Using our gifts for effectively and fully

Parable of the talents. About using our gifts for God's kingdom

1. Open the present

2. songs

3. Every Move I Make (E) Every move I make, I make in you You make me move, Jesus Every breath I take I breath in you Every step I take, I take in you You are my way Jesus Every breath I take I breath in you

4. Waves of mercy, Waves of grace Everywhere I look I see your face Your love has captured me Oh my God, this love, how can it be? Na, Na Na Na Na Na Na  (x4)

5. Every move I make, I make in you You make me move, Jesus Every breath I take I breath in you Every step I take, I take in you You are my way Jesus Every breath I take I breath in you

6. Waves of mercy, Waves of grace Everywhere I look I see your face Your love has captured me Oh my God, this love, how can it be? Na, Na Na Na Na Na Na  (x4)

7. Great is Thy faithfulness (A 3/4 ) Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father, There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not,  Thy compassions, they fail not As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

8. “Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!” Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided— “Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!

9. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth , Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

10. “Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!” Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided— “Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!

11. If you could give anything to the person sitting on your left, what would you want to give? Describe it, and tell why you’d want to give it to that person.

12. What do the gifts we receive tell us about the personality and priorities of the giver?

13. Romans 12:6-8 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

14. Some Qs 3. What do the gifts listed here tell us about God’s personality and priorities? 4. Why do you suppose God has chosen to give each of us different gifts? Doesn’t he expect the same things from all of us? Explain. 5. Paul’s expectation is that God’s gifts to us should continually be in use. Is that a realistic assumption?

15. Matthew 25:14-30 The Parable of the Bags of Gold

16. 14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ 21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ 22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

17. 23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ 24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ 26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. 28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

18. Talent = 75 pounds = 10,000 denarii = 10,000 days’wages = 27 years

19. More Qs At first look, what does this parable say to you? Although at least one servant was able to hide his master’s endowment, none of the servants was able to decline the master’s money, or even to ask for a different gift. Do you think that’s significant? Why or why not? How does our relationship with the Giver affect our ability to multiply the gifts God has given us?