Between Heaven & Earth

Summary In this episode of Between Heaven and Earth, Justin and Amy Howard talk with Matt Schneider, a former Anglican priest turned missionary in Springfield, Massachusetts. Matt shares his journey from traditional ministry to launching a grassroots disciple-making movement in a highly post-Christian context. He critiques the North American church model as overly centralized and ineffective at producing true disciples, placing unrealistic expectations on pastors while fostering passivity among congregants. Matt advocates for a return to a New Testament model of shared leadership through the fivefold ministry and emphasizes equipping everyday believers to actively participate in disciple-making. He highlights the importance of relational discipleship, Scripture engagement, and community-based spiritual growth over program-driven church structures. Addressing concerns about decentralization, he argues that empowered, Scripture-rooted communities are better positioned to guard against false teaching than rigid institutional systems. Highlights  🌍 Called to Springfield, MA, a leading post-Christian city 📖 Seminary lacks practical disciple-making training ⚖️ Pastors are overburdened in an unsustainable model 🔥 Advocates for shared leadership over traditional pastoral roles ⚠️ Decentralization can strengthen, not weaken, doctrinal health ✨ Vision: equip ordinary believers to multiply disciples Key Insights  🌍 Mission in Hard Places: Prioritizing spiritually resistant regions reflects a missional mindset. 📖 Training Gap: Churches lack leaders equipped for relational, reproducible discipleship. ⚖️ Broken Model: Centralized leadership creates burnout and passive church cultures. 🔥 Rethinking Leadership: Biblical ministry is shared, not centered on one role. ⚠️ Truth in Community: Scripture-engaged communities help safeguard sound doctrine. ✨ Multiplication Vision: Empowered believers create broader, lasting spiritual impact. About Matt:  "I've been married to Hawley for 17 years, and we have six children whom we homeschool. We live in Springfield, Mass., which the Barna Group called the most post-Christian city in America in 2019, which is why we moved there. I started following Jesus in 2007, and that came with a calling to become a missionary to Americans. We are on the North America team with Biglife, a global disciple-making organization. Our family strives to be disciples of Jesus who make disciples, and we are laboring to see a powerful move of God in America before Jesus returns. I'm convinced a huge piece of this is for the American church to rediscover what it means to be the church. This is why I also serve as a leader with an initiative called Lampstands, which is a prophetic voice for decentralized ecclesiology. We're helping the church in North America rediscover biblical patterns of gathering and multiplication. To connect with me, visit lampstands.com. There are two downloadable PDF documents on the Lampstands website I recommend: "5 Practices for Following Jesus with Your Whole Heart" and "Decentralized Ecclesiology: Returning to the Roots of the Church," which are both easy to find on the home page. We have a blog that is updated weekly with topics related to being the church in simple ways."  Connect on Social Media: @belampstands

Summary The episode redefines church success beyond attendance and programs, calling believers to live missionally in everyday life. It emphasizes disciple-making, healing (“mending”), and testimonies as true measures of spiritual growth, while challenging passive church culture and overburdened leadership. Highlights 🙏 Moves beyond traditional success metrics 🏡 Everyday life as mission field 💬 Testimonies matter 🔄 Multiply disciples 🔥 Healing + intimacy with God 🤝 Shift from passive to active believers 🌿 Kingdom-centered church model Key Insights 🙌 Success = transformation, not numbers 🏠 Church happens daily, not just Sundays 💔 Healing is essential to discipleship 📖 Testimonies show real growth 🔄 Multiplication over attendance 🤯 Leadership lacks clear metrics 💖 Intimacy with God defines success Additional Reflections A call to rethink church and embrace a relational, Spirit-led, disciple-making life.

Summary In this episode of Between Heaven and Earth, Justin and Amy Howard describe Lent as a season of fasting, prayer, and repentance that deepens dependence on Jesus. Rooted in the church calendar, Lent invites believers to embrace human frailty, reflect on Christ’s life, and create space for God through simple, intentional practices. Highlights 🙏 Lent focuses on prayer, fasting, and generosity. 🔥 Ash Wednesday reminds us of mortality and grace. 🌱 Fasting builds dependence on God. 📖 Scripture meditation deepens spiritual growth. 🌿 Simple rhythms make Lent meaningful in daily life. Key Insights ⏳ The church calendar provides steady spiritual rhythm. 🍽️ Fasting is voluntary weakness that fuels prayer. 🌱 Growth is often unseen but cultivated through discipline. 💡 Practical sacrifices help integrate faith into everyday life. Conclusion Lent is a grace-filled invitation to repent, pray, and trust God to form deeper spiritual growth through simple, faithful practices.

The Celtic Way of Evangelism BELAY Affiliate Link Summary Between Heaven and Earth, hosted by Justin and Amy Howard, explores missional hospitality as an everyday practice of joining God where He is already at work. In this episode, they clarify that being missional is not about entertaining or programs, but about generous presence and shared life. Drawing from their early ministry of hosting simple pancake breakfasts in a small apartment, they show that hospitality is rooted in authenticity, not perfection. Through stories of healing and connection, the hosts invite listeners to start small and see their tables as places where God’s kingdom becomes visible. Highlights 🏠 Missional hospitality is intentional welcome, not entertaining 🥞 Hospitality requires presence, not resources or perfection 💬 Shared life and listening are central to formation 🌱 Small, intentional steps make hospitality accessible 😢 Simple welcome can bring healing and transformation 🍽️ Our tables reflect the Lord’s table and God’s kingdom Key Insights 🛠️ Shared Mission Over Pastoral Performance: Missional life invites all believers to participate, easing unhealthy pressure on pastors and fostering communal responsibility. 🔍 Joining God at Work: Missional living begins with attentiveness to where God is already moving rather than creating activity for Him. ❤️ Presence Over Presentation: Hospitality is about making room for people as they are, embracing vulnerability and limits. 🌿 Small, Faithful Practice: Hospitality grows through simple, repeated acts of welcome that anyone can offer. 🕊️ The Sacred Table: Everyday meals carry theological meaning as signs of God’s coming kingdom. Conclusion This episode presents missional hospitality as a simple, faithful way of life rooted in generosity and presence. By starting small and opening their lives to others, listeners are invited to participate in God’s healing work through ordinary, sacred acts of welcome.

Summary The episode “Between Heaven and Earth,” hosted by Justin and Amy Howard, challenges church models that overburden pastors and underutilize congregants. Using the image of an energetic dog confined to a small space, the hosts describe how spiritually gifted believers become frustrated when limited to passive roles. They contrast “pioneers” and “settlers,” critique the overemphasis on Sunday services, and advocate for smaller, relational communities rooted in Acts 2. The episode calls believers to engage missionally where passion, gifts, and context meet, while also acknowledging pastoral burnout and the need for supportive, sustainable church practices. Highlights 🐕 Underused spiritual gifts lead to frustration. 🔄 Different callings in the church need equal honor. ⏰ Sunday-centric models encourage passivity. 🌿 Smaller communities foster deeper discipleship. 🤝 Pastors need support and shared responsibility. Key Insights 🐾 Limiting participation stifles spiritual vitality and engagement. 🔄 Churches thrive when diverse callings are released, not constrained. ⏳ Consumer Christianity grows when church life centers only on Sundays. 🌱 Relational, small-group contexts better reflect early church life. ⚖️ Shared responsibility protects pastors and empowers believers. LINK TO GIVE EncounterBuilder Coaching

The “Between Heaven and Earth” podcast with Justin and Amy Howard examines church leadership and challenges the modern expectation that pastors do everything. They introduce spiritual formation practices and Encounter Life cohorts that help believers grow in their relationship with God. The episode reframes “pastor” as a function within the fivefold ministry rather than a title, advocating for shared leadership among elders and deacons. It addresses burnout caused by unrealistic demands and calls the church to move from consumerism to active discipleship, equipping all believers to participate in God’s kingdom work. Highlights 🌟 Modern pastoral expectations are unrealistic and contribute to burnout. 📖 Pastor is a function within the fivefold ministry, not a title. 🤝 Healthy leadership involves shared responsibility among elders and deacons. 💔 Emotional dependency on pastors fuels burnout and unhealthy dynamics. 🛠️ Encounter Culture Mission Collaborative offers cohorts for spiritual growth and renewal. Micro Churches & Missional Communities The Tampa Underground  The Kansas City Underground The Underground Network   Book Resource The Starfish and the Spirit   Five-Fold Ministry (Ephesians 4) 5Q | Alan Hirsch  

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. Conclusion This 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 Lectio Divina “Sacred Reading”   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.

Summary The 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.

Summary This 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 Reflection Carrie’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!   Summary The 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 Summary This 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 Summary The 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 Reflections Ashleigh’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   Summary The 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. Conclusion This 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 Us If 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 OneLife If you’re looking for guidance and support in your parenting journey, you can book a session with Anna here.   Summary The 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 these attitudes outward, perpetuating a cycle of judgment and fear. Healing and forgiveness in one’s own life enable a more compassionate and hopeful approach toward others, breaking this destructive cycle. 🛡️ The Danger of Both Licentious Mercy and Legalistic Condemnation: The podcast warns against two extremes: unsanctified mercy (sloppy agape) that ignores sin and allows destructive behavior to continue unchecked, and legalistic condemnation that harshly judges without grace. Both approaches are harmful as they usurp God’s judgment role and cripple healthy community life, leading to distrust, hypocrisy, and spiritual death. 🏘️ Creating Safe Communities for Honest Conversations: A healthy Christian community allows space for sin to be acknowledged without shunning or writing off people. It cultivates safety where individuals can be known, share struggles, and receive loving correction aimed at healing. This environment requires leaders and members who have themselves been on healing journeys and can extend compassionate judgment grounded in hope. 🙏 Invitation to Healing and New Stories: The episode closes with an invitation to listeners to confront the pain caused by judgment—whether from others or themselves—and to bring it honestly before Jesus. Healing prayer, spiritual direction, and counseling are recommended pathways to freedom. Embracing Christ’s love enables believers to release bitterness, forgive others, and rewrite their personal and communal narratives with hope and restoration, embodying the kingdom of God in tangible ways. This rich exploration of judgment within the context of Christian life and culture offers deep practical and theological insights for believers seeking to live out grace and truth amid a judgmental world.

