Motivational Gifts #3: Romans 12, the Recipe for Your Gift and the Gift of Prophecy

Motivational gifts are the foundational gifts God places in every believer, and they are given to serve other people, not to make us look good. In this message, Dr. William P. Hohman walks through Romans 12, shows how to “bake” a gift so it comes out right, and then opens the first of the seven motivational gifts: prophecy. This is the third part of his series and continues from Motivational Gifts #2: Humility, the River and the Gifts of God.

Below you will find the full video, a structured summary of the sermon, the Scripture behind each point (linked to the New King James Version on Bible Gateway), a timestamped outline, and practical steps you can take this week.

Sermon at a Glance

This message was preached on Father’s Day and posted on June 19, 2023. It runs about 63 minutes. Pastor Hohman opens with a short word for fathers: dads are parents too, and they should not leave all the parenting to mothers. He then returns to the series and reminds the church that we live in a corrupted world, yet all who call on the Lord will be saved.

He explains that the word saved is sozo, which he defines as being healed, delivered and prospered, not only going to heaven one day. Our focus, he says, is not the corruption around us but God and the gifts He has given. An army that only watches its enemy gets outflanked; an army that knows its own armor and weapons can outmaneuver the enemy.

A River With Many Streams

The foundational text for the series is Psalm 46:1–5. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble, and “there is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God.” Pastor Hohman reminds the church that Jesus said in this world we will have trouble, but to be of good cheer, because He has overcome the world (John 16:33).

The river, he teaches, is the Holy Spirit in our lives, and it reaches people through streams. Different streams feed different kinds of people. Those streams are the foundational gifts, the things that motivate each of us in life. That is what this whole series on motivational gifts is about.

He illustrates it with the rock Moses struck in the wilderness. He describes it as larger than half the church auditorium, and says that the Bible and writers from that period tell of a river pouring out and forming streams. Each of the twelve tribes was camped in its own place around the Tabernacle, and each received a stream. In the same way, different people have a different stream flowing in their lives.

He ties this to what the series has already covered: the woman at the well in John 4, and the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, when Jesus said that whoever is thirsty should come to Him and drink, and rivers of living water would flow out of them (John 7:37–38). That is why, he says, it matters so much to embrace the Holy Spirit and let Him move.

Three Kinds of Spiritual Gifts

Pastor Hohman explains that the New Testament has three chapters that are specifically about gifts. He compares them so that the church can see where motivational gifts fit alongside the others. The table below follows his teaching.

The charismatic gifts of 1 Corinthians 12:7–11 include tongues, interpretation, prophecy, words of wisdom, words of knowledge, discerning of spirits, faith, miracles and gifts of healings. They operate “as He wills,” and he says every believer will be used in each of them from time to time. The five-fold gifts in Ephesians 4:11–13 are given to some, to build up the body until we all come to the unity of the faith.

The whole kingdom, he says, runs on gifts. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16). We are saved by grace through faith, and that is not of ourselves; it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). Those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17).

Those gifts are for us personally. But the three chapters of gifts are for other people. A word of wisdom is not about getting wiser yourself. Paul longed to visit Rome to impart some spiritual gift so that the church would be established (Romans 1:11). Motivational gifts work the same way: you will see them in your life every day, but they are given to serve others.

The Recipe for Motivational Gifts in Romans 12

In Romans 12:3–8, Paul lists the seven motivational gifts: prophecy, serving, teaching, exhortation, giving, organization (leading with diligence) and mercy. Unlike the five-fold gifts, everyone gets at least one. You may see several in your life, but one will make your ears perk up. That is your dominant gift, and the place where you will shine the brightest.

Pastor Hohman says he is a good cook but not a good baker. Cooking lets you throw in a little of this and that; baking needs an exact recipe or it does not come out right. Motivational gifts are like baking, and the gift of prophecy most of all. If you will not put in what is required, you will be misunderstood and apply your gift wrongly. He finds the recipe in Romans 12:1–2 and verse 3.

The first ingredient is to present your body a living sacrifice. A sacrifice is not always fun: it costs time and energy, and sometimes it means biting your tongue. The second is a renewed mind. Without the Word, what flows out will be your own emotion and opinion, and most likely it will be wrong and hurtful.

He tells of a church that had struggled with problem after problem for years. The pastor’s wife stood up and declared, “I have perfect discernment.” That, he told them, was the problem. She had a real prophetic gift, but she needed to mature in how she delivered it. She was teachable, and the church turned around.

The third ingredient is to remember that grace is the key to our gifts. Without God’s gift, he jokes, you would be Patrick on SpongeBob SquarePants. The fourth is that our gifts are unique, so we cannot simply do it our own way. He pictures someone who has never seen a car being given one and pushing it everywhere because nobody explained the engine.

