Destiny Church PH: Recent Episodes

Destiny Church - Manila

'Living our call, fulfilling our destiny'

Our church believes that every person has a destiny to fulfill based on Jeremiah 29:11, 'For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' All of our messages aim to help people realize God's plan for their life.

Joshua 24:15 "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

For Joshua, his choice is already made. It is his firm purpose that no matter what, he and his household would serve the Lord. And with that determined decision, he does not intend to swerve.

The battle in this life still goes on. Temptations exist all around you as the enemy lurks as a thief. Sickness and suffering enter your door. Hopes, dreams, and plans fail. There are times when you are tempted to wonder if this fight is all worth it. But in all this, know that God is still at work, molding you into the likeness of His Son.

"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend (overcome) it." - John 1:4-5

1 Corinthians 12:1-31 "Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work."

Ephesians 5:15:20 "Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Matthew 5:47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?

We often equate holiness to being legalistic or boring. On the contrary, it is a beautiful thing. God, who is holy, also calls us to be holy - to do more than others, to behave differently, to live a life that is cut above the rest.

Three reasons why we need to live a holy life:

Because of our profession
When we profess that we are a Christian, we commit to a higher standard of living. "...live a life worthy of the calling you have received." Ephesians 4:1 NIV
Because of who we are
When we become a Christian, we take on a new nature. "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." - Galatians 2:20 NIV
Because of our purpose
We are called to be the salt and light of the world. “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:13-16 NIV

Living a holy life is not easy, but with God's grace, we can do it. Let your light shine for others to see!

Luke 10:25-37

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]”

28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, "The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields." - Matthew 9:36-38

"Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” - Luke 19:9-10

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony." - Heb 11:1-2

Matthew 28:1-10 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

John 18:33-38 33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist till now, the kingdom of heaven is forcing its way in, and men of force take it.

PSALM 139:1-12 1 O Lord, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. 3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. 5 You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it. 7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me; 12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

Why God's Presence is Important 1. God's Presence is an Indication of God's Pleasure 2. God's Presence is an Identification Mark of Being God's People

Psalm 63:1 O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.

How to Practice the Presence of God 1. Begin your day with Intentionality 2. Turn the Mundane into a Holy Moment

Romans 7:15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.

There are things in our life that hinders us from fulfilling our commitments, rendering our life unproductive. Listen to this message as we desire to battle against the influx of distractions in our lives.

How do we constantly walk in total commitment? 1. Be careful in calling your 'would not's" as "could not's" 2. Remove your half-obedience 3. Remember God's radical grace toward us

Luke 14:25-33 25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

Luke 9:59-62 "He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” 62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Mark 1:15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Leviticus 6:12-13 "The fire on the altar must burn continually; it must not be allowed to go out. The priests are to feed wood to the fire every morning, arrange the burnt offering on the fire, and offer up the fat portions of the peace offerings. 13 The fire on the altar must burn continually; it must not be allowed to go out."

Joshua 3:5 Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

Cultural Christmas does not need Christ, it's all about the traditions. However, what is the Christian Christmas and how can it give hope for the away?

John 1:14-18 "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son[d] from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known."

"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)

"When it's hardest to love, let's look at what Jesus did for us." - Pastor Kai Bangcola

While servanthood is not very popular in our generation today, Jesus still called us to serve and love all people. But if we are to answer the call to serve, we must do it with humility because there can be no servanthood without humility.

What if nobody knows you are serving, will you still do it? When it's difficult to serve and love, will you still do it? When it's difficult to humble yourself and lay down your rights, will you still do it?

How do we become people with humility? How can we effectively serve and love one another?

When it's hardest to love, humble yourself.
When it's personal and painful, humble yourself.
Understand who you are. Secure your identity in Christ.
Just do it.

What humblings should we be extending?

Choose a difficult obedience.
Own it all to reconcile. Forgo any opportunity to clarify your position. Take your rightness and accuracy then throw it all away.
Serve in total secrecy.
Lay down your liberty.
Refuse to be offended.

How far are you willing to lay down your personal agendas so that you can love and serve other people?

"You may be lost, but you will never be forgotten."

Pastor Leo Carlo Panlilio shares here the Parables of the Lost Sheep, Lost Coin, and Lost Son, elaborating on the love of God for the lost.

"That's plain enough, isn't it? You're no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You're no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He's using us all — irrespective of how we got here — in what he is building." (Ephesians 2:19 MSG)

Maybe the reason why we feel a certain degree of emptiness is that, aside from what we have here, we're really meant for a place we must call Home.

