Spiritual Gifts - Living Our Faith in a Messy World, Part 12
Spiritual Gifts
Romans 12
Prophecy [Preaching] (Romans 12:6, Eph. 4:11, 1 Cor. 12:10,28) The ability to publicly communicate God's Word boldly, in an inspiring way that convinces unbelievers and both challenges and confronts believers. The ability to persuasively declare God's will.
Giving (Romans 12:8) The ability to generously contribute material resources and/or money beyond the 10% tithe so that the Body may grow and be strengthened. The ability to earn and manage money so it may be given to support the ministry of others.
Leadership (Romans 12:8) The ability to clarify and communicate the purpose and direction ("vision") of a ministry in a way that attracts others to get involved. The ability to motivate others by example to work together in accomplishing a ministry goal.
Mercy (Romans 12:8) The ability to detect hurt and empathize with those who are suffering in the church family. The ability to provide compassionate and cheerful support to those experiencing distress, crisis, or pain.
Exhortation [Encouragement] (Romans 12:8) - The ability to motivate God's people to apply and act on biblical principles, especially when they are discouraged or wavering in their faith. The ability to bring out the best in others and challenge them to develop their potential.
Teaching (Romans 12:7, 1 Cor. 12:28) The ability to educate God's people by clearly explaining and applying the Bible in a way that causes them to learn. The ability to equip and train other believers for ministry.
Service [Helps] (Romans 12:7, 1 Cor. 12:28) The ability to recognize unmet needs in the church family, and take the initiative to provide practical assistance quickly, cheerfully, and without a need for recognition.
1 Corinthians 12
Administration [Organization] (Romans 12:8, 1 Cor. 12:28) The ability to recognize the gifts of others and recruit them to a ministry. The ability to organize and manage people, resources, and time for effective ministry. The ability to coordinate many details and execute the plans of leadership.
Apostle (1 Cor. 12:28, Eph. 4:11) - The ability to start new churches and oversee their development and leadership.
Discernment [Discerning of spirits] (1 Cor. 12:10) The ability to distinguish right from wrong, truth from error, and to give and immediate evaluation based on God's Word. The ability to discern whether the source of an experience is Satan, self, or God's Spirit.
Faith (1 Cor. 12:9) The ability to trust God for what cannot be seen and to act on God's promise, regardless of what the circumstances indicate. The willingness to risk failure in pursuit of a God-given vision, expecting God to handle the obstacles.
Healing [Deliverance] (1 Cor. 12:9,28) The ability to pray in faith specifically for people who need physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual healing and see God answer. The ability to sense when God is prompting you to pray this kind of prayer.
Wisdom (1 Cor. 12:8) The ability to understand God's perspective on life situations and share those insights in a simple, understandable way. The ability to explain what to do and how to do it.
Knowledge (1 Cor. 12:8) The ability to discover, collect, analyze, and organize information that is vital to individual believers or the entire church family. The ability to comprehend a large amount of information and provide it when needed for effective decision-making.
Tongues & Interpretation of Tongues (1 Corinthians 12:10,28.30) The ability to pray in a language understood only by God or one who is given the gift of interpretation at that time.
Miracles (1 Cor. 12:10,28) The ability to pray in faith specifically for God's supernatural intervention into an impossible situation and see God answer. The ability to sense when God is prompting you to pray this kind of prayer.
Ephesians 4 (Also: Apostle, Prophet, Teacher)
Evangelism (Eph. 4:11) The ability to communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ to unbelievers. The ability to sense opportunities to share Christ and lead people to respond with faith.
Pastoring [Shepherding] (Ephesians 4:11) The ability to care for the spiritual needs of a group of believers and equip them for ministry. The ability to nurture a small group in spiritual growth and assume responsibility for their welfare.
Others:
Missions (Ephesians 3:6-8) The ability to adapt to a different culture in order to reach unbelievers and help believers from that culture.
Hospitality (1 Peter 4:9-10) The ability to make others, especially strangers, feel warmly welcomed, accepted, and comfortable in the church family. The ability to coordinate factors that promote fellowship.
Craftsmanship (Exodus 30:22, 31:3-11, 2 Chronicles 34:9-13, Acts 18:2-3). The divine strength or ability to plan, build, and work with your hands in construction environments to accomplish multiple ministry applications.
