Destination Church Spokane Podcast

No matter who you are, no matter where you are, God wants to build a sure foundation into your life. What kind of foundation is this? Whatever other distinctives we have, there are four key things that every local church is meant to build well: the foundation of grace, of family, of life in the Holy Spirit, and of mission.

Are we called to mature in Christ? Absolutely. Are we called to do it in our own strength and ability? No. God Himself is at work in us both to will and to work in us, helping us to outwork His purpose in the earth. We are a people who shine like stars, and God is committed to helping us shine brightly and effectively. Together, we can rejoice in the ways He is maturing each of us; we can celebrat...

Who is this Jesus that we worship? Is He so full of His own reputation that He's hard to be around? Is He always focused only on His own advancement? Paul's description of the attitude of Jesus reflects something different altogether. Embracing humility, even unto death. And not just any death, but death on a cross. Because Jesus was secure in the Father, He didn't need to grasp for...

After Jesus rises from the dead, He reveals himself to many of His disciples. For whatever reason, Thomas is not present for these first encounters, and for a full week he is hearing the claims of Jesus' resurrection, but does not believe. Thankfully, Jesus includes skeptics like Thomas! He invites Thomas to look and to touch and to believe. Jesus is still helping and influencing our faith to...

In Philippians 2 Paul makes the statement, "If there is any encouragement in Christ, consolation of love, fellowship with the Spirit, or affection and mercy then make my joy complete by being like minded, having the same love, being one in Spirit and one mind." The great thing about this is these things are true! In Christ we really do have everything we need, and this frees us to focus...

Who are we? Are we living out of our true identity as citizens of heaven? Embracing that identity together helps us to reflect Christ and His kingdom as we take on the challenges of life. Together we can courageously stand firm in one spirit, united in the gospel, and contending for the good news of Jesus Christ. In Him, our lives become a far-reaching testimony to those around us through both fai...

The news of Christ truly is the best news in the world! It's something to get excited about. The gospel frees us and leads our hearts towards honoring Christ, into fruitful living, and stirs eagerness to know Him more. From this flows more eagerness to move forward together in Christ, trusting our good and sovereign God. There is so much to be joyful about in Him!

Difficult things happen: in Genesis we see Joseph being sold into slavery, and in Philippians Paul is writing as a prisoner for the gospel. In God's great plan, their hard circumstances served great purpose in furthering His salvation plan. Paul says in his letter, "I want you to know..." He wants us to know that the gospel is being advanced, and that we are partners in His great pu...

Partnership is a beautiful thing! The partnership between Paul and the church in Philippi was a healthy one. Good partnership looks like generous care that fuels praise and thanksgiving. Genuine partnership in the Gospel will also fuel joy and devotion, and we'll find ourselves taking joy in one another as Jesus takes joy in His people. Finally, the growing love for one another that we find i...

Paul and Timothy are both apostolic men, but how does Paul address the church in Philippi? As a servant of Christ. The Philippians too will find their primary identity in Christ. All their other characteristics and titles in the world would flavor their distinct expressions of humanity, but Christ is the foundation. As the people of God, first and foremost, our identity is in Christ, rooted in the...

In Acts 16 we find Paul trying to travel to the region of Bithynia but the Spirit of Jesus tells him no. Paul listens to the Spirit and is led instead to the Macedonian city of Philippi, where what we know as the Philippian church is founded. There he meets a woman named Lydia, and God opens her heart to the gospel. She is baptized and becomes an avenue of great blessing and hospitality to the chu...

In the final Chapter of Nehemiah,  we find that though the people of Jerusalem may live in a different era and culture than us today, in some ways they're really not all that different from us. They can engage in a holy moment with God and then return to their old ways once the moment has passed. The too are tempted to neglect God and His ways. Just as the people of Jerusalem we too need a sa...

