Pursue Spiritual Gifts to Edify Others, Not Self

Devotional

Day 1: Gifts exist to build up Christ’s body

Spiritual gifts aren’t trophies for personal status; they are Spirit-given ministries for the equipping, strengthening, and maturing of the church. We don’t throw them out because of abuses; we learn to use them rightly. The point is unity in the faith and a fuller knowledge of the Son of God, moving us toward maturity. These gifts aren’t proof you’ve “arrived”—they are tools God uses to help us arrive together. Receive them with humility and aim them toward the good of others. We need them for unity, wisdom, and maturity in Jesus [42:46]

Ephesians 4:12–13 — Christ supplies gifts to equip His people for serving, to strengthen the church, until we reach shared faith and true knowledge of the Son, growing into mature fullness that looks like Christ.

Reflection: Where does your local church need strengthening right now, and how might your time and energy be used this week to help the body grow toward unity and maturity?

Day 2: Desire and pursue spiritual gifts, but properly

Zeal for gifts is good when it’s anchored in love and aimed at edifying others. Resist the overcorrection that says, “Because some misuse gifts, we should avoid them,” and also resist the pride that makes gifts about looking elite. Be as thirsty to build others up as you once were to build yourself up. Ask the Lord to align your motives so your desire is to serve, not to be seen. Keep pressing in with understanding, humility, and a heart set on the common good [41:12]

1 Corinthians 12:31 — Set your hearts on the gifts that most help the church, and I will point you to the way that surpasses them all—love.

Reflection: Where might your desire for a gift be mixed with the need to be seen, and how could you redirect that desire toward loving service this week?

Day 3: Greater gifts are those that edify others

In the gathering, intelligible ministry that strengthens, encourages, and consoles the church is “greater” because it helps everybody. Tongues can bless the speaker, but the church is built when God’s message is clear—or when tongues are interpreted so all can be edified. Greatness in the kingdom is measured by service, not spectacle. Let your pursuit be for what benefits the room, not what boosts your image. Aim your longing at the common good so people walk away helped, not impressed [18:33]

1 Corinthians 14:5 — I’d like all of you to speak in tongues, but even more that you speak God’s message clearly; the one who does that helps the church more—unless the tongue is interpreted so everyone is strengthened.

Reflection: When you think about your next ministry moment (small group, prayer circle, Sunday), what would it look like to prioritize clarity and encouragement for the people actually in front of you?

Day 4: Pray boldly and ask, “What is the need?”

Scripture invites you to ask the Father for the Spirit’s empowering work, so pray for gifts with open hands. Don’t just ask, “What is my gift?”—ask, “What is needed right now for this person or this church?” If you pray in tongues, ask God also for interpretation so others can be built up. Step into service; gifts often surface as you meet real needs. Keep knocking, keep seeking, and trust the Father to give good gifts that bless others [27:55]

Luke 11:11–13 — If flawed parents give good things to their children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who keep asking Him.

Reflection: Think of one specific person or ministry need you’ll see this week—what gift do you sense would serve them best, and how will you pray and act toward that need?

Day 5: Look outward; be mutually strengthened in love

The church flourishes when everyone brings what they have for everyone else’s good. Seek what is lacking rather than what is already oversaturated, and invite wise leaders to pray with you as you discern and step into service. There’s no hierarchy for status, only an order for health; different gifts, one body, mutual encouragement. Bring your offering humbly, and receive others’ gifts gladly. As we serve one another in love, the Spirit’s power is manifest in a way that is healthy, clear, and fruitful [39:14]

Romans 1:11–12 — I long to be with you to share a spiritual gift that strengthens you; that is, so we can be encouraged together—your faith building me up and mine building you up.

Reflection: Where is your church currently “thin,” and what concrete step could you take—after prayer and, if helpful, with an elder’s guidance—to serve in that gap this month?

Sermon Summary

We’re building a foundation before we define the gifts themselves, because without a foundation we mis-use or over-correct. Scripture is clear: spiritual gifts are Spirit-given ministries empowered by the Holy Spirit for the building up of the body—equipping the saints, unifying us in the faith, and moving us toward maturity in Christ (Ephesians 4). Gifts are not badges of spiritual elitism, nor are they signs of maturity; they are instruments God uses to grow us into maturity. That’s why abuse should never lead us to disuse. Paul corrected the Corinthians’ abuse and still told them to earnestly desire spiritual gifts—and so should we.

We reject the overcorrection of cessationism. Signs, wonders, and miracles did not only authenticate apostles; they authenticated the gospel among unbelievers (see Stephen and Philip). The “perfect” in 1 Corinthians 13 is not the biblical canon but the maturity we will experience when we see Christ “face to face.” Gifts cease when Christ returns and perfects His bride—not before. Until then, as long as kingdom advancement remains our mission, gifts accompany the journey.

