Book: Discovering Your Spiritual Gift

“On the day of your graduation into the kingdom of God, your Father gave you a gift, too, a special, love-wrapped expression of His grace. He had designed it in eternity past just for you. It was just the thing you would need to travel the highways of life and do the will of God. That’s what this series is all about. It is designed to be a personal quest for each of you individually; the end object being for you to find your own gift, to find your niche in the body of Christ, to better understand other Christians (especially your loved ones). Our goal is practical: It is to discover YOUR spiritual gift.”

“There are five purposes for this study: (1) For you to come to know your own spiritual gift. (2) To come to accept yourself in Christ, the way God made you. (3) To come to accept and love others as God made them. (4) To make you more usable as a servant in the kingdom. (5) To raise up teachers to teach others how to find and use their spiritual gifts.”

“How can we determine whether or not a doctrine is true, [such as this subject], especially one that proves to be controversial? (1) Is it in harmony with all of Scripture? (2) Does it build unity in the body of Christ? (3) Does it exalt God and humble man? (4) Does it lead to a holy life? (5) Does it lead to freedom rather than bondage?”

“What spiritual gifts are not: (1) Spiritual gifts and talents are not the same. (2) Spiritual gifts and temperaments are not the same. (3) Spiritual gifts and callings are not the same.”

1- What is the importance of studying spiritual gifts?

2- What is the difference between a spiritual gift and a talent?

3- Why do you think God gave us one spiritual gift and not all of the spiritual gifts?

4- How do you think knowing your spiritual gift would help you to worship God in a greater way? How would it help you to be able of relate to others better?

5- If our spiritual gift is an inner drive given to us by God, how will using that gift give us the freedom to serve in a way in which we feel relaxed, fulfilled, and excited?

“Just what are the spiritual gifts? We noted that whenever gifts are taught, certain questions always arise. (1) Why the overlap in the lists of gifts? (2) Why aren’t all the lists of gifts common in their type? (3) Why has this subject caused so much division and confusion through the years?”

“None of us are more important or more gifted spiritually than anyone else. You may have more talents. You may be given a higher office in the church. But in the light of eternity, you have just as much chance to produce spiritual fruit and thus receive spiritual rewards in heaven as the most noted person who ever lived, and you are just as equipped as they are spiritually.”

“It is only through His indwelling Spirit that the gifts exist or function. They are not unique items given to us for us to use. They are a part of the very nature of God given to us for Him to use. There is an incredible difference.”

1- Why are we not to be proud of our spiritual gift?

2- How would a person with the gift of service who was a teacher differ from a person who had the gift of research who was also a teacher?
(a) How would a person with the gift of mercy who was a pastor differ in his emphasis with a person who was a pastor who had the gift of prophecy?
(b) How would the person with the gift of administration differ from the person with the gift of exhortation if they were both discipling people?
(c) What are some different ways people can be impacted by the differing gifts?

3- Why is it necessary that Jesus display all of the gifts? If Jesus displays all the spiritual gifts shouldn’t we also display all of the spiritual gifts?

4- Looking back over the spiritual gifts, can you see your motivation in one of the gifts? Be praying over the next several weeks that God will show you your spiritual gift.

“What do prophets have in common? What common denominator exists in their spirit that causes them to see spiritual life in much the same way? The common drive is that they are driven to reveal truth by exposing sin. No matter what the subject, when they preach or teach or disciple or counsel, they almost always begin and end with one common thought: “What sin is there in your life (or in their own) that is threatening the purity of fellowship with God?””

“The positive characteristics of prophets are: (1) Confidence in the use of Scripture (2) Accept absolutes easily. (3) Easily discern hypocrisy. (4) You know where they stand. (5) Not easily swayed by emotions. (6) Usually more correctable than others.”

“Where do prophets serve best in the church? (1) Evangelism (2) Church discipline (3) Discipleship (4) Preaching (5) Helping to discern who should be allowed to lead or to hold positions of responsibility (6) Helping to keep doctrine and philosophy straight.”

“Who is a Biblical example of a prophet?  Simon Peter had that gift.”

1- What are some common characteristics of a person with the gift of prophecy?

2- How does knowing a person’s spiritual gift make us relate to them better? For instance, would you be offended by the sometimes abrupt manner of a prophet?

3- Imagine a Christian politician with the gift of prophecy – what would be his emphasis and style of relating?

4- What pitfalls do you think the person with the gift of prophecy needs to watch for?

5- If you could sum up the life of the person with the gift of prophecy in one word, what would it be?

“What motivates people with the gift of service? They demonstrate love by meeting practical needs. While the others are preaching, encouraging, giving, organizing, or weeping, the ones with the gift of service are doing the things that must be done for the rest of us to function. Without them, not much would get accomplished. They keep going and going and going and going. Praise God. May they never stop.”

