Displaying Christian Sermons by tag: love

Charles Stanley (March-28-2024) Daily Devotional: The Measure of Our Love.

We don't obey God to prove our love, but when we love Him, we want to obey Him more and more.

John 14:15-24 - ``If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. ``I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. ``I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ``After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.  ``In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. ``He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, ``Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?" Jesus answered and said to him, ``If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. ``He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me.

It’s easy to say we love God, but are you showing by your deeds that you love Him? The old adage is true: Actions speak louder than words. 

The measure of our love is obedience to God’s commands and principles. In fact, Jesus stressed that very point three times in today’s Bible passage (vv. 15, 21, 23). This wasn’t a new concept for the disciples either. They would have been familiar with the scriptural connection between love and obedience (Nehemiah 1:5 - I said, ``I beseech You, O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments,; Daniel 9:4 - I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed and said, ``Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments). In fact, God has always emphasized that the way to show our devotion is by doing what He says (Deuteronomy 8:11 - Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today; Deut.10:12 - Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,; Deuteronomy 13:3-4 - you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. `You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him). 

Halfhearted commitment can look pretty good to others, but God knows the difference. A preacher could preach a thousand sermons without loving God. And as believers, we may lift hands in worship, support missions, and say the right words. But unless we’re following the commands from God’s Word, the most we’re showing Him is lukewarm affection. Works prove nothing. Loving the Lord means obeying Him. 

We are wise, therefore, to follow the Lord’s instructions to Joshua—that is, to meditate on Scripture day and night (Joshua 1:8 - ``This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success). Reading from the Bible daily helps us know how to obey—that is the only way to stay faithful and show the Father our love.

Jack Hibbs (March-21) Weekly Devotional: LOVE LIVED OUT

1 Peter 4:8-10 - “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

I think it’s significant that Peter’s admonition to show fervent love to one another is immediately followed by concrete expressions of that love, “Be hospitable to one another” and “As each one has received a gift, minister it.”

Notice that opening your heart by way of your home isn’t a suggestion. And Peter doesn’t say wait until you have a big, nicely furnished place – quite the opposite. What is needed is a willingness to take what God has supplied and share it. I understand that sharing your personal space might make you feel uncomfortable, but remember, what He has given is meant to be a blessing for you and a benefit to others. 

For some, showing hospitality may be effortless, yet using other spiritual gifts makes you uncomfortable. Believer, take heart – the Lord will never call you to a task that He has not first supplied the power to do.

On our own, we don’t have what it takes to do God’s work, God’s way. 

The follower of Jesus shares and serves from His overflow, not his or her lack.

I encourage you to surrender your fears, insecurities, and the “what-ifs” that plague your thoughts. Rest in the assurance that the Holy Spirit will exchange them for the strength needed to do His will. Commit to stepping out of your comfort zone and watch what happens next. I know you will be amazed and blessed.

Matt Hagee  Sermon: The Sacrifice of Love. There are sacrifices we must make in our personal relationships to achieve what God has for us in our homes, with our families. Marriages take work. Two are better than one. Overcome evil by joining together as a couple with the Holy Spirit, pursuing God’s will.

Watch John MacArthur Sermon - The Triumph of Divine Love.

Charles Stanley (March 16, 2024) Daily Devotional: Building Bridges of Love.

With the Lord’s power, it’s possible to overlook offenses and instead respond with kindness and forgiveness.

1 Peter 3:8-9 - To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.

Since we all have a basic need for unity and connection, today’s scripture is likely to resonate deeply. Calling us to be “harmonious, sympathetic, loving, compassionate, and humble,” these two verses urge us to bless others instead of insulting them or “returning evil for evil.” The passage is an invitation to build bridges of love and understanding in a world that often seems divided.

A few days ago we spoke about faith as a bridge connecting us with God’s promises. Today, let’s use another bridge analogy, this time picturing your life as a way to connect with others by rising above misunderstanding and resentment. Your humility and kindness form pillars that support this bridge. So when others hurl insults, resolve not to retaliate; offering a blessing instead can lead to connection and reconciliation.

Building bridges means choosing love over hatred, forgiveness over resentment, and kindness over cruelty. Our purpose as Christians isn’t to prevail in conflicts but to inherit God’s blessings and extend them to others. So let’s aim to reflect His love and bring healing and unity to those around us.

