Spiritual Gifts: Finding Your Position on Team JesusSample

Speaking Gifts

Yesterday we examined serving gifts. In this chapter, we will learn about speaking gifts, which are often more obvious and visible than serving gifts. They include: 

• Apostles: There is much confusion regarding the spiritual gift of apostleship because there is sometimes a failure to distinguish between the office of Apostle (big A) and the gift of apostle (little a). The office of Apostle refers to the 12 chosen by Jesus (Matthew 10:1; 19:28; 20:17; Mark 3:13–19; 6:7; 9:35; 10:32; Luke 6:12–16; 8:1; 9:1; 22:19–30; John 6:70–71; Revelation 21:14). Today, church planters and missionaries are operating out of their gift of (little a) apostleship as well as those Christian leaders God raises up to lead and influence multiple churches and pastors. The heart of apostolic leadership is spiritual parenting so that new generations of Christian ministry leaders are raised up in a way that is similar to Paul with Timothy, Titus, and Onesimus, who he called “sons”. 

Do you have this gift?

Do you have a deep compassion and concern for ministry leaders and their families? 

Can you effectively minister cross-culturally? Are you called and qualified to plant a church or start a new ministry? 

Has God given you leadership and influence over multiple churches as a movement leader? 

• Teaching: The gift of teaching is the God-given ability to understand and communicate biblical truth in a clear and relevant manner so that there is understanding and application. Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 18:26), Paul (Acts 19:8–10; 20:20; Colossians 1:28; 1 Timothy 2:7), pastors and ministry leaders (1 Timothy 3:2; 5:17), Timothy (1 Timothy 4:11,13; 6:2), and godly women (Titus 2:2–4) all demonstrated the gift of teaching.

Do you have this gift?:

Do people seek you out for answers to their questions and help with biblical and theological issues? 

Does your study of subjects tend to go “deeper” than most people because you are unusually curious? 

• Evangelism: The gift of evangelism is the ability and desire to boldly and clearly communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ so that non-Christians can become Christians. Evangelists often care passionately about lost people and have a strong desire to see them meet Jesus. The entire point of Jesus coming from Heaven to earth was to be an evangelist and to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). The Apostle Paul gave his life to evangelism and public ministry – he walked an average of 20 miles a day for nearly a decade, was single and without a wife, was poor, worked side jobs, was sent to prison and left for dead multiple times, and preached a message that led to both revivals and riots. 

Do you have this gift?:

Are you able to effectively communicate to non-Christians in a way they can understand? 

Do you feel frustrated when you haven’t shared your faith for a while? 

Do you enjoy teaching other Christians how to share their faith? 

• Shepherding/Care: In one sense, pastoring is the office reserved for those who meet the Biblical criteria (1 Timothy 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9). In another sense, there is a pastoral gift also commonly known as shepherding or Christian counseling that God gives to people in the church beyond those who hold an official leadership position in the church. These people protect, guide, counsel, and disciple other people. 

Do you have this gift?:

Do you enjoy meeting with people to listen to their life story, provide them biblical counsel, and help them mature in their faith? 

Do people pursue you for wise counsel and instruction?  

• Encouragement: The gift of encouragement (also called the gift of exhortation) involves motivating, encouraging, and consoling others so they mature in their walk with Jesus. To encourage someone is to literally pour courage into them to strengthen and sustain them. Barnabas, whose name means “Son of Encouragement” (Acts 4:36), encouraged Paul (Acts 9:27) and John Mark (Acts 15:39). Paul had this gift (Acts 14:21–22; 16:40; 20:1) as did Judas and Silas (Acts 15:31–32).

Do you have this gift?:

Do you find yourself attracted to help people who are fearful, struggling, or discouraged? 

Would you rather speak personally with someone about their problems rather than send them to someone else for help? 

• Leadership: The spiritual gift of leadership is found in people who have a clear, significant vision from God and are able to communicate it publicly or privately in such a way that they influence others to pursue that vision. Examples abound, including Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Daniel, Josiah, Paul, Peter, and James. In some ways, the Bible is largely about the work of the Holy Spirit for, in, and through human leaders. 

Do you have this gift?:

Do others have confidence in your ability to lead? 

Are you able to bring other leaders with giftings different than yours together to accomplish tasks?

• Wisdom: The gift of wisdom is the ability to have insight into people and situations that is not obvious to the average person, combined with an understanding of what to do and how to do it. It is the ability to not only see, but also apply the principles of God’s Word to the practical matters of life by the “Spirit of wisdom” (Ephesians 1:17). Throughout the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 4:6) and New Testament (1 Corinthians 6:5), leaders were chosen because they were “wise”. Joshua (Deuteronomy 34:9; 1 Kings 5:7; 2 Chronicles 2:12), Solomon (1 Kings 3:5–28), and Daniel (Daniel 1:17–20; 2:19–23) all have this gift. There is an entire genre of literature in the Bible called “wisdom literature” that includes Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job, and James. 

Do you have this gift?: 

Do you seem to understand things about God’s Word which other believers with the same background and experience don’t seem to know? 

Do you find that, when you counsel people, God the Spirit gives you wisdom to share with them from Scripture, which they accept as God’s truth to them through you? 

• Knowledge: The word of knowledge is the ability to research, remember, and make effective use of a variety of information on a number of diverse subjects. These people love to study and learn and are not content with a surface-level knowledge of topics. They are compelled to conduct thorough research and compile their findings so that others can benefit from their long hours of focused study. People with this spiritual gift love God with “all [their] mind” (Mark 12:29–30). Knowledge is mentioned in Proverbs more than any book of the Bible because it is foundational to wise living.

Do you have this gift?: 

Have others frequently pointed out your ability to know and understand God’s Word? 

Do people often come to you with difficult problems and questions from the Bible, seeking your insight because they know you will have the answer or will find it?