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This week’s devotions are based on Sunday’s Message: I Love my church…Love in Service (WATCH HERE).

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Every human being has different abilities.

People are great leaders.  People are great teachers. People are great helpers.  The list goes on.

So what makes Spiritual Gifts different from those talents and attributes that other people have?

Simply put, the purpose is different.

Every talent a person has can be used for self-gain and self-promotion or the benefit of other people.  Every talent enables a person to do somethings differently or better than another person.  However, Spiritual Gifts are abilities that God gives out of his love and grace that are specifically given and focused on the building up and growing of God’s kingdom.  They are gifts that God is giving or repurposing for his glory.

For example, an individual can be a gifted leader and move a company from a start up to a multi-billion dollar world-wide company.  However, a leader with the Spiritual Gift of leadership would refocus on leading to the glory of God and make leadership less about the success of the company and more about the spread of the Gospel.

So what are some of those gifts God’s Spirit gives? Before we get to specific ones, here’s a few general truths.

1. God’s Spirit is wise and gives the gifts to people that the Church needs at that point and season in life in history.
2. There is no exhaustive list of Spiritual Gifts.  (Four good areas are 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, 1 Peter 4, and Ephesians 4.

Now for a few specifics.  Here’s the list Paul records in Romans 12: 

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.  

Do you think you have any of these gifts?

Prophesy: Often this is received as the ability to apply God’s truth in a future context or setting.  Not to be confused with the sinful art of “fortune telling,” prophesy takes the concrete truth of God’s Word and applies it in advance of a future event or situation.

Serving: Serving is the willingness to use my gifts to be a blessing to someone else.  Service is often the yielding of my time and priorities to the needs and priorities of others.  I see other’s needs as greater than my own.

Teaching: Teaching is the ability to make the confusing understandable.  A good teacher breaks down content into understandable and meaningful bites so that the individual learns it and is able to apply it.

Encouraging: We all get discouraged.  We can get stuck on the present and have diminishing hope or enthusiasm for the future. One with the gift of encouragement isn’t empty in their words, but loves to put God’s promises of truth plainly on the heart of one who is discouraged to change their perspective and give them hope.

Contributing: This gift is an open hand to give materially to a material need.  Individuals with this gift manage the wealth God has given them in a minimal way to take care of their own personal needs, but in a generous way to ensure they always have resources to give.

Leadership. One with the gift of leadership is able to move people toward a vision and goal.  Their influence is one that is just and positive.  They can see the big picture, make clear decisions, and find joy in bringing people along on the journey.  They love to create greater impact and influence for the Gospel.

Showing mercy: These are people the Spirit has given a big heart.  They are empathetic and able to assist those that many others wouldn’t.  Their patient and gentle spirit is humble in interactions, yet powerful in touching the lives of people with the compassionate love of Jesus.

 

So did one or two of these stand out to you?  Perhaps it’s time to start experimenting and see if the gifts you are noticing are confirmed.  God is generous and has not overlooked anyone in giving gifts to you.  They flow from his grace to you to use for the spread of his grace.

 

Apply: What are one or two ideas you have to use the gifts God has given to you?

Prayer: Lord thank you for the generosity and variety of your grace to give gifts to me and many others.  Help us to embrace their purpose and use them for your glory and the advancement of your kingdom.  AMEN.

This week’s devotions are based on Sunday’s Message: I Love my church…love in community (WATCH HERE).

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Not every superhero has every super power.

The Justice League on Saturday morning cartoons back in the late 70’s was a combination of many of the popular superheroes of the day (Superman, Superwoman, Flash, Wonder Twins, and more).  They came together in the Justice League for the purpose of overcoming evil and injustices perpetuated by the villans of the world.  The goal was to utilize the strength of each superhero in combination with the strengths of other superheroes to overcome whatever challenge they were facing. 

In amazing fashion in 30 minutes they would all come together and whatever threat the world was facing was overcome by the super team of superheroes.

Have you ever considered the Church to be a superteam of superheros?

When we realize that every person the Spirit brings to faith in Jesus is also one to whom the Spirit gives Spirit powers…Spiritual gifts.  Yet the Spirit doesn’t give every person the same gifts or doesn’t give one person every gift.  So he brings people together in his Church to combine our gifts together to do the work that God has given to us to do.  Here’s how the Apostle Paul describes it:

1 Corinthians 12:12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

The human body is an amazing machine designed and created by the Almighty God.  There are parts of our body that we don’t even know we have until it hurts or fails.  Most of our parts function millions of times a day without even having to think about it.  Millions of cells have hundreds of parts and even each of those parts function together.  Yet, each part has a unique “superpower” upon which all the other parts of the body depend on.  If they are absent or fail to function the body suffers.  When they all function together, the body does amazing things. 

This is the picture of the Church which the Spirit of God uses to describe the body of Christ, the Church.  Many parts…unique gifts…working together for the common good and the glory of God.

