Embracing Your Unique Gifts for God's Purpose

 

Summary

In today's message, we explored the profound insights found in Romans 12, focusing on the concept of "Discover You" and the motivational gifts that God has embedded within each of us. These gifts, which include prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and mercy, are inherent in our DNA and shape the way we think, act, and interact with the world. They are not just spiritual gifts but are integral to our identity and purpose.

We delved into the motivational gift of prophecy, which I prefer to call perceiving. This gift is not about holding the office of a prophet or the manifestational gift of prophecy but is about having a keen sense of perception. Those with this gift can discern right from wrong, see beyond the surface, and have a deep understanding of people and situations. They are often insightful, intelligent, and able to see what others cannot. However, this gift also comes with challenges, such as the tendency to be critical or blunt, which requires learning to temper one's insights with love and wisdom.

The message emphasized the importance of recognizing and embracing these gifts as part of our co-laboring with God on earth. We are called to use our gifts to make a positive impact, to see the good in others, and to work towards solutions rather than merely pointing out problems. This requires a balance of perception and action, guided by the Holy Spirit, to bring about God's purpose in our lives and the world around us.

Ultimately, we are reminded that we are created in God's image, with a unique purpose and calling. By understanding and operating in our gifts, we can experience the fulfillment and joy that comes from living in alignment with God's design for us.

Key Takeaways:

- Embrace Your Unique Gifts: Each of us has been given motivational gifts that are part of our DNA. These gifts shape our identity and purpose, and recognizing them allows us to live in alignment with God's design for us. Understanding and embracing these gifts can lead to a more fulfilling and purposeful life. [03:35]

- The Gift of Perception: The motivational gift of prophecy, or perceiving, involves a deep sense of perception and discernment. Those with this gift can see beyond the surface and understand the deeper truths of situations and people. However, it is crucial to temper this gift with love and wisdom to avoid being overly critical or blunt. [09:49]

- Co-Laboring with God: We are called to be co-laborers with God, using our gifts to bring about His purpose on earth. This involves taking action, being creative, and using our insights to make a positive impact. It is our responsibility to steward the earth and the gifts God has given us. [46:42]

- Seeing the Good in Others: Despite the challenges of perceiving, it is essential to look for the good in others and recognize the image of God in every person. This perspective allows us to approach situations with compassion and understanding, seeking to restore rather than condemn. [30:45]

- The Power of Prayer and Action: While perception is a powerful gift, it must be coupled with prayer and action. We are called to pray for discernment and to act on the insights God gives us, trusting that He will guide us in making a difference in the world. [21:50]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [01:29] - Introduction to Romans 12
- [03:35] - Understanding Motivational Gifts
- [06:10] - The Gift of Prophecy Explained
- [09:49] - Perception and Discernment
- [12:08] - Challenges of Perception
- [14:07] - Balancing Right and Wrong
- [16:30] - The Role of Discernment
- [19:40] - Patience and Timing
- [21:50] - Prayer and Action
- [23:15] - Standing for Justice
- [25:21] - Building Deep Relationships
- [27:21] - The Eyes of the Body
- [30:45] - Seeing the Good in Others
- [33:36] - Speaking the Truth in Love
- [45:37] - Co-Laboring with God
- [49:26] - Taking Responsibility
- [51:45] - Closing Prayer and Blessing

