Jesus-followers demonstrate their commitment to Christ by embracing and engaging the use of their God-given personal style to enhance relationships in kingdom service.

This message series on Connections is enabling us as Jesus-followers to be faithful, fruitful, and fulfilled in a meaningful place of service in the body of Christ. We are discovering that our Servant-Profile is made up of our spiritual gifts, personal styles, and God-given passions for serving in the church.

We have spent our last three messages exploring the importance of committing our lives to God as living sacrifices, desiring to be used of God by having a sober estimate of ourselves, and by exploring spiritual gifts…what they are…how they work…which ones we might have…and how they glorify God and edify others in the body of Christ. Paul is disclosing to us through Romans 12 how God designed the church to function as a body of Christ, serving each other with motivational gifts. Now, we are going to see the most excellent way of serving the Lord enlarged…which is to serve in love with the personal style given to us by God.

Video Clip—“Popeye.” I want to tell you one of the most profound statements about the human condition I have ever heard. I heard it a long time ago as a child from someone I admired immensely. We probably know him. He loves to sail. He is in great physical condition. He eats unbelievably healthy food (although some of it has been recalled off the shelves lately.) His name is Popeye, the Sailor Man. Whenever Popeye made a mistake or felt inadequate, he would always say the same thing. Can we remember? “I yam what I yam,” he would say. Popeye was not a sophisticated guy. He was not in touch with his shadow self or his inner child. He was just simple, pipe-smoking, tattoo-wearing, spinach eating sailor man. We must not get our hopes up; don’t expect too much. “I yam what I yam and that’s all that I yam.” We could say that Popeye blamed his inadequacy on his personal style.

Personal Style =

“The way we prefer to relate to people and the world around us.”

Personal style is likened to a Spiritual DNA that represents our personality, temperament, or social style.

Usually when I have a hard time relating to people, I claim that “it’s my personal style that causes me to be temperamental.” Yes and my wife Sue reminds me that “I’m 95% Temper and 5% Mental!”

Along with the Spiritual Gifts, God has given us a personal style which was uniquely formed in us by God at the time of creation.

The psalmist affirms this truth in Psalm 139:13-16…

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

We affirmed the truth that love is the most excellent way of serving in our last message. Love not only affects the way we use our spiritual gifts, but it also affects the way we relate to other people. We all know that it is impossible to live in relationships without conflicts. There is no such thing as a perfect utopia for our relationships—at least in this life. There is also no right or wrong personal style. Personal styles are just different. But there are some tools available to help us get along with people better than we do.

Romans 12:9-10

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Paul emphasizes the importance of how those who exercise the spiritual gifts relate to one another. It is possible to use a spiritual gift in an unspiritual way. Love is the circulatory system of the spiritual body, which enables all the members to function in a healthy, harmonious way. Even though our personal styles are different as Jesus-followers, love is the constant characteristic that causes us to serve within the body of Christ in the most excellent way. We can observe a couple of insights through the following commentary on these verses.

Paul declares that this love expresses itself through each of our personal styles in two key ways:

Sincerity values the genuineness of love over the love of the genuine.

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

The word sincere means to love without hypocrisy. No personality trait is more critical than hypocrisy. To make an outward show of love, while in reality possessing ill will and hatred, is to imitate that which is evil. Jesus-followers must not show a deception of love in order to gain their own selfish ends, nor are they to secretly admire evil while putting on a show of love for goodness.

If we were entirely sincere every time we sang a hymn or gospel song, here’s how some of the old favorites might come out:

“I Surrender Some”

“Turn Your Eyes upon Me”

“I Love to Snore the Story”

“Take My Life and Let Me Be”

“It is My Secret What God Can Do”

“Where He Leads Me, I Will Consider Following”

“Just as I Pretend to Be”

“Sitting on the Premises”

The word cling means to glue oneself to something. One of the major weaknesses of the church is a great tolerance of evil. We have practically established peaceful coexistence with the works of darkness. However, we are called to resist them. We need to hate evil and cling to good. It is easy to start doing what is wrong. The world will try to pry us away from good.

As Jesus-followers we are motivated by the love of Christ to be sincere, hating evil and loving righteousness. Our personal styles should be dictated by the love of Christ; that is, primarily by Jesus’ love for us which precedes and motivates our own love for Christ and one another.

Devotion values the love of the giver over the gift of the lover.

10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Paul proceeds to set forth a second mark of Christian love; namely, that of a devotional regard for others. This exhortation has primary reference to the relationship of Jesus-followers to one another. The Greek term be devoted to one another denotes the feeling that should exist between members of a family. The Greek term in love strengthens this concept. Jesus-followers are to have a strong supernatural affection for one another, marked by warmth, spontaneity, fidelity, and selflessness.

Once there was a little old man. His eyes blinked and his hands trembled; when he ate he clattered the silverware distressingly, missed his mouth with the spoon as often as not, and dribbled a bit of his food on the tablecloth. Now he lived with his married son, having nowhere else to live, and his son's wife didn't like the arrangement. "I can't have this," she said. "It interferes with my right to happiness." So she and her husband took the old man gently but firmly by the arm and led him to the corner of the kitchen. There they set him on a stool and gave him his food in an earthenware bowl. From then on he always ate in the corner, blinking at the table with wistful eyes. One day his hands trembled rather more than usual, and the earthenware bowl fell and broke. "If you are a pig," said the daughter-in-law, "you must eat out of a trough." So they made him a little wooden trough and he got his meals in that.

These people had a four-year-old son of whom they were very fond. One evening the young man noticed his boy playing intently with some bits of wood and asked what he was doing. "I'm making a trough," he said, smiling up for approval, "to feed you and Mamma out of when I get big." The man and his wife looked at each other for a while and didn't say anything. Then they cried a little. They then went to the corner and took the old man by the arm and led him back to the table. They sat him in a comfortable chair and gave him his food on a plate, and from then on nobody ever scolded when he clattered or spilled or broke things. One of Grimm's fairy tales, this story has the coarseness of the old, simple days.