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 equally urgent to address. 🌳 Territorial Spirits and Spiritual Oppression: The episode introduces the concept of “territorial spirits”—spiritual forces influencing regions and communities, resulting in generational cycles of brokenness, violence, or apathy. The Boabab tree story symbolizes confronting these deep-rooted spiritual barriers through prayer and faith. While recognizing these realities, Carolyn emphasizes starting with God’s power and presence rather than demon-chasing, underscoring a posture of dependence on God’s leading in spiritual warfare. 🙏 Lament as a Vital Spiritual Discipline: Carolyn’s detailed explanation of lament Psalms as a vehicle for authentic prayer challenges Western Christian tendencies to bypass lament. By naming grief, anger, and frustration directly to God, believers engage in honest dialogue that sustains faith even in prolonged hardship. This practice fosters deep relational trust with God, enabling perseverance without denying pain or glossing over suffering. The structure of lament—address, complaint, request, remembrance, and praise—provides a spiritual roadmap for healing and hope. 🌱 Holistic Ministry Integrates Physical and Spiritual Needs: Carolyn’s stories illustrate that effective ministry in impoverished contexts attends to both the body and the soul. For example, providing food and clean water can open hearts to the gospel, showing that practical care and spiritual transformation are complementary, not competing, priorities. This model challenges dichotomous thinking and encourages ministries to embrace a both/and approach. 🏡 Contextual Listening Shapes Kingdom Work: Carolyn stresses the importance of discerning the specific brokenness and hopes of local communities rather than imposing generalized solutions or external agendas. The good news must resonate with the lived realities of the people served—whether freedom from addiction in Maine or liberation from oppressive power structures in Washington, D.C. This insight calls for humility and attentiveness in ministry, inviting ongoing dialogue with God about local needs. 💪 Faith as a Muscle Strengthened through Trials: Carolyn likens faith to a muscle that grows stronger through consistent exercise, especially in unpredictable and challenging environments. Her experiences in Africa and ministry struggles at home teach that faith is not a one-time switch but a dynamic journey requiring trust even when outcomes are unclear or suffering persists. This metaphor encourages believers to cultivate endurance and resilience by leaning on God repeatedly, trusting in His faithfulness across seasons. Conclusion This episode of Between Heaven and Earth offers a rich conversation that bridges global Christian experiences with local ministry challenges. Carolyn Poteet’s stories and reflections invite listeners to deepen their faith through compassionate engagement with suffering, embrace lament as authentic prayer, and pursue holistic and context-sensitive ministry. The themes of spiritual resilience, the power of prayerful dependence on God, and the need to listen carefully to local brokenness provide a compelling framework for anyone seeking to join Jesus in His work of restoration both globally and at home.

Summary The podcast episode of Between Heaven and Earth, hosted by Justin and Amy Howard, features an intimate conversation with Tim Kennerson, a longtime friend and church planter, who shares his powerful testimony of faith, struggle, and healing. Raised in a solid Christian home, Tim initially believed he lacked a testimony because his faith journey was not marked by dramatic conversion or deliverance experiences. However, through candid reflections, he reveals a lifelong wrestling with shame, secrecy, and sin—particularly around sexuality and pornography—starting from a young age due to early exposure and lack of open, grace-filled conversations about human sexuality. Tim describes growing up in a loving, intentional Christian family where faith was part of daily life, but personal confession and community accountability were minimal. He navigated his teenage years feeling distant from Jesus, burdened by shame and unworthiness, and engaged in early sexual activity that conflicted with his faith values. The episode highlights the harmful effects of a shame-based approach to sexuality in many Christian contexts and underscores the need for a more redemptive, theologically rich conversation that celebrates the goodness of human sexuality as designed by God. A turning point in Tim’s journey came through Encounter Culture Mission Collaborative’s Encounter Weekends, where he experienced “directed confession” in a safe, non-judgmental environment. This practice involved confessing sins aloud to trusted prayer ministers, renouncing shame and lies, and receiving grace and healing from the Holy Spirit. Tim recounts how this experience radically transformed his relationship with God, moving from distance and shame to intimacy and freedom, and how it shaped his marriage with Sam, who extended grace and forgiveness when he confessed past mistakes, including a lie about his sexual history. The episode also addresses broader themes of church culture, emphasizing the importance of cultivating confessional communities that normalize confession and healing, thereby breaking strongholds of shame and secrecy. Tim and the hosts encourage parents to proactively engage their children in age-appropriate, grace-filled conversations about sexuality to prevent the damage caused by secrecy and pornography exposure. The podcast closes with an invitation for listeners to join Encounter Life cohorts for pastors, which offer spiritual renewal and healing in a supportive small group setting. Ultimately, the episode offers a hopeful message: freedom from shame and past sins is possible through confession, grace, and community, and embracing this process leads to deeper intimacy with Jesus and transformation in all areas of life. Highlights 🙌 Tim Kennerson shares a powerful testimony of healing from shame and addiction through directed confession. 💡 The podcast emphasizes the importance of confession to another person, not just to God, for true healing. ❤️ The episode highlights the grace and forgiveness experienced in Tim’s marriage after confessing past sexual sins and lies. 📖 A richer, redemptive theology of human sexuality is needed in Christian communities to combat shame and disordered desires. 🛡️ Early exposure to pornography can cause lifelong struggles; parents must proactively and lovingly address sexuality with their children. 🕊️ Encounter Culture Mission Collaborative offers safe spaces for spiritual renewal, confession, and healing through Encounter Weekends and ministry cohorts. 🤝 Building a confessional community is essential for breaking strongholds and living in freedom and grace. Key Insights 🔥 The Power of Testimony as a “Sword”: Tim’s story demonstrates how every believer has a testimony, regardless of how dramatic their conversion story is. Testimonies reveal God’s goodness and faithfulness even in ordinary, everyday struggles, and sharing them publicly breaks the power of shame and isolation. This encourages believers to embrace their unique faith journeys and find strength in vulnerability. 🗣️ Confession to Another Person is Crucial for Healing: The episode stresses that confession isn’t only a private dialogue with God but is fundamentally communal. Biblical references (James 5:16, 1 John 1) support the practice of confessing sins to trusted believers, which facilitates healing by removing the darkness where shame thrives. This counters the false notion that confession is merely a ritual or legalistic act, highlighting its sacramental and embodied nature. 💔 Shame Distorts Relationship with God and Others: Tim’s early shame associated with sexuality and secret sin distanced him from Jesus and caused relational fractures. Shame operates as agreement with the enemy’s lies—that God’s grace is insufficient—resulting in isolation and self-condemnation. The healing process involves renouncing shame and embracing God’s unconditional love, which restores intimacy with God and relationships with others. 💡 A Theology of Human Sexuality Rooted in Grace and Beauty: The hosts critique the prevalent church approach that often reduces sexuality to “don’t do this or that,” fostering fear and shame. Instead, they advocate for teaching the biblical goodness of sexuality, inspired by John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, which frames sexuality as a reflection of the Trinitarian relationship and a gift for joy and creation. This theological foundation can reduce temptation by offering a vision of sex as sacred and beautiful. 🛡️ Early Exposure to Pornography Demands Proactive Parenting: Tim’s early exposure to pornography at age 10 illustrates a common, hidden challenge many children face today. The discussion highlights the urgent need for parents to provide age-appropriate, grace-filled sexual education, countering the damaging narratives and lies propagated by the porn industry. This proactive engagement helps children develop a healthy understanding of their bodies and desires. 🤝 Community and Accountability Sustain Ongoing Sanctification: Tim emphasizes that healing is not a one-time event but a lifelong journey involving ongoing confession, accountability, and grace within a supportive community. Encounter Culture fosters this through Encounter Weekends and small groups, helping believers continue to confront sin patterns and grow in Christlikeness. This reflects the biblical process of sanctification as cooperative and relational. 🌿 Redemption Transforms Pain into Purpose: Tim’s testimony of how God transformed his shame, past mistakes, and generational curses into blessings—such as the birth of his daughter—illustrates the redemptive power of God’s grace. This transformation offers hope to listeners that past failures do not define their future but can become the soil for new life, healing, and fruitfulness in God’s kingdom. Conclusion This episode of Between Heaven and Earth offers a deeply encouraging and practical conversation about the realities of Christian discipleship amid struggles with shame, sin, and sexuality. Through Tim’s testimony and the hosts’ insights, listeners are invited into a culture of confession, grace, and healing that aligns with biblical teaching and the heart of God. The episode challenges churches and families to move beyond shame-based approaches toward a redemptive, beauty-infused understanding of human sexuality and community life, empowering believers to experience freedom, intimacy with Jesus, and transformation in the ongoing journey of faith. Resources for parents: God's Design for Sex series EncounterLife for Pastors  

Summary The podcast episode of Between Heaven and Earth, hosted by Justin and Amy Howard, centers on the complex topic of codependency and the human tendency to place one’s own sense of well-being in the hands of others. The hosts explore how unhealthy emotional dynamics often stem from deeply embedded family systems, early childhood trauma, and cultural influences, particularly within Christian and communal contexts. Drawing from personal stories, psychological insights, and biblical principles, Justin and Amy unpack how codependency manifests as the compulsive need to control other people’s feelings and environments to maintain one’s own sense of “okay.” They emphasize the significance of reclaiming an internal, God-given sense of well-being rather than relying on external circumstances or people. The conversation touches on family origins, early childhood experiences—including traumatic births—and societal pressures such as political polarization and church dynamics, all contributing to emotional idolatry. The episode concludes with practical advice for identifying codependent patterns by tuning into bodily reactions and invites listeners to continue the healing journey through prayer, therapy, and community support offered by the Encounter Life program and other resources. Highlights 🌿 Codependency often arises from unresolved family trauma and early life experiences. 🧠 Our family systems shape what we perceive as “normal” and impact our emotional health. 💔 Emotional idolatry occurs when we tie our well-being to others’ feelings or approval. 🔄 Healing requires reclaiming an internal sense of “okay” anchored in faith, not external validation. 🕊️ Jesus offers freedom from codependency, enabling us to respond rather than react emotionally. 🔥 Moments of emotional agitation are opportunities for deep healing if we lean into them. 🤝 Encounter Life and counseling resources provide practical tools and community for breaking codependency. Key Insights 🎻 Family Systems as Emotional Harp Strings: The metaphor of a harp string being plucked illustrates how unresolved childhood trauma creates a physical and emotional resonance that triggers disproportionate reactions to adult conflicts. This insight reflects the somatic nature of trauma and its long-lasting imprint on the nervous system, emphasizing the importance of healing at both emotional and physical levels. By understanding these “strings,” individuals can begin to recognize why certain adult interactions evoke intense feelings of fear or instability. 🔄 Codependency as Displacement of Well-Being: Codependency involves shifting one’s internal sense of stability onto external factors—whether it’s another person’s emotional state, a political affiliation, or congregational approval. This displacement creates emotional volatility and an unhealthy either/or mindset, which locks people into black-and-white thinking and stifles spiritual and emotional growth. The hosts highlight that true freedom and resilience come from rooting one’s “okay” in God’s promises rather than cultural or relational circumstances. 🙅‍♂️ The Challenge of Boundaries in Codependent Relationships: The episode underscores how both parents and pastors often struggle with boundaries due to guilt or a sense of responsibility for others’ feelings. Parents may “guilt-give” to compensate for perceived shortcomings, while pastors may exhaust themselves trying to care for everyone’s spiritual state. This lack of boundaries leads to emotional exhaustion and stunts maturity in relationships, underscoring the necessity of learning to say “no” and recalibrating one’s own “okay.” 🌱 Early Childhood Trauma and the Formation of Well-Being: Traumatic experiences from birth, such as neglect or medical complications, can prevent the establishment of a foundational sense of safety and well-being. The hosts describe how healing can even occur in adulthood through prayer and intentional work, highlighting the possibility of divine restoration for those who feel they never had a baseline “okay” to return to. This insight invites listeners to consider prenatal and infancy experiences as critical contexts for emotional health. 💥 Emotional Reactivity vs. Response: Codependency leads to reactive emotional patterns rather than thoughtful responses. When a person’s well-being depends on others, they become trapped in cycles of reaction, often involving suppression, anger, or passive aggression. The personal story shared by Amy illustrates the courage required to choose to be internally okay despite another’s anger, marking a pivotal step toward emotional freedom and healing. 🌍 Cultural Codependency and Political Polarization: The discussion extends codependency beyond personal relationships to societal dynamics, revealing how people often align with political parties or social groups to avoid conflict and maintain safety. This cultural codependency fosters deep polarization and black-and-white thinking, which fractures communities and limits the ability to embody Christ’s reconciling love. Recognizing this dynamic is essential for fostering grace and unity amid division. 🙏 The Role of Spiritual Practices and Community in Healing: Healing codependency is not a solo journey. The hosts recommend engaging with prayer, counseling, and community programs like Encounter Life that provide coaching and therapeutic support. They emphasize the importance of bodily awareness and the willingness to explore triggers as gateways to healing deeper wounds. The promise of ongoing transformation through the Spirit offers hope that emotional freedom is accessible, enabling believers to embody kingdom freedom and love. Conclusion This episode of Between Heaven and Earth provides a profound exploration of codependency, blending theological insight, psychological understanding, and practical wisdom. By addressing the roots of emotional idolatry in family systems, early trauma, and cultural pressures, Justin and Amy Howard invite listeners to reclaim an internal, God-centered sense of well-being. Their candid storytelling and thoughtful analysis illuminate the path from reactive patterns to responsive freedom, supported by prayer, community, and professional help. Ultimately, the episode encourages listeners to courageously embrace healing and embody the kingdom of God by becoming emotionally free agents who bring heaven and earth together in their daily lives.   Links: EncounterLife for Pastors