“The positive characteristics of service people is: (1) Availability. (2) Strength to do physical tasks. (3) They don’t like a sloppy job. (4) They have a kind of humility when it comes to doing menial things. (5) They see neatness as holiness. (6) They seem to eliminate the need for large numbers. If one person does six jobs, that’s five less people you need to call.”

“Where do service people serve best in the church? (1) Everywhere doing everything no one else wants to do. (2) Deacon or deaconess. (3) Carrying out short-term, church-wide projects like picnics, conferences, Bible schools.”

“Who is a Biblical example of the gift of service? Timothy”

1- The people with the gift of service make the rest of us feel tired. Where do they get the energy to accomplish all they do? How does the person with the gift of service view those who do not readily volunteer for tasks?

2- What would be a few character qualities that you would readily find in those with the gift of service?

3- Why is it necessary for those with the gift of service to not only serve others, but also, at the same time, share love with them?

4- How would the person with the gift of service help you grow in your spiritual life? What kind of friend would he be?

5- How do you see Jesus expressing this gift?

“What is the basic motivational drive of the gift of research? To discover and validate truth. The centrality of the Word and its absolute authority leads them to keep questioning that which seems less than accurate.”

“What positive characteristics does the gift of research have? (1) They place an emphasis on words and their meanings. (2) They test the accuracy of their instructors. (3) They tend to be systematic in their study habits and their ability to outline information and make it usable. (4) They reject non-biblical illustrations as irrelevant and distracting. (5) They receive far more satisfaction in researching truth than in presenting it. (6) Because their joy comes from researching truth, they stay in the Word.”

“How can researchers best be used in the church? (1) Teaching teachers how to study. (2) Doctrinal watchdogs: They warn if the pastor or teachers are drifting or compromising. (3) Literature approval: To review teaching materials for content. (4) Seminary professors. (5) Resource personnel for pastors and teachers to check a doctrinal position or a controversial passage. (6) To expose apostasy or heresy. (7) On committees that draw up doctrinal statements, church constitutions, etc.”

“Who is a Biblical example of the gift of research? Luke”

1- Why is the person with the gift of research very needed in the church today?

2- What do you think a person with the gift of research would think was the most important element to spiritual growth? Why?

3- Why is it critical that the researcher not only know doctrine, but also know the heart of Jesus?

4- If the gift and strength of the researcher is to study to validate truth, what things do the people with the gift of research need to pursue in order to balance their lives?

5- Why is it important to surround yourself with people of all spiritual gifts?

6- What do you think would be a good life verse for the person with the gift of research?

“The basic motivational drive of those with the gift of administration is to lead others through organization and delegation. They don’t do the job; they see that it gets done.”

“What are the positive expressions that accompany the gift of administration? (1) They see the big perspective. (2) They have the ability to organize tasks when others cannot. (3) The have a supernatural kind of God-given discernment where the abilities of others are concerned. (4) They delegate for efficiency not convenience. (5) They usually stay above personalities. (6) They will be misunderstood, but they will press on.”

“How can they best serve in the church? (1) Church administrator (or school administrator). (2) They are usually effective in office management. (3) Chairmen for long-range planning committees, boards, and building programs. (4) Training others in the use of time. (5) With a balanced committee under them, they can oversee the educational program of the church.”

“Who is a Biblical example of the gift of administration? Nehemiah.”

1- What is the main difference between the gift of service and the gift of administration?

2- Why would the person with the gift of administration seem to be uncaring? What can that person do to make his delegating gift more people-oriented?

3- What is the difference between having an administrator run the church and getting tasks done within the church?

4- How did Nehemiah keep the children of Israel on task while providing an atmosphere of unity and purpose?

5- How would the person with the gift of administration be able to use the knowledge of the gifts to his advantage in completing projects or tasks?

“What is the basic motivational drive behind the gift of mercy? To demonstrate compassion and love.”

“What are the positive characteristics that accompany this gift? (1) They have the uncanny ability to “sense” an atmosphere or an individual’s feelings and know what they might be going through. (2) They are actually attracted to those in distress. (3) They love the unlovable. (4) They often understand others’ motivations by entering into their feelings. (5) They are drawn to other sensitive people. (6) Because of their sensitivity, they usually do not take sin lightly; their own or someone else’s.”

“Where can they be best used in the church? (1) Hospital visitation. (2) The prayer ministry needs these folks on the front lines. (3) They usually do well as workers in nursery or child-care. (4) They will stay with the handicapped ministry because their hearts will become intertwined with those who are afflicted. (5) Often the merciful are the “music-ful”. (6) They are the sensing mechanism to keep the body aware of its people.”

“Who is our Biblical example of the gift of mercy?  John.”

1- What would most likely be the favorite part of a worship service for the person with the gift of mercy? Why?

2- How can the strength of their emotional sensitivity also be their greatest weakness? How do they deal with such things as guilt and worry?

3- If you had a friend with the gift of mercy, how would you treat them differently than the person with the gift of prophecy? What things do you have to be particularly careful of in relating to this person?

4- What types of people are the person with the gift of mercy drawn to? How can the person with the gift of mercy involve other people in the lives of those that come to them for help?

