One Encounter with the Love of God

One encounter with the love of God!

The Passion Translation Chapter 5

8 But Christ proved God’s passionate love for us by dying in our place while we were still lost and ungodly!

🔥 Introduction (Expanded)

There are moments in life that forever mark us—moments that change the trajectory of our future. A soldier remembers the moment he stepped onto the battlefield for the first time. A mother remembers the cry of her newborn’s first breath. A student remembers the day they finally crossed the stage to receive their diploma. These encounters become life-altering because they leave an imprint on the heart that time cannot erase.

But, beloved, no encounter compares to one encounter with the love of God.

The love of God is not like human love—it doesn’t waver, it doesn’t grow cold, it doesn’t change when circumstances change. Human love often says, “I love you because…” or “I love you if…” But God’s love says, “I love you in spite of…” Romans 5:8 declares: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” That means He didn’t wait for us to get it right. He didn’t wait for us to earn it. He loved us when we were unlovable. He pursued us when we were running the opposite way.

Think about Saul of Tarsus—on his way to persecute Christians, full of hate and zeal. But in one moment, blinded by the light of Christ’s love on the road to Damascus, his entire life changed. One encounter turned him from the church’s greatest persecutor into its greatest preacher. That is the power of the love of God!

Think about the Samaritan woman at the well—rejected, broken, and living in shame. She came to draw water in the heat of the day to avoid the stares of her community. Yet one encounter with Jesus, the Living Water, transformed her into a bold evangelist who brought her whole town to meet the Messiah.

Think about your own life. Many of us can point to a moment when God’s love overwhelmed us—a moment we knew that even though we had failed, even though we had sinned, even though others had given up on us, the Father had not. That moment changes everything.

This is the heartbeat of today’s message: 👉 One encounter with the love of God can rewrite your story, heal your deepest wounds, and set your life on fire for His glory.

And here’s the beautiful truth: God doesn’t just want you to have one encounter with His love; He wants you to live in it daily. For His love is not an event—it is a relationship. It’s not just a memory—it’s a reality that is fresh every morning (Lamentations 3:22–23).

So today, as we dive into this message, open your heart wide. Don’t just listen for information—listen for transformation. Because one encounter with the love of God will not just touch you; it will transform you, empower you, and send you out carrying His love into a world that desperately needs it.

Would you like me to now expand this into a shorter spoken-style opening illustration (like a preacher would use right before diving into the first point), or keep it as this full, rich manuscript introduction?

Point 1 – The Love of God Finds You Where You Are

Scripture: Luke 15:20 – The father ran to meet the prodigal son while he was still far off.

🔥 Spirit-filled Thought: God’s love is not passive—it pursues you until it finds you.

God’s love doesn’t wait for you to clean yourself up; it meets you in the pigpen, the prison cell, the addiction, or the despair.

Psalm 139:7–10 – “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.”

Romans 10:20 – “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me.”

Isaiah 65:1 – “I was sought by those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me.”

Illustration: A firefighter doesn’t wait for someone to crawl out of the flames before rescuing them—he goes into the fire. That is what God’s love does.

Spirit-filled Thought: No matter how lost you feel, His love will track you down and find you.

Application:

If you feel far from God—lost in sin, depression, or addiction—don’t wait to “fix yourself.” Right now, whisper His name. Like the prodigal son, just start the walk home and you’ll find the Father running to meet you.

This week, remind yourself daily: “God’s love comes to me, not because I’m perfect, but because He is faithful.”

🔥 Challenge: When you feel unworthy, read Psalm 139 aloud and let His presence remind you that He is closer than your breath.

Point 2 – The Love of God Reveals Your True Identity

Scripture: 1 John 3:1 – “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”

God’s love doesn’t just forgive you—it renames you. From sinner to saint, from orphan to son or daughter.

🔥 Spirit-filled Thought: His love removes shame’s label and replaces it with the seal of sonship.

2 Corinthians 5:17 – “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

John 1:12 – “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God.”

