You Got It - Pastor Tim Doremus

Gifted for a Purpose

Scripture References

Primary text

• 1 Samuel 10:1
• 1 Samuel 16:13
• 1 Samuel 17:26

Other references

• 1 Samuel 9
• 1 Samuel 10:21-22
• 1 Samuel 16:18
• Romans 12:6-8

Overview

Every follower of Jesus is already equipped for a God-given assignment. Like Saul and David, we are 1) called to a purpose, 2) gifted by the Spirit to fulfill it, and 3) recognizable to others when we walk in it. The difference between hiding behind our “baggage” and stepping onto the battlefield is simply the posture of our heart: “I don’t have what it takes” versus “God, take what I have.” Being gifted means we always have something to give.

Main Points

Saul & David: same start, different response

• Both anointed with oil and declared future kings (1 Samuel 10:1; 16:13).
• Three shared truths: called to it, gifted for it, others could see it.
• Saul’s next public moment: selected as king yet literally hiding among the luggage (1 Samuel 10:21-22).
• David’s next public moment: running toward Goliath, asking what happens when someone ends the Philistine’s defiance (1 Samuel 17:26).

It’s easy to spot someone else’s gift

• Story: seventh-grade football—LaMarcus (5'10", 180 lbs, “man muscles,” armpit hair) obviously gifted; the speaker learned gifts differ.
• Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., Pastor Craig—obvious public gifts remind us God marks people visibly.
• Question: why is it so hard to see the same thumbprint of God in the mirror?

Followers of Christ share common callings

• Follow Jesus, love God & neighbor, make disciples.
• Some carry specific burdens: foster care, starting a value-shaping business, raising children at home, etc.
• When God calls, He makes it clear in His time.

Spiritual gifts are real and diverse (Romans 12:6-8)

• Teaching, serving, giving, leading, encouraging, showing kindness—no one lacks a gift.
• If you’re unsure, ask trusted friends, family, or life-group members; they often see what you miss.
• The speaker’s wife example: relationship-builder and detail-master—gifts that bless vacations and introduce friends to Christ.

Baggage that keeps us hiding

• Past regrets – “Last year went badly.”
• Insecurity – “I don’t know enough Bible.”
• Fear of failure – “What if I step out and flop?”
• Busyness – overcrowded schedules push out calling.
• Comparison – “If I were like her…”

If we stay buried in our baggage, we can’t go where God calls in 2020.

From “I don’t have what it takes” to “God, take what I have”

• Saul’s posture placed confidence in himself and froze him.
• David trusted the God who had already won the war; outcome rests on God, not self.
• Being gifted means stewardship, not striving—freedom from comparison, freedom to celebrate others, freedom to focus on our lane.

Illustration: the used ColecoVision

• Story: At nine, the speaker’s house burned down days before Christmas. Friends replaced lost gifts; one family boxed up their own used ColecoVision.
• Significance > spectacular: small, sacrificial gift wrote a spectacular story in the speaker’s life.
• Don’t confuse spectacular with significant—your gift matters when placed in God’s hands.

Key Truths

• God never calls without also gifting.
• Fixating on gaps blinds us to God’s gifts.
• Baggage—past, insecurity, busyness, comparison—hides calling.
• The Spirit’s power, not personal ability, determines the outcome.
• Your “ordinary” gift becomes significant when you say, “God, take what I have.”

Response

• Identify one area of “baggage” and leave it behind this week.
• Ask two trusted believers where they see God’s gifting in you.
• Use your gift in a concrete way: serve, teach, encourage, give—do it.
• Celebrate someone else’s God-given gift verbally.
• Pray daily, “Holy Spirit, take what I have and write Your story through me.”

Closing

Stepping into 2020 isn’t about adding more to an already packed life; it’s about embracing what God has already placed in you. Like David, move forward knowing the war is won—your role is to offer the gift you carry.

“Being gifted means you have something to give, so God, take what I have.”

Prayer

Father, remind us daily that Your Spirit rests on us just as surely as it rested on David. Call us out from whatever baggage we’re hiding behind, fill us with courage, and use the gifts You placed in us to bless others and honor Your name. Draw those who don’t yet know Jesus into Your forgiveness and new life. Amen.

Resources

• Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast, Episode 50 – “How to Start (or Stop) Habits”
• life.church/next – tools for spiritual growth