This same spirit of this little boy should also be seen in the Jesus-follower’s relationship to those in the body of Christ. We are to treat one another as more important than ourselves. The word love isn’t an indistinct or slippery term in the New Testament. It is practical. It’s the meat and potatoes of the Christian life. We are to show real devoted love to others. We honor others, and are more eager for their advancement than our own.

“There are two ways of being united—frozen together and melted together. What Christians need most is to be united in brotherly love.” –D.L. Moody

Being united in brotherly love is the mark of the church when we exercise love through sincerity and devotion as God’s gifted servants.

Dancing with Porcupines

Just as there are different spiritual gifts for different people, there are also different personal styles for different people. Why are some people so difficult to figure out? It is not just a man-woman problem. People just think and respond in ways which are unfamiliar to us. And when we don’t understand their responses, we often become impatient with them or distrustful of them. We would all agree that understanding the differences in people’s behavior will pave the way for us to become more tolerant of each other and get along better in the body of Christ.

Relating is a delicate art that requires knowledge of differing personal styles. Bob Phillips, in his delightful book on social styles entitled "Dancing with Porcupines," says that relating to prickly people is a lot like dancing with porcupines. One reason why people seem to be like porcupines in our presence is that each of us represents one of four different personal (social) styles. And each personal style reflects a different combination of behavior and orientation. We all tend to view life from the perspective of our personal style and wonder why others don’t see things as we do.

Our personal style is based upon a number of key components:

Our basic personal style inherited at birth

+

Family and society input and reinforcement

+

Personal experience and developed habit patterns

=

Our personal style

Before we explore the four personal styles, we must first ask two questions:

How are we engaged?

Everyone’s behavior falls into one of two categories…Ask or Tell

Ask… Tell…

Less assertive More assertive

Less aggressive More aggressive

Less extroverted More extroverted

How are we energized?

Everyone’s orientation falls into one of two categories…Task or People

Task… People…

Thinking rules Feeling rules

Emotions controlled Emotions responsive

Self-image—achieving Self-image—accepted

Now let’s continue to explore the four styles:

Analytical—the Technique Specialists

Analytical people have a strong sense of duty and obligation. They are driven by a forceful work ethic, and play comes harder for them. They are natural givers and often take on the role of parent or guardian for other people and organizations. They often take on too much responsibility. They see themselves as conservators and tend to be anxious. They are steadfast, reliable and dependable. They are likened to the Beaver in the animal kingdom.

Biblical Character likeness: Moses, Luke, Martha

Driver—the Control Specialists

Driver people are obsessed by a strong compulsion to perform. They take pleasure in almost any kind of work because it involves activity. Idleness will destroy Drivers. They desire to control and master everything they do. They speak with precision and little redundancy. They like new ideas, challenges, and competition. They have a passion for knowledge. They are haunted by the possibility of failure. They are self-controlled, persistent, and logical. They are likened to the Lion in the animal kingdom.

Biblical Character likeness: Jacob, Paul, Deborah

Amiable—the Support Specialists

Amiable people are often found wrapped up in causes. They work well with others and promote harmony. They sometimes place unrealistic expectations on themselves and others. They like to have direction. They often observe others and seek deep meaning in relationships and experiences. They care more for interaction than action. They are compassionate, patient, good listeners and filled with integrity. They are likened to the Golden Retriever in the animal kingdom.

Biblical Character likeness: Abraham, Barnabas, Esther

Expressive—the Social Specialists

Expressive people are very impulsive individuals. They like to try the new and different. They enjoy wandering. It is easy for them to break social ties. They like to live for the here and now. They struggle with commitment and follow-through. They have happy spirits and can endure hardships and trials easier than the other social styles. They like to reminisce and enjoy belonging to social organizations. They are friendly, giving and easygoing. They are likened to the Otter in the animal kingdom.

Biblical Character likeness: Esau, Peter, Sarah

An excellent way to understand the behavior of the four personal styles described above is to examine them in real-life situations. The four respective styles react differently in the same setting of going out to dinner, going out to a party or simply putting a swing set together for the kids.

When we want to take the Analytical out to dinner, we may find that he has a difficult time making up his mind about where to go. The conversation may go like this:

“Would you like to go out to dinner?”

“Yes.”

“Where would you like to go?”

“Anywhere; it doesn’t matter.”

“How about McDonald’s?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“How about Taco Bell?”

“No, I don’t want fast food.”

“Where would you like to go?”

“Anywhere; I don’t care.”

“How about Millie’s?”

“I don’t think so.”

“How about Italian?”

“I’m not hungry for that.”

“What are you hungry for?”

“Anything; it makes no difference.”

How about going to a party? As a social gathering, the Analytical will usually spend his time with only one or two people. The Driver will move into a group and slowly overpower it. If the Amiable moves into a group, she will usually take part by actively listening. Sometimes Amiables will not even join groups, choosing instead to sit on the sidelines and watch people. They like to study human behavior. The Expressive will enter a party mouth first and will most likely talk to everybody at he party before he leaves. They are great storytellers and will hold everyone’s attention.

We can imagine that each of the four personal styles purchased a swing set, which requires assembly. The Analyticals take all the parts out of the box and lay them in neat order. Next they read the directions very carefully and assembles the swing set precisely by the numbers. It might take longer than usual to assemble the set, but it will be put together perfectly according to its design. Drivers dump all the parts in a pile on the ground, and then begin assembling the swing intuitively. If they encounter a problem, they may look at the directions, but only as a last resort. Amiables read the instructions and then hire someone else to put the swing together for them. As the hired hand assembles the swing set, they serve coffee and cake along with conversation. Expressives do not read the instructions at all. Rather, they go next door to find their Analytical neighbor and talk him into putting the swing together for them.

How do we see ourselves regarding our personal style?

____ Analytical

____ Driver

____ Amiable

____ Expressive

Let’s look again at Popeye with the “I yam what I yam and that’s all I yam” response.

We recap three truths that God is teaching us over these past few weeks:

God calls us—not just pastors and missionaries. He calls each of us as priests, ministers equipped with spiritual gifts and personal styles.

