Holy Spirit

Working Gifts

Where spiritual speaking gifts teach theological truths, working gifts put those truths into practice. Helps, mercy, faith, and discerning spirits are essential for a working church.

Day One: Spiritual Gifts Identification
In God's great gift of salvation, we have a number of benefits and responsibilities. Most Christians are quick to point out the personal benefits we receive with our salvation, but we are a little slower to focus on the responsibilities that come with it...
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For more, see: "Is there any value to a spiritual gifts test/inventory/assessment?"

Day Two: Talents and Gifts
There are similarities and differences between talents and spiritual gifts. Both are gifts from God. Both grow in effectiveness with use. Both are intended to be used on behalf of others, not for selfish purposes...
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For more, see: "Works Gift-Wrapped in Love"

Day Three: Helps
The spiritual gift of helps is found in one of the spiritual gifts lists in the Bible. The Greek word translated "helps" in 1 Corinthians 12:28 is found only there in the New Testament; therefore, the exact meaning of the gift of helps is somewhat obscure...
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For more, see: "Appointed to His Service"

Day Four: Mercy
In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, one of the Beatitudes is "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy." Mercy is what we express when we are led by God to be compassionate in our attitudes, words, and actions...
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For more, see: "Mercy"

Day Five: Faith
The spiritual gift of faith is found in the list of the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12. Verse 9 says that some people are given the gift of faith, but the gift is not specifically explained. All believers have been given saving faith by God as the only means of salvation, but not all believers are given the spiritual gift of faith...
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Day Six: Discernment
The gift of discerning spirits, or "distinguishing" spirits, is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit described in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11. Like all these gifts, the gift of discerning spirits is given by the Holy Spirit, who disperses these gifts to believers for service in the body of Christ...
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Image Credit: azalee36; Untitled; Creative Commons