S1: Today on Bold Steps with Mark Jobe, we're learning how
S1: to use the unique abilities we've been given to reach
S1: our highest potential.
S2: When we understand that everybody in the body has different gifts,
S2: we start using our gifts. And when we're all functioning
S2: in our gifts, we become this incredible, powerful, life giving
S2: community of faith that is unstoppable and doing incredible things
S2: for God. And that's where we want to be. We
S2: want to be that kind of church.
S1: Welcome to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. Mark is the
S1: senior pastor of New Life Community Church and the president
S1: of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. I'm Wayne Shepherd. As
S1: a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly, we too have the
S1: opportunity as children of God to transform into something different.
S1: And today on the program, we'll be looking at how
S1: we can step up into our calling and reach our
S1: highest potential. Mark started this message yesterday. If you missed it,
S1: you can listen to the complete message online at bird-stamps.org.
S1: Right now, let's dive into today's message with Mark Jobe
S1: here on Bold Steps.
S2: To Be Metamorphosized is the process in which something is
S2: converted into something else. For example, if you've ever walked
S2: down a sidewalk and seen this ugly looking gray, blackish
S2: hairy caterpillar, they weave this elaborate cocoon around their bodies
S2: and they stay within that cocoon for a period of time.
S2: As they are in that cocoon, there is a metamorphosis
S2: happening to this ugly, hairy caterpillar. And when finally they're cocooning,
S2: Cooning stage is over, they start breaking out of that cocoon,
S2: and when they break out of that cocoon, many caterpillars
S2: turn into butterflies. I don't think I've ever seen a
S2: t shirt with a big ugly caterpillar on it. A
S2: young girl wearing it or or earrings with caterpillars on it.
S2: I don't think I've ever seen that, but I have
S2: seen butterflies. Why? Because a metamorphosis has happened that's changed
S2: it from one thing to another. It started with the
S2: same base, but it's been transformed. Paul is saying that
S2: many of us, we come to Christ, we make a
S2: decision to follow God. Maybe you've come to an altar
S2: and said, I'm tired of my life. I want to change.
S2: You've opened up your heart and you say, God, I
S2: want you to come in and change my life and
S2: turn me around. And you start off with that new
S2: energy to turn your life around. But somewhere in the process,
S2: you get stuck, you stop changing, or sometimes you can
S2: revert to old patterns. Why not? Because God isn't faithful.
S2: Not because God isn't good. Not because Christianity doesn't work.
S2: Your spirit has been changed. But something more than your
S2: spirit has to change. Your mind has to be renewed
S2: so that your life continues to be changed. Be transformed
S2: by the renewing of your mind. In other words, you
S2: are thinking the way you process life. The truth, what
S2: your brain thinks about what your thoughts are about has
S2: to be transformed into the way that God, God's principles,
S2: and God's words in order for you to maintain the
S2: change that's happening in your life. So the Apostle Paul says,
S2: be transformed by the renewing of your mind. You can't
S2: renew your mind without getting into the Word of God.
S2: The Word of God is truth, and the truth of
S2: God renews our mind. We meditate on the word. We
S2: study the word. We allow the spirit to process the
S2: word in our life. We start changing old ways of
S2: thinking for new ways of thinking. Um, that takes time.
S2: It doesn't happen overnight. It says. Then as your mind
S2: is renewed, then you will be able to test and
S2: approve what God's will is his good, pleasing and perfect will.
S2: As your mind is renewed, you start discovering the will
S2: of God. How to live for God. How to what
S2: your purpose is, what your destiny is. As your mind
S2: is renewed, you start learning the will of God in
S2: your life. But it takes the renewing of our mind.
S2: Number three discover who God has made you and accept
S2: your unique abilities. Listen to what it says in verse three.
S2: For by the grace given me what is grace? Grace
S2: is undeserved, unmerited favor. The word grace here comes from
S2: the word charisma. Nowadays, we use the word charisma to
S2: describe someone that has an attractive personality. And we may say, oh,
S2: that person has a lot of charisma. Literally, it's the
S2: word charismata. It's a gift that's given to us that
S2: we don't earn or deserve. But it's God's gift for
S2: by the gift given me. Paul says, I say to
S2: every one of you, do not think of yourself more
S2: highly than you ought to think of yourself, but rather
S2: think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the
S2: measure of faith that God has given to you. In essence,
S2: what Paul is saying is that all of us here,
S2: as we discover the will of God for our lives,
S2: every one of us here has a Unique, has unique
S2: abilities and unique giftings in your life. Everyone does. There's
S2: not a person here that doesn't have some unique gifts
S2: and unique abilities that God has given you. Tell the
S2: person beside you you have a gift. Go ahead. You
S2: have a gift. You may look and say, oh no,
S2: not me. I don't have a gift. No, no you do.