Summary The podcast episode “Between Heaven and Earth,” hosted by Justin and Amy Howard, explores the profound topic of codependency and the need to control, especially as it relates to the Christian journey of healing and restoration. The hosts emphasize that understanding and overcoming codependency is essential for true freedom in Christ. They introduce the concept of being “okay” — a deep sense of well-being rooted in Jesus, which is distinct from fleeting emotions. Through a biblical story from Luke 7, they illustrate how Jesus embodies this ideal “okay,” being free from the need to control others or be controlled by their judgments, allowing Him to respond with compassion, wisdom, and love in complex social situations. The conversation highlights how codependency shifts a person’s sense of well-being away from Jesus and into the hands of others, causing emotional bondage and unhealthy relational patterns. The hosts identify key factors that contribute to codependency: guilt, misunderstandings of holiness and submission, lack of healthy anger, lack of resiliency, and family systems dynamics. They stress that real freedom involves learning to trust God deeply, embracing healthy emotional expressions such as anger, and building relational resiliency through tear and repair—working through conflicts rather than avoiding or reacting destructively. Justin shares a personal story of navigating a challenging relationship, demonstrating how setting boundaries, embracing honesty, and trusting God’s guidance allowed for healing and growth. The episode closes by inviting listeners to reflect on their own emotional health and relational dynamics, with a promise to continue the conversation on family systems and freedom in the next episode. The Howards encourage ongoing partnership through donations to support their ministry and resources for listeners seeking deeper healing and wholeness. Highlights 🌟 The concept of being “okay” is a deep, stable sense of well-being rooted in Jesus, not dependent on circumstances or other people. 📖 Jesus in Luke 7 models freedom from codependency by responding with grace and love, despite social tensions and judgments. 💔 Codependency often arises when our emotional well-being shifts from God to others, driven by guilt, unhealthy submission, or fear of conflict. 😡 Healthy anger is a God-given emotion that signals when something is wrong and motivates constructive action, distinct from rage or suppression. 💪 Emotional resiliency grows through “tear and repair” in relationships, allowing for conflict resolution and deeper trust. 🧬 Family systems and generational patterns play a significant role in shaping codependent behaviors, to be explored in future episodes. 🤝 The journey to freedom involves trusting God’s infinite possibilities rather than limiting ourselves to reactive either/or choices. Key Insights 🔄 The “Okay” as a Foundation for Freedom: The Howards define “okay” as a deep internal well-being that includes permission to be well and a trust in God’s ultimate goodness. This framing helps listeners separate transient emotions from their core identity, reducing reactive behaviors rooted in fear or control. Rooting one’s “okay” in Jesus allows for infinite responses beyond the binary of fight or flight, enabling grace-filled engagement with others. 👁️‍🗨️ Jesus’ Example in Social Complexity: The Luke 7 story reveals Jesus’ unique ability to be present to conflicting needs—honoring Simon’s hospitality, responding to the woman’s faith, and addressing judgment without defensiveness. This illustrates how being emotionally free and spiritually rooted allows a person to see others as whole, complex individuals and respond with clarity and love rather than control or withdrawal. ⚖️ Codependency vs. Compassion: The episode distinguishes codependency from true compassion. Codependency is driven by a need to control others’ emotions or outcomes for one’s own well-being, often disguised as submission or kindness. True compassion, modeled by Jesus, involves loving and serving others without being emotionally enslaved to their states, allowing for healthy boundaries and honest communication. 😤 The Role of Healthy Anger: Anger is reframed as a neutral, God-given emotion that signals when boundaries are crossed or injustice occurs. Healthy anger motivates constructive responses, while unhealthy anger (rage or repression) damages relationships and inner peace. The Howards emphasize that Christian teaching should embrace the biblical permission to be angry without sinning, countering traditions that suppress emotional expression in favor of a false peace. 🛠️ Building Resiliency Through Tear and Repair: Emotional and relational strength is developed by enduring conflict and repairing wounds rather than avoiding difficult conversations or cutting off relationships prematurely. The analogy to muscle building—tearing and repairing tissue—illustrates how vulnerability and persistence in relationships foster growth, flexibility, and deeper connection. 🔄 The Impact of Family Systems: Early family dynamics and generational patterns shape how individuals experience and respond to emotional pain, conflict, and control. Recognizing these influences is essential for breaking codependent cycles and cultivating healthier relational patterns. The Howards plan to explore this further, highlighting the importance of systemic understanding in personal growth. 🙏 Trusting God’s Infinite Possibilities: A key spiritual insight is that rootedness in God frees believers from the limited either/or mindset that traps codependency. Instead of reacting in fixed ways, believers can partner with the Spirit to access creative, grace-filled responses to complex emotional and relational situations. This trust cultivates courage and freedom to engage with others authentically and lovingly. Extended Analysis The episode thoughtfully integrates psychological and spiritual dimensions of codependency, making a compelling case that emotional freedom begins with a theological foundation: being “okay” in Jesus. This concept offers a profound antidote to the common experience of emotional idolatry—where feelings, others’ approval, or circumstances become gods that enslave one’s soul. By rooting well-being internally and spiritually, individuals can resist the compulsive need to control or be controlled, which often manifests as people-pleasing, guilt-driven caretaking, or avoidance of conflict. The biblical example of Jesus in Simon’s house serves as a microcosm of this freedom. Jesus neither conforms to social expectations nor reacts defensively; instead, He perceives the complex emotional and spiritual dynamics and responds with grace that honors all parties. This story disrupts the simplistic either/or mindset and invites Christians to live “in between heaven and earth,” navigating the messy realities of human relationships with divine wisdom. The discussion about guilt and bad ideas about holiness reveals how distorted spiritual beliefs can fuel codependency. When people believe holiness means keeping others happy at all costs or submitting without boundaries, they inadvertently idolize relational control. This leads to burnout, resentment, and a loss of spiritual freedom. The Howards advocate for a healthier understanding of holiness—one grounded in God’s love and freedom rather than rigid performance or fear. Their teaching on anger is particularly refreshing, challenging a pervasive Christian taboo that often mislabels all anger as sinful. By inviting listeners to embrace anger as a helpful emotional signal, they open the door to healing and assertiveness. This perspective aligns with biblical texts that acknowledge righteous anger while warning against sinning in it, promoting emotional maturity rather than repression or explosive reactions. The concept of resiliency as “tear and repair” is a practical framework for relational growth that counters the social media culture of instant cancellation or avoidance of discomfort. It acknowledges that real relationships require effort, vulnerability, and grace to navigate conflict and pain. This builds emotional muscle, enabling people to maintain their “okay” even amid relational challenges. Finally, the recognition of family systems and generational influences situates emotional health within a broader context. Codependency is not just individual pathology but often a learned pattern passed through families. Addressing these systemic roots is crucial for lasting healing, and the Howards’ plan to explore this in future episodes promises deeper insights. Overall, the episode offers a rich, nuanced exploration of codependency that integrates biblical theology, emotional health, and practical wisdom. It encourages listeners to root their identity in Christ, embrace healthy emotions, set boundaries, and cultivate resilient relationships—all essential steps toward freedom and flourishing in God’s restoration work. This teaching is particularly valuable for Christians seeking to understand their emotional struggles in light of faith, providing hope and tools for transformation without shame or simplistic answers. The personal transparency of the hosts and their invitation to partner in this journey create a supportive community ethos that many listeners will find encouraging and empowering.   Julian of Norwich Prayer: "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well"  EncounterLife Cohorts "Boundaries" by Cloud and Townsend  "Boundaries" Workbook by Cloud and Townsend  

Summary The podcast episode from Between Heaven and Earth, hosted by Justin and Amy Howard, features a powerful testimony from Ashley Nute, a longtime friend and fellow believer. Ashley shares her journey from a traumatic childhood marked by intense demonic oppression and spiritual warfare to finding deliverance and freedom through a transformative encounter weekend. Raised in a broken family with generational trauma, Native American spiritual influences, and abuse, Ashley endured years of nightly terror and demonic visitation that deeply affected her faith and life. Despite her early belief in God, she struggled with doubt and confusion about His goodness as the darkness of her experiences deepened. Ashley recounts how her life changed after a desperate, fearful moment while nursing her baby, when she confronted a terrifying demonic presence in her home. She and her husband, Adam, attempted to rid their environment of spiritual invitations to darkness but found no lasting relief. The turning point came when she attended what she thought was a typical women’s retreat, which turned out to be an intense encounter weekend focused on deliverance and healing. There, Ashley experienced profound ministry led by two deliverance ministers, Maria and JC, who helped her dismantle family curses, rejection, and spiritual strongholds through prayer and inner healing. This encounter brought a radical shift in Ashley’s life—she was filled with the Holy Spirit, experienced deep joy, and began to rebuild her understanding of God, moving away from legalistic and hurtful doctrines towards a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus. She emphasizes that freedom from demonic bondage is often much closer than people think—sometimes just seconds away—and encourages others struggling with spiritual oppression to seek help and not give up hope. The episode closes with a prayer for listeners who may be afflicted and an invitation to access spiritual guidance and deliverance support through the Encounter Culture community and One Life Group counseling services. Highlights 🙏 Ashley’s testimony reveals the reality of spiritual warfare and deliverance in modern Christian life. 🌪️ Childhood trauma and generational curses deeply affected Ashley’s spiritual and emotional health. 💔 Despite early faith, Ashley struggled with doubt and confusion about God’s goodness. 🔥 A terrifying demonic encounter while nursing her baby catalyzed her pursuit of freedom. ✝️ An encounter weekend with deliverance ministers led to radical inner healing and deliverance. 🌟 Ashley experienced filling with the Holy Spirit and newfound joy post-deliverance. 🤝 The podcast encourages listeners facing spiritual oppression to seek prayer ministry and support. Key Insights 👶 Early spiritual sensitivity combined with generational trauma creates a vulnerable environment for demonic oppression. Ashley’s story illustrates how open doors in family history—such as untreated generational abuse, addiction, and occult involvement—can invite spiritual strongholds. This highlights the importance of understanding generational spiritual dynamics when addressing deliverance and healing. 🌙 Demonic oppression can manifest with tangible, terrifying physical and emotional symptoms. Ashley describes paralysis, night terrors, auditory hallucinations of rushing wind and screeching, and violent demonic aggression. Such experiences challenge Western skepticism about spiritual warfare and emphasize the need for the Church to develop a robust theological and practical framework to address these realities. 🤐 Silence and shame around spiritual oppression can exacerbate trauma. Ashley’s early experiences were dismissed or misunderstood in her legalistic church setting, leaving her isolated and without tools for healing. This underscores the critical need for churches to provide safe spaces and knowledgeable ministry for those suffering from spiritual and emotional trauma. 💥 Deliverance ministry, especially when empowered by the Holy Spirit, can bring rapid and profound transformation. The encounter weekend ministry led by Maria and JC compressed years of healing into hours, involving breaking generational curses, renouncing demonic agreements, and repentance. The reliance on the Holy Spirit’s guidance and the ministry’s confidence in God’s power were pivotal to Ashley’s breakthrough. 🌈 Experiencing the Holy Spirit’s filling and joy post-deliverance redefines one’s relationship with God. Ashley’s joy and laughter after deliverance contrasted sharply with her previous fear and confusion, illustrating the transformative power of God’s presence beyond legalistic religion. This shift also helped her rebuild her theology around God’s goodness and freedom. 🕊️ Freedom from spiritual bondage is accessible and often much nearer than people realize. Ashley’s encouragement that one can be “30 seconds away from freedom” challenges the belief that deliverance is complicated or unattainable. This insight invites believers to take courageous steps toward healing through prayer and community support. 🤲 Ongoing ministry and community support are essential for sustained freedom and growth. Ashley’s journey did not end with one encounter; she continues healing, ministry, and friendship within a community that values spiritual discernment and prophetic gifting. The podcast’s invitation to listeners to seek prayer ministers and spiritual directors highlights the importance of ongoing care in spiritual health. Ashley’s story is a compelling testimony of God’s faithfulness to redeem even the darkest pasts and bring healing through the power of the Holy Spirit and deliverance ministry. It calls the Church to be more aware, compassionate, and equipped to minister to those wrestling with spiritual oppression and generational brokenness, offering hope that freedom and joy are possible.

