Prayer Works Bible Study: August 10, 2025

"Spiritual Gifts"

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Today, we're going to talk about, I think might have taught this lesson before, but is As we've been looking at you know, thou says the Lord, you know in the scriptures. You know, I'm realizing that there is a relationship between what God says to a person and the gifts that are inside of them. 

You know, and God knows us so much that when he speaks to us, he does not tell you things that you are not capable of doing because then that would be futile. And then also neither does he give you an assignment without giving you the proper adequate gift to do the things that you should be doing.  

This is why and you know, apart from you know all this gender euphoria that's going on is that if God assigned you a task and then in mid way you decided you want to do it this way because you feel this way, he the reality is that he never provided for you the gift and the qualities to be that person.  

So alternately, you're just going to fail. It doesn't mean you stop living, but it just means that you are not going to live in the perfect will of God. And all of us, our goal really is to walk in the perfect will of God and his job is to bring us into his perfect will. 

And then our job is to realize that oh we are now in the perfect will of God. And I have to follow through and I have to stay in this will. It doesn't mean that if you stray away, the will changes. It just means you're just going to go on the side road.  

You know, if you drive on the highway from Alabama to Atlanta, right? They build a nice highway and when you go on the was, it was the GPS or ways it tells you if you stay on this road, you're going to get to Atlanta in two hours 29 minutes.  

But then if you get off that road and go, you decide to go up to 80 Pell City till Talladega on the other side, you still get to Atlanta, but you see that GPS saying recalculating and you give you a different time to get to the same place.  

So it doesn't mean you're not going to get there, but it just means that one you're going to use more fuel, more time and who knows? And you're gonna drive at the slower speed because on those roads you can drive 80 miles.  

You can only do 60 in the most, most of them is 35. So God has given us every single one of us a perfect will. And along with that will is perfect gifts to sustain you, to allow you to live and to do that which God has called you to do.  

So today what we're gonna do is we wanna talk about expanding and I think I've talked about this before, but I think it's important to reiterate it because this matter is where the enemy fights us the most. Knowing who you are, knowing what your purpose is, knowing what you're supposed to do and he tries, by all means, to get us to 1, not understand.  

2, abort or to negate the gift of God that is placed inside of you and cause you to look for something else until you realize, until one day you come to the realization no, this is the way that God wants me to go.  

And all of us, we were young before. And remember when, Nadia, you know Mom used to tell you. Hey, do this, this, this. You're like nah, I gotta do that, that, that, that, that and you're like, come on do this is.  

This is the way, I gave birth to you I know you, this you cannot survive it. You know what? I can do it. Then after a few you know, months, weeks, years, you’re like she was right and then when you finally, get back you're like oh.  

All this time I wasted quick example of this before we get into scriptures. I graduated high school. My mother was like you need to go to Bible school. I'm like, no, I'm not going to Bible school.  

I think I want to do accounting because I'm good at it and it comes easy and I go to college. I did accounting. And not a single day have I ever worked in an accounting office. Not once have I ever done any bookkeeping, nothing.  

Not onces man, I was like, I'm gonna do this play the little professional soccer. Did another degree, did another degree and until I went back to Bible school. And until now I'm teaching but you know and again it's because when God calls you to be you, not to be anybody, to be you.  

Along with that assignment to be you, I can guarantee you 100% that he has made things and put qualities in you and also equipped you with the right attitude, right mentality, right spirit, right strength, right wisdom. 

In order for you to become the person that he Has called you to become. And the enemies goal is to make you feel like yeah, I don't think I'm good enough. Or worst off I don't think this is who I am.  

I have a question for all of us and I want you to, I want us to really kind of think about this. Why is it a lot of people, even in their 50s, 60s, 70s, you have lived over half of your life and most people don't know what their purpose in life is.  

I mean, think about it. Would God really say, you know what? I'm not even going to give you a clue. You live 50 years on this planet earth, and you don't know why you're here. That could be unfair.  

Just generally and knowing the God who loves us, I think that would be unfair. So every single person here, whether you know it or not, whether you understand it, whether you're not sure, the fact of the matter is that when God chose to put you on this planet earth, he made sure that the seed to succeed you have them within you. 

I don't believe there's a human being who has ever created missing something. Because that's unfair to say, ok, you're gonna be missing some stuff about you.  

Hopefully you'll find it in this lifetime and you know, if you don't hey. But again, you see the you know, the devil's job is to make you question what God has said. We see it even with Jesus.  

