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. 00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:21.920 All right, good morning, Awakening Church. 00:00:22.079 --> 00:00:23.440 Great to be what with you. 00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:24.960 If you're new, my name's Ryan. 00:00:25.039 --> 00:00:29.039 We're absolutely thrilled to have you join us today. 00:00:30.079 --> 00:00:34.719 Um, well, uh, the elections happened, huh? 00:00:35.439 --> 00:00:40.320 Yeah, we're that that that that that was the thing. 00:00:43.520 --> 00:00:55.359 Um, you know, depending on where you're at, maybe how you voted, you're probably feeling maybe one of three ways after the elections. 00:00:55.520 --> 00:01:04.079 Uh maybe you're grieving, uh, maybe you're joy-filled, or maybe you're just indifferent. 00:01:05.599 --> 00:01:20.239 And we're here as we're wrestling with this, I think a bigger thing for us as we step back from this last week and go on, like, okay, how do we discern what's happening with all that's going on? 00:01:20.560 --> 00:01:28.000 Um, I think it's one of those where we have to, this like post-election, just go, okay, now what? 00:01:28.959 --> 00:01:29.840 Now what? 00:01:31.359 --> 00:01:42.239 Um, every election, every candidate, every campaign, they promise change, don't they? 00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:46.000 It's the same every single election cycle. 00:01:46.239 --> 00:01:55.920 They promise change, and here's the reality: every candidate and every campaign never really fulfills the change they promised. 00:01:56.799 --> 00:02:07.519 I think an important question for us as the church to ask is simply this how do we see meaningful change in our world? 00:02:07.920 --> 00:02:10.080 How do we actually see that accomplished? 00:02:10.319 --> 00:02:12.800 Who we vote for is important. 00:02:14.879 --> 00:02:21.120 But what is far more important is who we are as followers of Jesus. 00:02:22.319 --> 00:02:23.199 Jesus said this. 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:25.199 This is his word to you today. 00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:31.520 If he was right now showing up, looking you in the eyeballs, this is what he wants to say to you. 00:02:33.039 --> 00:02:36.400 You are the light of the world. 00:02:38.560 --> 00:02:42.159 Not a presidential campaign or a country. 00:02:43.039 --> 00:02:44.000 You are. 00:02:46.159 --> 00:02:48.560 You are the light of the world. 00:02:48.719 --> 00:02:57.599 Like Jesus looks at you, and what he would say to you is he would speak such a vision into you, a calling greater than you even think. 00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:02.560 I know we walk around with a bit of imposter syndrome, and what do I have to offer? 00:03:02.800 --> 00:03:10.080 And lulling me, and he's gonna look at this group right here and go, you are the light of the world. 00:03:10.240 --> 00:03:15.120 Not one day, not could be present tense. 00:03:15.599 --> 00:03:23.120 Goes on, a town built on a hill cannot be hidden, neither do people light a lamp, uh, but put it or put it under a bowl. 00:03:23.199 --> 00:03:27.280 Instead, they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. 00:03:27.439 --> 00:03:39.280 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. 00:03:39.439 --> 00:03:44.479 In the same way, let your light shine before others, and how do we let our light shine? 00:03:44.719 --> 00:03:47.120 By our actions, not our intentions. 00:03:49.840 --> 00:04:01.840 Let your light shine the way we let our light shine, he says, is by the good deeds, by the things that we lean into in how we live is how we shine. 00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:09.919 It's interesting, the early church had no concept of trying to reform the Roman government. 00:04:11.360 --> 00:04:14.960 That wasn't even in their thinking. 00:04:15.199 --> 00:04:25.439 No, they lived in the shadow of the Roman Empire and they let their light shine brightly for Jesus in the midst of it. 00:04:25.680 --> 00:04:42.560 And in doing so, this ragtag group of followers, of this obscure rabbi who was executed on a Roman cross changed the world as we know it. 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:44.240 How? 00:04:44.879 --> 00:04:47.759 How do you see meaningful change in our world? 00:04:47.920 --> 00:04:57.519 I would suggest that we need to get back to the ways of Jesus to being the light of the world as the church in our day. 00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:01.680 Said another way, loving locally lights up our world. 00:05:01.920 --> 00:05:08.000 Today we're kicking off a series that I think is exactly timely for us as the church. 00:05:08.160 --> 00:05:09.920 It's called Love Local. 00:05:10.560 --> 00:05:13.519 It's what does it look like to be the light of the world? 00:05:13.680 --> 00:05:15.680 We're gonna look today at the local church. 00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:17.759 What does it look like to love the local church? 00:05:17.920 --> 00:05:21.600 Next week, uh, we're gonna look at how do we love our local community. 00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:25.759 Then the third week, right before Thanksgiving, you're needing this sermon, trust me. 00:05:25.920 --> 00:05:27.600 It's loving the locals. 00:05:27.839 --> 00:05:29.439 It's just the people in your life. 00:05:29.600 --> 00:05:35.199 You're gonna be hanging out with some people potentially that you might need some help loving. 