Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:1, “Now about spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.” In what ways was the Corinthian church – to whom Paul was writing – uninformed about spiritual gifts? What was the result?
Pastor Steve mentioned that spiritual gifts are frequently misunderstood or misappropriated, which can lead to disunity and division in the church. Why might that be the case? Have you ever seen that dynamic play out among fellow Christians?
Practically speaking, what role should spiritual gifts have in the church? What role, if any, should they have in our daily lives?
Are some spiritual gifts “better” than others? Why or why not?
How can a person go about discovering their spiritual gift(s)? What should they keep in mind?
When attempting to discover your spiritual gifts, Pastor Steve mentioned the importance of considering factors like Affinity, Ability, and Affirmation from others. How do those 3 factors converge in your own life and in how you seek to serve the body of Christ?
Do you feel that it’s ever legitimate for a person who learns about a ministry need to say, “Since I’m not gifted in that area, I don’t have to worry about filling that need”? Why or why not? Are there examples of certain ministries that all Christians should be involved with, whether or not they are particularly gifted in those areas?
Why do spiritual gifts need to be considered within the broader context of the message of Romans 12:1-2?
What are some examples of healthy spiritual leadership you’ve experienced? Unhealthy?
What are some factors that make you more receptive to the correction given by spiritual leaders? Less receptive?
Why would Scripture always describe the leadership of a local church as a plurality of elders rather than one person holding all of the authority alone?
What lessons can you take from the descriptions of elders in Scripture (read: 1 Peter 5:1-5 and Titus 1:5-9) and apply to other leadership settings: work, home, school, etc.?
In what ways do you interact with the elders of our church? How would you like to interact with them? After discussing, please pass your thoughts along to our leadership.
Is there anything that inspires you to want to burst out in song?
Maybe a trip to the beach or the mountains? Maybe a fond
memory? Or maybe you’re the type of person who has a
constant soundtrack in your head and you just randomly burst
into song all the time. What makes you sing?
Can you recall a time when singing with a group of people was
a powerful experience? In what ways was this experience
magnified because it was in a group? Would it have been the
same if you were alone?
In what ways do you feel held back or restrained from singing
more freely or boldly, both individually and corporately?
Have you ever had a time when you didn’t feel like singing in a
worship gathering? Were you able to overcome it? If so, how?
Hebrews 13:15 says, “Through Him then let us continually offer
up a sacrifice of praise...” In what ways is your worship
“sacrificial?”
Romans 12:1 says that our true worship is offering our bodies
“as a living sacrifice...”
Have you ever personally needed to “restore” someone who was “caught in a sin” (Gal. 6:1)? Or has someone ever had to do that for you? If yes to either, what was that experience like? What did it teach you?
What do you find to be the most difficult aspect of bearing someone else’s burden(s)?
According to this passage, what types of attitudes can hinder us from carrying another’s burdens?
Read Galatians 5:16-18 and 5:22-24. How do these verses tie into today’s text (5:25-6:2)? In what ways does restoring one who “is caught in a sin” and “carrying each other’s burdens” describe the nature of a Spirit-filled life?
One of the common objections someone might give for not carrying another’s burdens is something like, “That person doesn’t really need my help. They’re not in that much need.” Other common objections might be, “That’s not my problem. They got themselves into this mess.” Or, “I don’t have the time to help.” Are these reasonable objections? Why or why not?
In what specific ways does restoring a Christian brother or sister, or bearing another’s burdens, “fulfill the law of Christ”?
Read Galatians 6:9-10. What promise(s) do these verses offer to those who might grow weary in serving or bearing someone else’s burdens?
What specific opportunities do you have in your life right now to carry another’s burdens?
Would you consider yourself more of an independent person or dependent person? If independent (like most of us), are we out of step with God’s desires for us? Why or why not?
In what ways have you “needed” someone else in order to grow spiritually in the past? In other words, what would have been totally impossible unless someone else was involved in your life?
What opportunities for spiritual growth do you think you might have missed over the years by trying to be spiritually independent?
What is one specific way that you could request for someone else to help you grow spiritually this week? What will be difficult about doing this?
Out of the numerous areas of potential growth mentioned in the video (evangelism, neighboring, noticing divine interruptions, encouraging more than correcting, deferring to one another with styles of worship, regularly volunteering, and welcoming or meeting people we don’t already know), what stands out as areas in which God desires for you to grow? What is a possible next step?
