What's MY spiritual gift? Many times we seek to answer this question as if a spiritual gift is a rite of passage, something we can "own," or something we can even brag about possessing. This is not the purpose nor the correct view of spiritual gifts. Paul wanted to help the church understand this, and he begins to unpack an understanding of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:4-26. Our study this week, Serving God's People, will challenge your group to consider how they view and how they are using the gifts God has given them.
As you lead your group please keep in mind these concepts:
- A spiritual gift is a “manifestation of the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:7) to each believer. It is not something you get, choose or earn; rather, you get the Spirit and He chooses to reveal Himself through you in a supernatural way. Henry Blackaby says that the Spirit is the gift. We don’t receive “something” but “someone.” (Experiencing God)
- The key for determining how God wants to use you in ministry is OBEDIENCE. When you see a need or hear of a need in the church, then you should promptly pray about how you could fulfill that need. If God prompts you to serve, don’t overanalyze or excuse yourself from service. Obey and let the Spirit do His work in you. The church will prosper, and you will be blessed, and you will see the Holy Spirit manifest Himself through you in ways that don’t come naturally!
- Quick Spiritual Gifts Questionnaire: At the end the suggested teaching ideas, I have included a questionnaire you can use at the beginning and the end of the session.
- Paul outlines two things in the passages: (1) The relationship of the Holy Spirit to spiritual gifts; (2) The believer's relationship to spiritual gifts. Consider drawing two columns on the whiteboard and capturing the group conversations as the Scripture passage is studied. The suggested teaching ideas gives you more information for each column.
- Video Option: The following video could be used to illustrate Paul's explanation related to unity in the Body of Christ - 1 Corinthians 12:12-26.
DOWNLOAD THE SUPPLEMENTAL TEACHING PLAN
