Todd Howell

When you become a Christian, something amazing happens: The Holy Spirit comes to live inside of you! Jesus promised He would send us a Helper, and that’s exactly who the Holy Spirit is. He seals us, putting His ID tag on us, so to speak. He empowers us, guides us, and leads us. But there’s something else the Holy Spirit does that you may not know about. He gives supernatural gifts to every follower of Jesus Christ! Here’s my question for you: Do you know what your spiritual gifts are? God has given you unique gifts for a specific purpose, and He wants you to discover them and put them to use! In this short video, I’ll share three practical principles to help you discover the spiritual gifts God has given you. Watch and find out!

You don’t have to look hard on social media to find people whose entire lives seem to revolve around materialistic goals. Chasing them won’t satisfy the deepest need of your life. The apostle Paul wrote, “And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others” (2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT). He also wrote, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19 NLT). So, let’s not make possessions or material things our primary purpose in life. Rather, let’s seek God first and foremost in our lives. That way, everything that we need will be provided for us. God will take care of you. He cares about you. He will supply all your needs. How can you focus on God first and foremost in your life?

It’s time to pray BIG prayers! Did you know that God is able to do “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think”? (Ephesians 3:20) So why settle for small prayers when we serve such a BIG God? Don’t limit what God can do through your unbelief. Pray boldly, trust Him completely, and watch what He can do! Here’s a powerful story from the Bible that illustrates this truth.

Idols come in all shapes and sizes because people come in all shapes and sizes. Many well-meaning believers fall into the trap of making idols out of people they admire. Have you ever heard of a sports hero? How about American Idol? We use the phrases somewhat jokingly: “That person is a sports god” or “I idolize that person. He’s a guitar god.” But the way some people look at certain individuals, it could be that they have made a person their god. We can make idols out of people in the church, too. We can make an idol out of a man or woman of God, someone whom the Lord has used to bless us. We can start to admire them too much. But here’s what we need to remind ourselves: Those people are human just like us. They will be wrong. They will fail us. They will disappoint us. They will give in to temptation. They will struggle in certain areas of their lives. The problem is that people become like the gods they worship. Psalm 115 warns, “Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. . . . And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them” (verses 4, 8 NLT). The only person who deserves that position in our lives is the Lord. He alone is deserving of our worship. How can you keep from elevating people too much in your life?

Too often in our lives, our happiness is not self-contained. Rather, it’s contingent on good things happening. We convince ourselves that if we could just get that raise at work or if we could just meet the right person or if we could just own the object of our desires, then we would be happy. Until those things happen, our happiness is on hold. If something fun or exciting happens, we may experience happiness for a brief time. But when the fun or excitement ends, so does the happiness. In other words, our happiness depends on certain things occurring. But being blessed is a different concept altogether. Blessings depend on God. They don’t ebb and flow based on circumstances or moods. You can experience God’s blessings regardless of what’s happening in your life. You can be blessed in even the worst circumstances. That’s the idea of makarios. The amazing news is that God wants to bless you. Jesus said, “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom” (Luke 12:32 NLT). What would pursuing God look like in your life?

Sometimes we get lulled into thinking that we have the right to live easy, tranquil lives and then one day die peacefully in our sleep. We convince ourselves that the norm should be a nice, cozy, comfortable existence. But the Bible doesn’t promise that. Jesus said, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NLT). You won’t find a passage in Scripture in which God promises to help His people find the easy way out. But you will find these words of Moses, directed to God’s people as they prepared to conquer the Promised Land: “The Lord will hand over to you the people who live there, and you must deal with them as I have commanded you. So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you” (Deuteronomy 31:5–6 NLT). If you commit yourself to the Lord, you can expect trouble. More importantly, however, you can expect God to go through it with you. When have you experienced God’s presence in the midst of trouble in your life?

If you’re struggling with doubt or fear, here’s what you need to know: God is going to keep you. The psalmist understood that—and celebrated it. “I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber” (Psalm 121:1–3 NKJV). The Hebrew word translated as keeps means “watches,” “guards,” or “places a hedge around.” The idea is that God places a wall around you that is impenetrable. The devil cannot scale or penetrate that wall unless God allows it for His purposes. The apostle Paul wrote, “But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one” (2 Thessalonians 3:3 NLT). And the apostle Peter wrote that “through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see” (1 Peter 1:5 NLT). Were it not for this protection from God, we would have every reason to doubt and fear. But we are kept by His power—and nothing is greater than that. How have you seen God watch over and protect you in your life?