Micro-Church - Week 26
This week at Hub City Church, we affirmed the thought that God has called us to difficult tasks.
We believe that God is at work in us and around us to accomplish things that are supernatural.
We have been discussing over the last few weeks that we are called to encourage one another. Let's take a moment to dig deeper into that:
Take a few moments to discuss as a Micro-Church:
What are some things that have encouraged you this week?
What have been some challenges that you've faced this week?
Take a moment and pray with any needs you feel led to pray for.
The church exists for more than just motivation. We do not simply exist to be excited about Jesus, but to make the goodness of Jesus unavoidable in our every day lives.
Read the following passages, one from a formal, word-for-word style translation (English Standard Version) and one from a more dynamic, thought-for-thought translation (New Living Translation). It is clear that the Holy Spirit is working to empower us for God-sized tasks!
1 Corinthians 12:1–12 (ESV)
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:1–12 (NLT): Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this. 2 You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols. 3 So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.
7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.
Are there other versions at MC that bring out different wording that sticks out to you as you read this passage?
Context
What do you notice about God in this passage?
What do you notice about people in this passage?
List out the gifts that Paul specifically says that the Holy Spirit empowers people with:
The context of this chapter is that God is methodically putting the members (or parts) of the body together for the benefit of the body as a whole. That means that each person in your Micro-Church has a pivotal role to play in your Micro-Church and the Church as a whole.
Read this. Internalize this. Make it personal. Say (aloud or silently):
I am a pivotal part of the kingdom
Knowing this fact is, in fact, quite motivating. However, we exist for more than just motivation. When the Holy Spirit begins bringing about supernatural change in your life, this motivation comes to life in real-life power!
The challenge
I want to challenge the participants of our Micro-Churches to put this into action.
Would you commit to pray this week for the Holy Spirit to pour into your life the giftings that He chooses?
Take a few moments and share anything that you sense God might be trying to do in your life or giftings that you see at work in the people around you. Pay attention - the inclinations of your heart and spirit may be those giftings at work!
