Scripture referenced 9 passages
The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.
-
1 Corinthians 13:13 cited as containing close friends, good marriage, control over lives, and vibrant religious faith as elements of a good life
13 But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Keep this verse
1 Corinthians 13:7
read aloud together as the main text on secrets of a lasting love
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Isaiah 54
quoted to describe God's everlasting love and compassion
1 “Sing, barren, you who didn’t give birth; break out into singing, and cry aloud, you who did not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife,” says Yahweh.
2 “Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your habitations; don’t spare: lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.
3 For you will spread out on the right hand and on the left; and your offspring will possess the nations, and settle in desolate cities.
4 “Don’t be afraid; for you will not be ashamed. Don’t be confounded; for you will not be disappointed. For you will forget the shame of your youth; and the reproach of your widowhood you shall remember no more.
5 For your Maker is your husband; Yahweh of Armies is his name. The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer. He will be called the God of the whole earth.
6 For Yahweh has called you as a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, even a wife of youth, when she is cast off,” says your God.
7 “For a small moment I have forsaken you; but with great mercies will I gather you.
8 In overflowing wrath I hid my face from you for a moment; but with everlasting loving kindness I will have mercy on you,” says Yahweh your Redeemer.
9 “For this is like the waters of Noah to me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah will no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.
10 For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed; but my loving kindness will not depart from you, and my covenant of peace will not be removed,” says Yahweh who has mercy on you.
11 “You afflicted, tossed with storms, and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in beautiful colors, and lay your foundations with sapphires.
12 I will make your pinnacles of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones.
13 All your children will be taught by Yahweh; and your children’s peace will be great.
14 In righteousness you will be established. You will be far from oppression, for you will not be afraid; and far from terror, for it shall not come near you.
15 Behold, they may gather together, but not by me. Whoever gathers together against you will fall because of you.
16 “Behold, I have created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame, and forges a weapon for his work; and I have created the destroyer to destroy.
17 No weapon that is formed against you will prevail; and you will condemn every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of Yahweh’s servants, and their righteousness is of me,” says Yahweh.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
John 15:12
quoted as Jesus commanding us to love each other as He loved us
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Romans 8:38-39
read aloud together to show nothing can separate us from the love of God
38 For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from God’s love, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Romans 3:10
quoted to show there is no one who always does what is right
10 As it is written, “There is no one righteous; no, not one.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
1 John 1:8
quoted to show that claiming to have no sin is self-deception
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Ephesians 4:2
read aloud together on being humble, gentle, and patient bearing one another in love
2 with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love;
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Isaiah 55:8
quoted to show God's thoughts and ways are higher than ours, giving reason to trust Him
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways,” says Yahweh.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Recap
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
The message this Sunday looked at what makes love last, working from 1 Corinthians 13:7. The pastor used research on what people consider a good life as a jumping-off point, then walked through four qualities that keep love from giving out over time.
What was said
John Stossel's research came up in the Wednesday morning men's study, and the pastor brought it into the Sunday message. Stossel found that a good life is not built on wealth, beauty, thrilling experiences, or personal achievement. Instead, people consistently pointed to close friendships, a good marriage, control over their own lives, and a vibrant religious faith. The pastor noted that those four things line up with what 1 Corinthians 13 describes as the character of love.
The first quality is that lasting love extends grace. The Greek word in the passage carries the image of a roof covering a house. A roof protects. Because both people in any marriage are sinners, grace is not optional; it is the only thing that makes a long relationship workable. That means listening more than speaking, and being willing to put up with things that are imperfect.
The second quality is that lasting love expresses faith. The pastor cited research from a psychologist who tracked trusting behavior over several years and found that trusting people are consistently less gullible, tend to have higher IQs, and live happier lives. Trusting someone shows up most clearly in the willingness to give a second chance. He drew that to communion, where the whole story is about Jesus extending another chance.
The third quality is that lasting love expects the best. Love is forward-looking and refuses to stay stuck in past failures. The pastor shared a story about a teacher whose class of high-achieving students succeeded in part because the environment constantly encouraged them. He quoted Rick Warren's point that what kills love is not hate but neglect, and read a poem about the regret of not expressing love while there was still time.
