Destiny Church of Jacksonville, FL

You never know who you might wind up talking with on any given day. Every day, we have the opportunity to speak God's truth and hope to both the believer and non-believer alike. Using the amazing story of Philip and the Ethopian official, Pastor Chris shows us what can happen when we simply obey and speak when the opportunity arises. There are divine appointments awaiting you today; are you ready?

It seems we're always going somewhere, right? To the mall, or to school or work, or maybe even to the big game. You've probably heard this more than once: "go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature". A good question might be are you going with the gospel to every other place you go, and if not, why? There are tons of excuses why we don't share our faith, and some of them even sound pretty good, but you can bet that even if you're scared to death to talk to people about Jesus, you can count on Him to be right there with you. Don't wait for someone to ask how you "got it all together", because they probably won't. Share the good news today!

We are continuing on this week with our series "Man in the Mirror", but are shifting gears a bit to look at a story from the life of Paul. Of course, shifting gears also means that one of our favorite guest teachers, Miles Phelps, took time out from his work with City for the Nations to bring a special word to us today. We believe that God is stirring the Church; that a fresh outpouring of His Spirit is awaiting those who will answer the Call of God, and today's message may just help you to hear that call a little clearer. You can't help but be blessed, challenged, and encouraged to shake off the things that are holding you back from the life God has for you.

Today's installment of our series "Man in the Mirror" takes a break from looking at ourselves through different characters in the Bible and shifts gears to look at life through the region of The Galilee. Jesus spent most of his time in ministry in this region. It was a place of beauty, relationships, and miracles, but it was also a place of unbelief, rejection, and challenging people. Do you see yourself in a few of these descriptions? How about all of them? Galilee is a mix of cultures, situations, and beliefs; much like life today. We are called to get into the fray; to intentionally build relationships with those whom we may not be like; To engage in those situations that may not be perfect or may make us a little uncomfortable: All done with overflowing grace through the power of the Holy Spirit in us. Are you holding out for that perfect moment to jump into life? This is your day to dive head-first into the Galilee!

When you hear the story of Mary and Martha, which camp do you find yourself in; the driven, busy person consumed with the details of service or the student who finds their place at the feet of The Master? Today's teaching by Pastor Jodi Tomlinson just might change your mind about where you fall. Today's message is all about finding freedom and although we are looking at 5 action points, there are a ton of scripture references, so you'll definitely want to have a journal handy. Are you ready to see some real change in your life?

There's probably no other person in the Bible who is more complicated than Moses. He was the son of a Hebrew slave but raised as a grandson in the house of Pharaoh. He was a murderer yet the closest friend of God on the earth. A strong leader, but full of doubts and excuses. While you're most likely not a murderer, there are surely some commonalities you share with who is arguably the greatest man in the Old Testament, and as we dive into our next installment of the series "Man in the Mirror", Pastor Chris digs out some very modern applications from a very old story. We sincerely hope you are not only enjoying this new series, but are growing deeper spiritually from it as well. Let us know how this series, or any of the hundreds of messages that available from our website, has ministered to you!

The story of Samson could be described as bittersweet at best. Although Samson was chosen to judge Israel, his life seemed far from that of an obedient man of God. As Pastor Chris points out, Samson's life was so full of small compromises that it made easy for him to choose the path that ultimately led to his destruction. Today's message may not be easy to hear, as many of us deal with some of the same issues as Samson, and like Samson, we may be headed toward some of the same destructive behaviors and beliefs. If you are one to take notes, please get out journal and join us in this next installment of our series "Man in the Mirror".

Hello from Jacksonville, Florida and welcome to the podcast of Destiny Church of Jacksonville! If you've followed us for any length of time, you are well aware of how passionate Pastors Chris and Jodi Tomlinson are in their pursuit of everything that God has ordained for Destiny Church, it's body of believers, and ultimately for the city of Jacksonville and beyond. Today's message and our new series, "Man in the Mirror", is no exception to the expression of that passion. Knowing what we need to be about doing and choosing to disobey or even run from what God has called us to often finds us in a situation where God has our full and complete attention. Follow along today as we look at the life of Jonah and the consequences of comfort.

Words have power. It's a truth that would be very difficult to deny given our current social climate. Words, even those that aren't true, are causing tectonic shifts of change in our entertainment, political, and educational systems, where fortunes, reputations, and livelihoods are being both created and destroyed in real-time as we experience the 24-hour news cycle. Today, Pastor Chris discusses 5 crucial truths about our words, how we filter them, and the potential power that is carried in them. This timely study will help you choose to speak life into every situation you encounter!

For most of us, when faced with an uncomfortable or inconvenient situation, we'll either try to avoid it altogether or try to figure out a way to minimize our time there. But as Pastor Chris shows us in today's teaching, there are often opportunities and blessings for us and for those around us if we choose to pass through circumstances that appear to be less than ideal. God's plans for us are always best for us, even when those plans takes us through some places we'd rather not go.

