October 8, 2025 • 19 mins
What does it mean to be used by God—and how do you discover your spiritual gifts?
In this episode of Holly’s Highlights podcast, we dive deep into what Scripture says about spiritual gifts, how to uncover the unique calling God has placed on your life, and why your obedience matters more than your platform.
We’ll explore:
- 🔍 How to identify your spiritual gifts through prayer, self-assessment, and community
- 💡 The difference between natural talents and spiritual gifts
- 🧩 Why every believer has a role to play in the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, Ephesians 4)
- 📖 The biblical foundation for spiritual gifts—and why they matter today
- 🙏 Practical steps to start using your gifts right where you are
Whether you feel confident in your calling or you’re still seeking clarity, this episode will encourage you to step boldly into your purpose and serve faithfully with the gifts God has given you.
✨ Perfect for:
- Christians seeking to understand their purpose
- Believers wanting to identify their spiritual gifts
- Listeners feeling called to make an impact, but unsure how
- Anyone wrestling with comparison or doubt in their ministry or mission
🔗 Resources mentioned: Spiritual gift assessments, scripture references, and more—linked below:
Spiritual Gifts Test - Focus on the Family
Helping Your Teen Find Their Spiritual Gift
Spiritual Gifts Scripture - 1 Corinthians 12
🙌 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs encouragement in their calling.
Visit www.hollycurby.com for more information and to sign up for the monthly Holly's Happenings e-newsletter. Holly's Highlights podcast and the opinions and ideas shared within it are for entertainment purposes only. The advice should be confirmed with a qualified professional.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:01):
Hi friends, welcome to Holly's Highlights, a podcast
designed to encourage, inspire,and equip you to intentionally
live your life full of purpose.
I'm your host, Holly Kirby,motivational speaker, leadership
cultivator, marketingstrategist, and personal
cheerleader.
Let's check out today'shighlight.
(00:21):
As the leaves begin to turn andthe world slows into the rhythm
of autumn, there's no bettertime to reflect, renew, and
rediscover hope.
Facelift, embracing hope throughyour heartaches, is the soulful,
heart stirring read your fallhas been waiting for.
Whether you're navigating aseason of loss, change, or quiet
transformation, Facelift meetsyou right where you are, with
(00:43):
honesty, encouragement, and apowerful reminder that heartache
is not the end of your story.
Through deeply personalreflections and transformative
insights, this book invites youto uncover beauty and brokenness
and find hope in places youleast expect.
Perfect for fall book clubsseeking meaningful conversation,
women's groups and spiritualgatherings, personal journaling
(01:05):
and reflection, and anyonelonging for hope and healing in
hard times.
Let this season be the one ofsoul deep renewal.
Let facelift be your guide.
Available now at your localbookstore and online at Amazon,
Walmart, Target, and BarnesNoble.
Grab your copy, share it with afriend, and join the
conversation.
Hope is only a page away.
(01:28):
Hey friends, welcome back.
Today we're talking aboutsomething that I believe many of
us may be wrestling with rightnow.
And that's what does it mean tobe used by God?
More specifically, how do wediscover our spiritual gifts,
especially when we feel like wejust don't measure up?
Well, I want to start byacknowledging the tragic,
shocking news that rocked ournation last month.
(01:51):
On September 10th, 2025, CharlieKirk, a bold, passionate, and
fearless voice in the Christianand the conservative space, was
assassinated.
A targeted act meant to silence,but instead his message has only
grown louder.
Now, to be honest, I hadn'tfollowed Charlie closely.
In fact, I hadn't even reallyheard of him until that day.
(02:13):
My brother was in that crowd,and I happened to call him while
he was in the midst of thechaos, and I heard such sounds
that I'm not sure they everleave your head.
That event was also held on mydaughter's college campus.
But since then, I have watchedhis speeches, I've read his
words, and let me tell you, thisman had a gift, a fire in his
(02:34):
bones, a calling that heobviously did not run from.
And after watching Charlie'spowerful speeches, I felt
something I didn't quite expect.
I felt discouraged.
Here I am doing a podcast,promoting my facelift book,
prayerfully considering a secondbook, trying to speak truth and
love on my social medias.
