Everybody, what is going on? You know what time it is. You're listening to join the Journey podcast with your host, Emma, daughter.

Thanks for joining. What does it look like to fan into flame the gifts God has entrusted to us? That's what Paul instructs Timothy to do. But what does that look like for us today?

When I was a freshman in high school, I tried out for the dance team.

Think high school football games, high kick lines, that kind of situation.

And part of the tryout was doing the splits.

And I remember being so determined to not only be the best at the tryout, but later

try to win at a Miss High Kick competition.

And so every night, before I got ready for bed, I'd practice. I'd do my stretches and exercises and practice the high kick sequences,

which my parents absolutely hated because my bedroom was on the second floor. Theirs was right

below. So around 10 p.m., they'd just hear me jumping around over and over again. But over time,

it paid off. I could do the splits. I could do the whole high kick thing, the exercises, and all the

stretching worked. But today, many years later, I can't do the splits. Or at least I don't think I

can. I haven't tried, but I'm pretty confident I can't. And the same is probably true

for you in whatever sports you played growing up. Maybe you could run a five-minute mile in high

school, but now you're looking around 8, 10, maybe 12, or just walk. And the same principle

is true for our spiritual muscles. When we don't run in the lanes God has uniquely

wired us for, we get slower, metaphorically speaking. Sometimes that's just for a season. Maybe if you get

really, really sick and have to be hospitalized, or if you're in the middle of moving and haven't

found a local church to serve in yet. But apart from those instances, or instances like them, God's

designed believers to be active, to be actively using their gifts in the church. So when Paul encourages

Timothy to fan and to flame the gift of God, we're left to conclude he's either, scholars would say,

referring to his salvation or the gifts he's been given because he's

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