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Encountering God - Bible Study Book: Cultivating Habits of Faith Through the Spiritual Disciplines
Spiritual disciplines are essential to a more vibrant spiritual life and knowing God more intimately. Join Kelly Minter in this 7-session Bible study as she unpacks the biblical foundation for these sacred habits along with approachable ways to practice disciplines like prayer, study, worship, rest, simplicity, generosity, celebration, and many more. Instead of being just one more thing on your to-do list, you’ll find that these habits of faith can actually create more margin in your life—providing peace and rest as you walk closer with Jesus. Note that video access is not included with the purchase of this Bible study book. To view the 7 enriching teaching videos for this study (approximately 30 minutes per session), please purchase the Encountering God leader kit. Personal study segments with homework to complete between 7 weeks of group sessions
Leader helps to guide questions and discussions within small groups
Explanations of the history and progression of spiritual disciplines from origins to present day along with their biblical roots
Practical guidance and activities to live out the various spiritual disciplines at home
Encountering God Bible study book does not include video sessions. Video sessions are available in the Encountering God leader kit.
Demystify spiritual disciplines and be empowered to practice them as you draw closer to God.
Understand how spiritual disciplines strengthen the Body of Christ, both in communities and individual lives.
Reframe your perspective on rest and renewal.
Leader helps to guide questions and discussions within small groups
Explanations of the history and progression of spiritual disciplines from origins to present day along with their biblical roots
Practical guidance and activities to live out the various spiritual disciplines at home
Encountering God Bible study book does not include video sessions. Video sessions are available in the Encountering God leader kit.
Demystify spiritual disciplines and be empowered to practice them as you draw closer to God.
Understand how spiritual disciplines strengthen the Body of Christ, both in communities and individual lives.
Reframe your perspective on rest and renewal.
224 pages, Paperback
Published November 1, 2021
40 people are currently reading
206 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Minter
55 books429 followersKelly lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and serves the Lord passionately both across the U.S. and internationally in a variety of creative roles. An acclaimed author, musician, Bible study creator and teacher, she is passionate to see women impacted by Jesus and His Word.
Growing up outside of Washington, DC, Kelly was raised in a Christian home, the oldest of four children and daughter of a pastor. Her childhood was seasoned with competitive sports, learning the guitar, singing, and a litany of church activities in the congregation her father founded and still pastors. Like many young women, Kelly dealt with inner struggles – anxiety and depression were a part of her growing-up years. “Those struggles are what drove me to Scripture,” Kelly says, “and the catalyst for me to learn for myself who God is.” Throughout her high school career, Kelly played basketball competitively, expecting that to be her path into college. But after a scholarship fell through, she began playing music. And God began a new thing.
Kelly moved to Nashville in the summer of 2000 and released her first record with WORD, followed by a subsequent release on a different label, leading to her first #1 Single on the Inspirational Charts, This Is My Offering. Shortly after this success and several cross-country tours her record company folded leaving Kelly to rethink her vocation and ministry. In the middle of an ever-changing music industry and on a tour through Colorado, Kelly met a book publisher who would two years later sign her to her first book deal.
Kelly’s first book eventually led to LifeWay approaching her about writing a bible study. Authoring curriculum was a new challenge, but one she quickly fell in love with. Kelly’s first three studies include, No Other Gods: Confronting Our Modern Day Idols, followed by Ruth: Loss, Love & Legacy and Nehemiah: A Heart That Can Break. Respected Bible Study teacher and speaker, Beth Moore, chose each of Kelly’s resources for three of her widely-reaching online summer studies. Thousands of women participated and were challenged by Kelly’s writing and her unique perspective on Scripture.
Kelly now writes, teaches, and sings across the United States and also in other countries. Speaking at multiple conferences and events, as well as four Women of Faith events in 2012, Kelly has become a steady and respected teaching voice to women, particularly when it comes to the Scriptures. She also partners closely with Justice and Mercy International (JMI), a ministry that serves in the Amazon jungle; she especially loves working with the jungle pastors who encourage her through their remarkable faith.
When home, Kelly’s days are spent writing, cooking, gardening, enjoying her neighborhood, loving her community, investing in her local church, and walking forward in the things God has for her. She is relevant, palatable, and uncompromising in her teachings from the Bible, and women relate to this.
Growing up outside of Washington, DC, Kelly was raised in a Christian home, the oldest of four children and daughter of a pastor. Her childhood was seasoned with competitive sports, learning the guitar, singing, and a litany of church activities in the congregation her father founded and still pastors. Like many young women, Kelly dealt with inner struggles – anxiety and depression were a part of her growing-up years. “Those struggles are what drove me to Scripture,” Kelly says, “and the catalyst for me to learn for myself who God is.” Throughout her high school career, Kelly played basketball competitively, expecting that to be her path into college. But after a scholarship fell through, she began playing music. And God began a new thing.