(02:55):
And suddenly I just felt very,very small.
Like, what's the point?
I'm not a Charlie Kirk.
I don't speak like that.
I don't have the platform.
I don't have the following.
And honestly, I'm not lookingfor it.
But my desire has been and is toglorify God in all that I do, in
all that I say, and in all thatI think about.
(03:16):
And well, these avenues justseem to be the doors that God
has open.
Well, Satan has taken thatlittle doubt and he has run with
it.
Shut it down, the enemy haswhispered to me.
Nobody's listening.
You'll never be as impactful.
What's the point?
Who do you think you are?
But then my brother saidsomething that really made me
stop and think.
(03:37):
Charlie might have had to die sohis testimony could be heard.
You know, that really hit melike a ton of bricks, that
Charlie wasn't silenced.
His voice, his message, it wasamplified.
And that reminded me of aprofound biblical truth found in
John 12, 24.
Very truly I tell you, unless akernel of wheat falls to the
(03:58):
ground and dies, it remains onlya single seed.
But if it dies, it produces manyseeds.
Charlie's life planted seeds.
And now we have aresponsibility.
A responsibility to ask God,what seed have you planted in
me?
Now, so often we might seesomeone living out their
(04:19):
calling, and we might think I'mjust not good enough, or I could
never be like that or do that.
I recently had this experiencejust a couple of weekends ago as
I watched my dad preach.
He nailed it as he shared thegospel.
Such a solid impact.
And once again, I thought, I'mno Dr.
James Harding.
Because let's be real,comparison can kill one's
(04:40):
calling.
Theodore Roosevelt said it best,comparison is the thief of joy.
But more than that, it's thethief of disobedience.
The Bible is very clear thatwe're not all called to be
evangelists like Charlie Kirk,or even powerful preachers like
my dad.
But we are called to be faithfulwith the gifts we've been given.
(05:01):
First Corinthians 12, 4 through6 says, there are different
kinds of gifts, but the sameSpirit distributes them.
There are different kinds ofservice, but the same Lord.
There are different kinds ofworking, but in all of them and
in everyone, it is the same Godat work.
See, we're a body, and eachpart, each gift plays its role.
(05:23):
And it's important.
You might not stand on anational stage.
You may never have a mic or abook deal, but your living room
might be your pulpit.
Your Instagram might be yourmission field, your Monday
morning meeting.
That might be your moment.
Romans 12 6 tells us we havedifferent gifts according to the
grace given to each of us.
(05:45):
God's not asking you to be acopy of someone else.
So how do we find what we aregifted in doing?
Well, as a believer, so one whohas accepted Jesus into their
heart and has a personalrelationship with him, we are
given what is referred to as aspiritual gift.
(06:08):
According to Merriam-WebsterDictionary, a spiritual gift is
divinely granted abilities byGod or the Holy Spirit to
believers for service within thechurch, encompassing both
natural talents enhanced by theSpirit and supernatural
manifestations for building upand strengthening the community.
As you know, I like to dive intoGod's word, the Bible, for
(06:30):
clarity on things.
And there is biblical basis forspiritual gifts.
They are rooted in Scripture,especially in Romans 12, where
it talks about abilities givenby God's grace to different
individuals within the Christianbody to serve and strengthen the
church.
1 Corinthians 12, where itteaches that diverse spiritual
gifts originate from the sameHoly Spirit and are given to
(06:52):
each believer for the commongood of the church.
And then, of course, Ephesians4, as it discusses spiritual
gifts in terms of their sourceand purpose and the resulting
unity and maturity of the bodyof Christ.
Now, these are different fromour natural talents.
Spiritual gifts are spirituallyempowered, often tied to your
purpose in the church, whereasnatural talents can exist from
(07:14):
birth and are not necessarilytied to faith.
So why do spiritual gifts evenmatter?
Well, for identity, they helpbelievers understand their
unique role in the body ofChrist.
For purpose, they guide peopleto serve in ways that align with
how they're spirituallydesigned.
And for community, when everyoneuses their gifts, the church
(07:34):
becomes a healthy, functioningbody.
There are different types ofspiritual gifts, also.
