WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.319 Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast. 00:00:02.479 --> 00:00:07.040 We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ. 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:08.640 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:20.480 --> 00:00:23.199 Well, we're in a series called Bad Advice. 00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:30.879 It's a series, not it's a relationship series, not like a dating series or a married series. 00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:36.000 It's about all relationships because we have this deep relational desire. 00:00:36.159 --> 00:00:38.320 It's intrinsic to every single person. 00:00:38.560 --> 00:00:41.600 It's part of your design by God. 00:00:41.679 --> 00:00:50.640 And this desire is simply this to have a life-giving, intimate, character-shaping relationship that has this rugged commitment to one another. 00:00:50.719 --> 00:00:52.880 That's what we want, that's what we long for. 00:00:53.439 --> 00:00:54.640 That's what we're pursuing. 00:00:54.880 --> 00:01:01.679 We've been asking this question how in the world do you have or experience those kinds of relationships? 00:01:02.159 --> 00:01:05.519 And we've been covering really what is bad advice. 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:18.239 Things or ideas that we accept that are actually undermining the very flourishing of our relationships, that are undermining the life-giving, intimate, character-shaping longing that we have. 00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:20.640 And we looked at, you know, live your truth. 00:01:20.799 --> 00:01:22.319 You deserve happiness. 00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:25.200 You know, um, you're missing out. 00:01:25.359 --> 00:01:29.599 Uh today we're looking at um this one, just love me. 00:01:29.840 --> 00:01:33.680 Would you go ahead and turn to the person next to you and just say, just love me? 00:01:38.799 --> 00:01:40.239 That was awkward. 00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:42.319 That was weird. 00:01:43.599 --> 00:01:47.599 You're like, I I I sat in the wrong place today, Ryan. 00:01:49.200 --> 00:01:53.200 And others of you like, I've been wanting to say that forever. 00:01:53.519 --> 00:01:55.920 I just this was amazing. 00:01:57.439 --> 00:01:58.640 Just love me. 00:01:59.040 --> 00:02:09.599 54 days after our wedding, 48 days after our honeymoon from hell, Jenny and I celebrated our very first Valentine's Day together. 00:02:09.759 --> 00:02:17.439 Now, we dated long distance, whether it's from Chicago to San Luis Obispo or Chicago to um Sweden. 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:20.800 And so we were never in the same place for Valentine's Day. 00:02:20.879 --> 00:02:26.639 So our very first Valentine's Day was the beginning of our marriage together. 00:02:26.719 --> 00:02:30.400 And we're living in downtown Chicago, and I wanted it to be perfect. 00:02:30.560 --> 00:02:31.680 And so I had this plan. 00:02:31.759 --> 00:02:33.039 I picked Jenny up from work. 00:02:33.199 --> 00:02:49.120 We came back to our apartments on the seventh floor, right downtown, and we get up there, and I had, you know, candles lit on our IKEA table right there, and I had flowers, and we had chocolate, and I had uh the new Nora Jones album, you know, come away with me. 00:02:49.280 --> 00:02:50.639 Yeah, I was a baller. 00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:52.400 I yeah, it was good. 00:02:53.280 --> 00:02:56.159 And like everything was starting out amazing. 00:02:56.240 --> 00:02:57.039 This was so good. 00:02:57.199 --> 00:03:01.280 And so I'm gonna take her out on a romantic dinner that night. 00:03:01.439 --> 00:03:02.879 And so she gets dressed up. 00:03:03.039 --> 00:03:07.599 I get dressed up, and we go down the elevator and we walk uh over to Rush Street. 00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:18.639 And if you've been to Chicago, you know Rush Street is this um incredible street with all these wonderful, fancy restaurants and walking downtown, and there's lines outside of all of them. 00:03:18.800 --> 00:03:22.479 I can only imagine what Jenny's thinking, looking at which one is it, you know? 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:27.919 And I remember this distinctly as we were passing on on the other side, we see Norm from Cheers. 00:03:28.319 --> 00:03:29.439 Anybody remember Norm? 00:03:29.599 --> 00:03:33.520 Uh yeah, he's waiting outside to get into one of these restaurants, right? 00:03:33.599 --> 00:03:34.960 And I'm like, what's up, Norm? 00:03:35.039 --> 00:03:41.919 Uh, and we so we keep going and we stop right on this corner of Rush, and and I'm like, we're here. 00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:43.360 And she says, We're here where? 00:03:43.439 --> 00:03:48.080 Well, where we're gonna eat, and she looks up, and it's Johnny Rockets. 00:03:51.360 --> 00:04:07.680 And and I can tell by her eyes and look, I wasn't, you know, too far into the marriage so far, but a keen awareness of you know, intuitive knowing exactly where she was at, that this was a miss. 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:13.439 You know, I see her eyes drop, and I go, you know what, we can go somewhere else. 00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:21.279 The reality is we couldn't, like Taco Bell at this point, honestly, on a uh in Valentine's Day, and she's like, No, it's fine. 00:04:21.920 --> 00:04:23.600 It wasn't fine. 00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:27.839 We walk into the Johnny Rockets, and there's only one other table. 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:40.639 It's a uh grandparents with grandkids, and then there's us coming into it, and the gal who was our waitress happened to go to my school, and I see her, she says hi, and she's like, literally says this. 00:04:40.720 --> 00:04:44.720 Oh, I didn't think anyone would actually take us up on the Valentine's Day special. 00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:47.759 Thank you very much. 00:04:47.920 --> 00:04:49.600 Just shut up and show us our table. 00:04:49.759 --> 00:04:50.879 That's what I wanted to say. 00:04:51.040 --> 00:04:52.079 I didn't say that. 00:04:52.319 --> 00:04:59.040 And so, you know, we we go to our table and we order um, you know, a burger and chili cheese fries. 