Episodes

  • Vision That Comes from God

    Vision That Comes from God
    Nov 3 2025
    Lead from Revelation, not Ambition. In this episode, we break down how spiritual leaders receive vision, not manufacture it. Vision is not ambition. Vision is revelation. When God speaks, we listen and obey. In this episode you will learn: • Why human-driven vision leads to burnout and confusion • The 8 counterfeit sources of “vision” leaders must avoid • How God actually reveals vision to His people • The rhythms leaders must build to hear God clearly • How to communicate vision without hype or manipulation • How to help your people hear God for themselves If you are a pastor, founder, CEO, entrepreneur, team leader, or church planter… this conversation matters.
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    35 mins
  • Blessing the Marketplace Leader: A Forgotten Key to Revival

    Blessing the Marketplace Leader: A Forgotten Key to Revival
    Oct 6 2025
    Charles Russell and Bruce Ritter explore the leadership gift for the Marketplace. Many believers feel a strong leadership calling but struggle to see how it fits in the local church. This episode reframes leadership as a sacred ministry in the marketplace – where vision, creativity, and stewardship advance the Kingdom of God. In this episode: • Why the Church needs vision-casting leaders, not just teachers • How leadership and management work together in the Kingdom • How pastors can affirm, bless, and commission marketplace believers • Practical ways to lead by the Spirit at work every day Whether you lead a business, a ministry, or a team, this conversation will remind you that your leadership is not secular – it’s sacred. Listen now and rediscover your calling to lead with faith, purpose, and Spirit-led wisdom.
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    41 mins
  • Exegeting Your Audience: Preaching for Spiritual Formation

    Exegeting Your Audience: Preaching for Spiritual Formation
    Sep 29 2025
    Episode Title: Exegeting Your Audience: Preaching for Spiritual Formation Preaching isn’t just about communicating truth—it’s about shaping lives by the power of the Spirit. In this episode of the Five Gifts Podcast, Bruce Ritter and Charles Russell explore how preachers can exegete both the text and their audience, ensuring messages are Bible-based, Spirit-energized, verdict-demanding, and audience-connected. They draw on insights from the Fivefold gifts to show how Apostolic, Prophetic, Evangelistic, Pastoral, and Teaching leadership all contribute to preaching that transforms. Along the way, they share stories, humor, and practical takeaways for Pentecostal-Charismatic leaders. Ready to grow as a preacher and leader? Explore coaching and resources at:
    • fivegifts.org
    • charlesrussellministries.com
    • charlesrusselltraining.com
    • coachingcardia.com
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    30 mins
  • Transformative Preaching: The Gift of Prophet and Teacher

    Transformative Preaching: The Gift of Prophet and Teacher
    Sep 22 2025
    What if your sermon wasn’t just a message, but a moment where God’s voice broke into people’s lives? And what if, beyond inspiration, it equipped them with clear steps to live out their faith on Monday morning? That’s the beauty of prophetic and teaching gifts working together in preaching—hearing God’s voice and applying it with clarity. In this episode of the Five Gifts Podcast, hosts Bruce Ritter and Charles Russell explore 15 best practices for preaching and six key questions that uncover God’s intended message from the text. In this episode of the Five Gifts Podcast, Bruce Ritter and Charles Russell explore the heart of effective preaching. Together they unpack 15 practical best practices from seasoned preachers—covering everything from sermon openings, transitions, illustrations, and applications—and then dive into six essential questions that reveal God’s intended message in Scripture. This conversation will help you:
    • Prepare sermons that connect with both Christians and seekers.
    • Preach with clarity, passion, and focus on one main point.
    • Avoid forcing your own ideas onto the text by asking the right interpretive questions.
    • Preach Christ as the hero and center of every message.

    • Whether you’re a pastor, teacher, or communicator of God’s Word, this episode equips you to preach with faithfulness and Spirit-led power.

      Download Guide for Integrating the Prophetic and Teaching Gifts in Preaching

      🔗 Explore more at: • Five Gifts Podcast & Resources: fivegifts.org • Coaching Cardia: coachingcardia.com • Charles Russell Ministries: charlesrussellministries.com • Charles Russell Training: charlesrusselltraining.com

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    53 mins
  • The Ascension of Jesus: Sinai is in the Sanctuary!

    The Ascension of Jesus: Sinai is in the Sanctuary!
    Sep 15 2025
    In this episode, Bruce Ritter and Charles Russell unpack Ephesians 4:7–10, exploring the ascension of Christ as both His coronation and conquest. Drawing from Michael Heiser and John Stott, they reveal how Christ’s victory releases the outpouring of the Spirit, conquers spiritual wickedness, and empowers the Church through five gifts: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. With the promise of the Spirit in John, the outpouring in Acts, and the equipping in Ephesians, this conversation shows how ascension theology anchors Spirit-filled leadership and mission today.
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    29 mins
  • One is Never Enough: Collaboration and Fivefold Leadership

    One is Never Enough: Collaboration and Fivefold Leadership
    Sep 8 2025
    In this episode, Bruce Ritter and Charles Russell explore John Maxwell’s Law of Collaboration. They discuss why the best thinking happens with others, how collaboration strengthens communication, and how fivefold leadership provides a built-in collaborative model for the church and marketplace. Practical applications include inviting trusted feedback, cultivating open-minded teams, and leveraging the unique strengths of each fivefold gift. Success begins with we, not me.
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    47 mins
  • Making the Unbelievable Believable: Evangelism in a Skeptical World

    Making the Unbelievable Believable: Evangelism in a Skeptical World
    Sep 1 2025
    How do you share the gospel in a culture that sees Christianity as unbelievable? In this episode of the Five Gifts Podcast, Bruce Ritter and Charles Russell unpack principles for the evangelistic gift and explore how to make the gospel both true and believable in today’s skeptical culture. We discuss the importance of storytelling, hospitality, plausibility structures, reframing apologetics, and connecting our personal testimonies with God’s grand story. Along the way, we connect these insights to the Evangelistic Divine Urgencies—Evangelism-Missions and Public Relations—and show how they fit within a Fivefold Ministry Model. If you’ve ever wondered how to share your faith more effectively in a skeptical age, this episode offers both inspiration and practical tools.
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    42 mins
  • Beyond Words: How Spirit-filled Leaders Connect through Communication

    Beyond Words: How Spirit-filled Leaders Connect through Communication
    Aug 25 2025
    Most leaders assume that communication is all about the message. But UCLA research shows that only 7% of communication comes from words—while 38% comes from tone and 55% from body language. That means more than 90% of your effectiveness as a leader comes from how you show up, not just what you say. In this episode of The Five Gifts Podcast, Charles Russell and Bruce Ritter explore John Maxwell’s principle that connecting goes beyond words. They break down the three components of communication—thought, emotion, and action—and show how each applies uniquely to apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists. Together, they offer Spirit-filled wisdom, biblical insights, and practical tools to help you: • Preach and teach with authenticity and anointing • Lead with conviction, not just information • Connect with people visually, emotionally, and intellectually • Align your thought, heart, and lifestyle so that your leadership inspires trust This episode will challenge and equip you to lead in a way that people don’t just hear—they experience and remember.
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    45 mins