In Nehemiah 12 we find God's people planning a celebration together ofwhat God has accomplished. They are also creating a strategic community of worship on purpose. Intentionality in thanking and praising God included consecration that would set them up well for celebration. The extravagant, joyful, all-inclusive worship event was exciting - and took a lot of coordination - but this would be...

In Nehemiah 11 the leaders of God's people choose to stay in Jerusalem not because it was a nice city with clean neighborhoods or great amenities. It actually wasn't. They stayed because they believed in what God was building there, and their choice to stay was a choice to build. The rest of the people of God came together for a key shift that also needed to happen. A literal tithe of th...

Building a culture that honors God and His Word takes time, but it's not an unrealistic, mysterious, or illusive dream. There are tangible shifts we can make in our lives, both individually and together as God's people, that help us align our real-life, day-to-day culture with God's word, character, and way of building.  In Nehemiah 10, we see three specific shifts we are called to...

Herod wants him dead, so Joseph and Mary must flee with Jesus to Egypt. After his birth and subsequent dedication at the temple in Jerusalem, the first story we hear of Jesus' early life is one of an outsider. God is working a wonderful plan that will lead Jesus back into Israel and into the town of Nazareth. God is still preserving people who are outside the "system," preparing the...

The Christmas story - the real Christmas story - is anything but a quiet, sanitary event. It's full of sight, sound, raw emotions, and all the smells of a 1st Century sheep town. From shepherds working the night shift where all heaven is breaking loose in the fields, to the Lamb of God lying in a manger, heaven's glory is stepping into the very real grit and grime of humanity. God has ne...

John's gospel introduces Jesus as the one and only Son of God, the unique glory of the Father. He's not just a son of God being born into the world, but the Son, and there is none like Him. Full of grace and truth, He is the embodiment of the Father's character, and the truth of God's covenant faithfulness is revealed and fulfilled in Christ. Through Jesus, we are able to know...

When Jesus took on human form it took a while for people to recognize Him as being God, and many never actually did. Today, it's as true as it was then that we need help recognizing and receiving God! Our fallen world still doesn't recognize it's maker, but it's only in recognizing and receiving Jesus that we become children of God. Since this has eternal implications, it'...

In John's Gospel he doesn't start the story with Jesus' birth, but takes us back even farther: "In the beginning was the Word..."  We are introduced to Jesus as this powerful Word, eons before His incarnation and even before creation itself. Before the beginning of time, Jesus was already there. He was with God, and, mysterious as it may seem, He also actually was God. In...

"Confession is good for the soul," as they saying goes. In Nehemiah Chapter 9 we find all the Jewish people gathering together for a third time in the same month to pray and read scripture. Their gathering is marked by an openness toward God, this time with fasting rather than feasting, and grieving with one another over the sins of their people. They separate themselves from the worship...

We all are influencing someone, whether we realize it or not. As followers of Jesus, if we embrace this influence rather than run from it, then those who are looking to us will benefit. Wise influencers and leaders will also embrace being learners of God's Word. His Word breaks us out of our "normal" routines to refocus us on Christ, His provision, and His protection as we follow Hi...

God's culture is all about family, and of gathering that family together. The unity of the gathered church presents a beautiful image to the rest of the world. When the church gathers, we celebrate and enjoy one another, and we also intentionally gather to God's word, with time set aside to hear and understand what God is calling us to be and to do together. Ezra and Nehemiah gathered Go...

God's culture provides protection around God's people, over God's people, and among God's people. In Nehemiah 7 we discover that there are guards placed around the wall of the city, at the gates to defend from outside attack, and even people assigned to stand guard at their own homes. Who do we have guarding our own homes today? Who within the church is looking out for us and o...

How can we respond well when the devil tries to distract, intimidate, and cause us to lose our moral authority through private sin? In Nehemiah 6, we learn from this man of influence how to respond well to these three enemy tactics. God has commissioned us to a great work, and what God has commissioned, God will complete. With our eyes on Jesus, we can keep our hands engaged in the great work of G...