Chose to Serve - Ministerial Booklet

Ministerial Team Emmanuel Baptist Church

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The content of this booklet was written by Elder LaShonda D. Crawford. Some of the information used came from several bibles such as the KJV, NIV, ESV, NLT and other translations. Also, some information provided was used sources such as Ministry is…How to Serve Jesus with Passion and Confidence by Dave Earley and Ben Gutierrez, Refresh, Every Minister needs

Encouragement by Ben Gutierrez, PhD., Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary and lessons from Pastor P. Michael McNair of Emmanuel Baptist Church and Dr. Tejado W. Hanchell of Mt.

Calvary Holy Church of Winston-Salem, NC. Also, quotes from John Maxwell and other ministerial leaders.

Elder LaShonda D. Crawford | [email protected] | Cell: 336.225.0440


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Syllabus/Booklet

MIT 101 CHOSEN TO SERVE SESSIONS

MINISTERIAL TEAM DESCRIPTION

This team of ministers in training consists of licensed ministers and individuals who are called to preach the gospel. This course provides the framework to the structure and issues surrounding the call of ministry. Special attention will be given to the dealing with connecting to the ministry you serve as well as the importance of establishing relationships within the ministry. This course will touch on important traits of a minister and help you establish a solid foundation that will carry you throughout your ministry. RATIONALE OR LOGIC

Our pressing concern at the inception of the 21st century is that people who are called to preach the gospel are more concerned with the position and power and not more concern with the serving. Here at Emmanuel Baptist Church you cannot, and will not by-bass SERVICE to POWER. If there is ever a time for godly leadership, servant-hood, and sound doctrine, it is now. This course seeks to meet that challenge by equipping ministers with the knowledge in order to gain a better understanding of the call of ministry.

I. REQUIRED RESOURCE PURCHASES o Chosen to Serve Booklet, by Elder LaShonda Crawford, o In Search of Timothy, by Tony Cooke o Foundations Booklet provided by Emmanuel Baptist Church o Bible (KJV, NKJV, NIV, NLT, The Message Bible, Amplified: Any version that is

suitable for the learner)

II. COMPLIANCE

A. Commitment: Commitment must be displayed through your involvement within the ministry. We do ask that you join other ministries to establish an understanding on how the ministry operates. The Ministerial Team is expected to be committed in three ways:

1. Time – You must be in attendance to Sunday services as well our weekly bible studies. Outreach ministry is one of our key focus and MITs (Ministers in Training) are expected to be supportive in these events. NO


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CALL NO SHOWS are not expected. Accountability is very important as a mature believer who professes the call to ministry. If you are not able to attend services that you are expected to attend, please notify your leader of your absence. How can you serve if you are not there?

2. Talent – James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” “Your gift makes room for you, but you must be in the room.” – Pastor MAC. As a member of the Ministerial Team we expect for you to share your gift with the ministry. All of the members of the body possess talent that could be used for the building of the church. We encourage you to get involved and search throughout the several ministries offered, for your talent.

3. Treasure – We are a tithe-believing ministry. We believe that as faithful believers we are expected to pay our tithe to the ministry we are committed to. Our leaders are examples to others who desire to grow and mature in the knowledge of God. This type of commitment is monitored and recorded and if you can not meet the requirements by your tithe, then possible the Ministerial Team may not be something you should be in at this time.

B. Accountability - Obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions. As a team, we operate as a team, we support each other as a team and we respect each other as a team. Each of us has an obligation to God, to each other, to our leader and our ministry. When you are not present, and no one can answer for you, you cause a missing link. We expect you as a minister/minister in training to communicate to your leader, in turn she /he will communicate to the pastor if necessary.

C. Responsibility – to reach the mature level of accepting the call of God, comes great responsibility. At this point in your walk with God, we expect for you to be responsible for attending sessions, events and leadership meetings. If you fail to attend due to any reason at all, then it is your responsibility to seek out information that was missed as well as any upcoming events.

III. CONSEQUENCES OF NO COMMITMENT IN TIME, TALENT AND TREASURE

A. Warning - The Minister in Training and Elder LaShonda Crawford will reevaluate the purpose of the Ministerial Team. We will further communicate the vision and the expectation of the individual and give them the opportunity to reconnect to the team, the ministry and the vision.

B. 2nd Warning – The second time a schedule meeting will take place with Pastor, MIT and Elder LaShonda Crawford

C. Final Warning – The MIT will be placed on a sabbatical for 3 months D. After 3 months, Elder LaShonda Crawford and Pastor P. Michael McNair will do

another evaluation to determine if MIT is something for the individual. If decided for MIT to come back to the Ministerial Team, we will not repeat the same steps again, instead the MIT will be asked to no longer attend the Ministerial sessions.


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IV. MEETINGS

The Ministerial Team will meet at least 2 times monthly for the first quarter of 2015. These dates have been provided and you are expected to attend each session unless cleared with your Ministerial Leader. Each meeting will last at least 1.5 hours (minimum). Each meeting will be on Saturday mornings at 9:30am in the fellowship hall unless otherwise stated.

INTRODUCTION 2 Timothy 2:21-22, “ If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work. Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.” Greetings Ministers In Training, Welcome to the Ministerial Team of Emmanuel Baptist Church. As you should know, our vision here is EMPOWERMENT. Our goal as ministers of the Gospel is to do the work of the Lord, which we were called to do. Our focus and objective is to understand the responsibility of a minister as well as the expectations of our Pastor/Leader. Soul winning should always be our priority. Being apart of the Ministerial Team is not about titles, it is not about position but it is about service. There is nothing worse than having the title of a minister/elder and not really operating in the title. Our responsibility is to prepare you for the next level in your ministry. Where you go from here is between you and God. We can and will provide you with the information and support, but growth requires your dedication to the team. Your “playing” time will determine what you decide to do during “practice time”. It is just like an athletic team. If you don’t do the work during the practices, the workouts, the coach will never get the opportunity to see the potential you posses. I pray that you hit the ground running and apply the knowledge that God has laid before you. This is a great opportunity to receive and we are hoping that you are open. You all have the potential to become great and walk into greatness. If there is anything you need in order to enhance your understanding more throughout our time together, please don’t hesitate to ask. Remember, my job, as your ministerial leader is to help you discover, develop and demonstrate the call. Let’s get started! Elder LaShonda D. Crawford Ministerial Leader

“Inconsistency is an Enemy to Success”– Pastor P. Michael McNair 2 Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”


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Section 1: Minister…what is that all about? Understanding the vision, communicating the Vision, Running with it and enforcing it.

o Lesson 1: Hearing the Voice of God o Lesson 2: The Decision: Will You Go?

Section 2: How to Serve and to what Capacity (Reference Foundations Book) o Lesson 1: Understanding Your Gift: Your Gift Will Make Room For You

! Spiritual Gift Assessment: Administration, Discernment, Encouragement, Faith, Giving, Healing, Helps, Teaching, Leadership, Knowledge, Mercy, Miracles, Prophecy, Service and Wisdom

o Lesson 2: Servant Leadership o Lesson 3: You don’t serve in your perfection o Lesson 4: Understanding the Vision

Section 3: Making the Commitment (Reference In Search of Timothy Chapter 4) o Lesson 1: There Is No Turning Back o Lesson 2: A Life Without Compromise o Lesson 3: Being Chained to the Church

Section 4: The Motives of Ministry (Reference In Search of Timothy Chapters 5, 8, 23) o Lesson 1: Your Relationship With Jesus Christ o Lesson 2: List of right and wrong motives o Lesson 3: Keeping Perspectives by Keeping Priorities o Lesson 4: Building Relationships

Section 5: Traits/Qualities of a Minister (Reference In Search of Timothy) o Lesson 1: Worshipper o Lesson 2: Loyalty o Lesson 3: Faithful o Lesson 4: Energetic o Lesson 5: Excellent Attitudes

Section 6: The Manner of Ministry o Lesson 1: Turning Your Hurts Into Helps o Lesson 2: Partnering with the Holy Spirit o Lesson 3: Confronting Sin o Lesson 4: Being Content Instead of Being

Section 7: Investing In Learning Materials o Lesson 1: You Need More Than Just the Bible o Lesson 2: How to Study

Section 8: Encouraging Yourself In the Ministry o Lesson 1: Scriptures To Read o Lesson 2: Why God Need you to be focused?

Section 9: Preparing to Teach or Preach o Lesson 1: The 3 Cs to speaking to a crowd

Follow & Fish - Ministry is following Jesus and fishing for people. It is being a disciple and

making disciples. It is growing and going. It is learning and evangelizing. It is being saved and leading others to do the same. – Dave Earley and Ben Gutierrez


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Section 1 Minister…what is that all about? Understanding the Vision, Communicating the Vision, Running with it and enforcing it. Lesson 1: Hearing the Voice of God What is a minister? What is that all about? What are some of the roles of a minister? In this Section we will discuss what is a minister and understanding the call of ministry. Once we answer the call of ministry in this capacity, you must realize what you are responding to and what is now expected of you from God, your community and your church. Not only will we touch up on understanding the meaning of being a minister but also understanding the vision of the church you serve, communicating the vision to the members as well as the community, running with it and enforcing the vision. Before we move forward, allow us to first define the term Minister: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Now allow us to secondly, define the term Preacher: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Before you become a preacher by definition terms, you first must become a minister.” – LaShonda D. Crawford

“You must learn to serve God’s people without a platform. The Gospel is not only preached from a

pulpit, it can be observed by what you do.” – LaShonda D. Crawford

Next, it is your responsibility to know the vision of the ministry you serve. As the body of Christ, our primary objective is “Soul Winning”. That objective must never be lost and always visual in the ministry you attend, but the structure and direction of all churches are not the same. Every descent father and mother has the desire to raise their children in a home that motivates and encourages them to reach their full potential. How they motivate, how they punish, how they reward, how they celebrate, how they teach varies from house to house and yet their intentions are the same. That is how God’s houses are; we all have different ways when it comes to working in the church. Each church has a Pastor and that Pastor has a vision and that vision is transferred to the members. Some of the ministerial roles listed may or may not be your responsibility within your ministry so it is important to find out what are the expectations of the church you serve under. Here are a few:

1. Assist in co-coordinating volunteers and church community groups 2. Assist in any general administrative service 3. Conduct marriage ceremonies, funerals and memorial services, participate in the

ordination of other clergy


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4. Encourage local church endeavors 5. Engage in welfare and community services activities of communities 6. Plan and conduct services of public worship 7. Preach 8. Pray and encourage others to be God-focused 9. Preside over sacraments (also called ordinances) of the church. Such as:

a. The Lord's Supper (a name derived from 1 Corinthians 11:20), also known as the Lord's Table (taken from 1 Corinthians 10:21), or Holy Communion, and

b. The Baptism of adults and/or children (depending on the denomination) and c. Baby Dedications

10. Provide leadership to the congregation, church and the community, this may be done as part of a team with lay people in roles such as elders and deacons

11. Supervise prayer and discussion groups, retreats and seminars, and provide religious instruction

12. Teach on spiritual and theological subjects 13. Train leaders for church, community and youth leadership 14. Work on developing relationships and networks within the religious community 15. Provide personal support to people in crises, such as illness, bereavement and family

breakdown 16. Visit the sick and elderly to counsel and comfort them and their families 17. Mention prayer of salvation to those interested in becoming a believer

As you may notice each one of these responsibilities are connected with SERVING. Everything on this list requires your time, your treasure and your talent. Being a minister is becoming a servant. A servant of God and a servant to His people. There is no room for individuals who are seeking fame and fortune. "If you don't know where you're going, any path will get you there."- Lewis Carroll When answering the call of God, hearing the voice of God must first precede it. For the Lord is the one who summons and selects individuals with the responsibility of presenting His word. God started speaking to us in the beginning of creation. It started way back in the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. - And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. – Genesis 3:8 Here God and Adam had established a relationship where it was common for God to speak to Adam. God had become accustom to Adam and Eve being publicly open in the Garden of Eden. It wasn’t uncommon for the Lord’s voice to just speak and to find Adam in his rightful place. When sin was introduced to Adam, it changed the behavior of Adam causing the relationship to be different. He did something that was not common; he hid himself from the


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presence of God when at first he adored the presence of God. Even in the midst of his sin, he still recognized the voice of God, which called him out of his sinful nature. There are situations when God speaks to us and He has called us for a greater purpose, He will speak to us even when we are doing wrong, or what we would call, “running from the call”. John 10:4-5, “And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” John 10:27, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. How often do you spend time with God? ______________________________ If you spend a lot of time with God, you will begin to follow God. You have become familiar with His voice and will recognize His will for your life. You will become more aware of your purpose as well as the assignment He has for you. At the same time, when God gives you a command or gives you instructions, even when you don’t know the full plan, you know to trust Him because He will not lead you down a path that will cause you destruction. Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (NIV) What are ways that we can hear the voice of God? – (I King 19:11-18) THE HOLY SPIRIT/THE HOLY GHOST - usually communicates through a still, small voice. Acts 9:4-6, “Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” How do you know it is the Holy Spirit and not just you?

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PRAYER: learning how to communicate to God is extremely important in your ability to receive instructions. This is a time where you seek guidance as well as direction. Without prayer there is no way you can walk this walk of faith. Philippians 4:6 – “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”


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Psalms 145:18 – “The LORD is near to all them that call on him, to all that call on him in truth.” ��

Proverbs 15:29 - “The LORD is far from the wicked: but he hears the prayer of the righteous.” How often do you pray? Do you seek God before you make a decision? _____________________________________________________________________________

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HIS WORD: God will never ask you to do anything that goes against His word. If you are informed about His Word then you are informed about His Will.

Romans 10:17 - “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Revelation 3:22 - “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the church.”

Revelation 3: 20 - “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will fellowship with him, and he with me.” The questions is not if God speaks, but rather are you listening to Him. This tells us that God is waiting on us to respond to what He is saying directly toward us. Identifying that God is the one that is speaking to us and not the adversary is of extreme importance. Answering the call to ministry is very serious and something that should not be taken lightly. Knowing and identifying that it is God that is calling you and not you calling yourself will determine how your journey will be. When God calls you, He sees more in you than you see in yourself, and He also knows what you are capable of doing and He desires to use that. When you “call” yourself to ministry, your motives and reasons may not match up to what God sees and when trials and struggles approach, the question is, will you be able to stand the test or will you evaluate the situation and tell yourself, “this is not what I expected!” Discussion Question: Do you recall when God called you? If so, how?

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Exercise: Interpreting what you hear. Partner up with someone and blind-fold that individual and place that person on the other side of the room. That person will then respond to your voice only as you provide direction for them to reach you. Others will give direction but will serve as only a distraction to the individual who is blind-fold. Lesson: You must follow the Voice of God and abide by His direction. You must trust that He will not lead you in a path that will cause you to fail. There will be distractions and at times, drain out the voice of God but you must focus on His voice and His voice alone. Even when you can’t see where you are going, you must have faith.

