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Monthly Leader Guide

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Monthly Practice:

Spiritual Gifts

Aug 4
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August 31, 2024

Overview

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4:10‬

God always provides the power to accomplish his plans.

Spiritual gifts are the unique ways that the Holy Spirit works through you supernaturally to accomplish the mission of Jesus. They are the visible effect of God’s grace in our lives, enabling us to demonstrate his love to others. When we all utilize the gifts God has given each of us, we make his love more evident to one another.

Weekly Guides

Week 1

PRE-MEETING PREPARATION

  • Make sure you have access to the weekly video and can play that for the group.
  • Review the weekly Big Idea for your reference. This is intended to give you context for the week. You can choose whether or not to read this in group as a summary/refresher after watching the video.
  • Read through the Group and Individual Practices ahead of time.

BIG IDEA: The purpose of spiritual gifts

  • The power of God is for the mission of God.
  • Spiritual gifts are the outworking of God’s love and grace within us.
  • When we are involved in the mission, God will work through us uniquely.

Connection Time - 20 Minutes

Sermon Review - 20 Minutes
(Guides are updated weekly on the Community webpage.)

Group Application - 40 Minutes
Group practice - do this together in Group

  • WATCH the overview video together, then engage in discussion.
  • REVIEW the video and Discussion Highlights for this week.
  • READ through the list of definitions for spiritual gifts found in the Additional Content section below.
  • ASK: What has been your experience with or understanding of spiritual gifts, if any?
  • ASK: How have you seen God move when you have reached out to help someone? What might that reveal about your spiritual gifts?
  • REVIEW the memory verse and other resources for the month.

Individual practice - to do on your own throughout the week

Pray - 10 Minutes

Week 2

PRE-MEETING PREPARATION

  • Make sure you have access to the weekly video and can play that for the group.
  • Review the weekly Big Idea for your reference. This is intended to give you context for the week. You can choose whether or not to read this in group as a summary/refresher after watching the video.
  • Read through the Group and Individual Practices ahead of time.

BIG IDEA: A community of gifts

  • We need every gift to accomplish God’s mission.
  • The gifts God has given me are not for my benefit, but for the benefit of others.
  • We need one another in order to see Jesus for who he really is.

Connection Time - 20 Minutes

Sermon Review - 20 Minutes
(Guides are updated weekly on the Community webpage.)

Group Application - 40 Minutes
Group practice - do this together in Group

  • DISCUSS the previous week's individual practice. What were your results from the Spiritual Gifts survey? What made sense to you, and what surprised you?
  • WATCH the overview video together.
  • REVIEW the video and Discussion Highlights for this week.
  • ASK: How has God used other people’s gifts to encourage you and build you up?
  • ASK: Have you experienced God showing grace through you to someone else in a supernatural way? This doesn’t have to be a miraculous moment, just some time when you were aware of God working through you in a special way.
  • ASK: What spiritual gifts would you like to learn more about?
  • REVIEW the memory verse and other resources for the month.

Individual practice - to do on your own throughout the week

Read through 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. Using the spiritual gifts assessment and the feedback from your group this week, make a practical list of how your gifts might encourage someone else.

Pray - 10 Minutes

Week 3

PRE-MEETING PREPARATION

  • Make sure you have access to the weekly video and can play that for the group.
  • Review the weekly Big Idea for your reference. This is intended to give you context for the week. You can choose whether or not to read this in group as a summary/refresher after watching the video.
  • Read through the Group and Individual Practices ahead of time.

BIG IDEA: The Use of Gifts

  • Spiritual gifts shouldn’t draw attention to ourselves but to Jesus.
  • The fruit of the Spirit should always accompany the gifts of the Spirit.
  • The Holy Spirit’s gifts become more evident as we aim to love people well.

Connection Time - 20 Minutes

Sermon Review - 20 Minutes
(Guides are updated weekly on the Community webpage.)