Did God really say we see it with Adam and Eve, did God really say? Again, because if I can get you to doubt. You might even believe but the scripture says a person who is double minded. Is unstable in all of his ways, and that person should not even expect to receive anything from the Lord.  

So the devil's job, sometimes you might not even cause you to let go. He's just saying no, I want you to be double minded. Just be double minded. Should I go? Should I not? And they're in between indecision is a decision.  

So what we want to talk about today is the gift of God that is inside of you. And let me say this what is purpose? It's simple. It's not complicated. It's not something that I go to school to find out. It's really simple. Your purpose in life is tied to other people's problems, period. 

Who you are supposed to be is always connected to what other people's problems will be. And your purpose is tied to the strongest emotion that you carry. There is one thing that everybody around you, family, friends, cousins, nieces, school friends, co workers, they can say, you know what this is what I like about you.  

And if it's dominant, if it's something that you've heard over and over again from friends and people that's who you are. That's your purpose in life, alright. 1 Corinthians 2:9, it says none of the rulers of this age right. 

It's talking about our generation understood it, for if they had understood that Jesus Christ was the son of God, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. If they understood the gift that was given to mankind by God, they wouldn't have crucified Jesus.  

Rather, as it is written, nor I have seen, nor ear has heard, neither has it entered into your heart what God has prepared for those who love him. So in other words, the stuff that God has prepared for those who love him and that stuff hasn't entered our heart.  

Now here's the problem. We cannot develop faith for things that we that are not in our hearts yet. Because we don't know what it is. So we have almost kind of like we have to open our hearts to allow what God has in store for us to enter so we can develop faith for those things. 

Verse 10, but God has revealed to us by the spirit. The spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. So in other words, the Holy Spirit reveals to you and I what God has in store for you. 

Why? Because the Holy Spirit goes and searches the mind of God and find out information about every single one of us and comes and revealed. He says this is what God is thinking about you and this is what he thinks of you.  

And I'm revealing it to you so that it can enter your heart so that you can develop the faith that you need to walk in the rod that God has designed you to walk in. The reason we struggle in life most times is we don't know.  

We don't understand, we don't trust and we don't believe all of the worst one is we are ignorant of the gift that God has put inside of you. And all these things I've mentioned they happen to us because of life.  

There are things that takes place in our lives that erode these things until we get to this place where we don't know, we don't understand because we have done things. We've been through things, we have seen things, we have experienced things and all those things slowly but surely they have eroded what God has put inside of us.  

James 1:17, this today is so that nobody ever walks thinking that I'm not worth anything, I don't know anything. I don't mean anything or what am I here for because God himself has put some things in.  

So James 1:17, this is what he says every good and perfect gift is from above. Coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change, like shifting shadows. Every good and perfect gift, two categories of gifts, good and perfect.  

So every single person sitting here today, we have good gifts and perfect gifts, everybody. Proverbs 18:16 says this a man's gift makes room for who? Him. So your gift makes room for you and brings him before great men. 

Now there is no such thing as luck, doesn't exist. There is your gift that God has put inside of you, making room for you and it brings you in front of people so that your gift helps in the overall success of all of humanity.  

So every person has more than one gift. Every person sitting here, you have more than one gift. We have layers and layers of gifts that God has bestowed on us. However, all of those gifts are not the same.  

We can divide them into two categories, major gifts and minor gifts. If you have a piece of pen and a paper. You're going to do your homework assignment and going to start jotting down some things this week this week, I want you to write on a note pad and write. 

Hold on, hold on I gotta get a pen. Yeah, back to school girl, school started. You know, we are on summer break. School started alright. Want to do a homework assignment because this is going to help us understand ourselves.  

You know, one of the things we need to learn to do is to spend time with ourselves and really try to understand why we do what we do, it's very important. So two categories of gifts. Major gifts and minor gifts.  

So on one side of your homework assignment this week is I want you to write your major gifts. You need to know them. Things that you are incredibly good at and this is how you know when you're doing it, it comes naturally and it's easy and time does not matter.  

You could do it for over and over again without even asking for anyone to pay, pay you. And whatever that is it edifies you when you're doing it, and it also edifies other people.  

Some people love giving. Just giving things and they'll give everything. They'll give clothes they are wearing. They'll just give everything. And you'll be like, wait, why are you giving that? What are you going to be left with?  

