Spiritual Gifts A to Z

Transcription

1 Spiritual Gifts A to Z The Complete Spiritual Gift Inventory "Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit has been given for the common good" (1 Corinthians 12:7). God has given spiritual gifts to every Christian. This inventory covers the complete set of all 26 gifts which are listed in the Bible, from Administration to Wisdom. SPIRITUAL GIFTS A to Z Inventory Contents 1. Instructions 2. Philosophy of Questions 3. Spiritual Gift Inventory 4. Inventory Results 5. Understanding Your Results

2 Spiritual Gifts A to Z: The Complete Spiritual Gift Inventory Instructions and Philosophy of the A to Z Inventory INSTRUCTIONS 1. Each question is presented as a true statement. Answer it based on how true the statement is for you. 2. Choices are: Always (true), Often (true), Sometimes (true), Rarely (true) for you. 3. Don't over-think each answer. Just respond naturally with your first reaction. 4. There is a scoring section at the end which will help you to tabulate your results. PHILOSOPHY The "Spiritual Gifts A to Z" inventory uses four types of questions to ascertain the gifts and calling of God in your life concerning spiritual gifts. 1. Motivational Questions - questions which target the sense of satisfaction or motivation which God has put in your heart concerning certain actions. 2. Affirmational Questions - These are questions which demonstrate that others in the Body of Christ have affirmed your giftedness in certain areas. 3. Conviction Questions - These are questions which examine the powerfully-held convictions of your own heart which are often a sign of the Spirit's work. 4. Results-oriented Questions - These are questions which examine whether or not you have produced actual positive results through the exercise of your spiritual gifts.

3 God has used me to share His wisdom with people who 1 are confused. 2 I do not need creature comforts as I serve God. I believe that God is still at work through the gift of 3 tongues today. 4 The church asks me to teach classes or Bible studies. I am able to live a celibate life both physically and 5 mentally. 6 Doing simple things to help others fills me with joy. 7 God gives me a bold word to proclaim to someone. When people need guidance for difficult decisions, they 8 come to me for counsel. 9 I am asked to go on short-term missions trips. 10 Others have said that I have the gift of miracles. 11 People in pain come to me for help. I am so inspired by the stories of martyrs in the past that I 12 look for opportunities to take a stand for Christ in the face 13 People ask me to step up and lead. 14 People look to me for the information they need. 15 People have called upon me to translate tongues. The Holy Spirit will prompt me to pray for someone even if 16 I don't know why. When someone needs a place to stay, the church calls 17 upon me to help. 18 People come to me seeking prayer for healing. 1

4 19 People and ministries in financial need contact me. 20 People think that I have a pretty strong faith in God. 21 People ask me to help them share their faith with others. 22 I can urge someone to take action to resolve a problem. People have said that I am good at reading the motives of 23 others. People have looked to me for guidance concerning 24 demonic oppression. God has given me skills to construct or repair things to 25 help ministries do their job better. I'm pretty good at figuring out where a person could serve 26 best in the church. 27 God gives me solutions through thorny problems. The lives of people like Mother Theresa inspire me to live 28 on almost nothing so I can help others. During public prayer, I speak in unknown tongues which 29 are then interpreted for others. God has used me to transform people's lives through 30 teaching His Word. 31 I choose to be single for Christ. I believe that Christ has called us to practice servanthood 32 for others. If something is not right, people ask me to do something 33 to fix it. It has been my privilege to guide a group of believers 34 spiritually. I've been able to teach the Bible or share Christ crossculturally I have seen God s power contradict the laws of nature. 2

5 I am hurt by the way the poor and downtrodden are 37 treated. I feel it is my responsibility to stand against oppressive 38 governments, even if that means prison or death. 39 I can motivate people to take action. God has revealed unknown things to me through the Holy 40 Spirit. I can tell if someone is speaking in tongues or just 41 speaking gibberish. God answers all kinds of my prayers in very specific 42 ways. 43 I love welcoming new people into my home. If I pray long enough for someone, their physical 44 impairments diminish. 45 I am a tither. 46 When I need something, I ask God for it, and He provides. If God gives me the opportunity, I feel a burden to witness 47 to someone. I find it fairly easy to look at the positive side of many 48 situations. 49 I feel a burden of responsibility to identify wrong teaching. When praying, I confidently rely upon God's authority 50 against demons. People come to me when something needs to be 51 designed or built or created. When ministries are disorganized and chaotic, I can help 52 make sense of things. When a group must make a tough decision, God gives me 53 just the right words to say. I have chosen to live close to others who are living in 54 poverty. 3

6 God has used me to teach the Bible in a human language 55 I do not know. When I explain Bible passages to people, they 56 understand it better. I am able to serve God better as a single person than if I 57 were married. 58 People ask me to help them with their projects. I am not afraid to speak the truth even if it seems 59 dangerous to do so. I believe that people need someone to watch over and 60 care for them. I feel that we have a major responsibility to reach out to 61 other people groups. 62 God has answered my prayers in miraculous ways. 63 I find ways to help people who are deeply distressed. I have been able to help others persevere even when 64 facing bodily harm. I have been able to help people visualize where we 65 should go with our ministry. I can organize complicated topics into an easy to 66 understand format. I have been able to translate what others have said when 67 speaking in tongues. 68 I spend a lot of time praying for other people. I feel that it is my Christian responsibility to care for 69 strangers. 70 I have personally witnessed supernatural healings. I manage my finances so well that I have a lot to give 71 away When others are afraid to take action, I step out in faith 72 and do something. 4

