Encounter Grace Podcast

What if the first five books of the Bible reveal more about Jesus than you ever imagined?

Many Christians see the Old Testament as a story of law, judgment, and religious rituals, and the New Testament as a story of grace, forgiveness, and Jesus Christ. That paradigm misses something essential.

In Part 2 of "Why the Torah Matters," Jason and Justin continue exploring 12 foundational truths introduced in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Nu...

What if the Gospel story starts in Genesis? How does Leviticus matter today? 

The first five books of the Bible, collectively known as the Torah or Pentateuch, lay the foundation for everything that follows in Scripture. Yet many Christians struggle to understand how these ancient books fit into our faith as a church. 

In Part 1 of this Encounter Grace discussion, we begin exploring why the Torah is so important to understa...

Hebrews used to be one of Justin’s least favorite books of the Bible.

Not because it was boring, but because it scared him.

What do you do with passages that say it’s “impossible” to restore someone to repentance, or that there’s “no longer a sacrifice for sins” for those who deliberately keep sinning? Can a Christian go too far? Can you cross a line and discover that it’s too late to c...

What does it actually mean to grow as a Christian?

We often reduce discipleship to reading the Bible more, attending another study, serving on another team, or simply trying harder. Those things can matter, but biblical discipleship is much bigger than a checklist of spiritual activities.

In this episode of Encounter Grace, Jason and Justin look at Christian growth from three different perspectives:

• God’s perspective: justific...

What if you could actually hear Jesus pray for you? What would He ask the Father for?

On the night before the cross, Jesus prayed not only for His disciples, but for “those who will believe in me through their word.” In other words, He prayed for future believers—including us.

And what Jesus prayed for might surprise you, and definitely will encourage you.

Jason & Justin explore Jesus’ prayer in John 17 and...

Twenty-five years after September 11, 2001, what have we actually learned?

For those old enough this day is permanently etched into memory. We remember where we were, what we saw, and the realization that the world had suddenly changed. 

A quarter-century later, Jason and Justin reflect on 9/11 through three lenses: America, Islam, and the gospel.

Though governments, cultures, and conflicts continue to change, Believers belong to...

Twenty-five years ago, Khayyam Shepherd was trapped in crack cocaine addiction. His marriage was crumbling. He was facing eviction, problems at work, and the possibility of jail. After another day of getting high, he reached the point where he knew he could not fix himself.

So he cried out to Jesus.

“If you don’t help me, I’m going to die.”

What happened next changed the trajectory of his life.

Today, Khayyam is...

How wrong can your theology be and you still be a Christian?

Not every theological mistake is heresy—but that doesn't mean every theological error is harmless either. So where exactly is the line?

In this episode of Encounter Grace, Jason and Justin revisit a debate that started during their recent conversation about hell: What's the difference between error, heterodoxy, and heresy?

They explore how Christians have historically ...

What happens the moment you die? Is hell real? What is the final judgment? Is there a second chance after death? And how should Christians think about eternity without fear or speculation?

In this episode, Jason and Justin walk through what Scripture actually teaches about death, paradise, Hades, the final judgment, heaven, and hell. Rather than relying on popular myths or medieval imagery, they explore the Bible's unfolding story&m...

Have you ever wondered why the Bible has 66 books? What about the Book of Enoch, the Gospel of Thomas, the Apocrypha, or the Ethiopian Bible? Were these books intentionally left out—or is there more to the story?

In this episode of Encounter Grace, Jason and Justin sit down with pastor and professor Dr. Randy Outland to explore one of Christianity's most important questions:

• How was the biblical canon recognized?

• Did church ...

How do you know if someone is ready to lead?

Whether you're hiring a pastor, appointing an elder, selecting a ministry leader, or building a volunteer team, one question matters more than almost any other:

Is this person mature?

In this episode, we explore seven key maturity indicators that every church should look for in its leaders. We discuss why giftedness alone isn't enough, how emotional health impacts leadership effectiveness, ...

In Part 2 of our Healthy Teams in the Local Church series, we move from people to culture—because even the best people struggle in the wrong environment.

In Episode 1, we introduced the game-changing paradigm: Ministry teams have a dual purpose—task AND discipleship. Now we take the next step: How do you actually build that kind of team?

We unpack the final four traits of healthy ministry teams—focusing on the cultu...

Every church has them—nursery teams, worship teams, youth leaders, elders, volunteers holding everything together behind the scenes. But here’s the reality: healthy churches are built on healthy teams… and healthy teams don’t happen by accident.

In this first episode of our Healthy Teams in the Local Church series, we introduce a paradigm shift that can change everything about how your ministry operates. Mos...

What happens when a young Muslim man leaves Pakistan for America, discovers the gospel, and risks everything to follow Christ?

In this episode of Encounter Grace, Jason McKnight sits down with Ali Master, author of Beyond the Golden Door, to discuss his remarkable journey from Islam to Christianity, the challenges of leaving behind deeply held beliefs, and the freedoms that transformed his life.

Ali shares his story of coming to Amer...

What if some of the anxiety, shame, insecurity, and striving you carry isn’t actually coming from your circumstances… but from believing the wrong story about who you are?

In this episode of Encounter Grace, we explore one of the most foundational questions of the Christian life:

Who are you, really?

Not your job.

Not your accomplishments.

Not your failures.

Not what others said about you.

Not even what you feel about yourse...

Life is a series of decisions—and some of them shape the entire direction of your life.

From career moves to relationships, finances to family decisions… how do you actually know you’re choosing wisely?

In this episode, we walk through a simple but powerful framework for making wise, God-honoring decisions—without getting stuck in confusion, fear, or overthinking.

We start with the foundation: defining the win...

What if one small daily habit could reshape your future?

In this episode of our One Practice series, we introduce a simple but powerful discipline that can dramatically increase clarity, confidence, and freedom in your financial life:

Track Every Dollar.

For the next 6–8 weeks, write down every dollar that leaves your hands. No judgment. No complicated budgeting system. Just accurate data.

Why? Because wise decisions require clea...

In this special episode of the Encounter Grace Podcast, Jason sits down with NC Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby for a thoughtful and deeply personal conversation about faith, public service, leadership, and the spiritual foundations of freedom.

Chief Justice Newby reflects on:

• The spiritual roots of the American founding

• George Whitefield and the Great Awakening

• Why freedom requires responsibility and virtue

• How prayer and co...

Why do we keep going back to things that don’t actually satisfy?

Whether it’s scrolling late at night, staying constantly busy, chasing approval, or numbing out with food, entertainment, or substances—we all have ways of coping when life feels overwhelming.

But what if those patterns aren’t just bad habits… What if they’re pointing to something deeper?

In this episode, we unpack the idea of BEEPS&m...