So what are the “greater gifts”? Not status gifts, but gifts with greater capacity to edify others. In the gathered church, intelligibility matters. Prophecy (biblical exhortation) edifies, consoles, and strengthens; uninterpreted tongues edify the speaker alone. Therefore, the interpreter is “greater” than the tongue-speaker because interpretation turns a private experience into a public edification. Desire gifts that build others up more than they build you up.

How do we desire and pursue gifts properly? Pray. Ask not only, “What is my gift?” but, “What is the need?” God often gives more than one gift, and sometimes gives situational grace for the need in front of you. There seems to be a meaningful role for elders in discerning and commissioning, but the clearest path to discovery is service. Spiritual gifts are Spirit-driven ministries—start serving, and watch what consistently bears fruit in others. Come with open hands, not fixed expectations. And if you think you’ve discerned a gift, bring it to the elders; we want to pray with you and help you deploy it rightly. Let’s be a church where the full manifestation of the Spirit is present—not to make us look impressive, but to build one another up in love.

Key Takeaways

1. Pursue gifts to build others up Desire should be driven by a hunger to strengthen the church, not to elevate self. In the gathered body, intelligibility and edification govern our practice, so seek gifts that help people actually grow. If your gift serves only you, it’s misaligned with the Spirit’s purpose. Ask God for gifts that most effectively serve the common good. [82:18]
2. Correct misuse without overcorrection Abuse is real, but the biblical response is proper use, not disuse. Signs and wonders authenticated the gospel through non-apostles as well, and the “perfect” points to Christ’s return, not the closing of the canon. Gifts will cease when we see Him face to face; until then, we need them for mission and maturity. [55:49]
3. Greater gifts prioritize intelligible edification “Greater” doesn’t mean higher status—it means greater capacity to build others up. In worship, prophecy (biblical exhortation) is more helpful than uninterpreted tongues, and the interpreter becomes “greater” because interpretation turns private benefit into corporate strengthening. Choose what serves the many, not what flatters the one. [78:58]
4. Discover gifts by prayerful service Pray for what is needed, not merely what you want. Often the Spirit supplies in the moment for the need in front of you; over time, patterns of fruit will reveal your gifting. Serving people is the laboratory where gifts surface—ministries manifest as you minister. [94:30]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[37:38] - Foundations before definitions
[42:46] - Why gifts matter (Ephesians 4)
[45:26] - Cessationism and overcorrections
[49:29] - Miracles beyond the Apostles
[51:44] - “Perfect” means maturity, not canon
[55:49] - Gifts cease at Christ’s return
[62:58] - Proper use, not disuse
[65:10] - Desire gifts for others’ edification
[74:38] - Prophecy versus tongues in worship
[78:33] - The interpreter as the greater gift
[82:18] - Strive to excel in edification
[84:51] - How to pursue: pray and ask
[94:30] - Discovering gifts through serving

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- Ephesians 4:11-16
- 1 Corinthians 14:1-5, 12-13
- 1 Corinthians 13:8-12

Observation questions

In Ephesians 4:11-16, what specific outcomes are named for why Christ gave gifts to the church? List the words/phrases that describe the goal and the finish line.
In 1 Corinthians 14:1-5, what three things does prophecy do for people, and who is edified by uninterpreted tongues?
In 1 Corinthians 13:8-12, what images and contrasts does Paul use to explain when the partial will pass away (child/adult, mirror/face to face, knowing in part/knowing fully)?
In 1 Corinthians 14:12-13, what is the clear instruction given to those who eagerly desire spiritual gifts, and especially to those who speak in a tongue?

Interpretation questions

“The response to gift abuse is not disuse but proper use.” Why is that a faithful application of Ephesians 4 and 1 Corinthians 14, and how does it protect the church’s growth? [01:02:58]
If “the perfect” in 1 Corinthians 13 points to seeing Jesus face to face, what does that imply about the presence and purpose of gifts in the church right now? [55:49]
In the gathered church, why does intelligibility make interpretation “greater” than uninterpreted tongues? What principle is guiding that value judgment? [01:18:33]
How does shifting the question from “What is my gift?” to “What is the need?” change the way someone prays, serves, and discovers how the Spirit wants to work through them? [01:26:23]

