THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT <br> <br>

PROGRAM AIR DATE – 3-19-17

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LESSON TITLE: “GOD IS LOVE”<br> <br>



WELCOME <br> <br>

      TODAY WE ARE BLESSED WITH A WONDERFUL GIFT FROM GOD, THE BIBLE. THIS BOOK IS GOD'S LIVING WORD. IN ITS PAGES, WE ARE TOLD “FOR THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND POWERFUL AND SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD.” IT IS IN THIS BOOK OF BOOKS THAT WE FIND THE ANSWERS TO ALL OF MAN'S QUESTIONS AND NEEDS. THIS MORNING YOUR AREA CHURCHES OF CHRIST WELCOME YOU TO A PROGRAM COMMITTED TO THAT PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY. AS WE PRESENT THE LIVING WORD. NOW HERE IS YOUR HOST RAY SULLINS.<br> <br>

      HERE WE ARE TOGETHER AGAIN ON ANOTHER FINE LORD’S DAY!  WE ARE SO GLAD YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO BE WITH US TODAY, AS WE COMMIT THIS TIME TO OUR CREATOR.  HAVING THE PRIVILEGE TO STUDY GOD’S WORD AND TO SING PRAISES TO HIS NAME IS SOMETHING WE ALL SHOULD BE VERY THANKFUL FOR.  MAY EACH OF US TODAY DO OUR PART IN THIS COLLECTIVE OFFERING TO GOD. NOW, LET’S APPROACH HIS SUPREME THRONE IN PRAYER! <br> <br>

      PRAYER: OUR GOD AND FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE ARE SO THANKFUL - FOR YOU ARE A GREAT, A MIGHTY, AND WONDROUS GOD. AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SON JESUS AND ALL THAT HE IS DONE THAT WE MIGHT HAVE, NOT ONLY BLESSINGS IN THIS LIFE BUT HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE. AND WE THANK YOU FATHER FOR YOUR GREAT SPIRIT AND FOR THE WORK THAT HE IS DONE IN ORDER TO GIVE US THE WORD THAT WE TODAY MIGHT, NOT ONLY KNOW YOU, BUT KNOW YOUR WILL AND OBEY. FATHER, WE THANK YOU SO MUCH THAT WE HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO BE CALLED YOUR CHILDREN HAVING BEEN FOUND FAITHFUL AND OBEDIENT TO THE GREAT WORD THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED FOR US. AND IN THE END FATHER, PLEASE GIVE US THE GREAT REWARD OF ETERNAL LIFE THAT WE MIGHT LIVE WITH YOU FOREVER. THESE GREAT PRIVILEGES WE BRING BEFORE YOUR THRONE AND BLESSINGS WE ASK IN THE NAME OF YOUR SON, JESUS CHRIST. AMEN<br> <br> 

      IT IS A WONDERFUL BLESSING TO HAVE FRIEND IN THIS LIFE WHO ARE DEAR TO US.  HOWEVER, EVEN WHEN THOSE OF THIS LIFE LET US DOWN, THERE IS ALWAYS A FRIEND WHO WILL BE THERE AND THAT WE CAN COUNT ON.  SO WON’T YOU JOIN IN OUR FIRST SONG OF THE MORNING, WITH THE CONGREGATION AS WE SING ABOUT OUR GREAT FRIEND JESUS, THE NAME OF OUR SONG, “THERE’S NOT A FRIEND LIKE THE LOWLY JESUS!” <br> <br>



DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS<br> <br>

      DO YOU EVER GET TIRED OR RUN DOWN AND YOU JUST DON’T KNOW WHERE THE ENERGY YOU NEED IS GOING TO COME FROM? THIS USUALLY HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU NEED TO DO.  MAYBE IT’S TIME TO GO TO WORK OR SCHOOL.  SOMETIMES IT HITS US WHEN WE ACTUALLY HAVE A DAY OFF AND WE THINK THAT WE ARE GOING TO GET SOME EXTRA DONE AROUND THE HOUSE.  I’M SURE WE ALL HAVE THESE DAYS WHERE WE JUST FEEL WORN OUT, LAZY, AND LIKE WE REALLY CAN’T DO ANYTHING.  <br> <br>

      SO, WHERE CAN WE GET THE STRENGTH WE NEED TO LIVE OUR DAILY LIVES AND TO BE PRODUCTIVE.  WELL, THE OBVIOUS ANSWER IS THAT WE CAN TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES BY EATING WELL AND GETTING ENOUGH REST SO THAT WE WILL BE PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY READY FOR EVERYTHING THAT COMES OUR WAY.  HOWEVER, LET ME REMIND YOU OF ANOTHER WONDERFUL PLACE THAT WE CAN FIND GREAT STRENGTH AND POWER:  YOU GUESSED IT - THIS GREATEST STRENGTH IS FOUND IN OUR GOD.  <br> <br>

      THE GREAT PROPHET ISAIAH PUT IT THIS WAY, “BUT THOSE WHO WAIT ON THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH; THEY SHALL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS LIKE EAGLES, THEY SHALL RUN AND NOT BE WEARY, THEY SHALL WALK AND NOT FAINT, ISAIAH 40:31.”  IN THIS VERSE WE ARE TOLD OF THE CONTINUED STRENGTH WE RECEIVE FROM THE LORD.  HOWEVER, ALSO NOTICE THAT THIS STRENGTH COMES WITH A CONDITION.  THE WRITER THERE SAID, IT IS “THOSE WHO WAIT ON THE LORD,” WHO RECEIVE THIS ENERGY.  <br> <br>

