POWER Gifts / The Gift of Intercessory Prayer

Spiritual Gifts Series Wrap Up

Today is our last episode! As we wrap up the series, we return to the full metaphor. First though, let’s review our key scripture passage, Ephesians 4:11, 12 & 16: “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,... when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love." Our metaphor for the church and all the gifts within the church for this series was the components of an automobile - from steering to the drivetrain to where the rubber meets the road. Let's review that metaphor again and where all the spiritual gifts fit into that metaphor.

POWER Gifts / The Gifts of Healing & Miracles

Today, we are looking at two gifts that display God’s power like none other: Healing and Miracles. So here is our charge today, listener: If we believe God is sovereign, then we believe He is the ultimate Healer. But as Reformed Evangelicals, we also recognize that God sometimes sovereignly allows suffering, like Paul's thorn in the flesh, for our sanctification. We hold two truths: God uses suffering to conform us to Christ, AND God delights in breaking into our fallen world with miraculous healing to validate the Gospel and show His compassion.

POWER Gifts / The Gifts of Wisdom, Knowledge, and Prophecy

Today, we are looking at three engine components that work together: Words of Wisdom, Words of Knowledge, and the Gift of Prophecy. Like last episode’s gifts, these gifts are not required for the church–or car power train–to work normally. However, when engaged, they provide an exceptional capability to both!

POWER Gifts / The Gifts of Discernment of Spirits, Tongues, & Interpretation of Tongues

In this week’s episode, we are combining three POWER gifts today: Discernment of Spirits, the Gift of Tongues, and the Interpretation of Tongues. In our car metaphor, we are looking at the oil filter–discernment, and the one of the special systems of the car engine like ones that provide extra power or traction–the gifts of Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues. And, let's be clear, there's a lot of debate about the gift of Tongues, which is exactly why we need the filter of Discernment! When a church opens itself up to the POWER gifts—when the engine is pulling in a lot of power—we become a target for counterfeit spiritual activity. We need a mechanism to filter out the impurities, ensuring our worship remains anchored in the truth of Christ. We also need discernment in a ton of other ways in Church life. So, let's define these 3 gifts...

POWER Gifts / The Gift of Intercessory Prayer

Last week, we talked about the Gift of Faith—the engine’s fuel. This week, we turn to another essential component of our powertrain. The Gift of Intercessory Prayer is the air in the engine—just as essential as the fuel. If faith is the fuel that carries the energy of God’s promises, then intercessory prayer is the oxygen that allows that fuel to ignite and produce power. And, of course, God Himself provides the spark—the initiating power that brings it all to life. Intercessors often have a heightened sensitivity to spiritual opposition. They don't just pray about a list; they pray through crises or even for a specific person, event, or ministry until a prayer is answered. They are responsible for covering so many of God’s people, indeed all people, in prayer.