Experiencing God with Tim Hart

This episode is a message that Tim gave at Gateway Foursquare Church on November 5, 2023. For more information about Gateway Foursquare visit: https://gatewayfoursquare.ca/Unity is a foundational characteristic of the Church in the New Testament and is a reflection of the very nature of God himself. One of the central themes of Jesus' prayer as recorded by John is  that we as his followers would be one, as he and the Father are one (John 17:11,20-23). Scripture is clear that every single person who puts his/her faith in Jesus, instantly becomes part of one Body, by one spirit, serving one Lord. This is a universal, positional reality for every believer (see 1 Corinthians 12:12-13). In other words, unity is not a by-product of our human effort, it is the default position and a defining characteristic of the Church, and is an inward spiritual reality for every believer. For many believers however, the positional reality of the unified Church can be difficult to reconcile with our ground-level experience. So many believers have experienced relational breakdown, jealously, discord, disunity, quarrelling, and church splits! Unity is something that comes under regular, focused attack of our adversary, and his aim is to destroy the fabric of the Church by sowing division and strife. This is why Paul exhorts believers to be eager to maintain the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3). We have an active part to play to maintain unity within the Body of Christ, so that our relational, ground-level experience as believers accurately reflects the universal, eternal reality that there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, but all are one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). In this message Tim focuses on several passages of scripture to unpack this topic further, addressing the issue of division in the Church, and unity as a fundamental characteristic of all genuine believers, and one of God's ultimate goals for the Church. Enjoy this episode of Experiencing God with Tim Hart.  

This episode is a message that Tim gave on September 10, 2023 at Gateway Foursquare Church in Campbell River BC. Visit https://gatewayfoursquare.ca/thisweek/ For more information about Gateway. Almost every book of the New Testament mentions suffering, hardships and persecution that believers face. It is talked about by Jesus early in the gospels during the sermon on the mount, and is mentioned throughout the New Testament as something that is guaranteed for those who follow Jesus. Paul exhorted Timothy saying “indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). For us in North America, this can often feel like a foreign concept - something that happens far away in other countries. For the past 200-300 years, until recently, North-American and Western culture was defined in part by over-arching, biblical core-values. There was a time when the Lord's Prayer was recited in schools. People who weren't necessarily devout followers of Jesus, would often attend Church on Christmas and Easter, and it was generally considered a good thing to be a church-going, God-fearing Christian. In recent decades however, our culture has made a radical shift away from over-arching Christian values, and has become far more secular. For this reason, it is likely going to become increasingly difficult and costly to be a follower of Christ in the coming decades.In this message, we are reminded that Christians are guaranteed to face persecution and hardships. It is in these moments, that God tests us to bring forth maturity and genuine faith, proven to be of more worth than gold. Furthermore, Jesus actually requires us to understand that the Kingdom of God is the most value thing we could obtain, and we are to consider the high cost of being his disciple.     

This episode is a message that Tim gave on August 13, 2023 at Gateway Foursquare Church in Campbell River BC. Visit  https://gatewayfoursquare.ca/ for more info.As followers of Jesus, we are called to imitate Jesus, follow his example and become more and more like him. When Jesus came, he came as fully God, and yet he was also fully man. He fully embraced the human experience to demonstrate what it looks like to live in perfect relationship with God. Part of the significance of this is that Jesus did not do his works out of his own divine attributes or power- he did his works as a man empowered by the Holy Spirit for ministry. Further to this, Jesus makes a wild statement to his disciples in John 14:12. He says “Truly, truly I say to you anyone who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” Let that sink in for a minute. Jesus invites us to do the same works he did, and greater!… How is this possible? Why does this not feel true in our experience? What did Jesus mean by this? Tune in as we explore the incredible example of Jesus' life, and the unimaginable invitation he gives to his followers to continue in his works, and even greater works than these. 

This is part two of Tim speaking on Sunday June 11, 2023 at Gateway Foursquare Church on the topic of Healing in the New Testament. In the previous message, Tim looked more broadly at the over-arching theme of God's willingness to heal, and the provision he made for healing in the cross of Calvary. This episode is a little longer than usual, and consists of two parts. For the first 50 minutes, Tim continues teaching on healing in the New Testament, focusing more on how healing ministry happens in the Church and asking questions like: What is the purpose of healing ministry? Who should pray for healing? How do we pray for healing? And what should we expect to happen? After the teaching, the episode transitions to an actual healing ministry service that took place following the message. Tim included this part of the service as a practical example for those who wish to explore further how this ministry can happen in a congregational setting. The healing service lasts for just under an hour, so feel absolutely free to tune out after the teaching if you wish.Enjoy this episode as we dive deeper into the topic of Healing in the New Testament. -Tim