00:05:35.439 --> 00:05:38.800 And so, how do we love uh one another? 00:05:38.959 --> 00:05:42.959 And in fact, today is less of a sermon, more of a lecture lab. 00:05:43.199 --> 00:05:51.439 I want us to kind of roll up our sleeves and not be motivated by a sermon, but be moved to action. 00:05:52.480 --> 00:06:08.399 My prayer is that you would walk away knowing more of who you are, knowing more about who God's church is to be, and together we would say we're in, and beginning to live this out as his church. 00:06:08.639 --> 00:06:12.480 And so today we're talking about the local church. 00:06:12.639 --> 00:06:14.319 Well, what is the church? 00:06:14.639 --> 00:06:24.319 The church is God's supernaturally empowered community that has experienced the love of God and expresses his love to a broken and hurting world. 00:06:24.480 --> 00:06:27.680 The church is God's supernaturally empowered community. 00:06:27.759 --> 00:06:31.040 There's three primary pictures in the New Testament for the church. 00:06:31.199 --> 00:06:35.839 Uh, one is of the bride, that the church is the bride of Christ. 00:06:36.399 --> 00:06:42.639 That the church is to be set apart, to be holy, that's special only unto Christ. 00:06:43.279 --> 00:06:45.439 The second is that the church is the body. 00:06:45.600 --> 00:06:47.759 We're gonna talk about that a little bit more. 00:06:47.920 --> 00:06:50.879 That you that we are the body of Christ. 00:06:51.120 --> 00:06:56.639 The church isn't a building, and we get that because we don't have one. 00:06:58.800 --> 00:07:00.319 The church is a people. 00:07:01.279 --> 00:07:05.839 Uh literally, the Greek word for church is ekklesia, it means called out ones. 00:07:06.959 --> 00:07:13.519 That we are the body of Christ, his representation, his hands and feet to a hurting and broken world. 00:07:13.600 --> 00:07:15.519 The third picture is the church's family. 00:07:16.079 --> 00:07:20.399 That you have been invited in, you've been called out, you've been placed into the family of God. 00:07:20.480 --> 00:07:28.000 You're sitting next to brothers and sisters in Christ, regardless of how you voted this last week. 00:07:28.720 --> 00:07:34.720 And that is far more unifying than any other thing. 00:07:35.120 --> 00:07:45.920 So the church is his supernaturally empowered community that has experienced the love of God and then expresses his love to a broken and hurting world. 00:07:46.000 --> 00:07:47.920 This is the way we say it at awakening. 00:07:48.160 --> 00:07:53.439 We exist to awaken this generation to new life in Christ. 00:07:53.600 --> 00:08:18.000 Like our purpose, the reason there's a team that set up yesterday and got up early this morning to set up, and there's those that are serving with our kids and made coffee and greeted, is we long that you would have a life-changing encounter with God, that you would experience his love deeply and profoundly, and then you would express his love to a hurting and broken world. 00:08:18.240 --> 00:08:24.399 Uh, the way we go about this is what we call our discipleship pathway. 00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:28.720 This is the process by which we want to see this vision uh come to life. 00:08:28.800 --> 00:08:32.799 And it begins this way: that you would come to know Jesus. 00:08:33.039 --> 00:08:38.000 In fact, the church is the only organization that exists for those who are not here yet. 00:08:38.480 --> 00:08:46.559 That we would look up and go, there's tons of people who have no idea about the hope and life found in Jesus. 00:08:46.720 --> 00:08:52.639 And our hope and prayer is every single Sunday that you would come to know Jesus at a deeper level. 00:08:52.879 --> 00:08:56.320 Secondly, then grow as a disciple of Jesus. 00:08:57.200 --> 00:09:02.320 What our world doesn't need is more decisions for Jesus. 00:09:02.639 --> 00:09:05.440 We need more disciples of Jesus. 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:08.080 People who go, you know what? 00:09:08.240 --> 00:09:11.120 I'm gonna pattern my life after Jesus. 00:09:11.200 --> 00:09:14.320 I'm gonna follow in his ways. 00:09:14.559 --> 00:09:29.440 Small groups is the environment upon which we uh see life change happening best, where we're in smaller communities centered around God's word, growing together, doing life together, helping each other grow and follow Jesus. 00:09:29.600 --> 00:09:34.240 The third area, and we're gonna talk more about this today, is serve in the name of Jesus. 00:09:35.120 --> 00:09:41.440 Whereas I come to know Jesus, I'm growing as a disciple, and then I begin to serve in the name of Jesus. 00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:46.720 I take my time, my talents, and my treasures, and I begin to say, you know what? 00:09:46.960 --> 00:09:48.879 All that I have is yours, Jesus. 00:09:49.039 --> 00:09:50.320 Use them as you will. 00:09:50.559 --> 00:09:56.480 In fact, if I'm following Jesus, Jesus said, I came not to be served, but to what? 00:09:56.960 --> 00:09:57.519 Serve. 00:09:57.679 --> 00:09:58.879 Here's what's interesting. 00:09:59.039 --> 00:10:02.480 The church in America, we won't pick on us too much yet. 00:10:02.799 --> 00:10:08.000 But the church in America comes to be served, not to serve. 00:10:08.720 --> 00:10:12.159 We have a consumeristic mindset coming, well, you know what? 00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:17.200 I don't really like the music or the coffee or the preaching. 