Find Your Place In Ministry
Understand how God knit you together for ministry.
Welcome to Find Your Place, a segment of BuidingChurch.net devoted to (1) helping every member of the Body of Christ recognize that God has called them to be a minister in the Body, (2) recognize that God has uniquely qualified each individual to minister in a unique way within the body, and also (3) to help members of the body of Christ in finding that particular place of ministry God has for them.
"Now, there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;
and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord;
and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone."
1 Corinthians 12:4-6
1) Developing a Personal Ministry Profile
The Find Your Place program is designed to be a tool to assist you in defining your place in ministry in your local church. The overall objective of this program is to help you develop a Personal Ministry Profile, which you can use to help you identify which ministries at your church God has uniquely qualified you to be a part of. By developing your PMP, it is our desire that you will be able to more clearly see what you particular strengths and giftings are and what area of ministry God has called you to so that you will have a clearer vision for what part God would have you to play in the Body of Christ at your local church.
"Now, there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;
and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord;
and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone."
1 Corinthians 12:4-6
There are five elements of a PMP that this program will address. Certain elements of the PMP are more important to the life of the Body of Christ, or are often misunderstood by the Body of Christ. Therefore, the Find Your Place program will spend greater amounts of time developing these areas of the profile, and give you basic guidelines on the other portions.
The five elements of a PMP are:
1. Spiritual Gifts
2. Temperament (or personality type)
3. Natural Talents and Learned Skills
4. Life Experiences, and
5. Heart’s Call
The contents of your evaluations will be only for your information, and you will not be asked to turn back your results to the church. Therefore, we want you to be honest and open when evaluating yourself and take into consideration that while we should all have certain good qualities as Christians, there are differences in motives and in ways of expressing the unique character that God has gifted each of us with. The final portion of the Find Your Place program will explain to you how you can use your PMP with the Every Member In Ministry Commitment Card in order to find an appropriate place of ministry within the Body of Christ at Lakeview Baptist Church. Hopefully you can use the example of Lakeview's EMIM program to help you identify the ministry God has for you in your local church.
As a member of the Body of Christ, you are crucial to the overall health and strength of the body. We will only function as effectively as God intended if each member is doing its part. That is why we have a strong conviction that each member have a place of ministry, and we hope the Find Your Place program will give you information that will be helpful in finding the place of service that God intends for you to have within the local body.
PMP Part 1: Spiritual Gifts
This portion of your PMP is designed to assist you in identifying your strengths as specifically relating to ministry and service in the local church. Its primary purpose is to enable you to pinpoint areas of ministry for which you are most likely gifted. There are many other resources available that can assist you in exploring further your gifts and strengths.
"Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant."
1 Corinthians 12:1 (NIV)
The following spiritual gifts inventory, Gifted2Serve, was developed for the distinct purpose of helping the members of Lakeview Baptist Church know their own spiritual gifts, and how each of the gifts is used within our church. Keep in mind when you score yourself that most of these are desirable traits for a Christian to have, and giving yourself a 0 or 1 on a particular trait does not mean that you are unspiritual, but rather that it is not a primary motivating factor for you as an individual.
Also keep in mind that the church will not be looking at your individual answers to particular questions, but rather using the overall information to highlight areas in which you are especially gifted and motivated. Once your primary areas of ministry strength are identified, you can then use this information to identify specific service opportunities which may be of interest to you.
"All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills."
1 Corinthians 12:11
As you discover your spiritual gifts, realize that God has called you to use your gifts for the edification of the Body of Christ, and begin to think about how God would have you use your spiritual gifts within the local body.
". . . All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church."
1 Corinthians 14:26b (NIV)
"For as in one body we all have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them . . ."
Romans 12:4-6
Gifted2Serve is a spiritual gifts inventory you can take online. Included are detailed definintions for each of the spiritual gifts.
Click here for the Gifted2Serve main page
The class notes for Find Your Place contain more information about how the gifts are used in the local church.
Click here for Find Your Place class notes
Understanding Your Temperament
The temperament evaluation is designed to assist you in identifying your temperament or personality strengths and weaknesses as they specifically relate to ministry and service in the local church. It is not designed to put you into a box or a mold, but rather to enable you to understand why you are motivated the way you are and what some of the accompanying weaknesses might naturally be. In turn, you can use this information to assist in finding a ministry or service area that best utilizes your unique strengths.
Also be aware that other people in the Body have a different personality than you, and therefore will often react differently than you in particular situations. While this can become a problem if not understood, we hope that this portion of Find Your Place will enable the members of the church to operate peacefully within their differences.
"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony."
Colossians 3:12-14
Due to copyright laws, the temperament sorter is not available online. I suggest using David Keirsey’s Temperament Sorter in his book, Please Understand Me.
An online version is available online: http://www.advisorteam.com/user/ktsintro.asp
Keep in mind that the church will not be looking at your answers, but rather using the overall information to highlight areas in which you are especially gifted and motivated. Once your primary areas of ministry strength are identified, you can then use this information to identify specific service opportunities which may be of interest to you.
"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh . . . But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
Galatians 5:16, 22-23
Natural Talents and Learned Skills
God gave each of us natural talents. Some of us have a talent for music, others for carpentry, and still others have other natural talents. Natural talents are different from spiritual gifts in that every person, whether they are Christians or not, have natural talents. God gave us these natural talents for the distinct purpose of bringing Him glory. While we may use these talents for things that seem "secular," or apart from the church, everything we do should be as a ministry unto God. Also, we should try to use our natural talents within the Body of Christ, as well.
"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."
Colossians 3:23-24
This concept of our "secular" activities extending into our ministry includes more than natural talents. The vocational and other learned skills that we have accumulated over the course of our lifetime should also be considered a part of our PMP. We must all realize that our ministry is not limited to the church building, but should extend to every aspect of our lives at every moment.
"Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!"
Psalm 90:17
Perhaps the strongest example of how natural talents and learned skills can be used in determining your place in ministry is in the life of the apostle Paul. Paul’s two primary skill elements surrounded his trade as a tentmaker (or worker with leather, Acts 18:3) and his training as a Pharisee (Philippians 3:5-6). In several cities, such as Athens and Thessalonica, Paul used his vocation as a tentmaker as an "excuse" to be in the marketplace. While in the marketplace, his superior training as a Pharisee gave him authority and ability in debate and preaching (Acts 17:17, 1 Thes 2:9).
On a piece of paper, prayerfully think through the natural talents and learned skills that God has given you over the course of your lifetime. As you consider these various skills, begin to consider possible ways that God wants you to use these talents and skills in ministry within His body, so that He might receive the glory for the use of those talents and skills.
"Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!"
Psalm 115:1
On a piece of paper, make a chart with a list of natural talents and learned skills down the left-hand column. Then, in the right-hand column, prayerfully consider some ways that God may be asking you to use those talents and skills in ministry, both within the church and as a way to bring glory to Himself in the "secular" world.
For help in filling in this chart, consider your spiritual gifts. Are any of these gifts the product of a "God-empowered talent"? Sometimes (but not always) God chooses to take the talents He has already given us and glorifying them into spiritual gifts.
"Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade?"
Benjamin Franklin
Life Experiences
Theologians often call history "His-story," because all of history is the story of God revealing himself to man and seeking to redeem His creation unto Himself. Therefore, each of us has a story. Anyone who has taken part in evangelism training has been asked to develop the story of their personal spiritual pilgrimage, because testimony is an extremely effective tool in evangelism. God uses every aspect of our lives, good or bad, to shape us into the ministers He calls us to be. In this portion of the PMP, you will be asked to consider your history. What has happened in your life that has caused you to be uniquely qualified for a specific area of ministry?
Consider Paul’s testimony in Acts 22:3-21:
What elements of Paul’s story before he met Jesus has he used in this testimony?
What elements of Paul’s conversion experience has he used in this story and what purpose do these elements serve?
What changes did his conversion make, and what elements of his story drive his ministry?
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."
Romans 8:28
This concept of our "secular" activities extending into our ministry includes more than natural talents. The vocational and other learned skills that we have accumulated over the course of our lifetime should also be considered a part of our PMP. We must all realize that our ministry is not limited to the church building, but should extend to every aspect of our lives at every moment.
Understanding the elements of Paul’s testimony in Acts 22, consider you own story. Prayerfully make a list of events in your life, experiences that you have had, that may give you insight on a direction in ministry within the body.
What experiences before salvation could affect your place in ministry?
What do the elements of your conversion experience tell you about your call to ministry?
What events have occurred in your life as a Christian that have uniquely molded you for ministry?
Your Heart's Call
Up to this point, Find Your Place has been studying concepts from Scripture that help you understand how God has put you together. The final portion of your PMP is meant to knit all of the other portions together in such a way that you can begin to understand specifically how God wants you to minister in the Body of Christ.
As you review the other portions of your PMP, you may notice that the elements may point to specific areas of ministry, but quite often, they may show you what areas of ministry you do not belong in. Even as you look over the other elements, there are probably still a large number of ministry areas that you would appear qualified to be a part of. Therefore, this portion pulls the elements together by asking one simple question: "What has God called you to do?"
". . . I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received."
Ephesians 4:1b (NIV)
This portion of the PMP is called "Your Heart’s Call" for a reason. God has called each one of us to specific places of ministry within the Body. He has uniquely gifted and trained us to serve in these ministries. When we discover the ministry that God has called us to, we find great satisfaction and fulfillment in bringing Him glory through doing the work of the ministry. Great enthusiasm results when we are fulfilling the calling that God made us for.
For the purposes of the PMP, your heart’s call is simply the "thing" that God has burned into your heart to do for His mission on earth.
Before you consider this portion of your PMP, consider some people in your own life. Who around you seems to be overridden with enthusiasm or passion for a specific area of ministry? Think of a few people who seem extremely enthusiastic and what their passion is, and what about their behavior lets you know that it is their overriding passion?
The Apostle Paul's passion:
"God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the Gospel of his Son . . ."
Romans 1:9 (NIV)
"Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart."
2 Corinthians 4:1
Paul’s heart’s call was to preach the Gospel and plant churches among the Gentiles (Gal 1:15-16).
Now, prayerfully consider what God has placed in you as your heart’s call.
"I will bless the Lord who give me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me."
Psalm 16:7
What is the one thing that you are involved with that drives you and gives you great satisfaction?
What is the one thing that you would love to have an opportunity to do for God or to advance His kingdom?
"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."
John Piper
"The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."
Proverbs 16:9
". . . Doing the will of God from the heart."
Ephesians 6:6b
Every Member In Ministry
Congratulations! You have now completed your Personal Ministry Profile! As you have worked through the various elements of your PMP, you have probably begun to understand the areas of ministry where God has uniquely qualified and called you to serve. Now, it is time for you to consider how you are going to use this calling for ministry within the context of the local church, specifically, at Lakeview Baptist Church.
God has given certain people within the church the specific responsibility of equipping the other members to effectively minister according to their calling. That is why the staff at Lakeview is called the Equipping Staff, rather than the Ministerial Staff or Pastoral Staff as it is known at other churches. Each of our staff ministers considers it his/her job to equip the members of the church to serve in their area of ministry according to God’s calling.
"And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ . . ."
Ephesians 4:11-13
At Lakeview, we have developed the Every Member In Ministry program as a source of accountability for each of the members of this local body. We have recognized that God has called everyone who is a Christian to a specific area of ministry, and that the Body works best when every member is fulfilling their God-given assignment. Each November we ask each member to commit to at least one specific ministry within the church in the coming year. This way, we have a way to be accountable to each other to be fulfilling our calling throughout the year.
Now that you have a basic understanding of how God has uniquely qualified you for ministry in the Body through your Personal Ministry Profile, each year, when you receive your EMIM Commitment Card, prayerfully consider where you will serve and how it will most glorify God. If you are still unsure of where God wants you to serve within our local body, remember that God has called the staff and others to be equippers for ministry-feel free to seek guidance in finding your place in ministry.
"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whover speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength God supplies--in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."
1 Peter 4:10-11
Bibliography
Colson, Charles, The Body (Dallas, TX, Word Publishing: 1996).
Foster, Richard J., Celebration of Discipline, The Path to Spiritual Growth (New York, HarperCollins Publishers: 1998).
*Hemphill, Ken, The Official Rule Book for the New Church Game (Nashville, Broadman Press: 1990).
Ogden, Greg, The New Reformation: Returning the Ministry to the People of God (Grand Rapids, MI, Zondervan Publishing House: 1990).
Stedman, Ray C. Body Life (Grand Rapids, MI, Discovery House Publishers: 1995).
*Wagner, C. Peter, Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow (Ventura, CA, Regal Books: 1994).
Whitney, Donald S., Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs, CO, Navpress: 1991).
*Wilkes, C. Gene, Jesus On Leadership: Becoming A Servant Leader (Nashville, LifeWay Press: 1996).
Calvary Baptist Church, Documents, Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts.
All scripture quoted is from the English Standard Version, unless noted.
Note: “*” Indicates highly recommended for further understanding of the principles studied in Find Your Place. Some materials are suggested for further understanding of the theological basis for the Every Member In Ministry program. Other materials are suggested based on the content of the EMIM Discovery Class at Lakeview Baptist Church. The class notes are available on this site.
Find Your Place is ©2001, Andrew P. Kulp - adapted from the Find Your Place curriculum developed for Lakeview Baptist Church, Auburn, AL.
Spiritual Disciplines
The Basics of the Christian Life
BuildingChurch.net on Spiritual Disciplines
This section contains information I have developed related to basic Christian living through spiritual disciplines. Much of this is developed as part of a new members class for the church. For Adobe Acrobat files, download the Acrobat Reader here.
In order to understand the importance of spiritual disciplines in the Christian life, especially as a foundation upon which to build the particular ministry to which God has called each and every Christian, I highly suggest reading through the exposition of Romans 12 found in the Find Your Place Class Notes, Session 1, Part 2 -- The Individual in the Church.
In order for God to be most glorified in us, Christians are to seek to do his will. Additionally, His grace should drive us to it. When we reflect on God's grace, our thankfulness and humility will drive us to know Him more and do His will. Spiritual disciplines are the first step in developing the kind of lifestyle that is consistently bent towards appreciation for the grace of God.
Personal Spiritual Disciplines
These are the spiritual disciplines that are activities the individual Christian should embark upon in order to develop him/herself as a mature, Christ-like believer. These disciplines can be divided into two sub-categories: internal and external disciplines.