Group Application - 40 Minutes
Group practice - do this together in Group

  • DISCUSS the previous week's individual practice. What are some ways you hope to use your spiritual gifts to love and serve others?
  • WATCH the overview video together.
  • REVIEW the video Discussion Highlights for this week.
  • Choose one or two people in the group and pray over them. Take your time and be comfortable with pauses, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead the group in their prayers, encouragements and blessings.
  • READ Galatians 5:22-23 out loud together.
  • ASK: Which fruit of the Spirit do you feel is most evident in your life right now? Which is least evident? 
  • ASK: How can you order your life, schedule, and resources to better serve others?
  • REVIEW the memory verse and other resources for the month.

Individual practice - to do on your own throughout the week

Using your list from last week, ask God to put someone on your heart, and serve them utilizing your gift(s).

Week 4

PRE-MEETING PREPARATION

  • Decide in advance what you will do this week for the Group Practice. This can be anything that builds community and relationships. If your group missed a week, you can also use this week to make up for previous content.

Connection Time - 20 Minutes

Sermon Review - 20 Minutes
(Guides are updated weekly on the Community webpage.)

Group Time - 40 Minutes

  • REVIEW the previous week’s individual practice. Try to share your memorized verse with the group!
  • In addition to the usual connection time and sermon review, use this week’s meeting to foster community and deepen relationships.
  • REVIEW the memory verse and other resources for the month.

Pray - 10 Minutes

RESOURCES

Memory Verse

He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Ephesians 4:16

Definition Sermons

Books

SPIRITUAL GIFTS DESCRIPTIONS AND EXAMPLES

We believe that the spiritual gifts listed in scripture are not necessarily an exhaustive list; there are additional ways that God’s grace can show itself through believers in consistently supernatural ways. For those gifts that are included in scripture, we have included definitions and scriptural examples here.

1 CORINTHIANS 12:8-10

Wisdom

The gift of wisdom is when someone has a supernatural ability to deeply understand and guide a matter. Words of wisdom are given to help people make honorable decisions and live in God’s blessing. Examples: Matthew 10:19-20, Luke 20:20-26, Acts 4:13

Knowledge

The gift of knowledge is when someone knows something they could not without God’s informing. Words of knowledge are given to show people that God sees them, knows them and understands them. Examples: Luke 5:21-22, John 4:16-18

Faith

The gift of faith is when someone is given a supernatural ability to trust in, and act on, God’s promises. Faith is given to demonstrate God’s faithfulness and show others how to trust God more deeply. Examples: Matthew 14:25-31, Acts 6:1-8, Acts 11:19-24

Healing

Gifts of healing are when the power of God heals someone’s body supernaturally. Healing gifts are given to reveal the hope of heaven and help people experience God’s love in a tangible way. Examples: Matthew 15:30-31, Mark 10:46-52, Acts 3:2-7

Miracles

The gift of miracles is when God intervenes in the natural order of things. Miracles are given to reveal God’s sovereignty, strength and character. Examples: Luke 8:22-25, Matthew 14:13-21, Acts 19:11-12

Prophecy

The gift of prophecy is when God speaks to and through someone with supernatural truth and power. Prophecy is given to build up, inspire and comfort people with God’s truth, and equip them to live it out. Examples: Matthew 16:15-19, Mark 10:32-34, Acts 15:32

Discernment

The gift of discerning spirits is when someone is able to understand the spiritual motivations and activity of a moment. Spiritual discernment is given to eliminate confusion, establish peace and engage in healthy spiritual warfare. Examples: Mattew 22:16-18, John 2:23-25

Tongues

The gift of tongues is when someone is enabled to speak an unknown language. Tongues are given to help people align their hearts with the Holy Spirit, expand their faith, and hear God more clearly. Examples: Mark 16:17-18, Acts 10:44-48, Acts 19:6

Interpretation

The gift of interpretation is when God reveals to one person the meaning of another person’s gift of tongues. Interpretation is given to show the unity and interdependence of the Holy Spirit’s gifts, and to share the blessing of tongues with others. Examples: 1 Corinthians 14:26-28

ROMANS 12:6-8

Helping

The gift of helping (or serving) is when someone is given a supernatural capacity for serving and supporting others, regardless of the task. Helping is given to catalyze the mission and show the active humility of Jesus.

Leadership

The gift of leadership is when someone is able to gather, mobilize and develop people. Leadership is given to unite and maximize God’s people.

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