008: Jesus is Lord: The Radical Minimum for Movement

In this episode of the 100 Movements Podcast, Brian Johnson and Alan Hirsch dive into the first—and most important—element of MDNA: Jesus is Lord.

They unpack why this ancient confession is the radical theological minimum for movement, how it functions as a three-word worldview, and what happens when we subtly replace Jesus at the center with other ideas, doctrines, or forms of church.

In this conversation:

  • Why “Jesus is Lord” is more than a slogan—and how it carries a whole worldview

  • The difference between “Jesus is my Savior” and “Jesus is my Lord”

  • How Lordship presses into finances, sexuality, politics, parenting, and everyday life

  • Christology → Missiology → Ecclesiology: why we must start with Jesus, not with church forms

  • How movements die when Jesus is no longer at the center

  • Why many churches could define “church” without mentioning Jesus—and why that’s dangerous

  • The role of metanoia (paradigm-shifting repentance) in continually recentering on Jesus

  • Practicing Jesus-centered prayer and obedience as a way of life, not just belief

Key idea:
If a community claims to be the church but doesn’t look, act, sound, or think like Jesus, can we still call it the church?

Next steps:

  • Take the mDNA Strengths Assessment at 100Movements.com and explore how the six elements show up in your life and leadership.

  • Consider reading The Forgotten Ways and Metanoia by Alan Hirsch to go deeper into this framework.

  • Share this episode with someone else who is wrestling with what it truly means to say: Jesus is Lord.


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007: Rediscovering Movemental Christianity: The Forgotten Ways