The Five Gifts Podcast

Too many leaders rise without ever reproducing themselves. The real test of leadership is not what you build, it is who you build.

In this powerful episode, Bruce Ritter and Charles Russell unpack a complete, biblical, and practical blueprint for multiplying leaders. You will learn why leadership development is not optional, how Jesus modeled it, and what it takes to build a culture where leaders grow, thrive, and multiply.

We explore:

• Why organizations do not have a leadership shortage, they have a development shortage

• The biblical definition of Christian leadership

• How Jesus recruited, selected, trained, and deployed leaders

• The heart issues that keep leaders from empowering others

• How to build a leadership culture that outlasts you

If you want to stop doing ministry alone, break bottlenecks, and leave a kingdom legacy, this episode is for you.

Lead from Revelation, not Ambition.

In this episode, we break down how spiritual leaders receive vision, not manufacture it.

Vision is not ambition. Vision is revelation. When God speaks, we listen and obey.

In this episode you will learn:

• Why human-driven vision leads to burnout and confusion

• The 8 counterfeit sources of “vision” leaders must avoid

• How God actually reveals vision to His people

• The rhythms leaders must build to hear God clearly

• How to communicate vision without hype or manipulation

• How to help your people hear God for themselves

If you are a pastor, founder, CEO, entrepreneur, team leader, or church planter… this conversation matters.

Charles Russell and Bruce Ritter explore the leadership gift for the Marketplace. Many believers feel a strong leadership calling but struggle to see how it fits in the local church. This episode reframes leadership as a sacred ministry in the marketplace – where vision, creativity, and stewardship advance the Kingdom of God.

In this episode:

• Why the Church needs vision-casting leaders, not just teachers

• How leadership and management work together in the Kingdom

• How pastors can affirm, bless, and commission marketplace believers

• Practical ways to lead by the Spirit at work every day

Whether you lead a business, a ministry, or a team, this conversation will remind you that your leadership is not secular – it’s sacred.

Listen now and rediscover your calling to lead with faith, purpose, and Spirit-led wisdom.

Episode Title: Exegeting Your Audience: Preaching for Spiritual Formation

Preaching isn’t just about communicating truth—it’s about shaping lives by the power of the Spirit. In this episode of the Five Gifts Podcast, Bruce Ritter and Charles Russell explore how preachers can exegete both the text and their audience, ensuring messages are Bible-based, Spirit-energized, verdict-demanding, and audience-connected.

They draw on insights from the Fivefold gifts to show how Apostolic, Prophetic, Evangelistic, Pastoral, and Teaching leadership all contribute to preaching that transforms. Along the way, they share stories, humor, and practical takeaways for Pentecostal-Charismatic leaders.

Ready to grow as a preacher and leader? Explore coaching and resources at:

What if your sermon wasn’t just a message, but a moment where God’s voice broke into people’s lives? And what if, beyond inspiration, it equipped them with clear steps to live out their faith on Monday morning? That’s the beauty of prophetic and teaching gifts working together in preaching—hearing God’s voice and applying it with clarity. In this episode of the Five Gifts Podcast, hosts Bruce Ritter and Charles Russell explore 15 best practices for preaching and six key questions that uncover God’s intended message from the text.

In this episode of the Five Gifts Podcast, Bruce Ritter and Charles Russell explore the heart of effective preaching. Together they unpack 15 practical best practices from seasoned preachers—covering everything from sermon openings, transitions, illustrations, and applications—and then dive into six essential questions that reveal God’s intended message in Scripture.

This conversation will help you:

• Five Gifts Podcast & Resources: fivegifts.org

• Coaching Cardia: coachingcardia.com

• Charles Russell Ministries: charlesrussellministries.com

• Charles Russell Training: charlesrusselltraining.com

In this episode, Bruce Ritter and Charles Russell unpack Ephesians 4:7–10, exploring the ascension of Christ as both His coronation and conquest. Drawing from Michael Heiser and John Stott, they reveal how Christ’s victory releases the outpouring of the Spirit, conquers spiritual wickedness, and empowers the Church through five gifts: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. With the promise of the Spirit in John, the outpouring in Acts, and the equipping in Ephesians, this conversation shows how ascension theology anchors Spirit-filled leadership and mission today.

In this episode, Bruce Ritter and Charles Russell explore John Maxwell’s Law of Collaboration. They discuss why the best thinking happens with others, how collaboration strengthens communication, and how fivefold leadership provides a built-in collaborative model for the church and marketplace. Practical applications include inviting trusted feedback, cultivating open-minded teams, and leveraging the unique strengths of each fivefold gift. Success begins with we, not me.

How do you share the gospel in a culture that sees Christianity as unbelievable? In this episode of the Five Gifts Podcast, Bruce Ritter and Charles Russell unpack principles for the evangelistic gift and explore how to make the gospel both true and believable in today’s skeptical culture.

We discuss the importance of storytelling, hospitality, plausibility structures, reframing apologetics, and connecting our personal testimonies with God’s grand story. Along the way, we connect these insights to the Evangelistic Divine Urgencies—Evangelism-Missions and Public Relations—and show how they fit within a Fivefold Ministry Model.

If you’ve ever wondered how to share your faith more effectively in a skeptical age, this episode offers both inspiration and practical tools.

Most leaders assume that communication is all about the message. But UCLA research shows that only 7% of communication comes from words—while 38% comes from tone and 55% from body language. That means more than 90% of your effectiveness as a leader comes from how you show up, not just what you say.

In this episode of The Five Gifts Podcast, Charles Russell and Bruce Ritter explore John Maxwell’s principle that connecting goes beyond words. They break down the three components of communication—thought, emotion, and action—and show how each applies uniquely to apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists.

Together, they offer Spirit-filled wisdom, biblical insights, and practical tools to help you:

• Preach and teach with authenticity and anointing

• Lead with conviction, not just information

• Connect with people visually, emotionally, and intellectually

• Align your thought, heart, and lifestyle so that your leadership inspires trust

This episode will challenge and equip you to lead in a way that people don’t just hear—they experience and remember.

In this episode of The Five Gifts Podcast, Charles Russell and Bruce Ritter unpack 10 Core Themes from Rob Reimer’s Spiritual Authority and connect them to the Fivefold Ministry model. From intimacy with God to authority rooted in compassion, they explore how apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists each embody and express spiritual authority in unique ways.

Through biblical insights, leadership reflections, and real-life illustrations, Charles and Bruce show how God’s authority is cultivated, tested, and released in everyday ministry. Whether you’re serving in the pulpit, the marketplace, or your community, this conversation will strengthen your confidence in Christ’s authority at work in you.