How to Discover Your Spiritual Gifts

A Training In Ministry Course

How to Discover
Your Spiritual Gifts

Clyde B. McDowell

A 12 lesson study of spiritual gifts
in the New Testament,
will help learners evaluate their personal gifts
and encourage the use of their gifts in ministry.

To purchase copies of this book,
or its Leader’s Guide, log on to:

TrainingInMinistry.com

or order dirctly from

TheBookPatch.com

Locate the title, then click on:

About the Author. Dr. Clyde McDowell served as President of Denver Seminary. Prior to that he was Senior Pastor at Mission Hills Church in Littleton, Colorado. His previous pastorates were at the First Baptist Church in West Harwick, Massachusetts and at Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Clyde grew up in Paraguay, South America, a child of medical missionary parents. He has a B.A. from Wheaton College, an M.Div from Gordon Conwell Seminary, and a D.Min in Church Growth from Fuller Seminary.

In 1999 Dr. McDowell passed into his heavenly reward. He was much loved, but we could not keep him. He had received a higher calling.

Table
of Contents

For Study Leaders ...... 4

The Curriculum of TIM Courses ...... 5

1You Are the Body of Christ ...... 7

2Discover Your Gifts! ...... 13

3Speaking Gifts: Apostle, Prophet ...... 20

4Speaking Gifts: Evangelism, Shepherding ...... 26

5Speaking Gifts: Teaching, Exhortation ...... 31

6Speaking Gifts: Knowledge, Wisdom ...... 37

7Serving Gifts: Helps, Hospitality, Giving ...... 43

8Serving Gifts: Government, Leadership ...... 50

9Serving Gifts: Mercy, Faith, Discernment ...... 56

10Sign Gifts: Miracles, Healing ...... 63

11Sign Gifts: Tongues, Interpretation ...... 72

12How Can I Know? ...... 80

How to use Your Spiritual Gifts ...... 86

For Study Leaders

Welcome to this opportunity to “make disciples”. Start by obtaining a copy of “Design Your Equipping Ministry” from the website: TrainingInMinistry.com. Chapter titles are:

What in the World is the Church Doing?
The Biblical Mandate to Equip
Lay Ministry in the Mirror of History
How to Implement Change
How Adults Learn Effectively
How to Lead Effective Discussions
How to Develop Your Equipping Ministry

Next, download the Leader’s Guide for this course, also from TrainingInMinistry.com (Note: several TIM courses do not yet have a Leader’s Guide. In this event, download one from another course to get general ideas for leading the group sessions).

As a Group Study Leader, you should carefully complete your own study of each lesson. The carefulness with which you prepare will be a role-model for your learners in your group.

Every TIM course incorporates a head, heart, and hands approach to learning. Head represents content to be learned, heart the application of this truth to one’s own life, and hands, involvement in ministry through using the course content.

Your Time Commitment

As the Group Study Leader, you should spend adequate time: 1) Preparing the workbook lesson—just as thoroughly as you expect your learners to prepare. 2) Reading the Leader’s Guide and marking those questions and other items you want to emphasize during the group session.

The Weekly Group Meeting

This 90 minute weekly meeting features a discussion of the lesson, and focuses on integrative and application type questions found in the Leader’s Guide. It should consist of an hour of interaction with the lesson, as well as time for prayer and group fellowship.

Ministry Involvement

This ministry opportunity should be appropriate to the gifts and ministry experiences of each learner; result in their growth; and “build up” the Body of Christ.

Curriculum of TIM Courses

Training In Ministry courses will enable you to “equip the saints for the work of ministry and so build up the body of Christ.”

Grounding Courses

Christianity 101 is designed to disciple new Christians, either in small groups, or one-to-one. Application: Learners will lead another person through this course.

A Panorama of the Bible features easy-to-remember visuals for each of the 12 Bible periods. Learners will thrill to find that they can remember the major themes of Bible content and message. Application: With the aid of the Leader’s Guide, learners will lead another person, or a small group through this course.

Truth That Transforms will provide learners with a solid foundation in the major doctrines of Scripture, with an emphasis on practical applications. Application: Learners will, with the aid of the Leader’s Guide, lead another individual, or group of people through this course.

A Panorama of Christian History provides a “big picture” view of the Church from the 1st through the 20th century. It also emphasizes practical lessons we can apply to our own ministry. Application: Learners will teach this course to another person or group.

Growing Courses

Welcome to Your Ministry teaches the important truth that God has called and gifted all believers for ministry and challenges them to get involved in some basic ministries in the church. Application: Learners will commit to getting additional training for ministry, and getting involved in it.

How To Discover Your Spiritual Gifts will provide believers with a better understanding of which spiritual gifts they may have, and how to use their gifts in service for Christ. Application: A short-term assignment will be given, wherein learners use one of their gifts in an approved ministry.

