The Language of Love

Date: December 22, 2024

Well good morning! It’s great to be here with you. If we haven’t met, my name is Chase and I serve as the lad pastor here.

I’m excited to open up God’s word with you this morning, but before we do....can we give a warm welcome to any first time guests we have this morning! We’re glad you’re here...if you are from out of town or a part of another church family, we hope you feel the Lord’s presence in this place this morning....and if you do live nearby and do not have a chuch home, we hope you’ll pray about taking the stick six challenge that Brock mentioned earlier...and seeing if this is the church for you.

If you have a Bible with you go ahead and turn to the book of Mark. Mark 15 is where I’m gonna read from in just a minute, and then I’m gonna read John 3:16 as well. And while you’re turning there...let me just say, if you do not have a Bible....we have bibles on the table in the back and as you leave I want to encourage you to grab one – that’s our gift to you.

And one thing I want to let you know....I don’t think I’ve ever said this from the pulpit, but one of the most encouraging things to a pastor is seeing as I’m preaching you all tracking a long with me in your bibles....whether it’s a physical bible or your phone...at least that’s what I’m assuming you’re doing if you’re on your phone...it helps me as I’m preaching to see that you’re tracking along and not just trusting blindly that what I’m saying is in here somewhere...but you’re putting eyes to the words and seeing what I’m talking about.

We talked last series about how we’re More Than Passangers....and we say often that we don’t want to just be fans...right, we’re more than spectators....and having a bible in church is one of the ways that we can realize that.

So, I say that not to shame anyone who doesn’t have a bible, or if you left yours, but to encourage you...to grab a bible on the way out if you don’t have one or follow along in the bible tab on our app...

Let’s be a church that follows along in our bibles during the preaching of the word, Amen.

And shout out to all of you who do that regularly.

And while I’m shouting you all out...your responsiveness and amen’s are always so encouraging as well during the sermons....so just shout outs all around to you guys...it is amazing to be your pastor.

Well I want to start from reading from Mark’s gospel...and normally, we would stand for the reading of God’s word....but I want to read the entire chapter. As it contains the crucifixion of Jesus, and then I’ll read just a few verses from john 3, then I’ll pray and we’ll talk about where we’re heading this morning.

Read Mark 15:1-47 & John 3:14-21

PRAY

Well many of you know that about two and half years ago, our family embarked on the journey of learning Portuguese. We are very much still far from fluent. And the Soares are very patient teachers with us. But the reason we embarked on this journey is because of our church’s partnership with Mozambique, Africa.

Like I said where still not fluent, but we know more than we did two years ago. I was able to more or less read a sermon in Portuguese as I preached over there this summer. (pause) But as we’ve been learning, one of the tools we used was we posted stick notes all around our house labeling everything in Portuguese so that we would learn what all the items mean.

So on the door we have the word porta...on the wall above the bedroom we have the word baneiro and so on and so forth.

But here’s the deal.... while this was extremely helpful from the beginning...one of the things that I noticed is that when people would come over they would say “hey” wow you guys have a lot of things that are labeled in Portuguese this is great....but the reality is tht we don’t see the markers anymore....they blend into the walls for us.

So while it once effective...it’s now just blended into the walls and we don’t see it anymore.

Well, I think this is a great illustration of what can easily happen for us as Christians. Especially if we grow up in Christian families...or if we’ve been in the church for many many years....it can be easy for the familiarity of the gospel to become nothing more than just another item on the backdrops of our lives and no longer be our primary focal point. (pause)

Today, as we all know.... is the final Sunday before Christmas....and if you’ve been with us during the month of December...we’ve been focusing in on advent. [SLIDE]

Okay advent is the season of waiting...the season of preparation that leads up to Christmas. And what I’ve been trying to get us to focus on is that during this period...it’s important for us to move beyond just the nostalgia...beyond the sentimentalism...and I think I coined the word the hallmarklization of Christmas, right – we have to move beyond all that because...and this was our overarching point in week of one of this series...we said.... [SLIDE]

The season we are entering into is all about the most important event in the history of the world.

Okay...the season that we were entering into at the start of this series and is now nearing it’s close is all about the most important event in the history of the world.

