3/1/26
Rev. Clint Smith
Sermon Direct Link
Scripture speaks with a clear and steady witness: God’s very nature is love. Through Jesus Christ, we are not merely invited but commanded to live in His love. We must love God with all our hearts and love our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus said, “In this the Law and the Prophets are fulfilled.” Matthew 22:34–40; 1 John 4:7–21; 4:28
When salvation takes root, the Holy Spirit bears fruit immediately and the lead fruit is love. God’s own love planted deep within our soul, presses outward, longing to be expressed. Galatians 5:22-23; John 13:34-35
Each day we must heed the Holy Spirit’s voice and labor to let love and hospitality lead, especially among the family of believers. We are called to be like Jesus Christ: warm, openhearted, and gracious in spirit, freely sharing our comforts and our resources. With willing hearts, we give our part generously, that love may dwell richly among us and that we might make our Master known and honored.
When our love moves from word to action, Heaven touches Earth. In simple acts of costly kindness, some of God’s children have loved on some of God’s angels with hospitality without even knowing it. So, love boldly, because ordinary obedience may open the door to extraordinary glory.
Many believers have been, and still are, persecuted and imprisoned for the sake of the Gospel. We are called not only to remember them but to pray for the persecuted Church and to stand with those in chains as if we were bound beside them. We are to care for those who are mistreated, knowing we share the same human frailty and the same bodies subject to suffering. Their pain is not distant; in Christ, it is our concern too. 2 Timothy 3:1-17
Marriage, and all the sacred gifts that flow from it, is honorable. In love, God Himself ordained it and set His blessing upon it. He placed great value on marriage and on the covenant it represents. Culture has sought to diminish and distort it, for marriage stands as a living picture of Jesus Christ and His Church. Strike at marriage, and you strike at that holy image. Wound the covenant, and both the witness of the Church and the watching world feel the ache. Matthew 19:3–9; Ephesians 5:25–33