Despise Not Prophecies

Pastor Joel addresses the critical balance needed in understanding and embracing the Holy Spirit's work in the modern church. He confronts two extremes: hyper-charismatic excesses that bring confusion, and cessationist approaches that quench the Spirit's genuine work. He establishes that Calvary Chapel is charismatically rooted—believing in all spiritual gifts while maintaining biblical order. He emphasizes that prophecy in the New Testament context is primarily for upbuilding, encouragement, and consolation rather than predictive fortune-telling. Pastor Joel calls believers to be "conservative charismatics" or "Pentecostal with a seatbelt on"—open to the Spirit's supernatural work while maintaining scriptural guardrails. He warns against quenching the Spirit through disobedience, indifference, disunity, showmanship, or theological pretension, while also instructing believers to test all prophecies against Scripture and hold fast to what is good.