God’s call will almost certainly take us beyond our comfort zone, but never beyond his caring hands. Still, we’re going to get “dinged up” a little for Jesus.

God’s call can be resisted by each of us as we learn to dance with porcupines. There is a little Popeye in each of us.

"No Perfect people need Apply.” There are many reasons why God shouldn’t have called us into kingdom service. But we must not worry. We’re in good company.

"Moses stuttered. David’s armor didn’t fit. John Mark was rejected by Paul. Timothy had ulcers. Hosea’s wife was a prostitute. Amos’ only training was in the school of fig-tree pruning. Jacob was a liar. David had an affair. Solomon was too rich. Jesus was too poor. Abraham was too old. David was too young. Peter was afraid of death. Lazarus was dead. John was self-righteous. Naomi was a widow. Paul was a murderer. So was Moses. Jonah ran from God. Miriam was a gossip. Gideon and Thomas both doubted. Jeremiah was depressed and suicidal. Elijah was burned out. John the Baptist was a loudmouth. Martha was a worry-wart. Mary was lazy. Samson compromised his call. Noah got drunk. Did I mention that Moses had a short fuse? So did Peter, Paul—well, lots of folks did." [Matt Tullos, Scripts to reach In and Out]

But God doesn’t require a job interview. God doesn’t hire and fire like most bosses, because God’s more our faithful Father than our belligerent Boss. God doesn’t look at financial gain or loss. God’s not prejudiced or partial, not judging, grudging, sassy, or brassy, not deaf to our cry, not blind to our need.

As much as we try, God’s gifts and personal styles are free. We could do wonderful things for wonderful people and still not be...Wonderful. Satan says, “You’re not worthy.” Jesus says, “So what? I AM. Satan looks back and sees our mistakes. God looks back and sees the cross!

Yes, we may voice our objections: “It’s beyond my gifts and personal style.” We plead our inadequacies: “It yam what I yam.” But God’s call remains. And so we will have to find another response. How about the following response?

Divine Love who comes down, and everlastingly stands outside the closed doors of our souls, knocking over and again. God, use us as we show sincerity and devotion to one another in kingdom service.

Use our ears, O God. Give us open ears that we may hear your voice calling us to high endeavor.

Use our minds, O God. Give us open minds ready to receive and to welcome new light of knowledge as it is your will to reveal to us.

Use our eyes, O God. Give us open eyes quick to discover your indwelling in the world which you have made.

Use our hands, O God. Give us open hands ready to share with all who are in want the blessings which have enriched our lives.

God, extend the joy of a life surrendered to Christ’s kingdom service so in loving we will believe and in believing we will love, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!

There are many "Spiritual Gifts" tests on the internet that can aid you in discovering the roles and talents that God has blessed you with, here are just a few:

1. 110 Questions - http://www.kodachrome.org/spiritgift/ 

2. 35 Questions - http://mintools.com/spiritual-gifts-test.htm

3.  60 Questions - http://www.christianet.com/bible/spiritualgiftstest.htm

4.  96 Questions - http://www.spiritualgiftstest.com/

Jesus-followers demonstrate their commitment to Christ by prayerfully recognizing their identity as priests, accurately developing and faithfully deploying their spiritual gifts in kingdom service.

God has been disclosing to us over the past two messages through Paul’s words in Romans 12 the instruction we need, so Jesus-followers might be faithful, fruitful and fulfilled in a meaningful place of service in the body of Christ. Paul instructs us to:

Be willing to present our bodies as a living sacrifice unto God (12:1)

Be transformed by the renewal of our minds (12:2)

Be humble in sober judgment for being used of God in service (12:3)

Be open to God’s placement of us in the body of Christ (12:4)

Be advised that God has purposely made us mutually dependent (12:5)

Every Jesus-follower is fashioned and called to serve within the body of Christ. God’s inexpressible love and grace assures us we are a cherished part of God’s on-going story of creation and salvation. Our master teacher and mentor, Jesus Christ, shepherds us and illustrates the most perfect ways to give glory to God and to serve one another. And each Jesus-follower has been given special gifts for ministry—gifts of the Holy Spirit working through us.

“Gifts” drama. We want to take a humorous look at several people who gather for a seminar to discover their spiritual gifts led by the charismatic, yet blunt, Pastor Shumbel. This far-reaching comic sketch draws out an upbeat ending. Let’s watch!

This drama certainly gave us a humorous look at these broadly drawn characters who came to realize through the simple words of a janitor that what they thought were their gifts may, in fact, not be anything more than self-absorption. Those characters who truly wished they had a spiritual gift came to realize that the ability to love is indeed the greatest gift.

Paul talks about the love being the most excellent way when desiring to serve God in 1 Corinthians 12:31…

Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way.

Love is the most excellent motivation in 1 Corinthians 13 for desiring to serve the Lord within the body of Christ. If we have not love, then all our attempts to serve with our God-given gifts are counted as nothing!

These gifts known as spiritual gifts are different and distinct from other God-given abilities and talents. The New Testament Greek uses the word Charismata (meaning grace-gift) when the writer is speaking specifically about spiritual gifts. We tend to think of God’s grace as simply his forgiveness of sin. But it is not limited to forgiveness. God’s grace is also evident in his creative generosity. Charis expresses itself in giving. So it is only natural that the gifts God gives to each of us should come to be known as charismata—expressions of God’s lavishly generous grace.

Thus, giftedness is never seen as a merely human quality; it is intimately connected to the Spirit. This means these gifts are given by God when we are born into the family of God. They come to us through the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation. We can’t work for them. They are freely given by grace through the unmerited favor of God. Therefore, spiritual gifts are supernatural, extra-ordinary abilities. They are distributed to every Jesus-follower according to God’s design and grace for the common good of the body of Christ.

God wants us to understand clearly that the gifts we have are not of our own devising or choosing. We cannot choose our giftedness any more than we can choose how tall we want to be. We must simply and humbly open ourselves to the truth about who we are (and are not) designed by God to be. Further, gifts do not exist for the advancement of our own agenda; they are given by the Spirit to be directed by the Spirit.

