Destination Church Spokane Podcast

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 contentious competition, but to healthy collaboration and partnership together as believers. To see our different gifts grow and our different roles actively serving together requires that we be built together on the secure foundation of Jesus Christ as our foundation and core identity. This secure foundation enables us to celebrate the success of others and partner together like well-tuned instruments to see His name made great!

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 important than the gospel itself. Paul reminds us all that while there are many differences across the Body of Christ, our core identity is to be found together as brothers and sisters in Christ Himself. The way we talk about one another, about other churches, and other church traditions is an opportunity to paint a glorious picture of Christ to the world around us!

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 aren't sure what to pray for, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us too, guiding the direction of our prayer. As Christians, we get to pray from a position of family, security, and authority that is wholly submitted to God. We pray God's revealed will, knowing for certain that He is above and beyond anything we could ever ask for. So what should we pray for? Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3 gives us a glimpse into the height and depth of the love of God, and He wants us and those we pray for to be deeply rooted and grounded in that love. We know this for certain, and we can pray this with great confidence!

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 singleness and Christ-centered marriage are each a blessing to the church in their own unique ways, and each finds its ultimate fulfillment in meaningful relationship with the church family and with God.

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 are craftsmanship, creative communication, and hospitality; all of these, when used for God's glory, greatly benefit the church and us fulfill God's call on our lives together!

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 positive steps. "Come follow me," (Matthew 4:19) is an invitation to model Jesus' leadership and encouragement as we imitate Him in the way we serve one another and the world around us.

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 administration is crucial to getting things done, organizing anything from events, finances, teams of volunteers, pastoral care, or benevolence ministries for the church family. These practical gifts are ones that Jesus himself possessed and demonstrated in his own life. He is the Ultimate Helper and the Master Administrator, and we can follow him in ministering these gifts in and through the local church.

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 that 400 men with problems gather to David, there is something strategic for us to see: they rally to a vision. They gather and are willing to be gathered. This word rally is key for us.  God is rallying us together through Christ, together for our great city of Spokane, and together for the nations. 

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 doing?" "What do you want to teach me?" Listening for answers to questions like these will help us persevere, knowing that what God initiates will never be impossible for Him to accomplish.

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 good news to everyone who will receive his kingship. Wisdom, strength, family inclusion, and all-encompassing peace are found in him!

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 can then serve and have mercy on others.

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, yes, and He wants us to have the right heart in their use. Love is patient and kind. It doesn't envy, boast, or dishonor others. It's not selfish, not easily angered, and keeps no record of wrongs. It doesn't delight in evil but rejoices in truth. It always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. These are all qualities of God Himself, and He is equipping us to share these same qualities together. God's heart for us is that we love others in the same way that He has first loved us.

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 to us is that He will honor our generous giving, and enable us to continue representing Him and His nature.

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 others in the faith as well. God has given all of us influence with someone and desires for us to use that influence to care for them and help them find their place in God's salvation story.

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. Prophets help the church understand what God is saying to this group of people at this place and time, while being under the authority of the Bible. They are necessary in helping the church become a prophetic people, aware of God's presence and in step with His Word. God loves us enough to give guidance, direction, and correction to His people. Together, apostles and prophets equip the church to build well.

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. God has a place and a purpose for each and every member of the church! We are in this together, a beautifully and necessarily diverse body.

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" good and what is actually from God.

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 descriptions of what these gifts are and how to use them. Understanding how the gifts of tongues and interpretation work together to build up the church is of critical importance in welcoming and using them well in the local church.

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 to God), we can learn to speak God's life-giving purpose into one another's lives.