Our expectations of Christmas can feel like they come from a Hallmark movie, which doesn’t do us a lot of favors (as much as we love them). The cultural ideal that we’ll be fulfilled and content at Christmas, that everything will fall into place, acts as a magnifying glass to the unmet expectations that we hold all year round. 
Through the lives of Elizabeth and Mary, we get a bit of a cultural reset when it comes to our Christmas ideals. What's so helpful about Mary and Elizabeth’s story is the realistic Christmas it portrays—one full of God’s promises being fulfilled in the midst of difficult seasons. By returning to this Scripture, we can sift through the romantic version of a cultural Christmas and see something truthful. A Christmas that celebrates God’s promises coming to fruition in the midst of a dark and waiting world in the person of Jesus. 
Don’t forget to sign up here for the Encountering God Online Bible study, starting January 13, 2022.
Order the Encountering God Bible study

Ep 39: Christmas Series: Rethinking the Hallmark Christmas Ideal

Fund conversations that matter: donate.accessmore.com
The Cultivate Podcast is all about deepening our understanding of Scripture for a deeper love of Jesus. That’s my simple hope. Yet we live in a crazy busy culture that makes it hard to prioritize Bible study. Not to mention, for many of us the Bible can be plain confusing or intimidating. That’s why I’m so excited about this podcast!  We’ll get to study God’s Word together. 

Absolutely nothing has gone after every crevice of my heart like Scripture. It’s the most relevant and alive book on earth and I can’t wait for God to meet you exactly where you’re at as we open the Bible together. I also happen to love cooking, gardening, having people over, and deep relationships. So I’ll always do my best to keep it real, practical, and personal. Whether you’re brand new to the Bible or a seasoned student of Scripture, I hope you’ll join me on this hopeful journey.

New episodes air every Tuesday. Make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. 

About Kelly Minter

Hi There. My name is Kelly Minter and I’m a Bible study author and teacher. I’ve written several Bible studies for Lifeway, including Finding God Faithful, All Things New, No Other Gods, Ruth, and a few others. I love to teach the Bible at my Cultivate Events across the country and also locally at my home church. I have a passion for missions, which is why I also work in the Amazon jungles of Brazil and the Eastern European country of Moldova with Justice &amp; Mercy International. I wrote a book about my work in the Amazon called Wherever The River Runs. It’s dear to my heart. I also love cooking, gardening, and having people to my house. It turns out, I pretty much wanted to write about that too, so a cookbook called A Place at the Table was born. Mostly, I love engaging with people as we study God’s Word together, which is why I’m especially excited about the Cultivate Podcast. 

For a free monthly devo written exclusively for Kelly's mailing list, visit me at Kellyminter.com and sign up for the newsletter. Also, I'd love to connect with you on Instagram and Facebook.

Religion & Spirituality

Other

Spirituality

Christianity

Buddhism

Hinduism

Judaism

Islam

We’re back in the book of Ezra, walking with the exiles who answered the call to return to Jerusalem. For most of them, staying would have been easier. Just like the Jews in the Old Testament it’s easy to stay in our comfort zones, forgetting the privilege of sacrificing for God's call on our lives. In today’s episode, we’re talking about the high call of studying and obeying God’s word, living a life worthy of our call, and giving our all for Christ. And we’ll remember that nothing can be accomplished without the grace of God in our lives. 
Episode Points
You can only obey what you know, and you can only teach what you’ve obeyed. 
God’s call on your life will require sacrifice. But it’s worth it! 
Since we’re called to handle holy things, we must live holy lives.
Your calling can only be accomplished by God’s grace. 
Scripture References
Ezra 7:1-6, 10 
Ezra 7:13, 27-28 
Ezra 8:15 
Ezra 8:28-29 
Ezra 9:8-9

Ep 57: Answering God's Call On Your Life

It’s all too easy to hang on to the old when God is doing a new thing. In today’s episode, we’re looking at the exiles’ return to Jerusalem to rebuild God’s temple. Some had hoped God would help them rebuild what they had before. What the people didn’t understand is that God was doing a new thing.
Like the exiles, sometimes we look around at what’s broken-down or overgrown in our lives, and we can’t imagine that God wants (and is able) to do something new. Today’s episode will encourage you to embrace “the day of small things,” to get going with what God wants you to do even if things aren’t “just right,” and to remember that just because we face opposition, it doesn’t mean God’s call on our lives has ceased.

Ep 56: When God Is Doing A New Thing

Today we’re talking about the power—and challenge—of forgiveness, and why it’s so essential. Unforgiveness causes division in our relationships, is a strategy of the enemy, and disrupts our intimacy with Christ. On the positive side, Jesus empowers us to forgive, desires that we’re free from bitterness and anger, and loves reconciliation. Also, He is able to bring about justice.
If forgiveness is essential, why is it so hard? In this episode, we’ll examine three reasons that make it challenging, as well as several benefits. Ultimately we’ll discover that forgiving others isn’t only a gift to the person who hurt us, but it’s one of God’s gifts to us.

Ep 55: The Power of Forgiveness (And Why It's So Hard)

Today we’re looking at the liberating healing of Jesus, and how that healing can sometimes be disruptive. Be encouraged, if the healing Jesus is bringing you is uncomfortable or even painful, you’re on the right path. If we’re honest, we often want His healing, but we want it on our terms. In this episode, we’ll confront the ways our unhealthy habits keep us from the good work He wants to do in our lives.
Are we willing to abandon our own plans and comforts so that He can fully lead and have authority in our lives? Will we offer up all areas of our lives so that we can most experience His abundant life? We’re going to challenge ourselves to answer these difficult questions and find true freedom in giving it all over to Jesus, the One who is worth our all. I hope this episode will encourage you to surrender more fully to Him.

Ep 54: When Healing Is Disruptive

Today we’re looking at the significance of the cross and what it means for us. What specifically did the cross accomplish? Why was it necessary? And what hope does it offer for the present? We’re going to dive in deep (get ready for some big words!) as we talk about how Jesus acted as our substitute, not only taking our sin upon Himself on the cross, but wiping it out completely. And by doing so, freely bringing us into relationship with Himself. You’ll be blessed by this closer look at Jesus’s death on the cross and His love for you.

Ep 39: Christmas Series: Rethinking the Hallmark Christmas Ideal

Download our free app to listen on your phone