No, they just give everything. Why? Because as they are doing it, they are actually being edified in the process. Some people care and they will care for everybody and everything from birds to have you seen people stop cars on the highway to help geese cross the road and you're like, wait, you want to get killed?  

Those people are not crazy as we might think, those people have an incredible caring gift. And sometimes that gift, it just causes us to be irrational sometimes. So we wanna make a list of our major gifts.  

Again, your major gifts are tied to the strongest emotion that you carry positive by the way, let me say, not negative. Positive emotion. And how you know you can look at the gifts of the spirits, the fruit of the Spirit sorry.  

Nine of those you look at those one of those or two of those and three of those are yours. Like what do I bring to the table? What do my friends like about me? So that's your major gifts, then your minor gifts, your minor gives establishes you.  

Those are the things that have to do with your character. The person that you've been raised to be. You're the sum total of all people you have met, and they have conversations with good or bad.  

That's who we are all. Sum total of everybody that we have met that have said something, done something that we have experienced time with. So we're gonna write major gifts, minor gifts and of the minor gives is things that you just do.  

I love cleaning and love clean space, OCD a little bit. Everything has to be color coordinated and I'm just you know, I spend hours and hours if you walk into my clothes and it looks like Macy's just really everything just lined up.  

This I know where everything is you can ask me. You can call me and say, hey, I'm looking this. I'll tell you go to the third bookshelf you 5 books to your right, you see it. That's me, those are minor gifts.  

They don't really serve people per se, but they help you serve the major gift. So now when I come before people. Then that minor gift kicks in if I see something that needs to be done and that establishes you as a person in a society. 

Example, I've got a call, Nadia I gotta call, you’d love to hear this. I got a call on Friday that's when you prayed right on Friday. Friday morning I got a call in the afternoon from somebody who had I've spoken to and they joined the prayer call in the morning that day and they heard you pray.  

And she says after she finished, but I just started weeping. She touched me so much and I felt so much healing, just crying, just hearing her pray right. So and that's Erica Halton. So so that right? Attached to that, you don't know what it is that you are. You're just doing you right. 

You just like. Yeah, just doing me. But unbeknownst to you, your minor gifts are kicking in. And establishing you now everybody or Erica now knows there is a Nadia. So now you've, unbeknownst to you, are now established. Little did you know and now she probably gonna talk to her cousins and nieces.  

By the time you know it, your name is in Florida. You're now established, right. It's the same thing in the things that we do, right, we write books, Danielle you write a book, somebody reads it.  

I can use this example right I can. David one day says to me dad, can I can you give me aunty Danielle's book I want to read it. I was like, yeah, go ahead and read it. And he read the book right and out of reading that book he felt something in his spirit that he had never felt before.  

And he comes to me. I was like, man, Dad as I was reading this book it really touched. I feel I felt so connected to her. But I can guarantee you when she was sitting over there writing Danielle, I don't think you ever thought one day you're gonna affect a boy from Alabama.  

Who's going to be tied so much that he's going to feel connected to you that I can share this? He comes back and he's like dad. I think I want to ask her to be my spiritual God, mother. Because your gifts your minor gifts establishes you.  

So the gift, the major gift if we take this example here the major gift is inspirational because she wrote the book inspired. The minor gift is the emotions that she used to express herself as he was as she was doing what you what she was doing.  

Hence in the process what people catch sometimes it's not even the words is the spirit behind the words. This is why good songs can affect all of us. Not because the words are good. Isn't it amazing that some of the most simplest songs touch every single one of us?  

And we all start weeping and crying because the spirit behind the song, the gift that was behind the song touches you. So here's a definition of gifts. Number one is theriac, THERIAC, which means talent on display.  

That's where we get the word theatre. That means your talent what God has put inside of you is on display. That's what a gift is. That as we interact with you your gift is on display for all of us to see. And the other word, another definition for gifts is domicile.  

That's where we find domain for the website that's a domain. In other words, you have a place, you have a place, you belong at a place. So everybody you have a gift and I need you to know them.  

Because here is why it matters to know them. Let's say all of us here, we decided to go on a camping trip. Like, yeah, let's go on a camping trip to Yellowstone. Before we even, as we are planning this right?  

We already know who's going to cook. We already know who we don't want to see in the kitchen. We already know who is good at cleaning. We already know who is good at rallying everybody. We already know, as it is, right?  

So your gift as it combines with everybody, we then formulate this, body that's what's called the body of Christ. Your gift coming to play and my gift coming to play and then we fulfill the body of Christ.  

