Love is the Foundation of our life is Christ.

Love is the first of the habits of the heart from God

They can only find their source in God.

Love is the foundation of all the other graces

1 John 4:8 NIV84

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

John 3:16 NIV84

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Everything is valueless without the Love of God in the middle of it

1 Corinthians 13:1–3 NIV84

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Gifts of speaking in tongues, prophesy, discernment, wisdom, acts of faith generosity, even self sacrifice are without substance if LOVE isn’t their foundation.

How can we tell if love is our foundation or the foundation of others

1 Corinthians 13:4 NIV84

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

Love is: patient, kind, without envy, without jealousy, resists putting self first, doesn’t allow pride to get in the way of God’s love, truth based

What can get in the way of God’s love shining through us?

1 Corinthians 13:5–6 NIV84

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

God’s love blockers: Arrogance, rudeness, an image that doesn’t look like Jesus, insisting you are always right, pride, having a thin skin, inability to readily forgive, lies or actions built on untruths.

What can God’s love to for me?

1 Corinthians 13:7–8 NIV84

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

God’s love will: Help us find out way through any problem, mountain or valley, it helps us to look past a person’s exterior and help us to know the real person we are walking with, It drinks from a half full glass and finds the silver cloud in all seasons, it allows us to lean on God even when we feel we can;t take another step, it is always available and will never let us down.

God gives us many gifts to use for HIS purpose. We don’t all have all of them and we may have some of them in various measures, but LOVE is the one gift God bestows on all of us to use for HIS purpose.

1 Corinthians 13:8–9 NIV84

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part,

Prophecy, tongues, knowledge(discernment) are some of the more sought after gifts but they have no power without LOVE.

The LOVE of God is always growing and changing in our lives, attempting to reach it’s highest potential, but that will only happen when we see Christ face-to-face.

1 Corinthians 13:10–12 NIV84

but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Once we do find perfect LOVE then we will never turn back. As God’s children we grow to imitate our Father and can find that perfect imitation in the life of Christ. We need to check our Christ mirror constantly to make sure we are reflecting properly.

It all leads up to the prime attributes of a strong Christian: FAITH, HOPE, LOVE. LOVE IS THE ONE WHICH HOLDS THE OTHERS TOGETHER.