The Deep Dive Spirituality Conversations Podcast

Episode 7: The Spirit-Transformed Life, Mentoring, and Lessons from the life and ministry of E. Stanley Jones with Dr. Bob Tuttle

This week’s episode features a deep dive into the spirit filled life, mentoring, and lessons from the missional work of E. Stanley Jones. Our guest is Dr. Robert Tuttle. You will not want to miss a minute as Bob offers rich reflections from almost 60 years of powerful ministry and teaching.

Bob Tuttle was born in North Carolina, the son of a United Methodist minister.  After his undergraduate degree at Duke University, he then completed graduate degrees at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and the Wheaton Graduate School of Theology before completing the Ph.D. degree from Trinity College at the University of Bristol in England.  

Bob then served churches in North Carolina and Colorado before beginning his teaching career at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.  Since that time Bob has taught at the Oral Roberts Graduate School of Theology, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky before moving to the Asbury Dunnam Campus (Orlando, Florida) in 2000.  

Though he retired in 2010, Bob still spends much of his time teaching and writing and going out once a month to teach and preach at conferences, universities, and local churches across the globe.  He has preached and/or taught in nearly every state in the US and in over 60 countries worldwide.  

Bob is committed to Christ and Church.  His understanding of the Christian faith has led him to a ministry of sharing the good news of what God has done for us in Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit available through personal faith in Him.

Bob has published over a dozen books over the years and chapters in half a dozen more.  He has a book entitled, The Story of Evangelism, A History of the Witness of the Gospel (Abingdon Press, 2006). https://amzn.to/2LuQMKc 

His book, Shortening the Leap, From Honest Doubt to Enduring Faith (Bristol House) has been used among study groups worldwide.  https://amzn.to/3bwTlWL 

He has just published a new biography, “In Our Time, the Life and Ministry of E. Stanley Jones” (ESJ Foundation).  This was chosen as the Book of the Year by the International Ashram Board. https://amzn.to/360zIFF 

Bob and his wife, Dianne, have homes in Cashiers, NC and Vero Beach, FL where they enjoy entertaining, gardening, fishing, and visiting with family (four grown children and six grandchildren) and friends.

 

Bob also recommends the following writings for those interested in taking the next step in their spiritual formation

Stanley Jones Song of Ascent https://amzn.to/2LFUb9r

 

Thomas a Kempis, Imitation of Christ https://amzn.to/3dPeixB 

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Episode 6: The Power of Class and Band Meetings, the Optimism of Grace, and Methodism's Grand Depositum with Dr. Kevin Watson

This week’s episode features a deep dive into Wesleyan theology and practice as it relates to spiritual formation with Dr. Kevin Watson. 

 

Dr. Kevin Watson is an expert on the class and band meetings used in Methodism for intentional discipleship and growth in grace. We also discuss the optimism of grace and its implications for living a victorious Christian life. 

 

Dr. Kevin Watson (Ph.D.) is on the faculty of Chandler School of Theology where he teaches Methodist and Wesley studies. He is also a popular writer for the wider Methodist movement.

 

Kevin is the author of both academic and popular works. Here are links to his most accessible writings on Methodist class meetings, bands, and discipleship:

 

The Band Meeting: Rediscovering Relational Discipleship in Transformational Community (co authored with Scott Kisker) https://amzn.to/2Wd4aZW 

 

A Blueprint for Discipleship: Wesley's General Rules as a Guide for Christian Living https://amzn.to/2Wz36hP 

 

The Class Meeting: Reclaiming a Forgotten (and Essential) Small Group Experience https://amzn.to/2AbgSzP 

 

Kevin also recommends the following writings for those interested in taking the next step in their spiritual formation:

 

John Wesley. The Sermons of John Wesley: A Collection for the Christian Journey (eds. Collins and Vickers)  https://amzn.to/2L6u4b5 

 

Here is a link to Wesley’s sermon: The Scripture Way of Salvation 

 

Dallas Willard The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God https://amzn.to/2YDfLTA 

 

Richard Foster. Celebration of Discipline, Special Anniversary Edition: The Path to Spiritual Growth https://amzn.to/3fsLOLY 

 

You can find Kevin online:

Twitter: @kevinwatson

Webpage: https://kevinmwatson.com

 

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Episode 5: Bernard of Clairvaux, Loving God, Simplicity, and Spiritual Formation with Dr. Mike Voigts (part 2)

This week’s episode focuses on a deep dive into lessons that we can learn from the 12th century spiritual giant, Bernard of Clairvaux.

