Romans 12:7: He who teaches, in teaching;

Spiritual gifts are tools to build with, not toys to play with or weapons to fight with. In the church at Corinth, the believers were tearing down the ministry because they were abusing spiritual gifts. They were using their gifts as ends in themselves and not as a means toward the end of building up the church. They so emphasized their spiritual gifts that they lost their spiritual graces! They had the gifts of the Spirit but were lacking in the fruit of the spirit—love, joy, peace, etc. (Gal. 5:22–23) 1

Application

  • Look at all seven gifts listed in verses 6–8. Which one is your strongest gift? How do you use that gift to build up others?
  • How is the grace of God a part of your ministry to others? What fruit do you expect to come from your ministry in the next few months?

Prayer

Lord, may Your grace be more dominate than my gift.

1. Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

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Tommy Blumberg

Tommy Blumberg

Tommy Blumberg was ordained as a Calvary Chapel pastor in 1985, where he served as an assistant pastor at Calvary Fellowship, in Seattle. In 1992, Pastor Tom, his wife Pam, and their three daughters moved to Bellingham and began a Bible study, which led to the founding of Calvary Chapel Northwest. Tom blogs regularly at TommyBlumberg.com.