The fourth quality is that lasting love endures the worst. It is stubborn and refuses to quit. The simple secret he offered was this: stay put. Great people are ordinary people with extraordinary determination, and we can only learn to love by actually doing it.
The pastor closed by turning those four qualities back toward God. God has already done all four of them toward us. He extended grace by sending Jesus. He expressed faith by giving human beings a free will, which was a risk. He expects the best in each person and knows their potential. And He never gives up, waiting for people to come to Him. The call was to let that love move from head knowledge down into action, beginning with the church's community outreach events that very week.
Doing a Bible study?
Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.
- Pastor shared research from John Stossel that found wealth, beauty, thrilling experiences, and personal achievement are not what people consider a good life. What was your reaction to that list, and do you agree with what the research found people actually need?
- Pastor said that lasting love extends grace, and used the image of a roof to describe how love covers and protects. Who in your life right now do you find it hardest to extend that kind of grace to, and what makes it difficult?
and 3 more questions in the guide
Read the full transcript 6,650 words
0:00
Speaker 2And kinda everybody as your small group or as your family group to to buy as many tickets for this movie as you can and try and get them out to people that you know that might benefit from the movie. It's a movie about policemen, so we'd like to get, you know, some policemen there and some bless some some of our armed forces there. So if you know anybody in the Jackson Police or the Sheriff's Office and you can distribute some tickets or people on your street or at work, That's what we're gonna do as a small group and we encourage you guys to do the same thing. And additionally, we're gonna throw together a guys night this Saturday night to go see it together and we're gonna meet at McPhail's Burgers which is the new burger place on on Broadway by Sports Authority at 06:00 Saturday night, and then we'll go see the movie. So hope to see all you guys there and and support the movie bots here.
0:50
Speaker 1Alright. Now, this is what I want you to really do. Remember a couple weeks ago, we were gonna buy 500 tickets, in order to get the film here. But Dan and his persistence and everybody else going to see the guy, guy's, okay. Okay.
1:04
We'll bring it here. So we didn't have to buy the 500 tickets to get the film here. But I believe that God wants us to purchase tickets for people. Not just to go up and say, here, would you go to the film? But there are many, many police officers that you see over at Teton Steakhouse.
1:18
You see them driving back and forth. I would like to encourage you to go buy a ticket for you, your family, and go buy a couple more tickets and go to the police department, open up the door, and and present the ticket to them and say, I'd like to invite you to the film. In fact, I'd to give you a free ticket to go. It would do two things. One, it will show that you're interested in them and you wanna bless them.
1:37
And two, you're not just inviting them and hoping that they'll go if you give them a ticket, they're gonna think, oh, wait a minute. Somebody just spent $10 for a ticket. I better go to this. The best way would be if you could say, I'd like to invite you to come with me and my family. But sometimes it's not possible because of their work hours, but you can give them a ticket.
1:54
And if first of all, if they can go with you, that's best. If they can't go with you, give them a ticket and invite them to come and pray for them that as they go, God will minister them. Here's an opportunity for you to do something that I believe will impact your community like few things can. The film is that powerful. It's that emotional.
2:11
It gets right into the heart of father son stuff. And it's important for us here to go beyond just saying, you know what? We're having a film here. Ain't that cool? Or go back to at the end, we can say, you know what?
2:21
Isn't it great we were able to get courageous here? No. It's not good to get courageous here if we don't do something about it. It's not good to get courageous here to say at the end, we got courageous here so First Baptist Christians could go see it. No.
2:39
By the video. That's not what's good about it. What's good about it is you see somebody who doesn't know Christ or somebody who just you wanna bless and let them go, then it's good. Got it? Okay?
2:50
So, let's really take advantage of this. We wanna we only get a weekend, Dan. Do you know it's just here for Dan? Do we only get one weekend with this or
2:57
Speaker 2Let's
3:02
Speaker 1blast the place out this weekend. Blast it out. Line them up. Now, I don't wanna get on my pet peeve, but I will. People stood in line in the rain all the way around the block to see Harry Potter.
3:22
What good can he do? A film, yes. But what good can he do to a person's life? But this can make a difference. So let's do it.
3:33
Let's blast it out. Let's sell it out, and let's see people come. Alright? Great. Alright.
