Spiritual Growth / Love

  • Loving God by Loving Christ

    Matthew 10:37–39

    Adherents of other religions may do many good deeds in the name of God. They may even think that they are praying to Him when they beseech the Creator. But in doing all these things, they are really committing idolatry ...Read More

  • Wholehearted Love and Service

    Deuteronomy 10:12

    The Westminster Shorter Catechism tells us that man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Yet to glorify and enjoy Him, we must know Him as He is in His holiness, sovereignty, and love. We must ...Read More

  • Love for God and Neighbor

    Matthew 22:34–40

    Love of God and love of neighbor are connected. We cannot love God rightly if we do not love our neighbors, especially our fellow Christians, and we cannot love our neighbors rightly if we do not love God (1 John ...Read More

  • Paul’s Love for His Audience

    Philippians 2:17–18

    Our love for those who minister to us should be part of what motivates our obedience to the Lord. As we grow in holiness, we help to show our pastors, Sunday school teachers, and other church leaders that their labor ...Read More

  • The Christian’s Conflicting Desires

    Philippians 1:21–24

    One commentator has wondered what it would mean for the church if we really acted on the reality that “to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” What if we more consistently conducted ourselves as if true life meant ...Read More

  • Abounding Love

    Philippians 1:9–11

    Only by faith do we lay hold of Christ’s righteousness, which alone gets us into heaven. Yet we can also get additional rewards in heaven if we serve God faithfully. These rewards, however, are still grounded in faith because ...Read More

  • Paul’s Love for the Philippians

    Philippians 1:7–8

    In many ways, it is easier to pray or to give to various churches and ministries instead of doing both. How often do we pray for other believers and gospel defenders without responding to their need for financial support? How ...Read More

  • The Peace and Purity of the Church

    Ephesians 6:23–24

    Take time today to read back through Ephesians and thank God for what we have learned. Ask Him to make you more loving and more willing to stand for the essential truths of the Christian faith. Also, ask Him that ...Read More

  • The Needfulness of Truth and Love

    Ephesians 4:15-16

    Are you conscious of the intimate way in which you are connected to all other believers? Your sins and holiness impact other Christians, for you share an inseparable link to them (Eph. 4:15–16). One of the key motivations ...Read More

  • The Fullness of Christ’s Love

    Ephesians 3:17b-19

    If earthly families cannot be unified without the understanding and pursuit of love, how can we possibly think that true love for other believers is optional in the promotion of Christian unity? We are called to meditate on the depth ...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