“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8 NIV)

Agape love: Agape is the term that defines God's immeasurable, incomparable love for humankind. It is his ongoing, outgoing, self-sacrificing concern for lost and fallen people. God gives this love without condition, unreservedly to those who are undeserving and inferior to himself.

The greatest kind of love

The greatest kind of love is called Agape love, which expresses itself in loving action toward others. God demonstrated it by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for us to provide the free gift of eternal life for all who will believe (John 3:16-17). This kind of love is a new commandment given by Jesus and is how people will be recognized as His followers.  

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35 ESV)

Measure your love by comparing it to God’s love definition... 

·      Love is kind

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” (1 Cor. 13:4)

·      Love is not self-seeking

“ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” (1 Cor. 13:5)

·      Love always rejoices in truth

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ( 1 Cor. 13:6 NIV)

·      Love always perseveres

“It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”  (1 Cor. 13:7 NIV)

·      Love never fails

“Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” (1 Cor. 13:8 NIV)

Therefore

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Cor. 13:13 NIV)

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7 ESV)

“Let all that you do be done in love.” (1 Cor. 16:14 ESV)

“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8 ESV)

Quote

“In the New Testament, love is more of a verb than a noun. It has more to do with acting than with feeling. The call to love is not so much a call to a certain state of feeling as it is to a quality of action.” - R. C. Sproul

“God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God.” (Rom. 8:28, NLT)

Things will work out okay because…

• God cares for you

“Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7 ESV)

• God hears and  answers

“Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” (Isa. 65:24)

• God is your shepherd

“A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1 ESV)

• God supplies every need

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19 ESV)

• God hears and saves

“This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.” (Psalm 34:6)

• God will take care of you until you are old and gray

“I am your God and will take care of you until you are old and your hair is gray. I made you and will care for you; I will give you help and rescue you.” (Isa. 46:4 GNT) 

Therefore

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isa. 42:10 ESV)

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV)

Quote

“Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; 'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home.” - John Newton

“...The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him...” (2 Chron. 16:9, NLT) 

The way of the Lord is strength

“The way of the Lord is strength for the upright, but destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.” (Prov. 10:29) 

The Lord is your strength, deliverer and stronghold

“The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer. My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Psalms 18:2) 

The Lord is your strength and life so don’t be afraid of anyone

“The Lord is my Light and my Salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)

The Lord is your strength and your shield and you are helped

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him.” (Psalm 28:7)

Therefore

“Ascribe strength to God; His excellence is over Israel, and His strength is in the clouds. O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!” (Psalms 68:34-35)

“Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait I say on the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14)

The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills.” (Hab. 3:19)

“He remembered us in our weakness. His faithful love endures forever. He saved us from our enemies. His faithful love endures forever. He gives food to every living thing. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love endures forever (Psalms 136:23-26 NLT]

“Sing aloud to God our strength; make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob.” (Psalm 81:1)

Quotes 

“Trying to do the Lord’s work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you.” – Corrie Ten Boom

“This hard place in which you perhaps find yourself is the very place in which God is giving you opportunity to look only to Him, to spend time in prayer, and to learn long-suffering, gentleness, meekness – in short, to learn the depths of the love that Christ Himself has poured out on all of us.” – Elisabeth Elliot

“They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green…” (Psalm 92:14 NIV)

“With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” (Psalm 91:16 NIV) 

Human days are limited to 120 years

“Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal ; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.” (Gen. 6:3 NIV)

Moses was strong and healthy on the day he died at 120

“Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever.” (Deut. 34:7 NLT)

 “You will come to the grave in full vigor, like sheaves gathered in season.” (Job 5:26 NIV)

God will sustain you in your old age

“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” (Isa. 46:4 NIV)

Therefore

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” (2 Cor. 4:16 NIV)

“Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions.” (Eccles. 7:10 NIV)

“But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” (Isa. 49:31 NLT)

Quotes

“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count.  It’s the life in your years.” - Abraham Lincoln 

“Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the great mystery into which we were born.” - Albert Einstein

“Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” (Psalm 126:2 ESV)

There is a time for laughter

“A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.” (Eccles. 3:4 ESV) 

“…Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.” (Luke 6:21 ESV)

God will fill your mouth with laughter

“He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.” (Job 8:21 NIV)

 Therefore

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” (Prov. 17:22 NLT)

“A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.” (Prov. 15:13) 

Quote

“Laughter is the most beautiful and beneficial therapy God ever granted humanity.” - Chuck Swindoll

“Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling.” (Prov. 20:3 NLT)

Quit early before a quarrel begins

“The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out.” (Prov. 17:14) 

Do what is honorable

“Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.” (Rom. 12:17 ESV)

Be silent and let the Lord fight for you 

“The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” (Exo. 14:14 ESV)

Therefore

“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” (1 Peter 3:7-12)

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!” (Psalm 150:6 ESV)

Praise Him all people on earth

“Praise the Lord, all people on earth, praise his glory and might. (1 Chron. 16:28)

Praise Him because He is your God 

“Praise him—he is your God, and you have seen with your own eyes the great and astounding things that he has done for you.” (Deut. 10:21)

Praise Him for His free and glorious grace-gift of His dear Son, Jesus!

“Let us praise God for his glorious grace, for the free gift he gave us in his dear Son! (Eph. 1:6)

Praise Him for His steadfast love and faithfulness

“Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!” (Psalm 115:1 ESV)

Praise Him for His gift of peace

“Praise the LORD who has given his people peace, as he promised he would.” (1 Kings 8:56)

Praise Him for being your defender

“The LORD is my strong defender; he is the one who has saved me. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will sing about his greatness.” (Exo.15:2)

Praise Him forever and ever!

“God is wise and powerful! Praise him forever and ever.” (Dan. 2:20)

Therefore

“Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!” (Psalm 150:1-5 ESV)

Quote

“Doth not all nature around me praise God? If I were silent, I should be an exception to the universe. Doth not the thunder praise Him as it rolls like drums in the march of the God of armies? Do not the mountains praise Him when the woods upon their summits wave in adoration? Doth not the lightning write His name in letters of fire? Hath not the whole earth a voice? And shall I, can I, silent be?” - Charles Spurgeon

“There is none like You, O Lord; You are great, and great is Your name in might.” (Jer. 10:6)

The everlasting Creator

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.” (Isa. 40:28 ESV)

Greatness, power, glory, victory and majesty

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.” (1 Cor. 29:11)

The God of gods and Lord of lords

“For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.” (Deut. 10:17 ESV)

Greatly to be praised 

“For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; He also is to be feared above all gods.” (1 Cor. 16:25)

“For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with a skillful psalm.” (Psalm 47:7)

“Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” (Isa. 12:6)

Therefore

“I said, “I beseech You, O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments,” (Neh. 1:5) 

Quote

“If God is the Creator of the entire universe, then it must follow that He is the Lord of the whole universe. No part of the world is outside of His lordship. That means that no part of my life must be outside of His lordship.” - R. C. Sproul

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” (Isa. 60:1-3 ESV) 

When you fall… arise!

“Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.” (Micah 7:8 ESV) 

It is your task… arise!

“Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it.” (Ezra 10:4 ESV)

Shake yourself from the dust… arise! 

“Shake yourself from the dust and arise; be seated, O Jerusalem; loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.” (Isa. 52:2 ESV)

Even if you fall again and again… arise!

“For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.” (Prov. 24:16 ESV)

Therefore

“But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you…” (Acts 26:16 ESV)

“He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” (Psalm 40:2 NIV)

Quotes

“Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune; but great minds rise above them.” - Washington Irving

“Families, friends and communities often find a source of courage rising up from within. Indeed, sadly, it seems that it is tragedy that often draws out the most and the best from the human spirit.” - Queen Elizabeth II

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson