments

• Growth requires a space to be known and loved without fear of judgment or need to hide (09:30–10:33).
  • Personal story: Scott found deep friendship and love in a weekly coffee meeting that helped him grasp grace (08:41–09:26).
  • “Find a safe place where nothing about you needs to be hidden.” – Bill (10:27)
• Tragically, many churches emphasize behavior rather than personhood, leading to harm (10:40–11:28).
  • “They discover that none of that is what this church is about. It’s about behavior. It’s about sinning less.” – Bill (10:40)

5. Breaking the Cycle of Performance and Striving

• Many Christians arrive pre-wired to please through effort, burdened by performance-driven backgrounds (12:09–12:41).
  • “Their whole life has been about performance...” – Bill (12:09)
• Story of a young man striving to "think of Jesus first" and feeling inadequate (12:41–13:46).
  • Scott tries to reorient him: “Maybe you already are pleasing to God.” (13:08)

6. The Profound Simplicity of Trust and Acceptance

• Simple acts of obedience, like helping clear chairs, can be powerful expressions of new life for a maturing believer (15:11–16:55).
  • Bill recalls: “He said, ‘That’s the first time in my life as an adult I ever did what I was told.’” (16:27)
• Maturing isn’t complicated; it’s about daily life and ordinary faith lived out in acceptance (16:57–17:07).

7. The Cost of Hiding vs. the Freedom of Transparency

• Faculty and church leaders should foster environments where nothing needs to be hidden (17:49–18:29).
  • “The greatest gift you can give them while they're with you is to teach them to hide nothing...Whatever they're hiding will one day define them.” – Bill (17:49–18:09)
• Future episodes will build on the importance of creating these environments.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On maturing and life in Christ:
  • “We are not in the process of maturing ever talking about whether we have life or not. We are sanctified...it’s called growing up.” – Bill (04:30–05:06)
• On the simplicity and safety needed for growth:
  • “Find a safe place where nothing about you needs to be hidden.” – Bill (10:27)
• On the harm organizations can do:
  • “My first answer was, great harm...Everybody in the room had experienced harm from a church.” – Scott (11:10–11:34)
• On the essential realization for believers:
  • “Could you just pause for a minute in the middle of all your mess and believe for one moment that your God is already pleased with you?” – Bill (13:48–14:49)
• On hiding:
  • “Create a safe place where they don’t have to hide anything. Because whatever they’re hiding will one day define them.” – Bill (18:25–18:34)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Defining Maturity and Sanctification: 01:31–04:30
• Faith vs. Effort (Performance Theology): 05:31–06:28
• The Needs of New Believers: 06:33–08:41
• Importance of Safe, Loving Community: 09:30–10:33
• Performance, Striving, and Acceptance: 12:09–14:49
• Transparency and Hiding: 17:49–18:34

Tone and Style

The episode is conversational, empathetic, and candid, with both Scott and Bill openly sharing personal anecdotes and hard-won wisdom. There’s a persistent undercurrent of gentleness, honesty, and hope, urging listeners to root their spiritual journey in the acceptance and love that’s already theirs, and to foster environments where truth—not performance—fuels growth.

Conclusion

This episode lays a thoughtful foundation for understanding spiritual maturity as a process of leaning further into the reality of God’s love and our new identity, not earning it through religious effort. Bill and Scott challenge listeners to seek spaces and relationships marked by genuine acceptance and freedom from hiding, setting the stage for deeper discussions on authentic personal and community influence in future episodes.