There's service-oriented giftslike helps where you assist
others in need, or serving whereyou serve the needs of others,
hospitality, giving, mercy, soshowing compassion and care for
those who are suffering.
There's also speaking orteaching gifts.
(07:57):
That would be teaching,exhortation, which is
encouraging others, evenevangelism, so the gift of
sharing the gospel.
And then, of course, there'sleadership gifts, such as
administration, so organizingand managing the affairs of the
church or the community,leadership, shepherding,
otherwise known as pastoring.
So back to that question of howdo we discover our spiritual
(08:21):
gift?
Let me give you some practicalsteps backed by scripture and
some data too.
First step, ask God.
Seriously, prayer is that firststep.
James 1.5 tells us if any of youlacks wisdom, you should ask
God, who gives generously to allwithout finding fault.
So take time, be still.
(08:43):
Ask, Lord, what have you placedin me that you want to use?
You know, James 5.16 tells usthat prayer is powerful and
effective.
If you want to go deeper intoprayer, check into season three,
episode five here on Holly'sHighlights.
But ask God.
Step two, assess yourself.
There are spiritual giftassessments available.
(09:06):
Some I'll link right here in theshow notes, and these help
identify whether you lean towardteaching or leadership,
encouragement, giving, mercy,administration, prophecy,
evangelism, service.
The point is your gift isneeded.
Barna Group found that only 30%of practicing Christians say
(09:26):
that they even know what theirspiritual gift is.
That means 70% of believers arepossibly walking in the dark
about what God has specificallyequipped them to do.
Let's change that.
Step three, ask others.
Sometimes we're just too closeto ourselves to really see it
clearly.
So ask godly friends, mentors,even your pastor.
(09:49):
This isn't to be confused withsomeone else telling you what
your calling is necessarily, butrather seeking insight from the
outside, looking to questionssuch as, where do you see God
using me?
Or when do I seem most on fire?
So ask others.
And step four, get involved.
You won't know until you try.
(10:10):
So volunteer, teach, serve,host, encourage, pray, see what
stirs your soul, what bringslife and joy.
That's often where your giftlives.
Once you discover your gift,live it out.
If your gift is encouragement,send notes or texts or speak
life over others daily.
If your gift is teaching, starta Bible study, a podcast, see
(10:33):
how you might be able to getinvolved in your church.
If your gift is giving, supportmissionaries or nonprofits,
single parents, homelessshelters, the list could go on
and on here.
If your gift is mercy, sit withthose who are grieving, perhaps
visit hospitals, or even see ifsomeone's going through
something where you can go sitwith them, whether that be
(10:55):
through the death of a lost one,so grieving, but even a surgery,
surgery of a child or a parentor a spouse, just go sit with
them.
Now, if your gift is leadership,step up, lead that group, guide
that team, launch that ministry.
If your gift is prophecy ordiscernment, speak truth boldly,
(11:17):
but love and humility.
Romans 12 6 tells us we havedifferent gifts according to the
grace given to each of us.
So remember though, your giftisn't about you, it's about
obedience.
It's about Him.
So use your gifts with humility.
Gifts are not about status butservice.
(11:38):
Use them with love.
First Corinthians 13 reminds usthat gifts are worthless without
love.
With accountability, gifts mustbe used within community and
under spiritual authority andwith purpose.
So focused on edifying others,not self-promotion.
There can be commonmisunderstandings when it comes
(11:59):
to spiritual gifts, such as Idon't have any gifts.
Well, 1 Corinthians 12 7 saysevery believer is gifted.
I have all the gifts.
Well, no one has them all.
We're meant to rely on eachother.
Or gifts only happen in church,such as the pastor is the only
one with a spiritual gift.
Oh goodness, many gifts can beused in everyday life.
(12:23):
Encouragement at work, wisdom inparenting, generosity in
business.
It may be Pastor AppreciationMonth this month, but it's not
up to the pastor to do all ofthe serving or ministry within a
church.
You can check out more on thatin season four, episode 20.
But back to Charlie Kirk.
His death was senseless.
It was tragic, it was painful.
(12:44):
But if you're listening rightnow, know this God wastes
nothing.
