The Immanent Frame Lectio Divina “Sacred Reading" Highlights ✨ Advent is a season of dual preparation: celebrating Christ’s birth and anticipating His second coming. 📖 The devotional uses a fourfold Scripture reading method: acquaintance, friendship, intimacy, and union. 🎶 Original music by Jared Deem enriches the prayer experience. 📝 Journaling is encouraged to process distractions and deepen reflection. 💖 Emotions, doubts, and physical sensations are welcomed as part of spiritual engagement. 🙏 The practice invites participants to invite the Holy Spirit’s healing and transformation. 🌿 The series aims to cultivate a tangible experience of God’s presence amidst the holiday busyness.

The Immanent Frame Lectio Divina “Sacred Reading" Highlights 🎄 Advent is a season of dual preparation: celebrating Jesus’ first coming and anticipating His second advent. 📖 The practice of Lectio Divina is used to engage Scripture deeply through repeated readings and prayerful reflection. ✍️ Listeners are encouraged to journal their thoughts, emotions, and insights during the prayer time. 🎵 Original music accompanies the series, enhancing the contemplative atmosphere. 💖 Emphasis on welcoming all emotions—both pleasant and uncomfortable—without judgment during the spiritual encounter. 🙏 The featured Scripture passage is Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55), a hymn celebrating God’s mercy, justice, and faithfulness. 🌿 The prayer concludes with blessings for ongoing spiritual growth, healing, and peace throughout the Advent season.

The Immanent Frame Lectio Divina “Sacred Reading"Highlights ✨ Advent is a season of dual preparation: celebrating Christ’s first coming and anticipating His return as warrior king. 📖 The series uses a fourfold scripture reading method to deepen engagement with the biblical text. 🕊️ Emphasis on holistic spirituality—engaging heart, body, and mind in prayer and reflection. ✍️ Journaling and silence are integral practices to process emotions and thoughts alongside scripture. 🎶 Original music compositions enhance the prayerful atmosphere and aid contemplative focus. 🌿 The passage Isaiah 11 highlights the Messiah’s roles of justice, peace, and divine wisdom. 🙏 Encouragement to welcome both pleasant and unpleasant emotions without judgment during spiritual reflection.

The Immanent Frame Lectio Divina “Sacred Reading” Highlights ✨ Advent as a season of dual preparation: celebrating Christ’s first coming and anticipating His second advent. 📖 Guided scripture meditation focusing on Luke 1:67-79, Zechariah’s prophecy filled with hope and salvation. 🧘‍♂️ Integration of heart, mind, and body in spiritual practice to foster deeper encounter with God. 🎶 Original music compositions complementing the prayer journey, enhancing the contemplative atmosphere. 📝 Encouragement to journal thoughts, prayers, and distractions as part of the worship experience. 🌿 Gentle invitation to embrace all emotions—pleasant or difficult—without judgment during prayer. 🌟 Emphasis on ongoing transformation, healing, and peace through engagement with scripture and the Holy Spirit.

The Immanent Frame Lectio Divina “Sacred Reading” Highlights🙏 Guided devotional for scripture engagement and reflection✨ Prepares for Christ’s first and second coming📖 Uses Lectio Divina: four readings with different focuses🎵 Original music enriches spiritual experience🕊️ Welcomes the Holy Spirit and all emotions📝 Practical tools: prayer guide and journaling prompts🌟 Encourages healing, transformation, and peace Key Insights📜 Scriptural Encounter: Engaging Scripture slowly nurtures heart, mind, and body transformation.⏳ Dual Preparation: Advent calls for remembrance of Christ’s birth and readiness for His return.🧘 Lectio Divina: Fourfold reading helps internalize Scripture and foster intimacy with God.🌬️ Holy Spirit’s Role: Openness to God’s Spirit allows emotions to arise without judgment.🖊️ Journaling: Writing thoughts and emotions supports clarity and focused prayer.🎶 Music: Original compositions enhance reflection and prayer.🌿 Healing & Transformation: Advent becomes a season of personal and spiritual restoration.