As God directs us toward our dream, we will encounter tests — temptation, pain, and power — that will refine and prove our character. So in these tests to reach our dreams, remember these three principles taken from Joseph's life in Genesis 37-50:

The grounding of belief in a season of temptation.
The guarantee of peace in a season of pain.
The generosity of his spirit on the season of power.

For us to appreciate friendships, we also have to look at how God designed us -- how the Lord patterned us to Himself. Our God being relational, our God being love Himself.

In this message, Pastor Leo Carlo Panlilio shared on the five marks of biblical friendship: constancy, candor, care, counsel, Christ-centeredness.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken."

If we want to build a strong life, we need to build strong friendships.

What are the characteristics of a true friend?

True friends heighten our joy in God. Companionship always deepen our joy as we share our dreams and our worship.
True friends expose our sin. One of the severest test for the friendship is to point out our mistake. The strength of friendship is shown if we can lovingly correct one another.
True friends encourage us to obey God. A true friend will stir love and encourage us to continue to do good works (Hebrews 10:24).
True friends bring us to God in our weakness. In time of a friend’s weakness, bring him closer to God. Pray for him.

We are undeniably in need of a strong fellowhsip. Here are the principles of a strong friendship: 1. Everyone needs a Christian camaraderie. 2. Strong friendship is a conscious effort. 3. Strengthen each other in God. 4. Remind each other of the promises of God.

Are we getting deeper with our friends? May it be that our friendships are not superficial. May they be strong and meaningful ones. Live strong!

Definitely, tests will come. So, how do you live strong? In the midst of storms and struggles, how are you going to build a strong life as individuals? In this message, we hope to understand how we, being founded on a solid foundation, will be able to stand strong in the constant trials of life.

Luke 6:46-49 46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

What constitutes a strong life? How can we stand strong amidst trials and troubles we constantly face? Discover the attributes of a strong life and know how we can use them to defend ourselves from the storms of life. Build your life on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ.

God gave us unique gifts according to our capacity and capability. The question now: What are you doing with the opportunities that God has allowed to come your way?

The kingdom of God is so important that whatever we lose for the sake of knowing God fails in comparison to the joy and completeness we receive from Him.

Where is your life built on?

The Parable of the Two Foundations -- Matthew 7:24-27

There is a man who digs deep and lay down its foundation on the rock. The other would be rushing it and built on an unstable foundation — a sand. One built it out of wisdom and another, out of foolishness.

We are all building something.

Are we building our life on something else or on Jesus and His Word? In building our life, could it be that God is teaching us to live by faith and not by emotions? May we dig deeper in His Word and let it examine our hearts.

Rains and floods will come.

It's just a matter of when. We cannot avoid rain — it does not ask permission that it will come. Even worse, sometimes the problems in life can come all at once. When this happens, how do we deal with it? May we always anchor ourselves in the Word of God.

Build your life on the rock.

Listen. Understand. Obey. There is so much joy in building our life on the rock — on Jesus.

What do we do when we find our life built on the sand? Stop. Repent. Build again.

Do you want to grow deeper? Hear and obey. Surrender.

Our generation today defines success in terms of our net worth, the number of cars we have, and our title or position. But more than success, Pastor Carlo talked about the most critical concern we need to address, our spiritual maturity.

Are we deeply rooted in His Word? Is the Word of God the foundation of our lives?

To further assess ourselves, here are the three great enemies of the soul:

Fallacy of pride in our pursuits. "As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up." (Matthew 13:4)

What causes the hardness of our hearts is pride which results to unbelief. Sometimes, we think the word is difficult to understand, but it is the hardness of our hearts that makes us fail to understand His word.

Forgetting God in our pain. "The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.(Matthew 13:20-21)

Sometimes, it is not the sun that causes the plants to wither away, it is the lack of root. When we experience pain, sometimes we automatically come to God not because we are deeply rooted, but we want instant solution. In our pain, may we come to God not for the solution, but to surrender.

Forsaking our values in pleasure. "And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful." (Matthew 13:22)

When the pleasures of life knock, do we easily abandon our values and convictions in life? Do we forsake God for our pleasure?

How do we respond in our pain and pleasure? The way we respond to them reveals the foundation of our lives. Let us go back to these questions: Are you deeply rooted in His Word? Is the Word of God the foundation of your life?

There may be times when we do not understand His Word, but what God wants from us is to keep on doing and doing it until we have an understanding. Understanding is not just about comprehension, it is about the willingness of our hearts to obey His Word.

