L VE in ACTION. encouragement and wisdom for the journey : a devotional

Transcription

1 L VE in ACTION encouragement and wisdom for the journey : a devotional

2 Love in Action - You are loved and called to love others in word and deed. God loves you no matter what in times of peace and during storms. Love is a choice that we make on a daily basis. During this session of Body & Soul, we will dig into God s love for us, how to reflect that love to others, and grow in both faith and fitness by exploring the following themes: Love One Another are you ready to be known by the way you love others? Love in Action do you want to show love that goes beyond words alone? Love in the Eye of the Storm are you searching for God in the midst of the storms of life? Love God with all your Heart is there an area of your heart that you are holding back from God? Receive God s Love is it time to receive God s unfailing love for you? Join us this session as we discover together what it means to Love in Action. Blessings, & Amy Stafford President, Body & Soul Fitness Jeannie Blocher Director of Spiritual Impact

3 Love with Your Life Not Forgotten Burn Baby Burn Real Love One Thing Remains Where I Am Show Love On My Side Crazy Love Never Stop Unite You Are Loved My All Love Broke Thru Live Like You re Loved Love is Action Loyal Eye of the Storm Never Been a Moment Fierce Dare You to Trust My Love Battles Through Your Eyes Perfect Love Fallin in Love Hollyn Ryan Stevenson Mercy Me Hillsong Y&F Kutless Shuree Family Force 5 Citizen Way Hawk Nelson Urban Rescue 1GN Heather Williams Beckah Shae TobyMac Hawk Nelson Tauren Wells Lauren Daigle Ryan Stevenson Micah Tyler Jesus Culture Ryan Stevenson The Afters Britt Nicole Planetshakers Britt Nicole Songs that Inspired this Devotional

4 Be Love John 13:34 commands us to love one another. As Jesus has loved us, we are to love one another. In the very next verse Jesus says that all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. ¹ Though these words were recorded long ago, may they resonate in us even today, reminding us to be intentional with our actions, because we can be known by them. What are you known by? Perhaps you are athletic and known for your skill in your particular sport. Maybe you re known for your beautiful voice because you sing in your community choir. You may be known for your gift of hospitality because you are the first to greet new folks in your neighborhood. These are actions that others observe in you that help them know who you are. Our actions matter. They identify us as talented or thoughtful or loving toward others. Jesus commands us to love in action, not just in words, so that we can be identified as people who love others. The lyrics of our first song this session reminds us that words roll off the tongue, but sometimes words are not enough. Hollyn sings in her song Love with you Life : There s a hope that lives in you. You gotta love with your life like a fire burning strong. We got a chance to be the light. Share the hope that lives in you today. Use actions more than words so that others see the light of love that lives inside of you. Be known for love love that acts and reaches out beyond ourselves. Be love.

5 Unite in Love Let s show the world tonight, let s unite. Calling all girls to rise one heart, one mind, one love bringing us together, bringing us to life. Together we re stronger you and I. 1 In today s world we need to look to what unites us, not what divides us. We need to unite in love. We all have our own opinions, our own concerns, and our own perspectives, it s true. We don t always agree on how to solve the world s problems, but I believe that one thing we DO agree on is that more love is needed! We don t have to compromise what we believe in order to love one another. In fact, we actually get a chance to live what we believe when we choose to love in situations where it is difficult. Loving one another is work. It takes being intentional. It takes looking for opportunities. It takes prayer. But it is worth it. The Scripture says this: How good and pleasant it is when God s people live together in unity. 2 Let s be the kind of people that God wants us to be and love one another deeply, from the heart. 3 1 Unite by IGN 2 Psalm 133:1 3 1 Peter 1: 22b

6 Show Love Love is the first fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22. Paul the Apostle records nine attributes of the Christian life as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Love is listed first, which gets my attention and convinces me that love must be an important trait to demonstrate. If God puts it at the top of the list, I want it to be at the top of my list too. I want to show love to others, but what does that really mean? Show is defined as to display or allow to be visible. So how do I display or make love visible to those around me? Actions are visible and words are audible. If those around me can see loving acts and hear loving words, they will experience love, right? In this session of Body & Soul, we work out to a song called Show Love by Family Force 5 and the artist sings it s my destiny to show the world your love when I m on my own I m out of my comfort zone. Love is imparted to us as a spiritual gift, a fruit of the Spirit. It is our destiny to demonstrate that gift to the world, even if it takes us out of our comfort zone. Today, act and speak in ways that display God s love to those around you, and experience the Holy Spirit s power enabling you to show love.

