Motivational Gifts #4 The Source Of All Of The Gifts God Gives Us

Motivational Gifts Source Overview

In this fourth installment of his series on motivational gifts, the pastor of NTC Ministries opens with Psalm 46:1-5, establishing that God is our refuge and that every gift He bestows is a weapon against the curse of this world. Drawing from Romans 12:3-8, he identifies the seven motivational gifts given to every born-again believer — prophecy, serving, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and mercy — and explains that one of these gifts will be dominant in each person’s life. The message focuses especially on the gift of serving, rooted in the Greek word diaconia, meaning to attend and wait upon others. Using 1 Peter 4:9-11, the pastor unpacks three practical keys: taking ownership of your gift through the Greek word lambano, developing excellence in its use like a servant in a royal court, and trusting that God will release supernatural ability — the Greek iscus — when you apply yourself fully. The example of Stephen in Acts 6 powerfully illustrates how faithful, wholehearted service in even a humble role can release miraculous signs and wonders. The message closes with a call to diligence, excellence, and whole-hearted commitment to the gifts God has placed within every believer.

Motivational Gifts Source Outline

• 00:00 – Introduction and Series Overview: The pastor recaps the series on motivational gifts, explaining that these gifts are given at the new birth by the Holy Spirit and differ from the natural personality developed in the world.
• 04:30 – Psalm 46 — God as Refuge and Source: Reading Psalm 46:1-5, the pastor establishes that God is the ultimate source of all gifts and that each gift functions as a weapon against the trials and pressures of earthly life.
• 10:00 – Three Categories of Gifts in Scripture: The pastor distinguishes the five-fold ministry gifts of Ephesians 4, the nine spiritual gifts of 1 Corinthians 12, and the seven motivational gifts of Romans 12, showing how they complement one another.
• 17:00 – Romans 12:3-8 — The Seven Motivational Gifts: A close reading of Romans 12:3-8 reveals that every believer receives a gift of grace and is called to use it faithfully, avoiding pride and comparison while embracing their unique contribution to the body.
• 24:00 – The Gift of Serving — Diaconia Explained: The pastor focuses on the motivational gift of serving, unpacking the Greek word diaconia and contrasting true servant leadership with the worldly desire to lord authority over others, including a pointed exhortation about parental responsibility.
• 33:00 – 1 Peter 4:9-11 — Take Ownership of Your Gift: Peter’s instructions are examined word by word. The pastor explains lambano as taking personal ownership of a God-given gift and emphasizes that every believer is called to minister with the excellence of a trained servant in a royal court.
• 41:00 – Excellence in Service — The Restaurant Illustration: A vivid personal story about visiting a nearly 200-year-old restaurant in Tampa Bay illustrates what attentive, excellent service looks like and challenges the church to bring that same standard to their motivational gifts.
• 47:00 – Stephen in Acts 6 — Serving Releases Miracles: The example of Stephen, chosen to distribute food among the Grecian widows, demonstrates that wholehearted use of even a practical gift results in God releasing extraordinary signs, wonders, and supernatural ability.
• 52:00 – Ecclesiastes 9:10 and the Iscus Principle: The pastor introduces the Greek word iscus, comparing God’s empowerment to an echo — whatever effort you invest, God returns it multiplied. Ecclesiastes 9:10 reinforces the call to do whatever your hand finds to do with all your might.
• 55:30 – Closing Exhortation and Call to Wholehearted Commitment: The sermon closes with a call to stop comparing yourself with others, stop doing half-hearted work, and trust that God will bring blessings, promotion, and supernatural empowerment to those who faithfully use what He has given them.

