July 26, 2026

Drawing from 1 Corinthians chapters 12 through 14, this sermon provides an overview of spiritual gifts and their proper function within the gathered church. The pastor emphasizes that every believer has been given a manifestation of the Spirit for the common good, and that these gifts should be earnestly sought rather than passively received. A central contrast is drawn between speaking in tongues, which edifies the individual spirit privately, and prophecy, which builds up the entire corporate body through intelligible, understandable speech. The sermon challenges cultural Christianity and calls believers to pursue love as the governing principle behind all spiritual gifting. The pastor is candid about abuses he has witnessed within Pentecostal and charismatic settings, while simultaneously affirming the validity and beauty of all the gifts. The ultimate aim of the sermon is to stir believers toward a greater hunger for the Spirit's work, not for personal spiritual status, but for the encouragement, upbuilding, and comfort of the whole church, and as a witness to unbelievers who enter the gathering.