Beth Moore in Birmingham, AL

If you didn't know already.... Beth Moore is a grandmother at last. Her grandson was a week old on Friday when we sat in the Civic Arena in Birmingham, AL gazing at sweet pictures of him. Being a grandparent must be the grandest thing in the world!

I did a Google for blogs about Beth Moore's Living Proof in Birmingham this weekend and came up with zilch. So, I thought I'd share with you all how great this weekend was and the jewels of wisdom that Beth imparted. We'll pick back up with the rest of the Motivational Spiritual Gifts tomorrow. Today, let's soak in some wisdom from Psalms and from Paul. Her teaching is in bold print and my comments are in regular. I have also posted the Bible verses she used where applicable. Note that she started with Psalms 78; 145; 102:18 and 71:18 (With Beth, we never stay at a single place in the Bible for more than a pair of minutes).


1Th 2:8 Even so, being full of loving desire for you, we took delight in giving you not only God's good news, but even our lives, because you were dear to us. Is how Beth introduced pictures of her new grandson. Even in sharing her personal life, she brings in the Bible. This is one reason why I just plain like her so much.

Hope for change is entirely in God.
Hope for our future after our past is entirely in God.


Isa 41:10 Have no fear, for I am with you; do not be looking about in trouble, for I am your God; I will give you strength, yes, I will be your helper; yes, my true right hand will be your support.

We are called to be profoundly effective on the world. We are the light of the world and that is a heavy responsibility. This is where our satisfaction comes from, when we are doing what God called us to do.

This past weekend, 18,000 women made a pact for high impact on the world. That is a huge responsibility. How does one person have the gall to think that she might have a high impact on the world? Well, she can't... not without Jesus. The whole weekend was geared around how God has an adjective for each generation. God planned each age, each generation and when who would be born into what generation. Had you ever thought about that before? I had not. But since God planned everything, it certainly makes sense.

The Greek word Genea means a multitude of contemporaries...in the NT genea literally means space of time, circle of time in the sense of affinity of communion based on the sameness of stock.

Wickedness is not strong enough to keep us from having revival. Why is it that so many in our generation profess Jesus but do not practice Jesus?

God is faithful to every generation. Psalms 100:5
For the Lord is good, and his mercy is never-ending; his faith is unchanging through all generations.

Generations are altered when collective individuals are altered. Imagine what can happen when we are summoned by God!

Genea comes from the Greek word ginomai which means to begin to come into existence as in imply origin, result in change of state or place etc. (either from natural causes or special agencies.

Will we turn out to be that which is evolved from natural causes or supernatural causes?

Simply put, because Christ resides in us, we should be the product of supernatural causes... but, how many truly are? I thought that was an excellent question. We have settled for so little when we are promised so much. God is so huge! He always finishes what He starts.

We had homework for Friday night. We were supposed to answer 3 questions:

What is keeping me from being what I am supposed to be? Who do I want to be in my Senior years?

I want to be that friend of God to whom He says, "Well done, my good and faithful servant!" I want to please Him and I want to settle into that ministry which He prepared from me from before the foundation of the world. I wonder how many of us Christians slog along without ever fulfilling that ministry God had planned for us simply because we just do not lean on the hugeness of God, but rely on our own strength.

In my heart of hearts, how much of who I am now is from natural causes and how much is from supernatural causes?

Whoa! I look back on my history and I just cannot fathom how come I am not bitter with anger and why I am not clogged with unforgiveness. I tell you, my friends, I am who I am right now from 100% supernatural causes.

How could God begin right now to cause me to be that person I want to be in my Senior years?

I believe He has been working on me for the past 50 years to be that person I want to be... or rather--and this is crucial--the person He wants me to be. I do not believe God ever lets go of a Believer. When we are willing to let Him work us like clay, then we become mighty, supernatural works of godly art. When we are controllers and do not make our whole hearts and bodies available to Him... we become sadly misshapen. That doesn't mean God can't use a misshapen vessel. He can. The vessel just isn't what it potentially could be.

Day 2

We are bowed down to our past, but our past should bow down.

We are headed for disaster if we do not pursue God's way which is right. To entirely serve God's purpose, we must use our past for God's purpose. Our battle is not against flesh and blood. We have been assigned to this generation to make an impact for God's way; to be relevant to God's purposes... to not close in upon ourselves... to not let the World in, but to be out in the world.

Every title of God is in perfect context with the text. Every title means something. Isaiah 28:15, God forced Jacob to come out into the truth. Jacob means Deceiver. God wrestled with Jacob to force him into Truth. One touch to his hip displayed how God could have devestated Jacob, but Jacob persevered... he lasted through the night... he didn't give up and wouldn't let go until he had his blessing. This is how we should be as Christians in this world. Face to face with God, never giving up, never trading one addiction for another.

Give up the posing, the pretending we are one thing in hopes that God will love us. God knows the pain that causes us to sin and to act ungodly. Some people think they are invisible to God and this is just not true.

