Spiritual Gifts (part 4)

lonely over there oh you're never on this side of it always that side but the

Navigators are always on this side which is usually right there Wow I'm always looking by you my sign see human behavior right to work fine same seat we're gonna open today we've gone through an understanding biblically what gifts are why they're why they're given biblically the understanding of gifts we've spent a couple of weeks actually looking at various gifts and spending some time some significant time on some of them intense today why are we studying this now we know from our time together the gifts are given predominantly for two reasons those are did you read that or did you know that I'd look too rich to see always

I had to say it before yeah Rick not rich Rick I've got that down I want you to open us with Luke 12 48 and it's not till we get to the last half of the verse that you'll understand why

I heard this I had hope FM on my way into church and the pastor he's speaking out of the

Old Testament but he referred to Luke and I didn't listen to the address and I said oh man that's what we're opening with today and so I asked

Jeff he googled it and then I looked it up and I go I think Google was wrong until we read the whole verse go ahead but the one who did not know and did what deserved the beating will receive a light beating that's why

I was saying everyone to whom much was given of him much will be required and from him to whom they entrusted much they will demand the more him who much is given much will be required there are other passages we have the passage of the talents

God entrusts us with this charismatic he trusts us with what he has given to us and we're going to study today we're going to read today concepts of desiring these are these are good things but the reality and as we're going to get into it today to whom much is given much is going to be required and you can either look at that as a heavy burden placed upon you or you can look at it as my opportunities are

God -given and that's that's as we get into the concept of gifts as we get into the concept of knowing what your gifts are we're going to need to talk about what it means to actually know and how we need to get to know it but to be able to put this concept and put shoes on it and put it on the ground and use it is to be of service and obedience so we're going to go ahead and get started rich would you open us and praise you and worship you said we're two or more guys were in their midst look

I would acknowledge your presence and we have glory and praise and honor Lord God we pray

Lord God to anoint John now speak through him to us that we would grow in you to give you greater glory and honor and praise to grow more to Jesus and to edify and bless each other as we grow in Christ we ask all these things in Jesus precious name amen

I asked who okay hope you don't have anybody not have their copy

I guess that's all right everybody else need it's a one day to February 5th right yes so you've got acts to you know how to find it on my notes 1st

Corinthians 12 Kimberly 1st Peter 4 and Ephesians 4

Jen while they're looking at up here's the question just warm ourselves up how do

I know how do you know what's your gift of the spirit we're going to study this but I'd love to hear your thoughts well

I would think of spiritual gifts are equipment that God has given us to use for the edification of the church then if we're using what

God has given us it would be fairly evident so if somebody has the gift of encouraging if other people see this person is going around encouraging people and that's something that comes fairly naturally to them and other people are built up through that then

I don't think it would be fairly evident so if the gifts are designed to build up the church I think it would be evidence to others how that particular person is building up the we're done let's start with foundation let's go back to things that we've talked about let's talk about the foundation because if you want to talk about how do

I know what my gifts are the second question is what why do I need to use in the first place we really have to make sure our foundation is solid so act 228 hope and Peter said to them repents and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and you will receive the gift of the

Holy Spirit salvation the gift of the Spirit require what salvation spirit and require the spirit so he cries the spirit yes the

Holy Spirit dwelling within you salvation this is not a discussion that would make a whole lot of sense in an evangelical environment this is probably one of those topics unless you're using it to motivate somebody to desire to move into that realm you don't start out with an unbeliever by motivating them to the gifts of the

Spirit and by gifts of the Spirit I'm talking about the things that we've talked about the gift of the

Spirit obviously is faith the gift of the Spirit is grace it's

Christ's blood leading to salvation that is the gift of the Spirit but for us to be able to proceed with the discussion of the gifts of the

Spirit I I go with the basic understanding that we're all believers and that we all have the

Holy Spirit within us because that's that's what it's all about it's about the which leads us to 1st

Corinthians 12 11 all these are the work of one and the same

Spirit that he gives to he gives them to each one just as he determines what we have is based on the will of who

Holy Spirit as we get into a discussion of gifts we're going to talk about things like desire these are

