OPENING PRAYER

Spend 5 to 15 minutes in prayer about the following:

• Use Psalm 139:14-16 as your prayer guide. Read that passage and pray it back to God with the same wonder and awe in which it was originally written

BIBLE

Read John 19

• What did you learn about yourself?
• What did you learn about God?
• What will do differently based upon what you read?

MEMORY VERSE

Read the following passage out loud. Repeat it five times. Make sure to say the verse address both before and after the passage

Ephesians 2:10

For ____ are ______ __________________, created in __________ __________ to do ________ __________, which ______ ________________ in ______________ for us ____ ____.

Ephesians 2:10

STUDY

Yesterday, we found out that God gives spiritual gifts to every believer that enable them to fulfill the call that he/she as been given. In the New Testament, multiple passages list out the various gifts that God gives. Today, you are going to look at those different passages so that you have an idea for the broad spectrum of gifts that make the church a powerful force for serving others and spreading the Kingdom.

Read the following passages and list out as many gifts as you can identify. Be aware, some of gifts are repeated in the different passages and some are unique to each passage. Try to make a comprehensive list by compiling the gifts from all the passages. The blanks are there just to provide space for you to write. You might come up with fifteen gifts, or you might come up with twenty. The goal is to grasp the variety of God’s gifts for His children.

Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11

1. ______________________________
2. ______________________________
3. ______________________________
4. ______________________________
5. ______________________________
6. ______________________________
7. ______________________________
8. ______________________________
9. ______________________________
10. ______________________________
11. ______________________________
12. ______________________________
13. ______________________________
14. ______________________________
15. ______________________________
16. ______________________________
17. ______________________________
18. ______________________________
19. ______________________________
20. ______________________________

By now, you probably already have a good idea about which gifts you have been given. Perhaps you are not quite sure. Fortunately, there is a tool that helps figure out what your gifting may be. Click the below and fill out the assessment:

Spiritual Gifts Assessment

Make sure you submit the form with your email address so that you get the results. If you have questions about what each gift is, you can find descriptions for each one here:

Spiritual Gift Descriptions

We will be talking about your results at this week’s SOI meeting.

 

CLOSING PRAYER

OPENING PRAYER

Spend 5 to 15 minutes in prayer about the following:

• Praise God because of His generosity in all things, but especially in heavenly riches
• Ask Him about what He has given to you that uniquely positions you to fulfill your calling

BIBLE

Read John 18

• What did you learn about yourself?
• What did you learn about God?
• What will do differently based upon what you read?

MEMORY VERSE

Read the following passage out loud. Repeat it five times. Make sure to say the verse address both before and after the passage

Ephesians 2:10

For ____ are God’s __________________, created in __________ __________ to do ________ __________, which God ________________ in advance for us ____ ____.

Ephesians 2:10

STUDY

In the very first week of the School of Impact, we learned that even the faith we have in God is a gift from Him. That is not the only gift God gives to His children. As a matter of fact, the more time you spend in scripture, the more you will see that God is a gift-giver. He gives us the gives us His salvation, His mercy, His grace, His love, His provision, and thousands of other gifts.

In addition to these, there are some special gifts that He gives to you that help you fulfill your particular call. In the Bible, these are called, spiritual gifts, because they are the unique abilities that the Holy Spirit gives you so He can work through you.

By the end of today’s study, you should be able to understand what spiritual gifts are, how and why they are to be used, and have some idea of which ones pertain to you.

Read 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 and answer the following

How is diversity expressed through spiritual gifts?

• There are different (1 Corinthians 12:4): ________________________________
• There are different (1 Corinthians 12:5): ________________________________
• There are different (1 Corinthians 12:6): ________________________________

How is unity expressed through spiritual gifts?

• There is the same (1 Corinthians 12:4): ________________________________
• There is the same (1 Corinthians 12:5): ________________________________
• There is the same (1 Corinthians 12:6): ________________________________

What is purpose for your spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:7)?

 

Who decides which spiritual gifts you get (1 Corinthians 12:11)?

 

Which are the gifts can the church do without (1 Corinthians 12:15-20)?

 

What do you need to do with your gifts?