That's why Paul says the I cannot say to the ear I have no need of thee. I can't sit here and say, you know what? I have no need of you guys. I have a need of you because there is something that you are uniquely endowed by God to do that I cannot do that the next person cannot do.  

Only you can do it. And if you don't show up that means we are all deprived. Because there is a missing part, a missing link to this whole picture. So when somebody say, I'm not sure I'm not, it's not because you don't know.  

It's because the enemy wants you to negate, to ignore, to give up, to understand. So when the scripture says my people perish because they're like knowledge, it's not talking about knowledge of things.  

He's talking about the knowledge of what God has endowed you with. One of the things that we need to get incredibly good at, incredibly good at is when your friends, your family will suggest things to you that we think you will be graded and then, isn't it amazing when somebody comes?  

Hey, Nadia, the Lord says, you know, maybe you should start thinking about doing this. And you're like, Nah, that's not me. Now we never stopped to ask why is this person saying that to me?  

Just maybe I've already done this for them and they've recognized how beneficial it is to them that they're thinking about other people enjoying the same thing that they've enjoyed that you gave.  

You know, one of the things as a minister, as a pastor, as anybody who speaks, the only time you know that God used you is when another person says to you, man, you have no idea that we've touched me.  

Otherwise you never know. You'll never know. How are you gonna know? Nadia, I'm sure on Friday you're probably like, oh, man, I don't know. I was a little nervous. I'm, you know, I don't know. Yeah, there’s all little conversation after that, right where you're just like, ah.  

Unbeknownst to you, somebody's day has been already changed, and they're thinking a certain way, and they're doing some things differently just because you were present. So don't ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever think that you do not matter.  

Or that you don't have a gift, or that God hasn't put something in you that is so uniquely special only to you that we all need. I want you to think about this. How do we become friends? Do you guys even thought about this stuff?  

Like how do you become a friend to somebody? Is there a blueprint? Is there something that happens or how do you just? But my God I just love these people and that person, and you're just like, yeah, that's my family.  

How do we do that? I bet nobody has an answer. If it was left to every single one of us 10 years ago, and God gave you a piece of paper in the pen and says write, who you're going to be with on Sunday 10th August 2025, it's 5-6 PM central. You know how many people will be at the beach right now. 

In that conversation Lord, I'm going to want to be at the beach chilling. Do we want to and God was like, no. You're going to meet people that you're going to fall in love with and not only fall in love with. You have your gift is going to be on display.  

And when your gift is on display, it's going to help us. And as we are being helped we're going to find ourselves and as you are helping me there is something that God has also put in me that you need.  

That complement the person that you are. That's why I always say the greatest way to find out what you are here to do on earth is to check with your friends. What do you like about me? What is it about me that makes you want to be around me.  

And you will find out very fast what you're good at. And now once you know, right is now thanksgiving. We're all gathering around and somebody says who is making apple pie?  

If you know that's your gift you know what we should all do? Volunteer, put our hands up. Because when you don't that's when discouragement sets in. That's why you start feeling like I do not matter.  

I don't, I, you know, nobody is using me. Why is nobody looking at me? Don't know, isn't this some things that we say? Don't they know that I'm good at this? How do they know? Unless you want? 

You put your talent on display. And sometimes right we look for things that are far beyond thinking that it has to be something special. God has to come in the midnight hour and light has to come through this the window and he wakes me up and said yo get up April get up I need to tell you something.  

This is what I believe and then we wait for these special moments, not understanding that every single moment that we are with somebody is special in its own right and your gift and your talent is already on display.  

You just don't know it and when your gift is on display, guess what happens? I'm going to tell another person. And say yo if there's one person you need to meet and talk to. And another person says that if there's another person you need to meet and talk to. And slowly but surely, you are now being established.  

This is why guys we have to love people, you have to. It's a must to love people because that's the only way your gift can be displayed and you can be fulfilled. Otherwise, if you isolate what's there to display? Who's going to see anything?  

Who's going to say, Oh my God, you blessed me. That's why I would say isolation is the number one trick of the enemy. How do I isolate you from people? You know, I just don't like to talk to people.  

You know what? I'm just gonna sit over there quite. I don't want to deal with anything. You know, I don't want to do, people are just the problem. And ultimately, when we do that, we think we are looking for peace, right?  

