Customer Reviews

Discover Your God Given Gifts

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Don & Katie Fortune's book, "Discovering Your God-Given Gifts" is a tremendous asset in the library of every spiritual seeker, server and leader.

There are a lot of "gift" books out there and as a teacher, I probably have all of them in our library. This one is great because it presents a clear case for how different lists of gifts serve their unique purpose in corporate worship and life. It is easy to understand and share with others-- you'll want to go through it together in your Bible study group.

All of us wonder from time to time where we fit in when it comes to ministry gifts and service. The Fortunes have hit it on the head when it comes to helping us identify our motivational gifts.

This book is especially useful for ministry teams, small groups and any setting where a variety of people have to relate or serve together. The very first benefit of reading it, is the insight you'll gain to seeing how each of us in our gifts are needed to work together in balance.

Of course, the thing you will love about this are the surveys included that help you determine your primary and secondary motivational gifting. I also recommend that you order directly from the Fortunes several of the supplemental tests that can be used with children, secular audiences etc.

You'll love it. I give it my highest recommendation.

After taking a class on spiritual gifts at my church, I was still longing for more information and purchased this book. This is the BEST information I have seen so far on the subject of spiritual gifts. It is easy, concise and truly helps you find your spiritual "niche" in life. Since purchasing this book, I have read other material, but Don and Katie REALLY know how to explain the gifts and their tests are much better than those I've seen. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that is confused about spiritual gifts or wants more information.

This is the best resourse and discovery book on the subject! I have been using it as a teaching tool for about 6 years. I have seen in others and also recieved great insight, healing and encouragement from the teaching and discovery.

There is a test to help you discover your gifts and teaching. Everytime I read it again, I receive encouragement and healing.

Some questions I feel the book addresses are: 1. Why do I think and respond the way I do? 2. Why do THEY think and respond the way they do? 3. What did God give to me and how do I use it? 4. How can I understand and work better with others? 5. What are some example of bible character with these gifts? 6. What careers might fit me better?

Well, there is much more. Of all the books on my shelf on this subject, I feel this is the most helpful. I am very passionate about this book and I read it often. Read it and share it with a friend!

As a church consultant, I am often asked to recommend spiritual gift surveys and resources for churches. In fact, we routinely ask staff members to fill out gift surveys as part of the consulting process. This book--and the corresponding survey available separately--are the tools I have chosen to use in my work.

I realize, of course, that there is no such thing as a perfect spiritual gifts survey. Since Scripture does not give precise definitions to many of the gifts, and there is much disagreement about the nature of specific gifts, the best any gift survey can do is measure whether a person has abilities corresponding to the author's understanding of a particular gift.

The reason I have chosen this survey is because it distinguishes between what the authors call the manifestation gifts (1 Cor. 12), the ministry gifts (Eph. 4), and the motivational gifts (Romans 12). The Fortune's survey measures only the motivational gifts. (I feel the title of "ministry" gifts for the Ephesians 4 gifts is unfortunate since that passage says that those 5 gifts are given to equip all believers for ministry. I prefer to call them "equipping gifts.")

I have found using this survey to be very helpful in our consulting work, especially in assessing church staff needs. The idea is that each of us is motivated to minister mostly through one or more of these seven gifts, and which of these motivates us largely determines how we respond to a given need.

I find it interesting that when Pentecostal/charismatic churches take the Natural Church Development survey (a widely used survey to assess church health), the most common Minimum Factor (low score area) is gift-oriented ministry. However, having consulting with charismatic churches, that result did not surprise me. Why? Because the primary gift emphasis in those churches is on the manifestation gifts (1 Cor. 12), and few of the people in those churches were aware of motivational gifts or drew on that awareness to discern what shape their ministry should take. I say this not to discount the manifestation gifts, but to point out that for the purpose of determining ongoing ministry roles, the motivational gifts are far more useful. That is why I believe as a practical matter, a survey that measures the seven motivational gifts is most helpful.

