Church Without Walls - Emmaus Road

Have you heard someone say, "Well, Jesus is still on the throne," when there is tragedy or struggle, or suffering? What do they mean? Is it true? Does it feel true? If it is true, what does it mean? Join me in my conversation with Jesus as our guest this week as we explore what it may and may not mean that Jesus is still on the throne.This podcast is only made possible by support from listeners. If you'd like to partner with me in this way, you can go to https://app.aplos.com/aws/give/wwwinfocusministriesorg_/ChurchWithoutWallsAll donations are tax-deductible. Thank you!

You are invited into this wonderful conversation with my friend and spiritual director, Larry Spousta, as he talks about the biblical idea of different baptisms and what he calls an "intimacy language." If you are longing for more, Larry is a great guide. Let's explore.

As we continue to explore the terrain of North American Christianity, including Christian Nationalism, one of the questions that has come up for me is what to do with Romans 13 regarding how we are to relate to governing authority, especially authority that we disagree with. How are we to understand this?

If you and Jesus walked into a room full of people, how would he introduce you? Are we able to believe and receive the goodness of what Jesus would say? I'd like to introduce you to my new friend, Tyson Bradley, as we explore some of this identity work of the Holy Spirit. On our way to hearing what God wants to say to us about who He has made us to be in the world, we will also explore some prayerful grounding exercises that can help us be more present to God and our own selves as we seek to give God our attention in prayer. Let's explore.

As we continue our exploration of Christian Nationalism, I believe what lies at the heart of it is an idolatry of nation. Yet, in the process of digging into that, we will uncover our own idolatries. Where are you feeling fear these days? Or anger? What feels threatened? It may be that there is an idol hidden in the basement of our hearts.

We are doing a deep dive into the Scriptures with Bob Ekblad as we cover a lot of biblical terrain regarding what are called "powers and principalities." The path leads us to some key scriptures where Paul describes idolatry as serving the creature instead of the Creator and Jesus saying we cannot serve two masters. As we discern how we are to respond to powers and principalities, the first step for all of us must be to renounce the idolatry of nationalism. Unless we break with our brand of nationalism and are born from above, we will not see the kingdom of God, but will only see our particular nationalistic ideas of what kingdom looks like. Let's explore!

I am finding that my spiritual life is taking more time and intention these days. As I wrestle with what is going on in the world around me and not living from a place of constant reactivity, I hear Jesus calling me to set my mind on things above where He is seated at the right hand of God. And to not set my mind on things on the earth. How do we do this without just burying our heads in the spiritual sand? Let's explore.

Join me with Dr. Paul Olver, the Director of Operations for Impact Latin America as he shares about what the Holy Spirit is doing in Latin America and we reflect on our recent trip to Uruguay.

As we continue to discern whether the prophetic voices promoting Christian Nationalism are speaking God's heart and God's kingdom priorities, it is important to take a look at what the prophets were doing and saying in the Bible. We don't have to look very far to see that they were not political "yes-men" but regularly challenged religious and political leadership for their idolatry and neglect of the poor. What can that tell us about what we are seeing in Christian Nationalism? Let's take a look.On a separate note, if you are interested in registering for the upcoming Dunamis Essentials #4: The Healing Ministry of Jesus, you can go here. https://www.prmi.org/event/dunamis-essentials-4-the-healing-ministry-of-jesus-online-2025/If you have any issues in getting registered, contact our registrar, Al Kester, at organickester@gmail.com 

I want to continue a conversation about something heavy on my heart concerning the need for greater discernment in the prophetic movement in the United States. My concern is that Christian Nationalism and the way it is being validated and promoted by the prophetic culture portray a twisted misrepresentation of Jesus and the kingdom of God and use the gifts of the Holy Spirit to do it. How are we to discern what is from the Holy Spirit in these confusing times?

When the Apostle Paul talks about the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12, he distinguishes the gift of healing from the gift of miracles. In other places we read phrases that include "signs and wonders." What is Paul or Jesus talking about, where do we see those happening today and what is God doing through them? Join me with my friend, pastor Rich DeRuiter, as we talk about healing, miracles (signs that make you wonder) and why the gathering of God's people helps to bring a completeness to the works of the Holy Spirit.

With the New Year, we are revisiting some teaching from almost two years ago on the importance of discernment when we are listening for God's voice. Jesus tells us that he is the good shepherd and his sheep hear his voice, and he also warns us that there are other voices - the stranger, the robber, and the thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Let's explore how to recognize God's voice amid all the clutter.

I am revisiting some foundational stuff for me in prayer - that hearing God's voice changes everything. Maybe your experience feels more like silence and praying to the ceiling, but I want to encourage you that there are many ways you are already hearing from God, and they all count. Let's explore together and then practice.