Now guess who's miserable. But again, if you understand that you have a major gifts and minor gifts. And this is an exercise you can do with your friends. Instead, when instead of gathering around and we start talking about movies and Trump, we can gather on and talk about our major and minor gifts.  

Like, hey, what's my major gifts? What's my minor gifts? What do you think? Because as we do that God then reveals to you who you are. What your purpose in life is and once you know what your purpose in life is, when you see the opportunity.  

Oh, you jump in. You're like, yeah, this is my time, it's my time. Let me do what I got to do and we keep it moving. And when I when I did this lesson years ago and I evaluated myself and understood the things about me.  

When it comes to the things that I know these are my major gifts. Oh, I'm quick to jump in. I'm not waiting for nothing, I'm doing it all because I know that's the only way God establishes you.  

So I want us to look in the here. Your career in making money has nothing to do with your purpose. It's just what we do to earn a living because there's some carriers that did not exist 10 years ago.  

So if we were born 10 years ago, that means you were waiting for a new career to show up, what you call cyber security. So you're like, oh, my purpose in life to be a cyber security guru you know.  

Because one day I hey there are careers that are no longer exist now. So which means that what we do as a living is nothing to do with your the only way is if you work in an industry that accentuate who you are. 

For example, if you are caring and you end up working in a hospital and you're a nurse, that means you are in your element. One of the reasons why people get frustrated in jobs.  

Even though you might be getting paid good money is because you realize this is not doing something for my major gifts. And you're like I need to find a place where my major gifts are utilized so I can feel alive.  

So if you're feeling down, if you're not, sure about certain things. The thing that you need the most is an environment that encourages your gifts to come alive because you have them.  

Whether you know it or not, you have them alright. 2nd Corinthians 12 spiritual gives Unity and diversity. Listen to this now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant.  

First instruction from Paul do not be ignorant. You know that you were gentile, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. Therefore I met known to you that no one speaking by the spirit of God caused Jesus accused, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.  

There are diversity of gifts, but the same spirit, there are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the spirit is given to each one.  

For the profit of all, the manifestation of the spirit is given to every single person. So that we all can benefit. For to one is given the word of wisdom, through the spirit to another the word of knowledge through the same spirit, to another faith by the same spirit, to another gifts of feeling by the same spirit to another the working of miracles to another prophecy.  

To another discerning of spirits to another different kinds of tongues to another, the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as he wills.  

He doesn't say distributing to some says to each and every single person you get your portion as he wills. 1 Peter 4:10 as each one has received a special gift. I love this one as each one of you has received a special gift.  

Employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the money for grace of God, brothers and sisters this is one of the reasons why Jesus every time he tried to explain himself using parables.  

There are so many instances he used talents. Says the Kingdom of God is like a man. The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who went to a foreign land and he left his servants with different talents.  

He is explaining what the Kingdom of God is. Says like a farmer and that farmers who him, he says he went to a far land and he gave each and every single person according to the measure of their success and how they do things and then he lists what happens.  

One put it to good use, one did some stuff and made double and there was a guy what did he do? He decided he was going to hide it. That's what we do. This is what we're talking about. I'm going to hide my talent. 

He says when the master came back, look at what he said to this guy. He says you're wicked, you're wicked. So in other words, when we don't use our major gifts to edify people we become wicked.  

Let me ask you a question or let me, let's explore this thought for a moment. Have you seen people who what do you call drug dealers? See how they organize crime? That's why it's called organized crime, they organize.  

They're so structured, they're organized. In doing evil which means that persons has an incredible gift of organization, but it was never submitted and eventually the enemy got hold of them and guess what they did? They used it for evil.  

Romans 11: 29, For the gifts and the calling of God, the gifts, not gift, the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Jazz what God has given you as a gift, he is never going to take it back.  

Whether you use it or you don't, whether you know it or you don't, it's irrevocable. It is what it is. Once I put it inside of you, I'm not taking it back. It's yours until the day you leave this earth. Whether we use it or not.  

Whether we think we have it or we don't. This is why sometimes guys you see people who start singing at an early age, then they stop singing 40 years later. They get an opportunity to sing and everybody's like, whoa. 

 What happened? Where have you been? Because that gift used or unused, it does not go away. It is what it is. Romans 12: 6, Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us. Each of us is to exercise them accordingly.  

Since we have gifts, not if we have, since we all have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us. Each one of us is to exercise them accordingly. So now in other words, the only way you can exercise your gift if you do what? If you know it.  

