This five-part Series on spiritual gifts and how they are meant to be used in the Church. Please enjoy and feel free to utilize the following discussion questions for your own study, or as a discussion guide for your small group.
Session One
Defining Spirituality
Galatians 5:16-26
What mistaken pictures of “Spirituality” have you seen in the world? How does our culture define a “Spiritual Person”?
What is the difference between the Spiritual world and the Physical world?
How do you clearly explain the gospel? What are the important elements?
When did you place your faith in Christ’s sacrifice for your salvation?
What does it mean to “Walk in the Spirit”?
Why is it important to understand the order “Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh” and not “Don’t fulfill the lusts of the flesh and THEN you will be walking in the Spirit”?
How can you tell when you are walking in the Spirit vs walking in the Flesh?
Why do you think we have to be in fellowship with God through Christ in order to use our Spiritual Gifts?
How do you get in Fellowship? How do you stay in Fellowship?
Session Two
Defining a “Gift”
Ephesians 2:8-9
What is the best gift you have EVER received from a friend or a relative?
Can you think of a gift that you were given that you were only able to use in a certain way, place, or time?
Have you ever been given a gift that came “with strings attached”?
Why is it so important to understand that the Holy Spirit is, Himself, a gift to believers?
What accomplishments are you proud of in your life? Grades, sports, music, accomplishments?
Why is it good to be proud of those things?
Why doesn’t it make any sense to be proud of a gift that someone gave you?
What aspect of God’s grace is most shocking, surprising or amazing to you?
What makes it so destructive when we confuse WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST with WHAT WE DO TO SERVE CHRIST?
What would happen if we could EARN our spiritual gifts?
What is right way to respond to someone giving you an amazing gift?
Session Three
The Purpose of the Gifts
Ephesians 2:20, 4:7-16
How do you identify yourself?
OR
If you were introducing yourself to someone that you only ever contacted
through email how would you describe yourself?
What does it mean to found our ultimate identity in Christ?
What does it mean the Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone?
How did the Apostles and Prophets lay the foundation for the church?
If we are being built into a temple to the Lord how will that play out in our day-to-day lives?
What does it mean to be a dwelling place of God on this earth today?
What is an Evangelist?
Everybody is meant to be sharing the gospel…but do you know anyone who is especially spiritually gifted as an evangelist?
What pastors and teachers have influenced you walk with Christ?
What happens if a Christian doesn’t get taught, edified, built up?
If that is the case how important is it that the Spiritual Gifts are functioning in every local church?
What is the Purpose of the Spiritual gifts? (Answer: to Build up the Body of Christ – the Church)
Setting aside the Spiritual Gifts for a moment, what can a person build up their local church?
Which of those things can you see yourself doing?
Session Four
Serving God with your Gifts
Romans 12:3-8
What is your favorite hobby or pastime? What do you enjoy about that hobby or pastime?
What makes our humility such an important part of our thinking about spiritual gifts?
When you think of us as all different members of the same Body (the Body of Christ) how does that affect the way you think of other people at church, or other Christians in general?
How does that affect the way we relate to each other?
Of the gifts that we talked about today we saw three broad categories. Gifts that inform and explain, gifts that encourage and strengthen and gifts that empower us to serve others. Share about a Christian in your life who clearly displays one of those general categories of Spiritual gifts?
Why do you think the Bible doesn’t give us any explicit Spiritual gifts tests so we can find out what our gifts are?
Based upon the Bradley Maston 3 Step Spiritual Gift Test what do you see in your life?
Step 1 – Grow in Christ – How does a person grow in Christ?
Step 2 – Look where the Lord placed you – What opportunities are there to serve in your life?
Step 3 – What do you find yourself doing? – What sorts of things to you find yourself most naturally doing when you serve the Lord?
Session Five
But the Greatest of these is Love
1 Corinthians 13
Have you encountered any of the “Cautions” about Spiritual gifts in your life?
1 Corinthians 12 was about what the Spiritual Gifts have in common, and what differences there are between the gifts. Chapter 14 was about how the Church at Corinth was meant to be responsible in the exercise and practice of those gifts…why did God choose to put the message of 1 Corinthians 13 right in the middle of those to topics?
When you think about your life, your friends, your school, what impact would be made by HUGE SUPERNATURAL MIRACLES?
What sort of impact will be made by seeing this type of LOVE in your life?
Why is LOVE the make it or break it point for a believer to be rewarded or a church to be successful?
When you look at 1 Corinthians 13 which aspect of God’s definition of love is most shocking? Which do you think is most rare in the world?
Which aspect of God’s definition of Love is most difficult for you to see in your life?
Why does Paul remind the Corinthians that all the Spiritual gifts will eventually fade away? What perspective does that give us?
What is the importance of Faith? Why does faith abide?
What is the importance of Hope? Why does hope abide?
What is the importance of Love? Why is Love the GREATEST OF THESE?