Week 4 - Order in the Church
- Does everyone in your small group know their spiritual gift? If so, what is it (or what are they, if you have more than one)? If someone doesn’t know their gift, help them get to the online assessment offered for free at FCC.
- What are some ways your gift can be used at FCC?
- Have someone in the group read 1 Corinthians 12:8–11. While Paul does list some of the gifts in this passage, his focus seems to be on the Holy Spirit. Why do you think many people immediately focus on the gifts and not the giver of the gifts that Paul seems to be stressing?
- What do you think Paul wants us to understand about the relationship between the gifts and the Giver?
- Our experiences and church backgrounds can strongly influence what we believe about the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts. Why is it important that Scripture evaluates our experiences rather than our experiences determining how we read Scripture?
- Paul describes a variety of gifts given to different believers. Why do you think God chose to give different gifts to different people rather than giving every believer the same gifts? What does that teach us about our need for one another?
- Of the gifts discussed in this passage and in the sermon (wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, tongues, interpretation, teaching, mercy, giving, etc.) which are easiest for you to understand? Which raise the most questions for you? What would it look like to approach those questions with both biblical conviction and humility?
- The sermon emphasized that the gift of faith is not a way of controlling God but confidence in God. What is the difference between biblical faith and presuming that God will do what we want? Can you think of a time when another believer's faith strengthened yours?
- We believe God is still able to heal and can do it whenever He wants, however He wants. And this true even though He does not always answer our prayers in the way we hope. How can we pray boldly for God to act while still trusting Him with the outcome? How should we care for someone who has prayed for healing and has not received it?
- Why should Christians be cautious about statements like, “God told me…”? Have someone read 1 John 4:1. According to this passage, what responsibility do believers have when someone claims something is from God? How can we practice discernment without becoming cynical or suspicious of everything spiritual?
- The Corinthians were tempted to associate the more visible or spectacular gifts with greater spiritual importance. Where can that same kind of comparison show up in the church today? Are there gifts or acts of service we tend to celebrate more and some we tend to overlook?
- Read 1 Corinthians 12:7 again. How does “for the common good” change the way we should think about spiritual gifts? Instead of only asking, “What is my gift?” what might change if we began asking, “How can God use what He has given me for the good of someone else?”
- What is one concrete way you can intentionally use what God has given you to serve someone this week?