God made each of us for a unique and wonderful purpose, and He's equipped us to step into those purposes and truly enjoy them. Unfortunately most of us don't know what we're made for! In this episode of the Finchwood Discipleship Podcast, we take a look at the gifts God gives us, along with some practical advice on putting them into practice.

Chapters:

"God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 4:10-11a (NLT) 

"Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you." 1 Corinthians 14:26 (NLT) 

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In this long-awaited return from the mid-season break, we're talking about finances: what does the Bible really have to say about wealth? Because there's historically been so much misinformation about money in Christian circles, the answers to that question just might surprise you. Give it a listen, and by the way welcome back! 

Chapters:

Remember to check out Amberley with Combined Finances: https://www.combinedfinances.com/ 

"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (NIV) 

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Let's be honest: time management is something we all struggle with. Some of us are too busy, and some of us feel like maybe we're not busy enough. Time is life, it's money, it's everything. So how we manage it obviously matters to God. In this episode, we look time in the face and ask some very important questions, and then attempt to strike a balance between work and rest, because both are important.

Chapters:

"Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12 (NIV) 

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In the context of modern Christianity, fasting is something we don't really talk about much, and unfortunately we do it even less. To put it bluntly, we're missing out. This ancient, largely forgotten habit has transformed countless generations of Christians, and it can transform us too by tenderizing and sensitizing our hearts to what God is doing to transform us.

Chapters:

"Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; the one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me will never be thirsty." John 6:35 (NASB)

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Finally, we've arrived at the big question: what do we do when people around us are caught up in sin? Do we keep our mouths shut? What authority do we have to correct them, and how would we go about doing that? In this 30th episode of the Finchwood Podcast, we take a close look at the Biblical guidelines for confronting other people's sins.

Chapters:

"My friends, you are spiritual. So if someone is trapped in sin, you should gently lead that person back to the right path. But watch out, and don't be tempted yourself. You obey the law of Christ when you offer each other a helping hand. If you think you are better than others, when you really aren't, you are wrong." Galatians 6:1-3 (CEV)

Continuing the discussion from the previous episode, how should we respond to sin in others? In a word, the answer to that question is "mercy." This episode covers topics surrounding the forgiveness we can offer to people who sin against us, from the reasons why forgiveness is so important, to practical advice for how to walk through that process in real life.

Chapters:

"Yes, if you forgive others for their sins, your Father in heaven will also forgive you for your sins. But if you don't forgive others, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins." Matthew 6:14-15 (NCV)

"If we say openly that we have done wrong, he is upright and true to his word, giving us forgiveness of sins and making us clean from all evil. If we say that we have no sin, we make him false and his word is not in us." 1 John 1:9-10 (BBE) 

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The Bible says that all have sinned, so it's not like it's a big secret that we all struggle with things. But what can we do about that? This episode looks at the key to receiving not only forgiveness, but actual, lasting freedom from sin. The keywords are repentance and confession, but they might not mean what you think they mean...

Chapters:

"Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." Jude 1:24-25 (ESV)

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This is a follow-up to a previous discussion in which we took a look at how to join a church. At least one listener still had questions about the church-search process after hearing that episode, so this is a closer look at the actual process of selecting a church that you can call your spiritual home for the foreseeable future. A brief discussion about dress codes, as well as a bit about the possibility of starting your own church, are also included. 

Chapters:

Jesus said, "where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” Matthew 18:20 (NLT)

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We Christians talk a lot about worship, but when we stop and think about it... we really don't think much about what worship is... let alone how to actually do it. This episode explores this essential, but not well understood, aspect of the Christian life. So often our worship simply consists of a sing-along that we participate in once a week, but worship is supposed to be far more than that. It's a life we live, not only a song we sing.

Chapters:

"Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." Romans 12:1 (NASB)

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Like it or not, we're not designed to be "Lone Wolf" Christians. God made us for community, and existing in fellowship with other people is an integral part of following Jesus... but finding the right church is hard work. This episode breaks down many of the factors that go into choosing a community of faith, and how to make yourself a part of it. 

Chapters:

"Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another!" Hebrews 10:24-25a (NIV) 

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