00:10:17.279 --> 00:10:19.120 And we we consume. 00:10:20.639 --> 00:10:22.159 We're spectators. 00:10:22.399 --> 00:10:23.759 Entertain me. 00:10:25.039 --> 00:10:28.080 That is not the design of the church. 00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:36.159 In fact, I know a number of people who were floating at awakening and like, oh, you know, it's just not meeting my needs. 00:10:36.240 --> 00:10:36.720 I don't know. 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:38.559 And someone lovingly challenged them. 00:10:38.720 --> 00:10:40.399 Well, are you serving in any way? 00:10:40.799 --> 00:10:41.120 No. 00:10:41.440 --> 00:10:42.799 Are you in a small group? 00:10:43.120 --> 00:10:43.440 No. 00:10:43.759 --> 00:10:45.919 But it's just not meeting my needs. 00:10:46.639 --> 00:10:48.480 I don't really know anyone. 00:10:49.679 --> 00:10:50.960 Obviously. 00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:59.039 And the minute they got lovingly challenged to dive into a group and to serve, all of a sudden it's like it clicked. 00:11:00.639 --> 00:11:04.320 And then finally, share the love of Jesus. 00:11:06.240 --> 00:11:13.519 I'm concerned, far more concerned, with our seating or our sending capacity than our seating capacity. 00:11:14.960 --> 00:11:23.200 That you who walk out these doors, see, church doesn't stop the minute we uh stop services. 00:11:23.440 --> 00:11:25.519 Church is just on the move. 00:11:25.759 --> 00:11:32.720 And wherever you go, church is happening because the Spirit of the living God lives and dwells inside of every single one of you. 00:11:32.879 --> 00:11:44.320 We gather together to be encouraged and equipped, and then we are sent out to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a hurting and broken world and share his love with those around us. 00:11:44.480 --> 00:11:46.480 And so that's our discipleship pathway. 00:11:46.559 --> 00:11:55.360 Here's the good news: God has supernaturally gifted every single believer to belong and to build up his church. 00:11:56.720 --> 00:12:00.879 God has supernaturally gifted you to belong, to be a part of the family of God. 00:12:01.039 --> 00:12:04.960 We all deeply have this longing to belong. 00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:06.240 Where's my place? 00:12:06.399 --> 00:12:07.440 Where's my fit? 00:12:07.600 --> 00:12:08.799 Who are my people? 00:12:09.440 --> 00:12:11.759 God says, welcome to the family. 00:12:12.720 --> 00:12:17.600 And he's given you a purpose, a calling. 00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:23.440 Like you have a role to play, and it's significant to build up his church. 00:12:23.600 --> 00:12:25.519 This is the way the apostle Paul says it. 00:12:25.679 --> 00:12:37.120 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. 00:12:37.440 --> 00:12:41.840 Um, I don't know if you've been around someone that's um not sober. 00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:47.039 You know, you're talking to them, Ron, I just love you, man. 00:12:47.600 --> 00:12:50.000 You're the best, you know, you ever have. 00:12:50.080 --> 00:12:52.000 I've had a few of those conversations. 00:12:52.639 --> 00:12:57.120 I'm like, I'm not really sure you love me that much, but um maybe. 00:12:58.159 --> 00:13:02.240 Sober judgment is you're thinking clearly and accurately, right? 00:13:03.519 --> 00:13:18.240 What the church desperately needs is not people that think too high or too low, but that you're really clear, this is what I'm gifted at, this is how God has made me, this is what I'm not gifted at, and this is where I fit in the body of Christ. 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:22.720 We want to take time and help you discover your design during our time together. 00:13:22.960 --> 00:13:32.799 Then he goes on, it says, in accordance with the faith that God has distributed to each of you, um, just as each of us has one body with many members, okay, do this for me. 00:13:33.120 --> 00:13:34.320 Just look down at your body. 00:13:34.399 --> 00:13:35.840 This is the picture Paul's given us. 00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:37.279 Just take inventory, okay? 00:13:37.360 --> 00:13:38.320 It's all there, good. 00:13:38.559 --> 00:13:39.919 Yeah, that's a fantastic. 00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:45.360 I got fingers, I got toes, I I, you know, eyes and arms, okay? 00:13:45.600 --> 00:13:50.960 Just as one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function. 00:13:51.200 --> 00:13:52.879 They don't all play the same role. 00:13:52.960 --> 00:13:55.679 I'm talking with my mouth, my ears can't talk. 00:13:56.000 --> 00:14:05.360 So in Christ, though many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 00:14:09.039 --> 00:14:14.559 The picture of your body is the picture of the body for Christ. 00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:22.960 How different would it be if we really understood that we belong to one another? 00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:31.519 I mean, if you're missing a member, if you're missing a hand, you notice it. 00:14:32.159 --> 00:14:35.200 If your back hurts, you really notice it. 00:14:36.639 --> 00:14:42.879 And yet we miss out and don't understand that the church often is limping. 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:47.039 Because so many are missing. 