S2: You may not have unwrapped it. You may not have
S2: discovered it, but you have a gift. And here's what
S2: Paul says about our gifting. And I believe I agree
S2: with Rick Warren when he talks about there's there's five
S2: things that shape what our gifting is that affect us,
S2: our spiritual gifts, which has to do with whatever God
S2: has given you your heart. What are your burdens? What
S2: does your heart go towards? Your abilities? What kind of
S2: abilities do you have? Your personality? That means how you
S2: use your abilities and your experience. Spiritual gifts. Heart. abilities, personality,
S2: and experience determines your shape. Now here's what I've discovered
S2: about our gifts. I've discovered that everybody has a gift
S2: that everybody needs to use their gift. Because when you
S2: don't use your gift, you're robbing people from the blessing
S2: of what you have to offer. But what I've discovered
S2: with gifts is sometimes we magnify our gift. Paul says,
S2: I don't want anybody to think of themselves more highly
S2: than they ought. And here's what I've discovered that some
S2: people think that their gift is better than anybody else's gift.
S2: Later he goes on and says, everybody has a different gift.
S2: We're part of the same body. He describes it this
S2: way listen, if everybody had the same gift, what if
S2: your your body, your physical body all decided, your toe
S2: decided I want to be an I. And I'm tired
S2: of groveling down there in the dirt. And I have
S2: a terrible view down there. All I see is dirt
S2: and rocks and dirt and rocks. And it stinks down here.
S2: I want to be an eye. Cool colors. You get
S2: to wink at people. Blink. You see things from a
S2: big perspective and you know, your hand says, you know,
S2: I want to be an eye, too. You know, I'm
S2: tired of. I'm tired of being overused. And the eye
S2: seems like it's cool, you know, gets to see all
S2: the light, the colorful things the lake says. You know,
S2: I'm tired too. So everybody decides I want to be
S2: an eye. Paul gives the illustration of what kind of
S2: person would that be? You say, hi, Joe, and he's
S2: just big one eye rolling down the street. Well, you
S2: would say that's weird. That's the form. That doesn't make sense.
S2: There goes Joe rolling down the street sometimes in the
S2: body of Christ. It's that way we all have different gifts.
S2: But if we all try to be one thing, then
S2: we're an imbalanced body. If we all try to be
S2: an AI, then there's no place for a foot and
S2: hand and a neck. And so he says, everybody has
S2: different gifts. So embrace the gift that you have. Celebrate it,
S2: and don't make it feel like your gift is better
S2: than anybody else's gift. I've discovered that usually whatever we've
S2: been raised with, most people think that whatever they are
S2: is better than other people. It happens ethnically. It happens
S2: job wise. It happens personality wise. I've seen it in
S2: the church. Let me give you an example. I had
S2: a brother not too long ago come and approach me.
S2: And he was really into prayer. And he said, pastor,
S2: let me just tell you, I think we need to
S2: pray more in this church. I said, I agree, we
S2: need to pray more. And he says, you know, I
S2: don't think we should be out there helping the community,
S2: doing community service we need to do is pray those
S2: people are out there trying to do like classes and
S2: help after school programs. We need more prayer. I had
S2: another brother approach me not too long ago and say, brother,
S2: can I talk to you? I said, sure brother. What
S2: we need is more evangelism. Some people, all they do
S2: is want to pray, pray, pray. They just close themselves
S2: in the closet and pray. And they want to pray
S2: about everything. We need to stop praying and we need
S2: to do more evangelism. We need to get out of
S2: our prayer closet. We need to get on the streets.
S2: We need to hit the pavement. Tell people about Jesus.
S2: Stop praying. It's time to evangelize. Mm. Well who's right?
S2: Do we need more prayer? Do we need more evangelism,
S2: or do we need more social action helping out the community?
