Hey guys, sorry for the late lesson

Today's lesson can be found on page 129. Session 9 entitled Gifted by God

Key verse: Matthew 25:21

Main 3 points:

1) What are spiritual gifts

2) Recognising God has given everyone has their own individual gifts

3) Commit to using their gifts to help other this week

*please make sure you have 15 mins of sharing*

Again i will take stuff from desiringgod.org and from the book as well

1)What are spiritual Gifts? (Key verse for this part is romans 1:11,12)

Spiritual gifts are for strengthening others. In romans 1:11,12, paul says i long to see you that i may use my gifts to strengthen you.

From this we can infer that gifts are given to be given.

Spiritual gifts are expressions of our faith to strengthen someone's else's faith by word or deed.

You can also refer to Thessalonians 3:2 

What does it mean to strengthen someone by a spiritual gift means to help their faith not give way when trouble enters their life. 

2)Recognising everyone has a gift ( Refer to romans 12:4-8)

Do page 139, the first  two questions

Question one's answer is we are all part of the Body of Christ

Question two, answer is that by using our spiritual gifts we serve one another and strengthen each other's faith about Jesus Christ.

i think it would be fair to say also from this text that you shouldn't bend your mind too much trying to label your spiritual gift before you use it. That is, don't worry about whether you can point to prophecy, or teaching, or wisdom, or knowledge, or healing, or miracles, or mercy, or administration, etc., and say, "That's mine." The way to think is this: The reason we have spiritual gifts is so that we can strengthen other people's faith; here is someone whose faith is in jeopardy; how can I help him? Then do or say what seems most helpful, and if the person is helped, then you may have discovered one of your gifts. If you warned him of the folly of his way and he repented, then perhaps you have the gift of "warning." If you took a walk with her and said you knew what she was going through and lifted her hope, then perhaps you have the gift of "empathy.'' If you had them over to your home when they were new and lonely, then perhaps you have the gift of "hospitality." We must not get hung up on naming our gifts. The thing to get hung up on is, "Are we doing what wecan do to strengthen the faith of the people around us?

Another way of finding out what our spiritual gifts are is when you help people. What you did use to help someone is your spiritual gift. According to the definition given above. Spiritual gifts may not have to be playing the guitar or the gift of tongues.  

The problem is not knowing our spiritual gifts, that is not the basic problem. The more basic problem is not desiring very much to strengthen other people's faith. Human nature is more prone to tear down than it is to build up. 

So the basic problem is becoming the kind of person who wakes up in the morning, thanks God for our great salvation and then says " Lord O how i want to strengthen people's faith today. Grant that at the end of this day, somebody will be more confident of your pomises and more joyful in your grace because i crossed his path.

We want to become this sort person because of what Christ did on the cross, his great love. Also we are really living until we live for God. We won't experience the fullness of life.

3)Committing to using their gifts for God

1 peter 4:10-11

Surpeme joy of life is to discover what gifts you have and then pour yourself out to others through these gifts. Grace is the currency of God and the way we disburse Grace is through spiritual gifts. God wants all of his children to disburse  that grace. Cause faith feeds on grace and is strengthen by grace

So therefore we should all commit to serving not only our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. But even more so for all our pre believing neighbours. Impacting the world the way Jesus did!!!