The Spirit Gives Us Gifts
Month 11: Living It Out · Walking in the Spirit
Today's Scripture
Read together: 1 Corinthians 12:4-7
4 There are different gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different ministries, but the same Lord. 6 There are different ways of working, but the same God works all things in all people. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
Memory Verse
“Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, as for the Lord and not for men, because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”— Colossians 3:23-24 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Jeremiah 17-19
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 312 of 365 — "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD… he shall be like a tree planted by the waters.")The Heart of It
We've been learning that the Holy Spirit helps us work for the Lord. Today we find out something else. He also gives us tools to serve with. Paul says, "There are different gifts, but the same Spirit" (v. 4). That means lots of different kinds of gifts. The Spirit hands out all sorts of them. Some people are gifted to teach. Others are gifted to help. Others encourage. Others pray with power. Others show mercy. And there are many more. These gifts are still given today. God has not stopped equipping His people. Now notice the most important part of verse 7. Each gift is given "for the common good." The Spirit never gives you a gift just so you can feel special. He gives it so you can serve other people.
That means God has a special way for you to help build His family. You don't have to copy someone else's gift. You don't have to wish you were like another kid. The same Spirit who made Joseph a faithful worker knows exactly what to grow in you. But here is a key to remember. Gifts are never the point. Love is the point. The Bible says character matters more than gifting. A person can have an amazing gift and still be unkind, and that helps no one. So we ask the Spirit for His gifts. We also ask Him for His fruit. That's love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness (). Then whatever we're given gets used to bless others, just like Jesus would.
Around the Table
The Holy Spirit gives every helper in God's family a special way to help. And yours is just for you! Helpers are happiest when they help other people.
Let's do it: Each person names one way they like to help. It could be singing, hugging, sharing, or cleaning. Cheer for each one. Say, "That's a gift from God!"
Spiritual gifts are different jobs the Spirit gives "for the common good." That means they're meant to help others, not to show off.
Let's talk: What is one way you think God has gifted you to help your family or church?
The Spirit hands out a variety of gifts, and they're active today. But they're given for service, not status. Character outranks gifting every time.
Let's go deeper: Why do you think God deliberately gives different gifts to different people instead of the same gift to everyone?
💬 Conversation Starter
If our whole family were a sports team, what "position" would each person play best?— God gave each of us a different gift so the whole "team" works together!
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Some people claim the gifts of the Spirit "stopped" long ago. But the Bible never says they did. And believers around the world still see the Spirit work today. We hold this with humility, not hype. Gifts are real, but they always serve love and point to Jesus, never to ourselves. We can explain that gently and confidently when someone asks ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
Classic Pentecostal teaching joyfully affirms that the gifts of the Spirit are for the church today. They aren't locked away in the first century. But the guardrail in is crucial. Gifts are given "for the common good," not for personal display, prosperity, or platform-building. This is where so much modern teaching goes off the rails into hype and self-promotion. As Sam Storms reminds us, character is always more important than gifting. Paul makes the same point. He places the love chapter, , right in the middle of his teaching on gifts. Your job as a dad is twofold. Help your children expect the Spirit to gift them genuinely. And anchor them so deeply in humility and love that no gift could ever inflate them. Pray over each child by name. Ask the Spirit to reveal and grow the gifts He's placed in them for the good of others.
Draws on: Sam Storms, Understanding Spiritual Gifts; Robert Menzies, Pentecost.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You for the Holy Spirit, who gives each of us a special way to serve. Grow Your gifts in us. Grow Your love in us even more. Help us use everything to help others and point them to Jesus. Keep us humble and kind. In Jesus' name, amen."
The Spirit gave me a gift on purpose. It's to serve others, not to show off.