Gifts

by John Ortberg, Laurie Pederson, Judson Poling

Gifted--that’s you! Uniquely equipped to help build up the body of Christ. As a follower of Jesus, serving others is an integral part of your identity and an important key to your personal growth. But how do you cultivate a servant’s heart and your spiritual gifts in ways that build up your church, your family, your friends, and your world--without wiping you out in the process? Gifts guides you to the answers. Through personal study and small group interaction, this study will help you develop a passion to be used by God. You’ll find out about your unique place in the body of Christ and how to surmount the obstacles that keep you from thriving. You’ll discover the joy of serving with others--doing together what you cannot do alone. And you’ll learn how to abide in Christ, experiencing a freshness and vitality that grow as you give!Leader’s guide included!Gifts group sessions Me!Use My Gifts!Walking into The Killjoy of ServanthoodThe Ministry of the MundaneServanthood’s Bell-Shaped CurveAbide in Him

160 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2000

Reviews

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

We read this as a small group study at my church. The small group worked very well, but the book is decidedly geared toward a certain personality type that did not match everyone in our group. The book is focused on making sure that as you serve other people, you are doing so with humility. It worked great for me because I think I'm the target audience: the person who consistently tries to do too much and then becomes frustrated by service and resentful of the work. However, there were many people in our group who did not have this experience and instead had trouble working with other people effectively or discovering where their talents and the needs of the church line up. Parts of it are also poorly written with language that could be offensive, like the "use me" prayer, or figurative concepts that were used incorrectly to make a point, like the bell curve. The book throws tons of very small passages at you without focusing intently on any longer illustrations from the Bible. Still, it was important to take the time to step back and reflect on my life and actions and reorient myself away from pleasing others and instead trying to discern God's will. I give it 3 stars.