From Romans 12:4–5 he adds that we are many members in one body. Someone who rubs you the wrong way may carry the very gift you will need one day. Learning these motivational gifts, he says, will help you understand other people better, and probably like yourself a little more too.

The Gift of Prophecy: Perceive, Not Predict

The first of the motivational gifts Paul names is the gift of prophecy. Romans 12:6 says, “let us prophesy in proportion to our faith.” Pastor Hohman notes that prophecy is the only gift in the list described this way. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God, so no one can prophesy beyond what they know of the Word.

He teaches that the Greek word behind it means to perceive, not to predict. Preaching the Word is a form of prophecy: if you take heed to the Word, you will prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers (3 John 2). Prophecy is simply sharing the word of the Lord in faith.

He tells of a woman who stood up in a service and “prophesied” that her neighbor had better keep his dog in his yard or she would shoot it. That, he says, was her own exasperation, prophesying out of her soul. Ezekiel pronounced woe on prophets who follow their own spirit (Ezekiel 13:3).

The biblical definition is found in 1 Corinthians 14:3: the one who prophesies speaks edification, exhortation and comfort. Other translations say it strengthens, encourages and comforts. Threatening someone’s dog does none of those. That is why prophecy is judged by the elders of the church. The word we preach, Paul said, is the word of faith (Romans 10:8), not our opinions about right and wrong.

Pastor Hohman summarizes the gift of prophecy this way: it motivates a person to have spiritual insights that motivate other people. Prophecy-motivated believers are intuitive. They can sense the inner motives of others and whether intentions are good or evil. The church needs them, but only when the gift is used to build up and not tear down.

How Prophecy-Motivated People See

There is a danger in the gift of prophecy. If all you do is decide whose motives are right and wrong, you will develop an evil eye and start seeing bad in everyone. Jesus said that if your eye is single, your whole body will be full of light (Matthew 6:22–23). A mature prophetic person wants sin destroyed, not the sinner, and wants relationships restored. Those who are spiritual restore others gently (Galatians 6:1).

He points to the Pharisees, who criticized John the Baptist for not eating and drinking and then called Jesus a glutton and a drunkard (Luke 7:33–34). They strained at a gnat and swallowed a camel (Matthew 23:23–24), neglecting mercy. We teach more, he says, by what we do than by what we say.

He shares the story of Marley Helmstetter, who served as a pastor at NTC. Newly saved, she burned her daughters’ clothes in a pile in the front yard and banned swimsuits and makeup. When she came to the church, Pastor Hohman sat down with her and taught her about the liberty of the Spirit. She repented, taught in the Bible college and prophesied often. Blessed are the meek, he says, which means the teachable (Matthew 5:5).

A true prophecy-motivated person is also open about their own faults. When Peter saw the miracle catch of fish, he fell at Jesus’ feet and said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man” (Luke 5:8). If you only like pointing out others’ weaknesses and resent it when yours are exposed, he says, you are simply a busybody. Scripture warns about busybodies in 2 Thessalonians 3:11 and 1 Timothy 5:13, and 1 Peter 4:15 lists them alongside murderers and thieves.

Believers with the gift of prophecy are protective of God’s program, alert to dishonesty, and they sense what a person is rather than just what they say. Peter perceived what was in the hearts of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1–10). They also like visuals. Jeremiah buried a linen sash by the Euphrates and dug it up ruined (Jeremiah 13:1–11), and Agabus bound himself with Paul’s belt (Acts 21:8–13).

Dangers and Guardrails for the Prophetic Gift

Pastor Hohman warns prophecy-motivated people against chasing every prophetic voice on the internet. Error, he says, comes through a multitude of voices. He saw many online prophets contradict one another and miss it, and he counsels believers to find one prophetic voice they are truly in fellowship with instead.

Without submission, teaching and daily renewal in the Word, he lists what happens: quick impressions that are only opinions, exposing people without restoring them, jumping to wrong conclusions, reacting harshly, becoming unforgiving, cutting people off, lacking tact and dwelling on the negative. The answer is to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) and guard against rigidity and legalism in the church.

Change takes time, he says. You cannot turn an ocean liner within a couple of city blocks. He is convinced that He who began a good work in you will complete it (Philippians 1:6). He closes the teaching on the gift of prophecy with a summary of its traits:

• Sees actions as either right or wrong and reacts strongly to people who are not what they appear to be.
• Quickly discerns a person’s character and feels responsible to correct those who do wrong.
• Explains everything that is wrong with an item before selling it, and wants people to know how they feel.
• Loves honesty, hates being lied to, and is quick to judge themselves when they fail.
• Will do right and keep their word even when it costs them.

