G Notes

"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." ~ Galatians 5:13 (ESV) That one verse is packed with theological goodness. First, it reminds believers that we have been called by God to live a life of freedom. To be called "called" means to be urgently invited into a new type of life. Through the gospel of Jesus Christ, God urgently invites us to receive freedom from sin and to enjoy a life in which sin is no longer master over us. By grace through faith, we are invited into a life of freedom - a life with new privileges and responsibilities. Second, the verse warns us that it is very possible for followers of Jesus to turn back to a sinful life. It is possible for believes to walk back into the prison that Jesus has unlocked rather than to enjoy the freedom that Christ has won. Thus, each of us every day have a choice: walk in freedom or walk back into sin's prison...

Last week, I provided a few thoughts in regard to the importance of discovering the spiritual gift(s) God has bestowed on us as followers of Jesus; and I gave a suggestion on the best way to go about discovering those gifts. This week, I'd like to provide a few insights into some of the spiritual gifts that are specifically mentioned in the Bible. Scripture doesn't provide an exhaustive list of every possible spiritual gift, but it does mention a few. It is important for us to have a proper understanding of the gifts that are mentioned for three reasons: a gift will not be used properly for the common good of the church if it is not understood and applied biblically a misunderstanding of gifts can (and probably will) cause division in the church a proper understanding of the gifts listed in Scripture will help us to better discern those gifts that are not listed in Scripture. So let's take a look at some of the gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 28-29 and Rom...

One of the joys of belonging to a church is discovering where we should serve within and outside the church. Serving is a blessing. It is a blessing to serve God and others. As Acts 20:35says, " It is more blessed to give than to receive ."  In order to enjoy the blessing that can only come through a life of service, two things are absolutely necessary. First, accept the gospel. We can't the blessed servant God wants us to be unless we first humble ourselves and allow God to serve us the grace we so desperately need. Jesus came from heaven to earth not to be served but to serve; and He did so through His sinless life and through His atoning sacrifice on the cross. Second, we must discover what spiritual gift(s) God has blessed us with. God doesn't only bless us with grace and forgiveness, but He blesses us also by empowering us to live the blessed life of a servant. So here's my quick attempt to provide a little insight into the spiritual gifts. Hope,...