Section 1: Minister…what is that all about? Understanding the vision, communicating the Vision, Running with it and enforcing it. Lesson 2: The Decision: Will You Go? When Isaiah had the privilege of being in the presence of God, he became overwhelmed with what he saw. The word states in Isaiah chapter 6, verse 1, “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.” (NIV) Here, the Prophet Isaiah had the opportunity to understand his unworthiness. What makes you unworthy? (personal response)

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When you are in the presence of the Lord, you can’t help but to feel and remain humble. Isaiah 6:5, “Then I said, "It's all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the LORD of Heaven's Armies." (NLT) This is a feeling that we should all have and/or remember when we have heard God’s voice and He request you service to serve as a vessel to bring the gospel. We should always remember that we are all born into sin and shaped in inequity and that there was nothing that we did that was so great that caused us to be where we are currently. Psalms 51:5, “Behold, I was


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brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” God is great and greatly should be praised. With that being stated, when answering the call to preach the gospel, you must make a valid decision. This decision will be one of the most important decisions you will ever make in your life. Romans 10:14, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” When God calls you, He doesn’t expect you to turn back. Here are a few things that you will need to focus on when you decide to say YES to God: 1. Commitment – commitment is expected! There must be strong desire to commit to the calling. Commitment is defined as the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc. You must be devoted to God in every way of your life. Understanding that you are not only committing to the call but you are strengthening your commitment to God. Your connection, or relationship to God will help determine your level of commitment to the call of ministry. Psalm 37:5, “Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” What are some things you are committed to? _____________________________________________________________________________

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What ways do you show your commitment? _____________________________________________________________________________

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2. Separation – answering the call will cause you to be separated from others. This is not to place you in a position that is higher than others, even though the call is great, but you now become the servant, you are now expected to serve rather than be served. It is a different position and you now have more responsibility. You will become a resource of encouragement; people will expect you to provide them with a word when needed. This can come at any time in your life, through a phone call, email, even social media, people will become drawn to you if you have established a level of commitment and it is revealed in your walk. Now this may sound easy and simple, but it is not always an “exciting” word but at times it can be a word of correction and you need to be in a place where you need to tell what God has spoken to you. You can’t allow your “clicks” or “BFFs” to get in the way. This doesn’t mean that you can’t have friends; of course you can have friends! You need all of the friends you can get! We are just saying that; don’t get to the point where they don’t take you seriously as a minister of the gospel.


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2 Corinthians 6:17, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,” 2 Timothy 2:1-4, “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. “ 3. Integrity – Integrity plays an important role when saying Yes to God. Integrity is defined as the state of being honest and fair. When you lose your integrity, you destroy your reputation. No one desires or is willing to listen to a dishonest minister/preacher. No one will follow a dishonest and unfair minister of the gospel. It is important that you remain true to Word of God. If you teach or preach it, then you are expected to live by it. There is a quote that “A sermon lived is better than a sermon heard.” Unfortunately, before the call, when we fail or didn’t live according to the word, we were not criticized as bad but when you say YES to God, there is now a different level of expectation. There are more things that one must consider before saying YES to God and answering the call of ministry and when it comes to your own personal life, what are some things you must deal with before you cross over to the call of ministry? This is something you must review.

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As ministers of the gospel, we must face and deal with things that we have been struggling with before we commit to becoming a preacher/teacher. We will be asked to teach about forgiveness, but you must first deal with that within yourself. We will be asked to teach about love, but you must first deal with that within yourself. We will be asked to teach about deliverance and yes, you must first deal with that within yourself. They’re maybe other things you are facing or dealing with. Let’s do a self-check and see what areas of improvement we need to focus on. Weekly attendance - We are commanded by God to attend with the church every Sunday. "Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together as is the habit of some" (Hebrews 10:24). Our weekly attendance habits are the most obvious spiritual indicators that others see. When a newborn wakes up for the 5th time that night, the mother doesn't jump out of bed and say, "Oh Junior. I'm so glad you woke me up again. I haven't seen you in over 1/2 an hour! More likely


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she will grumble to herself. Although she would rather sleep in bed, the mother always attends to the baby. She gets up, not because she wants to, but because she is committed to the child in love. Her feelings tell her to stay in bed, but her commitment to the child makes her get up. This is the kind of commitment you must have to the Lord. When Jesus calls you out of bed Sunday morning to go the assembly, you might feel like sleeping in, but your commitment to Jesus makes you get up. In this way weekly attendance is truly an outward indicator of your commitment level.

Evaluate Yourself (Circle One) Your Weekly Attendance: Committed Average Poor PERSONAL BIBLE STUDY - Romans 10:17 says, "Faith comes by hearing the word of Christ". Faith is not the product of some mysterious process. Rather it comes from the Bible as we read and study it. God speaks to us today through the scriptures. We can know God's will. There is no guesswork, because He has revealed it in print. How much time do you spend with the Bible on a private basis? Do you study the Bible for in depth information? Do you read it daily just to keep familiar with the basic content of the scriptures? The time you spend with the Bible is an external indication of how much faith you have.

Evaluate Yourself (Circle One) Your Bible Study Time: Committed Average Poor PRIVATE PRAYER - The New Testament describes the prayers of Christians as sweet smelling incense that rises up to the throne of God. (Rev 5:8) We communicate our innermost thoughts and feeling to God through prayer. How much time do you spend in prayer apart from giving of thanks at meals? Are you a sweet smelling fragrance to God?

Evaluate Yourself (Circle One) Your Private Prayer: Committed Average Poor MORAL CONDUCT - Fellow church-members may have nothing but praise for you. The true test, however, is how you conduct yourself in your home, job and community. You may be able to put on a false front for your neighbors, but your husband/wife & children see you as you really are. It is easy to put on a show of righteousness when you are in a crowd, but who are you when no one is looking? You may fool others, but you can't fool God, for nothing is hidden from His sight!

Evaluate Yourself (Circle One) Your Moral Conduct: Committed Average Poor EVANGELISM - Evangelism is telling others about the Gospel of Christ. Most people think of evangelism as something that the preacher is paid to do. The Bible teaches, however, that every Christian has the responsibility to evangelize. "Always be ready to make a defense to everyone


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who asks you to give an account of the hope that is in you.” 1 Peter 3:15. Do you openly talk to non-Christians about Christ? Have you been involved in at least one Bible study with a lost friend in the last year? Would you consider yourself involved in evangelism at all?

Evaluate Yourself (Circle One) Your Outreach Efforts: Committed Average Poor GIVING - "Now concerning the collection for the saints...On the first day of every week let each one of you lay by in store as he may be prospered." (1 Corinthians 16:1-2) Christians are under the obligation to give money into the church's treasury every Sunday. Money is a touchy subject because it is closely connected with the material things we desire most. It represents the most tangible form of self-sacrifice. The Bible teaches that Christians should know in advance, the amount they will give. In practice, however, many merely give the loose change in their pockets when the collection plate is passed. They simply "tip" the Lord. The reason people do not give to the church as God expects is found in 2 Corinthians 8:5. "They gave themselves first to the Lord then to us in keeping with God's will." If you have "given yourself" to God, you will have no problem giving generously of your finances. The amount of money you give each week relative to your ability is an external indicator of how committed to God you are. Would you describe yourself as a sacrificial giver?

Evaluate Yourself (Circle One) Your Weekly Giving: Committed Average Poor CONCLUSION - In conclusion, the question we have been asking is, "Have you given yourself first to the Lord?” Really, that is the issue we are talking about. Your level of commitment to the Lord is a matter determined within your own heart. But the six things we have talked about here, are external indicators of your spiritual level of commitment. 2 Corinthians 13:5 "Examine yourself to see if you are in the faith, if indeed to pass the test."

Discussion Question: After the self-evaluation, are there other areas in your life and walk with

God that you feel the need to strengthen.

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Assignment: Write a one-page report on how you will continue or start committing yourself to God and the ministry you serve as a minister. How will the vision of empowerment impact your commitment to the ministry? Please reflect on this entire Section and incorporate learned information in your final response. Once this assignment is complete, please email a copy to your Ministerial Leader at :[email protected]__________.

Section 2: How to Serve & What Capacity Lesson 1: Understanding Your Gift: Your Gift Will Make Room For You This lesson will focus on the understanding of your gifts and your role within the ministry you serve as well as the body of Christ. Not knowing “how to serve” can be harmful in your connection to the people you are assigned to serve and your ability to grow. We’ve found that one of the best ways to strengthen your connection within your church and within your community is serving along side one another. God has given each of us talent and skills for the purpose of blessing His church. Local ministries and churches are not only created to draw sinners to Christ (which is their priority) and strengthen believers in their faith, but also created to provide many opportunities for believers to get involved within their ministry. Most churches offer several different ministry options for their members. Here at Emmanuel, we also offer several different ministries:

o Deacon & Deaconess (Invited in by Pastor and Deacons, must be married couples) o Ushers Ministry o Greeters Ministry o Mission Ministry (Known as the Missionary Ministry) o Marriage Ministry o Events Ministry o Floral Ministry o ROW (Women Dance Ministry) o Praise-N-Motion (Children Dance Ministry) o Sons and Daughter’s of Emmanuel Mime Ministry (Youth) o Golden Girls (Senior Women) o Pastoral Care o Ministerial Team o Christian Education o Intercessory Prayer Ministry o Culinary Ministry o Finance Ministry o Media Ministry o Sound Ministry


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o Transportation Ministry o Administration Ministry o Stage Design Ministry o Drama Ministry o Trustees o Nursery o New Life Youth/New Life Kids o Women’s Ministry o Men’s Ministry o Parking Lot Ministry/Security o Music Ministry (choirs: AVP, Senior, Children)

Knowing exactly what is offered within the ministry you serve will enable you to see where you can be an asset to the church. Also, getting involved will allow you to feel apart of something that is bigger than yourself. Understanding your gift goes further than just acknowledging you have a gift. Understanding your gift is to know the PURPOSE of your gift and why GOD gave YOU that particular gift. What are some of the similarities of having a “gift” and having “talent”?

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What is the difference between having talent and having a gift?

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Both are from God. Both grow in effectiveness with use. Both of these things are intended to be used for others, not for selfish purposes. (1 Corinthians 12:7, “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” – ESV) Every human being is given a talent. It doesn’t matter if they are a believer or a nonbeliever. This


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is what we call “natural talent”. This can be discovered in many ways, music, dance, sports, intelligence and more. This natural talent is groomed over time and can become developed and matured if this talent is enhanced. What are some of your natural talents?

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Let’s take a look at some of the individuals in the bible and discover their talents.

1. Noah _________________________________

2. Peter_________________________________

3. Matthew______________________________

4. Jesus_________________________________

5. Paul__________________________________

6. Joseph________________________________

7. David_________________________________

Who are some people in the body of Christ that has used their talents to grow their ministry? _____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________ As part of our call and our ministry in life, God expects us to make the world a better place through our person, gifts and skills. Paul wrote it this way to the Christians at Ephesus: For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 Spiritual Gift Self Assessment Using this self-assessment will help you ascertain which Spiritual Gift you may feel you have. This self assessment includes a definition of the gift, benefits of having the gift, potential pitfalls or hazards that come with the gift, ministry opportunities and how we can get further training on the gift. After the description, there is a rating scale to indicate how we feel we fit the gift.


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Definition The first part of our spiritual gift description is the definition of the gift or ability. We have taken away the Greek words and have tried to translate the original words into phrases that are relevant to ministry today. Benefits Another way to describe an ability is through the benefits of having the gift. Reading about the positive results of this ability can help you visualize the gift in action. This will help you further assess whether or not you are strong in this area of giftedness. Pitfalls Because God allows us to have spiritual gifts, while we are still in this human body there are potential spiritual problems. Not only do we wrestle with our own personal battle, we must exercise these gifts within the church. This gives rise to interpersonal problems. Most of these pitfalls will fall within the following four areas. 1. Pride We need to be careful with any abilities that God gives us that we do not think ourselves superior to others. In Romans 12:3 Paul writes, “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment.” Pride is a great sin that can creep into our heart and make us inflate with self-importance. This feeling of superiority is what the Pharisees exhibited. It is opposite of what Jesus defined as a “servant of all.” 2. Envy and Jealously The opposite of flaunting ourselves or acting superior is to be jealous and envious of someone else that we feel is getting more attention or is in some way lowering our position of importance. The irony is that with jealously and envy, pride is still a major factor. We feel wounded and seek revenge or restoration to our rightful position. We must fight envy and jealously and never let it get a satanic stronghold in our life. 3. Judgmental Being judgmental of someone else takes the focus off of our behavior and us and looks at another person often with criticism and contempt. Many times this judgmental attitude is the result of the same pride, envy or feelings of superiority that we have just written about. 4. Bias It is easy to look at others through our own spiritual gifts and wonder why they are not as intense or motivated as we are. For example, if your gift is administration, someone who is not as organized as you are may become a source of irritation. This bias can cause us to get angry or discouraged with other people. We need to remember that God has gifted us but we also need to remember that He has gifted others too. As a body of believers we need each other and each other’s gifts. Ministry Opportunities This section gives us suggestions on how we can use our gifts in service. There are so many


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ways that we can use our gifts in our personal life, the church and in para-‐church ministries. Further Training Most believers do not know what spiritual gifts they have. Those that do know what gifts they have know very little about them. We need to learn more about the abilities that the Lord has given us. The author of Hebrews tells us to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Paul wrote in II Timothy 1:6 –7: “I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hand. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self‐discipline.” We need to be proactive in learning all that we can and then teach the same to others. Ministry Spiritual Gift Descriptions Please read each of the following fifteen service ability descriptions and the five equipping roles and then rate yourself on a scale of 1 through 5 both in passion and experience. This is to help you from ignoring a gift God may have for you. For example you may be high in passion in the gift of miracles but as of yet God has not manifested Himself in that way to you. If all you rated was experience you may skip over this very important passion God has given you. Likewise if you are deeply involved in “service” but are more pragmatic and less passionate about it you may be tempted to ignore developing the gift of service in the way God wants you to. Passion The first rating has to do with your passion for the gift. Are you really motivated to act this way? 1 means that you have no interest in or passion to use the gift. 5 means that the definition describes you very accurately, or that you do have a strong interest/passion in the ability. Experience/Evidence The second rating has to do with your experience/evidence of the gift. Rate your experience with or evidence of the gift. 1 means that you have no experience with or evidence of the gift. 5 means that you have a lot of experience with or evidence of the gift. Spiritual Gift Self-Assessment Please read each of the following fifteen service gift descriptions on the following pages and rate yourself on a scale of 1 through 5 in both Passion and Experience. Afterward, you can also take the Spiritual Service Gifts Index in order to compare your answers. ___________________________________________________________ 1. ADMINISTRATION The gift of administration is mentioned in I Corinthians 12:28. Administration means to govern, pilot, direct or steer. It was used to describe a person that would steer a ship. A person with the gift of administration is a good strategic thinker, organized, has supervisory skills and manages people and projects well. When leadership sets directions, this person can help accomplish the