Internal External
Meditation
Prayer
Fasting
Study Simplicity
Stewardship
Solitude Submission
Service
Evangelism
Corporate Spiritual Disciplines
These are the spiritual disciplines that are activities for the body of believers. These disciplines are best practiced in the context of a local church body to which one is a member, but can also include gatherings of multiple congregations for special celebrations of God's grace and glory.
Confession Worship Guidance Celebration
"Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come."
1 Timothy 4:7b-8 NASB
"Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared, a great King over all the earth."
Psalm 47:1-2
"Prayer is an unspoken confession of our utter dependence upon God.
Prayerlessness is an unbroken testimony of our dependence upon the flesh."
Randy Sprinkle
"Pride is the greatest enemy to the centrality of God."
T.W. Hunt
"As Scripture says that love covers over a multitude of sins, in the same way, prayer covers over a multitude of mistakes."
Hal Cooper
Links to Spiritual Discipline helps:
Celebration of Discipline, Richard J. Foster
This is one of my two top recommended books on understanding the spiritual disciplines. Most of the spiritual disciplines portion of BuildingChurch.net is modeled after this book. Foster not only gives the basic theological foundation for each of the disciplines, but he also gives practical insight into how you can expect your life to be changed as a result of practicing each dicipline . . . not only spiritually, but physically, psychologically, and beyond. Not only is this one of my top books on spiritual disciplines, it is among my most recommended books on all subjects of Christian faith.
My only warning is that some popular theologians argue that there is New Age influence in certain portions of this book. I understand their concerns, but believe they are overstated. Most of the questionable material is more the result of the author's Quaker background than the New Age. The benefits are well worth the read, simply read with a discerning mind, as you should read any book.
To order this book from ChristianBook.com, click here: Celebration of Discipline, Richard J. Foster.
SpiritualDisciplines.org
This web site is the ministry web site of Donald S. Whitney, author of Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, which is the second of my two most recommended books on the topic of spiritual disciplines. This book is a little more in depth and comprehensive as you study through the disciplines.
To order this book from ChristianBook.com, click here: Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Donald S. Whitney.
Session 1: The Purposes of the Church
"Our Mission: To bring people to Jesus and membership in His family,
develop them to Christlike maturity, and equip them for their ministry in the church
and their life mission in the world, in order to magnify God’s name."
Church growth advocates point to 5 overall purposes of the church, derived from Acts 2:42-47. These 5 purposes are: discipleship, fellowship, ministry, worship, and evangelism. Some church growth advocates include prayers as a 6th purpose, and I tend to agree. I would also point out that fellowship should not be a priority in planning ministries, because it is a natural bi-product when Christians work together in ministry.
Here is how those 6 purposes are contained within the mission of NorthStar, and how they are accomplished:
1. Evangelism: To bring people to Jesus
* Inviting others to church
* Servant evangelism activities
* Coffee House
* Women's Hike
* Developing small groups
* Miscellaneous other "involvement" activities
2. Fellowship: Membership in His family
* Friendly and comfortable atmosphere
* Developing small groups
* Sunday dinners (upcoming)
3. Discipleship: Develop them to Christlike maturity
* Small groups - Wednesday
* Small groups - Sunday dinners (upcoming)
4. Ministry: Equip them for their ministry in the church and their like mission in the world
* Servant evangelism activities
* As-needed basis
* Developing small groups
5. Worship: In order to magnify God’s name.
* Sunday mornings - "We rock"
6. Prayer: ?????
* Small groups
If you notice, the small-group setting is the strongest avenue in which the ministry of the church takes place. Being involved, and getting others involved in small groups is the key to effective ministry in the local church.
Part 2 - The Individual in the Church
* What is the primary purpose for each person's existence?
o Glorify God
+ "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." - Westminster Catecism
+ "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-for this is your spiritual act of worship." - Romans 12:1
* How do we do this?
o Don't conform, but be transformed!
+ "Do not conform any longer to the patter of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing, and perfect will." - Romans 12:2
* You mean we can really know exactly what God’s will is?
* How can I be transformed, then?
1. Spiritual Gifts
* Romans 12:3-8
o Each part does its function - just like a body. A finger can't exist without a heart to pump blood to it. The heart pumping blood is useless without the lungs putting air into the blood.
o "According to the grace given us" - means that we must be recipients of God's grace. In order to be recipients, we have to accept it. In order to have spiritual gifts, we must have our salvation nailed down.
* 1 Corinthians 12:1 - "Now about spiritual gifts, I do not want you to be ignorant." - I think Paul is pretty clear here. He then goes on and gives extensive instructions inf chapters 12, 13, and 14 about what the gifts are and how they should be used.
* 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 - "just as he determines" - we are not the ones who choose what our spiritual gifts are. God knits us together for a specific purpose, and he directs us, or calls us to fulfill that particular function.
Working definition: A Spiritual Gift is the particular ability given to individual Christians to accomplish a specific role or task within the ministry of the body.
Notice all the individualistic words: "particular," "individual," "specific." That is the key to understanding spiritual gifts, they are given to individuals for the purpose of a specific role in the body.
2. Spiritual Disciplines
* Romans 12:9-16
o "Keep your spiritual ferver" - although the english translation ends this thought with "serving the Lord." and adds a period, I believe that the entire section gives us instructions on how we can keep our spiritual fervor. By practicing spiritual disciplines, we are kept in an intimate relationship with God and will be neergized for ministry.
o Just like when we feed and excercise children as they grow up and mature, we must feed and excercise our spiritual lives in order to mature and be healthy as Christians. Without food and excercise, we will waste away and die. The same goes for our spiritual lives.
* Richard Foster: Celebration of Discipline - I highly suggest this book for further understanding about spiritual disciplines. Foster not only gives excellent biblical reason for why we should practice each spiritual disciple, but he gives simple, practical steps that we can take to begin the discipline. He also gives some insight into what we can expect as we begin to practice the disciplines.
* Donald S. Whitney: Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. - This book is a little more difficult read, but I include it mainly because Foster does not include evangelism as a disciple, while this book does.
Working definition: Spiritual disciplines are those activities that every Christian should be involved with in order to be in a place to mature in faith and bear spiritual fruit.
Notice the universal word: "every."
3. Spiritual Fruit
* Romans 12:17-21 - while these actions can be characterized as disciplines, we must all admit that we have no desire to work this way on our own. As we practice the spiritual disciplines and are active in the ministry God has gifted us for, the fruit will be that we are enabled by the Holy Spirit to accomplish these kinds of things.
* Galatians 5:22-23 - this is the primary scripture for spiritual fruit. Listed here are the basic characteristics of the fruit that results in a maturing Christian life: "For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
Working definition: Spiritual fruit is the tangible results of living and growing in the Christian life--the changed attitudes, actions, and thought-patterns that result from a transformed life in Christ.
Therefore: Let us Find Your Place!-The Personal Ministry Profile:
* Understanding yourself:
o How God has made you
+ Psalm 139:13-16 - whenever you begin to feel useless, this verse is an excellent encouragement, as it explains that everything in our lives has a purpose: God knew they were all going to happen before you were even born . . . and He has a reason for it.
Be a functioning part of the Body!
Internal Disciplines
BuildingChurch.net on Internal Personal Disciplines
These are the spiritual disciplines that are activities the individual Christian should embark upon in order to develop him/herself as a mature, Christ-like believer. These disciplines can be divided into two sub-categories: internal and external disciplines. This page contains the internal personal disciplines.
Internal Personal Disciplines
Meditation
Psalm 23 -- A new look
These are several personal interpretations of Psalm 23, giving a personal identification of who God is to a variety of people. Many of these interpretations were inspired as the result of a prayer conference with T.W. Hunt at Lakeview Baptist Church, Auburn, Alabama. These personol interpretations demonstrate the value of meditation on scriptural truth, and personalizing that which is learned.
Prayer
A.C.T.S. Acrostic
A quick description of the A.C.T.S. acrostic format for disciplined and balanced prayer. (document in Adobe Acrobat format)
Praying Through Scripture
A simple description of how to use Scripture as a catalyst for prayer. (document in Adobe Acrobat format)
Prayingwalking
An overview of prayerwalking and basic instructions for effective prayerwalking. (document in Adobe Acrobat format)
Angels, Demons, and Spiritual Warfare
An overview addition for use during the third level of FAITH evangelism training, FAITH Discipleship Journal.
(Class Notes via Adobe Acrobat format)
Fasting
Jesus said, "When you fast," not "If you fast" (Matt 6:16). Therefore, he assumed that believers would practice the discipline of fasting. It is not an option. Fasting helps the believer remove the focus from earthly pleasures and focusses on the grace and glory and wonder of God, and the pleasure of knowing and pleasing God. For further understanding, Richard Foster's chapter on fasting is priceless. I would suggest buying his book just for this one chapter.
Study
Bible Search
The BuildingChurch.net Bible Search pop-up tool. APK's translation of choice is the English Standard Version (ESV). The ESV balances the accuracy of the NASB with the readability of other translations, and is highly respected by many contemporary authors, preachers, and theologians.
APK's Basic Guide to Studying the Bible
A basic list of suggested tools to be used in Bible study and an outline of the process to go through in order to maximize the effectiveness of personal and group Bible study.
(Outline via Adobe Acrobat format)
External Disciplines
BuildingChurch.net on External Personal Disciplines
These are the spiritual disciplines that are activities the individual Christian should embark upon in order to develop him/herself as a mature, Christ-like believer. These disciplines can be divided into two sub-categories: internal and external disciplines. This page contains the external disciplines.
External Personal Disciplines
Simplicity
"God made man simple; man's complex problems are of his own devising" (Ecc 7:29, JB). We live in a busy, gadget-centered world. The fact that you are reading this page means that you probably have access to technology such as computers. In such a high-tech world, the idea of simplicity is extremely foreign. God calls us to allow Him to supply all of our needs, and all the rest will take care of itself (Matt 6:25-34). He calls us to lead peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness (1 Tim 2:2), that He might be glorified. My primary mentor, Al Jackson, put the Richard Foster book on his top ten list because of this one chapter. Again, the book is worth the price for just one chapter!
Stewardship
Although Foster does not include this discipline in his book, Donald S Whitney includes it in his book. I agree with Whitney that stewardship is an essential part of the Christian life.
Stewardship is about more than money. Stewardship involves managing wisely all of the assets that God has entrusted us with. How are we going to use our time, talents, and money to bring the greatest glory to God? I honestly believe that tithing all of our assets is merely a starting point. Tithing was the requirement of the Old Testament law. Those of us in the New Testament church can see the full extent of God's abundant grace. Our appreciation of such wonderful grace should drive us to give far beyond the requirements of the law.
Solitude
Submission
Service
This discipline is the primary purpose and vision for the entire site of BuildingChurch.net. I am utterly convinced that a Christian will be unable to live a consistent life of gratitude and glory to God until he/she begins to turn their own faith around and serve God in the context of a ministry to which they are called. The Find Your Place curriculum and Gifted2Serve inventory are specifically geared to help Christians in this discipline.
Evangelism
Although Foster does not include this discipline in his book, Donald S Whitney includes it in his book. I agree with Whitney that evangelism is an essential part of the Christian life.
Although I have been trained in Evangelism Explosion, FAITH Sunday School Evangelism Strategy, and other programmatic forms of evangelism, I prefer a more personal method. If possible, I suggest such a simple method as including the essential parts of your Christian faith within the story of your testimony. In the context of your story, most people won't realize how much of the Gospel you are giving to them. Also, while they may argue with your understanding of what you have experienced, they can't argue with the experience itself. They must somehow explain what you have told them happened to you.
Beyond including the Gospel in your testimony, I suggest using a simple tract. Many tracts and methods of sharing the Gospel are man-centered, centering on the person's reward. I suggest finding one that is centered on God, His glory, and His desire and original plan for mankind. I find Your Most Important Relationship to be an excellent bridge from the human need to God's ultimate desire and plan for mankind.
Corporate Spiritual Disciplines
Bonding the Body Together
BuildingChurch.net on Corporate Disciplines
These are the spiritual disciplines that are activities for the body of believers. These disciplines are best practiced in the context of a local church body to which one is a member, but can on occasion include gatherings of multiple congregations for a special celebration.
Prayer
Although prayer is primarily considered an individual spiritual discipline, a body of believers without a corporate prayer life is a powerless body. Most of what applies to the personal discipline of prayer applies to the corporate discipline. I consider it essential to mention the discipline again as a corporate activity, as it is so often forgotten or given little priority in the corporate life of the church. Spirit-led Prayer, especially as a corporate activity in conjunction with confession, is essential for genuine revival.
Confession
"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." (James 5:16). Although I believe that sins should be confessed on the level that they are committed, there is definitely a place for corporate confession of sin. When we genuinely confess to a group, it takes great humility. Also, public confession supplies a source of accountability. I also will add that corporate and public confession of sin, in conjunction with Spirit-led prayer, is a gateway to genuine revival.
Worship
Praise and Worship
APK's information related to Praise and Worship. Includes essays, helpful information, praise and worship songs, and helpful links.
Worship Community
APK's vision for planting new churches, centered around a God-centered notion of building relationships through corporate worship and daily worship-living.
PDI Music/Sovereign Grace Ministries
Under the leadership of Bob Kauflin, I find the music of Sovereign Grace Ministries to be musically excellent, theologically sound, lyrically thought-provoking, and rich with passion and excitement. I highly suggest looking into incorporation of Sovereign Grace worship music into any church's corporate gatherings.
Guidance
Celebration
PDI Music/Sovereign Grace Ministries
Yes, this is the second reference to Sovereign Grace Ministries on this page . . . but the passion and excitement demonstrated in their weekly gatherings is the epitome of what Christian celebration can be.
"Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come."
1 Timothy 4:7b-8 NASB
"Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared, a great King over all the earth."
Psalm 47:1-2
"Prayer is an unspoken confession of our utter dependence upon God.
Prayerlessness is an unbroken testimony of our dependence upon the flesh."
Randy Sprinkle
"Pride is the greatest enemy to the centrality of God."
T.W. Hunt
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Session 5: Heart's Call
Find Your Place NorthStar Edition
Session 5: Heart's Call and Every Member In Ministry from buildingchurch.net
See previous posting on Passions
1. Your Heart's Call
A. Psalm 16:7 - The things you think about when you are idle.
B. Ephesians 4:1b - live according to your calling.
C. Ephesians 6:6b - Do God's will--from the heart.
D. The bottom line
1. What has God called you to do?
2. Why has God knit you together this way?
- Your heart's call puts all the other elements of your PMP together into a specific ministry.