3:39
Last thing before we, about baby dedication. We got some really special this morning. And that is Saturday tonight, we're gonna be after Owana, we're gonna be taking this place apart and putting up all the booths and all the stuff, getting it ready for tomorrow night's great community impact, the alternative for Halloween. And so any of you guys can come and help us, we'd love that. Others can come tomorrow from twelve to four.
4:02
Is it twelve to four? Dancy will be here with the team decorating. So tomorrow night beginning around six, people are coming and it's gonna be an exceptional night. We have all kinds of things that we're offering and different light groups at different things to, to minister to to specific groups in our community and so that's going to happen tomorrow night. So, it's going to be an exciting, exciting outreach.
4:23
We want you to be a part of it. If you can't come, then pray. Pray that God will bring who he wants to come. Pray that the weather will be good. That the place will be packed full of kids and parents and pray that they'll be able to see Christ in the love that we give to them, through the games that we play, the candy that we give, the food that we give, the tracks, and the and the booklets that we give out.
4:43
Every person is a specific individual that God loves. So, pray that way. If you can come, we want you to be a part of this great night together. Alright. We have a great privilege to be able to dedicate a baby this morning.
4:58
Samuel Ryan blocked. I I have to tell you ahead of time, when Samuel Ryan was born, Renzi started a campaign. Because see, it's Samuel Ryan Block, s r Block. He started a campaign to change the name of Samuel to Henry Ryan Block so we could call him h and r Block. But that didn't happen.
5:18
I'm sorry, Renzi. I'm sorry, buddy. Didn't happen. They're keeping Samuel. So, we're gonna have Samuel and Megan Marie come.
5:24
We're gonna dedicate both of them this morning. In fact, I'm gonna have the whole family. The mothers came Lynn and Nancy from Texas and Oklahoma City to be a part of this and so we wanna be able to dedicate little Samuel Ryan and Megan Marie to the Lord. What opportunity do we have a has a as a faith community to be able to join with this family and the extended family to say that we will pray for Samuel. We'll pray for Megan that they will grow up and and become servants of God and so as a church, as a fellowship, that we wanna be able to stand behind this family and say, we're there with you.
5:57
We're praying with you through the good times and the tough times, and that your beautiful children will grow up to be servants of the Lord. So will you join me as we do that? Hello, Samuel Ryan, alias h and r. We're gonna dedicate you right now. I love to hold little babies.
6:14
Let's pray. Father God, thank you for Samuel Ryan. Thank you for this beautiful family, and we dedicate him now in the wonderful strong name of Jesus. And ask that you would encourage this little baby, that this young boy would grow up to be a strong leader for you. He would love you.
6:28
He would serve you, and he would know at a at a early age to come know you as lord and savior. And we'll thank you in Jesus holy name. Amen. Little Megan Marie, I get to hold you too. Oh, you're so sweet.
6:42
Let's pray. Lord Jesus, thank you for little Megan Marie. Two years old. Oh, Lord. Thank you.
6:49
What a precious sweet child she is. And I pray, lord, you'll bless her, encourage her, and lord soon that she will come to know you as lord and savior. Thank you, for this beautiful family. Thank you, lord, for Ryan and for Becka, thank you for the grandparents that love you and serve you and that they're here today to to testify of their love for you, to be a part of this great dedication, to say we as a family, desire that our children and our grandchildren grow up to serve you. And we thank you as a faith community that we have that privilege today.
7:16
In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you. Give God a praise offering, will you? God bless you. Thank you.
7:23
Thank you. Thank you. Amen. Wow. I love it.
7:35
Alright. Now, have some more babies so we can do more dedication. We're gonna be doing a baptism service in a couple of weeks. So if you haven't been baptized yet and you'd like to join the several that are gonna be baptized, please see myself or pastor Carl or or call Diane the office so we can get you on that list. Alright.
7:55
Well, what are you now for this morning for your tithes and offerings? Let's pray. Lord, would you please take these offerings, and would you bless them and use them for your glory? We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
8:26
You you can you can play one song. I'm gonna Thank you, Casey. In your, information packet, you'll see a white piece of paper which has the ballot for members of the search committee, Jean Dimash and Margo Raymore. And, we're not gonna have an annual we're not gonna have a church congregational meeting to do this. We just put it in your bulletin, so that you could fill it out and fold it up.