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job efficiently. Benefits The gift of administration can help leadership accomplish great things. Good administration can save time and money. In a volunteer situation, the gift of administration can bring professional type skills to many events, meetings and projects. Pitfalls It is easy to become so involved in a project that one becomes insensitive to the needs of others. It may be hard to understand why others may not have the same passion for details or organization. Some administrative types can use their position to “bully” people or exhibit a “my way or the highway” type attitude. A person with administration gifts will often be tempted to take on too much work and personal responsibilities. There can also be over dependency on the gift so God is organized right out of the project. Ministry Opportunities A person with this gift can help start and administer events, organize meetings, help with finances and office administration. This gift can be used in Sunday School or Christian Education supervision. When the pastor needs a project done, a person with this gift can help accomplish it. Many para-‐church ministries need help with their administration. Further Training To help grow this gift you could take management courses, volunteer on small projects, intern with an experienced person that has the gift. ADMINISRATION GIFT Passion - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have a passion for Administration (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Passion Score ______ Experience/Evidence - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have had significant experience in or evidence of Administration (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Experience/Evidence Score ______ 2. DISCERNMENT In I Corinthians 12:10 it says, “and to another distinguishing between spirits” (NIV) Discernment means to be able to distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil. It is having a logical, judicial ability to think through issues. It is the ability to “discern” whether a saying, teaching, doctrine, written word, or event is good or evil; true or false; and if the source, meaning or intentions are of God, the person or Satanic deception. There is an ability to “read between the lines” and get to the truth of an issue. The “gut” tells them when something doesn’t seem to be right. There is an urgency to pray and ask for wisdom. Benefits


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Spiritual battle, whether in a small group or the church, is a serious concern and discernment is a valuable asset to have. This gift can help guide the church both in more ordinary decisions or deeper spiritual issues. Pitfalls There is a temptation to always be “right”; not admit when there has been a mistake. Pride could prevent a humble spirit in the use of the gift. It could be tempting to misuse the trust that someone places in your judgment and use the gift for personal gain or to hurt someone. Finally, it is easy to trust in personal judgment and not consult God, thus being deceived yourself. Ministry Opportunities This gift could be used in helping; settle disputes; counseling; spiritual warfare; or assisting church leadership with decisions. This gift can be used in counseling with addictions and low self-esteem where deception is sometimes used as a coping mechanism. Further Training This is a spiritual skill so good Biblical training is key. Prayer and spiritual warfare are two excellent subjects to study. Listening skills are very important. If possible, intern under someone with the gift. GIFT OF DISCERNMENT Passion - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have a passion for Discernment. (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Passion Score ______ Experience/Evidence - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have had significant experience in or evidence of Discernment. (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Experience/Evidence Score ______ 3. ENCOURAGEMENT In Romans 12:8 it says, “if it is encouraging, let him encourage” (NIV). The Biblical meaning is to call someone near to console, comfort, exhort, implore with them. Although the goal of this gift is to comfort, motivate and give reason for hope, there is the element of exhortation pointing to the future. The goal is to encourage the believers be what God wants them to be. A person with this gift is moved when they see someone down and likes to comfort them and motivate them toward change. They share hope for the future. The nature of this gift is similar to dispensing medicine. It is a singular action used in the moment hopefully to bring about a long-‐term effect. Benefits This gift is good in helping with morale, motivating people toward action and making people feel that they are part of a group. This is an important part of love in action and is often the most memorable part of a ministry to hurting people.


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Pitfalls There is a temptation to give a person a “quick-‐fix” and not truly listen to their problems. We can end up giving pat answers in the form of spiritual jargon and formulas instead of empathy and caring. When it is more our need “to encourage” than to really minister to someone, we can tend to avoid real spiritual solutions. Ministry Opportunities This gift can be used in making people feel welcome and a part of church. This gift is good for ministering to single parents, those that are sick or have problems associated with being elderly. This gift can be used in small group interaction, counseling, home visitation or mentoring. Further Training Biblical counseling and psychology courses would help a person understand the dynamics of this gift. Lessons in effective listening, crisis counseling and pastoral counseling would be of great benefit. GIFT OF ENCOURAGEMENT Passion - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have a passion for Encouragement. (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Passion Score ______ Experience/Evidence - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have had significant experience in or evidence of Encouragement. (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Experience/Evidence Score ______ 4. FAITH In I Corinthians 12:9 it says, “and to another faith by the same Spirit” (NIV). Faith means persuasion, credence or moral conviction. It is an assurance and belief. The author of Hebrews wrote, “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” The gift of faith involves a prompting from God to trust Him for the supernatural, to continue even when there are difficult circumstances. A person with the gift of faith is “fully persuaded” that God has ability to answer prayer and work everything according to His will. It is similar to Acts 20:22 when Paul was “drawn irresistibly” by the Holy Spirit to Macedonia. When a person with this gift learns about certain situations that seem impossible, God seems to nudge them to trust Him. This nudge or “unction” is more than a quiet trust; it is an open, stepping out and affirming God in the situation. God gives them a sense of assurance in His ability and desire to work in the situation. They feel free to ask God for His intervention without usurping His sovereignty. Benefits The gift of faith encourages the congregation, gives hope to believers and is a witness to unbelievers. This gift instills confidence in God’s ability to help both themselves as individuals and the church as a whole reach the vision that God has for them.


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Pitfalls There is a danger in becoming despondent, depressed or angry when answers don’t go our way. Satan uses disappointment to challenge our faith. It is easy to become critical of those who are doubting. Instead, we are to love and encourage others to grow in their faith. It is easy to think that it is “our faith” that is doing mighty things. Instead we must remember it is God who does the mighty works. It is God who answers prayer and He must get the Glory. Finally, there is a temptation to think that “faith” is the end in and of itself. It is not. We need to pray for discernment and exercise our faith toward God’s true will in the situation. Ministry Opportunities Faith is important to the church. You could join a prayer group, be on the missions committee, and be part of the church’s leadership and long range planning committee. If God has given you the gift of faith, then you should use it to support the plans that are being made on behalf of the church. Further Training Keep a prayer journal; this will teach and inspire. Read biographies of other men and women of God. Pray with others who have the gift, keep in the scriptures. GIFT OF FAITH Passion- Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have a passion for Faith. (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Passion Score ______ Experience/Evidence - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have had significant experience in or evidence of Faith. (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Experience/Evidence Score ______ 5. GIVING In Romans 12:8, it says, “ if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously” (NIV). In “Giving” means to impart, to give over, share, bestow, bring forth, commit, deliver or grant. As a spiritual gift, giving is more than just casually giving something to someone. It implies the giving of you with the gift. Like the pianist accompanies the soloist, the person with this gift enhances the giving. Together they are God’s melody to the person receiving. When you spend yourself on behalf of others, it can include giving of your time, abilities, knowledge, love and resources to the cause of Christ. Paul wrote to “give generously”. This implies both in content and cheerful attitude. When a person with this gift sees certain needs, God’s Spirit nudges them in a way that they feel compelled to give what is needed in the situation as an agent of God’s grace and mercy. When they give, the receiver ends up knowing that it is God who orchestrated the whole thing. Benefits This gift helps teach grace and encourages faith in God. Obedience to this gift allows God to


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bring about the resources to accomplish His will for the church. Pitfalls One pitfall would be to fall into the pharisaical trap of letting others know how generous you are, giving into the temptations of praise and pride. Another pitfall is to become critical and judge those that do not participate in giving. Also, it is possible that we feel we need to earn God’s love or we may have a deep need for praise and recognition. If so, this could result in an inordinate amount of time or resources being given away, to the extent that we ignore our own family’s needs. Ministry Opportunities Often a person with this gift has expertise in money matters and can help with church finances. A person with the gift of giving often motivates others to give because of their example. A person with this gift should be aware of the plans of the church so they can be the best steward of what God has given them. Finally, this person can also be a mentor to other people with resources in the church. Further Training A person with this gift does not automatically get wisdom with it. There needs to be “due diligence” on prospective recipients of their generosity. The study of philanthropy and the many financial giving vehicles will help a person leverage their generosity better. GIFT OF GIVING Passion - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have a passion for Giving. (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Passion Score ______ Experience/Evidence - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have had significant experience in or evidence of Giving. (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Experience/Evidence Score ______ 6. HEALING In I Corinthians 12:9,28,30 it says, “ to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit” (NIV). In the Biblical language healing means to effect a cure through God’s supernatural power. This gift is similar to faith. When a person with this gift hears of certain situations that need healing whether physical, emotional or spiritual, God seems to lead them to step out and affirm God through believing Him for healing. God gives them assurance in His ability and desire to work in the situation. A person with this gift feels free to ask God for His intervention without usurping His sovereignty. There is a deep understanding that they do not have a personal power to heal anyone, but that they have been given a great conviction to pray for healing and to believe in God’s power. Along with giving this conviction to pray, in most cases, God chooses to heal. Benefits This gift used in the local church can encourage faith and hope. Healing can often spark revival and repentance. God often used this as a sign gift to the Jews both in the Old and New


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Testament. The gift encourages those new in the faith. Healing ultimately leads to God’s glory. Pitfalls With any dramatic gift there are many people watching. There is temptation to “hero” worship the person with the gift creating an expectancy that is not of God. The result can be disappointment or bitterness when God does not answer in the way we think that He should. Pride can also be a problem causing someone with this gift to exaggerate, make false claims, or steer away from greater need so they do not lose their self-importance. There is potential jealousy, fear of failure and anger if God chooses to use someone else too. It is easy to judge others that may not have the same faith in the situation that you do. Finally, there is temptation to acquire riches by using the gift. Ministry Opportunities This gift could be used in a visitation ministry to the sick and elderly. It could be part of a need based evangelism program. A person with this gift could be on a prayer team. There is also the call to a more private prayer life for those that we know that are sick and hurting physically and emotionally. Further Training This is similar to the gift of faith in that a journal will help you stay focused and trusting God when situations get rough. Meeting with others who have this gift or have the gift of faith or miracles will be beneficial. Reading the scriptures is good for encouragement and faith. Asking your pastoral staff at church for biographies of men and women that God has used this way will help your understanding. GIFT OF HEALING Passion - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have a passion for Healing. (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Passion Score ______ Experience/Evidence - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have had significant experience in or evidence of healing. (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Experience/Evidence Score ______ 7. HELPS In I Corinthians 12:28 it says “those able to help others” (NIV). The gift of “helps” is different than just passively helping, as in the word “service” or “servant”. Rather in “helps” there is an involvement that goes deeper than just serving someone. In the Biblical meaning of “helps” there are three parts to the definition. The first part is that of “helping, bringing relief, and giving assistance”. The second part is the concept of “taking hold of something, to succor and to participate”. This part implies involvement on the part of the person helping; a sharing with them deeply. It is more than serving; it is support. It literally means to “grab them, strongly lay hold of, to hold them up”. The third part is “to exchange”. There is an exchange between you and the person being helped. You see the needy as a giver not just a receiver. You get a blessing too. There is a real involvement and interchange.


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Benefits There is joy given to both those who help and those that are being helped. This is part of a needs-‐based evangelism program. This gift will help the overall witness of the church. Pitfalls A person can become bitter at those that are not helping. The scriptures admonish us not to be weary in doing well. It can be hard to say “no” and easily taken advantage of. We can fall victim of a subtle belief in work-based salvation, even though we know we are saved by grace. We can become proud and insist on things being done our way. Finally we need to be careful that we do not use this gift to “enable” people and be part of a codependent relationship. Ministry Opportunities The gift of helps often becomes a way that new people get involved in the church. A person with this gift can be part of a mentoring program. Visitation of and ministry to the sick, elderly, single parents, underprivileged youth and families would fall under “helps”. Further Training Training in people skills, basic counseling, listening, or empathy would be helpful. If you are moved to help in certain areas, then any training in that specialty would be great. Devotional reading on mercy ministries would be inspirational. Spiritual warfare training would help with any spiritual bondage issues that are part of the problem with those that you are ministering to. GIFT OF HELPS Passion - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have a passion for Helps (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Passion Score ______ Experience/Evidence - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have had significant experience in or evidence of helps. (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Experience/Evidence Score ______ 8. TEACHING In Romans 12:7 it says, “If it is teaching, let him teach.” In the Biblical language this meant to communicate the truths of the scriptures so that those that heard put it into practice. Teaching makes difficult truths understandable over time. It is instructing with the goal of the pupil retaining and applying what they learned. In a person with this gift there is a real excitement in sharing Biblical truth with other people. They enjoy seeing people come alive when they get understanding. There is a burden to share the word of God and help people apply it to their own situation. Benefits With good teaching the church is able to help equip the congregation for service. A person with this gift can teach the scriptures, which according to I Timothy 3:16 is used to instruct, reprove, correct and train. The gift of teaching helps Christians grow in their faith and reach out to


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others in the community. Pitfalls It is a temptation when preparing a lesson to rely on teaching skills and not the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Scriptures warns of wanting praise where we end up teaching what we think people want to hear instead of the truth. Pride can tempt one to create their own following. It is possible to overburden a student or to judge those that do not enjoy studying. It is also possible to become legalistic or overly dogmatic. Ministry Opportunities A person with the gift of teaching could teach the Bible in small group Bible studies or Sunday School. With specialized knowledge a person with the gift of teaching can give seminars or special training classes. A person with this gift would be good at teaching in secular or Christian schools. They could also be used mentoring in their particular expertise. In the church they could also work on the Christian Education committee. Further Training For Bible teaching there would be Bible courses, Bible College or Seminary. For general teaching skills there are education courses, seminars and conferences to increase skills. Special interests would necessitate specialized training. With new technology and computer based courses learning new ways to teach is recommended. GIFT OF TEACHING Passion - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have a passion for Teaching. (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Passion Score ______ Experience/Evidence - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have had significant experience in or evidence of teaching. (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Experience/Evidence Score ______ 9. LEADERSHIP In Romans 12:8 it says, “If it is leadership, let him govern diligently” (NIV). Leadership means to rule, preside or stand over. A leader has a vision and gives direction and oversight to an organization. Whereas the person with the gift of administration steers the boat, the person with the gift of leadership is more like the captain and tells the person at the helm where to steer it. A person with the gift of leadership has a deep passion to help people reach their goals. For the church it may be helping the congregation reach maturity in Christ, evangelize the community or reach out to those in need. A person with the gift of leadership gets a deep conviction of a need and can see the solution. They are able to communicate to the larger group the reason why things need to be done and why it needs to be done now. Benefits


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A church is able to reach goals and accomplish much when it has gifted leaders. They are able to get things done. Like a conductor of a orchestra, a good leader will help make use of all the other gifts in the church and have them working in harmony. Pitfalls Often with leadership comes power and prestige. This can allow a leader to be overcome with pride and exaggerate their own importance. It can also create rivalry and jealousy. A leader can be so goal and vision oriented that they run over people that get in the way or do not have the passion they may have. It is easy to dismiss or worse, ridicule someone who disagrees with the leader’s point of view. It is often easy for a leader to become over-‐involved in urgent matters that the real important issues like family, personal time and devotion to God suffer. Ministry Opportunities A leader can be a pastor, elder, teacher, board of directors, a department head or in the political workings of the church. Para-‐church organizations are looking for good leaders. Further Training Training could include: leadership seminars and conferences, management courses and becoming grounded in Biblical teachings on wisdom and character. It would be great to have a successful leader mentor you as well. GIFT OF LEADERSHIP Passion - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have a passion for Leadership. (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Passion Score ______ Experience/Evidence - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have had significant experience in or evidence of Leadership. (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Experience/Evidence Score ______ 10. KNOWLEDGE In I Corinthians 12:8 it says, “to another the message of knowledge” (NIV). The Biblical meaning is to “know” something experientially, intuitively and in the present. It is subjective “spiritual” knowledge coming from God, revealed to you through the Holy Spirit where God impresses you cognitively. In this case God impresses upon you a relevant insight or message that applies to the situation at hand. This does not imply that you are in a “trance” where you “channel” the voice of God. Instead, we rely on God to speak to us as the result of our experience with Him and His word. It is giving out knowledge that we have experienced. It could be an insight, a summary or a relevant message. A person with this gift has the desire to seek out, investigate and personally experience the meaning of God’s word. Paul uses this same word in Romans 15:14 where he writes, “that you are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.” You enjoy your time with the Lord and sharing it with others. God seems to speak to you with information and ideas that are insightful and helpful to the church or in ministry and adds to our complete understanding of Christ.