Isaiah 62:2–4 – “You shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord will name… For the Lord delights in you.”

Illustration: Like an adopted child receiving a new last name, your identity changes when you encounter His love.

Spirit-filled Thought: One encounter removes the labels of shame and replaces them with the name “Beloved.”

Application:

Many live under false names—“failure,” “addict,” “not enough.” But when God’s love touches you, He calls you child. Stop answering to what the enemy calls you and start responding to what your Father calls you.

Write down on paper the labels you’ve believed (e.g., “unworthy,” “broken”), then cross them out and replace them with God’s names: “Beloved,” “Redeemed,” “Child of God.”

🔥 Challenge: Every morning this week, declare John 1:12 out loud: “I am a child of God.”

Point 3 – The Love of God Heals the Broken Places

Scripture: Psalm 147:3 – “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

When God’s love enters, it touches wounds words cannot describe—trauma, rejection, betrayal, abandonment.

🔥 Spirit-filled Thought: His love doesn’t just mend the surface—it restores the soul.

Isaiah 61:1 – “He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives.”

Jeremiah 30:17 – “For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds,” says the Lord.

Matthew 11:28–30 – “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Illustration: A surgeon removes infection before stitching the wound. God’s love doesn’t cover up your hurt; it cleanses, heals, and restores.

Spirit-filled Thought: One encounter with His love can do what years of therapy cannot—it heals the heart at its deepest root.

Application:

Healing doesn’t mean forgetting the pain—it means God transforms it so it no longer controls you. Surrender the memories, the betrayal, or the heartbreak to Him in prayer.

Don’t carry your wounds in silence. Find a trusted believer to pray with you, allowing God’s love to work through community.

🔥 Challenge: Each night this week, ask the Holy Spirit: “Lord, what part of my heart needs Your healing love?” Then sit in silence and let Him minister to you.

Point 4 – The Love of God Casts Out Fear

Scripture: 1 John 4:18 – “Perfect love casts out fear.”

Fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of the future—these lose their grip when God’s love overwhelms you.

🔥 Spirit-filled Thought: Fear cannot breathe in the atmosphere of God’s love.

2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

Joshua 1:9 – “Do not be afraid… for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Romans 8:15 – “You did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption.”

Illustration: Like a light switch instantly dispelling darkness, love expels fear with no argument.

Spirit-filled Thought: Fear cannot coexist where God’s love is reigning.

Application:

Fear often shows up as anxiety, worry, or hesitation. When fear speaks, answer with Scripture. For example: “God has not given me a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind.”

Take one step of faith in an area you’ve been paralyzed—apply for the job, make the phone call, forgive the person. Do it knowing God’s love has your back.

🔥 Challenge: Write down your top 3 fears and pray 1 John 4:18 over each one until peace takes their place.

Point 5 – The Love of God Empowers You to Forgive

Scripture: Ephesians 4:32 – “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

You cannot truly forgive without first experiencing the forgiveness of God’s love.

🔥 Spirit-filled Thought: Forgiveness is not natural—it is supernatural, flowing from His love.

Colossians 3:13 – “…forgiving one another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”

Matthew 6:14–15 – Jesus said if we forgive others, the Father forgives us.

Luke 23:34 – Jesus prayed from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

Illustration: Corrie ten Boom, who survived the Nazi concentration camps, forgave her captors only after encountering God’s love so powerfully that it overflowed into forgiveness.

Spirit-filled Thought: One encounter turns bitterness into blessing and hatred into healing.

Application:

Forgiveness doesn’t excuse the hurt; it sets you free from the prison of bitterness. Ask God for the grace to forgive as He forgave you.

Write a letter (you don’t have to send it) releasing the person who hurt you. Pray over it and tear it up as a prophetic act of freedom.

🔥 Challenge: When the offense resurfaces, instead of rehearsing it, pray: “Father, I choose love. Help me see them as You do.”