Kelly moved to Nashville in the summer of 2000 and released her first record with WORD, followed by a subsequent release on a different label, leading to her first #1 Single on the Inspirational Charts, This Is My Offering. Shortly after this success and several cross-country tours her record company folded leaving Kelly to rethink her vocation and ministry. In the middle of an ever-changing music industry and on a tour through Colorado, Kelly met a book publisher who would two years later sign her to her first book deal.
Kelly’s first book eventually led to LifeWay approaching her about writing a bible study. Authoring curriculum was a new challenge, but one she quickly fell in love with. Kelly’s first three studies include, No Other Gods: Confronting Our Modern Day Idols, followed by Ruth: Loss, Love & Legacy and Nehemiah: A Heart That Can Break. Respected Bible Study teacher and speaker, Beth Moore, chose each of Kelly’s resources for three of her widely-reaching online summer studies. Thousands of women participated and were challenged by Kelly’s writing and her unique perspective on Scripture.
Kelly now writes, teaches, and sings across the United States and also in other countries. Speaking at multiple conferences and events, as well as four Women of Faith events in 2012, Kelly has become a steady and respected teaching voice to women, particularly when it comes to the Scriptures. She also partners closely with Justice and Mercy International (JMI), a ministry that serves in the Amazon jungle; she especially loves working with the jungle pastors who encourage her through their remarkable faith.
When home, Kelly’s days are spent writing, cooking, gardening, enjoying her neighborhood, loving her community, investing in her local church, and walking forward in the things God has for her. She is relevant, palatable, and uncompromising in her teachings from the Bible, and women relate to this.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
March 20, 2023
This was the perfect study for where I am right now in life. Pretty in-depth with quite a bit of homework. Lots of scripture reference and not as many “how have you seen this in your own life” questions which I always kind of struggle to answer. 😝 mostly just pointing you back to Christ and His word which was great! I also learned a few new things which is always nice.
March 28, 2022
This has been an excellent Bible study for our very diverse small group, from seasoned Christian's to those just finding the Lord. I love Kelly Minter's teaching style. Fresh and Bible based
February 26, 2024
Highly recommend this study, for women or men.
August 11, 2022
Basic, but good reminders.
November 10, 2022
This was a good bible study. It does have a video component that comes in handy but wasn't part of the book that we went through (the leader of the bible study had to purchase it separately).
March 10, 2022
I really love Kelly Minter and her summer online Bible studies have warmed my heart. She is one of my favorite people to listen to teach.
This is a study looking at different spiritual disciplines (prayer, fasting, worship, simplicity, Sabbath, etc) with about 30 minute videos each week. I did this study with Lifeway’s Online Bible Study site.
I maybe prefer some of her other studies on specific Bible passages, as opposed to this style, which pulls a bunch of passages each day. But like always, she makes lots of great observations.
She begins each day with a quote from Bible teachers from NT Wright, John Stott, John Mark Comer, etc that I found super interesting. She also begins the week with an introduction to the week, separate from the study day. There are 7 weeks, with 5 days of study guide questions for each week. A couple of my favorite quotes:
Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work.”1 [Kelly Minter (2021). (p. 44).
But we mostly practice it because it is through prayer that we commune with the living God, and He changes us. [Kelly Minter (2021). (p. 51).
He does not need us to worship Him; rather, He delights in our worship because He knows we need to worship! [Kelly Minter (2021). (p. 81)
consider these words from the extraordinary prayer warrior Madame Guyon, “If you read quickly, it will benefit you little. You will be like a bee that merely skims the surface of a flower. Instead . . . you must become as the bee who penetrates into the depths of the flower. You plunge deeply within to remove its deepest nectar.”12 [Kelly Minter (2021). (p. 121).
Christ is the ultimate provision of rest for us in places of solitude. The desert place is no longer aloneness in its strictest sense. It is time communing with Jesus. [Kelly Minter (2021). (p. 131).
Hence, we will practice these disciplines that, little by little, grace upon grace, will lead us into what Jesus described as the abundant life. [Kelly Minter (2021). (p. 145).
This is a study looking at different spiritual disciplines (prayer, fasting, worship, simplicity, Sabbath, etc) with about 30 minute videos each week. I did this study with Lifeway’s Online Bible Study site.
I maybe prefer some of her other studies on specific Bible passages, as opposed to this style, which pulls a bunch of passages each day. But like always, she makes lots of great observations.