Not Charlie's life, not hisdeath, not your doubt, not even
your discouragement.
If anything, his death should bea wake-up call.
If the enemy is attacking you,it's probably because you're
dangerous to his agenda.
(13:04):
So don't give up.
Don't shut it down.
Here's what I would encourageyou to do today.
Three steps.
First one is surrender.
If you don't know Jesuspersonally, this is where it
starts.
As I tell my children, what isthe most important thing about
life?
And they'll respond, havingJesus in your heart.
(13:27):
This isn't about religion.
It's about a relationship withthe one who created you, who
died for you, and he wants toempower you.
Romans 10 9 says, if you declarewith your mouth, Jesus is Lord,
and believe in your heart thatGod raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
It literally is as simple asthat, my friends.
(13:50):
You do not have to work for it.
You do not have to earn it.
Salvation is a gift from God.
Present it to those who simplyopen the door when Jesus is
standing there and knocking.
Let him into your heart.
You were made with a purpose,and that purpose begins not in
religion, but in a relationshipwith him.
(14:12):
Second thing I'd encourage youto do today, discover.
Ask the Holy Spirit to revealyour gift.
Take an assessment, ask others,pay attention to what stirs your
spirit.
And remember, what's small inyour eyes may be huge in
eternity.
We may never know this side ofheaven, the impact we have on
(14:33):
others, and in furthering thekingdom of God.
Pray about it.
Take the assessments, askothers, but pay attention.
Discover.
And that third challenge, go.
Start using your gift today.
What are you waiting for?
Not when you're perfect, notwhen you have a big following,
(14:53):
but now in your home, yourschool, your job, your social
media feed.
Years ago when teaching youth inthe community, I used to end my
talks with them, encouragingthem with Matthew 28, verse 19
through 20, where it says, Goand make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in thename of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit,teaching them to observe all
(15:16):
that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you alwaysto the very end of the age.
So, my friends, get up and go.
To Charlie Kirk's family, if youever hear this, we're still
grieving with you.
We honor Charlie's legacy, hislife mattered, his voice still
echoes, and because of hiscourage, many are now stepping
(15:40):
into their calling.
Thank you for sharing him withthe world.
To you, my listener.
If you're feeling small andheard, unseen, let me remind
you, you are not invisible toGod.
He placed something in you thatno one else has.
So don't bury it, don't compareit, don't waste it, and don't
(16:02):
silence it.
You've got something the worldneeds, so don't hide it.
Let Charlie's life remind us weare not promised tomorrow.
So may we be found faithfultoday.
Now I'll be real with you.
This month we celebrate fiveyears of Holly's Highlights
podcast.
It is heard across every nationin the world and rates top now
(16:24):
five to ten percent of allpodcasts out there, according to
Listen Notes, as it kind ofdepends on the day recently.
It has a five-star rating andhas reached the top of many
charts on good pods such asleadership, how-to,
Christianity, parenting,business, motivation, even
self-improvement.
But I don't know what will comeof it.
(16:44):
I don't know if my nine-timeaward-winning book, Facelift,
Embracing Hope Through YourHeartaches, will ever reach the
people I hope it does, or be abook that is read on the
airplane or commonly talkedabout.
I don't know if my speaking willever be enough.
After all, I never set out forany of this.
And honestly, I get tired, I getweary.
(17:06):
There are days I wonder if anyof this is even making a
difference.
Because this work, it's costly.
It costs time, it costs energy,it costs financially more than I
can justify.
And yet, I still believe it'sworth it.
Why?
Because I trust him.
(17:28):
I trust that God is notmeasuring my impact by numbers
or applause.
He's looking for obedience.
And where he leads, I'll go.
Even when I'm unsure, even whenI'm unseen, even when I'm tired.
And if all of this, this mic,this message, this moment, only
(17:49):
reaches one person who wakes upto the gift God has placed
inside them, then that's enough.
So friends, keep going.
Not because you have it allfigured out, but because we can
know the one who does.
As for me and my home, we willserve the Lord.
Wherever He leads, I'll go.
(18:12):
If this episode spoke to you,will you let me know?
I'd love to hear what yourspiritual gift is and how you're
living that out.