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Romans 12:3-8

Observation Questions:
1. What are the motivational gifts mentioned in Romans 12, and how are they described in the sermon? [03:35]
2. How does the sermon define the motivational gift of prophecy, and what are its key characteristics? [06:10]
3. According to the sermon, what are some challenges associated with the gift of perceiving or prophecy? [12:08]
4. How does the sermon suggest we balance perception with love and wisdom? [20:49]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of "thinking soberly" in Romans 12:3 relate to understanding and embracing our motivational gifts? [01:29]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that perceivers can use their gift to positively impact their community and relationships? [19:40]
3. How does the sermon interpret the role of co-laboring with God in using our gifts for His purpose on earth? [46:42]
4. What does the sermon imply about the importance of seeing the good in others, even when perceiving their flaws? [30:45]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your own motivational gifts. How can you embrace and use them to align with God's design for your life? [03:35]
2. If you identify with the gift of perceiving, how can you ensure that your insights are shared with love and wisdom rather than criticism? [12:08]
3. Consider a situation where you have been critical. How can you approach it with a mindset of restoration and compassion instead? [30:45]
4. How can you actively co-labor with God in your daily life, using your gifts to bring about positive change in your community? [46:42]
5. Identify a person in your life who you find challenging. How can you intentionally look for the good in them and encourage their strengths? [30:45]
6. What steps can you take to balance prayer and action in your life, ensuring that your perceptions lead to constructive outcomes? [21:50]
7. How can you cultivate a deeper understanding of your identity in Christ and the unique purpose He has for you? [51:45]

Devotional

Day 1: Embrace Your God-Given Identity
Each person is uniquely crafted with motivational gifts that are embedded in their very being. These gifts, such as prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and mercy, are not merely spiritual endowments but are integral to one's identity and purpose. Recognizing and embracing these gifts allows individuals to live in alignment with God's design for them, leading to a more fulfilling and purposeful life. By understanding these gifts, one can better navigate their role in the world and contribute positively to the community around them. [03:35]

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10, ESV)

Reflection: What unique gifts do you recognize in yourself, and how can you use them to align more closely with God's purpose for your life today?


Day 2: The Power of Perception
The motivational gift of prophecy, or perceiving, involves a deep sense of perception and discernment. Those with this gift can see beyond the surface and understand the deeper truths of situations and people. However, it is crucial to temper this gift with love and wisdom to avoid being overly critical or blunt. This balance allows individuals to use their insights constructively, fostering understanding and compassion in their interactions with others. [09:49]

"Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment." (John 7:24, ESV)

Reflection: How can you practice tempering your perceptions with love and wisdom in your interactions today?


Day 3: Co-Laboring with God
We are called to be co-laborers with God, using our gifts to bring about His purpose on earth. This involves taking action, being creative, and using our insights to make a positive impact. It is our responsibility to steward the earth and the gifts God has given us, working alongside Him to fulfill His plans. By actively engaging in this partnership, we can contribute to the betterment of the world and the realization of God's kingdom on earth. [46:42]

"For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building." (1 Corinthians 3:9, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you actively co-labor with God today, using your unique gifts to make a positive impact in your community?


Day 4: Seeing the Good in Others
Despite the challenges of perceiving, it is essential to look for the good in others and recognize the image of God in every person. This perspective allows us to approach situations with compassion and understanding, seeking to restore rather than condemn. By focusing on the positive attributes of those around us, we can foster a more loving and supportive community, reflecting God's love in our interactions. [30:45]

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life can you intentionally encourage today, recognizing and affirming the good you see in them?


Day 5: The Power of Prayer and Action
While perception is a powerful gift, it must be coupled with prayer and action. We are called to pray for discernment and to act on the insights God gives us, trusting that He will guide us in making a difference in the world. By combining our perceptive abilities with prayerful consideration and decisive action, we can effectively contribute to God's work and bring about positive change. [21:50]

"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving." (Colossians 4:2, ESV)

Reflection: What insight has God given you recently, and how can you take a specific action today to act on it, trusting in His guidance?

Quotes



"So today we're going to go with the first one in the scripture that talks about, we're going to talk about the motivational gift of prophecy, and in the book I put perceiving, and the book I kind of, I kind of wrote it a little more towards the corporate world or for outside the church so that it would be a little broader for people to understand that, I've had people say it's still too churchy, but I can't help it, that's who I am, I'm a churchy person." [00:06:32] (26 seconds)


"Perceptive people are insightful, intelligent, and able to see what others cannot. Perceive means to see, to see with your eyes. So perceptive is a word to describe someone who is good at seeing, not just, you know, I don't have good vision, but actually can see things beyond what other people see. Now, this vocabulary .com said they were intelligent. I didn't say I was intelligent. I think I am, but I'm just not, I didn't include that to say, hey, I'm intelligent. But I'm very resourceful." [00:09:14] (35 seconds)