10:11
And and at the end of the service, you can just drop it off at the table as you leave. And if you're a member this morning, if you'll just put approve or withhold approval. If you don't have a pen, all unmarked ballots that are turned in will be received as yes ballots. So if you don't have a pen and and you just fold it up and turn it in, that's a yes ballot. If you have a pen or pencil, put approve or withhold approval so that we'll be at it.
10:35
So for Gene Dimash and Margaux Ramb, both of them need to be approved. Both of them need to be on the search committee, and that search committee begins next week. So if you'll do that, I want to remind you of that. Now, also we don't have time this morning to do this, but there are about 75 to a 100 people that have not yet signed up for our directory. And so what I'm gonna do is I'm just gonna I'm gonna start one here and one over here.
11:07
And you can just look at it. If your name is on there, then just check it off. If your name is not on there, then you can fill out a form and you can leave it in the in the booklet. And you can just go through it and pass it through and then go on to the end, and that'll be fine. Alright.
11:23
Let's stand and see.
13:54
Speaker 2You may be seated. Amen.
13:57
Speaker 1Thank you. If you take out your information packet, the outline for this morning. I really like it when what we're doing in the middle of the week corresponds with what we do on Sunday. And, in our, Wednesday morning meeting with guys, in authentic manhood, one of the classes that we're doing is winning at home at work. Well, winning at work at home and it's a second series in in Robert Lewis' studies on Wednesday morning that we're doing.
14:39
And it started out this last Wednesday when John Stassel who used to be with ABC now with Fox News, he he he gave us a a research paper or a kind of an outline on the definition of a good life and where to find it. He had done a number of of years of study on this, and and he did a special program on what the good life was all about. And this is what he said. Can a good life be defined? First of all, I gave four things that the good life isn't.
15:05
It isn't wealth and possessions. It isn't beauty. It isn't thrilling experiences. And it isn't personal achievement. Now, when Robert went through that, I I was surprised that those four things were not what people thought would be a good life.
15:19
Because we think in in our culture today, that's what we all strive for. That's what we want. That's what we think really makes it work. And so John in his studies, and he wasn't doing this from a religious perspective. He wasn't doing this as a believer.
15:31
He was doing this as a researcher to define what a good life is. So it's not wealth and possession. It's not beauty. It's not thrilling experiences, and it's not personal achievement. Well, what is it then?
15:42
He says he found these four things to be what people define a good life to be. The first one was good friends. It was important for people to have a solid network of good friends. The second one was a good marriage. It was important for people to have a good marriage in order to have a good life.
15:57
The third one is control over their lives. Certainly, that's what we're talking about today in our political circles. How much control do we have as people? How much does government have? And so back then in this particular series, control over their lives was an essential to be to have a good life.
16:12
And the fourth one was a vibrant religious faith. Now it's interesting because when you look at those four things, close friends, good marriage, control over our lives, being able to to set things out in motion and do something ourselves in a vibrant religious faith. Those four things are found in first Corinthians chapter 13 verse 13. But the greatest of these love, hope, and faith. I want us to go there this morning as we look at that.
16:36
First Corinthians chapter 13 verse seven. As we begin to look at the secrets of a lasting love. The secrets of a lasting love. Would you read this aloud with me, please? Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
16:55
There's four things that love doesn't do. It it never stops being patient. It it never stops believing. It never stops hoping, and it never gives up. Never gives up.
17:06
Always moves forward. Know, I I was just going through a bunch of stuff yesterday as I was googling some things and and I found out that the divorce rate today, forty one percent, in America, forty one percent of people married the first time, forty one percent of them and their marriages end in divorce. Then it said that sixty percent of those people who get married a second time, their marriage is in divorce. And it said seventy three percent of people who get married a third time, their marriage ends in divorce. And so then I I wanted to follow that through a little further, and I wanted to find out who got divorced the most times.
17:46
So Liz Taylor got divorced eight times. She married she married seven husbands. She married one of them twice. Zsa Zsa Gabor got married nine times. But the record, according to the Guinness Book of Records, the sad record by the way, the one that you would never wanna have, belongs to Linda Wolf who is still alive.
18:06
She's 68 years old, and she had been married 23 times. And according to her in this little ditty that she wrote, she's looking to get married a twenty fourth time. You see, because she doesn't really know what lasting love is really all about. The Bible says in Isaiah chapter 54, everlasting love. He said, in a surge of anger, I hid my face from you for a moment but with everlasting kindness, I will have compassion on you.
