Living the Mystery

The final chapter in the book of Galatians summarizes the themes throughout the book and gives us encouraging words for what it means to be the Church. In this episode, we explore some key themes for church life and evaluate their relevance for today. This chapter is a deep dive in what it means to be a church family who loves and cares for each other. Website: encounteringministries.com Facebook:...

The fifth chapter of Galatians introduces us to the fruits of the Spirit, as an essential outpouring of this life in Christ. In this episode, we look at what it means to have the internal law written on our hearts, and how it affects our walk with God each and every day. We evaluate the works of the flesh that are tied to the sinful nature, versus the fruits of the Spirit that are tied to the natu...

In the fourth chapter of Galatians, Paul outlines the practical implications of being a new creation in Christ. His focus is on what it means to truly be spiritually free. In this episode, we will look at the idea of being a servant to Christ as the truest form of freedom. Something is going to master you, the question is what or who? Our discussion will find us revisiting the mystery of Christ in...

In this episode, we will look at the conclusion of Paul’s understanding of the relationship between the old and new covenants and the implications of the ultimate promises to Abraham. What exactly has Christ fulfilled? And what does it mean for our lives? Join us as we discuss the understanding of spiritual family, relational identity, and inclusion in the family of God Website: encounteringminist...

In this episode, we look at the relationship between the Old and New Covenants and evaluate what it means for our lives going forward. For Paul, circumcision, as the marker of the Old Covenant people of God, has turned into something deeper and far more profound. There is a new “cutting away” of the flesh that has lasting ramifications for this life and the next. Explore the mystery with us! Websi...

  As we dive into the book of Galatians, we begin to see how and why Paul understands the new covenant in Christ as the fulfillment of the old covenant and the beginning of something new. With this new direction comes challenge and confrontation. It becomes abundantly clear that many of the problems Paul faced in the early church have found new ways to surface today. Like Jesus, Paul brings faith...

In our culture today, it seems like contentment is escaping us more and more. We live in a world where everything is updated and replaced before we even settle in with what we have. Some have chosen to detach from the world completely, while others have engrained almost entirely into it. The need for the latest and greatest has crept even into the Church. How do we walk in the tension of caring de...

How does reconciliation relate to worship? As we unpack this topic using the scriptures, it becomes evident that reconciliation is a priority in the type of life that God desires. Reconciliation has the power to bring people together and heal divisions, but as we will see it also liberates the heart and leads to joy…even as it challenges us to grow! Website: encounteringministries.com Facebook: fa...

This week we dive deeper into the second foundational concept of the narrow path that leads to joy. It comes from Jesus’ question, “What more are you doing than others?” Is there a way that doing more than others, and doing more for others, would actually enhance our own joy? If so, how? What would that look like in everyday life? To reflect on this question adequately, we will evaluate it through...

Join us as we dive into the first foundational concept of the narrow path that leads to joy. What does the command to “be separate” actually mean? Is it a physical separation, a spiritual separation, or a separation of virtue and character? How can we live out this command in a way that still embraces the command to “go and make disciples of all nations”? This episode will evaluate this tension in...

This episode marks a shift in our series on finding the presence of God in suffering. The concept of “joy in spite of circumstance” moves us from reflecting on the past to reaching forward for the redemptive hand of God. Joy is not to be seen solely through the lens of emotion but rather as an experience that comes from trusting in the redemptive thread God weaves into the fabric of our lives. The...

Exploring the way suffering and heartache latch on to our identity and begin to control our responses to pain and the fear of pain, this episode looks at the trauma cycle that defines many of our relationships and interactions. What if the very ways we have learned to survive our pain have also blocked us from being open to God’s redemptive hand? To find the presence of God in suffering, we must l...

This is our foundational episode in exploring the question, “How can God exist with all the suffering in the world?” In this episode we will examine many of the cliché explanations that are often given, to see whether they are more helpful or harmful, and then wrestle with the question in new ways with new perspective. To do this, we will once again return to the concept of the seed of Christ with...

In these new series of episodes, our attention turns to practical living as sons and daughters of God. How do we live in this garden that God has given us? How does the kingdom of God come alive in our midst? This episode takes a deep look at the start of the church in the book of Acts, the values and practices that were central to the identity of the early church, and what it means for us today t...

The series finale! This episode concludes our “Garden of God” series by looking at the role of the Holy Spirit as Living Water for the seed and fire for the soil. As Christians we have usually learned only one aspect of how fire is used in the New Testament and the ancient world. But there is another aspect of fire that is critical to understanding it’s use in an agricultural society. It is pivota...

Building from the last episode on the concept of “the kingdom of God at hand and within us here and now,” we turn our attention to the coming kingdom… to paradise that awaits. The concept of the imperishable seed finds full bloom in the coming garden. This episode will look at Revelation 21:1-8 and draw out a frequently missed aspect of heaven. Where will heaven be? What will paradise look like? W...

Having looked at this mystery seed and it’s implications for us personally, we know look to the implications for us collectively as the children of God. How does this inform who we are as the Church? We will look at the historical context of The passage in Mark 1:14-15, where Jesus gives us a concrete understanding of what Jesus says the gospel is. It is more than just forgiveness and a home in he...

In this episode we dive into the mystery of new birth in the imperishable seed of Christ and seek a deeper understanding of salvation than often portrayed in the modern church. From this concept, we look at the idea of the “logos”, the Living Word, as it relates to the seed of God. This becomes foundational for understanding the Trinity and the dual natures of Christ as human and divine. We then a...

This episode looks at the deep, and often forgotten, mystery of the cross. What does Jesus mean when he says, “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself”? Christians generally understand the idea that Christ died for our sins but often miss the deeper mystery of the cross as both the justice and grace of God. How can both be true? (Hint: most modern explanations miss a k...

An introduction to the mystery of Christ in us. This is the first in a six-part series on The Garden of God, exploring the concept of the seed of Christ in the people of God. We dive into scriptures from Galatians 4:19-20, Colossians 1:25-27, and 2 Peter 3-4, in order to wrestle with the relationship between the human and the divine. This sets the tone for the series and is foundational for living...

Living the Mystery with Encountering Ministries is a podcast developed to wrestle with the deeper questions of the Christian faith. These questions are too often explained in either heavy theological words, which is rarely helpful, or reduced to common cliches that don’t effectively provide insight and discovery. Many of these questions and topics are entrenched in mystery, which by definition mea...