August 8 - SpiritFire

Gifted Children 

Sunday Morning: Daybreak & Refresh

• Key Passages: 1 Peter 4:7-11; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 (I will read both of these to begin)
• Scripture Reading: Romans 12:3-8
• Background: Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-14:40; Ephesians 4:1-16; 1 Peter 4:7-11
• While there is much division and argument about the gifts of the Spirit, there are some clear Biblical truths as we look at spiritual gifts
• Use Today video to lead into Time in the Word (It will be edited or stopped appropriately)
• [We have received so many gifts from God! This is the day the Lord has made ... For God so loved the world that He gave ... thanks be to God for his indescribable gift. If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation ... old has gone and the new has come. You can probably think of many others ... But one kind of gift we have each received seems to provoke controversy ...]
• [Holy Spirit wars of 1967-68 - First internship -> Torn apart by arrogance; First church focus -> torn apart by dogmatism - profound conviction that neither was right, but left with the uncertainty of what was true! In many ways, the whole issue of the Holy Spirit is what God used to call me into ministry!]
• Crucial Issues that I ask you to consider on this important issue:
  1. We each are given at least one spiritual gift to live for Jesus and bless the church in these end times (1 Pet. 4:10 - God has placed his SIGnature on us as His masterpiece (Eph. 2:10) : Strengths (Psalm 139:13-16); Interests (Rom 8:28); Gifts (Rom. 12:6). These gifts are good and we should eagerly desire to have and use them for the proper reasons (1 Cor. 14:1)
  2. God is Sovereign and gives the gifts as He chooses, when He chooses, and to whom He chooses! I believe it is wrong for me to presume to know how or why or when he gives certain gifts to us! (1 Cor. 12:4-6, 11 -- we are to reflect the diversity and the unity of the Trinity! -- cf. Rom. 12:3; Eph. 4:7, 11, 16; 10)
  3. The gifts are given according to the needs of the Body and are reflective of God's creative love for diversity in harmony and unity - Jesus (God) is going to give the gifts we need to function as the Body of Christ, each part of the Body is necessary and important (1 Pet. 4:10; 1 Cor. 12:7; Eph 4:7-16)
  4. The gifts are given to us to help us: a. Glorify God  and b. serve each other (equip others to serve or serve; to teach or serve) as we live as the Body of Christ (1 Peter 4:10-11; cf. Matt 5:16; 1 Cor 12:7)
  5. No gift is a litmus test of spirituality and no gift should make us feel more important or less important to Jesus or the church (1 Cor 12:11-31; Rom 12:3-5)
  6. Gifts and fruit are not the same: our gifts are different by necessity -- the Body's need and God's sovereignty -- but we are each called to develop all of the elements of spiritual fruit as we become conformed to Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 12:4-6; Gal. 5:22-23; 2 Cor. 3:18)
  7. Love is the most important and coordinating quality in using our gifts (mentioned in the context of each of the passages on gifts -- 1 Cor 13; Rom 12:3 & 5; Eph. 4:2; 1 Pet 4:8)
• Focus: In each cell is the information needed to form a human body and have each part of the do it's job, and that is what the Holy Spirit does in the Body of Christ 

Sunday Evening: Sundown

• Title: Zechariah Speaker: Sherwin Grottis
• Prayer & Scripture: Tom South  Zechariah 7:1-8:6
• Communion Devotional: Richard Melton
• Song Leader: TBD
• Benediction: Zechariah 9:16