ALPHA Class 3 - Who am I and how do I fit into God's Kingdom?

Part 3 in a four part ALPHA class on following Christ.

1 - Who was Jesus and why did he have to die?
2 - What is the church and how do I grow? 
3 - Who am I and how do I fit into God's Kingdom?
4 - Where do I go from here?

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Who am I? (Humanity)
A. Biblical
     1. Created in God's Image: Positive view of mankind (above creation, yet a part of creation) | (Genesis 1:26)
          a. “Image” not defined in Scripture: Best Clue → Jesus: uncorrupted human | perfect relation/community to God & humans
               i. possibly means: physical likeness | reason/intellectual thought | non-animal trait (soul, conscience, etc.) | relational
               ii. Marred Image: fallen, i.e. “damaged goods” | primal falleness corrupting since origin of man & actual sins stemming from
     2. Child of God: God takes believers into his family as heirs | Intimate: “Abba” → “Poppa”/“daddy” | (Galatians 3:26-4:7)
     3. Servant to God: (1 Cor. 6:18 - not your own/bought with a price)
          a. What do we do? The Mission: Great Commission | (Matt 28:16-20)
          b. In what manner do w do it? As Living Sacrifices | (Romans 12:1)
          c. How do we do it? Through the Spirit | (Romans 8)
          d. In community (the church): for protection, to edify others, to be edified by others | (Hebrews 10:23-25)

B. Psychology: Lao-Tzu: He who knows others is wise; He who know himself is enlightened
     1. Know your own personality | Internal wiring
     ex. Meyers Briggs: Introvert/Extrovert | iNtuitive/Sensing | Feeling/Thinking | Perceiving/Judging
     ex. DISC: Dominant | Influence | Stable | Compliance

Spiritual Gifts (VLI – Leader's Self Understanding & Spiritual Formation 2009 – Steve Robbins)
A. What are they? Grace gifts (charismata) | not personality traits | not ours, but God's | (1 Peter 4:10-11)
     1. basis: unmerited generosity | purpose: glorify God & increase his reputation in all things

B. Speaking Gifts (utters the word of God)
     1. Prophecy: declares heart of God directed to the need of moment bringing conviction (Romans 12:6)
     2. Word of Wisdom: declares God's Direction to lead, solve problems, discern God's plan (1 Cor. 12:8)
     3. Evangelism: communicating Gospel with clarity & conviction so that people surrender their lives to Jesus (Ephesians 4:11)
     4. Word of Knowledge: gives God's instruction by Spirit-inspired insight into previous revelation/bible (1 Cor. 12:8)
     5. Teaching: administration of Word of Knowledge | compelled to verify/clarify truth (1 Cor. 14:6)
     6. Exhortation: Words that lift up, build up, and stir up | comforts afflicted + stimulates complacent to action (Romans 12:8)
     7. Tongues: Devotional worship language increases worshiper's awareness of intimacy w/ God | (1 Cor. 12:10, 14:1-25)
     8. Interpretation of Tongues: God-given ability to put intelligible words to unintelligible words | (1 Cor. 12:10)
     9. Discernment of Spirits: recognize the source/significance of spiritual activity | (1 Thess. 5:19-22)

C. Serving Gifts (renders service through strength/power of God)
     1. Serving: actions prompted by divine resulting in serving needs of other believers | (Romans 12:7)
     2. Compassion/Mercy: Actions/ministries of caring for the weak, poor, and needy | (Romans 12:8)
     3. Guiding/Governing/Leading: acts/functions of governance or leadership in Christian community | 1 Cor. 12:28)
     4. Faith: God-given anticipation that God is about to act via word/deed (and realized contrary to circumstances) | 1 Cor. 12:9)
     5. Healing: restoring of health/curing of illness by divine intervention | (1 Cor. 12:9)
     6. Miracles: events where people/things are visibly & beneficially affected extraordinarily by power of God | (1 Cor. 12:10)

“The glory of God is man fully alive.” – St. Irenaeus