• 1 Timothy 4:14: _______________________________________________

 

• 1 Peter 4:10: _______________________________________________

Based on these passages, here is what we know about spiritual gifts:

• All believers have at least one gift of the Spirit
• No believe has every gift of the Spirit
• No one gift is given to all believers

 

CLOSING PRAYER

OPENING PRAYER

Spend 5 to 15 minutes in prayer about the following:

• Reflect upon the ways that Jesus lived out His ministry while in the flesh
• Share with God any resistance that you might feel about serving in ministry

BIBLE

Read John 17

• What did you learn about yourself?
• What did you learn about God?
• What will do differently based upon what you read?

MEMORY VERSE

Read the following passage out loud. Repeat it five times. Make sure to say the verse address both before and after the passage

Ephesians 2:10

For we are God’s __________________, created in Christ Jesus to do ________ __________, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:10

STUDY

Discovering your unique ministry is a process. As nice as it would be, God rarely just shows up and tells us exactly where and how to serve. Instead, our journey is much like that of Abram’s, who was told by God to go, “to the land I will show you (Genesis 12:1).” For Abram, and for us, the discovering is in the going.

God does give us guidelines and clues. He gives us examples to follow (like Abram) plants passions in our hearts, and spiritual gifts that enable us to do His will.

Today, we look at a powerful passage of scripture that will help you step through the process of discovering your ministry role.

 

 

Five Steps to Discovering Your Ministry

 

Step 1: Dedication – Romans 12:1

What do you need to do to dedicate your life to God as an act of worship?

 

 

 

Step 2: Elimination – Romans 12:2

What do you need to eliminate from your thinking? What ways of thinking do you need to replace them with? What are you willing to sacrifice (time, money, priorities) to pursue God’s call to ministry?

 

 

 

 

Step 3: Evaluation – Romans 12:3

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

 

 

Step 4: Cooperation – Romans 12:4-5

How willing are you to honor the ministries of others as you are serving in yours?

 

 

Step 5: Activation – Romans 12:6-8

What “spiritual gifts” has God given you? (We will find out more about this tomorrow)

 

CLOSING PRAYER

OPENING PRAYER

Spend 5 to 15 minutes in prayer about the following:

• Jesus’ mission to bring people into the Kingdom of God
• Your role in that mission

BIBLE

Read John 16

• What did you learn about yourself?
• What did you learn about God?
• What will do differently based upon what you read?

MEMORY VERSE

Read the following passage out loud. Repeat it five times. Make sure to say the verse address both before and after the passage

Ephesians 2:10

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:10

STUDY

Last week, we referenced Ephesians 4:11, which says:

So, Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up…

Paul understood that Jesus’ plan was for all His followers to be ministers. Christ specifically tasks some (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teacher) to prepare all for ministry. That means that when He saved you, God chose you for ministry.

Now, being a minister does not mean everyone is going to quit their jobs to serve in full-time vocational ministry. To the contrary, the most powerful ministry happens outside the confines of weekly church meetings. Ministry happens during breaks at work when someone prays alongside a suffering co-worker. Ministry happens on the sideline when someone shares Christ’s love with their kid’s team-mates parents. It happens when someone takes a meal to a neighbor because they are dealing with an injury or sickness.

Not only does Jesus call you into ministry, but He has also shaped you for a particular kind of ministry. This week’s memory verse (Ephesians 2:10) reminds us that we were created to “do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Therefore, one of the greatest adventures in following Jesus is to discover your unique calling and ministry.

Ministry is, very simply, how we serve God and others. Using the following verses, see if you can figure out the three different directions of ministry:

1. We minister to ______________________________ (Deuteronomy 6:5).
2. We minister to ______________________________ (Hebrews 6:10).
3. We minister to ______________________________ (Matthew 5:14-16).

As a church, we must have a balanced ministry. This means we need people who minister upward toward God in worship and devotion, people who minister inward toward the church body in equipping and care, and people who minister outward toward the world in service and evangelism.

When ministering to people, what are the types of needs we minister in?

1. ______________________________ needs (Matthew 25:35-36).
2. ______________________________ needs (1 Thessalonians 5:14, Romans 12:15).
3. ______________________________ needs (1 Corinthians 2:13).

When we minister to people inside and outside the church, we are called to address physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, but fulfilling those needs are not the ultimate reason we minister to others. According to Ephesians 4:11-12, what is God’s end-purpose for your ministry?

