Best time to Serve is Now 13 October 2015 Miracle Life Power Bible School Week 4

How God shaped you 1.Spiritual gifts 2.Heart 3.Abilities 4.Personality 5.Experience

Spiritual gifts 1.You cannot earn them or you do not deserve them that is why they are called gifts 2.They are an expression of God’s grace to you 3.You cannot choose your gifts, God determines 4.No single gift is given to everyone no individual receives all gifts 5.If you had them all you do not need others (that would defeat the purpose of God to Love and depend on each other) 1 Cor 2:14, Eph 4:7, 1 Cor 12:11, Romans 12:4-8, 1 Cor 12, Eph 4:8-15, 1 Cor 7:7

Spiritual Gifts cont. 6.Given for benefit of others 7.When we use the gifts together all benefit 8.If others don’t use their gift you get cheated 9.We are commanded discover and develop our spiritual gifts 10.Have you taken time to discover (unopened gift is worthless) 11.When we forget the basic truths there is trouble in the church 12.Two common problems in the church - Gift envy and Gift projection 1 Cor 12:7, 5

Never to over- emphasize spiritual gifts and neglect other factors Four other ways

2. Heart (passion) 1.Bundle of desires 2.Hopes, interests, ambitions 3.Dreams and affections you have 4.Your heart represents the source of all your motivations 5.What you love to do 6.What you care about

2. Heart (passion) cont 1.Unique heart beat, subjects you feel passionate 2.Some experiences turn you on 3.These reveal the nature of your heart 4.That unique interest came from God 5.No one has to motivate you 6.You don’t need applause, reward or payment 7.You do it for sheer enjoyment 8.When you don’t have a heart for what you are doing you are easily discouraged Deut 11:13, 1 Sam 12:20, Romans 1:9, Ephesians 6:6

Passion drives perfection Effectiveness - don’t waste your life in a job that doesn’t express your heart Greatest things in life are not things. Meaning is more important that money.

Good life is not good enough Figure out what you love to do – what God gave a heart to do and then do it for His glory “a simple life in the fear of God is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches

Use your weaknesses to serve God 2 Corinthians 12:9 I rather glory my infirmities

3.Applying your abilities 1.No duplication in the world – only you can be you. You are unique. 2.God planned a role for you. If you don’t make your unique contribution, to the body of Christ, it wont be made. 3.They are the natural talents you are born with 4.Some with words, they came out of the womb talking. 5.Others have athletic ability or excelling in physical coordination. Some others in Mathematics, Music or Mechanics. 1 Cor 12:4-6

3. Applying your abilities 6.When God wanted to create the Tabernacle and all the utensils, he provided artists and craftsmen who were shaped for the purpose 7.All our abilities come from God 8.Natural abilities are important and as “Spiritual” as Spiritual Gifts. The only difference is that it was given them at birth. 9.You have dozens probably hundreds, of untapped, unrecognized, and unused abilities, and amazing creation of God. 10.You are a bundle of incredible abilities. Exodus 31:3-5, Rom 12:6

Every ability can be used for God’s glory 1.“Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God” 2.Art, Architecture, Administration, baking, boat making, candy making, debating, designing, embroidery, engraving, farming, fishing, gardening….tailoring, teaching, writing and poetry. 3.God has a place in his church where your specialties can shine and you can make a difference. It’s up to you to find that place. 1 Cor 10:31, 1 Cor 12:6

Every ability can be used for God’s glory 4.God gives some people the ability to make a lot of money 5.People with this ability are good at building a business, making deals or sales and reaping a profit. 6.If you have this business ability, you should be using it for God’s glory. 7.How? First, realize your ability came from God and give him the credit. 8.Second, use your business to serve a need of others and to share your faith. 9.Third, return atleast ten percent of profit as an act of worship 10.Finally, make your goal to be a kingdom builder rather than just a wealth builder. Deut 8:18,

What I am able to do, God wants me to do 1.You are the only person on earth who can use your abilities 2.No one else can play your role, because they don’t have the unique shape that God has given you 3.To discover God’s will for your life, you should seriously examine what you are good at doing and what you are NOT good at doing. 4.If God hasn’t given you the ability to carry a tune, he is not going to expect you to be an Opera singer Heb 13:21

What I am able to do, God wants me to do 5.God will not ask you to dedicate your life to a task you have no talent for 6.The abilities you do have are a strong indication of what God wants you to do with your life 7.They are clues to knowing God’s will for you 8.If you are good at designing or recruiting or drawing or organizing, it is a safe assumption that God’s plan for your life includes that skill somehow 10.God doesn’t waste abilities, he matches our calling and our capabilities. God gave you abilities for your ministry 1 Pet 4:10

Using your personality 1.You are unique, your personality is unique 2.Your uniqueness is a scientific fact of life 3.When God made you he broke the mold 4.There never has been, never will be anybody exactly like you 5.God loves variety. He created each of us with a unique combination of personality traits. 6.He made some people ‘thinkers’ and some ‘feelers’ 7.Some people work best when given an individual assignment while others work better with a team.

Using your personality 8.Bible gives plenty of proof that God uses all types of personalities 9.When you look at the personality differences in the twelve disciples it’s easy to see why they sometimes had interpersonal conflict 10.There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ temperament for ministry 11.We need all kinds of personalities to balance the church and give it flavor 12.The world would be a very boring place if we were all plain vanilla. Fortunately, people come in more than thirty one flavors.

Using your personality 13.Your personality will affect how and where you use your spiritual gifts and abilities. 14.Two people may have the same gift of evangelism, but if one is Introverted and the other is Extroverted that gifts will be expressed in different ways. 15.When you are forced to minister in a manner that is ‘out of character’ it creates tension and discomfort requires extra effort and energy and produces less than the best results. 16.This is why mimicking someone else’s ministry does never works. You don’t have their personality.

Using your personality 17.God made you to be YOU 18.You can learn from the examples of others but you must filter what you learn through your own shape 19.It feels good to do what God made you to do 20.When you minister in a manner consistent with the personality God gave you, you experience fulfillment, satisfaction and fruitfulness