25-0903, Engagement Project, Tour 2

Have you ever paused amid the chaos of daily life—a heated argument with a loved one, the sting of a health scare, or the weight of global headlines—and wondered, "What went wrong with the world?" It’s a question that echoes through history, from ancient philosophers to modern therapists, but for those of us anchored in Scripture, it points straight to the Garden of Eden. In the latest session of Dr. Del Tackett’s The Engagement Project, Tour 2: Fall - "The River of Death, Part 1," taught by Scott on September 3, 2025, we plunge into this very mystery. As the current date of September 11, 2025, reminds us, we’re living in times that feel increasingly fractured, making Tackett’s timeless insights all the more urgent.

For those new to The Engagement Project, this isn’t just another Bible study—it’s a transformative small-group series designed to equip believers with a robust biblical worldview. Building on the foundation of Tackett’s acclaimed The Truth Project, which has impacted millions by challenging cultural assumptions, The Engagement Project shifts the focus from mere understanding to active engagement. As Tackett himself describes on his site (deltackett.com), it’s a quest to "seek the face of God" through ten 50-minute video tours, exploring His nature and our role in His kingdom. The series answers two pivotal questions: "Why did Jesus leave?" and "Why does God send?"—ultimately calling us to restore God’s truth in every sphere of life, from families to culture at large. Hosted in intimate groups, it fosters deep discussions that don’t just inform but propel participants into "neighborly apologetics," loving and engaging the lost with long-term fellowship.

Tour 2 immerses us in the second epoch of God’s grand metanarrative: the Fall. Tackett frames this not as a dusty doctrine but as the pivotal rupture that explains our world’s groaning. Drawing from Genesis 3, he vividly recounts Adam and Eve’s disobedience, a moment that invited sin’s venom into paradise. This wasn’t a minor slip; it was a cosmic pivot, inverting creation’s trajectory from vibrant life to inexorable death. Tackett’s teaching, rich with pastoral warmth and scholarly precision, invites us to feel the weight of this event. Imagine the Garden—once a haven of harmony—now echoing with shame and exile. As we unpack "The River of Death," Tackett challenges us: How does this ancient fracture shape your story today? In a world reeling from division and despair, this session isn’t just educational; it’s a lifeline, urging us to reclaim God’s redemptive purpose.

Tackett doesn’t leave us in the Garden’s shadow for long. He swiftly connects the dots to our present reality, turning to Romans 8:20–23 for a profound lens on the Fall’s fallout. Here, Paul personifies creation itself: subjected to "futility," it "groans" in labor pains, yearning for liberation. Tackett elaborates with poetic depth, explaining that this curse isn’t punitive cruelty but a merciful tether—a reminder of what’s been lost and what’s to come. The earth, once effortlessly bountiful, now demands sweat and sorrow; animals, once in peaceful dominion, clash in survival’s arena; and humanity, crowned with glory, wrestles mortality’s grip.

He paints pictures that linger: a majestic oak felled by blight, a river choked with silt, mirroring the spiritual entropy in our souls. This subjection to decay isn’t random; it’s the direct consequence of humanity’s rebellion, where free will’s misuse poisoned the wellspring of life. Tackett stresses the universality—no ecosystem, no relationship, no heartbeat escapes the ripple. Yet, in this groaning, he hears hope: the pains of childbirth signal new birth, pointing to redemption’s dawn. For participants in The Engagement Project groups, this truth sparks vulnerability—stories of personal loss shared around coffee tables, transforming abstract theology into shared testimony. As Tackett notes, understanding this curse equips us to empathize with a hurting world, positioning the gospel not as a sales pitch but as the ultimate restoration manual.

One of the session’s most relatable moments comes when Tackett addresses the elephant in the room: Even atheists sense the world’s wrongness. He shares anecdotes from his travels—conversations with skeptics mourning environmental collapse or societal rifts—who unwittingly echo the biblical diagnosis. This "universal awareness," Tackett argues, is the Fall’s residual echo, a God-given intuition of shalom disrupted. It’s why news cycles obsess over injustice or why self-help aisles overflow with quick fixes for soul-deep voids.

