Encounter: Slowly Read through Judges chapters 4 & 5, Acts 1:8, 1 Cor. 12:5-11 & Acts 4:31
During the second night of our Eden Student Union Alpha Course, one of the questions that was asked in the small group discussion time was, “If you could become famous, what would you like to be known for?” I was impressed by the answers of two of our female students. One said she would like to be known for encouraging people through social media and the other student shared a similar passion and added she wanted to share with people what God could do in their lives and why Jesus was so important. They were both asking questions about how they could approach their friends who were not following Jesus. It was encouraging for me to be there with them witnessing the spiritual gifts within them being cultivated and inspired to grow.
I could already see a glimpse of what God would do through their unique personalities, abilities and experiences. God was already placing within them the call to be a hero to others. Recently one of the students had the opportunity to speak during a FCA meeting at school which inspired another student to want to do the same. She shared that it wasn’t like her to get up and speak to a crowd, she is usually kind of shy, but she felt strongly she was called to share what was on her heart. There it was right in front of my eyes. God was filling their toolkits with what would be needed for the journey ahead of them as he called them to be leaders of the next generation of Christ followers.
It made me think of another woman in Scripture, her name was Deborah. There was a time in the history of Israel when she was leading and serving as a judge of God’s people and it was no easy task. It was a time of war and unrest which caused some to shrink back in fear while others stepped forward boldly. In the book of Judges, chapters 4 & 5, it tells us,“She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided.” Deborah was a woman of great wisdom, revelation, and discernment and when God said speak, she spoke boldly. God’s spirit was upon her and like the people of God in Jerusalem hundreds of years later, we would know that when the Spirit of the Living God would fill a person, like a superpower given to one of our film heroes, they would speak the word of God BOLDLY and do things they never expected they could do.
This Sunday in our EPIC series, we will talk about how when God gives the superpower of His Spirit, the cause we never cared about before, the message we would never get up to tell a crowd of people, the mission we never thought we would give our lives for, suddenly becomes a part of our normal. Something inside of us says MOVE!
The superheroes of scripture, like Deborah to Captain America and Wonderwoman, receive a power from a Source that is not their own. And in EPIC, Julie inspires us to see those creative moments as something God is doing for His purposes, “Maybe you’ve got the chance to learn something new or pick up a new skill. Doesn’t make sense? It will. Like those Easter Eggs in the Marvel movies that foreshadow things to come, it will somewhere down the road. And you’ll look back and smile and say to God, I see what you did there.”
God has been infusing His people with gifts from on high ever since He has been creating and calling. We can trust he will do the same for us.“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. How will you use your superpower?
Called and Gifted with You
Pastor Tammy
Reflect: Write down some of the ways God has gifted you through your personality, gifts, abilities and experiences. How has God invited you to use these gifts? Write down those things you are most excited to do and have a passion for.
Encourage: Is there any connection in using those for God’s purposes to bring encouragement to others? Pray for boldness to accept the invitation.
Gather: In your small group, take time to affirm the gifts you see in one another. Share which of your “superpowers” God is calling you to use to further His Kingdom here on earth.
Go to www.edenmuncie.com/epic to take your spiritual gifts assessment and Enneagram and then schedule your EPIC coaching session with Pastor Tammy or Pastor Matt so you can begin to recognize and respond to God’s movement in your story.