Sermon Tone Analysis

Where Must it Begin?

Galatians 6:

What Does & Doesn’t it Look Like?

Romans 13:8-14

Galatians 5:

1 Corinthians 13:

Paraphrase

If I talk a lot about God, the Bible, and the Church, but I fail to ask about other people’s needs, I’m simply making a lot of empty religious noise.

If I graduate from a respected private Christian university and know all the answers to questions you’ll never even think of asking, and if I have all of the degrees to prove it…and if I say I believe in God with all my heart, soul, and strength, claiming to have incredible answers to my prayers, but I fail to take the time to find out what makes others laugh and why they cry, I’m nothing.

If I sell an extra car and some of my books to raise money for poor starving kids somewhere, and if I give my life for God’s service and burn out after pouring everything I have into the work, but do it all without ever once caring about the people, the real hurting people—the moms and dads and sons and daughters and orphans and widows and the lonely and forgotten—if I pour my life into the Kingdom but forget to love those here on earth, my energy is wasted, and so is my life.

Here is what love is like…genuine love.

God’s kind of love.

It’s patient.

It can wait.

It helps others, even if they never find out who assisted them.

Love doesn’t look for greener pastures.

Love doesn’t boast.

It doesn’t try to build itself up to be something it isn’t.

Love doesn’t act in a loose, immoral way.

It doesn’t seek to take, but it willingly gives.

Love doesn’t lose its temper.

It doesn’t keep changing its mind.

Love doesn’t think about how difficult the other person is, and certainly doesn’t think of how it could get back at someone.

Love is grieved deeply over the evil in this world, but it rejoices over truth.

Amplified

4 Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant.

5 It is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured.

6 It does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail].

7 Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening].

How is This Possible?

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