January 26th, 2026
by Pastor Luke
by Pastor Luke
The Church Needs the Full Tool Bag: Rediscovering the Power of the Holy Spirit
Have you ever tried to build something without the right tools? Maybe you grabbed whatever was lying around the garage and attempted a project that required precision and skill. The result? Something that barely holds together, something you're not quite proud of, something that makes you hope no one looks too closely.
This image captures where many churches find themselves today. We're facing unprecedented darkness, challenges our world has never encountered before, and people are wrestling with struggles that seem insurmountable. Yet the church often stands on the sidelines, looking mediocre at best, powerless at worst. Why? Because we've been building without the full tool bag.
The Missing Member of the Trinity
Many Christians grew up knowing the Father, the Son, and the Holy Bible—but they know nothing of the Holy Spirit. This isn't a criticism; it's simply the reality of much of Western Christianity. We've ignored or downplayed the third person of the Trinity, the very Spirit who conceived Jesus in Mary, who superintended the writing of Scripture, and who raised Jesus from the dead.
The Holy Spirit isn't some optional add-on to Christianity. He's equal in power and glory to the Father and the Son. Yet in family gatherings of faith, He's often the one sitting in the corner, overlooked and unacknowledged. And when the church operates without the Spirit's power, we become weak and ineffective. Meh.
The Tools We've Been Given
In 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul addresses a church confused about spiritual matters. The Corinthians lived in a culture saturated with demonic activity, and they struggled to distinguish between what was evil and what was holy, what was from the Spirit of God and what wasn't. Paul writes to inform them about the "pneumatikos"—the things of the Spirit.
These aren't abstract concepts. They're actual tools, distributed by the Holy Spirit to build up the church. Paul lists nine specific gifts in the first half of the chapter:
Word of wisdom - special wisdom for specific situations, dropped into your mind by the Spirit for someone else's benefit.
Word of knowledge - supernatural knowledge about someone's past or a situation, not gained through study but given by the Spirit.
Faith - not ordinary faith, but supernatural confidence that every word of God will come to pass, faith that moves mountains and accomplishes the extraordinary.
Gifts of healing - the ability to restore health, both physical and emotional, through various means.
Working of miracles - creating something brand new, something that defies natural law, fresh creative work from heaven.
Prophecy - speaking a "now word" from the Spirit, encouraging believers, calling people to repentance, revealing God's plans.
Discerning of spirits - the ability to recognize the spiritual source of something, to distinguish between what's from God and what isn't.
Diverse tongues - speaking languages both earthly and heavenly, communicating in ways that transcend natural speech.
Interpretation of tongues - understanding and explaining what's been spoken in tongues.
These gifts aren't for personal glory. Every single Christian receives a manifestation of the Spirit "for the common good." They're given to you, but they're tools for Him to use through you to build His church.
Why the Church Needs These Tools Now
The gates of hell will not be overcome by nonprofits, movements, or political action—as valuable as some of these may be. Scripture is clear: the gates of hell will be ambushed and overcome by the church. A Spirit-filled, Spirit-empowered church.
Hell hates the church. We're a target. But we have the Spirit of God upon us, and He overcomes the evil one. The next generation of churches must be Spirit-empowered, equipped with knowledge and tools to face what's coming.
When churches lack the pneumatikos, we become powerless to address evil. We either borrow "best practices" from the marketplace and start looking more like earthly institutions, or we compromise and settle, saying it's no big deal if we just go to church rather than be the church. Worse yet, we will default to theological debate, minimizing our theology to the degree of our current power, instead of seeking the Spirit's power made available in our theology - the Word of God!
The Three Levels of the Spirit's Activity
Scripture reveals three prepositions that describe our relationship with the Holy Spirit: with, in, and on.
Before conversion, the Spirit is with us, encouraging us to place our faith in Jesus.
At conversion, the Spirit comes in us. We become temples of the Holy Spirit.
But there's a third level: the Spirit on us. "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you," Jesus promised in Acts 1. In Acts 2, this promise is fulfilled. In Acts 4, it seems to occur again.
Think of it like Thanksgiving dinner. The first bite is in you. But you keep eating until you're overflowing, completely full. The Spirit can be in you without overflowing from you. God desires that we be containers not just filled, but overflowing!
The New Testament identifies a third level of spiritual experience referred to as the "Baptism in the Holy Spirit." While various descriptions are used throughout the text, the outcome remains consistent: disciples of Jesus walking in supernatural power.
Scripture describes this baptism occurring through the laying on of hands, during corporate worship, or while the Gospel is being preached. Personally, I trusted in Jesus and was baptized in water at age 17, but it was not until 20 years later that I was baptized into the Holy Spirit. At that moment, spiritual gifts that had been dormant were activated and I began ministering to people in ways I had never done before.
