Understanding Spiritual Gifts: A Comprehensive Guide

What are spiritual gifts?

Author and pastor Sam Storms has spent several decades teaching on the topic of the spiritual gifts and equipping believers in the faithful practice of God's gifts. Yet there remains a great deal of confusion about the nature of the gifts and how they best function in the body of Christ. In this comprehensive guide to the spiritual gifts, Storms addresses the many bizarre and misleading interpretations that abound and confronts the tendency to downplay the urgency of spiritual gifts for Christian living and ministry. He explains how spiritual gifts, both the more miraculous and the somewhat mundane, are given to build up the body of Christ. God has graciously provided these "manifestations of the Spirit" so that believers might encourage, edify, strengthen, instruct, and console one another, all with a view to an ever-increasing, incremental transformation into the image of Jesus Christ.

Throughout this guide, Storms unpacks the glorious truth that there is a supernatural and divine energy or power that fills and indwells the body and soul of every born-again believer. God does not call upon us to speculate about the nature of this power or to embrace it as a mere idea. His desire is that we avail ourselves of it to partner with him in his purposes on the earth. His desire is that we cry out to him that he might intensify, expand, increase, and deepen the manifestation of this power through us in ever more demonstrative and tangible ways in our lives.

Understanding Spiritual Gifts is useful as a reference to address common questions about the gifts, but it also serves as a training manual for using and exercising the gifts in ministry. It is perfect for any individual or group who wants to grow in their understanding of the gifts for today.

Sam Storms (PhD, University of Texas) is founder of Enjoying God Ministries, which provides biblical and theological resources to the body of Christ. He is also the senior pastor of Bridgeway Church in Oklahoma City and a former professor. Storms travels both in the United States and abroad, speaking at churches and conferences. He is the author of over thirty books including Practicing the Power, Understanding Spiritual Gifts, and Understanding Spiritual Warfare. He blogs regularly at www.samstorms.org.