Like any other authors of spiritual gift surveys, the Fortunes make assumptions in defining these gifts. While their assumptions seem to me to be reasonable, they still remain their opinions, not the teaching of Scripture, and so their gift definitions (just as anyone else's) need to be held lightly. When this tool is approached as giving us useful language for talking about and identifying motivational gifts, and not as "the right way" to talk about them, I have found it to be valuable.

I had been searching for a good book that could be used as a study guide for my church, Bethel A.M.E. in Baltimore, MD. This book was a blessing. It clear, easy to read and explained the motive gifts in wonderful way. The surveys included in each chapter were great! The results brought about some surprises to my students who thought they knew their gifts. Don and Katie Fortune were careful to not only teach but to give real life examples that gave "legs" to their teaching.

This text is a much more, in-depth approach to learning which abilities you are best equipped to find success, applying, both in service to your church, as well as in your occupation.

I have attended the Bill Gothard, "Institute of Basic Life Principles," seminars, both Basic and Advanced. Although these same seven gifts are touched upon, there, the Don & Katie Fortune book gives you a much deeper self-evaluation. It thoroughly documents which traits you're strongest in, and which you're weakest in.

The text also shows your current maturity level, relative to each gift. This can help you see why an application that you are equipped for might still have had an undesirable outcome.

I've been exposed to other books that ascribe attributes of animals to personality types (otter, golden retriever, beaver, etcetera). Yet, this text actually tells you which job-types you'd best fit.

In addition, the text lists secular occupations associated with each gifting. I have found this listing to be as comprehensive a list of occupations found with our local, four-year state college's, Discover Program, that helps students decide on a major educational focus. This information is VERY helpful during your future job searches.

"Discover Your God Given Gifts" gives you special insight why past occupations may not have been especially successful. You may see why conflicts arose between you and others, based primarily upon the way each person dealt with life, from these seven, different perspectives.

These lists also inform you which types of people complement your gifts. You can use them to identify attributes, in others, that will allow you to grow, in your relationships.

You can even use the lists to learn which types of people gravitate to which occupations. This can help you decide where you need to spend time, perhaps as a volunteer, in order to meet a potential spouse.

When your pastor makes a plea for people to become more active in church service, This book's evaluations can help you find your niche, and allow a willing heart to avoid the mismatch of personality and service.

I really liked this book. In the past, our congregation used it, quite successfully. A solid, Southern Baptist congregation, the church also acted as a covering for home-schooling.

Through people seeking to develop their gifts, through service, it provided teachers for science, sports, annual staff, photography and other extra curricular activities.

Many of these subjects grew from people finding out what they are best suited to, as well as where they needed to apply themselves, both for service and for fulfilling Maslow's higher needs, often associated with self-actualization.

Of the genre, this text is the BEST, most helpful, text that I've ever read.

I learned more about myself while studying this book than I have over the course of my 40 years. I now teach this topic at our church in Chicago... and, I am looking for God to do tremendous things in the lives of those who discover their God-given gift(s).

The best resource I've found for spiritual gift study so far.

The theological foundation is very sound, making good sense of the main passages on spiritual gifts in a way very few others do. Gifts are broken into 1) Manifestation (sign gifts - 1 Cor 12-14; Acts 2) 2) Ministry (equipping gifts - Eph 4) & 3) Motivational (every-Christian-gifts - Rom 12).

Written in a style anyone can use.

Inventories are great and surprisingly accurate for the limited number of questions used.

Warnings regarding misuse of spiritual gift impulses are very helpful (e.g. a "teaching" gift can incline a person to feel they are always right).

Application into the arena of employment is a bit excessive and beyond the scope of biblical applications for spiritual gifts. Better to do a Myers-Briggs or some other personality profile for that endeavor.

This book has all that you need to encourage any Christian that he or she IS gifted by God. The author not only describes each gift as outlined in Romans ch 12 but gives biblical examples of each gift. A tremendous resource.

Thanks so much to the Fortunes for writing such a helpful book - so clear and full of useful information. After reading and re-discovering my Gift, I am in awe of how easy it is to see His Gifts in others. Thank You!!!