On June 11, 2023 Tim was invited to speak at Gateway Foursquare Church on the topic of healing. In this episode, Tim takes a broad look into scripture at the overarching theme of God's nature and character as a life-giving God who desires healing and freedom for his people. In a very general, over-arching sense - God is willing to heal - so much so that it's something he accomplished on the cross and guarantees as a reality for every believer at the end of the age. The more difficult, pressing question is: what about now? Is this something we can expect now? Is it guaranteed? What do we do with experiences where healing doesn't happen and how do we reconcile this with the overarching theme in scripture of God's nature as a life-giving God who desires freedom and healing for us?Tune in to this message which explores the very important,  foundational theme of any healing ministry:  that God is willing to heal. 

This episode brings us to the conclusion of this series on the Church, looking specifically at one final aspect of the authority of believers.Authority is the right (or authorization) to do something - to carry out a certain action, or make a decision. In the last few episodes, Tim presented three types of authority that apply to Christians: common authority, gift-based authority, and positional authority. In this episode Tim talks about one other way in which the authority of the Church is expressed, and that is in confronting and addressing issues of sin in the community of believers.  Jesus gave practical instructions for how to confront and address sin in a way that seeks to restore fellow believers in community. Paul also emphasizes the need to address issues of sin within the community of believers  to preserve the health and well-being of the Church. Tune in as we explore this difficult issue and explore how God has equipped each believer to act in authority for the restoration of of the Church.  

Jesus has delegated authority to the Church. In Matthew's gospel, Jesus tells Peter “…you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven…” (Matthew 16:18-19).In the last episode we began the discussion with a broad view of the Church's authority to proclaim the gospel and advance the kingdom of God, and over Satan and his domain. In this episode, the conversation continues specifically looking at the different types of authority that individual believers are given. Pastor Jon Thompson of Sanctus Church in Ajax Ontario provided a helpful perspective on this suggesting three types of authority: common authority, gift-based authority and positional authority.    Join me as we dive deeper  into understanding  common-authority, gift-based authority and positional authority including the leadership roles of elders and deacons within the Chuch.  

As this series comes to a close, there is one final aspect of the Church to look into - that is the authority of the Church. There are several passages of scripture that indicate that Jesus has delegated his authority to the Church. The questions that arise from this are: What is the nature of this authority? How is it expressed? And, what are it's limitations? Tune in as we explore the topic of the authority of the Church, in particular, the authority to proclaim the gospel, to advance the kingdom of God, and the authority that believers have to overcome Satan and his domain. 

Tim is back with another episode in this series “The Church: It's makeup, it's marks, and it's mission.” What are the purposes of the Church? First, to love and worship God. Second, to love one another and build up the body of Christ. In this episode we will take a look at the third purpose of the Church: To love the world and make disciples of all nations. In a previous series, Tim discussed the Great Commission in the light of spiritual gifts and the role of evangelists.  This episode revisits this important topic, with a focus on loving those in the world and showing mercy. Jesus told us to love our enemies and do good to them, to lend expecting nothing in return and our reward in heaven will be great… For God is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Therefore we are called to be merciful as our Father is merciful.  At the end of the age, Jesus also recognizes his true followers as those who fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty,  clothed the naked, and visited the sick and the imprisoned. Take a listen as we look at the Church's mandate to love people in the world, and make disciples of all nations. 

Paul wrote “what then brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up” (1 Corinthians 14:26). As we continue this series on the topic of The Church, this episode looks further into the purposes of the Church, specifically that the Church exists to build itself up in love. It is impossible to live out the Christian faith to its fullest while alone on a desert island. Part of God's design for us is that we would live and gather in community with other believers, and that we would serve in different ministries, with different gifts to strengthen one another. As always Stay tuned for upcoming episodes as we continue this study on “The  Church.“ 

Author Wayne Grudem in his book “Systematic Theology” identifies three purposes of the Church. Firstly the Church exists to love and worship The Lord. Secondly, it functions to build itself up in Love; and thirdly, the Church works together to fulfill the Great Commission. In this episode Tim focuses on the first of these purposes - worship. Many hours could be spent teaching on this subject, and there are hundreds of relevant passages of scripture. Tim provides however, a brief overview of the topic of worship,  looking into what the act of worship is, how worship is expressed in scripture, and what the significance is for us as believers. Stay tuned for more episodes as we continue to take a glace at the Chuch: it's makeup, it's marks and it's mission.  

