"Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different ministries, but the same Lord. And there are different activities, but the same God produces each gift in each person." - 1 CORINTHIANS 12:4–6
The Spirit—your Counselor, Advocate, Helper, and Friend—brings housewarming gifts as He dwells within you. In addition to getting to know who He is, what He does, where He lives, and when He moves in, it’s important to recognize what He gives.
Identifying spiritual gifts is more than a Christian version of a personality assessment. In the opening verse above, the Apostle Paul says there is only one spiritual “type” of Christian. You share a common bond with every Christian on the planet through the Spirit within you.
What is the first thing that the Spirit gives you according to 1 Corinthians 12:1–3?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Those verses also reveal that people have been interested in (and confused by) spiritual gifts since the beginning of church history. God created you in a particular way and knows you inside and out, including your temperament, tendencies, and talents. He also gifted you in ways above and beyond your natural abilities. The first supernatural gift you’ve been given is the power to confess in faith, “Jesus is Lord.”
Write 1 Corinthians 12:7 in the space below.
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Spiritual gifts point you to Christ, and then they point you to others. They’re not about becoming a “better you.” They’re for becoming a better “us.”
Paul uses a vivid word picture (with a sense of humor) to make his point about spiritual gifts being for the “common good” of the Christian community.
What imagery is used in 1 Corinthians 12:12–31 and what are the main points?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
What is the greatest gift according to 1 Corinthians 13?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
You may be surprised to realize that those verses are talking about spiritual gifts since they are so often read at weddings.
In the space below, “Love is…” lists the characteristics of mature Christian love.
LOVE is…
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Read and reflect on Jesus’ words in John 13:34–35. Pray that the Spirit will mature you and fill you with Christlike love for others.
You are invited to join us every Wednesday Night for our Online Bible Study. "Jesus Revolution" at 7pm on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/ccogjohnson