1 Week to Launch Day – God-Given Dreams Book Excerpt

I’m so excited that in about ONE WEEK God-Given Dreams: 6 Ways to Live Your Divine Purpose (NavPress, March 5) will be released into the world!

My prayer is that God’s beloved daughters near and far will find the encouragement they need to have the courage to say yes to God’s plan for their lives.

I’ve poured my heart and soul into this book.

I’m thrilled that I can share an excerpt from this inspiring book below and a few lovely endorsements.

May you be encouraged by this excerpt from God-Given Dreams:

“We’re to bear good fruit for the Kingdom, and that includes growing in the fruit of the Spirit. Living your God-given dreams is acknowledging that God has chosen you to collaborate with Him.

God chose us to be His loving hands, feet, mouth, and more in this world. God has ordained us to fulfill certain Kingdom assignments. If you’ve ever thought you didn’t have any special gifts or talents, think again.

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

God may have given you the ability to sing, dance, write, lead, speak, or teach. Ask God to show you how He’d like you to use those gifts to serve Him.

It’s easy to be tempted to compare with, compete with, or copy someone else’s gift, but let’s instead remember that God is creative and generous. He has plenty of gifts and talents for all His children.

When I first started meeting people at church, I would hear them talk about their “ministries,” and it made me wonder how they were assigned their ministries. I wondered if I had missed a meeting where ministries were handed out. I gradually learned that God has given each of us different Kingdom assignments, or ministries. When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, He blesses us with at least one spiritual gift to carry out those assignments.

Scripture offers a window into what kinds of spiritual gifts are available to believers. For example, take 1 Corinthians 12:7-11:

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

We don’t earn our spiritual gifts. The Holy Spirit distributes them as He determines.

In Romans 12:3-8, the apostle Paul reminds us that all spiritual gifts are necessary. We all belong to the same body of Christ. We’re to use our gifts according to our faith, and with generosity and diligence and cheerfulness:

By the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 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; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 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.

Ephesians 4:11-13 says Jesus placed apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers in the church to help build up His body so we can mature in our faith, become more Christlike, and minister to others as He did.

Serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, and showing mercy are just some of the gifts available to believers.

I found it so helpful and affirming to discover my spiritual gifts by taking a class and filling out spiritual gifts surveys. These things confirmed that I was already using some of my gifts and helped me understand how God had wired me to serve Him. You may want to take a spiritual-gifts class at your church or speak with your pastor or a trusted ministry leader to learn more. There are also books about the different spiritual gifts. You might even want to take a free spiritual-gifts survey online.

Our gifts don’t belong to us. Our gifts and talents are to be shared with others. We truly are blessed to be a blessing.”

Excerpt from God-Given Dreams: 6 Ways to Live Your Divine Purpose (NavPress) © Nancy Gavilanes.

I hope you’ll pre-order your copy of God-Given Dreams today at any of these sites:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble’s website

Books-A-Million

ChristianBook.com

NavPress’ website 

Target’s website

Walmart’s website

Preordering books sends the message to the publishing world that this book matters.

FYI: I’m going to be sharing a special promo code with Abounding Faith’s Email Community. Are you signed up? Be sure to sign up for my email Community right here.

Thanks for your prayers and support!

To God be the Glory!

What People Are Saying:

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