Gifted

What Makes a Good Gift? Giver Perceived Desirability Higher Value The effort and creativity involved Presentation Receiver Convenience, feasibility and ease of use Is this what I wanted? The thought Over wrapping distracts

What Makes a Good Gift? Giving them something they want and can easily use with a personal touch

What Are Your Gifts? Gifts – Skills - Tasks

Gifts, Grace, Joy, Rejoice Gift: (charisma)a gift of grace, an undeserved favor. – divinely empowers a believer to share God's work with others, i.e. Spirit-empowered service to the Church to carry out His plan for His people. Grace: (Charis) Favorable treatment Joy: (Chara) Awareness of God’s grace, grace recognized Rejoice: (Chairo) To experience God’s grace, be conscious and glad of it

What Are Your Gifts? Gifts: Your Missional Identity in Christ. Operating in that area – Ephesians 4:11, Rom 12:6 Skills: Things that you have trained for to do well. Tent making, fishing, doctor, business Service: Helping or doing work for someone. Acts 6

Acts 6:1In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

Acts 6: 5This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

Serving If you can’t think of anything nice to say… you aren’t thinking hard enough. -Kid President 2 – Word and prayer (teach and worship) were being neglected in the daily details 3 – Known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom - they were formed – given responsibility to wait on tables 7 – The word of God spread, multiplied to maximum capacity (even with those in opposition)

Stephen & Philip Stephen – Acts 6:8 – 7:60! 7:2- 7:53 is his entire sermon! So good it got 51 verses! Philip – Chapter 8 – Such an amazing evangelist and teacher God took him away – TIME/SPACE TRAVEL

Why don’t we like to serve? Giving them something they want and can easily use with a personal touch Convenience, feasibility and ease of use Is this what I wanted? The thought Over wrapping distracts

Gifts, Grace, Joy, Rejoice Gift: (charisma)a gift of grace, an undeserved favor. – divinely empowers a believer to share God's work with others, i.e. Spirit-empowered service to the Church to carry out His plan for His people. Grace: (Charis) Favorable treatment Joy: (Chara) Awareness of God’s grace, grace recognized Rejoice: (Chairo) To experience God’s grace, be conscious and glad of it

Serving the Body Setting the Table Intrinsic motivation for service is always rooted in either the edification of the Church or edification of self. Live a life worthy of our calling Participate in the body – as one Follow the pattern and model of Christ Be equipped for service – building the body toward ideal functioning

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