Rick Warren (March 14, 2024) Daily Devotional: How to Love God With All of You.

“You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” - Mark 12:30 (NLT)

One way to look at today’s verse is to focus on loving God with all your talk, all your feelings, all your thinking, and all your behavior. God shaped you to be primarily a talker, a feeler, a thinker, or a doer.

In Mark 12:30, the Bible says, “You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength” (NLT). 

Talkers love God with their hearts. Feelers love God with their souls. Doers love God with their strength—their bodies.

Did you know you can also love God with your intellect? Thinkers love God with their minds. When you’re developing and strengthening your mind, it is an act of worship.

Thinkers love Bible study. Psalm 119:97 says, “How I love your instruction! It is my meditation all day long” (CSB).

People who are thinkers fall in love with the Bible when they become believers. There is no other book in the world like it! It has the answers to life’s questions, including: Why am I here? Where am I going? What is the purpose of life? Does my life matter? What’s the past? What’s the future? Where did I come from?

We need thinkers because the world needs consideration. Somebody has to be thinking through complex issues and the implications of what the rest of us are doing. We need people who think through tough problems and then bring solutions to the table. That’s why we need scientists, writers, philosophers, and innovators.

But thinkers have to be careful to practice humility. The Bible says, “Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom” (Proverbs 3:7 NLT). Why? Because God is God, and you are not.

Humility is a choice. Not once in the Bible are you told to pray for God to humble you. Instead, you’re told to “humble yourself before the Lord” (James 4:10 ICB). It’s a choice. Humility is something you do to yourself. Nobody else can do it to you. Other people can humiliate you, but they can’t make you humble. In essence, humility is total dependence on God. It’s not denying your strengths; instead, it’s being honest about your weaknesses.

Thinkers also need to be careful to practice what they know. If you know it, then do it! James 1:22 says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (NIV).

Whether God has made you to be a talker, a feeler, a thinker, or a doer, you can rely on his Word as your manual for life. He created you, and he knows the best way for you to live. That’s why he wants you to do things his way! You can trust him!

Talk It Over

  • What do you think it looks like to be honest about your weaknesses? What’s one weakness that you need to be honest about today?
  • Make a list of the things you believe in. Are you acting on those beliefs?
  • How are you developing and strengthening your mind as an act of worship?

Jentezen Franklin (March 10, 2024) Daily Devotional: Put On The Overcoat Of Love.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Colossians 3:12-14

Maybe the greatest miracle of your life will come when you choose to release forgiveness. Being hurt by someone is a reality, but bitterness is a reaction. Things are going to happen to you that you don’t deserve, and you may even have cause to be angry, but if you want to be like Jesus, you have to choose to put on the “overcoat of love.” 

Everybody has the potential to make you mad sooner or later, but the Bible says to put up with each other. Trouble is inevitable, but misery is optional. People are going to wrong you, so you may decide ahead of time that you are going to let it go. Being angry and holding grudges gives the enemy a foothold. The Bible tells us to be angry and sin not. Satan cannot operate in the presence of forgiveness. And scripture encourages us  - Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath.

Jesus chose to forgive Judas. Even when He knew Judas would betray Him, He called him “friend.” Jesus also said of those torturing Him, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” When Jesus was crucified, and God’s forgiveness for the world was released, tremendous power was released! The earth shook, and even death itself loosened its hold on many who were in the grave. Satan lost complete control of his plan in the presence of absolute forgiveness. 

Forgiveness is not some small thing in the Bible. It is the main thing. Jesus said the greatest commandments were to love the Lord your God and to love one another. You will have to give an account of your words and attitude one day. Decide today that you will “make allowances for others’ faults,” knowing that Jesus has been merciful in dealing with you.

Put On The Overcoat Of Love. Better Together - Jentezen Franklin Sunday Sermon. The most important piece of clothing you can put on is the overcoat of love. Trouble is inevitable, but misery is optional. You can only overcome that pain and hurt by putting on the overcoat of love. Love covers a multitude of sins.

 

Rick Warren (March-07-2024) Daily Devotional: The Best Time to Love Is Now - Daily Hope.

“Whenever you possibly can, do good to those who need it. Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now.” - Proverbs 3:27-28 (GNT)

We’ve been looking at the truths you need to remember if you want to focus your life and strengthen your relationships. We’ve learned that the best use of life is love and that the best expression of love is time. The third truth is this: The best time to love is now.

