Attitude. That is the key factor in the exercise of spiritual gifts. It is three –dimensional. First, attitude governs our approach to the understanding of gifts. Second, attitude determines whether or not we will identify them. Third, attitude informs us about our willingness to risk experimenting. Let’s look at these in more detail.
First, understanding.
When we accepted Jesus as Savior it was as though we had been rescued and given a reprieve. But being a disciple of Jesus not…
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Added by HKHaugan on February 26, 2010 at 9:30am —
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“…if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully (Rom.12:8).”
Just what is the gift of mercy? We are all called to show mercy but what is the spiritual gift of mercy? One thing we have not mentioned up to this point in our discussion of gifts is the fact that Jesus possesses all the gifts. Spiritual gifts are His personal grace qualities. Through the Holy Spirit these pieces of His personality are given to each believer. When you receive Jesus as Savior and Lord He is planted in your…
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Added by HKHaugan on February 25, 2010 at 10:30am —
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“… If it is leadership let him govern diligently…(Rom.12:8)”
The best leader is the one who leads with Jesus THE leader in mind. Just how did He lead? “As the Father has sent me that is the way I send you,” He said.
There are four basics in diligence to learn from Jesus.
First, after He called disciples He poured Himself into them. He held nothing back from them. His bearing was confident, determined, caring and patient. He was showing how the Spirit worked through…
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Added by HKHaugan on February 22, 2010 at 11:00am —
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“If it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously (Rom.12:8).”
Again, here is a gift that kind of lies in the middle of the list of gifts and many times taken for granted. Yes, we ought to give and generously. But suppose it is a special spiritual gift that some people have which goes beyond the tithe? People with this gift love to give of their resources, e.g. ‘I know someone who would give you the shirt off his back.’ There is a desire to give whatever it…
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Added by HKHaugan on February 22, 2010 at 7:00am —
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There are some people who, as a result of their faith in Jesus, have the spiritual gift of encouragement also called exhortation. Jesus encouraged and exhorted His disciples. His teachings are both encouraging and exhorting. Barnabas was an encourager of Paul.
If there is anything that we undertake, we need, we want to launch out into, there is always that nagging reluctance to risk, to take a chance, to wonder if we are able. That is where the gift of encouragement comes in. People…
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Added by HKHaugan on February 21, 2010 at 6:48am —
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You keep hearing the expression, ‘Get your mind around…’ It is not so much getting your mind around what God is saying in His Word but rather letting Him get His mind around you. Do we spend more time trying to make sense out of something from our limited perspective or can we let an idea of His embrace us? Can we start by assuming He might really have something to say that is valid, logical and true? Is the way we are presently thinking about life, people and how we spend our time, really…
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Added by HKHaugan on February 20, 2010 at 9:32am —
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We are still in Romans 12:6-8. As we have said gifts are given by the Holy Spirit to build the Body. Four avenues open the recognition of one’s gifts, prayer, study, small group and confirmation.
First, if we have prayed to know what gifts we have, that in itself is a calling by the Spirit to evaluate not only what we are doing but where we need to put our energy for the Body. Too many of us wait to be asked to do something and many times end up in tasks for which we are not…
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Added by HKHaugan on February 19, 2010 at 6:39am —
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We are talking about charismata, (Gk.---pieces of grace) grace gifts. They are from above, from God. The best image for their focus is the Cross of Jesus. Think of them as the vertical beam. They are to be used gracefully, graciously and in grace. They are given to help us recover from the devastation of sin, its pride, fear and aloneness, that ravages the image of God. They give us spiritual identity, purpose and confidence. They are living qualities the Holy Spirit uses to restore the image…
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Added by HKHaugan on February 18, 2010 at 8:42am —
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Epiphany 15 Prophecy
Romans 12:
“6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”
Vs.6 establishes that a…
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Added by HKHaugan on February 15, 2010 at 12:24pm —
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Epiphany 14 Getting It Together Spiritually
As we move into specific gifts we need just a bit more clarification about gifts and talents. Talents are natural capabilities and aptitudes with which we are born. They range from intellectual to physical. They are the means by which we function in the world and determine our occupations, interests and other personal activities. We may be mathematicians, athletes, businessmen, doctors, engineers, artists, musicians and so…
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Added by HKHaugan on February 14, 2010 at 6:00am —
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Epiphany 13 Opening the Treasury
“God's various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God's Spirit. God's various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God's Spirit. God's various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all. Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people!…
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Added by HKHaugan on February 12, 2010 at 6:30am —
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Epiphany 12 When the Body Is the Body
Three extremely important themes make up the context for individual gifts to operate properly in context, the Holy Spirit, God’s love and interdependence. They energize the Body. Scripture is very clear on these three points as you read Paul’s cushioning passages surrounding his teaching on gifts. Observe how Paul directs his calling to the individual heart and to the collective hearts as a Body ‘belonging to one another.’ It means total…
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Added by HKHaugan on February 11, 2010 at 10:30am —
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Epiphany 11 How Important Are Spiritual Gifts?
A-one priority! Why? “Now you are the Body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it (1Cor.12:27).” Not only that but back in vs.12-13 “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” The idea of gifts is so…
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Added by HKHaugan on February 10, 2010 at 6:00pm —
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Let’s do a short review. Spiritual gifts are given for a purpose. They are the means to an end,”…to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Eph.4:12-13).”…
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Added by HKHaugan on February 10, 2010 at 10:00am —
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Romans 12 “1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will (NIV).”…
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Added by HKHaugan on February 8, 2010 at 8:30am —
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The best leader is the one who leads with Jesus THE leader in mind. Just how did He lead? “As the Father has sent me that is the way I send you,” He said. There are four basics to learn from Jesus.
First, after He called disciples He poured Himself into them. He held nothing back from them. His bearing was confident, determined, caring and patient. He was showing how the Spirit worked…
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Added by HKHaugan on February 6, 2010 at 12:30pm —
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“You are Christ's body—that's who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your "part" mean anything. You're familiar with some of the parts that God has formed in his church, which is his "body": apostles, prophets, teachers, miracle workers, healers, helpers, organizers, those who pray in tongues. But it's obvious by now, isn't it, that Christ's church is a complete Body and not a gigantic, unidimensional Part? It's not all…
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Added by HKHaugan on February 6, 2010 at 8:30am —
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