CLOSING PRAYER

OPENING PRAYER

Spend 5 to 15 minutes in prayer about the following:

• What it means to worship a God who is worthy
• What gets in the way of your daily worship?

BIBLE

Read John 9

• What did you learn about yourself?
• What did you learn about God?
• What will do differently based upon what you read?

MEMORY VERSE

Read the following passage out loud. Repeat it five times. Make sure to say the verse address both before and after the passage

Psalm 119:11

I ________  ________________ ________ ________ in ___ __________ that I __________ not ______ ____________ ______.

Psalm 119:11

STUDY

Like so many elements of contemporary Christianity, worship has morphed to mean something completely different than it did 2,000 years ago. Today, the words “worship” and “music” are virtually synonymous. When we talk about worship, more often than not, we are talking about the style and content of the songs played at the beginning and ending of a church gathering.

Biblically, however, worship is all about one thing, and one thing only: Ascribing to God His intrinsic worth. As a matter of fact, the English word, “worship” comes from an old-English term that meant, “worth-ship.”That is, the purpose of worship is to assign worth to God.

So, if singing Christian songs is not what the Bible calls worship, what is? Paul nails the idea of biblical worship in Romans 12:1-2. God read it now, and then come back to this study.

Worship is a response

Let’s break that passage down. Paul begins with the phrase, “...in view of God’s mercy.” This is the first concept about worship we need to understand: Worship is always a response to what God has already done. True worship is never offered in the hopes that God will reveal Himself. Instead, it is the natural reaction of those who have encountered the Living God.

Worship requires sacrifice:

How do we respond to the God who has saved us? Paul says you are to “offer our bodies as living sacrifices.” This means we are to surrender our self-directed will and adopt God’s direction.

Worship pleases God:

Paul says to offer your body because that sacrifice is, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”

Worship makes you different than the rest of the world:

When you worship God, you, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world.” Instead, you are “transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Worship reveals God’s will to us:

Authentic worship is simply a surrendering to God’s will. When we do that, God reveals more of His will to us. This is why Paul says that, ”you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is.” When we offer ourselves to God, wholly and completely, we become more sensitive to how God thinks and feels.

What are the elements of worship you see in 1 Chronicles 16:7?

                                                                                                           

                                                                                                           

                                                                                                           

                                                                                                           

                                                                                                           

                                                                                                           

 

CLOSING PRAYER

OPENING PRAYER

Spend 5 to 15 minutes in prayer about the following:

• Thank God that He is never further away than your prayer
• Ask Him to teach you to pray as He did the apostles

BIBLE

Read John 8

• What did you learn about yourself?
• What did you learn about God?
• What will do differently based upon what you read?

MEMORY VERSE

Read the following passage out loud. Repeat it five times. Make sure to say the verse address both before and after the passage

Psalm 119:11

I ________  ________________ your ________ in ___ __________ that I __________ not ______ against you.

Psalm 119:11

STUDY

Prayer can be something as simple as, “Help God!” It can also be intimate, detailed, multi-layered. One thing is certain about prayer: It is not natural.

After watching another teacher and his students, those who were closest to Jesus came to Him and said, “Teach us to pray. (Luke 11).” These same men had watched and listened as Jesus prayed for years. They had His daily example to follow, yet they still felt like they needed to be instructed on the right way to pray. Even so, the best way to learn prayer is to be devoted to it. As you pray regularly, you will begin to get a sense for and respond to God’s voice and passion.

Self-reflection: What gets in the way of you being devoted to prayer?

Attitudes in prayer

When talking to God, the condition of our soul is more important than the content of our prayer. What are things that Jesus warns against in our prayer life?

• Luke 18:10-14

 

• Matthew 5:5-6

 

• Matthew 6:7

 

What are three actions of prayer that Jesus talks about in Matthew 7:7. What are the differences between these?

 

 

Jesus teaches prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. What are the different areas that we should be praying over every day?

• Matthew 6:9

 

• Matthew 6:10

 

• Matthew 6:11

 

• Matthew 6:12

 

• Matthew 6:13

 

CLOSING PRAYER

OPENING PRAYER

Spend 5 to 15 minutes in prayer about the following:

• Praise God for His knowledge and wisdom
• Acknowledge the difference between the way you think, and the way God thinks
• Ask God to help you adopt His way of thinking

BIBLE

Read John 7

• What did you learn about yourself?
• What did you learn about God?
• What will do differently based upon what you read?

