The Heart of the Matter

Songs

Oh Magnify The Lord

O magnify the Lord For He is worthy to be praised O magnify the Lord For Heis worthy to be praised. Hosannah! blessed be the Rock Blessed be the Rock Of my Salvation

Old Time Religion

Refrain: Give me that old time religion, Give me that old time religion, Give me that old time religion, It's good enough for me.

1 It was good for Paul and Silas, It was good for Paul and Silas, It was good for Paul and Silas, It's good enough for me. [Refrain]

3 It was good for our mothers, It was good for our mothers, It was good for our mothers, It's good enough for me. [Refrain]

4 Makes me love ev'rybody, Makes me love ev'rybody, Makes me love ev'rybody, It's good enough for me. [Refrain]

In The Name of Jesus

In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, we have the victory. In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, Satan, you have to flee. Oh, what can ever stand before us when we call on that great name? Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus, we have the victory.

Special Music

I Love You Lord Today

I love you, I love you I love you Lord today Because you care for me in such special way That's why I praise you I lift you up and I magnify your name That's why my heart is filled with praise

My heart, my mind, my soul belongs to you You paid the price for me way back on calvary That's why I praise you I lift you up and I magnify your name That's why my heart is filled with praise

I Love You Lord/We Exalt Thee

I love You, Lord And I lift my voice To worship You Oh my soul rejoice Take joy my King In what You hear Let it be a sweet, sweet sound In Your ear 

We Exalt Thee, Oh Lord

Scripture Invitation

As we open our hearts to receive God’s Word today, I invite your prayerful consideration to the book of 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, where the Holy Spirit has illuminated the true essence of love for our sermonic time together.

Bible Passage

1 Corinthians 13:1–13 CSB

If I speak human or angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known. Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love—but the greatest of these is love.

Prayer

Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,

By the pow’r of grace divine;

Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,

And my will be lost in Thine.

Introduction

Church, let me tell you something today—

You can have all the faith in the world,

You can preach the loudest sermons,

You can give the biggest offerings,

But if you don’t have love, you don’t have anything!

Love is the heartbeat of the Christian life.

It is the pulse that keeps our faith alive.

Without love, we are just noise in the wind,

Empty vessels clanging in the night.

Now, I want you to picture this:

It’s easy to love the people you like,

The ones who smile back,

The ones who treat you right.

But God’s Word calls us to a higher love—

A love that reaches out to the unlovable,

The cast out, the forgotten, the rejected.

A love that embraces enemies,

That blesses those who curse us,

That loves those who hurt us,

That prays for those who have ill will toward us.

Church, if we forget love, we forget who we are!

1. Love Is the Mark of a True Christian

If you say you know Christ but don’t have love, You’re fooling yourself and the world around you.

The Apostle John said it plain:

“Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar.”

Love is not optional—it is essential.

It is the first fruit of the Spirit, the foundation of our faith.

Without love, all our works are empty, all our gifts are worthless.

Brothers and sisters, let me tell you—

You can shout, you can pray, you can fast, But if love ain’t in your heart, you ain’t walking in the Spirit!

“Love is patient, love is kind,” the Word says.

It’s the love that keeps us standing when the storms come.

It’s the love that binds us together as the body of Christ.

2. Love Loves the Unlovable

Now, church, this is where the rubber meets the road.

It’s easy to love the lovable,

But God calls us to love the unlovable.

The ones society throws away,

The ones who’ve been cast out and forgotten.

Jesus didn’t just love the popular folks—

He loved the lepers, the tax collectors, the sinners.

He sat with the outcasts, touched the untouchables,

And showed us that love breaks every barrier.

Is there anybody here who knows what it means to be rejected?

God says, love them anyway!

Love the enemy, love the one who curses you,

Love the one who hurts you, love the one who wishes you harm.

That’s the kind of love that changes hearts,

That breaks chains, that sets captives free!

3. Love Extends Beyond Doctrine and Speaks to the Heart

Church, listen to me—

Love is bigger than doctrine, bigger than rules, bigger than religion.

Love speaks to the heart.

It reaches past the walls we build,

Past the labels and the judgments.

Jesus showed us that love is mercy in action,

Not just words on a page.

It’s the love that healed the woman at the well,

The love that forgave the adulterous woman,

The love that welcomed the prodigal home.

If we don’t have love, God can’t use us.

We become poison instead of healing,

We spread hate instead of hope.

4. The Danger of Loving Selectively: A Lesson from America

Now, church, I want to talk to you about something real.

Look around at this country we call home—America.

There are people who love this land,

But hate the very Constitution that protects their rights.

There are people who love their homes,

But hate their neighbors next door.

There are people who love freedom,

But want to restrict the freedom of others.

That’s selective love, and it’s dangerous!

It’s a fruit that poisons the soul and divides the people.

God calls us to a love that is whole,

A love that embraces all,

A love that builds bridges, not walls.

Application

So, my brothers and sisters, what does this mean for us today?

It means we must examine our hearts.

Who are we loving?

Who are we refusing to love?

Are we loving only those who look like us, think like us, act like us?

Or are we bearing the fruit of love that reaches out to the hurting, The broken, and the enemy?

It means we must let love be the core of our faith,

The foundation of our actions,

The fire that fuels our witness.

It means we must choose love every day—

In our homes, in our churches, in our communities.

Because without love, we are nothing.

Closing & Appeal

As I close, remember this—

Love is the heartbeat of the Christian life,

The pulse that keeps us alive in the Spirit.

So I might be in a world full of hate, but:

Despite the anger around me, there is love in my heart.

Despite the division I see, there is unity in my soul.

Despite the enemies that rise, there is forgiveness in my hands.

Despite the curses I face, there is blessing on my lips.

Despite the pain I endure, there is healing in my spirit.

Despite the darkness of this age, there is light in my love.

Despite the brokenness of this world, there is wholeness in my love.

Despite the poison of hate, there is the fruit of love growing in me.

Church, love is not just a feeling—it’s a revolution!

It’s the power that transforms enemies into friends,

The power that breaks chains and heals wounds,

The power that God uses to change the world.

So I say to you today—

Bear the fruit of love!

Let love be your banner, your battle cry, your testimony!

Because without love, God can’t use you.

But with love, you can move mountains,

You can change lives,

You can bring heaven to earth!

Somebody ought to shout, “Love is the fruit I bear!”

Somebody ought to say, “I’m walking in love, and I’m walking in power!”

Somebody ought to declare, “Love is my weapon, and love is my victory!”

Love never fails!

Appeal

Ask God to fill your heart with His love.

Ask Him to help you love the unlovable,

To love your enemies,

To love beyond doctrine,

To love with the fullness of His Spirit.