Skip to main content

The Daily Spirit - Episode Scripts

Voice-based exhortation ministry. 5-minute encouraging voice messages delivered via Substack.

Weekly Schedule​

Monday through Friday: Regular episodes tackling different themes—purpose, resistance, brotherhood, identity, spiritual warfare, etc.

Saturday: Sabbath episodes. These are different. The tone shifts from "go get after it" to "rest well." Saturday is about honoring the rhythm God designed—even He rested on the seventh day.

Sunday: No episode. Practice what we preach.

Saturday Sabbath Episodes​

Saturday episodes aren't prescriptive. They're an invitation.

The message: You've worked hard this week. Now rest—not because you're weak, but because you're obedient. Protecting your temple is exactly what God wants. Rest, joy, health, abundance—these aren't guilty pleasures. They're promises.

Key themes:

  • Ambition AND obedience (not either/or)
  • God rested, so should you
  • Be fed by your pastor—find one who fills you up
  • Protecting your temple honors God
  • Rest as spiritual discipline, not laziness

Scripture anchors:

  • "By the seventh day God had finished his work. On the seventh day he rested from all his work. God blessed the seventh day. He made it a Holy Day because on that day he rested from his work." — Genesis 2:2-3 (MSG)
  • "Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." — Exodus 20:8 (MSG)
  • "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life." — Matthew 11:28 (MSG)
  • "Didn't you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit?" — 1 Corinthians 6:19 (MSG)

Tone: Warm. Encouraging. Permission-giving. "You should totally rest" not "you must rest."

Personal touch: Mention your own weekend rhythms—often spending time with your pastor who lives hours away, or going to a service of a local church I love, how you value being fed diligently, what rest looks like for you.

What This Folder Contains​

  • episodes/ - Episode folders, each containing a script.md with the voice script and all marketing copy
  • marketing/ - Thumbnail generation scripts and assets
  • scripture-log.csv - Tracks all scriptures used to avoid repetition
  • README.md - This file

Core Philosophy​

Speak directly to one person. Not an audience. Not subscribers. One friend who needs to hear this today.

Keep it concise. Ryan Holiday-level tight. Every sentence earns its place.

Duration target: 4-5 minutes total, spoken at a measured pace.

This is non-negotiable. At ~140 words per minute, aim for 550-700 words max in the spoken script. Trim ruthlessly. If the script runs long:

  • Condense stories (keep the power, cut the details)
  • Merge sections that overlap
  • Reduce affirmations to 4-5
  • Cut redundant phrases

People's attention is sacred. Respect it.

The voice is the point. The Substack post copy exists only to get them to hit play. Don't over-explain. Don't summarize. Just get them to listen.

Episode Structure​

Each episode should include:

1. Greeting​

"Welcome back to The Daily Spirit. [Day], [Date including YEAR]. Five minutes of spirit-filled encouragement to start what might just be the best day of your life."

Weave the energy right into the greeting. Vary it slightly each day:

  • "...to start what might just be the best day of your life."
  • "...to kick off what I'm hearing is going to be the best day of your life."
  • "...to start the best day of your life. So I hear."
  • "...to fuel what could be your best day yet."

Playful. Confident. Sets the tone from the jump.

2. Opening Hook (You-Focused)​

Start with something that makes it about THEM before you tell your story. A question. A relatable struggle. Something that makes them think "yes, that's me."

Examples:

  • "Have you ever had a relationship you forgot was there? Someone in your contacts you haven't talked to in months?"
  • "You ever feel like you're wandering? Like the path doesn't make sense?"
  • "When's the last time you reached out to someone just to see how they're doing?"

Hook them with relevance FIRST. Then transition into your personal story or example.

3. Scripture​

At least one Bible verse per episode. Weave it naturally into the message. Say it out loud - the speaking matters. Keep it tight. Use The Message (MSG) translation by default.

4. Personal Touch​

Mention something from your life:

  • A friend (by name when appropriate)
  • A recent conversation
  • A personal story or struggle
  • Something you're learning

This keeps it relational, not preachy.

