Encounter Faith Podcast

Leslie Hunter returns to Good Shepherd on Trinity Sunday. SHOW NOTES The Encounter Faith Podcast is dedicated to creating space to slow down and dive deeper into the critical conversations we’re having every week at Good Shepherd. We fundamentally believe that you cannot encounter the risen Lord unchanged, and through the replays of our Sunday Sermons and conversations with our pastors and communi...

Pastor Jake returned to the podcast to dive into his message from Pentecost Sunday. He and host Ross Cochran discussed what faith looks like in this current moment of division, and ultimately how we can move towards unity without expecting uniformity. SHOW NOTES The Encounter Faith Podcast is dedicated to creating space to slow down and dive deeper into the critical conversations we’re having ever...

On Pentecost Sunday, Pastor Jake highlights the significance of the Holy Spirit descending upon the early church, emphasizing that this moment addresses the personal and communal aches we carry. He acknowledges the unseen struggles many face, from personal traumas to societal divisions, and reassures that God meets us in our pain, reminding us that we are seen and loved. Ultimately, he calls for a...

Pastor Tara Beth Leach illustrates the transformative power of the Holy Spirit during Pentecost, emphasizing that the event began not with a speech or revival, but with a powerful sound resembling wind that ignited change in the lives of ordinary people. She highlights how this moment marked a radical inclusivity, where the Spirit fell on all—men and women, young and old—uniting diverse individual...

Aubrey Sampson is an pastor and author. Her most recent book is  What We Find in the Dark and she joined host Ross Cochran to discuss what she hopes people take away from this book, how those of us in the church have mishandled caring for people in a season of grief, and ultimately what we can be thinking about if we find ourselves in a season of grief. SHOW NOTES Check out more about Aubrey, her...

Aubrey Sampson is a pastor and author and her most recent book, What We Find in the Dark , is for anyone who is dealing with loss and looking for hope in God’s presence during a season of grief. In her sermon, Aubrey emphasizes the importance of maintaining faith and hope during seasons of grief and darkness, offering insights from her own experiences with loss. She encourages the congregation to...

Rem & Jennifer Fairlamb have been a part of Good Shepherd for many years and joined host Ross Cochran to discuss the impact of our church, particularly with our disability ministry, sometimes referred to as "FUSION." Their son Preston is an active participant in that ministry, and Jennifer and Rem reflect on how their entire family feels like they can belong at Good Shepherd and how...

Pastor Tara Beth wraps up our series "The Art of Bouncing Back" by diving into Godly sorrow. If you want to learn to rebound, you have to learn to repent. SHOW NOTES The Encounter Faith Podcast is dedicated to creating space to slow down and dive deeper into the critical conversations we’re having every week at Good Shepherd. We fundamentally believe that you cannot encounter the risen L...

Pastor Jake Roberts wraps up our teaching series "The Art of Bouncing Back" by diving into Godly sorrow. If you want to "bounce back" that begins with repentance. SHOW NOTES The Encounter Faith Podcast is dedicated to creating space to slow down and dive deeper into the critical conversations we’re having every week at Good Shepherd. We fundamentally believe that you cannot enc...

Elisabeth Lectka returns to the podcast to reflect on our future hope as Christ-followers, and how so many of us are living with an incomplete picture of the Gospel. SHOW NOTES The Encounter Faith Podcast is dedicated to creating space to slow down and dive deeper into the critical conversations we’re having every week at Good Shepherd. We fundamentally believe that you cannot encounter the risen...

In his sermon, Elisabeth Lectka emphasizes the challenges and disappointments of life that often lead to feelings of dissatisfaction and despair, much like what Paul experienced in his letters to the Corinthians. She discusses how many people question the value of their struggles and the hope of following Jesus amidst difficulties. However, Elisabeth reassures that every act of goodness and kindne...

In a divided world, the Church must model a better way. Pastor Jake returns to the podcast to help listeners engage in hard conversations with humility, love, and truth, so that we move from division to reconciliation. The hope is that we all will embrace a Christ like posture as we relearn to have hard conversations.  SHOW NOTES The Encounter Faith Podcast is dedicated to creating space to slow d...

