STFI Podcast

Teacher: Dan Gallagher

Dan Gallagher of Spirit and Truth Fellowship International teaches on "What the Bible says about Tattoos?" Check out this in-depth look at the subject of Tattoos!

Teacher: Dave Hanson

One of Jesus' last commands before his ascension was to "go make disciples of all nations." Clearly God's and Jesus' vision is for each Christian to become a strong, mature believer. Dave Hanson explores the goal in Ephesians 4:13, that we be unified and "become mature." This maturity is exemplified by love, meaning that all Christians should strive to love to the point of reaching out and helping others. Dave shows the context of Ephesians 4:13 with the equipping ministries of Verse 11 working to "prepare" or "perfect" the saints to help all of us get involved as the subsequent verses indicate.

Teacher: Dan Gallagher

God tells us in the book of Hebrews that we should “consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Heb. 10:24). Then in the immediate context He adds in verse 25, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing.…” We believe you will be inspired by this teaching as Dan Gallagher spurs us to consider three fundamental aspects of why we should meet: to reach the lost of the world for Christ, to raise up to maturity those who come to him, and to develop greater relationships and connections with others in the Body of Christ. Dan also discusses various meeting models (the small home church setting and the larger congregational meetings), as well as provides insight into how to reach others through your various spheres of influence. This teaching is a great encouragement to get connected to others in the Body of Christ.

Teacher: John Schoenheit

The Christian world is very confused about giving and tithing. Many Christians believe that God commands them to tithe, and some believe that if a person does not tithe he will be cursed by God. This causes guilt, shame, and even fear among Christians who do not tithe. In this teaching, John Schoenheit opens the Word of God and shows that, while each person should give generously, Christians are not commanded to tithe. The Word of God shows that the tithe was instituted by God as a part of the Mosaic Law, so that the Levites and Priests, who could not own land, would be provided for.

Teacher: John Schoenheit

The doctrine of the Trinity teaches that "the Holy Spirit" is the Third Person in the Godhead. This has led to people misreading and misunderstanding many Scriptures about the wonderful gift of God, the holy spirit. This teaching, "The Giver and the Gift," shows that because God is holy and God is spirit, one of the names for God is "the Holy Spirit." Similarly, God is a solid foundation and place of shelter so one of His names is "the Rock" (Ps. 28:1). No one thinks there is another God called "Rock," so everyone knows that is just another name for God, and people should understand the same thing about God when He is called "the Holy Spirit." When God gave gifts to mankind, one of the gifts He gave was the gift of His very nature, which is holy and spirit, and therefore called "holy spirit."

Because both God the Giver and the gift God gives have the same name, they are often confused. After differentiating between the Giver and the gift, this teaching shows that the holy spirit God gave in Old Testament times was different from the gift of holy spirit He gives to Christians. The gift is still holy and still spirit, so the name is the same, but a study of its characteristics shows that it is a different gift. If we are going to understand the Bible, and what God has done for us as Christians, it is vital that we understand what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit, both the Giver and the gift.

Teacher: John Schoenheit

If you are like most people, you have pictured heaven as a peaceful and restful place. Certainly it must be a wonderful place, but it is probably not like we imagine it to be. Do you think it is a tranquil place where angels strum on harps all day and God rules from His throne surrounded by His messengers? In this teaching John Schoenheit opens the Word of God and examines the scriptures which say that the "whole creation," not just earth, is groaning in pain. John also teaches on verses which say that the Devil is often in the presence of God, accusing the brothers day and night.

John shows that Satan still has access to heaven, and that Scripture reveals that heaven is at times like a courtroom, where the Devil is making fiery accusations before God, while Jesus Christ is making passionate intercession for the believers. We believe this teaching will add a greater dimension to your understanding of the nature of the spiritual battle, and magnify your appreciation for what Jesus Christ is doing for us now.

Teacher: John Schoenheit

Many people believe that "God is in control" of things on earth today, and that everything that happens is His will. However, that is not what the Bible actually says and furthermore, it makes God out to be very unloving and unfair. In this teaching John Schoenheit explains what he means when he says that God is not in control as he shows from Scripture that what God wants often does not happen. The Devil has a lot of control, and people can defy and disobey God's will. Although the doctrine that God is in control is comforting to many people and therefore popular, we believe the truth declared in this teaching will help set people free from the harmful effects of this popular Christian misunderstanding.

Teacher: John Schoenheit

This teaching shows that each person who believes in Jesus Christ as Lord receives from Him the gift of holy spirit, the very nature of God. Like a Swiss Army knife with a number of possible functions, the gift of holy spirit has nine manifestations, or ways it can be utilized. One of these manifestations is speaking in tongues, and another is the interpretation of tongues. Never does God's Word call either of these "gifts," but rather "manifestations" of the one gift of holy spirit. The teaching explains why speaking in tongues is praise, worship and thanksgiving directed to God, and that thus the interpretation of tongues must, of course, be the same thing. The teaching concludes by showing you how developing a "praise vocabulary" makes you more adept at excelling in edifying the Body of Christ by speaking in tongues and interpreting in a Christian fellowship.

Teacher: Dan Gallagher

God tells us that each of us should use whatever gift he or she has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace (1 Peter 4:10). Gaining a greater understanding of our personal gifts should help us to be more effective in administering God’s grace to the rest of the Body of Christ.

Traditionally, much focus has been placed upon the equipping ministries of Ephesians 4:11 (the Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher). In this teaching Dan Gallagher provides new insights and a fresh perspective on the various gifts listed in Romans 12 (the Perceiver, Server, Teacher, Encourager, Giver, Leader, and Mercy Giver). We believe you will enjoy learning about the characteristics, strengths and weaknesses of each of these gifts, and possibly learn some new insights about your own gifts of grace.

Teacher: Mike Patten

The Parable of the Sower of Luke 8 is considered by many to be one of the most well known and perhaps the most important parable Jesus spoke. Generally this parable is approached from the perspective of evangelism. However, in this teaching, Mike Patten explores its meaning and how it relates to the hearts of all men. Jesus often spoke in parables, and for us, just like the disciples, “the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God” will be revealed to those who aggressively inquire of Jesus. The parable includes a stern warning to “consider carefully how you listen,” as Jesus reveals four conditions of the heart; the hard-hearted, half-hearted, shallow-hearted, and good-hearted. This teaching concludes with an exhortation to all that the “noble and good-hearted who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering, produce a crop.”