When I was in my 20s and 30s, if we talked about the Holy Spirit at all, it was regarding rumors of miracles that seemed to happen in Africa. Most of this podcast has been to help us become more aware of what the Holy Spirit is doing right here among us. But today we get a glimpse of what the Holy Spirit is doing in Africa as we are joined again by our friend, Andy Ekblad. Get ready to receive!

Wherever you find yourself in prayer or out of it, Jesus is always waiting for us. Be encouraged, inspired, and invited deeper into love with Jesus in prayer by my friend Deborah Meador. She will draw you in with her the passion of her lived relationship with Jesus and open the door to a new way of entering into intercession for others. You are in for a treat.

Friends, I release this podcast the day before the election, out of my regular release sequence. I bring you this sermon I preached Sunday, November 3 in Bellingham, as a word to refocus us on where our hope lies, Jesus and His Kingdom. We may be divided at the ballot box but let us be united in a vision of Jesus crucified and risen and in His Kingdom. Jesus is our King. This is where our hope lies.

We are back with Bob Ekblad to discuss the critical need for discernment as we listen for what God is saying, and especially as we listen to voices in the North American prophetic culture who claim to be speaking for God. As we listen for God and to others, how do we discern what we are hearing from the echo chamber and idolatry our own cultural and political bubbles?

As a teenager, Mitchell Senti wrestled through the disconnect of what he was reading in the Bible about the Holy Spirit speaking and the fact that his church wasn't saying anything like this. His exploration took him on a journey, not just of hearing God, but following in extraordinary ways. I invite you to come on the journey with him.If you'd like to donate to help this podcast continue to go beyond the walls of the church, you can go to my new website is www.church-withoutwalls.org and click on "Donate." All donations are tax deductible. 

Pastor Jonathan Hanson shares his journey in the Holy Spirit and how hearing God's voice is foundational. We start with the foundation of being a beloved daughter, a beloved son. Then God speaks a specific identity word in our lives that cuts through the lies we have believed about ourselves: I am not enough or I am too much. Let's walk in the fullness of who God has made us to be.If you'd like to donate to support this work, you can go to: https://app.aplos.com/aws/give/wwwinfocusministriesorg_/EmmausRoadAll donations are tax deductible.

I've been thinking a lot about the Kingdom of God lately. It was the centerpiece of Jesus' teaching and he tells us that we "must be born again if we are to see the Kingdom of God." If the Kingdom is what we are "saved" and born again for, what is Jesus talking about? Has our model of church in North America somehow missed it? We will explore some of the terrain with my friend, Derek Archer, founder of Kingdom Works.If you'd like to donate to support this work, you can go to: https://app.aplos.com/aws/give/wwwinfocusministriesorg_/EmmausRoadAll donations are tax deductible.

Welcome to Season 3 in our continuing journey with the Person and Work of God the Holy Spirit. After taking two months off, I want to give us a jump start with the sermon I preached for Pentecost last Spring. If you've been living a faith life of quiet desperation, or simply been wondering if this is all there is, I'm here to tell you, There is More!If you'd like to give to partner with me in my work with www.impactlatinamerica.org and my trip to their leadership summit to release my book, Hearing the Heartbeat of God, in Spanish for their house church leaders, you can go to www.emmausroadnw.org and click on "Donate." All donations are tax deductible.

As we enter into a season that includes rest and time off for some, how can we enter more deeply into the kind of rest we so desperately need? Jesus' invitation to "Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden" is for each of us. But what sort of rest is he inviting us into and what is the "easy yoke" and "light burden" he offers in exchange?

If we want to grow in knowing and co-laboring with the Holy Spirit, we will do this best in community. Why? Because the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Church for the Church, not simply on individuals. As long as our approach is just "me and Jesus" we will see limited fruit. So, what are some ways we can begin to grow together as we seek the ministry of the Holy Spirit? Listen and we will see.I will be taking a short break on content development in July and August (for the first time since we launched!) and will be back with Season 3 in September. That will give you time to catch up!*If you would like to help support this podcast, you can go to www.emmausroadnw.org/donate and give. All gifts are tax deductible. Thank you for your partnership!

Today I talk with my friend, Kathy Crosby, about her journey with the Holy Spirit in receiving and co-operating in inner healing prayer. Physical healing is much of what we see in the scriptures, though I would argue that inner healing is happening as well. They differ from one another in that physical healing has to do with our bodies while inner healing has to do with soul and spirit hurts that have kept us from flourishing in the ways God intends. Get ready to receive.*If you'd like to give to help support this podcast, you can go to www.emmausroadnw.org/donate - all gifts are tax deductible. Thank you!

I know many people who have been kept from being open to the Holy Spirit due to a particular Pentecostal doctrine/theology that said you must speak in tongues as a sign of the baptism of the Spirit.  I wanted to have this conversation with my friend, Larry Spousta, who is a Pentecostal pastor.  You will be blessed by his story and his generous approach to the topic.