Pastor Greg Wenhold explores the theme of resilience in his sermon, using the metaphor of jars of clay to highlight our fragility and the divine treasure within us. SHOW NOTES The Encounter Faith Podcast is dedicated to creating space to slow down and dive deeper into the critical conversations we’re having every week at Good Shepherd. We fundamentally believe that you cannot encounter the risen L...

Pastor Tara Beth Leach explores the theme of resilience in her sermon, using the metaphor of jars of clay to highlight our fragility and the divine treasure within us. She draws on the Apostle Paul's experiences of suffering and perseverance, emphasizing that despite feeling hard-pressed, perplexed, or struck down, we are not abandoned or destroyed because the power of God resides in us. She...

Pastor Jake returns to the podcast to share why it's important to practice how we respond to hard situations, how we as the church are meant to respond to life's challenges, and ultimately what we can learn about God and ourselves during difficult seasons. SHOW NOTES The Encounter Faith Podcast is dedicated to creating space to slow down and dive deeper into the critical conversations we...

Stephen shares his personal battle with leukemia and emphasizes the importance of how we respond to disappointment, using humor and relatable anecdotes, such as the incident with a misunderstood hamburger. He draws from scripture, particularly 2 Corinthians, to highlight God's comfort in our troubles and the necessity of community support during difficult times.  SHOW NOTES The Encounter Fait...

In her sermon Pastor Tara Beth reminds us that no one 'bounces back' alone and how God is the ultimate source of our comfort. SHOW NOTES The Encounter Faith Podcast is dedicated to creating space to slow down and dive deeper into the critical conversations we’re having every week at Good Shepherd. We fundamentally believe that you cannot encounter the risen Lord unchanged, and through th...

Ryan Hammer is the Creative Arts Executive Minister at Good Shepherd Lutheran church in Naperville. He joined host Ross Cochran to reflect on what "worship" means in the church and how we might be missing out on all that God has for us when we try to prioritize ourselves over the One actually worthy of worship. SHOW NOTES The Encounter Faith Podcast is dedicated to creating space to slow...

Pastor Jake kicks off our new teaching series reflecting on how to develop resiliency, and why we as believers should lead the way in this current moment. SHOW NOTES The Encounter Faith Podcast is dedicated to creating space to slow down and dive deeper into the critical conversations we’re having every week at Good Shepherd. We fundamentally believe that you cannot encounter the risen Lord unchan...

Pastor Tara Beth joins host Ross Cochran to look back at Easter 2025 and reflect on how those of who have been following Jesus for a while make the most out of this season. They also dive into what someone who is newer to the faith can expect, the responsibility of the church in this cultural moment, and... the robot. Thanks for listening!  SHOW NOTES The Encounter Faith Podcast is dedicated to cr...

Pastor Tara Beth's Easter message is a reminder to all of us that "He knows your name." He knows us. He knows what we've done, what we haven't done, and He went to the cross anyway. SHOW NOTES The Encounter Faith Podcast is dedicated to creating space to slow down and dive deeper into the critical conversations we’re having every week at Good Shepherd. We fundamentally bel...

Max Schiewe leads our Middle School ministry and is currently in seminary. He returned to the podcast with host Ross Cochran to look back at the uniqueness of Lent this year, and to look ahead to Easter. Max also walks through the obstacles and opportunities facing those that are a part of Generation Z and Generation Alpha in the church today. SHOW NOTES The Encounter Faith Podcast is dedicated to...

Pastor Jake continues our Lenten Teaching Series by sharing how Jesus is not the King that we want, but He is the King that we need. SHOW NOTES The Encounter Faith Podcast is dedicated to creating space to slow down and dive deeper into the critical conversations we’re having every week at Good Shepherd. We fundamentally believe that you cannot encounter the risen Lord unchanged, and through the r...

Pastor Tara Beth continues our Lenten series by sharing how there are two distinct views on power in today's world, and how we as Christians are meant to respond. SHOW NOTES The Encounter Faith Podcast is dedicated to creating space to slow down and dive deeper into the critical conversations we’re having every week at Good Shepherd. We fundamentally believe that you cannot encounter the rise...

Pastor Greg returns to the podcast to preview Holy Week and to dive into the significance of each day in this upcoming week. SHOW NOTES The Encounter Faith Podcast is dedicated to creating space to slow down and dive deeper into the critical conversations we’re having every week at Good Shepherd. We fundamentally believe that you cannot encounter the risen Lord unchanged, and through the replays o...