Summary The podcast episode from Between Heaven and Earth, hosted by Justin and Amy Howard, explores the intersection of spiritual manifestations, ministry, and the Holy Spirit’s work in daily life and church communities. The conversation dives into understanding physical manifestations of spiritual power, distinguishing between immature and disobedient ministry expressions, and processing personal wounds from “weird” or harmful ministry experiences. The hosts emphasize love as the core motive of Christian ministry, cautioning against rigid “formulaic” approaches and encouraging discernment rooted in grace and compassion. They share stories illustrating how God’s power can work through imperfect people, highlighting the importance of recognizing God’s love beyond human flaws. The discussion encourages believers to cultivate a hunger for more of the Spirit’s work, to embrace risky obedience out of love, and to develop mature leadership that fosters safe spaces for growth without enabling chaos. They advocate for healthy liturgical structures that facilitate encounters with the Holy Spirit without demanding emotional extremes, stressing the importance of both order and openness to spontaneous Spirit-led moments. The episode concludes by urging listeners who have been hurt to engage in forgiveness and healing, nurture personal discernment, and lean on community and professional help where necessary. Ultimately, it calls Christians to courageously live as a vibrant, Spirit-led community that embodies the love and power of God in everyday life. Highlights 🌟 Love is the ultimate aim of ministry, shaping how spiritual gifts and obedience manifest. 🔥 Physical manifestations of the Spirit’s power, including healing, should be expected and embraced in whole-person experiences. 💔 Forgiveness and healing are crucial for those hurt by immature or harmful ministry practices. 🤔 Distinguishing between immaturity and disobedience in ministry fosters grace and accountability. 🌿 Cultivating a hunger for the Holy Spirit’s presence is essential for spiritual growth and revival. 🕊️ Healthy liturgy balances order and openness, creating space for Spirit encounters without chaos. 🤝 Community, prayer, and professional support can help believers process wounds and deepen their relationship with God. Key Insights 💖 Love as the Fulfillment of the Law and Ministry’s Foundation: The hosts repeatedly underscore that loving God and loving others are the fulfillment of God’s law—the central “main thing” in ministry. This means ministry must be shaped not by formulas or performance but by genuine love, embodied in patience, humility, and grace. Misguided approaches driven by pride, fear, or control hinder the true flow of the Spirit and harm relationships. Love becomes the litmus test that validates spiritual experiences and leadership effectiveness. 🌬️ Physical and Emotional Manifestations Reflect a Whole-Person Encounter With God: Justin and Amy assert that Christian experience is holistic, involving body, mind, and spirit. Manifestations such as healing or emotional renewal are biblically grounded and meant to be normal, not aberrations limited to fringe groups. Embracing these expressions leads believers into wholeness and a tangible experience of God’s kingdom among us. 🩹 Navigating Hurt from Abusive or Disruptive Ministry: A significant part of the discussion deals with addressing pain caused by ministry that was immature, sinful, or manipulative. The hosts advocate intentional forgiveness as a release, alongside a season of healing often requiring community and professional help. This approach recognizes the reality of trauma and encourages a pathway toward restoration rather than bitterness or judgment. ⚖️ Differentiating Immaturity From Disobedience Is Crucial for Spiritual Maturity: Not all “weird” behaviors or unexpected manifestations reflect disobedience. Some reflect immaturity—a normal phase in growth requiring patient correction. Labeling immature expressions as disobedience can stifle growth and alienate people. Properly assessing situations with compassion, asking probing questions, and guiding with grace can transform environments into places where people feel safe to “fail forward.” 🔥 Risky Obedience Out of Love Spurs Spiritual Breakthroughs: The podcast shares a story highlighting God’s power working through someone immature and flawed, emphasizing that God’s healing is motivated by His love for broken people, not human perfection or credentials. Risky obedience—acting in faith with a loving heart even if it feels unconventional—is contrasted with unloving actions driven by formulaic or manipulative motives. 🎶 Liturgy as a Vessel for Encountering God, Balancing Order With Openness: The hosts challenge the notion that Spirit-led worship must always be spontaneous or emotionally intense. They argue for thoughtful, well-crafted liturgies that encompass inclusive, predictable structures allowing congregants to engage in worship beyond fluctuating feelings. This rhythm provides stability and invites deeper, long-term transformation while remaining open to the Spirit’s surprises. 🛡️ Discernment and Healthy Boundaries Are Essential Leadership Attributes: Effective leaders must cultivate a keen discernment that navigates between chaos and control, loving the Spirit’s movement without enabling dysfunction. They must understand their own limits, practice self-awareness about control and judgment tendencies, and set boundaries that allow others to grow safely. This leadership fosters maturity and a community culture where Spirit-led revival can thrive sustainably. 🌱 Spiritual Hunger and Poverty of Spirit Are Vital for Growth: Echoing Jesus’ Beatitudes, the hosts highlight that a “poverty of spirit”—a humble acknowledgment of need and desire for the Spirit’s work—is fundamental for receiving God’s kingdom. Lack of spiritual hunger may reflect underlying wounds, anger, or complacency, but God invites all to ask continually for “more,” and responding to this hunger paves the way for revival and deeper intimacy with God. 🤝 Community Support and Professional Resources Enhance Healing and Growth: The conversation recognizes that past wounds or spiritual blockages may require outside help, such as counseling or coaching, especially from Christian practitioners who understand faith dynamics. Embracing healing as a journey and inviting others into that process reduces isolation and strengthens spiritual resilience. 🎯 The Holy Spirit Is Lord Equally With Father and Son, Invited to Increase in Every Believer’s Life: The hosts emphasize the need to welcome the Holy Spirit fully into our spiritual lives, beyond mere intellectual assent to Jesus or God the Father. They encourage believers to seek a fuller conversion to the Spirit, trusting Him as the giver of life who leads into freedom, power, and love, demonstrating the Trinitarian nature of God’s work. Conclusion This episode is a rich, pastoral reflection on how Christians can navigate the complexities of Spirit-led ministry today, discerning true move of God amidst human frailty and cultural expectations. By rooting everything in love, fostering spiritual hunger, practicing forgiveness, cultivating healthy liturgy, and embracing risky—but loving—obedience, followers of Jesus can build authentic communities where heaven and earth meet. The encouragement to seek out both personal and communal healing, combined with the call for mature leadership and open-hearted Spirit-led worship, offers a practical and hopeful roadmap for renewal and revival in contemporary faith expressions.

