The Journey Begins 20 May 18

My Journey:

1. Know your calling.
2. Don’t quit.

Scripture used: Acts 13:1-3; Acts 14:1-10; Acts 14:14-20

1.   What’s the greatest distance you’ve been from home?  Was it for business, pleasure, or ministry? Did God teach you anything through your experiences on that trip?
2.   Read Acts 13:1-3.  The text says, “the Holy Spirit said…” and Paul and Barnabas obeyed.
   • Have you ever felt led to step out in faith like Paul and Barnabas did?
   • Share your experience with the group.
3.   Read Acts 14:1-7.  
   • What was the apostles’ evangelism strategy when entering a new city?  
   • Why do you think he went to the synagogue first?
   • If Paul was traveling to cities today to spread the gospel, what do you think his strategy would be?
   • If God called you to a city with little knowledge of Jesus, what would your strategy be?
4.   Read Acts 14:8-20.  
   • What was religious life like in Lystra?  
   • How does Paul’s previous sermon in the synagogue (Acts 13:13-41) differ from this one in Acts 14:15-17?  
   • Why the difference?
   • If Paul spoke at GC this Sunday, what do you think he would say?
5.   Pastor Troy talked about the importance of knowing your calling.
   • What did God put you on planet earth to do?
   • If you are unable to answer that, how will you find the answer?
6.   Why is it so important for you not to quit when God calls you to a task?  
   • What could have happened if Paul had quit in the middle of his first journey?
   • What obstacles have made you want to quit? Where did you seek help in “pushing through” those obstacles?  

DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS:

Day 1: Acts 17:1-15

Day 2: Acts 17:16-34

Day 3: Acts 18

Day 4: Acts 19:1-22

Day 5: Acts 19:23-41

Day 6: Acts 20:1-12

Day 7: Acts 20:13-37

DIGGING DEEPER DISCUSSION:

Discuss Troy’s statement, “If you are a believer, find your gift, develop it and then replace yourself.”  Read and discuss the following article from gotquestions.org.

Question: “How do I identify my spiritual gift?”

Answer: There is no magic formula or definitive test that can tell us exactly what our spiritual gifts are. The Holy Spirit distributes the gifts as He determines (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). A common problem for Christians is the temptation to get so caught up in our spiritual gift that we only seek to serve God in the area in which we feel we have been gifted. That is not how the spiritual gifts work. God calls us to obediently serve Him in all things. He will equip us with whatever gift or gifts we need to accomplish the task He has called us to.

Identifying our spiritual giftedness can be accomplished in various ways. Spiritual gift tests or inventories, while not to be fully relied upon, can definitely help us understand where our gifting might be. Confirmation from others also gives light to our spiritual giftedness. Other people who see us serving the Lord can often identify a spiritual gift in use that we might take for granted or not recognize. Prayer is also important. The one person who knows exactly how we are spiritually gifted is the gift-giver Himself–the Holy Spirit. We can ask God to show us how we are gifted in order to better use our spiritual gifts for His glory.

Yes, God calls some to be teachers and gives them the gift of teaching. God calls some to be servants and blesses them with the gift of helps. However, specifically knowing our spiritual gift does not excuse us from serving God in areas outside our gifting. Is it beneficial to know what spiritual gift(s) God has given us? Of course it is. Is it wrong to focus so much on spiritual gifts that we miss other opportunities to serve God? Yes. If we are dedicated to being used by God, He will equip us with the spiritual gifts we need.  

For further reference, go to https://www.gotquestions.org/spiritual-gifts-survey.html.

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