We have to stand in the river of fear just as the Priests stood in the Jordan River before the waters will part. Stepping out on faith in order for our huge God to work His miracles.

The best thing I received from this weekend was this boost: God uses our experiences to further His glory and to reach out to Light the world. He turns my pain into passion so that I may pour healing balm on my hurting siblings or so that I may reach out to the lost who are suffering the same things I have suffered. That is a huge responsibility... but, hey... My God is HUGE! Amen.

Attributes of the Exhorter day 5 -- problems

Two posts today because Friday and Saturday I will be worshiping and praising with Travis Cottrell and Beth Moore! WooWhee!


Never = 0
Seldom = 1
Sometimes = 2
Usually = 3
Mostly = 4
Always = 5
Total _______________


Add up all your totals for Exhorter... How much of that gift do you have? Do you understand yourself a bit better? Do you know someone like this and can now understand them better? I deeply pray so. This is why I'm taking the time to do this study because I so strongly believe that we need to understand our siblings in Christ for a more unifying relationship with each other.


__________________ Problems with the Gift of Exhortation




Misunderstandings Of The Gift Of Exhortation


1. Emphasis on “steps of action” may appear to oversimplify the real problem of a person they are trying to help.
a. seems more interested in “steps” than the feelings of those involved.


2. Urgency in presenting steps of action may seem to others to be overconfidence. They realize that in God’s economy there is no release until there is a willingness to deal with the real issues honestly. They may seem nosey at times but that is the desire to get to the underlying problem and to deal with that, recognizes the need to not treat the surface symptoms.
3. Desire to win non-Christians by personal example may be seen as no interest in evangelism.
a. their main motivation is in discipling the already saved


4. The use of Scripture for personal application may be seen as taking Scripture out of context.
a. they know that God’s principles work no matter what and have a tendency to insist upon the authority of principles rather than specific passages. The Exhorter needs to resist taking a verse out of context to prove a point.


5. Emphasis on steps of action may appear to disregard feelings of others.
a. they know that the only way to true freedom is to take a step…one step at a time. No steps = no growth!


6. Have a tendency to become frustrated when no growth is evident.
a. will quit helping a person when that person exhibits no attempts to follow the steps but will work forever with someone as long as that person is showing that they are trying to grow.




EVIDENT DISTINCTIONS OF THE GIFT OF EXHORTATION WHEN WALKING…


In the Flesh…........................................ In the Spirit…Carnal inclination ............................................... Wisdom
Judgmental ......................................................... Discernment
Presumes ............................................................ Faith
Simple Minded ................................................... Discretion
Selfish .................................................................. Loving
Underachievement ............................................ Creative
Apathy ................................................................ Enthusiastic

Continue the Study... The Attributes of the Giver

Attributes of the Exhorter day 4

13. Accepts people as they are without judging them.
Do you know anyone like this? I adore people like this. These guys will meet anyone exactly where they are with no judgments, and offer their hand in friendship and help. They'll ask questions to determine where a person is, but no stinging judgment. For them, it is a commitment almost as strong as marriage because this is what God has called them to do... help Spiritual growth though encouragement.


14. Is greatly loved because of his positive attitude.

15. Prefers to witness with life rather than verbal witnessing.
No knocking on doors for this guy. But he'll bring a book to a depressed friend, or teach a lesson by example because to him, actions speak louder than words every time.


Exhorters believe that to be credible in their verbal witnessing, they must be living what they are preaching. Paul gives his personal testimony in writing in Galatians chapter 1. He has not only witnessed verbally to the Galatians, but he recounts to them how he has lived his own message. What is the message he is preaching in Galatians? Read verses 15-16 in chapter 6. The question of circumcision is what invoked this letter, but the message has several points. The major point is all about Jesus Christ and Paul certainly lived Jesus Christ.


16. Makes decisions easily.
There is no “flip-flop” with an Exhorter. They believe God will correct any mistakes or wrong decisions as the Psalmist said in 33:10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The fact is, life is too short to be floundering about decisions. The Exhorter will decide and get on with life, trusting God to guide the way.


17. Always completes what is started.

18. Wants to clear up problems with others quickly.

19. Expects a lot from self and from others.
If I can do it, so can you--is the thought process.


20. Needs a “sounding board” for bouncing off ideas and thoughts.
Paul triumphantly tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 4 that he has “fought the good fight and “finished the race” and “held firmly the faith”. He uses so much imagery here and he is so much the encourager even when we find out a few verses further that everyone except Luke had forsaken him. I would probably sit down and have a good cry because I was in prison and living the very last few days/months of my life and all my close brothers had left me. I would be eternally grateful to Luke, but still, it would be very disheartening to be left alone especially when all hope of deliverance from prison was gone. But Paul is all encouragement. We also see that Paul asks for Timothy to bring Mark with him to Rome because “he is very helpful to me in ministry”. Remember, Mark is the one that Paul got so angry with for leaving them in the middle of one of their mission trips. Paul exhibited two attributes of the Exhorter here. Take a moment and write them down.


