Oakwood Church

“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.”
Romans 12:3

“I appeal to you brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.”
1 Corinthians 1:10

“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord…Let no one boast in men.”
1 Corinthians 1:31; 3:21

Three Initiatives of God:

1. God Gives us gifts according to His will and by His Spirit

“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good… who apportions to each one individually as he wills.”
1 Corinthians 12:7,11

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities but the same God who empowers them all…”
1 Corinthians 12:4-6

Three Initiatives of God:

1. God Gives us gifts according to His will and by His Spirit

“No one speaking in the Spirit ever says, ‘Jesus is accursed,’ and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except in the Holy Spirit.”
1 Corinthians 12:3

Three Initiatives of God:

1. God Gives us gifts according to His will and by His Spirit

“God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.”
1 Corinthians 12:18

Three Initiatives of God:

2. God Empowers us to serve the Body of Christ

“There are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.”
1 Corinthians 12:6

1. Gifts - charistmaton

2. Service - diakanon

3. Activities - energematon

Three Initiatives of God:

2. God Empowers us to serve the Body of Christ

“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
1 Corinthians 12:7

Three Initiatives of God:

2. God Empowers us to serve the Body of Christ

“To one is given through the Spirit… to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit…”
1 Corinthians 12:8-9

Three Initiatives of God:

2. God Empowers us to serve the Body of Christ

“All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit who apportions to each one individually as he wills.”
1 Corinthians 12:11

Three Initiatives of God:

2. God Empowers us to serve the Body of Christ

“That there may be no division in the body but that the members may have the same care for one another.”
1 Corinthians 12:25

Three Initiatives of God:

3. God Produces the results so He gets all the glory

“Neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.”
1 Corinthians 3:7

Three Initiatives of God:

3. God Produces the results so He gets all the glory

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31

1. God Gives us gifts

2. God Empowers us to serve

3. God Produces the results

“For decades church leadership like myself have lost sight of the powerful mystery inherent in the Church and have instead run to other methods to keep people interested.
In all honesty, we have trained you to become addicted to lesser things. We have cheapened something sacred, and we must repent.”
~ Francis Chan, Letters to the Church