And that’s because...what we believe that the bible teaches is that the baby in the manger....the little baby that we see all around this time in stores...and we hear about in the songs... he’s not just the product of a fairy tale...or a children’s story we refer back to for comfort when we feel down....but we was and is God in the flesh, amen.

That’s what Christmas is about...and that’s what the Bible is all about (pause)...it’s about the fact that because our great great great – however many times great grandparents Adam and Eve sinned....they created a chasam between man and God...and their stain of sin is passed down to each and every one of us – which is why there’s so much violence and chaos and evil in the world....but God said I’m gonna make it right....and so he stepped into the story....became human....lived a perfect life...but was killed – that’s what we just read about --- but defeated death...so that now....if we believe in him....and not just believe he existed....but put our faith in him....then we receive the holy spirit....like how crazy is that....God comes to live inside of us...so NOW when we die that’s not the end of the story because we can live with him forever...but even crazier....we can live for God and like God now.

All of that only happened because of the Christmas story...God becoming one of us. (pause) And that’s why we’re calling this series Emmanuel...because the word literally means God is with us.

It’s the greatest story ever told!! (pause) And so during this season....there’s four words that we often hear on repeat....we see them in the stores...we might even have them up in our house...but if we don’t take time to intentionally to focus on them....they can lose there meaning, right? They can drift into just sentimental fluff and lose all of their meaning...or even worse – like the words on the walls in our home...we won’t evn really notice them.

Here they are: [SLIDE] Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.

And in the first week we looked at the story of the bible to so that it all was looking forward to the hope that was realized in the first coming of Jesus...and now we’re living in the in-between as we await his return. Right, his second advent.

Then we saw that we can have peace in the craziness of our lives because of the power, the presence and the plan of Jesus. And then we saw last week that there’s a difference between joy and happiness. (pause) We said that happiness comes from our external circumstances – and that’s great...but we need something deeper that will keep us in the lows as well as the highs and that’s joy.

And we said true joy comes from recognizing who we are before God and what God did about it – which leads to the final word and that’s love. [SLIDE]

Now... the word love is probably one of...if not the most universally...disagreed on terms with regards to it’s meaning. If we were to leave beond these walls and ask the first 100 people what is love...we might get 100 different answers.

Even as Christians – we can get confused with the word – especially in English because weuse the same word to talk about people, items, food, and more, right? We might love ice cream....we might love movies...or sports...but clearly we don’t mean that in the same way when we talk about family or kids....and even that is different when we add the preposition in before and we talk about those who we’re in love with.

And in movies....or books even that – the concept of being “in love” is almost undefinable as people fall in and out of “love” within days of meeting each other, right? Or we hear phrases like “love at first sight.” Which opens up it’s own level of complexity, right...what does love even mean?

Well the Ancient Greeks were helpful in at least beginning to distinguish between the different types of love...and like we’ll see in a second understanding these delineations won’t solve everything, but they’re helpful.

In Greek...and maybe you’ve heard this before, but it’s always good to review...there were at least four words for what’s translated as “love” in English. (Actually more...but these are the most common)

The first Greek word for “love” is eros, which refers to romantic or sexual love. From it we get the word erotic.

The second is storge, which refers to familial love like maternal, paternal love, or siblings or cousins.

The third Greek word for “love,” philia, refers to friendship or brotherly love....Philadelphia.

Finally, agape and this is the word that’s most often used to talk about God’s love and the love that we as Christians are supposed to have.

So...when the bible talks about love....and the love we’re supposed to have within the church and to demonstrate to the world...it’s different. There’s a deeper love than just the first three....I think this is where Hollywood lives, right? Primarily in the eros category....but then there’s an attempt within Hollywood to pull on heartstrings by diving into the deeper levels of love like storage and philia....but the movies...and the secular books...rarely make it here.

And so the question we need to ask....and this is what I want to spend the rest of our time unpacking is this.....ARE WE USING THE SAME LANGUAGE?

Like when we talk about love....but even more than that when we talk about the love that’s on display in the Christmas story...and even more...when we talk about the Gospel itself....are we using the same language? Are we really talking about the same thing?

Let me give more illustration and then we’ll unpack this.

