WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.319 Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast. 00:00:02.479 --> 00:00:07.040 We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ. 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:08.640 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:18.559 --> 00:00:20.399 Good morning, Awakening. 00:00:21.280 --> 00:00:22.719 Good to be with you. 00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:29.839 If you're new, my name's Ryan and absolutely thrilled to have you join us today. 00:00:33.359 --> 00:00:37.679 As we continue in our series Gifts of the Holy Spirit, let's just begin right here. 00:00:40.719 --> 00:00:43.200 You were made to count. 00:00:46.640 --> 00:00:50.479 You were made for significance. 00:00:53.119 --> 00:00:56.880 You were made for meaning and purpose. 00:00:57.920 --> 00:01:02.799 It's hardwired into your very nature. 00:01:04.319 --> 00:01:17.680 In fact, it's interesting, George Bernard Shaw, who's not wouldn't be called a believer in any way, in his play Man and Superman, he wrote this line. 00:01:17.840 --> 00:01:21.359 I came across it this last week on a podcast I was listening to. 00:01:24.560 --> 00:01:27.280 This is the true joy in life, he writes. 00:01:27.519 --> 00:01:32.560 Being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. 00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:45.519 Being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. 00:01:45.840 --> 00:01:55.200 I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community, and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can. 00:01:55.519 --> 00:01:58.000 I want to be thoroughly used up when I die. 00:01:58.239 --> 00:02:00.879 For the harder I work, the more I live. 00:02:01.120 --> 00:02:05.599 I rejoice in life, for it is for its own sake. 00:02:05.760 --> 00:02:07.680 Life is no brief candle to me. 00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:22.400 It is the sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations. 00:02:24.479 --> 00:02:40.400 Hardwire and to the fabric of who you are is you were created and you are designed for meaning and purpose and significance. 00:02:42.319 --> 00:02:49.199 The question is, how in the world do we live a life that counts? 00:02:49.919 --> 00:02:56.879 As we've been in this series, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we began with week one, the gift of the Holy Spirit himself. 00:02:57.199 --> 00:03:04.719 And we said this you have everything you need to be exactly who God made you to be. 00:03:05.039 --> 00:03:06.800 Right now, you have everything. 00:03:06.960 --> 00:03:08.719 You're not lacking in any way. 00:03:08.879 --> 00:03:15.599 You don't need a better education, you don't need different friends, you don't need a new spouse or a new set of circumstances. 00:03:15.759 --> 00:03:20.879 You don't need to be thinner or smarter or more beautiful or more in your bank accounts. 00:03:21.039 --> 00:03:27.520 You have everything you need to be exactly who God created you to be. 00:03:27.680 --> 00:03:32.000 In fact, the Apostle Peter said it this way: his divine power. 00:03:33.680 --> 00:03:48.400 Not your power, not your strength, his power has given us everything you need for a godly life through the true knowledge of him who called you by his own glory and goodness. 00:03:49.280 --> 00:04:00.479 That the same spirit, think about this, the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives and dwells inside every single follower of Jesus. 00:04:02.080 --> 00:04:03.759 How do you live a life that counts? 00:04:03.919 --> 00:04:06.879 Well, first you have everything you need. 00:04:07.280 --> 00:04:14.719 Last week we looked at this and it was really looking at the design of the church, God's design for the church. 00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:16.560 And remember, the church isn't a place. 00:04:16.639 --> 00:04:24.959 We think of it as this place, this structure, this organization, and certainly we have to be organized, but the church is the spirit-filled people of God. 00:04:25.199 --> 00:04:26.160 We are the church. 00:04:26.319 --> 00:04:30.319 We don't go to the church, but the church does gather together. 00:04:30.560 --> 00:04:38.240 And here's what we said last week: is that you are uniquely gifted by Christ to bring about a supernatural good. 00:04:39.120 --> 00:04:44.000 Like you, not the, well, yes, the person next to you too, I guess that's true. 00:04:44.319 --> 00:04:53.040 You are gifted specifically, uniquely, intentionally by Jesus. 00:04:54.399 --> 00:04:57.759 Can you just let that blow you away for a second? 00:04:58.959 --> 00:05:00.959 To bring about a supernatural good. 00:05:01.120 --> 00:05:09.680 In fact, Ephesians 2, 8 through 10, the Apostle Paul would say it this way: for it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not of yourself. 00:05:09.759 --> 00:05:13.519 It is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. 00:05:13.839 --> 00:05:19.680 Your salvation is a hundred percent grace, a gift from God. 00:05:20.240 --> 00:05:21.839 And then he goes on. 00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:29.279 Your workmanship. 00:05:29.519 --> 00:05:31.839 You are God's piece of art. 00:05:33.839 --> 00:05:40.800 Created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. 00:05:40.959 --> 00:05:43.600 See, you're not saved by good deeds. 00:05:43.759 --> 00:05:48.959 You can do nothing to earn your salvation, but friends, you have been saved for a good work. 00:05:49.600 --> 00:05:54.560 There is a good work that you are placed on this planet to do. 00:05:55.519 --> 00:05:59.519 You have meaning and you have purpose and you matter. 00:05:59.600 --> 00:06:02.560 And by the way, you matter greatly to God. 00:06:03.360 --> 00:06:15.920 You have everything you need to be exactly who God made you to be, and you have been uniquely gifted by Christ to bring about and do a supernatural good. 00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:23.439 And so the question today, as we journey in this series, The Gifts of the Spirit, is how do you do that? 00:06:23.680 --> 00:06:24.720 How do you live that out? 00:06:24.879 --> 00:06:26.240 How do you live a life that counts? 