Discernment: Navigating Spiritual Gifts with Love

Devotional

Day 1: The Power of Prophecy

Prophecy is a profound gift that allows us to be God's mouthpiece, offering words of strength, encouragement, and comfort. It is a beautiful way God speaks through us to uplift others. However, it requires discernment to ensure that the words we share are genuinely from God and not from our own desires or emotions. Prophecy can be life-changing, providing deep, personal encouragement and guidance. It is essential to approach this gift with a sense of responsibility and reverence, understanding the impact it can have on others.

Prophecy is not just about foretelling the future; it is about speaking God's truth into someone's life. This can bring clarity, hope, and direction. However, it is crucial to remember that prophecy must align with God's will and character. Without discernment, we risk causing harm, even with the best intentions. Therefore, it is vital to seek God's guidance and confirmation when exercising this gift. [08:22]

1 Corinthians 14:3 (ESV): "On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation."

Reflection: Think of a time when you received a word of encouragement or guidance from someone. How did it impact you? How can you seek God's guidance to be a vessel of His encouragement to others today?

Day 2: The Importance of Discernment

Discernment acts as a hearing aid, helping us distinguish between what is from God and what is not. It is essential for ensuring that our spiritual gifts are used correctly and effectively. Without discernment, we risk causing harm, even with the best intentions. Discernment helps us to tune into God's voice more clearly, ensuring that what we hear or see aligns with His will.

The Greek word "diacrisis" means discernment, and "pneuma" means spirit or breath. Together, they describe the ability to differentiate between spirits. This gift is crucial in navigating the complexities of spiritual experiences and ensuring that our actions and words are in line with God's truth. Discernment requires a deep relationship with God, constant prayer, and a humble heart willing to seek His wisdom. [16:26]

Hebrews 5:14 (ESV): "But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil."

Reflection: Reflect on a recent decision or situation where you needed discernment. How did you seek God's guidance? What steps can you take to develop a deeper sense of discernment in your daily life?

Day 3: Personal Testimonies

Personal experiences with prophecy can be life-changing. A prophetic word can provide deep, personal encouragement and guidance. However, misguided prophecies can lead to devastating consequences, highlighting the need for discernment and care in exercising this gift. Personal testimonies remind us of the power and responsibility that come with spiritual gifts.

Sharing personal stories of how prophecy has impacted lives can inspire and encourage others. It also serves as a reminder of the importance of seeking God's guidance and confirmation. Misguided prophecies can cause confusion and harm, emphasizing the need for discernment and humility. By sharing our experiences, we can help others understand the significance of these gifts and the importance of using them wisely. [12:21]

1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 (ESV): "Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good."

Reflection: Think of a time when a prophetic word or spiritual insight impacted your life. How did it shape your faith journey? How can you share your testimony to encourage and guide others?

Day 4: Balancing Boldness and Humility

While we should be bold in exercising our spiritual gifts, we must also remain humble. Recognizing our human fallibility helps us approach these gifts with the necessary caution and sensitivity. Love should always be our guiding principle. Boldness in using our gifts is essential, but it must be balanced with humility and a deep sense of responsibility.

Humility allows us to acknowledge our limitations and seek God's guidance continually. It helps us to use our gifts in a way that honors God and serves others. Love is the greatest gift, and it should guide how we use all other gifts. Without love, even the most profound spiritual gifts are meaningless. By balancing boldness with humility, we can effectively use our gifts to build up the body of Christ and glorify God. [20:04]

James 3:13 (ESV): "Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom."

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you had to balance boldness and humility in using your spiritual gifts. How did you ensure that love was your guiding principle? What steps can you take to maintain this balance in your daily life?

Day 5: The Three B's: Be Aware, Be Bold, Be Humble

Awareness of our need for discernment, boldness in exercising our gifts, and humility in recognizing our limitations are crucial for effectively using spiritual gifts. Love is the greatest gift and should guide how we use all other gifts. Being aware means understanding the significance and impact of our spiritual gifts. It involves seeking God's guidance and being sensitive to His leading.