If there is a God in the room with me then that is a completely different world I'm living in than if God is talking to me from a distance on a walkie-talkie. So says my guest, Alison Millikan, as she shares her journey through some of her obstacles to the Holy Spirit - not wanting to be duped or emotionally manipulated, and her fear of being out of control. 

As we begin to believe for more, there can be a greater experience of disappointment when the more doesn't happen in the way we want or desperately need.  We continue our conversation with Andy Ekblad as he talks about the already and not yet of the Kingdom as he saw miracles and answered prayer all around him but not in his daughter. 

Join me with my friend, Andy Ekblad, as he shares part one of his journey of hunger for and experience of more of the Holy Spirit. Are you hungry for more of God?

It's Good Friday. Of all the things Jesus cries out from the cross, the most anguished may be the cry of dereliction, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" We have been told that in this moment of terrible suffering, the Father turned his face away from the Son as the wrath of heaven is poured out on sin. But is it true? Is that what is happening?

Meet my friend, Rebekah Cancelosi, as she shares her journey with the Holy Spirit through knowing the Holy Spirit as Helper in her 20s, as Hope in her 30s, and as Healer in her 40s. There is always more the Holy Spirit has for us and while there are big moments of breakthrough that mark the way, it is a long journey that won't end until we are face to face. You can find out more about Rebekah and also check out her book Becoming - An A to Z  Journey of Hope and Healing at her website - www.c2csoulcare.com

My apologies. It seems I had uploaded a not fully edited version of this episode. It has been removed from the platform but it may still exist in your downloads. Please delete it and try this one one.

Jesus call to love our enemies cuts across partisan lines and there is much that can be said about the failure to love on all sides. However, I feel the need to address a form of religious extremism happening in the church in America because it promotes a hatred of enemies and threat of violence as though these are compatible with being a follower of Jesus. We rarely win arguments by pointing out what is wrong with the other, but maybe we can point to Jesus. 

"The prophetic is a gift. It's not an award or a reward, or something you can earn." So says my friend, Kitsy Gregory. And like any gift, it needs to be opened and we need to learn how the Holy Spirit wants to interact with us through this gift. If you have been wondering about the gifts of the Holy Spirit and this gift in particular, you will enjoy this conversation. And if you'd like to explore the gifts of the Holy Spirit further, I invite you to join me and the Dunamis Essentials team for an online conference you can register through https://www.prmi.org/event/dunamis-essentials-online-in-the-spirits-power/. It will be the evenings of Tuesday-Friday, February 20-23 and Saturday morning February 24. I hope to see you there!

When we talk about walking in spiritual authority, we are talking about doing the will of our Father to bring His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. There are few verses in the gospels that spell out the challenge of what following King Jesus means more than when he tells us to "love our enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you..." As we seek to be Kingdom people, today we are going to explore what it might look like to "bless those who curse you." Are you ready for this?And if you'd like to explore the gifts of the Holy Spirit further, I invite you to join me and the Dunamis Essentials team for an online conference you can register through https://www.prmi.org/event/dunamis-essentials-online-in-the-spirits-power/. It will be the evenings of Tuesday-Friday, February 20-23 and Saturday morning February 24. I hope to see you there!

Whether we are aware of it or not, we live in a war zone. While armed conflicts between various nations are all around us, the reality is that there are only two kingdoms - the kingdom of our Lord Jesus and the kingdom of darkness - and they are at war. Jesus has won the ultimate victory but the battle continues. When we become aware of that battle, we are becoming aware of what is called "spiritual warfare." Today James Kearny and I will explore some of the ground level tactics of the enemy and how we can walk in our authority to stand against them.And if you'd like to explore the gifts of the Holy Spirit further, I invite you to join me and the Dunamis Essentials team for an online conference you can register through https://www.prmi.org/event/dunamis-essentials-online-in-the-spirits-power/. It will be the evenings of Tuesday-Friday, February 20-23 and Saturday morning February 24. I hope to see you there!

In this episode I want to step back into our conversations about Holy Spirit empowerment and look at how it intersects with the humanity of Jesus and the concept of spiritual authority. I want to do this because we will explore spiritual warfare in our next podcast, and our understanding of spiritual authority is the central issue in spiritual warfare. Our understanding of spiritual authority is also foundational to who God made us to be upon the earth! Check it out!If you'd like to help support this podcast with an end-of-year gift, you can go to https://app.aplos.com/aws/give/wwwinfocusministriesorg_/EmmausRoadAll gifts are tax deductible. Thank you!

The Christmas / Advent season is about waiting for the fulfillment of the prophetic promise… God spoke through the prophets by his Holy Spirit and his word accomplishes what it set forth to do. It doesn't return to him empty. But there is waiting. In the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth we see how their long awaited prayer was finally answered but it was part of a bigger story, and God was just getting started. Maybe the prayer or prophetic word you are waiting on is part of a bigger story?