So just comment on thisepisode's post on social media,
share the episode, even leave areview.
And if you want a resource ondiscovering your spiritual gift,
check out the show notes.
I've got some great tools linkedin there.
(18:33):
Until next time, keepintentionally living your life
full of purpose.
And keep your eyes on the onewho has called you to it, will
equip you for it, and can use itall for his glory and your good.
Thank you for joining me on thisjourney of life.
(18:54):
I hope that today's highlighthas been encouraging, inspiring,
and equipping so you can go outand live your life full of
purpose.
I'd be honored if you'd take amoment to leave a review, or
better yet, subscribe.
We can also stay in touch byjoining my email list at
polykirby.com.
That's H O L L Y C U R B Y dotcom.
(19:17):
Until next time, make it a greatday for a great day.
Hi friends, welcome to Holly's Highlights, a podcast
designed to encourage, inspire,and equip you to intentionally
live your life full of purpose.
I'm your host, Holly Kirby,motivational speaker, leadership
cultivator, marketingstrategist, and personal
cheerleader.
Let's check out today'shighlight.
(00:21):
As the leaves begin to turn andthe world slows into the rhythm
of autumn, there's no bettertime to reflect, renew, and
rediscover hope.
Facelift, embracing hope throughyour heartaches, is the soulful,
heart stirring read your fallhas been waiting for.
Whether you're navigating aseason of loss, change, or quiet
transformation, Facelift meetsyou right where you are, with
(00:43):
honesty, encouragement, and apowerful reminder that heartache
is not the end of your story.
Through deeply personalreflections and transformative
insights, this book invites youto uncover beauty and brokenness
and find hope in places youleast expect.
Perfect for fall book clubsseeking meaningful conversation,
women's groups and spiritualgatherings, personal journaling
(01:05):
and reflection, and anyonelonging for hope and healing in
hard times.
Let this season be the one ofsoul deep renewal.
Let facelift be your guide.
Available now at your localbookstore and online at Amazon,
Walmart, Target, and BarnesNoble.
Grab your copy, share it with afriend, and join the
conversation.
Hope is only a page away.
(01:28):
Hey friends, welcome back.
Today we're talking aboutsomething that I believe many of
us may be wrestling with rightnow.
And that's what does it mean tobe used by God?
More specifically, how do wediscover our spiritual gifts,
especially when we feel like wejust don't measure up?
Well, I want to start byacknowledging the tragic,
shocking news that rocked ournation last month.
(01:51):
On September 10th, 2025, CharlieKirk, a bold, passionate, and
fearless voice in the Christianand the conservative space, was
assassinated.
A targeted act meant to silence,but instead his message has only
grown louder.
Now, to be honest, I hadn'tfollowed Charlie closely.
In fact, I hadn't even reallyheard of him until that day.
(02:13):
My brother was in that crowd,and I happened to call him while
he was in the midst of thechaos, and I heard such sounds
that I'm not sure they everleave your head.
That event was also held on mydaughter's college campus.
But since then, I have watchedhis speeches, I've read his
words, and let me tell you, thisman had a gift, a fire in his
(02:34):
bones, a calling that heobviously did not run from.
And after watching Charlie'spowerful speeches, I felt
something I didn't quite expect.
I felt discouraged.
Here I am doing a podcast,promoting my facelift book,
prayerfully considering a secondbook, trying to speak truth and
love on my social medias.
(02:55):
And suddenly I just felt very,very small.
Like, what's the point?
I'm not a Charlie Kirk.
I don't speak like that.
I don't have the platform.
I don't have the following.
And honestly, I'm not lookingfor it.
But my desire has been and is toglorify God in all that I do, in
all that I say, and in all thatI think about.
(03:16):
And well, these avenues justseem to be the doors that God
has open.
Well, Satan has taken thatlittle doubt and he has run with
it.
Shut it down, the enemy haswhispered to me.
Nobody's listening.
You'll never be as impactful.
What's the point?
Who do you think you are?
But then my brother saidsomething that really made me
stop and think.
(03:37):
Charlie might have had to die sohis testimony could be heard.
You know, that really hit melike a ton of bricks, that
Charlie wasn't silenced.
