Posts Tagged ‘love’
The Greatest Commandment
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/The-Greatest-Commandment.mp3 Download Audio by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 22:34-40 I. From among the Pharisees, a lawyer came to Jesus to put him to the test. A. He asked, “Which is the greatest commandment?” B. A difficult question, given the large number of commands found in the Old Testament. 1. How do you decide which is greater than…
Read MorePrecious Things
by Leon Mauldin via Biblical Insights, Vol. 15 No. 2, February 2015 The Word of the Lord I Samuel 3:1 gives the setting for God’s initial calling of young Samuel to the prophetic office: “And the child Samuel ministered unto Jehovah before Eli. And the word of Jehovah was precious in those days; there was…
Read MoreSeven Reasons to Love Others
by Perry Hall God commands it. “Because God said so” must be good enough to obey. But we want more, don’t we? Maybe we should need more reasons! It imitates God. That is the highest motivation. God loved us while we were His enemies (Romans 5:8-10). It helps others (Romans 12:20-21). Just because we do…
Read MorePerversion of the Love of God
by Terry Wane Benton Many want to continue a sinful practice so much that they think they can use the love of God to justify it. God does so love the world that He gave His Son to die for sinners. He loved me while I was yet a sinner (Romans 5:8; John 3:16). But…
Read MoreBy This We Know Love
by Michael Sullivan via Biblical Insights, Vol. 15 No. 1, January 2015 “I love you.” We live in a world that drains these words of their power. Even for many who claim to follow Christ, “love” has come to represent strong emotion and warm feelings toward those who are likeable, those with something to offer. Christians…
Read MoreWithout Christ, All Are Lost
by Floyd Chappalear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 13, No. 4, 1987 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). That love was shown by Jesus Christ when he willingly died for all mankind, even those who participated in his crucifixion. While we were yet…
Read MoreRomanticizing Love
by Terry Wane Benton Different things come to mind when we think of “love.” We often think of love as a feeling of infatuation, where we are walking with our heads in the clouds with a romantic feeling toward someone. But, while that may be pleasant, it is not the kind of love God commands…
Read MoreBut the Greatest of These Is Love
by Aaron Erhardt via Biblical Insight, Vol. 14, No. 9, September 2014 Napoleon once declared, “Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and myself have founded empires, but upon what do these creations of our genius depend? Upon force. Jesus alone founded His empire upon love: and to this very day millions would die for Him.” Indeed, the “empire”…
Read MoreLove versus Grace
by Terry Wane Benton God does indeed love us all. He “so loved the world” that He gave His only Son (John 3:16). But, did you notice that even though He loves all, many will “perish”? Many will go to hell, even though God loves us all. You see, telling people that God loves them…
Read MoreTwo Necessary Things in Christian Parenting
by Jen Venuso Whether or not you make New Year’s resolutions (I’ve been both), you’re likely reflecting on the past and looking forward to the next year. Right now, I’m heavily in the throes of parenting, so much of my reflection settles there. As a bio/foster/adoptive mom to seven kids (plus a few short-term kids),…
Read MoreJesus – Loving, But Not Always Nice
by Chadwick Brewer Jesus was always loving, but He was not always nice. He threw the money changers out of the temple, rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducees, and pronounced woes on entire cities. Jesus, while being the embodiment of God’s love, did not practice an attitude of “I love you just the way you are.” He…
Read MoreYou didn’t show compassion
Question: Hello, The post titled “I grew up in a family that didn’t love or want me. How do I learn to love?” is not compassionate. Many verses are thrown out there, but I don’t see the truth being spoken in love. You are lambasting a broken man. At best, I find this article not…
Read MoreLove for the Brethren
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Love-for-the-Brethren.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreLove or Hate
by Terry Wane Benton If the Law said to “hate your enemies” (via Matthew 5:43), and Jesus was obligated to uphold the Law, then Jesus was obligated to hate His enemies, and He would have sinned if He did not hate his enemies. No! That will not work! Jesus does not contrast His own new…
Read MoreReasons That the Local Church Assembles
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Reasons-that-the-Local-Church-Assembles.mp3 Download Audio by David Bunting Understanding Christ’s Church
Read MoreIs loving God a process over time?
Question: I understand that the process of one becoming a Christian isn’t an overnight decision many times. Of course, it can happen that way, but many begin learning about God at an early age, and as they learn more, they will be baptized into Christ at a teenage year or even older. For some, it…
Read MoreThe Commitment of Love
by Terry Wane Benton Love is not a feeling that may come or go. You don’t fall in and out of it. That is more of infatuation and Eros than the valuable love (agape) that is what keeps couples working to forgive and affirm each other through thick and thin. This kind of love is…
Read MoreTrue Love
by Doy Moyer True love is not about infatuation, mushy feelings, and giddy joy. While these may occasionally attend love, true love is found in the trenches of life. Love is knowing that you have each other’s backs at the end of the day. It’s working through difficulties and not fearing that the next disagreement…
Read MoreIs God All Loving?