S2: Well who's right? Well, let me tell you, all of
S2: them are right. But but they're wrong in their approach.
S2: If they understood that everybody has different gifts, and whatever
S2: your gift is will give you a passion for it.
S2: The people that are have a heart for evangelism. They
S2: would team up with the prayer people and they would say, hey,
S2: we're going out on Tuesday to do evangelism. Hey, could
S2: you guys pray and fast for us because we need
S2: your help in praying that God would open up doors
S2: and God would protect us, and God would give us
S2: divine appointments. So we love your prayer emphasis. Pray for us.
S2: And if the prayer people understood, they would be telling
S2: the people in evangelism, hey, we love the fact that
S2: you're doing evangelism. We want to pray for you. We
S2: want to partner with you. And if they understood the
S2: people that are doing social work services and acts of kindness,
S2: the evangelism people would say, hey, bless you that you're
S2: teaching kids after school and tutoring them because many people
S2: will not hear the good news of Jesus unless they
S2: see the good works of Jesus first. So bless you.
S2: Let's work together. Do you see how it works?
S1: Well, we're going to pause our message from Mark Jobe
S1: here for just a moment to thank our partners who
S1: make bold steps possible. Mark.
S3: Yeah, and a bold step partner is a partner that says,
S3: you know, I love what you guys are doing. I
S3: connect with this message and I want to help get
S3: the message out. So they commit to a monthly donation
S3: of any amount. But it's a monthly donation, auto donation.
S1: You have no idea how much that helps, just to
S1: know that we can count on you as a bold partner.
S1: Here's Gabrielle who wrote to us. Mark, listen to what
S1: she says. I absolutely love and adore Moody Radio. It's
S1: my one stop shop. I love the teachings, the fellowship
S1: and participation. I knew a while back that my calling
S1: was to live, eat and breathe the gospel and Bold
S1: Steps definitely fills me up and pays a huge part
S1: of my gospel grocery bill, so to speak. Well, Gabrielle,
S1: that's just such a good way to put it, don't
S1: you think?
S3: I love that, Gabrielle. What an encouraging word you sent
S3: to us. And by the way, I want to say
S3: that we read these comments that send in. We we
S3: can't see you face to face. We know that you're
S3: on the other end, but when you send us comments
S3: like this and just let us know that you're listening, praying,
S3: it really encourages us. So thank you. Gabriel. I love
S3: that my one stop shop.
S1: My gospel grocery bill. She says, well, thank you. And
S1: if you would like to become a bold partner, as
S1: Mark said, to give a gift of any amount each month.
S1: That would be appreciated. But for those who give $30
S1: or more each month, you get the added benefit of
S1: a 50% discount on any item in the Moody Publishers catalog.
S1: You get a signed copy of Mark's book unstuck and
S1: other resources as well. So become a bold partner today
S1: by going to Bold Steps. Org. Now back to the
S1: message with Mark Jobe.
S2: Some people have the gift of mercy. When someone walks
S2: in and they're broken and a kid drops out of
S2: high school and they're having a lot of problems in
S2: their home and their parents are alcoholic. The gift of
S2: mercy just comes in and wants to hug on them.
S2: Love on them, encourage them. Listen, you can do it.
S2: You can make it. The person that has the gift
S2: of exhortation, which challenges people to go forward. They want
S2: to go in and say, hey, stop your crying, whining.
S2: We've all had a tough life. Just get with it.
S2: Join a program, join school, make it go do it now.
S2: Who's right? Both of them are right. We need some exhortation,
S2: but we need some mercy. When we understand that everybody
S2: in the body has different gifts, we start using our
S2: gifts and we don't magnify our gifts above other people's gifts.
S2: We don't act like our gift is the only gift,
S2: and everybody needs to have our gift. We acknowledge that
S2: there are other gifts in the body of Christ that
S2: we need each other. And when we're all functioning in
S2: our gifts, we become this incredible, powerful, life giving community
S2: of faith that is unstoppable and doing incredible things for God. Amen.
S2: And that's where we want to be. We want to
S2: be that kind of church. So don't magnify your gift.
S2: Don't think that your gift is better than anybody else's gift.
S2: Don't minimize your gift. Don't compare your gift with others
S2: and say, well, my gift is nothing if I only
S2: had that gift. Maybe you have the gift of administration,
S2: but you really wish you had the gift of worship.
