You Ask, We Answer: Podcast Q&A (Ep. 2)

The following transcript was originally shared on the Mark Prater Podcast and was published on March 24, 2025 . To learn watch, listen or read the full podcast, click the button linked below.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Benjamin Kreps:

Hey everyone, and welcome to the Mark Prater podcast where our aim is to connect our global family of Sovereign Grace churches with our executive director. Mark, we are back with another mail bag, another "you asked, we answer" because we have a question from someone who watches the podcast. None other than young Timothy Praveen, actually, from Covenant Fellowship, the church you serve. And he asks a really good question, an important question I think that we want to talk about on this episode. So Timothy's question is this, he expresses, he's been listening for a few months, so there's somebody out there listening and they're just happy. And we're happy.

But Timothy asks, his question is about the gifts of the Spirit. He writes, as a younger member of the church, keeping in mind verses like 1 Corinthians 14:1, how would I earnestly desire spiritual gifts? Great question. How would someone get them and how would you know if you have it and why would I need to have it? Or, at least desire it when there are others in the church who have that gift? Well, of course Timothy is referring to 1 Corinthians 14:1 which reads, pursue love and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. And this is a great question too, because this is a clear biblical exortation, biblical command that has been given to us. And so we want to lean in of course, to what God's will is for us as we live together in the church and using the gifts that he's given us.

So Mark, why would we need to have spiritual gifts or at least desire spiritual gifts when there are others in the church who have spiritual gifts?

Mark Prater:

Yeah, great questions, Timothy. And Ben and I, we love getting questions like this from any member of our churches, but especially younger men who love the church. So thank you for submitting it. That's the place I wanted to start, that last part as you said, Ben, why even pursue the gifts at all? And if other people have got gifts or use them, why do I even need to use them? It's a great question. And in answering that, I want to read a couple of quotes from Jeff Purswell's book, The Spirit and the Church: Priorities from 1 Corinthians 12-14. That's a small book that we have on our website. And Timothy, if you will submit your address through the markkprater website, your mailing address, I'm going to send you this book as a gift for submitting such an excellent question.