18:39
Everlasting means what? Everlasting. Always, forever. John fifteen twelve says, as I have loved you, my command is this, love each other as I have loved you. Romans chapter eight verse thirty eight and thirty nine.
18:53
Would you read this aloud with me? This is a good one. Read it out. For I am convinced. Nothing.
19:21
Nothing can separate you from the love of God. That's how powerful God's love is for you and I. That's how everlasting that love is and so in his word, he teaches us that we also should have that kind of love. A love that lasts forever and ever and ever. By the way, anybody here married twenty five years?
19:44
Let me see your hands. Anybody here married forty years? Let me see your hands. Any bless your heart. Anybody here was it always easy?
19:53
No. I love honesty. Anybody here married more than fifty years? Forty five years. So forty is it?
20:08
Oh, my wait wait wait. My wife and I, forty seven. Alright. Good. Well, no.
20:12
How many? Forty four. I knew that. Forty two. Is that what where's my wife?
20:22
Honey, how long has it been? Forty I knew that, sweetheart. I wanted to see if you're awake. Honey, you're supposed to come to the second service, not the first service. I was gonna say it seems like forty three, but something's wrong with that phrase, so I won't say it that way.
20:42
It's wonderful. But how do we know how do we keep love lasting forever? You see, love at first sight is just attraction. You have to be able to live with a person a quarter of a century according to Mark Twain to understand what really love is all about. And the Lord gives us in first Corinthians chapter 13.
21:02
In that passage, he gives to us four things that keep our love everlasting. Let's look at it together. Lasting love extends grace. Lasting love extends grace. Love never stops being patient.
21:17
It puts up with anything and everything. It patiently accepts all things. It's always ready to make allowance. In fact, the word picture in that passage, the Greek word is and it means to cover with a roof. Now, I was talking to Brian this morning and he's a roofer.
21:31
Would you ever build a house without a roof? No. Why not? Would you ever buy a house without a roof, Steve? He might but Renzi, would you buy a house without roof?
21:42
Absolutely. Why? Because it protects you. Protects you and so, the word picture in Greek here in that passage is stergo. It means to cover like a roof.
21:52
When you buy a home with a roof, it gives you protection. Without a roof, there's no protection. So love covers and protects you with grace. Why is grace so essential to long term relationships? Let me give you a quick answer.
22:07
Because you married a sinner, and so did your spouse. Two imperfect people can't make things perfect. Can't make the now I know Wendy will say she married a perfect person. Ben, I'm not sure what he'll say, but the point is, let's look at first John. I mean, Romans chapter three verse 10.
22:31
There is no one who always does what is right, not even one. First John one eight, if we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. So we have to extend grace because we need it. We're sinners.
22:49
I want you to write this down in a fly leaf of your notes, will you? We don't have to think alike to love alike. We don't have to think alike to love alike. Grace listens. God gave us two ears and one mouth.
23:11
That means that we're supposed to listen twice as much as we speak. And to do that, we have to extend grace to each other. I I found out something interesting too this morning as I was looking at, Google. Did you know that when a bullfog croaks, a muscle cancels out the frequency to his brain, and he can hear the obnoxious noise he's making. Do you know that?
23:38
Sometimes we're like that. And we have to extend grace because sometimes we make obnoxious noises, don't we? Sometimes we say things that aren't pleasant. We say things that are hurtful. We say things that aren't And so we need to extend grace.
23:51
Ephesians chapter four verse two. Do we happen to have that one up there? Be completely humble and gentle. Read that last part with me out loud. Patient bearing one another with love.
24:06
Let me ask you a question this morning. Who do you need to extend grace to? Who do you need to extend grace to? Well, not only does lasting love extends grace, it expresses faith. Expresses faith.
24:19
Love never stops believing. It always trusts. It never loses faith. It's confidence trusting in each other. You know what?
24:28
You choose to trust each other. Love is a choice. Extending grace is a choice. I choose to extend grace. I also choose to trust.
24:38
I have to extend that. I have to express that. I have to do that through faith. There are three types of people that I've come across. The gullible, they fail they fall for everything.
