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He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. — Proverbs 17:9 Thoughts on Today's Verse... You've probably heard this poisonous statement many times: "It's just a little harmless gossip." The Wise Teacher reminds us that gossip is neither little nor harmless. Sharing someone else's stumble, offense, failure, or flaws separates friends and causes horrible damage. The consequences of such gossip are severe, and its damage is often lasting and devastating, especially to relationships. Instead, it is much better to be a peacemaker and an offense-mender, someone who covers over an offense with grace, forgiveness, and love. As Jesus said: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God ( Matthew 5:9 ). A peacemaker is one who covers over an offense and promotes love and peace. Let that be said of us! Video Commentary... ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer... Father of ...

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. — 1 John 4:11-12 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Can you imagine what an honor it is to have the Creator of the universe, the LORD God Almighty, living inside of you? Yet when we love each other, that is exactly what happens. When our hearts are full of love, there is room for God, a great deal of room for God, because God is love. When they are not full of love, we leave little room for God to take up residence and produce his character in us. Let God complete his love in you: commit to doing loving things for others today, and each day that follows, until you can express your love for your Father, face-to-face in glory! My Prayer... Abba Father, I find it so comforting to know that you are not far away - that I live in you and you live in me ( Colossians 3:1-4 ). Please help me see others with your eyes an...

I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither present nor the future, nor powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is ours in Christ Jesus our Lord. — Romans 8:38-39 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Separation is a primal fear, whether it is separation from something we fear, whether it's separation from a child, a parent, a sibling, a spouse, a friend, but especially separation from God is a deep fear for those of us who love him. Jesus endured separation from God by becoming a human and by going to the cross. As Paul put it so eloquently: God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God ( 2 Corinthians 5:21 ). Because of Jesus' sacrifice, and our faith that he did it for us, we are in Christ. We know we'll never have to be separated from God's love. He bore the separation so we would never have to fear ...

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or sword? ... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. — Romans 8:35-37 Thoughts on Today's Verse... We win! We are more than conquerors through him who loved us. When you open up the final book of the Bible, Revelation, that is the message: Christians win because Jesus is the one true and lasting conqueror. No matter how the battle is going for you right now - no matter how bad the trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or sword may be at the moment - we can remember that in the end, we win. We are more than conquerors through him who loved us. My Prayer... El Shaddai, God Almighty, we thank you for securing our ultimate victory by raising Jesus from the dead and promising to send him back for us as your Conquering King. We know he is coming with victory on the day you have determined. We pray that we will live vic...

This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. — 1 John 3:11 Thoughts on Today's Verse... The original message? Love one another . The enduring message? Love one another . The most convincing message? Love one another . The most difficult message? Love one another . The clearest message? Love one another. This call to love one another reminds me of the convicting verse I once heard a preacher use about loving our brothers and sisters: To dwell above with saints we love, O that will be glory. But to dwell below with saints we know, Now that's another story. But it's the story we're called to write with our lives. Love one another." It's Jesus' enduring message to us is clear: Love one another ! My Prayer... Loving Father, I commit to you that I will intentionally show my love for your children in what I do and say. I do this trusting in your grace and the Holy Spirit to empower me to do more loving things and be more loving ...

This is love: not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. — 1 John 4:10 Thoughts on Today's Verse... God loved us first! He sent his Son to save us regardless of our decision to believe or reject his grace. But what does Jesus being an atoning sacrifice for our sins mean? It means that Jesus' sacrifice removes our sins and allows us to be "at one" with God again, presented to the Father by the Son as holy and blameless and above reproach before him ( Colossians 1:22 ). God loved us first! We were once offenders of God's gracious holiness - we were weak, ungodly, sinners, and enemies ( Romans 5:6-10 ) of God and his holiness - yet God paid the cost to bring us back to Himself in holiness and honor. God loved us first! My Prayer... Precious King, God Almighty, why would you love us so much that you would send your Son to die as the atoning sacrifice for our sins? We know that you gave us this gift of love whe...