• "The local church is the hope of the world." - Bill Hybels
• The church is not a place, it is a people.
• The church is not perfect, but it is beautiful.
• The church is not based on contract terms, but covenant relationship.

How do people from different backgrounds, views become a unified body? How do people who once did not know each other, love and serve e/o? How are the poor helped, sick prayed for, immature taught?

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 Three times in verses 4–6 he refers to the workings of the Spirit under three different words 1. gifts, charisma - same Spirit 2. service, diakonia - same Lord 3. working, energēma - same God There are a variety of gifts, service, working - all from the same source - God.

These are gifts for the church, not the individual, for service to the church, empowered by he Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:7 Manifestation of the Spirit are given to each one, for the common good. Each believer is given by God spiritual gifts for the good of the church.

1 Corinthians 12:8-11 8. Message of wisdom - revelation of the wisdom of God centered in the cross of Christ - a word to help others understand all that they have been given at the cross of Christ. Someone struggling with guilt or shame, the wisdom of God shows him Jesus carried that to his grave and you do not carry it any longer. Someone struggling to grasp the love of God, message of wisdom shows them Jesus' death was not a random act, but will of god to demonstrate his love for you Message of knowledge - the application of wisdom. "Do you not know you are God's temple - stop destroying it with arguing" "Do you not know a little yeast works through the dough - get rid of sin"

1. Faith - extraordinary trust in God. A person going through a severe trial is encouraged by a gift of faith that says, we can believe in the goodness of God in this. We don't know what he's doing, but He will bring about good for us.

Healing - simply to restore health, as we see of Jesus and the apostles

1. Miraculous powers - "effective acts of power. " The phrase used here used two words from energy and power. It was used of miracles performed by Jesus and his followers in exercising demons, healing the sick, and raising the dead.

Prophecy - ability to declare a message of God for his people. Strengthens, encourages comforts (14:3)

Distinguishing between spirits - ability to judge if words or people are God-given, Spirit-driven or from an evil or worldly source

Speaking in different kinds of tongues and interpretation of tongues - ability to supernaturally speak in a language unknown to the speaker. Ability to translate an unlearned language.

1. Spiritual gifts are empowered by and distributed by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:12-26 The body is made of many parts, each one indispensable for the body to function. God has organized the body just as he wanted. There is no superiority among the gifts nor among the members. Each member should honor and have concern for the other member.

1 Corinthians 12:27 You are the body of Christ and each one of you is a part of it.

We all have a function here, that is based on serving and loving each other well.

What is your spiritual gift? Wrong question... How has God gifted you to serve, honor, and demonstrate his love for his people?