I hope you wrote expects a lot from self and others and accepts others as they are without judging them. It would seem these two attributes would be at war with each other. They are. When an Exhorter accepts others without judging them, this predominantly means that no matter where a Christian is in Spiritual growth or Spiritual inaction, the Exhorter will never judge a person for being “where they are today”. The Exhorter will always expect a Christian to want to grow and to always be taking steps to grow Spiritually especially when the Exhorter has given that person a guideline for growth. The Exhorter can spot a Christian in Spiritual hibernation and will attempt to stimulate that person into wanting to correct that stagnation into growth. He will gently persuade and then encourage with stepping stones to growth with a plan of action. What is interesting about an Exhorter walking in the Spirit is this person will understand instantly if a person needs an entire outline of steps to take for a more mature level of growth or if that person needs to be given baby steps.


Paul uses this technique when he writes to the Corinthians that they should by now be “eating meat” instead of still needing the “milk” like babies. The mature Exhorter instinctively knows when the person they are mentoring should move up to the next level and will push for this to happen. Sometimes it will seem to the person being mentored that their mentor is way too pushy and expects far too much. That isn’t so. 


The mature Exhorter has Biblical principles embedded into every fiber of their being—even though the Exhorter prefers Life Applications over Biblical Applications, that does not mean the Exhorter does not know the importance of Bible study—therefore the mature Exhorter knows when a person has finally mastered a principle and is ready for the next higher level. It is disheartening to the Exhorters when no growth is seen and when their few, simple steps are not attempted. They will back up and try different tactics, but the Encourager is sensitive to the Holy Spirit and will not waste time with a person that has no intention to change. We only have to look as far as Galatians 1:9 and Titus 1:16 to see this.


Continue the Study...

Attributes of the Exhorter day 3

We're in Galatians this week. Paul is such an excellent example of Exhorter. His letters are full of encouragement, instruction, Biblical principles with practical applications. Today is a long day, so savor Galatians chapter 1 first.




9. Loves to do personal counseling.
This is one on one... the Exhorter preference. The Exhorter will counsel a group, but the first love is one on one coaching and encouragement. It is easier to measure results when the counseling is one on one and that is a must fuel for the Exhorter--results. (When I learned this, I finally understood why is was so necessary for me to find out results of my prayers. It took a while for me to understand that prayers don't always have immediate results. God uses prayer to draw us into His plan as well as a way to test our hearts. After I learned that, it was okay not to have an immediate result to a prayer. I no longer got depressed when I prayed and prayed with no evident answer. God was in control and His will be done regardless of a result. Results are not answers, results are evidence, but not answers.)


10. Will discontinue personal counseling if no effort to change is seen.

11. Is fluent in communication.

12. Views trials as opportunities to produce growth.


Now that you have read the whole book of Galatians, it should be easier for you to identify chapter and verses to illustrate the different aspects of an Exhorter. Also, by now, if you are strong in the gift of Exhortation, you should be extremely frustrated because there have not been Life Lessons in this week. You are asking yourself, “Yes, I understand these principles already; where are the Life applications? How is anyone to know how to apply this to their life? Where is the 1—2—3, step-by-step?” In fact you may have already jumped ahead and read this page because of your frustration.


In order to satisfy that need in the Exhorters taking this study and also to satisfy the teachers taking this study, we will focus on two things. The first is this: Write down a few of the different illustrations that Paul used in his writings to the churches. Galatians is full of them. I’ll start you off with one.


1.Last Will and Testament Gal 2:15


I just love Galatians because we find out lot of personal information about Paul. It is here we find out that Paul studied under Jesus Christ for three years in Arabia. It is here we find out that Paul met first with Peter and stayed with him for two weeks only seeing one other apostle, James— Jesus’ brother, when he went up to Jerusalem. We also find out he waited another fourteen years before meeting with the Christians in Jerusalem.


Paul did not need any authority from any of the apostles to spread the Gospel. He only recognized the authority from Jesus, Himself (Gal 1:11- 2:8). I am pointing this out because I want you to recognize this is not a quality or attribute of an Exhorter. It is a strong attribute of an Administrator. This is important because in Galatians we see Paul exhibit several attributes of the other gifts, too. This is very important because all we Christians have all the gifts, just in different proportions. The least of my gifts is Service, the greatest is Administrator.


This is a crucial point in our study. The reason is because we all are strong in one particular gift and we all have several attributes of other gifts. This is what makes us unique and uniquely fitted specifically for God’s purposes and His plan for our life. Look how God molded and taught Paul. God uniquely fitted Paul for his ministry to the Gentiles. Only Paul could fit perfectly into the work that God had prepared for him. And Paul understood motivational Spiritual gifts and his own ministry very clearly. He also understood why he was gifted with the attributes he had. No one can say Paul was a clear and straight forward writer. Some of his sentences do wander around a bit before getting to the point, however, Paul always had a strong point. He consistently used imagery and illustrations as did Jesus. Paul was “running the race” or “harvesting the harvest” or “being a slave for Jesus”. I hope you recognize these as life applications for Biblical principles. An excellent example of this is Paul’s recognition of God’s own allegory in Genesis. 