MEMORY VERSE

Read the following passage out loud. Repeat it five times. Make sure to say the verse address both before and after the passage

Psalm 119:11

I have ________________ your word in my __________ that I might not ______ against you.

Psalm 119:11

STUDY

Each of us has developed our own world-view. Chances are, your world-view closely aligns with those whom you have the closest relationships. It could be the very reason you are close to these people is because they share similar world-views. It could also be that you inherited many of your world-view positions from those very same people.

When you devote yourself to the Bible, two inter-related things happen. First, you get to know better who God is. Second, you begin to develop a world view that aligns with His.

Self-reflection: What in your past is most responsible for influencing your prevailing world view?

What does Isaiah 55:8-9 say about the difference between God’s way of thinking and ours?

 

What do you need to do to learn God’s way of thinking (Joshua 1:8)?

 

What does God promise you if you have an authentic desire understand His word (Proverbs 2:2-5)?

 

Look up the following verses and complete the statements:

1 Timothy 4:6

Knowing what the Bible says __________________________________________________

 

Psalm 119:105

Knowing what the Bible says __________________________________________________

 

Psalm 119:9-11

Knowing what the Bible says __________________________________________________

 

1 Corinthians 15:3-6

Knowing what the Bible says __________________________________________________

 

Romans 12:2

Knowing what the Bible says __________________________________________________

 

Romans 15:4

Knowing what the Bible says __________________________________________________

CLOSING PRAYER

Spend about 5 minutes in prayer about the following:

• Thank God for His Word and its power in your life
• Ask Him to open His Word up to you as never before

“All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits” - William James

“…habit overcomes habit.” – Thomas Aquinas

THE PARADOX OF HABITS

Last week, we learned that we are saved by grace. Our salvation is completely the result of the work of God in our lives through Jesus’ life, death, burial, and resurrection. This week, we discover that we are not only saved by God’s grace, but that we are also shaped by it.

Even though we are shaped by God’s grace, we get to choose whether to be active or apathetic in the process. When we choose to cooperate with God, our spiritual growth comes faster and has deeper influence. Conversely, when we choose the lackadaisical path, our growth is sporadic and stays at the surface level.

This is what Paul was talking about when he wrote,

Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. - Philippians 2:12–13 (NIV)

Paul is telling us that we are to “work out” our salvation within the reality of God’s active work inside of us. He makes the changes, but we provide the access.

We create space through spiritual disciplines. Spiritual disciplines are habits that open us up to what God is already doing within us. Even though there is no intrinsic power in these habits, they create an environment that activates God’s power to effect real change in us. Dallas Willard says spiritual disciplines…

“put us where he can work within us and transform us. By themselves the Spiritual Disciplines can do nothing; they can only get us to the place where something can be done.”

That’s what this week’s sessions are all about: actively creating space for God’s grace. The key to disciplines is action. Disciplines are habits we do, not attitudes we hold. They require intention and commitment. At the same time, we never participate in disciplines because we have to. The moment that spiritual practices turn into obligation is the same moment relationship with God turns into religion.

Therefore, before we begin, spend some time in prayer about your willingness to cooperate with God’s grace through spiritual disciplines.

OPENING PRAYER

Spend 5 to 15 minutes in prayer about the following:

• Praise God for His desire for you to be filled with and changed by grace
• Talk with Him about your own desire to receive His changing grace

BIBLE

Read John 6

• What did you learn about yourself?
• What did you learn about God?
• What will do differently based upon what you read?

MEMORY VERSE

Read the following passage out loud. Repeat it five times. Make sure to say the verse address both before and after the passage

Psalm 119:11

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119:11

STUDY

Self-reflection: What have you intentionally done so far to activate God’s power in your life?

 

 

 

Spiritual disciplines have been part of the Christian experience since the very beginning. Read Acts 2:42-47. What are some of the activities that you observe them doing?

1. ____________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________
4. ____________________________________________________________
5. ____________________________________________________________

What happened as the result (vs. 47)?

Read verse 42 again. It says the believers were devoted to certain practices. How would you rate your own devotion to the same practices? Are there other habits in your life to which you are devoted?