This pursuit is not about seeking a subsequent experience for its own sake, but about seeking the face of God through intimacy with his Son. When we commit to fearing the Father, worshiping the Son, and desiring to walk by the Spirit, we position ourselves to be filled with divine power, strength, and holiness. Tell God you're ready for more and trust Him with what happens next.
If Jesus Needed the Spirit, So Do You
Consider this: Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit. He was led by the Holy Spirit. He came in the power of the Holy Spirit. When He began His ministry, He declared, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me."
If Jesus—God in flesh—needed the Spirit to sustain Him through forty days of fasting, to endure the cross, and to minister with power on earth, then we certainly need the Spirit too.
If you trust Jesus, you can trust the Holy Spirit. They're not separate entities with different agendas. The Spirit exists to glorify Jesus and empower His church.
Moving Beyond Resistance
Perhaps you've never been taught about these things. Or you received bad teaching that said the gifts ceased when the Bible was completed. Or maybe you had a bad experience in a church that treated spiritual gifts carelessly, throwing them around "like parade candy."
Whatever the reason for your resistance, the invitation stands: don't let past experiences or lack of teaching keep you from the fullness God offers. Don't put your faith in what you can see. Put your faith in what you can read in God's Word.
The evidence isn't in your experience. The evidence is in Scripture. And Scripture is clear: the Spirit is still active, still distributing gifts, still empowering the church to fulfill the mission Jesus gave us until His return.
We are cracked vessels, leaky cups. We need to return again and again to the source of living water to be refilled. The pursuit of intimacy with Jesus by the Holy Spirit is ongoing, continual, a lifestyle of seeking His face and being filled with His presence.
The church that will face the challenges of this hour and the next generation isn't one built on programs or personalities. It's a church filled with the Holy Spirit, walking in supernatural power, equipped with every tool needed to build something worthy of God's presence—something that will stand against every wind and overcome every evil.
The question isn't whether God wants to fill you with His Spirit. The question is: are you ready to be filled? Let’s work together to foster an environment that welcomes God’s Spirit by placing Him and His presence at the center of all we do. I hope we can be a people hungry to seek His face.
I will speak more on this topic this Sunday, February 1st when we study the second half of 1 Corinthians 12. During the service, I will also offer a follow-up "gifts test" to help guide you in discovering and understanding the specific spiritual gifts you have been given. Sunday Feb 1st ought to be filled with glory & power as we seek God's presence, worship Him, and celebrate water baptisms for the first time in our new space!
stay salty. be bright.
Pastor Luke
This image captures where many churches find themselves today. We're facing unprecedented darkness, challenges our world has never encountered before, and people are wrestling with struggles that seem insurmountable. Yet the church often stands on the sidelines, looking mediocre at best, powerless at worst. Why? Because we've been building without the full tool bag.
The Missing Member of the Trinity
Many Christians grew up knowing the Father, the Son, and the Holy Bible—but they know nothing of the Holy Spirit. This isn't a criticism; it's simply the reality of much of Western Christianity. We've ignored or downplayed the third person of the Trinity, the very Spirit who conceived Jesus in Mary, who superintended the writing of Scripture, and who raised Jesus from the dead.
The Holy Spirit isn't some optional add-on to Christianity. He's equal in power and glory to the Father and the Son. Yet in family gatherings of faith, He's often the one sitting in the corner, overlooked and unacknowledged. And when the church operates without the Spirit's power, we become weak and ineffective. Meh.
The Tools We've Been Given
In 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul addresses a church confused about spiritual matters. The Corinthians lived in a culture saturated with demonic activity, and they struggled to distinguish between what was evil and what was holy, what was from the Spirit of God and what wasn't. Paul writes to inform them about the "pneumatikos"—the things of the Spirit.
These aren't abstract concepts. They're actual tools, distributed by the Holy Spirit to build up the church. Paul lists nine specific gifts in the first half of the chapter:
Word of wisdom - special wisdom for specific situations, dropped into your mind by the Spirit for someone else's benefit.
Word of knowledge - supernatural knowledge about someone's past or a situation, not gained through study but given by the Spirit.
Faith - not ordinary faith, but supernatural confidence that every word of God will come to pass, faith that moves mountains and accomplishes the extraordinary.
Gifts of healing - the ability to restore health, both physical and emotional, through various means.
Working of miracles - creating something brand new, something that defies natural law, fresh creative work from heaven.
Prophecy - speaking a "now word" from the Spirit, encouraging believers, calling people to repentance, revealing God's plans.
Discerning of spirits - the ability to recognize the spiritual source of something, to distinguish between what's from God and what isn't.
Diverse tongues - speaking languages both earthly and heavenly, communicating in ways that transcend natural speech.