In this episode Tim continues the study on The Church, looking at how the bible defines “Church,” and understanding its marks and characteristics.As discussed in the first episode the Church in one sense, is the community of all genuine believers for all of time (including the genuine believers of the Old Testament, now enrolled in heaven. See Hebrews 12:22,23). There seems to be another way that the term “church” is used in scripture, and that is to describe specifically the gathering or assembling of believers for specific purposes. But what makes a church gathering “church?” What about Christian work places, missions organizations, or other casual gatherings? Should we consider these church? Or are there specific characteristics that help us to recognize a genuine organized church? Tim discusses this narrower definition of “church” and unpacks Acts 2:42-47, focusing on the first recorded expression of church in the bible. Thanks for listening and stay tuned for more episodes to come!Tim 

In this episode, Tim begins a new series looking into some of the foundational theology of  “The Church.” One author defined “church” as the gathering of all genuine believers throughout all of time.  In other words the church is the people of God! In a post-pandemic world, a lot of things have changed including where and how people work, how people travel, and how businesses and schools are structured. Like so many other things, the Church has also experienced significant change in this season. Churches have had to adapt through times of corporate gatherings being restricted. Some churches have closed down due to financial struggles. Other churches have thrived and embraced a change of format, and many of these have experienced measurable growth. This season has challenged our understanding of church and forced us to realize what are the true marks and characteristics of the Church, and what are traditions, or things that are temporal .  In this series, as we explore The Church, it's makeup, it's marks and it's mission, Tim offers a theological framework to understand what are the true characteristics of The Church, so we can embrace the changes The Lord may bring in this new era of history. 

This is it. The final episode in this series on Spiritual gifts. Tim continues with some of the commonly asked questions regarding spiritual gifts. Are there spiritual gifts in the Old Testament? How can I be certain which spiritual gifts I have? How do we implement gifts-based ministry in church? What are the implications for staff and volunteers at churches?  Listen in for some important further discussion on spiritual gifts, looking at some of the next steps in  how we walk this out.Thanks for listening and stayed tuned for more upcoming episodes, on Experiencing God.   

To wrap up this series, Tim addresses some of the commonly asked questions related to spiritual gifts. In this episode Tim answers the question, ‘are there other spiritual gifts not listed in the bible?' There are in fact two other spiritual gifts mentioned in the New Testament that are not commonly talked about- the gifts of singleness (or celibacy), and martyrdom. Tim explores these two gifts, as well as a few other potential spiritual gifts not listed in the New Testament. Enjoy this episode of Experiencing God. Tim

Jesus spent an entire night praying, and when day broke he called his disciples to himself, and chose from them 12 whom he designated “apostles.” These Apostles (and later the apostle Paul) became the foundation upon which the Church was established. They were sent out to preach, they had authority to heal and cast out demons, they bore witness to the resurrected Jesus, they had authority to write or approve scripture, and they established and gave oversight to the first churches.But what about  Barnabus? Timothy?  Silas? James the brother of Jesus? Several others in scripture are referred to as “apostles,” yet don't have the same unique characteristics as the twelve. This brings up an important question. Is their a broader gift of apostleship (that bears some, but not all of the characteristics of the Apostles)? Does it exist in the Church today? Tune in as Tim presents a biblical overview of Apostles, and wrestles through a controversial question: ‘do apostolic ministries exist today.'

In our western culture, the term “pastor” has evolved slightly from it's original meaning, and is often used to describe someone in a primary leadership role in the Church. You may have also heard terms like “associate pastor,” “youth pastor” or “worship pastor” all of which typically refer to staff members and leaders in churches who all fulfill different functions and operate in a variety of spiritual gifts.The bible describes pastoring and shepherding as a spiritual gift where an individual is called by God and empowered  to give oversight, to care for, and tend to the needs of the flock of God in a variety of ways.  There is a strong one-on-one emphasis.The gift of leadership is different from shepherding in that leaders may not focus on meeting individual needs of the flock, but inspire and influence believers by standing before the body of Christ as an example. They often receive vision from God and inspire this vision in those who follow them to lead believers into the fullness of God's plans and purposes. Join in as Tim unpacks these amazing spiritual gifts and explores what it means to function in the body as a shepherd or as a leader.    

