I Believe What I Believe
Lesson 30
Spiritual Gifts - A Ministry for My Life

"Just Don't Sit There, Open Your Gift"

1. Hindrances to Discovering Your Spiritual Gift:
A. Unconfessed sin and a rebellious attitude.
B. Lack of concern in meeting the needs of others.
C. We tend to learn and imitate the gifts in other people that we admire.
D. A general lack of interest in the doctrine of spiritual gifts or in exercising our gift.
E. Wrong teaching concerning the gifts and their functions.

2. Guidelines for Finding and Using Your Spiritual Gifts
1 Timothy 4:11-16
A. Exploration - Explore the Word of God. (v. 11)
B. Encouragement - Encourage Yourself. (v. 12)
C. Example - Exhibit Christian Graces Above Gifts.
D. Experiment - Experiment With Your Gifts.
You discover a spiritual gift just like you discovered your natural talents:
1. Identify needs around you.
2. Place ministry at the top of your priorities.
3. Become available for ministry.
4. Try it you might like it.
E. Exercise - Exercise Your Gift With Diligence. (vs. 14-15a)
F. Evaluate - Evaluate Your Effectiveness With the Gift. (vs. 15,16)
G. Expectation - Expect Results. (v. 16)
Ten things to expect when you exercise your gift:
1. Personal and Spiritual Gift.
2. Sense of belonging in the Church.
3. Sense of fulfillment.
4. Encouragement from others.
5. Power for Christian Living.
6. Increase in Faith.
7. Church to be Edified.
8. Church Body to be Expanded.
9. Reproduction of Church Leaders.
10. God to be Glorified.

"Command and teach these things. Do not let anyone treat you as if you are unimportant because you are young. Instead, be an example to the believers with your words, your actions, your love, your faith, and your pure life. Until I come continue to read the Scriptures to the people strengthen them, and teach them. Use the gift you have, which was given to you through prophecy when the group of elders laid their hands on you. Continue to do those things; give your life to doing them so your progress may be seen by everyone. Be careful in your life and in your teaching. If you continue to live and teach rightly, you will save both yourself and those who listen to you."
Discover Your Spiritual Gifts!

Instructions: For each question, enter the number that most applies to you.
3 = THAT'S ME!
2 = This is PROBABLY me.
1 = This is PROBABLY not me.
0 = DEFINITELY NOT me!

1. I try to worry more abut the needs of others than my own.
2. People come to me when they need to talk out a problem.
3. I would like to give money to those in need.
4. I enjoy explaining the Bible to others.

5. I like to try to help others know God better.
6. I don't mind being seen with people who are not that popular.
7. When I see needy people on cold nights, I really feel like inviting them to my home.
8. On Friday nights, I am usually the one who decides where we go and what we do.
9. I like to tell others about my relationship with God.
10. I have confidence that God will get me through both good and bad times.
11. I like doing jobs that most people don't want to do.
12. I am known for my positive attitude.

13. I get a real kick out of giving stuff away.

14. I like studying the Bible so I can explain it to others.
15. I like to pray for and with others.

16. I would like to work with disabled people.
17. I like having friends come to my house.

18. I like to organize and motivate groups of people.
19. I can sometimes make discussions relate to God.
20. I believe that God can do things that seem impossible.
21. I have helped other people so their work was easier.
22. I like to help sad people feel better.

23. I try to be smart with my money so that I can give extra money to people who need it.
24. I like learning and studying the Bible.

25. I would love to lead a Bible study.

26. I feel very sympathetic toward the needy.
27. I don't feel disrupted when there are guests at my home.
28. I have encouraged others to finish a job.

29. I would like to help someone else become a Christian.
30. I have confidence that God will keep his promises even when things are bad.
31. I don't mind doing little jobs that other people don't consider important.
32. I can encourage others through what I say.
33. I know that God will meet my needs, so I want to give freely to others.
34. I could show others what different ideas in the Bible mean.
35. I like to serve people to show that God cares for them.
36. If a friend is sick, I call to see how he/she is doing.
37. I don't mind when people just stop by my house to see me.
38. I would like to lead, inspire, and motivate people to do God's work.
39. I would like to tell others that Jesus is the Savior and help them see the positive results.
40. I trust that I can call on God and know that he will be there when 'impossible' situations happen.
41. Sometimes when I do jobs, nobody notices, but I don't mind.
42. I like it when people are happier after I have talked to them.
43. I have given away my money or belongings to those in need.
44. I think that I could show others how to find answers on their own.
45. I would like to help bring people back to Christ who have wandered away from Him.
46. When I see a homeless person, I really want to help.
47. People feel at home when they visit my home.
48. When I'm in a group, sometimes people look to me to take charge.
49. I take any opportunity I can to tell people about Christ.
50. When everything looks bad, I can still trust God.

Answer Sheet

Tabulation:
Instructions:
1. Put your response (0 to 3) to each test question in the blank next to the appropriate number on the chart below.
2. Add up the numbers going across the blanks and record them in the box under total.

TOTAL GIFT

1 ____ 11 ____ 21 ____ 31 ____ 41 ____ A

2 ____ 12 ____ 22 ____ 32 ____ 42 ____ B

3 ____ 13 ____ 23 ____ 33 ____ 43 ____ C

4 ____ 14 ____ 24 ____ 34 ____ 44 ____ D

5 ____ 15 ____ 25 ____ 35 ____ 45 ____ E

6 ____ 16____ 26 ____ 36 ____ 46 ____ F

7 ____ 17 ____ 27 ____ 37 ____ 47 ____ G

8 ____ 18 ____ 28 ____ 38 ____ 48 ____ H

9 ____ 19 ____ 29 ____ 39 ____ 49 ____ I

10 ____ 20 ____ 30 ____ 40 ____ 50 ____ J

Explanation:
Gift A: Helping - The ability to assist and serve other people.
Gift B: Encouraging - The ability to support people and help them to regain hope.
Gift C: Giving - The ability to give your time and money so that it can be used for God's work.
Gift D: Teaching - The ability to teach the Bible in such a way that people learn and grow.
Gift E: Pastoring - The ability to effectively guide and care for people in their walk with God.
Gift F: Mercy - The ability to act out of compassion toward those who are suffering.
Gift G: Hospitality - The gift of being friendly and generous to guests.
Gift H: Leading - The ability to motivate others to use their gifts and to do their best for God.
Gift I: Evangelism - The ability to help others to come to know Jesus personally.
Gift J: Faith - The ability to have a confident belief that God will always do what is the very best.

Assessment:
Determine your demonstrated, probable spiritual gift(s) as follows: If the score in the "TOTAL" section is:
12-15: There is a great evidence that God has blessed you with this spiritual gift.
8-11: There is a strong possibility that God has blessed you with this spiritual gift.
4-7: There is a good possibility that God could be developing this gift in you.
0-4: You are spiritually gifted, probably in an area other than this one.

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