You can look spiritual, sound impressive, and even be highly gifted—and still be immature in the eyes of God. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul isn’t giving a “wedding reading.” He’s confronting a church that’s using gathering, communion, and spiritual gifts to elevate themselves instead of serving each other in love.

Spiritual gifts can be one of the most confusing and divisive topics in the church. In this teaching, we walk through 1 Corinthians 12–14 and explore how believers can understand the gifts of the Holy Spirit with biblical clarity, humility, and discernment.

Rather than chasing emotional experiences or spiritual-sounding claims, Scripture calls us to test everything by love, order, the glory of Christ, and the common good of the church.

In this teaching, you’ll learn:

• Why spiritual gifts must be anchored in love
• Why emotion is not the same thing as the Holy Spirit
• How 1 Corinthians 12 helps us understand the variety of gifts
• What Scripture says about tongues, prophecy, healing, miracles, wisdom, and knowledge
• How to discern whether something is truly from God
• Why spiritual gifts should build up the church and point people to Jesus

If this teaching helps you, share it with someone who wants to grow in biblical discernment and a deeper understanding of the Holy Spirit.

What are spiritual gifts really for? In this message from 1 Corinthians 12, Pastor Derik walks through Paul’s teaching on the gifts of the Holy Spirit and reminds us that God gives what the church needs for the common good, not for personal prominence.

Spiritual gifts are not meant to make us look more important or more impressive. They are given by the Holy Spirit, submitted under the lordship of Jesus, rooted in Scripture, characterized by love, and used to build up the body of Christ.

What happens when church becomes more about our experience than loving God and loving people? In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul confronts a church that turned communion into something selfish—and his words are sobering: their gatherings were making things worse, not better.

What is freedom actually for—and how do we keep our “rights” from becoming a roadblock to the gospel? In 1 Corinthians 11:1–16, Paul addresses a passage that has sparked debate for centuries, but his main concern remains clear: that our lives and worship would point people to Christ, not create confusion or unnecessary obstacles.

Jesus is too glorious to share our worship with idols. In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul gives a clear command: “flee from idolatry.” But idols aren’t just ancient statues—an idol is anything we believe can give us what only Jesus can.

God’s warnings aren’t meant to shame you—they’re meant to save you. In 1 Corinthians 10:1–13, Paul points to Israel’s story to remind us that spiritual experiences never replace spiritual faithfulness. Conviction isn’t your enemy. The Holy Spirit isn’t trying to ruin your life. Sin is the enemy—and God’s warnings are kindness and grace.

In this week's service we turned to 1 Corinthians 9:23–27 and a core corrective: sacrificial living isn’t a negative thing—it’s a loving thing. Paul gave up his rights so nothing would become a barrier to the gospel. And for followers of Jesus, that same focus reshapes how we view our freedoms, our time, our resources, and even our workplace culture.

What do you do when you know you’re right—or at least you think you are? In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul flips the question from “What are my rights?” to “What am I willing to lay down so someone else can know Jesus?”

We live in a culture obsessed with rights—and if we’re honest, that obsession can sneak into our faith too. In 1 Corinthians 8:1–13, Paul addresses a controversial issue (meat sacrificed to idols) and shows the church a better question than “What am I allowed to do?”: What does love require?