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Benefits God uses people in the church that have the Spirit-‐given ability to understand, in an exceptional way, the great truths of God’s Word and to make truth relevant to specific situations in the church. This way God is able to speak to the believers in each generation and in each church. Pitfalls The Bible warns that knowledge has the ability to “puff up”. We need to be careful of pride, being overbearing, insensitive to other people’s opinions. Paul says if I have knowledge without love that I am nothing! Ministry Opportunities The most obvious opportunity is teaching. This could be in the church or in the seminary teaching future teachers. This gift would certainly help someone in leadership. A counselor can use the gift to make the word relevant in a person’s life. Also doing seminars, papers, the ability to speak on apologetics, current issues and cults is another ministry opportunity. Further Training Spending time in prayer and Bible study, listening to tapes, enrolling in seminary, attending conferences, being mentored and studying are ways to learn more. GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE Passion - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have a passion for Knowledge. (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Passion Score ______ Experience/Evidence - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have had significant experience in or evidence of knowledge. (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Experience/Evidence Score ______ 11. MERCY In Romans 12:8 Paul writes, “if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully” (NIV). In the Biblical language mercy means to be led by God to be compassionate in your attitudes, words and actions. It is more than sympathy, which is pity. It is love in action. This empathy stirs deep inside you and causes you to want to do something. You want to bring relief to the immediate needs that you are aware of. Mercy can be used in helping someone with physical, emotional, financial or spiritual situations. Benefits A church that is merciful can help meet serious needs in its own community. This can be complemented with needs-‐based evangelism. Mercy can also be an effective part of the ministry of the church to its own members. Mercy helps relate the love of God to those in and out of the church. Pitfalls


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Mercy can often give the impression that it is solving a problem when it may be only treating the immediate situation. By just alleviating the symptoms we could miss curing the person. We can “enable” people by constantly “rescuing” them. Mercy is desperately needed but we also need to strive for long-term solutions. It is easy to get frustrated with those that don’t get involved or don’t see the problem. It is also possible to be hurt or angry if we are taken for granted or do not see change. A person with this gift can become over involved leading to burnout or too much time away from our family. It is also possible to become proud of our “mercy” and become pharisaical. Ministry Opportunities We can use this gift in visitation with the sick and elderly, prison ministry, homeless shelters, job placement programs and food pantries. We can be merciful by using our skills to enable organizations and committees to be merciful. We can be on boards, help fund raise, mentor, and counsel and do many other needed volunteer tasks. Further Training You can learn more about being merciful through seminars, literature and volunteering with various agencies. You can go to college and study in the social services, psychology, ministry, health, medical and education. Any of these fields could allow you to have a career in a mercy ministry. GIFT OF MERCY Passion - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have a passion for Mercy. (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Passion Score ______ Experience/Evidence - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have had significant experience in or evidence of Mercy. (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Experience/Evidence Score ______ 12. MIRACLES In I Corinthians 12:10,28 Paul writes, “to another miraculous powers; God has appointed workers of miracles” (NIV). According to Strong’s Dictionary a miracle is “a force or power; specifically miraculous power.” This is similar to healing in that both are the result of the supernatural. However this is not having the gift of doing miracles; for only God has that power. Rather a person with this gift has a deep sensitivity to God’s will in a situation and a deep belief in God’s ability to fulfill His will. They know where man’s ability ends, God’s supernatural ability takes over. They have a spiritual burden to trust God in situations and ask Him to display His power for His glory. With this burden, in most cases, God performs a miracle. Benefits God uses people in the church that have this gift to ask for His favor and blessings on the church. When difficulties come to the church and there seems no natural solution is available, God calls people with this gift to pray and trust Him so that His glory may inspire the rest of the believers.


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The results is a healthy church trusting and praising God for great things. Pitfalls Moses forgot that the power was God’s and struck the rock himself to make water come out. He stole God’s glory. David became complacent, stayed behind from the battles and fell to temptation. Many of the Prophets became bitter with disappointment when God did not answer the way they thought God should. Asking God for the supernatural can raise many temptations. We need to be careful of pride, exaggeration, false claims, impatience, taking the credit, jealously, self-gain or deep disappointment. Ministry Opportunities If the power of God were to be absent from the church, would we still function? We need to believe God for the supernatural. The gift of miracles gives support to pastors, by praying for God’s intervention and power to be manifested in the special needs of the church and congregation. The results will be God’s mighty work in and through the lives of those that fellowship there. It should help create an atmosphere of worship, praise and Holiness. Further Training Study the Bible, listen to tapes, attend conferences, read biographies, be mentored and spend time in prayer and meditation to learn more about this gift. GIFT OF MIRACLES Passion - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have a passion for Miracles. (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Passion Score ______ Experience/Evidence - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have had significant experience in or evidence of Miracles. (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Experience/Evidence Score ______ 13. PROPHECY In Romans 12:6 Paul writes, “If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith” (NIV). Strong interprets prophecy as a “prediction (scriptural or other), an inspired speaker; or to speak under inspiration.” In the Old Testament prophecy was often predictive or praying and speaking on behalf of God, calling the people to repent of their sins or face God’s wrath. In the New Testament, because the scripture was not complete, prophecy was speaking on God’s behalf with authority on the Christian experience. Paul writes in I Corinthians 14:3 that prophecy was to edify, encourage and comfort the believers. Prophecy today is still through an inspired speaker. A person with this gift, like its Old Testament counterpart, has a keen awareness of current events and the cultural implications of not following God’s word. This is important because each church is made up of people, customs, and circumstances that are different from others. Prophecy helps us apply the scriptures to where we live. A person with this gift has a burden to warn of God’s judgment and the need for us to repent.


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Benefits This gift helps the church live holy in the culture and time that they are appointed. It rebukes, strengthens and encourages believers. The gift also helps the church in long-‐term planning and seeking God for His guidance. Pitfalls When God speaks to us about the sins of the church or a contemporary application of truth, we need to be careful about the battle for our own mind. It is easy to be pharisaical where we become negative or judgmental. We need to make sure that we hear from God and not our own inner voice. Being tempted with pride could keep us from being open to discernment or “testing.” We could be blinded to the truth, unable to admit when wrong, not willing to recheck with God. Ministry Opportunities Prophecy helps the church be relevant to their contemporaries and speak to the lifestyle needs of the congregation. A person with this gift can serve as part of the leadership; they could also have speaking or writing ministry. Further Training Self study, seminary, tapes or conferences that teach the Bible, current events, apologetics, cults and end times will be beneficial. Mentoring with someone who has the gift could be helpful. GIFT OF PROPHECY Passion - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have a passion for Prophecy. (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Passion Score ______ Experience/Evidence - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have had significant experience in or evidence of Prophecy. (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Experience/Evidence Score ______ 14. SERVICE In Romans 12:7 Paul writes, “if it is serving, let him serve” (NIV). In the Biblical language service means to aid, relieve, help, attend, or to wait on people through menial duties. It is where we get our words deacon, minister, and servant. Service can include almost any work that benefits others. Jesus washed the feet of His disciples and said that the greatest will be servant to the rest. His disciples were to minister or serve others, especially the needy. It is helping with those unfinished often-‐thankless details as a servant of God and the church. It is volunteering to get the job done. You love the church and want to help where you are needed, not minding the mundane or labor-‐intensive task. Your attitude is, “I’m happy to serve Jesus and the church. Someone has to do it, it might as well be me.” Benefits Stephen’s service of tables in Acts 6 allowed the other Apostles to pay more attention to the


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preaching and teaching. Today as we serve in the church, it frees up the pastors and teachers to minister the word. It also is an important part of need-‐based evangelism. Pitfalls There is such a need and so few volunteers that it is easy to be overworked and neglect other responsibilities. We must be careful not to become bitter and judge those that do not help. It is also possible to fall into pride and serve for the recognition that we get or jealous if someone “outshines” us. Ministry Opportunities The need is endless. Every church and ministry has a list of “chores” that need to be completed. Some are on a regular basis. Odd jobs, helping the elderly, organizing or volunteering to help at events, set-‐up and cleanup, cooking, ushering, visitation, building and ground maintenance and help with youth and children ministries are just a few. Besides in the church, there are numerous needs in the community that the church should be addressing. The gift of service is an important gift needed to help the church fulfill its responsibilities. Further Training Service in a ministry is not always like service at a secular corporation. Often we don’t have the best equipment or any budget to speak of. There is usually a shortage of workers and those that do volunteer often will not have the professional skills. The best training seems to come from experience. It is learning perseverance, humility and determination that will pay off. Leadership, management and organizational techniques can help with the running of service projects. GIFT OF SERVICE Passion - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have a passion for Service. (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Passion Score ______ Experience/Evidence - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have had significant experience in or evidence of Service. (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Experience/Evidence Score ______ 15. WISDOM In I Corinthians 12:8 Paul writes, “To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom” (NIV). The Biblical use of the word wisdom puts the emphasis on the thought process that takes the scriptures and makes an intelligent application to a life situation. The result is insight, which allows one to exercise sound judgment. To have the gift of wisdom then is to be able to apply Biblical, spiritual knowledge to living a Godly life. It is also being able to make scriptural truths relevant and practical in everyday living and decision-‐making. The “message of wisdom” is being able to know the mind of Christ and His word as it pertains to specific situations. A person with this gift loves to read, meditate and commune with God, drawing wisdom that applies the scriptures to everyday living. It is similar to a mechanic being able to hear a car run


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and know what is wrong and how to fix it. They are wise in automobile mechanics. This gift allows a person to “hear” life situations and apply truth to the situation. Benefits This gift helps people with the many needs in their life. From childrearing to career planning, relationships to personal emotional issues, we need to hear the word of God. Pitfalls It is easy to become simplistic in administering God’s word to people’s problems. There is also a temptation to minister with just human wisdom, ignoring the Biblical wisdom. We can burnout and stop listening to people and just give advice or “fake it” when we are not sure what to say. Finally, we need to guard against pride that can often come with being “wise”. Ministry Opportunities Wisdom can be applied to many different ministries. Wherever people need to increase their understanding, there is a need for wisdom. Counseling, problem solving, teaching, leadership are just a few of the areas of ministry. Further Training This gift can be enhanced through Bible study, education in any of the people helping skills through college, conferences, seminars or certification. Having a mentor will help in some areas. GIFT OF WISDOM Passion - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have a passion for Wisdom. (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Passion Score ______ Experience/Evidence - Using a scale of 1 - 5, rate whether you have had significant experience in or evidence of Wisdom. (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so) Experience/Evidence Score ______


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How did you do? Did this exercise help you think more about your gifts and talents?

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Section 2: How to Serve & What Capacity Lesson 2: Servant Leadership Understanding the vision in the ministry you serve is extremely important. There is no way an individual can be an effective minister without knowing the vision of the house. As believers first, we should all have a desire to see people come to God and receive the gift of salvation. For this is the plan of God. His primary purpose over 2000 years ago was to reconnect mankind to the Father/Himself due to the falling away caused by Adam. This vision, this focus can never leave our hearts, if so we will find ourselves lost and without true direction in this journey. Not understanding God’s vision will cause you not to see your Pastor’s vision. The only way spiritually, you will connect to the vision of the house is that you see it in the Spirit. We are not only leaders within our church and community; we must also become servants of God and our ministry. Servant Leadership is both a leadership philosophy and set of leadership practices. Traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and exercise of power by one at the “top of the pyramid.” By comparison, the servant-leader shares power and puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible. What characterize a person to be a leader?

o A person of influence o A person who leads people o A doer o A person who can see, visionaries o A person who can execute o A person who takes responsibility o A person who is mentally tough, authentic, real

What separates people? What quality makes those people stand out? People like; Moses, David, Joshua, Noah, Apostle Paul, Peter, Professional Athletics, etc.

• Performances • Influences - people who can move the masses

John Maxwell - "Leadership is simply influence”

“Leadership is influence; it is nothing more and nothing less than that.” - Anonymous

4 Principles on How to influence as a leader:

1. Listen o Learn to listen, o To engage, o Active listen

2. Learn o Values, o Goals, and


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o Understand who that people are individually 3. Be Prescriptive (Relating to)

o When engaging leaders, o Active participating, o Working together.

4. Be Biblical o Where do you get your authority? o You must be anchored in your faith.

John 15:5, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same

bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” –

1 John 5:13 -

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. - Col. 3:17

“Thirsty hearts are those whose longings have been awakened by the touch of God within them.” – AW Tozer

You can’t give what you don’t have; you can’t offer what doesn’t take residents inside of you. -

Anonymous What separates those that have influences? What are some characteristics? A person who wants…and a person who does…

1. Focus on the fundamentals - “Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure with trouble.” - Prov. 15:16. Being successful in the things that don’t matter - don’t become distracted and become diluted.

a. “We need to get to that point where we ruthlessly eliminate everything that doesn’t matter.” - John Ortberg

b. Can you execute?

2. Discipline: hard work – “Play like your Practice and Practice like you play”- Tiger Woods

a. FEAR is the greatest barrier between you and me reaching our goals. b. I Tim. 4:7, “…we need to discipline ourselves in righteousness” c. If hope is not the thing you stare at everyday, then you will always be a victim.

3. Play to Your Strengths: you have certain skills and abilities.

a. We can’t all do the same thing. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward


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you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” - Jeremiah 29:11

4. Follow Instructions: a. “Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding, but a rod is for the

back of him who is devoid of understanding.”- Proverbs 10:13, b. “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” -

Proverbs14: 12

5. Have A Good Attitude: Prov. 17:22 a. “A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.”-

Proverbs 17:22

6. You’ve Got To Believe: You have to approach life with the spirit of expectation. Literally believe that God is there and wants to speak to you. Phil. 4:13, I Sam. 17,

a. Heb. 12, - "Those who come to God, must first believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him.” – Hebrews 12

7. You have to be Goal Oriented. - If you are not going forward, you’re going backwards.

Set goals that are doable. Know the difference between aspiration and their real goals. Aspiration, they want to spend time with God, do more, Real goals are what they are actually doing, where they are spending time.