00:04:59.199 --> 00:05:01.040 One, you need to know a couple things. 00:05:01.199 --> 00:05:03.279 One, my wife loves chili cheese fries. 00:05:03.360 --> 00:05:05.360 So I'm like, they have wonderful chili cheese fries. 00:05:05.519 --> 00:05:12.639 The other thing is my wife really loved at that time 50s style, 50s genre, all things 50s. 00:05:12.879 --> 00:05:16.000 We grew up in Santa Cruz, we didn't have a Johnny Rockets. 00:05:16.240 --> 00:05:17.199 I'm like, this is amazing. 00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:19.199 This place is all about the 50s. 00:05:19.360 --> 00:05:29.680 And so here I in my mind I'm thinking this not only fits within our budget, but it fits like her like 50s and all this sort of things, and it'll be really special. 00:05:30.319 --> 00:05:32.800 I was right about it fitting in our budget. 00:05:32.959 --> 00:05:35.439 Um, that was about it, you know. 00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:48.319 So we sit there and we're having a conversation, and it it just started to feel inside, just about as cold as it felt outside in the Chicago winter, and it got quieter and quieter. 00:05:48.480 --> 00:05:52.959 And eventually Jenny just says, Can we um can we just go home? 00:05:53.199 --> 00:05:59.279 And so then I say this because uh I'm just really mature and connected. 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:02.720 Say, well, at least can we get a milkshake? 00:06:04.240 --> 00:06:12.079 Because if I'm gonna have a bad night, I want to have a milkshake and kind of make up for this bad night. 00:06:12.480 --> 00:06:27.519 Well, we went home milkshakeless, facing opposite directions as we fell asleep, and that was our very first Valentine's Day together. 00:06:27.839 --> 00:06:39.360 Now, now the one good thing about it was I set the bar so low for every future Valentine's Day. 00:06:40.240 --> 00:06:44.639 You know, we live in a culture obsessed with love, don't we? 00:06:45.279 --> 00:06:50.560 We have a day, Valentine's Day, where we celebrate love, TV, movies, songs. 00:06:50.720 --> 00:06:52.480 It's all about love. 00:06:52.720 --> 00:06:55.680 And we say things like this just love me. 00:06:56.240 --> 00:06:57.759 Don't change me. 00:06:58.800 --> 00:07:03.040 Like, wouldn't the world be a better place if we just love one another? 00:07:03.199 --> 00:07:07.279 Love's the most powerful force on the planet. 00:07:08.319 --> 00:07:14.480 You know, love, we don't say this anymore, but it's kind of what we think, makes the world go round. 00:07:14.720 --> 00:07:22.560 And we have this idea and this infatuation with love, and we're constantly falling in and out of it. 00:07:22.800 --> 00:07:28.879 I'm falling in in love, I'm falling out of love, and we're looking for love, and we're hoping for it, longing for it. 00:07:29.360 --> 00:07:39.920 And built into the modern uh idea of love is this promise, and it's what we're pursuing, what we're looking for, what we're kind of actually running after. 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:47.600 And it goes something like this when I fall in love, then everything will fall into place, right? 00:07:48.160 --> 00:07:50.399 When I fall in love, when I find Mr. 00:07:50.560 --> 00:07:56.720 Perfect, when I find Miss Right, then everything will fall into place. 00:07:57.040 --> 00:08:04.000 Said another way, when I find the right person, then everything will work out right. 00:08:04.560 --> 00:08:12.800 And so we have this kind of formula find the right person, fall in love, live happily ever after. 00:08:13.040 --> 00:08:17.519 And we're on the search, and it maybe if you've been watching The Bachelor, I saw an episode this last week. 00:08:17.600 --> 00:08:18.480 It's a confession moment. 00:08:18.560 --> 00:08:23.279 I'm sorry, I just had to get that off my chest, and it's all talking talking about what? 00:08:23.519 --> 00:08:25.040 Finding my person. 00:08:25.680 --> 00:08:27.680 I'm constantly finding my person. 00:08:27.839 --> 00:08:28.720 That's how we talk about it. 00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:32.960 It's my person, like as if you're a possessive thing that's mine, my person. 00:08:33.200 --> 00:08:39.519 I gotta find the right person, fall in love, and then we'll live happily ever after. 00:08:39.679 --> 00:08:45.759 But here's the question what happens when you don't live happily ever after? 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:48.159 When things don't work out right. 00:08:48.720 --> 00:08:57.279 Well, we re-reo we reverse or re-engineer the love promise, right? 00:08:57.919 --> 00:09:03.519 If everything doesn't work out right, then I must have married the wrong person. 00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:13.039 And so then we go looking for our person over and over again. 00:09:14.159 --> 00:09:25.840 You know, I think one of the questions we have to wrestle with, if love really is the most powerful force on the planet, why isn't it more resilient? 00:09:27.679 --> 00:09:29.519 Why isn't it more sturdy? 00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:32.720 I mean, why do we fall in and out of it? 00:09:32.879 --> 00:09:34.399 Do you ever think about that? 00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:39.519 Like we talk about falling in love, and I was just thinking about this. 00:09:39.679 --> 00:09:46.080 Like I can't think of any other thing that we talk about falling in a positive way. 00:09:47.279 --> 00:09:47.919 Right? 00:09:48.720 --> 00:09:56.320 When we talk about someone who got uh hoodwinked or, you know, they they got deceived. 00:09:56.399 --> 00:09:58.320 I mean, they fell for it. 00:09:59.360 --> 00:10:04.720 Someone fell off the wagon, and then we fall in love. 00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:10.480 If love's so powerful, why isn't it more resilient? 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:15.039 Why do we fall in and out of love so much? 00:10:15.440 --> 00:10:18.159 Why is it so fickle? 