00:06:26.639 --> 00:06:30.000 How do I discover the good that was put here to do? 00:06:30.160 --> 00:06:48.240 And we want to talk about for the next several moments together is discovering your unique design, the unique way that God has knit you together, formed you, your His handiwork so that you can live in and out of the good that He's made for you to do. 00:06:48.560 --> 00:06:51.920 And so if you got your Bibles, would you open up to Romans chapter 12? 00:06:52.079 --> 00:06:54.480 Last week we were in Ephesians chapter 4. 00:06:54.639 --> 00:07:01.279 Uh, Ephesians chapter 4 is all about God's design for the church, and we talked about that last week. 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:16.079 Now we're gonna be in Romans chapter 12, and here's what's incredible: God has uniquely gifted and supernaturally gifted every single believer to belong and to build up his church. 00:07:16.399 --> 00:07:17.600 Think about that. 00:07:17.920 --> 00:07:20.240 He's uniquely gifted you to belong. 00:07:20.399 --> 00:07:21.519 You have a place. 00:07:22.160 --> 00:07:24.800 We all long for a place. 00:07:24.959 --> 00:07:31.360 You have a place and you have a purpose to build up his church. 00:07:32.160 --> 00:07:37.680 So let's open up and let's look at Romans chapter 12 together and dive in. 00:07:37.839 --> 00:07:40.079 Here's what the Apostle Paul says. 00:07:40.319 --> 00:07:55.199 He says, For by the grace given me, I say to every one of you, do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 00:07:55.439 --> 00:07:56.000 Why? 00:07:56.240 --> 00:08:12.639 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ, we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 00:08:12.879 --> 00:08:16.319 We have different gifts according to the grace given to each of us. 00:08:16.480 --> 00:08:20.079 If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith. 00:08:20.240 --> 00:08:21.519 If it's serving, then serve. 00:08:21.680 --> 00:08:23.040 If teaching, then teach. 00:08:23.199 --> 00:08:25.519 If it's encouraged, then give encouragement. 00:08:25.680 --> 00:08:27.759 If it's giving, then give generously. 00:08:27.920 --> 00:08:29.600 If it's to lead, do it diligently. 00:08:29.759 --> 00:08:33.440 If it's to show mercy, do it cheerfully. 00:08:33.759 --> 00:08:40.240 God has uniquely and supernaturally gifted you to belong and to build up his church. 00:08:40.559 --> 00:08:49.120 I just want to go back and if you'll go back to the very beginning, for by the grace given to me, do not think of yourself more highly than you ought. 00:08:49.360 --> 00:08:49.679 Okay? 00:08:50.720 --> 00:08:52.879 But rather with sober judgment. 00:08:53.039 --> 00:08:54.559 Why is that so important? 00:08:55.519 --> 00:09:01.360 Because if you don't have a sober, uh sober, yeah. 00:09:01.840 --> 00:09:03.600 What does it mean to be sober? 00:09:04.240 --> 00:09:05.360 Help me, help me out. 00:09:05.440 --> 00:09:07.600 This is come on. 00:09:08.480 --> 00:09:08.960 Thank you. 00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:09.679 You're in church. 00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:11.679 You're like, can we even talk about that? 00:09:11.919 --> 00:09:13.120 I don't know. 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:17.759 Ryan, I've never ever drank anything ever before. 00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:25.759 To think clearly, to have an accurate estimation. 00:09:29.200 --> 00:09:32.240 Imagine he just gave us the picture that we're the body. 00:09:32.399 --> 00:09:38.639 This is the reason we need to have a sober self-assessment, a sober judgment, to think accurately about ourselves. 00:09:38.879 --> 00:09:41.600 Now, kind of get out your hands, if you would, with me. 00:09:41.919 --> 00:09:42.240 Okay? 00:09:42.960 --> 00:09:46.000 Kind of wiggle your fingers, wiggle your toes. 00:09:46.320 --> 00:09:49.759 We're almost started a children's song right there. 00:09:51.519 --> 00:09:57.440 But one of Paul's favorite pictures when talking about the church is the picture of the body. 00:09:57.600 --> 00:10:13.440 Now you gotta imagine and understand when he's talking about the body and he's talking to these believers, he's talking to people that are in vastly different socioeconomic eras, different ethnicities, that are completely alienated in the ancient world. 00:10:13.679 --> 00:10:21.360 Jews, Gentiles, slaves, freemen, I mean, all across the border, and he's saying, You're one. 00:10:21.759 --> 00:10:34.720 It's a powerful and profound picture where he's saying you all have something distinct and unique, and you play a role, and you have a hand, and you have a foot, and you have eyes and you have ears. 00:10:34.879 --> 00:10:41.360 And if we don't think accurately and understand who we are, we won't know the part we play in the body. 00:10:41.759 --> 00:10:43.759 And what happens, isn't it true? 00:10:43.919 --> 00:10:49.200 What happens is we think and look at some person and we go, oh, I wish I had their gift. 00:10:49.600 --> 00:10:51.120 I wish I looked like them. 00:10:51.360 --> 00:10:58.000 I wish I was able to do what they do, and then you don't actually do what you're called to do. 00:10:58.240 --> 00:11:00.639 Or we try to mimic sometimes. 00:11:00.960 --> 00:11:02.320 We try to be like somebody. 00:11:02.559 --> 00:11:04.159 Oh, I really admire or respect them. 00:11:04.240 --> 00:11:08.960 And so we we just kind of try to follow their way, like, oh, I like them and I want to do like them. 00:11:09.120 --> 00:11:15.279 Like, no, have a sober self-assessment of who God has made you to be. 00:11:15.440 --> 00:11:15.840 Why? 00:11:16.080 --> 00:11:24.159 Look around this room, and what you see is brothers and sisters in Christ. 00:11:25.840 --> 00:11:30.799 See, you I don't see a group of individuals, that's not the biblical picture. 00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:42.559 I see a group of people who are all very different, but we form one picture, one body. 00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:46.240 And some of you, God's gifted to be a mouth. 00:11:47.519 --> 00:11:47.840 Okay. 00:11:48.879 --> 00:11:58.879 Some of you, God's gifted to be ears, hands of service, feet of action, heart of mercy. 00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:09.519 And none of us would ever say we don't need a part, well, okay, um, I had my appendix taken out, and we don't need that. 00:12:09.679 --> 00:12:12.559 There are no appendixes in this room, okay? 00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:18.399 But right, none of us would ever say we don't need that part. 00:12:18.960 --> 00:12:22.559 Even down to like, I got ten fingers, maybe I could do without one of them. 00:12:22.720 --> 00:12:23.679 They're like, no. 00:12:27.200 --> 00:12:31.919 You play an integral, important role in the kingdom of God. 