According to Scripture, God describes the true believer in clear and active terms. The believer:

     Take a moment to evaluate and reflect on your personal experience of spiritual transformation. The heart is the greatest deceiver and the tongue the most lethal muscle. Today, look at yourself. What sin, short-sightedness, arrogance, or other distracting issue is keeping the Holy Spirit from moving in and through you? Instead of placing the responsibility or blame on others, let God to deal with you, create in you a clean heart. If all of us were to do battle with our own barriers to God’s will, might we see the renewal and growth God desires for us and our community? We have a Shepherd who is waiting for us. He has never left us. He has stood steadfast and patiently waiting for us to cease the chaotic scramble and follow Him.
     Are you living a spiritually transformed life?
     “Dear Father, create in me a clean heart, sweep out the cobwebs and burn the twisted vines that keep me from being completely filled with the Holy Spirit. As Your vessel, may Your love overflow from me that others will see You and yearn to know You. Thank you for the blood that cleanses me. Amen”

     God has prepared each of us for His purposes. We bring honor to God by using the spiritual gifts God has given us to serve others. We are prepared by God to serve. God has prepared each of us in five areas: Spiritual gifts, Experiences, Relational style, Vocational skills, and Enthusiasm.
     Our relationship with Christ along with these 5 areas are the clay, the raw material, God uses to shape us into servant leaders. To be a servant leader, one must be a leader who serves. We must do like Jesus as He washed the disciples’ feet.
     Servant leaders know who they are in Christ. They know how God has molded and gifted them for His purpose. They know every experience prepares them for ministry. They trust God to use them for His glory, not their gain.

     I Corinthians 12:7 tells us that a spiritual gift is a “manifestation of the Spirit.” It is not a special ability we develop on our own. This would be a skill or talent. We do not seek a spiritual gift, but we should pray for God to show us how He has gifted us for His purpose.
     Our church works best when all of us know how God has spiritually gifted us and are empowered by our spiritual gifts. When all members serve using their spiritual gifts, the church thrives for God’s purpose. Each gift is given for the common good (Ephesians 4:12). Church members are bestowed gifts by God to equip and build up the body of Christ.
     Now, I can’t just up and decide what spiritual gift I want to have and go get it. God gives the gifts as He sees fit (I Cor.12:11). Spiritual gifts are part of God’s design for each person and for the church. He arranges the parts the way He wants them to be (I Cor. 12:18). The goal of a servant leader is to discover how God has gifted him/her for service, and to lead others in the same joy of discovery.
     A spiritual gift is “an expression of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers which empowers them to serve the body of Christ, the church.”
     Pray this week for the discovery or affirmation of your spiritual gifts. Read the Scripture to find representative lists: Romans 12:6-8; I Corinthians 12:8-10, 28-30; Ephesians 4:11; and, I Peter 4:9-11. Let’s move to God’s purpose for RRBC.

Check out the list below to see what gifts seem to fit how God has made you.

     Hospitality: Ability to make visitors and strangers feel at ease. Often use home to entertain. Integrate new members into the body (1 Peter 4:9)
     Giving: Give freely and joyfully to the work and mission of the body (Romans 12:8) 
     Mercy: Cheerful acts of compassion. Empathize with hurting members. Keep the body healthy and unified (Romans 12:8)
     Service/Helps: Recognize practical needs in the body and joyfully give assistance to meet the needs. Do not mind working behind the scenes (1 Cor.12:28, Rom.12:7)
     Apostleship: Motivate the body to look beyond its walls to carry out the Great Commission by planting churches or being missionaries (1 Cor. 12:28, Eph. 4:11)
     Evangelism: Lead others to Christ effectively and enthusiastically (Eph. 4:11)
     Faith: Encourage others to trust in God in the face of apparent insurmountable odds (1 Cor. 12:9)
     Shepherding: Look out for the spiritual welfare of others (Eph. 4:11)
     Exhortation: Encourage members to be involved joyfully in service for the body. Preach, teach, and ministry. (Rom. 12:8)
     Discernment: Recognizes the true intentions of those within or related to the body. Tests the message and actions of others for the protection and well-being of the body (1 Cor. 12:10)
     Prophecy: Proclaims the Word of God boldly. Builds up the body and leads to conviction of sin (1 Cor. 12:10, Rom. 12:6)
     Wisdom: Discern the work of the Holy Spirit in the body. Applies His teachings/actions to the body’s needs (1 Cor. 12:28)Knowledge: Teach and train in discipleship. Able to learn, know, and explain the truths of God’s Word (1 Cor. 12:28)Teaching: Instruct members in the truths and doctrines of God’s Word for the purposes of building up, unifying, and maturing the body (1 Cor. 12:28,Rom. 12:7, Eph. 4:11)
     Administration: Lead the body by steering others to remain on task. Enables the body to organize according to God-given purposes and long-term goals ( 1 Cor. 12:28)
     Leadership: Aids the body by leading and directing members to accomplish the goals and purposes of the church. Motivates people to work together in unity toward common goals (Rom 12:8)

Only Jesus has all the listed gifts. Every Christian has at least one.

     When we serve with our bestowed gifts, we are happy and invigorated in our place of service. This is because we are doing what God designed us to do to support His vision and mission. God has a worldwide vision to reach all people with the gospel of Christ. We are to use our spiritual gifts for the common good of the body. If we are serving for personal gain or ego, we are not serving. In fact, we are behaving as the Pharisees, and we, as individuals and as church body will be judged harshly. If we do not use our God-given gifts, we grieve the Lord. Evaluate, reflect, meditate, and pray. God has a plan for each of us as a part of His body.