00:10:18.320 --> 00:10:23.120 See, I'd like to suggest the problem actually isn't love, and we were gonna talk about love. 00:10:23.519 --> 00:10:28.720 The problem is actually how we define love and how we use the word love. 00:10:29.679 --> 00:10:42.080 You know, part fundamental to the human condition for you and for me is a deep, God-given design to not only be love, but to give love. 00:10:42.159 --> 00:10:53.200 And so if we don't define love really well, we're gonna end up at destinations we never desired and down past we never dreamed because we've not defined love well. 00:10:53.360 --> 00:10:56.480 Here's what's fascinating when we're talking about our definition of love. 00:10:56.720 --> 00:11:04.159 Miriam Webster, this is how, you know, the preeminent one who defines all things for us today defines love. 00:11:04.240 --> 00:11:08.720 It defines it as a noun, defines it as a force, defines it as a thing. 00:11:09.039 --> 00:11:23.200 Love is a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person or attraction that includes sexual desires, the strong affection felt by people who have a romantic relationship, a person you have, uh, the person you love in a romantic way. 00:11:23.360 --> 00:11:24.639 It's this force. 00:11:25.120 --> 00:11:27.360 And maybe you've experienced it. 00:11:27.600 --> 00:11:38.159 Like you saw him or her across the quad or across the office or at the gym, and all of a sudden you couldn't get them off your mind, and it's just like your heart went pitter patter. 00:11:39.200 --> 00:11:47.039 Only animals' feet go pitter patter, and something about Santa Claus and the rooftop, uh, and then our hearts go pitter patter. 00:11:47.120 --> 00:11:47.840 You're like, what? 00:11:48.080 --> 00:11:49.919 Like, I don't understand that part. 00:11:50.720 --> 00:12:00.559 But your heart all of a sudden begins to beat faster, and you have this like, oh my gosh, I'm in love, and it happened to me, and I can't do anything about it. 00:12:00.639 --> 00:12:03.200 It just takes you over. 00:12:04.399 --> 00:12:07.519 It's this force, it's this thing. 00:12:07.840 --> 00:12:09.919 It comes and it goes. 00:12:10.080 --> 00:12:14.399 And then the way we use the word love, think about this. 00:12:14.879 --> 00:12:17.440 We use the word love for everything. 00:12:18.080 --> 00:12:19.360 At least I do. 00:12:20.799 --> 00:12:22.799 I happen to love the Dallas Cowboys. 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:24.240 I know some of you don't love that. 00:12:24.320 --> 00:12:30.159 I love the Dallas Cowboys, but I love the Dallas Cowboys, and yes, I'm used to disappointment. 00:12:30.399 --> 00:12:34.399 Um, I also love tacos. 00:12:36.399 --> 00:12:40.159 Praise the shepherd, above the Dallas Cowboys. 00:12:40.559 --> 00:12:42.399 And I love my kids. 00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:50.080 And I use the same word for all of those, and tacos and kids are really close, but kids edged out. 00:12:50.240 --> 00:13:00.399 And here's the interesting part is you know, I mean something radically different by those, and yet we use the same word for all of them, and as a result, it loses its force, doesn't it? 00:13:00.639 --> 00:13:04.480 It loses its punch, it loses its power, its significance. 00:13:05.279 --> 00:13:15.440 You know, um, one of the incredible things about when the New Testament was written is uh the it was written in Koine Greek. 00:13:15.519 --> 00:13:20.799 It was the trade language at the time, and so most people would know at least two languages in that day. 00:13:21.039 --> 00:13:36.480 They would know their own kind of local dialect, like Jesus and his disciples would speak Aramaic, and they would know Koine Greek, this is the trade language, and so the New Testament's written in Greek, and Greek uh the Greek language has multiple words for love, which is wonderful. 00:13:36.559 --> 00:13:43.120 They don't just assign one word, it has multiple words, and there's four primary words for love. 00:13:43.279 --> 00:13:48.720 And what I want to do with our time is talk about how do we experience a love that's resilient? 00:13:49.360 --> 00:13:53.679 How do you have a love that can withstand the storms of life? 00:13:53.840 --> 00:13:59.039 And so, first, let's begin to define love really well. 00:13:59.279 --> 00:14:02.879 Well, let's look at those four loves that we find in Greek. 00:14:03.039 --> 00:14:10.000 The first love is the Greek word storge, and some of you might be familiar with these four loves because of a Super Bowl ad two years ago. 00:14:10.240 --> 00:14:15.679 Storge is familial love, a natural or instinctual affection. 00:14:15.759 --> 00:14:20.320 It's the love of a parent for a kid or siblings for one another. 00:14:20.799 --> 00:14:30.879 And as we look at these loves, the one thing that I want you to think about is what is the foundational uh love that you have uh that you're building your life upon? 00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:36.399 See, many parents, we can build our foundational love on our kids. 00:14:36.720 --> 00:14:39.360 And it feels good in that moment, it's wonderful. 00:14:39.600 --> 00:14:44.799 And yet, what we've seen over and over is marriages fall apart after the kids leave the house. 00:14:44.960 --> 00:14:45.200 Why? 00:14:45.279 --> 00:14:47.519 Because the foundation of their love was the kids. 00:14:47.679 --> 00:14:52.480 And they looked at one another and they didn't have anything in common. 00:14:52.720 --> 00:14:54.399 Storgay love, this familiar love. 00:14:54.559 --> 00:14:55.759 The second one is eros. 00:14:56.399 --> 00:15:01.360 It's this physical or sexual love, a deep feeling of attraction and sexual desire. 00:15:01.840 --> 00:15:06.559 This is often what we mean when we're talking about falling in love and all of this in our culture today. 00:15:06.720 --> 00:15:07.440 We mean eros. 00:15:08.080 --> 00:15:10.080 It's this idea of passion and desire. 00:15:10.159 --> 00:15:11.600 It's really good, it's wonderful. 00:15:11.840 --> 00:15:15.919 God created it, He's not down on it at all. 00:15:16.559 --> 00:15:30.960 And yet the problem and the challenge is this if this is the foundation of your love, at some point, at some point the feelings or the passion fades and comes in and out, and as soon as the attraction is lost, love is gone. 00:15:31.360 --> 00:15:46.240 Isn't it true that you know the passion or the desire or maybe even lust got you into that relation, got you into his or her bed, and then we blame, we blame love to get us out of it. 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:48.720 I well, I just fell out of love. 00:15:49.039 --> 00:15:56.159 Storge, eros, then phileo, friendship or companionship love, a close association or affection. 