If you are part of our ESL ministry – can you raise your hand? If you’ve served as part of it whether you’re a teacher...or bring snacks or anything can you raise your hand?

- Shout out....I believe we have ____ people serving regularly and some are not here or with our Corners Kids this morning....but we are so thankful for you.

Well back in September, we had our ESL training....and it was a Friday Evening and all day Saturday...and there was A LOT of information...but one of the things that I remember the most...was there was an instance where the lady who was doing the training showed how easy it is to teach a language and to learn a language by using a made up language.

So she like showed some pants...and then used a made up word for pants....and she was using a made up word for repeat and listen and we’re repeating....and in doing this what she was showing was that you don’t need to speak the same language to be able to teach a new language. So...if the language barrier is a hinderance to joining ESL....it shouldn’t be....and you can talk to DEBBIE FUHRY.....

So it was a fun visual...it was an awesome illustration...that whole illustration is helpful in understanding something different. Something that’s a little terrifying if I’m honest. (Pause) And that’s that you can be on the receiving end of learning...even if something is made up or wrong. (pause) Okay...the message the teacher was teaching was a language that wasn’t real. And yet what we all saw in that class is how easy a message of any sort can take root.

Friends...again...we live in a culture that doesn’t understand THIS...wants to talk about this without even truly understanding it... and the reality is that when the world uses words like love....it’s radically different than what the bible defines as love...and so part of our calling as Christians is to know what God says about love....how it’s on display...so that we can understand how we’re supposed to love.

See....this is where the fourth week of advent differs a little from the first three. (pause) Like the first three – hope, peace, joy....they’re what we can HAVE because of the first coming of Jesus. (pause) And if you’re here this morning and you’re thinking...I don’t have hope...or I don’t have peace...or true joy in my life – first of all I’m glad you’re here....we are not a group of perfect people...we’re learning, by the grace of God....and I want to encourage you to go back and listen....

But this last one....love...it’s what we see in the arrival, and the purpose of the Jesus.

You see the difference? The first three are qualities we can possess because of the arrival of Jesus...and love, while yes it’s a quality we possess as well through the spirit – it’s an attribute of God that the bible explicitly tells us is seen in Jesus becoming man.

That’s why we read John 3:16 earlier. In fact...lets read it one more time – this time outload together and then I’ll tell you the direction we’re headed for the rest of our time.

- READ JOHN 3:16

It’s because of God’s love....that Jesus was born! So if we want to know what love is...we look to Jesus.

Okay, so here’s what I want to do with the remainder of our time. I have four headings to get us to our conclusion, and each one is brief.

But if the question is: Are we speaking the same language...again primarily when we talk about love – because that’s what this verse is about – and when we think about love...and we think about that as one of the key lessons of the Christmas story...are we seeing things the same and using the same language....if that’s the question.....we need to look at four sub-questions to form our conclusion. And I want to use John 3:16 as our main verse.

Okay, so here’s our outline: When the Bible talks about the love of God....what’s the reason for that love, the requirement for that love, the ramification of that love, and the response to that love....and when we answer those four questions then we can properly conclude if when we talk about love, it’s the same kind of love the bible’s talking about.

Sound good?

Okay let’s work through these quickly...first the Reason for God’s love.

So, let’s put the verse back upon the screen again.

And let me just explain what’s going on in this passage. (pause) Okay, so this is the verse that’s everywhere right? It’s probably the most well known verse in the bible...because it’s on signs people hold up on street corners...it’s in the endzone at football games....players write this verse on their eyes...and for Good reason.

Martin Luther, the great protestant reformer called John 3:16 “the heart of the Bible—the Gospel in miniature.”

Okay, so this is an amazing passage, because again...it’s showing the love of who? The Love ofg God on display, right.

But what’s often lost when we just take this verse on it’s own is it’s context. (pause) We read a little bit about it earlier, but....in this passage, Jesus is having a conversation with a man named Nicodemus.

Nicodemus is a Religious leader....and he comes to Jesus at night (probably to try and be secretive) and he’s asking Jesus about his teachings. And Jesus tells him – essentially that to be saved you have be born again....and Nicodemos is like what are you talking about...what does that mean. And look at what Jesus says in verse 9.

9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?