We explore his four levels of love and their meaing/implications for today. We also return to the theme of simplicity and its crucial role in our spiritual formation.

We also explore lessons from Thomas Merton and how Mike's role as a lay member of the Cistercian order has shaped his understanding of life and mission.

Dr. Mike Voigts is an Associate Professor of Spiritual Formation at Asbury Theological Seminary. He is an ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church and has served congregations in Texas and Kentucky.

He is the author of Letters of Ascent: Spiritual Direction in the Letters of Bernard of Clairvaux (https://amzn.to/2RENBDn)

You can find him online: Twitter: @mikevoigts

Webpage: claravallis.me

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Episode 4: Mission, Spirituality, and "Blue Moments" with Alex McManus

This week’s episode focuses on a deep dive into mission, spirituality, and "blue moments." The latter phrase is one coined by guest Alex McManus to describe divine moments in which an outsider to faith suddenly finds himself or herself experiencing a hyperlink to an encounter with the truth of the Gospel.

Join Brian and Alex as they have a wide ranging conversation.

Alex McManus is a futurist, church planter, and missional thinker. He is the author of "Makers of Fire: The Spirituality of Leading from the Future." (https://amzn.to/2RYg3jw).

You can find him online:

Twitter: @alex_mcmanus

Webpage: theimn.com

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Episode 3: Spiritual Formation and Your "Unum Necessarium" with Dr. Mike Voigts

This week’s episode focuses on a deep dive into the process of spiritual formation. “Unum necessarium” is latin for “one necessary thing.” This phrase finds its biblical roots in Jesus’ words to Martha in Luke 10:42.

Listen in as Brian and Mike dig into the concepts of simplicity and the “one necessary thing” as means for deepening our growth in grace.

What is your “unum necessarium”?

What would it look like to fully embrace it today?

Dr. Mike Voigts is an Associate Professor of Spiritual Formation at Asbury Theological Seminary. He is an ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church and has served congregations in Texas and Kentucky. He is the author of Letters of Ascent: Spiritual Direction in the Letters of Bernard of Clairvaux (https://amzn.to/2RENBDn)

You can find him online:

Twitter: @mikevoigts

Webpage: claravallis.me

Please tell your friends about the Deep Dive Spirituality Podcast and leave a five star review so that others can find it.

Episode 2: Spirit Driven Mission with Dr. Michael Beck

In today's episode, Dr. Russell interviews the missional thinker and practitioner Dr. Michael Beck.

Through his work as a missional catalyst, Beck is on the leading edge of helping the church to relearn what it takes to embrace the mission of God in their local contexts. He discusses contextual intelligences as a strategy for leading new or aging churches to embrace mission. We also dig deeply into the formational practices for embodying a missional holiness.

3 Books that Beck views as Essential:

(1) Gerald Arbuckle Refounding the church: Dissent for Leadership https://amzn.to/2VdFD5e

(2) Manuel Castells The Rise of Network Society https://amzn.to/2JOZCSr

(3) Graham Cray The Mission-shaped Church https://amzn.to/2UWAIXg

Dr. Michael Beck is South Atlantic Coordinator Fresh Expressions US and North Central District Cultivator of Fresh Expressions for the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. Michael serves as senior pastor of Wildwood UMC where he directs addiction recovery programs, a jail ministry, a food pantry, and a network of fresh expressions that meet in places like tattoo parlors and burrito joints. He currently lives in Wildwood with his wife, Jill, and their blended family of 8 children.

Episode 1: Spiritual Direction and the Contemplative Life with Gene Yotka

In the inaugural episode Brian interviews Rev. Gene Yotka founder and director of the Awakening Institute. This episode covers contemplative spirituality and practices by discussing their profound relevance to our reality today.

Gene summarizes his understanding of the 5 S's of Contemplative Living: Simplicity, Silence, Stillness, Solitude and Spaciousness.