She begins each day with a quote from Bible teachers from NT Wright, John Stott, John Mark Comer, etc that I found super interesting. She also begins the week with an introduction to the week, separate from the study day. There are 7 weeks, with 5 days of study guide questions for each week. A couple of my favorite quotes:
Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work.”1 [Kelly Minter (2021). (p. 44).
But we mostly practice it because it is through prayer that we commune with the living God, and He changes us. [Kelly Minter (2021). (p. 51).
He does not need us to worship Him; rather, He delights in our worship because He knows we need to worship! [Kelly Minter (2021). (p. 81)
consider these words from the extraordinary prayer warrior Madame Guyon, “If you read quickly, it will benefit you little. You will be like a bee that merely skims the surface of a flower. Instead . . . you must become as the bee who penetrates into the depths of the flower. You plunge deeply within to remove its deepest nectar.”12 [Kelly Minter (2021). (p. 121).
Christ is the ultimate provision of rest for us in places of solitude. The desert place is no longer aloneness in its strictest sense. It is time communing with Jesus. [Kelly Minter (2021). (p. 131).
Hence, we will practice these disciplines that, little by little, grace upon grace, will lead us into what Jesus described as the abundant life. [Kelly Minter (2021). (p. 145).
May 7, 2022
Another excellent study by Kelly Minter! I love that the whole premise of this study is that we develop spiritual disciplines in our lives not because we “should” or to be “good Christians” but because practicing these disciplines leads us into a deeper, richer, more intimate relationship with our beloved Savior Jesus!
I liked the format of this study, with an intro each week written by Kelly and then 5 days of study, examining scriptures for each topic, followed by a video session where she sums up what we had studied each week. Sometimes I wished she had gone a little deeper into the scriptures in the daily homework, some of the questions felt a little bit basic, but overall we were getting into God’s Word together and I loved that.
Kelly’s writing is engaging and fun, authentic and relatable. As I’m reading through the study I honestly feel like I am having a conversation with a good friend.
Highly recommend for anyone to do on their own or in a small group.
I liked the format of this study, with an intro each week written by Kelly and then 5 days of study, examining scriptures for each topic, followed by a video session where she sums up what we had studied each week. Sometimes I wished she had gone a little deeper into the scriptures in the daily homework, some of the questions felt a little bit basic, but overall we were getting into God’s Word together and I loved that.
Kelly’s writing is engaging and fun, authentic and relatable. As I’m reading through the study I honestly feel like I am having a conversation with a good friend.
Highly recommend for anyone to do on their own or in a small group.
August 31, 2025
We worked through this study as a family with two teenage daughters. (There is also a teen girl version of the book). We wanted to introduce them to the spiritual disciplines without overwhelming them. We opted for this rather than reading aloud Whitney, Foster, or Comer’s books (which are fabulous, btw).
Though this is published for women, the content is by no means gender specific. The accompanying teaching videos are filmed in a pretty setting, but again, anyone can learn from them. I think because Kelly Minter’s a single woman, Lifeway doesn’t allow her to “teach” men.
Overall, we found it a nicely paced introduction to the disciplines and super grounded in Scripture. We watched the videos and enjoyed discussion as a family on Sunday evenings, and my oldest daughter and I worked through the workbooks throughout the week (separately). My husband worked through some of the workbook, but opted to prioritize his own Bible reading/quiet time routine most days.
Highly recommend!
Though this is published for women, the content is by no means gender specific. The accompanying teaching videos are filmed in a pretty setting, but again, anyone can learn from them. I think because Kelly Minter’s a single woman, Lifeway doesn’t allow her to “teach” men.
Overall, we found it a nicely paced introduction to the disciplines and super grounded in Scripture. We watched the videos and enjoyed discussion as a family on Sunday evenings, and my oldest daughter and I worked through the workbooks throughout the week (separately). My husband worked through some of the workbook, but opted to prioritize his own Bible reading/quiet time routine most days.
Highly recommend!
May 15, 2024
Fantastic Bible Study! I really liked getting back to the basics about spiritual disciplines. This study challenged me to seek Jesus on a regular, daily basis and gave reminders and clarity regarding what that means. The author also did a fantastic job putting the disciplines in a meaningful order and exploring how the spiritual disciplines were faithfully observed in ancient Hebrew times and how we can apply that to our lives now. I would highly recommend this bible study to any Christian who is ready for a refresh for their faith.
April 26, 2022
One of the best Bible studies I've ever participated in. This was easy to follow and understand, but simultaneously deep and thought-provoking. I led 63 women through this study and it felt like a discipleship time the whole time. This brought out questions and responses that surprised me each and every week. Kelly is such a good teacher and this book is well-written and a must for every believer, no matter how long you've walked with the Lord.
