Prepare your heart for the Sermon by looking through these suggestions that will assist you in making the most of our time together hearing God's Word.

You will find suggestions for thinking more critically through the passage, meditating more intently on the text, and prayerfully seeking wisdom to deepen your understanding of the passage to be preached this Sunday.

Carefully Think

• Read 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, focusing on 8-11 for this week. What key words do you notice in this passage? From vs. 7 (for context) what is ultimately given through the gifts and why?
• Who is the giver of the gifts in this passage?  What is stated about the giver of these gifts? List the specific gifts mentioned in this passage. Which are connected with speaking, which with physical activity, and which with internal spirituality?
• Which gifts listed are not directly stated as being given by the spirit?  Why do you think this is? Does this place emphasis on some and less on others?
• Who determines which gifts are given and to what measure they are given?
• The Sermon Study equipping class notes are available online for anyone wanting to dig deeper. Please review this week's notes to help study this passage. Click here for the notes.

Prayerfully Meditate

• Which of these gifts do you believe you have received? Which of the activities mentioned have you attempted to take part in only to find out you may not have been gifted for it?
• What gifts do you believe are active today based on your involvement at Summit Woods and possibly other churches in the past? As you had previously listed each of these gifts, what is your understanding of each of them?
• Have you ever personally seen any of these gifts manufactured or abused? What is done to the church and its witness in the world when that happens?
• What do you think the church would look like and how would it function if each believer had the Spirit, but none of these specific gifts were given?