This is one of the reasons that we can’t do the Christian faith in isolation.  We need the other parts of the body and the other parts of the body need us.  Sure, one can have faith in Jesus and just have them and God as part of that relationship.  However, God himself designed his Church to be made up of many individuals with many different gifts serving one common purpose.

So what does that mean for you?

The Spirit of God gave you gifts to be part of the team of the Church.

The Team of the Church has been given gifts to combine with yours to do the work of the Church.

So let this devotion be an encouragement, wherever you are.  

If you are not part of a Christ-centered, Bible believing Christian church, let this be an encouragement that you are missing out on the blessing of other members of the body of Christ and they are missing out on the gifts God has given to you.

If you are part of a Christian church and have been more a consumer of the content and program of that church and being blessed by other active members of the body of Christ, let this devotion be an encouragement to become a contributor and be willing to use your gifts in service to the Lord and your church by getting involved.

If you are an attender at Crosspoint, we handed out a flier with opportunities to use your gifts in the ministry in Georgetown.  Thank you to all who filled it out.  Here is the link to that form that you can print out and email or take a picture and text/email back to us.  

It isn’t about “getting people busy.”  It is about using the gifts the Spirit has given to you and using them together with the rest of the team…your church…God’s church.

 

Apply: Prayerfully consider how to use your gifts more fully in the work of the Lord at your local church.

Prayer: Spirit of God, thank you for giving me gifts to use in the work of the Church. Forgive me for sitting on the sidelines.  Empower me and guide me to the place in the Body you would have me use my gifts.  AMEN.

This week’s devotions are based on Sunday’s Message: I Love my church…love in community (WATCH HERE).

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If a super hero isn’t using their super powers,  they are just a dude sitting on a couch. 

Super heroes are fascinating.  Whether Superman, Superwoman, Spider man, or Wonder Twins or others, the intrigue of a superhero is that they have three things in common.

1. They have powers others don’t…although no one superhero has every superpower.
2. They have an awareness of their power and are willing to use it.
3. They have an individual or community in need which needs their superpower to prevent dire disaster from happening.

You may have your favorite superhero for a reason…the power they have…the risk they take…or the impact they make.  But perhaps we would be hesitant to say, “I am a superhero.”

I’d be surprised if anyone reading this had a comic book written after them, or were featured in a Hollywood thriller.

Are we just dudes and dudettes sitting on a couch?

Or are we superheroes with powers ready to be used?

While we don’t think of ourselves as superheroes in the way that DC and Marvel comics define superheroes with superpowers, we are superheroes with superpowers.  We don’t have superhuman strength; supersonic speed; or x-ray vision, but we do, as members of God’s church, have Spiritual gifts. 

1 Corinthians 12:7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

This list isn’t exhaustive, but it does list a number of spiritual gifts that God’s Spirit gives.  EACH believer in Jesus is given gifts by the Spirit of God, just as God determined. So the question that you may rightly raise is this, “What is my gift?”  What is my “spirit”power?

Perhaps we wish we would get a little box from heaven that would identify that gift.  “To Michael, the gift of distinguishing between spirits.”  Perhaps we would also like the explanation of how to use that gift. “Use this gift in an upcoming conversation to determine whether what is discussed is from God or from Satan.  Guide with your gift people away from the deceiving spirits of Satan.”

That would be great, right?

While God hasn’t chosen this approach he has promised we all have a superpower/Spirit power.  So how do you know yours and how to use it.

If you want an assessment, here is a LINK to one that can help give a direction.

Perhaps another approach is simply to experiment with different areas of service and see where your abilities, your heart, your talents all line up for an engaging experience of serving the Lord.  Listen to what others say.  Others will notice your gift because Spiritual Gifts are meant to be used to be a blessing to the Lord and others.  And finally evaluate your energy.  Operating in your giftedness energizes, not depletes.  

We’ll look at other facets of spiritual gifts as the week goes on, but for today remember YOU are a Superhero because the Spirit of God has given YOU Spiritual Gifts to be used for the eternal benefit of others!

 

Apply:  Take the assessment on Spiritual gifts and then evaluate which gift you’d like to experiment with at your local church?

Prayer: Spirit of God, thank you for the generosity of your gifts to us.  Forgive us when we sit on the couch with them and empower us to use them all for your glory!

 

PS: If you attend Crosspoint in Georgetown, TX, please take this Spiritual Gift assessment and email to christygeiger@gmail.com.  THANKS!

 

This week’s devotions are based on Sunday’s Message: I Love my church…love in community (WATCH HERE).

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Community takes effort.

Romans 14:19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

Ephesians 4:3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 

I will be the first to admit that I wish relationships were easy and didn’t take a lot of effort.  I wish that no one would ever get their feelings hurt, put the worst construction on what you say or make assumptions about your motives and actions.

But they do.

I do.