Summary The podcast episode from Between Heaven and Earth, hosted by Justin and Amy Howard, delves into the often misunderstood and sometimes “weird” manifestations of the Holy Spirit in ministry and worship settings. They explore how such expressions—ranging from emotional worship experiences to prophetic acts and deliverance ministry—can sometimes appear odd or unsettling to observers yet hold significant spiritual meaning. The hosts emphasize the core purpose of any Spirit-led ministry: to help people truly know and feel God’s love, rather than to draw attention to individuals or create theatrical displays. They stress the importance of balancing openness to the Holy Spirit’s movement with mature discernment to avoid exploitation, manipulation, or immaturity in ministry expressions. The conversation is candid about the challenges leaders and congregations face when unconventional manifestations occur, including emotional intensity, physical reactions such as shaking or falling, and prophetic acts that may initially unsettle the community. Amy and Justin wrestle with how cultural expectations, fear of judgment, insecurity, and pressure can lead ministry participants to act artificially or “weird.” Throughout, they highlight scriptural foundations and emphasize that true prophetic and Holy Spirit ministry must ultimately produce the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control—and bring glory to Jesus rather than focusing on human performance. They also address how physical manifestations—though sometimes uncomfortable or misunderstood—may accompany genuine encounters with God, citing biblical examples and personal stories. The hosts conclude by encouraging listeners to love well, exercise wisdom, and embrace authenticity in their spiritual journeys without succumbing to anxiety or the compulsion to control others’ experiences. Highlights 🙏 Exploring Holy Spirit manifestations that can appear unconventional or “weird” without losing spiritual authenticity. ❤️ The primary goal of Spirit-led ministry is to foster genuine love and connection to God, not spectacle or control. 🔍 Discernment is key: manifestations must be weighed against biblical fruit and focus on Jesus, not individual attention. ☯️ Balancing emotional worship with maturity to avoid manipulation or unnecessary theatricality. 🎭 Pressure, fear, and insecurity often drive people to perform or replicate strange behaviors in ministry settings. ✨ Scriptural prophetic acts can be unusual or jarring but must ultimately edify and build up the church in love. 🛡️ Caring leadership involves loving both the individual experiencing God in a unique way and the corporate community simultaneously. Key Insights 🔥 Manifestations of the Spirit are diverse and can be misunderstood: The podcast acknowledges that manifestations such as shaking, laughing, falling, or prophetic acts can seem strange to outsiders or even insiders but often represent genuine encounters with God’s presence and power. However, this diversity requires careful discernment to avoid mistaking human immaturity or emotional manipulation for divine activity. This insight reminds ministry leaders to cultivate an environment where authenticity and spiritual fruitfulness override the desire for control or spectacle. 🤝 Love is the ultimate litmus test for ministry practices: The hosts underscore that the hallmark of any authentic Holy Spirit activity is love—both for God and neighbor. Manifestations that cause division, offense, or self-glorification fail this test. Love involves patience, gentleness, kindness, and self-control, even amid intense emotional or spiritual experiences. This emphasis on love challenges ministries to prioritize relational integrity and community health over dramatic displays. ⚖️ Cultural and personal factors contribute to “weirdness” in ministry: Anxiety, fear of judgment, immaturity, and pressure within congregations or leadership groups often motivate exaggerated or performative behavior. For example, young or insecure individuals may mimic behaviors they have seen without fully understanding their spiritual significance, and leaders may pressure others to “look spiritual” on stage. Recognizing these dynamics is vital to fostering a spiritually mature and supportive atmosphere that honors the Spirit without fostering competition or manipulation. 📖 Biblical prophetic acts often defy social norms and include discomfort: The podcast references prophets like Ezekiel, Hosea, and Isaiah, who enacted jarring, unconventional acts commanded by God, sometimes involving suffering or public embarrassment. This contextualizes seemingly strange modern manifestations within a biblical framework, reminding listeners that God can use unusual methods to communicate and redeem, though genuine prophecy ultimately points to Jesus and invites community transformation. 🧠 Discernment in prophetic and deliverance ministry requires humility and scriptural grounding: The hosts caution against automatically attributing every unusual event to God, pointing out the need for leaders and participants to evaluate experiences against the fruit of the Spirit, biblical truth, and the edification of the church. They acknowledge the difficulty in discerning between God’s work and human or demonic influence, emphasizing the importance of humility and relational sensitivity—particularly when delivering prophetic words or ministering in difficult situations. 🤲 Deliverance ministry can be intense and even physically uncomfortable but aims to bring freedom: Descriptions of deliverance experiences involving emotional outbursts or physical symptoms like vomiting illustrate the raw, messy reality of spiritual warfare. The emphasis remains on maintaining dignity for the person ministered to and focusing on the liberating power of Jesus rather than sensationalism. This insight invites a biblical, compassionate approach to the spiritual brokenness and healing process. 🧩 Stepping into Spirit-led ministry often feels uncomfortable and requires faith and courage: Both hosts share personal reflections on the discomfort, fear, and risk involved in obeying God’s call to minister in unconventional ways, whether through prophetic words or public ministry. This highlights that discomfort is often a normal part of spiritual growth and obedience, and that moving beyond self-consciousness toward God-consciousness fosters authentic ministry aligned with God’s purposes. Conclusion This episode of Between Heaven and Earth offers a thoughtful, balanced exploration of the complexities surrounding manifestations of the Holy Spirit in contemporary church life. By rooting their conversation in scripture, pastoral experience, and personal honesty, Justin and Amy Howard equip listeners to refine their understanding of Spirit-led ministry—rejecting manic emotionalism and prideful performance, while embracing genuine encounters marked by love, humility, and reverence for Jesus. The discussion encourages believers to foster environments where brokenness meets healing, discomfort births courage, and heaven and earth tangibly intersect in the power of God’s Spirit.

Summary In this episode of Between Heaven and Earth, hosts Justin and Amy Howard explore the complex nature of suffering caused by other people’s sin and how followers of Jesus can engage with it biblically and practically. The discussion distinguishes between forgiveness, healing, and reconciliation—three distinct responses to suffering that often get conflated. Forgiveness is a personal choice to release retribution, healing is a divine work of restoration, and reconciliation requires mutual effort and repentance. They delve into common unhealthy ways people respond to suffering caused by others, such as codependency, where one absorbs harm wrongly, leading to emotional and physical consequences. Instead, they advocate for an “upcycling” approach of handing suffering over to Jesus and partnering with Him in healing, which requires setting healthy boundaries, acknowledging anger, and reframing pain in a Christian spiritual context. The hosts affirm the validity and importance of anger as a divine signal that propels one to action but warn against unresolved resentment and rage, which are harmful and unchristian. Through personal testimony, they illustrate how setting boundaries guided by God’s love can transform difficult relationships. They also introduce the concept of “love covering a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8), emphasizing that love does not ignore sin but chooses relationship and costly engagement nonetheless, modeled on Christ’s sacrificial love. The discussion extends to the mysterious and redemptive nature of “unitive suffering,” where believers share in Christ’s sufferings, deepening intimacy with Him and others. Finally, they offer practical pastoral wisdom: suffering is often mysterious, healing is incremental, humility is crucial when intervening in others’ pain, and prayer should be honest, raw, and persistent—marked by a shameless audacity to bring our suffering to God. The episode encourages listeners to embrace suffering as part of spiritual growth while maintaining hope and trust in divine healing and restoration. Highlights 💡 Forgiveness, healing, and reconciliation are distinct but interconnected responses to suffering caused by others’ sin. 🔥 Anger is a healthy, God-given signal that calls for action and boundary-setting. 🤝 Codependent responses to suffering are harmful; healthy boundaries and handing pain to Jesus are crucial. ❤️ “Love covers a multitude of sins” means choosing relationship despite cost, following Christ’s example. 🌿 Unitive suffering deepens intimacy with Christ by participating in His sufferings. ⏳ Healing often takes time and involves gradual restoration rather than instant relief. 🙏 Honest, persistent prayer with shameless audacity is essential in engaging suffering and receiving God’s guidance. Key Insights 😔 Differentiating Forgiveness, Healing, and Reconciliation: Forgiveness is a voluntary release of personal vengeance; healing is God’s work restoring brokenness; reconciliation requires mutual repentance and rebuilding trust. This clarity prevents common misunderstandings in pastoral care and personal relationships, emphasizing that forgiveness does not necessitate instant reconciliation nor does healing always follow immediately. 🛑 The Danger of Codependency: Absorbing others’ sin and pain as one’s own, often justified as “being holy” or a “good victim,” leads to emotional overload, physical symptoms, and eventual relational explosion. Recognizing codependency allows believers to break cycles of dysfunction by learning to set boundaries and hand over pain to Jesus rather than internalizing it. 😠 Biblical Role of Anger as a Propellant for Action: Anger in Scripture reflects God’s righteousness and motivates necessary action for justice and boundary-setting. Healthy anger is not sinful but is a bodily and spiritual signal that “something is not good.” When properly stewarded, anger leads to constructive responses that defend one’s integrity and relational health. Conversely, unresolved anger breeds resentment (bitterness and desire for revenge) and rage (dehumanizing aggression), both destructive and unbiblical. 💔 Love Covering a Multitude of Sins in Real Relationships: This biblical principle, often misunderstood as ignoring sin, actually reflects costly relational engagement despite ongoing brokenness. It mirrors Christ’s sacrificial love toward imperfect people, meaning Christians are invited to sustain relationships in grace even when it hurts, thereby participating in God’s redemptive work of restoration. 🔄 The Mystery and Participation in Unitive Suffering: Believers are called not only to endure suffering but to participate with Christ in His sufferings, deepening intimacy with Him and transforming suffering into spiritual union. This concept, rooted in Pauline theology and early church teaching, reframes suffering as a sacred fellowship rather than a meaningless burden. It challenges modern cultural avoidance of pain and redefines suffering as formative in sanctification. ⏳ The Gradual Nature of Healing and the Necessity of Patience: Healing is compared to the slow melting of ice—often invisible while in process and only fully felt at the end. This insight counteracts the misconception that spiritual or emotional healing should be immediate and highlights the importance of perseverance, trust, and humility amid ongoing pain. 🙌 Shameless Audacity in Prayer as an Expression of Intimacy: Jesus invites believers to persist boldly in prayer, even to the point of discomfort or audacity, exemplified in the parable of the friend asking for bread at midnight. This teaching encourages approaching God candidly with our suffering, anger, and confusion rather than hiding or minimizing our pain, fostering genuine intimacy with God in the midst of hardship. Conclusion Through integrating theology with practical experience, this episode of Between Heaven and Earth equips listeners to navigate the complexities of suffering caused by others’ sin with biblical wisdom and grace. By distinguishing forgiveness, healing, and reconciliation; embracing righteous anger and healthy boundaries; and entering unitive suffering and audacious prayer, believers are empowered to bring heaven’s restorative kingdom to earth in their relationships and communities. Ultimately, the episode offers hope that suffering, while often mysterious and costly, participates in the transformative journey toward knowing and embodying Christ’s self-giving love.

Summary The podcast episode “Between Heaven and Earth,” hosted by Justin and Amy Howard, delves deeply into the complex and often challenging topic of suffering from a Christian perspective. They position suffering as an inevitable part of living in a broken world that exists in tension between the kingdom of God and earthly realities. The hosts emphasize that suffering is universal—everyone experiences it, either as the sufferer or as one who causes suffering. They explore different types of suffering: suffering caused by the broken world, by our own sin, by others’ sin, and sympathetic suffering, which is sharing in the pain of others, especially in intimacy with Jesus. Justin and Amy articulate that suffering, while painful and difficult to discuss, holds redemptive potential when engaged with God, transforming hearts and producing empathy, compassion, and hope. Their theological framing highlights the promise of the kingdom of God, where suffering and death will ultimately end. However, until that divine restoration occurs, believers must navigate suffering with courage, discernment, and God’s presence. The episode also critically challenges common pitfalls in responding to suffering, such as trying to rationalize or solve all suffering logically (“head responses”) versus attending to the emotional and spiritual realities (“heart responses”). They critique simplistic or harmful Christian responses like blaming the sufferer (exemplified by the friends of Job) or offering superficial platitudes. Instead, the Howards advocate for thoughtful engagement that includes repenting for one’s own sin, practicing authentic forgiveness without rushing reconciliation, and being present without trying to “fix” others’ pain. A significant portion of their discussion focuses on the practical outworking of faith amid suffering—embracing missional living, serving others, praying boldly, and discerning the nature of the suffering in order to respond appropriately. They reject the narrow focus on human justice or equal rights as the ultimate resolution, reminding listeners that the kingdom of God operates on the upside-down principle of servanthood and humility modeled by Jesus. Finally, they give hope that none of our suffering is wasted and invite listeners to bring their pain before God, allowing Him to transform it into growth and deeper fellowship. They preview a follow-up episode that will further explore suffering caused by others and sympathetic suffering, promising a continued journey toward understanding and healing. Highlights 🌍 Suffering is universal and inevitable in a broken world existing between heaven and earth. 💡 Distinguishing types of suffering (worldly, own sin, others’ sin, and sympathetic) helps us respond rightly. ❤️ Redemptive suffering transforms hearts, fostering empathy, hope, and intimacy with Jesus. 🧠 Avoid rigidly intellectualizing suffering; true healing often requires heart-level engagement. 🤝 Forgiveness is distinct from reconciliation; both require patience and God’s grace. 🙌 Kingdom justice is upside down, prioritizing servanthood over equality or human retaliation. 🕊️ Practical response to suffering includes service, intercession, discernment, and courageous trust in God. Key Insights 🌪️ Suffering as a Theological and Existential Reality: The podcast situates suffering as an inescapable aspect of the “veil of tears” in which believers live until the full manifestation of the kingdom of God, where suffering will cease. This theological framing helps listeners understand suffering as both a present challenge and a future hope, preventing despair while encouraging perseverance. 🕵️‍♂️ Necessity of Suffering Discernment: The Howards emphasize discerning the origin of suffering—whether it stems from the fallen world, personal sin, others’ sin, or empathetic sharing—as a crucial step in how one responds. This insight encourages a nuanced approach that avoids one-size-fits-all solutions, instead promoting wisdom and spiritual sensitivity. 💔 The Danger of “Head-Only” Responses: The temptation to “solve suffering” intellectually or to blame the sufferer is critiqued using the example of Job’s friends. Head-only responses often fail to address the deep emotional and spiritual wounds that suffering causes. This combats unhealthy Christian rhetoric that oversimplifies suffering or equates faith with immediate healing. 🤗 Redemptive Suffering as Soul-Making: Rather than suffering merely being something to endure or escape, the podcast highlights its potential to produce spiritual growth, obedience, compassion, and Christlikeness through engagement with God. This adds a transformative, hopeful dimension to Christian suffering, encouraging listeners to bring their pain to God rather than hide or deny it. 🛑 Forgiveness Doesn’t Equal Reconciliation: Forgiveness is a personal, unilateral action handing over injustice to God, while reconciliation is a mutual, relational process requiring time, trust, and healing. This distinction is crucial to prevent pushing victims into premature reconciliation, which can re-traumatize or hinder genuine healing. 🤲 Servanthood Over Equality in Kingdom Justice: The podcast critiques the cultural fixation on equality as the ultimate justice goal, contrasting it with the kingdom’s upside-down values where humility and servanthood lead. This counters simplistic socio-political narratives and invites Christians to embody kingdom values even amid social injustice. 🙏 Practical Christian Response Involves Service and Intercession: The Howards emphasize that living missionally by serving others’ practical needs (Matthew 25), alongside bold intercessory prayer, is a key way to respond to suffering. This practical call moves beyond abstract theology to incarnational action that expresses the kingdom of God in tangible ways. Overall, this episode offers a richly textured theological, pastoral, and practical approach to suffering. It invites listeners into a mature Christian engagement with pain—one that acknowledges complexity, resists easy answers, fosters compassion, and points ultimately toward hope in God’s redemptive work. The integration of biblical stories, personal testimony, and theology creates a solid foundation for anyone wrestling with suffering either personally or in ministry.

