Building Healthy Church Communities Part 17

Welcome back to Growing Healthy Church Communities! Today, we’re studying 1 Corinthians 13, one of the most well-known passages in the Bible. Often referred to as the “Love Chapter,” this passage is not just about romantic love—it’s about the kind of love that should define the church community.

Transcript

Welcome back to Growing Healthy Church Communities! Today, we’re studying 1 Corinthians 13, one of the most well-known passages in the Bible. Often referred to as the “Love Chapter,” this passage is not just about romantic love—it’s about the kind of love that should define the church community.

In our last episode, we talked about spiritual gifts and how they operate within the church. The Corinthians were rich in spiritual gifts, but there was a problem: they lacked love. Their gifts were being used selfishly rather than to build up the church. Paul’s message in 1 Corinthians 13 is clear—gifts without love are meaningless. The same is true for the church today: a healthy, growing church must be rooted in love, or everything else will fall apart.

The church in Corinth was deeply divided. Some members were boasting about their spiritual gifts, others were competing for status, and there were conflicts between rich and poor believers. The Corinthians had knowledge, eloquence, prophecy, and faith, but they were missing the most important thing—love.

Paul rebukes them with a powerful statement:

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” (1 Corinthians 13:1)

No matter how spiritually gifted someone is, if love is absent, their efforts become empty noise. He continues:

“If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13, 2)

Even great faith and knowledge mean nothing if they are not expressed in love and humility.

Paul’s message was a wake-up call for the Corinthians. He was telling them, “Your church community will not be healthy unless you learn to love each other.”

Just like the Corinthians, today’s church needs to be established and built on love. The church was never meant to be a corporate organization; it is the body of Christ and the family of God. If we are truly God’s family, then love must be at the center of everything we do.

Paul describes what real love looks like:

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

This kind of love isn’t just about feelings—it’s about action.

A healthy church is one where;

We serve one another patiently rather than becoming frustrated or resentful.

We refuse to take advantage of one another, and we never use people for our own purposes.

We demonstrate kindness in words and actions, rather than harsh criticism.

We never control or manipulate people to get what we want.

In a healthy church family no one seeks personal recognition or power, but instead humbly works for the good of others and conflicts are handled with grace and forgiveness, rather than bitterness or gossip.

Love is the super glue that holds a healthy church together.

Without it, even the most gifted, well-organized, numerically successful and doctrinally sound church will eventually disintegrate.

Paul’s teaching on love directly connects to his teaching that the church is the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12). Just as a body cannot function if its parts compete or harm each other, the church cannot be healthy if its members do not love and care for one another.

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27)

When one member of the body suffers, the whole body suffers. If a church lacks love, it becomes a place of hurt and division rather than healing and restoration but when a church operates in love and unity, it reflects the heart of Christ and draws people into the family of God.

“So then, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household.” (Ephesians 2:19)

In a healthy church family, people are loved unconditionally, forgiven quickly, and supported through their struggles. Every member matters, and no one is left behind or forgotten.

When love is the foundation, the church family becomes a safe, welcoming, and spiritually vibrant place where there is:

• Genuine Worship – Love for God overflows into passionate and authentic worship.

• Strong Relationships – Members build deep, authentic and lasting connections rather than just attending gatherings .

• Effective Outreach – The church reflects Christ’s love to the world, drawing people in not by programs, but by the way they see believers love each other.

• Healing and Restoration – A loving church becomes a safe place for the broken, the hurting, and those seeking God.

Paul ends 1 Corinthians 13 by saying:

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Faith and hope are essential, but love is the greatest because it is the one thing that will last forever.

Final Thoughts

Paul’s words are not just for the Corinthians—they are for us today. If we want to build a healthy and safe church community, love must be at the center of everything we do.

Let’s reflect on a few questions:

• Is our church known for love, or for division and pride?

• Do we treat each other as family, supporting and caring for one another?

• Are we patient, kind, and humble in how we serve one another?

• Is our love leading others to Christ, or is it just words without action?

Do we encourage spiritual freedom and refuse to control and manipulate one another ?

A thriving church community is one that reflects the heart of Jesus—where people are valued, respected, supported, and loved unconditionally.

Thanks for joining me today on Growing Healthy Church Communities! Let’s continue the conversation—how is your church living out 1 Corinthians 13? I’d love to hear your thoughts, and I’ll see you next time!