7 Love IS action Let us not love with words or speech, but with actions and in truth. 1 We can say that we love someone, we can even put it in writing, but it is when we back up our words with actions that the power of love is released. The action of love will look different for different people. For some we need to show love by giving a special hug or kiss. The love language of touch is an amazing gift we can give. For others, the action of love is best expressed by giving the gift of spending quality time together. If this is someone s love language it will mean everything to them, even if the time together is spent doing something simple. 2 Some people receive love best through receiving a gift it doesn t have to be expensive or big a small token fills the love bucket for many people. For still others the way to show love in action is by getting to work and checking items off their to-do list. Many can relate to that! And for still others, their love language is words of affirmation spoken or written that makes them feel the love you want to give. Love is action that you take, passion that can make any kind of wall come down. Love is action, walking out our faith, giving everything Love is action John 3:18 2 The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman 3 Love is Action by Tauren Wells

8 Today s Weather Report As you look outside, do you see sunny skies or is it overcast and cloudy? Is it calm and clear or rainy and stormy? Now look inside. Are your current circumstances bright and calm or is there a storm brewing? Our lives are full of different seasons, some are smoother than others, and this is true of those that came before us. In Psalm 107, the writer repeatedly tells us that the people cried out to the LORD and he repeatedly rescued them by his unfailing love. He stilled the storm to a whisper. ¹ The storms of life swirl around us continually. Ryan Stevenson sings of unstable ground, black skies, far away hopes and dreams, and pain and heartache, yet he proclaims I find my peace in Jesus name. ² May we do the same. In the gospel of Mark, Jesus spoke to the winds saying Quiet! Be still! ³ and they obeyed him. Allow him to quiet the storm that threatens you today. Jesus is our anchor, keeping us steady when the waves toss us and the winds blow us. His love surrounds us and He remains in control in midst of all our storms. His love never fails. We can count on this regardless of the weather. May we be encouraged today and every day to trust God s unfailing love whether it s sunny or stormy. ¹Psalm 107:29a ² Eye of the Storm by Ryan Stevenson ³Mark 4:39

9 God s Love Never Fails God s love never fails. It never gives up. It never runs out on us. 1 It is the one thing that remains steady and sure when the storms of life swirl around us. If the storms are hurricane force, God s love can lock us to the ground so we can stand firm. In his first letter to the Corinthian believers Paul says this about love: It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 2 We can count on God s love; it gives us strength to hold on. The song One Thing Remains says this about love: On and on and on it goes, and it overwhelms and satisfies my soul, and I never ever have to be afraid, cause one thing remains, 1 and that one thing is God s unfailing, everlasting love. If you are standing in the midst of a storm right now, know this God s steadfast love is surrounding you and it will protect you, helping you to trust and hope and persevere. Cling to God and you will be able to weather any storm, wrapped in his love. 1 One Thing Remains by Kutless 2 I Corinthians 13:7-8, 13

10 Spring Cleaning Do you have rooms in your house that when guests come over you close the door because you d rather them not see in there? Maybe it s messy, or perhaps it s filled with mismatched, outdated furniture you ve collected from family and friends over the years. It s not a room where you want to entertain guests. I have these rooms in my house. I also have spaces in my heart that I keep behind closed doors, because they are messy and don t measure up to the standards of my imaginary interior designer. There is a familiar Bible verse that reads: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart. ¹ Not some of it, but all of it. The word all means completely, wholly, entirely. Within our very own hearts, the spirit of God wants to make His home. He wants to open every door and inhabit every room. Perhaps it s time for some spring cleaning. Open those doors and let God organize the messiness and rearrange the mismatched furniture. Then sit back and sing along to Planetshakers Perfect Love You are at home in my heart every part of my heart is open. ² ¹ Matthew 22:37 ² Perfect Love by Planetshakers