May we keep on growing deep in His Word until it bears fruit in our lives. May we encounter God every time we do our quiet time.

Let's all learn from the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42: "Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord's feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, 'Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.'"

Deuteronomy 30:19 says, "Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!"

If choosing life and following God seem to be the better choice, why do we inadvertently or intentionally end up choosing sin instead? We may be aware of its consequence — death — but we may be ignorant of what it really is.

We must understand that sin is anything and everything that is committed against God. It is missing the mark and it is certainly costly. It has the power to enslave you and it begets more sin.

But don't fret. Despite these, we must also remember how God responds to us whenever we struggle with sin — with grace and instruction, truth and conviction, loving discipline, and warning.

God gives us a way out. We can confess our sins to Him and repent. Remember, no sin and failing can separate us from the love of God. (Romans 8:38-39)

What is your current perspective about money? In terms of dealing with our finances, it is vital for us to see it in a biblical perspective as we do not want to serve money rather than God unintentionally.

In Matthew 6:24, Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

Of all the things, Jesus considered money to be God's rival. Why? Because money has the characteristics of a deity — it can give security, induce guilt, give freedom, give power, appear omnipresent, and bid omnipotence. However, money will never satisfy us. God alone can bring satisfaction to our lives.

Comfort in itself is not bad. In its proper place, it is good! However, it becomes wrong when it becomes the main driving force of our decisions and actions.

Jesus tells us, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." -Luke 9:23 (ESV) Our life is not meant to be a pursuit of comfort, but a commitment to take up our cross daily - in whatever form that may be. It's about doing what's hard but necessary. It's about burning our bridges, moving forward to where God leads, and living our calling.

John 6:24-68

"People who live in convenience will end up getting convicted. People who live in conviction will eventually reap convenience." - Pastor Leo Carlo Panlilio

We say that our lives are determined by the choices we make. If our destiny is determined by our choices, our choices are also dictated by either convenience or conviction.

In the fifth installment of our series on #Choices, Pastor Leo Carlo Panlilio talked about choosing between living by convenience or living by conviction.

How do we characterize people who make choices on the basis of convenience? 1. They are plagued with immediatitis - they are people who are not thinking ahead. They are people of the here and now. 2. ‎They have no regard for the things that have more value - they are people who are ignorant of what's important. They also know what's important yet they still despise it. 3. ‎They are slaves to their desires - they are people who let their desires master them and just go with their desire's dictations. 4. ‎They are easily swayed by forces around them - they are people who will not stand for anything. They are easily swayed by peer pressure and bad influences. 5. ‎They easily quit. 6. ‎They eventually live their lives in regret - they are people who pay the greatest price of living by convenience — regrets.

On the other side, how do people live by conviction? 1. They live for the future - they are people with vision. They look toward what is ahead because they know that everything is worth it. 2. ‎They stand on their principles - they are people who stand for what they believe in and they are ruled by God's conviction and word.

"To live an intentional life, we look to the example of Jesus who intentionally saved us." - Pastor Kai Bangcola

Today's Sunday Service was a time of assessing ourselves if we still live an intentional life as Pastor Kai Bangcola continued on our series #Choices. He shared about choosing between living on impulse or living life intentionally. Life is short to be taken for granted, shall we live an intentional life or continue to live impulsively?

How do we live the intentional life? Here are the four keys: 1. Examine your life - diligently examining ourselves and looking carefully of our walk in life. What is going on in our lives? Where are we going? Are we living our lives wisely?

Redeem your time - making the most of every opportunity. Are we investing on the things that really matter? Are we making most of our present?
Determine your purpose - understanding what the will of the Lord is. What is the will of God for us? In the season of our life right now, what is God wanting us to do?
‎Embrace your priority - being filled with the spirit. Are we in a condition of being spirit-filled all the time?

He then shared some practicals in living life intentionally: 1. Read the Word - the discipline of reading God's Word.

‎Trust the process - be willing to go through difficulty, struggle, and pain towards the greater joys of life instead of relying on immediate gratifications.
‎Look at the example of Jesus - living life intentionally by looking at the life of Jesus who intentionally saved us.

Pastor Kai Bangcola ended the service with a call to look at Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). By following His intentional life, we can also live life intentionally. So let us reassess our lives: are we living impulsively, spontaneous, and based on emotions or living intentionally, steps directed towards a goal, and nothing is wasted?

Let's live today wisely. Don't take life for granted.

"You can live in a life of lie or you can pursue the truth." - Pastor Leo Carlo Panlilio

In today's Sunday Service, Pastor Carlo Panlilio continued on our series entitled #Choices. He stressed the importance of choosing a life of truth. In this world full of lies, shall we live a life of truth or continue to live a fake life?