Summary The podcast episode from Between Heaven and Earth features hosts Justin and Amy Howard interviewing Pastor Shea Fitzgibbons from Bethany Church, New Hampshire, about the transformative impact of Encounter Culture Mission Collaborative (ECMC) on his ministry and congregation. Pastor Shea shares his personal journey to pastoral ministry, highlighting the deep challenges of pastoral life, including stress, loneliness, and burnout. He emphasizes the critical need for holistic discipleship that addresses emotional, spiritual, and physical healing while fostering authentic community within the church. Shea describes his introduction to ECMC events like Encounter God weekends, Encounter Equip trainings, and Encounter Life cohorts, and how these have reshaped his perspective on prayer ministry and healing in a practical, non-weird way suited to his culturally reserved church context. The interview explores common pastoral and congregational concerns around charismatic expressions and the balance of spiritual openness with structure and respect. Shea reveals how these programs promote genuine healing, transparency, and community through practices like confession, prayer ministry, and mutual support. He shares encouraging stories of congregants empowered to bring healing prayer into everyday life and evangelism without formulaic approaches. The episode also addresses broader cultural and spiritual struggles in churches that reflect the brokenness of society, such as addiction, loneliness, and complacency. The hosts and Pastor Shea urge church leaders and followers to pursue authentic encounters with God’s love and healing power that extend beyond information to embodied transformation and mission. The conversation closes with a hopeful call for churches to foster honest, healing environments where people can bring their pain openly and experience the power of community and the Spirit. The interview highlights ECMC’s role in equipping ordinary believers for ministry and prayer that bridges heaven and earth with practical love and restoration. Highlights 🙏 Pastor Shea’s journey from engineer to pastor embodies God’s gentle, persistent call to ministry. 💡 ECMC’s holistic discipleship fosters healing that touches the whole person—not just behavior change. 🤝 The importance of authentic community in church for overcoming loneliness and isolation. 🔥 Training in “non-weird” prayer ministry unlocks healing and evangelism accessible to reserved church cultures. 🌿 Encounter Life cohorts support ongoing healing and relational growth beyond weekend events. 💬 Authentic vulnerability and confession in community radically transform church culture and individual healing. 🌍 Healing prayer ministry serves as a natural bridge between meeting practical needs and sharing the gospel. Key Insights 🙌 Ministry is hard and often isolating, but shared community and honest confession offer needed relief: Pastor Shea candidly discusses the loneliness and stress common among pastors, emphasizing the value of trusted peer groups and prayer teams for mutual support and resilience. This counters the damaging expectation that pastors must always “have it together,” highlighting the importance of vulnerability. ✨ Encounter Culture offers a fresh model of discipleship centered on experiential healing rather than solely informational teaching: Traditional discipleship often relies on knowledge acquisition, but ECMC prioritizes encounters with God’s love that heal deep wounds—physical, emotional, and spiritual—enabling transformation rather than mere behavior modification. This approach better addresses the root causes of struggle and sin in people’s lives. 🔄 Prayer ministry training grounded in relational authenticity and practical technique eases fears of ‘weirdness’ in more reserved church cultures: Many evangelical and conservative congregations worry about charismatic expression disrupting order or alienating attendees. ECMC’s “non-weird” prayer training provides safe, reproducible practices for prayer ministry that empower laypeople to minister healing in ways respectful of their cultural context. 💞 Church culture that invites honesty about sin and brokenness profoundly shifts congregational health: By modeling confession and mutual intercession, churches dismantle the damaging “sin management” mentality that leads to shame and isolation. Instead, a culture of grace strengthens the body as a whole and demonstrates the power of Jesus to heal ongoing struggles transparently. 🌱 Ongoing ministry through groups like Encounter Life sustains growth and deepens community beyond weekend experiences: The 12-week cohorts create safe spaces where people can progress through healing at a realistic pace, holding one another accountable with emotional, spiritual, and relational support—essential for lasting change. 👣 Healing prayer ministry naturally connects evangelism with care, making gospel conversations less forced and more organic: Instead of rehearsed presentations, trained prayer ministers spontaneously meet hurting people’s needs, inviting them to Jesus through demonstrated love and power. This approach aligns well with cultural skepticism toward formulaic evangelism strategies. 🌎 The New England church context challenges the church to embrace authentic spirituality over cultural religiosity: Pastor Shea highlights New Englanders’ preference for genuine, tested faith over superficial religious trends. This regional mindset offers a fertile ground for authentic discipleship and spiritual renewal if ministries are willing to prioritize honesty and practical ministry rooted in real-life experience. This episode underlines the urgent need for churches to shift from surface-level discipleship and disconnected ministry toward embracing holistic healing, authentic community, and Spirit-led prayer ministries. ECMC’s resources and model serve as exemplars for building vibrant churches where heaven and earth converge in healing and mission.

Summary In today's episode of “Between Heaven and Earth,” hosted by Justin and Amy, they explore the crucial yet challenging subject of physical healing within Christian faith, especially as practiced and understood in Western evangelical contexts. The hosts aim to provide listeners with a deeper vision of physical healing, moving beyond mere theoretical acceptance to functional, faith-driven practice that aligns with Jesus’ example. The discussion emphasizes that physical healing was a priority in Jesus’ life and ministry, and thus it should be for believers today. However, many Christians struggle to fully embrace supernatural healing due to intellectualism, theological misunderstandings, and cultural influences like Gnosticism—a worldview that devalues the material and physical in favor of the spiritual, often leading to complex issues around gender and the body. The podcast critiques the prevalent Western Christian tendency to emphasize intellectual knowledge over experiential obedience and faith, which can hinder the practice of healing ministries. It also challenges cessationist views that suggest miraculous gifts, including healing, are no longer necessary in the present age, pointing out the ongoing presence of sickness and suffering as evidence to the contrary. An important theological underpinning for healing is the incarnation of Jesus Christ, whose physical resurrection affirms the intrinsic goodness and eternal significance of the human body and physical matter. The hosts also address Gnosticism's pervasive cultural and church influence, linking it to contemporary debates on gender and sexuality, specifically how separating “gender” from “sex” has led to confusion, brokenness, and an erosion of biblical anthropology. They argue for a balanced worldview that embraces the physical body as good and meaningful rather than evil or merely a prison for the spirit. Practical steps toward healing include renouncing lies about the body, forgiving oneself and others for past hurts, and actively engaging in prayer and community support. The episode closes with encouragement to embrace a holistic, embodied Christian spirituality that brings heaven and earth together through faith in God’s healing power. Highlights ✨ Healing is a priority for Jesus and should be for His followers too. 🧠 Western Christianity often emphasizes intellect over obedient, faith-filled action. 🔥 Physical healing requires more than theoretical belief—it demands experiential faith. 💔 Gnosticism, which devalues the physical, deeply influences both culture and church, especially around gender and sexuality. 💪 True healing starts with renouncing lies about the body and embracing God’s goodness in matter. 🙏 Healing involves practical faith steps: forgiveness, prayer, community, and openness to the Spirit. 🌟 Jesus’ incarnation and resurrection affirm the eternal value of the physical body and matter. Key Insights ✝️ Jesus’ Example Validates Physical Healing as Kingdom Priority: The podcast highlights how Jesus’ life and ministry, heavily marked by physical healing and deliverance, showcase God’s intention for healing as central to the kingdom. If healing mattered to Jesus, it must matter to His followers, as obedience to God means living like Jesus did. This underscores a practical, embodied faith rather than a detached intellectual assent. Many Christians intellectually affirm healing but fail to engage it functionally in the church or personal prayer life. 🧠 Intellectualism as a Barrier to Healing Faith: Western evangelicalism’s strong emphasis on theology, doctrine, and rational study often leads to “theoretical charismaticism,” where believers hold to charismatic doctrines but do not actively practice healing or supernatural gifts. This intellectual dominance fosters paralysis in obedience, where knowledge replaces action and interaction with God’s power. The hosts call for a balance that nurtures both sound theology and courageous faith-in-action. 💔 Gnosticism’s Ongoing Influence Shapes Negative Views of the Body: Gnosticism, a heresy rooted in Platonic dualism, separates spirit and matter, elevating the spiritual as “more real” and disparaging the physical as evil or meaningless. The podcast traces how this worldview infiltrates modern church culture, contributing to confusion over gender and sexuality, particularly the division between “gender” (internal, spiritual) and “sex” (physical body). This theological error fuels cultural issues such as transgender ideology and other distortions and diminishes the biblical affirmation of creation’s goodness. 🙌 Incarnation as the Ultimate Affirmation of Matter’s Goodness: Jesus’ historic incarnation—born fully human and bodily resurrected—definitively affirms that God cares deeply about physical matter and the body. Jesus’ resurrection body and promised resurrection for believers guarantee that matter is not irrelevant or evil but part of God’s eternal plan. This theology forms a foundational basis for Christian belief in physical healing and the ultimate restoration of all creation. 🦋 Practical Steps Toward Healing are Spiritual and Relational: Healing involves renouncing lies about the body (e.g., it’s useless, dangerous, or shameful), forgiving oneself and others for abuses or neglect, and embracing God’s love and healing power through prayer and community support. The hosts emphasize that healing is often a process requiring vulnerability, faith, and communal participation, including receiving prayer, laying on of hands, and anointing with oil. 💡 Healing is Part of Integrating Heaven and Earth: The podcast frames healing as a priestly act of bringing heaven and earth together, repairing the brokenness where God’s kingdom intersects with the present age. It urges Christians to move beyond disappointment and passivity towards hopeful, active participation in God’s restoration work, trusting in the Spirit to teach how to love what Jesus loves—including our bodies and the physical world. Conclusion Between Heaven and Earth offers a deeply biblically rooted and pastoral reflection on physical healing that challenges the Western church’s intellectualized Christianity and cultural compromises. It calls for renewed faith in God’s healing power, a rediscovery of the goodness of the physical body, and an embodied discipleship modeled on Jesus’ healing ministry. The podcast underscores the ongoing relevance of supernatural gifts and healing, the necessity of forgiving and correcting faulty beliefs, and the importance of living faith that unites spiritual truths with tangible reality. It challenges listeners to courageously join Jesus in His great project of healing, restoration, and bringing heaven and earth together.

