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So one of the popular videos we've done in the past is titled All Spiritual Gifts Explained in less than 10 minutes. And one question that we've been asked quite a bit in our comments section is how do I find out my spiritual gifts? So this video is a response to that question. So if you're a believer that's learned about spiritual gifts and you're curious to find out what yours are, there's five sure steps that you can take in order to find out what they are. I know there's quite a few questionnaire or survey assessments out there that can tell you what gifts you may have, and those might be a good place to start. But my goal for this video is to help you know for sure what your gifts are, because from what I've experienced, most Christians that take these steps seriously will often find that they have more than one gift. And I'll cover that in the last step of this video. So with that said, if you're someone that wants to know what gift God has given you, follow these five steps hey guys, thanks so much for watching our videos, and if you haven't already, please don't forget to like and subscribe. Also, if you'd like to support us more, you can become a member by clicking the Become a Member link in the description below. For the price of a coffee every month, you can help support our work to spread the gospel. Also, I recently made a new design for some of our shirts and sweaters with our Impact logo. I attached the Japanese phrase chotozutsu, which is translated little by little. And my goal in making this design is to remind believers that in order to make an impact on the people around us, we need to focus on making the small steps in our walk with God. Unlike some of our other designs, we're offering this exclusively in apparel only. So if you'd like one, or if you'd like to support us in this way, you can click the link in the description below. And on top of shirts and hoodies, we also have some stickers, pins, and phone cases if you'd like to get those. And lastly, we're also starting to roll out some of our thumbnail designs for other products as well, so also be on the lookout for those. Again, the link is in the description below. And thank you so much for your support. And back to the video. Step number one know what the spiritual gifts are First Corinthians, chapter 12, verse 1 Now, concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant in this passage. Paul's pretty straightforward and he tells the early church that he doesn't want them to be ignorant when it comes to spiritual gifts. So when it comes to the topic of spiritual gifts, many Christians have no idea what they are. So if you haven't already, please watch our first video where we explain what all the gifts are, because this video is a part two of that video. But simply put, spiritual gifts is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit in someone's life. Or in other words, when a person has faith that Jesus died on the cross for their sins, they become born again. And what this means is that the Holy Spirit is now birthed within them. And according to First Corinthians, chapter 3, verse 16, they become the new dwelling place of God, the Holy Spirit. And because he's living within people, his power and abilities will reveal themselves in a person. And these manifestations are what you call spiritual gifts, because when God resides in a person, he empowers them with specific talents so that they can be enabled to walk in his calling for their life. Also note that when it comes to this topic, Paul says explicitly in First Corinthians chapter 12, verse 1, that believers should not be ignorant of their own spiritual gifts. So the first step of finding out what they are is to look at the fullest of them. So here's the full list for you, along with all their cross references. And I want you right now to pause this video and to take a picture or a screenshot of this list. And if you don't know what one of these gifts are, you need to go back and watch our first video on the topic so that you can understand what that gift is. Because again, this passage says to not be ignorant of what spiritual gifts are. So the obvious first step when it comes to finding out your own is to approach the subject from a place of knowledge. So once you have your list and you know what all those gifts are, move on to step number two. Understand what spiritual gifts are used for. First Corinthians, chapter 12, verse 7. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. So for those of you who don't know, First Corinthians, chapter 12 is one of the main passages where we learn a lot about spiritual gifts. And in this verse we see the heart or the reason why gifts are given, and it's for the profit of all or for the well being of people. And the reason why this is important is because some people can make gifts all about themselves. So look at that list that I told you to screenshot all those Gifts are for the benefit of people. For myself, God gave me the gift of teaching and God didn't give me that gift so I can feel good about myself and puff me up. So I think, wow, I'm so great. Rather, God gave me the gift of teaching so that people can feel uplifted and encouraged. On top of that, God gives people the gift of leadership to help guide people who feel lost. God also gives people the gift of knowledge and wisdom to help people when they don't know what to do. And he gives people the gift of helps so that if anyone needs a helping hand, they can get it. So all this to say before you try to find out your spiritual gift, you must understand the purpose of your gift. So if the spiritual gift is the what, this step challenges you to know and own the why. So remember this passage because it says that the Spirit was given for the profit or benefit of other people. To prove this point further, look at First Corinthians, chapter 14, verse 12 even so you since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel. So look, even Paul understood that finding out your giftings could be exciting. So he tells people, hey, since you're zealous and passionate about finding your gifts, let it be for the edification or the building up of God's people that you seek to excel. Or, in other words, if you want to excel in spiritual gifts, that's fine. Just make sure you do it not for yourself, but do it so that your gift can help bless and build up God's people. So now that you have a list of gifts and a reminder to use them for others, move on to step number three. Try to serve in different ministries. 