God -given urges that I got given thoughts in our mind however desiring while that's a good thing moving outside of the realm of God is probably not the right thing if you have the gift of encouragement but you believe that you're a you're a better off behind -the -scenes person so you want to manifest the gift of service we need to understand that God has wired you the way he wants you

I speak from personal testimony many of you have been in my small group class

I am a self -proclaimed introvert God had a different plan for me in that he said okay you perhaps perceive yourself as an introvert and I really am because if I spend time with people

I have to spend time by myself to recover that's just the way I am but he wants me in a more public realm and as an introvert

I would be much more comfortable behind the scene we need to understand it's God's will for Peter 4 11 if anyone speaks they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God if anyone serves they should do so with the strength

God provides so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ to him be the glory and the power forever and ever a couple of things

I want to bring out on that one of them this has been one of our cornerstone verses and that the purpose behind gift is to give glory to God but notice also what

Bob read there the ability for us to minister based on gift is based on what

God's power is even even once we get to the point of understanding what my spiritual gift is what your spiritual gift is it is still only going to make a difference if it's used in reliance on God's power.

There's a whole lot of submission and there's a whole lot of release of I'm not doing it well enough well if you're doing it by yourself no you're not doing it well enough but guess what there's an answer and it's relying on God which begs the question how do you know when you're using what you perceive as your spiritual gift whether you're stepping out on your own or whether you're relying on God how do you know?

I believe it's the effects of your edifying the body you know the people in the body say that was a blessing you blessed me with that and I feel the

Holy Spirit working through you to it is a good possibility so I'm gonna ask a question off that is it possible to be pursuing under your own and have effect and I think the answer is yes

I think the answer is yes we've talked about this before there are many ways to look at this what is how much time are you spending in prayer how much time are you spending intentionally seeking

God as opposed to going in on your own cleverness that that's one way to check it but another way to check it perhaps is do you feel slighted when you're not recognized for what you're doing by somebody else?

Our purpose should be to give glory to God.

I don't need to be it can be very uncomfortable to have somebody come up to you and pat you on the back although they should be accepted and it should be accepted with grace it can be well this is another check yeah you're right well okay be careful be careful because we too often are going to step out our own power.

From him the whole body joins and held together by every supporting ligament grows and builds itself up in love as each part does its work.

So in addition to giving glory to God we receive gifts in order to build up the body.

This is our motivation if the foundation has to start with salvation if the substance has to be from from the

Holy Spirit that the motivation has to be has to be correct it has to be for his glory it has to be for building up notice none of these motivations talk about self -acknowledgement none of them talk about that.

Which actually leads us to the very next one so Nate you've got 1st Corinthians 12 31 and Rich you've got 1st

Corinthians 14 1 right on top of that. 1st Corinthians 13 1 to 3

Loretta and 1st Corinthians 12 31 but eagerly desire the greater gifts and now

I will show you the most excellent way mm -hmm and then go ahead Rich pursue love and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts especially that you may prophesy.

In between those two verses in 1st Corinthians 13 what's 1st

Corinthians 13 all about? Love. How to use your gifts in love. It's the love chapter.

It's agape. So if you want to fill in my little blanks for paragraph 2 it starts with love.

It is biblical to desire the gifts.

It is not pride. It is not improper. It is biblical to desire the gifts.

But it's interesting in both of those verses they put a tag on it. Desire the best gifts.

It says that. But there is a more excellent way. What is that more excellent way?

Love. What makes love a necessary element in the life of a

Christian? Love is what compels us to be others oriented and not oriented rather than using gifts selfishly.

Yeah. In fact, in 1st Corinthians 13 1 to 3. These are some fairly powerful descriptions of using gifts of the

Spirit. And it describes those actions when void of love as being what?

Empty. Empty. If we want to understand what our gifts are, it's first I think important for us to have a good grasp on God's love.

And have God's love exhibited in our life and in everything we do. 1st

Peter 4 is kind of an interesting one. Love covers a multitude of sins.

Without love there can be resentment perhaps. Without love there can be this resistance to actually doing that for the other person.

If a brother or sister has a different political view from you and actually becomes active in expressing that political view, especially in our climate today.

I'm not saying that that's a sin, but I'm saying it can be perceived as in a sense. It says love does what?