Question: Is God all loving? This might be a strange question for a new Christian, but this is legitimately important. The reason I questioned this is because of God saying that these people are abominations, mainly (Leviticus 18:22) and (Deuteronomy 22:5). But as I wrote this, I realized the potential that maybe it was up…
Read MoreLove Does Not Mean Automatic Acceptance
by Terry Wane Benton God loved us at our worst, but that never meant He accepted us all without repentance and change (Romans 5:8; Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38). So, God’s love motivates us to change so that He can accept us into fellowship. Love does not mean automatic acceptance into fellowship. God loves us all,…
Read MoreJesus, the Bridegroom
by Doy Moyer God created Adam and Eve to be husband and wife, cleaving to each other in faithfulness (Genesis 2:24). Here is the beginning of marriage, but marriage was not meant to be an end in itself. Marriage is intended to point to something even greater: God and His people in a covenant relationship…
Read MoreDoes Love Sanctify?
by Adam Litmer The following question was submitted for consideration. “I was recently in a conversation where someone claimed that genuine love sanctifies homosexual relationships. I wasn’t sure how to respond to that in the moment. Would you mind offering some thoughts?” I’m happy to offer a few thoughts. The statement about genuine love “sanctifying”…
Read MoreGod’s Relationship with His People
by Zeke Flores Marriage and its accouterments are often used in Scripture to describe God’s relationship with His people. “I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks…
Read MoreLove versus Trust
by Terry Wane Benton Jesus loved everyone, including the Pharisees, but Jesus did not entrust Himself to everyone He loved. Otherwise, He would not have exited their presence those several times they wanted to capture and kill Him. Dying was on Jesus’ schedule when the time and place were right. Therefore, He loved and wanted…
Read MoreWhat Christianity Is All About
Text: Ephesians 1 https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/What-Christianity-Is-All-About.mp3 by Don Bunting One (or Two) Chapter Lessons
Read MoreCalling Attention to the Heart
by Doy Moyer One can work and not have faith, but one cannot have a living faith and not work. One can do for others and not have love, but one cannot love and not do for others. We may be prone to evaluating the outward works, the visible doing, “but the LORD looks on…
Read MoreYour First Love
by Terry Wane Benton “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love” (Revelation 2:4). The first love was the focused and enthusiastic love they had at the early stages of their conversion. As John in his epistle stated, “We love Him because He first loved us” (I John 4:19) and…
Read MoreThe Christian’s Attributes
by Jefferson David Tant “Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities…
Read More45th Birthday
by Matthew W. Bassford Today is my 45th birthday, a time for reflection if ever there was one. From an earthly perspective, this is a grim milestone indeed. It is almost certainly the last birthday I will ever celebrate. When I was in elementary school, I learned about Huntingdon’s chorea, what they call Huntingdon’s disease…
Read MoreLove the Brethren
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Love-of-the-Brethren.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreLove of God Poured Out in the Heart
by Terry Wane Benton You know the Holy Spirit has poured the love of God in your heart (Romans 5:5) when you have listened to what the Holy Spirit has revealed about it. When you read what the Spirit revealed to Paul (Ephesians 3:3-5), it spills over from Paul’s heart into your heart, and when…
Read MoreThe Hound of Heaven
by Rick Lanning Do you remember this quote? “No one is good but God.” Most readers will immediately think of Jesus’ reply to the rich young ruler who had run to the Lord, fell on his knees, and asked, “Good teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” Christ jolted…
Read MoreTalking with Your Neighbor
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton (Short Talk) Text: Zechariah 8:16-17 I. Undoubtedly there are evil people around us A. There are people who plot the harm of others, even though it disrupts the safety of those around them – Proverbs 3:29 B. This was one of the many problems that led to Israel’s downfall – Micah 2:1-3 C. Typically…
Read MoreGood Neighbors
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Good-Neighbors.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 12:16-21 I. Putting off the old man A. When we become a Christian, we are supposed to become a new person – II Corinthians 5:17 B. We are supposed to have the mind of Christ – Philippians 2:5 C. That isn’t so hard when everything goes well D. But 19th century English…
Read MoreThe Truth About God’s Love
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/The-Truth-About-Gods-Love.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 5 I. The world is filled with varying and confusing ideas about how God loves us. A. Typically the emphasis is placed so heavily on God’s love that many think that God is incapable of a negative thought against anyone. B. Others see God as so remote and unapproachable that…
Read MoreA Life Defined by Love
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/A-Life-Defined-by-Love.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Corinthians 16:13-14 I. The story of Ruth is a popular love story from the Bible A. It isn’t how most people see as a typical love story. 1. She doesn’t go out searching for love but she eventually finds it anyway B. Rather, we see the story of a woman whose…
Read MoreHow can there be love in heaven when sinners are in hell?
Question: Good Evening, Thank you so much for all the resources included on the La Vista Church of Christ website. My son and I have been using these articles for years. Unfortunately, my son is now a wayward Christian, and he asked me the following questions in a recent Bible study that we did together. Can…
Read MoreIs Romans 8:35 about our love for Christ or Christ’s love for us?
Question: Hello, I am going over some studies on the Perseverance of the Saints. I came across one site that stated Romans 8:35 was talking of our love for God and not His love for us. Do you have any insights on this? Answer: In the Greek text, “from the love of Christ” (apo…
Read MoreThe Problem of People
by Doy Moyer While many turn away from God due to some perceived problem with God (e.g., allowing evil to exist), I have found that just as prominent is a problem that they have with those who call themselves Christians. Because Christians have been hypocritical, unloving, divisive, and abusive, some have walked away thinking that…
Read MoreGoing Before and Following After
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Going-Before-and-Following-After.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Timothy 5:21-25 I. The phrase “lay hands upon” in I Timothy 5:22 deals giving your blessing to another person A. Such as when Jacob blessed his grandchildren – Genesis 48:14 B. Such as when someone is appointed to a duty – Acts 6:6; 13:2-3 C. It can also be a sign…
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