Scripture References

Psalm 46:1-5, Romans 12:3-8, Romans 12:1-3, 1 Peter 4:9-11, 2 Corinthians 10:12, Acts 6:8, Ecclesiastes 9:10

Key Takeaways

• Every born-again believer receives at least one motivational gift from God, and one of the seven gifts listed in Romans 12 will be the dominant driving force in their life.
• The gift of serving is not a lesser calling but a powerful ministry that, when pursued with excellence, can release signs, wonders, and miracles just as it did through Stephen in Acts 6.
• Taking ownership of your gift, expressed by the Greek word lambano, means treating it as your own personal responsibility and investing in developing it with skill and dedication.
• God promises to release supernatural ability, the Greek iscus, into your life in proportion to the effort and excellence you bring to the gift He has placed within you.
• Comparing yourself to others or shrinking back from your gift out of false humility robs both you and the body of Christ of the power God intended to flow through your unique contribution.
• Renewing your mind in the Word of God and sacrificing your time and energy in active church community are essential conditions for these motivational gifts to flow and bear fruit.
• Doing your work half-heartedly cuts you off from God’s supernatural empowerment, while wholehearted diligence in even the most practical task positions you for blessings you never imagined.

Motivational Gifts Source Notes

Every Believer Carries a Weapon

The opening framework of this message reframes spiritual gifts not merely as abilities for ministry but as weapons against the curse system of this fallen world. Drawing from Psalm 46, the pastor establishes that God is a very present help in trouble, and that the gifts He distributes at the new birth are part of that help. Far from being optional extras for the spiritually advanced, these seven motivational gifts are God’s provision for every believer to rise above the pressures of life and demonstrate the Kingdom of Heaven in everyday circumstances.

Serving Is Royal Work, Not Menial Labor

The Greek word diaconia is often translated simply as ministry or serving, but its original context evokes the image of an attendant in a wealthy household or royal court — someone trained, attentive, and committed to excellence in every detail. The pastor draws a sharp contrast between this vision of service and the contemporary cultural drift toward control and authority. True leaders, he argues, are servants first. This principle applies not only to those in five-fold ministry but to anyone called to meet the practical needs of the body of Christ.

The Stephen Principle — Faithfulness Unlocks Miracles

Perhaps the most compelling illustration in the sermon is the account of Stephen in Acts 6. Chosen for the apparently humble task of distributing food to overlooked Grecian widows, Stephen did not treat his assignment as beneath him. He served with everything he had. The result was extraordinary: Acts 6:8 records that he did great wonders and signs among the people. The pastor uses this to demonstrate that supernatural power is not reserved for those in visible leadership. It flows to anyone who uses their motivational gift with wholehearted commitment and excellence.

Lambano — Taking Personal Ownership

The word study on lambano in 1 Peter 4:10 is one of the theological anchors of the message. This Greek verb does not describe passively receiving something handed to you. It means to actively take it, to reach out and claim ownership. The pastor illustrates this with a story of a borrowed boat returned badly damaged by someone who felt no personal investment in it. When believers treat their gifts as someone else’s responsibility — something optional or temporary — those gifts go unused and undeveloped. Lambano calls every believer to say: this gift is mine, given by God, and I will steward it fully.

The Echo of God’s Empowerment

The pastor’s word study on iscus, the Greek term translated ability in 1 Peter 4:11, introduces a memorable image: the echo. Just as a sound returns amplified from a hard surface, God promises to return to the believer far more than the effort they invest in their gift. The harder you work at what He has placed in you, the greater the divine empowerment that flows back into your life. This principle is confirmed by Ecclesiastes 9:10, which urges believers to do whatever their hand finds with all their might, knowing that the opportunity to work faithfully is a gift not available in eternity.

Excellence as an Act of Worship

Running throughout the sermon is a call to pursue excellence not for the sake of reputation but as an act of faithfulness to God. Whether the illustration is a nearly 200-year-old restaurant whose attentive servers watch customers from behind trees, or the pastor’s own professional history of being retained and paid even when no work remained, the message is consistent: when you bring your best to what God has given you, you become someone that the world and the Lord both want to keep close. Half-hearted effort, the pastor warns plainly, leaves you on your own. Excellence positions you for blessings you never thought to ask for.

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