2025-06-01: Pastor Mark Quist – What’s Love Got to Do With It?

Did you know every believer in Jesus is given the gift of the Holy Spirit?  The Holy Spirit is God’s presence with us, his power at work in and through us, our divine Guide and Comforter leading and empowering us into his purpose.  The work of the Holy Spirit can be summed up in three words: presence, power, and purpose.

In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul spoke about the gift of the Holy Spirit in terms of ‘gifts of the Spirit’.  Every believer not only receives the presence, power, and purpose of God in the active work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, the Holy Spirit also distributes gifts among each believer for the Glory of God and the benefit of others.  We, in Christ, are not each given the same gifts of the Spirit to the same measure, but by God’s design, given different gifts in different measure for God’s glory and for the benefit of others.  Much like the human body has many different parts all working together, so it is with the body of Christ, having many different gifts, yet working together as one body for the glory of God and the benefit of others.

One catch… and it’s a significant catch.  Yes, we are we given gifts of the Holy Spirit to engage for the glory of God and the benefit of others.  Yet, if we exercise any gift of the Holy Spirit without love, we gain nothing, we are nothing.

For Sunday, read 1 Corinthians 13, a famous chapter among many believers and non-believers alike – well known and resonates whole.  How important is love when it comes to the use of any gift God has given us, whether a ‘spiritual’ gift or otherwise?  What is the character and essence of love?  Where do we find it?  All kinds of questions arise, yet in 1st Corinthians 13, we find many answers!

See you Sunday,