00:15:56.240 --> 00:15:57.360 It's wonderful. 00:15:57.600 --> 00:16:01.919 In many ways, we're losing our phileo and our culture and our DNA. 00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:03.360 It's a longing, it's a desire. 00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:08.559 And yet, if it becomes the foundation, it can often build a codependency on one another. 00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:28.799 Now, the New Testament writers, and Paul in particular, he actually took a Greek word, and many of you already know this Greek word, and he began to use it exclusively and define it particularly for a type of love in the way that God loved us and how we are to love one another. 00:16:28.879 --> 00:16:30.080 And that's the Greek word. 00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:30.879 Help me out. 00:16:31.440 --> 00:16:32.000 Agape. 00:16:32.240 --> 00:16:32.720 Yeah, you know this. 00:16:32.879 --> 00:16:34.000 Agape love. 00:16:34.240 --> 00:16:38.720 Agape love is this unconditional, sacrificial love. 00:16:38.960 --> 00:16:42.960 It's a love marked by giving and not getting. 00:16:43.200 --> 00:16:51.360 Now, as we talk about unconditional, when we think of unconditional our day, we're talking about just love me, don't change me. 00:16:51.759 --> 00:16:52.080 Right? 00:16:52.240 --> 00:16:55.360 Don't change me, just love me, accept me for me. 00:16:55.679 --> 00:17:01.440 Now, every good parent has unconditional love for their kids, right? 00:17:01.759 --> 00:17:03.200 They love their kids. 00:17:03.279 --> 00:17:05.519 It's their unconditional love. 00:17:05.759 --> 00:17:13.680 It doesn't mean that they think, well, I'm just gonna accept you for you and not want you to grow and get better, right? 00:17:14.000 --> 00:17:20.160 I can have unconditional for my love and not accept the tantrum that's happening in front of me. 00:17:20.480 --> 00:17:21.119 Why? 00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:29.839 Because out of love, you know that if they are always doing that, they will not uh, you know, grow up and live a good life, right? 00:17:30.640 --> 00:17:41.920 See, unconditional love actually loves you, meets you right where you're at, accepts you right where you're at, loves you, but wants the very best for you, and so longs to help you grow and become the person you were designed to be. 00:17:42.160 --> 00:17:45.039 It doesn't leave you where you're at. 00:17:45.359 --> 00:17:50.319 Now, the greatest definition we have for love comes out of 1 Corinthians chapter 13. 00:17:50.480 --> 00:17:54.720 We know it as the love passage or the love um chapter in the Bible. 00:17:54.880 --> 00:18:05.680 And the problem with the love chapter is that we hear it so often at weddings, it loses our punch and it gets too like, you know, um mushy, I guess. 00:18:05.920 --> 00:18:11.839 And many of you have been at probably a hundred weddings since COVID happened and like this last year, people get gathered. 00:18:11.920 --> 00:18:14.079 So you've probably heard this so many times. 00:18:14.319 --> 00:18:16.559 I want you to listen to it afresh. 00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:21.519 This is this is how God views love. 00:18:21.680 --> 00:18:23.599 He's saying, this is the foundation. 00:18:23.839 --> 00:18:36.799 If we want to be a people of love, if you want to love that withstands the storms of life, this is the type of love that you build a foundation that all those other loves are built upon, that all those other loves flourish in. 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:39.119 Notice how the apostle Paul begins. 00:18:39.279 --> 00:18:41.920 He begins with two things about what love is. 00:18:42.079 --> 00:18:43.680 He only gives us two, by the way. 00:18:43.920 --> 00:18:44.880 This is what love is. 00:18:44.960 --> 00:18:50.480 He tells us a lot of things that love is not, or that love doesn't do, but only two of what it is. 00:18:50.720 --> 00:18:55.359 Love is patient, and love is kind. 00:18:56.079 --> 00:19:11.119 That word patient, it means to bear up under provocation without complaint, to be even tempered, even in trying to circumstances. 00:19:11.359 --> 00:19:12.640 This is what love is. 00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:14.799 This is what love does. 00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:18.480 This long-suffering, and then it's kind. 00:19:19.039 --> 00:19:24.480 There's a mercifulness, there's a kindness, there's a gentleness, there's a considerateness. 00:19:25.119 --> 00:19:33.039 It's like if you want to know what love is, it has this patience, and then it has this kindness to it. 00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:36.880 And if you want to know what love doesn't do, let me tell you. 00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:47.039 Oh, it doesn't envy, it doesn't look at what others have and be upset that they have it or wish that you had it. 00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:58.319 It's not jealous, it doesn't boast, it doesn't have to heap praise on yourself, make much of yourself. 00:19:58.880 --> 00:20:08.000 It's not proud, it's not inflated with one's own importance where I have to be the center. 00:20:09.440 --> 00:20:12.400 It doesn't dishonor others. 00:20:12.640 --> 00:20:14.880 There's no shame in love's game. 00:20:16.400 --> 00:20:18.640 It doesn't disrespect others. 00:20:18.880 --> 00:20:29.359 I mean, just think about what would change in the way we post and the way we talk about even those we disagree with if we said we're not gonna dishonor you. 00:20:29.599 --> 00:20:33.920 Remember, Jesus said, Love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you. 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:39.119 So even the people that you disagree with fundamentally says, I'm not gonna dishonor you. 00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:45.519 Like, imagine what a world we'd be in if we just lived that out. 00:20:45.599 --> 00:20:47.839 I'm not gonna dishonor you. 00:20:48.400 --> 00:20:50.319 I'm not gonna shame you. 00:20:50.640 --> 00:20:58.079 It's not self-seeking, it doesn't insist on their own way, it doesn't make sure it gets what it wants. 