"Love"

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" ~ John 13:34-35

Believe it or not, this wasn't really a new command. "Love your neighbor as yourself" was part of the Law of Moses in Leviticus. But the Greek word used there wasn't meant to imply something recent or different. Rather, it carries the idea of "freshness". Jesus was giving His disciples a new and fresh perspective on an old command, that they were to love one another as He loved them. And it was by watching them demonstrate sacrificial love toward one another that the world would know they follow Jesus. Love would be the measuring stick; specifically, love for others. For many believers today, they think that loving God is the easy part. But loving God is shown by the way we love one another, and we all know how difficult that can be. That being said, it is possible by remembering how Christ loves us and letting that be our guide regarding how to love others. This week at Friendship, we'll talk about the foundation of "Love". Once we know the foundation of it, any excuse we might use to justify not loving somebody else goes out the window. We love because He first loved us, plain and simple. We'll discuss the implications of that foundation and how to draw closer to God's definition of love toward others. Join us for a challenging yet vital message!