His voice, his message, it wasamplified.
And that reminded me of aprofound biblical truth found in
John 12, 24.
Very truly I tell you, unless akernel of wheat falls to the
(03:58):
ground and dies, it remains onlya single seed.
But if it dies, it produces manyseeds.
Charlie's life planted seeds.
And now we have aresponsibility.
A responsibility to ask God,what seed have you planted in
me?
Now, so often we might seesomeone living out their
(04:19):
calling, and we might think I'mjust not good enough, or I could
never be like that or do that.
I recently had this experiencejust a couple of weekends ago as
I watched my dad preach.
He nailed it as he shared thegospel.
Such a solid impact.
And once again, I thought, I'mno Dr.
James Harding.
Because let's be real,comparison can kill one's
(04:40):
calling.
Theodore Roosevelt said it best,comparison is the thief of joy.
But more than that, it's thethief of disobedience.
The Bible is very clear thatwe're not all called to be
evangelists like Charlie Kirk,or even powerful preachers like
my dad.
But we are called to be faithfulwith the gifts we've been given.
(05:01):
First Corinthians 12, 4 through6 says, there are different
kinds of gifts, but the sameSpirit distributes them.
There are different kinds ofservice, but the same Lord.
There are different kinds ofworking, but in all of them and
in everyone, it is the same Godat work.
See, we're a body, and eachpart, each gift plays its role.
(05:23):
And it's important.
You might not stand on anational stage.
You may never have a mic or abook deal, but your living room
might be your pulpit.
Your Instagram might be yourmission field, your Monday
morning meeting.
That might be your moment.
Romans 12 6 tells us we havedifferent gifts according to the
grace given to each of us.
(05:45):
God's not asking you to be acopy of someone else.
So how do we find what we aregifted in doing?
Well, as a believer, so one whohas accepted Jesus into their
heart and has a personalrelationship with him, we are
given what is referred to as aspiritual gift.
(06:08):
According to Merriam-WebsterDictionary, a spiritual gift is
divinely granted abilities byGod or the Holy Spirit to
believers for service within thechurch, encompassing both
natural talents enhanced by theSpirit and supernatural
manifestations for building upand strengthening the community.
As you know, I like to dive intoGod's word, the Bible, for
(06:30):
clarity on things.
And there is biblical basis forspiritual gifts.
They are rooted in Scripture,especially in Romans 12, where
it talks about abilities givenby God's grace to different
individuals within the Christianbody to serve and strengthen the
church.
1 Corinthians 12, where itteaches that diverse spiritual
gifts originate from the sameHoly Spirit and are given to
(06:52):
each believer for the commongood of the church.
And then, of course, Ephesians4, as it discusses spiritual
gifts in terms of their sourceand purpose and the resulting
unity and maturity of the bodyof Christ.
Now, these are different fromour natural talents.
Spiritual gifts are spirituallyempowered, often tied to your
purpose in the church, whereasnatural talents can exist from
(07:14):
birth and are not necessarilytied to faith.
So why do spiritual gifts evenmatter?
Well, for identity, they helpbelievers understand their
unique role in the body ofChrist.
For purpose, they guide peopleto serve in ways that align with
how they're spirituallydesigned.
And for community, when everyoneuses their gifts, the church
(07:34):
becomes a healthy, functioningbody.
There are different types ofspiritual gifts, also.
There's service-oriented giftslike helps where you assist
others in need, or serving whereyou serve the needs of others,
hospitality, giving, mercy, soshowing compassion and care for
those who are suffering.
There's also speaking orteaching gifts.
(07:57):
That would be teaching,exhortation, which is
encouraging others, evenevangelism, so the gift of
sharing the gospel.
And then, of course, there'sleadership gifts, such as
administration, so organizingand managing the affairs of the
church or the community,leadership, shepherding,
otherwise known as pastoring.
So back to that question of howdo we discover our spiritual
(08:21):
gift?
Let me give you some practicalsteps backed by scripture and
some data too.
First step, ask God.
Seriously, prayer is that firststep.
James 1.5 tells us if any of youlacks wisdom, you should ask
God, who gives generously to allwithout finding fault.
