Earnestly Desire the Best Gifts

Many believers sense that there is more to the Christian life than what they are experiencing. More of God's presence. More power. More evidence that the Holy Spirit is actively at work. Earnestly Desire the Best Gifts: A Commentary on 1 Corinthians 12-14 was written for that hunger.
In this heartfelt exploration, Clayton Howard Ford invites readers to slow down and revisit Paul's words to the Corinthian church with fresh eyes. He begins where Scripture does, with the baptism in the Holy Spirit, describing it not as a doctrine to debate, but as a living encounter that empowers believers for bold witness and meaningful ministry. Along the way, he gently addresses the questions many carry quietly in their hearts, helping readers recognize how the Spirit moves and why His work still matters today.
As the book unfolds, Ford brings clarity and balance to the spiritual gifts Paul describes. Rather than elevating certain gifts or experiences, he shows how each one is given in love for the good of the whole church. Healing, prophecy, tongues, discernment, and the others are presented not as signs of spiritual status, but as practical expressions of God's grace, meant to strengthen, unify, and encourage His people.
Written originally for a fellowship eager to grow in understanding, this book affirms a simple but powerful truth: the gifts of the Spirit did not belong only to the early church. Grounded in Scripture, enriched by careful Greek insights, and guided by a call to test everything against God's Word, it offers a steady path toward experiencing New Testament Christianity as it was meant to be lived.
This is an invitation to move beyond curiosity, to deepen your walk with God, and to rediscover what it means to earnestly desire the best gifts.