8. Think: Think in every situation, Romans 12:3, “don’t think of yourself highly than you are but…” Prov. 23:7 John Maxwell "Once your mind is tattoo with negative thinking…"

9. Mental Toughness, challenges come, loses, transitions come, endure to the end.

“Problems are never the issue, its what you do with them that determines your success.” – Anonymous. “If thou faint in the day of adversity, they strength is small.” - Prov. 24:10. Pressure and adversity is what separates you.

10. Make Adjustments: great players make adjustments they don’t make excuses. Be solution oriented Get out of the excuse world!

11. Teamwork makes the Dream Work: learn that it isn’t about us we will be ok. Those people Closes to you will make you or break you.

12. Be Aggressive not Tentative: Life will eat you up and you can’t be tentative. Get back on your feet if you have been knocked down.

13. Finish: completion factor, I Tim. 4:15, “Mediate upon these things; give thyself wholly

to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.”

The Message of a Servant Leadership Leadership is an interaction between two or more members of a group that often involves the


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structuring and restructuring of a situation and the perception and expectations of its members. - Bass and Stogdill

Leadership is about influences. Having the ability to influences that person’s growth and development. For Christian leaders, a sense of invested authority only comes when God sovereignty grants it. We are called Ambassadors of Christ. “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.” - II Corinthians 5:20. What are Ambassadors? Ambassadors are servants. Charles IV used this term first. It was described as dignity, integrity and the ability to command respect (Chief of Missions). Let’s discuss a few factors and principles of great Ambassadors. Here are a few and not limited to for us to discuss. Factors and Principles of Great Ambassadors

• Chosen o I Peter 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation,

a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:”

• Entrusted with a Mission o I Corinthians 2:4, “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing

words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” • Faithful and Loyal to their Sovereign Leadership

o Luke 16:10-13 • Dignified • Trusted

o I Corinthians 4:2, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

o Trust is earned over time • Wise

o Proverbs 15:2, “The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.”

• Sent o Luke 9:1-2, “Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power

and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.”

"Great is available, but its just not for free." Discussion Question:

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Section 2: How to Serve & What Capacity Lesson 3: You don’t serve in your perfection

“I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence, I can reach for; perfection is God's business.” - Michael J. Fox

Learning to serve is a process. It’s a process that is never ending. As the vision changes and as your grow in God, your level of responsibility changes. Perfection is defined as the state of being without a flaw or defect; the act of making something perfect. In Section 6: The Manner of Ministry Lesson 1: Turning Your Hurts into Helps, will further explain how there is no one that is perfect but God Himself. No matter how hard we work on ourselves, we will never be able to reach perfection. The bible tells us in Psalm 138:8, “The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.” This text must not be misinterpreted as if God’s plan is to make you a perfect being. This text clearly states that the work you do can be continually enhanced through God if that is what you desire. This can be connected in your physical abilities or talents, your desire to be better believers, strength to overcome particular obstacles and more. The quote by Michael J. Fox compares excellence with perfection. Striving for excellence is the process of always searching out improvement. This is the position we must take. Never get to the point where you feel that you have “mastered” your gift and there is no need to learn anymore. One thing that we have realized in ministry is that we are evolving. We are changing and church is not the same way it was 20 years ago. We must refuse to coast through ministry. Coasting does not cut it. If you try to coast physically, you wake up one day to find yourself overweight and out of shape. Coasting relationally leaves you either dealing with a lot of conflict or all alone. If you coast on your job, you soon find yourself missing out on receiving promotions and discover you are no longer getting raises. You cannot coast spiritually. You will either go forward or go backward and this can happen you when you feel that you have reached perfection. Effective ministers need to declare to themselves, “NO COASTING”. We must learn to train better so we can become all God wants us to be. Instead of spiritual coasters, we should become spiritual climbers who scale new heights for God. First, we must Discipline ourselves. (Reference I Timothy 4:6-15)


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The word for train is gymnazo. For it we get our word gymnasium. At its core it means to “go into the gym and sweat.” In other words, to exercise, to train diligently, to discipline yourself. Always remain sharp when it comes to your gift. “If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six sharpening my axe.” – Abraham Lincoln. Is some ways effective ministry is like cutting down a tree. Highly effective leaders now the value of “sharpening their axes.” They take time each morning to meet with God in the Word and in prayer. They build times for exercise and reading into their schedules. They don’t neglect their families. They watch less TV than other people, play fewer video games, and don’t waste time online or social media because they are joyfully finding fulfillment in their personal growth and development. Personal growth is one thing you can control. I Timothy 4:7, “…Train yourself in godliness.” No one can do this for you. You must control this. What we are is more the product of our decisions than our conditions. No one else is responsible for our personal growth. No one else can grow for us, learn for us, and improve for us. We have to grow, learn, and develop for ourselves. Intentional growth prevents unintentional decline. John Maxwell noted that, “developing as a leader is a lot like investing successfully in the stock market. If you hope to make a fortune in a day, you are not going to be very successful.” He also said, “The learning process is ongoing, a result of self discipline and perseverance. The goal each day must be to get a little better, to build on the previous day’s progress.” The secret is in your daily habits and weekly plans. By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. There are no gains, without pains. If you are serious about reaching your ministry potential you need to have an aggressive growth plan.

1. Set a few growth goals – make these simple, yet measureable. Start with a few goals that you can work on every day or every week. Ex. Read bible for 15 minutes a day…

2. Gather necessary tools – books, notebook, journal are some necessary tools you may need

3. Develop a plan that fits you – don’t adopt someone else’s plan. As you grow, your goals may grow as well.

4. Schedule time to grow – make sure you find a great time to grow and stick with it.

5. Get started! – the best time to start is NOW! You have to sow in order to reap. If no seed is sown, no harvest will be reaped.

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Section 2: How to Serve & What Capacity Lesson 4: Understanding the Vision Understanding the vision of the church is of extreme importance. You cannot and will not function effectively if you have not grasp the direction of the ministry in which you serve. Vision is defined as having the ability to see; the formation of a mental image of something that is not perceived as real and is not present to the senses. In order to serve at your full capacity, you must understand the vision of the ministry. The first vision you must see and function in is the Vision of God. Amos 3:7 ESV, “For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.” Another scripture is Joel 2:28 ESV, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.” Scripture tells us that God has no intentions of keeping His vision away from us. Matter of fact, He wants us to understand His plan so that we can assist to bring it to pass. What is God’s vision for you? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What is God’s vision for the body of Christ? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Now that you have an understanding of what Gods vision is for you and the body of Christ, let us discuss the vision for the ministry in which you serve. In order to grasp this part of the lesson, you must first do/or make sure you operate in a few things.

o Trust: You must first trust your leader. Having trust in someone is the same as believing in him or her. You have to know that your leader is hearing from God.

o Love: Having love for your leader is more than just saying words. You must exemplify love through your support.

o Support: Supporting your leader is what a Pastor seeks after. When a leader knows he/she has a team behind them, it gives that leader the confidence he or she needs.

o What are some other ways? -


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Now that you understand how to connect with your leader, let’s discuss connecting with the vision of the ministry. The bible tells us in Habakkuk 2:2, “Write the vision; make it plain on the tablets, so he may run who reads it.” This is the first way the vision is shared within the ministry. It is written, it is spoken, it is embedded into the minds and hearts of the followers. Our vision is “Empowerment”; this vision is not only spoken, but also exemplified in the activities that are presented within the ministry. Habakkuk 2:3, “For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end, it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” The part of this text that I want to focus on is “…it will not lie…” Within a ministry the actions and the manifestation of a vision will show. If you are truly focused on EMPOWERMENT, then you will be able to eventually see it. You will see growth, you will see MORE of love, forgiveness, unity, peace, faithfulness and more. People will grow or begin growing into what God has intended them to be. Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.” You must know and trust that if your leader is operating under the Power of God, then the plans that are set for the ministry are the plans God has for you. Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Let’s discuss the vision for our house: Our primary focus or vision is: EMPOWERMENT Our vision statement for our ministry is:

“To empower people from every background to believe in and pursue the God of our salvation. To maintain an anointed atmosphere that promotes holiness, provides education, and protects the truths in the Word of God. To follow biblical order, that will build this local ministry and minister to the believer’s mind, body, and soul. To embrace Kingdom building through five-fold ministry, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry and for the edifying

of the Body of Christ.”

This is our vision statement. The key points that stand out are to empower, to maintain, to follow and to embrace. It is your responsibility to KNOW the vision, SHARE the vision and to PROTECT the vision. We are extensions of our leader and we must enforce what God has given him/her. Discussion Question: How can you better support the vision? _____________________________________________________________________________

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Section 3: Making the Commitment Lesson 1: There is no Turning Back There are times in ministry were we find ourselves discouraged and even at times where we question whether or not we made the right decision in moving forth in ministry. Many preachers/teachers, if not all have came across this thought. There could be several reasons that may put you in a position where you will count up the cost on whether or not it is worth moving forward or turning back. The Lord never promised us that the path we chose will be an easy one but one that will strengthen you as a leader, as a preacher and as a chosen vessel to carry out His powerful word. One very popular and powerful scripture that comes to mind is Galatians 6:9, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (ESV) We can use this scripture when encouraging ourselves as God’s selected individuals. There are a few things that we should pull out of this text. Weariness – Weary is defined as exhaust or to get tired through overuse or great strain or stress: lose interest or become bored with something or somebody. This is a two-fold definition that can describe weariness in different ways for different individuals. First, as a preacher you can become exhausted because you can be “burning” yourself out. You must avoid overloading yourself and trying to take on too much. When it comes to ministry, at times, we don’t like to say no. We jump at the opportunity to be used because we feel that is exactly what God wants us to do, when in reality, God’s desire is for us to have balance. Yes He wants you to preach His Word! Yes He wants you to serve His people! Yet at times, we feel that we are fueled by the “Joy of the Lord” when in fact we must maintain balance so that we can maintain our effectiveness. Secondly, we must be careful to not lose our interest in our assignments. This can come from different angles. One, where you may feel that you are not being used by the local ministry you serve under. When your gift is not being used the way YOU expect, you can find yourself losing interest or a desire to serve in that capacity. You may start to feel hopeless or develop a “who cares” attitude which will cause you to not put forth the effort. As a preacher, we must realize that our calling is not based on the need of the local church, but on the need of the Body of Christ. Our opportunity is not limited to the pulpit but God has open up the earth and created you a platform to preach His awesome word.


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The second half of that scripture speaks on “doing good”. There are a lot of preachers who are doing work but not all are doing “good” work. We can be working good but we must ask ourselves, are we doing what God want us to do. Is what we are doing bringing glory to God or is it bringing glory to ourselves. There is nothing wrong with being excited about the gifts we have but when you began to focus on the gift and not the Giver of gifts, then that is were you will find the problem. Our talents, our ability to teach, preach, our ability to grow a ministry is not solely based on our gifts alone. For God is the One who gives the increase to anything we do. One must check to see if the work I am doing well in the sight of God and not if it is good in the sight of man. People can observe your actions and tell you that you did a good job or you are doing good work but if your motives are not pure, then you will be wasting your time. The last part of this scripture that we should focus on is, “…if we do not give up.” That is a major part of this text. We don’t know when or how we are suppose to reap from our well doing, but we do know that we are, and the request is made to you with no time limit attached. This is not the same as working a 9-5 job, 40 hours a week and getting the check at the end of the pay period. With a job, we know our expected date of pay, we estimate our expected amount, but with God, we don’t know, we don’t know when or how much or even how we are suppose to receive it. The great thing is that we don’t get into this profession because of the pay. We do it because we love God and we love His people. Our reaping can come from any direction at any time, but we can’t allow that to be a reason to turn away from God. You can’t tell yourself, “I haven’t seen anything yet from this ministry…I don’t think it is for me!” If that’s the case, you will never see what you expect. When you said YES to God, you decided to walk onto a journey that ends when your life ends. This call is not like a person signing up for active duty and serving his or her country for 4 years, 10 years, 20 years, but serving God as long as He needs you. You can’t clock in like a 9-5 but you are always on call because you never know when God needs you to show up and be used. No one ever said that this road will be an easy one but it is a road that we must travel when we told God yes. There will be sacrifices you will have to make and times where God will pull you out of your comfort zone but it is worth it! Discussion Question: What are your expectations? Have you made any sacrifices?

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Section 3: Making the Commitment Lesson 2: A Life Without Compromise Compromising is NOT AN OPTION! To compromise is to eliminate your standards and find a common ground between you and the enemy. Compromise is defined as a middle way between to extremes. This is definitely not an option for you. If we miss the mark, then we must find ourselves in a position of conviction, repent unto God and move forward in His strength. When we sin or find ourselves out of order with God, it is easier to recognize it and grow from our mistakes. Compromising can cause us to become accustom to the “short cuts” and can take awhile before we recognize the error of our ways. Jesus Christ could have easily eliminated the journey that He was about to embark on and save Himself from the pain and agony of the crucifixion as well as the rejection. I’m sure that would have been so much easier to do, but we will have never fully appreciate it if He didn’t make the sacrifice. The first time Christ was faced in scripture to take the easy way out or compromise his assignment was when he was fasting for 40 days in the wilderness. He was first baptized by John the Baptist and the heavens opened up and God stated in Matthew 3:17, “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” His Father confirmed Jesus that he is the One that has been chosen to change the world. He then separated Himself from the rest and during his separation the enemy tempted Him to back out of his purpose. There were several ways of temptations that the enemy placed before Christ. After fasting, Christ was hungry and the first temptation was to attack his fleshly needs and that was hunger. Matthew 4:1-11 (verse 3) “The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” The enemy will always tempt you to compromise by using your flesh. Here Jesus’ humanity was in a weak state and the enemy thought that there was a possibility that Jesus would yield to the flesh. Satan assumed that the voice of the flesh would be louder than the Power of God. HE WAS MISTAKEN! Jesus responded to Satan’s attempt to defy Him by saying, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” Here Jesus is encouraging us to not make decisions based on our flesh when it comes to temptation from the enemy or even walking this walk. This lesson is great for those who are starting in ministry. In advance, we are told that we should not be lead by our flesh and that this walk we are about to embark upon is not about our physical endurance, its not about our physical strength but our spiritual one. The enemy will come at you and target your weakness and attempt to feed your weakness and have you thinking, “if I can


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just feed this weakness I can become strong again”. You know how you are when you haven’t eaten food all day, you get a headache, your energy level is down, you become frustrated and your body tells you that the reason you are like this is because you need food, you need to supply the need and once you do that, “you will feel better”. Here is what the bible say about temptation, I Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” If you are tempted, then you are strong enough to come out of it. BELIEVE ENOUGH OF YOURSELF THAT YOU CAN! Matthew 4 Verse 5, “Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you, �� and they will lift you up in their hands, ��so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” This brings us to the second thing that Satan wanted Jesus to compromise. Satan attempted to direct Jesus into a different path. Here you find Satan manipulating scripture in an attempt to get what he wanted. (Psalm 91:11-12, “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”) Discussion Question: What are some things in your life that you find yourself fighting over and over again? _____________________________________________________________________________

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Section 3: Making the Commitment Lesson 3: Being Chained to the Church (Portion of Notes from Dr. Tejado W. Hanchell) Ephesians 3:1, “For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles.” What is “Being Chained to the Church”? Being chained to the church is being bond to the church. Being in permanent servitude to the call of ministry. When hearing this term, one must not look at it in a sense of one’s freedom being taken but one’s freedom being broaden. The scripture states, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty.” This means that there is freedom in serving God and yet, Paul labels himself as a prisoner of Christ. In this case, there is no “gate keeper” who holds the key, no guard who stands at the prison doors but it is the prisoner who holds the key. The choice is always yours when it comes to serving God.


