Just Love… Period.

“But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question:

“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”
Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”” – Matthew 22:34-40 (NLT)

Love.  Love God; Wholly and completely.  Love others; as deeply and personally as if it were yourself.  Just Love… Period.

In this powerful and defining response to his critics, Jesus made it very clear what our primary directive as God’s Children is; to Love.  Not to “kind of” love, not to just “like”, not to criticize, judge or condemn, but to love… openly, unabashedly, and fervently.

Reach out and share God’s overwhelming and uncompromising love today!

Approach With Importunity

“And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” – Luke 11:9-10 (ESV)

In this exposition on prayer, Jesus encourages us to approach God with importunity and the certainty that our prayers will be heard.  As we would come to a close friend in a time of need, our Heavenly Father desires us to lay aside our pride and doubt, and to confidently seek His guidance and aid.

The Definition of Grace

“So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” – Hebrews 4:14-16 (NLT)

Jesus understands.  He knows of our fears, experienced our temptations and assumed punishment for our sins in the most powerful act of radical love possible.  He knows we’re flawed, and broken, yet nonetheless He laid the path for us to boldly approach Him with our petitions of forgiveness; such is the true definition of Grace.

The Blind Leading the Blind

“He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. “” – Luke 6:39-40 (NLT)

To properly relay and teach the Good News of Christ’s Message, it’s important that we enlighten ourselves as to His intent and desires for our lives.  Through spending time in God’s Word, encompassing our days in prayer and reaching out in radical love and service to others, we gain the true meaning of Jesus’ teachings in our hearts, and can then more effectively deliver that hope to those around us.

From Our Very Foundations

“And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”” – Mark 12:41-44 (ESV)

As this widow’s act of true faithfulness and sacrifice illustrated to Jesus’ disciples, we are not called to simply contribute to God from our excess, but from our very foundations.  Whether it’s financially supporting His Work thorough the church, or setting our wants aside to assist with someone else’s needs, Jesus calls us to reach out in radical love and place His directives for us at the forefront of our hearts.