The Immanent Frame Lectio Divina “Sacred Reading” Highlights🎄 Advent looks back to Christ’s birth and ahead to His return.📖 Isaiah 35 is read four times to deepen reflection.✍️ Journaling helps process insights and distractions.🕊️ The Holy Spirit guides healing and transformation.💧 Isaiah 35 shows God’s restoring power.🌿 The “way of holiness” is for the redeemed.🙏 The session closes with worship and blessing. Key Insights🕰️ Advent holds both remembrance and anticipation of Christ’s coming.📚 The practice reflects Lectio Divina with modern elements like journaling.💡 True spiritual engagement involves heart, body, and mind.🌊 Isaiah 35 highlights God’s healing and renewal.🌟 The “way of holiness” points to protection and joy for God’s people.📝 Journaling keeps focus and welcomes honesty.🤝 The session encourages seeking community or ministry where healing is needed.

The Immanent Frame Lectio Divina “Sacred Reading” Highlights✨ Advent prepares for both Christ’s birth and return.📖 Lectio Divina engages heart, mind, and body.🎵 Original music enhances prayerful atmosphere.🕊️ Luke 1:5-17 recounts Zechariah’s angelic visitation and John’s prophecy.✍️ Journaling and silent prayer foster personal reflection.❤️ Emotions, questions, and doubts are welcomed.🌿 Practice cultivates healing, freedom, and love through Scripture. Key Insights🙏 Advent as Dual Preparation: Encourages celebration of Christ’s birth and anticipation of His return, fostering hopeful readiness.🧠 Holistic Scriptural Engagement: Integrates mind, body, and heart for transformative interaction with Scripture.✍️ Journaling as Spiritual Tool: Provides space for reflection, emotional processing, and documenting insights.👂 Listening to God’s Voice: Emphasizes receptivity and prayerful attentiveness amid distractions.😌 Welcoming Emotions Without Judgment: Honors the full range of spiritual experience, supporting healing and reconciliation.✨ Role of the Holy Spirit: Guides and transforms participants through revelation.🌍 Incarnational Theology: Encourages encountering God in everyday life, waiting, and worship. ConclusionThis Advent guide fosters a holistic, embodied encounter with God through Scripture, prayer, and journaling. Centered on Zechariah and Elizabeth, it emphasizes hope, faith, and preparation for Christ’s coming. Music and resources enhance the experience, offering a gift of spiritual formation, healing, and love amid the holiday season.

The Immanent Frame Lectio Divina “Sacred Reading” Highlights✨ Advent remembers Christ’s first coming and anticipates His return.📖 Focuses on Isaiah 9:6–7 and the Messiah’s reign.🧘‍♂️ Uses multiple scripture readings for deeper engagement.📝 Journaling supports processing emotions and distractions.💖 Honors mind, heart, and body in encountering God.🎶 Music by Jared Deem enhances the experience.🌿 Emphasizes transformation, healing, and peace. Key Insights🌟 Advent as Dual Preparation: Celebrates Christ’s birth while anticipating His return, cultivating hope and readiness.🧠 Holistic Scripture Engagement: Four readings invite layered understanding and transformation, not just information.💬 Emotional Authenticity: Encourages vulnerability and honesty before God as part of spiritual growth.✍️ Journaling as Practice: Helps manage distractions, deepen reflection, and track spiritual movement.🙏 Work of the Holy Spirit: Highlights the Spirit’s role in healing, revelation, and transformation.🎶 Music Integration: Original compositions deepen focus and emotional openness.🌿 Spiritual Outcomes: Aims for healing, freedom, and renewed peace through encountering God.