We are in the season of Advent and while it is meaningful to us in many ways, we often treat the Holy Spirit supernatural activity more like a children's book than actual events. There is no section of the Bible given to more Holy Spirit activity than the conception and birth of Jesus. Let's explore and discover that the Bible isn't just a story of what God did then, it is what God is doing now!

Meet my friend, Ruby Tanaka. Some may say that she's a dreamer; but she's not the only one. In fact, dreams and visions are mentioned as a way that God communicates over 200 times in the Bible. And part of the prophetic promise from Joel 2 is that when God's Spirit is poured out on everyone, they will dream dreams! The question then becomes, how do we pay attention and understand and interpret what God is trying to tell us? Let's explore together.

Lorinda's journey with God is one that highlights God's pursuit of us as described in Psalm 139: "Where shall I go from Your Spirit? If I make my bed in Sheol, You are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the seas, even there your hand shall lead me and your right hand shall hold me." While she shares some of the big moves of God in her life, it is the smaller ones over a long period of time that show how God has held her.

We dive back into the topic of deliverance from a new angle. How cano we engage with our own places where we are stuck? Join us as Bob takes us into Matthew 7 and Colossians 3 as we seek to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in identifying roots, addressing them and walking in new life.

One of the statements I have often heard is "everything happens for a reason." Usually someone is trying to give some sense of meaning to a hard situation, at other times there is a sense of resignation or fatalism. And while the thought that everything happens for a reason may feel like it offers some solid ground in the midst of chaos, if we believe in God it ends up saying that God is the reason for EVERYTHING that happens. There is theology that says just that, but is it true. Let's explore.

As we are learning to partner with and cooperate with the Holy Spirit, there are times when we can get excited about what God is doing, while at other times prayer takes more effort. The answers we are asking for don't come immediately (or at all). What does it mean or look like to persevere or contend in prayer? Meet my friend Wendy, who is a prayer warrior, and if there is anyone I want to talk to about this topic, she is the one.

Trigger warning: this episode contains content regarding drug addiction and attempted suicide. Jonathan Oliviera shares his story of redemption from being a young, fatherless, addict who tried to end his life to an unlooked-for encounter where Jesus claimed him as his own and set him on a new trajectory. 

I'm excited to share this conversation with my new friend, Charlie Yang. Charlie works in the tech industry and was happy to finish out there. He shares how God has been moving him from being the "most okay Christian ever" to a Spirit led Kingdom life, as well as his resistance along the way. Beginning with honest prayers and moving toward praying for others, the Holy Spirit has been empowering  Charlie in beautiful ways. 

If the conversations with about the Holy Spirit have felt like riding the rapids, let's wade into the deep, quiet waters where the Spirit hovers over the chaos of everyday life and the larger issues. Sara Shih operates out of a place of devotion that flows out of an experience of God's faithfulness in spite of her disobedience, a heart posture of regular dependence, out of which she participates with God's presence in the world, as she raises four girls and works with a global non-profit.

As soon as we start believing and expecting the Holy Spirit to do miraculous stuff, we run into all sorts of places where our expectations aren't met. God healed this person. Why not that person? So, I'm excited to introduce you to my friend, Rita Nussli. Rita is a person who lives in the power of the Holy Spirit out of a deep foundation of her belovedness in God. Prepare your hearts to receive what she brings as we discuss disappointment with God and she invites us deeper into a place of belovedness where there is the solid ground of trust even when God isn't doing what we hope.

With all the talk about the Holy Spirit and hearing God, what do we do if we feel our experience of God has been all or mostly silence? It's not a "one-size-fits-all" answer. Let's ask more questions about your journey and explore some of the terrain through the lens of spiritual direction.

While still on topic, I've invited our regular guest, Drew Shih, to dialogue with me about my book, Hearing the Heartbeat of God, that came out in May. Join us in this conversation about some of the journey the Holy Spirit has had me on and what God has been teaching me in the process.

Challenged by one of my friends that all my guests and examples have been people in some form of ministry, I reached out to my friend, Eric Stelter, who has been in the construction business and run his family business along with other business ventures. Equipping and inspiring people who live and work outside of "professional" ministry contexts is one of Eric's passions. I regularly point people to him if they want to see what it looks like to hear from and follow Jesus in radical and practical ways. There is a lot of Holy Spirit power packed into this one. You're going to love this!

As we continue our journey with the Holy Spirit in hearing God, in healing and in deliverance, I want to take a step back to have a conversation with another Heidi (Hughes) to talk about how we discern what we are hearing is from God. Discernment is the common denominator in all our cooperating with the Holy Spirit. Heidi will share stories of getting it wrong, of our need to be regularly in Scripture to know the voice of the Good Shepherd, and how we need people in our lives to help us discern.