Gifts + Prayer

Announcements

Gel Survey

27 submissions!

15 min to fill out. Time to contemplate, introspect, so we can help you

OurCalling

OurCalling

Tomorrow!

Next event April 20th, more spots available!

Envision Applications

15 spots open for Youth.

Get me your apps ASAP, interview. Limited spots, and I’ll begin to fill spots this upcoming week.

Come see me after this

4 Chairs

Spiritual Gifts series

PRAYER JAR

Intro

Oil change, damaged bumper

Orchestrated donation pickups and organization

Guy said he’d take $20 extra to help

Stayed up all night, useless in the morning

Ended up damaging

Couldn’t listen to simple commands

Fell asleep briefly behind the wheel

Exhaustion while trying to serve God

This can represent many of you in your lives while you go to school and church

In our series on spiritual gifts, beware lest you pursue obedience and fall asleep behind the wheel

Body

Spiritual gifts--What are they?

teaching, administration, faith, discernment, evangelism, pastoring, serving, encouraging, giving, leading, mercy

Not everyone is meant to be a teacher— you can teach your friends the Gospel, but maybe you won’t be a Sunday School teacher

What are they for?

1 Corinthians 12:4–6 ESV

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.

ESV4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.

Illustration of God’s love on earth

World’s Last chance

Not spiritual maturity, but spiritual competency

The reason you’re still on earth—the struggle in war

How to use them?

, every thought captive to Christ!

When that takes place, you emulate F.A.T. in everything

Show up to church, want to help out, willing to be discipled

Where to use them?

So many things to do! Long lists, but one thing you need to know:

It’s the “A” in F.A.T. Get that down, everything else will fall into place

How to stay nourished

After getting plugged in is that all?

Honduras Mission Trip Fundraiser

Responded to gifts, wanted to teach, decided to go on missions trip

Orchestrated donation pickups and organization

Stayed up all night, useless in the morning

Couldn’t listen to simple commands

Fell asleep briefly behind the wheel

Exhaustion while trying to serve God

This can represent many of you in your lives while you go to school and church

In our series on spiritual gifts, beware lest you pursue obedience and fall asleep behind the wheel

How to stay awake? How to be alert and do exceptionally well?

PRAY!

Have you ever been anxious or worried?

Philippians 4:6–7 ESV

6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Prayer is a command!

When you’re in trouble or in need of immediate help, you don’t talk to your dog, you speak with those who can help.

Rather than depending inward, you depend upward

Trying to stay up all night and work alone and drive back home wasn’t a symbol of strength, but utter self-dependence, a prideful move

Recognition of your weaknesses will unlock the unlimited strength of God

Cannot neglect your needs

Neglecting physical needs = fail

Same goes for spiritual needs!

If Pastor Brian didn’t spend time in God’s Word, how would His sermons be?

If I’m not in constant prayer for you guys, or in God’s Word, how effective will I be in ministry?

If you don’t study, will you succeed or fail?

Do you believe God hears you or not?

Jesus believed His Father heard Him

Luke 6:12 ESV

12 In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.

At the beginning of his ministry

at the end of his life

Luke 22:44 ESV

44 And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Luke 22:

Does God hear us?

Ephesians 3:20 ESV

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

Jesus prayed regularly, major decision

Does God intend good? YES

Luke 6:12–13 ESV

12 In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles:

, “You don’t have because you don’t ask”

Luke 6

Augustine: “Our hearts are restless until the rest in you.”

Also, bumper story

Are you resting in Christ? Have you experienced the peace that you’re loved and cherished no matter what?

The outcome of your best effort is on Him, not you!

A prayerless Christian is a gasless car, a study-less student, a Christ-less Christian!

Want to know how mature you are? How often do you pray?

Lack of prayer correlates with pride

Spiritual gifts without pride: I will do this, I will make this happen, I will grow the fruit

Chair 3

It’s for imperfect Christians who want to be Faithful, Available, Teachable

You cannot be in chair 3 until you recognize how needy you are

Prayer is the natural response to God’s power in light of our weakness

Questions

What is prayer?

Why pray?

Does God hear?

Body

Questions

ICEBREAKER Introduce yourself, and answer this: What is the most exhausting thing you’ve ever had to do? Was it worth it? Why or why not?

What are the most common things we pray about? Does God care about the little things, big things, or both? (Read , and )

Read . What does it mean when someone says they “trust God” with something? Does praying to God mean we remove ourselves from being involved?

Read , about Jesus praying. Why did Jesus pray even though He’s God? Does prayer correlate to spiritual maturity?

Read , about how Jesus prayed. Does God care about the attitude of someone who prays?

BONUS: Prosperity Gospel preachers use a lot. Why doesn’t God always answer people’s prayers for success, health, and wealth?

Closing

-21 Story of fish and bread. What will you make of it? Enough to feed thousands, or insufficient

The disciples only had bread and fish, but the task they were entrusted with was impossible

You are given an impossible task—demonstrate God’s power on earth

Without God’s power, there’s no power

As we pray, our neediness is evident, and God shows up

Getting in the habit of being needy

As a Christian, you have a mighty purpose—last hope for this world

You are not without failures, sin, and problems in life; you are needy

Jesus hears you in your joys and agonies

This week, consider where you’re at

Are you trying to depend on yourself in an impossible situation?

Trying to be good enough for your parents without shame, survive school without being anxious all the time, or move from chair 2 to chair 3? Impossible without the grace of God

Bring it to God in prayer

PRAYER JAR

CLOSING PRAYER

Envision Applications