“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.” — Matthew 5:11–12

In this final episode of The Way Through the Sacred Gap, Aric and Tyler reach the crescendo of Jesus’ Kingdom vision in the Beatitudes — a vision utterly different from anything the world has to offer and an invitation so profound it compels us to grasp a glimpse of a freedom so complete that we can become the kind of person that can truly rejoice in the face of persecution and rejection.

Looking back over the journey from inner healing to Kingdom calling, they explore how every movement of transformation leads here: to the freedom of living free of the never ending hustle for worth. When the “second story” of striving, control, and fear finally breaks, what emerges is a new kind of human — one who lives entirely from the first, true story God has been telling all along. The story that you are loved, you belong, you are chosen, and you have nothing to prove.

Through conversation and reflection, they trace how this freedom allows us to stand unshaken in the face of hatred, to love in a world that resists love, and to live as those who have expelled the serpent’s lie from their own story. This is the reward of full Kingdom participation — a return home to our original purpose, to rule and reign with God in love.

About the Series: The Way Through the Sacred Gap

Over these twelve episodes, Aric and Tyler have followed Jesus’ opening vision from the Sermon on the Mount — the Beatitudes — as a roadmap for transformation. From poverty of spirit to persecution, the Way through the Sacred Gap has revealed the process of healing, mercy, and restored purpose that leads us out of our shadow stories and into the true story of the Kingdom.

Now, as this journey concludes, the invitation remains: to live as those who are deeply loved, who belong, who are chosen — and who have nothing to prove. This is the way of freedom. This is the way of the Kingdom.

To connect with Aric and learn more about The Intentional Dad, visit www.theintentionaldad.org.

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“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” — Matthew‬ ‭5:10‬ ‭NIV‬

In this penultimate episode of The Way Through the Sacred Gap, Aric and Tyler explore the startling conclusion to Jesus’ vision in the Beatitudes: persecution. Why would Jesus end his list of blessings with suffering, rejection, and slander?

This deeply personal and theological conversation unpacks how the final Beatitudes (vv. 10–11) reveal the cost of true Kingdom calling. Through stories of military service, cultural reflection, and the backdrop of spiritual warfare, the episode explores Jesus’ surprising turn to persecution—not as a burden, but as the most compelling invitation he could offer. When we truly catch the vision of the Kingdom, we awaken to the one thing every heart is longing for—the one thing for which no price is too high.

This episode challenges listeners to examine the unspoken “shadow stories” of comfort, control, and individualism, and invites them to embrace the larger mission of carrying wholeness into a fractured world. The Way through the sacred gap ends here—with a commissioning to carry the Kingdom project forward as people of mercy, loving fearlessly in the face of a fierce and ruthless enemy.

About the Series:

The more we understand Jesus' invitation into the Kingdom life, the more compelling it becomes. In The Way Through the Sacred Gap, Tyler and Aric explore Jesus’ opening words from the Sermon on the Mount, where he offers a vision of healing and transformation—one that frees us from our “shadow stories” into lives fully lived in the true story of the Kingdom: you are loved, you belong, you are chosen, and you have nothing to prove.

The distance between these two realities—our shadow stories and the true Kingdom—is what we’ve called the sacred gap. And once we see the gap, the obvious question follows: “How do I cross it?” It turns out Jesus gave an answer. The early Kingdom communities called themselves followers of The Way—the very way Jesus lays out in his most compelling sermon.

To contact Aric or learn more about The Intentional Dad, visit: www.theintentionaldad.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:9‬

In this episode, Aric and Tyler begin diving into the final triad of the Beatitudes, exploring the call to be a peacemaker as a pinnacle expression of spiritual maturity and Kingdom calling.

Framing the Beatitudes as a progression from inner healing to outward mission, they revisit the arc from brokenness and grief to forgiveness, mercy, and ultimately, fearless love.

With deep theological insight and practical reflection, the conversation unpacks what it means to be restored to our original purpose—to reign and rule in partnership with God. Drawing from Genesis, the teachings of Jesus, and personal journey, Aric and Tyler present peacemaking not as passive harmony but as courageous, redemptive work rooted in healed hearts.

This episode challenges listeners to embrace the full vision of apprenticeship with Jesus, where healing isn’t the end—but the beginning of a life poured out for others.

About the series:

The more we understand Jesus' invitation for the Kingdom life, the more compelling it is. Listen in as Tyler and Aric continue to explore Jesus' compelling vision for Kingdom life through his opening words of his Sermon on the Mount. As we discussed in our previous series, he offers a promise of healing and transformation that frees us from our shadow stories into lives lived more and more fully in the true story and the Kingdom realities that you are loved, you belong, you are chosen, and you have nothing to prove. The difference between those two realities is what we have called The Sacred Gap and once that gap becomes clear, so does an obvious question: "How do I get through that gap?" Well, it turns out there is an answer. The early Kingdom communities of Jesus' apprentices, not coincidentally, referred to themselves as practitioners of "The Way." What "Way" is that? It is "The Way" that Jesus himself taught in the greatest and most compelling sermon ever given.

To contact Aric and to learn more about The Intentional Dad go to www.theintentionaldad.org.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.