Read Galatians 4:21-5:1 This is a most excellent example of real life depicting God’s principle except it actually happened about 4500 years ago. This story that Paul retells along with his explanation should satisfy the teacher’s interest in accuracy and history, the Perceiver’s interest in God’s Word and the Exhorter’s interest in real life applications.


Never = 0
Seldom = 1
Sometimes = 2
Usually = 3
Mostly = 4
Always = 5
Total _______________


Continue the Study...

Attributes of the Exhorter day 2

_____________________ Characteristics of the Exhorter


Day One
We will be hearing a lot from Paul this week because he is our Biblical example of an Exhorter.


For the rest of the week we will walk through Galatians, so put a marker there in your Bible or take a few moments today and read the book of Galatians. It is only 6 chapters long, but rich in exhortation.


Today we will focus on Galatians chapter 4. Read that chapter first, then put the verse numbers beside the statement that proves the statements as true.


1. Loves to encourage others to live victoriously.

2. Wants a visible response when teaching or speaking.

3. Prefers to apply truth rather than research it.

4. Prefers systems of information that have practical application.


What that actually means is that an Exhorter will listen all day to someone teaching principles using everyday, practical examples. This would be like Jesus when he used parables to teach. A person with the gift of teaching would much rather listen to facts with Biblical examples for emphasis. The Exhorter would rather hear a speaker preaching the Bible and the Teacher would rather have a Biblical encyclopedia; both are excellent “systems of information”.


Read Galatians chapter 5 and identify verses that prove the truth of the statements below.




5. Loves to prescribe precise steps of action to aid personal growth.

6. Focuses on working with people.


7. Encourages others to develop in their personal ministries.

8. Finds truth in experience and then validates it with Scripture


Never = 0
Seldom = 1
Sometimes = 2
Usually = 3
Mostly = 4
Always = 5
Total _______________


Grade yourself on how true each statement is about you then at the end of the week add up your totals. That will show you how much of the gift of Exhorter you have.


Continue the Study...

Attributes of the Exhorter

Week Five -- has it really been that long???


________________ Attributes of the Exhorter




Greek word – Parakaleo (par-ak-al-eh'-o) to call to one's side, call for, summon
to address, speak to, (call to, call upon), which may be done in the way of exhortation, entreaty, comfort, instruction, etc.
to admonish, exhort
to beg, entreat, beseech
to strive to appease by entreaty
to console, to encourage and strengthen by consolation, to comfort
to receive consolation, be comforted
to encourage, strengthen
exhorting and comforting and encouraging
to instruct, teach
One of these Bradford Pear trees is farther along in fall colors, yet they stand side by side within 20 feet of each other. The Exhorter will stand side by side, arms around a sister or brother in Christ, helping and urging progress in Spiritual Growth. They never tire in encouraging. Saints with this gift are rarely in the Evangelism business... Discipleship is their forte' and they are extremely good at it.
In John 16:7, Jesus says… “If I do not go away then the helper/comforter will not come to you…”

Biblical example of this gift is the Apostle Paul as in:

Colossians 1:28-29 “He it is whom we proclaim. We admonish everyone without distinction, we instruct everyone in all the ways of wisdom, so as to present each one of you as a mature member of Christ’s body. To this end I am toiling strenuously with all the energy and power of Christ at work in me.”
Paul was in the Evangelism business, but he invested more time in the discipleship of believers often spending a year or two with each new church, instructing in The Way.
The Greek word translated “helper/comforter” means “one called to walk alongside”. It could also be translated Exhorter because it is actually the same word and means the same thing.

The Exhorter/encourager accepts people just as they are, however, they also recognize the potential in Christ others have and will encourage them to grow towards that potential. Their motivating goal is to see you growing in your Christian life.

Each of us would do very well to have an encourager as a friend…someone who will not let us “settle” for anything less than God’s best.
PERSPECTIVE…

Pierre and Boudreaux was flying Cajun Airlines. Boudreaux was flying da
Plane and Pierre was in da back foolin wit da cargo equipment an stuff.
Suddenly da plane hit some turbulence an started bouncing around an Boudreaux da pilot got knock unconcience…
Den da plane started driftin’. Pierre, him come runnin’ up to da front an Boudreaux was sprawl out over da steerin’ wheel. Well, Pierre don’t know no-ting bout flyin no plane and he start to get panakey. He grab da microphone and holla “May Day! May Day! Dis is Cajun Air Line 10210. Boudreaux him knock unconscience
an I don’t know no-ting bout flyin dis here plane!”
“Dis is da control tower,” someone answer Pierre. “Don you worry about nutin. We gonna splain how fo you to land dat plane, step-by-easy step, ah gar-on-tee! Jus leave arythin ta us. Fus thing, how high are you and what’s you
position?”

Pierre thought a minute, den say, “I’m five foot ten and I’m all da way to da front of da plane.”

