David Cwir - The Spirit and the Kingdom of God (Life in the Spirit Part 1; Bethel Church, Redding)

In this first session of the Life in the Spirit Equip Class, we explore the Kingdom of God as the central theme of Jesus’ teaching and ministry. Tracing the biblical story from the Old Testament prophets through the ministry of Jesus and the Day of Pentecost, we discover how God’s reign has broken into the present through Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit. We’ll examine how the Spirit fulfills God’s promises, empowers us to live in righteousness and Christlikeness, and teaches us to walk in step with Him as we await the full realization of God’s Kingdom.

Note: This is part one from the "Life in the Spirit Equip Class” that was offered at Bethel Church in Redding, California

David Cwir - The Fulfilled Realities of the Promised Holy Spirit (Life in the Spirit Part 2; Bethel Church, Redding)

The message of the gospel is truth accompanied by experienced reality (1 Corinthians 2:1–5). The gospel came not in word alone, but with a demonstration of the Holy Spirit’s power through miracles and the transforming experience of the Spirit in the lives of believers (Romans 15:18–19; Galatians 3:1–5). In Week 2 of the Life in the Spirit Equip Class, we explore how this Spirit-empowered Christianity fulfills God’s promises in the Old Testament to establish the New Covenant, give His people new hearts, and dwell within them by His Spirit. We’ll consider how the Holy Spirit empowers us to live in righteousness and demonstrate the reality of God’s Kingdom and why recovering this biblical vision of life in the Spirit is essential for the Church today

Note: This is part two from the "Life in the Spirit Equip Class” that was offered at Bethel Church in Redding, California

David Cwir - What is “Spirituality?” (Life in the Spirit Part 3; Bethel Church, Redding)

The word "spirituality" has been shipwrecked! Because the term can mean anything these days, it has totally lost its meaning. However, originally the term “Spirituality” was all about God’s Spirit (according to Paul who coined the original Greek word in the Bible). Yet in our common speech, we no longer see the Spirit in Spirituality because the word has become mostly about us as individuals. This even shows in the way many English Bibles have translated the word “Spiritual” with a small “s” in texts where the Holy Spirit is clearly in view. Check out the following audio message if you would like to learn more about the meaning of Spirituality according to how the authors of the Bible originally intended it.

Note: This is part three from the "Life in the Spirit Equip Class” that was offered at Bethel Church in Redding, California

David Cwir - How to Live Life by the Spirit (Life in the Spirit Equip Class Session 4; Bethel Church, Redding)

The life of Jesus Christ is our ultimate example of what it means to live in the Spirit. From His conception to His resurrection, Jesus’ life and ministry were the result of the Spirit’s work. He was led by the Spirit, empowered for ministry, and spoke the words of God by the Spirit. As followers of Christ, we are called to walk in the same Spirit-empowered life, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us as we grow in Christlikeness. As Romans 8:14 declares, “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” In this teaching, David explores the biblical foundation for living a Spirit-led life, hearing God’s voice, discerning His will, and following the Holy Spirit’s leading. Discover how Jesus modeled this life and how we, like the early Christians in the book of Acts, can learn to walk in the Spirit and become more like Christ.

Note: This is part four from the "Life in the Spirit Equip Class” that was offered at Bethel Church in Redding, California on October 14, 2026

David Cwir - What is the Kingdom of God? (Session 1: Kingdom of God Equip Class)

Everything about Jesus’ teaching and ministry has to do with the Kingdom of God. He speaks about it in every kind of saying (parables, admonitions, apocalyptic, beatitudes), and whenever the gospel writers summarize the ministry of Jesus they do so in terms of the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:14-15; Matthew 4:23; Luke 4:43).  Yet the Kingdom of God is one of the most misunderstood concepts in the teachings of Jesus. If we are to “seek first His Kingdom” (Matthew 6:33) then it is essential that we understand what His Kingdom is. Check out this audio message if you would like to learn more about the Kingdom of God, what it is, and what it meant to Jesus and the people living in His time.

Note: This is part one from the "The Kingdom of God” Equip Class that was offered at Bethel Church in Redding, California on November 12, 2025

David Cwir – The Time of the Quenched Spirit (Session 2: Kingdom of God)

Understanding the Kingdom of God is essential for grasping the teachings and ministry of Jesus (Mark 1:14-15; Matthew 4:23; Luke 4:43). Scripture indicates that the Kingdom of God is connected to Jewish end-time expectations and must be interpreted within the context of Jewish Messianic hopes. In this session, we explore the end-time expectations that had developed in Judaism before the time of John the Baptist and Jesus to provide a framework for understanding how the New Testament concept of the Kingdom of God fits into these expectations.