What are the consequences of living a life of lies versus living a truthful life?

Lies limit your potential. Truth liberates you to be all you can be.

Lies bring about the shallowest relationships. Truth creates deeper connections.

Pastor Carlo ended the service with a call to come to God as we are with truthful hearts before Him. In the end, we don't have to try to be perfect, to hide, and to perform, we can simply come to Him and worship Him in spirit and truth.

May we choose to live a truthful and authentic life rather than live a life full of lies and pretentions.

"Eternal One: What happened between us?.." (Jeremiah 2:5 Voice)

What happened to your fire? What happened to your love? What happened to your passion? Where is He in your schedule? Why won't you worship Him like before? Where is His place in your heart?

In this message, Pastor Carlo shared on the choice between passion and apathy.

We need to have our souls refreshed periodically. Life is tough. We go through frustration, heartbreaks, fears, discouragement, sickness, grief -- all of which can lead to more serious damages in our emotions like anxiety and depression. As Christians we are not spared from this. A good news, however, springs forth from Psalm 23 -- the Lord restores our souls.

Grudges, grief, and guilt -- things that may torment our emotions once in a while. In this message, we talk about how we can face and overcome these moments of damaged emotions.

To all who have been broken, here's a wonderful promise from God: a crown of beauty instead of ashes, joy instead of mourning, and praise instead of despair.

Isaiah 61:3 "To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.

You are not broken beyond repair. Receive your healing and joy from God today.

The storms in our life - our suffering, trials, and pain - reveal to us what we're made of. It exposes whether we have been building our lives on solid ground or sand. It tells us what kind of faith we really have. In this new series, we tackle how to deal with the storms in our life and the purposes of the sufferings we experience.

What is the legacy that you're going to leave behind? What do you envision for yourself, for your ministry, for the nation?

Wrapping up our series on the Destiny Church core values, Pastor Carlo Panlilio talks about the youth with a vision.

You will always face that tension of wanting to satisfy your appetite. But how do you satisfy that appetite in God's way? How do you find the passion to always choose what is pleasing to the Lord?

"Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them,[a] so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers." - 1 Timothy 4:12-16

"Don’t you see that children are God’s best gift? the fruit of the womb his generous legacy? Like a warrior’s fistful of arrows are the children of a vigorous youth. Oh, how blessed are you parents, with your quivers full of children! Your enemies don’t stand a chance against you; you’ll sweep them right off your doorstep." - Psalm 127:3-5 MSG

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." - 3 John 1:4

"And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” - Malachi 4:6

1 Timothy 2:1-4 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.

Jeremiah 29:13 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

Ephesians 5:8–12 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45 NIV)

Matthew 4:19-20 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men!” And they left their nets at once

"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." - Ephesians 2:10 NIV We are created by God for His glory and purpose. Our God-given assignments are not meant to serve us alone but to serve other people, and most importantly, to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

"Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men." - Proverbs 22:29 NKJV

"And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them." - Psalm 78:72

God's design for humanity is family. We are not born as mere individuals isolated and independent of each other. Amazingly we are born into a family. We are born into a home. The first bond, the first attachments we will have as people will be the bond that we develop with our family.

“How do we see the Lord? The right view of God leads to the right kind of life. If we look at God and think that he doesn’t care or that he is powerless or that he is small— then that is the kind of life that we are going to have.” – Pastora Olive Sanchez-Dimaranan

“EYES to see the destination, and WINGS to get there.”

On the first day of 2017, Pastor Carlo Panlilio declared that this year is going to be a year of VISION and STRATEGY, of seeing ahead and making the necessary steps to be exactly where God wants us to be. As we start a brand new year, may we gain clarity of vision and wisdom in getting to where God destined us to be.

"Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.”” - Revelation 4:8

"Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus." - Matthew 1:22-25

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)

His coming is a constant reminder that GOD IS WITH US in our trials and struggles, to accept and forgive us, and to send us on a mission.

Let Christmas be a time of reconciliation. A Savior has been born to us. God has drawn near. May our thanksgiving overflow everyday!

"When you have a vision, what seems hard becomes easy and what seems impossible, becomes possible." - Pastor Carlo Panlilio

Pastor Carlo Panlilio sets November on a high note as he delivers a new series, "Living Life in the Highest." Is it possible that there is more to life than mere striving? Apostle Paul modeled this: beyond gaining achievement for himself, he found his ultimate pursuit in Christ.