The Immanent Frame SummaryThis devotional guides believers into a transformative Advent encounter with God through Scripture and prayer. It begins with a traditional Advent collect, asking God to dispel darkness and prepare hearts for both Christ’s birth and His future return. The focus is on engaging Scripture not for knowledge alone but for spiritual intimacy with Jesus through the Holy Spirit. It introduces a 20-minute guided prayer using Isaiah 9, read four times with different intentions—acquaintance, friendship, intimacy, and worship—inviting whole-person engagement and openness to emotion and healing. The Emmaus story illustrates how Jesus reveals Himself through Scripture, underscoring the goal of encounter over information. The devotional includes musical resources, a downloadable guide, and closes with a blessing for an Advent journey marked by God’s presence in everyday waiting and worship. Highlights✨ Advent prepares believers for both Christ’s birth and His return.📖 Scripture is meant to transform the heart, not just inform the mind.🔥 The Emmaus story models encountering Jesus through Scripture.🙏 Guided prayer uses four readings: acquaintance, friendship, intimacy, worship.💡 Isaiah 9 centers on light overcoming darkness.🎶 Music and downloadable resources accompany the practice.🌿 Encourages emotional openness and the Holy Spirit’s work. Key Insights🌟 Advent holds both celebration and anticipation of Christ’s return.📚 Scripture engagement becomes transformative when it involves the whole person.🔍 Emmaus shows revelation through relationship, not only cognition.🕊️ The Holy Spirit is essential for understanding and healing.🔄 Fourfold reading deepens reflection and intimacy with God.💬 Journaling aids emotional and spiritual processing.🔥 Isaiah 9 offers hope and promises God’s light and liberation.

SummaryThe Between Heaven and Earth episode, hosted by Justin and Amy Howard, features a powerful conversation with Reverend Michael Worsley about race, ethnicity, and the gospel of the kingdom. Michael shares his journey as a Black Christian in predominantly white spaces, including lessons learned through forgiveness, repentance, and embracing a kingdom mindset. The discussion explores how racism operates not only socially but spiritually, as a principality meant to divide. Both Black and white Christians are called to repentance, forgiveness, and love to reflect the unity of God’s kingdom. The hosts and guest emphasize that political and racial identities have often compromised the gospel, and true reconciliation requires spiritual authority, deliverance, and discipleship. The episode closes in prayer, calling for healing and unity under Christ. Highlights✝️ The gospel calls believers to live beyond racial and political identities, united in Christ.💔 Forgiveness and repentance break the cycle of bitterness and spiritual bondage.🌍 Racism is not only a social issue but a spiritual principality that must be confronted.🤝 Reconciliation requires mutual repentance, empathy, and active listening.🕊️ The church is called to embody the diverse, multiethnic kingdom of God. Key Insights✝️ Kingdom Identity: True identity in Christ transcends race and frees believers from resentment, replacing it with grace and love.💔 Healing Through Forgiveness: Bitterness gives the enemy access; forgiveness and repentance restore peace and spiritual freedom.🌍 Spiritual Warfare: Racism operates as a principality—believers must use spiritual authority, not just activism, to overcome it.🤝 Mutual Repentance: Healing begins when both Black and white Christians listen, empathize, and repent of bitterness, fear, or defensiveness.⚖️ Pure Gospel: Political and racial allegiances often distort the gospel; repentance realigns the church with Christ’s kingdom mission.🔥 Deliverance Power: Deliverance and spiritual authority are essential to dismantling division and walking in unity through the power of the Holy Spirit. The episode reminds listeners that racial reconciliation is a spiritual calling, not merely a social goal—one fulfilled through repentance, love, and the transforming power of the gospel.

SummaryThis episode of Between Heaven and Earth, hosted by Justin and Amy Howard, features Carrie Wolfe—a frontline minister, pediatric nurse, church planter, and mother of three from Portland, Maine. Carrie shares her journey of faith and ministry in one of America’s most post-Christian cities, reflecting on the challenges of parenting, nursing, and leading amid spiritual and cultural brokenness. She discusses learning to hold onto hope while facing hostility, emphasizing the power of kindness, authenticity, and long-term relationships in ministry. Carrie also recounts her experience of renewal through the Encounter Culture Mission Collaborative, where repentance, forgiveness, and the Holy Spirit brought deep personal healing. The episode closes with encouragement to take bold steps of faith and a heartfelt prayer for freedom and transformation. Highlights🙏 Carrie balances ministry, nursing, and motherhood in a post-Christian city.🌍 Portland’s secular culture demands relational, trust-based church planting.💔 She shares honestly about church hurt and finding renewal through Encounter Culture.🕊️ Repentance, forgiveness, and encounter with the Holy Spirit lead to deep healing.🤝 Ministry thrives through long-term relationships and authentic kindness.❤️ True kindness costs something and stands against cultural hostility.✨ Transformation requires vulnerability and surrender to the Spirit. Key Insights🌟 Living “between heaven and earth” means embracing tension—trusting God’s kingdom amid brokenness and hope.🏙️ Ministry in post-Christian contexts relies on patience and authenticity over programs or quick results.💔 Church wounds are real; healing comes through honesty, grace, and Spirit-led renewal.🕊️ Encounter Culture’s model shows how repentance and spiritual encounter foster transformation.💬 Kindness in hostile spaces becomes a radical, missional act revealing God’s love.🎯 Leadership grows through intentional relationships and wise use of time.🌈 Transformation is lifelong—marked by persistence, surrender, and grace. Additional ReflectionCarrie’s vulnerability—from her teenage encounter with Scripture to parenting struggles—reminds listeners that faith is personal, messy, and redemptive. The episode calls believers to live courageously amid brokenness, build authentic relationships, and rely on the Holy Spirit for continual healing and renewal.

