It's all about LOVE

What is your number one goal in life?  How would you answer this question?

My number one goal in life is ________________?  

Think it through.  Whatever the answer is will be your DOMINANT life value/principle.

If your dominant life value is to have fun, then this evening if you get a couple invitations for the evening, then you will tend to choose whichever is most FUN.

If your dominant life value is safety, then you will make sure every decision in life based on the safest choice.

If your dominant life value is to be affirmed, then you will choose things in life that will give you the most affirmation.

It's extremely important what is going to be the most important value in your lfie.

In 1 Corinthians 13.  Let LOVE be your greatest aim.  God says your #1 life value should be LOVE - your highest life value.  The bible said God created everything in the universe for love.  He created us as the object of His love.  He created us to learn how to love.  

Jesus said the most important thing is the "great commandment".  Mark 12:28 

Life is all about learning to love.  Everything else is EXCESS.  One day you will stand before God and answer to how well you loved yourself, God and other people.

Life is all about love.  Love God with all your heart, love your neighbor as you love yourself.

Everything you do must be done with love.  What does that include?  EVERYTHING

Does this mean when you deal with people who attack you because of your faith? YES

Does this mean when you deal with the person at the fast food drive thru that you can't understand?  YES

Does this mean when you deal with people who have different political opinion? YES

Does this mean when someone disagrees with your opinion? YES

1 Corinthians 16:14 - MEMORIZE it - "Let all that you do be done in love."

The day you understand how completely and unconditionally God loves you, you will automatically be more loving, merciful and graceful.  

People who don't feel good about themselves are people are the ones who give no grace, mercy or love to others.  

You cannot give to others what you do not have yourself.  

Next we talk about five things the bible says about love.

1.  We love because God loves us.  All love comes from God.  1 John 4:7-8.  God is love.  The reason why God wants you to love, is because he IS love and he wants us to be like him. If He wasn't loving there would be no love in the universe.  We have the ability to love because we were made in the image of God.  Animals cannot love, rocks cannot love.  Animals have instincts but they do not love the way human beings have the ability to love.  Our two missions while on earth:  Learn to love God and learn to love other people.  God takes the initiative.  When he sent Jesus to earth to die for us, He shows us his love.  

When believers don't believe they are not measuring up to God and feel they don't love God enough, the real problem is they don't realize how much God loves them.  If they realized how much God loved them so extravagantly and unconditionally, they would be automatically attracted to God.  If they understand or felt how much He loved them, they would not be carrying around guilt and condemnation. 

You can't make God stop loving you.  Once you feel the unconditional love, you cut people more slack and give more mercy.  People who hurt others don't feel good about themselves, so they pass it along to others.


Unlovely people are unLOVED people.  If you are feeled with anger and impatience?  You won't be able to love anyone else.  Let God's love heal your heart and let it flow through.

2.  Love is a CHOICE.  Love is a commitment.  You choose to love or to not love.  We do have control over our love.  Attraction is uncontrollable.  Arousal is uncontrollable.  Attraction and Arousal is not love.  They can lead to love, but they aren't love.  Love cannot be forced.  You can't make someone love you or stay in love with you.  You can choose to love God or not love Him.  When a person says, "I just don't love her anymore".  This is a choice.  Don't blame it on circumstances.  You are choosing not to love.  

3.  Love is an ACTION not just a emotion.  Love can cause emotion.  It can create emotion.  Love is not an emotion, though.  Why?  We are commanded by God to love each other.  You can not command an emotion.  You can't command an emotion and have it be authentic, it can be acted.  Love is something you DO and it is an ACTION.  1 John 3:18.  "Let us not love with tongue, but with action."  Acting in love when you don't feel it is a more MATURE love.  It's easy to love someone who loves you, it takes nothing at all.  Real love is when you do the right thing when they don't deserve it, you don't feel it or when they don't respond.  Look at how we sacrificially love our children and take care of them.  Anytime you have held a sick hand for

4.  Love is a skill.  It's something you can get good at.  




to be continued....
notes from Rick Warren's "40 Days of Love, It's all About Love, Part 1".

How do I live for God's Glory?

How do I live for God's glory? 