"Now, it's because of this, and then the right and wrong thing. Okay, the right and wrong is something I've had to work on. I've had to work on it. I've had to work on it. Everything was black and white. I've learned about gray. Okay, I've learned there is a gray, but it's because of this sense of right and wrong that perceivers hold very high standards, and I have, you guys are so blessed, because I'm older now, because first, when I first got in the ministry, I tried to straighten everybody out." [00:14:41] (31 seconds)


"Make no mistake about it. This information is purposefully shown to the perceiver for a reason. So the perceiver, the one with the gift of prophecy, you see these things for a reason. Not to frustrate you, which I thought I would get upset at God because you show me these things and I can't do anything about it. But what he was doing is I want you to pray about it. Pray about it. And I've had to learn to do that. That's not my, because I'm not a, this is a bad thing to say about a pastor, okay? But I'm not a prayer, prayer that much. My first inclination is to fix it, to do something." [00:22:10] (39 seconds)


"To say what they think, to declare the truth, right or wrong, black or white, and they are a quality control person. They're really, they look for quality, but they want these kind of things. So that's the pro of this. So I'll have pros and cons for each one. So I'm going to tell you about the bad parts of me. I like to tell you about the good parts while I tell you all this stuff." [00:29:28] (25 seconds)


"They need to learn to speak the truth in love. Okay? It's not grit your teeth. I'm telling you this because I love you. No, it's true love. You got to understand. Now, I will say this. God has, and you can ask Sharon about this. God has really changed my heart in that I really look for the good in people. Because I operate in the motivational gift, I mean, in the manifestational gift of prophecy, that, that gifting, you, you search out the gold in people. God shows you the gold in people. I can, I can, I have prophesied to people and I have given them the heart of God, given them a word of knowledge and stuff. And later the, the pastor of the church would say, you got that wrong because they are this way. And I said, no, no, no." [00:29:45] (47 seconds)


"Because God placed gold in everybody. God placed good in everybody. And there's always good, in somebody. There are, there are no such thing as bad people. There's bad situations, bad teaching, bad culture, things that they, bad company corrupts, corrupts good morals. It's your influences and those kinds of things that can corrupt you. The enemy wants to corrupt you. So you can be corrupted, but down deep, God created, you are an image bearer of God." [00:30:45] (39 seconds)


"So what we have to do is we have to look for that in people. Do they have to suffer consequences of bad choices? Yes. Do they have to suffer consequences to do they have to deal with things that they do yes yes we we do need to have laws we do need to and things but the thing is is god god will correct in a way so he can restore everything god does for us is to restore us god never wants to to do anything to us or correct us or anything to harm us he wants us to be restored and so this is how that we need to look at things is okay they there is something inside of them that that god wants to bring out we have just got to look down at the root of it it's like i said when i when people say why don't you preach preach on sin i said it's useless to preach on sin because that's not the issue that's that's the surface okay that's the symptoms what the core issue is the heart it's the heart now am i against abortion yes i'm against abortion but i'm not against abortion because bad people i'm against it because there is something in the heart of people that want to that" [00:31:24] (78 seconds)


"Jesus never carried a picket sign. Jesus never told anybody except the religious people that they were bad. Now, religious people, because they were supposed to know better. They were supposed to be representing God, and they were misrepresenting God, and he said, you are a whitewashed tomb full of dead men's bones, but he never told somebody that was making a mistake that they're useless." [00:33:36] (24 seconds)


"This is our responsibility still to this day. We are to speak into situations. We are to speak God's thoughts into situations. We are to speak God's purpose into situations. And if you don't have any perception, you cannot perceive what the Holy Spirit. And we can all perceive because we have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit. Can guide us. You may not have the motivational gift of prophets, but you can see into things with the Holy Spirit, but you need to speak into things. So, when people say, why is it, why would, is He, if He's a good God, why is so much bad?" [00:47:48] (36 seconds)


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Transcript
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