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God’s Imprint on Our Lives Fearfully & Wonderfully Made “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:13-14 “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good….All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills. ” 1 Corinthians 12:7,11 …we were made for God’s glory, pleasure & purpose Review We have taken a closer look at the following spiritual gifts Leadership Administration Apostleship Discernment The Gift of Evangelism All Christians are called to evangelize and reach out to the lost with the Gospel (Matthew 28:18-20), but some are given an extra measure of faith and effectiveness in this area. The gift of evangelism is the ability and desire to boldly and clearly communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ so that non-Christians can become Christians. The Greek word: “Euaggelistes” which means “one who brings good news”, “preacher of gospel”; (“eu” = well, “angelos” = message messenger of good.) The Evangelist Evangelists are given the unique ability by the Holy Spirit to clearly and effectively communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others. They are burdened in their hearts for the lost and will go out of their way to share the truth with them. Evangelists are able to overcome the normal fear of rejection and engage non-believers in meaningful conversations about Jesus. In over 55 years of ministry, Billy Graham has preached the Gospel message to more than 215 million people in over 185 countries around the world. The Passion to Share Jesus They continually seek out relationships with those who don’t know Jesus and are open to the leading of the Holy Spirit to approach different people. They love giving free treasure away for Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:7), and it brings them great joy knowing that the “feet that bring good news” are beautiful to those who believe (Isaiah 52:7). See Ephesians 4:11, Acts 8:5-12, 26-40, 21:8, Matthew 28:18-20. Do you have the gift of Evangelism? Do you enjoy being with non-Christians and sharing the gospel? Are you able to effectively communicate to non-Christians in a language they can understand? Does a person's conversion bring you profound joy? Do you feel frustrated when you haven't shared your faith for a while? Do you enjoy teaching others how to share their faith? Do you find it easy to direct a conversation toward the topic of Jesus Christ? Those in Scripture that were gifted with Evangelism: Philip (Acts 21:8) and Timothy (2 Timothy 4:5) The Gift of Exhortation The spiritual gift of exhortation is often called the "gift of encouragement." The gift of exhortation involves coming along side of someone with words of encouragement, comfort, consolation, and counsel to help them be all God wants them to be! The Greek word for evangelists is “paraklesis” which means “calling to one's side.” This word is only found two other places in the New Testament: Acts 21:8 and 2 Timothy 4:5. The Encouragers Christians with this gift have an unusual sensitivity for and are attracted to those who are discouraged or struggling. As a result, people tend to pursue them for healing words, gracious truth, and compassionate counsel. These people also tend to have a high degree of patience and optimism. They may have a knack for one-on-one relationships and prefer working with an individual or small group. Do you have the gift of Exhortation? Do people seek you out for advice and encouragement? Do you enjoy walking with someone through difficulties? Are you attracted to those who are hurting and needy? Are you patient with people? Would you rather speak personally with someone about their problems rather than send them to someone else for help? Do you find it easy to express joy in the presence of those who are suffering? Those in Scripture that were gifted with Evangelism: Barnabas, whose name means "Son of Encouragement" (Acts 4:36), Paul (Acts 14:21-22; 16:40; 20:1) Judas and Silas (Acts 15:31-32). The Gift of Faith The spiritual gift of faith is not to be confused with saving faith. All Christians have been given saving faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), but not all receive this special gift of faith. The Spiritual Gift of faith is to be firmly persuaded of God's power and promises to accomplish His will and purpose and to display such a confidence in Him and His Word that circumstances and obstacles do not shake that conviction The Greek word here is: “pistis” which means “firm persuasion, the conviction which is based upon hearing, not upon sight or knowledge; certainty, confidence”. Extraordinary Confidence! The gift of faith may be defined as the special gift whereby the Spirit provides Christians with extraordinary confidence in God's promises, power, and presence so they can take heroic stands for the future of God's work in the church. In the Bible the gift of faith is often accompanied by great works of faith. In Acts 3:1-10 we see this gift in action when Peter sees a lame man at the Beautiful Gate and calls on him to stand up and walk in the Name of Jesus. Jesus said even a small amount of this faith could move mountains (Matthew 17:20; 21:21). Not Surprised by Miracles! The Holy Spirit distributes this gift to some in the church to encourage and build up the church in her confidence in God. They take Him at His Word and put the full weight of their lives in His hands. They expect God to move and are not surprised when He answers a prayer or performs a miracle. See also I Corinthians 12:9, Hebrews 11:1-40. These people also tend to be very convincing about the truth of Scripture because they themselves are so convinced of the truth and power of God and his Word. These people are often visionaries who dream big dreams, pray big prayers, and attempt big things for Jesus. These people tend to be optimistic, hopeful, persevering, changeoriented, and future-focused. Do you have the gift of Faith? Do you view obstacles as opportunities & trust God for the impossible? Do you find yourself frequently boasting about the power of God and what you have seen Him do? Do you get motivated by new ministries? Do you find other believers coming to you for hope when they face a seemingly overwhelming trial or task? Do you have an effective prayer ministry, with many wonderful answers to prayers that were impossible from the human point of view? Those in Scripture gifted with Faith: Paul (Acts 27:21-25), Stephen, who was "full of faith" (Acts 6:5), Jesus' mother, Mary, who trusted God to give her a child though she was a virgin (Luke 1:26-38). The Gift of Giving The Holy Spirit imparts this gift to some in the church to meet the various needs of the church and its ministries, missionaries, or of people who do not have the means to provide fully for themselves. The Greek word here is: “Metadidomi” which means “to impart” or “to give.” However, this word is accompanied in Romans 12:8 by another descriptive word: “Haplotes”. This means “sincerely, generously and without pretense or hypocrisy.” The Love of Giving Those with this gift love to share with others the overflow of blessings God has given them. They are typically very hospitable and will seek out ways and opportunities to help others. The are also excellent stewards and will often adjust their lifestyles in order to give more to the spread of the Gospel and the care of the needy. They are grateful when someone shares a need with them, and are always joyful when they can meet that need. It’s not just about money! It implies the giving of yourself with the gift. When you spend yourself on behalf of others, it can include giving of your time, abilities, knowledge, love and resources to the cause of Christ. When a person with this gift sees certain needs, God’s Spirit nudges them in a way that they feel compelled to give what is needed in the situation as an agent of God’s grace and mercy. Do you have the gift of Giving? Do you tend to see the needs of others more than other people do? Do you enjoy giving your time, talent, and treasure to others? Do you see giving to a worthwhile project as an exciting honor and privilege? Do you give to the church regularly, cheerfully, and sacrificially? Do you often hear people commenting that you are a generous person? Do you find yourself looking for opportunities to give your money— even when no one asks? Those in Scripture gifted with Giving: The widow (Mark 12:42-43), Dorcas (Acts 9:36), Barnabas (Acts 4:34-37) Zaccheaus (Luke 19:1-10)