What does the Bible say about gifts of the Spirit? 

The Bible passages below can be used in sermons, prayers, pastoral care, or worship planning focused on gifts of the Spirit. 

• Acts 2:1-4, the coming of the Spirit (all were filled with the Holy Spirit)
• Romans 12:6-8, differing gifts (prophesy, ministry, teaching, encouragement, etc.)
• 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, varieties of gifts (to each is given gifts of the Spirit for the common good)
• 1 Corinthians 12:28-31, God has appointed gifts (gifts of healing, leadership, tongues, interpretation) 
• Ephesians 4:11-13, gifts to equip the saints (gifts for the building up of the body of Christ) 

Sermon ideas about gifts of the Spirit 

How do gifts of the Spirit differ from fruit of the Spirit? Unlike the fruit of the Spirit common to every believer, gifts differ from person to person. Paul's well-known analogy of the body in 1 Corinthians 12 captures this dynamic perfectly: For a body to function, it needs eyes and ears, hands and feet, lungs and kidneys. God apportions different gifts for different people so that together any given congregation can function. If every single person had the same gift, it would be like one giant eye instead of a multifaceted functioning body. No one, therefore, should be envious of another's gift or despising of their own gifts. All are needed. Among the gifts noted in the New Testament are preaching, teaching, prophesying, hospitality, healing, speaking in tongues and interpreting tongues, wisdom, discernment, and evangelism.  

By extension, today we would say that any ability that enables the church to fulfill its mission is a gift of the Spirit. These gifts can include administration, musical gifts, organization, reaching out to the lonely, or the ability to pray for long hours at a time for the church and the world. A sermon on gifts of the Spirit can show that all of these may be seen as the Spirit's incessant effort to build up the body of Christ to full health and maturity in Christ. 

Excerpts about gifts of the Spirit 

Following are sample excerpts from Zeteosearch.org sermon resources about gifts of the Spirit: 

• "In 1 Corinthians 12–14, Paul explains that there are many spiritual gifts, including tongues, but he does not want the Corinthians to be elitist and status-conscious about such gifts." Scripture Meditation or Sermon by Paul Stroble from Ministry Matters  

• "In this context, we might listen more deeply with the inner ear of faith, to what, or rather, to whom we have in the gift of the Holy Spirit." Scripture Meditation or Sermon by Richard Hooker from The Living Church  

• "But the gifts of the Holy Spirit are different from both these kinds of virtues, the acquired ones and the ones God infuses. You can see the difference clearly if you look at pietas." Scripture Meditation or Sermon by Eleonore Stump of Sunday Worship