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:36.480 And then he says, I've given you different gifts for a reason. 00:12:36.639 --> 00:12:38.559 We're different by design. 00:12:39.120 --> 00:12:41.440 You're different on purpose. 00:12:41.759 --> 00:12:44.559 You can't be good at everything. 00:12:44.879 --> 00:12:47.440 In fact, that's what my wife says to me a lot. 00:12:48.480 --> 00:12:51.440 It's like, well, Ryan, you can't be good at everything. 00:12:51.600 --> 00:12:54.799 And I said, Well, at least could I be good at something? 00:12:55.039 --> 00:13:00.000 Just tell me one thing that I'm actually because you're telling me I can't be good at everything. 00:13:00.320 --> 00:13:05.279 But it's true, we want to be good at everything, but no, we're gifted at something specifically. 00:13:05.440 --> 00:13:17.200 And in that specificity in the body and community, it makes up one beautiful, incredible picture where we together present Jesus to a hurting and broken world. 00:13:17.440 --> 00:13:20.720 Don't you want to be a part of something like that? 00:13:21.200 --> 00:13:23.440 That is the church. 00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:34.480 And so, what I want to do with our time is help you to discover your design of how God has fit you together in the body of Christ. 00:13:34.639 --> 00:13:37.519 And to do that, I want to use an acrostic called design. 00:13:37.600 --> 00:13:40.639 If you're part of our intro, you've ever gone through that, we use that there. 00:13:40.720 --> 00:13:44.000 If you're a part of my men's morning group in the spring, we used it there. 00:13:44.080 --> 00:13:48.320 It's actually from a pastor and teacher and writer named Wayne Cordero. 00:13:48.480 --> 00:13:49.759 It's a great little help. 00:13:49.840 --> 00:13:50.879 And here's what I want to do. 00:13:51.039 --> 00:13:52.879 I want to get real practical today. 00:13:53.120 --> 00:13:58.879 I want to get real practical with you to help you discover how God has made you. 00:13:59.039 --> 00:14:03.200 And so let's dive into discovering your unique design. 00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:08.720 The crosstic begins with the letter D, and the letter D stands for desires. 00:14:08.879 --> 00:14:10.080 Write in desires. 00:14:10.159 --> 00:14:13.279 And here we're asking the question: what am I passionate about? 00:14:13.519 --> 00:14:15.360 What am I passionate about? 00:14:15.519 --> 00:14:19.600 Maybe right next to that you can write, what excites my heart? 00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:22.480 What do you love to do? 00:14:24.080 --> 00:14:25.840 Like, what do you you're passionate? 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:27.279 Oh, I love to do this. 00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:30.240 When I do this, I just lose track of time. 00:14:32.320 --> 00:14:34.799 Might even write, and what breaks my heart? 00:14:35.039 --> 00:14:42.559 What are things that, oh man, I just long to see this happen or see this change or I see this area. 00:14:43.840 --> 00:14:58.799 You know, uh Frederick Bruckner, he's an incredible theologian, passed away uh just recently when he was talking about calling and vocation, wrote uh this line that's actually been retweeted like a billion times. 00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:07.279 The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meets. 00:15:08.639 --> 00:15:21.120 Like the good that God has for you is the place of your deep gladness, what you're passionate about, and the world's deep hunger meets. 00:15:21.279 --> 00:15:30.879 And I think sometimes in church world, especially if you grew up in and around this, if you're enjoying it, if you love to do it, it couldn't possibly be God's will. 00:15:31.279 --> 00:15:31.919 Right? 00:15:32.639 --> 00:15:37.360 Like you like to really be living out God's will, you have to be miserable. 00:15:38.320 --> 00:15:39.279 Like, no. 00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:46.480 The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet, desire. 00:15:46.720 --> 00:15:48.879 What are you passionate about? 00:15:49.120 --> 00:15:50.799 You know, I'll give you two quick stories. 00:15:50.960 --> 00:15:56.639 One is uh with a guy, his name's Reed Burke, and he's actually running our live stream right now. 00:15:56.720 --> 00:16:06.480 But what you don't know is like probably seven or eight years ago when live stream first uh started, uh we were one of the first churches to ever have live stream in the country. 00:16:06.879 --> 00:16:15.039 Well, we're in the heart of Silicon Valley, he's an engineer, he loves technology, he's got a gift at it. 00:16:15.600 --> 00:16:22.480 And he saw this and said, Man, we could extend the message of what God's doing both here and around the country and around the world. 00:16:22.639 --> 00:16:24.159 That would be great. 00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:32.480 And so he literally, friends, he literally, we he literally built the program to run and do live stream. 00:16:33.200 --> 00:16:35.759 And then other churches were asking, how do you do that? 00:16:35.919 --> 00:16:39.519 And the only things out on the market were really, really too expensive for churches. 00:16:39.600 --> 00:16:43.039 And so he began to just give it away for free for other churches. 00:16:43.840 --> 00:16:47.440 It's what he's passionate about, it's what he loves to do. 00:16:48.240 --> 00:16:53.759 And it was a deep need that furthered the ministry of God. 00:16:55.600 --> 00:16:58.559 What excites your heart, or maybe what breaks your heart? 00:16:58.799 --> 00:17:10.640 A conversation my wife and I have had, and one of the things that breaks her heart because of uh just what's on her heart is the area of uh those who are in the foster care system. 00:17:10.880 --> 00:17:13.920 And so we've really been wrestling, like, how do we play a part in that? 00:17:14.000 --> 00:17:21.839 And as a church, we've partnered with, you know, foster the city and these areas, and it's like this breaks my heart, and God, I want to be a part of that. 