00:14:49.279 --> 00:14:51.440 The body is not represented. 00:14:51.679 --> 00:14:53.440 In fact, let me give you a picture of the body. 00:14:53.519 --> 00:14:56.639 If you, like I said, this is a lecture lab, we're gonna do this today. 00:14:56.799 --> 00:14:58.720 Go ahead and stand up with me. 00:14:58.879 --> 00:15:01.679 And I I want you to do this. 00:15:01.919 --> 00:15:05.039 I want everyone in this room to be connected. 00:15:05.200 --> 00:15:13.360 If you're not comfortable grabbing, holding someone's hand, uh, you can do an elbow, but I want everyone to be connected and I want every section to be connected. 00:15:13.440 --> 00:15:17.600 So go ahead and maybe introduce yourself before you grab their hand. 00:15:17.840 --> 00:15:20.000 Um good, good, good, good. 00:15:20.159 --> 00:15:20.720 Grab a hand. 00:15:20.799 --> 00:15:26.399 But we got to connect the back to the front, the sides, and we gotta be interconnected where it's just one. 00:15:31.519 --> 00:15:35.600 Connect to the cross, connect to are we see we got this? 00:15:35.679 --> 00:15:36.320 Is this great. 00:15:36.559 --> 00:15:37.519 You see this? 00:15:37.759 --> 00:15:39.440 We got denominations happening. 00:15:39.519 --> 00:15:42.240 We have the back denomination and the front denomination. 00:15:42.399 --> 00:15:44.080 We connect the back to the front. 00:15:44.240 --> 00:15:48.000 Come on, guys, there's the back section. 00:15:48.159 --> 00:15:49.600 How do you guys connect to the front? 00:15:49.679 --> 00:15:50.480 Figure it out. 00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:51.519 There we go. 00:16:01.279 --> 00:16:03.279 And this is the picture of the body. 00:16:05.120 --> 00:16:08.559 And part of it is it required you to move. 00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:10.320 Get out of your seat. 00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:16.799 Part of it is it moved past like this uncomfortableness of reaching out. 00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:20.879 The uncomfortableness of Ryan's still talking, I'm still holding their hand. 00:16:24.879 --> 00:16:26.879 I want to do something real quick. 00:16:27.200 --> 00:16:30.000 Just first look around, because this is Paul's picture. 00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:33.440 We're all to be connected, we all belong to one another. 00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:40.240 But the picture often of the church in America, and this group, why don't you just sit down? 00:16:40.320 --> 00:16:41.519 You can let go of hands. 00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:43.200 And this group, why don't you sit down? 00:16:43.360 --> 00:16:44.320 You can let go of hands. 00:16:44.559 --> 00:16:46.320 Middle stay standing. 00:16:46.559 --> 00:16:49.840 This group back there in the back, why don't you go ahead and sit down? 00:16:50.159 --> 00:16:50.960 There you go. 00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:51.600 I know. 00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:54.159 You're like, why did I sit in the middle today? 00:16:54.320 --> 00:16:55.919 Why did I do it? 00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:00.879 Doing rough math. 00:17:01.039 --> 00:17:02.960 The middle section, go ahead and sit down. 00:17:03.519 --> 00:17:11.279 Do you know just at awakening, we we only 54% of those who attend serve in no way at all. 00:17:13.440 --> 00:17:14.720 It's like this. 00:17:15.839 --> 00:17:17.680 Go ahead, you can all let go of hands. 00:17:17.759 --> 00:17:19.039 Oh, good grief. 00:17:19.920 --> 00:17:22.400 Because you weren't gonna listen to anything else I was gonna say. 00:17:22.480 --> 00:17:27.440 You're like, my hands are getting sweaty, now I'm getting embarrassed, I don't know what to do. 00:17:32.640 --> 00:17:41.119 The picture Paul has is that you play an integral part of the body of Christ. 00:17:41.599 --> 00:17:45.039 That you're needed, that you're gifted. 00:17:46.079 --> 00:17:48.720 And without you, you're missed. 00:17:49.599 --> 00:17:54.559 Without you, the church is not what we're supposed to be. 00:17:56.240 --> 00:17:59.440 I don't know who can pick up their phone or not, but that would be great. 00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:03.279 That's right. 00:18:04.240 --> 00:18:05.119 Oh, there we go. 00:18:05.200 --> 00:18:05.920 Thanks. 00:18:06.799 --> 00:18:10.240 And without you, there's this ringing that okay. 00:18:14.559 --> 00:18:17.119 He goes on, he says, we have different gifts. 00:18:18.319 --> 00:18:20.880 And so you're different by design. 00:18:22.640 --> 00:18:24.400 It's actually on purpose. 00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:28.720 We need a church that has different gifts. 00:18:28.799 --> 00:18:31.200 If we're all the same, it's not a good thing. 00:18:31.440 --> 00:18:35.839 According to the grace given to each of us, then he's going to tell us some gifts in the church. 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:44.640 If you have the gift of prophecy, that's speaking a specific word of God to a specific person or people or time, then prophesy in accordance with your faith. 00:18:44.880 --> 00:18:46.480 If it's serving, then serve. 00:18:46.640 --> 00:18:52.799 Some people have this gift to come alongside and help a vision become a reality, to support, serve. 00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:54.880 It's often behind the scenes. 