The District Life Podcast

To kick off Season 5 of the District Life podcast, Travis and I sit down and discuss the Holy Spirit. "The Helper" that Jesus promised to his disciples when he ascended back to heaven is the greatest gift, and yet so many Christians seem content to live without the fruit of His Presence. With so many misconceptions and mysteries, it is understandable to feel a bit overwhelmed or intimidated, but if we can simply lean in and abide, the fruit of the Christian life will begin to sprout in our lives.

2 Thessalonians 3:1 As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. 

Reflection 

Paul asks the church to pray that the message of the Lord would run freely and be honored. The gospel is alive and powerful, advancing wherever God opens hearts to receive it. When we pray, we participate in God’s work of bringing salvation to the world. 

Application 

Today, ask God to let the gospel spread rapidly across our nation and throughout the world. Pray for open hearts and minds to respond in faith. Lift up those you know who are far from God, asking for mercy and salvation. Trust God to bring many to faith in Jesus and to see lives transformed and baptized this year. 

Ephesians 6:18-20 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. 

Reflection 

Paul reminds us that bold gospel witness is sustained by prayer. Courage does not come from confidence in ourselves, but from dependence on God. When we pray, God supplies both the words and the strength needed to make Christ known. 

Application 

Today, ask God to make you fearless and faithful in sharing the gospel. Pray for clarity and courage to speak of what Christ has done. Lift up church planters and planting teams around the world, and ask God to call many from The District to carry the message of Jesus across cultures and nations. 

Colossians 4:2-6 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. 

Reflection 

Paul calls us to live with alert hearts and open eyes. When we stay rooted in prayer and attentive to the Spirit, God opens doors for the gospel in ordinary moments. Faithful witness flows from lives shaped by wisdom, grace, and readiness. 

Application 

Today, ask God to make you sensitive to the Spirit and attentive to the opportunities He places before you. Pray for open doors to share Christ with boldness and clarity. Lift up our youth ministry—that students would be courageous in sharing their faith with classmates—and ask God to bring a wave of salvation across Sedgwick County schools in the years ahead. 

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

Reflection 

Moses reminds us that our days are numbered—not to burden us with fear, but to invite us into wisdom. When we remember how brief life is, we learn to live with intention, gratitude, and purpose. Awareness of time sharpens our focus on what truly matters. 

Application 

Today, ask God to teach you to live wisely for His purposes and glory. As you reflect on your day, thank Him for the moments—both big and small —that come to mind. Pray for a heart shaped by eternity, choosing each day to invest your time in what lasts forever. 

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 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. 

Reflection 

God invites us into a life of generosity marked by trust and joy. When we give freely, we declare our confidence that God is our provider. Generosity is not about loss—it is about participation in God’s work, where He supplies abundantly so His grace can overflow through us. 

Application 

Today, ask God to grow joy in your giving and faith in His provision. Pray that we would be a church that abounds in every good work. Lift up our neighborhood efforts, asking God to provide the people and resources needed to bless our city. Pray also for other churches across Wichita, that together we would reflect God’s generous grace. 

1 Peter 4:9-11 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. 

Reflection 

God has entrusted each of us with grace—not to store up, but to share. Our gifts are meant to serve others and bring glory to Jesus. When we steward what God has given us with faithfulness and humility, our lives become instruments of His grace at work in the world. 

Application 

Today, ask God to show you how to use your gifts for His purposes. Pray for strength and joy as you serve and love others. Lift up missionaries and church planters around the world—that they would not grow weary, but continue to serve faithfully and bring blessing to the communities God has called them to. 

Ephesians 4:15-16 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. 

Reflection 

God’s vision for the church is not just growth in numbers, but growth in maturity. As each part speaks truth in love and does its work, the whole body is strengthened. Maturity is formed in community, where love shapes how we speak, serve, and support one another. 

Application 

Today, ask God to show you how to build others up with encouragement, truth, and love. Pray that we would grow into a mature and healthy body of Christ at The District Church. Lift up District Kids and District Students—that God would use these ministries to equip parents and raise up a generation of fully devoted followers of Jesus. 

Romans 12:3-5 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 

Reflection 

Paul reminds us that we do not belong to ourselves—we belong to one another. God has formed the church as a body, with each person playing a meaningful role. Health comes not from comparison or pride, but from humility and faithful participation. 

Application 

Today, ask God to help you see where you fit in the body of Christ. Pray for humility and clarity about how you can serve. Lift up our church— that every ministry would be strengthened by willing hearts and faithful hands. Ask God to guard us from pride and self-serving ambition as we joyfully do our part together at The District. 

Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 

Reflection 

Paul calls us to a countercultural way of life—one marked by humility and concern for others. Selfless love begins when we release selfish ambition and learn to see people not as obstacles or tools, but as neighbors to be served. This is the posture of Christ-shaped love. 

Application 

Today, ask God to form a humble heart within you. Invite Him to reveal any selfish ambition and to make you attentive to the needs of others. Pray that we would be a church that seeks the welfare of our city and faithfully engages our community. Ask God to cultivate this selfless love in the families of The District, so our life together reflects the heart of Jesus.