Note: This is part two from the "The Kingdom of God” Equip Class that was offered at Bethel Church in Redding, California on November 12, 2025

David Cwir - The Age of the Kingdom has Dawned (Session 3: Kingdom of God)

“The time is fulfilled” and everything that Jesus is, and did, and said was a proclamation that Jewish Messianic hopes and expectations are coming to realization in His ministry. All the scriptures on fulfilment suggest that for Jesus Himself, the Kingdom of God was a present reality. This fulfilment was demonstrated through the blessings of the future realities that have already come present and through Jesus’ engagement in the Holy War with satan. Check out this audio message if you would like to learn more about how the Kingdom of God is a present reality at the following link:

Note: This is part three from the "The Kingdom of God” Equip Class that was offered at Bethel Church in Redding, California on November 19, 2025

David Cwir - The Kingdom Is Here (Yet Not Yet) (Session 4: Kingdom of God)

What is the Kingdom of God? All the scriptures on fulfillment (e.g., Mark 1:15) suggest that for Jesus Himself, the Kingdom of God was a present reality in His own ministry. The mystery is that Jesus speaks of the Kingdom in two different ways: On the one hand, Jesus speaks of the Kingdom as a future event, but on the other hand, He also speaks of the Kingdom as a present reality. How can something be both present and future at the same time? Trying to reconcile this paradox is absolutely essential to our understanding Jesus and the whole New Testament! If you are interested, check out this audio message that expounds on some of the crucial teachings of Jesus that address this “already/not yet” Kingdom reality.

Note: This is part four from the "The Kingdom of God” Equip Class that was offered at Bethel Church in Redding, California on November 19, 2025

David Cwir - The Mystery of the Kingdom (Session 5: Kingdom of God)

Part of the difficulty that some people have in embracing the whole counsel of God is that there is often seeming paradox in Scripture. One such paradox is that the Kingdom of God is both a present reality AND a future event. The question then becomes, “How can something be both present and future at the same time?” Trying to reconcile this mystery is absolutely essential to our understanding Jesus’ teachings and the whole New Testament. If you would like to learn more, this audio message addresses how to reconcile the Kingdom of God as both present and future by looking at what Jesus calls “The Mystery of the Kingdom.”

Note: This is part five from the "The Kingdom of God” Equip Class that was offered at Bethel Church in Redding, California on December 3, 2025

David Cwir - The David Cwir - The Presence of the Future in the Parables (Session 6: Kingdom of God Equip Class)

The future has already entered the present age. God has already triumphed. He has already secured our life. What He is asking us to do now is to live the life of the future in the present. In other words, God’s people are determined not by their present realities but by the coming Kingdom, and we are to live the values and the life of the future now (already, but not yet). Check out this audio message to learn more about the already/not yet realities of the Kingdom of God and the parables of Christ that served as primary vehicles for confronting people with the Kingdom of God.

Note: This is part six from the "The Kingdom of God” Equip Class that was offered at Bethel Church in Redding, California on December 3, 2025

David Cwir - The Age of the Kingdom has Dawned (Kingdom of God Session 7)

The resurrection of Christ and gift of the Spirit marked the beginning of the End—the turning of the ages—and we are called to be living the life of the future now in the present age. The Spirit is the clear evidence that the future “Age of the Spirit” has dawned, and by the Spirit’s presence, believers taste of the life to come so that everything we are and do is the life of the future lived out now in the present. We are citizens of another world (Phil 3:20) and we live in this present world as a colony of heaven by the power of the Spirit. Check out this audio message if you would like to learn more about our present future existence.

Note: This is part seven from the "The Kingdom of God” Equip Class that was offered at Bethel Church in Redding, California on December 10, 2025

David Cwir - Living Life in the Radical Middle (Between the Ages) (Session 8: Kingdom of God)

The Kingdom of God is here! Jesus’ coming set the future in motion, the Coming Age has dawned, and we await the consummation in His Second Coming. In His earthly ministry, Jesus was all about bringing the future realities of the Kingdom into the present. As His disciples, we are to follow His footsteps by living the values and the life of the future now. Check out this message to learn more about how God’s people are determined not by their present realities but by the coming kingdom: we are to live the life of the future in the present.

Note: This is part eight from the "The Kingdom of God” Equip Class that was offered at Bethel Church in Redding, California on December 10, 2025

David Cwir – Living Life According to the Holy Spirit (Life in the Spirit Equip Class Part 12)

Scripture is clear that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. However, it is also clear that we are to seek and pursue righteousness as New Covenant believers (e.g., Matthew 6:33; 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:22) . The question becomes: if we are no longer under law, how do we seek righteousness and develop Christ-like character without getting into works of the law? The answer: by walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:18). Those who have died with Christ must now live “according to the Spirit”; they are to walk by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16), be led of the Spirit (v. 18), bear the fruit of the Spirit (v. 22), behave according to the Spirit (v. 25), and sow to the Spirit (6:8). The coming of the Spirit marks the beginning of the end of life “according to the flesh.” Check out this audio message if you would like learn more about the absolute necessity of living your entire life by the Holy Spirit.

