What does the Bible say about gifts of the Spirit? 

Use these prefiltered searches to craft sermons and prayers, offer pastoral care, or plan worship services around the theme of the gifts of the Spirit. 

• Acts 2:1–4, the coming of the Spirit
• Romans 12:6–8, differing gifts 
• 1 Corinthians 12:4–11, varieties of gifts 
• 1 Corinthians 12:28–31, God has appointed gifts 
• Ephesians 4:11–13, gifts to equip the saints 

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, which are 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 to 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, 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.