Often we feel like we have few talents or abilities. It is easy to compare ourselves with others and our insecurity tells us we are not important. Inside we know this isn’t true, but our emotions distract us from the truth. In our study we will see that God has made us just as we are and He wants us to use our uniqueness to serve Him.

Read Jeremiah 1:5

1. What do we learn about God’s involvement in our creation from His conversation with Jeremiah?

2. What does this passage teach us about our calling?

Read Psalm 139:13-16

3. What role does God have in our formation? (v.13)

4. How does David respond to this knowledge? (v.14)

5. How does verse 15 amplify what David proclaimed in verse 13? How does he describe God’s handiwork?

6. Besides a physical body, what did God prepare for you? (vs. 16)

7. What does this indicate about God’s desire for your life and efforts?

Read Ephesians 2:1-10

8. How does the Apostle Paul describe our life before receiving Christ? (vs. 1-3)

9. What impact does our sin nature have on our understanding of God’s calling for our life? (vs.3)

10. Why did God intervene in your life? (vs. 4) How does this impact how you feel about your personal worth and abilities?

11. What did God do for you? (vs. 5-6) What will be the ultimate result of God’s work in your life? (vs. 7)

12. How do we receive this gift from God? (vs.8-9)

13. What does it mean that we are God’s workmanship? (vs.10)

14. For what were we created? (vs. 10) Explain what this means to you?

For Your Prayer Time: Spend time in prayer for one another, rejoicing in God’s creative work in making you unique for His glory.

God was directly involved in making us who we are before we were born. Even though we have sinned, God loved us and offers us the opportunity to receive salvation by faith. Why? So we will be pictures of His grace and kindness and that we would use our days to honor Him by our efforts.

Read 1 Peter 4:10-11

1. What does verse 10a indicate about spiritual gifts?

2. How are we to use our gift(s)? (vs. 10b)

3. Describe the role of a steward. What does this have to do with our gifting? (vs.10c)

4. What two types or categories of gifts does Peter describe? (vs.11)

5. Describe what is involved in a “speaking” gift?

6. How does Peter describe the speech of the one with the speaking gift? How should this truth sober the one who speaks? How should the listener respond to the message given?

7. Describe what kinds of things are included in a serving gift?

8. Where does our strength to serve come from? Why is this important?

9. When the congregation is serving one another through their gifting, what is the result? (vs.11b) Practically what does this look like?

10. God blesses us when we serve one another using our unique gifting. How have you experienced God’s blessings in service?

Assignment: Spend time in personal prayer over whether God has given you a speaking gift or a serving gift? Write down what you understand about your spiritual gift(s).

For your prayer time: Thank God for giving you gifts for His service.

Review Assignments: Have each group member share what they believe their type of spiritual gift to be (speaking/serving).

We are formed by the hand of God. Jesus gave his life so we might be forgiven and our lives renewed. He did this for the praise of His glory and that our lives would reflect His grace through our service.

In 1st Peter we learned that God gave each of us a gift to serve others. We may have speaking gifts or serving gifts. We are to take our service seriously as stewards of God’s grace in our lives.

Review Romans 12:1-2

1. Why does Paul appeal to the believers in Rome?

2. Review Romans 11:25-36. How has God shown us His mercy? (See vs 29-32)

3. How does understanding God’s mercy to us provide us motive for our service?

The book of Lamentations was written after the nation of Israel was taken into captivity and Jerusalem was destroyed. Jeremiah is lamenting what had happened. In the mist of this horrible situation, he writes about God’s mercy.

4. Read Lamentations 3:22-23 What do you learn about God’s mercy?

5. How does experiencing God’s mercy daily help to keep you motivated to serve Him.

6. What does it mean to present our bodies as a living sacrifice? (Romans 12:1)

7. What was involved in offering a sacrifice in Jesus’ day? How is a living sacrifice different?

8. What is to be the character of our offering? Explain its importance?

9. What does this sacrificial offering have to do with worship? How do you describe worship?

10. What does conformity to the world look like? (12:2) How are we to be different?

11. How do we experience this kind of transformation that Paul is describing?

12. How does this transformation empower us to discern what God’s will is in our lives?

13. How is God’s will described?

14. How have you “tested” God’s will in your life?

Assignment: Prayerfully answer the following questions this week:

1. What motivates you to get up each morning and go to work/school?

2. What is your motivation to work at building healthy relationships at home with your spouse or family, or with friends?

3. Why do you come to church?

4. What inner drive encourages you to serve God with what He has given to you?

For Your Prayer Time: Thank God for His mercy in your life—be specific. Ask Him to transform your life.

Review Assignment: Discuss the assignment questions from the previous week on motivation.

God has uniquely created us and called us to serve Him. Part of this service is directed to the body of Christ by using our spiritual gifts of speaking and serving. Our motive for service grows out of understanding how much God has done and continues to do for us in Christ.

Salvation in Christ impacts each one of us individually, but in that process we are placed in the body of Christ—the church. We are “one body” and are called to serve Christ as a team, not solo.

Read—Romans 12:1-5

1. What danger does the Apostle Paul identify in regard to attitudes? (v.3a) Give examples of this attitude.

2. What is the solution to this danger?

3. Do we all have the same amount of faith? Why or why not?

4. Where does your faith come from? How does this truth keep you from becoming proud?

5. What does Paul’s illustration of the body teach you about your relationship and connection within the local church? (v.4)

6. What does this illustration teach you about your personal involvement in the church?

7. What happens when one part of our body ceases to function? Give examples.

8. What does it mean that we are “individually members one of another” (v.5)

9. When have you truly felt “connected” to the body of Christ? When have you felt “disconnected?”

10. How does your sense of “connectedness” impact your desire to serve others in the congregation?

11. What can your growth group do to help those who are new in our church become “connected?”

Assignment: Besides spiritual gifts, God has given us natural abilities to use for His glory. List out several natural abilities you have.

Prayer Time: Thank God that He has placed you in the body of Christ and given you special gifts to contribute to its ministry. Pray for those you know who don’t feel connected at this time.

Review Assignment: Take turns to share about the natural abilities God has given you. Affirm one another.

We are uniquely created and called to serve by God. The greatness of our salvation gives us motivation to serve. At the moment of salvation God gives us spiritual gifts to contribute to the life of the church. We need one another, for if one member fails to use their gifts in service, we all suffer.

Read Romans 12:3-8

1. In Romans 12:3 , Paul teaches we each were given a measure of faith. How does this relate to v.6 where it speaks of “grace given to us?”

2. How does the concept of different functions in v.4 relate to differing gifts in verse 6?

3. What does the concept of grace have to do with our spiritual gifts? How are you to view your gifting because of it?

4. We are challenged to “use” our gifts. What does it say to the giver if the recipient doesn’t accept or use a gift that has been given?

5. Describe the following gifts and their value for the church (look up if needed):

• Prophecy
• Service
• Teaching
• Exhortation
•  Giving
•  Leadership
•  Mercy

6. Choose a gift listed above and describe how a church would suffer if it wasn’t being used.

Assignment:  Take the Spiritual Gifts Test. Share the results with your Growth Group next week.

For Your Prayer Time: Thank God together for our unique differences and gifting within the church.   

Review Assignment: Share the results of your spiritual gift inventory with the group. Affirm one another.

We are uniquely created. . .called. . .gifted. . .and placed. . .to serve our Lord. We are members of Christ’s church with different functions, just as a body has many parts, but all function together in harmony.

Read 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

1. In verses 4-6, what additional words are used to describe gifts? What do they add to our understanding of spiritual gifts?

2. What does Paul want to communicate about spiritual gifts in verses 4-6? What issue is he confronting at the Corinthian church?

3. Where do we find the power to serve? (v.6, 11) Why is this important? How have you seen this in your life?

4. In verse 7 it speaks of a manifestation of the Spirit. What does this mean?

5. What is God’s purpose for giving us spiritual gifts? (v.7) How does this relate to what we saw in 1 Peter 4:10?

6. Describe the following gifts and their value to the church:

• Word of Wisdom
• Word of Knowledge
• Faith
• Healing
• Miracles
• Discernment of Spirits
• Tongues
• Interpretation of Tongues

Note—Tongues and interpretation of tongues are sign gifts (1 Cor. 14:22). There are specific instructions and warnings regarding their use within the church. (1 Cor. 14). At La Center Church we practice 1 Corinthians 14:19—focusing on speaking within the church language that people understand so the body can be built up.

7. Who makes the determination of who in the church gets what gifts? (v.11) What common practice does this address?

8. What do we learn from 1 Corinthians 12:27-31 regarding the Spirit’s distribution of gifts? Should we seek any certain gift? Why or why not?

Assignment: Prayerfully think about the ministry of the church and how your unique gifting can be used here. Write down two or three different kinds of ministries you might enjoy serving in.

For your prayer time: pray that each on in the Growth Group would not only understand their unique gifting for service, but they would begin to use their gifts to build up the body of Christ.

Review Assignment: Share within the Growth Group what two or three ministries at La Center Church would be a match for your unique gifting.

Uniquely created. . .called. . .gifted. . .placed. . .and empowered for service to the body of Christ. We each are important and belong to one another.

Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-20

1. Here Paul again used the illustration of a body to describe the church. In verse 12 what two truths does he emphasize? Why are both significant?

2. What can happen when a church emphasizes the diversity of gifts and neglects the unity of the body?

3. What are the results when unity is overemphasized to the detriment of our diversity of gifts?

4. What does Paul teach about the baptism of the Spirit? Do some have this baptism and other not? (12:13)

5. What are the problems Paul addresses in verses 15-16?

6. What creates a sense of belonging within a church? What destroys this sense of belonging?

7. In your perspective, how is belonging to a family similar to belonging to a church.

8. What are the implications of limiting ministry to just a few within the church? (v.17, 19)

9. Again examining the illustration of the body, God in his wisdom created us physically where each of our parts works together for the good of the whole. How does this call us to place our trust in this same God who gifts people within the church for service? (see v. 18, 20)

10. What does this illustration indicate about the importance of each one of us using our unique gifting?

11. Why is unity within the church so important? How are we to respond to those who stir up division (see Titus 3:10-11)?

Assignment: Look back over your life and identify positive and negative experiences God has brought you through. God uses our experiences to prepare us for service. List down a couple of “defining experiences” in your life.

For Your Prayer Time: Ask God that we would see more and more people commit themselves to service within La Center Church. Together we can impact our community for Christ.

Review Assignment: Share together your “defining experiences” that God has used to make you who you are.

Created. . .called. . .gifted. . .placed. . .differences . . teamwork. . .unity. . .belonging. ..and interdependent. We need one another. If you fail to serve—you cheat me and the rest of the congregation. If I fail to serve in my gifting—I am cheating you.

Read 1 Corinthians 12:21-26

1. Why do we feel at times that we are sufficient on our own? (v21)

2. What keeps us from asking for help?

3. Using Paul’s specific illustration in verse 21, describe the functionality of our physical body without hands or feet. How does this relate to the church?

4. What does Paul teach about the weaker parts? (v. 22)

5. How are we to treat the less honorable and unpresentable parts? (v.23-24) What would this look like in the church?

6. When we give great honor to the “least” among us, what does that do for the church? How does that destroy division? (v.24-25)

7. When you hit your thumb with a hammer, your whole body reacts. How is this a picture of the body of Christ? (v.26)

8. When you have enjoyed a great meal, how does your body react? How is this a picture of the church? (v.26)

9. How is care expressed to one another within the church? What can we do to improve in this area? (v.25)

10. In your life, in what ways can we rejoice with you? In what ways can we suffer with you?

Assignment: We use the acrostic S.H.A.P.E. to help us begin to understand our unique creation, calling and gifting for ministry. Review what you have learned during our study and jot down some notes about your SHAPE for ministry.

S—Spiritual Gifts:

H—Heart—what moves your heart to serve:

A—Abilities—your unique natural abilities:

P—Personality*:

E—Experiences—both positive and negative:

*If you would like to take a personality test, check out https://careerdirect.org/pid/

For Your Prayer Time: Ask God to confirm your unique SHAPE this week.

Review Assignment: Discuss what you learned by exploring your unique SHAPE.

God created us to serve. He called us and made us new for service. He gives us both natural talents and spiritual gifts. He wants to use our unique personality for His glory. He places us within the church and we are members of one another and belong to one another. If we don’t contribute by using our gifts we cheat one another. But if we use our gifts the church is built up and grows. But what often is missing?

Read 1 Corinthians 13

1. What is the value of sacrificial service apart from love? (v.1-3)

2. What does verses 4-7 teach about the relational side of our service?

3. How does expressing love measure up against the use of our spiritual gifts?

Read John 13:34-35

4. How does Jesus express this same theme?

5. What is the measure of our love?

6. What is the result of our love?

Read John 14:12-14

7. What does Jesus promise to his disciples?

8. How are we to accomplish this challenge?

9. Who is the source of our works? Why is this significant?

10. What is the result of our good works and service? (v.13)

11. What keeps us from asking God for a great impact as a church?

12. Lastly—would you share with your Growth Group how God has used this study in your life?

For Your Prayer Time: Praise God for who He made you to be and the unique place He has for you in the body of Christ.