Note: This is part twelve from the "Life in the Spirit Equip Class” that was offered at Bethel Church in Redding, California

David Cwir – The Experienced Dimension of Salvation (Life in the Spirit Equip Class Part 11)

The message of the gospel is truth accompanied by experienced reality (as in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5). Although it came in word (proclaimed truth), it did not come in word alone: God verified its truthfulness by a display of His power through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Paul’s Spirit-empowered word was regularly accompanied by Spirit-empowered miracles as well (Romans 15:18-19). Galatians 3:1-5 shows that Paul’s converts’ own experience of the Spirit was also accompanied by experiential phenomena to which Paul can appeal as evidence of their having become the children of God by faith. It is this difference between early church and us that is so radical that it explains a lot about our present condition in the West. We need to get back to Biblical Christianity and live like Jesus called us to live by the Holy Spirit!

Note: This is part eleven from the "Life in the Spirit Equip Class” that was offered at Bethel Church in Redding, California

David Cwir - How to be Led by The Spirit and Know the Will of God (Life in the Spirit Part 10)

The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing, which is to be conformed to the image of Christ. As soon as Jesus was anointed by the Spirit, He immediately began being led by the Spirit (Luke 4:1-2). This is exactly what we are supposed to do as Christians: “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God” (Romans 8:14). Jesus is our example of what it looks like to live life in the Spirit, and how we are called to follow His example as the early Christians did in the book of Acts. Check out this week’s teaching for a Scriptural foundation on how to hear God’s voice, know God’s will, and be led by the Spirit

Note: This is part ten from the "Life in the Spirit Equip Class” that was offered at Bethel Church in Redding, California

David Cwir - How to Live Life in the Spirit - Jesus is Our Example (Life in the Spirit: Session 9)

From His conception to His resurrection, everything about Jesus Christ’s life and ministry was a result of the Spirit’s work: He was conceived by the Spirit (Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:35); He was led by the Spirit (Matthew 4:1; Luke 4:1); He was empowered to do ministry by the Spirit (Luke 4:14-20); He spoke the Word of God by the Spirit (John 3:34; John 6:63); He was raised from the dead by the Spirit (Romans 8:11). Check out this week’ teaching to learn more about how Jesus was the ultimate man of the Spirit, how He is our example of what it looks like to live life in the Spirit, and how we are called to follow His example of a Spirit-empowered life: Note:

This is part nine from the "Life in the Spirit Equip Class” that was offered at Bethel Church in Redding, California

David Cwir - What is the Temple of the Holy Spirit? (Life in the Spirit Equip Class: Session 8)

In the New Testament, the local church is referred to as God’s temple because it is the place where His presence dwells by His Spirit. The implications of this central matter are considerable for us. We are called to build the habitation of the Lord, the dwelling place of God, the place where He wants to dwell. Check out this teaching to learn more about the biblical revelation that God’s temple is now the gathered people of God (not a building), the implications for us in terms of how we are to understand the local church, and our mandate to be a people of His presence. Note: This is part three from the "Life in the Spirit Equip Class” that was offered at Bethel Church in Redding, California

David Cwir - The Fulfilled Realities of the Promised Holy Spirit (Life in the Spirit: Session 7)

The Spirit is the fulfillment of the promise that God Himself would once again be present with His people. The implications are considerable in terms of what it means for us individually and corporately to be the people of God. The whole existence of the church is to be a colony of heaven; living out the lifestyle and the values of eternity in the present age by the Spirit. This is where the Spirit becomes key to the Christian walk, because without the Spirit we cannot live this eternal existence in the present age. Check out this message if you would like to learn more about how the coming of the Spirit into the life of the believer, and in the community, fulfilled three critical dimensions of the promised New Covenant and how that changes our present existence Note: This is part three from the "Life in the Spirit Equip Class” that was offered at Bethel Church in Redding, California

David Cwir - Living Life in the Radical Middle (Between the Ages) [Life in the Spirit: Session 6]

Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the gift of the Spirit, God Himself had set the future in motion, so that everything in the “present” is determined by the appearance of “the future.” We live between the times: already the future has begun, not yet has it been consummated (1 John 3:2). As result, we are supposed to live in the radical middle; our lives being so absolutely marked by the realities of the future that we live it in a new kind of way. Check out this teaching if you would like to learn Biblical principles about how we are called to live the life of the future now in the present age. Note: This is part three from the "Life in the Spirit Equip Class” that was offered at Bethel Church in Redding, California