One of the more perplexing questions people ask is “What am I truly called and gifted to do?” Jon Thompson, Preaching and Vision Pastor of C4 Church and adjunct faculty at Tyndale Theological Seminary, answers that question both for people in the marketplace AND church leaders. We also dive into why operating outside of your calling and gift set is both dangerous and draining.
Welcome to Episode 231 of the podcast. Listen and access the show notes below or search for the Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts and listen for free.
Guest Links
ThrivewithConvergence.com | Instagram | Twitter | C4church.com
Spiritual Gifts – C4 Church Sermon Series
Episode Links
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3 Insights from Jon
1. If your spiritual gifts aren’t obvious to you, seek them out
Pray – Ask, from a trinitarian standpoint, for the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to show you what gifts you have been given.
Read Scripture – Find out what the Bible has to say to you about your gifts.
Community Advice – Often people around you can more clearly see the gifts that you may be dismissing.
2. Knowing and understanding your calling category is crucial in ministry
Jon has found four ways people can receive a call to vocational ministry. There’s no superior type of calling, but it’s crucial to know yours in order to thrive. When you’re calling is clear, you can do it well. But if you’re unsure of what brought you to ministry in the first place, your journey is in danger because you’ll eventually doubt your ability to lead.
- The “I have no choice” calling: Experiencing a spiritual encounter that can’t be ignored.
- The “Gifting” calling: All your spiritual gifts led you to thrive in ministry.
- The “Family” calling: The Spirit worked through years of prayer or molding from the generation(s) that came before you.
- The “Community Affirmation” calling: Being affirmed and appointed to lead by the people within your community.
3. Steward spiritual gifts well by living out 1 Corinthians 13
Without love, it doesn’t matter how many gifts you discover, how powerful they are, or the amount of influence they provide.
The reason why we all like Jesus so much isn’t because of all the things he can do, but because of the way he loves. Jesus is 1 Corinthians 13 incarnate.
As a leader, pray over 1 Corinthians 13 daily, because it doesn’t matter how you’re anointed or appointed – clinging to love is the only thing that’s going to maintain your calling and your spiritual gifts in the long run.
Quotes from Episode 231
Read or Download the Transcript for Episode 231
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Read or download a free PDF transcript of this episode here.
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Next Episode: Christine Birch
Christine Birch has been part of three large churches in both Canada and the US. How do you connect people in a large church, and how do you connect them at your church? Christine shares her experiences on both sides of the border as they apply to large and small churches alike.
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