Proverbs 3:27-28 says, “Whenever you possibly can, do good to those who need it. Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now” (GNT).

Why is now the best time to express love? Because you don’t know how long you’re going to get the opportunity to show love. Circumstances change. People die. Children grow up and leave home. You’re not guaranteed tomorrow. If you’re going to express love, you’d better do it now.

Charles Colson and George McGovern were at opposite extremes in the political spectrum. In fact, in the 1972 presidential campaign, they worked on opposite sides. But they both ended up with the same regret.

Colson wrote, “As I think back on my life, my biggest regret is not spending more time with the kids. Making family your top priority means going against the culture where materialism and workaholism are rampant. It means realizing you may not advance as fast in your career as some do. It means being willing to accept a lower standard of living, knowing that you’re doing the right thing for your children, giving them the emotional security that they will draw on for the rest of their lives.”

McGovern wrote a book about his daughter Terry, who died of alcoholism in 1994. After the tragedy, McGovern poured over Terry’s diaries and discovered that he was not as good a father as he thought he’d been. While he was spending 18-hour days fighting for political causes, Terry was at home writing in her diary that she missed her daddy but that he probably didn’t miss her because he probably didn’t care about her. McGovern wrote in his advice to parents, “Show more love to your kids by spending more time with them, especially during the adolescent years—no matter what it costs your career. That way neither of you will have regrets.

“I’d give everything I have for one more afternoon with Terry, just to tell her how much I love her and have one more of those happy times that we used to have all too infrequently.”

Friend, the question is not if you’re ever going to regret a frantic, overloaded, stressed-to-the-limit lifestyle. The only question is when. When it’s too late? After your family has fallen apart? After your children are grown? Look around at the people in your life. The time to love them is now.

That’s worth repeating: The best time to love is right now. How would your life change if you lived out this truth each day?

Talk It Over

  • Who do you need to start spending more time with?
  • What do you need to cut out of your schedule to make time to love the people in your life?
  • What financial sacrifice do you need to make for things that really count?

Rick Warren (March-05-2024) Daily Devotional: The Best Use of Life Is Love - Daily Hope. 

“Let love be your highest goal!” - 1 Corinthians 14:1 (NLT)

Human beings have an amazing capacity to both remember and forget. We remember every single little hurt we’ve ever experienced—but we forget the lessons those hurts taught us. And so, we end up needing to learn the same lessons over and over again.

That’s why we need to learn to pray like David: “Teach us to use wisely all the time we have” (Psalm 90:12 CEV).

Over the next few days, we’re going to look at three truths we often learn about life and relationships—but then too quickly forget.

These three truths will help you focus your life and reduce overload. If you practice and apply them, you’ll have a healthier life. You’ll have a happier family. You’ll have a more productive business. And if all of us would follow these truths, the world would experience more meaningful, committed relationships.

Today we’ll start with the first truth: The best use of life is love.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 14:1, “Let love be your highest goal!” (NLT) In other words, make love your number one priority. Make it your primary objective. Make it your greatest ambition. Make it your life purpose. Don’t say, “One of the things I want in life is loving relationships.” Don’t just put it in your “Top 10.” Make it number one!

Why does God say to make love your highest goal? There are two reasons:

First, God says that love is what life is all about. The Bible says, “No matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love” (1 Corinthians 13:3 The Message). It is amazing to me that so often we act as if loving relationships are something we’ll squeeze into our schedules—if we can. Instead of making quality time with the people in our lives a priority, we fit it into the margins. But for God, loving relationships aren’t just an important part of life. God says loving relationships are life. Life is all about love.

Second, God says you need to focus on love because love is one of the only things that will last: “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT). Do you want to leave a legacy after you die? Do you want to make a difference with your life? Do you want to make a positive influence on this world that outlasts you? Fill your life with love.

Each day you’re faced with one decision after another about how to spend your life. It’s always right to choose love. You are most like Jesus when you chose love.

Talk It Over

  • What priority do loving relationships have in your life? What is the evidence?
  • If you were to die today, what would others say is the legacy you left behind? Would it have anything to do with the way you loved people?
  • What are some practical ways you can love others well?
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