So take time, be still.
(08:43):
Ask, Lord, what have you placedin me that you want to use?
You know, James 5.16 tells usthat prayer is powerful and
effective.
If you want to go deeper intoprayer, check into season three,
episode five here on Holly'sHighlights.
But ask God.
Step two, assess yourself.
There are spiritual giftassessments available.
(09:06):
Some I'll link right here in theshow notes, and these help
identify whether you lean towardteaching or leadership,
encouragement, giving, mercy,administration, prophecy,
evangelism, service.
The point is your gift isneeded.
Barna Group found that only 30%of practicing Christians say
(09:26):
that they even know what theirspiritual gift is.
That means 70% of believers arepossibly walking in the dark
about what God has specificallyequipped them to do.
Let's change that.
Step three, ask others.
Sometimes we're just too closeto ourselves to really see it
clearly.
So ask godly friends, mentors,even your pastor.
(09:49):
This isn't to be confused withsomeone else telling you what
your calling is necessarily, butrather seeking insight from the
outside, looking to questionssuch as, where do you see God
using me?
Or when do I seem most on fire?
So ask others.
And step four, get involved.
You won't know until you try.
(10:10):
So volunteer, teach, serve,host, encourage, pray, see what
stirs your soul, what bringslife and joy.
That's often where your giftlives.
Once you discover your gift,live it out.
If your gift is encouragement,send notes or texts or speak
life over others daily.
If your gift is teaching, starta Bible study, a podcast, see
(10:33):
how you might be able to getinvolved in your church.
If your gift is giving, supportmissionaries or nonprofits,
single parents, homelessshelters, the list could go on
and on here.
If your gift is mercy, sit withthose who are grieving, perhaps
visit hospitals, or even see ifsomeone's going through
something where you can go sitwith them, whether that be
(10:55):
through the death of a lost one,so grieving, but even a surgery,
surgery of a child or a parentor a spouse, just go sit with
them.
Now, if your gift is leadership,step up, lead that group, guide
that team, launch that ministry.
If your gift is prophecy ordiscernment, speak truth boldly,
(11:17):
but love and humility.
Romans 12 6 tells us we havedifferent gifts according to the
grace given to each of us.
So remember though, your giftisn't about you, it's about
obedience.
It's about Him.
So use your gifts with humility.
Gifts are not about status butservice.
(11:38):
Use them with love.
First Corinthians 13 reminds usthat gifts are worthless without
love.
With accountability, gifts mustbe used within community and
under spiritual authority andwith purpose.
So focused on edifying others,not self-promotion.
There can be commonmisunderstandings when it comes
(11:59):
to spiritual gifts, such as Idon't have any gifts.
Well, 1 Corinthians 12 7 saysevery believer is gifted.
I have all the gifts.
Well, no one has them all.
We're meant to rely on eachother.
Or gifts only happen in church,such as the pastor is the only
one with a spiritual gift.
Oh goodness, many gifts can beused in everyday life.
(12:23):
Encouragement at work, wisdom inparenting, generosity in
business.
It may be Pastor AppreciationMonth this month, but it's not
up to the pastor to do all ofthe serving or ministry within a
church.
You can check out more on thatin season four, episode 20.
But back to Charlie Kirk.
His death was senseless.
It was tragic, it was painful.
(12:44):
But if you're listening rightnow, know this God wastes
nothing.
Not Charlie's life, not hisdeath, not your doubt, not even
your discouragement.
If anything, his death should bea wake-up call.
If the enemy is attacking you,it's probably because you're
dangerous to his agenda.
(13:04):
So don't give up.
Don't shut it down.
Here's what I would encourageyou to do today.
Three steps.
First one is surrender.
If you don't know Jesuspersonally, this is where it
starts.
As I tell my children, what isthe most important thing about
life?
And they'll respond, havingJesus in your heart.
(13:27):
This isn't about religion.
It's about a relationship withthe one who created you, who
died for you, and he wants toempower you.
Romans 10 9 says, if you declarewith your mouth, Jesus is Lord,
and believe in your heart thatGod raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
It literally is as simple asthat, my friends.
(13:50):
You do not have to work for it.