00:18:55.200 --> 00:18:58.160 I think of Dave Grazian was in the first service. 00:18:58.240 --> 00:19:00.559 He's got the gift of service. 00:19:00.880 --> 00:19:04.240 And I've watched him for a couple decades now. 00:19:04.480 --> 00:19:08.720 And he serves with our setup and teardown team, and it brings him such great joy. 00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:11.359 And here's what the interesting part about a spiritual gift. 00:19:11.599 --> 00:19:16.480 When you use it, it brings you great joy and it brings others great good. 00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:19.920 What about the gift of giving? 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:23.119 Or give if it's encouraging, or saying, oh, let's go back. 00:19:23.279 --> 00:19:30.319 Serving, if it's teaching, this is the ability to communicate God's word in a clear, understandable, applicable way, then teach. 00:19:30.400 --> 00:19:33.920 There's many with the gift of teaching that are with our kids right now. 00:19:34.240 --> 00:19:37.839 If it's to encourage, then give encouragement. 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:43.920 Encouragement is sees those who need lifting up and brings life through words and actions. 00:19:44.319 --> 00:19:46.240 There's a couple, Saye and Shadi. 00:19:46.559 --> 00:19:48.079 They are a powerhouse couple. 00:19:48.160 --> 00:19:50.720 They are a couple of encouragers. 00:19:51.039 --> 00:19:54.240 You can't help but be around them and be encouraged. 00:19:54.480 --> 00:19:56.400 If it's giving, then give generously. 00:19:56.559 --> 00:19:58.720 Did you know there's the spiritual gift of giving? 00:19:58.960 --> 00:20:01.680 All of us, all of these we're called to do in some way. 00:20:01.759 --> 00:20:04.160 And yet some are uniquely gifted to do that. 00:20:04.319 --> 00:20:12.400 The spiritual gift of giving is the ability to earn money, manage it well, wisely contribute to the work of the Lord with cheerfulness and liberality. 00:20:12.799 --> 00:20:20.319 Like those with the gift of generosity, they actually don't try to go, they try to figure out how much they can give. 00:20:20.400 --> 00:20:26.079 Some do even a reverse tithe where they give 90% away and live off 10%. 00:20:27.119 --> 00:20:31.599 If it's the gift, some if it's to lead, do it diligently. 00:20:31.839 --> 00:20:37.359 Leadership is to see what needs to be done, to be able to set goals, motivate people to accomplish the work of ministry. 00:20:37.519 --> 00:20:40.319 If it's to show mercy, do it cheerfully. 00:20:40.640 --> 00:20:48.880 Mercy this reflects God's compassionate nature, embodying his love in ways that bring comfort, hope, healing to those in need. 00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:50.559 See Carrie right there. 00:20:50.640 --> 00:20:52.160 She started our Mills ministry. 00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:52.880 Sorry, Carrie. 00:20:54.240 --> 00:20:57.440 She has, I would think, the gift of mercy. 00:20:57.680 --> 00:21:06.480 She saw a need, and through action, meeting people in areas walking through difficult times. 00:21:06.720 --> 00:21:12.160 Every single follower of Jesus has an integral role to play in the body of Christ. 00:21:12.640 --> 00:21:13.680 You're needed. 00:21:15.519 --> 00:21:16.640 You're needed. 00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:22.000 The problem is that many of us don't know our design or gifting. 00:21:22.960 --> 00:21:25.119 And so we don't know where we fit. 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:33.759 And so it's, I don't think so much in our church that we want to stay on the sidelines or that we want to, you know, just not participate. 00:21:33.839 --> 00:21:38.079 It's just like one, we don't know we're needed and we don't know our design or our fit. 00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:46.960 So with the remainder of our time, I want to unpack an acrostic called design to help you understand how God has made you. 00:21:47.200 --> 00:21:52.799 And we're gonna kind of, you know, do a few things like you're gonna take a spiritual gift survey in a little bit. 00:21:52.880 --> 00:21:56.480 We're gonna do it in service because if I ask you to do it later, you'll forget. 00:21:56.559 --> 00:21:57.599 Uh you'll get busy. 00:21:57.680 --> 00:21:58.559 We're all busy. 00:21:58.720 --> 00:21:59.519 So let's dive in. 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:01.279 Your unique design. 00:22:01.359 --> 00:22:04.079 The first, uh, the letter D stands for desire. 00:22:04.240 --> 00:22:07.039 The question here is, what am I passionate about? 00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:09.200 What gets me excited? 00:22:09.599 --> 00:22:12.799 You know, like what you're passionate about, what you're excited about? 00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:14.480 Like God can really use. 00:22:14.960 --> 00:22:18.000 I love uh Frederick Bon Bachner. 00:22:18.079 --> 00:22:24.319 He said this the place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet. 00:22:24.559 --> 00:22:27.519 I was thinking about my wife ever since she was a little girl. 00:22:27.599 --> 00:22:30.480 She's loved design, she's loved architecture. 00:22:30.640 --> 00:22:33.200 Um, and you know, she's a real estate agent. 00:22:33.279 --> 00:22:35.519 That fits great with her profession. 00:22:35.759 --> 00:22:37.440 And yet she's used design. 