Podcast Summary
ONE | A Potter's House Church
Episode: From Division to Dominion - Dr. Anita Phillips
Date: November 3, 2025
Host: ONE | A Potter’s House Church
Guest Speaker: Dr. Anita Phillips
Episode Overview
This sermon, delivered by Dr. Anita Phillips at ONE | A Potter’s House Church, offers a deeply theological and practical exploration of unity, division, and dominion within the body of Christ. Dr. Phillips draws from Galatians 3:28 and the Genesis creation narrative to examine the roots of division—specifically through the lens of gender, ethnicity, and class—and provides a compelling perspective on how internal wars of anger and fear translate into societal and relational division. The call is to move from a posture of division back to God-given dominion: a dominion that holds both power and vulnerability, as modeled by Christ.
Key Discussion Points
1. The Move of the Spirit & Revival Requires Unity
[01:07–05:24]
- Dr. Phillips frames the present as a time of spiritual escalation and revival, likening it to the unity in the upper room before Pentecost.
- Unity is not just participation but deep oneness—“they were with one accord”—which is rare and vital for a genuine move of God.
2. Galatians 3:28 & The Roots of Division
[05:24–07:37]
- Galatians 3:28 is used to highlight an absence of division in Christ: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
- The divisions listed—ethnic, socio-economic, gender—are all based on control and power differentials.
3. The Origin of Division: Internal Wars of Anger and Fear
[07:45–13:42]
- James 4:1–4 is cited to show that external wars start with internal conflict and selfish desires.
- “My internal battle is being expressed as a battle with you.” (Torre Roberts, [08:41])
- Therapy concepts like Internal Family Systems and the movie “Inside Out” are referenced to illustrate internal wrestling between different “parts” of ourselves.
- The central thesis: division without is always rooted in division within.
4. Dominion Ruptured: From Oneness to Brokenness
[13:42–18:33]
- Genesis 1: God gave them (male and female) dominion, indicating true unity.
- Genesis 5: Adam and Eve were so unified, God gave them the same name (“Adam”).
- "They were so one to God that they did not have a different name." (Latricia, [14:46])
- The fall fractured this oneness; what followed was a shift from dominion together to division.
5. The Curses: Fear for Women, Anger for Men
[18:33–24:01]
- Dr. Phillips dives into the punishments in Genesis 3:
- For women: increased pain in childbirth is paralleled with the curse of fear and anxiety (“fear is the thing that pains us the most” [19:35]).
- For men: labor and hard ground connected to anger and an “offended heart.”
- “The curse of the feminine expression was fear. The masculine expression... was anger.” (Latricia, [23:03])
6. Fear & Anger: The Cycle of Division in All Relationships
[24:01–30:12]
- These fear and anger dynamics are not limited to marriage, but feature in all relationships, from Abraham and Sarah to modern partnerships.
- Modern conversations about “masculine” and “feminine” energy are reframed:
- “It’s not about masculine, feminine, it’s anger and it’s fear. And they will show up as a duo everywhere.” (Latricia, [28:10])
- This manifests both internally (the war within) and externally (the war between).
7. Returning to God’s Original Design: Power and Vulnerability
[30:12–32:55]
- Dominion was intended to be power blended with vulnerability (not anger/fear).
- “Power must exist with vulnerability because it keeps me compassionate, because I know it could be me at any time. But power and vulnerability have fallen to anger and fear.” (Latricia, [33:37])
8. The Example of Christ: Power Combined with Vulnerability
[35:39–38:22]
- Jesus in Gethsemane and on the cross is the ultimate model:
- “He was honest about how vulnerable he was... But he put his power down for God.” (Latricia, [37:16])
- Jesus’ side being pierced is paralleled with Adam’s side, symbolizing the unity and mutuality restored through Him.
9. A Higher Spiritual Reality Beyond Earthly Divisions
[38:22–44:01]
- Dr. Phillips challenges the cultural constructs that shape our understanding of gender, power, and even our view of God (“Why do you think a Christian church looks completely different…?” [43:06]).
- Christians are called to a unity that transcends ethnicity, class, and gender.
10. Application: Laying Down Anger and Fear, Pursuing Healing and Unity
[44:03–54:46]
- The altar is opened for those wounded by division, anger, and fear—especially within the church or family.
- Healing is necessary for individuals to participate in healing the broader body.
- “Healed people heal people. Angry people make other people angry.” (Latricia, [48:14])
- Dr. Phillips prays for restored dominion: “That my anger and my fear will be crucified. And that my willingness to have power and vulnerability in me for dominion will look like what Jesus showed me in Gethsemane.” (Latricia, [35:28])
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On the origin of unity:
- "They were so one to God that they did not have a different name.” — Latricia, [14:46]
-
On internal strife manifesting externally:
- "My internal battle is being expressed as a battle with you." — Torre Roberts, [08:41]
-
On the female and male ‘curse’:
- “The curse of the feminine expression was fear... The masculine expression of his image has fallen, and its anger.” — Latricia, [23:03]
-
On relationships and modern discourse:
- “It’s not about masculine, feminine, it’s anger and it’s fear. And they will show up as a duo everywhere.” — Latricia, [28:10]
-
On Christ as model:
- “He had the power to do it, but he laid it down... He was vulnerable and powerful at the same time. This is our mandate.” — Latricia, [37:16]
-
On true dominion:
- "Dominion is a combination of power, not anger, and vulnerability, not fear." — Latricia, [31:03]
-
On cultural Christianity:
- “Why do you think a Christian church looks completely different on a Sunday morning at a black church than at a Korean church…? Our cultural view is more impactful on how we present God than our Bibles. And it's scary.” — Latricia, [43:06]
-
On healing:
- “Healed people heal people. Angry people make other people angry.” — Latricia, [48:14]
Key Timestamps
- [01:07–05:24]: The necessity and power of unity for a move of God
- [05:24–07:37]: Breakdown of Galatians 3:28 and types of division
- [07:45–13:42]: Internal division as the root of external division; therapy examples
- [13:42–18:33]: Genesis and the original, unified dominion
- [18:33–24:01]: The curses of fear (for women) and anger (for men)
- [24:01–30:12]: The cyclical nature of anger and fear in relationships
- [30:12–32:55]: Reclaiming dominion through power and vulnerability, not anger/fear
- [35:39–38:22]: Christ as the model for power + vulnerability
- [38:22–44:01]: Transcending cultural constructs and divisions
- [44:03–54:46]: Healing from division and the invitation to move from division to dominion
Episode Tone & Language
The sermon is both scholarly and deeply pastoral. Dr. Phillips employs accessible language, vivid metaphors, and scriptural references—but also speaks plainly about modern topics (e.g., gender discourse, therapy, mental health). The atmosphere is invitational, healing, and direct, with Dr. Phillips oscillating between teaching, testimony, and exhortation to challenge listeners to a higher standard of spiritual unity and authenticity.
Summary Takeaway
Dr. Anita Phillips’ teaching calls for the church—and individuals—to move past the inherited cycles of control, division, fear, and anger that fracture both relational and personal wholeness. By embracing Christ’s model of dominion—undergirded by power tempered with vulnerability—believers can embody unity that brings about real spiritual revival and healing. The invitation is both personal and corporate: confront and heal the internal wars of anger and fear, so that “we can be them”—one in Christ, healed, and ready for a true move of God.