E. What is your passion? What drives you?
- Operating within God's call on your life will maximize your satisfaction in ministry.
- "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." - John Piper
2. EMIM
A. 1 Peter 4:10 - use your gift!
B. EMIM Commitment Cards - why?
1. You know what ministries are available.
2. You can suggest a new ministry.
C. EMIM = accountability
1. Equipping staff to Laity
- According to Ephesians 4:11-13, it is the staff's job to equip the laity to do the work of the ministry. The staff can not perform its job if they do not know what ministry to equip you for. Additionally, when you suggest a new ministry, it is a source of accountability so the staff can know the needs in the congregation.
2. Laity to Equipping staff
- By volunteering for a specific ministry, the staff will know that your are doing your part as a member of the Body. When you volunteer, the staff can help you remain accountable to fulfill your calling. Additionally, the staff will know that they do not have to press you to be sure you are doing your part.
D. Equipping Staff
1. Ephesians 4:11-13
- They are not simply "Ministers" but are "Equipping Ministers"
- As already mentioned, it is the staff's job to equip all the members of the church to do the work of the ministry.
1 Peter 4:10-11 - "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen."
Session 5: Heart's Call and Every Member In Ministry from buildingchurch.net
See previous posting on Passions
1. Your Heart's Call
A. Psalm 16:7 - The things you think about when you are idle.
B. Ephesians 4:1b - live according to your calling.
C. Ephesians 6:6b - Do God's will--from the heart.
D. The bottom line
1. What has God called you to do?
2. Why has God knit you together this way?
- Your heart's call puts all the other elements of your PMP together into a specific ministry.
E. What is your passion? What drives you?
- Operating within God's call on your life will maximize your satisfaction in ministry.
- "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." - John Piper
2. EMIM
A. 1 Peter 4:10 - use your gift!
B. EMIM Commitment Cards - why?
1. You know what ministries are available.
2. You can suggest a new ministry.
C. EMIM = accountability
1. Equipping staff to Laity
- According to Ephesians 4:11-13, it is the staff's job to equip the laity to do the work of the ministry. The staff can not perform its job if they do not know what ministry to equip you for. Additionally, when you suggest a new ministry, it is a source of accountability so the staff can know the needs in the congregation.
2. Laity to Equipping staff
- By volunteering for a specific ministry, the staff will know that your are doing your part as a member of the Body. When you volunteer, the staff can help you remain accountable to fulfill your calling. Additionally, the staff will know that they do not have to press you to be sure you are doing your part.
D. Equipping Staff
1. Ephesians 4:11-13
- They are not simply "Ministers" but are "Equipping Ministers"
- As already mentioned, it is the staff's job to equip all the members of the church to do the work of the ministry.
1 Peter 4:10-11 - "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen."
Session 4: Personal ministry Profile
Find Your Place NorthStar Edition
Session 4: Personal Ministry Profile from buildingchurch.net
1. Temperament: Your Personality
- Colossians 3:12-14 - Tolerance - Bearing with each other, keep the peace.
- Reveals: Strengths
Weaknesses
- Equips you for ministry:
Understand how you communicate in different group sizes.
Understand how other personalities work and balance with yours.
Helps you become balanced by knowing your weaknesses.
2. Natural Talents
- Colossians 3:15-17 - Thankfulness - God gave us our gifts and talents, we should return them to Him as an offering and for edification of the Body.
- Understanding how your natural talents equip you for ministry takes careful, prayerful brain-storming. To aid in the process, realize that sometimes natural talents overlap with spiritual gifts. Other times, God chooses to keep them separate.
3. Learned Skills
- Colossians 3:23-24-Everything we do is an opportunity for ministry
The tasks themselves are a witness.
Situations/conversations amidst the tasks.
- Vocational
Education
On-the-job training.
- Hobbies
Sports
Crafts
Etc.
4. Life Experiences
Romans 8:28
God allows everything to happen that has happened
God uses everything that has happened in our lives for our good.
We all have a story.
Childhood experiences
Family background
Rebellion
Marriage/divorce
Children
5. What about you?
Click here to return to NorthStar FYP Index Page
Session 4: Personal Ministry Profile from buildingchurch.net
1. Temperament: Your Personality
- Colossians 3:12-14 - Tolerance - Bearing with each other, keep the peace.
- Reveals: Strengths
Weaknesses
- Equips you for ministry:
Understand how you communicate in different group sizes.
Understand how other personalities work and balance with yours.
Helps you become balanced by knowing your weaknesses.
2. Natural Talents
- Colossians 3:15-17 - Thankfulness - God gave us our gifts and talents, we should return them to Him as an offering and for edification of the Body.
- Understanding how your natural talents equip you for ministry takes careful, prayerful brain-storming. To aid in the process, realize that sometimes natural talents overlap with spiritual gifts. Other times, God chooses to keep them separate.
3. Learned Skills
- Colossians 3:23-24-Everything we do is an opportunity for ministry
The tasks themselves are a witness.
Situations/conversations amidst the tasks.
- Vocational
Education
On-the-job training.
- Hobbies
Sports
Crafts
Etc.
4. Life Experiences
Romans 8:28
God allows everything to happen that has happened
God uses everything that has happened in our lives for our good.
We all have a story.
Childhood experiences
Family background
Rebellion
Marriage/divorce
Children
5. What about you?
Click here to return to NorthStar FYP Index Page
Session 3: Spiritual Gifts- Part 2
Session 3: Spiritual Gifts - Part 2 from buildingchuch.net
1. Spiritual Gifts and the Traditional Church
The results:
The 80/20 rule: 20% of the people do 80% of the work (at best).
Super-servant mentality - "Whatever/Wherever the church needs me."
Indispensibility complex - "If I don’t do it, it won’t get done."
The effects on seeking biblical understanding:
God’s call is lost in Church’s needs or desires
satisfaction diminishes and burn-out occurs
individuality is lost-when you are not functioning in your position in the body, you become like a piece of a machine, rather than an organ in a body.
Overcoming the effects:
Crisis motivation--pre-thought reactions.
Consider what draws you-the things that attract your attention are either your motivations or the direct opposite of your motivations.
Joy factor-consider the satisfaction you get from a ministry-how it energizes you, or drains your energy.
2. The Sign (Supernatural) Gifts and the Traditional Church
The cessationist viewpoint:
1 Corinthians 13:8-12-"they will cease, . . . be stilled, . . . pass away."
Tradition points to the completion of the canon of Scripture
Argument is weak at best
Passage seems to point to the return of Christ
History of the Church
Gifts seemed to disappear around 300AD, not to be prominent again until late 1800's
Spiritual gifts as a whole were lost in the hierarchy of the church-state.
With spiritual gifts, priesthood of believers and ministry of believers were lost.
Priesthood was rediscovered with Martin Luther at the Reformation
Ministry was not rediscovered until 20th century with the rise of Pentecostalism
Conclusion
The sign gifts seem to be the least of the gifts - 1 Corinthians 12:28-30
We should desire the greater gifts - 1 Corinthians 12:31;14:1
We should not forbid the use of any gift - 1 Corinthians 14:39
All gifts should be done orderly and for the building up of the church - 1 Corinthians 14:26, 40.
Anti-Supernatural Bias
Common arguments:
There’s a rational explanation for everything
I’ve never seen or experienced anything truly supernatural
Biblical arguments:
Jesus believed in the supernatural
Satan
Demons
Healings
Miracles
Your salvation and regeneration is a supernatural event.
Denial of supernatural denies God’s existence and essence.
3. Sign (Supernatural) Gifts
Ekballism
Healing
Miracles
Tongues
Interpretation of Tongues
4. Practical Gifts
ALL of these gifts are also spiritual disciplines-as previously pointed out, those who are gifted in these areas have a mark for ministry and should be active in training others in the particular spiritual discipline. Christians not gifted in a spiritual discipline should be actively learning from those who are gifted in the area, in order to mature in their spiritual walk.
Discerning of Spirits
Evangelism
Faith
Giving
Helps
Hospitality
Intercession
Knowledge
Mercy
Service
Voluntary Poverty
Wisdom
Discussion:
Other than the information contained in the outline, discussion primarily revolved around the bias regarding the Sign Gifts in the American conservative church, and how we should properly view them with a biblical understanding. Basic information is given in the definitions for each of the sign gifts in the Find Your Place workbook.
Click here to return to NorthStar FYP Index Page
1. Spiritual Gifts and the Traditional Church
The results:
The 80/20 rule: 20% of the people do 80% of the work (at best).
Super-servant mentality - "Whatever/Wherever the church needs me."
Indispensibility complex - "If I don’t do it, it won’t get done."
The effects on seeking biblical understanding:
God’s call is lost in Church’s needs or desires
satisfaction diminishes and burn-out occurs
individuality is lost-when you are not functioning in your position in the body, you become like a piece of a machine, rather than an organ in a body.
Overcoming the effects:
Crisis motivation--pre-thought reactions.
Consider what draws you-the things that attract your attention are either your motivations or the direct opposite of your motivations.
Joy factor-consider the satisfaction you get from a ministry-how it energizes you, or drains your energy.
2. The Sign (Supernatural) Gifts and the Traditional Church
The cessationist viewpoint:
1 Corinthians 13:8-12-"they will cease, . . . be stilled, . . . pass away."
Tradition points to the completion of the canon of Scripture
Argument is weak at best
Passage seems to point to the return of Christ
History of the Church
Gifts seemed to disappear around 300AD, not to be prominent again until late 1800's
Spiritual gifts as a whole were lost in the hierarchy of the church-state.
With spiritual gifts, priesthood of believers and ministry of believers were lost.
Priesthood was rediscovered with Martin Luther at the Reformation
Ministry was not rediscovered until 20th century with the rise of Pentecostalism
Conclusion
The sign gifts seem to be the least of the gifts - 1 Corinthians 12:28-30
We should desire the greater gifts - 1 Corinthians 12:31;14:1
We should not forbid the use of any gift - 1 Corinthians 14:39
All gifts should be done orderly and for the building up of the church - 1 Corinthians 14:26, 40.
Anti-Supernatural Bias
Common arguments:
There’s a rational explanation for everything
I’ve never seen or experienced anything truly supernatural
Biblical arguments:
Jesus believed in the supernatural
Satan
Demons
Healings
Miracles
Your salvation and regeneration is a supernatural event.
Denial of supernatural denies God’s existence and essence.
3. Sign (Supernatural) Gifts
Ekballism
Healing
Miracles
Tongues
Interpretation of Tongues
4. Practical Gifts
ALL of these gifts are also spiritual disciplines-as previously pointed out, those who are gifted in these areas have a mark for ministry and should be active in training others in the particular spiritual discipline. Christians not gifted in a spiritual discipline should be actively learning from those who are gifted in the area, in order to mature in their spiritual walk.
Discerning of Spirits
Evangelism
Faith
Giving
Helps
Hospitality
Intercession
Knowledge
Mercy
Service
Voluntary Poverty
Wisdom
Discussion:
Other than the information contained in the outline, discussion primarily revolved around the bias regarding the Sign Gifts in the American conservative church, and how we should properly view them with a biblical understanding. Basic information is given in the definitions for each of the sign gifts in the Find Your Place workbook.
Click here to return to NorthStar FYP Index Page
Session 2: Spiritual Gifts
Session 2: Spiritual Gifts - Part 1 from buildingchurch.net
1. Biblical Basis for Spiritual Gifts - 1 Corinthians 12 and 14.
12:1 - Do not be ignorant
12:4-11 - "different kinds," "each one," "to one," "to another"
Every Christian does not have every gift
12:11a - Empowerment by the Holy Spirit (12:11a)
12:11b - God-determined (not man or self-determined)
12:13 - Received at Salvation
14:26 - Strengthening of the church
2. Ministry Focus vs. Spiritual Disciplines
Working Definitions: (review)
Spiritual gifts are the particular ability given to individual Christians to accomplish a specific role or task within the ministry of the body.
Spiritual disciplines are those activities that every Christian should be involved with in order to be in a place to mature in faith and bear spiritual fruit.
Many spiritual gifts are also spiritual disciplines
Examples: evangelism, giving, intercession, hospitality, showing mercy, service, etc.
Lack of giftedness in a discipline is not an excuse!
Spiritual disciplines are for every Christian. Lack of giftedness in a discipline is not an excuse to ignore the discipline. Look for those who are gifted in the discipline to help you become more effective.
Giftedness in a discipline is a mark for ministry.
Those with a spiritual gift that is also a spiritual discipline should be active in using their spiritual gift in such a way that it helps other Christians more effectively practice the discipline.
3. Levels of Giftedness: Ministry Motivators
Comments have been made in other FYP classes that some gifts seems to lie dormant for many years and then become more prominent at certain seasons of life. If the believer is given his/her spiritual gifts at salvation, but is not given every gift, how can this occur?
In APK's understanding, each Christian is not given every spiritual gift, for the Spirit "gives them to each one, just as He determines" (1 Cor 12:11). APK believes that there are different levels of giftedness within the spiritual gifts each person is given. Understanding the various "levels of giftedness" will help the Christian narrow down the possibilities for ministry in such a way as to more specifically know their place in the local Body. These levels can be broken into 4 major categories:
1. Primary Ministry Motivators - These are the dominant spiritual gift(s) that the particular Christian will function best in, and will find the most satisfaction from. The Christian's primary ministry should revolve around these gifts, as they are the primary function for this Christian in the Body.
2. Directional Ministry Motivators - These could also be termed "secondary spiritual gifts." These are gifts that the Christian often finds influencing the way in which they use their primary gift(s). Certain gifts in this bracket may increase or decrease in prominence based on life experiences or needs within the local body. Functioning primarily in these areas of ministry will reap some satisfaction for the believer, but will drain energy and possibly lead to frustration and burn-out.
3. Functional only - NOT Ministry Motivators - These are the spiritual gifts that the particular Christian may or may not be gifted with, but can function in the given area if needed. In the case of non-giftedness, the function is merely a talent or skill. These functions should not be considered marks for ministry, but should be used merely as "hole-fillers" when a person that is gifted in this area has refused to serve or is currently unavailable. Those who are gifted with "equipping" gifts may function in these areas long enough to train those who are gifted in the area of ministry. Functioning too much or too long in these areas leads to ministry burn-out.