24:49
The cynic, they believe nothing. They're superstitious and they're suspicious. And the loving person, they give the benefit of the doubt. Let me ask you a question this morning. Do you think do you think it's wise or foolish to be a trusting person?
25:04
Wise or foolish to be a trusting person? Let me give you a quiz. I got out of my notes this morning from psychology today. Doctor Julian Roder, who wrote a book, truth and its consequences. And over a period of several years, he developed a scale, one to 10 on behavioral patterns.
25:21
And he asked these questions and let me and let me give them to you and you give me the answer. True or false? Here we go. Trusting persons tend to be more gullible. True or false?
25:33
How many think it's true? Trusting persons tend to be more gullible? Anybody think it's true? Steve Lansing is true. Okay.
25:41
How many people think it's false? You guys are getting gullible. Well, that's false. Trusting persons tend to be more gullible. That's false.
25:54
Alright. Second question. Trusting persons tend to have a lawyer lower IQ. Trusting persons tend to have a lower IQ. How many of you think that's true?
26:03
How many think it's false? Oh, you're oh, you all think that's good. Oh, look at that. You guys are got high IQ. Okay.
26:10
The third one, trusting persons live happier lives. True or false? How many think it's true? How many think it's false? Good.
26:21
Well, here you go. Generally speaking, trusting people are consistently less gullible, they have higher IQ, and they live much happier lives according to doctor Ruddy. So it feels it fits in. Lasting love expresses faith and we learn to trust people. Learn to trust people.
26:41
A key evidence of trusting someone is a willingness to give a second chance. I remember playing football in high school and I fumbled the ball. I was a a an end and I was coming. We had an end around play where I was now it's just wide receiver runs around, but I I was running around the quarterback gave it to me and I came around the other way and I dropped the ball. And somebody else in my team grabbed it and fell on it so we didn't lose it.
27:07
I felt so dejected. I looked at my coach and he calls a play in the huddle again, do it again. Do it again. The same play. Why?
27:18
Because he wanted to instill he wanted to say, it's okay. I trust you. It's okay. You got another chance. A second shot at it.
27:25
Don't you know when I ran around the second time, I grabbed that ball. I stuck it in my knee, and I went all way around the other side for a touchdown. Why? Because the coach had faith in me. Way to express trust in people is to give them a second chance.
27:38
And when we express our faith and trust in people, we give second chances. That's what I love about communion. When we sit around this communion table, the whole story is about second chances, isn't it? The whole story is about Jesus giving us another chance, another chance, another chance. His love for us is so great.
27:54
So, when we lasting love expresses our faith and we give second chances, Second chances. We say, you know, I I can't trust my spouse. I can't trust my wife. I can't trust my brother. I can't trust my children.
28:05
I can't trust anyone. Well, then trust God. Why? Because God knows what he's doing. Isaiah chapter fifty five eight.
28:13
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways. My ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. We can trust him because he knows what he's doing. He specializes in miracles.
28:30
Who do you need to express faith to this week? Who do you need to trust and bless this week? Lasting love extends grace. Lasting love expresses faith. Lasting love expects the best.
28:44
It's forward looking. It's optimistic. It's not stuck in the past. Love never stops hoping. It always expects the best.
28:53
It always looks for the best. Elizabeth Barrett Browning says this, whoever loves believes the impossible. Whoever loves believes the impossible. You know, we set up people for success or failure by what we expect of them. How we love them, how we encourage them.
29:15
A friend of mine, Bruce Wilkerson, he taught at Multnomah School of Bible in Oregon. And, when he taught there, they gave him an advanced class of students with As and Bs, and he had them for the whole semester. At the end of that semester, at the end of that semester, he was meeting the faculty lounge, and he shared this with other professors. And he shared with this with us when we were all together as, college and university teachers. He he shared the same experience.
29:38
He said, when I was in this classroom with those kids who got a's and b's, he said, I I put that expectation on them because they were all together. Their peers were together, and and we encourage each other. We loved each other. We helped each other. At the end of the semester, everyone excelled.
29:53
Why? Because they were in an environment of encouragement, an environment that expected the best, an environment that loved, an environment that was there to to fan the flame and when somebody fell down, they would lift them up and encourage them and they succeeded. They succeeded. You don't change a bad person into a good person by saying he's bad. You know what Satan's favorite word is?