Being bold means stepping out in faith and using our gifts to serve others and glorify God. It requires courage and a willingness to take risks. However, boldness must be balanced with humility. Recognizing our limitations and seeking God's wisdom helps us to use our gifts responsibly. Love should always be at the center of our actions, guiding us to use our gifts in a way that builds up others and honors God. [21:48]

1 Peter 4:10 (ESV): "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace."

Reflection: Reflect on the three B's: Be aware, be bold, and be humble. How can you apply these principles in using your spiritual gifts? What steps can you take to ensure that love is at the center of your actions?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Welcome to One Church at Home! Today, we continue our summer series on the spiritual gifts outlined in 1 Corinthians 12. These gifts, though not exhaustive, are ways God empowers us to impact the world. Last week, Pastor Jonathan spoke about the gift of prophecy, emphasizing that God is alive, speaking, and active. Prophecy allows us to be God's mouthpiece, offering words of strength, encouragement, and comfort. This week, we delve into the gift of discernment, which serves as a counterbalance to prophecy.

Discernment is crucial because it helps us distinguish between what is genuinely from God and what is not. The Greek word "diacrisis" means discernment, and "pneuma" means spirit or breath. Together, they describe the ability to differentiate between spirits, ensuring that what we hear or see aligns with God's will. This gift acts as a hearing aid, helping us tune into God's voice more clearly.

I shared a personal story about a time when I was struggling with my identity and calling. A prophetic word from a stranger profoundly uplifted me, reminding me of my worth and calling as a child of God. However, I also recounted a cautionary tale where a misguided prophecy led to devastating consequences for a young woman. This underscores the importance of discernment in exercising spiritual gifts.

Discernment is about care and compassion. It acknowledges the power of prophecy and other gifts while recognizing our human fallibility. We must be aware of our need for discernment, be bold in exercising our gifts, and remain humble. Love is the greatest gift, and it requires us to be sensitive in how we use our spiritual gifts. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13, even if we have the gift of prophecy but lack love, we are nothing.

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Key Takeaways

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2. The Importance of Discernment: Discernment acts as a hearing aid, helping us distinguish between what is from God and what is not. It is essential for ensuring that our spiritual gifts are used correctly and effectively. Without discernment, we risk causing harm, even with the best intentions.

3. Personal Testimonies: Personal experiences with prophecy can be life-changing. A prophetic word can provide deep, personal encouragement and guidance. However, misguided prophecies can lead to devastating consequences, highlighting the need for discernment and care in exercising this gift.

4. Balancing Boldness and Humility: While we should be bold in exercising our spiritual gifts, we must also remain humble. Recognizing our human fallibility helps us approach these gifts with the necessary caution and sensitivity. Love should always be our guiding principle.

5. The Three B's: Be aware, be bold, and be humble. Awareness of our need for discernment, boldness in exercising our gifts, and humility in recognizing our limitations are crucial for effectively using spiritual gifts. Love is the greatest gift and should guide how we use all other gifts.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[06:27] - Introduction to Spiritual Gifts
[07:06] - The Impact of Spiritual Gifts
[07:47] - The Gift of Prophecy
[08:22] - Strengthening, Encouraging, and Comforting
[09:25] - Personal Experiences with Prophecy
[10:32] - Struggles and Identity
[11:31] - A Letter from God
[12:21] - The Power of Prophetic Words
[13:19] - Miraculous Affirmations
[13:44] - Misguided Prophecies
[15:22] - The Tension in Prophecy
[16:26] - The Gift of Discernment
[17:03] - Understanding Discernment
[18:16] - Greek Words for Discernment
[19:31] - Encouraging Prophetic Gifts
[20:04] - The Need for Discernment
[21:13] - Discernment and Compassion
[21:48] - The Three B's
[23:03] - The Power and Danger of Gifts
[23:41] - Love as the Greatest Gift

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What are the different spiritual gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11?
According to 1 Corinthians 14:3, what are the purposes of prophecy?
How does 1 Corinthians 13:2 emphasize the importance of love in the exercise of spiritual gifts?

