who can best define love?

Such is true with our understanding of what real love is. Being that tomorrow is Valentine’s Day I thought it might be helpful to talk about the definition of love. Lets agree on a few things. First, we will not assume that the world has cornered the market, so to speak, on what love is or how it responds. Second, the beginning of love really is our incredible and unending God. Finally, the definition held to will be rooted in what we find in the Bible.

With that decided we will take a look at what the Bible says to us about the concept of love and how we must share love with others.

Luke 10:27 NASB

And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

That is the start. Well, at least that is law and strength that God intends for His children. Jesus said that those two things, loving God and loving our neighbor, hold all the law.

1 Corinthians 13:4,7 NLT

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud… Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

You can go much deeper in to 1 Corinthians 13, and other verses, to see the various nuances of what unconditional, God’s kind of love is like. But here is the heartbeat. Love goes further and never ends. Love believes when all others give up. Love lifts and doesn’t suppress. Love is full of real and lasting hope. Love is from God. Take a look at 1 John 4 for more of the evidence.

Joshua 23:11 NLT

So be very careful to love the Lord your God.

It is easy to let love grow cold or common. That is why we are challenged and encouraged to love God and be careful to keep on loving. It is much like a relationship that you don’t work on. Those relationships often fail. God is always working to love us. Receive that love. Give that love!

1 Peter 4:8 NLT

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.

Valentine’s Day is here. Do something nice, something different for the one you deeply care about. You don’t have to spend lots of money. Prove your love with more than words and make sure your definition of love lines up with what God says!

Psalm 33:22 NLT

Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone.

Francis Chan's "Forgotten God" (brand new book)

One of the most powerful preachers, writers and leaders of our time, in my opinion, is Francis Chan. His first book, Crazy Love , revolutionized my thoughts about God's love as well as my interacting with God. Now it is time for a brand new book from Chan being released tomorrow, September 1st. The book is Forgotten God . This is a phenomenal book about the power that Christians and the church can and must tap into. All of it is within the Holy Spirit. Francis talks about the power that was seen in the book of Acts when the Holy Spirit began to move among people. It is true that many have avoided or maybe forgotten what the Holy Spirit is all about. And like the Savior who poured out His life and blood so we have reason to rejoice, we were made to lay down our lives and give until it hurts. We are most alive when we are loving and actively giving of ourselves because we were made to do these things. It is when we live like this that the Spirit of God moves and ac...

inspiration from C.S. Lewis

There are many people, past and present, who get our attention by what they write or say or share. For me C.S. Lewis is one of those. He was a prolific writer who continues to grab the attention of thinkers from many different points of view. Lewis first grabbed my attention when I was in 5 th grader, and our teacher, Mrs. Foy, shared The Chronicles of Narnia with our class. It was a powerful time that this dreamer opened doors to thinking like I had never lived before. He wrote of faith, of far off places and of strong figures who found their character rooted deep in God. C.S. Lewis was born in 1898 and died in 1963, 7 years before I was born. It wasn’t until his 30’s that under the influence of his friend Tolkien that he came to be a Christian. He was raised in a traditional church going home, turned away from God as an Atheist in his teen years and through trying to stay away from God and faith returned to God with...

Catalyst ticket arrived

My ticket to the Catalyst Conference, in Atlanta Oct 8-10, just arrived. I'm excited!

Michael Harrison's e-devotion

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