Learning to Serve: Jesus As Role Model teaches the servant life-style of Jesus in many ministry related contexts, and helps learners put this into practice in their ministry. Application: Learners will be given a ministry role wherein they demonstrate the servant-leader style of Jesus.

Going Courses

Your Ministry of Prayer studies prayer in Scripture, and will help learners become involved in a significant ministry of prayer. Application: Participants will commit to a ministry of prayer as suggested in the course content.

Outreach as a Life-style will train lay people to develop friendships with people, leading to sharing Christ with them. Application: Learners will practice this personal evangelism approach in their lives of sharing their faith.

Your Ministry at Home provides practical principles in how to establish and maintain a truly Christian home. Application: Applying the principles week by week within the learner’s family, including being consistent in reading the weekly schedule of verses and journaling based on these verses.

Touching Tomorrow By Teaching Children is a superb tool to train more workers to serve in the exciting ministry of teaching children. Application: Teaming up with an experienced teacher as an assistant for one quarter or more.

Christianity in the Workplace relates faith to practical and ethical issues on the job. Its focus is how to be like Christ in the work world. Application: Learners will apply these biblical principles to their areas of work.

Contending For The Faith is a course on Christian apologetics, which will equip learners to defend and share their faith, especially among intellectual unbelievers. Application: Learners will engage in an effective ministry of defending and sharing their faith.

A Survey of the New Testament is a 12-lesson survey of the New Testament. It includes outlines of each book, background information, and questions for individual study. Application: Learners will be able to lead Bible studies in any New Testament book.

How to Study the Bible will give students an in-depth exposure to the inductive method of Bible study and help them develop their own outlines for leading Bible studies. Application: Based on their study, learners will lead 10 Bible studies in the book of Ephesians.

Your Ministry of Leadership will encourage, equip, and train Christian men and women for increased effectiveness in leadership. Application: Learners will demonstrate the skills taught in this course in an assigned ministry position.

Chapter 1

You Are the
Body of Christ

Searching for lost treasure is a challenging occupation. However, those who persevere with single minded persistence can find themselves fabulously wealthy.

The Church of Jesus Christ is wealthy beyond her greatest dreams. The believer in Christ has been lavished with the riches of God’s grace (Ephesians 1:7-8). Paul continues in prayer that their eyes will be opened to the riches of the glorious inheritance found in Christ’s salvation (Ephesians 1:18-19).

Ray Stedman writes in the foreword of Kenneth Gangel’s book Unwrap Your Spiritual Gifts:

The whole subject of spiritual gifts is the lost treasure of the 19th and 20th century Christianity. The Church has been impoverished beyond belief by the prevailing ignorance of the existence of these spiritual riches. But now the long buried truth is coming to light again. Widespread excitement has possessed the churches, and the tide of interest in the subject is running at full flow.

We’re going to go look for that lost treasure. It is the plan of this course to introduce you to careful and profitable “mining” techniques. To find the pure gold of God’s riches in the area of spiritual gifts, we will begin digging in the mother lode of the Scriptures—God’s Word.

The Continuing Ministry of Jesus Christ

Spiritual life is the direct continuing ministry of Jesus Christ in the believer. The Holy Spirit is the source of this “Christ-life”. Spiritual gifts are directly related to spiritual life.

Let’s begin by asking ourselves, “What was the ministry of Jesus Christ,” and “How does that relate to the Christian’s present ministry?” Respond to these two questions, based on the following passages in the book of Mark.

Mark 1:8 ______

______

Mark 1:14-15______

______

Mark 1:17______

______

Mark 1:32 34 ______

______

Mark 1:35______

______

Mark 10:45______

______

How does the ministry of Jesus compare with what believers are to do today? (Matthew 28:19-20)

______

The above passages indicate what the ministry of Christ was when He was on earth. It is also the ministry of the Body of Christ today. In other words, the ministry of Jesus Christ is a continuing ministry. It never stopped! It never will stop until the consummation of the age.

Now, here’s the critical question: If God’s ministry to the world is through Jesus Christ, and if God’s ministry is to continue, who in the world is going to do it?

The Body of Christ—the Church

There is only one means for the work of God to be accomplished today. It is through the Church, the Body of Christ. Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18)

What is the Biblical description of the Church? The Church is not a physical building, but a group of believers; not a denomination, sect, or association, but a spiritual Body. The Church is not an organization, but a “koinonia”—the Greek word for communion, or fellowship that includes all believers.

A key passage of Scripture where this truth is taught is
1 Corinthians 12:12-13, 27. Carefully read these verses. Jesus Christ is now in this world in what form?

______

How do people become part of this living, spiritual body, v. 13?