God is also inviting us to this life of upward call. In order to live this way, here are four processes one must go through:

1) The Search Something within us yearns, "This is not it. Life can be more than wanting and striving." Deep inside of us, we are looking for purpose.

2) The Struggle Our search brings internal battles, two of which are knowing God's will and actually doing it.

3) The Surrender We want things to go our own way. It is only through surrender can we discover that losing to God means victory in our lives.

4) The Service When we learn to give it all to God, that's the time He uses us. God's upward call is an invitation to abandon ourselves to Him and serve others sacrificially.

Pastor Carlo concluded the service with a story of American missionary Adoniram Judson, whose life was far from perfect and marked by many losses. Through a long process of sacrifice and suffering, he established churches in Burma and completed the translation of the Bible. It was a hard but remarkable life.

Let us all take that first step towards the journey. Be blessed!

In our Christian life, we will go through temptations to compromise. This was shown in prophet Balaam's life. His response was not right, as he fell into these mistakes:

1.) He put himself in a place where he can fall. 2.) He was running away from the voice of God. 3.) He taught Moab to curse the Israelites.

But God wants us to be a people who are totally surrendered to Him. An example of such is David Livingstone. Though he was born in Britain, he spent his life preaching the gospel in Africa. Pastor Naniel narrated Livingstone's story to encourage everyone to live a life that is fully surrendered to the Lord, not only having a form of Christianity, but living out its power.

“The most valuable ground that you can invest in is the soil of your heart.”

Building on the importance of cultivating our inner lives, Pastor Carlo Panlilio shared on keys in growing deeper in our walk with God: absolute surrender and total obedience. When we try to walk with God but aren’t fully surrendered to Him, we tend to compromise, resist His Voice, and fail to shine His light. But a fully surrendered life carries a light burning so bright that the people all around cannot help but see the life of Christ within.

FOUR major obstacles to our spirituality: 1. Chronic Spiritual Infancy (or the lack of action to mature spiritually) 2. Preoccupation with Externals (or too much focus on outward appearance and reputation rather than character and spirituality) 3. Scarcity of Daily Input (or the failure to spend time with God daily) 4. Unyielded Life (or refusing to acknowledge God's lordship over our lives)

To truly follow Jesus, we must remove these obstacles in our spiritual lives and replace them with authenticity, a surrendered life, and a daily walk of faith. Ultimately, we do all of these, not to have the approval of men, but the approval of God, who looks not at our outward appearance, but the depths of our hearts.

Bob Moorehead said, that our time in history is a great paradox. We’ve done so many exploits outside, but did little to cultivate our inner lives. But understanding our inner selves is the key to living life to the fullest.

Pastors Carlo Panlilio shared three principles on how to cultivate our inner lives:

THINK BIG. The way you think reflects your view of God. Regardless of what happened in the past, the Lord wants us to widen our horizons and conceive big dreams for our lives. Oliver Wendell said, ‘A mind that is stretched by new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.’

START SMALL. Most people do not succeed not because they tried and failed, but because they have never tried at all. Most people never go beyond thinking; for some the hardest part is starting. But the Lord wants us to start. Start small. It is in smallness that God teaches us faithfulness. The moment we commit to do small things faithfully is the moment that God starts to make them big.

DIG DEEP. When God is on our side, success is a certainty. However, we don’t just want success; we want depth. Many people have tasted greatness but have failed to sustain it. Greatness has to have an anchor. And the best anchor? It’s Jesus.

We are hardwired to long for an intimate relationship with God.

Deep inside each of us is a longing to know and love God, but somewhere along the way, we have acquired false beliefs about intimacy with Him: -that it is the key to blessing, when it is the blessing in itself -that it is a prize to be won, when it is grace bestowed -that it is optional, incidental, or supplemental, when it is fundamental -that it is experienced the same way by everyone, when God reveals Himself uniquely to each individual.

Pastor Paula reminded everyone that intimacy with God is knowing that we can always come to Him as we are, and finding ourselves unconditionally loved.

Jesus is not after what we can do or achieve for Him. He is after us. A gentle God that He is, He does not force Himself on is, but invites us to be in a loving relationship with Him.

“How is my inner life?”

We may be going to church, doing good deeds, serving in a ministry, but still be unaware that deep inside, our hearts are no longer beating for the most important thing: our relationship with God.

In this message entitled “Cultivating Your Inner Life: From Toxic Spirituality to Cultivated Christianity”, Pastor Carlo invited everyone to search their hearts and see whether they are fertile soils for spiritual growth, or toxic grounds full of emotional baggages and religious routines.