So Jesus is like...you’re supposed to know this Nicodemus. (pause) And then Jesus drops this Old Testament story on him and he says this....verse 14

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

What is that about...well...back in the book of Numebrs....you can read about this on your own, but Numbers 21....remember Moses was the one who led the people out of Egypt.

- Grumblers

- God punished them and sent a plague

THEN....we come to John 3:16.

You say....okay so what why’s that matter....well....here’s the deal....without the context...we can think that this verse as simply saying that God loved the world so much that he sent his son.

That’s true....and...theres more....See this is what’s so often just skipped over in this verse when we take away the context....this is why we can’t let this verse just become a sticker on the walls whether we’ve been a Christian for six days or sixty years...okay don’t miss this....the word SO...in John 3:16....is not just simply in the text to add and extra emphasis to show how much God loved the world...that’s the case, AND it’s used to refer back to what came before.

Okay so – without getting into all the Greek – the word that’s translated as “so” can be used to add emphasis...like “so much” and it can also used to refer to the preceding thought. Okay, it’s the same in English.

I can say I’m hungry....so I’m gonna go get some food. Or I can say I am sooooo hungry I’m gonna get some food.

So....doens’t just mean quantity. Does that make sense? Okay if you’re lost or you think this is a big deal of nothing....hang on for just a second, I’m gonna make it real clear in about two minutes.

Okay, I think we’re helped by the New English Translation and how they translate John 3:16, so let me do this...let me read a footnote from the NET Study Bible, then show how they translate this passage, and then I think it’ll make sense.

So, the NET Study Bible says this....and again it’s talking about the word SO in the passage (or the Greek word HowTos).

“...it is likely that John is emphasizing both the degree to which God loved the world as well as the manner in which He chose to express that love. This is in keeping with John’s style of using double entendre or double meaning. Thus, the focus of the Greek construction here is on the nature of God’s love, addressing its mode, intensity, and extent.”

Okay...so he’s talking about the nature of God’s love....the mde....the intensity...and the extent all of that is wrapped up in the little English word “so”.

Let’s see how that plays out in the NET translation of the text. (pause) It reads:

14 Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” 16 For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

So...let me brings it together....in John 3:16...this well known verse....what we’re being told is not simply that God loved the world so much that he sent Jesus....but it’s reffering back to the reason he sent Jesus which is that just like the Israelites in the wilderness needed saving...so do we!!

That’s why – even later in the verse, it mentions perishing. And it mentions perishing as the default not the exception. It doesn’t say God loved the world so that those who are perishing can be saved....no.....the assumption isthat we are perishing!

Let me say it plainly. (Pause) In the same way that the Israelites were bitten by the snakes in the wilderness....and those who were bitten couldn’t cure them selves...they couldn’t say here’s some medicine I found at the local town square....here’s some medicine this cultural influencer was talking about...here’s some medicine I read in a self help scroll....no there was NO cure until God gave a cure....in that same way all of us are born with the stain of sin on our heart, which leads to our first point: WE ARE BY NATURE PERISHING!!

We are by nature born with a one way ticket towards destruction. (pause) And we don’t like to talk about it....but....this is why death exists. (pause) And we might think that we’re okay because we compare ourselves to others, right?

Isn’t that what we do? We compare our best efforts to the worst people we can imagine, don’t we? Like we look at the world and those who intentionally cause harm to others and we say....well that’s not us. We’re not perfect, but...we haven’t....you know fill in the blank at whatever horrible thing you haven’t done.

But look....the Bible says that in order for us to be right with God – we have to be perfect....but before you think I’m gonna try harder....I guess I need to do better...the problem is you can’t!!

I can’t!! (pause) We will never be able to stand in the presence of a holy God left to our own efforts! Trying to live up to God’s standard of perfection on our own is like an ant trying to play in the NFL. It doesn’t even make sense and it’s in impossible.

But....see THIS is the little Gospel. (pause) Martin Luther said John 3:16 is the little Gospel...and it is...but the even litteler Gospel is found in just six words....BUT GOD. (pause)

Do you remember what we just saw in Ephesians in the last series....we were perishing...in fact Paul makes it even stronger and says we we were already dead in our sins and in our trespasses....BUT GOD.....what? Being rich in mercy made us alive...how? IN Christ!!!