Sometimes we find ourselves in situations or circumstances where all we can see and feel is pain. Whether it's the loss of a loved one or perhaps a friendship or other close relationship that unexpectedly goes cold or even maybe the loss of a job or a dream, we often feel like no one could possibly understand what we're going through. But on this Easter Sunday, Pastor Chris shows us that Jesus is alive and well and He knows exactly what we are going through and exactly what we need to overcome. Jesus is all about the business of resurrecting and restoration, bring it all to Him and accept His love, forgiveness, and new life today!

How often have we used today's message title to pass up the opportunity to connect with others or to share a need or a hurt? One of the most common filters we use is the one that says "I'm good...I don't need a thing". The reality is that more often than not, we really could use the hand, or the prayer, or the encouragement. You may even be so out of hope that you think there's nothing that can even be done to help, but as you're going to hear today, that's not the way it has to turn out. God can change an outcome, resurrect a dead dream or even a dead relationship if you will just let Him! Can you drop your filters long enough to let God into your story?

One of our modern, "first-world" problems is how easily we can fool ourselves (and everyone else around us!). Through the miracle of technology, we can apply the filters that make us look more successful, happier, and living a life that's just picture perfect, all the while perceiving ourselves through the lenses of less-than-perfect, of little value, or even as a mistake. But God has shown us so many times through His word that, although we may come up short, He loves us no matter what! That Love is why God gave His son Jesus for us, and as guest teacher Dr. Mitch Arbelaez shows us, our status as sons and daughters of the Most High King is not up for debate. You are valuable and you are loved! Today, let His love forever change your life for the better!

In a world where social media has enabled us to present that perfect image of ourselves, it's difficult to know what's really going on in lives of those around us. Maybe you've been taken in by the temptation to only show the good stuff. The staged, filtered, and the rehearsed material that makes things look so much better than they really are. In this installment of our series "Filters", Pastor Chris gets real and asks us to do the same. We waste an incredible amount of time and energy seeking the approval of others, often times lying to ourselves in the process. If you're ready to experience freedom from the bondage of approval and perfection, this message is a great place to start. God loves you, the true and unfiltered you!

It's hard to imagine life without social media. Whether you're connected just to keep up with what your kids are doing or you're full-on posting every waking minute of every day, social media affects the way we see each other, and almost more importantly, how we see ourselves. As we dig into this new series "Filters", Pastor Chris takes some time to talk about control and how the need for affirmation or the appearance of perfection can cause some unrealistic expectations of ourselves and others. Are you wearing others out with your constant need to be affirmed? Do you struggle to let go and "Let God" fix the problems in others? This message could hold a real breakthrough for you! What control issues has God freed you from? Let us know by going to www.destinychurchjax.com and click on Testimonies.

How many times have you seen those advertisements; you know the "limited-time only", "this offer ends soon, don't delay!" ads that are designed to cause us to buy that car, refinance the house, or a myriad of other responses. While the Bible is full of promises and propositions that are open-ended and can be accessed and at any time, there are some invitations that are not. Today's guest teacher, Alex Ellis, shares a powerful word that carries such an invitation. Do you see the signs of God moving in your own life or others lives? Have you felt an urgent call of God to go deeper, to seek more of His presence in your daily life? Now is the time respond! God is wanting to do something in your life, right now...He's just waiting for your response.

We sincerely hope that our series "Upgrade" has helped you to do just that: To take those most critical areas of your life to the next level. And as always, Pastor Chris has the fitting conclusion for you today, and that's all about upgrading your prayer life. If there's one thing that we must get right, it's spending time with God. The great thing about that is that you don't need to be an expert theologian or have a Masters of Divinity to have a great prayer life. More often than not, it's just consistently taking the time to spend the time with Him. Prayer doesn't have to be complicated, but it needs to happen, and today's message will give you some encouraging strategies to do just that. So if you're a note taker, grab your Bible and a journal join us!

It's one thing to say "thank you" out of politeness or manners, but it could be an entirely different thing to be grateful. Gratitude is much more than manners, although it certainly can be expressed through polite humility. Gratitude is a heart-position that can help us to be thankful in the worst of circumstances, and how many times have we been in those dark places where it's difficult to be grateful for anything? In our latest installment of the "Upgrade" series, Pastor Chris takes us on a journey through what it means to live a life filled with gratitude and how living with an ungrateful spirit can short-circuit even the best of intentions and preparation.

Proverbs 9:10 says that "The fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of The Holy One is understanding", but what does it mean to fear The Lord, and is it something that you can get better at? Pastor Chris goes into great depth to explain why it's important to have the right definition and the right context when we talk about fearing The Lord because when we get that right, it's going to bring us closer not only to God, but to a greater revelation of the plans and purposes that He has for us.

On a scale from 1 to 10, how generous do you think you are? Hopefully at least a 5, right? But are you sure you really know what it means to be generous? The world has a few good ideas about it, but God's Word has a lot to say on the subject, and Pastor Chris lays out some life-giving lessons from both the Old and New Testaments. Living generously is not just about money, although the world often equates the two. It's also not about "checking the boxes" or just paying it forward because it's the trendy thing to do. Generosity is a lifestyle of gratitude and good deeds being done out of the abundance of God's Love and provision. Maybe it's time for a generosity check-up. It can change your life!