______

It is important that you understand that the work and ministry of Jesus Christ today is to take place through the lives of Christians, who together make up the Body of Christ. According to the Bible, Jesus is now physically at the right hand of God the Father in heaven. The only way Jesus is presently manifested in the world is through

______

Now, examine yourself! Are you in the faith? Read
2 Corinthians 13:5. Is Jesus Christ really in you? Check one:
Yes ______No ______

The rest of this course will be in vain if you are not spiritually alive and part of the dynamic work of the Holy Spirit in the world—who is doing the ministry of Jesus through you!

If you are not sure, or believe you have not yet experienced a spiritual rebirth and new life in Jesus Christ, speak to your class instructor or another person whom you trust spiritually. (It will also be helpful for you to read John 3:1 18).

A second examination for the Christian is to understand the importance of the filling of the Holy Spirit. Since the life in Christ is totally dependent upon the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life, grieving and quenching the Spirit can be devastating to the believer’s spiritual vitality.

To understand the problem of grieving and quenching the Spirit, one must first understand what the Bible means by being “filled” with the Spirit. In Ephesians 5:18 Paul specifically says, “be filled with the Spirit”. The phrase “be filled” in Greek means that we should be continually filled with the Spirit. It is not optional. It is necessary.

What are some evidences of being filled with the Spirit that you find in Ephesians 5:15 21?

______

Paul also tells us in Ephesians 4:30 not to “grieve” the Spirit. To grieve the Spirit is to cause sorrow or pain to the person and character of God the Spirit. By attitudes, actions, or disobedience, Christians can hinder the effectiveness of the Spirit’s ministry in the believer’s life. In what specific ways can Christians grieve the Spirit according to Ephesians 4:29 32?

______

Paul also says (1 Thessalonians 5:19) that Christians should not

______

This means to stifle, suppress, or to check the ministry of the Spirit through one’s life.

According to Romans 8:14, the normal lifestyle for the child of God is to be

______

What does Galatians 5:25 tell us about this lifestyle?

______

Grieving and quenching the Spirit of God is sin, since it restricts the ministry of the Spirit through the believer. It must be repented of and confessed. At this point, examine your lifestyle in relation to the Holy Spirit. What needs to happen in order to be continually filled with the Spirit?

______

Confident that you are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God and assured that you are not grieving or quenching the Spirit, your study and preparation for ministry can continue.

God’s Ministers

You are now getting a glimpse of the awesome privilege and responsibility of being a Christian! The Church is made up of a body of ministers. Every Christian, every person who has the Holy spirit dwelling in them, is part of the work and ministry of Jesus Christ in the world.

A foundational passage giving this ministry perspective is
2 Corinthians 5:17 21. Read it carefully—at least twice.

According to verses 18-19, God has given each of us:

______

From a dictionary, define the word “reconciliation”.

______

According to verse 20, we are actually Christ’s

______

Our country appoints ambassadors to other countries to represent the people and government of our nation. How would you say our assignment by God relates to the task of our government’s ambassadors? What are we supposed to do?

______

The Challenge

When you were a child were you ever asked to do something that was simply impossible for you at your age? For example, did a parent ever throw you into the water, demanding that you swim before you were able to? Or were you required to drive the car at six, when you couldn’t even reach the pedals? Were you asked to skip grade school and immediately enter high school? Obviously, the answer to all of these questions is “No!”

Think for a moment about the awesome task God, your heavenly Father, has given to you and to every Christian. You now represent Christ to the world! You are Christ’s ambassador! God Himself has given you the ministry of reconciliation! You are responsible to continue the work of Jesus Christ on earth!

Would God, your Father in heaven, ask you to do something that is totally impossible for you? Would He mock you and frustrate you purposely with a “mission impossible”?

From Philippians 4:13 the clear answer to these questions is:

______

Your spiritual gift (or gifts) is God’s enablement for ministry and ambassadorship. The challenge is to be God’s minister in the world! The enablement for this ministry is in finding and using your spiritual gifts in the power of God’s Spirit!

Let’s Get Personal

Do you believe you are already doing the ministry of Christ in some way? ______

Do you really want to be used by God and do his ministry?

______

Is your church doing the ministry of Jesus? ______

If not, what do you think God is saying to you about helping your church to more effectively be the Body of Christ to your community and the world?

______

At this early stage of the course, what changes do you think should take place in your life in order to do the ministry of Christ and be a real ambassador?

______

Chapter 2

Discover
Your Gifts

A pastor was reviewing the membership rolls with one of the church boards. As they went down the list, the pastor wrote the initials FBPO by several names. After a while one of the board members, too curious to hold back any longer, asked, “Pastor, what do those letters mean?” The pastor replied, “They mean, ‘for burial purposes only.’ You see, these are the inactive members!”