Spiritual gifts testing.
My youth all took the test on Wednesday night. And all we had time for was the results, not the discussion questions because the Adults got out early and were waiting outside the youth door when I was still trying to talk to the youth. Then the younger kids got out a few minutes earlier and started pounding on our door and trying to unlock it. (We have a keypad code on the door in which one must have a certain code before even entering the youth room!). It was discouraging to say the least.
But the results of their spiritual gifts tests made me realize how much the younger youth (middle school aged) are teachable, trainable, and willing to learn. The entire last year's focus of REASON has been service. 98% of ALL the youth had service and/or hospitality as one of their top THREE spiritual gifts. Something is spiritually awakening into these youths hearts and I am just so blessed to see it all unfold. And I am praying daily that I don't screw them up. I pray that what God wants me to teach them, my heart is willing. Which is why this next year is all about outreach & sharing Jesus along with our service. Love God. Love Others. It's as simple as that... the other stuff sometimes just gets in the way and can cause us to be pharisees, hypocrites, unengaged, arrogant, prideful, and liars; the opposite of truth and God's love.
If you love God and love like God, then all the stuff like Bible reading, prayer, fasting, tithing, worship, service is a natural outflow of His love. If you love God, but don't love like God then yes, people become a distraction and a project. People are not PROJECTS and I hate when people refer to them as such directly or indirectly. God didn't make us all the same for a REASON... We are to be molded after Jesus, not ourselves. And once we realize that we don't have it all together we can strive to compare ourselves only to Jesus.
My youth all took the test on Wednesday night. And all we had time for was the results, not the discussion questions because the Adults got out early and were waiting outside the youth door when I was still trying to talk to the youth. Then the younger kids got out a few minutes earlier and started pounding on our door and trying to unlock it. (We have a keypad code on the door in which one must have a certain code before even entering the youth room!). It was discouraging to say the least.
But the results of their spiritual gifts tests made me realize how much the younger youth (middle school aged) are teachable, trainable, and willing to learn. The entire last year's focus of REASON has been service. 98% of ALL the youth had service and/or hospitality as one of their top THREE spiritual gifts. Something is spiritually awakening into these youths hearts and I am just so blessed to see it all unfold. And I am praying daily that I don't screw them up. I pray that what God wants me to teach them, my heart is willing. Which is why this next year is all about outreach & sharing Jesus along with our service. Love God. Love Others. It's as simple as that... the other stuff sometimes just gets in the way and can cause us to be pharisees, hypocrites, unengaged, arrogant, prideful, and liars; the opposite of truth and God's love.
If you love God and love like God, then all the stuff like Bible reading, prayer, fasting, tithing, worship, service is a natural outflow of His love. If you love God, but don't love like God then yes, people become a distraction and a project. People are not PROJECTS and I hate when people refer to them as such directly or indirectly. God didn't make us all the same for a REASON... We are to be molded after Jesus, not ourselves. And once we realize that we don't have it all together we can strive to compare ourselves only to Jesus.
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| Something I made the other day... |
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