Faith Alive Church - Sunday Message

A Grace Potluck

• Season 7 • Episode 31

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0:00 | 43:25

Dr. Jordon Gilmore

Every believer has received a unique gift from God—not to keep for themselves, but to share with others. Peter reminds us that we are to minister our gifts as good stewards of God's manifold grace. The Christian life is like a potluck: everyone is called to bring something that blesses the whole body.

Key Takeaways

  • Every believer has received a gift.
    •  God's grace is both universal (life, breath, salvation) and personal (specific gifts and callings). 
    •  Your gift is an expression of God's grace, given freely—not earned. 
  • What are you bringing to the Grace Potluck?
    •  The church is healthiest when every member contributes their God-given gift. 
    •  Don't settle for bringing the "bare minimum." Steward your gift so it becomes a blessing to others. 

Stewardship: Developing Your Gift

A steward is not an owner, but a manager who is accountable to the true Owner.

Three characteristics of faithful stewardship:

  1. God has trusted you.
    •  The Creator has entrusted you with something valuable. 
    •  Your gift is a sacred trust, meant to glorify Him and serve others. 
    • 2 Corinthians 4:7
  2. You will give an account.
    •  God expects faithfulness, not comparison. 
    •  Like the servants in the Parable of the Talents, we will one day answer for how we used what He gave us. 
    • Matthew 24:45-47; Matthew 25:14-23
  3. Use your gift for the Owner's purposes.
    •  We are called to use our gifts according to God's will, not personal ambition. 
    •  Jesus modeled perfect stewardship by doing only what pleased the Father. 
    • James 1:17; John 8:28-29

Reflection Questions

  •  What gift has God entrusted to you? 
  •  Are you developing that gift or simply possessing it? 
  •  If Jesus asked for an account today, what would you present? 
  •  How can your gift better serve the people God has placed around you? 

Final Thought

Imagine a church where every believer intentionally developed and faithfully shared their God-given gift. The body of Christ would be strengthened, needs would be met, and God would receive the glory.

As Peter writes:

"As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." — 1 Peter 4:10

Bring your best to the Grace Potluck—not for recognition, but because every gift belongs to God and was given to bless His people.