4. Non-functional - NOT Ministry Motivators - These are the spiritual gifts that the particular Christian is not gifted with, and has a difficult time functioning in. Functioning in these areas of ministry without constant supervision by someone gifted in this area will undoubtably lead to burn-out. Even with supervision, dissatisfaction and a sense of futility may result. In the case of spiritual disciplines, perseverence, education, and gifted supervision are the key. These ministry areas should not be considered for the Christian's primary ministry focus.
4. Classifications - for ease in communication and teaching
Communication gifts
Leadership Gifts
Sign gifts
Practical gifts
5. Communication Gifts
Exhortation - Focusses on practical application of the message given. Characterized by the sentence, "Here is what you can do with the message."
Prophecy - Focusses on delivering the message itself, often with little regard for the listener's understanding or application. Characterized in extreme form by the sentence, "Here is the Word of the Lord, take it or leave it."
Teaching - Focusses on making sure the message is fully understood by the listener--often detail conscious. Characterized by the sentence, "Now, I want you to make sure you understand this message and all it entails."
6. Leadership Gifts
Administration - The person who catches the vision of the leader and works out the details and delegates tasks to get the goals accomplished.
Apostle - In Scripture, the same as the missionary gift, but is separated for clarification. This gift focusses on the expansion of the local church.
Leadership - This person is the one who is the visionary and sets the direction for the group. People naturally seem to follow his/her leading. Leaders are generally not worried about details.
Missionary - In Scripture, the same as the apostle gift, but is separated for clarification. This gift focusses on the expansion of the church in a cross-cultural setting.
Shepherd - Often called "pastor," but is actually a weakness in the office of pastor, as it limits the size of a church. A shepherd invests in a small group of people over a long period of time and feels responsible for every aspect of the individual group-members' lives. Greatly needed in care-group leaders within Sunday School departments.
Other Discussion items:
We began to discuss each person's spiritual gifts and their implications to their ministries. This will be done at much greater depth in sessions 3 and 6.
We also briefly discussed how the church background of each of us in the class has led to very little understanding in regards to some of the spiritual gifts on the inventory. We will get into greater depth on this in session 3.
Click here to return to NorthStar FYP Index Page
1. Biblical Basis for Spiritual Gifts - 1 Corinthians 12 and 14.
12:1 - Do not be ignorant
12:4-11 - "different kinds," "each one," "to one," "to another"
Every Christian does not have every gift
12:11a - Empowerment by the Holy Spirit (12:11a)
12:11b - God-determined (not man or self-determined)
12:13 - Received at Salvation
14:26 - Strengthening of the church
2. Ministry Focus vs. Spiritual Disciplines
Working Definitions: (review)
Spiritual gifts are the particular ability given to individual Christians to accomplish a specific role or task within the ministry of the body.
Spiritual disciplines are those activities that every Christian should be involved with in order to be in a place to mature in faith and bear spiritual fruit.
Many spiritual gifts are also spiritual disciplines
Examples: evangelism, giving, intercession, hospitality, showing mercy, service, etc.
Lack of giftedness in a discipline is not an excuse!
Spiritual disciplines are for every Christian. Lack of giftedness in a discipline is not an excuse to ignore the discipline. Look for those who are gifted in the discipline to help you become more effective.
Giftedness in a discipline is a mark for ministry.
Those with a spiritual gift that is also a spiritual discipline should be active in using their spiritual gift in such a way that it helps other Christians more effectively practice the discipline.
3. Levels of Giftedness: Ministry Motivators
Comments have been made in other FYP classes that some gifts seems to lie dormant for many years and then become more prominent at certain seasons of life. If the believer is given his/her spiritual gifts at salvation, but is not given every gift, how can this occur?
In APK's understanding, each Christian is not given every spiritual gift, for the Spirit "gives them to each one, just as He determines" (1 Cor 12:11). APK believes that there are different levels of giftedness within the spiritual gifts each person is given. Understanding the various "levels of giftedness" will help the Christian narrow down the possibilities for ministry in such a way as to more specifically know their place in the local Body. These levels can be broken into 4 major categories:
1. Primary Ministry Motivators - These are the dominant spiritual gift(s) that the particular Christian will function best in, and will find the most satisfaction from. The Christian's primary ministry should revolve around these gifts, as they are the primary function for this Christian in the Body.
2. Directional Ministry Motivators - These could also be termed "secondary spiritual gifts." These are gifts that the Christian often finds influencing the way in which they use their primary gift(s). Certain gifts in this bracket may increase or decrease in prominence based on life experiences or needs within the local body. Functioning primarily in these areas of ministry will reap some satisfaction for the believer, but will drain energy and possibly lead to frustration and burn-out.
3. Functional only - NOT Ministry Motivators - These are the spiritual gifts that the particular Christian may or may not be gifted with, but can function in the given area if needed. In the case of non-giftedness, the function is merely a talent or skill. These functions should not be considered marks for ministry, but should be used merely as "hole-fillers" when a person that is gifted in this area has refused to serve or is currently unavailable. Those who are gifted with "equipping" gifts may function in these areas long enough to train those who are gifted in the area of ministry. Functioning too much or too long in these areas leads to ministry burn-out.
4. Non-functional - NOT Ministry Motivators - These are the spiritual gifts that the particular Christian is not gifted with, and has a difficult time functioning in. Functioning in these areas of ministry without constant supervision by someone gifted in this area will undoubtably lead to burn-out. Even with supervision, dissatisfaction and a sense of futility may result. In the case of spiritual disciplines, perseverence, education, and gifted supervision are the key. These ministry areas should not be considered for the Christian's primary ministry focus.
4. Classifications - for ease in communication and teaching
Communication gifts
Leadership Gifts
Sign gifts
Practical gifts
5. Communication Gifts
Exhortation - Focusses on practical application of the message given. Characterized by the sentence, "Here is what you can do with the message."
Prophecy - Focusses on delivering the message itself, often with little regard for the listener's understanding or application. Characterized in extreme form by the sentence, "Here is the Word of the Lord, take it or leave it."
Teaching - Focusses on making sure the message is fully understood by the listener--often detail conscious. Characterized by the sentence, "Now, I want you to make sure you understand this message and all it entails."
6. Leadership Gifts
Administration - The person who catches the vision of the leader and works out the details and delegates tasks to get the goals accomplished.
Apostle - In Scripture, the same as the missionary gift, but is separated for clarification. This gift focusses on the expansion of the local church.
Leadership - This person is the one who is the visionary and sets the direction for the group. People naturally seem to follow his/her leading. Leaders are generally not worried about details.
Missionary - In Scripture, the same as the apostle gift, but is separated for clarification. This gift focusses on the expansion of the church in a cross-cultural setting.
Shepherd - Often called "pastor," but is actually a weakness in the office of pastor, as it limits the size of a church. A shepherd invests in a small group of people over a long period of time and feels responsible for every aspect of the individual group-members' lives. Greatly needed in care-group leaders within Sunday School departments.
Other Discussion items:
We began to discuss each person's spiritual gifts and their implications to their ministries. This will be done at much greater depth in sessions 3 and 6.
We also briefly discussed how the church background of each of us in the class has led to very little understanding in regards to some of the spiritual gifts on the inventory. We will get into greater depth on this in session 3.
Click here to return to NorthStar FYP Index Page
Spiritual gifts intro
Find Your Place NorthStar Edition
Session 1: The Purposes of the Church
"Our Mission: To bring people to Jesus and membership in His family,
develop them to Christlike maturity, and equip them for their ministry in the church
and their life mission in the world, in order to magnify God’s name."
Church growth advocates point to 5 overall purposes of the church, derived from Acts 2:42-47. These 5 purposes are: discipleship, fellowship, ministry, worship, and evangelism. Some church growth advocates include prayers as a 6th purpose, and I tend to agree. I would also point out that fellowship should not be a priority in planning ministries, because it is a natural bi-product when Christians work together in ministry.
Here is how those 6 purposes are contained within the mission of NorthStar, and how they are accomplished:
1. Evangelism: To bring people to Jesus
* Inviting others to church
* Servant evangelism activities
* Coffee House
* Women's Hike
* Developing small groups
* Miscellaneous other "involvement" activities
2. Fellowship: Membership in His family
* Friendly and comfortable atmosphere
* Developing small groups
* Sunday dinners (upcoming)
3. Discipleship: Develop them to Christlike maturity
* Small groups - Wednesday
* Small groups - Sunday dinners (upcoming)
4. Ministry: Equip them for their ministry in the church and their like mission in the world
* Servant evangelism activities
* As-needed basis
* Developing small groups
5. Worship: In order to magnify God’s name.
* Sunday mornings - "We rock"
6. Prayer: ?????
* Small groups
If you notice, the small-group setting is the strongest avenue in which the ministry of the church takes place. Being involved, and getting others involved in small groups is the key to effective ministry in the local church.
Part 2 - The Individual in the Church
* What is the primary purpose for each person's existence?
o Glorify God
+ "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." - Westminster Catecism
+ "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-for this is your spiritual act of worship." - Romans 12:1
* How do we do this?
o Don't conform, but be transformed!
+ "Do not conform any longer to the patter of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing, and perfect will." - Romans 12:2
* You mean we can really know exactly what God’s will is?
* How can I be transformed, then?
1. Spiritual Gifts
* Romans 12:3-8
o Each part does its function - just like a body. A finger can't exist without a heart to pump blood to it. The heart pumping blood is useless without the lungs putting air into the blood.
o "According to the grace given us" - means that we must be recipients of God's grace. In order to be recipients, we have to accept it. In order to have spiritual gifts, we must have our salvation nailed down.
* 1 Corinthians 12:1 - "Now about spiritual gifts, I do not want you to be ignorant." - I think Paul is pretty clear here. He then goes on and gives extensive instructions inf chapters 12, 13, and 14 about what the gifts are and how they should be used.
* 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 - "just as he determines" - we are not the ones who choose what our spiritual gifts are. God knits us together for a specific purpose, and he directs us, or calls us to fulfill that particular function.
Working definition: A Spiritual Gift is the particular ability given to individual Christians to accomplish a specific role or task within the ministry of the body.
Notice all the individualistic words: "particular," "individual," "specific." That is the key to understanding spiritual gifts, they are given to individuals for the purpose of a specific role in the body.
2. Spiritual Disciplines
* Romans 12:9-16
o "Keep your spiritual ferver" - although the english translation ends this thought with "serving the Lord." and adds a period, I believe that the entire section gives us instructions on how we can keep our spiritual fervor. By practicing spiritual disciplines, we are kept in an intimate relationship with God and will be neergized for ministry.
o Just like when we feed and excercise children as they grow up and mature, we must feed and excercise our spiritual lives in order to mature and be healthy as Christians. Without food and excercise, we will waste away and die. The same goes for our spiritual lives.
* Richard Foster: Celebration of Discipline - I highly suggest this book for further understanding about spiritual disciplines. Foster not only gives excellent biblical reason for why we should practice each spiritual disciple, but he gives simple, practical steps that we can take to begin the discipline. He also gives some insight into what we can expect as we begin to practice the disciplines.
* Donald S. Whitney: Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. - This book is a little more difficult read, but I include it mainly because Foster does not include evangelism as a disciple, while this book does.
Working definition: Spiritual disciplines are those activities that every Christian should be involved with in order to be in a place to mature in faith and bear spiritual fruit.
Notice the universal word: "every."
3. Spiritual Fruit
* Romans 12:17-21 - while these actions can be characterized as disciplines, we must all admit that we have no desire to work this way on our own. As we practice the spiritual disciplines and are active in the ministry God has gifted us for, the fruit will be that we are enabled by the Holy Spirit to accomplish these kinds of things.
* Galatians 5:22-23 - this is the primary scripture for spiritual fruit. Listed here are the basic characteristics of the fruit that results in a maturing Christian life: "For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
Working definition: Spiritual fruit is the tangible results of living and growing in the Christian life--the changed attitudes, actions, and thought-patterns that result from a transformed life in Christ.
Therefore: Let us Find Your Place!-The Personal Ministry Profile:
* Understanding yourself:
o How God has made you
+ Psalm 139:13-16 - whenever you begin to feel useless, this verse is an excellent encouragement, as it explains that everything in our lives has a purpose: God knew they were all going to happen before you were even born . . . and He has a reason for it.
Be a functioning part of the Body!
Click here to return to NorthStar FYP Index Page
Session 1: The Purposes of the Church
"Our Mission: To bring people to Jesus and membership in His family,
develop them to Christlike maturity, and equip them for their ministry in the church
and their life mission in the world, in order to magnify God’s name."
Church growth advocates point to 5 overall purposes of the church, derived from Acts 2:42-47. These 5 purposes are: discipleship, fellowship, ministry, worship, and evangelism. Some church growth advocates include prayers as a 6th purpose, and I tend to agree. I would also point out that fellowship should not be a priority in planning ministries, because it is a natural bi-product when Christians work together in ministry.
Here is how those 6 purposes are contained within the mission of NorthStar, and how they are accomplished:
1. Evangelism: To bring people to Jesus
* Inviting others to church
* Servant evangelism activities
* Coffee House
* Women's Hike
* Developing small groups
* Miscellaneous other "involvement" activities
2. Fellowship: Membership in His family
* Friendly and comfortable atmosphere
* Developing small groups
* Sunday dinners (upcoming)
3. Discipleship: Develop them to Christlike maturity
* Small groups - Wednesday
* Small groups - Sunday dinners (upcoming)
4. Ministry: Equip them for their ministry in the church and their like mission in the world
* Servant evangelism activities
* As-needed basis
* Developing small groups
5. Worship: In order to magnify God’s name.
* Sunday mornings - "We rock"
6. Prayer: ?????
* Small groups
If you notice, the small-group setting is the strongest avenue in which the ministry of the church takes place. Being involved, and getting others involved in small groups is the key to effective ministry in the local church.
Part 2 - The Individual in the Church
* What is the primary purpose for each person's existence?
o Glorify God
+ "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." - Westminster Catecism
+ "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-for this is your spiritual act of worship." - Romans 12:1
* How do we do this?
o Don't conform, but be transformed!
+ "Do not conform any longer to the patter of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing, and perfect will." - Romans 12:2
* You mean we can really know exactly what God’s will is?
* How can I be transformed, then?