💡 Our podcast is 100% crowd-funded. Want to help us keep these conversations going? Partner with us here: BECOME A SPONSOR!   EncounterLife for Pastors: REGISTER HERE!   SummaryThe podcast episode Between Heaven and Earth, hosted by Justin and Amy Howard, features Reverend Matthew McIntosh sharing about Encounter Life, a 12-week cohort for pastors and church leaders designed to foster healing, renewal, and sustainable ministry. Born out of the need to integrate powerful encounters with God into everyday life, the program offers a safe, confidential space where pastors can process wounds, uncover lies, and develop healthy rhythms of rest and prayer. With nearly four decades of ministry experience, Matthew describes how the cohort helped him face deep emotional pain and find freedom through practices like praying with people rather than just for them, recognizing Kairos moments, and cultivating “soul friends” for accountability. Unlike typical leadership training, Encounter Life centers on heart transformation, Sabbath rest, boundaries, and storytelling as tools for healing. Ecumenical in design, it welcomes pastors from diverse traditions. The episode closes with prayer and an invitation to embrace Encounter Culture’s community, reminding leaders that effective ministry flows from intimacy with God and wholeness of heart. Highlights🙏 12-week cohort for pastors focused on healing, growth, and renewal.💔 Creates safe space to face wounds and hidden struggles often ignored in ministry.🔄 Emphasizes praying with people for Spirit-led encounters.📖 Curriculum integrates emotional awareness, Sabbath, and storytelling.🌍 Inclusive across denominations, fostering broad renewal.🙌 Encourages “soul friends” and trusted relationships for long-term support. Key Insights💡 Pastors’ Hidden Struggles: Many leaders mask pain out of fear, leading to isolation and burnout. Encounter Life offers a safe, healing alternative. 🔄 Praying With vs. For: Shifting to interactive prayer invites deeper encounters with God. ⏳ Kairos Moments: Recognizing emotions as signals of God’s timing fosters breakthrough. 🔐 Discerning Lies: Leaders learn to replace false beliefs with God’s truth for authentic ministry. 🛑 Boundaries Matter: The program helps pastors avoid codependency and burnout. 🌿 Sabbath & Rhythms: Healthy leadership requires sustainable rest and soul care. 🤝 Soul Friends: Trusted relationships provide ongoing accountability and healing. 🌐 Ecumenical Reach: Adaptable across traditions, reflecting a growing hunger for authentic encounter with God.

💡 Our podcast is completely crowd-funded. If these conversations matter to you, would you consider partnering with us? Learn more here: https://keap.page/mlh527/podcast-affiliate-landing-page.html SummaryThis episode of Between Heaven and Earth with Justin and Amy Howard features Paula Schrod, a therapist and spiritual director, sharing her experience with Encounter Culture Mission Collaborative (ECMC). ECMC integrates therapy, spiritual direction, and healing prayer to create safe spaces rooted in God’s love and emotional health. Paula describes a life-changing encounter with Jesus through ECMC and highlights how therapy and spiritual direction work together in discipleship. The conversation also introduces Trinitas, a two-year training program co-created by Amy and Paula that blends liturgical, charismatic, and evangelical traditions to equip pastors, therapists, and lay leaders for spiritual direction. The episode emphasizes supporting pastors through trained spiritual directors, using practical tools like the “four R’s” (repent, renounce, release, receive), and prioritizing God’s love over behavior management in true healing and transformation. Highlights🌟 ECMC blends therapy, spiritual direction, and healing prayer.💖 God’s love is central to healing and growth.🎓 Trinitas unites three Christian traditions in training.🤝 Spiritual directors lighten pastoral burdens.🛠️ The “four R’s” give simple steps for healing. Key Insights💡 Therapy + Direction Together: Both disciplines complement each other, countering evangelical stigma around therapy.💡 Love First: Experiencing God’s love is essential for lasting change.💡 Trinitas as a Bridge: Training draws on evangelical, charismatic, and liturgical streams for holistic formation.💡 Shared Pastoral Care: Lay spiritual directors help prevent burnout and strengthen communities.💡 Practical Tools: The “four R’s” provide an easy framework for daily healing. Overall, this episode invites listeners into a vision of discipleship that unites emotional health, spiritual formation, and healing prayer—equipping a new generation of spiritual directors to bring renewal in churches and communities.  

