What is SOAP?

SOAP is an acronym for: Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. As you prepare for participating in City Group this week, we invite you to write down your thoughts in a journal. Journaling is a great way to record and process your thoughts & what God is sharing with you.

Week of January 18th
The Gifts of The Holy Spirit

OVERVIEW

The spirit of life... the essence of truth... the voice of God. He has always been here, and will always remain. And when you are alone, lost, and afraid, Holy Spirit is our leader, our comforter, our strength, our counsellor, our guide, our teacher, and so much more.

This week Pastor Chris' continued the series "I Know a Ghost" and taught on the Gifts of The Holy Ghost. A spiritual gift is a supernatural ability given to all Christians to do God's work on earth. Each follower of Jesus has been given a unique spiritual gift by the Holy Spirit that are to be used to help one another and to help move God's great church forward.

KEY POINTS

  • Spiritual Gifts are NOT:
    • Natural talents
    • Given to the elite few
    • Sign of spiritual maturity
    • Fruits of the Spirit
    • Something to fear
  • How do you discover your gifts?
    • Study what the Bible says about the gifts
    • Ask God to show you your gifts
    • Examine what you enjoy and do well
    • Take a spiritual gifts assessment
    • Do what the Holy Spirit leads you to do

SCRIPTURE

As we read aloud through these verses, let's pause, reflect, and listen for what Holy Spirit might be saying to you through the Word of God.

Key scriptures from Sunday.

  • Romans 12:6-8 NLT In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
  • 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 NLT A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
  • 1 Peter 4:10-11 NLT God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ.  

Additional Scriptures

  • Romans 6:23

OBSERVATION

Talking through the message during the week helps you turn what God is saying to you into action steps. These talking points, questions, and scriptures are designed to help you take the next step.

Q1. What was your reaction to hearing that God has spiritual gifts just for you? How does knowing that the Holy Spirit has given a spiritual gift just for you affect the way you view yourself and your relationship with God?

Q2. What are your spiritual gifts? If you are not sure, what do you think your spiritual gifts might be?

Q3. How did you discover your spiritual gifts? If you do not know what your gifts are, discuss some ways you can begin to uncover them. Share the things you’ve noticed in the past about each other that might help each of you uncover the gifts that God placed in you.

Q4. Describe a time when you benefitted from someone using their spiritual gifts. How has God used your spiritual gifts to make an impact?

Personal Reflection Question:

  • Discover what your spiritual gifts are by taking an online spiritual gifts test like the one at https://www.belovedchurch.ca/grow. You might also consider seeking advice from other Christians that are an active part of your life and gain their input on how they developed their spiritual gifts.

APPLICATION

  • This teaching series offers a detailed understanding of the Holy Spirit and teaches us how to embrace and follow the Holy Spirit’s direction. Earlier, you identified someone that the Holy Spirit has been prompting you to boldly share Christ with. So this week, do it. Pray and ask for the Holy Spirit to strengthen you, calm you, and give you the right words to say as you share Christ with this person. 
  • Use these prayer tips this week to guide your time alone with God each day. Praying with a friend or a small group might help you stick to it.
    • Pray and ask God to reveal your spiritual gifts to you through the Holy Spirit.
    • Ask God to reveal to you the best way to use your spiritual gifts to help others and to bring glory to God.
    • Ask the Holy Spirit to show your family and friends what their spiritual gifts are. Even the youngest Christians have spiritual gifts!
    • Thank God for sending the Holy Spirit and giving each of us unique spiritual gifts. Spend time praising Him in prayer.
    • Ask God to show you some specific ways you can use your spiritual gifts in our church or where God has specifically planted you to work, live, play, and study.
    • Consider how you could love others by serving on a team this Sunday at BeLoved.

PRAYER

Jesus, thank You for your Spirit, freely given, that we may freely receive, empowering us to live, give, serve like you. Help us to grow in our awareness of your presence and power at work in our lives. Help us to slow our minds and lives so that we may hear your small still voice. Help us to have your Holy confidence to share the good news of Jesus. Holy Spirit come, work in us and through us, that you God may be gloroified in the earth today. In Jesus name, Amen.

WATCH THE MESSAGE LISTEN TO THE MESSAGE
Next Steps

Our heart for you in taking a "Next Step" is to help you grow in becoming more and more like Jesus.

  • Invite. Everyone is only one invitation away from coming to church with you. We are here to reach 1% of our city. Take a step, be bold, bring someone to church with you Sunday.
  • Invest. Investing financially at BeLoved helps us to stay on mission. You can find the best way to give at belovedchurch.ca/give Take a step, start your faithful practice of tithes and offering.
  • Discover. Embark on the journey at belovedchurch.ca/grow Take a step and invest into your discipleship journey at BeLoved.
  • Serve. Jesus came to serve rather than to be served. Love on others like Jesus by jumping on a team and serving on the weekend at BeLoved. Help move God's great Church forward.
  • Get baptized. Congratulations! Take a step to "Go ALL IN for Jesus." Register online at belovedchurch.ca/baptism