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 power of joy is found in both triumph and tragedy when we realize that it is not only meant to celebrate but to comfort.

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**The into & outro music is an original work created by Ryan Bradley specifically for “Living the Mystery” by Encountering Ministries and is not subject to any third-party copyright claims. All rights reserved.**

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 learn the beauty of sweet surrender that ultimately leads to freedom!

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**The into & outro music is an original work created by Ryan Bradley specifically for “Living the Mystery” by Encountering Ministries and is not subject to any third-party copyright claims. All rights reserved.**

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 within us.

Link for: A Personal Testimony (Referenced in this episode)

Website: encounteringministries.com

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**The into & outro music is an original work created by Ryan Bradley specifically for “Living the Mystery” by Encountering Ministries and is not subject to any third-party copyright claims. All rights reserved.**

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 to reclaim them. An analysis of the business concept of “Mission Drift” within institutions will give us valuable thought and insight into how and where God may be leading us to build community in a world that knows less and less of it!

Website: encounteringministries.com

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***The into & outro music is an original work created by Ryan Bradley specifically for “Living the Mystery” by Encountering Ministries and is not subject to any third-party copyright claims. All rights reserved.**

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 pivotal to understanding the garden metaphor throughout scripture. This episode helps explain a seeming contradiction between water and fire that come together in the Spirit of God…the tiller of the garden. In addition to explaining the tension between 2 Peter 3:7 and Rom 8:19, we will examine the role of fire in the burning bush and the significance of Mount Horeb as the mountain of God.

Website: encounteringministries.com

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***The into & outro music is an original work created by Ryan Bradley specifically for “Living the Mystery” by Encountering Ministries and is not subject to any third-party copyright claims. All rights reserved.**

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? We will examine this idea of the coming garden, where the seeds of God are in full bloom, how it relates to the first garden in Eden, and how another story of a garden in the New Testament becomes pivotal in the transformation from the garden of old to the garden anew. Expect to uncover new understanding as to the true nature of the sin in the garden of Eden…and how Christ reverses it!

Website: encounteringministries.com

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***The into & outro music is an original work created by Ryan Bradley specifically for “Living the Mystery” by Encountering Ministries and is not subject to any third-party copyright claims. All rights reserved.**

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 heaven! Central to the theme of this episode is the concept of the kingdom of God is not only to come, but at hand, here amongst us and within us as the people of God. We will explore the question, “What should people see when they look at the Church and how does it relate to the coming kingdom of God?” Various scriptures are used throughout this episode.

Website: encounteringministries.com

Facebook: facebook.com/EncounteringMinistries

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***The into & outro music is an original work created by Ryan Bradley specifically for “Living the Mystery” by Encountering Ministries and is not subject to any third-party copyright claims. All rights reserved.**

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 ask what the seed means for us who receive it, as well as fresh look at the biblical idea of “glorification” in the life of the children of God! An in-depth analysis of 1 Peter 1:23, John 1:1-14, 1 John 3:2, and Romans 8:28-30.

Website: encounteringministries.com

Facebook: facebook.com/EncounteringMinistries

Instagram: instagram.com/encounteringministries

TikTok: tiktok.com/@encounteringministries

***The into & outro music is an original work created by Ryan Bradley specifically for “Living the Mystery” by Encountering Ministries and is not subject to any third-party copyright claims. All rights reserved.**