00:20:58.240 --> 00:21:18.000 It's not self-absorbed, it's not easily angered, it's not easily irritated, it's not easily provoked, it keeps no records of wrong, it doesn't keep score, it doesn't hold over your head things you've done in the past. 00:21:18.880 --> 00:21:21.599 There's no resentment or bitterness. 00:21:22.160 --> 00:21:26.559 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 00:21:26.880 --> 00:21:42.319 Love does not delight in injustice, love does not delight in wrongdoing, love speaks up for the voiceless, love speaks up for those that are being wronged, it speaks up for that's what is true and good and godly. 00:21:43.039 --> 00:21:46.400 It always protects, always trusts. 00:21:47.359 --> 00:21:59.759 Protecting to be safe and consistent, trust, it believes the best, gives the most generous explanation, it always hopes, longs for the very best, and always persevere, it never gives up. 00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:03.279 Endures through the heart. 00:22:03.519 --> 00:22:06.079 I want you to circle that word always. 00:22:06.400 --> 00:22:15.440 When we think about love, and in particular when we're thinking about relationships, much of the way we love is contractual. 00:22:17.599 --> 00:22:22.160 A contract that says, if I do this, then you need to do that. 00:22:22.640 --> 00:22:28.079 And if you don't hold up your end of the bargain, then I'm out as well. 00:22:28.799 --> 00:22:36.160 I talk about this when I do weddings all the time, is that a lot of times we think about it, even a wedding, is like a phone contract, right? 00:22:36.400 --> 00:22:39.839 And you have this phone contract and you got into the phone contract. 00:22:39.920 --> 00:22:40.079 Why? 00:22:40.240 --> 00:22:45.200 Because it sounded really great and they had good deals, but you didn't see all the secret hidden fees. 00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:50.400 And then you're looking for ways to get out of the contract. 00:22:51.039 --> 00:22:57.200 And then finally, another contract, another phone dealer will say, Hey, I'll pay for you to get out of it to come to us. 00:22:58.160 --> 00:22:59.440 And so you do. 00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:02.559 And that's kind of what we do in relationships. 00:23:02.799 --> 00:23:06.079 When you don't hold up your con into the contract, well, I'm out. 00:23:06.240 --> 00:23:07.440 I'm done. 00:23:08.400 --> 00:23:10.480 It says love always. 00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:14.079 That's not contractual, it's covenantal. 00:23:14.400 --> 00:23:27.839 That there's this way upon which that you have been loved by the God of the universe, that then you choose to love the other regardless of how you feel about it, that you have this covenant commitment. 00:23:27.920 --> 00:23:30.480 It's not a contractual tit for tat thing. 00:23:30.559 --> 00:23:36.319 It's just I'm gonna love you regardless, always, all the time. 00:23:37.039 --> 00:23:43.200 Now, when I read this list, it's really convicting. 00:23:44.720 --> 00:23:50.000 See, what happens is when we begin to look at this, it becomes a mirror into our soul, doesn't it? 00:23:50.799 --> 00:24:00.480 See, because if I'm really honest, if I'm gonna just let's let's be a hundred for a second, because if we don't, um, we're not gonna grow and we're not gonna uh see what God has for us. 00:24:00.720 --> 00:24:04.480 So when I read this list, love is patience. 00:24:06.799 --> 00:24:07.279 Ouch. 00:24:07.920 --> 00:24:13.839 Even tempered, even in trying circumstances, I've been struggling with my patience lately. 00:24:14.079 --> 00:24:18.000 And because I've been struggling with my patience, then it bleeds into my kindness. 00:24:18.480 --> 00:24:19.759 Anyone else feel me? 00:24:20.160 --> 00:24:20.640 Yeah? 00:24:20.880 --> 00:24:28.880 It bleeds into my kindness, and so my patience is being frayed, and it bleeds into my kindness, and so there isn't a gentleness about me. 00:24:32.000 --> 00:24:34.720 And then it goes on to say it's not easily angered. 00:24:34.799 --> 00:24:36.880 Well, if I'm not patient, then what am I? 00:24:37.920 --> 00:24:38.960 I'm easily angered. 00:24:39.039 --> 00:24:40.960 In fact, Jenny and I were talking about this last night. 00:24:41.119 --> 00:24:44.400 More Jenny talking to me, and hello, it's true. 00:24:44.559 --> 00:24:48.319 She's like, you just seem to have a short fuse lately. 00:24:50.880 --> 00:24:52.799 And then keeps no records of wrong. 00:24:52.880 --> 00:24:56.559 And I count myself in the fall, keeping a record of wrong as we're meeting with our therapist. 00:24:56.720 --> 00:25:03.759 I already told you this, but I'll tell it again just so somebody who missed it, and I just started write down records so that we could address it. 00:25:05.680 --> 00:25:08.960 See, when we look at this, friends, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on. 00:25:09.440 --> 00:25:12.480 We can't go, this is nice, an idea. 00:25:12.720 --> 00:25:17.440 We have to allow it to begin to examine our hearts. 00:25:17.599 --> 00:25:26.400 That's what God's word does when we allow it to examine our heart and be able to reveal in us what is really there. 00:25:27.519 --> 00:25:32.000 Only then will you begin to experience the power of his word. 00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:41.440 And so we begin to look at this and go, okay, God, where are you working and where do you need to work? 00:25:42.079 --> 00:25:43.039 Where are you working? 00:25:43.200 --> 00:25:46.319 Because you're doing some good in me, and where do you need to work? 00:25:47.279 --> 00:25:52.960 See, what love is for us, friends, is love is not a noun, it's not a force, it's not a thing. 00:25:53.119 --> 00:25:56.319 The love to build your life on is a verb, right? 00:25:56.640 --> 00:25:58.559 It's is, it does. 00:25:58.720 --> 00:26:01.039 This is just how love behaves. 00:26:01.279 --> 00:26:03.680 This is just what love does. 00:26:04.720 --> 00:26:09.599 And love is not just a verb, it's a choice. 00:26:11.440 --> 00:26:17.839 It's a choice to be loving even though you don't feel loving. 00:26:18.559 --> 00:26:23.680 See, love is not devoid of feelings, it's just not defined by feelings. 00:26:24.000 --> 00:26:36.160 And we're waiting to be loving because we want to until we feel like it, until we want to, and we and it's it's not devoid of feelings, it's that you're gonna have feelings, it's just that feelings doesn't get to sit in the driver's seat. 00:26:36.240 --> 00:26:40.400 I'm gonna choose to love you regardless of how I feel in the moment. 