God has gifted us all.  Every person is uniquely empowered by God deliberately and specifically to serve Him with effectiveness and fulfillment. A giant step towards that end is taking time to discover your SHAPE – and how God has specifically designed YOU. One important part of your shape is your spiritual gift.  There is a Spiritual Gift Assessment link later on this page, but please enjoy this information on spiritual gifts!
Discover Your Spiritual Gifts!
 
Ken Hemphill defines a spiritual gift as “an individual manifestation of grace from the Father that enables you to serve Him and thus play a vital role in His plan for the redemption of the world.”  Peter Wagner defines a spiritual gift as “a special attribute given by the Holy Spirit to every member of the Body of Christ according to God’s grace for use within the context of the Body.”ii I like to use this definition: A spiritual gift is an expression of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers which empowers them to serve the body of Christ, the church.
 
Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 28-30; Ephesians 4:11; and 1 Peter 4:9-11 contain representative lists of gifts and roles God has given to the church. A definition of these gifts follows:
 
Leadership – Leadership aids the body by leading and directing members to accomplish the goals and purposes of the church. Leadership motivates people to work together in unity toward common goals (Rom. 12:8).
 
Administration – Persons with the gift of administration lead the body by steering others to remain on task. Administration enables the body to organize according to God-given purposes and long-term goals (1 Cor. 12:28).
 
Teaching – Teaching is instructing members in the truths and doctrines of God’s Word for the purposes of building up, unifying, and maturing the body (1 Cor. 12:28; Rom. 12:7; Eph. 4:11).
 
Knowledge – The gift of knowledge manifests itself in teaching and training in discipleship. It is the God-given ability to learn, know, and explain the precious truths of God’s Word. A word of knowledge is a Spirit-revealed truth (1 Cor. 12:28).
 
Wisdom – Wisdom is the gift that discerns the work of the Holy Spirit in the body and applies His teachings and actions to the needs of the body (1 Cor. 12:28).
 
Prophecy – The gift of prophecy is proclaiming the Word of God boldly. This builds up the body and leads to conviction of sin. Prophecy manifests itself in preaching and teaching (1 Cor. 12:10; Rom. 12:6).
 
Discernment – Discernment aids the body by recognizing the true intentions of those within or related to the body. Discernment tests the message and actions of others for the protection and well-being of the body (1 Cor. 12:10).
 
Exhortation – Possessors of this gift encourage members to be involved in and enthusiastic about the work of the Lord. Members with this gift are good counselors and motivate others to service. Exhortation exhibits itself in preaching, teaching, and ministry (Rom. 12:8).
 
Shepherding – The gift of shepherding is manifested in persons who look out for the spiritual welfare of others. Although pastors, like shepherds, do care for members of the church, this gift is not limited to a pastor or staff member (Eph. 4:11).
 
Faith – Faith trusts God to work beyond the human capabilities of the people. Believers with this gift encourage others to trust in God in the face of apparently insurmountable odds (1 Cor. 12:9).
 
Evangelism – God gifts his church with evangelists to lead others to Christ effectively and enthusiastically. This gift builds up the body by adding new members to its fellowship (Eph. 4:11).
 
Apostleship – The church sends apostles from the body to plant churches or be missionaries. Apostles motivate the body to look beyond its walls in order to carry out the Great Commission (1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11).
 
Service/Helps – Those with the gift of service/helps recognize practical needs in the body and joyfully give assistance to meeting those needs. Christians with this gift do not mind working behind the scenes (1 Cor. 12:28; Rom. 12:7).
 
Mercy – Cheerful acts of compassion characterize those with the gift of mercy. Persons with this gift aid the body by empathizing with hurting members. They keep the body healthy and unified by keeping others aware of the needs within the church (Rom. 12:8).
 
Giving – Members with the gift of giving give freely and joyfully to the work and mission of the body. Cheerfulness and liberality are characteristics of individuals with this gift (Rom. 12:8).
 
Hospitality – Those with this gift have the ability to make visitors, guests, and strangers feel at ease. They often use their home to entertain guests. Persons with this gift integrate new members into the body (1 Pet. 4:9).
 
God has gifted you with an expression of His Holy Spirit to support His vision and mission of the church. It is a worldwide vision to reach all people with the gospel of Christ. As a servant leader, God desires that you know how He has gifted you. This will lead you to where He would have you serve as part of His vision and mission for the church.
 
Download and take the Spiritual-Gifts-Survey
Pinpointing Your Gift By Bill Gothard
 
Have you discovered your motivational gift yet? Or perhaps you aren’t certain quite yet, but you’ve managed to narrow it down to two. Well, in this lesson, I’m going to teach you how to use the irritations from others to help you discover your motivational gift.
 