💡 Our podcast is completely crowd-funded. If these conversations matter to you, would you consider partnering with us? Learn more here: https://keap.page/mlh527/podcast-affiliate-landing-page.html SummaryThe Between Heaven and Earth podcast, hosted by Justin and Amy Howard, features Ashleigh Coleman, an encounter life coach and photographer. Ashleigh shares her journey from spiritual numbness to awakening at an Encounter Weekend, moving from head knowledge of God to a heartfelt experience of His love. She describes spiritual growth as a slow, steady process and highlights tools like the Kairos Circle for healing and discernment. Through coaching and photography, Ashleigh brings dignity and beauty into broken spaces, encouraging believers to embrace curiosity, prayer, and safe community for authentic discipleship. Highlights✨ Encounter Weekends bridge head knowledge and heart experience.🌿 The Kairos Circle guides emotional healing with the Spirit.📸 Creativity reveals God’s image in places of pain.💡 Growth is gradual—God’s kindness meets us where we are.🙏 Safe community fosters confession and restoration. Key Insights💖 Transformation involves both knowing and experiencing God’s love.🌱 Spiritual growth takes time, requiring patience and grace.🌀 The Kairos Circle is a simple, powerful tool for discipleship.📷 Art and ministry intersect by honoring dignity amid brokenness.🙌 Confession in community breaks shame and fosters healing. Additional ReflectionsAshleigh’s story shows how encounters with God, community, and creativity bring lasting healing. Her journey encourages believers to embrace God’s pace and join Him in bridging heaven and earth through everyday life and ministry.

💡 Between Heaven and Earth is fully crowd-funded, which means every episode exists because of listeners like you. Want to help us keep sharing these conversations? Partner with us here: https://keap.page/mlh527/podcast-affiliate-landing-page.html   SummaryThe Between Heaven and Earth podcast, hosted by Justin and Amy Howard, features J.C. Alzamora, a veteran deliverance and inner healing minister. J.C. shares his journey into deliverance ministry and its impact on his life, marriage, and global ministry. The conversation emphasizes deliverance as an essential part of discipleship—particularly in the Western context, where intellectualism often overshadows spiritual realities. J.C. highlights the importance of joy, obedience, and God’s presence in sustaining ministry and encourages believers to walk in true freedom and generational transformation through Jesus’ authority. Highlights✨ Deliverance is a vital aspect of discipleship and freedom in Christ.🌍 Global South approaches to ministry confront spiritual realities more directly than the West.🛡️ Healing and freedom require repentance, renunciation, and renewal of the mind.💖 Joy, obedience, and presence sustain long-term spiritual health.🔥 A rising movement of young believers is embracing vibrant, empowered faith. Key Insights💡 Deliverance addresses spiritual roots often mislabeled as psychological issues.🌐 Western churches must balance teaching with experiential, Spirit-led ministry.🧩 J.C.’s Five Rs—Repent, Renounce, Release, Receive, Renew—provide a holistic path to lasting freedom.👪 Deliverance breaks generational cycles, creating healthier families and communities.⚖️ True authority flows from heavenly alignment, not striving in the flesh. ConclusionThis episode calls believers to move beyond intellectualism toward experiential freedom in Christ, embracing deliverance, healing, and Spirit-led discipleship for lasting personal and generational transformation.