Summary In this episode of “Between Heaven and Earth,” hosts Justin and Amy Howard dive deep into the theme of healing the disconnect often experienced between intellectual beliefs and emotional truth—specifically, between one’s head and heart. The discussion centers on the premise that followers of Jesus may often know theological truths but struggle to embody those truths emotionally. Justin and Amy interactively explore this disconnect and frame it as the “head-heart difference,” using personal anecdotes and theological insights. They emphasize the importance of recognizing blocks that hinder spiritual emotional growth and healing, including bad information (misconceptions about God), traumatic experiences that have not been processed, and mal-formed emotional connections. The episode aims to empower listeners to embrace their healing journey, invite God into their emotional struggles, and potentially facilitate healing not only for themselves but also for others. Inviting Jesus, or the concept of love, into painful memories is vital for healing. This approach helps to create a deep emotional bond that acknowledges one’s suffering while offering profound healing.   Call to action: Listeners are invited to engage their stories, seek healing counsel, coaching, or spiritual direction through OneLife Group, and participate in upcoming Encounter Culture events designed to support their spiritual and emotional growth.

Summary In today's episode of “Between Heaven and Earth,” we delve into the debate of oppression vs. possession. Key questions raise the issue of whether Christians can be afflicted by demons, exploring biblical theology and the early church’s views on deliverance. Justin and Amy draw upon personal experiences and scriptural references to argue that while believers are secure in Christ, they are still susceptible to spiritual influences and must actively engage in spiritual disciplines for healing and renewal. The episode promotes a vision of empowering individuals within communities to participate in God’s mission of restoration and healing, emphasizing the need for ongoing discipleship that includes healing and deliverance. Key Insights 📚 Listeners are directed toward foundational resources for learning about deliverance, such as Neal Lozano’s book “Unbound.” 🗝️ Affliction in Faith: It is argued that although Christians are protected in their relationship with Jesus, they can still experience spiritual affliction similar to how they can sin or encounter physical illness. This understanding is essential for approaching healing in a Christian context, focusing on the reality of ongoing spiritual warfare even among believers. 🤔 Biblical Misinterpretation: Many biblical passages are often cited to support the belief that Christians cannot be demonized. The hosts invite listeners to consider that the context of these scriptures may not outright dismiss the possibility of demonic interaction but rather provide a call to vigilance and active engagement in spiritual disciplines. 🏛️ Historical Context of Deliverance: The podcast draws attention to the practices of the early church regarding deliverance, revealing a time when new converts underwent thorough preparation for baptism, including exorcisms and teaching on the kingdom, emphasizing the ongoing need for deliverance. ⚖️ Possession vs. Oppression: Justin and Amy explore the idea that the terms “possession” and “oppression” may not fully encapsulate the spiritual realities faced by believers. They suggest there’s a spectrum of influence, where individuals may experience varying degrees of demonic influence that affect their spiritual agency and decision-making. 🌍 Valuing Community in Healing: The hosts stress the importance of community in the healing process, not only for accountability but also as a means to love and be loved. They emphasize that true discipleship and healing can’t be achieved in isolation, echoing the biblical call for the body of Christ to coalesce around one another to share in the Divine Life. 💼 Curating Discipleship Models: There’s a critique of modern discipleship models that often overlook the importance of addressing demonic influence and healing in the life of a believer. Instead of solely focusing on theological understanding, the podcast advocates for equipping believers to engage meaningfully in the practice of deliverance as part of their journey of sanctification. 🧠 The Necessity of Therapy and Deliverance: The conversation acknowledges that trauma and emotional wounds often intertwine with demonic influence. This highlights the necessity of integrating spiritual healing practices that address both psychological and spiritual aspects, validating a holistic approach to healing.

Summary “Between Heaven and Earth,” hosted by Justin and Amy Howard, dives into the complex discussions surrounding generational sin and curses, aiming to equip listeners with the understanding needed to navigate these themes Biblically. In their latest episode, they explore the Old and New Testament contexts for generational curses, how these can manifest psychologically and spiritually, and their impact on future generations. The hosts distinguish between biblical references to curses and discuss patterns observed through modern science, notably epigenetics. They emphasize that while individuals are not held accountable for their ancestors’ sins, they do experience the consequences and are called to address and break these patterns in the power of the Holy Spirit. Throughout the episode, Justin and Amy offer listeners practical steps, such as creating a genogram, to identify and confront generational issues, facilitate healing, and cultivate freedom through prayer and community support. Key Insights 🌱 Epigenetics and Spiritual Sickness: The discussion focuses on the interaction between external stressors (like trauma and sin) and their biological effects, outlining how generational pain can manifest in future generations. This scientific evidence highlights how patterns of behavior and trauma can biologically affect families beyond mere hereditary factors, creating a link between physical health and spiritual brokenness that resonates with biblical teachings. 🔄 Breaking Generational Patterns: A key point made is that individuals can identify and break free from generational curses, affirming the belief that while they are not guilty of ancestral sins, they are responsible for addressing their consequences. This involves active participation in healing and restoration, emphasizing one’s authority in Christ to identify and renounce the power and effects of sin. 🕊️ The Role of Community: The hosts stress the importance of community in the healing journey, suggesting that support from others who have walked similar paths is invaluable. This communal aspect reflects both a biblical principle and practical wisdom, inviting listeners to engage with others in recovery and growth. ⚖️ Understanding God’s Nature: Listeners are prompted to view curses not as expressions of divine wrath but rather as reflections of the consequences of covenant-breaking, and resultant alienation, as outlined in scripture. This perspective emphasizes God’s fundamental character as loving and redemptive rather than punitive. ✝️ Salvation and Continuous Healing: The conversation distinguishes the initial conversion experience (being made righteous) from the ongoing process of sanctification (the journey to wholeness). Salvation doesn’t lead to instant freedom from all past issues; rather, believers are to continuously seek transformation and healing - this is intimacy, real communion with God. 📈 Practical Steps for Freedom: The episode provides tangible steps, such as creating a genogram, to help individuals understand familial patterns of sin and trauma. This method encourages self-reflection and reinforces the importance of recognizing inherited issues that may affect one’s current life. 🔮 Expecting the Unexpected: The hosts emphasize that healing from generational curses is complex and may not follow a predictable path. This unpredictability invites practitioners to remain open to diverse experiences and approaches, trusting the Holy Spirit to guide them through moments of discernment and deliverance. Overall, the episode is a robust guide for individuals seeking to understand and combat generational curses while firmly rooted in scripture, science, and community support. The Howards’ compassionate and knowledgeable approach encourages listeners to actively engage with their faith, pursue freedom, and bring restoration to their families. Genogram Worksheet - Christian Healing Ministries To work through your genogram and find freedom, work with a trained OneLife Spiritual Director

Summary Today's episode of “Between Heaven and Earth,” hosted by Justin and Amy Howard, is dedicated to exploring the intersection of spiritual healing and community engagement from a Christian perspective. The hosts, who lead a mission agency in New England, aim to empower listeners to understand their role in bringing the spiritual kingdom into the physical world, promoting healing and restoration in everyday life. The current series delves deeply into the concepts of inner healing and deliverance, explaining the foundational ideas of their ministry, including the ‘Kingdom Prayer Ministry training manual’ authored by Amy Howard. The podcast emphasizes the importance of holistic healing that encompasses not just the mind but also the heart and body, recognizing the emotional and physical narratives carried within individuals. Practical initiatives—such as Encounter Weekends and Encounter Life cohorts—are also highlighted as methods for individuals to engage in deeper healing processes. The hosts tackle common misconceptions surrounding inner healing and its proximity to New Age practices, defending its biblical foundations and the significance of understanding how trauma affects faith. Through a blend of personal anecdotes, theological insights, and practical advice, the Howard’s aim to equip listeners with tools for spiritual growth and community connection. Highlights 🎙️ The podcast hosts explore the role of ordinary believers in God’s restoration project. 🤝 Discusses Encounter Culture Mission Collaborative’s initiatives like Encounter Weekends and Encounter Life. 🧠 Emphasizes the importance of holistic healing that involves the heart and body, not just the mind. 💬 Provides a defense of inner healing against common misconceptions and New Age affiliations. 💡 Shares practical frameworks, such as the ‘Four R’s’ (Repent, Renounce, Release, Receive) for spiritual growth. 🚀 Highlights the significance of engaging the imagination in prayer and spiritual healing. 📖 Discusses the biblical foundations for inner healing and its necessity for overcoming personal trauma. Key Insights 🌌 Intersection of Healing and Community: The podcast highlights how followers of Christ are called to participate actively in the healing of others, emphasizing that bringing heaven and earth together is not just a spiritual endeavor but deeply interconnected with family and community life. The emphasis on community supports the idea that healing happens within the context of relationships. 👩‍⚕️ Holistic Healing Approach: There’s a growing recognition that healing should address not only the intellectual (mind) aspects of faith but must also engage emotions (heart) and the physical body (strength). The hosts cite contemporary research, such as that by Bessel van der Kolk, demonstrating how trauma is not just a mental event but is stored in the body, urging a more comprehensive understanding of healing. ✝️ Biblical Basis of Inner Healing: The podcast asserts that inner healing isn’t antithetical to Christian faith and references biblical scripture to support its practices. This approach counters skepticism about inner healing and reaffirms its validity through examples such as scriptural grounding found in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, emphasizing the need to dismantle harmful beliefs and experiences with God’s truth. 🧩 The Importance of Imagination in Prayer: The hosts introduce the concept of “imaging prayer,” emphasizing that engaging the imagination can be a powerful tool for healing. The practice involves visualizing personal traumas in the presence of Jesus, allowing individuals to release pain and receive healing in ways that traditional prayer may not sufficiently address. This creative approach reinforces the idea that God can meet us in our imagined realities. 🌍 Cultural Sensitivities and Misunderstandings: Misconceptions about inner healing are discussed, mainly the fear that it resembles New Age practices. The hosts draw distinctions between practices that are inherently good and those that may need to be discarded for their incompatibility with Christian beliefs, thus leading to constructive conversations about integrating modern psychological insights with faith. 🤲 Spiritual Agency and Healing: They underline that spiritual healing is an active choice; individuals need to renounce negative labels and experiences, reflecting a deep understanding of one’s agency during the healing process. This agency emphasizes that God comes through the gate of consent and that one must choose to release their burdens to Him, nurturing a more engaged faith. ⚔️ Addressing Strongholds: The discussion introduces the concept of spiritual strongholds, noting how past traumas create barriers that prevent individuals from experiencing God fully. This point emphasizes a need for inner healing where these strongholds are addressed not only through prayer but via communal support, creating an environment for transformation. Overall, the podcast creates an enlightening discourse on how everyday believers can engage with deeper facets of their faith through healing practices that intertwine psychological understanding and spiritual truths. By tapping into both community and personal stories, the hosts provide a rich tapestry of ideas that motivate listeners to confront their pain and seek wholeness in their spiritual journeys.

