Destination Church Spokane Podcast

Love is not just some theoretical concept, but, says Paul, it can actually be tested and measured according to its generosity. Genuine love is generous, and as it grows in us, we'll find a growing desire to be diligent in that generosity. Paul's challenge to the Corinthian church is, "Excel in this act of grace," and we are right to hear this as a challenge to us as well. With Jesus' own gracious gift as ou...

First things first: God is for us before He ever asks anything from us. Generosity begins, not with how generous we are, but how graciously generous God is toward us in Christ. When we receive His grace, and we see ourselves and others through the vision He gives, we are well-equipped to overflow with daring generosity. As we learn from the example of the Macedonian church, we, like the Corinthians to whom Paul is writing, are chal...

It is doubtless that Mary and Joseph's 'Christmas' was a hectic one, and often, the Christmas season can be chaotic for many families today. In answer to the many prayers that have been offered up in all kinds of surprising situations in many generations, God has given His Son. Jesus can bring us rest, rescue, and reconciliation, and He can bring us reason for great joy. Jesus is the answer, this Christmas, and alway...

After 9 months (or more) of long silence, when Zechariah's voice was finally restored, the overflow of his heart was to glorify the Lord. The gospel can overflow our own hearts, not only in a specific season or a special day, but all year long, and every day of our lives. What is overflowing from our hearts this Christmas? It's a good question, a question that the good news of Jesus, our Messiah, can help us answer withou...

Friendships centered in God's promise and in an atmosphere of faith are so vital to helping us keep saying yes to God's plan for our lives. Especially when God's word seems challenging or even confusing, who can be an 'Elizabeth' for us, someone who is committed to honoring God and His word, and has seen Him move in their lives? We could almost always settle for someone who will be merely an "echo cham...

When Mary is approached by Gabriel, she is filled with concern, and one big question: "How?" But she was being pursued by grace and God had a plan for her personally - by name - that would shape the course of all of history. Despite her initial bewilderment, she offers herself freely as the Lord's servant; and we, too, have the opportunity to say yes to God's grace. One of the wisest prayers we can pray is to ag...

Faithfulness in prayer and service is no small thing, especially when fruitfulness has been long delayed. In seasons of delay or little fruit, we could even begin to question if we're really qualified to approach God on behalf of ourselves or others. Our identity in Christ, however, is not dependent on our feelings; it's dependent on God's word of grace and truth. In God's own gracious power, He knows just how t...

Jesus went through temptations, none greater than when he went to the cross in perfect submission to the Father. And from this place of praying, Jesus encouraged and challenged his disciples to watch and pray so that they do not fall into temptation. Because Jesus suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those whose are being tempted. If hard times have not come to you yet, they will someday. Build on the foundation of Chri...

If God is sovereign and what He has spoken is going to come to pass, then how should we pray? While it would be futile to pray that we would never experience suffering or difficulty as God's purpose unfolds, Jesus does give clear instruction: pray for mercy as well as for limits on the wickedness in our time. When our prayers are also coupled with clear biblical vision aligned with the word of Christ, we can pray confidently f...

Everywhere Jesus was going, miraculous things were happening. But He was planning something more when He taught His first disciples to, "Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send workers into his harvest field." What followed that instruction to pray? Preparation to go into those fields. Jesus sends the same ones who are praying, and Jesus doesn't send them ill-equipped for the mission. Today, when we pray to our Fathe...

Is it right for us to come with an expectant attitude when we're praying, especially when we're asking God for things? Is it rude for us to keep asking him for the same things? The answers to these questions have a lot to do with motive, of course, but Jesus' words are very clear: "Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened," We are intended and instructed to...

When Jesus says, "You should pray like this:" we're about to learn something very important if we pay attention. What follows these instructive words from Jesus is what we know as the Lord's Prayer. What if we really use this as not just something to recite, but a pattern for a life-giving, sustainable prayer life? Could this be a tool to help transform prayer from a laundry list of "I need," and "...

Wouldn't it be amazing to have Jesus teach us to pray? In The Sermon On The Mount Jesus takes some time to teach into prayer. For people who feel like their prayers seem like a performance or a pretense; for people who feel distracted when they try to pray; and for people who are learning to relate to God as a Father rather than a CEO, nebulous 'force,' or a mere 'granter of wishes,' Jesus has something to ...

As Destination Church celebrates seven years in the Hillyard neighborhood of Spokane, we look back on some of what God has done and look ahead toward our call to bring in a great harvest in the neighborhoods of our city as well as across the nations of the world. 1 Samuel 22:2 is a key verse: God gathering the desperate and mobilizing them under godly leadership. Jeremiah 40:12 is another great example of God gathering a people out...

As Jesus comes toward the end of His prayer in John 17, He turns His focus toward... us! What is it that Jesus is praying for us, for His church? Unity: "May they all be one." Why is this so important to Jesus? "So that the world may believe." Can we actually experience what is, for so many, an elusive idea? While our ultimate oneness will be fully realized only in Jesus' coming kingdom, we can experience a...

Performance-oriented religion will leave us feeling weary and burdened, but Jesus has a different path for us! Breakthrough belongs to Him and salvation through Him, so when we feel weary or burdened Jesus wants us to come to Him with all of it. He doesn't just give a motivational speech, merely reprimand us, or simply tolerate us. He, "...will give you rest" ... "rest for your soul..." (Matt 11:28-29) Is t...

What would it be like to have Jesus pray specifically for you? What do you think He would say? In John Chapter 17, Jesus prays personally for His disciples, revealing His heart for those who follow Him. His prayer doesn't begin with a 'laundry list' of demands or requests for God, but rather He talks reflectively with His Father about how things are going with them. As we listen to Jesus pray for His friends, we are ...