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A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. — John 13:34-35 Thoughts on Today's Verse... How do you recognize Jesus' followers? How do you find true Christians? Many people claim to be followers of Jesus, but are they really? How do we know? In the Gospel of John, Jesus gives us three ways that show we are his true disciples: we abide in his word ( John 8:31-32 ESV ), we bear much fruit ( John 15:8 ), and we love one another ( John 13:35 ). Today, we focus on our love for one another as a mark of true discipleship. Jesus said his disciples would love each other just as he loved them. In the immediate context, this kind of love is defined: like Jesus, we are willing to love and serve each other selflessly and practically - just as he washed their feet and later went to the cross while protecting them. The LORDs ministry revealed he would do almost anyt...

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. — John 3:16 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Did you know the Bible doesn't just say, "God loves you." But don't let me confuse you. Scripture does tell us many times that God loves us. However, don't miss the important truth here. Each time Scripture tells us that God loves us, it also demonstrates that love by something God has done for us. You see, God's love is much more than emotion and intention. God's love is always demonstrated by what he does, has done, or will do. God loved us so much he didn't just say, "I love you." God also showed his love by sending his Son to sacrifice himself for our sins and give us his incomparable and eternal love! We never have to doubt that God means it when he says, "I love you." He always backs up his promises of love with his loving and sacrificial actions toward ...

Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. — 1 Corinthians 13:6-7 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Life as a follower of Jesus is always about love - loving God and loving others ( Matthew 22:36-40 ), doing the things Paul lists here - not delighting in evil, rejoicing with the truth, protecting, trusting, hoping, and persevering always ! Living this always loving way in a fallen world full of self-centered people is a very tough and tall order and sometimes very tough work. Only God is always . But then Christians are fueled to this always kind of love through the Holy Spirit. Paul tells us that "The love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us" ( Romans 5:5 ). No wonder this love, true love, Christian love, loving like Jesus is always love - it is God's love, demonstrated by Jesus' sacrifice, and now empowered through us by the H...

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. — 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 Thoughts on Today's Verse... True love does not focus on itself, but on others. Each of these qualities of love - patience, kindness, does not envy, does not boast, is not proud, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, keeps no records of wrongs - is based on an affectionate, compassionate, and forgiving attitude that regards others as valuable to us, and to Jesus. Rather than placing value only on ourselves and our desires, we remember how Jesus lived and seek to have a heart like his ( Philippians 2:5-11 ). This kind of love comes from the power of the Holy Spirit within us ( Romans 5:5 ; Galatians 5:22-23 ). It is part of the Spirit's transforming us into more JESUShaped people ( 2 Corinthians 3:18 ). The old saying is true: "In the middle of all SIN is...

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. — 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Love! In the days leading up to Valentine's Day, let's remember the real meaning of true love ( 1 John 4:8-12 ) and not dilute it with the many sappy expressions of limited human love, oftentimes based in lust rather than genuine love. I am certainly not against expressing our love to others on Valentine's Day, but it can get so sappy, sentimental, and manipulative. Without our motivations centered on why we are expressing love, all "Christian" activities are more motion and commotion than true love. True love is the expression of Chr...

We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. — 2 Thessalonians 1:3 Thoughts on Today's Verse... "Please increase my faith, O, LORD." "Please increase my strength, dear God." "Please increase my wisdom, Father." We often pray for these kinds of things, but when was the last time you prayed asking God to increase your capacity to love, and your congregation's capacity to love others? Can you think of anything more exciting to say about your friends and fellowship than to say, "The love everyone has for each other is increasing, and that love for those around them who don't know Jesus is growing!" Let's pray and act to make this dimension of our love real and noticeable to the broken world that is fractured all around us! My Prayer... Holy God, may your love fill me as I seek to share it with those I meet ea...