How has God been working in your life

How has God been working in your life?

Prayer Requests the class can join you in praying for… 02/08/09 -Dave and Carol Beakley- our missionaries in South Africa. Carol meets with high school girls. Protection for the seminary students. -Chuck Copeland- pray for relief of MS symptoms -Becky Boysen’s brother- may have cancer (Kent Odgen) -Frank Ackerman- sick at home with sinus infection

Ways to Serve at BCC: 1. Through our SS Class: Class Secretary Casey Davidson Meal Coordinator Staci Aberle Missions Coordinator Alissa Hawkinson ? Shower Coordinator ? Events Coordinator Carol Harkins Other ideas for serving? Committees vs. “Grass Roots” Communicate your idea to teacher/moderator and we’ll help see how it could fit into the church calendar. ie. women’s/men’s Bible study, church wide event or outreach, etc. 2. Other areas to highlight: Classroom Tear Down Coordinator ? Other Coordinators? Service Projects? Outreaches? Etc. · Children’s Ministry: Members or those moving toward membership to teach. Asst. teachers do not need to be members. · Nursery Care Giving: We have opportunities to help with caring for kids birth to 2 years. Membership not required. · Sound workers are needed to serve once a month on Sunday mornings. Training provided! UPDATE: Need met!

Sunday Night Electives - What are they? Childcare Needs? Please sign up. Don’t care groups meet on Sundays? Questions?

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Using Our Spiritual Gifts I. What are spiritual gifts? Spiritual gifts are for believers only, given by grace, serve the body, by the power of the spirit and are a manifestation of God. I Cor 12: 1 -7 II. Who gives spiritual gifts? As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4: 10 -11 III. To whom have spiritual gifts been given? IV. Why are spiritual gifts given? V. How can we discover our spiritual gifts?

III. To whom have spiritual gifts been given? “Show me a verse!”

III. To whom have spiritual gifts been given? Eph 4: 7 - But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 1 Cor 12: 7 - To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 1 Peter 4: 10 - As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace There is not one Christian who does not have the ability to serve others in the body. - Not all the same, not all the same amounts, not an excuse to dismiss other scriptural commands. - Could BCC have every gift needed for a healthy, vibrant family?

IV. Why are spiritual gifts given? A. The Purpose of Using our Gifts 1. Equip the saints 2. Do the work of service The Purpose of Using our Gifts Ephesians 4: 11 -12 - And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip (mend, prepare, restore) the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ Perspective on church leadership and church members - “Professional Christian” “Don’t need my gifts…” - “Staff {names}, Ministers—Every Member I am not paid so you that others don’t have to use their gifts. Many times the lay person is to use his gift and the pastor (or associate minister ) isn’t even involved. - “You need counseling. You ought to call the pastor” This person may not be aware they have a gifting in this area. Or at the very least could step in and help someone. Bunny trail anyone? We should all be involved in the ministry of counseling (next slide)

The Discipleship River Preparatory Discipleship “Evangelism ” Normal Discipleship Concentrated Discipleship “Counseling” Is there anyone excluded from participating in this ministry?

IV. Why are spiritual gifts given? B. The results of using our gifts What does Ephesians 4: 13 -16 say are some of the results of using Church split? We want our gifts? deep dependence! 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure Maturity “Guard my doctrine” of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. The church is successful and effective.

IV. Why are spiritual gifts given? B. The results of using our gifts 1. Church will be unified and loving 2. Church will be mature and wise 3. Church will be effective and successful Are you doing your part in the church or are you squandering your gift and hindering the church from growing?

IV. Why are spiritual gifts given? B. The results of using our gifts 1. Church will be unified and loving 2. Church will be mature and wise 3. Church will be effective and successful “I do believe it is before every Christian either to serve His God with all his heart, or to fall into sin. I believe we must either go forward, or we must fall. The rule is in Christian life, if we do not bring forth fruit unto the Lord our God, we shall lose even our leaves, and stand like a winter’s tree, bare and withered. ” Spurgeon

V. How can we discover our spiritual gifts? A. Study the bible. How can we discover our spiritual gifts? Purposefully leaving spiritual gift tests off this list. Why? Study the Bible - Ephesians 4: 11 -16, Rom 12: 3 -8, 1 Cor 12, 1 Peter 4: 10 -11 {Consider Psalm 1, Jeremiah 15: 16}

V. How can we discover our spiritual gifts? B. Pray C. Examine your motives Pray I John 5: 14 - And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. I Cor 12: 1 - Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. Examine your motives. Everyone else has a gift. I want to have a gift. I want something to be proud of. I want to be different.

V. How can we discover our spiritual gifts? D. Evaluate your abilities. E. Ask others. F. Take opportunities to serve. Evaluate your abilities. - Can do / have done / doing better / want to do Ask others. Take opportunities to serve. - “You’ll never catch fish if you don’t have your hook in the water. ” - “You’ll never know your gift, if you are not already serving. ”

Sign or Authenticating Gifts – God confirming revelation of Himself. - God authenticated only the apostles and prophets to do these as a foundation for the church - 2 Corinthians 12: 12 - The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works. - Ephesians 2: 19 -20 - but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, - Silence in later books - Books written after I Corinthians make no mention of the sign gifts - The qualifications for elders and deacons in the Scripture make no mention of the sign gifts. - Decline in healings and miracles - God authenticated the apostles by giving them the ability to heal and to perform miracles (Acts 3: 1 -10, 5: 1 -11, 9: 32 -35, etc. ) - Miracles declined as their intended purpose was being fulfilled. James was martyred (Acts 12: 1 -19). Paul continued with his affliction (2 Cor 12: 7 -10), Timothy encouraged to drink some medicinal wine for his stomach (1 Tim 5: 23), etc. - Sovereign Purpose of God - The issue is not God’s power. God can do what He wants. The issue is purpose.