Spiritual Gifts & Definitions

As you begin to serve you will discover God leading you through a process that uncovers or reveals your gifts. In 1 Corinthians 12:7 Paul describes this revelation this way, “To each one the manifestation of the spirit is given for the common good.” The word “manifestation” means the Holy Spirit will reveal or make himself known to each believer. This revelation or empowerment is called a spiritual gift. The gift is actually the Holy Spirit Himself working in and through you.

When you begin to look at spiritual gift definitions, keep in mind that these are unique expressions of the Holy Spirit. God wants to reveal Himself to you. The question is not “What can you do for God?” but rather “How does God want to work through you to impact the lives of others?”

Listed below are some expressions of how the Holy Spirit works through believers. This is not a complete list. Here at Willow Creek we believe that anything that was manifested in the life of Jesus Christ could be a possible gift. Spiritual gift references in the Bible are 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4:11, 1 Peter 4:9-10, and Romans 12:6-8.