Bishop Jones Writes
...
Thank you for the warm welcome so
many of you have already extended to Kay and to
me. I am experiencing why Bishop Baxter loves you
so much.
It has been said that a preacher
really has only one sermon and that most of his or
her sermons reflect some theme of that basic
message. If that is indeed true, my basic sermon
boils down to this message:
God loves
all of us so much that God sent his Son, Jesus,
to live among us and ultimately die for us.
Through the victory of Jesus on the cross, we
have hope of new life, forgiveness, healing,
reconciliation and ultimately eternal salvation.
God calls us to belong and to serve. When God
calls us to service (and God will), God empowers
us to do the work that God calls us to do.
Based on that basic message, I
frequently teach about the gifts God gives us for
ministry – particular gifts, given to a believer
for the building up of the Church (Ephesians 4:
12). When teaching about gifts, I am also asked,
"How do I know if a particular interest or
activity is pointing to a strong spiritual gift?"
In response, I ask these questions:
- Is this activity life-giving or
does it drain my energy?
If, for example, you can’t wait
to teach, if you are energized by teaching and
your teaching brings you abundant joy, you might
have a gift of teacher. But if the thought, the
mere thought, of being asked to teach engenders a
sense of dread, you probably do not have that gift
and you should say always NO!
- Do other people
notice something done well?
Are you the person who is usually
called upon to organize a dinner, visit a sick
person, lead a Bible Study, or settle a dispute?
Do others comment on how well you do with one
particular activity? Pay attention to what others
notice. They may be pointing to a spiritual gift.
- Do things go well in
a particular area of ministry?
Have you noticed that things go
particularly well in some of your activities in
life? I suggest that you pay attention to results.
They may be hints of a gift from God.
Faithfully,
+ David
David Colin Jones
Bishop in Residence
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