This week we are going to focus on four habits that are foundational means of receiving God’s grace. Look up each of these verses and answer the following questions:

Bible - 2 Timothy 3:16-17

I need to devote myself to the Bible because ______________________________

Prayer – Luke 11:1-4

I need to devote myself to prayer because ______________________________

Worship – Romans 12:1

I need to devote myself to worship because ______________________________

Community – 1 Corinthians 12:12-14

I need to devote myself to community because ______________________________

CLOSING PRAYER

Spend about 5 minutes in prayer about the following:

• Thank God that He is always devoted to us
• Ask for His help to overcome the things that get in the way of your devotion

OPENING PRAYER

Spend 5 to 15 minutes in prayer about the following:

• Jesus example in the face of temptation
• The temptations that are hardest for you to resist
• The power of the Holy Spirit in your life
• Ask Him to give you the will to say, “Yes, Lord” at all times

BIBLE

Read John 5

• What did you learn about yourself?
• What did you learn about God?
• What will do differently based upon what you read?

MEMORY VERSE

Hopefully by now, you have Ephesians 2:8-9 memorized. Recite it out loud several times before moving on to today’s study.

STUDY

One of the greatest risks to our confidence in God’s salvation is dealing with constant temptation.  In the same way that every one of us has sinned, so also every one of us faces temptation on a daily basis. The question is never “if” we are tempted, it is “when.”

The problem with temptation is that it carries with it a two-fold danger. First, it is a pathway to false guilt. Experiencing temptation often causes us to doubt that we are actually saved. Second, temptation is the doorway into sin. When we do not deal with temptation effectively, it threatens all the benefits that we receive from salvation.

Self-reflection: What is your plan for handling temptation when it comes?

What do the following verses say about the source of our temptation?

Matthew 15:19

Temptation comes from                                                               

James 1:13-14

Temptation comes from                                                               

John 13:2

Temptation comes from                                                               

1 John 2:15

Temptation comes from                                                               

What are the three primary areas in which we are tempted (1 John 2:16)?

• _____________________________________

 

• _____________________________________

 

• _____________________________________

 

What truth keeps us from experiencing guilt when we are tempted (Hebrews 4:15)?

 

 

What should you do to avoid temptation (Matthew 26:41)?

 

 

Read 1 Corinthians 10:13 and answer the following:

• Who is vulnerable to temptation?

 

• What can you depend upon in the midst of temptation?

 

• What is the primary method for defeating temptation?

 

What did Jesus repeatedly do to combat temptation (Matthew 4:1-11)?

 

CLOSING PRAYER

Spend about 5 minutes in prayer about the following:

• Reread and pray over Hebrews 4:15
• Confess any area of temptation that you have been dealing with recently

OPENING PRAYER

Spend 5 to 15 minutes in prayer about the following:

• God’s generosity toward you
• Your tendency to overlook God’s hand in your life
• Your dependence upon what is true over what you actually see

BIBLE

Read John 4

• What did you learn about yourself?
• What did you learn about God?
• What will do differently based upon what you read?

MEMORY VERSE

A few of the words from this week’s memory verse have been left blank. Try your best to recite the verse and fill in the blanks by memory:

Ephesians 2:8–9

It ____ ____ __________ you _____ _____ ________, through _________—and this ____ ____  from ________, it is the _________ of ______—not ____ _______, so that ____ ____ can ________.

Ephesians 2:8–9

STUDY

For most Christians, the concept of salvation boils down to one thing: My sins are forgiven so I can go to heaven. Unfortunately, this narrow view misses the incredible gift of salvation. The truth is, Jesus doesn’t just save us from something (that is, sin), but He saves us for something. Salvation restores what was once destroyed: Your ability to fulfill God’s purposes. In today’s session, we find out the benefits of salvation.

Read the following verses and complete the sentence:

John 17:3

Because I am saved,                                                                      

Colossians 1:13–14

Because I am saved,                                                                      

2 Corinthians 5:21

Because I am saved,                                                                      

Romans 5:9–10

Because I am saved,                                                                      

John 1:12–13

Because I am saved,                                                                      

1 Peter 1:3–4

Because I am saved,                                                                      

CLOSING PRAYER

Spend about 5 minutes in prayer about the following:

• Give God gratitude for the benefits that come with salvation
• Ask God to help you value these benefits over other things