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:26.799 And then we're looking at, okay, what have you given us and how can we be a part of it? 00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:30.319 All right, so discovering a unique design first is desire. 00:17:30.400 --> 00:17:31.440 What am I passionate about? 00:17:31.599 --> 00:17:33.039 Second is experiences. 00:17:33.200 --> 00:17:38.960 What are my past experiences that have shaped who I am, both good and bad. 00:17:39.279 --> 00:17:42.319 Milan and Kay Yerkovich, they're both uh psychologists. 00:17:42.400 --> 00:17:44.720 They wrote an incredible book called How We Love. 00:17:44.799 --> 00:17:47.920 I encourage you, it's thick, but it's really great. 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:55.039 Uh great one to dive into this uh on a more deep, uh more deeply, rather. 00:17:55.279 --> 00:18:07.440 They write this in their book, our experiences growing up, good and bad, left a lasting imprint in our souls that determine our beliefs and expectations about how to give love and receive love. 00:18:07.599 --> 00:18:15.839 Later on, they go on to write, the past defines nearly everything about our emotions, beliefs, desires, and preferences. 00:18:16.079 --> 00:18:18.400 We are the sum of our history. 00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:24.720 To ignore it is to be blind to the currents that sweep us along through life. 00:18:25.200 --> 00:18:27.920 And let's be honest, isn't it true? 00:18:28.240 --> 00:18:33.839 Most of us with our past, we just want to sweep it behind and ignore it. 00:18:35.759 --> 00:18:42.799 And yet, who you are is profoundly shaped by your past. 00:18:43.599 --> 00:18:53.680 And what are your past experiences, both good and bad, that are shaping who you are, and it begins to shape those desires in you and what God is going to use you to do. 00:18:53.920 --> 00:18:57.200 In fact, I would love for you this week to do this practice. 00:18:57.440 --> 00:18:59.839 Dry, draw a line on your notes. 00:19:00.400 --> 00:19:08.000 And if you're in your like 20s or maybe even early 30s, do this by fives and not tens, okay? 00:19:08.640 --> 00:19:14.559 But that's 10 years, 20 years, 30 years, 40 years, 50 years, 60 years, 70 years after that, it's gravy. 00:19:14.799 --> 00:19:17.519 Um, and you you get to make all the rules, okay? 00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:20.720 And we just sit at your feet and humbly learn. 00:19:22.319 --> 00:19:29.680 But would you take each decade of your life or half decade and just begin to go in that decade? 00:19:30.400 --> 00:19:33.680 What were my experiences, both good and bad, that have shaped me? 00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:35.039 Zero to ten. 00:19:36.480 --> 00:19:41.920 What were the experiences in my teenage years that shaped me, both good and bad? 00:19:42.720 --> 00:19:48.240 In fact, you can do this, you can write the good on the top, and you can write the bad underneath, and just begin to see. 00:19:48.319 --> 00:19:54.000 And are there themes about who you are and what you're doing today and the things that are on your heart you'll begin to notice? 00:19:55.759 --> 00:19:58.960 Oh, that's how I'm made. 00:19:59.200 --> 00:20:01.359 That's why I'm passionate about this. 00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:12.640 You know, one of the reasons we're passionate, Jenny and I, for reaching this generation is because of one of our experiences in our college years of how God got a hold of our lives. 00:20:13.440 --> 00:20:17.119 So we've been passionate about college students for the rest of our life. 00:20:17.519 --> 00:20:21.359 It's just a past experience that God has used. 00:20:21.839 --> 00:20:24.559 And it shapes who we are. 00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:29.839 Desires, experiences, the S is spiritual gifts. 00:20:30.640 --> 00:20:33.920 What is my primary spiritual gift? 00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:40.240 And some of you are going, Ryan, you read through that list way too fast and you didn't tell me what it meant. 00:20:40.799 --> 00:20:42.799 Okay, I got you. 00:20:42.960 --> 00:20:43.920 I got your back. 00:20:44.079 --> 00:20:45.839 We're gonna dive into it, okay? 00:20:46.079 --> 00:20:47.039 Spiritual gifts. 00:20:47.200 --> 00:20:48.960 What is my primary spiritual gifts? 00:20:49.119 --> 00:20:54.480 In fact, if you want to dive even deeper on this, my dad does a great study called Your Divine Design. 00:20:54.559 --> 00:20:57.839 And this is where I get this uh language, motivational gifts. 00:20:57.920 --> 00:21:07.920 That I believe in Romans chapter um 12, we get what is the motivational gifts, that every single follower of Jesus has one of these seven gifts. 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:17.359 And you have one of these that is a driver behind, and it may work itself out or manifest in different areas or different ways, but you have one of these gifts. 00:21:17.440 --> 00:21:23.119 And by review from last week, we said every believer has been given at least one spiritual gift. 00:21:23.279 --> 00:21:26.400 You have one of these seven, at very least, you did nothing to earn it. 00:21:26.480 --> 00:21:27.359 It's a gift. 00:21:27.599 --> 00:21:32.799 Spiritual gifts are a sign of Christ's victory over sin, death, and Satan, but they need to be developed. 00:21:32.880 --> 00:21:37.440 They don't come in fully developed form, and they're developed in community. 00:21:37.680 --> 00:21:42.960 And so, would you begin to ask, what is my primary spiritual gift? 00:21:43.119 --> 00:21:45.920 Or what is my motivational spiritual gift? 00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:55.759 And what I want to do is read through these definitions, and as I do that, would you take time and go highlight one or two of, like, oh, that one, that one sounds like me. 00:21:56.079 --> 00:21:58.240 Oh, I really resonated with that. 00:21:58.559 --> 00:21:59.200 Ooh. 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:06.880 Now, if you highlight all of them, um good luck. 00:22:09.920 --> 00:22:10.559 Right? 00:22:11.200 --> 00:22:12.400 But would you highlight these? 00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:15.119 And here's what's amazing about these gifts that Paul outlined. 00:22:15.279 --> 00:22:18.400 All of us are called to do all of these. 