Love endures forever pt. 1

What makes a church strong?

Is it gifted worship leaders? Eloquence from the pulpit? A community that speaks in tongues and prays with passion?

The church in Corinth had all of this—and yet, the Apostle Paul called them immature.

In the launch of the Love Endures Forever series, Pastor Josh opens up 1 Corinthians with a deeply honest challenge to the modern church: gifting without faithfulness is hollow, and unity without the gospel is impossible.

A Church Full of Gifts… and Division

At first glance, the Corinthian church had it all. They were rich in speech, knowledge, and spiritual gifts. Miracles were happening. Worship was powerful. Teaching was eloquent. From the outside, it looked like a thriving, healthy church.

But Paul saw deeper.

Despite their spiritual activity, the Corinthians were torn apart by division. Some followed Paul, others Apollos, others Peter. And beneath it all, personal preference had become more important than gospel truth. The church was no longer centered on Christ—it was fractured by personality and pride.

Sound familiar?

Faithfulness Over Flash

Pastor Josh reminded us that being gifted is not the same as being mature. In fact, our greatest strengths—when left unchecked—can easily become our weaknesses.

A charismatic speaker can become careless with their words. A thoughtful introvert might become distant and misunderstood. In relationships, the very traits that draw us to someone can later frustrate us. It’s not the gift that’s the problem. It’s the lack of faithfulness behind it.

The same is true in the church.

Without faithfulness—rooted in truth, grounded in Christ—our gifts become noise. Powerful, yes, but misdirected. Paul makes it clear: maturity in the church is not measured by charisma, but by our unity and love.

Why Unity Matters

Division is Satan’s oldest trick, and unfortunately, it still works. We divide over leadership styles, music preferences, minor doctrines, and cultural backgrounds. But as Pastor Josh put it, “Christ is not divided.”

If we build our faith on preference, we’ll crumble when those preferences are challenged. But if we build on the foundation of Jesus—the crucified and risen King—then we’ll be able to embrace difference without falling into division.

In a church where some love prayer, some love Scripture, some express their faith through art, and others through logic or service, unity doesn’t mean uniformity. It means making the main thing—the gospel—the main thing.

The Way Forward

We don’t need a more impressive church. We need a simpler one.

A church that worships with heart, learns with the mind, and serves with hands. A church that refuses to be distracted by minor issues, and instead stays obsessed with the beauty of Jesus.

Pastor Josh closed with this: the moment we stop proclaiming the gospel is the moment we’ve lost our purpose. “If this church does not preach the gospel,” he said, “we should shut it down.”

That’s how serious it is.

But the invitation is open. Right now. To return to Jesus. To refocus. To let the supremacy of Christ bring unity to your family, your friendships, and your church.

Because in the end, it’s not gifting or structure that holds us together—it’s love.

And love endures forever.

This is part one in the “Love Endures Forever” series on 1 Corinthians.