NASHVILLE (BP) — This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.
This week’s Bible study is adapted from the YOU curriculum.
Bible Passage: 1 Corinthians 12:12-22
Discussion Questions: Consider your spiritual gifts as an offering back to the Lord. Do you have more gifts He has given you that you could offer back to Him as an act of worship? If so, what are those gifts? On a scale of 1 to 10, how well are you using your gift to serve God in your church and community?
Food for Thought:
Diversity and unity are both important in the church. Paul illustrated the diversity and nature of the Christian community by comparing it to the human body. Individual members of the church are like the variety of parts that compose the physical body. Reflect on Paul’s point in verse 19: Without each part serving its purpose, “where would the body be?” Apply this same question to your church. Without every member’s spiritual gifts being put to use fully in the church body, where would your church be? Additionally, consider this: Where could your church be?
Spiritual gifts are not natural talents. Spiritual gifts are special abilities for ministry people received at conversion, not at physical birth, in order to serve God’s purposes. Those whom God has placed in His body as members also have been given a spiritual gift to serve the church and the world. To be discontent with one’s place in Christ’s body is to question God and imply that He does not know best!
Spiritually gifted people make their unique contributions to the whole body. Like a body, the church is not whole unless all parts work together. Sure, there will be times when a member of the body is hurting and others have to pick up the slack. When a person breaks a foot, the other leg has to bear the extra weight for a while. However, if a member of your church body is regularly disengaged from the mission, worship and service aspects of your church, the rest of the body suffers.
At times, some believers can feel like their gifts are unimportant. As members of one body, we must guard against the temptation to overvalue some gifts and undervalue others. If you asked the apostle Paul which body part was most important he would likely answer, “Well, none of them!” Based on what he writes in 1 Corinthians 12:15-20, he might make a spiritual application and talk about members of the church, the body of Christ. If so, Paul’s argument is that all believers and their gifts are important. They complement one another and form wholeness. That is the way the church should function as well.
Every Christian should view his or her spiritual gift as a blessing from God. Our gifts are an invitation to join Him in His work. God expects us to fully use the gifts that He gives us for His glory. In fact, using our spiritual gifts is a part of the maturation process as a believer in Christ. If you are a new Christian, don’t let yourself feel overwhelmed by the idea of identifying and using your gifts. As you begin to build the routines of Bible study, prayer, worship and service into your new walk, you will get a clearer and clearer picture of what it means to put your gift to use. We must never lose sight of the fact that it is a privilege to serve the One who saved us.
YOU
In a shifting cultural context, it’s more important than ever before that people connect, grow, serve, and go in their Christian life. YOU is committed to doing just that by providing a complete Bible study experience for small groups and classes. Every session is written through an urban and multicultural lens that provides relevant, engaging, and applicable studies that not only encourage and equip people, but also motivate them to mission. This flexible, non-dated all-in-one quarterly resource offers weekly Bible study for leaders and learners, devotionals, and teaching plans, as well as articles on hot topics and missions. For additional online teaching resources, visit LifeWay.com/YOU.
Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at LifeWay.com/SundaySchool.