7 I have led many people to a personal faith in the Lord 73 Jesus Christ. When people are feeling depressed, they seek me out for 74 encouragement. I have been able to point out error in the way someone is 75 living. I've been used by God to free people from spiritual 76 bondage. 77 I love designing beautiful works of art to glorify God. 78 I like to organize events and ministries. People come to me when they need to make a 79 complicated decision. I believe that it is the responsibility of every Christian to 80 live on little so that others can live at all. Sometimes when I am praying I speak in unknown 81 tongues. 82 It has been my honor to teach God's Word publicly. 83 I feel no need to get married. When there is a job to be done, I am glad when people 84 ask me to help them. 85 I have rebuked people for their sinful lifestyles. I have been involved in caring for the needs of a small 86 group of people for a long time. 87 I have been involved in starting a church. 88 God has used me to accomplish miracles. 89 I deeply feel the pain of others. If would be an honor to stand up for Christ to the point of 90 death. 5

8 91 I like to make things happen. I enjoy studying a Christian issue in great detail until I 92 understand it fully in every way. I know in my spirit what someone speaking another 93 language is actually saying. I feel that God has commanded us to pray fervently for 94 the needs of others. 95 We open up our place for meals for visitors. I glorify God when someone gets healed through my 96 prayers. God has blessed me with the financial means to help 97 others in need. 98 I have seen God overcome many obstacles in my life. I find it easy to translate Biblical truth into a way that nonbelievers can understand and believe I enjoy strengthening the weak. 101 I can sense in my spirit if someone is from God or not. I can speak with authority against unclean spirits when 102 necessary. 103 I enjoy building things. When I get involved with a ministry, people say that the 104 ministry effectiveness improves. I am able to see the long-term consequences of certain 105 behaviors. 106 I can live on very little so that I am able to help others. 107 I have spoken in tongues. 108 I enjoy explaining God's Word to others. 6

9 109 I am single and enjoy it. I do not mind working behind the scenes to help out 110 ministries. I believe that if there is sin in the church, something must 111 be done about it. The image of being a shepherd to others is very 112 appealing to me. I find it easy to relate to and connect with people from 113 other cultures. 114 When I pray, God suspends the normal laws of nature. 115 When people are hurting, they come to me for help. If necessary, I have no doubt that I would be willing to die 116 for my faith. 117 I enjoy being up front and leading. 118 I am considered an expert in certain Christian topics. I can understand what others are saying when they speak 119 in tongues. 120 I love to pray. I love helping people to feel relaxed and 'at home' in my 121 home. 122 When I pray for people, they get healed. I enjoy giving God money to use for advancing His 123 Kingdom. 124 I have a strong faith in the promises of God. 125 I enjoy spending time with unbelievers. I have encouraged others to remain strong and faithful to 126 God during difficult times. 7

10 I can tell pretty quickly when certain teaching is not from 127 God. I have been able to identify the source of demonic 128 oppression in someone's life. 129 I'm pretty good at working with my hands. I find it relatively easy to create a plan of action for a 130 ministry. 8

11 Spiritual Gifts A to Z Evaluation Section Enter the value from your answers to the 130 questions based on the following key, and write that into the corresponding cell. Add up each row (A - Z) across to get your total value for each spiritual gift. For example, if you answered Often to Question 1, you would put 3 into cell 1 below. Always = 5 Often = 3 Sometimes = 1 Rarely = 0

12 Spiritual Gifts A - Z The Complete Spiritual Gift Inventory Spiritual Gift Inventory Results List your top three highest scoring spiritual gifts here: These results are an indication of your spiritual gifts. The real proof comes when you test them out in ministry. As you practice serving God in ministry, you will gain the experience needed to understand the nature of your spiritual gifts and how you can best use them to serve Him. Clues to Understanding Your Gifts Two key questions to ask yourself to discover your spiritual gifts: 1. Which activities give you great JOY when you engage in them? 2. Which activities DRAIN you of energy when you do them? Whenever you are serving in your area of spiritual giftedness you will be Powered Up and Filled with Joy. Gift Clusters Sometimes gifts come in combinations which work well together. As you examine your spiritual gift inventory results, consider how the gifts may complement one another in the calling which God has for you. Dormant Gifts Sometimes gifts lie dormant until fully developed. As you examine your spiritual gift inventory results, consider which gifts you have that may be under-developed and in need of greater focus. The Apostle Paul told his young disciple Timothy to "fan into flame the gift of God which was given you" (2 Timothy 1:6).

13 HighPower Resources Empowering for Growth & Health The mission of HPR is to empower pastors for church growth and church health by supplying them with the power tools needed to do ministry well. Software We have great speciality niche software made especially for pastors. SermonBase Message Planning Software Shepherd Care Small Group Software FamilyFaces Photo Directory Software HighPower Library (free for pastors) Coaching Leadership Coaching by Dr. Bill Miller to help pastors work through key leadership issues like staffing, leadership development, and sermon planning. Sermons Excellent sermon selections which always include not only the sermon, but fill-in-the-blank sermon notes and PowerPoint, all perfectly adaptable to your situation. Seminars Dr. Miller provides on-site seminars in the areas of: Spiritual Gifts Marriage Enrichment Team Building Growing a Healthy Church HPR also provides the do-it-yourself or seminar in a download options like: Introduction to Coaching Prayer Small Group Dynamics