Destination Church Spokane Podcast

Every time we receive the bread and cup of communion together, we are brought right into God's Big Story. We remember and proclaim the sacrifice of Jesus that covers our shame, takes our place of judgment, seals us into his New Covenant of grace, unites us as one people, and promises us eternal life in Christ. Paul really wants the Corinthian church to understand the importance of relational...

The resurrection of Jesus, Paul claims, is a strong foundation on which we can plant our feet and take our stand of faith. This good news is bringing salvation to us, and is worth holding onto! Since Jesus has been raised, we are freed from our sins; we will ourselves be resurrected to new life; and God gives us victory over both sin and death through Christ! What excellent news! It means that we...

Is Paul just being selfish in a passive-aggressive way in 1 Corinthians 9? Is he trying to demand his rights from a church that hasn't taken good care of him? No, instead he's teaching them about how to live, not just for their "rights" in the gospel, but as servants of Christ. If Paul could choose to make tents to earn a living rather than demand compensation for his preaching...

It may seem like a shocking statement, but judgment within the church isn't actually our problem; the real problem is often the lack of it. We're not talking about a condemning, self-righteous judgment, but the wise and just judgment of the Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 6 Paul emphasizes that we really need good and wise judges to resolve issues in the church, and he has some good advice on h...

It's good to be able to teach well and discuss complex topics that are in the Bible, but understanding God's Word and living life as Christians is not something we can do by ourselves. In 1 Corinthians Paul teaches that The Holy Spirit guides the Church and provides wisdom and courage that can only come from God. We as the body of Christ are called to be reliant on The Spirit in how we c...

How do we learn to build together when all of us are imperfect? How do we live out this idea we call "church," especially if we have found ourselves hurt, envious, or offended by another? Dealing with the very real emotions of rivalry and conflict are vital in becoming a healthy representation of Jesus to the world around us. One thing we know for sure is that we are not called to conten...

There are few things that communicate the gospel as clearly as unity among and between God's diverse people. Knowing and overcoming the barriers that  tend to block our unity is therefore vital for our mission in the earth. In 1 Corinthians 1, we discover three of these unity barriers: denominational elitism and superiority, independence, and divisions over baptism being held as more importan...

It's no small thing to have Jesus interceding before the Father on our behalf. It's because of Jesus as our intercessor that we have immediate access to the Father any time, anywhere. This access gives makes us effective as an interceding people, petitioning God through prayer for non-believers to be saved and for believers to be encouraged and strengthened. And because we still often ar...

Both singleness and marriage are gifts from God. Paul considered it a gift from God to be able to live a Christ-centered, single and celibate life, and for those who are called to single lives God grants all the grace needed to walk that out. Both Jesus and Paul also recognized that many people are called to be married, and God also grants all the grace needed to be in a marriage. Christ-centered...

In a world that values fast-paced media, but tends toward low personal engagement, we may tend to categorize some gifts of the Spirit as mere talents, skills, or personality traits. In great wisdom, however, the Holy Spirit gives skill and puts passion into our hearts for his purpose. When we harness those skills for God's kingdom work, we can rightly call them spiritual gifts. Some of these...

Leadership matters. Words matter. Our gifts matter. The gifts God has given us are meant to be used, so if God has given a gift of leadership or encouragement He wants those gifts to be used for the good and growth of His kingdom. Jesus leads through example, being a protector, guardian, and aid to those He is leading. Through His kindness, comfort, and counsel, He also encourages many to take pos...

God has given his church many miraculous gifts of the spirit, all for the benefit of the church. God also gave very practical spiritual gifts that sometimes may be  overlooked or underestimated, yet these "behind the scenes" gifts are extremely valuable! The gift of helping involves compassion, caring for hurting people, and taking care of the needs of the church. The gift of administrat...

God always gives vision to his people. Sometimes there are clear breakthrough moments in time, where we receive fresh direction, and sometimes we continue walking steadily through long seasons of obedience, remembering what God has already said. 1 Samuel 22:2 has shaped the life and ministry of the Destination Church family, and our key vision for this year is a continuation of this. When we read...

God has great plans, not only for a new year, but for all of eternity. With that in mind, it's good for us to think back to the good things God has already done in our lives in the past year, and to look ahead into how we can partner in what He is doing in the year ahead. It's important that any goal setting we have in mind is rooted in some strategic questions: "God, what are you d...

More than 700 years before Jesus was born, the prophets Isaiah and Micah spoke of his birth. Isaiah's prophecy promised a child given as a gift to us, and that his name would be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace. This child would carry the full authority of God upon himself, and his reign will continue forever. Because of who Jesus is, this is really...

Paul describes service and mercy as gifts given by God to the church. No less important than prophecy or healing, these grace-gifts are vital to a healthy church family. Hannah Easterbrooks and Michaela Meek teach on these two gifts in our Gifted series, not only describing these gifts, but also emphasizing how God has first served us and had compassion on us. With that important foundation, we ca...

Tucked right in the middle of Paul's discussion on spiritual gifts is 1 Corinthians 13, which is all about love. Paul goes so far as to say we could actually be functioning in miraculous spiritual gifts and still completely miss the point, merely becoming like an annoying, clanging cymbal, unless those gifts are being expressed out of genuine love for one another. God gives us these gifts, ye...

Can the way we tip in a restaurant testify to the generous heart of God? Yes, it can! Generosity, like all spiritual gifts, overflows from God's grace. His generous grace produces a graciously generous people who reflect His nature. As we continue to grow in this generosity toward others with our money, time, and resources, this often leads their hearts to praise. God's wonderful promise...

Is the Holy Spirit a person? A presence? A power? The answer is, yes, all of these things and more. Denny Klaja brings a helpful foundational understanding of who the Holy Spirit is to us as the people of God, along with some wonderful instruction on receiving the baptism of the Spirit.

God has given evangelists and pastor-teachers as gifts to the church. An evangelist shares the good news about Jesus and the kingdom of God, equips others to share His story, and helps the church to become an evangelistic people. A teacher or pastor-teacher is a shepherd who looks after God's people, guiding, guarding, and instructing the people. Teachers help the church learn to instruct oth...

What are apostles and prophets? An apostle is "one who is sent as a delegate, an ambassador, a sent one". The capital "A" apostles were the ones who walked with Jesus, but there is still much need for apostolic gifting in the church today, laying healthy foundations and carrying the big-picture, kingdom culture of God. Apostles equip the church in being an apostolic people. Pro...

Every follower of Jesus has been baptized by one Spirit into one body, but that doesn't mean we're all identical. A healthy body has many parts, and every one of them is important. No one part can do everything, and no person can either; we need each other. For this reason, becoming prideful in our gifts is both silly and sinful! Instead, we are called to use our gifts to build up others...

How can we tell when something is inspired by God, or when what is happening may be "off"? The gift of distinguishing between spirits has been defined as the supernatural ability to recognize what spirit (divine, human, or evil) is causing a particular activity. The Spirit of God will not deny, downplay or diminish Jesus in any way, and will help us distinguish between what "sounds&...

There is a reason Paul gives so much instruction and clarification regarding the complementary gifts of tongues and interpretation, and why he feels the need to remind the church: "Do not forbid speaking in tongues." Without healthy instruction these gift can seem very subjective or even overly-emotional, and God knows this. In 1 Corinthians 14:1-40 we are given some clear parameters and...

The gift of prophecy is very simply speaking or relating what God is saying, whether that is future-oriented or present encouragement. Healthy prophetic ministry in the church is rooted in love for one another. We are all challenged in Scripture to eagerly and earnestly desire this gift with the intent to build up and encourage the church. In a healthy, accountable culture (both to one another and...