Pastor’s Corner.

Thoughts from our leadership.

Love Defined – Audio

Love:Defined – Sermon Notes

Wizard of OZ, pulling back the curtain

Review of the last few sermons:

Four Types of Love mentioned in the Bible

Eros

Refers to physical or sexual love. The word comes from the mythological Greek god of love, Eros, whose Roman counterpart was Cupid. The word “erotic” comes from “eros”.

Philia

Means “affectionate regard, friendship”. It is usually “between equals” and is a dispassionate virtuous love.

Storge

Refers to familial love, such as that of a mother for her baby or of a brother and sister for each other.

Agape

The highest of the four types of love in the Bible. This term defines God’s immeasurable, incomparable love for humankind. It is the divine love that comes from God. Agape love is perfect, unconditional, sacrificial, and pure.

LOVE:DEFINED

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 NLT

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Who Does Love Affect? 

The Tristate of LOVE:  Godly Love, Neighborly Love, Self Love

We talk a lot about the first 2 in church, but barely speak of the 3rd

Love:Defined

WHAT LOVE IS:

Patience – the capacity to accept or tolerate trouble or suffering without getting angry or upset.

Kindness – the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.

WHAT LOVE IS NOT:

NOT Jealous – the feeling or showing of envy of someone or their achievements or advantages.

NOT Boastful/Proud – excessive pride and self-satisfaction in one’s achievements. Possessions or abilities. 

NOT Rude – offensively impolite or ill mannered

NOT Demanding – making others work hard or meet high standards

NOT Irritable – having or showing a tendency to be easily annoyed or made or angry

Does not keep record of being wronged – being unjustly injured (emotionally, spiritually or physically) 

Does not rejoice about Injustice – lack of fairness 

ACTIONS OF LOVE:

It never gives up

Never loses faith

Always Hopeful 

Endures – remains firm under suffering or misfortune without yielding

Luke 15: 11-32

Parable of the Lost Son

11 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. 12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.

13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’

20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.[b]

22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, 26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’

28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, 29 but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. 30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’

31 “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. 32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”

LOVE:DEFINED – THOURGH THE FATHER

LOVE:DEFINED – THROUGH THE BROTHER

LOVE:DEFINED – THOURGH THE PRODICAL SON

Crazy Love – Part 3 – Audio

Crazy Love – Part 2 – Sermon Notes

Part 2 Crazy Love

Andy Stanley said, “Stepping outside your comfort zone is not a careless irresponsibility, but a necessary act of obedience.” 

Obedience | Dictionary of Bible Themes: A willingness to submit to the authority of someone else and to actually do what one is asked or told to do. Scripture lays particular emphasis upon the need for believers to obey God. 

Penned Truth: Every step outside our Comfort Zone requires dying to myself.  Are We?

John 3:30 (ESV) 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

* Self-denial Is Key- deny oneself to grow in our commitment to God.

John Broger- The supreme challenge you will face in making Christ-honoring, biblical changes is dying to self. The biblical perspective concerning “self” is exactly opposite to what the wisdom of this world proclaims.

Romans 12:1 (NLT) 1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

Penned Truth: The sacrifices that come with stepping outside my Comfort Zone aren’t always easy, but they are always worth it.

* Trust Is Key.

Proverbs 3:5 (NLT) 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

* You Will Encounter A Deeper Joy

Psalm 16:11 (ESV) 11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

John 14:21 (ESV) 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

* Miracles 

Penned Truth: Time and time again, when I step out of my Comfort Zone, I see God show up and do miracles.

Final Word: The Deceiver {Satan} would love for you to stand on the sidelines of your life shaking in your boots rather than step outside your comfort zone. Don’t let him win this conflict. I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and experience more of the awesome that is our God. Be obedient and do what God asks you to do. Then, you will begin to see and experience just downright amazing things. I believe you can, but more importantly, God believes you can! When God asks you to step out of your comfort zone, be obedient and follow his will. Give it a shot. Step out of your comfort zone, and the amazing will follow. And the world will know you are crazy in love with Jesus.

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