New Podcast: Understanding Spiritual Gifts

On this episode of the Innocence Redeemed podcast, I will be explaining why knowing your spiritual gift is a very important factor in our walk with Jesus but also when it comes to serving others or going into ministry.  I go over the main spiritual gifts and give an explanation of each one.  I felt this was a great way to follow up to the ‘Called To Ministry” podcast since I made a brief mention in that episode where it comes to knowing which direction you are being led and that it’s important to take a spiritual gift test if you aren’t sure.

 

 

 

 

You can find various spiritual gift tests online to discover what yours is simply by doing a search, but the one I personally used may be found here:

 

 

Spiritual Gifts Survey From ChurchGrowth.org

 

 

 

Verses as they pertain to this podcast:

 

 

1 Corinthians 12: 1-29 (NLT)

 

 

Now, dear brothers and sisters,  regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this. You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols. So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.

 

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

 

A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.  9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

 

 

One Body with Many Parts

 

12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

 

14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

 

18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

 

22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, 24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

 

27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. 28 Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:

 

first are apostles,
second are prophets,
third are teachers,
then those who do miracles,
those who have the gift of healing,
those who can help others,
those who have the gift of leadership,
those who speak in unknown languages.

 

29 Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? 30 Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! 31 So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.

 

 

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (NLT)

 

 

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

 

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

 

Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! 10 But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.

 

11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12 Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

 

13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

 

 

1 Timothy 4:14 (NLT)

 

14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you.

 

 

2 Timothy 1:6 (NLT)

 

This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.

 

 

Ephesians 4:11-12 (NLT)

 

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

 

 

Matthew 20:22-23 (NLT)

 

22 But Jesus answered by saying to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?”

 

“Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!”

 

23 Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”

 

7 comments

  1. Brother Ray, let me tell you, this whole subject fascinates me. I’ll also tell you that it’s my belief that most people inherently know their gifts (and I think ministering angels remind them…but that’s another subject!). Anyway, I can’t help but join you in emphasizing how revealing, and confirming and comforting, it can be to take a spiritual gifts inventory. It’s personally empowering, for the Lord works through us and our willing hearts. He wasn’t kidding, in my opinion, when He said we’re “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Thank you, so much, for this amazing podcast. Your timing at Christmas time is impeccable. Love you very much, brother, and Merry Christmas to you and your family!

    1. Thank you Tom for your very generous comments! Amen we are fearfully and wonderfully made in His image and we must remember to take time and reflect on that, especially in the season. To take that time to reflect on how much Jesus loves us. You are welcome and I am happy to know it was a blessing to you. Know that you are very much loved! May you have a Merry Christmas too brother! =)

  2. Wow, thanks for this teaching and the Spiritual Gifts Survey. Finally, I can stop feeling guilty. Pastors have tried to push me for over 5 decades into areas of serving that I’ve never felt right in. I’m thrilled for the confirmation of the 3 main areas that I’ve been serving in all my life (but felt guilty about it). I wish I’d have known this 50+ years ago as I would have chosen a different profession. I can now spend the remaining few years of my life doing what I do best and not feeling guilty about where my true passions lay! Thank you Ray. God bless you. Shalom.

  3. Thank you,the survey was a confirmation of one I took nearly 40 yrs ago.The Lord gives us such great gifts and then teaches us how to use them for His good will.

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