The Fall’s gravity, he explains, pulls relentlessly toward decay, subverting God’s Edenic blueprint of flourishing. Tackett’s analogy lands like a gut punch: "We don’t catch health." Wellness demands intention; illness spreads unchecked. Apply this to ethics, ecology, or emotions, and the pattern holds—entropy reigns unless countered by divine intervention. He expands with contemporary examples: social media’s echo chambers amplifying division, economies built on exploitation yielding inequality. This isn’t fatalism; it’s a call to vigilance. In The Engagement Project's spirit, Tackett urges groups to leverage this shared ache as an entry point for gospel conversations. Why not invite a neighbor grappling with isolation to discuss? As one pastor shared after hosting the series, "My own life was challenged…​ and changed by what I learned." This section bridges ancient text to modern malaise, reminding us that the Fall’s diagnosis is the first step toward healing.

As the session builds momentum, Tackett unveils the Fall’s deeper drama: a celestial showdown between God’s truth and Satan’s deception. Rooted in Romans 1:25, where humanity "exchanged the truth about God for a lie," this is no fairy tale but a war for reality itself. Tackett casts Satan, per John 8:44, as the "father of lies," architect of a counterfeit narrative that parodies God’s metanarrative of creation’s glory and fruitfulness.

He traces the battle’s blueprint: God’s truth affirms our dignity as image-bearers in a purposeful cosmos; Satan’s lies peddle autonomy as freedom, delivering chains. Tackett draws historical arcs—from Babel’s hubris to postmodern relativism—showing lies' cascade into cultural corrosion. Yet, he infuses hope: Truth, embodied in Christ, is the sword that shatters illusions. For believers, this demands daily enlistment—discerning deception in media, politics, or personal temptations. Tackett’s passion shines here, echoing The Engagement Project's core: Worldview isn’t spectator sport; it’s frontline warfare. As he challenges, "Will you exchange truth for lies, or wield it as light?" This cosmic lens reframes struggles, turning victims into victors.

Zooming into Genesis 3:4’s infamous line—"You will not surely die"—Tackett dissects Satan’s inaugural gambit. This wasn’t mere doubt; it was rebellion’s spark, promising godlike independence while concealing death’s wage. The fallout? Spiritual exile from God’s presence, physical unraveling in flesh and soil. Tackett unpacks the relational carnage: Adam’s blame-shift, Eve’s evasion, the couple’s hiding—fractures that echo in every divorce, feud, or silent treatment.

At deception’s core lies relationship’s demolition, God’s design for Trinitarian reflection and multiplicative joy. Tackett cites Proverbs 18:1: Isolation is self-sabotage, breaking wisdom’s chain. He illustrates with raw honesty: Digital "connections" masking profound loneliness, churches splintered by gossip. Satan’s calculus? Sever bonds, starve fruitfulness. But Tackett counters with gospel glue—forgiveness as warfare, vulnerability as victory. In group settings, this prompts raw dialogue: "Where has isolation crept into your life?" The Engagement Project thrives here, forging the "life groups" Tackett champions—committed circles weathering storms together.

Tackett’s imagery intensifies with the "pretty green fig tree that bears no fruit," evoking Jesus' temple parable (Mark 11). Outwardly vibrant, inwardly void—this mirrors the isolated soul, adorned but unproductive. Satan’s lies lure toward self-reliance, quarantining gifts in sterile silos. Tackett elaborates: Without Proverbs 27:17’s sharpening, doubts metastasize; potential evaporates unspoken.

Consider a visionary entrepreneur, sidelined by pride, whose innovations die unborn—or a mentor whose wisdom, hoarded, robs mentees of breakthrough. This mocks Genesis 1:28’s fruitfulness mandate, turning dominion to dormancy. Tackett’s call? Reintegrate into community as defiance, where lives intersect like vines, yielding harvest. This resonates deeply in The Engagement Project, where small groups become incubators of mutual edification.

The session’s pinnacle is Tackett’s river metaphor: "Downstream life" versus "downstream death." God’s current surges with metanarrative momentum—unity’s confluence, abundance’s flood—where obedience cascades into legacy. Satan’s? A necrotic drift to isolation’s shallows, decay’s dam.

Del elaborates masterfully, projecting a graphic: a geometric progression chart. The "life" branch explodes— one faithful soul disciples two, who reach four, eight, sixteen, branching exponentially across generations. Arrows trace transformed lives: healed marriages, revived churches, eternal impacts. Visually, it’s a family tree on divine steroids, embodying multiplicative dominion.

