Pursue Love
I’ve been doing some soul searching about my own pursuits lately. Maybe you have too as we have been studying and hearing sermons on spiritual gifts, the Holy Spirit’s power and our roles in the church body. And last weekend, Love, Plain and Simple. And I think to myself, if only it was.
One of Paul’s simplest commands I can think of is his command to “pursue love” (1 Corinthians 14:1). It comes as he is writing to a divided church, a church filled with people focused on their own personal gifts, a church puffed up in many ways. And in this setting, Paul says simply but powerfully, “pursue love.”
The word “pursue” means to chase after, to diligently seek. It involves going after something or someone. And here, that something is love. Love, which as he just said, is patient, kind, not envious, not boastful, not rude, not insistent in its own way, not irritable, not resentful, and more (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). It is this we are to pursue. It is this we are to intentionally seek.
I also just read that we are to love love. In other words, make loving love our pursuit and we know that all true love comes from our God. So, loving Him and loving others as He loves us. Sounds so simple doesn’t it? Why is it so much harder than it sounds? Maybe because the words unconditional and sacrificial complicate things for us very human beings. They require intentional choices and then are achieved only with the help of the Holy Spirit at work in us. They mean loving the unlovable, praying for those who make our lives harder and are “very annoying” and pursuing the lost and lonely.
Those two words also mean treating our own family with the same consideration and kindness we do our “friends and acquaintances”; not taking advantage of their unconditional love for us by letting our words of frustration fly and wound them. Doesn’t sound so simple now, does it?
To live a loving life is to be purposeful with who you spend time with, where you invest your energy and how you use your resources. Our natural tendency is to buddy up with people we already know, prioritize fun activities and use our resources for ourselves. Paul is imploring the Corinthians to love those who are different than they are in the body of Christ, pursue service and give to those in need in their midst.
We need to ask him to make us people who deeply love love, who delight in opportunities to sacrifice. Will you join me today in praying for insight and direction from the Holy Spirit in how I and you might better spend time pursuing loving Him and others He puts on our path?
Father, we do so need your help to sacrificially love others, serve them and pray for them. Amen.
Deb Hill
Executive Assistant to
the Lead Pastor
God IS Love
Love never fails. - 1 Corinthians 13:8a
How can Paul make such a bold statement about love? Doesn’t love fail us all the time? I know my love fails more often than I’d like to admit, and it sure seems like other people’s love fails as well. Hasn’t Paul experienced the pain of a love lost before? Is it a little naive for Paul to be so optimistic about love?
Maybe… but maybe not.
Maybe the loss and failure of love that you and I tend to experience says more about the people who give and receive this love than about love itself. In other words, it isn’t love that fails, but people who fail… ok, it’s me… I fail at love sometimes, even when I am trying to be loving.
So, maybe Paul can say that “love never fails,” because he is not talking about a love that originates in a limited human. He is talking about the love that comes from God Himself. God’s love will never, ever fail, because it is a part of his nature. Love is a part of God’s identity. If God had DNA, love would be baked into it. We know this because the Bible tells us that “God is love” (1 John 4:16). This means that God is not just loving to us or loveable by us, but that God IS in fact love. It is Who God is and He can’t be defined without it! This is how we can be sure that love will never fail!
From eternity past, God has been love and for eternity future, God will be love. God has never known what it is like to not have love or not be loved. Now, he wants to invite more and more people into that relationship of love. Not because He needs love, but because he wants love. Did you hear that? God wants your love! You are wanted by God! And He happens to know that His love is the only thing that will satisfy you… especially if you have ever been hurt by love. So today, just take a moment and soak in his love for you and if you have an opportunity, share that love with someone around you.
Josh Rose
Discipleship Pastor
Without love, you got nothing
Chapter 13 is a brief aside from Paul’s focus on spiritual gifts to emphasize that gifts alone are empty. Gifts alone are worthless. Gifts alone add nothing to the user or the church. The motivation and the companion of spiritual gifts is and must always be: LOVE.
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
There it is, the whole chapter. I used to think the later part, about speaking as a child and putting away childish things, was a bit of a disconnect, but now I see that Paul uses three metaphors at the end to illustrate the importance of spiritual maturity as evidenced in one’s practice of love (the partial passing away, the young growing up, and what is not clear becoming clear.) To Love is not a goal that will ever be complete, we will not grow out of our need to love. The need to use one’s spiritual gifts in heaven won’t be a priority. That makes sense as the church will already be built up, but “Love never ends.”