Covers it. When we get down to using our spiritual gifts and we look at those around us, our vision has to be through a lens of love.

We don't care about anything else. Proverbs 17 .9

says, whoever covers an offense seeks love. The heat from the pizza manor separates close friends.

Proverbs 17 .9 Whoever covers an offense seeks love. Now, by the way, there are other

Proverbs. I wish I could remember exactly in my mind and assess that. If you have a brother and you don't address a sin, you're not doing him any good, but in love you address the sin.

So there are times when we don't just cover, but in God we address it.

But if we're talking about the one another, if we're talking about the health of the body, if we're talking about being obedient to using our gifts, we can't pick and choose when we use it.

It has to be in love. So now we get to the good stuff.

How do you seek and understand your gifts? Nate, you had a really good recommendation for us.

How do you know what your gift is? First Corinthians 7.

First Corinthians 7 .7, Rick, if you would get that for us, please. I wish that all were as I myself am, but each one has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.

We all have our own gift. It's there. If there are a group of us in this room, it is a fact.

Given that you are a child of God, you have a spiritual gift, each one.

Real simple question, why is it important to know what your spiritual gift is? Is that proper

English for it? Probably not. Yeah, that's all right. You're too fast.

Why is it important to know? So you use it, although you're probably using it, you don't even know it.

That's really good insight. In fact, that's going to come on down below here, so that you'll use it.

The other thing I'd say about that is I've seen people throw themselves into ministry, and they're trying to do everything.

I'm going to serve here, and I'm going to do this, and I'm going over here, and I'm doing that, and they burn out. So perhaps they're going outside of where God's called them to work, and so then they end up discouraged, and they haven't really connected with what they're trying to do.

You need the person with the gift of administration to delegate it. Right, yeah. Other than the apostle

Paul, not too many are multi -gifted. Sometimes that could be the result of others in the body not using their gifts.

Yes, somebody's got to fill this position because it's not being done.

Is delegation a gift? No, it's not, unless you consider it part of administration, leadership.

Well, leadership should recognize the gifts of other people too, and be able to distribute it to the right people.

I chose intentionally not to. There are a lot of really good resources out there that take it.

And by the way, if you don't have a copy of this list, I'm willing to give it to you. Those of you who weren't here when we did it, this is, out of all the key passages that we've read, all the gifts that are listed and where they show up.

And the groupings are by me. They're not inspired. But to me it helped.

When we get down into this discussion of how do I know what my gift is, well, what are the gifts?

The list is here. If you don't have it, I can give a copy to you. Does this verse imply there's only one?

No. At least one. I will say, however, now that you asked that question, in the

Greek, the word proper gift is singular. That's not to say because of other passages, however, that it's necessarily intended that you only have one gift.

By the way, another question can be, if I have come to the

Lord in my early 20s, whatever you did, and God provided a spiritual gift to me, does that necessarily mean that when

I'm 66, that I still have the same gift or has he changed his plan for me?

I can't biblically answer that question. I really can't biblically answer that question. The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.

The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. Romans 11 .29.

Would you pull that out, please? Romans 11 .29, the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.

He was saying that in a specific application to Israel, even though they temporarily were blinded for the sake of the

Gentiles, that their ultimate calling in God would be fulfilled. Paul was basically saying,

Romans 9 .10 .11, don't think that God has burned them off.

He hasn't. He still is going to use them. His gifts and calling are irrevocable.

That would be a fun one to look at. In fact, I'm going to outside of this. I have not found that passage.

I think the problem is that people who get hurt and go through a difficult time in their life, withdraw, and then say, well,

I had that gift at one time, but I'm finished with ministry right now. But God can restore you.

I guess I can restore Jonah. I wish we had another week on this class.

I think just the way God uses you may be different at 26 and 66. The same gift, a different way of using it.

I firmly believe that there are times when God says, and Bob, to your point, the individual who just doesn't know how to say no, perceives, to your point, there are perhaps those in church not doing it and there's a need, so I'll step up and do it, and they burn out.

And there are times when God says, just take a break. And then there are times when God swells his desire for your application.

There are methods out there for understanding your spiritual gift.

There are personality surveys, and you see these, you take these.