00:22:19.200 --> 00:22:23.599 So we're gonna look at these, and you're gonna go, well, that's not my gift, so I don't have to do it. 00:22:23.839 --> 00:22:24.400 Serving. 00:22:24.480 --> 00:22:25.599 It's not my gift. 00:22:25.920 --> 00:22:26.559 Hello. 00:22:27.200 --> 00:22:31.920 Umaging, not my gift. 00:22:32.079 --> 00:22:33.200 I don't have to encourage you. 00:22:33.279 --> 00:22:33.839 No, no, no. 00:22:34.000 --> 00:22:46.240 All of us are called to do all of these, and yet you are uniquely gifted in one of these in such a way that it not only brings you great joy, it produces supernatural good around you. 00:22:46.480 --> 00:22:47.599 All right, diving in. 00:22:47.839 --> 00:22:48.400 Prophecy. 00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:49.920 We covered this last week as well. 00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:59.200 It's the divine enablement to proclaim God's truth with power and clarity in a timely and culturally sensitive fashion for correction, repentance, or edification. 00:22:59.359 --> 00:23:02.240 It's the ability to reveal God's word accurately. 00:23:02.400 --> 00:23:05.759 These definitions are from my dad's Divine Design series. 00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:09.839 People with this gift ask, what went wrong? 00:23:10.079 --> 00:23:11.599 What caused this? 00:23:11.920 --> 00:23:19.359 Maybe you have the gift of prophecy, and you had no idea that you really have this inner sense of truth. 00:23:19.759 --> 00:23:28.160 One of our dear friends, her name's Bethany, and she has the gift of prophecy, and she's so rooted into God's word. 00:23:28.400 --> 00:23:31.599 And sometimes we think, oh, the gift of prophecy has to be a pastor. 00:23:31.759 --> 00:23:33.599 No, it doesn't at all. 00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:39.920 She is so rooted in God's word and has this just unction in her. 00:23:40.000 --> 00:23:41.599 And you know you're gonna get the truth. 00:23:41.680 --> 00:23:52.480 And if there's anything in there that is like error or whatever, she calls it out and she does it with grace and gentleness and mercy, but she's gifted with the gift of prophecy. 00:23:52.640 --> 00:23:54.000 Maybe you have the gift of prophecy. 00:23:54.079 --> 00:23:55.119 How about service? 00:23:55.279 --> 00:24:01.359 The divine enablement to attach spiritual value to the accomplishment of physical tasks within the body of Christ. 00:24:01.680 --> 00:24:08.240 Ability to demonstrate love by meeting practical needs that releases other Christians for direct spiritual ministry. 00:24:08.480 --> 00:24:12.559 People with this gift ask, What can I do to help? 00:24:12.799 --> 00:24:16.160 I think of uh Nick D'Angelo here on staff. 00:24:16.319 --> 00:24:20.720 You know, he started attending awakening when he was in college over a decade ago. 00:24:20.960 --> 00:24:29.519 And then we've got to watch him grow through our protege program, and then he stepped on staff in a season of need to be able to serve our setup and teardown. 00:24:29.599 --> 00:24:33.200 He's been doing that for almost like six years now. 00:24:33.680 --> 00:24:34.319 Yeah. 00:24:35.119 --> 00:24:38.720 And he he has the spiritual gift of service. 00:24:39.200 --> 00:24:44.799 And spirit, people with the spiritual gift of service often get asked a lot of other people to serve. 00:24:45.039 --> 00:24:45.920 Because why? 00:24:46.079 --> 00:24:47.519 They're happy to do so. 00:24:47.680 --> 00:24:50.559 They love it, they just seem to always be in the right place at the right time. 00:24:50.799 --> 00:24:54.319 Like, yeah, of course I can help you, of course I can drive you here, of course I can do this. 00:24:54.480 --> 00:25:02.799 And we see these, you know, chairs set up and these curtains set and the all the cafe and the kids' room, and there's an incredible team that does all that. 00:25:02.880 --> 00:25:04.640 And it's led by someone who has this heart. 00:25:04.799 --> 00:25:05.680 How can I help? 00:25:05.839 --> 00:25:06.960 How can I help? 00:25:07.119 --> 00:25:08.640 Maybe you have the gift of service. 00:25:08.720 --> 00:25:10.000 What about the gift of teaching? 00:25:10.160 --> 00:25:19.440 The divine enablement to understand and give detailed explanation of biblical truth and the ability to search out and validate truth which has been presented. 00:25:19.680 --> 00:25:22.960 People with this question ask, what is truth? 00:25:23.200 --> 00:25:24.400 Where did you get that? 00:25:24.559 --> 00:25:24.880 Why? 00:25:25.039 --> 00:25:26.720 You ever started asking that question? 00:25:26.880 --> 00:25:29.039 And you're like, but I don't have the gift of teaching. 00:25:29.200 --> 00:25:32.000 Maybe you do, but maybe it's not developed. 00:25:32.559 --> 00:25:33.359 Maybe you do. 00:25:33.440 --> 00:25:36.720 And a lot of these you're like, oh, that seems like I asked those questions. 00:25:36.880 --> 00:25:39.839 Oh, that's an area that you might want to start to develop. 00:25:40.079 --> 00:25:47.039 If you have the gift of teaching, you want to start getting into like the Bible project videos and studying and training and learning. 00:25:47.200 --> 00:25:52.079 As you learn and begin to share that with others, you'll begin to grow in that gift. 00:25:52.240 --> 00:25:55.359 What about the gift of exhortation or encouragement? 00:25:55.599 --> 00:26:04.960 Divine enablement to come alongside another in need of encouragement to reassure, strengthen, affirm, and challenge those who are discouraged or wavering in their faith. 00:26:05.200 --> 00:26:08.000 Ability to stimulate the faith of others. 00:26:08.160 --> 00:26:14.799 People with this gift ask, what must be done to fix this, or how can we move to wholeness? 00:26:15.200 --> 00:26:20.160 You know, um, we just bought a house which is crazy amazing and so excited. 00:26:20.400 --> 00:26:25.680 And my friend Andre and Judy, they one of their gifts is just the gift of encouragement. 00:26:25.839 --> 00:26:29.599 And they just stopped by and minced their busy day and what they had going on. 00:26:29.759 --> 00:26:31.359 We're doing demo with some friends. 00:26:31.519 --> 00:26:33.279 Thank you, friends, for showing up. 00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:35.599 Um we filled an entire dumpster. 00:26:35.680 --> 00:26:38.079 I mean, the it was in one afternoon. 00:26:38.160 --> 00:26:39.359 It was amazing. 