S2: You say, oh, you know, I input data in computer.
S2: I'm organized. But I wish I could sing and I
S2: wish I could get up there like Julie and just
S2: lead people or like John, and just the whole congregation
S2: is inspired by it. All I have is this dumb
S2: little administrative gift I'm going to try to sing. Listen, if.
S2: I love your heart and all. But you don't. You
S2: know you don't have the gift. When you try to
S2: lead people in singing. And they're kind of going like.
S2: We're looking at each other a little bit. Embrace your
S2: gift and sing in the shower as loud as you can.
S2: But don't try to have a gift that you don't have.
S2: Embrace the gift that you have. Thank God for the
S2: gift that you have. Learn to be good at the
S2: gift that you that you have because your gift is incredible.
S2: So don't. Don't minimize the gift that God has given you.
S2: Don't magnify your gift. Don't minimize your gift. And don't
S2: misunderstand your gift. Don't think that you have your gift
S2: because you're better or worse. The Bible says the gift
S2: of God are given by God. However he wants to
S2: give them. He doesn't give you a gift because he
S2: thought he looked at you and said, wow, you've been
S2: really good. Let me give you this really good gift
S2: and this person has been really bad. Let me give
S2: them this sort of crummy gift. No, God doesn't operate
S2: that way. You can't boast about the gift that you have.
S2: You have whatever gift you have. Use it. Celebrate it,
S2: but don't boast and act like it's yours because it's
S2: not yours. It's God's. And lastly, it says in verse four,
S2: just as each one of you has one body with
S2: many members, and these members do not all have the
S2: same function. So in Christ we are many form one body,
S2: and each member belongs to all the other members. First
S2: Corinthians 1218 to 22. The eye cannot say to the hand,
S2: I don't need you, and the head cannot say to
S2: the feet, I don't need you. Those parts of the
S2: body that seem weaker are indispensable. Lastly, number four, take
S2: your gifting and use it to the full potential of
S2: your calling. Verse six says, we have different gifts according
S2: to the grace that's given to us. God has dispensed
S2: to all of us different gifts according to his grace,
S2: his favor, not our merit. If a man has the
S2: gift of prophesying, let him use it in proportion to
S2: his faith. If someone has the gift of serving, then serve. Teaching.
S2: Then let him teach. Encouraging. Then let him encourage. If
S2: contributing to the needs of others, then let him give generously.
S2: If it's leadership, then let him govern diligently is showing mercy.
S2: Let him do it cheerfully. In other words, what Paul
S2: is saying is, whatever gift God has given you, you
S2: have the responsibility to use it. It's your gift, but
S2: you're robbing God and you're robbing others. When you have
S2: a gift that you don't use, maybe you're here today saying, pastor,
S2: I want to use my gift. I just don't know
S2: what it is. Let me tell you how you discover
S2: your gift. You discover your gift by doing something you don't.
S2: Discover your gift by sitting there and thinking. Mhm. Remember
S2: my gift is. Mm. I hope I have a gift.
S2: You're never going to know if you're good at teaching
S2: unless you teach. You're never going to know if you're
S2: good at mercy unless you show mercy. You're never going
S2: to know what you're good at unless you start experimenting
S2: and trying and testing and seeing what other people affirm
S2: you at what you have a heart for and what
S2: you show, what you start showing fruit in. And when
S2: you get active and get involved, then you'll start. It's
S2: like playing sports. You can't sit behind a desk and say, well,
S2: I think I'm good at football. Well, you've never tried football.
S2: I think I'm good at track. Have you ever done track?
S2: I think I'm great at volleyball. Well. Hey, you. Hey,
S2: you have to get out there and you have to
S2: experiment a little bit. Try a little bit and it
S2: will become very evident what you're good at as you're
S2: doing something. What I've discovered is a lot of people
S2: have an inferiority complex and they never get active, they
S2: never get involved, so they never discover what they're really
S2: good at. I believe it's time to roll up your sleeves,
S2: to look to the heavens and say, God, I've been
S2: underestimating your grace in my life. By God's grace. I
S2: want to acknowledge you've poured something in me. And I
S2: have something to pour back. Help me discover my place.
S2: So that I can be used for your honor and
S2: your glory. Maybe you already know your gift. And you
S2: just need to say, hey, let me roll up my sleeves,
S2: fill up with God and plunge into what God has
S2: called me to do. I think everybody should be active
S2: in something, and it should be something that stretches you,
S2: not just, well, let me check it off the list.
