From 1 Corinthians 12, Pastor Justin described how believers have entered a new world defined by the Lordship of Jesus. He unpacked how every believer has the Spirit of God residing in them and has been given a unique “matrix” of spiritual gifts, broadly categorizing these as prophetic (revealing God’s truth), priestly (extending God’s care), or kingly (creating Godly structure). When these gifts come together in the body and are used to love and to serve one another, the invisible God becomes visible to the world through us. Pastor Justin then provided three steps to discovering spiritual gifts: seek God, serve out of love, and see a life of the Holy Spirit. In conclusion, he urged believers to respond to God’s call to be ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Ice Breaker Option:
Ask each person to complete this sentence: “In my friend group or family, I’m usually the person people call when __________.”
HEAD: Read 1 Corinthians 12:1-12
- How does Paul describe our life before Christ in this passage? How does this compare to life after knowing Christ?
- What do we learn about spiritual gifts in this passage? Why are they given and how are they distributed?
- How does this passage point to the triune nature of God? By reminding us that God is Father, Son and Spirit, what is Paul teaching us about spiritual gifts within the body of Christ?
HEART
- What are some modern-day idols that people commonly look to for significance, and why do these ultimately fail to satisfy?
- How does understanding the unity of the spirit through the diversity of the body help us value each other and our different gifts within the church?
- What keeps you from seeing yourself as a ‘minister of the gospel’ and fully embracing your role within the body of Christ?
HANDS — Go Deeper Together
“You get a permission slip from Jesus today that says, congratulations, you have permission to be a part of the body of Christ as a minister of the gospel. Get going in Jesus name.”
(Choose one or two practices below)
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1. Seek — A New Humanity Empowered by the Spirit
“You have specific spiritual gifts, and they are essential to the mission of God and the health of the church.”
Every believer has entered a new world defined by the Lordship of Jesus and the indwelling Spirit. Paul reminds us that the Spirit distributes gifts as He wills, and Jesus invites us to ask, seek, and knock.
Personal Reflection:
- Write this sentence in your own words, based on 1 Corinthians 12:1-7: “Because Jesus is Lord and His Spirit lives in me, I am called to __________.”
Group Discussion:
- Where have I underestimated the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life?
- What would change if I truly believed the Spirit of God lives in me?
Group Reflection and Prayer
Break into groups of 2–3.
- Create a space of honesty and reflection as each member shares a brief response to the following:
- Is there something that keeps you from earnestly desiring spiritual gifts? (Fear? Comparison? Skepticism? Feeling unworthy?)
- Where do you need to actively seek Him to increase spiritual gifts or bring forth new gifts in your life?
- Encourage each person to pray this out loud in their own words. Don’t rush the moment of seeking.
- “Oh, Lord, would You increase the spiritual gifts of my life?
- And would You bring forth new gifts in my life?”
- After praying, allow moment of response:
- What did you sense or experience as we prayed?
- Did anything stir — desire, courage, conviction, hope?
Action Step (Daily Practice):
- Each day this week, continue to seek the Lord’s empowerment through prayer: “Oh, Lord, would You increase the spiritual gifts of my life and would You bring forth new gifts in my life?”
- Encourage the group to come back next week ready to share where they saw the Spirit at work — even in small ways.
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2. Serve — Positioned to Receive
“God made you a unique expression of his glory. Serve others in love and you'll discover the gifts he's given you more and more and more and more.”
Group Reflection:
- Read together 1 Corinthians 12:12
- Ask members to respond to this prompt “When I serve, I am positioning myself to receive __________ from God.”
Action Step — Serve Together and Watch for God
Experience being the body of Christ.
- As a group, choose one tangible way to serve — either:
- Within the church (for example: writing encouragement cards, preparing a meal, cleaning or organizing a needed space).
- Outside the church (for example: serving a local outreach, blessing a neighbor, meeting a practical need in your community).
- Before serving, pray briefly: “Spirit of God, show us how You are working through each person.”
- During the serving time: Pay attention to what you observe in one another. Use the framework for spiritual gifts to notice:
- Who brings clarity or insight?
- Who notices people and extends care?
- Who takes initiative and brings helpful structure?
- After serving, debrief together:
- Where did you see God at work?
- What surprised you?
- How did serving position you to receive something from God?
- What did you notice about the Spirit’s work in someone else? “I saw the Spirit working through you when you __________.”
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3. See — A Spirit-Empowered Movement
“He wants you to begin to see a life where the power of the Holy Spirit becomes normal for you. He wants you to begin to see a world where God's kingdom breaks in on a regular basis.”
Group Reflection:
- Read and respond to 1 Corinthians 12:4:
- How does unity in diversity challenge you to see yourself as a minister of the gospel and as essential to the church’s expression of the fullness of Christ?
- Describe a moment when you have experienced joy as you stepped out to be used by God.
Vision Exercise:
- As a group, imagine:
- What would our church look like if every person believed the Spirit actively wanted to work through them?
- What would change in our community if God’s truth revealed, God’s care extended and Godly structure created were operating together?
- Provide a large sheet of paper or whiteboard and markers.
- As a group, draw a picture of what this Spirit-empowered community looks like. It doesn’t have to be artistic, you might use symbols, stick figures, arrows, words, or scenes.
- Debrief:
- What part of this picture excites you most?
- Where might God be inviting us to step into this vision?
- Close in prayer: “Holy Spirit, make what we see become reality. Use us — together — to make Jesus visible.”
Action Step:
- During the week, complete and reflect on the following: “I will step into the Spirit’s movement this week by __________.” Ask God to show you even more clearly the new world He is inviting you into.
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PRAYER
- Spend a moment in prayerful response to God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- Pray for the discovery and activation of spiritual gifts within the church body.
- Seek God's wisdom in understanding the role of the church as the Body of Christ.