Oakwood Church

“I appeal to you therefore brothers, by the mercies of God…”
Romans 12:1

“There is a difference between grace and mercy. Mercy is the decision of God not to punish us. But grace is the decision of God to save and bless us.”
~ Max Lucado

“God’s mercy is so great that you may sooner drain the sea of its water or deprive the sun of its light or make space too narrow than diminish the great mercy of God.”
~ Charles Spurgeon

“His mercies are new every morning!”
Lamentations 3:23

3 Moves Toward Empowered Ministry

1. Present your body as a living sacrifice

“By bodies he means not only our skin and bones but the totality of which we are composed. He adopted this word that he might more fully designate all that we are, for the members of the body are the instruments by which we carry out our purposes.”
~ John Calvin

1. Present your body as a living sacrifice

• Be removed from the world’s way

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”
Romans 12:2

1. Present your body as a living sacrifice

• Be renewed in God’s way

“...that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Romans 12:2

3 Moves Toward Empowered Ministry

2. Consider yourself with sober judgment

“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.”
Romans 12:3

2. Consider yourself with sober judgment

• All gifts are of God’s grace

“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us…”
Romans 12:6

2. Consider yourself with sober judgment

• All gifts are for God’s glory

“…we, though many, are one body in Christ…”
Romans 12:5

3 Moves Toward Empowered Ministry

3. Serve according to God’s gift of grace

“…let us use them...”
Romans 12:6

“Spiritual gifts, to put it as simply as I know how, are the more or less concrete and tangible ways the Holy Spirit manifests His presence in and through the individual members of the church.”
~ Sam Storms

“A spiritual gift is a supernaturally designed ability granted to every believer by which the Holy Spirit ministers to the body of Christ.”
~ John MacArthur

“earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.”
1 Corinthians 14:1

Spiritual Gifts are:

1. Discovered in practice

“fan into flame the gift of God that was in him.”
2 Timothy 1:6

Spiritual Gifts are:

2. Confirmed in community

“Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.”
Proverbs 15:22

Spiritual Gifts are:

3. Expressed in service

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”
1 Peter 4:10

“Your spiritual gifts were not given for your benefit but for the benefit of others, just as other people were given gifts for your benefit.”
~ Rick Warren

“I appeal to you therefore brothers, by the mercies of God…”
Romans 12:1