Love and Gifts Plan
Preach spiritual gifts under the rule of love and edification.
Text Block Plan for 1 Corinthians
Preach spiritual gifts under the rule of love and edification.
- Series Type
- Text Block Plan preaching approach
- Sermons
- 7 planned movements
- Outlines
- 7 preparation guides
- Formation
- 7 pastoral aims
Formation Thread
- Sermon 1 1 Corinthians 1:1-2:16
The Cross and the Wisdom of God
Teach believers to understand their identity as called by God and sanctified in Christ before discussing conduct.
- Sermon 2 1 Corinthians 3:1-4:21
Ministry, Division, and True Wisdom
Teach believers how jealousy and rivalry contradict the gospel.
- Sermon 3 1 Corinthians 5:1-7:40
Holiness, Discipline, Marriage, and Freedom
Teach believers the importance of holiness within the church.
- Sermon 4 1 Corinthians 8:1-10:33
Idols, Conscience, and Christian Liberty
Teach believers to pursue knowledge that produces humility and love.
- Sermon 5 1 Corinthians 11:1-14:40
Worship, Gifts, and Love
Encourage believers to pursue Christlike character in daily life.
- Sermon 6 1 Corinthians 15:1-58
Resurrection, Victory, and Hope
Teach believers to clearly articulate the core elements of the gospel.
- Sermon 7 1 Corinthians 16:1-24
Final Charges and Mission
Teach believers to plan and steward their resources intentionally.
Sermon Sequence
- 1Sermon 1 1 Corinthians 1:1-2:16
The Cross and the Wisdom of God
Paul grounds the church in the crucified Christ and overturns worldly wisdom at the start of the letter.
FormationTeach believers to understand their identity as called by God and sanctified in Christ before discussing conduct.
Prayer for this passage
Father, I thank you that my identity and worth are not found in human status or achievement, but in your call through Christ Jesus, which establishes me as part of your church. Grant me grace to see my fellow believers not as rivals or divided by worldly allegiances, but as those called alongside me into the same fellowship with your Son. Give me peace that flows from you and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the peace that comes from knowing I belong to you through his lordship alone. I surrender my need to prove myself through human standing and commit to building unity with others by keeping Christ's authority and your calling central to all I do.
- 2Sermon 2 1 Corinthians 3:1-4:21
Ministry, Division, and True Wisdom
The church learns that servants are not saviors and that spiritual maturity looks like humble faithfulness.
FormationTeach believers how jealousy and rivalry contradict the gospel.
Prayer for this passage
Father, convict me of the worldly attitudes I bring into your church—the jealousy that divides, the factions that fracture, the rivalries that reveal I am still a mere infant in Christ rather than someone growing in your Spirit. Open my eyes to see how I measure spirituality by human allegiances instead of by transformation in Christ, and give me courage to turn from these patterns of the flesh. I surrender my need to defend my preferences and champions, trusting that you alone are building your church and that my role is to grow in maturity by following Christ rather than merely following people.
- 3Sermon 3 1 Corinthians 5:1-7:40
Holiness, Discipline, Marriage, and Freedom
Church discipline, sexual holiness, marriage, and singleness show how the gospel orders ordinary life.
FormationTeach believers the importance of holiness within the church.
Prayer for this passage
Lord, give us the courage to confront sin in our midst rather than tolerate it with pride, knowing that even a little leaven leavens the whole lump of your body. Help us to speak truth in love for the sake of both the purity of your church and the ultimate restoration of the one who has fallen into sexual immorality. We surrender our desire for comfort and acceptance of others' choices to your call for holiness, trusting that discipline born from love serves your redemptive purposes far better than our silence ever could.
- 4Sermon 4 1 Corinthians 8:1-10:33
Idols, Conscience, and Christian Liberty
Paul teaches that knowledge must yield to love, conscience, and faithful witness in a compromised world.
FormationTeach believers to pursue knowledge that produces humility and love.
Prayer for this passage
Father, forgive me for the times I have wielded knowledge as a weapon rather than built others up in love, letting my understanding puff me up instead of serving those around me. Teach me to measure my growth not by how much I know, but by how faithfully I lay down my preferences for the spiritual welfare of my brothers and sisters in Christ. Help me see that true knowledge finds its fulfillment only when it is carried in a heart overflowing with love for Your people. I surrender my pride in understanding to You and commit to pursuing love as the higher measure of Christian maturity.
- 5Sermon 5 1 Corinthians 11:1-14:40
Worship, Gifts, and Love
Headship, the Lord's Supper, spiritual gifts, and the way of love shape ordered corporate worship.
FormationEncourage believers to pursue Christlike character in daily life.
Prayer for this passage
Father, open my eyes to see Christ living in the faithful examples around me, and grant me courage to follow their steps as they follow Him. Shape my own conduct so thoroughly by His character that others might trace Christ's likeness in how I live and love. Lord, I surrender my desire to chart my own course and commit instead to imitating those whose lives display the beauty of Your Son, trusting that this imitation leads me ever closer to Him.
- 6Sermon 6 1 Corinthians 15:1-58
Resurrection, Victory, and Hope
The resurrection of Christ and believers' future resurrection stand at the center of the gospel's triumph.
FormationTeach believers to clearly articulate the core elements of the gospel.
Prayer for this passage
Father, I come before You grateful that the gospel I have received stands on the solid foundation of Christ's death for my sins, His burial, and His resurrection according to Your Word. Forgive me for the times I have drifted from this central truth, adding to it or diminishing it in my heart. Help me to hold fast to this gospel as the power of my salvation, and grant me the courage to keep it first in my life and witness. I surrender my doubt, my wandering affections, and my tendency to look elsewhere for hope, and I commit myself anew to the risen Christ who died for me and rose again.
- 7Sermon 7 1 Corinthians 16:1-24
Final Charges and Mission
The closing instructions show what a cross-shaped church looks like in practice and partnership.
FormationTeach believers to plan and steward their resources intentionally.
Prayer for this passage
Father, I confess that my giving often lacks the intentionality and order that Paul commends to the Corinthians—sometimes impulsive, sometimes forgotten entirely. Teach me to set aside regularly, week by week, what you have prospered me with, so that when the collection is needed, I am prepared to give without burden and without delay. Make me see the believers in Jerusalem and all who struggle as truly members of my own body, worthy of my deliberate care and sacrifice. I surrender my resources to you, trusting that as I give with thought and planning, you will multiply the unity and strength of your church.
About This Series
Preach spiritual gifts under the rule of love and edification.