Application questions

Think of a time you saw spiritual gifts misused. Did you swing into overcorrection (avoidance, cynicism, going silent)? What would “proper use, not disuse” look like for you this month in your small group or ministry lane? [01:02:58]
Name two real needs in our body right now that, if met, would genuinely build people up (not just look impressive). Will you start praying specifically for gifts that meet those needs and offer yourself to serve there? [01:22:18]
Be honest: which gift(s) have you wanted mostly because they seem elite or make you “look deep”? How will you redirect that desire toward gifts that build others more than they build you? [01:05:58]
If you pray in a tongue, will you also ask God for interpretation before using it publicly? What would humble, loving practice look like in our group so that everyone is edified? [01:18:58]
Service is the laboratory where gifts surface. Where will you serve for the next 30 days to watch what consistently bears fruit in others? Share one concrete step and a date you’ll start. [01:34:30]
If you think you’ve identified a gift, what next step will you take to bring it to the elders for prayer, testing, and wise deployment? Be specific (who will you contact and when?). [01:38:57]
Jesus ties greatness to serving, not being served. What simple, repeatable act of service will you add to your weekly rhythm to pursue “greater” by building others up? [01:22:57]

Sermon Clips

Therefore, the conversation around spiritual gifts can't be this throwaway conversation, this haphazard conversation, this minimization or devaluing of the conversation as a whole just because of abuses and misuses. Why? Because the Bible emphasizes the importance and the criticality of having these gifts. The importance and the criticality of having these gifts is that we need these gifts as part of a mechanism that God uses to equip, mature, and make perfect or complete his body. They're not a sign of maturity, though, by the way, but they build the body up to it. [00:43:04] (36 seconds) #GiftsEquipTheChurch

And so, therefore, as long as kingdom advancement remains the mission, gifts continue to accompany the journey. Anybody here know that kingdom advancement is still the mission of the church today? We still ought to go into dark places and push back darkness. We still ought to go making proclamation of the gospel to an unbelieving world. And so, as God chooses allots and wills, those signs, miracles, and wonders still authenticate the presence of the gospel, the presence of light pushing back darkness in these places. As long as the kingdom advancement remains the mission, then gifts will accompany the journey. [00:51:01] (39 seconds) #KingdomMissionGifts

``All gifts continue to be given by God and are operative in the church. So while I love my brothers on the other side of the conversation, sensationalism is an overcorrection. And here's the thing. The response to gift abuse is not disuse. It's proper use. The response to gift abuse is not disuse but proper use. Since gifts are for the building up of the body, we cannot overcorrect to disuse. We give instructions. We don't remove what is misused. We correct. [01:02:46] (27 seconds) #ProperUseNotDisuse

But the moment you learned, wait a minute, my gift ain't about me. It's not meant to serve me, but it's meant to serve others. All of a sudden, you ain't pressing that much no more. Paul says, no, be as thirsty. Be as thirsty to build somebody else up as you was thirsty to build yourself up. Be as thirsty to know what your spiritual gift is as you was when you thought it was about you, not that you know that it ain't about you. Be that thirsty still. [01:05:50] (23 seconds) #ThirstToBuildOthers

Properly designed gifts require a desire for the edification of others. A desire to see others built up. You won't properly desire until you have a heart posture to want to see others built up more than yourself. Because if you know that they're not about you, if you don't care about others, then you're not going to properly desire them. But when you care about others, when your focus is others focused and not self-focused, all you care about is I want to see others win. I want to see others know the Lord. I want to see others built up in the faith. [01:06:51] (30 seconds) #OthersFocusedHeart

Greater gifts, though, are those used to edify the body above self. So, the reason Paul says desire greater gifts is he's stressing desire and gifts that do not focus on you, tongues, but edifies the body, interpretation of tongues. So, let your desire be so others focused that when you ask God for the ability to build others up, the thirst is for others. [01:22:04] (20 seconds) #DesireEdifyingGifts

The point is not a specific gift. It's the operation of the gift and ensuring our motives for our desires is rooted in edification, not the appearance of being spiritual. Now, let's get to some practical things. The question that you may be asking is, if I have the right motives and I desire and I strive for greater gifts, how? Okay. Great. I think I'm going to answer. Earnestly desiring a spiritual gift requires prayer. [01:24:34] (24 seconds) #PrayForGifts

Let me explain this to you. The best way to discover what God has put in you through prayer is not a spiritual gift test. It's not waiting on somebody to tell you. It's through service. Spiritual gifts are spirit-driven ministries. You want to know what your ministry is? Start serving people because ministries serve people. And as you start serving people, you might begin to discover which your ministry is. [01:34:19] (23 seconds) #DiscoverByServing

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Pursue Spiritual Gifts to Edify Others, Not Self

Devotional

Day 1: Gifts exist to build up Christ’s body

Day 2: Desire and pursue spiritual gifts, but properly

Day 3: Greater gifts are those that edify others

Day 4: Pray boldly and ask, “What is the need?”

Day 5: Look outward; be mutually strengthened in love

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Pursue Spiritual Gifts to Edify Others, Not Self

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