We affirm the truth…

All Jesus-followers have been given at least one spiritual gift by the Holy Spirit for God’s use in the Body of Christ so each person has a role in the work of Christ.

Spiritual gifts are…

Received as given by the Spirit; no one has all the spiritual gifts.

Equally important; God uses our gifts in community with others so that Christ will be made known.

"Grace-gifts"; we do not choose the gifts we receive.

Meant to be used for the church’s gain; gifts of the Spirit are given to us for the benefit of others.

Point to the Giver, not to the gifted-one; instead of seeing us, people see "Christ in us."

To build up the body of Christ; the Holy Spirit uses us to help each other's faith grow in Jesus.

Spiritual gifts are not:

A ticket to a private inner circle

The Holy Spirit’s shopping list

Our choice out of a gifts’ catalogue

The same as talents or tendencies

The same as the Fruit of the Spirit

Each Gifting…Each Motivating

The spiritual gifts were given to each local church at Ephesus, Corinth, and Rome for the expressed purpose of building up that local body of Christ. They were given according to each church’s need in their local setting. God gave these gifts so each local church would be edified or built up to maturity. The same is true for each local church today. We abuse our gifts and lose our gifts when we fail to unwrap them. They must be unwrapped, and used in each local setting for the glory of God, and for the good of others! There is an old Danish proverb which states: “Who we are is God’s gift to us. What we become is our gift to God!”

There are a variety of spiritual gifts charismata listed in four primary scripture references:

1. Manner of the gifts—1 Peter 4:10-11

Speaking Serving

2. Ministerial gifts—Ephesians 4:11-13

Apostle Prophet Evangelist Pastor-Teacher

3. Manifestational gifts—1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Wisdom Knowledge Faith Healing Miracles Prophecy Discernment Tongues Interpretation of Tongues

4. Motivational gifts—Romans 12:6-8

Perceiver Server Teacher Encourager Giver Leader Showing Mercy

We want to concentrate in this message on the motivational gifts listed above in Romans 12:6-8. These gifts are the most visible and viable in the life and ministry at Christ First. In these verses Paul affirms the truth that all Jesus-followers have been given different gifts according to the grace extended to each Jesus-follower.

Romans 12:6-8

⁶ We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; ⁷ if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; ⁸ if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

The gifts listed in these verses are motivational gifts. Jesus-followers must discover their gifts, and then unwrap the gifts with a desire to connect with the Holy Spirit. There must be the right motivation of love in the use of the gifts to build up the body of Christ.

There are seven motivational gifts. Let’s note the following chart to help us distinguish the dimensions and dynamics of each gift:

Perceiver

if your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;

“To Speak before”

The gift of prophecy is the divine enablement to reveal truth and proclaim it in a timely and relevant manner for understanding, correction, repentance, or edification. There may be immediate or future implications.

Say what they think; declare the truth; right or wrong; black or white; quality control. See right to the heart of an issue. Motivated to reveal what is true. Concerned with revealing the other person’s motives. They have a Spirit-led "discernment."

It is hard to keep silent when truth is being twisted or hidden or offended; usually lack tact. Need to learn to speak the truth in love; Need to know "when" to speak. Proper channels of "who" to speak to appropriately.

Server

7 if it is serving, then serve;

“To take the place of someone”

The gift of serving is the divine enablement to accomplish practical and necessary tasks which free up, support, and meet the needs of others.

Meet the physical needs of others. Helps ministries, ushers, feed the hungry, set up the stage. Have to DO something to help. Can see what needs to be done and take care of others in the process.

Motives are often misunderstood. Trying to "be seen" or "showing off". Weakness: easily offended if not shown appreciation. Look down upon people who don’t see the physical needs.

Teacher

7 …if it is teaching, then teach;

“To instruct”

The gift of teaching is the divine enablement to understand, clearly explain, and apply the Word of God, causing greater Christlikeness in the lives of its listeners.

Research the facts, the history, new ideas, and details. Impart instruction, communicate knowledge. Motivated to validate truth, want to know "why," "how," "when," and "where" –facts, details, put the details in order.

Have to tell others "why" they are qualified to teach. Place a lot of importance on "degrees" or "academics". Given over to much detail; more information than can be processed. Great difficulty communicating the practical use of their knowledge; easily offended and critical.

Encourager

8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement;

“To come alongside of”

The gift of encouraging is the divine enablement to present truth so as to strengthen, comfort, or urge to action those who are discouraged or wavering in their faith.

Take care of the spiritual needs of others. Stimulate; build up; edify. Head up the pep rally. "You’re going to make it!" Motivated to be on top of any situation; not easily discouraged.

Often won’t allow grieving. Often lack empathy; everything is mind over matter, decision. Can run over or ignore the work of the Holy Spirit. Skip "process." Easily offended, if counsel not grasped or followed.

Giver

8 … if it is giving, then give generously;

“To give part of, share”

The gift of giving is the divine enablement to contribute money and resources to the work of the Lord with cheerfulness and liberality.

Gifted to make money; money is friend. Love to give money; it brings excitement. May not even have a lot of money. Give carefully in the resources received from God to ask: “How much money do I need to live on?” Not “how much money to I need to give God?”

Motivation to make money and handle money properly opens a door for hording and stinginess. May give everything away and not take care of personal needs. Offended: if financial advice not received. Debt offends them; lack of financial planning.

Leader

8 … if it is to lead, do it diligently;

“To stand before”

The gift of leadership is the divine enablement to cast vision, motivate, and direct people to harmoniously accomplish the purposes of God.

See the bigger picture in a situation, delegate quickly. If vacuum of leadership, will “take over.” Great at making an almost instant evaluation of a problem; assign steps of action to solve the problem. Delegate people to handle it; fully capable of making adjustments.

Can manipulate, control, or even dominate others, subconsciously. Don’t verbalize appreciation to others. Jump to conclusions. Offended: if leadership is not followed; if leadership is questioned or criticized.

Showing Mercy

8 … if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

“To have compassion”

The gift of mercy is the divine enablement to cheerfully and practically help those who are suffering or in need, having compassion that is moved to action.

