Pentecost

Gifts from the Holy Spirit

As we celebrated Pentecost Sunday (5/19/2013), we read the Acts 2 account of the Pentecost event. The Bible says “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability” (Acts 2:4). After reading this, it occurred to me that the Holy Spirit gave specific gifts to specific people at a specific time and place to meet a specific need in the community.

The Holy Spirit calls us individually and as the body of the congregation to join with God in carrying out the ministry. So, if the Holy Spirit calls us, isn’t it also true that the Holy Spirit gives us what we need to participate in this ministry? As 1 Corinthians 12 says: “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (my emphasis).

For this week, read as frequently as you can the two Scriptures below (Acts 2 and 1 Corinthians 12). Then prayerfully work your way through the questions below. You can do this all in one sitting if you want, or spread it over the course of the week. The point is to spend some time understanding what your gifts may be. An important part of this process is to review your findings with your spouse, a trusted family member or friend.

This Week

Make a list of the things you enjoy doing. Be sure to pay special attention to those things you would say “feed your soul”. As you begin this first step, you may be tempted to rush through it or assume that you know everything there is to know about yourself.
Spend some time with this list and pray over it. Do you see any themes emerging?
Talk with one or two trusted people who know you well. Test your list out with them to see if they would agree with you and whether they have any to add to the list.
Once you feel as though you have a good enough list, keep them in mind as you go through the rest of your week. You will likely find that there are creative ways to match up your gifts with needs around you. Pray about that. See if there are ways you can live Jesus for believers and non-believers alike.

Bible

Resources

The following sermon files may take some time to download depending on your internet speed.