00:26:40.559 --> 00:26:44.720 And notice this: love is not a doormat or a dictator. 00:26:46.880 --> 00:26:52.319 Love doesn't just simply allow itself to get walked over or s or settle for abuse. 00:26:52.559 --> 00:26:52.880 No. 00:26:53.359 --> 00:27:11.839 Love, listen, listen, listen, love pursues what's right and just and protects the vulnerable, but it's not a dictator manipulating others to get their way, demanding their rights, insisting, no, it's patient, it's kind. 00:27:12.319 --> 00:27:13.839 And let's be honest. 00:27:14.400 --> 00:27:16.880 Don't we all want a friend like that? 00:27:18.720 --> 00:27:27.359 Don't you want to, if you're single and you you want to have a boyfriend or girlfriend, don't you want a boyfriend or girlfriend like that? 00:27:27.680 --> 00:27:29.839 Don't you want a spouse like that? 00:27:30.559 --> 00:27:33.759 Don't we want to be like that? 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:39.599 See, the modern love promise says when I fall in love, everything will fall into place. 00:27:39.839 --> 00:27:41.200 Relational wisdom says this. 00:27:41.279 --> 00:27:42.240 Listen, listen, listen. 00:27:42.400 --> 00:27:46.400 It's less about falling in love, it's more about growing in love. 00:27:46.640 --> 00:27:48.960 It's less about something just happening to you. 00:27:49.039 --> 00:27:50.559 And I don't want to discount that. 00:27:50.640 --> 00:27:51.599 That's awesome. 00:27:51.839 --> 00:27:53.039 God made us that way. 00:27:53.200 --> 00:27:54.559 That's wonderful. 00:27:55.039 --> 00:28:05.599 But it will not sustain you for a lifetime, and it will not be the foundation upon which you can build a healthy relationship in any sphere. 00:28:05.920 --> 00:28:07.920 It's more about growing in love. 00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:13.279 And so I just want to spend the remainder of our time talking about how in the world do we grow in love? 00:28:13.680 --> 00:28:15.920 How do we increase our love quotient? 00:28:16.000 --> 00:28:22.240 As we read that list, how do we begin to go, okay, God, I want, I want you to grow me in my patience and in my kindness. 00:28:22.319 --> 00:28:30.000 And oh man, that that that just short fuse, God, I long for you to do a work in me. 00:28:30.079 --> 00:28:31.440 How do we grow in that? 00:28:31.599 --> 00:28:41.359 If you flip over a few more pages to uh the book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul is yet again talking on love, and he writes this, Ephesians chapter 5, verse 1 and 2. 00:28:41.599 --> 00:28:43.200 Be imitators of God. 00:28:44.160 --> 00:28:44.640 How? 00:28:44.880 --> 00:28:49.599 Therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love. 00:28:49.839 --> 00:28:55.440 Be an imitator of God the same way little kids imitate their parents. 00:28:55.680 --> 00:28:58.960 Uh, I have uh three kids, one of them looks just like me. 00:28:59.039 --> 00:29:04.559 His name's Ryder, he's the middle, I mean, his hair looks just like me, his mannerisms are just like me. 00:29:04.640 --> 00:29:06.400 I didn't teach him any of those things. 00:29:06.559 --> 00:29:08.079 It's just that he's my kid. 00:29:08.319 --> 00:29:15.039 I mean, even the same way he puts his feet like this and hands like this to watch the TV, it looks like a mini-me. 00:29:16.160 --> 00:29:17.680 Because he's my kid. 00:29:18.000 --> 00:29:22.000 God's saying, be an imitator because you're his kid. 00:29:22.799 --> 00:29:34.640 Be an imitator of God, how as dearly loved children live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice. 00:29:34.799 --> 00:29:35.839 How do we grow in love? 00:29:35.920 --> 00:29:37.839 Let me give you three keys from the text. 00:29:38.000 --> 00:29:41.599 First, embrace that you are dearly loved. 00:29:42.319 --> 00:29:44.960 Embrace that you are dearly loved. 00:29:45.119 --> 00:29:46.319 This is your identity. 00:29:46.480 --> 00:29:49.680 The Apostle Paul uses a cognate of agape here. 00:29:49.759 --> 00:29:52.480 It's agapetos, and here's what agapetos means. 00:29:52.559 --> 00:29:58.319 It's the object of one's affection, having a very special relationship, beloved. 00:29:59.440 --> 00:30:05.119 Like the starting point for us to become more loving isn't somehow to conjure up more love. 00:30:06.960 --> 00:30:09.119 This week I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna get it. 00:30:10.720 --> 00:30:15.680 It's to understand how loved we are, it's to understand your identity. 00:30:15.920 --> 00:30:17.039 You are beloved. 00:30:18.400 --> 00:30:30.480 Like the God of the universe looks down on you with delight, and he loves you, and nothing you can do can make him love you anymore, and nothing you can do can make him love you any less. 00:30:30.799 --> 00:30:35.920 He loves you, he is so wild for you, he delights in you. 00:30:36.160 --> 00:30:47.279 You are his beloved, it's your identity, and your identity is received, it's not achieved, you can't earn it. 00:30:49.200 --> 00:30:52.000 See, that's the most important thing about you, by the way. 00:30:52.319 --> 00:31:00.960 Remember, the human condition is to love and to be loved, and we're constantly searching for that to be loved. 00:31:01.119 --> 00:31:10.960 And the most important thing about you is that you are profoundly, unconditionally loved by the God of the universe who looks down on you and says, I love you. 00:31:13.680 --> 00:31:15.119 See, God loves you. 00:31:15.359 --> 00:31:21.440 Think about this, and precisely because God loves you, there's something in you that's worthy of love. 00:31:21.519 --> 00:31:29.440 And some of you need to hear that because you don't feel worthy or valuable, and you are so worthy and valuable to the God of the universe. 00:31:30.400 --> 00:31:34.720 Starting point, embrace that you're dearly loved. 00:31:34.960 --> 00:31:40.000 You know, today the starting point is often this, right? 00:31:40.640 --> 00:31:45.920 It's um I gotta love me first before I can love you. 00:31:46.160 --> 00:31:47.440 I gotta love me first. 00:31:47.599 --> 00:31:48.880 I gotta love me first. 00:31:48.960 --> 00:31:53.920 In fact, I've heard it said this way um, I love you, but I love me more, right? 