“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.“
Deuteronomy 6:5
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. ”
1 John 4:18-19
–
DECEMBER 30, 2024
Merry Christmas! Is your tree still up? I’m a stickler for the 12 days of Christmas. I try to let Advent hold space until the 24th, and then it’s finally time to celebrate Christmas. So while the radio stations and shopping malls have moved on, this is just the 6th day of a 12 day celebration. I’m here for the long haul.
In the middle of it, though, comes New Years, the turning of the calendar from one year to the next. The topic for this coming Sunday is Love God, and I can’t imagine a better place to begin the New Year…or to end the current year.
But while it is meaningful for us to end and begin the year reflecting on our love for God, there’s something that must come first.
1 John says that we love God because He first loved us. John explains that God’s love changes everything: this radical gift moves us from a life of obedience based in fear to a life of freedom, joy, and empowerment to obey and live fully because of His perfect love.
Before we dig into the command to love God, let’s start here.
Questions for reflection and discussion:
- Have you received God’s love?
- Has God’s love changed the platform of your life from fear to abundant life?
- If so, take a moment to rejoice in the freedom His love brings. If not, would you open your hands, heart, and mind to this love today?
Church Reading Plan: Malachi 3; John 20