So pray and ask God to help you see if your life looks kind, free from envy and boasting, arrogance or rudeness. Do you insist on getting your way or put others first? Are you irritable or resentful? What makes you rejoice? Do you bear all things, believe, hope, and endure all things? If not, it's time to move the focus off of self and onto the one who does these things with us every moment of every day.
John Riley
EFCC Jr High Pastor
Rooted In Love
I don’t sit still very well. I never have. Even as a baby my mom says I woke up early and fell asleep late and rarely took my nap. I was always on the go and living life full throttle. I fell out of trees, scraped my knees, would plan all kinds of games, and never wanted to miss a moment. But I had friends that were super content to just watch the action, pass on the opportunity to swing on a rope swing, or not even come out to play. It baffled me. I’ve heard the saying, “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely and in a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, proclaiming, WOW, what a ride!” Yep, that’s how I plan on showing up. I want every last second.
In 1 Corinthians 13, we are reminded that in all the things we are doing and in the days we are living if we aren’t living full out in love and intention we have missed the mark. We may be doing lots of great things, but if they aren’t founded and rooted in love then they are all for not. A waste. God is love. It’s His entire message. It’s His entire being. He can’t do anything outside of it. Every action was motivated by love. In fact, He places such a high value, He says acts of love are what earn us rewards in heaven. Do you mean we can do more than just get to heaven? Can we add to the experience? Does God want to give us rewards there? Well, sign me up! Who wants to just show up and exist in eternity? I want to show up fully alive and ready, knowing I gave this life my absolute all.
This passage is a good reminder for us to stop and take an evaluation from time to time. In doing so we may find that certain things we think we are doing in love may actually be done with a heart of responsibility or guilt, or maybe even obligation.
As an adult, I’ve had to really be intentional about quieting my heart and soul before God. I can get running and going so fast that if I don’t practice the art of listening to God I can get sidetracked and love slowly drains from all the things I’m doing. But God reminds us that nothing matters if it isn’t rooted in love. I’m wasting so much time by doing things that aren’t amounting to anything because I’ve missed the whole point- love.
1 Corinthians 2-3 says, “And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
What we know and what we do are nothing without love. Can I encourage us to do some evaluation? Are we rooted in love? Are our actions being done with a heart of love and service? I know this has served as a reminder for me that it’s time to pause and evaluate.
When my time comes, I want to be sliding into heaven poured out and worn out with a neon sign blinking wildly the word “love”. May that be true for all of us.
Blessings as you love and serve with great purpose,
Bonnie Nichols
Women's Ministry Specialist
Go and Do Likewise
How do you normally respond when someone does something for you that is off the charts? How do you respond when someone serves you in a way that makes you feel embarrassed? That makes you feel uncomfortable? That makes you feel amazing?
Well, if I could be so bold as to hazard a guess, I would suggest it’s probably in one of two general ways (though it may be in both). First, you may say, “Thank you” over and over and over again to the point that you are asked to stop. And second (or maybe, “Or second”), you may say, “I owe you for this one,” or “How can I ever pay you back?”, or “You know I can’t pay you back for this, right?” In one response we show gratitude. In the other, we show we think we have just incurred a debt we have to pay back.
In yesterday’s message, we learned that Jesus sacrificed for us, so now we get to go sacrifice for Him. Which is right and good. However, what is not right or good is to sacrifice for Him from a place of thinking we somehow have to pay Him back for what He did. Why? Because we can’t pay Him back for what He did. Ever. Which is, of course, exactly why He did what He did.
Friends, Jesus didn’t go to the cross to secure for Himself a people who feel burdened by a debt they feel they need to repay. He went to the cross to secure for Himself a grateful and thankful people who live in His grace and who no longer serve Him out of obligation, but out of joy and in freedom.
Today, as you sacrifice for Him, ask that you would be given the ability to do that without a hint of thinking you somehow have to pay Him back for what He did for you.
Scott Smith
Care Pastor
You’re Weird!