“No! No!” answer da tower. “What’s you altitude and where’s you location?”

Pierre say, “Man ah got a po attitude, and I’m from Thibodaux!”

“No! No! No!” came an exasperated voice. “Ah needs to know how many feet you got off da ground and how you plane’s in relation to da airport!”

Pierre start to panic by dis time. He say, “Countin Boudreaux’s an mine we got four feet off da ground and I don’t believe dis plane’s related to you airport!”

A long pause…

"Ok, then we needs to know who you next of kin and where to send da flowers…”

An Exhorter will try and try to “get through” to a person, but needs to see some progress in order to continue with his encouragement and his “training”. Progress is the Exhorter's goal.

The Exhorter has a deep desire to urge others to find their full potential in Christ. They want to know what you are doing to grow: “What steps are you taking/doing?” They have the Spiritual ability to visualize Spiritual achievement for others in order to motivate them to action. It doesn’t take them long to see another person’s potential.

Exhorters have the ability to discern where someone is Spiritually. They may appear “nosy”, but they are only trying to discover where you are so they can encourage you toward God’s goal. They are extremely anxious for Spiritual growth and want to see that growth or they become discouraged. Their type of training is to give precise steps of action to help people reach Spiritual maturity or overcome stumbling blocks to growth. They won’t just tell someone what is wrong but they will always want to show you HOW to get where you need to be.

The tendency to welcome personal tribulation as a chief motivation to Spiritual growth is strong with Encouragers. God’s answer to Paul when he asked three times for Him to remove the thorn from his side was “My grace is sufficient for you…” Paul was well content with his weaknesses and he declared “When I am weak then I am strong in Him.” He learned the value of suffering and saw it as a tool in God’s hand. Paul saw it as a molding and making him what God wanted be and the Exhorter’s deep conviction is “Let’s learn what we need to learn and move on to the next level ever pressing forward, running the race to reach the goal. I will be right beside you--as long as you are trying!”

The Exhorter tends to avoid all systems of information (teachings, Bible studies, training) that neglect “personal application.” Their greatest sense of fulfillment is in giving you steps to take to achieve God’s ultimate plan for your life. The Exhorter desires face to face discussion and is grieved when shut out. He is just not interested in small talk but wants to get up close and personal…cut to the chase…get down to business…get to the meat but say the blessing first!

Discovering insights from personal experience which can be validated and amplified in Scripture is exactly what motivates the Encourager. He is interested in principles that give solid steps to growth. Unfortunately, he has a tendency toward lifting “proof texts” from Scripture without paying close attention to contexts. It isn’t that he is lazy, it is that details are not all that important…Biblical Principles rule the day in his mind.

This person desires to bring harmony between diverse groups of Christians and promotes awareness that harmony is the basis to Spiritual maturity. He is happiest when “right in the middle of it” and sees problems as challenges. He is truly delighted with the person that is willing to take appropriate steps of action and experiences real joy when that person exhibits growth and maturity even in the smallest increments.




Continue the Study...

Word Cloud

The common words from my blog made this cloud. If you want one, click on the title of this post.

Attributes of the Teacher day 5 -- Problems

______________________Problems of the Teacher


Misunderstandings Related To The Gift Of Teaching Are:


1. Emphasis on accuracy of scriptural information but may have a tendency to neglect practical application.

2. Use of knowledge may appear prideful. “Knowledge puffeth up.”
a. needs to be careful not to appear a know-it-all
b. needs to share in an humble way.


3. May appear critical when they spot little factual errors in the teaching of others.
a. has tendency to throw the baby out with the bath water.
b. needs to work on taking hold of all Truth and throwing out only the error.
c. needs to recognize there is no one absolutely perfect except Jesus.


4. Concern for detail may appear boring or unnecessary to others. (Except by others with teaching gift.)
a. often feels unappreciated for all his research.
b. wants to continue until finished sharing all the facts and gets annoyed if interrupted to “chase a rabbit”.


5. Emphasis on research may appear that he has a greater dependency on the work of others than a dependency on the Holy Spirit. They just want to get the facts and assume others know they’re trusting the Holy Spirit.


6. Emphasis on research may appear that they despise practical wisdom of uneducated teachers.
a. “degrees” don’t guarantee wisdom, skill in communication or growth in the Christian life.
b. wisest people in this world often have not been to higher levels of education.
c. HOWEVER, there are no prizes for being ignorant, either.
d. The real issue is in finding the truth of God


7. May appear to lack warmth and feeling when teaching.




EVIDENT DISTINCTIONS OF THE GIFT OF TEACHING WHEN WALKING…


In the Flesh…........................................ In the Spirit…Self Indulgent ..........................................................Self Control
Disrespectful ............................................................Reverent
Slothful .....................................................................Diligent
Incomplete ...............................................................Thorough
Inconsistent .............................................................Dependable
Anxious .....................................................................Secure
Restless .....................................................................Patient
Deceptive ..................................................................Truthful

Tell God you want Him to help you reach your full potential in Christ.

