2 Corinthians 5:17 says this, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new."

We may have different gifts and we are to discover and use those gifts, but we all share a common connection with the Holy Spirit.

As we understand the spiritual gifts that God has given to us, the whole experience of our Christian life is going to be changed!

The spiritual gifts that God gives us are to build up the body of Christ to accomplish God's purposes. And when we do it, we find our greatest joy and our greatest fulfillment.

We build up the body of Chirst in love as we discover and use our spiritual gifts!

Do you know what Romans 12:1 2 tells us? It says that if we will present our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice; if we'll stop being conformed to this world; if we'll present ourselves in a way to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Then what God promises to us is that we will be able to test and prove the will of God for our lives.

The command to live wisely means that we are to be people who are constantly engaged in a process of discoverying God's will for our lives and then doing it. And when we do it, we are living with wisdom.

You are not to take from this sermon that it is your God ordained roll to go over ot your neighbor and point out all the darkness in their life. You're not to get your sin-ometer and go down to work and focus in on a co-worker and say, you know I need to point this out to you because the sermon on Sunday was how I'm supposed to expose darkness. No! The only person you should be poiniting the finger at is yourself!

Nobody can earn favor with God. It is all a gift of His grace.The bible is so clear that salvation is by grace through faith. But the bible also says that when that grace of God comes into our lives, we become new creatures in Jesus Christ. We become new people in Christ. There is a new life priciple within us.

Renewing our minds. This is what Paul says in Romans chapter 12, when he says, "I urge you therefore bretheren by the mercies of God to present your body as a living holy sacrifice which is your spiritual act of worship. Stop being conformed to this world but be transformed". How? By the renewing of your mind.