And I will show you a still more excellent way.

1 Corinthians 13

13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;[b] 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.


John 13:31-35

31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Prophecy

A divinely inspired message that declares the purposes of God in one of three ways:

Exposing and correcting wickedness

Comforting the afflicted

Revealing things hidden, especially things to come

Serving

Fulfilling the commands and needs of others by

Proclaiming and promoting the gospel

Meeting needs by collecting and distributing charity

Preparing and presenting food

Teaching

It is instructing others by explaining or expounding in Spiritual things

Exhorting

Bringing people together by speaking in a way that encourages, strengthens, and comforts.

Giving

Giving generously with a sincere heart and without expecting anything in return.

Everyone should give tithes and offerings. After all, it is more blessed to give than to receive. And giving is how you access God’s abundance.

But God has given some the gift of giving where you can’t help yourself but give generously. You look for ways to increase your income so you can give more.

Leadership

To protect, guard, and care for others.

God’s way of leadership has nothing to do with control. It’s all about protecting and caring for those around you.

Mercy

This is those who are patient and compassionate towards those who are suffering or afflicted. When everyone else has given up on them, you are still there helping and encouraging them.

Word of Wisdom

Communicating complex knowledge, human and divine, in a way that others can understand and apply to their lives. You see this gift in operation when someone is able to take something complex and make it simple for everyone.

Word of Knowledge

Communicating God’s truth in a way that helps believers live righteously and follow Jesus.

If the Holy Spirit reveals something about someone else, it is only so you can tie it into the Word of God in a way that helps them live righteously.

Gift of Faith

An unshakable confidence in God and His Word that moves you to go “all in” with God.

This does not mean that some of us have faith and others don’t. We all have a measure of faith. But some people have the gift of faith that enables them to believe far beyond the rest of us.

Gifts of Healing

Imparting healing to others through various means, like laying on of hands, anointing with oil, casting out demons, and others as the Spirit allows and gives direction.

Working of Miracles

Operating in God’s power to do something humanly impossible.

Discerning of Spirits

The ability to distinguish between works of God, Satan, or the flesh. 

Some things you hear are from God. Others are form Satan. And others are from the flesh or human nature. This gift helps protect us from false teaching.

Diverse Kinds of Tongues

Delivering a message from God to others in a language you don’t understand. It is not the same as the prayer language.

Interpretation of Tongues

The ability to interpret what was said under the Diverse Kinds of Tongues gift. And these two gifts always work together. There will always be an interpretation of a tongue declared publicly.


  • Are Spiritual gifts more important than being loving?

    Can we excersise our spiritual gifts in isolation?

    Does God still do miracles?

    Does God desire us to use our spiritual gifts?

    1. Do you have any questions or thoughts from this lesson?

    2. Would stood out to you most?

    3. Why is love imporant while being paired with huge miraculous acts?

    4. What is the difference between Biblical love and love as the world defines it?

    5. Why does the Bible put such an emphasis on loving one another?

    6. What gifts to you think you see in the people in your group?


    1. How was your emotional and physical health this week?

    2. What is a serious stressor in your life?

    3. How has your personal time with God been this week?

    4. Would you like to share your personal temptations and how can we help you overcome them?

    5. Is there anything that we need to discuss that we have not already?

    6. How can we pray for each other this week?

    Pray for one another, invite each person to pray even if it is just a few sentences.