What are the marks of a “toxic spirituality”? 1. Zeal without knowledge 2. Service without joy 3. Performance without rest

Underlying all of these is a hardened heart, whose motivation is no longer to please the Lord.

What the Lord desires is a heart broken before Him, a heart that desires to be taken higher and deeper, beyond the superficial and the routine. He longs for us to grow in spiritual maturity, which results to a fruitful life.

HOW TO CULTIVATE YOUR INNER LIFE? - Focus on Spiritual Maturity - Engage in Intentional Discipleship - Celebrate Brokenness - Develop Depth

“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Matthew 13:23, NIV

Pastor Carlo Panlilio gave a fresh revelation from the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30). He reminded us that we are simply stewards of our lives and we need to make our lives count. To do that, we need to realize that what we have is not ours. It would be easier for us to share our lives and invest on other people if we accept that God owns it. Explore our talents for we have been given something to work on. Never be afraid to make calculated risks and work on it until our capacity enlarges. This positive view of God will excite us to make our lives better. When the Lord comes to take back what he has endowed us, we will wholeheartedly return everything to Him.

This parable has given us answers to questions most people have left unanswered: on meaning and purpose. We are meant to discover our gifts just so we can give it away. Our time, treasure, and talents are not ours to keep but to share.

EIGHT PRINCIPLES OF WISE STEWARDSHIP 1. What we have is not ours 2. What we do with what we have reveals our view of God 3. A day of accountability will come 4. We must invest what we have been given 5. We must take calculated risks in making wise investments 6. The true reward for working well is not more work 7. Everyone is given something by God 8. This parable encourages us to love His appearing

"How amazing it is to think that God chooses us to work with Him!" - Pastor Carlo Panlilio

“Prayer is not an occasion or event. Prayer must be our lifestyle.”

Prayer is a powerful tool to pursue our one thing, which is our relationship with God. Just as human relationships flourish through constant communication, our relationship with God deepens through prayer, which is simply communicating with God. It is not an isolated event; it is a lifestyle, a habit sewn into every aspect of our lives. Prayer must be part of who we are.

And what great promise awaits those who desire to pray! In his message, Pastor Andrew shared God’s very words in Jeremiah 29:12-14a: “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord…”

He will be found by you. All you need to do is to come to Him in prayer.

Men are wired to have desires – to want, to chase after something, to hunger. The moment we wake up, we start fulfilling those desires until satisfaction. Every day we chase after the things of the world. Some of them are satisfied while some are not. For those things that are satisfied, we find ourselves wanting more and more until we realize that it cannot fill our hearts.

Pastor Jill Anne Boyonas shared that ONE THING that can truly fill the emptiness in our hearts and that is God. When we allow God to fill the void in our hearts, we reap the benefits that come along with it. First we find inner peace. Second, God enables us to do a lot of things; we are able to love freely, give generously, and obey easily. Above all else, we get to have an intimate relationship with God Himself.

Today, God is knocking at the door of your heart. May we always desire to open up to Him.

Often, we turn to the things of this world to find happiness and contentment — things that are fleeting and unsatisfactory, which in the end leave us as empty as before and still wanting more. But God invites us to the greatest pursuit of all, the pursuit of knowing Him more intimately. It is only in knowing God and having an intimate relationship with Him that we find joy, peace, and satisfaction our soul longs for. It is when we seek God wholeheartedly that we find that He is the one thing we really need.

“…but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Philippians 3:12-14

Pastor Carlo Panlilio concludes the #‎TuloyPaRin Series by emphasizing on the importance of true friendships in our journey of going forward in our lives.

We will face a lot of hardships and struggles in our lives which may be too much for us to handle on our own. And this why we need true friends. We need friends that will encourage and refresh us in the times when we’re down. We need friends who will be loyal to us, people whom we can depend on. We need friends that will never give up on us no matter how bad our circumstances are, who will search us out and never abandon us. But more importantly, this afternoon, we were encouraged to become that friend to other people: that friend who refreshes, who is loyal and who does not easily let friends go.

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” – John 15:13 (NIV)

Jesus is our forever friend and as His friends, we should follow His example as we also lay down our lives for other people.

“What keeps you going?”

Pastor Carlo Panlilio talked about the most probable reason why people quit and give up: a lack of vision. Everyone experiences trials of all sorts, but A GOD-GIVEN VISION WILL KEEP YOU GOING. What is a vision? A vision is a compelling picture of the desired — it is something that moves you and causes you to act. A vision should be inspiring — it is meant to attract people to accomplish it with you. A vision turns things from ‘could be’ to ‘should be’ — it doesn’t remain in the realm of wishful possibility but moves people into the realm of action. Nothing is more powerful a mover than a God-given vision.

