UNDERSTANDING YOUR TALENTS AND GIFTS

“God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well…” Rom. 12:6 (NLT)

“God … will equip you with all you need for doing His will.” Heb. 13:21 (LB)

MY ABILITIES ARE TO BE USED TO...

1. ___________ _________

“… whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Cor. 10:31 (NIV)

2. ________ OTHERS

“God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God's many kinds of blessings.” 1 Peter 4:10 (LB)

3. ________ A _____________

“Remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth…” Deut. 8:18 (NIV)

4. BE AN _____________ TO OTHERS

“Put these abilities to work; throw yourself into your tasks so everyone may notice your improvement and progress.” 1 Tim. 4:15 (LB)

5. BE A GOOD ______________ AND _____________ THE MONEY I EARN

“Begin using your hands for honest work, and then give generously to others in need.” Eph. 4:28 (NLT)

6. ____________ UP THE _______________

“Why is it that God gives us these special abilities to do certain things best? It is that God's people will be equipped to do better work for Him, building up the Church, the body of Christ, to a position of strength and maturity.” Eph. 4:12 (LB)

“Take the talent from him _____ _______ _____ ____ and give to the one who has ten talents.” Matt. 25:28 (NIV)

PART 2: USING YOUR ABILITIES

1. HONESTLY __________________ WHAT YOU HAVE

“Try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities by the light of the faith God has given to you.” Rom. 12:3 (Ph)

2. ________________ WHAT YOU HAVE

“Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to His service and pleasing to Him.” Rom. 12:1 (GN)

3. _________________ WHAT YOU HAVE

“Jesus said, ‘When the Master comes back and finds his servant doing his work, that servant will be blessed!’” Luke 12:43 (NCV)

Bethany’s Got Talent: Your Spiritual Gifts

God blesses you through the Holy Spirit in your baptism. Your sanctification __________ __________ is something you participate in through Learning, Service, Worship, and Prayer.

S __________

P __________

I __________

R __________

I __________

T __________

WHY SHOULD I CARE?

1. God’s Spirit reveals God’s __________ for you.

"Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you: A spokesman to the nations – that’s what I had in mind for you.” Jer. 1:5 (MSG)

2. God’s Spirit __________ me to __________ .

“... __________ formed me in my mother's womb to be His servant, and He commissioned me ....” Isa. 49:5 (NLT)

3. God’s Spirit __________ the __________ of life.

“From where God sits God overlooks all of us on earth. God has shaped each person in turn; now God watches everything we do.” Ps. 33:14-15 (MSG)

4. God’s Spirit __________ God’s __________ .

“Bring Me all the people who are Mine, whom I made for My glory, those I formed and created.” Isaiah 43:7 (NCV)

WHAT SHOULD I DO IN RESPONSE TO WHAT GOD HAS DONE?

1. __________ God’s Spiritual call.

“My friend, I ask, ‘Who do you think you are to question God? Does the clay have the right to ask the potter why he shaped it the way he did?’” Rom. 9:20 (CEV)

2. __________ the gift of __________ and share it.

“Let Your love, God, shape my life with salvation, exactly as You promise.” Psalm 119:41 (Mes)

3. Stay __________ .

“The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)

“By the grace of God I am what I am.” 1 Corinthians 15:10 (NLT)

Staying Connected with God: Strength for The Long Run

1. (Focus) your (attention) on God.

Matt 6:6 "Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.

2. (Ask) God to (remove) your fears.

Psalms 34:4 (NLT) I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me, freeing me from all my fears.

3. (Trust) God to (restore) you.

Lamentations 5:21 (NLT) Restore us, O LORD, and bring us back to you again! Give us back the joys we once had!

• Don't (repress) emotions

• Don't (resign) from life

• Don't (retreat) into resentment

Instead - • Do (accept) what cannot be changed

• Do focus on what you (have) not what you've (lost)

• Do (trust) that in serving you are (helped)

4. (Remember) what remains (unchanging)

• (God) is in (control)

Lamentations 5:19 (TEV) But you, O Lord, are king forever and will rule to the end of time.

• God will always (love) you

Jeremiah 31:3 (NLT) Long ago the LORD said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.

• God is really all you (need)

Lamentations 3:24 "Deep in my heart I say, 'The Lord is all I need. I can depend on Him.'"

Staying Connected Through Crisis

* On _____________ we remember all the _________ made by those defending our country.

* We also remember over 116 died in Joplin, MO, 300 died in Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia.

* ELCA Disaster Response is on the scene

1. When crisis strikes tell God how you _________.

Lamentations 2:19b (NLT) 19bLift up your hands to him in prayer. Plead for your children as they faint with hunger in the streets.