1st Corinthians 12:4 6 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. In this passage, Paul explains that there are different kinds of gifts, different kinds of ministries, and different kinds of activities but one God. And if you were to continue to read First Corinthians, chapter 12, you read that God's people are like a body, and different people with different gifts function like different parts of the body. So for a physical body you have different parts eyes that see, ears that hear, legs and feet that walk around, and hands that hold on and do things. And all these parts function for the benefit of the whole body. So keep that visual and consider the spiritual body of Christ People who have the gift of giving have a specific function in the body. People who have the gift of mercy have a different function. And people who have the gift of administration also have a different function. So in order to find out what your spiritual gifts are, you need to put yourself in different ministries so that they can be a kind of testing ground to see if you function in a particular way. Also note the word ministry simply means to serve. So don't think that you need to sign up at a church in order to serve in a ministry because you could serve outside the church. However, it is nice to serve at church because they normally have a bunch of different ministries that you can help out in. For me personally, when I was identifying my gifts, I tried serving in a convalescent home, did street witnessing, taught Sunday school, and helped with security and first aid. However, let me try to make things clear here. There is a difference between a ministry and a place of ministry. For example, if you're a greeter for your church, the place of ministry would probably be close to the front doors of your church. But the ministry itself is in connecting to the people that walk through that door so that they feel loved and welcomed. And if you help with security, the place of ministry may be the outside parking lot, but the ministry itself is in making sure God's people are physically being protected. So let's look back at the greeter. Their gift may be exhortation, the place may be church, and the ministry may be them meeting the need of people connecting. So for the people who serve, their heart should not be to just say hi, but to do their best to show God's love to people who walk through their doors. So for this step in finding out your spiritual gifts, you need to position yourself in different ministries so that you can see if you naturally function in a particular way. And I would encourage you to find as many different kinds of places to serve in, especially ones that you're not comfortable with. And as you do this, look at that list back in the first step of this video and reflect to see if you naturally feel compelled to use some of these gifts to help you understand this more. I'll give you guys my experience and I'll tell you how I was introduced to me discovering my gift of teaching. So I was in high school and I was 17 years old, and I remember learning so much from my high school teacher about God that I felt like I needed to relay what I learned to a close friend of mine. So when me and my friend Josh would hang out, I'd Start telling him everything that I learned in class. And after a few times that I did this, Josh told me that I should share what I learned at our men's Bible study. And at first I flat out said no, and I told him that I was not a teacher. But after he brought it up again, I thought that what I learned from my teacher may actually help other people. So I said yes and taught the study. And one of my first Bible studies that I taught as a high school senior was on the letters to the seven churches in Revelation. And I remember feeling good when I taught. So after I graduated high school, I decided to volunteer as a fifth and sixth grade Sunday school teacher. And just so you know, growing up, I was never a public speaker. In fact, during my freshman year of high school, I completely froze during a speech. And. And my teacher had to line by line walk me through my entire speech. And when I was up there in front of class, I was breathing heavy, I put my hands on my knees, and I just stared at the ground. And after the awkward pause and me just standing there for so many seconds, my teacher then repeated my speech verbatim. And all I did was copy her. And you know what? She gave me a C for that speech. That was a pity grade. I deserved an F. But all that to say, I am a speaker now, and I've taught multiple Bible classes, have been a guest speaker for multiple retreats, youth services, and main services. And I'll tell you this right now. God made me the way that I am, and he gave me a voice of strength so that I can serve him more fully. Because before I followed Jesus, I was only capable of freezing on stage whenever I had to speak in front of an audience. So I tell you all of this because I would not have found my gift unless I positioned myself in a place of ministry that I initially was pretty uncomfortable with when I first taught. I just felt like I needed to and that it would help a lot of people if I did. And the goal in my mind was so clear to help my friends that it didn't matter