Destination Church Spokane Podcast Destination Church Spokane

Even strong church communities will face challenges to their faith, so are there safeguards we can build into our faith to help us stand firm? Paul brings this up at the beginning of Philippians 3, and we address three safeguards in the first three verses. The first is joy, a hallmark of the Christian faith. The second safeguard is being aware of legalism and its hallmarks that are so contrary to the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. The third is an awareness of who we actually are in Christ, ...

The New Testament talks a lot about churches, and the way Paul describes the church is wonderfully compelling. A healthy church is becoming more and more a diverse family joined together in apostolic partnership, giving themselves to the Lord. "Church" is not just a cold organization, but is made up of real people, people like Timothy and Epaphroditus. As a sent people, the church is commissioned to spread the news of Christ to all peoples of the world, including right where we live.

God's heart for the Church is not that we would just stay in one place. The God who created us also created us for mission. He wants us to be built up as sons and daughters in a family and then sent out, carrying the clear mission of Christ. It takes faith to be sent, and it means learning to make our home in Christ, trusting Him. It will be costly, and it will mean getting out of our comfort zones. This is true, whether we are called to the nations 'out there' or called to the nations right ...

How can we identify genuine prophetic ministry in the church today? Are there hallmarks in Scripture to help us evaluate this? Absolutely. Rather than leaving the church fearful and uncertain, New Testament prophetic ministry expresses the love of Christ for His people, moves us forward in faith, and builds up the whole church, encouraging, and restoring hope. Do we need prophecy in the church today? Yes, we do. Sam Poe reminds us of this essential and life-giving role of prophecy in the loca...

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 celebrate one another's sacrifice, service, and faith exploits. All of life, even our hardship, is an opp...