30:20
You can't do it. You can't do it. And every time you encourage someone, when you encourage your spouse, encourage your husband, you encourage your children, you encourage your friends, every time you do, you defeat the purpose of Satan in their life when you encourage them. So important. Write this down.
30:43
I don't have it in your notes. It's good one to put down. Love is a choice I make from moment to moment. Love is a choice I make from moment to moment. Rick Warren says this in his book.
31:04
Do you know what kills love? He said it's not hate, it's neglect. Let me read you this. Well, I guess I don't have it. Yeah.
31:17
Here it is. A poem that I found this morning. If I knew it was the last time I'd see you fall asleep, I'd tuck you more tightly and pray your soul to keep. If if I knew it was the last time I'd see you out the door, I hug and kiss you one more time and call you back for more. If I knew it was the last time I'd get to share your day, I know that I'd make certain it didn't slip away.
31:44
We assume we'll have tomorrow to correct our oversight that we always have another chance to make everything alright. There will always be another day to say that I love you. There will always be another chance to ask, what can I do? But just in case I might be wrong, and today is all I get, I want to say that I love you, but you will not forget. Tomorrow is not promised that we'll see another night.
32:09
Today could be my last chance to love and hold you tight. Instead of waiting for tomorrow, show your love somehow. For if tomorrow never comes, you'll wish you'd done it now. But you didn't take the extra time for a smile, a hug, or a kiss. Instead, you were too busy for the one that you now miss.
32:28
Hold your loved ones close today and whisper in their ear. Tell them that you love them and why you hold them dear. Say, I'm sorry. Please forgive me. You're the best, and it's okay.
32:43
So if tomorrow never comes, you'll not regret today. You see, it's important for us to expect the best and to love and to encourage each other. Who do you need to bless and encourage today so the best can come out of them? Lasting love also endures the worst. It's persistent.
33:07
It's diligent. It's resolute. It refuses to quit. It's stubborn. Love never gives up.
33:18
Always perseveres, never looks back, keeps moving ahead. One secret of a very sensible marriage is stay put. You know, great people are just ordinary people that have extraordinary determination. They don't give up. They don't give up.
33:34
So, don't give up. We can only learn to love by loving. And that's why this month, the month of November, we want to really focus on moving what we have learned from our head to our heart. If we are able to take what it is we've been doing in our life groups as we've gone through all these lessons and going through all these tapes and going through all these questions, and some of you have sent me emails and cards and and talked to me on the phone and text me and said, this has been really, really good. It's allowed me to focus on what love is and and how to love others.
34:11
But but how do I do it in a practical way to make it go beyond the forty days, to go beyond our like, what we're doing in a life group? What can I do? Well, here's an opportunity in the month of November for you to do that and again, it starts, it starts tomorrow night. When you can love on people when they come here and and the normal activity when everybody's out going from store to store, home to home, and place to place celebrating Halloween. We we are here in in alternative way celebrating the love of Jesus as we serve them, as we, yes, candies here.
34:45
Yes, cakes are here. Yes, games are here But in all that, we are embracing them and we are giving them material that could change their life forever. This is a great way for you to impact your community. A great way for you to enter in a person's life. Some of these people you will not know.
34:59
In fact, most of them you will not. And so, here's a way for you to get to know them as you're as you're caring for these various games, as you're getting into their life, as you're a part of what is happening. And then throughout this month, there'll be many ways that you can do that. This film again, let me say it again, an opportunity that we have to impact the police force, our our our and they're both men and women, our state police, our our local police, the forest service, anybody who carries a unit, wears a uniform. We need to bless them and encourage them.
35:30
They get enough stuff out there. But anyone else that you know doesn't know Jesus. Fathers who are having difficult time with their sons, being able to communicate. This film helps them understand. So, here's an opportunity to go beyond the norm and do something extra and seeing God take this extra and do something extraordinary through it.
35:51
US life groups can begin talk about different projects that you're doing. Some said you're gonna go to the mission. Some said you're gonna go to the to the living center. Others said you're gonna do different things to help people. You you're gonna rake leaves.
36:01
You're gonna bring food baskets to your neighbor. All kinds of ideas kept popping up in different life groups that I've heard about this past week. Make this month love and action month. Move it from your head that you have been learning to your heart. And when it's in your heart, it impacts people forever.