Continue Study... On to The Exhorter

Attributes of the Teacher day 4

16. Is self-disciplined.
Clean room, clean desk top, everything in order.
They will be able to manage many tasks but generally have no clue with people skills.




17. Is emotionally self-controlled.


This Spiritual Gift, more than any other understands the choice in controlling emotions of the dangerous kind such as anger, bitterness, hatred. With the gift’s penchant for truth and Biblical principles to live by, persons with this gift understand choices better than any person with the other gifts.


18. Has only a select circle of friends.
Teachers look for people with similar interests to develop close personal relationships with. A child with this gift will often be found curled up with a good book…sometimes even in the midst of several children at play, the teacher child can be found reading. The teacher child is not necessarily anti-social, just extremely selective of friends. You won’t find this one partaking in idle chit-chat, either. Their conversation will be widely varied but full of ideas and concepts.


19. Has strong convictions and opinions based on investigation of facts.
You will rarely win an argument with this gift. A person with this gift is incredible with facts and is almost always correct because they generally do not take one fact at face value. These people make excellent detectives, with minds like steel traps for facts and figures.

20. Believes truth has the intrinsic power to produce change.
While the teacher knows the why of something…most times the “how-to” escapes them. They assume teaching the “why” will automatically develop change when most Christians also need to have an understanding of “how-to”.


A prime example of this is Proverbs. In this book by Solomon, we see a mighty collection of wise sayings that are complete with the end result of different things…The Why of things. But there is no instruction of The How-To do something. We are told in 10:12 “Hate is always picking a quarrel, but love turns a blind eye to every fault.” But there is no instruction “how-to” turn hate into love or “how-to” keep love from turning to hate.


Teachers and Exhorters usually do not get along because their end result is basically the same, but the way they get there are poles apart... sparks fly. You'll understand that better at the end of next week.


Never = 0
Seldom = 1
Sometimes = 2
Usually = 3
Mostly = 4
Always = 5
Total _______________


Total the scores of all the bolded statements and this will give you the percentage of your Teacher gift.


If you have not seen yourself in any of the three gifts we've discussed, hang on to your hat because I know we'll get to one that will peg off the charts for you. Don't forget, we have 4 more to go...
Exhortation/Encouraging
Giving
Administration/Organizing
Mercy/Compassion






You can purchase a book from Don and Katy Fortune
http://www.heart2heart.org/ Katy and Don Fortune


Or study Charles Stanley's study at
http://ww2.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=7nKFISNvEqG&b=1013839 Charles Stanley


Continue the Study...

Attributes of the Teacher day 3

Ecclesiastes 12:9-12
So the Speaker, in his wisdom, continued to teach the people what he knew. He turned over many maxims in his mind and sought how best to set them out. He chose his words to give pleasure, but what he wrote was the honest truth. The sayings of the wise are sharp as goads, like nails driven home; they lead the assembled people , for they come from one shepherd. One further warning, my son: the use of books is endless, and much study is wearisome. (The New English Bible)



9. Easily develops and uses a large vocabulary.
Is this surprising?

10. Emphasizes facts and the accuracy of words.

11. Checks out the source of knowledge of others who teach.

12. Prefers teaching believers rather than engaging in evangelism.

This is because the teacher would rather not cast his pearls before swine…

Take a look at Ecclesiastes 9.

Why you think verses 13-18 is true of Teachers?

Now look at verse 1. Solomon understood that all is under God’s control and this is what the teacher firmly believes.

13. Feels Bible study is foundational to the operation of all the gifts.

A Perceiver cannot perceive, a Server cannot serve, a Teacher cannot teach, an Exhorter cannot exhort, a Giver cannot give, an Administrator cannot administer, a person cannot have compassion without first knowing and understanding what God says about it and how God says it should be done.

14. Solves problems by starting with Scriptural principles.
The Bible has the answers to life's toughest questions. A teacher helps us to visualize these answers and apply them to our daily life. In fact, the teacher is usually owl-eyed when someone says, 'Okay, so what does that mean?' They understand it, so why doesn't everyone?

Look up Proverbs 9:10-11

15. Is intellectually sharp.
(I have to laugh at this one. Who in his right mind would mark “never” to this question?) Let me qualify this one this way: The person with the gift of teaching will be excellent at Trivial Pursuit—they soak up facts like a sponge and have a wealth of information at the tip of their tongue. A fact that may seem insignificant to others will be of wonderful importance to a teacher just because it is an interesting fact. A teacher will amaze and surprise others by sharing something pertinent to the conversation but learned years earlier…and it will be the first time he has shared the fact with anyone. Dates and history are of particular interest but also science and research.


Never = 0
Seldom = 1
Sometimes = 2
Usually = 3
Mostly = 4
Always = 5
Total _______________

Continue the Study...

Attributes of the Teacher day 2

Day 2______________




I forgot this yesterday... 


Never = 0
Seldom = 1
Sometimes = 2
Usually = 3
Mostly = 4
Always = 5
Total _______________


Remember to grade yourself according to how true each  bolded statement is about you.