The spiritual gifts discussion continues in the “word gifts” category. These are the spiritual gifts that clarify the nature, character, purposes and will of God. These gifts are also strongly present in church and ministry leadership roles.In this episode the microscope is on the gifts of teaching and exhortation (also referred to as encouragement). Tim also gives some insight into what lies behind the passion to see the body of Christ equipped in spiritual gifts, activated in ministry and bearing fruit as disciples of Jesus.Enjoy and stay tuned for more to come Tim hart.timothy@gmail.com

In this episode Tim begins to explore the final category of spiritual gifts which are the word gifts. As mentioned in previous episodes these categories are not found in scripture, but are ways that different authors have organized the gifts into categories to help us understand their function and purpose. Word gifts function clarify the nature and purposes and will of God. This episode focuses on the gift of evangelism and roles of evangelists. Evangelists are those who have received grace from God to proclaim the gospel of Jesus to those who don't know him…. Tune in and enjoy this episode of Experiencing God.Tim 

In this episode, Tim continues with  part 2 on the spiritual gift of working or miracles. In part 1, this gift was introduced and defined as when the power of God works through a believer to have a miraculous affect on someone or something. One of the main ways this spiritual gift works is in the act of casting out evil spirits, or deliverance ministry. Tim invites listeners to take  a closer look at working of miracles with a focus on deliverance ministry. What is deliverance? What did it look like in the ministry of Jesus and the disciples? How do demons enter people and what is involved in casting them out? Join in for the discussion on a basic overview of deliverance and how spiritual gifts work in this context.

C. S. Lewis defined the term "miracle" as "...an interference with nature by supernatural power..." While all believers are invited to experience the miraculous through powerful and effectual prayer, some believers are given the gift of workings of miracles. This gift involves God's supernatural power working through a follower of Jesus to cause a miraculous affect. In this episode, Tim explores biblical passages on this topic and shares stories and accounts of miracles done by God through ordinary believers.

Well here it is- part two on the spiritual gift of healing, also called 'gifts of healings.' The spiritual gift of healing is the Holy Spirit empowered ability given to some believers to minister to sick people and see them miraculously healed. In part two, Tim provides an overview of the healing ministry of Jesus and the disciples and explores how healing is practiced, what is the will of God concerning healing, and how does healing in the Old Testament compare to healing in the New Testament. 

In this episode. The plunge is officially taken into the next spiritual gift on the list - the gift of healing. The gift of healing, or gifts of healings is a God-given empowering that enables some believers to minister to sick people and see them get well. Tim provides an introduction to this gift and shares some of his personal background and experience. Some of the deeper questions on healing will be explored in the next episodes. Tune in and enjoy "Experiencing God." For questions or comments, or to contact Tim, email: hart.timothy@gmail.comTim

Tim continues the conversation on spiritual gifts, looking at two more gifts in the 'power' category: Various Kinds of Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues.Speaking in Tongues is a Holy Spirit empowered ability to speak in another language that is not known to the speaker. The Interpretation of Tongues is pretty self-explanatory - it is the Holy Spirit empowered ability to understand a message spoken in Tongues. Interpretation doesn't necessarily mean a word for word translation, it could be a gist of the meaning of what was spoken. There is a huge amount of controversy and misconception on these two gifts, and a plethora of questions that arise. Do Tongues exist today? Do they always require an interpretation? Are they always in a known language? Do all believers speak in tongues? Get ready for a detailed look at these incredible gifts as Tim explores passages in the Old Testament, the words of Jesus, several passages through the book of Acts and the book of 1st Corinthians. I hope you enjoy this episode of Experiencing God with Tim Hart. 

Dr. Wayne Grudem, author and theologian defined New Testament prophecy as 'speaking in our own words something that God brings to mind.' In the last few episodes Tim has been taking a detailed look into New Testament prophecy. We first compared prophecy in the Old Testament to prophecy in the New Testament and then looked at several New Testament passages that give insight into this incredible spiritual gift which Paul encourages to seek especially above other gifts (1 Corinthians 14:1). Well, there was simply more to say on the topic, so Tim decided go all out and do a third episode on this gift. In this episode Tim dives into a very important part of this conversation: How do we weigh and test prophecies. Grab a coffee, get comfortable, and let's explore further how prophecy should be practiced in a healthy way. for questions or more information, don't hesitate to contact Tim at hart.timothy@gmail.com. 

Wayne Grudem, author of "The gift of prophecy in the New Testament and Today" defines prophecy as 'speaking in our own words, something that God brings to mind.' In episode 10, we dove into the Old Testament and looked at similarities, as well as some important differences between prophecy in the Old Testament and prophecy in the New Testament. In this episode Tim continues the conversation on the spiritual gift of prophecy. Tune in as we explore some additional passages of scripture, and share a few stories to broaden our understanding of this incredible spiritual gifts which God encourages to pursue more than others (1 Corinthians 14:1)At the end of this series, Tim is planning to record a couple of episodes to respond to questions on spiritual gifts. If you have any questions, or there is something that you would like to hear more about please contact Tim at hart.timothy@gmail.com. Thanks again for listening and let's continue the journey into Experiencing God!