Focused on the emotional needs of others; full of compassion, love, mercy, very forgiving. Very compassionate, empathetic, loyal, and forgiving.

Blind to the faults of the person working with. Offended: if somebody’s feelings are hurt. Will take up other people’s offenses. Need to learn to recognize the different gifts and capitalize on them.

Let’s consider an illustration that will help us see how these seven motivational gifts work together in the context of service. Suppose that we have seven people invited for dinner in the Fellowship Center. Each of these persons just happens to have a different motivational gift. You are bringing three salad plates to the table when one slips from your grip and crashes to the floor, scattering bits of glass and one big mess. How will each person react? Perceiver: “That’s what happens when you try to carry too many plates.” Server: “Don’t bother, I’ll clean it up.” Teacher: “The reason you dropped the plate was that it was not balanced properly.” Encourager: “Next time, let someone help you carry the plates.” Giver: “It’s no big deal. I’ll be glad to replace the broken plate.” Leader: “John, get the broom and dustpan. Sally, bring the mop. Marie, help me fix another salad.” Showing Mercy: “Don’t worry. You shouldn’t feel embarrassed, it could have happened to anyone.”

Paul tells us that all of us are to be equipped for the works of service, which will help build up and mature the body of Christ in Ephesians 4:12…to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. But we will minister in different ways, depending upon our motivational gifts, our possible ministry gift, and how we flow in the manifestation gifts.

There is no better way to summarize how spiritual gifts work than by telling the following story about the animals.

Once upon a time…right after creation…all the animals got together and formed a school. They established a well-rounded curriculum of swimming, running, climbing, and flying. All the animals were required to take all the courses. The duck excelled at swimming. In fact, he was better than the instructor! But he only made passing grades in climbing and was poor in running. He was so slow; he had to stay after school to practice running. This caused his webbed feet to become so badly worn he became only average in swimming. But average was quite acceptable, so no one worried much about it…except the duck. The rabbit was at the top of her class in running. But after a while, she developed a twitch in her leg from all the time she spent in the water trying to improve her swimming. The squirrel was a peak performer in climbing, but was constantly frustrated in flying class. His body became so worn from all the hard landing he did not do too well in climbing and ended up being pretty poor in running. The eagle was a continual problem student. She was consistently disciplined for being a nonconformist. In climbing class, she would always beat everyone else to the top of the tree. Rather than climb the tree like other students, she insisted on using her own way to get there using her expansive wings.

Each of the animals has a particular design. When they did what they were designed to do, they excelled. When they tried to operate outside their area of expertise, they were not nearly as effective. Now let’s consider this question: Can ducks run? Sure they can. Is that what they do best? No!

Unfortunately, it has been observed that the church of Christ is full of “running ducks.” People are running harder, doing their best…waddling for Jesus! But they are getting tired, frustrated, burned out, and eventually they drop out. This is why our spiritual gifts are so important. Serving according to our unique God-given design enables us to give our best with enthusiasm and effectiveness.

Grabbing a Robe—We’re Priests

In the Old Testament, God appointed a few individuals to function as priests to the people of Israel. These individuals would act as “go-betweens” or “bridge-builders” with respect to the people and God. In the New Testament, Jesus declared that he was establishing a New Covenant—a new order. In this new order, when anyone receives Christ as Savior, he or she is immediately adopted into his family. The Holy Spirit takes up residence, and he or she becomes a priest. Under the High Priest, Jesus Christ, the Bible says in 1 Peter 2:9-10 that every true believer is a royal priest.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

How can a church become a royal priesthood?

We use a spiritual gifts assessment tool [see Servant Profile 2]. The rich, deep, and complex exploration of spiritual gifts warrants attention especially in assisting individuals and congregations grow to embrace the theology of a spiritual gifts-based ministry.

We educate and train individuals in small groups. Gifts are typically discovered in relationships. We use small groups to create a learning and doing environment where spiritual gifts are explored, identified, celebrated, and where individuals are supported and encouraged for ministry.

We form a connection ministry team. This team will help carry the vision of giftedness and set in motion plans for the many ways gifts will be used in the congregation and in the community. An ideal team includes a pastor, a gifted teacher of the faith, a visionary leader, a perceiver gifted in wisdom, a person gifted in service/helps, and dedicated intercessors who will pray faithfully for both the connection team and the individuals in the small groups as the are learning about and discovering their gifts.

We encourage exploration and experimentation of spiritual gifts. We foster an atmosphere where creative restlessness is encouraged. We help one another self-assess the method and effectiveness each individual is exploring. Spiritual gifts bear fruit. Another way we come to learn about our own spiritual giftedness is by what others observe and tell us.

We adopt an attitude of patience and persistence. We decide from the start we are in this process for the long haul, no matter what! Changing a culture is hard work and may be resisted.

We learn to use spiritual gifts language. We help members of the community to talk about their gifts. We seek servants for specific ministries who have been given specific gifts—but we avoid being too narrowly focused.

We celebrate the gifts of God’s people. We are quick to praise God publicly for the spiritual gifts used to perform specific ministry. We regard diversity as a positive and help the congregation delight in God’s diverse creation.

Let’s be willing to grab a robe by sharing ourselves with our gifts. What do we do? Do we just share our gifts, or do we share our gifts and share ourselves? Do we fill a serving role or do we impart our lives as “go-betweens” or “bridge-builders” drawing people closer to God?

Remember, as we press on here in Romans. This connection is only for those who have committed their lives to Christ. If we haven’t taken that step off what might be called “the cliff of commitment,” the free fall that comes with cutting all the strings of self and the world in order to simply trust and obey Jesus, then we don’t bother with the rest of Romans 12, it won’t do us or the church any good.

All believers are grace receivers, all of our faith and all of our talent is given to us solely by the grace of God. It’s God’s grace that saves and its God’s grace that empowers us or gifts us for our part in the work of the body of Christ. When we know that and believe it, we cannot think more highly of ourselves than we ought. It’s all God, not us!