4. Enjoys word studies.
This leads the teacher into many profound insights which they may not feel led to share with anyone else. They investigate meanings and root word meanings often turning to Strong’s Exhaustive Expository on Greek and Hebrew words or Vine’s to determine the exact meaning of a word in the original Greek or Hebrew of Biblical scripture. It takes a great amount of trust on a Teacher’s part to take any teaching at face value. If the Teacher “catches” an error in a teaching he has a tendency to toss out the entire teaching instead of evaluating the teaching for truth of all parts.


Read Ecclesiastes 1 5. Prefers to use Biblical illustrations rather than life illustrations.


The Bible is the final authority on Truth. It is difficult to find an illustration of this in one single paragraph of Scripture. We need to look at Luke’s writings as a whole and remember that Luke was a Gentile and did not have the advantage of a Hebrew upbringing or education. However, there is one interesting fact about Luke’s writings. He wrote in Greek but used Hebrew syntax. In other words, Luke was so accurate in his writing that he quoted exactly and in order, the Hebrew words from his interviews. An example of this would be:


In German a grammatically correct statement would be “He threw the cows over the fence some hay.” In English we would say, “He threw some hay over the fence for the cows.” In English, the straight German translation appears that the person threw the cows over the fence. Because of Luke’s exactness in writing down the Hebrew quotes, we have a beautiful example of Hebrew spoken by Jesus which was lost up until only a few years ago. Some Greek Biblical scholars recognized the Greek in Luke’s Gospel was actually not grammatically correct for Greek, but was indeed correct when applied to Hebrew. The source for that info is Dwight Pryor. However, I ran into a Greek scholar and mentioned it to him. He was intrigued by it and said he would study it. He never got back to me.


This illustrates two thing. My Teacher gift wanted confirmation of something from another source. The second thing is, the Greek scholar did not have the Teaching gift because he would have gotten back with me. This is one of the driving things about a Teacher -- imparting knowledge learned when asked to share.


6. Gets upset when Scripture is used out of context.
With his quick attention to detail and accuracy, this will set off a teacher before quick can get ready. For the teacher, misuse of Scripture is False Truth or put bluntly—a lie.


7. Feels concerned that truth be established in every situation.
First Corinthians 13:6 Love delights in Truth is the part of Love that is close to the heart of a teacher. Truth is what a teacher lives and breathes. Lying to a teacher will destroy his trust in you and will effectively destroy your relationship with him. Once trust is violated with a Teacher, you are likely to never have a close relationship again with him. This is one of those things to be wary of for a teacher. Forgiveness for him does not come easy but when it does, it is deeply felt.


8. Is more objective than subjective.
Being objective, the teacher is able to express or involve the use of facts without interference of prejudice or personal feelings. The teacher feels that facts illustrating truth should override personal feelings.


In our Scripture passage today, we see Solomon addressing himself as The Preacher or The Speaker. He describes what he has done with his gift that he asked for and God granted, wisdom. He studied and explored all that is done under heaven. Compare chapter 1 with chapter 12. To read even the first eleven chapters of Ecclesiastes it would seem that Solomon had no hope because of his unemotional application of his gift. Only in chapter 12 do we see that Solomon actually cherishes his relationship with the Lord and that all the wisdom in the world cannot compare to the grace that God gave him in his repentance.


This is how a Teacher is, learning all the facts and then drawing a conclusion.


Continue the Study...

Attributes of the Teacher

Week Four


______________Attributes of the Teacher
Day 1

Greek word – didasko (did-as'-ko) -- to teach
to hold discourse with others in order to instruct them, deliver didactic discourses (didactic=designed or intended to teach; intended to convey instruction and information as well as pleasure and entertainment; making moral observations)
to be a teacher
to discharge the office of a teacher, conduct one's self as a teacher
to teach one
to impart instruction
instill doctrine into one
the thing taught or enjoined
to explain or expound a thing
to teach one something


Biblical example of this gift is Luke.


Luke 1:1-4 Luke investigated everything carefully, spoke to eyewitnesses in order to write a connected narrative expressly to give Theophilus authentic knowledge. In Acts, Luke continues the story with first-hand, eyewitness accounts all with the purpose of including a chronological telling of the beginning of Christ’s church. Luke was a teacher as well as a physician and wanted to “turn on the light” so others could see.


PERSPECTIVE…


"Things We Can Learn From a Dog" 1. Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride. 2. Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy. 3. When loved ones come home, always run to greet them. 4. When it's in your best interest, practice obedience. 5. Let others know when they've invaded your territory. 6. Take naps and stretch before rising. 7. Run, romp and play daily. 8. Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. 9. Be loyal. 10. Never pretend to be something you're not. 11. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it. 12. When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit nearby and nuzzle him or her gently. 13. Thrive on attention and let people touch you. 14. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do. 15. When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body. 16. No matter how often you're scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing and pout. Run right back and make friends. 17. Delight in the simple joys of a long walk.


