Destination Church Spokane Podcast

The Pharisees knew the Psalms, but Jesus' question about Psalm 110 left them speechless. Why does David call the Messiah "Lord"? How can the Son of David also be his Lord? As we dive further into this psalm we can begin to see this Lord as Divine King, Eternal Priest, and Ultimate Victor. And just who is this Divine Messiah? The New Testament is very clear: Jesus.

When Mary brings the expensive perfume to anoint Jesus she is pouring out a costly, atmosphere-changing, sacrifice of worship. Acts of costly worship like this also expose hearts. Judas is offended, claiming that she is being wasteful and that she could have sold it to give to the poor. But what does Jesus call it? "Beautiful." His rebuke of Judas seems to be one of the final straws lead...

"My God, my God, why have You abandoned me?" It's a cry of anguish and isolation, of traumatic emotional pain. Both David and Jesus cried these words out to God, even though each of them still acknowledge who God is the midst of their pain. The pain of David's trauma and of Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross is not the end, and the psalm continues. "You answered me...

At times, life can seem overwhelming! Though Psalm 16 isn't a Mother's Day psalm, there are lots of applications to motherhood. Every one of us, including moms, can find fresh hope as we rediscover that God is a refuge, even in life's most difficult moments. Psalm 16 is a good reminder that: we are surrounded by holy people in progress, being shaped by His grace; God has an amazing...

God is truly magnificent, and the majesty of His Creation is meant to leave us in awe as it points us to Him. From the the wonder of stars and galaxies to the voices of tiny children, all Creation testifies to the greatness of God. In the vastness of it all, we may wonder why God would give such dignity to humans, and Psalm 8 poses this same question. And it's in this question that God speaks...

Psalm 2 describes the nations raging against God. God is not nervous or in the least bit intimidated by this, but instead ... He laughs! God is truly sovereign and when we stand with him we can have confidence. All the sovereign power and glory the Father has He has promised to Jesus His Son, and part of that promise includes the nations of the earth. All nations are invited, and wise, to draw nea...

Is Jesus really the one? Is He the promised Messiah, and did He really rise from the dead? Maybe most importantly, is there really hope promised to us in His name? People are still asking these questions today, and for Jesus' first followers, they took some convincing of the answers! In Luke 24 we revisit the resurrection story, and discover how Jesus reveals Himself through relationship and...

Jesus had been determined to go to Jerusalem. He had also been predicting his coming death and resurrection, and though no one seemed to understand what he meant, his purpose was clear. As Jesus now rides into Jerusalem on a young donkey, the crowds cry, "Peace...!" but the peace he is bringing will look so different than any of them could imagine. His peace will extend to every nation,...

What do we mean when we say we willingly receive and actively pursue relationship with recognized apostolic and prophetic ministries? What is the role of these foundational gifts in the twenty-first century church? We tackle these questions and more in the final session of Core.

Over time, healthy families... grow! A church that is embracing biblical core values can expect God to keep adding to them. Our God, who 'moved into our neighborhood,' for our benefit helps us to understand that we our local church exists both for the good of one another and for those who are not here yet. We all have a significant role to play as we partner in God's mission in the...

Our God very generous! His generous grace awakens generosity in our own hearts, too. This frees our hearts from possessiveness and fear, transforms our priorities, and is a significant part of becoming more like Jesus. God's kingdom is a generous one and it is advancing through His generous people. 

Is God worthy of our worship and praise? If so, how can help lead our hearts into genuine worship of Him in times where we may not feel particularly worshipful? Learning how to lead our hearts according to the gospel rather than to be led around by how we feel in a particular moment is an important part of our discipleship. Learning to present our bodies as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1) and to...

What does it mean to be a charismatic church? It isn't about music style or hands-in-the-air expression; it's so much more than that! It means embracing the gifts of God among us, enjoying fellowship in the Spirit together, and functioning in the many gifts He gives. When we embrace this as a family we will not only enjoy and be refreshed, but also stand in awe of God's presence amo...

God sets the lonely into families. In Christ, we are adopted, not into an 'organization,' but as sons and daughters, as brothers and sisters of Jesus. Embracing healthy local church family includes learning a lifestyle that prioritizes fellowship together, loving one another, one another's success, and enjoying real life together. The early church grasped something wonderful about p...

When Jesus is preparing for the cross, the resurrection, and then to ascend to His Father's side He tells the disciples that it will be for their advantage for him to go away. This must seem very hard to understand for them, and still is for many today! He commissions them to take the gospel to the ends of the earth, and then says... "Wait!" The Holy Spirit is coming, and this - He...

On the day of Pentecost, when thousands of people believe the message of the gospel, immediately Peter and the other apostles encourage baptism in water as part of their immediate response. What is it about water baptism that is so important, and what does it mean to be immersed into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? And how long should a new follower of Jesus wait to be baptized? Acts...

As Christians, it's vital that we understand this truth: our relationship with God is not based on our works, but in the finished work of Christ. Through faith in Jesus and what He has accomplished on our behalf, His righteousness becomes our righteousness. God chose freely before we were ever born to send His son to do this for us. God Himself chose to give us this life-transforming gift of...

When Jesus taught the disciples  what we often refer to as 'The Lord's Prayer' He wasn't just giving them lines to recite but a relational strategy for life-giving prayer. Prayer is an effective, powerful practice, and it's important for every disciple of Jesus to learn the disciplines that foster sustainable, effective prayer. Like the early church we discover in the Book...

Over the course of history many have dedicated their lives and even sacrificed their lives to translate and produce copies of the Bible so that people can access the Scriptures for themselves. What is it about this book that has caused people to give their lives to make it's words available to others? Within the Bible we have God's instruction about Himself, about us, and about how we ar...

God instructs and enables us as His people to be fruitful and multiply. And if growth means anything, it means... change! And transformative change is built right into the Big Vision and blessing of God. He brings people from all walks of life together through Christ for a new purpose. The people of God are gathered to shape, change, and bless neighborhoods, cities, and even entire nations. Accord...

God is pleased to share His joy with us! When Jesus is born into the world, there is much purpose behind such joyful news, and Jesus Himself will later announce the "Why" behind His coming. The birth of Jesus is the birth of the long-awaited Messiah, and we have reason to join the celebration!

Real love is costly, isn't it! God's love for us, the kind of love that gives and invests, is being revealed in Matthew's account of the Christmas story. When Joseph finds out Mary is pregnant, his plan is to divorce her. God changes his plan with the kind of love that changes the world! What kind of love is this? A merciful love; a love that communicates and includes; a love that p...

Did Jesus come to bring peace? Absolutely, but not in the way that the people of His time were expecting. Jesus brings a peace that includes reconciliation, forgiveness, compassion, mercy, and favor. As He brings salvation to us in these ways, He also challenges us to partner with Him, extending them to others as well. Christ came to serve and die for "us," and also for "them."...

The prophecies of the coming Messiah were well-known to the Jewish people, stirring hope in hearts living in captivity. Yet, when the angel Gabriel first bings news of practical, tangible hope that sets up the coming of the Messiah, Zechariah is not quite ready to believe it. Six months later, Gabriel brings word to Mary that the long-hoped-for Messiah is going to come through her, and she respond...

Even with the living water of God, drought still comes here on this earth. Famine and floods still bring hard times. But when these times come that is the time to stay near the river of God. He has blessing for those who root themselves into His faithfulness and depend on the life that comes from Him. The life that He brings will not fade or wither.