1. Ask yourself: “What do Christians do or not do that disappoints me and causes unbelievers to reject the Christian life?”
 
2. Realize that your answer to this question will be greatly influenced by your spiritual gift:
  • They compromise with the world, (prophet)
  • They fail to demonstrate true Christian concern. (server)
  • They are substituting experience for sound doctrine. (teacher)
  • They are not growing to spiritual maturity. (exhorter)
  • They are not trusting God for their finances. (giver)
  • They are not accomplishing any major goals. (organizer)
  • They do not have genuine love for each other. (mercy)
 
3. Determine what you can do now to begin resolving the problem that concerns you the most.
  • Explain your understanding of the problem to God.
  • Dedicate yourself to being part of the solution, whatever the cost.
  • Ask God for wisdom as you read and memorize His Word daily.
  • Take advantage of every little opportunity that He gives to you.
  • Constantly evaluate your results in the light of God’s Word and lasting fruit.
 
 
UNDERSTANDING THE MOTIVATION OF THE GIFTS
 
If each of the seven motivational gifts were represented in a family and someone dropped the dessert on the floor, here is what each one might say and why they would say it.
PROPHET: “That’s what happens when you’re not careful!” (Motivation: To correct the problem)
SERVER: “Oh, let me help you clean it up.” (Motivation: To fulfill a need)
TEACHER: “The reason that it fell is that it was too heavy on one side.” (Motivation: To discover why it happened)
EXHORTER: “Next time, let’s serve the dessert with the meal.” (Motivation: To correct the problem)
GIVER: “I’ll be happy to buy a new dessert.” (Motivation: To give to a tangible need)
ORGANIZER: “Jim, would you get the mop. Sue, please help pick it up; and Mary, help me fix another dessert.” (Motivation: To achieve the immediate goal of the group)
MERCY: “Don’t feel badly. It could have happened to anyone.” (Motivation: To relieve embarrassment)
 
 
USE QUESTIONS TO IDENTIFY YOUR MOTIVATION
 
Many Christians are confused about their motivational gift because they enjoy practicing many gifts.
Use the following types of questions to help yourself analyze why you enjoy doing a certain activity.
 
Let us suppose, for example, that you enjoy teaching a Bible class. . .
 
QUESTION: What would your basic motive be in teaching a Bible class?                                                         
ANSWER: To encourage people to be honest before God and others. (A prophet’s motivation)
 
QUESTION: But why do you want people to be honest with God and others?
 ANSWER: So that they will not hurt each other’s feelings. (A mercy’s motivation)
 
QUESTION: Why do you not want Christians to hurt each other?
 ANSWER: So that they will be able to grow spiritually. (An exhorter’s motivation)
 
QUESTION: Why do you want Christians to grow spiritually?
 ANSWER: So that they can appreciate the true message of the Bible. (A teacher’s motivation)
 
QUESTION: Why do you want Christians to understand the true message of the Bible?
 ANSWER: So that they can get their lives in order and be useful to God. (An organizer’s motivation)
 
QUESTION: Why do you want Christians to be organized for God?
 ANSWER: So that they will be free to give to the Lord’s work. (A giver’s motivation)
 
QUESTION: Why do you want Christians to give to the Lord’s work?
 ANSWER: So that we can meet the practical needs of Christians and unbelievers. (A server’s motivation)
 
Discover Your Shape!
 

Every person is uniquely empowered by God deliberately and specifically to serve Him with effectiveness and fulfillment. A giant step towards that end is taking time to discover your SHAPE – and how God has specifically designed YOU. The SHAPE assessment tool is intended to set you on the road to discovery.

The link below will take you to an independent website designed to guide you through the SHAPE test. After you take the test, you will be sent the results immediately, as well as be given the option to have the results sent to a First Baptist leaders for further guidance. Please follow the directions, answer honestly, and be patient with completing this profile! This will easily be one of the more eye-opening moments in your spiritual walk! If you’d like, you can send the results to any one of the following church leaders and schedule a follow-up appointment to discuss:

  • Pastor Tom Johnson – tajafbc@gmail.com
  • T.J. Johnson – tajohnson1988@gmail.com
The S.H.A.P.E. discovery process will help you identify your (S) Spirtual Gifts, (H) Heart, (A) Abilities, (P) Personality, and (E) Experiences. Add these all together and you will see your God-Given SHAPE!

Download and take the S.H.A.P.E. Assessment Tool
S.H.A.P.E-Assessment-DA