Agape Love
Jesus said “love one another,” and the word He used was “agape.” Agape is the highest form of love. It’s deliberate refusal to respond negatively. It’s a conquest of the will.
Email. Internet. Video. Texting. Tablets. Smartphones. The list never ends, does it? As technology advances, real human connection becomes harder and harder. If we’re not careful, each new gadget can draw us further away from the family of believers God designed us to be.
If you want to experience a close community with other Christians, you must first escape the trap of superficiality and to develop tight bonds that will feed your soul and mature your spiritual family.
Jesus said “love one another,” and the word He used was “agape.” Agape is the highest form of love. It’s deliberate refusal to respond negatively. It’s a conquest of the will.
Authentic love is unconditional and unselfish. It can change lives.
Acceptance means you don’t make people jump through hoops—you take them as they are.
We don’t know the pain and sorrow others are going through. That’s why we need to be grace givers. We’re all in the same boat so let’s go easy on each other.
No one can know everything but when we’re dogmatic and opinionated... it’s easy to see ourselves as the final authority. There’s something refreshing about people who are teachable and willing to learn from others.
Being trustworthy means showing up, ready and available, season after season. Showing up is a crucial part of faithfulness—and sometimes the hardest part.
Mature love doesn’t grow cold over the years. True love is long term; it doesn’t give up. That’s how Christ loves us.
Everyone in Nazareth would have known Jesus’ mother, Mary, was pregnant before she and Joseph were married. While everyone knew about the scandal, no one understood Mary’s conception was miraculous and one day her baby would save the world.
Courtship is the time in a relationship to lay the foundation. It’s the time you discuss children, finances, work, in-laws, faith, stress, goals... everything!
What does it mean to be a good neighbour? Does it mean keeping your dogs from barking at night and lending your neighbour eggs when they run out? Or, is it a higher calling? Chuck Swindoll describes the biblical standard for neighbourly love in this message.