Using the story of the lepers in 2 Kings 7, Pastor Carlo shared six keys to having a vision that keeps you going: casting off unbelief, spending time alone to develop vision, prayer, realizing your current reality, writing down what you would like to see, and sharing this vision with people. Starting today, let’s create a culture that encourages dreams and visions. Write down your dreams, share it, and post it online. Let’s fill our news feeds with dreams and visions that God has placed in our hearts.

As Peter and John performed miracles and boldly proclaimed the Word of God, people “saw their courage and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men. They were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13)

All of us leave a lasting impression on every person that we meet. Let it be that the imprint we produce makes people recognize that “we have been with Jesus” – that is, our speech and actions reflect that we are Christians in the truest, realest sense of the word. To grow in Christlikeness, Pastor Jill imparted that we must:

1) BE WITH JESUS through spending time with Him in prayer;  2) KNOW JESUS through immersing ourselves in His Word and loving Him even through adversities;  3) IMITATE JESUS and follow His example.

Are you ready to grow more like Jesus? Are you ready for God to deal with your heart?

May we all make the decision to be more like Jesus today.

“Ayokong masanay ka sa iyong pag-iisa.”

Pastor Zhaleen Panlilio continued the #‎TuloyPaRin series by sharing a message entitled “Covenant Relationship: A More Excellent Way.” Indeed, one of the reasons we are able to move forward in spite of the problems and challenges in life is because of the people who are in covenant with us – people who are committed to love and support us, no matter what.

In her message, Pastor Zhaleen defined covenant as a “mutual agreement to be committed to one another,” a decision “to love without qualifications.”

Taking from the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Pastor Zhaleen encouraged everyone to build covenant relationships with another through three simple steps: see, feel, and respond. Let us be people who are sensitive enough to recognize other people’s needs, compassionate enough to feel their struggle, and responsive enough to do something to help them. As encouragement, Pastor Zhaleen said, “When we are determined to be of help, God will be our help.”

Let us not be a church filled with strangers. Let us be a church filled with “good Samaritans” – people who respond to other people’s needs. People who love without qualifications. People who are in covenant with each other.

Huwag kang masanay mag-isa.

“By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples: if you love one another.” John 13:35 NIV

Why People Resist Change: 1. When the status quo is perceived to be satisfactory. 2. When the purpose of change is not clearly understood. 3. When they become engaged in short-term myopic thinking.

What is Change? 1. Real change is a process, not a destination. We are a work in progress. 2. Change is letting go and grabbing hold. You need to let go of the old so you can grab hold of what God is giving you. 3. Your greatest pain will bring about your greatest change.

The woman caught in adultery experienced the greatest pain before she experienced the greatest change in her life. Her accussers hurt her, yes. They ridiculed her, condemned her and brought shame to her. But come to think of it, they were actually used by God to bring her to Him. And she was never the same again.

This Independence Day, Pastor Carlo Panlilio continues to talk about overcoming fear, showing us how to move from the realm of Fear-dom to Freedom.

Once or twice, we’ve experienced fear. It has amplified itself in our lives, persisting to discourage us and terrify us. Fear affects the way we live our lives, limiting us from trying things in our lives that we could have enjoyed.

Pastor Carlo encouraged us to live in freedom by continually stepping out in courage, speaking out against fear, and trusting God. We must make the step to live in freedom because sometimes, the greatest fear that plagues us can be be the stepping stone to our greatest victory.

Pastor Olive Dimaranan continues our ‪#‎OvercomerSeries‬ by sharing a word on ‪#‎OvercomingFear‬. She used the story when Jesus and Peter walked on water in Matthew 14:22-33.

In our life, we are not just meant to be spectators. God wants us to experience miracles firsthand. But one thing that often hinders us is fear. Everyday, we face so many things that may cause us to be afraid, but God has enough promises in His Word that tells us that we do not need to do so.

Fear is not from the Lord. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and sound mind. God does not want fear to limit us to do what He has made us to do, that is why we need to overcome fear.

Pastor Olive shared four keys to overcoming fear: 1. Recognize His Presence: Know that God is with you and is for you! 2. Step out of the boat: Boat symbolizes your comfort zone. To receive your miracle, you need to dare be in the place where Jesus is. Dare to believe and have courage to step out of your ‘boat’! 3. Fix your eyes on Jesus: Do not focus on your problems or on the other voices that cause you to be afraid. Fix your eyes on the Lord. 4. Take authority: Do not let your fear control and direct you, but you take control of your fear!