00:26:39.680 --> 00:26:48.400 And they showed up with a little gift with coffee from Verve, and this the um the name of the coffee is called Sermon. 00:26:48.480 --> 00:26:50.000 I'm like, that's amazing. 00:26:50.240 --> 00:26:53.279 Um and two mugs and then a French press. 00:26:53.519 --> 00:26:58.079 Like they just do that, and here's the thing: that's not a one-time event. 00:26:58.240 --> 00:27:04.480 They're just so good at that, and they do that for so many people that they show up and they bring exhortation. 00:27:04.640 --> 00:27:13.200 Sometimes that's a a godly challenge or a call-out or encouragement, speaking life, and they just have the gift encouragement of exhortation. 00:27:13.359 --> 00:27:15.359 Maybe you have that gift as well. 00:27:15.519 --> 00:27:16.720 What about the gift of giving? 00:27:16.799 --> 00:27:30.000 The divine enablement to earn money, manage it well, and wisely contribute to the work of the Lord with cheerfulness and liberality, ability to entrust personal assets to others for the furtherance of their ministry. 00:27:30.240 --> 00:27:34.720 People with this gift ask, what can I give to meet the need? 00:27:35.599 --> 00:27:42.240 You know, um, people who have the gift of giving often have the gift of making. 00:27:42.640 --> 00:27:47.839 They're able to make large sums of money, and they are then entrusted to steward that. 00:27:48.000 --> 00:27:50.079 God's entrusted them to be generous. 00:27:50.240 --> 00:27:56.880 I've told my kids this growing up all the time is God has given us a lot so that we can give a lot. 00:27:57.279 --> 00:28:04.720 God's given you a lot, and by the way, we've all been given a lot, so that we can give a lot, so we can steward it. 00:28:05.119 --> 00:28:08.880 And again, the gift of giving is not like, hey, that's not my gift. 00:28:09.039 --> 00:28:17.279 All of us are called to give and be a part of that and to be generous, and generosity releases greed's grip on our heart. 00:28:17.920 --> 00:28:20.240 And yet some of you are gifted at this. 00:28:20.400 --> 00:28:28.160 I've known a few people that have had the gift of giving that made it their ambition and goal to reverse tithe and have gotten there. 00:28:28.319 --> 00:28:36.960 Where instead of giving 10% away and living off of 90, they've gotten to where they give 90% away and live off of 10. 00:28:37.359 --> 00:28:44.480 In fact, one friend who didn't need to work any longer told me, said, Ryan, do you know why I still take on clients? 00:28:44.720 --> 00:28:45.920 I'm like, no, I don't. 00:28:47.039 --> 00:28:48.400 You don't need to do any of this. 00:28:48.480 --> 00:28:54.799 You could like, he's like, the more clients I have, the more I make to give away. 00:28:55.680 --> 00:28:58.720 He's like, see how that flipped his work? 00:28:59.519 --> 00:29:04.400 And he realizes, man, I get to steward all that I have and I get to give it away. 00:29:04.559 --> 00:29:11.119 And so even though it's like, yeah, from my own personality, I don't need to make anymore, but I get to give it, I get to give it away. 00:29:11.359 --> 00:29:13.200 Maybe you have the gift of giving. 00:29:14.000 --> 00:29:15.519 What if you have the gift of leadership? 00:29:15.599 --> 00:29:24.319 It's then divine enablement to see what needs to be done, set goals, and attract and lead and motivate people to accomplish the work of the ministry. 00:29:24.480 --> 00:29:29.440 Uh, ability to coordinate activities of others for the achievement of a common goal. 00:29:29.599 --> 00:29:32.480 People with this gift ask, where's the goal? 00:29:32.640 --> 00:29:33.680 What can I do? 00:29:33.839 --> 00:29:38.480 There's a gal in our church named Melissa who I see the gift of leadership in her. 00:29:38.640 --> 00:29:52.000 And she's she takes this on and she sees goals and she speaks what could be and should be, and she gets after it and gets a team, and sometimes it's with her small group, sometimes it's with the connection team, other times it's been with projects that we've had around here. 00:29:52.160 --> 00:29:53.839 She just got the gift of leadership. 00:29:54.000 --> 00:30:07.599 Perhaps you have the gift of leadership, or maybe in the final one, seven is the gift of mercy, the divine enablement to minister cheerfully and appropriately to people who are suffering or undeserving and to spare them from punishment or consequences justly deserved. 00:30:07.839 --> 00:30:12.480 Ability to identify with and comfort those who are in distress. 00:30:12.799 --> 00:30:15.920 People with this gift ask, how can I make them feel better? 00:30:16.160 --> 00:30:18.960 How can I bring comfort and hope? 00:30:19.200 --> 00:30:26.960 In fact, we have a care ministry, and people, many people on this serve have that heart of mercy to come alongside those. 00:30:27.200 --> 00:30:31.920 In fact, mercy can play out in so many different ways, by the way, because it's not just like going to the hospital. 00:30:32.319 --> 00:30:34.240 Many on our prayer team have the gift of mercy. 00:30:34.400 --> 00:30:39.680 In fact, there's uh you need the gift of mercy all across the board in every team. 00:30:39.839 --> 00:30:44.160 We need all of these gifts to show up to be the body of Christ. 00:30:44.319 --> 00:30:46.799 What's your primary spiritual gift? 00:30:46.880 --> 00:30:48.559 What's your motivational spiritual gift? 00:30:48.640 --> 00:30:53.200 Would you take time and wrestle with these with a friend and begin to test and discover? 00:30:53.279 --> 00:30:54.559 Oh, is that my gift? 00:30:54.799 --> 00:30:58.559 I'm gonna begin to serve and work on these different areas. 00:30:58.720 --> 00:31:02.880 Discovering your design, desire, experiences, spiritual gifts. 00:31:02.960 --> 00:31:05.039 The I stands for individual style. 00:31:05.279 --> 00:31:07.119 Who am I really? 00:31:08.240 --> 00:31:09.759 Who am I really? 00:31:10.079 --> 00:31:16.319 Um, and this isn't to just go into some philosophic, you know, um spiral. 00:31:16.480 --> 00:31:17.599 Who am I? 00:31:18.079 --> 00:31:20.720 It's to really like know who you are. 00:31:21.039 --> 00:31:26.799 Uh helpful tests are like the Myers-Briggs, the Enneagram, the Disc, um, strength finders. 00:31:26.880 --> 00:31:31.759 These are all personality profiles, but ask questions like how do I interact with people? 00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:33.279 What brings me energy? 00:31:33.440 --> 00:31:35.359 Am I introverted or extroverted? 00:31:35.519 --> 00:31:36.640 What drains me? 00:31:36.799 --> 00:31:38.799 How do I generally deal with problems? 