Summary In this episode of “Between Heaven and Earth,” hosts Justin and Amy Howard embark on an exploration of the scriptural foundations for healing and deliverance, focusing particularly on the concept of the “priesthood of all believers.” They delve into how this identity has shaped Christian understanding and practice from the time of Adam and Eve through the Reformation and into contemporary life. The discussion highlights God’s original intention for humanity to serve as priests who mediate between heaven and earth, ultimately discussing how this theme reemerges with Jesus and carries forth through the Apostolic church, encouraging listeners to embrace their roles in bringing God’s kingdom into their various spheres of influence. The episode emphasizes the importance of understanding one’s identity in Christ to effectively participate in God’s mission of restoration. Highlights 🌟 Hosts’ Background: Justin and Amy Howard discuss their roles as church planters, parents, and mission leaders in New England, emphasizing community engagement. 📖 Identity as Priests: The episode highlights the transformative nature of understanding believers as priests, integral to fulfilling God’s purpose on earth. 🔥 Healing and Deliverance Ministry: The Howards stress the connection between one’s identity and the practice of healing and deliverance, suggesting it flows from understanding who we are in Christ. 🔄 Old Testament Foundations: The hosts draw parallels between the calling of Adam and Eve as the first priests and the establishment of the Levitical priesthood in Exodus, highlighting humanity’s inherent priestly roles. ✨ Transformation Through Jesus: Discussion centers on how Jesus redefined the priestly function, making holiness contagious and empowering ordinary people to act as agents of healing and reconciliation. 🙏 Active Participation: The hosts encourage listeners to actively engage with their communities, bringing the healing power of Jesus through prayer, service, and shared faith. 🌍 Global Movement: They highlight the contemporary movements led by ordinary believers to spread the Gospel and establish communities that reflect God’s kingdom on earth. Key Insights 🌱 Fundamental Human Roles: The foundational understanding of humanity as priests in the Garden of Eden establishes the telos (ultimate purpose) of being in continuous communion with God. Adam and Eve’s role in tending creation illustrates humanity’s calling to govern and sustain the world in alignment with divine order. 💡 Reformation’s Impact on Believers: Martin Luther’s assertion on the “priesthood of all believers” revolutionized Christian thought, emphasizing that every follower of Christ holds the potential to mediate God’s presence, moving away from a strictly professional clergy and allowing grassroots ministries to flourish. ⚡ Cleansing and Authority: The historical responsibilities of the priests—as seen in the Old Testament—reveal that they not only facilitated sacrifices for atonement but also diagnosed spiritual and physical ailments, showing that understanding the source of suffering is crucial to healing. 🔥 Jesus as the Great High Priest: The understanding of Jesus as the great high priest reshapes the nature of priesthood, illustrating how His holiness and authority to heal are now accessible to all believers, who are tasked to continue His mission in their lives. 🌍 Ongoing Mission of Restoration: The mission of restoration is not limited to a select few; it is a collective endeavor where every believer actively participates in mending relationships, advocating healing, and demonstrating God’s love in everyday interactions. 🌊 Transformative Community Building: The podcast stresses the emerging trend where ordinary believers are planting churches and creating communities where the principles of healing, love, and restoration are enacted, countering the thirst for professional-led ministries. 📣 Direction for Contemporary Believers: The Howards challenge listeners to engage effectively in their realms of influence, asserting that understanding one’s identity as a priest enables proactive involvement in bringing heaven and earth together in their day-to-day lives. Overall, this episode emphasizes the significant and accessible role that all believers play in God’s grand narrative, calling them to live out their identities as priests to bring healing and restoration to a world in need. The conversation weaves biblical theology with practical application, encouraging a transformative lifestyle rooted in Christ’s example and empowerment through the Holy Spirit.

Summary:  In this episode of "Between Heaven & Earth,” hosts Justin and Amy Howard discuss the essential role of the priesthood in the spiritual journey of believers, framing their conversation through a biblical lens. As they navigate topics such as the priesthood’s historical context, the relationship between sin and contagion, and the implications of Jesus as the ultimate high priest, they aim to illuminate how followers of Jesus today can embody these principles in their own lives. The Howards explore the challenges of communicating spiritual health in a broken world and advocate for active participation in community confession and healing. Employing a practical model called the Four R’s—Repent, Renounce, Release, and Receive—they provide listeners with actionable steps to engage in directed confession, thereby fostering a vibrant Christian community where believers can support and nurture one another emotionally and spiritually.   Highlights  Hosts Justin and Amy Howard explore the significance of the modern priesthood and its foundations.  The podcast serves to empower listeners to cultivate their spiritual understanding amidst societal challenges.  The Four R’s of directed confession: Repent, Renounce, Release, and Receive, are proposed as tools for believers.  The concept of holiness and contagion is critical in understanding the role of priests from biblical times to today.  Jesus is presented as the ultimate High Priest, breaking the barriers of shame and sin for all believers.  Discussion includes the necessity of community and vulnerability for true healing in Christian life.  The hosts emphasize the priesthood of all believers and the call to practice this ministry in everyday relationships. Key Insights  Historical Context of Priesthood: The origins of the priesthood in the Bible serve a dual role: enabling communion with a holy God and facilitating a healthy community. The Levites were tasked with ensuring the land was a habitable space for God’s presence by managing sin and preparing the people spiritually to engage with divinity. This historical lens underlines the ongoing relevance of priestly functions today, as they lay the groundwork for understanding the dynamic between humanity and holiness.  Sin as Contagion: The discussion centers on the metaphor of sin as contagion, indicating how unaddressed spiritual sickness can affect the collective moral and emotional landscape. The priestly role historically included diagnosing and addressing these issues within the community, highlighting the contemporary need for communal accountability and active engagement in nurturing one another’s spiritual health.  Jesus as High Priest: Unlike ancient priests who were made unclean through contact with sin and death, Jesus embodies a new paradigm where His holiness is contagious and transformative. This transition emphasizes that believers can now approach God without fear, enhancing the understanding of direct engagement with the divine in personal and communal practices.  Empowerment through Community Confession: The podcast advocates for community confession to break the cycle of isolation and shame. It emphasizes that believers can support each other through confession and shared vulnerability, ultimately moving toward healing and restoration. This communal aspect of confession is crucial for overcoming feelings of alienation that arise from sin.  The Four R’s model: Repent, Renounce, Release, and Receive function as practical steps for directed confession. This model is framed not as a mere formula but as an invitation to personally engage with God’s Grace, transforming remorse into tangible actions that promote spiritual growth and healing.  The Nature of Spiritual Growth: The podcast encourages patience in spiritual development, portraying sanctification as a journey rather than a destination. Engaging in community confession, guided by the Four R’s, shows that spiritual maturity is a shared experience requiring humility, openness, and grace from one another.  Application Beyond the Individual: The implications of engaging in priestly ministry extend beyond individual practices to foster a healthier church culture. The conversation underscores the call for all believers to actively participate in the process of healing and restoration, reinforcing the idea that spiritual health is communal and interdependent. As believers, they are collectively responsible for embodying the priesthood role within their communities. Through lively dialogue and thoughtful insights, Justin and Amy Howard’s podcast encourages listeners to embrace their identities as modern-day priests, actively participating in the work of God’s kingdom on earth. They advocate for vulnerability, compassion, and practical tools that empower individuals to navigate the complexities of faith and community in the contemporary world.   For more info on the expansion of the early church through exorcism and healing read: "The Rise of Christianity," by Rodney Stark "The Patient Ferment of the Early Church," by Alan Kreider "The Deepest Place," by Curt Thompson    

Summary In this episode of “Between Heaven and Earth,” hosts Justin and Amy Howard, a married couple and parents to six sons, explore the themes of priesthood and spiritual duties as followers of Jesus. They emphasize the ongoing work of restoring communities to bring heaven and earth together, suggesting that listeners engage deeply with the work of God in their lives. The episode introduces the concept of "directed confession,” a vital tool for spiritual and emotional maturity. It explains how confessing one’s sins should not be a solitary act but part of a community process where believers support each other in identifying the roots of their sin and pain. The Howards advocate for a model of confession that fosters spiritual growth and community involvement. Eventually, they unpack the “Four R’s” of directed confession (Repent, Renounce, Release, Receive), emphasizing that healing and transformation come from recognizing sin, taking action through the power of community, and accepting God’s grace and healing. They encourage the practice of directed confession among families and in church communities as a means to break the cycle of shame and foster a culture of support and understanding. Highlights 🎙️ The hosts, Justin and Amy Howard, inspire listeners to understand the role of priesthood in their lives as they pursue spiritual growth. 💬 The concept of “directed confession” is introduced as a communal tool for addressing sin and shame, rather than an isolated experience. ✝️ Emphasis on the significance of understanding the spiritual duties of priests and how that relates to modern believers. 🌱 The Four R’s of directed confession – Repent, Renounce, Release, Receive – serve as practical steps for spiritual and emotional healing. 🙏 The importance of community support in confession to combat feelings of alienation and shame. 📚 The podcast calls for a re-evaluation of how churches and leaders teach and practice confession, ensuring tools for healing are accessible and understood. 🌟 Encouraging a shift from a culture of “superstar ministry” to one of shared vulnerability and communal growth in faith. Key Insights 🤝 The Role of Community in Spiritual Healing: Justin and Amy argue that the healing process must happen within a community context where individuals can be seen and supported. By fostering openness, believers can break free from the isolation that sin and shame often perpetuate. 🔄 Four R’s Framework: The framework of Repent, Renounce, Release, and Receive empowers individuals to articulate their struggles, take decisive spiritual actions, and ultimately receive the healing that comes from God. This structured approach encourages believers to engage thoughtfully in their spiritual lives. ⚖️ The Nature of the Priesthood: The concept of priesthood in the modern era transcends traditional roles; every believer participates in a priestly calling, enabling them to mediate and facilitate relational healing among others. 🚨 The Contagion of Holiness and Sin: The hosts discuss the dangerous nature of sin and holiness, where the consequences of God’s holiness were severe, unlike the contagion that occurs today. Jesus’ perfect priesthood redefines this dynamic, allowing believers to access God’s holiness without fear. 🌍 Restoration as a Collective Mission: The mission of bringing heaven and earth together reflects a collective responsibility among believers. By working together and supporting one

The Kingdom of God is here, and "the Gospel" refers to the good news of this Kingdom—the message that God is making the wrong things right through the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth - critically observed through his ministry of healing and deliverance. While Jesus often spoke about the Kingdom, it rarely makes the top ten of favorite preaching topics in most churches. Why is that? And why is it essential to prioritize the Gospel of the Kingdom as we strive to make disciples? Join us for our inaugural episode to explore these questions and empower you to embody the Kingdom of God. Sign up for an event or bring Encounter to your church: www.encounterculturene.com Purchase Amy's book: Kingdom Ministry Training Manual Further Resources discussed: A Theology of the New Testament, by George Ladd The Gospel of the Kingdom: Scriptural Studies in the Kingdom of God