They'll ask, how do you feel when you do this? And they'll run you through a hundred questions, and based on your answers, then there's a key matrix at the end of it, and they'll take, and it's interesting because I've never seen one that lists all of the gifts.

They list those that they think are important. And they'll say that you're a 9 out of 10 in this area, or you're a 2 out of 10 in this area.

Rich? Following up on what Carol said, you might have a gift that God will use in different contexts.

Like, if you have a gift to teach, maybe he'll use you in a classroom in one context, or as a preacher in a different context.

Yeah, we're going to actually hold that thought because when we get to the bottom of this page, that's exactly where we're going to go.

Another approach has the church leadership creating a master table of the ministry's opportunities within the church.

And you go look for those, and you match people up to them. My concern about either one of these is

I don't know that they're the biblical approach to doing it. I don't know that they are. Because it's using your intellect to answer a spiritual question, so I'm not sure.

There's a lot of truth in them, but I think there's a better way. That's why

I desire, and actually Jeff desires us not to go into a psychological survey, match .com,

something like that. Well, we did.

In addition, we sought out what's your spiritual gift. We didn't tell them what a spiritual gift, we sought out.

Yeah, we did use websites. We could ask Jen to create a website where you can go in and say,

I'd like to do this kind of thing. Let's find out to the extent that biblically it's going to tell us what to do, and then using biblical principles.

1 Corinthians 12 .31, I think Carol, I think you're up next. 1 Corinthians 12 .11,

Hope. Romans 12 .1 and 2. Actually, we're going to do that one first, but Kimberly, you've got that.

And Romans 12 .9 to 13. Give me Romans 12 .1 and 2. We're going to do that first. Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleading to God.

This is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Then you will be able to test and prove what God's will is, his good, pleasing, and perfect will. That passage tells us to do what?

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. In addition, there's a whole lot more to it.

That's absolutely true. There's a lot more to it. Offer our bodies as living sacrifices. How does that apply to the concept of knowing your spiritual gifts?

You can't know God's good and pleasing will before that. That's right.

If you're holding on to you, it's going to be difficult to hear him.

If you want to know your spiritual gifts, start there. Start with your relationship with God. Start with your proper relationship with God.

Offer your body a living sacrifice. Be transformed. Do no longer be conformed to the things of this world.

Being conformed to the things of this world are only going to lead you down the path of pride, position, power, those types of things.

If you want to understand your spiritual gifts, start out with your relationship with God. It's a good place to begin.

It reminds me of the hymn, All to Jesus I Surrender. Absolutely.

Which takes us to verse 12, 31. But earnestly desire the greater gifts, and I show you a still more

And then 1 Corinthians 14 talks the same thing. Desire the spiritual gifts.

If you want to understand your spiritual gifts, respond to God's given will in your life.

God puts it within you to have a certain desire. Rich, you brought this one up our very first week, and I understand within context 12 .1

asks this question, the greater gifts. The reality of desiring where God wants you to be and responding to that desire means you maybe have to step out of your comfort zone.

There's this desire in you, but you resist it. Don't step ahead of the

Holy Spirit. Don't lag behind the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit urges you, move. I was thinking in 1

Corinthians 12, 13, and 14, is it more of a broader local church context?

You as a local church desire the greater gifts because of the abuses that were happening in the local church in the early chapters with lawsuits and conflicts and all that stuff happening.

I was just wondering if perhaps Paul was saying if the you is not so localized that it's just you, each individual person, but you as a whole body desire the gifts that build up the body rather than being self -focused.

Which guy thought about that? Do you understand the question? If you go to this passage, it says desire the spiritual gift.

It's a second person command. Do you understand first person, second person?

It's a second person command to desire. Does you in a second person command, is it global to the body of the believers or is it second person singular, you the individual?

What's your thoughts on that? Hard to say in the context, but it would make more sense because if he's telling you

God has given you spiritual gifts and then he's telling you desire the greater gifts, well, maybe

God didn't give me any greater gifts. But it would make sense to say to a body of believers.

Within the context, because of its immediately following on to 1

Corinthians 13, 1 through 3, it has, I believe, more meaning to the individual.