Point 6 – The Love of God Compels You to Share

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:14 – “For the love of Christ compels us…”

Encountering His love makes you a witness. You cannot keep to yourself what has transformed you.

🔥 Spirit-filled Thought: True love can’t be contained—it overflows and touches others.

Acts 1:8 – “You shall receive power… and you shall be witnesses to Me.”

Romans 1:16 – “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation.”

Mark 16:15 – “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

Illustration: The woman at the well ran back to her town saying, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did!” (John 4:29).

Spirit-filled Thought: A true encounter with God’s love never ends with you—it spreads through you.

Application:

Love cannot stay silent. This week, ask the Lord to give you one opportunity to share your testimony or invite someone to church.

Instead of arguing people into faith, show them love through action—buy someone a meal, visit the sick, encourage the discouraged.

🔥 Challenge: Pray each morning: “Lord, let me be Your hands and feet today. Show me one person I can love in action.”

Point 7 – The Love of God Guarantees Eternal Security

Scripture: Romans 8:38–39 – “Nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

One encounter is enough to anchor your soul for eternity. Nothing—neither death, demons, nor circumstances—can remove you from His love.

🔥 Spirit-filled Thought: His love isn’t just for a season—it is an eternal covenant.

John 10:28–29 – “No one shall snatch them out of My hand.”

Jude 1:24 – “To Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless…”

Ephesians 1:13–14 – We are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise until redemption.

Illustration: Like an anchor in the storm holding a ship steady, His love secures us through life’s fiercest battles.

Spirit-filled Thought: His love is not a momentary feeling; it is an eternal covenant.

Application:

When doubts come about salvation, anchor yourself in the promises of Romans 8:38–39. Nothing can separate you from His love.

Live with eternity in mind. Knowing you are secure in Christ should free you from striving for the approval of others.

🔥 Challenge: Each night this week, declare: “Lord, thank You that nothing can separate me from Your love.” Go to bed in peace, knowing your soul is secure.

Spirit-Filled Conclusion

Beloved, from the prodigal son to the woman at the well, from Saul the persecutor to John the beloved disciple — Scripture shows us that one encounter with the love of God rewrites a person’s entire story. And it’s not just a moment in history; it’s a reality for us today.

You may have walked in carrying fear, shame, wounds, or questions about your worth. But the good news is this: you are not here by accident. Just as Jesus said in John 4:4, “I must go through Samaria” to meet a broken woman, so today He has come directly to you. His love doesn’t just meet you; it transforms you, heals you, forgives you, secures you, and sends you out to shine His light.

Here’s the truth — you don’t need 100 encounters. Just one real, authentic, Spirit-filled encounter with the love of God can ignite a fire in you that never goes out. But here’s the miracle — God doesn’t stop at one; His mercies are new every morning. He desires to meet you again and again, walking with you daily in a love that never runs dry.

🔥 Main Point Restated: One encounter with the love of God can take a sinner and make them a saint, take the broken and make them whole, take the fearful and make them bold, and take the hopeless and give them eternal security in Christ Jesus.

So the question is not whether God loves you — the cross already settled that forever. The question is: will you allow yourself to encounter His love right now?

Closing Prayer

“Father, we thank You for Your unfailing, unshakable, and unstoppable love. Thank You for sending Jesus, not when we were at our best, but when we were at our worst, to demonstrate how much You care for us. Lord, today we open our hearts wide. Heal the broken places, silence every fear, wash away shame, and replace every lie with Your truth.

Holy Spirit, let Your love flood this place like a mighty river. Draw every heart closer to Jesus. Ignite fresh fire in our souls. May we not just know about Your love but encounter it personally and powerfully.

Father, for those who need forgiveness, let them receive it now. For those who feel far from You, let them feel You running to meet them. For those bound by fear, let Your perfect love cast it out. And for all of us, let us leave this place transformed — carrying Your love into our homes, our jobs, our neighborhoods, and our city.

We declare today that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. And we give You all the glory, all the honor, and all the praise. In Jesus’ mighty name we pray — Amen!” 🔥