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Sep 10, 2026 06:00am

This Is Love — God’s Way

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“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35

YES. AMEN.

The crowd roars. This is it. This is what it means to be a Christian. Love one another.

True. But what is love?

I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS

We are often caught between two extremes of “love.”

One extreme emphasizes affirmation, acceptance, and tolerance. This kind of love avoids conflict, correction, and responsibility.

The other extreme emphasizes a right-versus-wrong dogma. It’s not just judgmental; it’s prideful. I’m right. You’re wrong. This kind of love is deafening, lacking sincere compassion, and leads to alienation.

JESUS IS OUR MODEL

Love is NOT giving others what they want.

Love is not GETTING what you want.

Love is giving others what they NEED.

Jesus, our example, modeled love in three principled ways:

• He served others. He met needs with no strings attached. They listened because He cared.

• He spoke truth. He shared unashamedly and compassionately about their sin and His salvation. Not to do so is negligence.

• He sacrificed. The ultimate manifestation of love is sacrifice. We must be willing to die to ourselves so that others can live.

This is the truth of love: It hurts. It’s hard. It’s humbling.

THIS IS LOVE — GOD’S WAY