00:31:39.039 --> 00:31:41.359 How do I go about making decisions? 00:31:41.599 --> 00:31:43.920 How do I respond to change? 00:31:44.640 --> 00:31:47.920 Am I task-oriented or people-oriented? 00:31:48.160 --> 00:31:56.880 Am I structured, organized, or adaptable, as we might say. 00:31:57.920 --> 00:32:02.319 By the way, there is no right personality. 00:32:03.359 --> 00:32:05.119 And we need each other. 00:32:06.160 --> 00:32:14.240 So the unstructured, un I'm not a planner, by the way, is not bad. 00:32:14.880 --> 00:32:20.000 See, it is to some of you organized people, I get it, and drive you nuts. 00:32:20.720 --> 00:32:39.279 But where we can look and go, we're uniquely made, and when we understand that our differences make us better together, and our personalities are a part of that, and who you are and how you're designed, it all fits, all fits together to make one picture of you, and that picture of you fits to make the picture of the body of Christ. 00:32:39.440 --> 00:32:41.039 Isn't that amazing? 00:32:41.759 --> 00:32:48.000 And then we begin to celebrate and see in others and go, wow, I'm so glad God made you that way because I'm not. 00:32:48.880 --> 00:32:50.319 And we're needed. 00:32:50.960 --> 00:32:57.839 Wouldn't that be incredible if we just started to do that as a church and speak that to one another and just call that out? 00:32:58.480 --> 00:33:07.759 Because we are beginning to have a sober self-assessment of what we're good at, what we're not, and begin to see what others are and how helpful that is. 00:33:08.000 --> 00:33:09.599 Individual style, who am I really? 00:33:09.680 --> 00:33:11.440 The G stands for growth phase. 00:33:11.599 --> 00:33:13.200 Where am I at in life? 00:33:13.359 --> 00:33:15.759 How am I doing spiritually? 00:33:15.920 --> 00:33:17.759 Uh up here I have a chart. 00:33:17.839 --> 00:33:18.960 It's from Dr. 00:33:19.920 --> 00:33:22.720 Robert Clinton's book, The Making of a Leader. 00:33:22.880 --> 00:33:30.720 And what he did was he studied the different people throughout scripture, their lives, different leaders. 00:33:30.880 --> 00:33:45.200 Then he studied uh different people throughout church history who made a significant impact, and he began to see common themes of their growth phases, and something that's so helpful is to begin to identify where am I at? 00:33:45.519 --> 00:33:59.680 And especially, isn't it like you go through life and you go, you know, kindergarten and then junior high, and well, maybe you had something in between there, uh, and then high school and then college, and then it's like, shoo, you're off. 00:33:59.759 --> 00:34:01.359 And you're like, where am I at in life? 00:34:01.440 --> 00:34:02.720 What am I supposed to be doing? 00:34:02.880 --> 00:34:04.400 How do I know I'm tracking? 00:34:04.559 --> 00:34:09.920 And this is so helpful to begin to see, and I'll put some ages, but it's just kind of rough. 00:34:10.000 --> 00:34:12.239 So you can go, like, maybe I'm in that stage. 00:34:12.400 --> 00:34:14.559 The stage one he calls sovereign foundation. 00:34:14.639 --> 00:34:22.639 That's your past experiences, especially your growing up years, your family of origin and different experiences you had that have shaped who you are today. 00:34:22.800 --> 00:34:30.320 That God is going to graciously use the good and the bad to bring about incredible good for others around you. 00:34:30.480 --> 00:34:33.119 Uh, stage two has to do with inner life growth. 00:34:33.280 --> 00:34:43.280 Often this happens in your like mid-20s, even thirties, of it's a character formation and learning to no longer trust on yourself, but have a God dependence. 00:34:43.360 --> 00:34:46.960 And it's that process of integrity being developed within you. 00:34:47.039 --> 00:34:48.559 That's that inner life growth. 00:34:48.719 --> 00:34:57.119 Stage three is ministry maturity, and stage two and three really can have overlaps on this, but think about 20s and 30s of ministry maturity. 00:34:57.280 --> 00:34:59.360 This is exactly what we're talking about right now. 00:34:59.519 --> 00:35:01.039 You're discovering your spiritual gift. 00:35:01.119 --> 00:35:03.039 You're going, like, maybe I have the gift of leadership. 00:35:03.119 --> 00:35:05.360 I've never stepped out, but I always want to make change. 00:35:05.440 --> 00:35:06.960 So I'm gonna step out and do that. 00:35:07.039 --> 00:35:08.400 Or maybe I have the gift of teaching. 00:35:08.480 --> 00:35:14.719 It's ministry maturity where you're starting to learn and discover your spiritual gifts and put them into practice. 00:35:14.960 --> 00:35:24.000 Here's what's fascinating stage one, two, and three is less about what you produce and more about what God produces in you. 00:35:25.679 --> 00:35:35.360 And we so often, especially in our driven Silicon Valley world, in our American mindset, is it's all about what I can accomplish. 00:35:36.000 --> 00:35:40.880 And who you are becoming is of principal importance to God. 00:35:41.519 --> 00:35:48.960 And these first stages, especially, has far do, far more to do with what God's doing in you than what he's doing through you. 00:35:49.360 --> 00:35:53.119 Stage four, and honestly, I think this is probably where I'm at right now. 00:35:53.199 --> 00:35:54.800 It's life maturity. 00:35:54.880 --> 00:35:58.559 Uh, it really happens in your 40s, maybe early 50s here. 00:35:58.960 --> 00:36:08.320 As you're beginning to see and go, like, okay, what I'm supposed to be doing, how to leverage my gifts, what I'm not supposed to be doing, which is just as important. 00:36:08.880 --> 00:36:11.039 You have enough life behind you. 00:36:11.199 --> 00:36:27.599 You know, I have teenagers, a senior in high school, I've led a church for a decade, some of those sort of things of like, okay, there's this life behind you that God is beginning to shape, where you're beginning to see those giftings and character come to fruition. 00:36:27.760 --> 00:36:37.440 Stage five is convergence, where your ministry maturity, your life maturity begin to overlap, and you just see a season of fruitfulness. 00:36:38.000 --> 00:36:45.119 Friends, historically, that convergence happens like in your 50s, 60s, and even 70s. 00:36:46.480 --> 00:36:48.079 We have a young church. 00:36:50.880 --> 00:36:54.960 What if it is God working in you right now, those who are young? 