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Paul used this as analogy and using his current situation as a comparison to his commitment to God. As he was confined and restrained from the outside world and doing what he “wanted” to do, so is he with Christ by choice. He knew he couldn’t do what The definition of prisoner is defined as a person legally held in prison as a punishment for crimes they have committed or while awaiting trial. A person captured and kept confined is a better definition that is suitable for this session. As a prisoner of Christ, we are obligated to serve our sentence within the church. We are spiritual (not legally) bound to our assignment in the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:24-27 (NIV) 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. Ministry is the call of service, the call of slavery, the call of bondage, our Savior, Jesus Christ frees you from your sin but enslaves you to His service. Five Prison Principles for Preachers:

1. Every prison has a Superintendent a. A superintendent is a Man/Woman in charge of the prison - the leader of the

prison. b. There is only one Superintendent for the prison c. Sets the policies for the governing of the church/the inmates, they don't get to

decide what they want to do and when they do it d. Submit to the authority of the Superintendent - fall in your proper rank

2. Every prison has its own set of rules a. Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) b. Every prison has different rules/regulations

3. Every prison has a standard dress code a. You can't come dress however you desire b. Please be in order

4. Every prison has secure doors a. You don't get to decide when you go and when you come b. The doors are lock and inmates don't have a key c. Must take everything through the Pastor/Ministerial Leader (speaking

engagements) d. Ask don't inform e. Even when doors are unlock, they don't push them open

5. Every prison has standing count a. You need to be where you are suppose to be b. Must be in place


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6. Every prison has its snitches a. Those who run and tell b. Brings awareness to the Superintendent

Discussion Question: What area of your ministry needs to improve based on these six principles? _____________________________________________________________________________

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Section 4: The Motives of Ministry Lesson 1: Your Relationship with Jesus Christ Maintaining your relationship with Jesus Christ is the most important thing you should hold onto. If you lose that, then it is guaranteed that you will not be an effective minister. There is no way that you can operate under the “agape” love and not know Jesus Christ for yourself. How can one explain the character of Jesus Christ if you have not discovered them for yourself? Remain true to who God has called you to be. Ministry does not begin with a love for people. It begins with a love for God and then that love overflows to the children of God. If we minister to God’s people only out of a humanistic love for people we will be people-pleasers rather than God-pleasers. As you progress in ministry you should start to see yourself sacrificing more because your “role” has changed. You will become more of a worker in the ministry rather than someone who comes looking to be served. Your heart for the ministry should be an extension of what the Pastor has and his vision for the ministry should be your focus. At the same time, we must not forget or lose ourselves in “ONLY” pleasing our pastor. If God is pleased, automatically your Pastor should be pleased. We can allow ourselves to get caught up in the “work” of the ministry where we lose our “worship” which is needed in order to maintain a strong relationship with God. How can you be effective in ministry if you don’t know what it is you are suppose to do. If you have ever been to a restaurant where they have a front cashier, like McDonalds or Wendy’s, it is the job of that front cashier to serve the customers as they enter into the building. If you are new and just walk in from the streets, you will not be able to stand behind the counter and serve without knowing the policy or the expectations from that company. For example, when going to Chick-Fila, for a while they were the only restaurant that will end their services with the statement, “it was a pleasure serving you or it was my pleasure”. After leaving, I felt that I was not a burden to them or that they enjoyed their job. So every time I go, I automatically


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expect to hear that phrase at the end. Now, what if someone new walked in not knowing that was something they tell their customers. They could change the entire atmosphere on how they serve and it would be noticed. Training, workshops, meetings allow employees to stay up to date with the owner’s policy. It allows them to remain in the “vision” of the company. The same with you as a minister or preacher, you have to maintain your relationship with God through prayer, fasting, studying and more in order to remain confident that you are exactly where God wants you to be. Not only that, but to evaluate if you are becoming more of a “people-pleaser” or are you still a “God-pleaser”. Don’t feel bad if that is the case, because we have all slipped into that direction unconsciously, not realizing that we have began operating in that particular function. What you do need to worry about if you find yourself there and refuse to change and better yourself. Your relationship with Jesus is the most important and valuable relationship you will have in ministry. First of all, you would not be in the position you are in without Him. Despite your call to ministry, this is something that should have been established before you accepted the call to ministry. Discussion Question: What are some ways that you can improve and better your relationship with God and become more of a “God-pleaser”? _____________________________________________________________________________

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Section 4: The Motives of Ministry Lesson 2: List of Right and Wrong Motives Why do people do what they do? What drives a person to be faithful? These are questions that we ask ourselves. People are motivated differently. Everyone is not driven by the same preached word, the same rewards or the same possible results. II Corinthians 5:11-15, “ Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”


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In the bible, let us discuss a few people who had good motives:

6. Priscilla and Aquila ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. Ruth (Naomi) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. Stephen ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

List a few good motives in ministry:

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One good motive when serving God is having a desire to “know” God. Paul states in Philippians 3:10, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;” But we are called to serve on the basis of higher motives, motives that are tied to who God is and what he has done. So why do we serve him?

1. Because We FEAR Him a. “…Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others.”

2. We fear DISPLEASING him a. It is one thing to fail, but another to fail in the area that is the very reason for your

existence… b. II Corinthians 5:9, “So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at

home in the body or away from it.” 3. We fear LOSING reward

a. Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:5, “An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.”


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Now, just like there are good motives in ministry, there are certainly wrong motives. Some individuals go into ministry for the wrong reasons but not all. It is easy for a person to enter into ministry with a sincere heart and throughout time lose the reason why they entered into ministry. They could have started off with a desire to fulfill God’s plan, but in some cases, that can change. When that happens, the main problem isn’t the “wrong motive” but rather you realize where you are and make a decision to change. When working with people with different personalities and different views of ministry, things can change within yourself. It is easy to become competitive in ministry and your no longer driven by God’s plan, but you are not driven to be better than those around you. Now, let’s clear this up! It is nothing wrong with wanting to be great at what you do and there should never be a time where you stop growing. If you don’t grow, you don’t go! Just don’t allow your desire to be the “best” be the thing that motives you in ministry. In the bible, let us discuss a few people who had wrong motives:

1. Judas Iscariot ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8:9-13) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. The Sons of Sceva (Acts 19:14) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ministry is not about gaining attention. It is not about gaining credit for “what you have done” because all good gifts come from God. James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” List a few bad motives in ministry:

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7. ______________________________________

Discussion Question: What are some areas in your life that you may need to address? Have your motives ever changed? _____________________________________________________________________________

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Section 4: The Motives of Ministry Lesson 3: Keeping Perspective by Keeping Priorities/Being A Servant When entering into ministry, the walk as a minister can be lonely and self educational. As a minister you must move from looking for everyone to minister to you as an individual, but rather you minister to him or her. You become a servant of God, a slave to the body of Christ. A servant is a person who is bound and commit to a person working in the service of another. As servants, we must:

1. Check our motives a. Life changing – Saving souls and deliverance should be our primary reason b. Motivational – Help others view their situations differently c. Teach doctrine and application d. Freedom

We must not loose focus on what is more important in ministry. In this world, it can become easy to get caught up and obtain the wrong motives and lose our perspective. In the bible, James and John was interested in 4 things and these three things we must not allow to be our focus.

- Power - Platform - Position - Prestige

Becoming a minister of the gospel, we must maintain the mind of Christ. Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” This scripture reminds us that there is no need to focus on materialistic things, or social status among people but if we believe that God is the one who started the work, He is God enough to provide what is needed so that the work can manifest itself. Matthew 6:33 reminds us, “But seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things


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will be provided for you.” This text is used to encourage us about not worrying about the needs we may have and yet at the same time, we must focus on what is important. What is important? 1. The Kingdom of God 2. His righteousness.

When James and John asked Jesus Christ about position and prestige, Jesus Christ asked the question, “Do you know what you are asking?” This question causes one to reflect on the cup. Christ asked, “…are you able to drink from the cup?” Later, this same cup was discussed in the garden of Gethsemane. This cup represented suffering (Matthew 26). Expect difficulty, expect the cup throughout your call as a minister. The storms don’t change in our lives, but it is how you handle the storms will determine how well you grow in your position as a minister.

When keeping your priorities in perspective, you always be prepared. Prepared in the word, prepared in prayer, prepared when it comes to suffering so that you don’t allow life to rearrange your priorities. Don’t allow people to push into something you are not prepared for. You have to know your ministry and know your “door”. If you are in your season of becoming a better servant in learning how to submit, then don’t allow anyone to push you forward in a “headship” position if you are not ready. Your preparation is a critical piece to your promotion. You must be prepared for service.

Serving is a priority. We don’t serve to gain power, we don’t serve to be recognizing by others and we don’t serve to draw people to ourselves. We serve to bring people to God. John 12:32, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”

Here are four serving tips:

e. Serving When f. Serve Where g. Serve Who h. Do whatever it takes to serve

Always remember, being a minister is a “FUNCTION” not a title. Once you have grasp that view of being a minister, you can now grow into your full potential and will maintain God’s priority when it comes to the Kingdom. Here are a few priorities in order to maintain the proper perspective: (Chapter 5; In Search of Timothy) “Priority One: Serve the Purpose of God” - Purpose transcends personality. It is important for supportive ministers to serve based on their awareness of God’s purpose. His purpose is foundational and will remain steady when personality conflicts and other difficulties arise. Some people become enamored with the personality and charisma of a leader, and they begin working for that pastor based merely upon an attraction to a personality. It’s great to like the people you work with and for, but ministry relationships that are only personality-based can be superficial and need to be built upon something stronger.


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A principle-based and purpose-based relationship will be strong and enduring, but a relationship that is merely personality-based is fragile and may not withstand life’s inevitable challenges and pressures. “Priority Two: Respect the Office in Which the Pastor Stands” Occasionally, a person chooses to join the staff of a pastor with whom they’ve been good friends for many years. While this may sound like a great arrangement, it has some potential downfalls. What happens the first time the pastor needs to function as “the boss” (and not as the friend) and needs to correct the supportive minister? Can the supportive minister step out of the friendship relationship and accept the correction—as coming from the pastor and not from a buddy? People often have difficulty relating to the same person on two different levels because they can’t separate the two roles in their thinking. The friend side of the relationship can cause a person to lose sight of the pastoral office and to not show appropriate respect. Regardless of whether or not there has been a long-standing friendship, any excessive sense of familiarity with the staff can undermine a leader’s effectiveness. “Priority Three: Learn to Work With the Pastor’s Personality” Although this priority is listed third, it may be the most difficult for some people to master. But there is a reason why it’s listed third. If learning to work with a pastor’s personality seems like a significant challenge, remember that keeping priorities one and two will enable you to meet that challenge with success. The bottom line is, people have varying styles and personalities. If we are going to be successful in supportive ministry, we need to learn to work with the unique leadership style and personality of the pastor for whom we work. Every leadership style has its own strengths and weaknesses, and every personality has flaws and imperfections—no matter what type it is. Therefore, we need to exercise long-suffering patience and tolerance, not just for the pastor for whom we work, but also for the other people with whom we work. Keep in mind that you’re not the only one having to “get along”; your boss and coworkers have to get along with you and your imperfections! Excerpt From: “In Search of Timothy” Discussion Question: “Are you serving the purpose of God in what you are doing? What steps do you take to keep your focus on the purpose of God and not on people?”

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Section 4: The Motives of Ministry Lesson 4: Building Relationships How important is it to have healthy relationships within the ministry? If you are married, how important was it for your marriage to be healthy? Having healthy relationships within the body of Christ will cause a ministry to flourish. Chapter 8 in the book entitled, “In Search of Timothy” is called, Paul and Others: Strategic Connections. (Please read Chapter 8) In this chapter, the author talks about how important relationships were for the Apostle Paul. Even though Paul was a man who was on a mission from God and we believe he would have done the work of God with or without companionship. Paul understood the need to have someone who supported and encouraged him along the way. The Greek word that Paul used to describe his partnership with Timothy, Titus, and others was “sunergos,” which is translated fellow worker or fellow laborer. This is where we get the word “synergy” today. Synergy is a word used to describe the effect of two different components or people coming together to accomplish something that neither of them could have accomplished alone. When Christians join together (whether it be staff members or church members), they produce results as a team that not one of them could have produced on his own. There is strength in the Body of Christ when each part of the Body works in conjunction with every other part. In Ephesians chapter 4, the Apostle Paul addressed the growth, development, and maturing process of the Body of Christ. He mentions the different ministry gifts (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, also see Section 2: Lesson 1) and then refers to “the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share…” (Ephesians 4:16). Most pastors have preached messages about how important it is for every member of the Body of Christ to do his or her part. While that’s important, it should be noted that before Paul mentions “the effective working by which every part does its share,” he uses the phrase “joined and knit together by what every joint supplies.” We must discover a way to connect and remain connected. Utilizing our God-given gifts will allow us to be apart of something larger than ourselves. Relationship is defined as the way in which two or more people or things are connected. It is important to find a connection between you and the other individuals who serve in your ministry with you. Having positive relationships will allow you to be in place to be used effectively. People love individuals who they can trust and depend on and that is something that is discovered through your connections. Here are some ways you can enhance your relationship connections with those you serve with: 1. Build Your Relationship: Through Your Presence – “When we arrived in Macedonia,

there was no rest for us. We faced conflict from every direction, with battles on the outside and fear on the inside. But God, who encourages those who are discouraged,


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encouraged us by the arrival of Titus.”, II Corinthians 7:5-6. Have you ever waked up in the morning and begged God to answer this one request – to make a way for you to hang out with a negatively spirited person today? Have you every prayed, “Lord, please bring an extremely grumpy person into my life today? Well of course you will never pray for this. In fact, you ask God for the exact opposite. Everyone enjoys being in the presence of someone who can connect, someone who is able to encourage him or her.

2. Build Your Relationship: Through Your Prayers – “And this is my prayer: that your love

may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.”, Philippians 1:9-11. You may not have the kind of relationship you would like with every one. All relationships are different and yet you can still be effective in your prayers.

3. Build Your Relationship: Through Your Actions – “Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”, Philippians 2:4. You can build your relationship with others by caring. You can build relationships by caring about their needs.

4. Build Your Relationship: Through Your Words – “Brothers and sister, we urge you to

warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.”, I Thessalonians 5:14. When building relationship, it is not always consigning on what that person does. A healthy relationship tells the truth for the benefit of growth and strength. You can establish a relationship on false encouragement, advice that doesn’t apply and more.