What does that mean....well it’s what John goes on to say in this verse....For God SOloved us....despite our perishing despite our hopeless condition...that just like he made a way for the Israelites in the desert...he made a way for us...namely HE GAVE.....his only son!

Okay....before I even get into the theology....just think of this from a practical standpoint.

We already established that we’re perishing, right? And the reason we’re perishing is because of sin. Our sins that we commit....AND the stain of sin that characterizes us outside of Christ...and the love of God is on display in that he sent Jesus...to die...and not just to die any death, but to die in one of the worst ways imaginable!

That’s why we started in Mark 15....because...and time won’t allow us to fully unpack it...but I wanted you to see and for us to have fresh on our minds the brutality of the cross.

Jesus was scourged (expand) ....and nails were driven into him and a spear was driven into him and then he DIED.

But catch this....he did all of that...he endured all of that....for those who were sinners!! (pause)

He didn’t do it for the perfect people only....like that would have been a...a maybe a more understandbale sacrifice, right?

Like it might make sense for someone who’s perfect to maybe sacrifice themselves for other perfect people, right? Remember Captain America jumping on the grenade? That’s an honorable thing to do..if you’re doing it for good people....But why would someone sacrifice theyre only son for those who are disobedient?

Well, brothers and sisters, here-in lies the mystery of the gospel! (Pause) look at how Paul says it in Romans 5.

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Have you ever put your name in John 3:16? For God so loved....Chase....messed up...sinful Chase....that he sent his Son to die? For God so loved ______ put your name In that blank.

See this is one of the biggest misconceptions about Christianity....people think we’re a bunch of people who think we have it all together and love slamming others who disagree....no at it’s core it’s use realizing we don’t have together – but God made a way for us!

And then look at what Paul says in the next verse

9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

We’re gonna unpack this a lot more in the new year when we begin a study through the book of Romans. Starting on January 5th, we’ll be diving into the book of Romans. But let me just tease out two word. It’s not a brand new phrase if you’ve been here for a while, but it’s a pairing of words not used often here they are: substitutionary atonement. Say that with me.

Okay, what that means....is that Jesus Christ when he died on the cross...he was our substitute.

We deserved to be the ones on that cross. You should have been on the cross. I should have been on the cross. To die....because of my sin. But Jesus took the punishment on Himself and in doing so not only did he substitute himself for us....but he was able to atone for our sins!!

And that’s because...and this is our next point...the requirement: The only one who could pay the penalty of sin, was God.

We couldn’t do it. And look...again when I say we’re perishing outside of Christ we have to understand the weight of what that means....that means God’s righteous ANGER was directed at us! (pause) His wrath....was directed at us. (pause) And still is at those who are outside of Christ we’ll get there in just a second.

And we needed someone who was perfect....none but God could bear the wrath of God. (pause) and so what did God do? Well, look at how Paul says it.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Oh man there’s so much in there....God made him who had no sin to be sin....

- Throwback to the image of the snake! The symbol of death is actually our deliverance.

- Oh what wonderous love is this....

One more verse....this time from the Apostle Peter....he said it like this –

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so now we can do whatever we want? No. so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24)

This is were eternal life comes into play. (pause) What’s the ramification of all this? It’s eternal life.

The Bible teaches that this is literal....that we’ll not just live with God forever, but we’ll reign with him if we’re in Christ.

This isn’t just talking about metaphorical peace. This is a literal hope that if we’re in Christ when we die, the ending of our earthly story is...like only the table of contents in our real stories, amen? Because we’ll live with him forever.

But what we can easily miss if we’re not careful is that the only reason this is possible is because we’ll be made holy!

This is our third point: The loving sacrifice of Jesus provides a way for sinners (you and I) to be seen a holy.

How often do you think about that? (pause) That When we’re in heaven, we’ll be holy! We will be like God not in the sense that we will have all of his attributes...or his sovereignty or any of that, but in the sense that we won’t be stained by sin at all any longer! See, even when we’ve been Christians for years and decades...in this life we never reach sinless perfection. (pause) In fact, the longer we’re in Christ the more aware of our sin we are.

But when we get to heaven, not only will pain, and death be no more, but sin will be no more!