1. Spiritual Gifts
* Romans 12:3-8
o Each part does its function - just like a body. A finger can't exist without a heart to pump blood to it. The heart pumping blood is useless without the lungs putting air into the blood.
o "According to the grace given us" - means that we must be recipients of God's grace. In order to be recipients, we have to accept it. In order to have spiritual gifts, we must have our salvation nailed down.
* 1 Corinthians 12:1 - "Now about spiritual gifts, I do not want you to be ignorant." - I think Paul is pretty clear here. He then goes on and gives extensive instructions inf chapters 12, 13, and 14 about what the gifts are and how they should be used.
* 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 - "just as he determines" - we are not the ones who choose what our spiritual gifts are. God knits us together for a specific purpose, and he directs us, or calls us to fulfill that particular function.
Working definition: A Spiritual Gift is the particular ability given to individual Christians to accomplish a specific role or task within the ministry of the body.
Notice all the individualistic words: "particular," "individual," "specific." That is the key to understanding spiritual gifts, they are given to individuals for the purpose of a specific role in the body.
2. Spiritual Disciplines
* Romans 12:9-16
o "Keep your spiritual ferver" - although the english translation ends this thought with "serving the Lord." and adds a period, I believe that the entire section gives us instructions on how we can keep our spiritual fervor. By practicing spiritual disciplines, we are kept in an intimate relationship with God and will be neergized for ministry.
o Just like when we feed and excercise children as they grow up and mature, we must feed and excercise our spiritual lives in order to mature and be healthy as Christians. Without food and excercise, we will waste away and die. The same goes for our spiritual lives.
* Richard Foster: Celebration of Discipline - I highly suggest this book for further understanding about spiritual disciplines. Foster not only gives excellent biblical reason for why we should practice each spiritual disciple, but he gives simple, practical steps that we can take to begin the discipline. He also gives some insight into what we can expect as we begin to practice the disciplines.
* Donald S. Whitney: Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. - This book is a little more difficult read, but I include it mainly because Foster does not include evangelism as a disciple, while this book does.
Working definition: Spiritual disciplines are those activities that every Christian should be involved with in order to be in a place to mature in faith and bear spiritual fruit.
Notice the universal word: "every."
3. Spiritual Fruit
* Romans 12:17-21 - while these actions can be characterized as disciplines, we must all admit that we have no desire to work this way on our own. As we practice the spiritual disciplines and are active in the ministry God has gifted us for, the fruit will be that we are enabled by the Holy Spirit to accomplish these kinds of things.
* Galatians 5:22-23 - this is the primary scripture for spiritual fruit. Listed here are the basic characteristics of the fruit that results in a maturing Christian life: "For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
Working definition: Spiritual fruit is the tangible results of living and growing in the Christian life--the changed attitudes, actions, and thought-patterns that result from a transformed life in Christ.
Therefore: Let us Find Your Place!-The Personal Ministry Profile:
* Understanding yourself:
o How God has made you
+ Psalm 139:13-16 - whenever you begin to feel useless, this verse is an excellent encouragement, as it explains that everything in our lives has a purpose: God knew they were all going to happen before you were even born . . . and He has a reason for it.
Be a functioning part of the Body!
Click here to return to NorthStar FYP Index Page
The spiritual disciplines
Spiritual Disciplines
The Basics of the Christian Life
from BuildingChurch.net on Spiritual Disciplines
This section contains information I have developed related to basic Christian living through spiritual disciplines. Much of this is developed as part of a new members class for the church. For Adobe Acrobat files, download the Acrobat Reader here.
In order to understand the importance of spiritual disciplines in the Christian life, especially as a foundation upon which to build the particular ministry to which God has called each and every Christian, I highly suggest reading through the exposition of Romans 12 found in the Find Your Place Class Notes, Session 1, Part 2 -- The Individual in the Church.
In order for God to be most glorified in us, Christians are to seek to do his will. Additionally, His grace should drive us to it. When we reflect on God's grace, our thankfulness and humility will drive us to know Him more and do His will. Spiritual disciplines are the first step in developing the kind of lifestyle that is consistently bent towards appreciation for the grace of God.
Personal Spiritual Disciplines
These are the spiritual disciplines that are activities the individual Christian should embark upon in order to develop him/herself as a mature, Christ-like believer. These disciplines can be divided into two sub-categories: internal and external disciplines.
Internal External
Meditation
Prayer
Fasting
Study Simplicity
Stewardship
Solitude Submission
Service
Evangelism
Corporate Spiritual Disciplines
These are the spiritual disciplines that are activities for the body of believers. These disciplines are best practiced in the context of a local church body to which one is a member, but can also include gatherings of multiple congregations for special celebrations of God's grace and glory.
Confession Worship Guidance Celebration
"Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come."
1 Timothy 4:7b-8 NASB
"Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared, a great King over all the earth."
Psalm 47:1-2
"Prayer is an unspoken confession of our utter dependence upon God.
Prayerlessness is an unbroken testimony of our dependence upon the flesh."
Randy Sprinkle
"Pride is the greatest enemy to the centrality of God."
T.W. Hunt
"As Scripture says that love covers over a multitude of sins, in the same way, prayer covers over a multitude of mistakes."
Hal Cooper
TOP
Links to Spiritual Discipline helps: http://www.pohick.org/codsyll.html
Celebration of Discipline, Richard J. Foster
This is one of my two top recommended books on understanding the spiritual disciplines. Most of the spiritual disciplines portion of BuildingChurch.net is modeled after this book. Foster not only gives the basic theological foundation for each of the disciplines, but he also gives practical insight into how you can expect your life to be changed as a result of practicing each dicipline . . . not only spiritually, but physically, psychologically, and beyond. Not only is this one of my top books on spiritual disciplines, it is among my most recommended books on all subjects of Christian faith.
My only warning is that some popular theologians argue that there is New Age influence in certain portions of this book. I understand their concerns, but believe they are overstated. Most of the questionable material is more the result of the author's Quaker background than the New Age. The benefits are well worth the read, simply read with a discerning mind, as you should read any book.
To order this book from ChristianBook.com, click here: Celebration of Discipline, Richard J. Foster.
SpiritualDisciplines.org
This web site is the ministry web site of Donald S. Whitney, author of Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, which is the second of my two most recommended books on the topic of spiritual disciplines. This book is a little more in depth and comprehensive as you study through the disciplines.
To order this book from ChristianBook.com, click here: Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Donald S. Whitney.
The Basics of the Christian Life
from BuildingChurch.net on Spiritual Disciplines
This section contains information I have developed related to basic Christian living through spiritual disciplines. Much of this is developed as part of a new members class for the church. For Adobe Acrobat files, download the Acrobat Reader here.
In order to understand the importance of spiritual disciplines in the Christian life, especially as a foundation upon which to build the particular ministry to which God has called each and every Christian, I highly suggest reading through the exposition of Romans 12 found in the Find Your Place Class Notes, Session 1, Part 2 -- The Individual in the Church.
In order for God to be most glorified in us, Christians are to seek to do his will. Additionally, His grace should drive us to it. When we reflect on God's grace, our thankfulness and humility will drive us to know Him more and do His will. Spiritual disciplines are the first step in developing the kind of lifestyle that is consistently bent towards appreciation for the grace of God.
Personal Spiritual Disciplines
These are the spiritual disciplines that are activities the individual Christian should embark upon in order to develop him/herself as a mature, Christ-like believer. These disciplines can be divided into two sub-categories: internal and external disciplines.
Internal External
Meditation
Prayer
Fasting
Study Simplicity
Stewardship
Solitude Submission
Service
Evangelism
Corporate Spiritual Disciplines
These are the spiritual disciplines that are activities for the body of believers. These disciplines are best practiced in the context of a local church body to which one is a member, but can also include gatherings of multiple congregations for special celebrations of God's grace and glory.
Confession Worship Guidance Celebration
"Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come."
1 Timothy 4:7b-8 NASB
"Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared, a great King over all the earth."
Psalm 47:1-2
"Prayer is an unspoken confession of our utter dependence upon God.
Prayerlessness is an unbroken testimony of our dependence upon the flesh."
Randy Sprinkle
"Pride is the greatest enemy to the centrality of God."
T.W. Hunt
"As Scripture says that love covers over a multitude of sins, in the same way, prayer covers over a multitude of mistakes."
Hal Cooper
TOP
Links to Spiritual Discipline helps: http://www.pohick.org/codsyll.html
Celebration of Discipline, Richard J. Foster
This is one of my two top recommended books on understanding the spiritual disciplines. Most of the spiritual disciplines portion of BuildingChurch.net is modeled after this book. Foster not only gives the basic theological foundation for each of the disciplines, but he also gives practical insight into how you can expect your life to be changed as a result of practicing each dicipline . . . not only spiritually, but physically, psychologically, and beyond. Not only is this one of my top books on spiritual disciplines, it is among my most recommended books on all subjects of Christian faith.
My only warning is that some popular theologians argue that there is New Age influence in certain portions of this book. I understand their concerns, but believe they are overstated. Most of the questionable material is more the result of the author's Quaker background than the New Age. The benefits are well worth the read, simply read with a discerning mind, as you should read any book.
To order this book from ChristianBook.com, click here: Celebration of Discipline, Richard J. Foster.
SpiritualDisciplines.org
This web site is the ministry web site of Donald S. Whitney, author of Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, which is the second of my two most recommended books on the topic of spiritual disciplines. This book is a little more in depth and comprehensive as you study through the disciplines.
To order this book from ChristianBook.com, click here: Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Donald S. Whitney.
Passions
Find Your Place In Ministry
PMP Part 5: Your Heart's Call
Identifying your passions from buildingchurch.net
Up to this point, Find Your Place has been studying concepts from Scripture that help you understand how God has put you together. The final portion of your PMP is meant to knit all of the other portions together in such a way that you can begin to understand specifically how God wants you to minister in the Body of Christ.
As you review the other portions of your PMP, you may notice that the elements may point to specific areas of ministry, but quite often, they may show you what areas of ministry you do not belong in. Even as you look over the other elements, there are probably still a large number of ministry areas that you would appear qualified to be a part of. Therefore, this portion pulls the elements together by asking one simple question: "What has God called you to do?"
". . . I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received."
Ephesians 4:1b (NIV)
This portion of the PMP is called "Your Heart’s Call" for a reason. God has called each one of us to specific places of ministry within the Body. He has uniquely gifted and trained us to serve in these ministries. When we discover the ministry that God has called us to, we find great satisfaction and fulfillment in bringing Him glory through doing the work of the ministry. Great enthusiasm results when we are fulfilling the calling that God made us for.
For the purposes of the PMP, your heart’s call is simply the "thing" that God has burned into your heart to do for His mission on earth.
Before you consider this portion of your PMP, consider some people in your own life. Who around you seems to be overridden with enthusiasm or passion for a specific area of ministry? Think of a few people who seem extremely enthusiastic and what their passion is, and what about their behavior lets you know that it is their overriding passion?
The Apostle Paul's passion:
"God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the Gospel of his Son . . ."
Romans 1:9 (NIV)
"Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart."
2 Corinthians 4:1
Paul’s heart’s call was to preach the Gospel and plant churches among the Gentiles (Gal 1:15-16).
Now, prayerfully consider what God has placed in you as your heart’s call.
"I will bless the Lord who give me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me."
Psalm 16:7
What is the one thing that you are involved with that drives you and gives you great satisfaction?
What is the one thing that you would love to have an opportunity to do for God or to advance His kingdom?
"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."
John Piper
"The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."
Proverbs 16:9
". . . Doing the will of God from the heart."
Ephesians 6:6b
PMP Part 5: Your Heart's Call
Identifying your passions from buildingchurch.net
Up to this point, Find Your Place has been studying concepts from Scripture that help you understand how God has put you together. The final portion of your PMP is meant to knit all of the other portions together in such a way that you can begin to understand specifically how God wants you to minister in the Body of Christ.
As you review the other portions of your PMP, you may notice that the elements may point to specific areas of ministry, but quite often, they may show you what areas of ministry you do not belong in. Even as you look over the other elements, there are probably still a large number of ministry areas that you would appear qualified to be a part of. Therefore, this portion pulls the elements together by asking one simple question: "What has God called you to do?"
". . . I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received."
Ephesians 4:1b (NIV)
This portion of the PMP is called "Your Heart’s Call" for a reason. God has called each one of us to specific places of ministry within the Body. He has uniquely gifted and trained us to serve in these ministries. When we discover the ministry that God has called us to, we find great satisfaction and fulfillment in bringing Him glory through doing the work of the ministry. Great enthusiasm results when we are fulfilling the calling that God made us for.
For the purposes of the PMP, your heart’s call is simply the "thing" that God has burned into your heart to do for His mission on earth.
Before you consider this portion of your PMP, consider some people in your own life. Who around you seems to be overridden with enthusiasm or passion for a specific area of ministry? Think of a few people who seem extremely enthusiastic and what their passion is, and what about their behavior lets you know that it is their overriding passion?
The Apostle Paul's passion:
"God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the Gospel of his Son . . ."
Romans 1:9 (NIV)
"Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart."
2 Corinthians 4:1
Paul’s heart’s call was to preach the Gospel and plant churches among the Gentiles (Gal 1:15-16).
Now, prayerfully consider what God has placed in you as your heart’s call.
"I will bless the Lord who give me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me."
Psalm 16:7
What is the one thing that you are involved with that drives you and gives you great satisfaction?
What is the one thing that you would love to have an opportunity to do for God or to advance His kingdom?
"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."
John Piper
"The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."
Proverbs 16:9
". . . Doing the will of God from the heart."
Ephesians 6:6b
spiritual gifts 3
From Gifted2Serve- click here to take the test
Gifted 2 Serve
Finding Your Place In Ministry
Spiritual Gifts Definitions
The following page contains suggested definitions for each gift along with some basic information about how the gift is in use at Lakeview Baptist Church. Also, supporting scriptures are supplied to help you begin a study of your spiritual gifts and how to use them in the local body. Some scripture references will give examples of the gift in use, others will be instructional or informative of the gift's use or existence.