🔗 Sponsor UsIf this podcast has been life-giving to you, we invite you to partner with us! Between Heaven and Earth is a crowdfunded venture, and we depend on the generosity of listeners like you. Your support helps us continue creating content that brings hope and healing. Click Here to Give!  👪 Work with Anna, Parent Coach at OneLifeIf you’re looking for guidance and support in your parenting journey, you can book a session with Anna here.   SummaryThe Between Heaven and Earth podcast, hosted by Justin and Amy Howard, explores the role of judgment in today’s culture through a Christian lens. They distinguish between toxic judgment—condemnation, labeling, and loss of dignity—and holy judgment, which is evaluative, hopeful, and Spirit-led. Judgment often springs from fear, envy, or hurt and is amplified by social media and politics. Listeners are encouraged to ask whether an issue truly involves them and to seek God’s perspective before engaging. Instead of “drive-by judgment,” Christians are called to respond with compassion and hope. Groups often judged—like parents, leaders, and the envied—should be seen through prayer, remembering that harsh labeling blocks the possibility of healing. The episode closes by pointing to intimacy with Jesus as the path to freedom from judgment. As believers experience His grace and forgiveness, they can reflect His love, bringing restoration instead of condemnation. Highlights🙏 Judgment as a cultural and spiritual force💡 Toxic vs. holy judgment—condemnation vs. hopeful evaluation🌍 Social media fuels quick, shallow judgments👪 Parents, leaders, and the envied are frequent targets❤️ Believers are called to respond with compassion, not condemnation Key Insights⚖️ Judgment reflects the cultural “air we breathe,” not just personal flaws🧠 Good judgment evaluates with God’s wisdom; bad judgment condemns💔 Judgment often masks deeper pain or fear🌐 Media and politics magnify judgment into polarization💖 Freedom from judgment grows through intimacy with Jesus

Summary Between Heaven and Earth is a podcast hosted by Justin and Amy Howard, leaders of Encounter Culture Mission Collaborative in New England. The show seeks to explore what it means to follow Jesus by uniting heaven and earth within families and communities. This episode focuses on the theme of judgment, addressing its cultural prevalence and biblical understanding. The hosts examine how judgment manifests in believers and communities, differentiating between toxic judgment, which condemns and limits, and healthy judgment, which is restorative and compassionate. They highlight the cultural spirit of the age (“zeitgeist”) that fosters fear and judgment, often opposing the gospel’s message of grace and healing. The podcast emphasizes the need to respond to judgment through the power of the Holy Spirit, moving beyond fear and anger towards freedom and hope. The conversation also addresses the complexity of judgment in Christian communities, the importance of self-awareness and healing, and how to practice non-toxic judgment rooted in love, restoration, and truth. The hosts encourage listeners to confront their own pain caused by judgment, seek healing, and foster communities that extend grace without compromising truth. They conclude by inviting listeners to continue the conversation on judgment—especially in polarized cultural and political contexts—and to engage with Encounter Culture’s resources for support and growth in discipleship. Highlights 🌍 The podcast explores how to bring heaven and earth together in everyday life through Jesus’s mission of restoration. ⚖️ Judgment is dissected into toxic judgment that condemns and healthy judgment that restores and encourages growth. 🕊️ The “spirit of the age” often fosters fear and judgment, conflicting with the gospel’s message of freedom and grace. ❤️ True Christian judgment calls people higher in their identity and is rooted in compassion and healing, not condemnation. 🔄 Self-judgment impacts how we judge others; healing personal pain enables greater compassion and mercy. 🏘️ Healthy community judgment involves safe, honest conversations that acknowledge sin and brokenness while maintaining hope. 🙏 Listeners are encouraged to seek healing from past wounds caused by judgment and to embrace Christ’s restorative love. Key Insights 🌬️ The Spirit of the Age as a Cultural Stronghold: The hosts describe the “zeitgeist” or spirit of the age as a pervasive cultural mindset that influences global and regional values and behaviors. This spirit often manifests as Babylonian opposition to the kingdom of God, embedding fear and judgment into social, familial, and church environments. Recognizing this helps believers understand why judgment feels natural yet unhelpful and challenges them to consciously oppose it through the Spirit’s power. ⚖️ Differentiating Toxic and Healthy Judgment: The episode clarifies that judgment is not simply prohibited by scripture; rather, Jesus and Paul call believers to exercise righteous judgment. Healthy judgment involves discernment that seeks restoration and loving correction, while toxic judgment is characterized by final condemnation, assigning identity labels, and writing off others based on limited perspectives. This distinction is vital for navigating relationships and church discipline. 💔 Judgment’s Impact on Identity and Relationships: Toxic judgment damages relationships by reducing people to their worst choices or perceived faults, robbing them of dignity and the possibility of change. It creates barriers to the movement of the Holy Spirit and shuts down healing. By contrast, judgment rooted in grace sees people as made in God’s image and holds space for their potential to grow beyond current failings. 🔄 Self-Judgment and Its Cyclical Effect: The hosts emphasize that the way believers judge themselves directly influences how they judge others. Those who live under harsh self-condemnation or self-righteousness tend to project th