00:22:37.519 --> 00:22:46.720 She loves to create spaces where people come in and it's beautiful and it's engaging, and it just makes you feel like, ah, this is such a great place to be. 00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:49.839 Well, she's done that in the church for so long. 00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:52.960 Maybe you love design, you're passionate about that. 00:22:53.200 --> 00:23:02.400 I think of a guy named Reed who, when he was 19, he moved from Illinois to Silicon Valley to work at Yahoo. 00:23:02.720 --> 00:23:06.240 Yes, he is the original tech Kobe Bryant. 00:23:06.400 --> 00:23:08.480 Like he got hired out of high school. 00:23:08.559 --> 00:23:11.119 This guy is insanely smart. 00:23:12.640 --> 00:23:13.839 He loves tech. 00:23:14.079 --> 00:23:17.759 And oftentimes when we talk, I'm not really sure what he's saying. 00:23:18.079 --> 00:23:20.799 Because I don't know the technical stuff. 00:23:21.039 --> 00:23:22.559 But you know what he did? 00:23:22.799 --> 00:23:24.640 He's so passionate about it. 00:23:24.880 --> 00:23:26.880 We have a website because of Reed. 00:23:27.200 --> 00:23:28.160 He built that. 00:23:28.400 --> 00:23:42.240 We were one of the first churches in the country to be live streaming our services because he built the actual platform for us to live stream and then began to share it with other churches around the country. 00:23:42.480 --> 00:23:43.599 Like it's amazing. 00:23:43.759 --> 00:23:45.119 It's just what he's passionate about. 00:23:45.200 --> 00:23:46.720 What are you passionate about? 00:23:46.960 --> 00:23:49.680 What like gets your heart excited? 00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:54.640 God would want to use that in you to bring about great good. 00:23:54.960 --> 00:23:58.400 D stands for desire, E stands for experience. 00:23:58.640 --> 00:24:05.680 The diagnostic question here is what are my past experiences, both good and bad, that have shaped who I am today? 00:24:06.319 --> 00:24:16.240 In fact, what I would like you to do with this is I'd love for you later today or this week just to draw a timeline of your life. 00:24:16.559 --> 00:24:24.480 And begin to just know, you know, the good and the hard or the painful experiences of life. 00:24:24.799 --> 00:24:26.720 And just begin to do this timeline. 00:24:26.880 --> 00:24:39.519 Your past experiences, God wants to use those areas, and it may be the very ministry he's called you to is coming from some of the areas of some of the hardest things you've gone through. 00:24:39.680 --> 00:24:40.480 Bishop T.D. 00:24:40.640 --> 00:24:41.440 Jakes says this. 00:24:41.519 --> 00:24:44.880 He says, When you're born, you're like a key with no cuts in it. 00:24:45.039 --> 00:24:52.240 As you go through life, each wound, failure, hurt cuts into that strip of metal, and one day there's a clear click. 00:24:52.400 --> 00:24:57.440 Your pain has formed the key that slips into the lock that opens your future. 00:24:58.319 --> 00:24:59.519 Would you take time? 00:24:59.680 --> 00:25:04.240 What are my past experiences, both good and bad, that have shaped who I am? 00:25:04.559 --> 00:25:08.720 How might God want to use that in his body today? 00:25:09.519 --> 00:25:22.799 I think of one just recently, a gal in our church, Jerry, who came and she her, one of her experiences was just simply the connection team loved her so well, she felt so welcomed. 00:25:23.039 --> 00:25:26.000 So I want to join the connection team. 00:25:26.799 --> 00:25:32.960 Because I want other people to feel the way I felt when I first came. 00:25:33.359 --> 00:25:35.279 It's amazing, it's powerful. 00:25:35.440 --> 00:25:40.000 So the E stands for your experiences, S stands for spiritual gifts. 00:25:40.160 --> 00:25:42.720 The question is, what are my spiritual gifts? 00:25:42.880 --> 00:25:45.119 We just covered a few of those in Romans. 00:25:45.599 --> 00:25:48.720 Many people, most of us have done some personality profile. 00:25:48.799 --> 00:25:53.039 You've done the disc profile, you've done Myers Briggs, Strength Finders. 00:25:53.119 --> 00:25:56.720 There's a uh but here's the interesting part. 00:25:56.880 --> 00:26:00.319 More Christians know their Enneagram than their spiritual gifts. 00:26:01.279 --> 00:26:03.039 We need to know our spiritual gifts. 00:26:03.200 --> 00:26:05.519 God has supernaturally given you a gift. 00:26:05.599 --> 00:26:08.960 The word spiritual gift is from the Greek, it's uh charismatat. 00:26:09.039 --> 00:26:10.480 It's a grace gift. 00:26:11.359 --> 00:26:19.200 Like God has given you a gift that when you use it, it brings you great joy and it brings others great good. 00:26:19.359 --> 00:26:23.440 Every follower of Jesus has been given at least one spiritual gift. 00:26:23.680 --> 00:26:26.559 Because it's a gift, you've done nothing to earn it. 00:26:26.799 --> 00:26:30.799 But spiritual gifts are discovered and developed in community. 00:26:31.039 --> 00:26:36.400 Now, the thing with spiritual gifts is they don't come in fully developed form. 00:26:37.200 --> 00:26:42.240 When my son graduated eighth grade, we got him a guitar. 00:26:43.039 --> 00:26:44.319 It's a gift. 00:26:44.720 --> 00:26:52.400 Now he could have the choice of having that guitar just sit in his room, or he could spend time working and playing on it. 00:26:52.640 --> 00:26:54.240 He spent time working on playing on it. 00:26:54.319 --> 00:26:55.920 He's a fantastic guitarist. 