Exercise Your Spiritual Gifts

 Study Guide for Week of June 20th 

This Week Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:1-31

Crossroads Community Group Guide:
A. Welcome: Welcome everyone especially new persons and read out loud the purpose of your group
B. Purpose: Our purpose is to spread the Kingdom of God. We do this by multiplying groups of people who care for each as God's family. We begin by inviting new people to our group and building them to be followers of Jesus. Each person here has the potential to be empowered to start and be the leader of a new group and spread God's kingdom.

C. Worship Time: Spend a few minutes singing a worship song. Here is one you may want to use Great are You Lord  (or pick your own on YouTube make sure it has the lyrics on the screen)

D. Announcements

1. Weekly Resources on Crossroads Facebook Page    

        Monday: Listening Room Resources for the week

        Children's resource each week  

2. Daily Devotional Video: The Encouraging Word with Pastor Willie

3. Announcements and Events:  Crossroads Web Site

4. Watch the Sunday service here Sunday 11:45am

E. Review   

1. How did you do with what you wanted to apply from last week?
2. Who did you invite to the group for this week?

F. Opening Question (a simple question to introduce the main theme - called an icebreaker): What gifts has God given to you?

G. Read Background Information: 

Paul spends an entire chapter discussing the Spiritual gifts that God has given to those who follow Him. Note that God does not want us to be ignorant about the spiritual gifts (verse 1). Spiritual gifts are not natural abilities but rather capacities that the Holy Spirit gives to people as God determines. Each of the gifts is designed to draw people to Jesus. An example is important. A person can have the natural ability as a teacher and be an excellent teacher. Yet their teaching will not draw people towards Jesus. They could even teach the Bible but it would just be a transfer of knowledge. A person with the spiritual gift of teaching will teach and people will be drawn to Jesus. A person could be very hospitable yet their hospitality does not draw people towards Jesus. A person with the spiritual gift of hospitality will be exercising that gift and that will lead people closer to Jesus.

Note also that all the gifts work together as all the parts of the body work together.

Verse Outline:

       I.        I.       Part One: Introduction to the Spiritual Gifts – verse 1-6

         II.      Part Two: A list of the Spiritual Gifts - verses 7-11

I. IIII. Part Three: How the Spiritual Gifts are to be Used - verses 12-30

     II.     H. Word: - read 1 Corinthians 12:1-30 break it down into smaller portions to read. Read it in portions aloud together several times. (Goal is that everyone understand the Bible story or verses by retelling them in their own words - keep at it until everyone knows the story or verses)

1. What key (important) words do you see in these verses?
2. Tell in your own words what happens in these verses.
3. What are the details?
4. What details can you add to what others in the group have said?

I. Discuss the following general questions together (Goal is to use these general questions to guide a discussion - the leader should not speak more than 30% of the time - let the group discover what God is saying to them).
1. What catches your attention in these verses?

2. What new thing did you discover in the story or verses that you did not know before?
3. What did you learn about God (Father, Jesus or Holy Spirit) from the story?
4. What do you learn about people from the story?

5. What important lessons for us do you see in this story?

 
J. Commitment - Obedience - Application  (This is the key - have everyone answer this question): 
1. What in specific will you commit to apply in your life from this study? 

K. Prayer Time:                
1. Pray for an empty chair representing new people who you want to join your group. Name names of people specifically. 

2. Pray for your group to multiply.               
3. Pray for the needs of the members of the group. It is best to divide into 2 groups one of male and the other female.

L. For Next time:                
1. Ask each person the name of a person they will invite to the group                                         for next week.