Spiritual Gifts are one of the most contested, misunderstood, and either under-utilized or over-utilized parts of scripture in the western church.

Other parts of the world don't really debate this as much as us. Most churches in those parts of the world have no problem seeing how God can work through them directly AND speak to them through scripture… It’s not an either / or.

In the US we tend to lean one of 2 ways:

• We IGNORE the Spiritual Gifts and say 
that God doesn’t work like that anymore, 
and we miss so much of what He wants to do in us.
• We OVERDO it and get obsessed with the hand of God, 
instead of the face and the heart of God.

No matter WHERE you land right now: Have an open mind, and believe GOD and SCRIPTURE, not DENOMINATION and MAN.

Spiritual Gifts in the Bible

So, when talking about Spiritual Gifts, there are 3 “sections” where they are listed.

Equipping Gifts

Ephesians 4:11-12
11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up

Motivational Gifts

Romans 12:6-8
6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Manifest Gifts

1 Corinthians 12:7-11
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Defining the Spiritual Gifts

Apostleship

(the gift, not the office of Apostle)
Like a spiritual entrepreneur: being good at starting things.

Discernment

Ability to read people, situations, or environments and distinguish the good from the bad, and godly from demonic.

Encouragement

Ability to beseech, exhort, call upon, to encourage and to strengthen people.

Evangelism

Supernaturally good at sharing the Gospel and having a lot of excitement for it.

Faith

Incredibly sure that God will do what He says and that his character is good.

Giving

Overly generous, and incredibly giving with your life and resources.

Healing

Praying for physical, mental, emotional or spiritual healing, and seeing it happen more often than the rest of us.

Knowledge

Having supernatural knowledge about something that God gives you, or having the supernatural ability to retain knowledge.

Leading

Ability to lead people in every area of life regardless of talent or personal aptness.

Mercy

A God-given capacity to forgive people and to be patient and compassionate to people who are suffering of afflicted.

Miraculous Powers

The Greek phrase for this literally means, “Workings of Powers.” It’s the gift in the moment, of God doing whatever is necessary through people.

Pastoring

Being able to supernaturally shepherd people and walk with them through the challenges of life to see them grow.

Prophesy (x3)

God speaking through people for the edification and building of the church body.

Serving

Serving and taking care of practical needs in the lives of people or for the church as a whole.

Teaching (x2)

Ability to teach well, and bring people to understanding of scripture.

Tongues

Using a language that they don't understand to either reach non-believers, build up the believer, or edify the church.

Tongues (Interpretation)

Interprets a tongue from God.

Wisdom

Seeing things the way God sees them or understanding something the way God would and responding the way God would respond.

Being Discipled in Spiritual Gifts

• Be willing to press into them in a healthy way regardless of what your background is.
  
  
• Do a deep dive with your discipler into scripture with your discipler if you disagree with the idea of spiritual gifts.

1 Corinthians 14
Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.

• If you have been meeting with your discipler for a while,
 ask them what gifts they think you have.

• If not, take a spiritual gifts assessment
• Once you know that gifts you have, start utilizing them in a healthy way and work on being more and more faithful in this gifts and growing your proficiency with them.

Discipling Others in Spiritual Gifts

• If you have been discipling them for a while, humbly submit, “hey, I think you might have a _____ gifting.”
• Know them well enough to be able to call out the gifts you see they have.
• Help them discover them through an assessment.
• Give them opportunities to find out what gifting they have.
• Challenge them to grow in that gifting and be more and more faithful in using that thing that God has given them!