Seven Marks Church Messages

What is the purpose of spiritual gifts? And how should gifts like tongues and prophecy function in the church today?

In 1 Corinthians 14, the Apostle Paul addresses a church struggling with competition, confusion, and division over spiritual gifts. Rather than dismissing these gifts, Paul reminds the Corinthians that the work of the Holy Spirit is meant to strengthen the church, encourage one another, and point people toward Jesus.

In Part 10 of our 1 Corinthians series, Tyler explores what Scripture teaches about tongues and prophecy, why love must guide the way we exercise spiritual gifts, and how our gatherings can become places where believers are built up and those exploring faith can encounter God.

Throughout this passage, Paul brings us back to a simple but challenging invitation: pursue love and desire spiritual gifts so that the church may be built up.

As we continue becoming the people God is forming, we're reminded that the gifts of the Spirit are not about personal status or recognition. They're about serving one another, strengthening the body of Christ, and making Jesus known.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 14 Series: 1 Corinthians — Becoming the People God Is Forming Speaker: Tyler Carroll | Seven Marks Church

Learn more about Seven Marks Church and what it means to practice the way of Jesus together at sevenmarkschurch.com.

The church is more than a place we attend on Sundays. It's a family of people brought together by Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and called to participate in God's work.

In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul reminds us that the Holy Spirit gives different gifts to different people, not for personal recognition or status, but for the good of the entire church. Our differences aren't meant to divide us. They're part of God's design to bring unity, strengthen the church, and help us grow together.

Every follower of Jesus has a place in the body of Christ. You belong, others need you, and you need others.

As we continue our series through 1 Corinthians, we're challenged to consider how we view the church and our role within it. Are we simply attending, or are we actively participating in the family God has brought together?

What if communion is about more than remembering something Jesus did thousands of years ago?

In 1 Corinthians 10–11, the apostle Paul reminds the church that following Jesus isn't something we do alone. We belong to a family with a shared history, a shared hope, and a shared calling. But the church in Corinth had lost sight of that identity, allowing division, selfishness, and unhealthy patterns to shape their relationships.

Paul invites them, and us, to do three things: review the past and learn from it, remember what Jesus has done through his death and resurrection, and reflect the gospel in the way we live and love one another.

Communion is more than a religious ritual. It's a reminder of God's grace, our unity in Christ, and the kind of people we're becoming together.

As we continue our series through 1 Corinthians, we're challenged to consider how remembering the gospel can transform our everyday lives and help us practice the way of Jesus together.

We all want freedom. The ability to make our own choices, pursue what makes us happy, and live without restrictions. But what if having the freedom to do whatever we want isn't the same as experiencing true freedom?

In 1 Corinthians 8–9, Paul addresses a disagreement in the church about personal rights and freedoms. Rather than simply settling who's right and who's wrong, he challenges the Corinthians to consider how their choices affect the people around them. Following Jesus isn't just about the freedom to choose. It's about the freedom to become more like Him.

What might change if we stopped asking, "Am I free to do this?" and started asking, "What does love require of me?" Discover how surrendering our rights for the good of others can actually lead us into greater freedom.

Have you ever wondered if life would be better if your circumstances were different? Maybe you'd be happier if you were married, single, in a different relationship, or simply in another season of life. It's easy to believe fulfillment is waiting somewhere other than where we are right now.

In this message from our 1 Corinthians series, we explore what the Apostle Paul teaches about marriage, singleness, divorce, and finding our identity in Jesus. While our relationship status may shape our experiences, it was never meant to define who we are. Whether married, single, divorced, or widowed, every season presents an opportunity to reflect the love and faithfulness of Jesus.

What if following Jesus isn't about constantly pursuing different circumstances, but learning to be faithful right where we are? Discover how our identity in Christ can transform the way we approach relationships, embrace our current season, and live with purpose wherever God has placed us.

We have more freedom than ever to pursue what feels good, satisfies our desires, or makes us happy. But just because we can do something doesn't mean it's forming us into the people we want to become.

In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul challenges the idea that our bodies and spiritual lives can somehow be separated. Our habits, appetites, sexuality, rest, food, movement, and everyday choices all participate in our formation. Eventually, the choices we repeatedly make begin making us.

But the answer isn't shame, guilt, or trying harder. Paul points us back to our identity and our union with Jesus: "You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." Because we already belong to Jesus, we can learn to surrender our desires to him and discover a better way to live.

What appetites are you feeding? How are your physical habits shaping your soul? And who will you become in five years if you continue treating your body the way you do today?

It's possible to show up at church, know the right people, and still remain hidden.

In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul confronts a difficult situation inside the church in Corinth. But his concern goes beyond one person's sin. He's showing us what it actually means to belong to the family of God. Following Jesus isn't an individual project, and neither is becoming more like him. We need people who know us, love us, and have permission to speak honestly into our lives.

So what have you become comfortable with? Who has permission to speak into your life? And what kind of family are we becoming together? Jesus has rescued us, forgiven us, and brought us into his family. The invitation of this passage is to stop hiding and take our belonging seriously.

Comparison has a way of turning someone else's success into evidence that we're falling behind. We compare careers, marriages, families, finances, accomplishments, and even our faith—and before long, those comparisons begin telling us who we are.

In 1 Corinthians 3–4, Paul gives us a different way to measure our lives. God gives the growth, while we're called to be faithful with what He has entrusted to us. Instead of building a life that looks impressive, Jesus invites us to build something that lasts. The world measures what is visible; God measures what is eternal.

What would change if you stopped trying to win someone else's race? Discover how the cross gives us a pattern, the Spirit gives us power, and the return of Jesus gives us perspective for living faithfully today.

We live surrounded by scorecards. Success, money, appearance, influence, intelligence, achievement—even our spirituality can become ways of measuring ourselves against other people.

The church in Corinth wasn't all that different. They were chasing status, impressive leaders, human wisdom, and power. But Paul points them toward something completely different: the cross. What looked weak and foolish to the world was actually the wisdom and power of God. And the cross isn't only the place where Jesus secured our salvation—it gives us the power to live differently right now.

What might change if we stopped living by the world's scorecard? We could stop competing with one another, start helping one another become more like Jesus, and allow the humility and selflessness of the cross to shape how we treat the people around us.

Join us as we continue through 1 Corinthians and discover what it looks like to become the people God is forming.

We spend a lot of our lives trying to prove something. That we're successful enough. Important enough. Good enough. Worth noticing. And without realizing it, those things can begin shaping not only how we see ourselves, but how we see everyone around us.

As Paul begins his letter to the church in Corinth, he reminds a community obsessed with status, achievement, and recognition that followers of Jesus don't have to build their identity or compete for significance. In Jesus, our identity has already been given to us. And when we know who we are, it changes how we live, how we relate to one another, and ultimately the kind of church we become.

As we begin our journey through 1 Corinthians, discover what it looks like to stop proving yourself and become the person Jesus has already made you to be.