March 26 – 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
Lesson: He is the Source of Spiritual Gifts
Dear Lord, bless our time with you today. Meet us where we are at, guide our minds, and hold our hearts as we search for Your truth.
First, do your own quiet time with God and 4R journaling. When you are complete, come back here for the lesson.
Request Gods’ help
Read Corinthians 12:4-11
Record a verse that stands out to you
Respond to God
Not only does the Spirit produce fruit, but He is the one who gives us our spiritual gifts. Understand, I am not going to be in discussion about which gifts are applicable to today’s church and whatnot. I am just going to talk to the gifts as a whole and their purpose. There will be no theology debate today!
Spiritual gifts are different from fruits. Gifts are hand-picked and designed for each person, and they are not the natural gifts that all humans possess. Nope, these spiritual gifts are ones that have been grace given in order that we would honor and glorify God with them. And they fall into two main categories: Speaking and serving. Romans 3:6 lists them as:
- Speaking: Prophecy, knowledge, wisdom, teaching, and exhortation.
- Serving: Leadership, helps, giving, mercy, faith, and discernment.
What does today’s passage tell us? The gifts are themselves a gift (4), how they are to be used (5), the spiritual results (6), and tells us they are set apart from personal merit (11). It’s the Holy Spirit who empowers us with the ability to use each and gives us the energy to accomplish them. The Spirit is made known and evident in the church because of these gifts. A Spirit filled church will be buzzing and alive. Not because its people are always on the go and busy doing “to do’s” and saying ‘yes’ all the time. Nope, because Spiritual gifts are being used as God intended them to be used.
There is a stark difference between a spiritually dead church and a spiritually alive church. One can feel it immediately, usually. But one must also be discerning because the devil can settle in and get cozy and is really good at making it appear that the church is alive in Christ. So, church, keep your eyes open for those that might deceive.
Well, that was a wee rabbit trail there. But seriously, sometimes God has us in a place where we are all like, ‘Am I sure, Lord, this is where I should be? Am I hearing You right?’ In those moments there can be such confusion and doubt. And please be aware that there is a huge difference between spiritually dead and spiritually sleeping. God may call you to a church that is sleeping. They are saying and doing the right things and their heart is in the right place, but their spiritual gifts are not being used in a way that God wants them to. Using our gifts given by grace is essential to doing God’s will as a church body. Do you know your spiritual gift? Are you using it?
You are not alone. It may seem that when it’s quiet and God’s ‘not talking’ that He isn’t there. He is! So much so! Keep asking God to show you what gift He has graced you with. Keep searching Him and He will reveal to you Himself.
Dear Heavenly Father, we praise You for You are the giver of gifts. In You we find our purpose, in Your Spirit we find our strength. We thank You, for You are a good, good Father.
What’s next?
As the Spirit leads, in the comment section below, share what He has laid on your heart.
Then join us again tomorrow to learn about the ministry of liberty.
1 Comment. Leave new
My verse: 1 Corinthians 12:11 “It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.”
My response: So thankful, Lord, that we are not asked to pick our gifts. How could we possibly look into the future and determine which gift would best serve You and the church? And this way, none of us can boast about our gifts. Each one is from You – due to no merit of our own. You know best. Thank You for giving each of us a role to play and a purpose in the body of Christ! Help me to serve You well with the gifts You gave to me.