Select gift to view:
1. Administration
2. Apostle
3. Discerning of Spirits
4. Evangelism
5. Ekballism
6. Exhortation
7. Faith
8. Giving
9. Healing
10. Helps
11. Hospitality
12. Intercession
13. Interpretation of Tongues
14. Knowledge
15. Mercy
16. Leadership
17. Miracles
18. Missionary
19. Prophecy
20. Service
21. Shepherd
22. Teaching
23. Tongues
24. Voluntary Poverty
25. Wisdom
G2S Main
Gifts Inventory
Gift Definition Menu
Top of Page
Gift Definitions:
1. Administration: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the body of Christ to understand clearly the immediate and long-range goals of a particular unit of the body of Christ and to devise and execute effective plans for the accomplishment of those goals."
This gift is a leadership gift and is often characterized by people who lead the body by steering others to remain on task. These people generally are concerned with the details of how to accomplish tasks, and tend to be masters at delegating specific tasks to other people according to their gifts and talents. Scriptures: Luke 14:28-30; Acts 6:1-7; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Titus 1:5.
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2. Apostle: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ which enables them to assume and exercise helpful leadership over a number of churches in spiritual matters which is spontaneously recognized and appreciated by those churches." The Bible calls many others, beyond the Twelve and Paul, apostles: James (Gal 1:19), Barnabas (Acts 14:4, 14), Epaphroditus (Phil 2:25), Silas and Timothy (1 Thes 1:1, 2:6), Andronicas and Junia (Rom 16:7), and others (1 Cor 15:5, 7; 2 Cor 8:23; 11:13).
This gift is a leadership gift and is in continuing need today for the strengthening of churches and the establishment of new churches. This gift should be looked for in regional directors, church planters, and denominational leaders. Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 2:20; 4:11.
Note: Many spiritual gifts inventories combine the gift of apostle with the gift of missionary because the Greek word is the same, meaning "sent one" (literally, one sent with authority, or as an ambassador or representative). These gifts have been separated here with the distinction that the missionary gift is focused on cross-cultural work, where the apostle gift is focused on overseeing the expansion of the Church in a given area, regardless of culture.
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3. Discerning of Spirits: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to know with assurance whether certain behavior purported to be of God is in reality divine, human, or Satanic."
This gift is a practical gift. Christians with this gift can recognize the true motives of people and also recognize when a person is distorting the truth or communicating error. This person often can recognize when Satan or other evil spirits are at work in a given person or situation. Scriptures: Matthew 16:21-23; Acts 5:1-11; 16:16-18; 17:11-16; 1 Corinthians 12:10; Hebrews 5:14; 1 John 4:1-6.
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4. Evangelism: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to readily share the gospel with unbelievers in such a way that men and women often become Jesus’ disciples and responsible members of the Body of Christ.
This gift is a practical gift. While the task of evangelism is an important spiritual exercise that all Christians should be involved with, God gifts certain members with an ability to have unusual sensitivity to when someone is ready to accept Christ, and will generally have greater success in leading people to Christ than other Christians. People with this gift should be active in training others to share their faith. Scriptures: Acts 8:5-6, 26-40; Ephesians 4:11-14; 2 Timothy 4:5.
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5. Ekballism: "The special ability that God gives certain members of the Body of Christ to cast out demons and evil spirits" in the name of Jesus Christ.
Traditionally, this gift is known as exorcism, which comes from the Greek work, exorkizo, and means to extract by an oath. In spiritual terms this infers the incantations and spells used by pagans to extract the demonic. Scripturally, this term is only used in relation to the demonic to describe the sons of Sceva's work (Acts 19:13). Wherever Jesus, an apostle, or other believer casts out a demon, the greek term is ekballo, which means to eject, pluck out, or send away. This term is command-driven, and not dependent upon a formula. In Christian life, the term ekballism demonstrates the power we have in Jesus, and minimizes the need for a formula to accomplish Christ's work. Ekballism is a term to separate the power of Christ from the confusion of spiritism around the world.
This gift is a sign gift. Jesus gave His apostles the authority to cast out demons (Mark 3:14, 15; 6:13), and the gift was used during the earliest days of the church (Acts 15:16; 16:16-18). Although western society often excuses spiritual powers with rational explanations, there is no reason to believe that evil spirits are no longer at work in our world. However, those with this gift should be discerning in their use of it, and not develop an excessive preoccupation with demons and evil spirits. The Christian focus should be on the victory won in Jesus Christ, and the salvation and abundant life He offers, not the ever-present forces of evil in this world. Scriptures: Matthew 12:22-32; Luke 10:12-20; Acts 8:5-8; 16:16-18; Romans 8:38-39; Ephesians 6:10-12.
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6. Exhortation: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to minister words of comfort, consolation, encouragement, and counsel to other members of the Body in such a way that they feel helped and healed."
This gift is a communication gift. This gift is often called "encouragement," but exhortation is used here because the gift is not limited to the connotations that the name "encouragement" implies. Those who use this gift within a teaching or ministry situation are often driven to give practical application to their insights. Often, those gifted in this gift desire step-by-step plans of action to help others mature in Christ. Exhorters often find it natural to discover insights from personal experience when validated and amplified in Scripture. Scripture: Luke 3:16-18; Acts 11:23; 14:22; Romans 12:8; 1 Timothy 4:12; 5:1; Hebrews 10:25.
Note: Exhortation, Prophecy, and Teaching are considered the communication gifts. The distinctions for each gift are often confused. Often, gifted communicators have a mix of these gifts. Exhortation focuses on personal and practical application of the message or truth being communicated. Prophecy focuses purely on the message or truth to be communicated. Teaching focuses on bringing thorough or adequate understanding of the message or truth being communicated.
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G2S Main
Gifts Inventory
Gift Definition Menu
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7. Faith: "The special ability that God gives certain members of the Body of Christ to discern with extraordinary confidence the will and purposes of God for His work."
This gift is a practical gift. Those with this gift often scare other people with their confidence. People with this gift are often very irritated by criticism, as they consider it to be criticism against God and His will. Probably the biggest danger for those with this gift is that they often try to project their gift onto other people. Scriptures: Acts 11:22-24; 27:21-25; Romans 4:18-21; 1 Corinthians 12:9; Hebrews 11.
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8. Giving: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to contribute their material resources to the work of the Lord with liberality and cheerfulness."
This gift is a practical gift. While all Christians should practice the discipline of giving through the minimum of 10% (tithe), God gifts certain members of the body to give remarkably greater amounts of their income with liberality and great joy. These people have an acute awareness that all they have belongs to the Lord and they are merely stewards, therefore they know that God will supply their needs and richly bless them in their giving. Scriptures: Matthew 6:2-4; Mark 12:41-44; Romans 12:8; 1 Corinthians 13:3; 2 Corinthians 8:1-7; 9:2-8; Philippians 4:14-19.
Note: This gift is often associated with the gift of voluntary poverty, as many with the gift of voluntary poverty also have the gift of giving. However, not all with the gift of giving also have the gift of voluntary poverty. See notes on voluntary poverty for more information.
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9. Healing: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to serve as human intermediaries through whom God cures illness and restores health apart from the use of natural means.
This gift is a sign gift. Many attribute the occurrence of supernatural healing to a certain level of faith. Those who have this gift must use it knowing that the healing only occurs within the limits of God’s will, and therefore miraculous healing will not always occur. Those with this gift must also recognize that God does often choose to use medical science to bring about healing in a person, therefore doctors and medicine are not obsolete. Miraculous healing will only occur if it will bring the greatest glory to God and effectively grow His church. Scripture: Acts 3:1-10; 5:12-16; 9:32-35; 28:7-10; 1 Corinthians 12:9, 28.
Note on Healing and Miracles: The gifts of healing and miracles are often combined, since they both involve the occurrence of events beyond natural means. However, one is focused on the healing of the human body, while the other is focused on other miraculous events that alter the ordinary course of nature. These may in fact be two separate manifestations of the same gift.
See Note on Extraordinary Gifts (listed with Miracles).
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10. Helps: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to invest the talents they have in the life and ministry of other members of the Body, thus enabling those others to increase the effectiveness of their own spiritual gifts.
This gift is a practical gift. People with this gift often enjoy doing routine tasks in order to free others to do the ministry God has called them to do. People with this gift are often not looking for recognition for the work they do. Scriptures: Mark 15:40-41; Luke 8:2-3; Acts 9:36; Romans 16:1-2; 1 Corinthians 12:28; 2 Timothy 1:16-18.
Note: The gifts of Helps, Mercy, and Service are often confused. Helps focuses on Christian works and freeing others to accomplish their God-given ministries. Mercy focuses on people in distress and reflects God’s love and compassion. Service focuses on accomplishing little tasks that may otherwise go undone in order to move the greater goal of the ministry or church toward completion.
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11. Hospitality: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to provide an open house and a warm welcome to those in need of food and lodging."
This gift is a practical gift. Those with this gift have an acute awareness of visitors and have a desire to make all people feel welcome. People with this gift enjoy visitors in their home, and are usually not bothered if someone stops by and their home is not spotless. Those with this gift are a key to helping new people become a part of the group. Scriptures: Acts 16:14-15; Romans 12:9-13; 16:23; Hebrews 13:1-2; 1 Peter 4:9.
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12. Intercession: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to pray for extended periods of time on a regular basis and see frequent and specific answers to their prayers, to a degree much greater than that which is expected of the average Christian."
This gift is a practical gift. Those with this gift often feel compelled to pray for specific requests when they are made known. Gifted intercessors have a much greater occurrence of specific answers to prayer than most Christians. Intercessors often have an acute understanding that prayer is genuinely a conversation with God, and when left alone, find themselves engaged in prayer. Many intercessors experience times when God moves them to pray for situations when they are not entirely sure what they are praying for. To those who get to know intercessors well, prayer becomes contagious. Those with this gift should help others learn how to pray more effectively. Scriptures: Luke 22:41-44; Acts 12:12; Romans 8:26-27; Colossians 1:9-12; 4:12-13; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; James 5:14-16.
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13. Interpretation of Tongues: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to make known in the vernacular the message of one who speaks in tongues."
This gift is a sign gift. Due to the fact that God has chosen not to use the gift of tongues on a corporate level at Lakeview Baptist Church, the use of this gift is very limited. However, there are pockets of individuals and small groups at Lakeview where tongues is practiced. Those with this gift are used to bring the personal edification of tongues to a position where the message edifies the group in which the tongue was spoken. Those with this gift gain a sense of what God is trying to say when they hear a person speak in tongues. Should a person with this gift fail to interpret the tongue when it is spoken and they receive the interpretation through the Holy Spirit, they have done a great disservice to the person who spoke in tongues and to the group as the edification that God desires has not taken place. Often, the interpreter is also the person who has spoken in tongues. The interpretation of tongues is often closely related to the message given by an exhorter or a prophet. Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 12:10-30; 14:13-17, 26-28.
Note on Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues: When used in a group setting, an interpretation must take place, or else the one speaking the tongue should remain silent. If a tongue is spoken without an interpretation, the speaker is edified. If the tongue is interpreted, it is for the edification of the body.
See Note on Extraordinary Gifts (listed with Miracles).
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14. Knowledge: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to discover, accumulate, analyze, and clarify information and ideas which are pertinent to the well-being of the Body."
This gift is a practical gift. Those with the gift of knowledge are at home in a book or studying. Those with this gift will often spend countless hours researching information. These people are interested in ideas and problem solving through gathering information and studying. Often, those with this gift have a low need for people. On rare occasions, people with this gift will gather vast amounts of information through studying and analyzing personal experience, but the primary method of learning with this gift is reading and studying books and other written materials. Scriptures: Luke 1:1-4; Acts 5:1-11; 1 Corinthians 2:14; 12:8; 2 Corinthians 11:6; Colossians 1:10; 2:2-3; 1 Timothy 2:15.
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15. Leadership: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to set goals in accordance with God’s purpose for the future and to communicate these goals to others in such a way that they voluntarily and harmoniously work together to accomplish those goals for the glory of God."
This gift is a leadership gift. People with this gift are often focused on the greater goal of the group and are not overly concerned with the details. Leaders delegate tasks and details to others to accomplish the greater goal. Leaders are visionaries. Leaders have followers-a visionary without followers is not a leader. Scriptures: Luke 9:51; Acts 6:1-7; 15:7-11; Romans 12:8; 1 Timothy 5:17; Hebrews 13:17.
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16. Mercy: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to feel genuine empathy and compassion for individuals (both Christian and non-Christian) who suffer from distressing physical, mental, or emotional problems, and to translate that compassion into cheerfully done deeds which reflect Christ’s love and alleviate the suffering."
This gift is a practical gift. Those with this gift find themselves visiting and assisting those in need, and often feel the pain of the person they are helping within themself. People with this gift find it extremely difficult not to help those who seem less fortunate than themself. Those with this gift generally enjoy helping those with physical or mental problems and do well in ministries involving visiting hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, and shut-ins. Scriptures: Matthew 20:29-34; 25:24-40; Mark 9:41; Luke 10:33-35; Acts 11:28-30; 16:33-34; Romans 12:8; Jude 22-23.
Note: The gifts of Helps, Mercy, and Service are often confused. Helps focuses on Christian works and freeing others to accomplish their God-given ministries. Mercy focuses on people in distress and reflects God’s love and compassion. Service focuses on accomplishing little tasks that may otherwise go undone in order to move the greater goal of the ministry or church toward completion.
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17. Miracles: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to serve as human intermediaries through whom God performs powerful acts that are perceived by observers to have altered the ordinary course of nature.
This gift is a sign gift. This gift is manifested through the supernatural intervention by God into specific circumstances in order to change the perceived natural outcome. Those with this gift must recognize that God only causes miracles to happen in order to bring the greatest glory to himself. Scriptures: Acts 9:36-42; 19:11-20; 20:7-12; Romans 15:17-19; 1 Corinthians 1:22-25; 12:10, 28; 2 Corinthians 12:12.
Note on Healing and Miracles: The gifts of healing and miracles are often combined, since they both involve the occurrence of events beyond natural means. However, one is focused on the healing of the human body, while the other is focused on other miraculous events that alter the ordinary course of nature. These may in fact be two separate manifestations of the same gift.
Note on Extraordinary Gifts: Many in contemporary Christian life have argued that the extraordinary gifts have passed with the offices they are often associated with in Scripture. This presents problems for those who use the New Testament as their guide. The passage they most commonly point to in order to support their view is 1 Corinthians 13:8, however a proper understanding of this passage points to a different interpretation. At Lakeview, we do not want to put God in a box, therefore we give Him the freedom to use these gifts as He chooses, however, we also want to emphasize that it is God who chooses how the gifts are used, and under what circumstances.