In my house, it is a pretty normal occurrence for someone to come out of their room dressed in some strange outfit or with their hair wrapped up or frizzed out to be as wild as possible (there is a lot of hair in my house). When this happens, a completely normal and common reaction that my kids get from their loving parents is, “You are so weird!” Yes, that’s right, my kids are weird and they know it. However, while some might think that is bad parenting (and to be fair the verdict is still out on that question), being weird is not an insult at the Rose home. In our family, it is a compliment if someone calls you “weird.” In fact, the most common response to that word is, “Thanks!” You see, we have established in our home that being weird is normal, because everyone is different and unique. In fact, we tell our kids that it would be strange if everyone was the same. I remember explaining that to my daughter a long time ago and she looked back at me and said, “If everyone was the same, that would be creepy!” And she’s exactly right!
That brings me to today’s passage in 1 Corinthians 12:29-30, Paul asks seven questions…
29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?
Of course, these are meant to be rhetorical questions that don’t need an answer, because the answer is supposed to be obvious: “No!” Of course, we aren’t the same! It would be weird, and maybe even a little creepy if we were all the same. What makes us interesting and useful to each other is that we each have different gifts, abilities, personalities, passions, likes, dislikes, and all the other things. We are all weird in our own ways, and that is what makes us valuable. Not only valuable to our parents but to God and to his Church! We need people of all various types of weirdness to jump in and play their part to join in God’s mission of bringing the kingdom here on earth, as it is in heaven. How will God use your weirdness for his glory today?
Josh Rose
Discipleship Pastor
Indispensable You
If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.
1 Corinthians 12:15-16
These two verses address a lie that the early believers were buying into. The lie was, “I just don’t belong.” Oddly enough that same lie persists today. Believing you don’t belong can feel like a simple emotionless bit of perspective you’ve made your peace with long ago. It can also feel like a crushing, unrelenting, invalidating, bitter sorrow.
The foot’s misconception about belonging to the body has no bearing on whether or not it actually belongs, it’s a foot. Rendering the entire statement void and pointless, an inane malediction. If it weren’t such a prolific lie, it’d be funny. Are we content to serve the Lord even if we can’t meet our own expectations? Can we take comfort in God’s appointment and simply do our best? The Lord chose the person to be the foot, he knew the faults and shortcomings of said foot, and maybe it’s not the nicest foot, but He makes the decisions and gets the glory.
God chose Moses to speak to Pharaoh, and the least of Jesse’s sons to be Israel’s greatest king, and Gideon to be a general of the smallest army ever. Only the Lamb of God will be able to open the seals in the end. Even Jesus, the captain of creation, came as a suffering servant. The principle is that our servant roles are given to us to bring Him glory alone.
If you’re serving a need in his name, you are absolutely indispensable! Keep going, you’re serving the Lord himself. If you’re not serving, get in here! If God has a role for me, of all people, he’s got one for you too!
Jonathan Duncan
Belong
“I don’t belong.”
Please recognize this for the lie it is. Our enemy uses this tactic a lot, and just because someone finds themself feeling it doesn’t make it true. The enemy is going to plague each of us with this internal malaise of self-doubt and a spirit of resignation. Don’t be outwitted by his tactics.
We know this strategy of the enemy has been around since the early church because Paul needed to address it with the believers in Corinth.
For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. – 1 Cor 12:14-16
I like that he asks the obvious, “would that make it any less a part?” Of course not. Nonetheless, people are going to feel like they don’t belong. Each of us, at times, sees how others do it and feel like we could never be like them. The enemy’s fiery darts pierce our minds unless our faith shields (Eph 6:16) are in place and braced for the mental and emotional struggle. I don’t have to be like you and I still belong. You don’t have to be like me, or anyone else you see in the church, and you still belong.
But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. – 1 Cor 12:18-20.
At a minimum, the enemy is going to employ this lie to try to get important parts of the church to stop serving the church, feeling like others have it covered or will do a better job. At the worst, he tries to get important parts of the church to give up on themselves and life altogether. Don’t get suckered in. Don’t fall for this nasty strategy. You belong.