Interpretation of tongues - understanding and explaining what's been spoken in tongues.
These gifts aren't for personal glory. Every single Christian receives a manifestation of the Spirit "for the common good." They're given to you, but they're tools for Him to use through you to build His church.
Why the Church Needs These Tools Now
The gates of hell will not be overcome by nonprofits, movements, or political action—as valuable as some of these may be. Scripture is clear: the gates of hell will be ambushed and overcome by the church. A Spirit-filled, Spirit-empowered church.
Hell hates the church. We're a target. But we have the Spirit of God upon us, and He overcomes the evil one. The next generation of churches must be Spirit-empowered, equipped with knowledge and tools to face what's coming.
When churches lack the pneumatikos, we become powerless to address evil. We either borrow "best practices" from the marketplace and start looking more like earthly institutions, or we compromise and settle, saying it's no big deal if we just go to church rather than be the church. Worse yet, we will default to theological debate, minimizing our theology to the degree of our current power, instead of seeking the Spirit's power made available in our theology - the Word of God!
The Three Levels of the Spirit's Activity
Scripture reveals three prepositions that describe our relationship with the Holy Spirit: with, in, and on.
Before conversion, the Spirit is with us, encouraging us to place our faith in Jesus.
At conversion, the Spirit comes in us. We become temples of the Holy Spirit.
But there's a third level: the Spirit on us. "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you," Jesus promised in Acts 1. In Acts 2, this promise is fulfilled. In Acts 4, it seems to occur again.
Think of it like Thanksgiving dinner. The first bite is in you. But you keep eating until you're overflowing, completely full. The Spirit can be in you without overflowing from you. God desires that we be containers not just filled, but overflowing!
The New Testament identifies a third level of spiritual experience referred to as the "Baptism in the Holy Spirit." While various descriptions are used throughout the text, the outcome remains consistent: disciples of Jesus walking in supernatural power.
Scripture describes this baptism occurring through the laying on of hands, during corporate worship, or while the Gospel is being preached. Personally, I trusted in Jesus and was baptized in water at age 17, but it was not until 20 years later that I was baptized into the Holy Spirit. At that moment, spiritual gifts that had been dormant were activated and I began ministering to people in ways I had never done before.
This pursuit is not about seeking a subsequent experience for its own sake, but about seeking the face of God through intimacy with his Son. When we commit to fearing the Father, worshiping the Son, and desiring to walk by the Spirit, we position ourselves to be filled with divine power, strength, and holiness. Tell God you're ready for more and trust Him with what happens next.
If Jesus Needed the Spirit, So Do You
Consider this: Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit. He was led by the Holy Spirit. He came in the power of the Holy Spirit. When He began His ministry, He declared, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me."
If Jesus—God in flesh—needed the Spirit to sustain Him through forty days of fasting, to endure the cross, and to minister with power on earth, then we certainly need the Spirit too.
If you trust Jesus, you can trust the Holy Spirit. They're not separate entities with different agendas. The Spirit exists to glorify Jesus and empower His church.
Moving Beyond Resistance
Perhaps you've never been taught about these things. Or you received bad teaching that said the gifts ceased when the Bible was completed. Or maybe you had a bad experience in a church that treated spiritual gifts carelessly, throwing them around "like parade candy."
Whatever the reason for your resistance, the invitation stands: don't let past experiences or lack of teaching keep you from the fullness God offers. Don't put your faith in what you can see. Put your faith in what you can read in God's Word.
The evidence isn't in your experience. The evidence is in Scripture. And Scripture is clear: the Spirit is still active, still distributing gifts, still empowering the church to fulfill the mission Jesus gave us until His return.
We are cracked vessels, leaky cups. We need to return again and again to the source of living water to be refilled. The pursuit of intimacy with Jesus by the Holy Spirit is ongoing, continual, a lifestyle of seeking His face and being filled with His presence.
The church that will face the challenges of this hour and the next generation isn't one built on programs or personalities. It's a church filled with the Holy Spirit, walking in supernatural power, equipped with every tool needed to build something worthy of God's presence—something that will stand against every wind and overcome every evil.
The question isn't whether God wants to fill you with His Spirit. The question is: are you ready to be filled? Let’s work together to foster an environment that welcomes God’s Spirit by placing Him and His presence at the center of all we do. I hope we can be a people hungry to seek His face.
I will speak more on this topic this Sunday, February 1st when we study the second half of 1 Corinthians 12. During the service, I will also offer a follow-up "gifts test" to help guide you in discovering and understanding the specific spiritual gifts you have been given. Sunday Feb 1st ought to be filled with glory & power as we seek God's presence, worship Him, and celebrate water baptisms for the first time in our new space!
stay salty. be bright.
Pastor Luke
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