Each individual needs to act in love. If you have the gift of prophecy, if you speak in tongues, if you do these things without love, it's both.

It's a direct command to us individually to not step out ahead of or behind God, but it's also,

I think, in greater context there's definitely that there. In 1

Corinthians 12, 27 it says, that's the first sentence in this paragraph, now you are the body of Christ here in church and each one of you is a part of it.

So it's both. 1 Corinthians 12, 11.

All these are empowered by one and the same spirit who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

Don't get ahead of him, don't get behind him, surrender to his will. You want to know what your gifts are, surrender to his will.

Which means this is a spiritual endeavor, to understand your spiritual gift, a spiritual endeavor.

Romans 12, 9 -13. Love must be sincere.

Hate what is evil, cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Two things of the observation in that one is again the presence of love, and the second that these are commands, these are imperatives.

These are not acts of state, these are actions that we're supposed to do. If you want to know what your spiritual gift is, you better be ready to serve.

If you want to know what your spiritual gift is, don't go down that path just to know it.

Go down that path with the desire to do it. Because once we know what we do, there's imperatives to do it.

There are imperatives to do it with love. So be equipped. Be equipped on how you're going to do it. So some practical recommendations, and I believe these to be biblical.

I'm not going to give you a passage for each one of them, but it's already been said. Ask yourself some questions.

What has God prepared you to do? Which is to say, what abilities, what talents, what urges, what desires has he equipped you with?

He's undoubtedly moving you in the direction to succeed in what he wants you to do.

So if you are not a person who would be comfortable as a preacher, and that's just not your personality, chances are he's not giving you that gift.

If you're a person who enjoys standing in front and taking a passage and working through it, maybe you have the gift.

God has given you a teaching. Maybe God has given you. But look at what God has given you. It's the most practical place to start.

He's the God who has created you. He's also the God who has saved you. He's also the God who has given you his spirit.

And he's the God who's equipped you with his gifts. To start there, other questions you can ask is what ministries interest you?

And this is where you need to be honest with yourself. And then even look around what ministries in the church are in need.

If there's something not being done in the church, maybe there's a reason why it's not being done in the church.

Maybe it's you. These are practical ways for you to look at it.

But here's the actions, and this is I think where it gets most important. I don't have it listed on here. It almost seemed too obvious, but it has to be.

It has to be the first action. What would the first action be? That has to be the first action.

This is a spiritual issue. This is not an intellect issue.

If you want to know where your gifts are, what your gifts are, who's going to disclose them to you?

Holy Spirit. I think too, in the

Romans 12 passage, the spirit leads, you're supposed to be fearful, but you're also supposed to be fervent, zealous, and rejoicing.

So it has to be something that matches your gifts, in a sense.

Maybe even the non -spiritual gifts, in a sense. And this is really why we have these psychological surveys.

Recognizing what you've just said, it really does. So perhaps without taking psychological surveys, you know yourself, you do know yourself.

Pray, pray. The second thing is find opportunities. There's almost no better way to have affirmation of what you think you understand than to actually do it and have it affirmed.

So that says if you believe you have a certain gift, if you've never stepped out to try it, it's never been affirmed or whatever else.

Take the risk in front of the Lord and step out and try it. Pray and step forward.

Pray. That's like when we tell Jeff, and he gives a good message, we're confirming to him that God has called him and anointed him to be a pastor.

Yeah, which takes us to the next one. Do we are a body of one another?

Seek input from other people. Seek input from other people.

Be willing to give input to other people. If I believe

I've got the gift of discernment, which would place me in an amazing position in the church, test the spirits, understanding.

Talk to the church leaders, talk to fellow believers who know you. I perceive a gift of discernment that God has moved.

What's your input? Which really requires us to be transparent and honest and not say, oh you feel that great.

By the way, we have a need for that. No, be honest with what it is. God has given us one another.

I think it's also important to understand that this happens not just in formal organized ministry context, but also in the one anothering that happens informally.

So getting to know each other and interacting with each other outside of a formal recognized ministry.

I don't remember who read last. I think I did.

James 1, 16 -18. Don't be deceived, my dear brothers.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly light, who does not change like shifting shadows.