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18. Missionary: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to minister whatever other spiritual gifts thy have in a culture other than their own.
This gift is a leadership gift. Those with this gift find it easy or exciting to adjust to a different culture or community. Missionaries find great joy working with minorities, people of other countries, or those with other distinct cultural differences. Those with this gift have a stronger-than-average desire to be a part of the fulfillment of the Great Commission around the world. Scriptures: Acts 8:4; 13:1-4; 22:21; Romans 10:15; 1 Corinthians 9:19-23.
Note: Many spiritual gifts inventories combine the gift of apostle with the gift of missionary because the Greek word is the same, meaning “sent one” (literally, one sent with authority, or as an ambassador or representative). These gifts have been separated here with the distinction that the missionary gift is focused on cross-cultural work, where the apostle gift is focused on overseeing the expansion of the Church in a given area, regardless of culture.
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19. Prophecy: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to receive and communicate an immediate message of God to His people with authority and urgency perceived by the hearers.
This gift is a communication gift. Those with the gift of prophecy will often feel as though they have a direct word from God that will comfort, encourage, guide, warn, or rebuke the Body of Christ. Prophets are concerned about evangelism and will have a desire speak strongly against evil in society or in the church. Prophets have a great sense of urgency to their message. Unless paired with the gifts of exhortation or teaching, prophets will often not feel the need to explain their message, but will expect immediate response. The message of a prophet must always be tested in line with Scripture. Prophets would be wise to test their message against Scripture prior to delivering the message, and using Scriptural precedent in delivery of their message. Scripture: Luke 7:26; Acts 15:32; 21:9-11; Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:10, 28; 14:3, 24-25, 29, 36-38; Ephesians 4:11-14.
Note: Exhortation, Prophecy, and Teaching are considered the communication gifts. The distinctions for each gift are often confused. Often, gifted communicators have a mix of these gifts. Exhortation focuses on personal and practical application of the message or truth being communicated. Prophecy focuses purely on the message or truth to be communicated. Teaching focuses on bringing thorough or adequate understanding of the message or truth being communicated.
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20. Service: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to identify the unmet needs involved in a task related to God’s work, and to make use of available resources to meet those needs and help accomplish the desired results."
This gift is a practical gift. Those with the gift of service enjoy doing routine tasks around the church regardless of how they effect others. Those with this gift enjoy menial tasks and do them cheerfully. Service-oriented people would rather take orders than give them. Scripture: John 12:26; Acts 6:1-7; Romans 12:6-7; Galatians 6:2, 9-10; 2 Timothy 1:16-18; Titus 3:14.
Note: The gifts of Helps, Mercy, and Service are often confused. Helps focuses on Christian works and freeing others to accomplish their God-given ministries. Mercy focuses on people in distress and reflects God’s love and compassion. Service focuses on accomplishing little tasks that may otherwise go undone in order to move the greater goal of the ministry or church toward completion.
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21. Shepherd: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to assume a long-term personal responsibility for the welfare of a group of believers."
This gift is a leadership gift. This gift is often called "pastor," however, that name has a connotation of a specific position in the church. In actuality, when pastors have this gift, their ability to continue sustained growth in their churches is greatly diminished, as they tend to require a certain level of interaction with every member of their congregation. Those with the gift of shepherd have a great need for long-term relationships. Shepherds will sacrificially give themselves to other people in such a way that they are built-up in their faith. Shepherds take personal responsibility for the successes and failures of those in the group that they invest themselves in. Scriptures: John 10:1-18; Ephesians 4:11-14; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; 1 Peter 5:1-4.
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22. Teaching: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to communicate information relevant to the health and ministry of the Body and its members in such a way that others will learn."
This gift is a communication gift. People with the gift of teaching enjoy studying the Bible and related materials in order to communicate what they have learned to other Christians. Those with this gift find it easy to organize vast amounts of information in such a way as to make it easy to communicate, understand, and remember. Scriptures: Matthew 7:28-29; 28:19-20; Acts 15:32; Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:10, 28; Ephesians 4:11-14.
Note: Exhortation, Prophecy, and Teaching are considered the communication gifts. The distinctions for each gift are often confused. Often, gifted communicators have a mix of these gifts. Exhortation focuses on personal and practical application of the message or truth being communicated. Prophecy focuses on the urgency and impact of the message or truth being communicated. Teaching focuses on bringing thorough or adequate understanding of the message or truth being communicated.
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23. Tongues: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ (a) to speak to God in a language that they have never learned and/or (b) to receive and communicate a message of God to his people through a divinely anointed utterance in a language they never learned."
This gift is a sign gift. At Lakeview Baptist Church, God has chosen not to use the gift of tongues on a corporate level, therefore the instances where the (b) portion of this gift are in use is very limited. However, there are several small groups within the church among whom God has chosen to use this gift. Tongues is often associated with intercession and/or faith, but must be recognized as not necessarily being the sign of the baptism of the Holy Spirit or even as evidence of the filling of the Holy Spirit. Tongues, like any other spiritual gift, is given by God to whomever He chooses to be used to His glory and the edification of the Church.
1 Corinthians 13:1 suggests that there are two forms of the gift of tongues: tongues of men and tongues of angels. This would mean that the speaker could be speaking in an earthly language, or in a language beyond normal human understanding. Scriptures: Mark 16:17; Acts 2:1-13; 10:44-46; 19:1-7; Romans 8:26-27; 1 Corinthians 12:10,28; 13:1; 14:13-19, 26-28, 39.
Note on Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues: When used in a group setting, an interpretation must take place, or else the one speaking the tongue should remain silent. If a tongue is spoken without an interpretation, the speaker is edified. If the tongue is interpreted, it is for the edification of the body.
See Note on Extraordinary Gifts (listed with Miracles).
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24. Voluntary Poverty: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to renounce material comfort and luxury and adopt a personal lifestyle equivalent to those living at the poverty level in a given society in order to serve God more effectively."
This gift is a practical gift. Those with the spiritual gift of voluntary poverty will often choose to live among people who are considered poverty-stricken in a given area, and live at their level, although they have the means to live at a higher standard. Th primary motivation for this choice is to minister more effectively to the people through identification. Scriptures: Acts 2:44-45; 4:34-27; 1 Corinthians 13:1-3; 2 Corinthians 8:9.
Note: This gift is often associated with the gift of giving, however, notice that the motivation for this gift is for effective ministry through identification with a group of less-fortunate people, where those with the gift if giving are motivated by what their money can do towards God’s work.
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25. Wisdom: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to know how given knowledge may best be applied to specific needs arising in the Body of Christ.
This gift is a practical gift. Those with this gift have an excellent ability to apply spiritual truth to everyday life. Often, people in the church naturally seek out people with this gift when they are facing complicated spiritual problems. When a person with this gift considers past experience, they realize that they often make good and correct decisions and judgements. Scriptures: Proverbs 4:5-8; Acts 6:3, 10; 15:13-20; 20:20-21; Romans 12:17; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11-14; Colossians 1:28.
Gifted 2 Serve
Finding Your Place In Ministry
Spiritual Gifts Definitions
The following page contains suggested definitions for each gift along with some basic information about how the gift is in use at Lakeview Baptist Church. Also, supporting scriptures are supplied to help you begin a study of your spiritual gifts and how to use them in the local body. Some scripture references will give examples of the gift in use, others will be instructional or informative of the gift's use or existence.
Select gift to view:
1. Administration
2. Apostle
3. Discerning of Spirits
4. Evangelism
5. Ekballism
6. Exhortation
7. Faith
8. Giving
9. Healing
10. Helps
11. Hospitality
12. Intercession
13. Interpretation of Tongues
14. Knowledge
15. Mercy
16. Leadership
17. Miracles
18. Missionary
19. Prophecy
20. Service
21. Shepherd
22. Teaching
23. Tongues
24. Voluntary Poverty
25. Wisdom
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Gift Definitions:
1. Administration: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the body of Christ to understand clearly the immediate and long-range goals of a particular unit of the body of Christ and to devise and execute effective plans for the accomplishment of those goals."
This gift is a leadership gift and is often characterized by people who lead the body by steering others to remain on task. These people generally are concerned with the details of how to accomplish tasks, and tend to be masters at delegating specific tasks to other people according to their gifts and talents. Scriptures: Luke 14:28-30; Acts 6:1-7; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Titus 1:5.
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2. Apostle: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ which enables them to assume and exercise helpful leadership over a number of churches in spiritual matters which is spontaneously recognized and appreciated by those churches." The Bible calls many others, beyond the Twelve and Paul, apostles: James (Gal 1:19), Barnabas (Acts 14:4, 14), Epaphroditus (Phil 2:25), Silas and Timothy (1 Thes 1:1, 2:6), Andronicas and Junia (Rom 16:7), and others (1 Cor 15:5, 7; 2 Cor 8:23; 11:13).
This gift is a leadership gift and is in continuing need today for the strengthening of churches and the establishment of new churches. This gift should be looked for in regional directors, church planters, and denominational leaders. Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 2:20; 4:11.
Note: Many spiritual gifts inventories combine the gift of apostle with the gift of missionary because the Greek word is the same, meaning "sent one" (literally, one sent with authority, or as an ambassador or representative). These gifts have been separated here with the distinction that the missionary gift is focused on cross-cultural work, where the apostle gift is focused on overseeing the expansion of the Church in a given area, regardless of culture.
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3. Discerning of Spirits: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to know with assurance whether certain behavior purported to be of God is in reality divine, human, or Satanic."
This gift is a practical gift. Christians with this gift can recognize the true motives of people and also recognize when a person is distorting the truth or communicating error. This person often can recognize when Satan or other evil spirits are at work in a given person or situation. Scriptures: Matthew 16:21-23; Acts 5:1-11; 16:16-18; 17:11-16; 1 Corinthians 12:10; Hebrews 5:14; 1 John 4:1-6.
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4. Evangelism: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to readily share the gospel with unbelievers in such a way that men and women often become Jesus’ disciples and responsible members of the Body of Christ.
This gift is a practical gift. While the task of evangelism is an important spiritual exercise that all Christians should be involved with, God gifts certain members with an ability to have unusual sensitivity to when someone is ready to accept Christ, and will generally have greater success in leading people to Christ than other Christians. People with this gift should be active in training others to share their faith. Scriptures: Acts 8:5-6, 26-40; Ephesians 4:11-14; 2 Timothy 4:5.
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5. Ekballism: "The special ability that God gives certain members of the Body of Christ to cast out demons and evil spirits" in the name of Jesus Christ.
Traditionally, this gift is known as exorcism, which comes from the Greek work, exorkizo, and means to extract by an oath. In spiritual terms this infers the incantations and spells used by pagans to extract the demonic. Scripturally, this term is only used in relation to the demonic to describe the sons of Sceva's work (Acts 19:13). Wherever Jesus, an apostle, or other believer casts out a demon, the greek term is ekballo, which means to eject, pluck out, or send away. This term is command-driven, and not dependent upon a formula. In Christian life, the term ekballism demonstrates the power we have in Jesus, and minimizes the need for a formula to accomplish Christ's work. Ekballism is a term to separate the power of Christ from the confusion of spiritism around the world.
This gift is a sign gift. Jesus gave His apostles the authority to cast out demons (Mark 3:14, 15; 6:13), and the gift was used during the earliest days of the church (Acts 15:16; 16:16-18). Although western society often excuses spiritual powers with rational explanations, there is no reason to believe that evil spirits are no longer at work in our world. However, those with this gift should be discerning in their use of it, and not develop an excessive preoccupation with demons and evil spirits. The Christian focus should be on the victory won in Jesus Christ, and the salvation and abundant life He offers, not the ever-present forces of evil in this world. Scriptures: Matthew 12:22-32; Luke 10:12-20; Acts 8:5-8; 16:16-18; Romans 8:38-39; Ephesians 6:10-12.
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6. Exhortation: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to minister words of comfort, consolation, encouragement, and counsel to other members of the Body in such a way that they feel helped and healed."
This gift is a communication gift. This gift is often called "encouragement," but exhortation is used here because the gift is not limited to the connotations that the name "encouragement" implies. Those who use this gift within a teaching or ministry situation are often driven to give practical application to their insights. Often, those gifted in this gift desire step-by-step plans of action to help others mature in Christ. Exhorters often find it natural to discover insights from personal experience when validated and amplified in Scripture. Scripture: Luke 3:16-18; Acts 11:23; 14:22; Romans 12:8; 1 Timothy 4:12; 5:1; Hebrews 10:25.
Note: Exhortation, Prophecy, and Teaching are considered the communication gifts. The distinctions for each gift are often confused. Often, gifted communicators have a mix of these gifts. Exhortation focuses on personal and practical application of the message or truth being communicated. Prophecy focuses purely on the message or truth to be communicated. Teaching focuses on bringing thorough or adequate understanding of the message or truth being communicated.
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7. Faith: "The special ability that God gives certain members of the Body of Christ to discern with extraordinary confidence the will and purposes of God for His work."
This gift is a practical gift. Those with this gift often scare other people with their confidence. People with this gift are often very irritated by criticism, as they consider it to be criticism against God and His will. Probably the biggest danger for those with this gift is that they often try to project their gift onto other people. Scriptures: Acts 11:22-24; 27:21-25; Romans 4:18-21; 1 Corinthians 12:9; Hebrews 11.
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8. Giving: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to contribute their material resources to the work of the Lord with liberality and cheerfulness."
This gift is a practical gift. While all Christians should practice the discipline of giving through the minimum of 10% (tithe), God gifts certain members of the body to give remarkably greater amounts of their income with liberality and great joy. These people have an acute awareness that all they have belongs to the Lord and they are merely stewards, therefore they know that God will supply their needs and richly bless them in their giving. Scriptures: Matthew 6:2-4; Mark 12:41-44; Romans 12:8; 1 Corinthians 13:3; 2 Corinthians 8:1-7; 9:2-8; Philippians 4:14-19.
Note: This gift is often associated with the gift of voluntary poverty, as many with the gift of voluntary poverty also have the gift of giving. However, not all with the gift of giving also have the gift of voluntary poverty. See notes on voluntary poverty for more information.
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9. Healing: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to serve as human intermediaries through whom God cures illness and restores health apart from the use of natural means.