Contrast the "death" side: One withdrawal—a missed mentorship, a relational breach—snaps the link, voiding all downstream nodes. The chart collapses into shadow, a stark void symbolizing untold losses. Tackett lingers: "Remove one instance, and the progression halts." The math’s mercy? Small fidelities yield vast yields; isolation’s tyranny amplifies one choice’s void. This visual isn’t abstract—it’s tactical, urging: Align with life’s flow, or perish in death’s eddy. In groups, it sparks exercises: Map your "downstream"—who ripples from you?

Satan’s worldviews—humanism’s hubris, nihilism’s numbness—dam the river, obscuring God’s epic: creation’s symphony, fall’s dirge, redemption’s crescendo, restoration’s finale. Embracing them shrinks horizons to ego’s puddle, scripting solipsistic tales adrift from purpose.

Tackett invokes C.S. Lewis’s "weight of glory": Metanarrative infuses the ordinary with eternal heft. Loss breeds Ecclesiastes' vanity—talents rusting, opportunities evaporating. Reclamation? Believers as co-scribes in redemption’s tome, their arcs weaving eternity’s tapestry.

Disconnected, life fixates on "me," echoing where God’s glory should thunder. Tackett laments this myopia’s soul-starvation, yet empowers: Ordinary saints hold kingdom keys. Realign, and mundane moments multiply grace— a conversation birthing faith, a kindness chaining blessings.

Tackett’s exegesis fortifies: Romans 1’s idolatry vortex, truth’s suppression spawning depravity; Romans 8’s cosmic travail, curse’s provisional pang heralding freedom. Genesis 3 ignites the fray; John 8 unmasks the liar. These aren’t isolated verses but worldview warp and woof.

The "groaning" captures eschatological tension: Decay’s vise versus restoration’s vista. Tackett expounds: Bondage is temporary; redemption’s throes birth glory. The serpent’s hiss persists, but Calvary’s verdict prevails—hope’s buoy in flux.

Tackett’s genius? Bridging head to hands. Discern schemes, embrace narrative; shun isolation, seed bonds. The Engagement Project weaponizes worldview, morphing observers into operatives in reclamation.

Action summons: Forge glorifying ties, infuse domains with light. Tackett envisions believers as vanguard—everyday epics accelerating restoration.

Synthesizing, Tackett recaps the Fall’s deluge and battle’s inferno. Scriptures converge: Lies' lethality, truth’s lifeline. Downstream duel dares: False fog or faithful ford? This summons metamorphosis—truth’s clasp, bonds' bloom. In death’s drift, elect life; immerse in His plot, amplify His praise.

As we close this dive into "The River of Death," Tackett’s words linger like a challenge from the cosmos: The Fall explains the fracture, but the Cross charts the mend. The Engagement Project isn’t passive viewing—it’s provocation to engage, to let God’s metanarrative reshape your downstream. Whether hosting a group or solo reflecting, start today. Visit deltackett.com to stream sessions or join the Truth Encounter Community for resources and camaraderie. In a world adrift, choose the current of life—your legacy awaits.

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In the opening segment of The Engagement Project’s Tour 2, “The River of Death,” Dr. Del Tackett dives deep into the biblical Fall, unpacking its ripple effects on creation and our bond with God. Taught by Scott on September 3, 2025, this session confronts the cosmic clash between divine truth and Satanic deception—a battle defining our reality. With sharp biblical analysis and evocative metaphors, Tackett urges believers to reclaim God’s grand story amid a decaying world.

The Fall, rooted in Genesis 3, marks sin’s entry through Adam and Eve’s rebellion, flipping creation from vitality to decay. Tackett cites Romans 8:20–23, where the earth “groans” under futility’s curse, aching for renewal. This isn’t abstract theology; it’s palpable. Even skeptics feel the world’s fracture. As Tackett quips, “We don’t catch health”—illness spreads unchecked, mirroring how the Fall drags us toward ruin, far from God’s blueprint of abundance.

Central is the war of truths: God’s life-affirming narrative versus Satan’s web of lies. Echoing Romans 1:25 and John 8:44, Tackett casts Satan as the “father of lies,” peddling a rival tale that erodes creation’s fruitfulness. The serpent’s Genesis 3:4 whisper—“You will not surely die”—sparked rebellion, birthing spiritual and physical death. Satan’s genius? Shattering relationships, God’s core mechanism for glory and growth. This isn’t distant lore; it infiltrates our routines, distorting self-perception, connections, and calling.

