Sermon Summary

This week, Pastor Chris continued in our new series on the spiritual gifts. If you are a believer in this house, you have been grafted into a team. You have gifts that are necessary to build the Kingdom of God in this specific house. The good news is that we need not fulfill them in our flesh because the gifts are meant to be empowered by the Holy Spirit in us. We want to be a people who understand what God has given to us individually, wisely steward our gifts, and actively use them for the body. You will never be more fulfilled than when you step out and live in your spiritual gifts.

Spiritual Gifts: Supernatural abilities to glorify God through acts of service.

1 Corinthians 12:1, 4-7, 11

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

  • Varieties: A capacity or function given to us directly by the Holy Spirit. 
  • Service: Thesphere in which a gift is performed (people, group, geography). 
  • Activities: The degree of power by which a gift is manifested or ministered on a specific occasion.

Ephesians 4:15-16

15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Spiritual Gifts

Romans 1:11-12

“I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.”

Getting a Gift & Using a Gift

1 Corinthians 12:1 

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.

Romans 12:6 (ESV)

6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…

Physical Body & Church Body

1 Corinthians 12:12–14, 17-18 (ESV)

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.

Three Categories of Spiritual Gifts: 

  1. Serving Gifts (deeds)
  2. Speaking Gifts (words)
  3. Sign Gifts (Supernatural)

Serving Gifts 

  1. Mercy – Mercy is the capacity to feel and express unusual compassion, empathy, and sympathy for those in difficult or crisis situations and provide them with the necessary help and support to see them through tough times. 

Romans 12:8 (ESV)

8 the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Do you have this gift?

1.    Are you drawn to people who are needy, hurting, sick, overwhelmed, disabled, or elderly?

2.    Do you see people who are hurting but often overlooked?

Ministry Areas: Prayer teams, Hospitality, Connect Team. 

  1. Hospitality – Hospitality is the ability to welcome strangers and entertain guests, often in your home, with great joy and kindness so that they become friends. 

Romans 12:13 (ESV)

13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Do you have this gift?

1.    Do you enjoy having people in your home?

2.    Do you enjoy watching people meet and have fun at parties/events you plan and host?

Ministry Areas: Hospitality, Life Groups (Host), Connect Team. 

  1. Discernment – Discernment is the ability to quickly perceive whether such things as people, events, or beliefs are from God or Satan.

1 Corinthians 12:10 (ESV)

to another the ability to distinguish between spirits…

Do you have this gift?

1.    Do you have a solid understanding of Scripture & a sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit?

2.    Do you have a gut feeling about people or things that prove to be right most of the time?

Ministry Areas: Prayer teams, Kingdom Kids, Safety Team/Ushers.  

  1. Helps/Service – Helps/service is the ability to joyfully work alongside others and help them complete the task God has given them. 

Romans 12:7 (ESV)

7 if service, in our serving…

1 Corinthians 12:28 (ESV)

28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.

Do you have this gift?

1.    Do you often say things like, “how can I help” or “what do you need me to do?”

2.    Do you prefer to labor behind the scenes?

Ministry Areas: Kingdom Kids, Ushers, Band of Brothers, Women’s.

  1. Administration – Administration is giving direction and make decisions on behalf of others that result in efficient operation and accomplishment of goals. 

1 Corinthians 12:28 (ESV)

28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.

Do you have this gift?

1.    Are you attracted to opportunities where someone needs to bring order out of chaos?

2.    Do you naturally organize your life, schedule, finances, priorities, etc.?

Ministry Areas: Communications, Prayer teams, Kingdom Kids, Connect Team. 

  1. Giving – Giving is the ability to give money and other forms of wealth joyfully, wisely, and generously to meet the needs of others and help support ministries.

Romans 12:8 (ESV)

8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity…

Do you have this gift?

1.    Do you easily see God as owner and you as a manager?

2.    When you get something first instinct to share?

3.    Do you find yourself looking for opportunities to give your money—even when no one asks?

Ministry Areas: Tithe, Building Fund, Campus Improvements. 

  1. Faith 

1 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)

9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,

Faith is the ability to envision what needs to be done and to trust God to accomplish it even though it seems impossible to most people.

Do you have this gift?

1.    Do you view obstacles as opportunities and trust God for the impossible?

2.    Do you find yourself telling stories about the power of God and what you have seen Him do?

Ministry Areas: Prayer Teams, Outreach, Kingdom Kids.  

Discussion Questions

1. What is the purpose of our spiritual gifts?

2. Did any of the gifts we discussed in this sermon stand out to you as true for you (mercy, hospitality, discernment, help/service, administration, giving, faith)? 

3. Do you know your spiritual gifts? Are you currently serving in light of them? 

4. Pastor Chris said that our spiritual gifts are more for others than for ourselves. Have you ever believed the lie that your gifts are for your own edification?

5. Have you ever struggled with a competitive spirit in regard to your spiritual gift? How can we guard our hearts against this scheme of the enemy? 

Application Questions

1. Do you know what your spiritual gifts are? If you do, start serving in a specific area next week that utilizes your gift.

2. If you don’t know your spiritual gifts, take the Spiritual Gifts Assessment on the app this week!