5. Core Exhortation​

The main encouragement. Direct. Specific to the theme. Talk to them like they're sitting across from you. Be concise. Every sentence earns its place.

6. Affirmations​

  • Intro: "Let's speak some truth and life over your day. Repeat after me."
  • Keep each affirmation short (one sentence)
  • 4-5 affirmations per episode (keep it tight)
  • Theme them to the episode when possible
  • Pause for repetition
  • Affirmations can recur across episodes
  • Always include: "This will be the best day of my life." (or close it with this one)

7. Closing​

Brief. Energy depends on the day:

  • Monday-Friday: "Go get after it. God is with you. Talk tomorrow."
  • Saturday: "Rest well. Get fed. God is with you. See you Monday."

Episode Themes​

Each episode should have ONE clear theme. Examples:

  • Overcoming resistance
  • Divine purpose
  • Spiritual warfare
  • Brotherhood/community
  • Trusting God's timing
  • Showing up anyway
  • Identity in Christ
  • Sabbath rest (Saturday episodes)

Themes can and should recur across episodes.

Prompt Format for AI Generation​

Input: A multi-minute brain dump (voice memo transcript or written notes) containing:

  • What's on your mind
  • Recent conversations
  • Struggles or victories
  • Scripture that's resonating
  • Friends you're thinking about

AI Instructions:

  1. Study at least 2-3 previous episodes to match tone and format
  2. Process the brain dump into a cohesive 4-5 minute script
  3. Identify the core theme
  4. Find or suggest a relevant Bible verse
  5. Extract personal elements to include
  6. Generate themed affirmations
  7. Keep language conversational and direct
  8. Write for speaking out loud, not reading

Substack Post Copy Guidelines​

Purpose: Invite them to hit play AND give them a written version they can read.

Some people prefer reading. Some can't listen with headphones at work. Some want both. Give them the full experience either way.

Format:

**Title:** [Affirmation-style title with "You/Your"]

Keep the title clean and evergreen (no date). This helps with YouTube discoverability when auto-posting from Substack.

The title should read like an affirmation you're speaking over them. Encouraging. Affirmative. Action-oriented.
Examples:
- "You Will Have A Miraculous Monday"
- "You Will Overcome A Fear Today"
- "You Were Designed For This"
- "Your Ambition Is Godly"

**Subtitle:** [One-line theme or brief note on what this episode covers.]

Keep it tight. No date needed—the greeting handles that, and Substack auto-timestamps posts.

**Body:**
Good/blessed morning!

[You-focused question immediately after greeting - start with "you" or "your"]

[1-2 sentences hinting at today's theme - keep it about THEM]

**Hit play.** Or keep reading below.

---

## [Hook-style heading - a phrase from the episode that makes them want to keep reading]

[Written version of the episode - slightly condensed and restructured from the audio.

**Important:** Don't repeat phrases from the teaser above. Use different wording. Still start you-focused.

Structure:
- Brief you-focused opener (different wording than teaser)
- Scripture as block quote:
  > *"Scripture text here..."*
  >
  > — Book Chapter:Verse (MSG)
- Personal story or example
- Core exhortation - direct, you-focused]

**Your Affirmations For Today:**
- *[Affirmation 1]*
- *[Affirmation 2]*
- *[etc.]*

This should feel like reading the voice note, not a summary of it. Same tone. Same directness. Just tightened.

---

God is with you today.

Love,

Gary

What NOT to do:

  • Don't make the written version feel like a different piece
  • Don't over-formalize the language
  • Don't lose the conversational "talking to one person" tone

The voice note and written version should feel like the same message in two formats.

YouTube Guidelines​

YouTube titles and thumbnails are separate from Substack. Optimize for clicks and discoverability.

Key principle: Thumbnail text ≠ YouTube title. They work together but say different things.

YouTube Title Format:

[CURIOSITY HOOK IN CAPS] | The Daily Spirit

Keep it under 60 characters so it doesn't truncate. ALL CAPS for the hook grabs attention in the feed.