00:26:56.880 --> 00:27:01.039 Your spiritual gifts do not come in fully developed form. 00:27:01.839 --> 00:27:05.680 You have to take time to develop them and grow them. 00:27:05.920 --> 00:27:08.559 You have the gifts and you have to develop it. 00:27:08.720 --> 00:27:09.920 So here's what I want you to do. 00:27:10.000 --> 00:27:12.640 You have this card on your seat. 00:27:12.720 --> 00:27:14.400 I want you to take the QR code. 00:27:14.559 --> 00:27:20.160 We're literally gonna take seven minutes, scan it. 00:27:20.640 --> 00:27:30.000 You're gonna come to our love local uh page, and you're gonna scroll down just a little bit and take the spiritual gifts test. 00:27:30.079 --> 00:27:31.920 And maybe you're like, well, I've already taken one. 00:27:32.079 --> 00:27:32.640 Fantastic. 00:27:32.799 --> 00:27:33.680 Take it again. 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:38.240 Um and you'll notice on the card that there's a space for your top three. 00:27:38.319 --> 00:27:40.480 It's gonna give you your top five. 00:27:40.960 --> 00:27:44.640 Test only takes seven minutes, but we're gonna pause. 00:27:44.799 --> 00:27:54.640 I'm gonna let the production team in the back play some music and take time and let's discover our spiritual gifts. 00:27:56.559 --> 00:28:04.720 As you're finishing up, take your top three, write them on this little card here. 00:28:05.119 --> 00:28:17.680 We want to help you, and you can finish up as I'm talking, uh, but we want to help you not only discover, but begin to develop those gifts in community. 00:28:19.519 --> 00:28:24.960 We need you, God has designed us to be the body, to represent him. 00:28:25.440 --> 00:28:29.680 How do we see change in our world? 00:28:29.759 --> 00:28:31.680 It begins with us going, you know what? 00:28:32.960 --> 00:28:40.799 You are supernaturally gifted by God to belong and build up his church. 00:28:40.960 --> 00:28:48.799 Uh the D stands for desire, the E for experience, S for spiritual gifts, the I stands for individual style. 00:28:49.039 --> 00:28:51.440 Asking questions like this: who am I really? 00:28:51.759 --> 00:28:53.599 How do I interact with people? 00:28:54.079 --> 00:28:55.440 What brings me energy? 00:28:55.599 --> 00:28:56.400 What drains me? 00:28:56.480 --> 00:28:58.400 That extroversion, introversion. 00:28:58.559 --> 00:29:00.640 How do I generally deal with problems? 00:29:00.880 --> 00:29:02.880 How do I go about making decisions? 00:29:03.039 --> 00:29:05.200 How do I respond to change? 00:29:06.000 --> 00:29:12.960 You know, uh I'm fairly introverted myself, and introverts get a bad rap, like they don't like people. 00:29:13.200 --> 00:29:14.319 It's not true. 00:29:14.640 --> 00:29:15.920 We love people. 00:29:16.400 --> 00:29:18.240 It's just that you drain me. 00:29:20.559 --> 00:29:22.480 Here's what's interesting though. 00:29:22.640 --> 00:29:26.400 You discern as you begin to know who you are, how God's made you. 00:29:26.559 --> 00:29:31.039 Like I write sermons, so you know when I do it, I learn from uh a mentor. 00:29:31.440 --> 00:29:35.359 Um, I my best time of thinking is early in the morning. 00:29:35.519 --> 00:29:35.920 Why? 00:29:36.079 --> 00:29:42.079 Because I just spent eight hours by myself, you know, sleeping, and you your tank is filled up. 00:29:42.480 --> 00:29:45.359 You gotta begin to understand how has God made you. 00:29:45.440 --> 00:29:50.160 I think of McKenna, who's on our one of our proteges, she part of our connection team. 00:29:50.400 --> 00:29:54.880 Her per her personality, she's outgoing, enjoys connecting with people. 00:29:55.119 --> 00:30:00.160 If you don't enjoy connecting with people, please don't join the connection team, right? 00:30:00.640 --> 00:30:04.079 There's other spaces based on how God's made you. 00:30:04.240 --> 00:30:06.640 Uh the G stands for growth phase. 00:30:06.880 --> 00:30:08.640 Where am I at in life? 00:30:08.880 --> 00:30:10.880 How am I doing spiritually? 00:30:11.119 --> 00:30:13.359 I mean, let's be honest, really evaluate. 00:30:13.519 --> 00:30:14.319 Are you growing? 00:30:14.480 --> 00:30:15.519 Do you feel stuck? 00:30:15.680 --> 00:30:18.880 Maybe you feel like you're backsliding in some ways. 00:30:19.599 --> 00:30:25.119 How are you doing spiritually, emotionally, relationally, mentally, financially? 00:30:25.359 --> 00:30:26.880 What stage of life are you in? 00:30:27.039 --> 00:30:29.279 Are you in the student stage of life? 00:30:29.440 --> 00:30:31.519 Are you in the single stage of life? 00:30:31.680 --> 00:30:34.160 The married family or empty nester? 00:30:34.559 --> 00:30:41.680 All those things are these growth phases that impact and shape how we go through life and where we serve. 00:30:41.839 --> 00:30:52.319 I just think of uh Sherman and Karen Trigg who lead our uh in our marriage mentoring so often, and they're leading a marriage um course that's coming up. 00:30:52.559 --> 00:30:54.400 Well, you know what? 00:30:54.799 --> 00:30:58.160 They're in the empty nesting grandparent stage of life. 00:30:58.319 --> 00:31:00.400 In fact, they have a gaggle of grandkids. 00:31:00.480 --> 00:31:01.599 They have so many grandkids. 00:31:01.680 --> 00:31:02.559 It's amazing. 00:31:02.799 --> 00:31:12.880 And they have a lot of experience through all the stages of marriage and life that now they're pouring in because of that into younger couples. 00:31:13.039 --> 00:31:15.119 But what growth phase are you in? 00:31:15.359 --> 00:31:18.000 And then finally, your natural ability. 