Love

  • Chosen in Love

    Ephesians 1:5-6

    The wonder of divine election is not that God loves us because we are lovely but that He loves us even though there is nothing lovely in us. But in choosing us, He loves us in order to make us ...Read More

  • Growing Up in Love

    1 Corinthians 13:11-13

    Knowledge of truth and the practice of love, as two of the chief indicators of Christian maturity, must both be emphasized in our walk with the Lord. Consistent study of the doctrines taught in the Bible is vital for our ...Read More

  • Enduring Love

    1 Corinthians 13:7

    To speak of suffering as a loving expression of God’s discipline is not to say that there is always a one-to-one correlation between a specific sin we have committed and our trial. Such a correlation may be true in ...Read More

  • Truth and Hope

    1 Corinthians 13:6-7

    All of us have experienced betrayals in our lives wherein somebody did not keep a promise or otherwise violated our trust. When God calls us to be trusting people, He knows that many will betray us, but that does not ...Read More

  • Love and Evil

    1 Corinthians 13:5-6

    Gossip and slander are two of the most overlooked sins in our day. We are quick to condemn sexual immorality, theft, and murder, but at the same time we often relish the opportunity to hear and tell stories about what ...Read More

  • Selfless Love

    1 Corinthians 13:4-5

    Do you struggle with a short temper? Are you quick to exaggerate things and make the worst out of any and all circumstances? The antidote to these things is remembering the patience of our Creator. He did not wipe us ...Read More

  • Not Envious or Boastful

    1 Corinthians 13:4

    Envy is an easy sin to hide because we can keep our mouths shut about what we are feeling in our hearts when we see others get blessings we have been longing for. It is therefore important to be constantly ...Read More

  • The Priority of Love

    1 Corinthians 13:1-3

    Consider whether you make love a priority this day. Are you zealous to preach the gospel and defend truth because you like to win arguments, or are you motivated primarily by love for lost people? Is it more important to ...Read More

  • The Costs and Demands of Love

    Philemon 17-18

    Are you hesitating to do something that godly love compels you to do? If so, then may Philemon encourage you to stop putting it off and move forward today. Insofar as we are able, we must seek to be reconciled ...Read More

  • Paying the Cost

    Philemon 19-20

    In Philippians 2, Paul calls us to follow the example of Christ and put others ahead of ourselves. We seldom consider how our decisions and behavior will be regarded in the community of believers, but this should not be. Instead ...Read More

  • Receiving Onesimus

    Philemon 17-18

    John Calvin takes Paul’s willingness to help Onesimus be reconciled to Philemon as an example for us. The apostle, he writes, “warns us how affectionately we ought to aid a sinner who has given us proof of his repentance ...Read More

  • Apostolic Authority

    Philemon 9-10

    Even though a Spirit-filled motivation is necessary to make a good deed truly good, sometimes we have to start acting before our motivation aligns itself with our deeds: C.S. Lewis writes in Mere Christianity: “Do not waste time bothering ...Read More

  • Husbands, Wives, and Children

    Colossians 3:18-21

    Paul expands on male and female roles in Ephesians, and our study of that book in a few months will look at this topic in more detail. Today, note that submission need not mean some household chores belong exclusively to ...Read More

  • The Love and Peace of Christ

    Colossians 3:14-15

    When church elders, committees, and other bodies need to make a decision, their choice should in large measure be based upon what will bring peace to the church in the matter without compromising the gospel of Jesus Christ. Similarly, as ...Read More

  • Love and Assurance

    Colossians 2:1-2

    Like concern, love is not a mere emotional feeling but must also involve action. We can love other believers in our churches through encouraging them and pointing them to Christ. Contributing regularly to the deacons’ fund or other collections taken ...Read More