Today's sermon, "Loved First, Love Well," focused on the foundational truth that God's love for us is the key to loving others well. The main passage, 1 John 4:19-21, calls us to love because we were first loved by God.
Key Points:
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God’s Love is the Foundation of Our Love – Real love is demonstrated by God sending His Son to die for us while we were still sinners (1 John 4:10). Only by experiencing God's unconditional love can we truly love others.
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Loving Others is a Direct Response to God’s Love – Loving others is not an obligation but a response to God's love. Jesus commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39). Our love is meant to reflect God’s love to the world, demonstrating His presence in us.
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Loving Others Reveals Our Relationship with God – Our love for others is evidence of our relationship with God. If we claim to love God but don’t love others, we are not being truthful (1 John 4:20). Forgiveness and love go hand in hand, and loving others, even when it’s hard, reflects God’s transformative grace.