00:31:18.160 --> 00:31:21.599 Ask the question here: what am I naturally good at? 00:31:22.160 --> 00:31:25.279 Not what do I enjoy doing? 00:31:25.680 --> 00:31:29.839 Because what sometimes what you enjoy doing, you're not naturally good at. 00:31:30.240 --> 00:31:34.480 Um, there's plenty of people on American Idol that enjoy singing. 00:31:35.200 --> 00:31:38.559 They are not naturally good at it. 00:31:39.599 --> 00:31:41.920 But what are you naturally good at? 00:31:42.079 --> 00:31:50.880 Here's what's interesting: whatever we're naturally good at, we talk about this in our Awakening 101, we tend to dismiss or diminish it. 00:31:51.519 --> 00:31:58.079 Like if you're naturally good at organizing, like, oh, someone goes, Oh, thank you so much for organizing this. 00:31:58.240 --> 00:31:59.200 And what do you say? 00:31:59.359 --> 00:32:00.960 Oh, it was nothing. 00:32:01.119 --> 00:32:02.480 It's no big deal. 00:32:02.720 --> 00:32:03.519 It was easy. 00:32:03.599 --> 00:32:09.200 You're naturally good at designing and creating an atmosphere, you know, maybe it's a stage design. 00:32:09.279 --> 00:32:10.400 Oh, that was amazing. 00:32:10.480 --> 00:32:11.839 Oh, it was nothing. 00:32:11.920 --> 00:32:12.480 It was easy. 00:32:12.559 --> 00:32:15.759 You're naturally good at building or spreadsheets or whatever. 00:32:15.920 --> 00:32:18.640 We diminish or dismiss it. 00:32:18.720 --> 00:32:20.480 I love how my friend Judy says it. 00:32:20.640 --> 00:32:21.359 She said it to me. 00:32:21.440 --> 00:32:28.000 She's Ryan, never diminish the work of God in you or through you. 00:32:30.240 --> 00:32:35.119 It's the reason it's easy for you is you're you're naturally good at it. 00:32:36.079 --> 00:32:40.160 And sometimes we don't see it, and so you might need to ask somebody else. 00:32:41.200 --> 00:32:42.799 Oh, is this actually helpful? 00:32:42.960 --> 00:32:48.319 You know, if you're putting together a spreadsheet, that's really how I can't do that. 00:32:49.599 --> 00:32:53.599 It might be easy for you, but it is hard for somebody else. 00:32:53.839 --> 00:32:56.720 That's why we need the body. 00:32:56.960 --> 00:33:01.119 Um, I think of Janet, who's in our cafe team. 00:33:01.920 --> 00:33:04.319 She's naturally good at baking. 00:33:05.599 --> 00:33:08.000 Some of you should never step foot in a kitchen. 00:33:08.079 --> 00:33:09.119 Let's just be real. 00:33:09.839 --> 00:33:11.680 You'll kill somebody. 00:33:13.359 --> 00:33:14.240 She's so good. 00:33:14.319 --> 00:33:18.000 She worked at Bouchon Bakery, she's done so many things. 00:33:18.160 --> 00:33:23.039 She's, it's what she's not only passionate about, but she's naturally good at it. 00:33:23.440 --> 00:33:29.839 And like coming up on Christmas Eve at a special event, she's creating some special treats for Christmas Eve. 00:33:29.920 --> 00:33:30.400 I love that. 00:33:30.559 --> 00:33:32.720 Like she's taking what she's naturally good at. 00:33:32.880 --> 00:33:38.319 I think about Jesse, who's um he's naturally good at finances and numbers. 00:33:38.400 --> 00:33:43.279 And some of us aren't, you know, and you need help balancing your budget. 00:33:43.519 --> 00:33:44.559 Fantastic. 00:33:45.200 --> 00:33:48.079 He is a CPA and a financial planner. 00:33:48.240 --> 00:33:54.000 Like he's naturally good at this, and he serves as the treasurer for a leadership council for our church. 00:33:54.240 --> 00:34:02.480 Like he's taking what he's naturally good at and the mind God's given him and leveraging and stewarding it in an credible way. 00:34:02.640 --> 00:34:05.200 And so, what are you naturally good at? 00:34:06.480 --> 00:34:08.239 What comes easy? 00:34:09.440 --> 00:34:12.079 What do other people go like, oh, thank you so much? 00:34:12.159 --> 00:34:14.159 And you go, like, it was nothing. 00:34:14.559 --> 00:34:16.320 God might want to use that. 00:34:16.559 --> 00:34:20.400 You have an integral role to play in the body of Christ. 00:34:20.639 --> 00:34:22.400 So here's what I want us to do. 00:34:22.719 --> 00:34:27.280 With the remaining of our time, we're actually going to end a little early, intentionally. 00:34:27.599 --> 00:34:34.000 Uh, what I want you to do is first, I want you to start, uh, spend time this week, unpack your design. 00:34:34.159 --> 00:34:36.960 If you're like Ryan, I didn't get all those notes, fantastic. 00:34:37.199 --> 00:34:40.639 QR code, the whole outline is online. 00:34:41.519 --> 00:34:48.400 Would you take time, maybe a journal, maybe with a close friend, and work through these things. 00:34:51.199 --> 00:34:53.360 Jesus looked at his body. 00:34:53.679 --> 00:34:57.840 He looked at the church and said, You're the light of the world. 00:34:58.159 --> 00:35:01.360 You have a role to play, you have a calling to fulfill. 00:35:01.840 --> 00:35:14.239 Like the reason, the way that change is gonna take place is when a local body really believes, okay, we're called to be light. 00:35:14.800 --> 00:35:19.119 And it starts here and it begins to ripple effect out into the community. 00:35:19.280 --> 00:35:20.960 That's what we'll talk about next week. 00:35:21.119 --> 00:35:23.760 So, would you spend time unpacking your design? 00:35:24.960 --> 00:35:27.199 We hope you are blessed by this message. 00:35:27.440 --> 00:35:31.840 Please subscribe to our podcast for access to every episode as they're uploaded. 00:35:32.000 --> 00:35:34.079 And hey, we'd love to connect with you. 00:35:34.239 --> 00:35:40.159 Take a next step by filling out our virtual connection card at awakeningchurch.com slash card.