Message Notes for November 6, 2022
Series: Worthy – the difference is evident
Title: A Well-Used Gift

BL: God has graciously given each of us a special gift that is unique for His purpose in the world. Using this gift to its fullest brings pleasure to God and blessing to His people.
Series Passage: Ephesians 4:1-16
Use your gifts well!

Ephesians 4:7-16 7  However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. 8 That is why the Scriptures say,“When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people.” 9 Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world.  10 And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself. 11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of
Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16  He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and
full of love.

1 Corinthians 12:8-10
Romans 12: 6-8
What are your specialized gifts for God’s Kingdom work and building up the Body of Christ?
The results of our God given gifts in action:
Ephesians 4:14-16

Family/Study Group Notes for Week of November 6, 2022
Series: Worthy – the difference is evident
Title: A Well-Used Gift

Read Ephesians 4:1-16. What have your learned over the past weeks through the teaching of
this passage? What has stood out for you the most? Why? How has Paul’s urgency and passion
to these Ephesian Christians resonated with you? What area are you asking God to help you
with the most?
– Read again Ephesians 4: 7-16. Why did Christ give us gifts? How have you benefited from these gifts in others? How do you see your gifts being used for God’s kingdom work?
– Take the following spiritual gift survey. What have you learned about your spiritual gifts and what they mean? How could you use these gifts more effectively in your church? Who could you speak with to help you?
– What does success mean to you? Read Hebrews 11:6. How is success defined here? Read
Matthew 6:21 & 24. How is success defined here? Read Matthew 6:25-33. How is success defined here? How do these passages compete against the world’s understanding of success?
– If you were to choose between these three phrases: success or mission, success and mission,
success for mission – which would you most relate to? Which one defines where God wants
your heart?
– Gather in a smaller group or with your spouse and pray over what you have learned and how
you might more align with God’s ideal for your life, success and gifts.