If you don't know it, how are you going to exercise something you don't? This is why this is so important to understand and to know, because once you know you will exercise it And you get better at it.  

And the more better you get, right the more doors and the more room opens. If you don't use it. So now think about the times when, like God, can you please open the door? Open the door for me. Open the door for me. Open the door for me. Open the door for me.  

The question is to do what? If you don't know what the gift is, why should I open the door? Because if you access a level without proper training, that level is going to kill you. That's where we need to exercise our gifts, brother and sisters this is so important.  

Let's say Mary, let's pick Mary. Let's say Mary is a singer and she knows she can sing. Everybody knows she can sing, but she doesn't exercise the gift. Now, one day she's in a bind. Lord, open the door for me. Open the door for me.  

Open the door for me and boom, the door opens for her. And this is probably on a bigger stage. I'm talking about 30,000 arena people sitting. The last time you sang was in preschool.  

Even though that door is opened that responsibility is going to kill you. Because if you mess it up oh, they're coming for you. Do you guys remember a few years ago I think it was the NBA All Star.  

There was a girl who was asked to sing. I think it was in California and she's sang the national anthem and she was trying all these Mary's laughing cause, you know, and remember when the only way she got that gig is because somehow.  

You know, her name was going out there and notoriety was high and everybody just like, Oh my God, I think she's saying with the Black Eyed Peas. I think she was on that group and everybody just like, Oh my God.  

Oh my God, Oh my God. And that's the time at the height of their success. But in that group, she was never the lead singer. But they're like let's give it to her. That door swung open she accessed the level unprepared, and she goes over there she and that was the last time we ever heard of her.  

So which means everything that she had built up to this time. And I'll tell you why that happens. It does not happen now because she can't sing. It happens because she never exercised the gift of God inside of it.  

The right and proper way. This is why sometimes God shuts doors to us, not because we can't is because we don't have the proper training and adequate training in order to access the level that God has for us.  

That's why the scripture says no eye has seen and no ear has said it hasn't even entered in your heart what God has in store for you. The only way it enters your heart is if you keep exercising your gift and then God places the spirit places in your heart what God has in store for you.  

But you know what, my friend? I'm not opening this door if I know it's going to kill you because it did not exercise your major gift. I may have told you all this before because you are exactly right.  

Like when I first started at Jeff State, I was so excited. I wanted to write and I kept saying, oh, I'm ready to write. I'm ready to write, and I can hear this voice very clearly say no, you're not.  

I mean, it would tell me. No, you're not. So you are so right that when we jump out there unprepared, we don't know what our gifts are. Yeah we just fall flat on our face. I remember that girl.  

It's so funny. But anyway, after I graduated from UAB, I never heard that voice again. But I was trying to get ahead of myself. And it was telling me you're not ready. I mean, I heard the voice telling me that several times because I was excited. So you are so right you know, if we're not ready, even though we think we got the talent, yeah. 

But it comes down to the exercise of gift. That's where it comes down to. That's where it comes down to. And the only way you can exercise your gift if you know. And this is an incredible moment that we all must and we have to. 

We all have to. Because again the way God elevates us, he elevates us. We heard this. Says your gift will make room for you, that's elevation. So the only way God elevates us anyway is through your gift, your gift.  

That's the that's the way God elevates us. That's what he put inside of you to be successful, right? So that's why giftings are so important and you need to know them. You need to know your magic gifts.  

You need to know your minor gifts. You need to know your spiritual gifts. You need to know which one you excel in. Are you inspirational? Are you wisdom? What are you? You need to know. What are you good at? You should know it. And I've always said, if you really want to talk about this, I can spend hours and hours we can figure it out.  

We can have a conversation. We can talk about it and say you know what? Let's explore it because it will be detrimental to us to go through life and not know why God placed us here. Or worst off know but doubt why he has put what he has put inside of us.  

So everybody here according to scriptures, you've been given a gift to serve humanity. 1 Corinthians 12:4, Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same spirit. Ephesians 2:8, For by grace, you have been saved through faith and that not of yourself it is a gift of God.  

2 Timothy 1:6 for this reason man this scripture here for this reason, this is Timothy right here, this is Paul writing, for this reason I remind you. Now this scripture is written because Timothy was having issues in fostering the church that Paul started in Ephesus.  

So he placed Timothy and the off he went on missions. So he is the pastor of this church, and he's having tremendous issues at this particular church. So he writes to Paul and tell him like, yeah, I want to quit this. I don't want to do any of this here.  