5- John, the beloved disciple, was very close to the heart of Jesus. Even though he does not take a real leadership role like Peter, James or Paul, what was his most important role as a disciple?

“What do those with the gift of exhortation have in common? To help encourage Christians to grow. To stimulate spiritual growth through teaching, discipling, and counseling.”

“What are the positive characteristics of this gift? (1) They see trouble in a positive light. It is 180 degrees from the world’s perspective. (2) They find application of the Word easily. (3) They place strong emphasis on the timing of God. (4) They love to offer steps of action. (5) They use Scripture to validate experience. (6) They counsel from a positive perspective: “Everything’s going to be okay.” (7) They sometimes are creative in developing practical insights into Scripture.”

“Where do exhorters best fit in the church? (1) They preach and teach (usually topically). (2) They usually love to disciple one-on-one with people who want to grow (or say they want to grow). (3) They love principle-related counseling. (4) They love to design and implement growth materials.”

“Who is our Biblical example of the gift of mercy? Paul.”

1- What is the difference between a person with the gift of prophecy and the person with the gift of exhortation? How would they differ in the way they teach? How about in the way they counsel? Who would be the optimist and who would be the pessimist?

2- Why do they get excited when presented with problems? What do they have to be careful about as people share problems with them?

3- If the exhorter could teach us just one thing from the Bible, what do you think it would be?

4- Where could exhorters best serve in the church?

5- Would an exhorter be more interested in having you develop a message in your life or develop a ministry in your life? Why?

“What is the basic motivational drive of the gift of giving? What kind of spiritual activity moves them to give themselves away? Unlike all the other gifts, their common drive is to conserve and share resources in order to meet needs. Their methodology is to prevent waste and through wisdom and accountability, to be able to do more with less and as a result have a greater reward in Heaven.”

“What are the most prevalent positive characteristics of this gift? (1) They understand the value of money. (2) They seem able to save, even in hard times. (3) They love to motivate others to save and give. (4) They love to meet needs creatively. (5) They grasp concepts of accountability and authority. (6) They love to enter into the lives of those they support. They don’t just give money. They usually give themselves, as well.”

“What do we do with them in the Church? (1) You have to hunt for them, but you always want at least one on your Elder Board or Board of Directors. They keep the balance and make sure the decisions are the result of wise stewardship. (2) They are good on the budget committee. (3) They can help with the needy fund, but may tend to be overly conservative. (4) They are excellent additions to the missions committee. (5) They are good at overseeing maintenance projects. (6) They can help with long range planning because they see what is fruitful and what isn’t.”

“Who is our Biblical example of the gift of giving? Matthew.”

1- What do you think is the root cause of people comparing various spiritual gifts?

2- Are people with the gift of giving necessarily wealthy? Do you think people with the gift of giving primarily give to causes and organizations or spontaneous needs? How do you think this person determines who he gives to?

3- In what ways are people with the gift of giving misunderstood? Why is it necessary to balance this person out with people with other gifts if he is on a committee?

4- What kind of stress could it put on a marriage or family if the wife or children were not in tune with the values of the person with the gift of giving? What could a person with this gift do to make sure his family was all on the same page?

“If ever we can come to see our gifts as unique, if ever we can see our gifts as tools to serve, and if we ever see them as a means to appropriate through humility and accountability the qualities of the other six gifts, then we will begin to see the Body of Christ function as it was meant to do. I ask you to look at just what the intended purposes of the gifts are in the local body and how to avoid the competition and self-centeredness that studying gifts sometimes creates.”

“The issue is that there is one Spirit motivating us, one Lord ministering in us, and it is the same God accomplishing through us whatever He deems brings most glory to His Name. So, if the same God and the same Spirit is doing it all, ought not our objective to be singular regardless of the way He does it and the results He achieves? God gave each of us one gift – which one we received being totally the result of His sovereign choice. There is nothing, therefore, to boast about.”

“You don’t stop being an integral part of the body by pouting because you think you’re not the most important part in the body. You just cease to be useful. We are all part of one body. And therefore, no part is less valuable than the other, because in and by itself no part can function. By making us different and by making the less visible even more essential, God has forced the prideful to be humble, the humble to be grateful, and each to be more aware of the needs of the other.”

“By far the most important thing of all is that you not only learn to focus on the Giver, but that, as your gift operates, you glory not in its uniqueness, but that rather you seek to add to it through obedience the strengths of the gifts you do not have. As you do that, you take the spotlight off yourself, put it on the body at large, and you begin to appreciate all the gifts, and you begin to seek to be a learner, a disciple once again. In the process you will begin to work in harmony with, rather than in competition with, the rest of the body of Christ.”

“The purpose in studying gifts is clear. It is that there be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. With all submitting to the head, even Christ, and with One Person controlling all the parts, then all the parts work together for one purpose.”

1- After having studied all the gifts, do you see where God has gifted you? What difference will it make in you life?