Pastor John Riley
It Only Takes One Look
My sister-in-law and I are very close. Sometimes this can get us into a little trouble. One glance and we can read each other’s mind and if it’s something funny the giggles break loose and we can’t hold it back. Likewise, when we are struggling, we can look at each other, sense the struggle, and the tears flow. We may be two different people, but our hearts are so close and united that we share each other’s joys and sorrows. Time with my sister-in-law is good for my soul. I feel seen, understood, and loved.
The same type of concept goes for our body. When we laugh our face and voice are the outward signs of laughter, but our whole body responds in the process. And when the body is sick or broken it sends all the energy it has to help it heal and also compensates to help in the meantime. So even though there are individual body parts, they work together at the same time so our bodies can work in unity.
Can you imagine if someone broke their arm and was in extreme pain and the body said it needed to wait til next week during its scheduled full body check before it would be able to start healing? Or what if we walked past someone crying and felt no compassion because it wasn’t scheduled in our day? When there is an injury, the body immediately goes into protect, heal and compensate mode. And when we see someone crying we immediately wonder what is going on and find compassion. These are auto-responses programmed into our bodies by God’s design.
These examples serve as a reminder as we acknowledge being part of the body of Christ- His Church. A church isn’t a building. It’s God’s people and how they love and serve that makes the church the church. If we say we are part of the ‘body’ then we must act as such. We cannot be at the church serving one way and spend the rest of the week outside of church doing nothing God honoring. We can’t say we are part of the body and yet walk past others with no regard. We can’t sing worship on Sunday and turn around during the week spreading gossip or complaining to others. This doesn’t work. This breaks the “body”.
God was amazing when He created each of us with gifts and talents. He knew how He wanted to use us within the “body” and created us in such a way that we would all be needed. He wanted us to be in such a close relationship that we would work together and be incomplete without the other as it pertained to loving others as the church. No one is without the ability to bless the “body”. Be assured it takes us all.
1 Corinthians 12:37 says, “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” Notice how there is no mention of a building or a place. It is us- we are the body of Christ- the church. It doesn’t matter where we are.
How do you view your “part” of the body as it pertains to the church and ministry? Are you loving and serving others from the place God has gifted and equipped you? Are you working in unity with the body of Christ? Do you view the church as a body of believers working together or just a building with random people that show up for a church service? These are questions worth asking ourselves and finding the answers. Your individual role within the body is much needed and created by God’s design. Don’t miss out on this God-given purpose.
Bonnie Nichols
Women’s Ministry Specialist
Discerning Spirits
Have you ever had a moment where you just thought someone was a bit off or what they were saying wasn’t right? In the church in Corinth people from different backgrounds were bringing in ideas, opinions, old practices or beliefs into this church and it was causing some issues. God knew that leaders needed discernment and needed to be able to distinguish voices, writings, and other things that could cause major problems. Any time a church is planted, the enemy usually attacks in various ways so God gives gifts to protect his people and his mission. The gift of distinguishing between spirits in 1 Corinthians 12:10 is one of those gifts. Leaders in the church needed to know the difference between good and bad doctrine, practices and influences (even spirits).
Being able to discern between the Holy Spirit’s voice and other voices or even just between good and evil, was key to the believers in Corinth and believers today growing with God. The gift that Paul was encouraging the church to live out was important. Some commentators give a practical explanation for the verse, such as the gift grows as people grow in discernment (Hebrews 5:13-14). This of course doesn't quite capture the text fully. Some explain how some believers are spiritually aware of how Satan is trying to attack the church and are needed to know the difference to avoid trouble and sin (1 John 4:1). What we do know is that the enemy is looking for a foothold to cause division and hurt the body. So whether it's false doctrine, evil spirits, or divisive people; being able to distinguish what the Lord is calling us to do is important for the church today. I tend to believe being able to distinguish between spirits has relevance for today because of the differences among Christians in our culture..
What spiritual gifts has God given you to help build up his church? Are you able to tell good from evil in a manner that protects others? Do you seem to have a knack for knowing what God is doing and how to avoid things or voices that might get in the way of what God is doing? Maybe God has blessed you with the ability to distinguish between spirits. Here is the question I have for you, will you allow God to help you grow in your gifting and use it for the church? Maybe you have been waiting for the right time or maybe just avoiding the call. Maybe God is saying now is the right time. I’m praying God will guide you and use you for his plan. If you have questions or need a little help, just let us know, we are here for you.
Pastor Jeremy