11 Love Whole-Heartedly Give Your All Beckah Shae sings an amazing song of commitment to God and willingness to be used for his glory. The words say this: Winter, spring, summer, I m loving you while the leaves fall can t nobody stop it all that I am is because of the love You give. It s incredible. Long as I live, I m indebted to You, Lord, so I give You my all. 1 She is wholeheartedly surrendering everything she is and everything she does to God. Are you ready to surrender completely like that? In the book of Deuteronomy there is a command: Love the Lord Your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 2 We want to love him that much. We want to serve him that fully. But we are weak and we lose focus. We get busy and distracted, and suddenly we find that we are giving our all to someone or something that doesn t matter much. Starting now, intentionally attempt to notice when you get derailed and distracted. Then do an about-face and start over, asking the one who loves you the most, your God, to grant you the determination to give Him your all. 1 My All by Beckah Shae 2 Deuteronomy 6:5

12 Soak it in Think back to the last time you saw the sun break through the clouds in such a dramatic way that it seemed to take your breath away. Maybe you were walking to your car to take your lunch break, content with the overcast and cloudy day, when suddenly the sun shined so brightly that it immediately warmed your face. You may not have realized that the day was dark and dreary, but now you ve been awakened by the radiant glow, and you soak it in. God s love shines even brighter and breaks through the darkness in dramatic fashion. TobyMac sings: When love broke thru, you found me in the darkness, wandering thru the desert had to be the last thing on my mind... you drew me out of the shadows my chains are broken and it all began with you, when love broke thru. ¹ This is God expressing His love to us by breaking through the darkness. 1 John chapter 4 says: This is how God showed his love for us he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins. ² This is salvation God s redeeming love offered to each of us. Receive God s love and let Him take your breath away! ¹ Love Broke Thru, TobyMac ²1 John 4:9,10 (MSG)

13 Receive God s Love for you Are you one of those people who know that God has great capacity to love, but you just don t feel like you are personally worthy of such a love? That s a hard place to be, but I can assure you that God s love is unconditional. You don t have to earn it. You don t have to deserve it. You don t have to be worthy of it. None of us are good enough. God s love is a free gift and once we say yes to that gift and receive it, believing that Jesus died in our place for all the unworthy things we have done, there will never be another moment when we are without him. In his holy word the Bible, God says this: I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. 1 Knowing this, we can live life every day, trusting that we are loved by God. I m telling you something, this God we believe in, yeah he changed everything. No more guilt. No more shame! He took it all away. Gave us a reason to sing. So go ahead and live like you re loved. It s ok to act like you ve been set free. His love has made you more than enough, so go ahead and be who he made you to be. 2 1 Jeremiah 31:3b 2 Live Like You re Loved by Hawk Nelson

14 God puts Love in Action God s love is unconditional and everlasting. His love never fails; it never gives up or runs out on you. That s a big love! He loves you when you make wise choices and he loves you when you blow it. He loves you when you seek him and he loves you even when you are turning away from him. He loves you in the good times and he loves you and holds on to you during the storms of life. And God has put his love into action he sent his Son Jesus to die for you, in your place. He does not ask you to be perfect; he knows you re not. He just asks you to believe how much he loves you, trust in Jesus and receive his gift of eternal life. Take a step of faith to ask God to take control of your life, and allow him to guide you to a new life in his love. Admit your faults and mistakes - things that have made you feel unworthy of his love. His love reaches out to you, just as you are. Accept God s grace and forgiveness. He offers this grace to you in a supernatural way. He does not ask you to earn it. He knows you don t deserve it; he offers it as a free gift.

15 You can be assured of this supernatural grace if you put your faith in God and allow him to take control of your life. He loves you so much that he sent his son to cover your mistakes and open the door to everlasting life. God s son Jesus bridges the gap between you and God. Choose, by faith, to believe that Jesus is the only way to ensure your eternal life in heaven. Once you have made this decision, your new life will start and you will begin to experience the faithfulness of God, even in hard times. Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and it is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works so that no one can boast. 1 John 4:9,10 This is how God showed his love among us: he sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. The following is a suggested prayer: Dear God, thank you for loving me even when I feel unlovable. I am taking the step of faith to believe in you. I open the door of my heart and accept you as my Lord. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me life that is everlasting. Take control of my life. Make me the person you want me to be. Thank you for your grace and your love.

16 Devotionals written by: Amy Stafford & Jeannie Blocher Art design by: Rebecca Gilbert - JoyArtandDesign.com