Discussion Question: What ways can you build more healthy relationships with others?

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_____________________________________________________________________________ Section 5: Traits/Qualities of a Minister Lesson 1: Worshipper John 4:23, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.” In order to be an effective minister, you must be a worshipper. You must know what it is like to be in the presence of God. Worshipping God is different from “praising” God. Praising God is showing God our


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appreciation as well as our dependence on Him. It is an outward expression of our faith and gratitude towards God. There are ways people show “praise” towards God, some shout with a voice. Some show it with a dance, others may exemplify it with the clapping of the hands.

o Shout: Psalm 98:4, “Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;”

o Dance: Psalms 30:11 – “Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;”

o Clapping Hands: Psalm 47:1, “Clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with a loud cry of joy!”

Worship is different! The bible tells us that we must worship God in spirit and in truth. Discussion Question: Are you a worshipper? What does worshipping God do for you?

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_____________________________________________________________________________ Section 5: Traits/Qualities of a Minister Lesson 2: Willing to Grow and Go Reference “In Search of Timothy” Chapter 22 Discussion Question:

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Section 5: Traits/Qualities of a Minister Lesson 3: Faithful and Loyalty Reference “In Search of Timothy” Chapter 17 Discussion Question: _____________________________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________________ Section 6: The Manner of Ministry Lesson 1: Turning Your Hurts Into Helps Turning your hurts into helps. What does that mean? There are many things we suffer in life that we have not yet received an answer for. Out of our experience, we should have learned many valuable lessons. Valuable lessons that we can’t be learned in a school, but lessons found through suffering and divine ministry training. The best person to help a sufferer is a veteran sufferer. One who has been through trials and tribulations and came out as a survivor. Paul stated in II Corinthians 1:3-4, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves


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receive from God.” Notice carefully what Paul wrote. We can paraphrase his words into three primary statements.

4. Our God is the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. 5. When we suffer, our God comforts us. 6. God comforts us in our suffering so that we can comfort others.

When we suffer and learn to position ourselves to receive the comfort of God in our sorrow, we gain a priceless key that enables us to unlock hearts and minister to them more effectively. In a real sense suffering is a primary education and qualification for effective ministry. In some ways the more types of suffering we endure, the more types of people we can help.

“When a person has mastered the full curriculum of suffering – completed the course in dungeons and chains, in whips and scourging, in shipwrecks and persecutions – then that

person has received a master’s degree in tribulation and is thoroughly qualified for the ministry of compassion.” – Unknown Pastor

God never wastes a hurt! In fact your greatest ministry will most likely come out of your greatest hurt…God intentionally allows you to go through painful experiences to equip you for ministry to others,” writes pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren. The issues we have overcome in life will allow and enable us to be effective when faced with someone who is going through the same thing. You are qualified because the suffering was so intense that you haven’t forgotten what it felt like to hurt. You never forgot the struggle of being a single parent or being raised by one. You haven’t forgotten about how your body suffered with severe sickness and yet you overcame, not only that, you survive to tell others. This is what we call testimonies. Testimonies are victories that you have won, trials that you overcame, and tribulations that you survived. We can’t always connect with people. This is something that we must expect and remember it is nothing to be discouraged about. We have not all survived abuse, we have not all survived cancer, we have not all survived divorce, we have not all survived broken relationships but we have all survived something. In attempt to connect with people who are hurting, you must discover that part of them that wants to survive. When a person wants to survive they will hold on to any sign of life. If you can’t connect with someone through similar experiences, here are some necessary steps to take. Keep in mind, it’s not about YOU winning them over, but about GOD winning them over.

1. Engage in Listening a. Don’t be so quick to speak, without first hearing the problem b. Remember KEY elements that stand out.

2. Provide Scripture that “FITS” the situation. a. If the person is sick, find scriptures on healing b. If the person suffers from the lack of faith, find scriptures of faith c. Don’t quote scriptures that can’t be applied. Just because you have memorized it,

doesn’t mean it works for every situation.


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d. It is nothing wrong with telling the individual that you will search out a group of scriptures

3. Refer the individual to another “STRONG” ministers, believer who may have suffered similar situation.

a. A fellowship of ministers must work as a team and not against each other. (Reference Section 4: Lesson 4: Building Relationships)

b. Know the ministers you work with i. You don’t have to be “too personal” but know their story

Exercise:

1. My life seemed normal until…. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. I discovered hope and help in Jesus when… ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. I am glad I have a personal relationship with Jesus today because… ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ministry is enhanced and expanded by the affliction we endure.

Ministry is taking the encouragement we receive when we suffer and passing it on to others when they suffer.

Ministry is refusing to waste a hurt Ministry is not making excuses

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Section 6: The Manner of Ministry Lesson 2: Partnering with the Holy Spirit Are you a fan of wrestling? Are you a fan of “tag teams”? What is the purpose of having a tag team? In wrestling, a tag-team match consists of two individuals who are on the same side who have to go against an opponent. Their opponent’s objective is to overcome and defeat them. When first starting in ministry, one can’t wait to get started. You can’t wait to show people how to love more, how to have more faith, how to live holy and all of this is great but we can’t do it alone. We cannot walk in ministry with a mentality that “I can do this alone”. John 14:16-17, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever. The Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” “He will give you another Counselor.” A Greek student will tell you that the word “another” means, “another of the same kind.” In other words this Counselor would be the same kind as Jesus. Just like Jesus, the Counselor is fully God. We call the Counselor, the Holy Spirit. Another Greek word for Counselor is “parakletos”, which is a compound verb with the prefix “para” which means alongside and the verbal base kaleo (to call). So that means that we are to view the Holy Spirit as our helper, advocate, aid and comforter. We must first recognize that the Holy Spirit is God. Let’s discuss a few scriptures: 1. Omnipresent - Psalms 139:7, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from

your presence?” 2. Omniscient – I Corinthians 2:10-11, “these are the things God has revealed to us by his

Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”

3. Omnipotent – Genesis 1:2, “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over

the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” A. Luke 1:35, “The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the

power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

4. Eternal – Hebrews 9:14, “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through

the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!”

5. Holy - Luke 11:13, “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to

your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those


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who ask him!” The Holy Spirit is the most important person you will meet in your ministry. For without the Holy Spirit, there is no way you can effectively fulfill the vision of God. For without the Holy Spirit you will not be able to reach the lost, operate in your God-given gifts or be an effective preacher. The Holy Spirit produces conviction. Conviction is an awareness of guilt for one’s own sins. Only God can produce such awareness. He uses believes to proclaim His truth about sin, but the Spirit must apply it to unbelieving men and women’s hearts to produce conviction. Otherwise, they will continue to deny their sinful nature or their need for Jesus Christ. Next, the Holy Spirit produces repentance. Repentance is a desire to turn from our sins once we have been convicted of them. Also, the Holy Spirit empowers the proclamation of the gospel. He empowers both the proclaimer and the hearer. These works of the Spirit are necessary for effective proclamation and reception of divine truth. I Thess. 2:13, “…” I Peter 1:12, “…” When preaching the gospel we need the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is what generates the hearts of your listeners. Jesus told Nicodemus in order to be born again he would have to be born of the Spirit. John 3:5-8 Next, partnering with the Holy Spirit helps others grow in Christ. It is already at work in the lives of everyone w are called to minister to. He is working in the lives of His children to transform them to be more like Jesus. Our job as ministers is to cooperate with Him as He works in our lives and partner with Him as He works in the lives of others. Anytime a person grows in their walk with God, it is never a solo operation. At least three persons are always involved. First you and I share the Word of God. Second are those who we are ministering. They need to respond to the Word of God to the circumstances of their lives to bring about change in the life of the person to whom we are ministering. Ministry becomes less intimidating, more joyful and much more effective if we do our ministry with awareness of and empowerment by the Holy Spirit. Effective ministry is actively cooperating with the Holy Spirit as He works in others’ lives. When you do ministry, the Holy Spirit will give you wisdom you did not know you had. He also gives you sensitivity you could not possible have on your own. Ministry is recognizing the role the Holy Spirit plays in the lives of the people w are ministering to. It is valuing the Holy Spirit as the person of the Godhead who is primary in God’s work today on this earth. It is partnering with the Holy Spirit in bringing people to Christ.

Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Discussion Question:


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_____________________________________________________________________________ Section 6: The Manner of Ministry Lesson 3: Confronting Sin Sin is something we all have encountered. In the biblical perspective, sin is not only an act of wrongdoing but also a state of alienation from God. Sin signifies the rupture of a personal relationship with God, a betrayal of the trust he places in us. We become most aware of our sinfulness in the presence of the holy God. Psalms 51:1-9 (A Prayer of Restoration), “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just. For I was born a sinner— yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there. Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me— now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt.” Isaiah 6:5, “Then I said: Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts.”

Luke 5:8, “When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus knees and said, “go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!”’ The biblical witness also affirms that sin is universal. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Paul declares (Romans 3:23). “There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins”, Eccles. 7:20. “Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin?” Proverbs 20:9. “They have all gone astray,” the psalmist complains, “they are all alike corrupt; there is none that does good, no, not one”, Psalm 14:3. In order to confront sin, we must gain a better understanding of sin. Hardness of heart, which is closely related to unbelief (Mark 16:14; Romans 2:5), likewise belongs to the essence of sin. It means refusing to repent and believe in the promises of God (Psalm 95:8; Hebrew 3:8, 15; 4:7). It connotes both stubborn unwillingness to open us to the love of God (II Chronicles 36:13; Ephesians 4:18) and its corollary – insensitivity to the needs of our neighbor. (Deut. 15:7;


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Ephesians 4:19) Ephesians 4:18-19, “They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.” Ephesians chapter 4, verses 18 and 19 contains reasons of why an individual would become darken in their understanding.

1. Ignorance – ignorance is defined as the lack of, uninformed, the lack of knowledge 2. Hardness of Heart – hardness is defined as the quality or condition of being hard 3. Callous – callous is defined as unfeeling, insensitivity; unsympathetic 4. Given up – to place in the hands of; get rid of 5. Greedy - Having or showing a strong or excessive desire to acquire money or possess

things, especially wishing to possess more than what one needs or deserves.

Whereas the essence of sin is unbelief or hardness of heart, the chief manifestations of sin are pride, sensuality, and fear. Other significant aspects of sin are self-pity, selfishness, jealousy, and greed. Sin is personal and social, individual and collective. (Ezekiel 16:49, “Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters did not help the poor and needy”) Among the collective forms of sin that cast blight over the world today are racism, nationalism, imperialism, ageism, and sexism. The effects of sin are moral and spiritual bondage, guilt, death, and hell. James 1:14-15 explained: “Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death”. Paul states, “The wages of sin is death”. Provide some examples of the effects of sin:

1. Moral Bondage (no longer concerned with the judgment of right or wrong of human action and character) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Spiritual Bondage (enslaved to ungodly spirits) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Guilt (a feeling of culpability (deserving blame) for offenses) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Christian faith teaches that sin cannot be overcome through human ingenuity or effort. The solution to the problem lies in what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. The penalty of sin is death, judgment and hell, but the gospel is that God has chosen to pay this penalty himself in the sacrificial life and death of his Son, Jesus Christ. (John 3:16-17; Acts 20:28; Romans 3:21-26; 5:6-10; II Corinthians 5:18-19; Col. 2:13-15)


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When dealing with sin and others, and being in the position to confront sin, we must remember the conviction originates with the persons of the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is mediated through Christian witnesses, especially preachers, as they spread and implement the word of God. Matthew 18:15, “If your brother sins against you, go and rebuke him private. If he listens to you, you have won your brother.” Titus 1:9, “holding to the faithful message as taught, so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to refute those who contradict it.” II Timothy 4:2-3, “Proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching. For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new.” Understanding that the issue of “sin” must first be understood by the individual living in “sin”, and that there is “sin” existing in their life. What happens when giving them (individuals who chose to live in sin) encouragement is not enough? What do we do when godly affirmation, attention, and affection are not getting through? How should we respond when someone we care about is way off track? How do we handle it when a fellow believer is caught up in sin? What do we do about the blatant sin in the body of Christ? The answer to these questions is that the sin must be confronted. If we LOVE people, we must LOVE them enough to want what is best for them and for the body of Christ. This means that we must be willing to challenge them to face up to the sin in their life and deal with it. Exercise 1: Scenario 1: You are a physician and I want you to find a way to tell someone that their test results showed that they have stage 4 cancer and they only have 3 months to live. Scenario 2: Pair up into 2s and have one play the sinner and the other one is confronting the sin. Each card will tell about the sin, the sinner is dealing with. It will state how long they have been dealing with it and how often have you tried other methods to help. Rather it was encouragement, helping them out, etc. As a team, we will evaluate and provide feedback on how we felt the MINISTER handled the situation in confronting the sin. Timothy served as the pastor of the church of Ephesus. There were times when he had the responsibility to confront sin within the church. For Timothy to be an effective servant, he would need to confront them to make necessary changes in their lives. Paul understood this and gave this young leader/Pastor insight into the “ATTITUDE” he would need in order to confront effectively. “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching”, II Timothy 4:2 Let us take Paul’s instructions apart, so we can learn the type of spirit needed in order to confront effectively:

1. Convince: speaks of emphasizing the truth in a direct yet soften tone. 2. Rebuke: describes the fact that occasionally the person doing the confronting will need a

forthright tone. 3. Encourage/Exhort: as you confront, you must offer genuine care and remind people that you are


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on their side!! 4. Great patience/Longsuffering: means that helping them will require not giving up unless they

reject what God wants them to do. 5. Teaching: implies always-bringing truth to bear upon any situation.

Galatians 6:1, “Brothers, if someone is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual should restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so you won’t be tempted also.” “Restore such a person.” The word restore (katartizo) means “to repair.” It’s actually a medical term used to resetting fractures or mending bones, putting dislocated limbs back in place. The Approach to Confrontation: Step 1: One-on-One Confrontation – Matthew 18:15, “If your brother sins against you, go and rebuke him in private. If he listens to you, you have won your brother.” Step 2: A Few-on-One Confrontation – Matthew 18:16, “But if he won’t listen, take one or two more with you, so that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every fact may be established.” Step 3: Leadership-on-One Confrontation – Matthew 18:17a, “If he pays no attention to them, tell the church” Step 4: Church-on-Church – Matthew 18:17b, “But if he doesn’t pay attention even to the church, let him be like an unbeliever and a tax collector to you.”

“If you, in the church, are not willing to confront someone’s sin, then you don’t see them as having any value. Christ see them as having value. He paid the infinite price for them, did He not? And He

gives us the responsibility like any parent to go after our wandering children,” – John MacArthur Discussion Question: _____________________________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________________ Section 6: The Manner of Ministry Lesson 4: Being Content Instead of Being Competitive Competition if found everywhere. You see competition throughout life from your toddler years. If you are a parent, have you ever had a conversation with someone who talks about the “great” things their child can do and you felt the need to tell your stories of the “great” things your child can do as well. This is natural and often happens without realizing that you are competing in stories. We have been competing with other people our entire life. Can you recall some ways we are competitive?