Interpretation Questions

Why is discernment described as a "hearing aid" in the sermon? How does this metaphor help us understand its role in distinguishing God's voice? [16:26]
How does the personal story shared in the sermon illustrate the power and potential pitfalls of prophecy? [12:21]
What does it mean to balance boldness and humility when exercising spiritual gifts, according to the sermon? [20:04]
How does the concept of "The Three B's" (Be aware, be bold, and be humble) help in the practical application of spiritual gifts? [21:48]

Application Questions

Reflect on a time when you felt encouraged or uplifted by a prophetic word. How did it impact your faith journey? [10:01]
Have you ever experienced or witnessed a misguided prophecy? How did it affect the individuals involved, and what lessons can be learned from that experience? [14:44]
In what ways can you cultivate the gift of discernment in your daily life? Are there specific practices or habits that can help you better distinguish God's voice? [16:26]
How can you ensure that love remains the guiding principle when exercising your spiritual gifts? What steps can you take to avoid causing harm, even unintentionally? [23:41]
Think about the "Three B's" mentioned in the sermon. Which of these areas (awareness, boldness, humility) do you find most challenging, and why? How can you work on improving in that area? [21:48]
How can you support others in your small group or church community in developing and using their spiritual gifts with discernment and love? [20:04]
Identify a specific situation where you might need to exercise discernment in the coming week. How will you approach it differently after hearing this sermon? [16:26]

Sermon Clips

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "One way that God wants you, and me, to have an impact in the world around us, utilizing these gifts that God himself has placed inside of us. And, you know, Pastor Jonathan did this last week, but can we just pause for just a moment here, just a moment, and think about what that statement, what our goal of the series actually means for you, right? That you and I, teachers, pastors, nurses, lawyers, business owners, moms, dads, kids, each and every one of us that God wants to use and have an impact through us." [06:27] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "He points out just how absolutely amazing it is, this reality that God is not dead. No, God is alive and he is speaking, he is active. He's actively speaking to us. He's speaking through us, right? And he wants to continue to do that. Like God Almighty wants to partner with us using the gifts that he's put inside of us as he restores his creation, as he brings heaven to earth." [07:06] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "Prophecy is a word from God that God gives to us for the sole purpose of lifting others up, lifting each other up, strengthening, encouraging, and comforting each other. It is a beautiful word. It is a beautiful and powerful gift." [08:56] (14 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "I've seen people have prophetic words, dreams, and visions that have come true. And in those moments, God has used these words of affirmation, these visions to affirm, to strengthen, to encourage, and to comfort people in those moments. It is miraculous. It is amazing, and it is beautiful when that happens." [13:19] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "Discernment acknowledges the power of prophecy. It acknowledges the power of all these gifts being lived out and experienced through us and knowing that it matters whether or not we get it right or wrong. It's about having compassion and empathy for others." [21:13] (18 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "I was wrestling with my identity. My identity as a pastor, as a man, what my calling was, right? Like what was God specifically calling me to do and how was he calling me to be? And I'm just wrestling with this. I'm wrestling in this tension. And the truth is, quite frankly, guys, I was just getting caught up in the politics of church. I was getting caught up in the business of church. And I was honestly losing my way. I was losing my way as to what it meant to just simply be a child. A child of God, right? Someone whom God loves, someone whom God has gifted and who has called to represent him, to bear witness to who he is, to his love and to his grace." [10:32] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "Discernment gives us the hearing aid to understand what God is saying. It's really the counterbalance to prophecy. I mean, really any of the gifts, right? Discernment is kind of a universal way for us to understand what God is doing, to make sense of what God is doing. It helps us to hear God more clearly." [17:03] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "When I've talked to people in the past who have claimed a prophetic gifting, I would never discourage that, right? I would never tell them to squelch it or put it down, right? Because I believe so strongly in this gift of prophecy because I've had it spoken over me and it is life-giving in that moment. So I always want to encourage it because, well, God gave it. God placed it in His children in order to speak to His children. He always has done this and He always will do this. This is how He's chosen to speak. And again, we praise God for that." [19:31] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Being aware of our need to discern God's voice, to turn the hearing aid up, to really focus in directly in line with our, is really all in line with our command, to love one another. But to love one another at all cost, right, no matter what the circumstance. Remember, Paul says in the very next chapter in 1 Corinthians, chapter 13, he says, If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, but do not have love, I am nothing. I'm nothing." [23:03] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "It is love itself that will never fail. It is love itself that makes us something. And it is love that makes us that requires us to be sensitive in how we utilize and exercise these gifts that we are talking about." [24:10] (16 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?