The Holy Spirit’s Gift to Us: Enlighten, Encourage, Engage (Part 3)

A lot of the following information was adapted from G.I.F.T.E.D to Serve Curriculum that Kelli Wommack and I co-wrote when I was stationed at Fort Benning. I recently delivered this info via a sermon at Paseo, so buckle up for Part 3 of 3!  (Catch up on Part 1 and Part 2 if you are just joining our little Jesus party.  

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The next step to encourage our spiritual gifts within the church for God’s glory is to ENGAGE. Friends, hear me when I say: There is no one else who can do what God has called you to do like you do it. That’s why He called YOU!!

Before we get too far into this, there are a couple of things to note. In the book “Experiencing God,” Henry and Richard Blackaby share that spiritual gifts are not things in and of themselves, but an expression of God working through us. The exercise of a spiritual gift is the manifestation of the Holy Spirit.

They also state that God’s assignment to us comes first, and gifting follows. So engaging our gifts is not just about putting gifts to use; it’s also about getting involved in what God has called us to do and trusting that He will equip us. [Read more…]

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The Holy Spirit’s Gift to Us: Enlighten, Encourage, Engage (Part 2)

A lot of the following information was adapted from G.I.F.T.E.D to Serve Curriculum that Kelli Wommack and I co-wrote when I was stationed at Fort Benning. I recently delivered this info via a sermon at Paseo, so buckle up for Part 2 of 3!  (If you missed Part 1, catch up here.

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After we have been enlightened about what gifts the Holy Spirit has so generously bestowed upon us, we must encourage them to grow.

Matthew 25:14-28 shares the Parable of the Talents. Do you remember what the first two servants do with their talents? That’s right! They invested them and doubled it for the master. Remember the response from the master to those servants?

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’’ ~Matthew 25:21

But what did that third servant do? Yep, he buried his talent. He stored it away because he was afraid. Remember the response of the master to that servant? [Read more…]

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The Holy Spirit’s Gift to Us: Enlighten, Encourage, Engage (Part 1)

A lot of the following information was adapted from G.I.F.T.E.D to Serve Curriculum that Kelli Wommack and I co-wrote when I was stationed at Fort Benning. I recently delivered this info via a sermon at Paseo, so buckle up for Part 1 of 3! 

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Happy November! Halloween is gone, and Thanksgiving is fast approaching which means it’s practically Christmas, right? Anyone else listening to Christmas music yet? The bible says not to judge so it’s fine…

Speaking of Christmas… (or birthdays, anniversaries, other special occasions) Have you ever received a gift that is just awkward? Perhaps it was given with good intention but you open it and you are like…Oh yay. An orange wool sweater with fuzzy pom pom things all over them. Thanks, Aunt Trudy.

You whisper the silent prayer that God will grant you the one desire that the gift receipt is included.

That’s happened to me on more than one occasion. I try to be a gracious recipient. But… [Read more…]

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Building a Christ-like Marriage: The Foundation

Marriage. What a blessed, challenging and complicated aspect of life.

One that I personally believe is well-worth discussing, especially from a Christian perspective.

So that is we are going to do… Today begins a new series called “Building a Christ-Like Marriage.” Each week we will be discussing a different component of marriage and how it make it the holiest it can be. [Read more…]

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Series Intro: Feelings & Faith

My little brother makes me laugh.

He is a teenager now, almost 16. (Which I find terrifying and slightly gross– because it makes me feel exceptionally old.) My little bro is a sophomore in high school at the time of this writing, has a girlfriend (AH!) and a mechanically wired brain. (He recently re-built the transmission of his truck after watching one YouTube video. What?)

Anywho, as awkward as this boy/man is, I love him to pieces. And even though he is growing up, some of his antics still make me laugh.

A few weeks ago, he was doing some Food Science homework assigned by my good friend/college roommate Kayla (known to most in our hometown community as Mrs. Taylor.) It was very science-y and one of the questions was “List one item that doesn’t have matter.” [Read more…]

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Hidden Ah-Ha’s: Doing a Great Work

I’m a big fan of routine. It keeps me on track, moving forward and constantly stretching for my goals while seeking God in the process.

But sometimes my daily routine gets a little bit too… routine.

You know what I’m talking about. Those days where you get out of bed and while you KNOW you should be thankful to have another opportunity to experience life on this earth, but instead you really feel kinda meh. Blah. Gah.

Whatever nonsense word you want to use, you are feeling it. [Read more…]

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Hidden Ah-Ha’s: Starting out Popular

So, I have to admit that I wasn’t really “popular” in high school. (Shocker, right? You would think that with my love of inky pens and new school supplies, I woulda been a shoo-in…)

Honestly, I didn’t really want to be popular.  Because even in a high school graduating class of 18 (yes, 18!) people, the popular kids always seemed to be dealing with more trouble than their “social status” was worth. (Sidenote: Nothing against the popular kiddos, especially if that included you. 🙂 )

I was friends with pretty much everyone but sure wasn’t fashionable or the party gal or the most entertaining. (Heck, I’m still none of those almost 10 years later. Ha.) [Read more…]

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Everyday Jesus: Where’s Waldo… I mean Jesus?

Welcome to another edition of Everyday Jesus! Today I am so stinkin’ excited to introduce you to one of my coolest and most supportive “dude readers.” Only the best part is he’s not just a reader– he too is a writer! I work alongside Brent at Christ Community Church and he inspires readers with his passion for Christ and leadership perspective. Get ready to discover Jesus in everyday life with his guest post today here at 7 Days Time! 
Looking for Christ in the Everyday, 
SGK 
PS: Don’t forget to show Brent the Jesus love both here and on his website by leaving a comment! 
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The ‘Where’s Waldo’ books and puzzles have been around for years….since 1987 to be exact.  Some are more challenging than others.  You’ve seen these, right?  Waldo and other characters are always dressed in bright red and white stripes, which would suggest that they would be rather easy to pick out in a crowd.  As it turns out, however, it’s not really that simple. [Read more…]
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