13 March 2022
Two-Minute Features | 20 March 2022 | 06 March 2022

The Variety of Gifts from the Spirit (TMF:1810)

Friday, March 18, 2022
Peace to Live By: The Variety of Gifts from the Spirit (TMF:1810) - Daniel Litton
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       The believer who prophesies: sometimes a person will give us a word from God. They’ll say exactly what we need to hear. It can also be true that an individual with the gift of prophecy tells of something that will happen in the future. The person will give a promise from God or a warning perhaps. Next, I think the gift of service is pretty self-explanatory; the individual goes about serving the church and others in varying ways, hands on. We understand what teaching is. Who is a believer who exhorts? What is exhortation? That means encouraging. Boy, we need some encouragers, don’t we? Everyone needs encouragement. And I believe this gift can commonly work in conjunction with teaching. Then there is the person who gives more monetarily than the norm. God has blessed the believer financially, or with a greater heart to give and perhaps sacrifice more than usual in this area. We know what leading is, and acts of mercy I think are people who provide comfort for others, like visiting the elderly, widows, or children waiting to be adopted; visiting hospitals, or praying for people, to name some examples.

Our Unique, Individual Responsibilities, Part 3 (TMF:1809)

Thursday, March 17, 2022
Peace to Live By: Our Unique, Individual Responsibilities, Part 3 (TMF:1809) - Daniel Litton
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       There aren’t near the amount of opportunities within the church walls to practice one’s gifting by the Spirit. And this would have been the case even during Paul’s day, as not every church was large undoubtedly. This being the case, we have to assume that our gifts serve the common good, both believers and unbelievers. If our gifts only worked to help believers, in smaller churches they would scarcely be used due to a lack of opportunity. If we understand the spiritual gifts only to work within the body, then most people are going to be walking around with their heads down a lot of the time. Especially with our American setup of church, were we only meet once or twice a week with other church members. There is no living ‘community’ per se to practice the gifts. Anyhow, Paul lists some example gifts that we have. He lists prophecy, service, teaching, exhorting, contributing, leading, and acts of mercy. Let’s go through these one-by-one.

Our Unique, Individual Responsibilities, Part 2 (TMF:1808)

Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Peace to Live By: Our Unique, Individual Responsibilities, Part 2 (TMF:1808) - Daniel Litton
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       I was thinking about these gifts that God gives us, that there is no mention to these gifts being limited to church-work or church-use only (nor are there gender roles attributed to these gifts). If one is part of a larger church, say, over 1,000 members, it can be easy for them to consider that their gifts by the Spirit would only be used for church work. Within bigger churches there are more opportunities to utilize the gifts. But, it can seem frustrating or disheartening to people who read this passage who attend smaller churches, say of 50, 100, 200, or even 500 members. There aren’t near the amount of opportunities within the church walls to practice one’s gifting by the Spirit. And this would have been the case even during Paul’s day, as not every church was large undoubtedly. This being the case, we have to assume that our gifts serve the common good, both believers and unbelievers.

Our Unique, Individual Responsibilities, Part 1 (TMF:1807)

Tuesday, March 15, 2022
Peace to Live By: Our Unique, Individual Responsibilities, Part 1 (TMF:1807) - Daniel Litton
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       God has given us all faith then to accomplish the work the desires us to accomplish for his kingdom. And he has given us each a different amount of faith when it comes to fulfilling these tasks. So, Paul tells us that we are to think in parallel with the faith that we have. Some of us God is requiring more from, and some of us God is requiring less. God calls some people to big ministries, or he works them up to that. Others he calls to no particular ministry at all. He calls people to be normal individuals, living quiet and peaceful lives. We will all do church work at one time or another, whoever we are. Whatever our calls in life, whatever are careers in the world, our faith should work in conjunction with that. We each have individual, unique responsibilities, and none of us can do something the exact same way another individual does it, no matter what we are doing. Each of us helps others out within the body, whether that’s big help or small help; we all help. And our gifting by the Spirit works to benefit the world.

Faith to Accomplish God's Work for the Kingdom (TMF:1806)

Monday, March 14, 2022
Peace to Live By: Faith to Accomplish God's Work for the Kingdom (TMF:1806) - Daniel Litton
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       Verse 3: “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” God has given us all faith then to accomplish the work the desires us to accomplish for his kingdom. And he has given us each a different amount of faith when it comes to fulfilling these tasks. So, Paul tells us that we are to think in parallel with the faith that we have.