These people here don't listen to anybody. They think they know it and the women are dressing all kinds of ways, all kinds of stuff, Paul is complaining and then Paul writes the first letter to Timothy. He's like, yo, calm down.  

Stay over there and let me write a letter addressing the church that this guy I put over there that's your guy. Don't look to me. I'm not coming back. Timothy is your guy. Make sure you listen to him and make sure you do this and make sure you do that and make sure you do this.  

And Paul also, because of the problems in Ephesus right? That's where Paul writes. It says I do not I Paul and we might as well address this. He says I Paul, I do not permit women to do what? To stand and preach.  

And then what we do is that we take that and we apply it everywhere, but we don't understand who was being who was it being written to and why. Paul was writing it to Timothy because there were issues in this particular church, and Paul is selling in my time there.  

I did not permit women to teach because of these problems in Ephesus. Then watch us run in 21st century and tried to impose things that were being imposed your particular church. Then Timothy does not get it.  

He has another problem. He writes to Paul again and he is not satisfied with Paul's answer. And then Paul writes this. So now here's the question so 1 Timothy, right and 2 Timothy. 

So Nadia if I have a problem with you and I write you one letter, that's good, if I write the second one, it means you didn't get the first one right. You didn't really understand the first one, so you need more addressing, right?  

So I gotta write another letter. So Paul is writing the second letter not because he loves Timothy. He's writing the second letter because you know what, dude? What we talked about last time? He did not get it.  

So listen now from that now I want you to listen to this scripture here, 2 Timothy 1:6 right at the beginning of the second letter for this reason, Timmy let me remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying of hands.  

Says hey, you better go back and rekindle that thing that God put you inside of you. Because if you don't you're not going to do it the right way. And the same thing applies to all of us here rekindle inside of you.  

That's why last week I was talking about all the things that we wanted to do when we were young and we just like and then we somehow his life went on, we forgot about it and just kick it on the side of like, yeah, I don't think I'll ever do that.  

I have kids now. Oh, my God. I don't know, I don't think and Timothy writes and says, yo rekindle that gift, rekindle it, rekindle it? Why? Because that's the same thing that God is going to use to elevate you.  

That, that you are negating so we are not blessed, not because God does not one blessed us. We are blessed because we are being ignorant of the things that God has put inside of us to be successful.  

Where we at? Romans 6:23 for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Timothy 4:14, Again here’s Paul writing to Timmy again says do not neglect the spiritual gift within you.  

Which was bestowed on you through the prophetic utterances with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. Do not neglect, do not neglect. In other words, don't just let it be. You gotta know what that gift is and exercise it.  

Ecclesiastes 5:19, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth. Now just think about what's being said here furthermore as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth.  

So in other words, you have been given riches and wealth. He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor.  

This is a gift of God. Furthermore, let me say this every single person here God has given you riches and wealth in gifting. He has also empowered you to eat from those giftings, right. Your major gift and your minor gifts will feed you.  

You raise your family. If you have a passion of cooking, you cook for the whole entire city and raise a family out of it, send kids to college right, he says tou eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor.  

This is God's gift to mankind. Psalms 127: 3, Behold, children are a gift from the Lord. Why are children a gift from the Lord? Think about this scenario. Why is your baby a gift from the Lord. Is it because she's just there?  

Why are they a gift from the Lord Jazz? Why is Kyrie, Sage, June a gift to you from the Lord. Again, if you go back to what we were talking about, you realize those kids have major and minor gifts too.  

And God says in those gifts, there's riches and wealth that will feed them, but also enables them to thrive. So which means what God has placed inside of them as a gift? What God has placed inside of baby girl as a gift, Nadia, that eventually when is natured, who take care of everybody.  

That's why children are a gift. In other words, I'm adding more gifts to you in talent. If Nadia you have 5 gifts and baby girl comes in the same house and she has 6. Now, as a family, we now have 11 and then you take baby boy.  

You throw him in there with his eight gifts. Now we have 19 and so forth and so forth. So every child that God places in your house, he's bringing with them an extra level of gifts. I hated tennis growing up.  

You could not get me to play tennis for nothing. In fact, at my high school we had the former 1 double s, Wimbledon champions Byron and Wayne Black and they used to come back and offer free lessons.  

They dominated in the 80s and 90s them boys, they were like yo free lessons we were like, nah, that's not us over here, we play soccer. That was me with my few gifts.  