Only a person with the gift of Teaching could have researched, tested and developed the above piece into the 17 simple truth lessons. Teachers have an intense desire to present truth in a systematic manner to make sure you can follow easily. They have an interest in words and word meanings. They will have a broad vocabulary because of this interest and will put much emphasis on the meanings of words. They want to be sure you are hearing and understanding what they are saying correctly.


Teachers delight in researching and reporting as many facts on a particular subject as possible. They will spend a lot of time looking up and confirming details so they can share. They will focus on truth in context. Folks with this gift will almost always read surrounding Scripture when given a Scriptural reference to make sure the reference is not just a proof text. This kind of alertness to details is not usually noticed by others. God has given them this interest in finding details so they can present something clearly. They are not necessarily short, snappy, and to the point, however. On any project a report is required, the Teacher will lay out all the information gathered in clear, chronological order…but it may be a lot of information which can lead to seeming long-windedness.


These people will test the knowledge of those who teach them. Their interest in facts leads them to put much emphasis on accuracy and truth of those facts. If they detect an error in a sermon or lecture, they have a strong tendency to toss out the good teaching along with the error. Teachers will keep us on track theologically and help to discern Truth from error. They experience greater joy in researching the truth than in presenting it. They will get satisfaction in accumulation of facts and not necessarily in telling anyone or sharing their findings. However, that will not stop them from sharing what they know to be truth or from declaring something false when it is false. It is not a joyful thing for them to correct error, it is simply something that is so strong within them, they cannot help themselves.


In the use of illustrations, they will almost always site biblical examples. They can tend to be a bit narrow in this regard. This trait is good because leaning heavily on Biblical Truths is exactly what Christians should be doing.


Teachers have a tendency to remain silent until all the information can be gathered, listened to, thought through, discussed and researched for accuracy. They will validate new truth by established system of truth. When the teacher hears something new, he will compare it to what he already knows based on God’s Word and he will evaluate it accordingly. The teacher knows that what we “think we know” or what we “think is truth” which is based on opinion or based on something taught by others but not tested may actually be in error.


Characteristics of the Gift of Teaching… ____________________________________ Day One Luke 1:1-4

1. Presents truth in a logical and systematic way.
Teachers do not always make the most exciting or interesting speakers. However, their speech will be rich in truth facts and biblical references. Teachers will make profound conclusions.


2. Validates truth by checking out the facts.
Teachers want to know what they believe is based upon truthful fact. They are the ones that will know exactly why they believe what they believe. Sometimes researching the root meaning of a word will lead them on to hours of study. A teacher will read more than one book at a time and will often have markers in several books. (I have 6 books beside my bed and am at different places in each of them.)


3. Loves to study and do research.
A teacher will know where to go to find the answers to his questions. He will use many study tools rather than just one reference book. A teacher would rather learn the entire language instead of the meaning of a few words in that language. He wants to know not only what was said, but what was the author thinking when it was written? What was the thought process to come to that conclusion?


Continue the Study...

Problems with the Gift of Server

Knowing what you now know, put your brain in gear and list a few of the problems you suspect a Server would have. Then continue reading.

Misunderstandings Of The Gift Of Service

1. Quickness in meeting needs, may appear pushy. They are so willing.


2. Avoidance of red tape may result in excluding others from the job.
a. they don’t want to exclude others, they just know what they’re doing and can do it faster by themselves.


3. Disregard for personal needs may extend to their own family’s needs.


4. Eagerness for serving may prompt suspicion of self-advancement.
a. this is not their motive; they don’t want to get ahead of you, they just want to complete the goal and go on to another one.


5. May react to others who don’t detect and meet obvious needs.
a. when denied the privilege of serving we hurt them.


6. Insistence on serving may seem to be rejecting being served.
a. often difficult to do something for them.


7. Desire to sense sincere appreciation may result in hurt feelings.
a. if not reaffirmed, they don’t know where they are in meeting their goal to serve and to please. They need to know you are pleased.


8. Quickness in meeting needs may interfere with spiritual lessons that God is teaching those who have the need. Luke 10:38-42


9. Meeting practical needs may be viewed as not taking an interest in spiritual matters.
a. they ARE doing something spiritual and their gift is much needed.


10. Stamina may be interpreted as insensitivity or impatience with those helping
a. intent on getting something done in short time in the most efficient manner possible.


11. Enjoyment of short range goals may result in leadership position with frustration and/or disorganization with long range objectives.


12. Inability to avoid supplying others’ needs may result in sidetracking from employer’s directions. Easily sidetracked if something else seems more urgent.


Evident Distinctions Of The Gift Of Service When Walking…
In the Flesh... .................................................In the Spirit
Unconscious/Insensitive  ................................   Alert
Feels lonely/Isolated  ......................................   Hospitable
Stingy      ............................................................   Generous
Self Pity/Pouter ..............................................    Joyful

Resistant (don’t tell me what to do) .............    Flexible
Self-Centered ..................................................    Available

“I quit!” .............................................................   Endurance

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