Tackett’s metaphor of “downstream life” versus “downstream death” crystallizes the stakes. Flowing with God yields unity, purpose, and bloom - fruitfulness. But Satan’s current? Isolation, rot, and sterility. Picture a lush fig tree, barren inside—beautiful yet futile. This hits hard: daily, we choose community or solitude, truth or illusion.

False worldviews blind us to God’s arc—creation, fall, redemption, restoration—shrinking lives into ego-driven plots devoid of impact. Tackett rallies us to rediscover God’s metanarrative, empowering ordinary believers to cultivate divine ties and kingdom pursuits.

Ultimately, this isn’t mere lesson; it’s a summons. Grasping the Fall arms us against isolation, fueling redemptive action. The Engagement Project reshapes faith, illuminating God’s essence and our kingdom role. “The River of Death, Part 1” blends sobriety with hope, via Romans 1, Genesis 3, and more. Choose upstream: truth over deceit, bonds over barrenness. Dive in—realign with God’s plan.

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The session begins by examining the second epoch of God’s meta-narrative: the Fall, as described in Genesis 3. This pivotal event marks the moment when sin entered the world through Adam and Eve’s disobedience, tipping creation from life to death and decay. Drawing from Romans 8:20-23, Tackett highlights how creation itself is subjected to frustration and groans under the weight of this curse, longing for redemption. Even unbelievers sense that "something isn’t right," reflecting the universal awareness of a broken world. The Fall’s "gravity" pulls everything in the opposite direction of God’s original intent—toward decay rather than flourishing. As Tackett notes, "we don’t catch health," illustrating how the natural trajectory post-Fall is toward deterioration.

A central theme is the cosmic battle between God’s truth and Satan’s lies, rooted in Romans 1, where Paul describes humanity’s rejection of God’s truth and the exchange of truth for lies (Romans 1:25). Tackett frames this as a war between life and death, with Satan, the "father of lies" (John 8:44), introducing a counter-narrative that opposes God’s meta-narrative of creation, fruitfulness, and glory. Satan’s lies, first seen in Genesis 3:4 ("You will not surely die"), deceive humanity into rebelling against God’s order, leading to spiritual and physical death.

Tackett emphasizes that Satan’s ultimate strategy is to destroy relationships, as they are central to God’s design for fruitfulness and glorifying Him. An isolated life, devoid of meaningful connections, becomes fruitless, likened to a "pretty green fig tree" that bears no fruit. This imagery underscores how Satan’s deception isolates individuals, preventing them from fulfilling their God-given purpose within the community of believers and creation.

The session introduces the metaphor of "downstream life" and "downstream death" to contrast God’s life-giving narrative with Satan’s destructive one. Downstream life aligns with God’s meta-narrative, fostering flourishing, unity, and fruitfulness. In contrast, downstream death follows Satan’s lies, leading to isolation, decay, and spiritual barrenness. Tackett illustrates how false worldviews propagated by Satan attack God’s truth, causing individuals to lose sight of the grand meta-narrative and retreat into their own self-centered stories or "scripts."

When individuals embrace false worldviews, they disconnect from God’s overarching story of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. This disconnection shrinks their perspective, leading to a self-focused life that lacks purpose and fails to glorify God. Tackett stresses that reclaiming the biblical meta-narrative is essential for believers to live out their calling as part of God’s kingdom work, entrusted to "common, everyday Christians" (The Engagement Project,).

Tackett’s teaching in this session is designed to move believers toward action, encouraging them to recognize Satan’s schemes and align their lives with God’s meta-narrative. By understanding the Fall’s impact and the ongoing battle between truth and lies, Christians are called to reject isolation, foster godly relationships, and engage in God’s redemptive work. The Engagement Project aims to transform believers by deepening their understanding of God’s nature and their role in His kingdom, as emphasized in the series’ broader vision (,).

Part 1 of Tour 2, "Fall, the River of Death," sets the stage for understanding the devastating effects of the Fall and the cosmic battle that shapes human existence. Through biblical texts like Romans 1 and 8:20-23, Tackett illustrates how Satan’s lies lead to death and isolation, while God’s truth offers life and fruitfulness. By contrasting downstream life with downstream death, he challenges believers to reject false worldviews, embrace God’s meta-narrative, and live purposefully within His redemptive plan. This session serves as a call to transformation, urging Christians to engage with God’s truth and build relationships that glorify Him. back to top