He adds a caution about that last trait: guard against condemning yourself. A mistake is an event, not who you are.

Living Out Your Motivational Gift This Week

Pastor Hohman says everyone is equipped in one way or another to help people, and he asks the church to commit to growing in their motivation. Here are practical steps drawn from this message:

• Find your stream. Notice which of the seven motivational gifts makes your ears perk up, and expect it to be the gift you are meant to serve others with.
• Follow the recipe. Offer your time and energy as a living sacrifice and keep your mind renewed in the Word, so what flows out is God and not your opinion.
• Test your words. Before you speak a correction, ask whether it will strengthen, encourage and comfort, as 1 Corinthians 14:3 describes.
• Restore, do not expose. If you see a fault in someone, go to them gently and aim for restoration, the way the church once helped the pastor’s wife who claimed perfect discernment.
• Stay teachable. Be quick to say “forgive me, teach me,” and be open about your own weaknesses as Peter was.
• Dads, be a parent. Ask your children what they did, what they enjoyed and what they did not like after school, friends and church, and help them understand life.

Timestamped Outline

• 0:00 A Father’s Day word: dads are parents too
• 1:03 Living in a corrupted world and the meaning of sozo
• 2:07 Focus on your armor, not the enemy
• 3:11 Psalm 46: a river whose streams make glad
• 4:09 Moses strikes the rock and the twelve streams
• 6:26 The gifts of the Holy Spirit
• 7:34 The five-fold ministry gifts
• 8:39 The kingdom runs on gifts: John 3:16 and Ephesians 2
• 10:54 Gifts are given for other people
• 11:57 Romans 12:3–8 read aloud
• 16:16 Seven motivational gifts and the baking lesson
• 18:20 Ingredient one: a living sacrifice
• 20:40 Ingredient two: a renewed mind
• 21:38 The pastor’s wife with “perfect discernment”
• 24:50 Many members in one body: Romans 12:4–5
• 26:56 The gift of prophecy and proportion of faith
• 28:06 Perceive, not predict
• 30:21 Strengthen, encourage and comfort: 1 Corinthians 14:3
• 33:52 The evil eye and restoring others
• 38:37 Straining at a gnat, swallowing a camel
• 39:42 Marley Helmstetter’s story
• 44:00 Busybodies and gossips
• 48:34 Ananias and Sapphira
• 49:32 Visual prophecy: Jeremiah’s sash and Agabus
• 54:26 Speak the truth in love
• 59:01 Traits of a prophecy-motivated person
• 1:01:12 A charge to fathers and closing prayer

Motivational Gifts Series

This message is part of a ten-part teaching series at NTC Ministries. Start from the beginning or continue where this one leaves off:

• First message: Motivational Gifts #1: The River, the Streams and the 21 Gifts of God
• Previous: Motivational Gifts #2: Humility, the River and the Gifts of God
• You are here: Motivational Gifts #3: Romans 12, the Recipe for Your Gift and the Gift of Prophecy
• Next: Motivational Gifts #4: The Gift of Serving and the Ability God Supplies

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I do not want the gift of prophecy?

Pastor Hohman answers this with humor: if God gave it to you, you are stuck with it. There are no do-overs. The point is not to trade it in but to learn to use it correctly, so that people are strengthened and blessed instead of offended. Many people, he warns, have left church hurt by careless correction, so learning to “bake the cake” right matters.

Why does Pastor Hohman warn about following many online prophets?

He teaches that prophecy-motivated people love to hear prophets and keep up with what each one is saying. But he says error comes through a multitude of voices. He watched many prophetic voices online contradict one another and miss it. His counsel is to stop chasing them and find one you are truly in fellowship with.

How should a prophetic person handle their own mistakes?

He says these believers are quick to judge themselves when they fail, and they must guard against condemning themselves. Everyone makes mistakes, but a mistake is just an event. Going to one event at the Olympics does not make you an Olympian, he jokes, and one failure does not define who you are in Christ.

Scripture References

All passages open in the New King James Version on Bible Gateway:

• Romans 12:3–8 — the seven motivational gifts
• Romans 12:1–2 — the recipe: a living sacrifice and a renewed mind
• Psalm 46:1–5 — the river whose streams make glad the city of God
• 1 Corinthians 12:7–11 — the gifts of the Holy Spirit
• Ephesians 4:11–13 — the five-fold ministry gifts
• 1 Corinthians 14:3 — prophecy edifies, exhorts and comforts
• Galatians 6:1 — restore gently
• Jeremiah 13:1–11 — the ruined linen sash
• Acts 21:8–13 — Agabus and Paul’s belt

How this summary was made: written with AI assistance from the sermon’s own transcript and checked against the Scriptures listed above.

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