1 Chronicles 16:11 (NLT) 11Search for the LORD and for his strength, and keep on searching.

2. ____________ God in all ______________.

Job 13:15 (NLT) 15God might kill me, but I cannot wait. I am going to argue my case with him.

3. ______ God for ____________ and _________ others.

Psalms 105:4 (NLT) 4Search for the LORD and for his strength, and keep on searching.

4. Keep ____________on _________and _______________.

2 Corinthians 4:16 - 18 (NLT) 16That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! 18So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.

John 16:33 (The MSG) “In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”

* All ___________ are ________________.

* God will _________ a crisis for __________ purpose.

* Keep your __________ fixed on the ___________.

The Giving Connection

Questions we ask…

If God has everything and is the creator of all why do we need to (give) anything?

If Jesus abolished the requirements of the Law, why do we even talk about (tithing)?

Isn’t talk about ____________ going to __________ ______________ off?

• ___________ is mentioned in the very first _________ of the __________.

Genesis 14:18-20:Abraham tithed long before it was found in the Law Moses handed down as a response to God’s love and faithfulness.

• When God delivered Israel from ______________ in _____________ they responded by __________.

Deut 26:8-10: And the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror, with signs and wonders. 9And he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O LORD, have given me.' And you shall set it down before the LORD your God and worship before the LORD your God.

• ________ is one of the ways God keeps us _______ to Him and teaches us to become more _________.

Malachi 3:10: Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

• Does the Bible have any _______________ for Christians about being ___________?

2 Cor. 9:6: Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly,

• God’s __________ is not _________.

Acts 14:22: strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,”

• We are called to ________ ___________ the old ways of doing things.

Galatians 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

• ________________ is intended to be a _________ ____________ response to God’s generosity.

2 Cor 9:12-13: This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for ____________ the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.

• _________ God and not your _______________.

1 Tim 6:17-19: Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

Sermon Study May 8

1. Today's Gospel even takes place ___________ . They are on the road because it is time

to ___________ and ___________ . They are joined by ___________ . It is

___________ .

Did they recognize him? ___________

John Sculley was president of ___________ . He left it to work for ___________ .

Why did he change jobs? With Apple he saw an even greater ___________ .

Do we see the vision ___________ has for us? Do we walk in his presence but do not ___________ him?

2. That morning the women told their story of seeing Jesus at the tomb. These two

intelligent fellows ___________ . As they walked with the Risen Lord, they did not

___________ him.

3. Why didn't they recognize him? Sometimes we just will not let ourselves ___________ or

___________ .

There are signs along the way reminding us ___________ . Millions have.

On their journey, the Lord taught the two doubters about the Scriptures and how the events of Holy Week had been ___________ . Still they did not ___________ .

4. Sometimes we question why we do not ___________ .

Dan Wakefield says that belonging to Church gave him a sense of living in a larger context,

of being part of something greater than what I could see through the tunnel vision of my

personal concerns.........He had a hunger and thirst for spiritual understanding.

Like the two on the road, can we be in the presence of the Risen Lord and ___________ ?

In the house at eventide, Jesus takes bread, blesses it, gives it to them, and ___________.

When the man with the mask removed it, he found _______________________________.

Jesus, our Lord, ___________ and is __________ .

He comes to us in ___________ and ___________ .

He stand before us in the form of our___________ and ___________ and ___________ .

Do you ___________ ?

Connected with God Part 1

2 Kings 6:1 - 7 (NLT) 1One day the group of prophets came to Elisha and told him, “As you can see, this place where we meet with you is too small. 2Let’s go down to the Jordan River, where there are plenty of logs. There we can build a new place for us to meet.” “All right,” he told them, “go ahead.” 3“Please come with us,” someone suggested. “I will,” he said. 4When they arrived at the Jordan, they began cutting down trees. 5But as one of them was chopping, his ax head fell into the river. “Ah, my lord!” he cried. “It was a borrowed ax!” 6“Where did it fall?” the man of God asked. When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water. Then the ax head rose to the surface and floated. 7“Grab it,” Elisha said to him. And the man reached out and grabbed it.

1. ___________ you’ve lost it.

Revelation 2:4 (NLT) 4But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!

2. ________ where you __________ your _________.

3. ____________ that God can _____________ it.

Jeremiah 15:19 (NLT) 19The LORD replied, “If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me. If you speak words that are worthy, you will be my spokesman. You are to influence them; do not let them influence you!

The discipline of a tithe

Malachi 3:10 (NLT) 10Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the LORD Almighty, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Let me prove it to you!

God know what’s ________________ to us.

Matthew 6:21 (NLT) 21Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be.

How _____________ is ___________ to us?