Examples:

  • HOW GOD DESIGNED YOU TO WIN IN 2026 | The Daily Spirit
  • WHY YOUR FEAR IS PROOF YOU'RE ON TRACK | The Daily Spirit
  • THE ONE MINDSET SHIFT THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING | The Daily Spirit

YouTube Thumbnail Text:

  • Use the Substack title (affirmation-style) in ALL CAPS
  • Keep it short: 3-6 words max for legibility
  • This is the bold declaration; the title explains/expands

Example pairing:

  • Thumbnail text: "YOU WERE DESIGNED FOR GREATNESS"
  • YouTube title: "HOW GOD DESIGNED YOU TO WIN IN 2026 | The Daily Spirit"

SEO keywords ("Daily Motivation For Ambitious Christians") go in:

  • Channel description
  • Video description (first line)
  • Tags
  • Playlist names

Why this works:

  • Thumbnail catches the eye with a bold affirmation
  • Title creates curiosity and explains what they'll get
  • Together they tell a complete story
  • Titles stay punchy and don't truncate
  • "The Daily Spirit" builds brand recognition over time

YouTube Show Notes​

Each episode file should include a YouTube section with title, thumbnail text, and description.

Format:

## YouTube

**Title:** [CURIOSITY HOOK IN CAPS] | The Daily Spirit

**Thumbnail Text:** [AFFIRMATION IN ALL CAPS]

**Description:**
[1-2 sentence hook - same energy as podcast show notes]

Daily motivation for ambitious Christians. Scripture, encouragement, and affirmations to start your day.

---

📖 Today's Scripture:
"[Full scripture text]"
— [Book Chapter:Verse] (MSG)

---

✊ Today's Affirmations:
• [Affirmation 1]
• [Affirmation 2]
• [etc.]

---

🔔 Subscribe for daily encouragement: https://thedailyspirit.substack.com

#ChristianMotivation #DailyDevotional #Faith #Motivation

Keep the description front-loaded—YouTube truncates after ~100 characters in search results. Full scripture and affirmations go below the fold for those who expand.

Podcast Show Notes​

Each episode file should also include show notes for podcast directories (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc.).

Format:

## Podcast Show Notes

[1-2 sentence hook - make them want to listen]

**Today's Scripture:** [Book Chapter:Verse] (MSG)

**Key Takeaway:** [One sentence summary of the core message]

**Affirmations:**
- [Affirmation 1]
- [Affirmation 2]
- [etc.]

---

Subscribe: thedailyspirit.substack.com

Keep it tight. Podcast apps truncate after ~250 characters in preview, so front-load the hook.

Folder Structure​

Each episode lives in its own folder under episodes/:

episodes/
  YYYY-MM-DD-episode-XXXXX-[slug]/
    script.md

Each episode folder contains:

  • script.md - Frontmatter, voice script, Substack copy, YouTube section, podcast show notes
  • thumbnail.png - Generated YouTube thumbnail (created via marketing/generate_thumbnail.py)
  • thumbnail_vertical.png - Instagram Reels version (optional, created via marketing/convert_to_vertical.py)

Examples:

  • episodes/2025-12-02-episode-00001-welcome/script.md
  • episodes/2026-01-08-episode-00025-your-word-is-your-bond/script.md

Frontmatter Template​

---
title: "Episode XXX: [Title]"
date: "YYYY-MM-DD"
episode: [number]
duration: "~X minutes"
type: "Voice Script"
theme: "[Primary Theme]"
scripture: "[Book Chapter:Verse]"
---

Voice Notes​

  • Speak slowly and deliberately
  • Pause between sections
  • Let affirmations breathe
  • Raw and real over polished
  • Record during walks, mornings, whenever spirit leads

Scripture Log​

Purpose: Track which scriptures have been featured to avoid repetition.

Location: scripture-log.csv in this folder.

Format: episode,date,scripture,theme