The Arts Colective Retreat

1. Every one is gifted!

1 Corinthians 12:4–7 NKJV

4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:

Romans 12:6–8 NKJV

6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

Everyone is gifted absolutely Everyone!

We are often are not gifted the way we want to be but we are still gifted.

We have to get over our own spiritual disappointments the way we get over all of the other disappointments in our lives.

None of us get to have spiritual plastic surgery before we serve the Lod.

There is no Holy Spirit photo shop because often what we see as our flaws are actuality there to highlight the grace of God.

Insert a pause here for reflection

Don’t just Sunday School me now.

I want you to think about all the reasons you tell yourself about why you shouldn’t use your gifts and ask yourself the question:

Have you ever considered that what you may consider a weakness is just a space for His Grace?

Comparison Kills creativity!

2. The Lord seats our gifting in a person.

We are given a Personality type, this will change how our gift is used.

You have a Testimony (you have more than one actually). your testimony (experience) makes the operation of your gift unique.

Revelation 12:11 NKJV

11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

Then you are given a community.

1 Corinthians 12:18 NKJV

18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.

and of course God has given you gifts:

3. The Lord has a plan for bringing you up.

you have to decide that you are going to use your gifts.

Matthew 25:14–30 NKJV

14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ 26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The Lord knows what you have and what you don’t.

He knows what you can do and what you cant.

he knows where your talent ends and the power of His spirit begins.

Matthew 25:29 NKJV

29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.

The anointing comes before the appointing. But willingness and service come before it all.

A Brief biographical Sketch of Elijah:

The call-

1 Kings 19:19–21 NKJV

19 So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. 20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” 21 So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant.

Elijah was doing something when The Lord called him out of the field. He was doing something that he was supposed to be doing. (not something he would have rather been doing. ) He was plowing a field.

When the mantle was pasted he took a hold of the opportunity. Even though He would not hold the office for years

He feed the people with the emplacements of His labor. (all gifts feed people)

The Lord Called Him into service, Because he planned on passing the mantle.

2 Kings 2:12 NKJV

12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces.

The mantle did pass

2 Kings 3:11 NKJV

11 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of the Lord by him?” So one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, “Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.”