Notes From Fred
I hope that some of you will respond to the invitation to try our Bible Journey Class at 9:30 on Sunday mornings – especially with this Sunday as a summary of the bible from Genesis to Esther; and preparing to turn to Job, who asks and receives a response (not necessarily an answer) to one of the most powerful questions for all of us – Why do we suffer? How can we have faith in the face of suffering?
And I hope that all of you will accept the invitation to join the list of our families coming together for our Third Annual Campout in two weeks – a wonderful time for fun, fellowship, and faith!
Do You Honor the Gifts?
Romans 12:4-8,10; 1 Corinthians 12:18-23(a),27
As you read and pray about the Scripture for this week, discuss it with someone else, and answer these questions:
- What specific words seem to be speaking to you, and why do those words “stand out” for you?
- God has blessed us with gifts of His Spirit which offer great gifts to the people we touch – often for people that we do not now know, if we will let His gift-giving Spirit lead us. We honor God’s gifts when we use them for Him through the Body of Christ, and when we recognize and enable others to use His gifts. In what new ways might God want you to use His gifts through the body of Christ here? What gifts has He given to others here that we can help nurture to be used for Him?
- What would you like to understand better after Sunday?
Let me know about your preparation—and to what extent the sermon connected to your life.
Fred
When is comes to the gifts of the Holy Sprit I wonder how I know the genuine gift given by the Holy Spirit. When the apostles received the Holy Spirit their works were beyond their own abilities. There are many examples of people in the bible and people in modern times that experienced similar results as the apostles. If I were operating in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, wouldn’t I be seeing the results that the bible teaches? What about our church programs and the impact the Holy Spirit? Are our successes a result of the Holy Spirit? Are our failures the result of operating without the Holy Spirit? I trust the bible and expect that alignment with the Holy Spirit will result in works beyond my abilities.
I would like to learn more about the Holy Spirit and find out how to live through His power, wisdom and authority.