As fellow priests, if we have committed our lives to Christ, we get started on the great adventure of serving the King of Kings! We unwrap our gifts slowly, we allow God’s Word to transform us as we read it and believe it and act on it one promise and command at a time. If we do this, God will get us to the place where we were created to be—bridge-builders for the body of Christ. Amen!

Jesus-followers demonstrate their commitment to Christ by making an honest estimate of their lives, desiring to be used in service by the Master Craftsman.

I remember reading about a story Bill Hybels told about an old hardware store. A few years ago, Bill had the opportunity to walk through a one-hundred-year-old hardware store. The owner was showing it to him proudly. He had no idea of the cosmic humor of Bill being anywhere near a hardware store (I can relate to that humor)! While he was showing Bill around the store, he pointed to some axes, some sledgehammers, and some shovels that had been made in the early 1900’s. For some reason they had never been sold. There they were, sitting on that display shelf, as clean and shiny as the day they were made. What a shame, Bill remembers thinking. The sledgehammer should be all beat up and the axe should be in someone’s garage, and when the owner closes the garage door and the lights go out, the tools ought to be talking to each other about all the posts that had been driven in the ground, the firewood that had been chopped, and the buildings that had been built because they were available to be used. Here they are, on a display shelf, more than eighty-years-old and not a single story to tell.

Paul talks about each of us as Jesus-followers in Ephesians 2:10…

For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Each one of us is designed by God to be a tool that can change the course of human history if we are to be used in the hands of the Master Craftsman.

We sit on the couch and watch the evening news, shaking our heads at the corruption, the violence, the greed, the hatred. We must imagine how God feels; God designed the world to work in a completely different way. However, we need to know that along with God’s wrenching heartbreak over the condition of the world is an equally strong determination to turn things around. But long ago, God made the decision not to transform this world with the wave of a heavenly wand. God decided to transform the world through his church—through rank-and-file people like us, everyday shovels, axes, and sledgehammers in his hands. This is why one of the most powerful prayers a person can pray is…

The “Use Me” Prayer

“Use me, God. Show me what my part is in the transformation of the world. Take hold of my head, my heart, and my hands. Use me for your purposes.”

Fashioned for Service

Every Jesus-follower is fashioned for service within the body of Christ. However, the spiritual state of the average church today is deplorable. Many Jesus-followers are extremely lax in their devotional life; they seldom share a winsome testimony; set too much value upon this world’s pleasures and possessions; and do not have a strong passion for Christlikeness. Jesus-followers need to consider seriously the message of Romans 12. It establishes principles which regulate the Jesus-follower’s service in the church and governs conduct and conversation in the everyday course of life.

Romans 12:3-5

³ For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. ⁴ For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

In these verses Paul addresses a crucial order of events: after we offer bodily dedication in living sacrifice, we then through an honest estimate of ourselves live out the grace of God in loving service. Service follows sacrifice. Paul likens us as Jesus-followers in the church to the members of a human body. We are not truly honoring God unless we live out at least two practical directives from Paul in day-by-day consistent behavior.

Thinking alone what we could never think together

³ For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

There is a note of authority in Paul’s words “by the grace given” as he reminds the Jesus-followers at Rome that they must be very careful in their evaluation of their own lives. This evaluation is initiated with “sober judgment”. This evaluation will come from a renewed mind, as opposed to the common secular evaluation of the world. But it will also be in direct relationship to the particular calling of each Jesus-follower, which is discernible “in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each one of you.” By this expression Paul means that God equips each Jesus-follower for a particular task and expects Jesus-followers to discover and fulfill their own special roles in the context of the believing community—the body of Christ.

Once this mindset is understood, Jesus-followers are delivered from a number of potential miscalculations. They will not desire to be more than God intends them to be, but they will not settle for being less than they were created and redeemed to be. Accordingly, they will be delivered from an arrogance which is destructive of harmony in the body of believers and will be content to make a “sober” evaluation of their own gifts and calling.

If the source of America’s social disintegration is to be pinpointed so that it might be remedied, honesty compels us not to neglect the issue of selfishness. Self-centeredness and its related vices—crime, illegitimacy, child neglect—are exploding in America because, after centuries of Western philosophy devoted to the purpose, Americans are glorifying extreme individualism beyond healthy limits, and beyond anything ever experienced by another national culture.

It has been said that “those who sing their own praises are usually off key!”

A businessman well-known for his ruthlessness once announced to writer Mark Twain, “Before I die I mean to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I will climb Mount Sinai and read the 10 Commandments aloud at the top.” “I have a better idea,” replied Twain. “You could stay in Boston and keep them!”

While it is not uncommon to think “more highly” than we ought, it is equally possible for some of us to look at ourselves in such a defeated manner that we do not think as highly as we should.

A.W. Tozer shares seven rules for self-discovery that will help Jesus-followers to think of ourselves with sober judgment. We may be known by the following:

What we want most. 2. What we think about most. 3. How we use our money. 4. What we do with our leisure time. 5. The company we enjoy. 6. Whom and what we admire. 7. What we laugh at.

The reminder that we are children of God, gifted for his purpose that we might be to his glory, is equally appropriate to those who cringe in their own inadequacy under a cloak of false humility. Therefore, in all of the service and ministry we seek to accomplish for God, it must never be motivated by approval, seeking to work for acceptance but because we work from acceptance. God has already prepared in advance, choosing us and setting us apart to be workers who need not be ashamed. In essence, the first practical directive is that we are called to the task of thinking alone what no one could think together!

Doing together what we could never do alone

⁴ For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Paul spends much time in this letter explaining how individuals can be reconciled to God and become recipients of the life of Christ in order that they might live in a new relationship to God. However, another important dimension in spiritual experience is related to the fact that if many Jesus-followers become related to Christ, they must develop their relationship with each other.

