Jul. 06, 2025

Pastor Ron's sermon begins at 28:45 min into the video. The music "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)", "A Thousand Halleliujahs" , "Great is Thy Faithfulness", "Goodness of God", "Holy Forever", "White as Snow", and "Doxology" are licensed under CCLI Copyright #2723035 and Streaming Media #22024223 licenses.

Discovering Your God-Given SHAPE: A Journey to Find Your Spiritual Gifts

Have you ever wondered what makes you unique in God's kingdom? What if the very traits, experiences, and passions that define you are actually God's intentional design for your life? Pastor Ron’s sermon invites you on a transformative journey to discover your spiritual gifts and understand how God has specifically shaped you to serve His kingdom and build up His church.

Your spiritual journey isn't just about what you believe—it's about who you're becoming and how you're serving. Every follower of Christ has been given at least one spiritual gift by the Holy Spirit, not as a trophy to admire, but as a tool to build up the church and share Christ with the world. When you discover and use your spiritual gifts, you're not just finding your purpose; you're becoming the person God created you to be.

Pastor Ron reminds us: "When you become a Christian, you have been given by the Holy Spirit, at least one gift. Now some people have more than one gift... but you, as a follower of Jesus, you have a spiritual gift given to you by the Holy Spirit as God has directed."

This isn't about earning God's favor—it's about stepping into the calling He's already placed on your life. When you operate in your spiritual gifts, you experience the joy of alignment with God's purpose, and the church becomes stronger because of your unique contribution.

Pastor Ron’s Key Teachings

Spiritual Gifts Are Divine Gifts, Not Human Achievements: The foundation of this teaching is liberating: "You can't earn them. You can't learn them. They are gifts. They are given to you." Your spiritual gifts aren't based on your performance, education, or background. They're God's generous gifts to you through the Holy Spirit. Stop striving to become worthy of God's gifts. Instead, focus on discovering what He's already given you. Your gifts are evidence of His love and trust in you, not a reward for good behavior.

Pastor Ron emphasizes the importance of individual contributions to the church by using the powerful analogy of the body. He explains that if everyone had the same role, it would be like having a body made entirely of one part, such as a leg, and nothing else. This highlights that the church family isn't complete without each person's unique gifts in action.

When you don't use your spiritual gifts, it negatively impacts the church. He points out that not using your gifts is detrimental, as it prevents the church from being built up. Your participation is not optional; it's essential. The ministry you might be avoiding could be exactly what your church community needs.

Understanding the Full Spectrum of Spiritual Gifts

His sermon walks through numerous spiritual gifts, each with its own purpose:

• Administration: "The ability to help steer the church or a ministry towards successful completion of God-given goals"
• Evangelism: "The ability to successfully communicate the message of the gospel, especially to non-believers"
• Hospitality: "A natural ability to make people, even strangers, feel welcome"
• Mercy: "Great sensitivity for those who are suffering"
• Teaching: "The skill to teach from the Bible and communicate effectively"

Personal Connection: As you read these descriptions, which ones resonate with your heart? Which ones make you think, "That sounds like me"?

The SHAPE Framework for Self-Discovery

God has given you a unique SHAPE:

• Spiritual gifts
• Heart (your passions)
• Abilities (your natural talents)
• Personality (your character traits)
• Experiences (both good and difficult)

Pastor Ron shares personally: "I love teenagers. I love to hang out with them... I grew up in a small church. We had no youth group... I want to make sure they do." His difficult experience became his ministry passion.

Your Story Matters: Your experiences—even the painful ones—aren't accidents. They're preparation for ministry. The struggles you've overcome equip you to help others facing similar challenges.

Scriptural Foundation:

1 Corinthians 12:1-14, 27-31 - These passages reveal that spiritual gifts come from the same Spirit but manifest differently in each person. You don't need to compare your gifts to others. God has specifically chosen your gifts for His purposes.

Romans 12:3-8 - Paul emphasizes using gifts "according to the grace that is given to us."  Your gifts come with the grace to use them effectively. Trust that God will empower you as you step out in faith.

Key Principle from Both Passages - "There are diversity of gifts but the same Spirit." Celebrate the differences in your church family. The person with the gift of mercy and the person with the gift of administration are both essential to God's work.

Your Journey Forward:

Step 1: Seek Divine Revelation - "Pray and ask God to help you identify what that spiritual gift is." Make this a regular part of your prayer life. God wants you to know your gifts even more than you want to discover them.

Step 2: Study Scripture - "Study scripture. In scripture, it teaches what each one is, and as you read and study scripture, you'll say, 'Man, I can identify with that one.'" Read the gift passages regularly and ask God to highlight what resonates with your spirit.

Step 3: Seek Feedback - "Ask people, your friends, your close friends, your family, ask them, 'Where do you think the strength of mine is?'" Those who know you well can often see your gifts more clearly than you can.

Step 4: Experiment with Service - "Experiment with different types of ministries... And you will find it by just experimenting if you don't know exactly what your spiritual gift is." Try different areas of service. Your gifts will become evident through practice.

Step 5: Pay Attention to Your Passion - "The heart is how God uses our natural passions and desires to direct us towards places He wants to use us." What breaks your heart? What excites you? These emotions often point to your calling.

Closing Prayer and Reflection:

"Father, thank You for our time together, and pray, Father, that those that are here, You just don't understand what their spiritual gift is, that You would open up their hearts and their lives, and that You would show them, and even use people here to help guide them into finding out what their spiritual gift is. Thanks for this time together. In Jesus' name, amen."

Reflection - Your spiritual gifts aren't just about you—they're about the body of Christ becoming complete. As you discover and use your gifts, you're not just finding personal fulfillment; you're participating in God's plan to build His kingdom and reach the world with His love. The church is waiting for what you uniquely bring to the table. The question isn't whether you have gifts—it's whether you'll have the courage to discover and use them.

Your journey of spiritual gift discovery is really a journey of becoming who God created you to be. Step into that calling with confidence, knowing that the same God who gave you these gifts will empower you to use them for His glory.