Unbeknownst to me no eye has seen and no ear has heard what God has prepared for, and it's in store, so me being offered to play and saying no is because what God has in store hadn’t what? Entered his heart.  

Here comes Ava, in 2014, we moved to Alabama. We are bored. We don't know what to do. It's pandemic. The only place we can go that's open is a tennis court. We go to thrift store, we buy these rackets.  

We don't even know whether they are the right ones and we just out there just messing around hitting balls. Then they say every day like dad can we go play? We go play. Dad, can we go play? We go play. Dad can we go play? We go play.  

So through all the pandemic we play tennis every day. We upgrade rackets. We go to Dick’s. now, instead of going to the thrift store, we go Dick’s. We play Dick’s and we realize, oh, these are not even these are fake ones and by the time we know it, we are holding rackets that cost $300.  

And now we are running around the country in tournaments. Because as she came along the gifts that are inside of her has multiplied us. So your children and your grandchildren that way, that's why we pray for them.  

That's why I keep encouraging all of us to pray for our kids over and over again because God is adding to riches and wealth. This is where you see how the world tricks us because it tells us that wealth is money. 

Not understanding it’s the gifts that are inside of people. 1 Corinthians 12:31, But earnestly desire the greater gifts and this is what it says and I will show you a still more excellent way. Oh my God.  

He says we should all desire greater gifts and after you desire greater gifts, he says and I will still show you a more excellent way. So if you want God to show you a more excellent way. What must you do? Desired greater gifts. 

1 Corinthians 7:7 yet I wish that all men were even as I myself, however, each man has his own gift from God. All right, here's the five gifts God has given us, 5. Five gives God has given us the gift of salvation.  

The gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift of ministry, prosperity and health. I wish, above all else, you will be prosper and be in good health that’s God's gift to mankind. The gift of leadership and power that God is given to us. Alright, we're going to end here.  

If you want to explore your gifts, if you want to talk about it, if we want to figure it out. Let's figure it out, because I want everybody to walk in their gifting. So that we're not walking around this world feeling like we are lost, we don't belong, or a God didn't give us anything.  

Or worst off we waste time praying for things that God has already given us. Already he gave you already and you're like Lord, if you could just give me this. Like I gave you at birth girl you're carrying it and somehow you just don't even know it.  

So homework assignment, major gifts, know your major gifts, know your minor gifts. That's number one, second assignment spiritual gifts of the 9 know which one you are good at. Then go to the fruit of the spirit, there's nine of them find out which one is yours.  

Do you bring joy? Do you bring love? Are you inspiration? What is that? What is it? And once you know that once you have a collection of these, right? Now you are walking away knowing that when you see an opportunity to do and to be, grab it, Amen. Let us pray.  

For your grace, for your love, for your continued love to us as you desire for us to know the things that we should. We thank you, we bless you, Lord, that you have loved us so much that you equipped every single one of us with great gifts so that we can excel, thrive in this treacherous world.  

Now I ask Lord, as we as we do this homework assignment, help us to be diligent with it so that we know who we are. We thank you for your grace, for your love. Thank you for our kids and family and children's aunts, nieces, nephews, cousins, grandchildren.  

Thank you, Lord, for extending our village and just giving us more people to love, to express the joy that we have in serving you. Thank you for unity of spirit. Thank you, Lord, for love that is unconditional.  

Thank you, Lord, that we are serving one another in and the full measure of who you are. I pray Lord that as we continue to walk this journey, the strength, wisdom and spirit guide us in all things true in all things right.  

If anyone of us is struggling, I pray Lord that you reveal to them yourself so strong, and if they need help, send somebody to be an answer to someone's prayer. Thank you, Lord, for these times that we spend with one another, as we worship and fellowship with one another. 

Continue to grow us and bring us to that place where we are strong and powerful in the power of our mighty Jesus Christ. Now bless us, bless our families, bless our homes. Let there be peace in them.  

Love, contentment, strength, and wisdom in every home, angels on assignment, guarding our children wherever they go. We ban every demonic spirit that seeks to infiltrate our homes, this is our domain.  

He has no room and we have full authority because God, you say I will give you every land where your feet trade. So these homes that we call our place of habitant, I pray Lord that let angels be on assignment to bring a measure of peace and love. We bless you for who you are in us.  

Continue to be with us and continue to be our guide. Now as we depart from one another, may we not depart from your spirit until we meet again in Jesus name, we pray, Amen.