Sermon Notes

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35

I have been mulling over these verses along with some of Pastor Ryan's teaching points since Sunday, and I know they couldn't have come at a better time. All day tomorrow, Joel and I will again be part of the legal process associated with the situation that occurred June 2, 2005. As a mother, my flesh wants to cry out "how dare you," but my spirit desires to obey the Lord. So, the following points speak directly to my heart as I prepare for tomorrow's event:

• Christian love has Christ's sacrificial love as its model.
  
• Without love, the church is not attractive, and it's also not credible to the watching world.
• To fulfill the church's missionary calling to advance the kingdom, believers must be credible themselves. Too often we drag Christ's name through the mud by our actions, causing the world to dismiss our message.
• What we believe ought to compel us to a life of love, proving God's grace and the truth of His Word.
• God's law has always been love - what makes this "new" is that it is completely exemplified by Christ. The cross is the center of how we should live our lives.
• A Christian's love should be a forgiving love, a praying love, a proactive love, doing all things in light of Christ's love for me.
  

"For the love of God compels us, because we judge thus; that if One died for all, then all died; And He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again." II Corinthians 5:14-15