Varieties of Gifts

1 Corinthians 12:4-11, NIRV

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

⁴There are different kinds of gifts. But they are all given to believers by the same Spirit. ⁵There are different ways to serve. But they all come from the same Lord. ⁶There are different ways the Spirit works. But the same God is working in all these ways and in all people.

⁷The Holy Spirit is given to each of us in a special way. That is for the good of all. ⁸To some people the Spirit gives a message of wisdom. To others the same Spirit gives a message of knowledge. ⁹To others the same Spirit gives faith. To others that one Spirit gives gifts of healing. ¹⁰To others he gives the power to do miracles. To others he gives the ability to prophesy. To others he gives the ability to tell the spirits apart. To others he gives the ability to speak in different kinds of languages they had not known before. And to still others he gives the ability to explain what was said in those languages. ¹¹All the gifts are produced by one and the same Spirit. He gives gifts to each person, just as he decides.

Candy Heart Words: “U R Kind”

Message

Each one of us has been blessed to have special gifts we can share with others. Think of your own talents and the talents of those around you. There are so many ways to serve others. Can you tell me one of the ways you can serve others? (Allow children to respond.)

Why does God give us gifts? (Let children provide answers.) Today’s scripture verse teaches us that some people have the gift of wisdom and others have the gift of knowledge. These gifts have to do with doing well in school and being able to make wise choices.

Others have the gift of faith – a strong belief in the power and love of God.

Still others have the gift of healing. Add to this, that some have gifts of music, art, and strong sports skills. I wonder what gifts you possess that were given to you by the Holy Spirit.

In the Bible, the apostle Paul says, “There are different kinds of gifts. But they are all given to believers by the same Spirit.” (12:4). We are each given different gifts, but all the gifts come from the same source. That source is God.

Can you think of a way that you can use the gifts that God gave you to show others about God’s love? Maybe you are good at playing the piano. You could play worship music to sing for God. Maybe you are good at art. You could create artwork that honors God.

We need to recognize that all our special talents and gifts come from God. We should all work together for the same purpose – to honor God. Giving God the glory and praise is recognition that God is the source of our talents and gifts.

When we work together to honor God, we can share God’s love with others in our world. Look around at the people here in this church. I wonder what gifts you see in this church, your friends, and in others. (Let children respond.)

Our candy heart this week says, “U R Kind.” I wonder what you can do to share your special talents and gifts to serve others. I wonder how you can honor God as the source of those gifts. I wonder how you can find opportunities to share God’s love with others.

Each week for our prayer, instead of praying hands, we will shape our hands like hearts to remind us of love. Can you place your hands in this position? (Position your hands like this:)

Prayer: God, the source of our gifts and special talents, we thank you for giving each of us such unique abilities. Help guide us to use those gifts to share your love to the world. Remind us to honor you always as we use our gifts and abilities.

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