When Jesus-followers become heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, they also become fellow heirs with each other. The environment in which these relationships operate is the assembly of believers—the local church. Paul, whose ministry to the Gentiles was characterized by the formation of churches, loved to use the human body as a striking analogy of the functions of the church. Paul says “so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

More than thirty years ago, a small church youth group that I led found out what happens when we offer up a “use me” prayer. These students loved the Lord, had an unusual love for one another, and had an intense concern for their unsaved high school friends. Together, we began asking the question, “What would it take to reach those friends?” We held a brainstorming session in our Sunday night youth fellowship time. We came up with an exciting ministry program that would be held on Saturday evenings as an outreach to unsaved high school friends. We called it “Psychedelic Slop-Stop.” We had a dinner at six p.m. and a program to follow at seven p.m. If some students couldn’t make the dinner, they could still come to the program. We were hit with a sobering reality in the planning stages of our outreach ministry. It would take a lot of work and resources. I’ll never forget when one of the first students spoke up and said, “Well, I can play the guitar if that would help.” Another said, “I can sing and lead the singing.” We said, “That’s great. We need that talent. You do that.” Another student spoke up, “I can’t sing or play an instrument, but I can set up music stands and the sound system.” “Great, we need that too.” Another student said, “Well, did you ever think about using drama?” The blank expression on my face told her that where I came from, people didn’t talk much about drama. She explained, “It’s where you put on a little skit that’s kind of tied into the message you’re going to give. If we had drama, the meeting wouldn’t just be talk, talk, talk.” “It’s all yours.” Another student stepped up. “I’m kind of a leader of people. If we decide to break the group up into subgroups, I could lead one of those.” And another said, “I can’t do any of that, but I’m artistic. I could make banners and help decorate the fellowship hall.” And it went on and on with students volunteering their gifts. It was like everybody bringing their share of food to the church picnic. The point is this: everyone in that original group of twelve students made a contribution. And can we imagine the results of their efforts? We felt everyone in the group really mattered. Not just in the theological sense; each person was important in the practical sense. There was interdependence, not independence. There was a sense of ownership, a sense of investment. And everyone shared in the dividends. The group blossomed. There were more than fifty students that radiated out of that original group of twelve. We tasted the joy of servanthood. We tasted what it felt like to contribute and count. We felt the contagiousness of being part of something God was doing that we could never have done individually, but we could to together.

Paul implies that when the renewed mind is in control, there is no reason why we should fear diversity and give up on the coordination of a multiplicity of outlooks and ministries. And when the sheer delight of mutual support and inter-related gifts is experienced, there will be no desire to experience anything less than the special life of the body of Christ where the members are not only members of Christ but also ministers of one another. In essence, the second practical directive is that we are called to the task of doing together what no one could do alone!

Getting Off the Display Rack

God has tremendous plans for a church that wants to be used in service for Christ. But every person within a church has to step up and take a risk. Every one of us has to regularly pray a “use me” prayer. [See Servant Profile 1]

When is the last time we prayed a “use me” prayer? Have we ever seriously prayed it? God will answer that prayer. God has answered “use me” prayers throughout history. God will take us off the display rack and he’ll start using our lives at home, at school, in the workplace, in the neighborhood, and in Christ’s church.

God will use our words to encourage people

God will use our minds to inform and counsel people

God will use our hearts to show kindness to people in need

God will use our hands to serve people in the name of Jesus

And when God does, we’ll experience the thrill of being used by God. Nothing we have ever found in this life competes with this thrill. That is why our dream must always be to get to the end of our lives and sense that we were completely expended for the sake of God. No tread left our tires, no shine left on the axe or shovel.

In closing, I must offer in all fairness a warning: we will get a little “dinged up” over the years. Serving God is not hanging out at Club Med. We take our hits, the shine comes off, and we have to replace parts here and there. Sometimes it’s a hurtful thing. But it beats spending our lives never experiencing what we were fashioned to do. We may get beaten up externally, but we will have life and joy and vitality on the inside. We will be full of stories, full of memories that we can pass on to future generations. We will be able to recount activities where God used us and other people together to change a little part of the world in some small way, because we were useable in God’s hands. We are all so different, but also so much alike. Deep down, we would rather be a tool in the hands of God with the remaining years of our lives than be stuck on a shelf, never fulfilling the purpose for which we were fashioned.

God tends not to commander tools. God tends to let them stay on the display shelf until somebody prays; “Use me, God. Show me what my part is in the transformation of the world. Take hold of my head, my heart, and my hands. Use me for your purposes.”

Then the adventurous connection truly begins. Amen!

Jesus-followers demonstrate their commitment to Christ by sacrificially presenting their bodies, refusing to conform to this world, and by being transformed through renewed minds.

Grand Central Stationis a terminal rail station at 15 Vanderbilt Avenue (42nd Street and Park Avenue) in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Built by the New York Central Railroad (for which it was named) in the heyday of American long-distance passenger trains, it is the largest train station in the world by number of platforms: 44, with 67 tracks along them. They are on two underground levels, with 41 tracks on the upper level and 26 on the lower. It serves commuters traveling on the Metro-North Railroad to Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess counties in New York, and Fairfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut. Although it has been properly called "Grand Central Terminal" for a century, many people continue to refer to it as "Grand Central Station". Technically, that is the name of the nearby post office and major IRT Lexington Avenue Line station of the New York City Subway, as well as the name of a previous station on the site. Grand Central Station serves as the main connection of transportation, carrying thousands of people daily to their intended destinations between home and work.

On this Labor Day weekend we focus upon another central station. It’s the station of the cross of Jesus Christ. The motivation for the cross is God's incredible mercy and grace. We offer ourselves to God because he has already shown us his love through the sacrifice of Jesus upon the cross. As we offer ourselves to honor God, we are worshipping him. As we refuse to be molded into the lifestyle of the world, we offer God praise. As we consistently live out these disciplines with our lives, God's will becomes even clearer. With the Spirit's help, we are daily being connected with Christ, transformed to be more like Jesus as we display more of the character of God. God calls us to serve, but before we serve, we sacrifice!

Romans 12:1-2

¹ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is true worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

In these verses Paul addresses our proper response as Jesus-followers to what Jesus has done for us on the cross of Calvary. This response is utterly unique, a life lived under Jesus’ Lordship; a life that can, and will, make an eternal difference.