S2: I guess I'll serve in the nursery once every eight weeks. Check.
S3: No no no no no.
S2: Can you put a little heart into it? It's an
S2: act of worship. Next time you go to hold a
S2: baby in the nursery, you need to say I'm worshiping
S2: God by taking care of babies. Thank you, Lord Jesus.
S2: If you're here and you're not involved, I want to
S2: challenge you to pick a place. Some of you look
S2: at yourself and you say, God could never use me,
S2: and God's looking at you and say, hey, you don't
S2: know what I could use because I don't care where
S2: you've been, how long you've been there, how dirty you
S2: may think you are. God is telling you, I'm the
S2: master of the cleanup, of the transformation of the renewal.
S2: So don't disqualify yourself because God has not disqualified you.
S2: I'm asking you to use me, Lord. I'm not going
S2: to let fear. I'm not going to let my past.
S2: I'm not going to let my insecurities. I'm not going
S2: to let this stuff in my life that I need
S2: to clean up. Hold me back, God, because I want
S2: you to use me, Lord.
S1: You've been listening to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe, who's
S1: here with me in the studio. Mark, let's talk about
S1: this message. A challenge today to take the gifts that
S1: God has given us and use them to our full potential.
S1: You know, as a pastor, a church is a great
S1: way to find out our calling, isn't it?
S3: It is, Wayne. And this challenge is one to get
S3: out of the consumer seat and into the game. And
S3: there's so much potential that just is sitting there and
S3: you've heard this message, so you know you have a
S3: calling on your life If you are not engaged in
S3: some form of ministry, some form of using your gifts,
S3: then not only are you robbing others, but you are
S3: also robbing yourself.
S1: And there's a place for everyone.
S3: There's absolutely a place for everyone. As a pastor of
S3: a local church, I've spent years mobilizing people and from
S3: food pantries to ushering to greeting to small group leaders.
S3: And I love to tell people this you have a
S3: gifting that's unique to yourself. Now we have to find
S3: the ministry opportunity that matches your gifting. But I want
S3: to challenge you if you are a believer, whether you
S3: are three months into it or whether you are 20
S3: years into it, you need to go to your local
S3: church and you need to ask someone, the pastor, a leader.
S3: You need to say, where can I serve? Help me
S3: find a place to serve and then don't. Hey, if
S3: they say you could start by cleaning bathrooms, then grab
S3: a bucket.
S1: Do it with a smile.
S3: And do it with a smile.
S1: I like that, thank you. Mark. Hey, you can sign
S1: up for Mark's weekly email devotional. The Bold Stepper Weekly.
S1: You can share a powerful gospel video with someone who
S1: needs to hear it, or request our latest Bold Steps gift.
S1: It's all at Bold steps.org. You know, history shows us
S1: that the church's greatest moments of renewal often emerge from
S1: periods of uncertainty. In a timely book titled A Non-anxious presence,
S1: author Mark Sayers helps us understand how to lead with
S1: courage and hope, even when everything around us feels unstable.
S1: This powerful book will equip you to face change and
S1: chaos and conflict with confidence, instead of just surviving change.
S1: Learn how to participate in God's work of renewal by
S1: requesting this insightful, bold step gift. Today, we'll be glad
S1: to send you a copy of a Non-anxious presence. When
S1: you give a gift of any amount to bold steps, again,
S1: just call (800) 356-6639 or go online to give a gift
S1: of support and request the book at bold steps and
S1: you can even send your donation in the mail. Just
S1: write to us at bold steps. 820 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago,
S1: Illinois 60,610. Once again, that's 820 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago,
S1: Illinois 606 ten. And by the way, if you haven't already,
S1: be sure to subscribe to our Bold Steps podcast on
S1: your phone or mobile device and take these daily messages
S1: with you wherever you go. Simply open up your podcast app,
S1: search for bold steps with doctor Mark Jobe and hit
S1: that subscribe button. I'm Wayne Shepherd. Join us tomorrow when
S1: we'll wind down our Step Up Living Higher series. Learn
S1: how you can step up to a new You Wednesday
S1: when you listen to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. Bold
S1: steps is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of
S1: Moody Bible Institute.