This gift is a sign gift. Many attribute the occurrence of supernatural healing to a certain level of faith. Those who have this gift must use it knowing that the healing only occurs within the limits of God’s will, and therefore miraculous healing will not always occur. Those with this gift must also recognize that God does often choose to use medical science to bring about healing in a person, therefore doctors and medicine are not obsolete. Miraculous healing will only occur if it will bring the greatest glory to God and effectively grow His church. Scripture: Acts 3:1-10; 5:12-16; 9:32-35; 28:7-10; 1 Corinthians 12:9, 28.
Note on Healing and Miracles: The gifts of healing and miracles are often combined, since they both involve the occurrence of events beyond natural means. However, one is focused on the healing of the human body, while the other is focused on other miraculous events that alter the ordinary course of nature. These may in fact be two separate manifestations of the same gift.
See Note on Extraordinary Gifts (listed with Miracles).
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10. Helps: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to invest the talents they have in the life and ministry of other members of the Body, thus enabling those others to increase the effectiveness of their own spiritual gifts.
This gift is a practical gift. People with this gift often enjoy doing routine tasks in order to free others to do the ministry God has called them to do. People with this gift are often not looking for recognition for the work they do. Scriptures: Mark 15:40-41; Luke 8:2-3; Acts 9:36; Romans 16:1-2; 1 Corinthians 12:28; 2 Timothy 1:16-18.
Note: The gifts of Helps, Mercy, and Service are often confused. Helps focuses on Christian works and freeing others to accomplish their God-given ministries. Mercy focuses on people in distress and reflects God’s love and compassion. Service focuses on accomplishing little tasks that may otherwise go undone in order to move the greater goal of the ministry or church toward completion.
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11. Hospitality: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to provide an open house and a warm welcome to those in need of food and lodging."
This gift is a practical gift. Those with this gift have an acute awareness of visitors and have a desire to make all people feel welcome. People with this gift enjoy visitors in their home, and are usually not bothered if someone stops by and their home is not spotless. Those with this gift are a key to helping new people become a part of the group. Scriptures: Acts 16:14-15; Romans 12:9-13; 16:23; Hebrews 13:1-2; 1 Peter 4:9.
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12. Intercession: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to pray for extended periods of time on a regular basis and see frequent and specific answers to their prayers, to a degree much greater than that which is expected of the average Christian."
This gift is a practical gift. Those with this gift often feel compelled to pray for specific requests when they are made known. Gifted intercessors have a much greater occurrence of specific answers to prayer than most Christians. Intercessors often have an acute understanding that prayer is genuinely a conversation with God, and when left alone, find themselves engaged in prayer. Many intercessors experience times when God moves them to pray for situations when they are not entirely sure what they are praying for. To those who get to know intercessors well, prayer becomes contagious. Those with this gift should help others learn how to pray more effectively. Scriptures: Luke 22:41-44; Acts 12:12; Romans 8:26-27; Colossians 1:9-12; 4:12-13; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; James 5:14-16.
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13. Interpretation of Tongues: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to make known in the vernacular the message of one who speaks in tongues."
This gift is a sign gift. Due to the fact that God has chosen not to use the gift of tongues on a corporate level at Lakeview Baptist Church, the use of this gift is very limited. However, there are pockets of individuals and small groups at Lakeview where tongues is practiced. Those with this gift are used to bring the personal edification of tongues to a position where the message edifies the group in which the tongue was spoken. Those with this gift gain a sense of what God is trying to say when they hear a person speak in tongues. Should a person with this gift fail to interpret the tongue when it is spoken and they receive the interpretation through the Holy Spirit, they have done a great disservice to the person who spoke in tongues and to the group as the edification that God desires has not taken place. Often, the interpreter is also the person who has spoken in tongues. The interpretation of tongues is often closely related to the message given by an exhorter or a prophet. Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 12:10-30; 14:13-17, 26-28.
Note on Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues: When used in a group setting, an interpretation must take place, or else the one speaking the tongue should remain silent. If a tongue is spoken without an interpretation, the speaker is edified. If the tongue is interpreted, it is for the edification of the body.
See Note on Extraordinary Gifts (listed with Miracles).
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14. Knowledge: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to discover, accumulate, analyze, and clarify information and ideas which are pertinent to the well-being of the Body."
This gift is a practical gift. Those with the gift of knowledge are at home in a book or studying. Those with this gift will often spend countless hours researching information. These people are interested in ideas and problem solving through gathering information and studying. Often, those with this gift have a low need for people. On rare occasions, people with this gift will gather vast amounts of information through studying and analyzing personal experience, but the primary method of learning with this gift is reading and studying books and other written materials. Scriptures: Luke 1:1-4; Acts 5:1-11; 1 Corinthians 2:14; 12:8; 2 Corinthians 11:6; Colossians 1:10; 2:2-3; 1 Timothy 2:15.
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15. Leadership: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to set goals in accordance with God’s purpose for the future and to communicate these goals to others in such a way that they voluntarily and harmoniously work together to accomplish those goals for the glory of God."
This gift is a leadership gift. People with this gift are often focused on the greater goal of the group and are not overly concerned with the details. Leaders delegate tasks and details to others to accomplish the greater goal. Leaders are visionaries. Leaders have followers-a visionary without followers is not a leader. Scriptures: Luke 9:51; Acts 6:1-7; 15:7-11; Romans 12:8; 1 Timothy 5:17; Hebrews 13:17.
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16. Mercy: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to feel genuine empathy and compassion for individuals (both Christian and non-Christian) who suffer from distressing physical, mental, or emotional problems, and to translate that compassion into cheerfully done deeds which reflect Christ’s love and alleviate the suffering."
This gift is a practical gift. Those with this gift find themselves visiting and assisting those in need, and often feel the pain of the person they are helping within themself. People with this gift find it extremely difficult not to help those who seem less fortunate than themself. Those with this gift generally enjoy helping those with physical or mental problems and do well in ministries involving visiting hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, and shut-ins. Scriptures: Matthew 20:29-34; 25:24-40; Mark 9:41; Luke 10:33-35; Acts 11:28-30; 16:33-34; Romans 12:8; Jude 22-23.
Note: The gifts of Helps, Mercy, and Service are often confused. Helps focuses on Christian works and freeing others to accomplish their God-given ministries. Mercy focuses on people in distress and reflects God’s love and compassion. Service focuses on accomplishing little tasks that may otherwise go undone in order to move the greater goal of the ministry or church toward completion.
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17. Miracles: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to serve as human intermediaries through whom God performs powerful acts that are perceived by observers to have altered the ordinary course of nature.
This gift is a sign gift. This gift is manifested through the supernatural intervention by God into specific circumstances in order to change the perceived natural outcome. Those with this gift must recognize that God only causes miracles to happen in order to bring the greatest glory to himself. Scriptures: Acts 9:36-42; 19:11-20; 20:7-12; Romans 15:17-19; 1 Corinthians 1:22-25; 12:10, 28; 2 Corinthians 12:12.
Note on Healing and Miracles: The gifts of healing and miracles are often combined, since they both involve the occurrence of events beyond natural means. However, one is focused on the healing of the human body, while the other is focused on other miraculous events that alter the ordinary course of nature. These may in fact be two separate manifestations of the same gift.
Note on Extraordinary Gifts: Many in contemporary Christian life have argued that the extraordinary gifts have passed with the offices they are often associated with in Scripture. This presents problems for those who use the New Testament as their guide. The passage they most commonly point to in order to support their view is 1 Corinthians 13:8, however a proper understanding of this passage points to a different interpretation. At Lakeview, we do not want to put God in a box, therefore we give Him the freedom to use these gifts as He chooses, however, we also want to emphasize that it is God who chooses how the gifts are used, and under what circumstances.
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18. Missionary: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to minister whatever other spiritual gifts thy have in a culture other than their own.
This gift is a leadership gift. Those with this gift find it easy or exciting to adjust to a different culture or community. Missionaries find great joy working with minorities, people of other countries, or those with other distinct cultural differences. Those with this gift have a stronger-than-average desire to be a part of the fulfillment of the Great Commission around the world. Scriptures: Acts 8:4; 13:1-4; 22:21; Romans 10:15; 1 Corinthians 9:19-23.
Note: Many spiritual gifts inventories combine the gift of apostle with the gift of missionary because the Greek word is the same, meaning “sent one” (literally, one sent with authority, or as an ambassador or representative). These gifts have been separated here with the distinction that the missionary gift is focused on cross-cultural work, where the apostle gift is focused on overseeing the expansion of the Church in a given area, regardless of culture.
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19. Prophecy: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to receive and communicate an immediate message of God to His people with authority and urgency perceived by the hearers.
This gift is a communication gift. Those with the gift of prophecy will often feel as though they have a direct word from God that will comfort, encourage, guide, warn, or rebuke the Body of Christ. Prophets are concerned about evangelism and will have a desire speak strongly against evil in society or in the church. Prophets have a great sense of urgency to their message. Unless paired with the gifts of exhortation or teaching, prophets will often not feel the need to explain their message, but will expect immediate response. The message of a prophet must always be tested in line with Scripture. Prophets would be wise to test their message against Scripture prior to delivering the message, and using Scriptural precedent in delivery of their message. Scripture: Luke 7:26; Acts 15:32; 21:9-11; Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:10, 28; 14:3, 24-25, 29, 36-38; Ephesians 4:11-14.
Note: Exhortation, Prophecy, and Teaching are considered the communication gifts. The distinctions for each gift are often confused. Often, gifted communicators have a mix of these gifts. Exhortation focuses on personal and practical application of the message or truth being communicated. Prophecy focuses purely on the message or truth to be communicated. Teaching focuses on bringing thorough or adequate understanding of the message or truth being communicated.
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20. Service: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to identify the unmet needs involved in a task related to God’s work, and to make use of available resources to meet those needs and help accomplish the desired results."
This gift is a practical gift. Those with the gift of service enjoy doing routine tasks around the church regardless of how they effect others. Those with this gift enjoy menial tasks and do them cheerfully. Service-oriented people would rather take orders than give them. Scripture: John 12:26; Acts 6:1-7; Romans 12:6-7; Galatians 6:2, 9-10; 2 Timothy 1:16-18; Titus 3:14.
Note: The gifts of Helps, Mercy, and Service are often confused. Helps focuses on Christian works and freeing others to accomplish their God-given ministries. Mercy focuses on people in distress and reflects God’s love and compassion. Service focuses on accomplishing little tasks that may otherwise go undone in order to move the greater goal of the ministry or church toward completion.
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21. Shepherd: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to assume a long-term personal responsibility for the welfare of a group of believers."
This gift is a leadership gift. This gift is often called "pastor," however, that name has a connotation of a specific position in the church. In actuality, when pastors have this gift, their ability to continue sustained growth in their churches is greatly diminished, as they tend to require a certain level of interaction with every member of their congregation. Those with the gift of shepherd have a great need for long-term relationships. Shepherds will sacrificially give themselves to other people in such a way that they are built-up in their faith. Shepherds take personal responsibility for the successes and failures of those in the group that they invest themselves in. Scriptures: John 10:1-18; Ephesians 4:11-14; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; 1 Peter 5:1-4.
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22. Teaching: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to communicate information relevant to the health and ministry of the Body and its members in such a way that others will learn."
This gift is a communication gift. People with the gift of teaching enjoy studying the Bible and related materials in order to communicate what they have learned to other Christians. Those with this gift find it easy to organize vast amounts of information in such a way as to make it easy to communicate, understand, and remember. Scriptures: Matthew 7:28-29; 28:19-20; Acts 15:32; Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:10, 28; Ephesians 4:11-14.
Note: Exhortation, Prophecy, and Teaching are considered the communication gifts. The distinctions for each gift are often confused. Often, gifted communicators have a mix of these gifts. Exhortation focuses on personal and practical application of the message or truth being communicated. Prophecy focuses on the urgency and impact of the message or truth being communicated. Teaching focuses on bringing thorough or adequate understanding of the message or truth being communicated.
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23. Tongues: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ (a) to speak to God in a language that they have never learned and/or (b) to receive and communicate a message of God to his people through a divinely anointed utterance in a language they never learned."
This gift is a sign gift. At Lakeview Baptist Church, God has chosen not to use the gift of tongues on a corporate level, therefore the instances where the (b) portion of this gift are in use is very limited. However, there are several small groups within the church among whom God has chosen to use this gift. Tongues is often associated with intercession and/or faith, but must be recognized as not necessarily being the sign of the baptism of the Holy Spirit or even as evidence of the filling of the Holy Spirit. Tongues, like any other spiritual gift, is given by God to whomever He chooses to be used to His glory and the edification of the Church.
1 Corinthians 13:1 suggests that there are two forms of the gift of tongues: tongues of men and tongues of angels. This would mean that the speaker could be speaking in an earthly language, or in a language beyond normal human understanding. Scriptures: Mark 16:17; Acts 2:1-13; 10:44-46; 19:1-7; Romans 8:26-27; 1 Corinthians 12:10,28; 13:1; 14:13-19, 26-28, 39.
Note on Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues: When used in a group setting, an interpretation must take place, or else the one speaking the tongue should remain silent. If a tongue is spoken without an interpretation, the speaker is edified. If the tongue is interpreted, it is for the edification of the body.
See Note on Extraordinary Gifts (listed with Miracles).
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24. Voluntary Poverty: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to renounce material comfort and luxury and adopt a personal lifestyle equivalent to those living at the poverty level in a given society in order to serve God more effectively."
This gift is a practical gift. Those with the spiritual gift of voluntary poverty will often choose to live among people who are considered poverty-stricken in a given area, and live at their level, although they have the means to live at a higher standard. Th primary motivation for this choice is to minister more effectively to the people through identification. Scriptures: Acts 2:44-45; 4:34-27; 1 Corinthians 13:1-3; 2 Corinthians 8:9.
Note: This gift is often associated with the gift of giving, however, notice that the motivation for this gift is for effective ministry through identification with a group of less-fortunate people, where those with the gift if giving are motivated by what their money can do towards God’s work.
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25. Wisdom: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to know how given knowledge may best be applied to specific needs arising in the Body of Christ.
This gift is a practical gift. Those with this gift have an excellent ability to apply spiritual truth to everyday life. Often, people in the church naturally seek out people with this gift when they are facing complicated spiritual problems. When a person with this gift considers past experience, they realize that they often make good and correct decisions and judgements. Scriptures: Proverbs 4:5-8; Acts 6:3, 10; 15:13-20; 20:20-21; Romans 12:17; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11-14; Colossians 1:28.
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