Who's glory are you living for?  Yourself? Your spouse? Your parents?  God says I want you to live for MY glory.  People are not fulfilled because they give first class allegiance to second class causes.  Then the causes betray them.  God did not put you on earth to live for others, but to live for HIS glory.  Only God is worthy of your first class allegiance.

Don't live for your job.  
You won't be fulfilled.

Don't live for approval.  
You won't be fulfilled.

Don't live for money. 
 You won't be fulfilled.

Don't live for sex.  
You won't be fulfilled.

One thing worth living for:  THE GLORY OF GOD

Four steps on how to live for the Glory of God.

1. Show love to everybody.  Love people the way Jesus loved.  Learn to love people the way God loves people.  "Warmly welcome each other, just as Christ has warmly welcomed you. then God will be glorified."  Simple hospitality glorifies God.  Can you be nice to people? If you want God's power in your life, do something you are afraid to do.  You can accept someone without approving everything they do.

2.  Use your abilities to serve everybody.  God did not give you your talents for the benefit of yourself, they are for the benefit of other people.  1 Peter 4:10.  I want to live in your kingdom, by your power and to your glory.  If I don't use my talents, I cheat others.  God is glorified when you use your talent to serve others.  The more you help others, the more God pours out to you.

3. Share the good news with everyone.  Find a church where it's safe to bring your friends. The only thing that's going to last for eternity - is God's family.  A thousand years from today there won't be a Microsoft or a United States.  No earthly kingdom lasts.  God's word and people are the only thing that will last forever.  

4. Do you want to live a fulfilled life?  Each morning sit on the side of your bed and pray one sentence, "Father, today I'll be in by 4".  What does that mean?  Father, today, I will live in your kingdom (I'll put you in my schedule, finances, relationships -you're #1), by your power (gonna take risks, pray all day and hang on when I feel like giving up), for Your glory (show love to everyone I meet, share my talent with everyone I meet, share good news of compassion and mercy and be a part of your family).

Will you do it?  Will you "be in by 4"?  

Father, I want to put you first in any area of my life, in my troubles, my finances and my schedules, I want to live by your power, help me to spend more on you and less then myself, give me the faith that are necessary to grow and help me to not give up and get discouraged.  Dear God, I want to live for your glory, I want my life to be a blessing to others.  I want to serve others, share the good news who don't even know you.  Help me to do all these things, in Jesus name, amen.

*notes from Pastor Rick Warren's sermon "Connecting with God, The Prayer of Fulfillment, Part 3).

Light of the World

Light of the World                                                                                            

Matthew 5:14-15

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

Jesus says we are a light, not to be hidden but to provide light to all those around us. Yet, when things get heavy for me, my natural inclination is to retreat to where there is nobody around me and I can feel safe.  The enemy wants us to feel fear, wants us to be exhausted and wants us to believe the lie that we are “unusable” to God.  Why do I want to retreat?  Usually it’s because I’m tired and I just want peace and for some reason I think I can find peace in the middle of nowhere with nothing but nature.  The trick is to find peace in the middle of chaos – this thing called life – where people every day challenge our thinking and our peace.  It’s clear that Jesus wants us to not hide.  It’s probably the only reason why I don’t move to the middle of nowhere and turn into a hermit.  It sounds so good though.  When you are a “lamp” you expose yourself to all the darkness around you…and maybe you can reflect light in the perimeter around you, but beyond that perimeter at some point begins darkness again.  Just this morning I was thinking how nice it would be to “retreat”.  Thankfully I’m reminded by this scripture that I’m not here for me, but here for God, to provide light to the darkness…because where there is light, darkness cannot exist.  So, maybe I just need more alone time with God before I charge into the world each day and make myself exhausted.  Maybe that’s the message to me.  Slow down, renew my mind with the truth and then maybe I can have peace among the chaos and provide some light to those around me.  

Father, God, help me at this very moment to not crave peace somewhere away from everyone but help me to crave peace right here in front of everyone.  When everything starts to get ‘weird’ and feel heavy, help me to still be the light, to encourage those who are discouraged and to remember that I’m to be a “lamp” providing light, His light, to those around me.  Help me get my energy back and help me to have the wisdom to find your will and stay in the middle of it.  I pray for Angels to stand guard around me and I bind all the enemies plans in Jesus’ name, Amen.