that I was scared to speak to an audience. So for you, find as many different places where you can serve and be mindful to distinguish between the ministry and the place of ministry. So, yes, maybe help with youth ministry, but see the ministry and see the need that you're fulfilling. So if in class you see a student sitting alone and you feel like you may have the gift of exhortation, try to sit next to them and start a conversation with them with the intent of helping them with whatever they're struggling with at the moment. Or if you help with the homeless ministry and you feel like you have the gift of giving, maybe you bake some extra baked goods to hand out to people to meet the need of eating. So the overall idea is to take your full list of spiritual gifts, remember that they're used for the benefit of people, and then plug yourself into places where you can try to exercise your gift. And once you do this, move on to step number four. Ask God for wisdom about the gifts he gave you. James, chapter one, verse five. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. In this passage, James, the half brother of Jesus, tells believers that if any of them are in need of some wisdom, to ask God because He's someone who gives wisdom freely. So whether you have just a small idea of what your gifts are, or if you have absolutely no idea at all, you need to invite God in as you try to discover them. So as you look at our spiritual gift list, try to see if any stand out to you or if you feel like you have any. And once you do that, ask God for wisdom on which ones that you have. And as you serve in different ministries, keep your conversation with God going. So if you're wondering if you have the gift of leading, put yourself in a place where you can lead and ask God at that moment if that's where he wants you to be. And then ask God to give you some kind of confirmation. And as you do this, remember, spiritual gifts are gifts, meaning you don't get to choose them. You see, God gave you the gifts that he wanted you to have. So just because you feel like you want one in particular, doesn't mean you'll get it. So as you pray, you need to ask God for wisdom on what he gave you. And just keep praying until he gives you clarity and confirmation of on one of your gifts. And once you find out one of your gifts, move on to the final step. Step number five. Use the gifts that you possess. Romans, chapter 12, verses 4 to 6. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function. So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another, having then gifts deferring according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them. If prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith. In this passage, Paul is telling the Roman church that they are all members of Christ's body. So since they have different gifts, use them. And he goes on to say that if someone has the gift of prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership, or mercy to use them. So once you find out one of your gifts through prayer, the next step is to position yourself in a place of ministry so that you can regularly exercise your spiritual gift. And once you do this, one of the things that I was taught by my mentor was that if you're faithful to use your gift, God will do one of two things. He'll either give you a greater measure of your gift, or he'll give you another gift in addition to the one that you have already. And you continue to do this until you find all your gifts. And once you find all your gifts, this is called your gift set. And from here, you kind of know exactly where and what you should be doing in the body of Christ. I would say it's incredibly useful to take ownership of your gift set because you'll have an easier time navigating what God may want to do through you. In fact, before our Japan mission team all went out to Japan, we all shared our gift sets. That way, we can all know what our strengths were. For me, my main three gifts that I use on a regular basis are teaching, exhortation and helps. And knowing this helps me a lot, because when I'm in Japan, my place of ministry is a fitness gym. But one of the reasons why it's great for me to know my gifts is because I've placed myself in a place where I can use all three. I can teach people how to work out, I can come alongside people to encourage them, and I can meet a physical need in their life which could eventually lead to me teaching them about Jesus. So I would encourage and challenge you. Do not stop finding out your gifts once you find out one. So once you find out one, use it and see what else God has in store for you. And before you know it, you'll have your gift set. And when you serve in ministry, you'll have peace and joy in your heart, because you'll just feel like you're doing exactly what God has called you to do. Okay, so if you're someone that's curious to know what your spiritual gifts are, follow these five steps. Know what the spiritual gifts are. Understand what spiritual gifts are used for. Try to serve in different ministries. Ask God for wisdom about the gifts he gave you, and use the gifts that you possess. And I would add to that. Keep doing this until you find your gift set. As a final encouragement. Be very cautious of spiritual warfare from here on out. Should you find your gift set, you will be a much more equipped servant in God's kingdom. So Satan will definitely come against you. Especially if you start serving in ministry. You will definitely present yourself as a target. So cover yourself in prayer, stay close to God, and stay focused as you try to find your gift set. Because I'll tell you, there's an indescribable peace and joy that comes from serving God using the gifts that he gave you. Because you'll just know in your heart and spirit that that you are at the center of his will. So try to get there. And as you do, I hope you remember that Jesus loves you.