36:19
It goes beyond head into their heart, into their life, and they see your faith in action. Because when times get tough, that's what they wanna see. In closing, here's the three things here. The four things, choices that that we make that God asked us to make, he already made for us. He extended grace to you and I.
36:39
He sent Jesus to die for us. He expressed faith in us. He's given us a will and a freedom to make choices. Listen, that was risky for him because some people chose not to trust him. Some people chose not to follow him.
36:51
God expects the best in you. He knows your potential. He never gives up on you waiting for you to come to him. On the back of your notes, we have the paraphrase of first Corinthians chapter 13, the first few verses. I want us to say it together this morning.
37:12
I'm gonna say because God loves me, and I want you to read the the portion after that. Will you do that? Let's do it in love. Because God loves me Because God loves me. Because God loves me.
37:35
Because God loves me. Yes. Because God loves me. Because God loves me. Let's read them all together last one.
38:15
Because God loves me, I am loved and I can now learn how to love. Let's live that out this week, shall we? Let's let the love of Jesus in us so exude that people can see it and feel it and and read it in our hearts and our lives and what we do in our actions. Move it from our head to our heart. Walk in that love.
38:35
Walk in that love. It'll be lasting, lasting, lasting because he says, my love for you is everlasting. My compassion for you is everlasting. My forgiveness for you is everlasting. My kindness for you is everlasting.
38:50
My longing for you is everlasting. That's the kind of love your heavenly father has for you. He's asking us to have that kind of love for others. Can we do it? Yes.
39:00
We can. We can do this. And when we do it through the power of God, nothing changes a culture. Nothing changes people than real love as they see it, experience it, and it comes through Christ. Let's pray.
39:16
Father God, we thank you this morning how powerful you are, how loving you are, And we desire this morning to love you with all of our hearts, all of our souls, all of our minds, all of our bodies. We desire, lord, to live out that love so people can see it in us. We desire, lord, to to express that love, to extend grace, to express that, to be able to see, to let people know that that we care for them in tangible ways, not just by words. Lord, help us today to live out our faith in loving ways. We thank you for what you would do.
39:55
Lord, we pray for those who'll be coming tomorrow, those families that'll be coming. Coming, Lord, because of the candy, coming because of the games, coming because of the ambiance. But when they come, they will meet Jesus. Help us, lord, as we gather together as a faith community and and to share with them and love them and enjoy this time together. Throughout this week, lord, as we live our faith in so many ways.
40:18
We thank you, father, for that. For the privilege of doing that, you loved us. We love you. May we learn to love you more each day. In Jesus' name.
40:26
Amen. Let's stand and sing.
40:36
Speaker 3I am not skilled to understand what God has willed, what God has planned I only know at his right hand Stands one who is my savior I take him at his word and deed. Christ died to save me, this I And in my heart I find a need of him to be my savior,
41:24
Speaker 1that he would leave his place on high and come for sinful man to die
41:36
Speaker 3you count it stray so once did
43:52
Speaker 1Read that out loud, will you? My savior loves. Can you put that back on? Let's read out loud. My savior loves.
43:57
My savior lives. My savior's always there for me. My God, he was. My God, he is. My God is always gonna that make you happy?
44:06
Come on. Give him a phrase off it. Come on. That's good. That's good stuff.
44:10
That's good stuff. He's always gonna be there for you. Enjoy that today. Just two things. Don't forget next Saturday night, you gotta turn your clocks back.
44:18
Otherwise, you're gonna be churched next Sunday early. We'll have breakfast for you if you come that early. I won't be here, but, you know, you you get God love you so much. He gives you an extra hour of sleep next week. And Melissa, Melissa, where's Melissa Landis?
44:30
Melissa, wave your hand there. We welcome Melissa back from South Africa. You're gonna be hearing from her next week. Welcome home, Melissa. And, during this hour break that we have at the coffee place, get a hold of her love on her, and, you're gonna hear from her next week.
44:44
Alright. Let's pray. God, thank you. What a great day. You're a wonderful God, an awesome God, a loving God.
44:49
Help us today to live that to others in Jesus name. Amen. God bless you. Have a great great week.
Share this message
Every word on these came out of the message. Download one and post it anywhere.