Dr. Wayne Grudem, author of "The gift of prophecy in the New Testament and today," defines New Testament prophecy as "speaking in our own words something that God brings to mind." This is an excellent starting point as we begin to explore the spiritual gift of prophecy.In order to fully understand prophecy in the New Testament, it is essential to look at prophecy in the Old Testament and to compare the similarities and differences. There are  some very important questions that arise as we do this. Are prophets in the Old Testament the same or similar to prophets in the New Testament? Does prophecy in the New Testament have the same authority as in the Old Testament, is it the 'very words of God'?In this episode Tim compares Old Testament and New Testament prophecy and provides an important frame work for this topic. Stay tuned for part 11 where the conversation continues and we explore the spiritual gift prophecy further.Thanks for listening, and as always feel free to contact Tim with any questions or comments at hart.timothy@gmail.com    

J. Robert Clinton described Power Gifts as a category of spiritual gifts that bring the presence and reality of God into a situation. When they happen, people profoundly experience God's presence and He becomes very real to them in the moment. In episode 9, Tim continues the discussion on the Power Gifts looking at two more gifts in this category: Faith and Discerning between spirits. Enjoy this episode and stay tuned for more to come. Timwww.experiencinggodpodcast.ca

J. Robert Clinton described Power gifts as a category of spiritual gifts that bring the presence and reality of God into a situation. When they happen, people profoundly experience God's presence and He becomes very real to them in the moment. In this episode Tim begins the conversation on power gifts, and unpacks the first two gifts in this category:  Word of Knowledge and Word of Wisdom. Tune in and enjoy this episode as we continue the journey together to understand the spiritual gifts.If you have any questions or comments or would like to discuss anything further, feel free to reach out to Tim at hart.timothy@gmail.com. www.experiencinggodpodcast.ca

The Love Gifts help to establish a love  culture  by expressing the love of God in practical ways. In this Episode, Tim continues unpacking the Love Gifts looking at Helps, Service, Hospitality and Mercy. 

In the previous episodes of this series, Tim has been working to establish the foundation and groundwork on the topic of spiritual gifts. In this episode, Tim continues the series by diving into the Love Gifts! The Love gifts express and demonstrate the love of God in simple practical ways! These are the lifeblood of the church and are vital to establish a welcoming culture of love and kindness.  In part 1 of the love gifts, Tim unpacks the gifts of administration (also called guidance) and giving (also called contributing). 

Cessationists believe that not all of the spiritual gifts exist today, but that some passed away after the establishment of the early church. In this episode, Tim continues the series on spiritual gifts by looking at the cessationist point of view and asking the question, do all of the gifts exist today? Or have certain gifts passed away?  Tune in to this episode of Experiencing God as we continue the journey of understanding spiritual gifts. 

Tim continues with part 4 of a series on spiritual gifts. In this episode Tim  highlights the necessity of bearing the fruit of the Spirit and growing in character as we continue the journey toward gifts-based ministry. Tim also discusses measures of faith, and divine limitations, and how God gives increase through faithfulness. Enjoy this episode of “Experiencing God with Tim Hart”  

Part 3 in a series on spiritual gifts. Tim continues the conversation by looking at how we receive spiritual gifts, how God distributes spiritual gifts, asking questions like ‘are spiritual gifts temporary or permanent?' ‘Can they be taken away?' Tim also takes a few moments to explore the question ‘what is the baptism of the Holy Spirit?'Tune in and join the conversation. if you have any questions, comments or concerns let me know at: hart.timothy@gmail.comGod blessTim

This is part 2 in a series on spiritual gifts, where Tim explores gifts-based ministry and what it means to function and serve as members of the Body of Christ. In this episode Tim is joined by Shawna Hart who shares some of her church background and experience. The conversation continues with some foundational discussion on having a common script; looking at what is spiritual gift, how do we define it; how do spiritual gifts differ from natural gifts and abilities. Hope you enjoy this episode.  

Tim begins a series exploring the topic of spiritual gifts, ministries and functioning as members of the Body of Christ.In this episode Tim lays a theological foundation  in the conversation on spiritual gifts by taking a look at the life of Jesus' as our model.Jesus demonstrated what it looks like to walk in perfect relationship to God and to co-labour with him.