Friends, do we long for...holiness...as much as we long for the other blessings of heaven?

Little self reflective question real quick....is our prayer life filled with a longing for God to make us holy...to increase in use holiness and a longing for that aspect of heaven as much as we pray about bills being paid, and health, and all the other things?

This is what it means to ask ourself do we seek God’s face as much as we seek his hand?

I’m asking myself this as much as anyone else.

But...lets look back at the verse one final time. Because there’s one final part of the verse that’s is counter cultural...and also shows why understanding the nature of that word “so” is important.

God loved the world...and he sent his son...that’s substation atonement. We needed a substitute. The ramification of his love is now we can be holy...but what’s the response...here it is.

This love is poured out...for whoever believes in him.

Now this is good news....and bad news.

It’s good news...because whoever....it means...whoever. (pause) So that means....if the worst thing you’ve ever done is tell a lie...you’re included....and the worst criminal on death row....this grace...and offer of salvation is extended.

We are all equal at the foot of the cross....BUT....you have to believe. (pause)

Its bad news because not believing is tied to perishing….Which leads to our final point.

The only way to be on the receiving end of God’s salvific love is to believe in Jesus.

What does that mean? Just to believe Jesus was real? To believe that he died? No it has to change us. (pause) True belief is not just intellectual ascent....it’s a recognition of who Jesus is not just because of what we get from him, but because we recognize his love for us...individually...and that changes us.

Remember what we read earlier in Mark? – The Centurion?

Let me read one final passage....again from John’s gospel just a couple chapters earlier...and you may remember this is where we started our series so it seems a fitting way to end.

- John’s starting my talking about the incomprehensible reality of the incarnation....he’s building to this amazing phrase that the Word became flesh.

9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

And so here’s our conclusion....the Question is when we talk about love...are we using the term in the same way as the bible? And we’ve seen the reason for love....we were perishing...the requirement for love....we needed to be perfect, but we couldn’t be so God himself paid the price. The ramifications of the love are we can be holy one day. We can be made more and more like him now, but ultimately be made sinless in heaven. And then the response for love is that we have to believe.

When we consider all that, here’s our conclusion: Real love is centered on the person and work of Jesus.

I haven’t had the privillage of meeting every one of you. There are many stories in this room that I don’t know. And even those of you who I do know...I don’t know all of your silent struggles. I don’t know all of your pain and I don’t want to pretend to.

But what I do know...and what I want you to know...is that THIS truth...touches every area of your life.

Did you walk in here this morning with pain our heartache in your family? Maybe extended family or even immediate family is making it hard to be holly and jolly for Christmas? We see love on display in the life of Jesus who was even rejected by his own family....yet loved them.

Your marriage, or relationship. What if the answer to how you can love and be loved correctly is my emulating the self sacrificial love of Jesus?

Loneliness...what if the cure to loneliness is found in being comforted by the love Jesus has for YOU.

We as the church can spend time talking about specific tips for certain issues...and there is value in that....we want to launch more short term groups for parenting, and single parenting, and marriage...and I’m really excited about some of the things we’re hoping to do in 2025 as ways to move beyond just the gathering and to connect in our church.

But really in everything we do we want to bring it back to this....(pause)...Understanding THIS is the most important objective of our church. (pause) More than our ministries....more than our food drives and community support....all of that is so important....but what good is it if we serve the whole Nordonia community in an attempt at love....but we don’t understand what love is.

So I have to ask again....are we using the same language?

Do you understand the love of Jesus...and more importantly...have you made a personal decision regarding that love?

- People at our prayer table who would love to pray with you....we’ll have an elder in the lobby who would love to pray with you....but there’s no more important question you can answer.

Well as part of our music team comes forward...let me say...this series we’ve been ending our services....

- The songs have become like the notes around our house....so This is part of the sermon....

And so as we prepare to hear this song that maybe we’ve heard hundreds of times....let me end with a quote from Charles Spurgeon.

Come, ye aged saints, be children again; and you that have long known your Lord, take up your first spelling-book, and go over your ABC again, by learning that God so loved the world, that he gave his Son to die, that man might live through him.....It is a good thing for us all to return at times to our starting place, and make sure that we are in the way everlasting.