I have a sinful nature and so does every other person.  At the heart of the sinful nature is selfishness.  Selfishness by definition is thinking of self (sorry for the obvious).  When I think of self I don’t think of others and when I don’t think of others, relationships are not easy.

So, thanks to sin in our hearts and lives, relationships and community take effort.

Everyone’s effort.

Relationships are ALWAYS two-way streets.  Sometimes they are lopsided and one gives more than the other for a season, but ideally the relationship is also reciprocated.

I’m grateful for the effort that Jesus made to have a relationship with me.  Down to the very sacrifice of his life, was his heart of love that desired to have me (and you) as his child for eternity.  Of course his love engenders my love, trust, and faithful following.  His love engenders my love for him and for others.  Of course I can walk away from that relationship too.  I can blame Jesus for something that goes wrong.  I can disagree with what he says about my life or lifestyle.  I can assume that he is the cause of bad things in my life.

I would be wrong, but I can walk away.

The community of the church is to model the love Jesus has for us.  To be sure, the relationships can get lopsided and perhaps at times you may feel like someone “owes” something back.  But one can only control their heart and their effort.  If eventually the effort is rejected, you can’t control that.  You can only do as the Apostle Paul encouraged, “Make every effort!”

So what does that look like – especially in the church?

1. Begin to invest in others first.  On a Sunday morning strike up a conversation with someone with whom you have not met or talked with for a while.  Ask them a few questions, “How as their week?  What was challenging?  What was rewarding?  How is their family?  What make them laugh this week? Etc.
2. Take baby steps.  Small steps to build relationships over time will foster a caring community in your church.  Again you don’t have to share your life’s story on the first conversation.  Just interact with someone in a meaningful and sincere way.
3. Manage your expectations.  People are sinful as you are.  Not everyone is going to become a best friend, but people can enjoy getting along with others.  Someone will say something that will be hurtful.  Ask a question to clarify as often there is a story behind what was said…and we often don’t create the right one.  Look for wins rather than for reasons to give up.
4. Remember it’s your responsibility (and everyone else’s).  Everyone working together at building community will build community much quicker than one or two people working at it.  Don’t wait for someone to take initiative…do it yourself.

Remember the community of your church is the place where we get to experience and put into practice the love of Jesus.  It is not always easy.  It takes effort.  But it will always be a blessing!

 

Apply: What is one thing you can do this weekend to build community with someone at your church?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for giving every effort to build relationship with us.  Lead us to respond to your love by loving in community with others and making every effort we can to be a catalyst for a loving, caring community in our church.  AMEN.

This week’s devotions are based on Sunday’s Message: I Love my church…love in community (WATCH HERE).

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Extra love opportunities.

Today in Georgetown, TX kids and teens are headed back to school for the 2023-24 school year.  We certainly ask the Lord to bless and watch over them and their teachers and that those that are followers of Christ bear witness to his name and represent him will in the classrooms and hallways and athletic venues.  

One of the challenges kids can have in going back to school is that not everyone treats them well and they don’t get along with everyone.  We hear reports of bullying, shaming, or teasing that creates a challenge for the student to show up and be their best unless the issue is addressed.

The temptation when treated in an unloving way is to repay the evil for evil.  It is very hard to show patience or kindness to someone who does not treat us well or speak well of us.

Perhaps at times, one just has to avoid the person and protect your own safety.

However, perhaps there are these type of people in our lives to practice the love that Jesus has shown to us.

I call them “Extra love opportunities.”

The thing is, they don’t just show up in our schools.  They show up in our workplaces.  They show up in our homes, and, yes, they show up in our churches.

It’s part of being in community with others who are not perfect and have a sinful nature.  To be sure, I would love it if everyone could exhibit perfect patience and love at all times.  But its just not going to happen.

The “easy” out is to step out of that situation or relationship and not lean into it. This can happen in any of these settings, including the church.  How many individuals, perhaps including yourself, have you met that no longer go to church because of what was really or perceived as unloving…something someone said, did, or did not do.

In no way am I justifying or minimizing unloving behavior, but really those situations are not ones to step out of but rather step in to.  The Bible encourages:

“…Be patient, bearing with one another in love.” (Ephesians 4:2)

So, I hate to say this, but each of us is an opportunity for another person to practice this.  In no way am I advocating that individuals should intentionally create “Extra Love Opportunities” with people around them.  I am encouraging to lean into that relationship and seek to understand why the person did or said what they did.  Often behind a cutting word, a mean look, or an unkind action is a hurt or situation they are reacting to…you just get to be on the receiving end of it.

To be in a church community is really a practicing place for us to put the love of Jesus into practice with those around us.  Of any setting (work, school, home), your church is a primary place to receive AND show the love of Jesus to the people around you.

So let’s be patient with one another.  Bear with one another in love.

The better you get at your church, the better you will get at school, at work, at home!

Apply: Who in your life is an “extra love opportunity”?  What might be a kind word or action that would show patience and love to them?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, open my heart to be filled with your love so I might show that love to others. AMEN.