Encounter Grace Podcast
Encounter Grace is a weekly podcast from Grace Fellowship Church in Kinston, NC, where hosts Jason McKnight and Justin Tilghman help Christians think clearly and biblically about faith, culture, relationships,a nd leadership. Each episode tackles topics with thoughtful, practical conversations that equip believers to live wisely and walk faithfully in today’s world. Join us as we explore how grace meets everyday life.
Episodes
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...
What happens when an NHL star encounters Jesus in the middle of a professional hockey career?
In this episode of Encounter Grace, Jason McKnight sits down with former NHL player, Stanley Cup Champion, and leadership coach Ryan Walter for an unforgettable conversation about hockey, faith, leadership, mindset, and spiritual growth.
Ryan shares stories from 15 seasons in the NHL, including playoff intensity, guarding Wayne Gretzky, winn...
We have a future that is secure.
The Ascension strengthens our faith, deepens our worship, and anchors our hope in the victorious reign of Christ.
Forty days after the Resurrection, Jesus did something that many Christians rarely think about — He ascended into heaven.
We talk often about the Cross.We celebrate the Resurrection.We love Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit.
But the Ascension? It often gets overlooke...
Many Christians quietly wonder if they are doing something wrong in their spiritual life.
Maybe you’ve tried to follow the same devotional routines others recommend… but instead of feeling closer to God, you feel distracted, discouraged, or disconnected.
In this episode, we explore Gary Thomas’s Sacred Pathways — a framework that helps us understand how God uniquely designed each person to experience relation...
Did the early church invent the story of Easter… or did Easter give birth to the church?
That question matters more than most people realize. Because if the Resurrection accounts were written decades later as theological storytelling, then Christianity rests on inspirational myth. But if the stories recorded in Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20–21 reflect eyewitness testimony of real events… then the Resu...
Have you ever said something in an argument and immediately thought, “That didn’t even feel like me”?
Most relational damage doesn’t begin with bad theology or evil intent. It begins when something in our brain quietly shuts off.
In this episode of our One Habit series, we unpack relational circuits — the brain’s God-designed capacity to stay connected under stress.
You’ll learn:
What relat...
Why do we so quickly assume the worst about situations, relationships, or even ourselves?
Someone doesn’t text back… and we assume something is wrong. A conversation feels awkward… and we conclude we said something foolish. We feel anxious… and our mind jumps to the worst-case scenario.
Our brains are constantly interpreting events and creating explanations — often faster than we realize. But sometime...
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.
Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.