Hey yall! I’m back with another collection of sermon notes from service this morning. Our pastor is genuinely so funny and he did a great job today so I wanted to share some of what he said. this is week 3 of our series focusing on giving. This week is about our purpose and God-given gifts.
Jesus said “It is more blessed to give than to receive” and then went and gave his life. So that’s exactly what we need to do. We aren’t likely to have a suffering, painful, horrible, torturous death (not where we live, anyway) – but giving our life back to Christ should be our first priority every day.
The giving series:
Week 1: Our body controls our giving. Time, money, resources, talents. All of it. So offering our bodies as a living sacrifice is a form of worship. That’s in the Bible.
Week 2: Using our time wisely. Reading, praying, worshipping, and spending time with God and fellow Christians. Reaching out to the hurting, being there for the broken, and offering a hand to those who have lost their way. Not wasting time on our phones, distractions and selfish desires. The average American spends 5 hours a day on their phone. That’s 76 days a year. And Gen Z? 6.5 hours. That’s 100 days a year. How are you using your time?
Week 4: (this week) you have a purpose.
Comparison is the thief of joy. We are all given a gift – and yours is just as important as the ones you compare yourself to. From the streets to the seats, we need to reach people. With the gifts we have been given. If it wasn’t important, why would he have given it to you? So stop bowing to gift-envy. Keep your eyes on him and he’ll show you what to do. You were created to do what God created you for. Believing that your gift is less important than someone else’s is a lie straight from hell.
It doesn’t say to use her gift. Or his gift. It says to use your gift. Trying to do someone else’s calling puts them out of their purpose and leaves your job undone.
Who gave you the time? God.
Who gave you the talent? God.
Who gave you the gift? God.
So who deserves the glory and praise? God.
So use it to honor him and serve others. Not yourself. Turn it back, and turn it loose.
4 reasons to use your gift:
- When you use your gift, you’re serving God’s Kingdom.
- Using your gift demonstrates that you trust God.
- When you’re using your gift, you’re trusting that although you are insufficient, he isn’t.
- Using your gift gives your life Kingdom-significance.
You’re here today because someone used their God-given talents and it made impactful ripples.
It sounds harsh, but it’s true: without God, you are insignificant. With him, you have purpose. So don’t listen to the lies – if you have Christ, you have a purpose. And if you don’t, it’s not too late. As long as there’s breath in your lungs you can acknowledge that he put it there. You have a gift waiting for you. ♡
♡~ Skippy