He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

I'm going to be real honest with you, that's not charismatic in that passage. In that passage, it's more like my having a brand new

Bible and giving it to Bill as a gift. That's really the word there. James has perhaps a different style also than Paul does in his writing.

That being said, there's a lot of truth if we consider that for charismata, the gift of the

Spirit. Every good and perfect gift comes from above. How do we know what our spiritual gifts are?

I'm not going to tell you don't take a psychological test. I'm not going to tell you not to do that, because it's not wrong.

I believe that prayer, I believe that seeking how God has made you,

I believe responding to the desires that he has placed in your heart. I believe being willing to step out and try it and getting affirmation for it.

I believe the one another, the inputs from the one another, these are all solid biblical approaches to doing it.

If the pastor came up to you and said, hey John, I think you've got the gift of teaching, would you be willing to teach a class?

Would that be an indication that he recognized the gift in you now? Is that a rhetorical question?

Wouldn't it be if someone approached you, whether or not it's the pastor, and said,

John, I think you have this gift. And if the pastor confirmed it by asking you to teach or instruct in a certain area, it would confirm it.

I think it would confirm that gift. So how would you recommend reacting to that? I'll pray about it.

So what would be the next thing you would do? Pray about it. Give it a try.

Give it a try. Give it a try and then seek feedback. Give it a try.

Next passage and this really kind of asks the question, I've sought out my spiritual gift, but it really asks the question, is it really important for me to use it in the first place?

1 Corinthians 12 12 and 14.

I actually lost it, we just got done reading. Oh, it says Nate. And then we've got Ephesians 4, 1 to 7.

1 Corinthians 12, 7 Loretta 1 Peter 4, 10 Bill, 1

Timothy 4 14. We're going to do these quickly because it's time. So go ahead. The body is a unit, though it is made of many parts, and though all its parts are many, they form one body.

So it is with Christ, for we were all baptized by one spirit into one body, whether Jew or Greek, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given the one spirit to do it.

And that passage goes on in an amazing description. Each one of us are a member of the body, each one of us must be what we are within the body for the body to be healthy.

And we think that all of our gifts are indispensable. And equal in the sight of God. I get this concept of gifts, but yeah, all is indispensable in the sight of God.

Is the mouth more important than the eye? I don't think so.

It's the way God made us. It's important to know what your spiritual gift is so that you can be part of God's healthy, growing body.

Ephesians 4, 1 to 7. 1 to 7. Please. I therefore, a prisoner of the

Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another love, eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.

There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to one covenant that belongs to the spirit.

There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to one hope that belongs to your call.

One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.

Walk according to the manner of your call. I can't get much more clear than that. 1

Corinthians 12, 7. To each is given the manifestation of the spirit for the common good.

It's for the common good. Go there and then 1 Peter 4, 10. As each has received a gift, it is to serve one another as good stewards of God's very grace.

There's an important word in there. We are stewards of God's grace. Once we're given the gift, it's not uniquely us.

We are still a steward of God. What he has given to us, use it.

1 Timothy 4, 14. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.

Again, in context, it has to do with a young pastor being told to use the gift of prophecy.

The concept is there. We have a body. We are part of the body. We are to be healthy.

We are to be using our gifts. Don't neglect your gifts. The next verse is important, too.

Practice these things. Immerse yourself in them so that all may see your progress. Absolutely.

Absolutely. There's a whole lot of action involved. We're going to close with one verse, and I think it's one of your favorites, which,

Carol, Proverbs 3, 5 to 7. We want to talk about spiritual gifts.

Proverbs 3, 5 to 7. And if Eric and Carol are here, they could probably do a speed reading rendition of it.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not lean on your understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make your path straight.

Do not be wise in your own eyes.

Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Trust in the Lord. Don't be wise in your own eyes.

Acknowledge him. It's a good, good, good way to look at spiritual gifts.

We are out of time. I encourage you to use this list. I encourage you to do what we did.

Pray. I encourage you to try them out. I encourage you to seek counsel from others.

I encourage you to step forward in love for God's glory.

Rick, would you focus? Thank you for teaching and the presentation of so much from your words that is truth and pray that we would apply this, not only to our own individual lives, but the lives of our body here that we can discern our own gifts and affirm others.