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Competitive Situations (for example: finishing a test first): 1. _______________________________________________________________________

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_______________________________________________________________________ We should always have a desire to be better. Better than whom we were last week, last month and last year. There should never be a time where you stop growing in your knowledge of God, your gift and other areas in ministry. When we speak on being content, we are referring to being satisfied with the gift you have or your current place in ministry. Competition can be dangerous. In the bible, we find issues with people who were trying to “fight” for the same position or reward. Let’s discuss a few:

1. Cain and Able:

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2. Sarah and Hagar

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3. Hannah and Peninnah

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4. Jacob and Esau

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Ministerial comparison was going on 2000 years ago and still continues today. You can see this exemplified throughout scripture. The Corinthians fell in the trap of comparing one minister with another. But Paul refused to their game. II Corinthians 10:12, “For we don’t dare classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. But in measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves to themselves, they lack understanding.” (Also Phil. 1:15-17) It is impossible to have a heart full of love for a Christian brother and still be envious or critical toward him at the same time. Don’t waste your time comparing and competing with your fellow laborers for each of us should be focused on God’s plan individually. Here are a few scriptures we can discuss:

o Roman 12:10


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o I Corinthian 13:4 o I Corinthian 16:14 o Galatians 5:13 o Colossians 3:14I Thess. 5:12-13 o I Timothy 4:12 o I Timothy 6:11

Comparison or Competition in ministry is the result of insecurity. Competition is a by-product of pride. Together, they become a cancer within the body of Christ and should be extracted swiftly before destruction can spread. Competitive spirits can easily lead to spreading false rumors and slandering other ministers. This brings no value to the body of Christ and it diverts our effort from performing the vital work of the ministry. Valuable time could have been spent ministering to the precious, needy and lost. In ministry, you must RUN YOUR OWN RACE. Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,” Notice the words, “...the race marked out for us.” This tells us that we all have our own race and there is no need to focus on the race of others. Our race is designed for us, just as no two fingerprints are identical, and no two-ministry courses are the same. Don’t allow yourself to become discontent in ministry. When we get caught up in comparing ourselves with others we will always find someone who has it better than we do. When this happens, we will become discontent without situation. Strict focus on the task at hand and stubborn refusal to compare your situation with others will bring contentment. Apostle Paul wrote, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:11-13 Ministry is being content with which God made you to be and what God has called you to do. It is refusing to compete with or compare you to others in ministry. It is focusing on what God has for you and how He is dealing with you as a minister and no one else. It is acknowledging that all ministers and ministries are under attack by Satan and it is lifting up fellow Christ-centered ministries in fervent and sincere prayer. Discussion Question: What other ways do competitiveness show up in ministry?

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Section 7: Investing In Learning Materials Lesson 1: You Need More Than Just the Bible What are some good additional items to have when studying your bible? Do I only need my bible? When studying your bible, it is important to (1) Select Your Bible. Some individuals find it difficult to study the traditional King James Version. This is our standard style and most traditional for older believers. In this bible, you will find your “thy’s and thou’s” and at times, can be a little complicated for new beginners. To study, you may want to a more “broken down” version to help shed more understanding on what the scripture may be saying. For example, Matthew 6:34 New International Version “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” New Living Translation "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today.” English Standard Version “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” King James Bible “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” (2) Find a good commentary. What is a commentary? A commentary is a book similar to the bible in which contains a systematic series of explanations or interpretations. It is something that serves for illustrations or explanation for scripture. This is a good source to have for any bible. For example, let’s take the previous used scripture Matthew 6:34 and see what several commentaries state about that particular text. Benson Commentary: Matthew 6:34. Take therefore no thought for the morrow — That is, for futurity, according to the Hebrew idiom, as the word is used, Genesis 30:33. Since the extent and efficacy of the divine providence is so great, and since you are the objects of its peculiar care, you need not vex yourselves about futurity. For the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself — That is, be careful for the morrow when it comes. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof — Speaking after the manner of men. Every time has abundant necessary troubles of its own; so that it is foolish to increase present distresses by anticipating those that are to come, especially as by that anticipation it is not in your power to prevent any future evil. All trouble, however, is upon the whole a real good. It is good physic which God dispenses daily to his children, according to the


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need and strength of each. Here we may reasonably reflect, with the pious Dr. Doddridge, How kind are these precepts! The substance of which is only this, Do thyself no harm! Let us not be so ungrateful to him, nor so injurious to ourselves, as to harass and oppress our minds with that burden of anxiety, which he has so graciously taken off. Every verse speaks at once to the understanding, and to the heart. We will not therefore indulge these unnecessary, these useless, and these mischievous cares. We will not borrow the anxieties and distresses of the morrow, to aggravate those of the present day. Rather we will cheerfully repose ourselves on that heavenly Father, who knows we have need of these things; who has given us the life, which is more than meat, and the body, which is more than raiment. And thus instructed in the philosophy of our heavenly Master, we will learn a lesson of faith and cheerfulness from every bird of the air, and every flower of the field. Matthew Poole’s Commentary: No such thoughts as before mentioned, for God will provide for you tomorrow when tomorrow cometh. Besides, every new day will bring forth some new cares; you know not what tomorrow will bring forth, nor what you will have need of tomorrow; and if you did, why should you torment yourselves before the time? It will be time enough when you feel the evils of a succeeding time. You need not torment yourselves with prophesying against yourselves, what it may be shall never be; or if it be, you had not need weaken yourselves for the encountering such evils, by a previous disturbance of your thoughts about them. Thirdly, another good resource to have available is a bible dictionary. The definition of English words may be different from what was used when the text was written as well as more directed. This information can help shed more light and more revelation on what the text is saying to you as well as what it said then. When providing the breakdown in our previous sections on the “appointments”, a biblical dictionary was used. The title was “Evangelical Dictionary of Theology” by Walter A. Elwell. Now, there are more resources that you could use to enhance your study time and help provide insight and better understanding of God’s word but we wanted to provide you with just a few that are most commonly used by preachers. There are other resources such as encyclopedias, concordance and books written by establish religious officials or scholars. Be careful of what information you find online and make sure you verify the level of truth it provides. Items to Invest In:

- Commentary - Concordance - Study Bible - Bible Dictionary

Discussion Question: _____________________________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________________ Section 7: Investing In Learning Materials Lesson 2: How To Study Exercise Learning how to study the bible is a question asked by not only preachers but also new believers. Studying your bible should not be something you just randomly do, pick a few scriptures and read it and considered yourself doing your daily devotional. Here are a few tips that were found online on how to study your bible. Challenge yourself to participate in the 21-day challenge and record or log in if you did or did not study the Word during this 3-week period. Time Require: 21 days (The time it takes to form a habit.) Here's How:

1. Decide On a Time. If you view your time spent alone with God as an appointment to be kept in your daily calendar, you will be less apt to miss or skip it. There is no “right” and “wrong” time of day. I prefer having my devotions first thing in the morning, as this is the least likely time of day for an interruption. I seldom receive a call from a friend at 6:00 a.m. Whatever time of day you choose, let it be the best time of day for you. Perhaps a lunch break fits better into your agenda.

2. Decide On a Place. Finding the right place is key to your success. If you try to spend quality time with God lying in bed with the lights off, failure is inevitable. I decided to make a place specifically for my devotions. I chose a comfortable chair with a good reading light. Next to it I put a basket with all of my "tools" - my Bible, pen, journal, devotional book and reading plan. When I get up in the morning, I simply go to my place and everything is ready.

3. Decide On a Time Frame. Once again, there is no standard time frame for personal devotions. You have to decide how much time you can realistically commit to each day. Getting started with 15 minutes a day can quickly develop into more. Some people can commit to 30 minutes, others an hour or more a day. Start with a realistic goal that you feel you can meet. If you start with a plan of 2 hours a day, failure to meet the goal will quickly discourage you.

4. Decide on a General Structure. Spend some thought on a general structure for your devotional and how much time you’ll spend on each element of your plan. This would be like an outline or agenda for your meeting, so you don’t wander about aimlessly in thought and end up accomplishing nothing. The following four steps will cover some of the typical elements you can include.��

5. Choose a Bible Reading Plan or Bible Study. This may take some time, but choosing a Bible reading plan or study guide will aid you in having a more focuses time of reading and study. If you just pick up your Bible and start reading randomly each day, you may have a difficult time understanding what you read, or applying it to your daily life.

6. Plan to Spend Some Time in Prayer. Prayer is simply two-way communication


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between you and God. Talking to Him, telling Him about your struggles and cares and then listening for His voice. Some Christians don’t realize prayer includes listening. Remember to give Him time to speak to you in His still small voice (I Kings 19:12, NKJV). Also, one of the loudest ways God speaks to us is through His Word. Spend some time meditating on what you read and letting God speak into your life.

7. Consider Spending Some Time in Worship. God has created us to praise Him. I Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people ... belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (NIV) You can express your praises silently or declare them in a loud voice. There is no right or wrong way. You may even want to sing a song of worship in your devotional time.

8. Consider Spending Some Time Writing in a Journal. Many Christians find that “journaling” helps them stay on track during their devotional time. You can journal your thoughts and prayers, providing a valuable record. Later you will be amazed and encouraged when you go back and note the progress you’ve made or see the evidence of answered prayers. Journaling is not for everyone. I suggest you give it a try and see if it’s right for you.

9. Commit to Follow Your Daily Devotional Plan. Keeping your commitment is probably the hardest part of getting started. Determine in your heart to keep it up, even when you fail or miss a day. Rather than beating yourself up when you mess up, just pray and ask God to help you. And, be sure to start over the next day. The rewards you will experience as you grow deeper in love with God will definitely be worth it!

10. Be Flexible and Willing to Make Changes to Your Plan. If you get stuck in a rut, try going back to step #1. Perhaps the plan you’ve chosen is not right for you. Change it up until you find the perfect fit.

Tips: 1 Keep working at your daily devotional plan for 21 days. By then it should become a habit. 2 Pray for God to give you the desire and the discipline to spend time with him each day. 3 Don’t give up. Eventually you will discover the joys and blessings of your obedience. 4 If you are married, consider developing a couple's devotional plan. What You Need: • A Bible • A Pen or Pencil • A Notebook or Journal • A Bible Reading Plan • A Bible Study or Study Aid • A Quiet Place Discussion Question: How did you do?

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Section 8 Encouraging Yourself In Ministry Lesson 1: Scriptures That Every Preacher Should Know There are times when preachers become discouraged and yet others look towards you for encouragement. David had the liberty to lead a group of strong men who believed in his leadership. He had proven to be a wonderful leader and the record of David spoke for itself. They remained encouraged by David through is actions, his leadership and his victories. It wasn’t until they experienced the kind of lost that was so intensified that they no longer believed in the leadership in David, they found themselves emotionally disturbed by the recent events and just that quickly, forgot about all that David had done prior. There was no other person there to encourage David, no one able to give him what he needed to continue. He may have become overwhelmed with emotion himself due to the fact he was suffering from lost as well and to top that pain off, his life was threatened by the very ones he lead. The bible tells us that in this time, David encouraged himself in the Lord and found the strength and sought the direction from God. It was in God’s word he found encouragement and the will to move beyond his discouragement. Here are some scriptures that are good to encourage you as a preacher. 1. Your identity is not in your sermon; it’s in Christ Jesus. Galatians 2:20 - “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” 2. Your strength in the task of preaching. Colossians 1:28-29 - “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” 3. Grace for the weakness of your preaching. II Corinthians 12:9 -“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 4. The kind of preacher God sets his hand. Ezra 7:9b-10 - “…for the good hand of his God was on him. For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.” 5. Unapologetically and unashamedly preaching the message that brings righteousness.


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Romans 1:16-17 -“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” 6. Staying true to your call, even when you feel like Job. Jeremiah 20:9 - “If I say, ‘I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,’ there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.” 7. Sticking to the offensive, foolish, and powerful gospel. 1 Corinthians 1:23-24 -“But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” 8. Always bring your “A” game. 2 Timothy 2:15 -“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” 9. Where you get peace after bringing your “C” game. Isaiah 55:10-11 -“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” 10. The clean conscience of an expository preacher. Acts 20:26-27 - “Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.” Discussion Question: What do you do when you need encouragement?

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Section 8 Encouraging Yourself In Ministry Lesson 2: Why God Needs You To Be Focused God needs you to remain focus on the assignment He has given you. The end goal is to valuable for you to get off track. At times, people walk into ministry and lose focus on the main reason on why we do what we do. Doing this allows the enemy to distract you with any and every thing.


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Once you take your eyes off of God and the assignment He has given you, the enemy can paint a picture that is not real and you will began to “chase” after that vision. When we focus on God, we become motivated and driven. We are able to stand through adversity because we have gained the understanding that God’s plan has to be fulfilled. The bible tells us that our “light affliction cannot be compared to the glory that shall be revealed within us.” This reminds us that what we are facing, whether it is financial, health, relational or anything else that is personal to us, we must not allow that “light affliction” to cause us to stop. Here are some reasons why God needs you to remain focus:

1. Soul-saving 2. Strengthening the Body of Believers 3. Stronger Minister 4. Serving Effectively

What are some things that have caused you to lose focus? _____________________________________________________________________________

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How do you get yourself back on track? _____________________________________________________________________________

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Section 9 Preparing to Teach/Preach Lesson 1: The 3 Cs to speaking to a crowd Know the 3 Cs to speaking to a crowd.

1. Communication - the imparting or exchanging of information or news. a. Know your material. Pick a topic/text that you are interested in or studying.

Know more about it than you include in your speech. – i. 2 Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman

that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”


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ii. 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”

iii. Psalm 119:11, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

iv. Joshua 1:8, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

v. Acts 8:30, “So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

2. Connect- joins together so as to provide access and communication.

a. Know the audience you are addressing – What is their focus? The occasion. Is it a teaching ministry? Observe the audience. Don’t teach above their heads. If they are on milk, don’t try to feed them steak.

b. Know the room – What kind of mic system do they have? Do you have to hold a mic? Is it wireless? Is it attached to the podium? Is it hot? Is the air on high? This will help you understand what your audience and if they are comfortable while listening to you.

c. Maintain Eye Contact – Make sure you maintain visual with your audience. Don’t teach to one, please teach to them all. Don’t teach with your eyes close. Don’t become over emotional in your teaching. Don’t confuse passion with pain!

3. Charisma - compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others a. Be inspirational b. Don’t apologize for nervousness c. Believe in what you are teaching d. Believe in the individuals that you are teaching too. e. Add humor to loosen up the room if needed. f. Don’t teach too long

i. Find out how much time you have available and aim for less. ii. If possible, leave room for Q & As so you can create audience

involvement iii. If you are doing “icebreakers” make them connect with what you are

teaching. Practice the icebreaker before presenting it to the audience so that you can play out how it will work and if it will be effective.


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References:

o Ministry is…How to Serve Jesus with Passion and Confidence, Dave Earley and Ben Gutierrez

o Refresh, Ben Gutierrez, PhD. o Spiritual Gift Test: Understanding your gift/ Spiritual Gift Test Exercise:

http://www.spiritualgiftstest.com/test/adult

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