Destination Church Spokane Podcast

Making wise decisions, especially under difficult circumstances, is no small challenge. Living a normal Christian life in the face of temptations and trials demands wisdom! So how do we acquire wisdom? Thankfully we don't have to do it on our own. James encourages us to go right to the source. God wants us to ask for wisdom and he will gladly give it! So, how then does He want us to ask? With our faith in Him we are to ask confidently, believing that when we ask for wisdom He will give it to us. We should also ask wholeheartedly, not doubting, with undivided loyalty to God.

God's people everywhere will face tests and trials. The book of James says we are to consider it joy when we do. How are we supposed to have joy when terrible things happen? Certainly not by pretending nothing is wrong! We are called to lead our emotions and thoughts into a God-perspective on our circumstance. While we will certainly go through trials, we don't have to live as if hardship is all there is for us. We get to live as people on a great mission, God's mission.  We can take joy in every challenge, knowing God is transforming us for this mission.

Preserved for us through John's gospel, Jesus makes multiple claims and promises, including the promise of eternal life for all who place their trust in him. Anyone can make a promise like this, but can he deliver on it? This is an important question, and a key reason Christians today celebrate Jesus' resurrection. We believe he is who he claims to be, and he can do what he says he can do!

Why were so many people gathered to welcome Jesus into Jerusalem on what we now call Palm Sunday? The reason according the John's Gospel, is because Jesus had recently raised a man back to life! In this story of Lazarus, we learn much about how God leads us still today: through great trials, into ever-deepening faith, out of death, and into abundant life! 

When we hear a verse saying "pray on all occasions," is God's will for us that we pray constantly without ceasing, not even to eat or sleep? No, that would be an impossible task! God's will for us is to live in the Spirit, in unity, praying together and in all seasons, and to pray according to the season we are in. We are challenged to pray appropriately according to what is happening in our own lives and also in the lives of others. What is God doing right now? How can we thank Him for what He is doing in this season? It's not about how long we pray or how eloquent our prayers are. It's about praying in the Spirit, serving one other, and glorifying God with our prayers.

If you want to live a life that reflects God, and if we together want to have godly relationships, there will be opposition. It's not a matter of "if," but "when" that opposition will come in our lives. Knowing who the real enemy is, and knowing the tactics and schemes of the enemy helps us respond well. Ephesians 6:10-20 is fuel for a relational, praying church, giving us foundational and practical ways to prepare ourselves, and directing our Christ-exalting response.

How we serve and how we lead others in our own daily lives, in our church community, and in our jobs is an opportunity to reflect who Jesus is in our lives. Somewhere around 60 million people in the Roman Empire were slaves. These often-overlooked people are included in God's family and mission, and treated with dignity in Paul's letter to the Ephesians. His heart is to bring the transformative power to every part of society! No one is left out, or just a tool to be used and discarded. Listen closely today, be challenged, and see how God may be speaking to you.

With so much dysfunction around the idea of what a father is and what a father should do, is there hope for fathering well in this generation? Yes! God is the one who equips even those who were raised in great dysfunction to be great parents. Fathers, God is the one who qualifies you, and He is the one who has all the grace you need for all he's called you to be and do.

Does God really expect us to obey our parents? What does it even look like to continue to honor our parents once we're adults? Jesus is the perfect example of honoring His father, and His example demonstrates how we can begin to honor God as well as our parents. While it may be difficult for some of us, especially those in a difficult or strained relationship, God promises that there is blessing in doing so. He will help us to do the things He calls us to do! He has grace for us and will help us have grace for our parents as well.

What does a real marriage look like? Does it look like a Hollywood movie? In Ephesians 5, Paul looks at this relationship and how God has designed it to point to Him. It's through learning how to submit in a Christ-honoring way, and learning to love in the same way Christ has loved us that we can see a marriage flourish. Today's podcast helps us to reflect Jesus through real-life marriage.

Do you ever struggle with knowing God's will for your life: what to focus on, and what not to focus on? You are not alone in that! In Ephesians 5:15-21 Paul doesn't give us individually specific direction, but gives us some important principles to live by. Listen today to learn how God has designed your life and your decisions to be shaped by His Word and His Spirit.

Have you ever imitated someone? Perhaps a parent or someone you really looked up to? Well, what if God wants us to imitate Him? That may seem really difficult, but in Ephesians 5 Paul lays out some steps we can take to grow in this. Recognizing things in life that are not like our Father, like sexual immorality, all impurity, covetousness (idolatry), filthiness, "foolish" talk, and crude joking is a start. We can also observe and learn what pleases our Father; because we are no longer in darkness, but in light, we can begin to walk that way. So take the healthy risk to shine the light of God into your life. Take no part in works of darkness but instead expose them to the light. God has given us a perfect example of how to imitate Him, His son Jesus! By first applying His love and grace to our lives, we can then live out of that love toward others.

What is God like? Can we really live like Him in the way we treat one another? As Christians what if we don't? God calls us to put on the new self and live like He does, learning not only how to put away falsehood, speak truth, to handle anger in appropriate ways, and to give no foothold for the devil, but also how to build others up with our speech, to forgive, and to live with kind hearts. We represent a new kind of community, a new way of life, and a new kind of man. And in Christ our words and actions are powerful, releasing the grace of God into one another's lives.

As God's people we are empowered to live differently in Christ. We are challenged to put away futile ways of thinking and living, throw off the old self, and to sink into our new identity in Christ. How do we do this best? Together, as a new community!

Do you think of the church as a gift of God to you?  Do you realize that God thinks of the church this way, and that He also has designed you as a gift to help the church mature? In Jesus' authority, generosity, and purpose, we have been given good gifts (people-gifts and leader-gifts) to help us all grow and mature as a church family.

Unity is natural to fallen humanity, though our hearts long for it! So how can we learn to walk together in a way that honors Christ? How do we maintain the "unity of the Spirit," as the Apostle Paul calls it? It will take humility, diligence, and much grace. In Christ and by His grace we can live and walk in a manner worthy of this high calling.

Have you ever met anyone who didn't want love? Everyone wants to be loved, and wants acceptance, strength, and sense of belonging! How can we foster an atmosphere in the church of love, strength, and fullness in Christ? Today we look at Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3 and see how prayer for one another can build us up, build us together, and build God's kingdom! it's in a praying church family that we are rooted in the love of Christ, the strength of God in His Word, and the power of God through His Spirit.

It's always good to have our vision clarified and encouraged! Today's podcast is all about why Destination Church exists: "Helping people become joyfully devoted ambassadors of Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to the glory and delight of God our Father." We believe God is gathering real people from all walks of life who come just as we are, with all the distress, the debt, and the discontentment that life can throw at us. But God doesn't leave us that way! He is transforming people with problems into a people full of blessing and influence, and he is building something beautiful!

What's so special about Mary? God's favor is on her for sure. When God calls Mary for a great purpose, it's important for us to understand how ordinary she was; otherwise we may miss the point that this story is about Jesus. Just because she was ordinary, that doesn't mean God is! His Holy Spirit and His power qualified Mary to carry the impossible. This is still true today! It's God who calls ordinary people, qualifies the unqualified, and makes us capable to fulfill what He has spoken.

What was one of the first gifts Jesus received on the first Christmas? Or maybe a better question is WHO was one of the first gifts Jesus received? God chose a man named Joseph and gave him to Jesus to stand in the role of father, equipping him well for the job. Few people would have influenced Jesus as much as Joseph. Was he perfect? No, he needed a Savior just like all of us. Like Joseph, God is equipping each of us to influence others in their calling as well.