Summary The podcast episode of Between Heaven and Earth, hosted by Justin and Amy Howard, features a deep and insightful conversation with Carolyn Poteet, a seasoned leader and pastor with extensive experience working globally in challenging environments through World Vision. Carolyn shares her transformative journey working in war-torn, impoverished, and spiritually diverse regions, highlighting the contrasts between physical and spiritual poverty she witnessed. Her experiences across Africa, Eastern Europe, and other global contexts profoundly shaped her theology, compassion, and understanding of ministry, teaching her to rely deeply on faith and lament amid suffering. Carolyn reflects on the resilience and spiritual wealth found in some impoverished communities, such as Ethiopia and Angola, contrasted with the stark spiritual poverty in places like Romanian orphanages and Native American reservations. These observations challenged Western assumptions and underscored the importance of discerning local contexts in ministry. The conversation explores the concept of “territorial spirits” and the spiritual struggles embedded in places marked by historical trauma and ongoing oppression. A significant theme is the power of lament as a biblical and spiritual practice, which Carolyn emphasizes as vital for navigating suffering and brokenness in ministry and life. She explains lament’s structure—addressing God, expressing honest complaint, making specific requests, remembering God’s faithfulness, and culminating in praise—and how it fosters authentic relationship with God, especially when faith feels tested. The episode also touches on the importance of holistic ministry that addresses both physical and spiritual needs, exemplified by Carolyn’s stories from World Vision projects. Throughout, Carolyn encourages listeners to engage with their local realities thoughtfully, seeking God’s heart for the unique struggles and hopes within their own communities. She emphasizes faith as a muscle strengthened through persistent trust even when outcomes seem uncertain. The episode closes with lighthearted moments and an invitation for pastors to join Encounter Life, a supportive journey of spiritual renewal and healing. Highlights 🌍 Carolyn Poteet’s decade-long global experience with World Vision shaped her theology and ministry approach. 💔 Stark contrasts seen between physical poverty with spiritual richness and spiritual poverty despite material resources. 🌳 The story of the Boabab tree illustrates God’s power over entrenched spiritual oppression. 🙏 Lament Psalms offer a biblical framework for expressing pain honestly and maintaining faith amid suffering. 🌱 Holistic ministry addresses both physical needs and spiritual transformation. 🏡 Understanding local contexts is crucial for relevant and effective ministry. 💪 Faith is like a muscle, strengthened through continual trust even when life is unpredictable. Key Insights 🌍 Global Exposure Deepens Compassion and Theology: Carolyn’s work in diverse, high-conflict regions exposed her to forms of faith and suffering that transcended Western paradigms. Witnessing resilient faith in war zones and impoverished communities humbled her and expanded her understanding of God’s presence in suffering, prompting a posture of learning rather than assuming cultural superiority. This highlights the transformative power of cross-cultural ministry experiences for shaping mature, compassionate Christian leadership. 💔 Physical Poverty vs. Spiritual Poverty: Carolyn contrasts vibrant spiritual life amid extreme physical poverty (e.g., Ethiopia and Angola) with devastating spiritual emptiness in orphanages and some post-communist Eastern European contexts. This distinction reveals that material conditions do not determine spiritual vitality, and ministry must address both domains carefully. Spiritual poverty, characterized by hopelessness and broken relationships, can be harder to detect but is equall