00:31:54.400 --> 00:32:03.839 And and I understand part of a healthy care of self, so I'm not talking about this, but there is this kind of love of self, like somehow I gotta conjure up more love. 00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:13.759 And the and the illustration that people use is like you know, when you're flying, and some of you haven't flown in a couple years, so let me remind you is the mask, right? 00:32:13.920 --> 00:32:20.640 It's like, hey, you gotta take care of you first, and so you pull down on the mask and you take care of you first, and then you help someone else. 00:32:20.720 --> 00:32:22.240 See, I gotta love me first. 00:32:22.400 --> 00:32:24.880 Here's the problem with that illustration. 00:32:26.319 --> 00:32:28.240 Where is the mask plugged into? 00:32:29.279 --> 00:32:30.799 Is it plugged into you? 00:32:32.720 --> 00:32:41.039 See, what we're thinking of is I gotta love me, is somehow that mask is then plugged into me, and I gotta somehow fill myself up more of me. 00:32:41.119 --> 00:32:42.160 And that ain't gonna work. 00:32:42.319 --> 00:32:54.960 The reality is, is there is an oxygen tank that is connected that when you pull it down, you are connected to a source that's outside of yourself that is breathing you life, and so that then you can give life, right? 00:32:55.119 --> 00:33:14.880 And this is precisely the point that you would reach up, not and somehow conjure up love, but realize realize the source of life loves you, and you receive his oxygen and his grace in your life to then give it to those around you. 00:33:15.359 --> 00:33:19.920 Embrace that you're dearly loved, secondly, then commit to living a life of love. 00:33:20.160 --> 00:33:21.440 There's two commands in the text. 00:33:21.599 --> 00:33:24.960 One, be an imitator, second, live a life of love. 00:33:25.119 --> 00:33:25.920 Make a choice. 00:33:26.079 --> 00:33:27.680 Remember, love is a choice. 00:33:27.839 --> 00:33:31.119 Make a commitment, take a practical step. 00:33:34.160 --> 00:33:35.279 My starting point. 00:33:35.519 --> 00:33:36.960 I'm dearly loved. 00:33:37.440 --> 00:33:42.480 Out of that reality, I'm gonna choose to love you. 00:33:43.680 --> 00:33:59.440 Not because you deserve it, not because you earned it, not even because I'm feeling particularly loving towards you, but I have been so well loved, I commit to loving you. 00:33:59.680 --> 00:34:01.039 I choose to love you. 00:34:01.200 --> 00:34:02.480 So let me ask you this. 00:34:03.759 --> 00:34:10.320 Who specifically do you need to choose to agape in your life today? 00:34:11.519 --> 00:34:17.119 Who do you need to choose to agape this week? 00:34:19.760 --> 00:34:21.119 Maybe it's a coworker. 00:34:22.239 --> 00:34:23.519 Maybe it's your boss. 00:34:24.880 --> 00:34:26.159 Maybe it's a friend. 00:34:27.280 --> 00:34:28.559 Maybe it's a parent. 00:34:29.760 --> 00:34:31.920 Maybe it's one of your grown kids. 00:34:33.920 --> 00:34:35.440 Maybe it's your spouse. 00:34:36.719 --> 00:34:38.000 Maybe it's your ex. 00:34:40.960 --> 00:34:43.519 Live a life of love. 00:34:44.559 --> 00:34:45.199 Why? 00:34:45.599 --> 00:34:49.360 Because you are already so profoundly loved. 00:34:49.519 --> 00:34:56.880 You're not looking for someone else to fill you up, you're not looking for someone else to complete you, you're not looking for somehow to get from them. 00:34:57.119 --> 00:35:01.679 You already have the fullness of love of the infinite God of the universe. 00:35:01.760 --> 00:35:09.760 So you have infinite resource of infinite love poured out towards you, and so then you can love infinitely those around you because his love is in you. 00:35:10.880 --> 00:35:13.280 And I go, I'm gonna make a commitment. 00:35:13.760 --> 00:35:18.880 And then finally, we rely on Christ's love to empower us. 00:35:19.119 --> 00:35:20.559 Because you're like, Ryan, how do I do that? 00:35:20.639 --> 00:35:21.760 How do I live this life of love? 00:35:21.840 --> 00:35:22.960 That sounds really hard. 00:35:23.039 --> 00:35:24.800 You're reading 1 Corinthians 13. 00:35:24.880 --> 00:35:27.119 That sounds impossible right now. 00:35:28.480 --> 00:35:34.079 The apostle Paul uses another cognate of the Greek word agape, it's agapau. 00:35:34.880 --> 00:35:38.159 And and this word, I love how Ephraim Smith defined it. 00:35:38.480 --> 00:35:54.239 He says, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering, that just as Christ loved us, agapau, the unconditional love of Jesus in us that's flowing through us to be a force of transformation around us. 00:35:54.800 --> 00:36:03.760 The unconditional love of Jesus in us that's flowing through us to be a force of transformation around us. 00:36:04.480 --> 00:36:05.679 Here's how this works. 00:36:08.000 --> 00:36:15.119 You wake up tomorrow and you remind yourself I am dearly loved. 00:36:16.559 --> 00:36:19.760 Right now, and I don't know what I did, I don't know, I know what I did. 00:36:20.079 --> 00:36:22.719 I don't know what you did, where you've been. 00:36:23.360 --> 00:36:25.599 Nothing changes his love for you. 00:36:25.920 --> 00:36:29.920 So I'm gonna commit today to love those along my path. 00:36:30.159 --> 00:36:32.400 And you know specifically what that looks like. 00:36:33.119 --> 00:36:38.320 And regardless of how you feel, regardless of how you want in that moment, I'm gonna take a step. 00:36:38.559 --> 00:36:45.760 And what we do is we wait until we feel like it, and we're wondering, God, would you empower me to love that person? 00:36:45.920 --> 00:36:47.119 And he's like, Yeah, I will. 00:36:47.280 --> 00:36:48.400 Take the step. 00:36:48.800 --> 00:36:51.599 And what we do is, God, will you empower me? 00:36:52.400 --> 00:36:53.119 No, no, no. 00:36:53.360 --> 00:36:57.679 Take the step, and as you take the step, the Holy Spirit will empower you in that moment. 00:36:57.760 --> 00:37:01.599 And so many of us are missing out on the empowerment of God because we're sitting back. 00:37:01.760 --> 00:37:03.920 Show me, show me, show me. 00:37:04.000 --> 00:37:05.599 And he's going, No, take a step. 00:37:05.760 --> 00:37:08.079 I've already told you, I'll be with you, I'll never leave you. 00:37:08.239 --> 00:37:10.000 I've put my spirit inside of you. 00:37:10.159 --> 00:37:15.920 As you take that step in love, I'll give you the power to love in that moment. 