We want to focus on three connection points that are central to our response to Jesus’ sacrifice in preparation for remembering and partaking of Holy Communion.

God’s call is to complete commitment

God’s call is to complete change

God’s call is to complete contentment

Our first response to Jesus’ sacrifice concerns what we are to offer—bodily dedication.

God’s call is to complete commitment

¹ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is true worship.

Offering ourselves as living sacrifices to God isn't easy because it means we must first die to our own selfish will. Like Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane, we face our own cross and must cry out, "Not my will, dear Father, but your will be done!"

Paul says “... to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.” The expression “living sacrifice” is set against the backdrop of the Old Testament sacrifices. While the Old Testament worshiper offered an animal, the New Testament worshiper is to offer himself or herself. Just as the people of Israel presented their animal sacrifices to the priests we are to hand over our bodies to God. Out of celebration for what God has done for us through his Son, Jesus Christ, we give ourselves to him. When Paul uses the term “body” he is implying the whole person, or the physical means whereby the whole person is expressed. This presentation can be seen in much the same way that a defeated general of an army would hand over his sword, thereby demonstrating the surrender of his whole being.

In this act of complete commitment we give not our dead bodies, but rather we make a living sacrifice. A “living sacrifice” sounds like an oxymoron. A living sacrifice is more difficult to give than a dead sacrifice. A living sacrifice means something to us. It has intrinsic value. Dead sacrifices have no value. They don’t mean anything to us. Living sacrifices cost us something. Dead sacrifices cost nothing. Living sacrifices are more risk-taking than dead sacrifices because they can crawl off the altar!

Prayer:

Gracious Father, as the old hymn says, "Have thine own way Lord ... mold me and make me after thy will!" We gladly offer you our heart, our life, and our future to be used to your glory. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Our second response to Jesus’ sacrifice concerns what we are to achieve—Godly transformation.

God’s call is to complete change

² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

We demonstrate our commitment to complete change by refusing to conform to this world by being transformed through renewed minds. Paul states… “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” When we give ourselves to God it is reflected in how we live. Believers stay in the secular world without being trapped by it and molded by it. We live as holy people. People, who are distinct, separated from the ways and the wiles of this world. We live as nonconformist people. People who are not chameleons, that is, people who do not take its being and likeness from its surroundings. We live as transformed people—people who have been changed or “metamorphosed” on the inside.

Worshiping people are changed people. It is reflected in our walk, our talk, and our personality. When we give ourselves to God we live, not as self-centered, but a Christ-centered life. The world seeks to pressure our mind from without, but Jesus-followers who have given themselves wholeheartedly to God allows God’s Spirit to release his power from within.

This happens when Christ comes into each person. We become new persons; our mind is different, for the mind of Christ is in us. Rather than allow the world to squeeze us into its mold; we allow Christ to shape us into his likeness. Worship is a molding process. We are to be to Christ as an image is to the original. For example, we don’t do the things Jesus would have done; we find ourselves wanting to do them. We don’t go around trying to do right things; we become the right sort of people from renewed minds.

The primary goal of worship is transformation. The only way transformation can occur is to give ourselves totally to God so the mind and power of Jesus Christ can indwell in us. And when that happens, every moment, every activity of life, we are like Jesus.

Prayer:

Gracious Father, we want to live in reality. Give us the courage to see things as they are from transformed minds. Help us be totally honest with ourselves so we can open ourselves completely to your transforming power. May we not be overly consumed in other people’s opinions. Set us free from being swayed by compliments or swamped by the criticism of the world. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Our third response to Jesus’ sacrifice concerns what we are to receive—life satisfaction.

God’s call is to complete contentment

² …Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

People are always interested in how do we know God’s will? What formula will help us understand God’s will? What secret is the key to unlocking God’s will? Paul speaks… Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will. When we accept Gods’ call to complete commitment, and when we choose to live under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, in the process we come to know the will of God for our lives. We come to experience complete contentment.

God’s will is good—it’s intentional. We come to know and approve God’s will for our lives. God’s will is pleasing—it’s circumstantial. We come to know and approve God’s directing and guiding in our lives. God’s will is perfect—it’s ultimate. We come to know and approve God’s divinely accomplished plan in our lives. Therefore, God is in control and orchestrating the events of our lives according to his good, pleasing and perfect will.

The story is told of an aged pastor of a little Scottish church. He was asked to resign because there had been no conversions in the church for an entire year. “Aye,” said the old preacher, “it has been a lean year, but there was one.” “One conversion?” asked an elder, “Who was it?” “Wee Bobbie,” replied the pastor.

They had forgotten a lad who had not only been saved but had given himself in full consecration to God. It was “Wee Bobbie” who, in a missionary meeting when the plate was passed for an offering, asked the usher to put the plate on the floor. He then stepped into it with his bare feet, saying, “I’ll give myself—I have nothing else to give.” Wee Bobbie became the world-renowned Robert Moffatt who, with David Livingstone, gave his life to healing the open sores of the continent of Africa.

Another missionary, Jim Elliot, answered God’s call to the Auca Indians in Ecuador. Jim stepped into God’s offering plate. Jim was martyred with his missionary team by the people he loved and came to evangelize on January 8, 1956. The recent movie, The End of the Spear, highlights what it means to give our bodies as living sacrifices and serve the Lord who paid it all on the cross of Calvary.

We can “trust God’s heart when we cannot trace God’s hand. Jim Elliot's life was lived honorably and he was known to have looked for God in everything he did. Jim Elliot once said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." Jim gave his all in faith to the Auca people and he cannot lose in the kingdom of Heaven!

Prayer:

Gracious Father, thank you for sending Jesus as our Savior. Lord Jesus, we want to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to you, following you with a complete commitment. We don't want it to be half-hearted or hypocritical. We want your life to be seen in us. So please, gently transform our minds and show us the areas where our hearts need to be softened and where our characters need to be shaped by the Spirit. Then we will be able to test and approve your good, pleasing and perfect will. We can more perfectly reflect your glory, grace, and character to those around us. In Jesus' name. Amen.