March 9, 2023
Encountering God: Cultivating Habits of Faith Through the Spiritual Disciplines by Kelly Minter is the first Bible Study I have been in from her. My small group at my church decided to do this study and it is transforming to practice those disciplines. It brings serving alongside Jesus even more of a treasure in my life. I was highly grateful for this study and I recommend it for anyone who wants to learn to serve Jesus better.
February 10, 2024
This is likely the best study I’ve done. Kelly dives deep into aspects that we may all think we know a lot about. She relates the life of Christ with how we can/are to reflect.
I love the set up and layout of the book. The videos (found on YouTube) were a good accompaniment but not totally necessary if you can’t assess them.
I’m excited to go through again and take notes of all the ah ha moments I had.
I’ve read a lot of Kelly’s stuff and this is the best yet.
I love the set up and layout of the book. The videos (found on YouTube) were a good accompaniment but not totally necessary if you can’t assess them.
I’m excited to go through again and take notes of all the ah ha moments I had.
I’ve read a lot of Kelly’s stuff and this is the best yet.
March 7, 2022
My biggest complaint with this book is the format. Ms. Minter made numerous good points that I was able to take away from the readings. The content is great but the workbook format feels like 2nd grade. Plus the fact that the scripture is not included, makes it difficult to take the book with you so you can nibble away at it when your schedule is overpacked and you are on the go.
October 12, 2022
I really enjoy Kelly Minter and overall I did enjoy this Bible Study. I just felt like some of it was rushed on topics that could have gone deeper and some topics were extremely basic and simple. I think this is a good refresher for mature Christians who are having a hard time with spiritual disciplines or a new believer. But for me not as impactful as her study on No Other Gods.
March 6, 2023
I loved this study. Appreciated how many passages she had me turn to gain context, the questions were great and personal responses weren’t too deep, but also not too shallow either. Really made me think about my spiritual discipline practices and how I could improve them in my current stage of life. Would love to refer back to this book when I need to.
October 3, 2023
I absolutely loved this work book. I find Ms. Kelly to be very funny and relatable while also knowing when to challenge your thoughts and habits. Very sound teaching as well. The layout of the workbook helped me dive into scripture in a way I didn’t know how to do. It was great for giving me more direction.
I was sad when I completed the workbook because it was such a sweet season. ♥️✨
I was sad when I completed the workbook because it was such a sweet season. ♥️✨
November 18, 2024
3.5 Did this as a ladies Bible study with my church. I felt like I didn't straight up disagree with much, but I also felt like Kelly did a LOT of stretching verses to make her points. She also chose some random disciplines to focus on. I think there are more important characteristics to develop than "celebration".
March 1, 2022
I absolutely loved doing this study. Kelly is funny and engaging while deep and thought provoking. I lead a group of girls and we had great discussion while being equal parts encouraged and challenged. I highly recommend!
March 3, 2022
Our first Bible study book for 2022, for my ladies group at church. Our small group thoroughly enjoyed these weeks of study on the spiritual disciplines. The videos were different from the homework, but all was informative, encouraging, challenging and motivating. Highly recommend.
March 17, 2022
I always enjoy Kelly Minter's take on things. She has a fresh, open, relatable approach. This look at the spiritual disciplines contains many resource pages that I know that I'll return to in the future.
June 7, 2022
I really enjoyed this Bible Study. It was all about spiritual disciplines and really challenged me in some areas and refreshed me in others. I might do this once a year over the next few years as a good reminder.
February 17, 2023
Decent study especially for new believers. Those who have been a Christian for a while might enjoy the refresher course, but this study is better done for young people, or new to their understanding of Jesus.
February 25, 2022
So good! I think people of all spiritual maturities would really benefit from this.
April 6, 2022
A wonderful study that brought me closer to Jesus and gave me a greater understanding of what it means to abide with Him in daily life.
April 16, 2022
I love Kelly Minter's Bible studies and this is no exception. I like how practical it was.
dnf
May 1, 2022Life got in the way of me doing most of this study, but it looked like a neat study taking a week each to cover spiritual habits that help strengthen our relationship with God.
May 9, 2022
I did this study twice with two different groups. It was amazing!! I highly recommend. Kelly is one of my faves if not my all time favorite. It was so applicable. Loved.
January 7, 2023
She is an awesome Bible scholar and helps you, as you study, understand the Word
August 24, 2023
Great Bible study on the spiritual disciplines! Especially some disciplines I haven't considered as much before. Would recommend!
February 29, 2024
This was a good Bible study. Intense and time consuming. (I’d recommend two weeks between sessions if I were doing it again.) but super challenging and encouraging.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews