Network Course
What are Spiritual Gifts you may ask?
Definition: Spiritual gifts are divine abilities distributed by the Holy Spirit to every believer according to God’s design and grace for the common good of the body of Christ.
That is what the dictionary says, now this is what scripture says about spiritual gifts:
1 Corinthians 12:4-11:
‘Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 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. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.’
This is aim of the Network Course, for each of us to be
- Aware of our gifts, (1 Cor 12:1 – ‘Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.’)
- Faithfull in exercising them, (1 Tim 4:14 – ‘Do not neglect the gift you have…’)
- And to be good stewards understanding our accountability for the use of our gifts, (1 Peter 4:10 -11 – ‘As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies–in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ… ‘)
Discovering our spiritual gifts, personal styles, and God-given passions for serving in the body of Christ, not only holds some personal benefits, but it also reveals to us our own, individual spiritual job description. And, when we all know our spiritual job descriptions, our ministries will be more focused, fruitful and fulfilling as Jesus said in John 15:8 ‘This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.’ and verse 11 ‘These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”
And that, right there, is the end goal of this course: That we will not only be fruitful, but that whilst God is glorified and people are edified through the proper functioning of the gifts, we will be full of joy, because we have an assurance that we are making a Kingdom difference and giving pleasure to God while the body of Christ grows healthy and strong.