     God uses experiences to mold us into His image. When servant leaders have difficult experiences, they are confident that these events are part of God’s sovereign work in creation. He molds and makes us into a tool of His grace.
     Henry Blackaby calls events like Paul’s conversion spiritual markers. Spiritual markers “identify a time of transition, decision, or direction when one clearly knows that God has guided us.” Remembering the spiritual markers in our lives helps us see God’s work in our life and His plan for us.
     You have events in your life when God has made His will clear to you. God has spoken to you – confirmed a decision or revealed something new. It does not have to be a desert experience to be significant. It can be an illness to the smile of a child. Any revelation is a life-changing moment. God works everyday events to shape us into His likeness.
     Take a moment to reflect on the spiritual markers of your life. How would you tell a friend about your encounters with God? How would you share your salvation experience to make a difference in someone else’s life and eternity? Your experiences matter because they are the crucible God uses to mold you and me into His image.

     Everyone has a Relational style. It is our natural style of relating to others. Every style has its strengths and weaknesses. God can use any relational style that is submitted to His will to serve His purposes.
     How you relate is basic to how you serve as a leader. To know your relational style is to know how God make you to serve people through your relationships. Servant leaders know how they relate to others and others relate to them. Since leadership involves influencing others for the common good, knowing how God has made your temperament is essential to knowing your leadership style. Understanding others’ relational styles and needs helps you communicate and lead more effectively.
     Four primary relational styles have been described by Ken Voges.
          Dominant relational style has the strengths of direct, active, and decisive. Its weaknesses are too controlling, hates routine, and hates details. This style functions best in active, challenging environments.
          Influencing style has the strengths of gregarious, enthusiastic, and extremely flexible. The weaknesses of this style are forgets the goal, poor follow-through, and overlooks details. Verbal persuasion is major part of this style. It functions best in friendly, favorable environments.
          The Steadiness style is strong in cooperation, deliberate, and supportive. Weaknesses are fails to confront, dislikes change, and is too compromising. It functions best in supportive, harmonious environments.
          The Conscientious style’s strengths are detailed, conscientious, and cautious. The weaknesses are inflexible, rigid, and indecisive. It functions best in structured, orderly environments.
     No single style can meet every need. God meant to create various styles with equal importance. All gifts and strengths are important to the church. Our weaknesses are not excuses for sin. God needs each of us, and we need each other. Colossians 3:12-14 tells us how we are to serve each other. We NEED each other. We need to SERVE each other so that glory will be brought to God.

     Originally vocation meant what one feels called to do with his/her life. It has come to mean any profession or occupation. A vocational skill is any ability we have learned that enhances our calling to life. A career is our choice. The world teaches us to choose what we want then to choose for ourselves. The Bible tells us to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (Eph. 4:1). This does not refer to jobs. We are encouraged to adopt a lifestyle consistent with who we are in Christ. Calling in the Bible is one’s position in Christ, not one’s position in the world. Whatever we do, God calls us to live like a child God and to bring honor to God through out actions.
     Vocational skills are those skills we have to our career and hobbies. Each of us should take an inventory of our skills and how we use them to serve God. Imagine how God can use these skills for His work of spreading the gospel. Everything you are and do is essential to God’s mission. Age does not make a difference. Gender does not make a difference. Spread your wings to serve. We will all be better if we use in love what God designed us to do.

     Unfortunately, many Christians have forgotten their enthusiasm, their passion. The word enthusiasm comes from a Greek word that means “in god”. The Greeks believed that a god could enter a person and inspire or enthuse him. Our word enthusiasm takes on the meaning, “God in you.” While the Greek word for enthuse is not found in the New Testament, the emphasis on God’s presence which energizes the believer is a recurring theme. See John 14:20; John 20:21-22; Matthew 28:18-20; and Acts 1:8.
     We are to have passion in our serving. It is a God generated passion and enthusiasm for God’s mission. It is a God-given desire to serve Him by meeting the needs of others. Servant leaders have a God-given passion to serve. Servant leaders find joy when God’s will is done. Sometimes our God-give enthusiasm is the only source of joy in our ministry. We face obstacles, disappointments, criticisms, and questions. But the sincere desire to know God’s will and the passion God puts in your heart for His work, absorb these negative reactions. Your enthusiasm is the beginning of a fruitful like in Christ.
     What has God burned in your heart to do for His mission on earth? What is the one thing you do for God that makes your heart beat fast? If you could do one thing for God, what would it be?

     Some people shy away from anything that suggests a leadership role. However, we are a leader in some facet of our lives. All the SERVE attributes we have discussed apply to all of us whether we serve as a Sunday School teacher, seamstress, carpenter, or prayer warrior. For Reedy River Baptist Church to reap the benefits of growth, we must know what God has given us and use it to further His kingdom. It is going to require honest introspection. We may need to show more compassion and less self-absorption.

1. God has gifted me with the spiritual gifts of ________________________________________________________________________.
 

2. God has allowed these experiences to guide me for His purposes  ______________________________________________________
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     If you are interested in a more in-depth study of these things, we have these books in the Dorothy H. Burns Media Center: Ken Hemphill’s Serving God: Discovering and Using Your Spiritual Gifts and Henry Blackaby and Claude V. King’s Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God. Both of these would be excellent independent or small group studies.

Based on Willowcreek's Bible 101 study sessions, other sources