You do not have to earn it.
Salvation is a gift from God.
Present it to those who simplyopen the door when Jesus is
standing there and knocking.
Let him into your heart.
You were made with a purpose,and that purpose begins not in
religion, but in a relationshipwith him.
(14:12):
Second thing I'd encourage youto do today, discover.
Ask the Holy Spirit to revealyour gift.
Take an assessment, ask others,pay attention to what stirs your
spirit.
And remember, what's small inyour eyes may be huge in
eternity.
We may never know this side ofheaven, the impact we have on
(14:33):
others, and in furthering thekingdom of God.
Pray about it.
Take the assessments, askothers, but pay attention.
Discover.
And that third challenge, go.
Start using your gift today.
What are you waiting for?
Not when you're perfect, notwhen you have a big following,
(14:53):
but now in your home, yourschool, your job, your social
media feed.
Years ago when teaching youth inthe community, I used to end my
talks with them, encouragingthem with Matthew 28, verse 19
through 20, where it says, Goand make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in thename of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit,teaching them to observe all
(15:16):
that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you alwaysto the very end of the age.
So, my friends, get up and go.
To Charlie Kirk's family, if youever hear this, we're still
grieving with you.
We honor Charlie's legacy, hislife mattered, his voice still
echoes, and because of hiscourage, many are now stepping
(15:40):
into their calling.
Thank you for sharing him withthe world.
To you, my listener.
If you're feeling small andheard, unseen, let me remind
you, you are not invisible toGod.
He placed something in you thatno one else has.
So don't bury it, don't compareit, don't waste it, and don't
(16:02):
silence it.
You've got something the worldneeds, so don't hide it.
Let Charlie's life remind us weare not promised tomorrow.
So may we be found faithfultoday.
Now I'll be real with you.
This month we celebrate fiveyears of Holly's Highlights
podcast.
It is heard across every nationin the world and rates top now
(16:24):
five to ten percent of allpodcasts out there, according to
Listen Notes, as it kind ofdepends on the day recently.
It has a five-star rating andhas reached the top of many
charts on good pods such asleadership, how-to,
Christianity, parenting,business, motivation, even
self-improvement.
But I don't know what will comeof it.
(16:44):
I don't know if my nine-timeaward-winning book, Facelift,
Embracing Hope Through YourHeartaches, will ever reach the
people I hope it does, or be abook that is read on the
airplane or commonly talkedabout.
I don't know if my speaking willever be enough.
After all, I never set out forany of this.
And honestly, I get tired, I getweary.
(17:06):
There are days I wonder if anyof this is even making a
difference.
Because this work, it's costly.
It costs time, it costs energy,it costs financially more than I
can justify.
And yet, I still believe it'sworth it.
Why?
Because I trust him.
(17:28):
I trust that God is notmeasuring my impact by numbers
or applause.
He's looking for obedience.
And where he leads, I'll go.
Even when I'm unsure, even whenI'm unseen, even when I'm tired.
And if all of this, this mic,this message, this moment, only
(17:49):
reaches one person who wakes upto the gift God has placed
inside them, then that's enough.
So friends, keep going.
Not because you have it allfigured out, but because we can
know the one who does.
As for me and my home, we willserve the Lord.
Wherever He leads, I'll go.
(18:12):
If this episode spoke to you,will you let me know?
I'd love to hear what yourspiritual gift is and how you're
living that out.
So just comment on thisepisode's post on social media,
share the episode, even leave areview.
And if you want a resource ondiscovering your spiritual gift,
check out the show notes.
I've got some great tools linkedin there.
(18:33):
Until next time, keepintentionally living your life
full of purpose.
And keep your eyes on the onewho has called you to it, will
equip you for it, and can use itall for his glory and your good.
Thank you for joining me on thisjourney of life.
(18:54):
I hope that today's highlighthas been encouraging, inspiring,
and equipping so you can go outand live your life full of
purpose.
I'd be honored if you'd take amoment to leave a review, or
better yet, subscribe.
We can also stay in touch byjoining my email list at
polykirby.com.
That's H O L L Y C U R B Y dotcom.
(19:17):
Until next time, make it a greatday for a great day.
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