00:36:57.760 --> 00:37:00.800 And you go, I'm in process with God. 00:37:02.000 --> 00:37:04.800 Have your way in me, do whatever's necessary. 00:37:05.519 --> 00:37:09.440 Because I want to serve you for a lifetime, not just a time in my life. 00:37:10.480 --> 00:37:20.079 And friends, in our world where we often old is obsolete, and as you get older, especially in the work world, you almost get pushed out, don't you? 00:37:21.039 --> 00:37:24.239 In the kingdom of God, you're more valuable than ever. 00:37:25.039 --> 00:37:26.320 And we need you. 00:37:27.280 --> 00:37:36.320 And it's been said, but it'll be said again, if you're not dead, that God's not done with you yet, and your best years aren't behind you, they're ahead of you. 00:37:36.800 --> 00:37:38.639 Stage six is the afterglow, Dr. 00:37:38.719 --> 00:37:39.360 Quentin says. 00:37:39.440 --> 00:37:42.880 It's one where we really don't get a C all too often. 00:37:43.440 --> 00:37:57.039 But it's that life well lived that then is in their 70s, 80s, 90s, that is able then to impart and impact the next generation, and they're the sages of our society of growing deeper. 00:37:57.360 --> 00:37:59.760 Where are you at in life? 00:38:00.079 --> 00:38:01.760 This is your growth phase. 00:38:01.920 --> 00:38:02.559 Would you ask that? 00:38:02.639 --> 00:38:03.679 Would you wrestle with that? 00:38:03.840 --> 00:38:05.119 Begin to look at that area. 00:38:05.199 --> 00:38:06.719 And finally, natural ability. 00:38:06.880 --> 00:38:08.719 What am I naturally good at? 00:38:09.519 --> 00:38:11.280 What am I naturally good at? 00:38:11.599 --> 00:38:14.800 Notice I didn't say, what do you enjoy doing? 00:38:15.280 --> 00:38:16.639 Those are different. 00:38:17.440 --> 00:38:19.360 Some of you enjoy to sing. 00:38:23.840 --> 00:38:26.239 You're not naturally good at it. 00:38:28.239 --> 00:38:30.320 And somebody had to tell you. 00:38:31.199 --> 00:38:37.039 I mean, isn't that the case of like just because we enjoy it doesn't make it naturally good, it doesn't make it wrong. 00:38:37.280 --> 00:38:44.880 But all those like singing competitions online, eventually you see someone that believes with all their heart they're a great singer. 00:38:45.440 --> 00:38:48.639 And their mama never told them the truth. 00:38:49.199 --> 00:38:50.079 Honey. 00:38:51.519 --> 00:38:53.599 Sing in the car and the shower. 00:38:54.400 --> 00:38:56.000 But nowhere else. 00:38:57.280 --> 00:38:59.519 But what are you naturally good at? 00:38:59.760 --> 00:39:05.519 What are the things that come so easy you barely notice that it's something at all? 00:39:06.159 --> 00:39:12.400 What are those things that come to you and you begin to go, hey, I enjoy this and I'm good at this? 00:39:12.559 --> 00:39:22.800 It might be recruiting, it might be researching, it might be design and the arts, it might be writing or uh, you know, landscaping or composing something. 00:39:23.119 --> 00:39:26.880 It might be teaching or counseling or managing. 00:39:26.960 --> 00:39:32.000 There's so many things, but begin to look at what you're naturally good at. 00:39:32.719 --> 00:39:43.199 See, God has supernaturally gifted you to belong the body of Christ and to build up His church. 00:39:44.000 --> 00:39:45.519 Would you take time this week? 00:39:45.679 --> 00:39:47.920 At the bottom of your notes is an application. 00:39:48.719 --> 00:39:51.039 Take an hour this week. 00:39:51.920 --> 00:39:55.840 Keep your notes and walk through this and begin to evaluate. 00:39:56.079 --> 00:40:02.559 Okay, I want to process my design and discover and really think about who I am made to be. 00:40:02.800 --> 00:40:09.920 Would you grab coffee or lunch with a friend, your spouse, a mentor, and begin to kick this around and talk with them? 00:40:10.159 --> 00:40:12.639 Hey, I'm wrestling with my primary spiritual gift. 00:40:12.719 --> 00:40:13.840 Ryan was talking about this. 00:40:14.000 --> 00:40:15.280 I think it might be this. 00:40:15.440 --> 00:40:16.960 Uh, what do you think? 00:40:17.920 --> 00:40:20.000 Take time, lean in. 00:40:20.400 --> 00:40:25.679 God has supernaturally gifted you to belong and to build up this church. 00:40:26.000 --> 00:40:28.400 As we close, I'm going to invite the band up. 00:40:28.800 --> 00:40:29.920 I just want to close. 00:40:30.159 --> 00:40:34.639 I've been reading this book, They Found the Secret: 20 Transformed Lies That Reveal a Touch of Eternity. 00:40:34.719 --> 00:40:41.679 It's been a great little book of people of old who've impacted the world. 00:40:41.840 --> 00:40:43.119 And would you stand up with me? 00:40:43.199 --> 00:40:46.159 I just want to read this over you a little bit as a prayer. 00:40:46.320 --> 00:40:47.679 I was reading about Andrew Murray. 00:40:47.760 --> 00:40:53.440 He was a famous South African um minister and missionary. 00:40:53.760 --> 00:40:57.760 And in his book, The Secret of Adoration, he writes this. 00:40:58.000 --> 00:40:59.519 And so breathe in. 00:41:00.719 --> 00:41:01.840 Breathe out. 00:41:03.679 --> 00:41:04.639 Take time. 00:41:06.239 --> 00:41:09.119 Give God time to reveal himself to you. 00:41:10.639 --> 00:41:14.800 Give yourself time to be silent and quiet before him. 00:41:17.119 --> 00:41:22.239 Waiting to receive through the Spirit the assurance of his presence. 00:41:23.360 --> 00:41:25.840 His power working in you. 00:41:26.800 --> 00:41:30.880 Take time to read his word as in his presence. 00:41:31.440 --> 00:41:37.679 That from it you may know what he asks of you and what he promises you. 00:41:38.079 --> 00:41:51.280 Let the word create around you, create within you a holy atmosphere, a holy heavenly light, in which your soul will be refreshed and strengthened for your daily work. 00:41:53.760 --> 00:42:02.400 So now we just want to take time recognizing the presence of the Spirit of God to be strengthened by his word. 00:42:44.000 --> 00:42:49.119 How you've made them to be with meaning and purpose and significance. 00:42:49.599 --> 00:42:53.920 Would you make us that kind of people and that kind of church? 00:42:54.800 --> 00:42:56.000 In Jesus' name. 00:42:57.679 --> 00:43:00.000 We hope you are blessed by this message. 00:43:00.239 --> 00:43:04.639 Please subscribe to our podcast for access to every episode as they're uploaded. 00:43:04.800 --> 00:43:06.880 And hey, we'd love to connect with you. 00:43:07.039 --> 00:43:12.960 Take a next step by filling out our virtual connection card at awakeningchurch.com/slash card.