Always remember, a person of faith, who trusts in the sovereignty and the faithfulness of God, will never have a place of fear in his life.

OvercomingFear

OvercomerSeries

‪#‎DestinySundayService‬

Pastor Carlo Panlilio started ‪#‎TheOvercomerSeries‬. He talked about recovering our voice and our fight within.

In this life, we all want to win. However, the truth is, so many people are living their lives as losers, discouraged and silenced by pain and bitterness. As we uncover God’s word, we learn of our real identity: OVERCOMERS.

The devil will always try to tell us otherwise, rob us of our voice and take the fight out of us. But God wants to give us back our fight and our voice. All we need to do is to believe.

‪#‎DestinySundayService‬

TheOvercomerSeries

“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” – Joshua 1:8 NASB

Pastor Carlo Panlilio continued to talk about the power of God’s Word to change our lives.

God’s Word has the power to re-create our lives, eradicate our guilt, and activate our faith. At the lowest points of our life, His Word launches us to the right path. God’s Word sets us free from being bound by guilt and fear, and allows us to live to our fullest potential. And ultimately, God’s word activates our faith, creating joy and expectation, and giving us the courage to step out of our comfort zone and do the seemingly impossible.

God’s Word has so much power. You can trust the Word of God for your life.

How did God’s word take you to a new beginning recently?

As we carry on in our series about trusting in God’s word, Pastor Carlo Panlilio shared on the story of Joseph the Dreamer. Joseph received a dream from the Lord, and yet seemed to get into more trouble than good.

Despite this, Joseph trusted in the Word; he knew that the Lord will keep His promise in his life. In the end, the Word came to pass and proved itself true. From a slave, he became second-in-command to Pharaoh.

Sometimes, we find ourselves in the shoes of Joseph. But no matter what circumstance we get into, we could put our trust in the word of the Lord.

Pastor Carlo also presented discoveries and breakthroughs from the fields of astronomy, shipbuilding, medicine, and marine geology. With this, he continued with three more proofs that support the Bible’s truthfulness.

No other religious book ever claims to have prophetic statements other than the Bible. About 3856 verses are directly or indirectly prophetic in nature. Many of the statements have been confirmed to have happened. In Jesus’ prophecies alone, at least 300 have been confirmed to be fulfilled.

The Bible is thematically unified. Over the course of more than 1500 years, 66 books have been created by at least 40 authors. These authors have made personal and independent witness of God’s work in their lives. The truly remarkable aspect in this is the consistency of the underlying themes within each book; all of them consistently conveys God’s message of love to His people.

Finally, the Bible is the only book that has complete transformative power to those who believe and follow it.

As we enter into a new quarter of the year, we begin a new series the Word. Pastor Carlo Panlilio talked about compelling reasons why we can put our trust in the Word of God.

First, the Bible’s firsthand accounts can be traced back in history. Each event as told in the Bible actually took place. The authors of these books were present as each event was unfolding.

Second, the Word of God precedes scientific breakthroughs. Even before science proved the existence of certain discoveries, the Bible has already recorded them in its pages.

Third, the Bible has withstood various attacks from people who are determined to persecute it. No matter how many times it’s been burned and destroyed, it’s still one of the best-selling books of all time.

Can we put our trust in the Word of God? These reasons can certainly prove so.

“Things are not always what they seem to be.”

On our Resurrection Sunday Service, Pastor Carlo Panlilio talks about how Jesus was a man whom everyone perceived as their saviour, their hope in achieving freedom. Yet, in one instant, people saw their hope die; suddenly, all hope was shattered.

In their logical minds, Jesus’ death did not make sense. It looked like it was the end. Unknown to those who saw Jesus’ crucifixion, his death was not the end of the promise. His death was just the beginning of fulfilling the promise of salvation. His resurrection is the symbol of hope lost and hope gained.

Life mirrors this. Things don’t always turn out the way we expect them to be. We experience loss, heartaches, and pain that do not make sense at first. These setbacks make us lose hope in what we believe in.

Unknown to us, no matter how ‘dead’ our situations may look now, it’s not yet the end. God is working on the promise.

Two thousand years ago, the God of the universe allowed Himself to be mocked, humiliated, and beaten by mere humans. He allowed His image to be tainted, so that ours can be restored. Pastor Carlo Panlilio started this series on the story of the cross by bringing to life the story of Naaman.