00:37:16.559 --> 00:37:19.599 How do we grow in love if it's less about falling in love? 00:37:19.760 --> 00:37:26.239 Embrace that you're dearly loved, commit to living a life of love, and then rely on Christ's love to empower you. 00:37:26.400 --> 00:37:27.920 Take that step. 00:37:28.159 --> 00:37:30.320 And so here's simply what love asked. 00:37:31.920 --> 00:37:33.760 Would you ask it this week? 00:37:34.079 --> 00:37:37.599 What's the highest and best for the other person? 00:37:39.440 --> 00:37:42.000 Maybe said another way, you can take the out of it. 00:37:42.320 --> 00:37:47.679 What's God's highest and best for the other person? 00:37:48.719 --> 00:37:49.840 For your friend. 00:37:51.360 --> 00:37:54.639 It might actually be speaking the truth in love, won't you? 00:37:58.159 --> 00:38:00.960 It might just be a listening ear. 00:38:04.079 --> 00:38:06.239 And that dating relationship. 00:38:06.480 --> 00:38:07.920 What's the highest and best? 00:38:08.079 --> 00:38:09.440 What's God's highest and best? 00:38:09.599 --> 00:38:16.000 So that you can look at each other and know that you're pushing them towards Jesus, not pulling them away from Jesus. 00:38:17.199 --> 00:38:22.320 What's the highest and best in your marriage with your kids? 00:38:23.199 --> 00:38:24.480 With your coworkers. 00:38:24.880 --> 00:38:26.880 I like how Andy Stanley asks it. 00:38:26.960 --> 00:38:27.840 He asks it this way. 00:38:28.000 --> 00:38:30.719 He says, What does love require of me? 00:38:31.119 --> 00:38:32.079 In this moment. 00:38:33.360 --> 00:38:35.440 Like, okay, God, this you have loved me. 00:38:35.599 --> 00:38:38.159 What does love require of me? 00:38:38.719 --> 00:38:42.559 And here's the incredible and beautiful reality. 00:38:44.079 --> 00:38:47.039 Flip back to 1 Corinthians 13. 00:38:50.159 --> 00:38:57.119 These aren't words of a God saying, This is the way you ought to love. 00:38:58.800 --> 00:39:04.159 These are the ways God in Christ loves you. 00:39:04.639 --> 00:39:09.280 He who did not spare his own son, but graciously gave him up for us all. 00:39:09.360 --> 00:39:12.559 How will you not, along with him, give us all things? 00:39:12.960 --> 00:39:16.800 The Christ loves, compelled him to the cross. 00:39:17.119 --> 00:39:18.639 His love for you. 00:39:20.239 --> 00:39:23.440 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this. 00:39:23.599 --> 00:39:33.039 While we were yet sinners, while we were enemies, while we were far from him, while we wanted nothing to do with him, Christ died for us. 00:39:33.280 --> 00:39:40.400 His love is patient, his love is kind, his love always perseveres, his love never keeps a record of wrong. 00:39:40.559 --> 00:39:48.960 In fact, as far as the East is from the West, so far as He removed your sins from you, this is the God you worship. 00:39:52.639 --> 00:40:00.079 And for some, the reality is you've never said yes to his love. 00:40:01.039 --> 00:40:05.360 Remember, your identity is received in Christ, not achieved. 00:40:05.440 --> 00:40:09.039 There's nothing you can do to earn it or deserve it. 00:40:10.000 --> 00:40:12.079 But you do have to receive it. 00:40:13.280 --> 00:40:15.199 You do have to say yes. 00:40:16.079 --> 00:40:19.360 Jesus, I want to step into your love. 00:40:19.519 --> 00:40:21.760 I want to have a relationship with you. 00:40:21.920 --> 00:40:24.320 I want to be your beloved. 00:40:25.519 --> 00:40:33.760 And all who say yes in that moment, step out of the kingdom of darkness, into the kingdom of the sun, he loves. 00:40:33.920 --> 00:40:36.639 You start, step into the beloved. 00:40:37.440 --> 00:40:46.480 And I just want to invite you, maybe if you're here and you've never started a relationship, you had no idea that God loved you so much. 00:40:48.000 --> 00:40:53.920 I want to invite you to experience his love and step into a relationship with him. 00:40:54.400 --> 00:40:59.360 It's literally simple as a prayer, which is just a conversation with God. 00:40:59.599 --> 00:41:04.320 I'm gonna invite us to pray, and if you wouldn't mind, close your eyes and bow your head with me. 00:41:07.440 --> 00:41:23.119 And if you would just, if you're here and you're like, I want a relationship with the God who loves me, who's for me, experiencing his love pouring and flowing through me, would you pray after me? 00:41:25.440 --> 00:41:53.599 Heavenly Father, I want a relationship with you, and I recognize that my love is broken, and that I've hurt people, and in things that I've said and things that I've done, and even things that I've thought, it's brought pain to me and to others, and it's brought separation between us. 00:41:54.079 --> 00:41:55.280 It's called sin. 00:41:59.760 --> 00:42:04.639 Today, would you please forgive me? 00:42:06.559 --> 00:42:08.719 I want to step into your love. 00:42:08.880 --> 00:42:21.119 I believe that you came for me and Jesus, that you died for me and that you rose again, defeating sin and death, that I might have new life. 00:42:21.440 --> 00:42:25.199 Would you come into my life and make me new? 00:42:28.559 --> 00:42:31.599 And just right now, while we're all still praying and heads are bowed. 00:42:31.679 --> 00:42:34.559 If you prayed after that, would you just raise your hand so I could see? 00:42:34.639 --> 00:42:41.039 I just would love to be able to, amen, amen, amen, amen. 00:42:43.280 --> 00:42:50.159 Jesus, I just thank you for my brothers and sisters who've said yes to you, who've stepped into your love right now. 00:42:50.400 --> 00:42:53.920 Would you strengthen them and overwhelm them with your presence? 00:42:54.320 --> 00:43:03.199 Your word says the minute we say yes, the Spirit of God comes inside and dwells within us and makes us a new creation. 00:43:03.840 --> 00:43:05.199 God, we thank you. 00:43:05.440 --> 00:43:10.239 We thank you for the new life that has taken place today. 00:43:10.800 --> 00:43:17.039 And God, I pray for us that you would overwhelm us now with your love and with your grace. 00:43:17.199 --> 00:43:18.400 In Jesus' name. 00:43:18.639 --> 00:43:19.039 Amen. 00:43:19.199 --> 00:43:21.760 Would you stand and we'll continue in worship? 00:43:22.800 --> 00:43:25.039 We hope you are blessed by this message. 00:43:25.280 --> 00:43:29.679 Please subscribe to our podcast for access to every episode as they're uploaded. 00:43:29.840 --> 00:43:31.920 And hey, we'd love to connect with you. 00:43:32.079 --> 00:43:38.000 Take a next step by filling out our virtual connection card at 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