February 2026

Results from Our Gifts: How Spiritual Gifts Shape a Healthy Church

Results from Our Gifts: What Happens When We All Do Our Part

When God gives gifts, He expects results. He does not pour grace into our lives so that nothing changes. In Ephesians 4:14–15, Paul shows the results from our gifts when we all use them the way God plans.

Ephesians 4:14–15 says:

“As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine,
by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;
but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ.”

So what should happen when the church uses its gifts well? Three big things:

  1. We stop being spiritual children.
  2. We stand firm in truth, not lies.
  3. We speak the truth in love and grow up into Christ.

Results from Our Gifts: No More Tossed Around

Paul says we should not act like “children, tossed here and there by waves.” Picture a tiny boat on a huge ocean. Waves slam into it. Wind pushes it. The boat has no control.

Many believers live that way. A new trend comes. They follow it. A clever teacher talks. They believe him. A friend shares a new “revelation.” They chase after it.

But the results from our gifts in a healthy church look very different. Mature teaching anchors us. Solid relationships steady us. Strong leaders guard us.

Colossians 2:8 warns us:

“See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception,
according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.”

False teaching always sounds deep. It often sounds kind. But it moves you away from Christ. It puts your hope in feelings, in signs, in money, in self, or in some leader.

God gave gifts so that the church teaches truth, tests error, and holds to Christ alone.

Truth in Love: The Mark of a Growing Church

Verse 15 gives a short line that many people quote but few obey:

“but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ.”

We need both parts:

  • Truth without love feels harsh.
  • Love without truth feels sweet but kills slowly.

Real love cares enough to tell the truth. Real truth cares enough to speak with tears, not with pride.

Sometimes people think love means never saying, “This is sin.” But silence never saves. If your friend walks toward a cliff, love does not smile and wave. Love shouts a warning.

At the same time, truth should not crush the person. Galatians 6:1 gives wisdom:

“Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness;
each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.”

Gentleness does not hide the truth. Gentleness brings the truth in a way the heart can hear.

Unity, Not Uniformity

Some people think unity means we all look the same, talk the same, think the same on every detail. That is not what Scripture teaches.

Psalm 133:1 says:

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!”

Unity comes when we share one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one gospel (Ephesians 4:4–6). We may have many different styles, backgrounds, and cultures. We may disagree on small issues. But we stand together on the core truths of the faith.

Uniformity just copies the world’s system or a group’s style. Unity comes from the Spirit of God as we gather around the Word of God.

1 John 2:15–16 warns us again:

“Do not love the world nor the things in the world.
If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life,
is not from the Father, but is from the world.”

The world calls evil good and good evil. It wants the church to bless every lifestyle. The world wants us to “love” but never “repent.”

But we follow Christ. We hold His Word, speak with tears and we warn with love.

Growing Up in All Things Into Christ

Paul says we “grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ.” That means Jesus shapes every part of life:

  • Your mind: what you believe.
  • Your heart: what you love.
  • Your body: what you do.
  • Your time: how you spend your days.
  • Your gifts: how you serve the church.

As you sit under sound teaching, as you serve, as you speak the truth in love, you change. Slowly, deeply, steadily, you start to look more like Jesus.

Psalm 32:10 draws a sharp line:

“Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
But he who trusts in the LORD, lovingkindness shall surround him.”

The world’s path looks free, but it ends in sorrow. God’s path looks narrow, but it overflows with love.

So lean in. Listen. Test what you hear. Use the gifts God gave you. The results from our gifts will show in a stable, loving, truth-filled church that points a broken world to a real Savior.

To watch the full message and bible study on this topic, CLICK HERE.

To view on YouTube, CLICK HERE.

Read more in the Core Truth blog when you CLICK HERE.

Gifts for Our Purpose: How God Equips Ordinary People for Extraordinary Work

Gifts for Our Purpose: Why God Uses People Like Us

God never wastes a life. He never saves someone just to set them on a shelf. When Paul writes Ephesians 4:11–13, he shows us that God gives gifts for our purpose, not for our ego. These gifts help us grow up, build up, and speak up for Jesus.

Ephesians 4:11–12 says:

“And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.”

God gives these gifts so that His people can do His work. That means you matter. Your place in the church matters. Your role in God’s plan matters.

Gifts for Our Purpose: Grace for Broken People

Paul says in Ephesians 4:7:

“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”

God gives grace before He gives you work. He knows your past, your sin and your weakness. Still, He gives gifts for our purpose.

You do not earn these gifts. You do not deserve them. God gives them in grace. That word “grace” means “unearned favor.” God leans toward you in kindness.

Think of your life before Jesus. Maybe it was chaos or pride, or maybe it was secret sin. When you came to Christ, God began to restore order. Ephesians 4:12 uses the word “equipping.” That word means to make something fit, to set it right, like a doctor setting a broken bone.

God does not leave your life out of joint. He sets it. He heals it. Then He uses it.

Equipping the Saints: Why Truth Must Shape Us

Look again at Ephesians 4:12–13:

“for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”

Every believer is a “saint.” Not a perfect person. A set-apart person. God calls every saint into the “work of service.” Service is not just for pastors. Service is for all of us.

So God equips us. How? Through His Word. James 1:22 says:

“But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”

Hearing alone will trick you. You think you grow. You think you change. But you don’t. Real growth comes when you hear and then obey.

That is why the Bible never works like a list of random rules. You already live with rules. You stop at red lights. Your job sets work hours and you follow them. Rules do not crush life. Good rules protect life.

God’s Word sets wise limits and clear paths. It shapes your mind. It cleans your heart. Psalm 119:9 says:

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.”

God’s Gifted Leaders: Tools for Building You Up

In Ephesians 4:11 God lists five kinds of leaders:

  • Apostles
  • Prophets
  • Evangelists
  • Pastors
  • Teachers

These leaders do not exist to entertain. They exist to build. Think of them as God’s tools to shape your life.

Apostles were the first witnesses of Jesus. They walked with Him, and saw Him after His resurrection (Acts 1:21–22; 1 Corinthians 9:1). They gave us the New Testament. Their main job was to lay the foundation.

Prophets spoke God’s truth into real life. Sometimes they told the future. Often they applied God’s Word to the present. 1 Corinthians 14:3 says:

“But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation.”

So a prophet would build up, stir up, and lift up the people of God.

Evangelists share the good news. They answer questions. They point people to the cross. Think of Philip in Acts 8:26–35. The Holy Spirit sends Philip to a man reading Isaiah. Philip climbs into the chariot and explains how the passage points to Jesus. That is evangelism.

Pastors and teachers care for the flock and feed the flock. A pastor guards and guides. A teacher opens up the Word so people understand and live it (Acts 20:28).

All of these leaders aim at one big goal:

“the building up of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12).

Growing Up in Christ: God’s Goal for Your Life

God does not want spiritual babies who never grow. Verse 13 shows His aim:

“until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”

Maturity means you know Jesus more. You trust Him more, obey Him more and you look more like Him.

This growth never comes by chance. It comes as you sit under solid teaching, as you obey what you learn, and as you serve others with the gifts He gives you.

You might feel too broken. Too late. Too weak. God does not agree. He gives gifts for our purpose so that your life can count for His glory and for the good of others.

To watch the full message and bible study on this topic, CLICK HERE.

To view on YouTube, CLICK HERE.

Read more in the Core Truth blog when you CLICK HERE.