      NOTICE THE EXAMPLES HE GAVE TO HELP US UNDERSTAND THE ABILITIES WE HAVE THROUGH GOD’S HELP.  HE SAID WE WILL BE ABLE TO FLY HIGH WITH WINGS, AS THE EAGLE.  BEING ABOVE OR ELEVATED HAS ALWAYS BEEN A SIGHT OF STRENGTH AND POWER THROUGHOUT HISTORY.  <br> <br>

      HE ALSO MENTIONS THAT WE WILL RUN, BUT WE WON’T GROW WEARY.  WOULDN’T THAT BE NICE?  FURTHERMORE, WE CAN WALK AS FAR AS WE NEED TO, YET WE WILL NOT FAINT. <br> <br>  

      I THINK ALL OF THESE THOUGHTS ARE TRULY SUMMED UP IN ONE OF PAUL’S WRITINGS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.  IN PHILIPPIANS 4:13, WE ALL WILL RECOGNIZE THESE FAMILIAR WORDS, WHERE HE SAID, “I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME.”  YOU SEE, TRULY THE STRENGTH AND POWER WE NEED TO BE FAITHFUL CHRISTIANS COMES FROM OUR LORD. HE STRENGTHENS US AND GIVES US THE ABILITY TO DO ALL, AS HE IS WITH US AND BY OUR SIDE.  <br> <br>

      TODAY, WE WILL BEGIN A NEW SERIES OF STUDY ENTITLED, “AND THIS I PRAY THAT YOUR LOVE MAY ABOUT MORE AND MORE.” OUR SPECIFIC TOPIC THIS MORNING WILL BE ON “GOD IS LOVE.” AFTER OUR NEXT SONG TOGETHER, I WILL RETURN TO LEAD THIS DISCUSSION FROM GOD’S WORD.  NOW, WON’T YOU JOIN IN OUR SECOND HYMN TOGETHER AS WE SING, “TO GOD BE THE GLORY.”<br> <br>

 

LESSON<br> <br>

BY RAY SULLINS<br> <br>

      THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING WITH US AT THIS TIME AS WE NOW GO TO GOD'S WORD AND BEGIN A NEW SERIES OF STUDY THIS DAY. WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT OUR NEW SERIES AS WE BEGAN TO LOOK AT REALLY WHAT IT IS THAT PAUL SAYS TO THE PHILIPPIAN CHURCH CONCERNING REALLY WHAT THEIR NEEDS SHOULD BE. THEIR DESIRE AS THEY GROW IN CHRIST. YOU MIGHT NOTICE WITH ME IN PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 1 WHEN PAUL IS GREETING THEM AND CERTAINLY SPEAKING OF HIS DESIRE TO GOD TO SHOW THANKFULNESS. HE'S PRAYING FOR THEM. IN FACT, HE SAYS HE THANKS HIS GOD UPON EVERY REMEMBRANCE OF THEM AND HE IS CONTINUALLY THINKING OF THEM IN RELATIONSHIP TO THEIR FAITH IN GOD. AND CERTAINLY THE PHILIPPIAN CHURCH SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN A CHURCH THAT PAUL WAS VERY DEAR TO - WHO SHOWED GREAT LOVE TO PAUL AND NO DOUBT PAUL SHOWED GREAT LOVE TO THEM. BUT I REALLY LIKE THERE VERSE NINE AND WHAT IT BEGINS TO SAY IN PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 1. AS PAUL MAKES THIS STATEMENT IN RELATIONSHIP AGAIN TO PRAYER HE SAYS, “AND THIS I PRAY THAT YOUR LOVE MAY ABOUND STILL MORE AND MORE IN KNOWLEDGE AND ALL DISCERNMENT, THAT YOU MAY BE APPROVED IN THE THINGS THAT ARE EXCELLENT. THAT YOU MAY BE SINCERE AND WITHOUT OFFENSE TO THE DAY OF CHRIST. BEING FILLED WITH THE FRUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHICH ARE BY JESUS CHRIST, TO THE GLORY AND PRAISE OF GOD.” WHAT WAS PAUL REALLY SAYING HERE? HE WAS SAYING WELL, I HOPE MY PRAYER IS THAT YOU WILL BE WHAT YOU NEED TO BE IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT ACCORDING TO THE FRUITS THAT YOU HAVE BORN IN THE NAME OF GOD WHILE YOU LIVE ON THIS EARTH. BUT DID YOU NOTICE HE ALSO GAVE THE RECIPE AS TO HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE WE'RE READY IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT AND HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT OUR FRUITS ARE BEARING WHAT THEY NEED TO BEAR IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE THINGS OF GOD. READ WITH ME VERSE NINE AGAIN. HE SAYS, “THIS IS WHAT I PRAY, ‘THAT YOUR LOVE MAY ABOUND STILL MORE AND MORE.’” OH, YOU THINK ABOUT THE LOVE! THE LOVE THAT HE WAS HOPING THAT THEY WOULD HAVE. THAT THEIR LOVE WOULD ABOUND IN WHAT? WELL, THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT WE COULD SAY THAT A CHRISTIAN'S LOVE SHOULD ABOUND IN. BUT NOTICE WHAT HE SAYS HERE THAT THEIR LOVE MIGHT ABOUND MORE AND MORE IN KNOWLEDGE AND ALL DISCERNMENT. THAT MEANS WHAT WE KNOW. THE LOVE OF GOD WOULD ABOUND IN WHAT WE KNOW AND HOW WE DISCERN OR JUDGE WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN US TO DO IN THIS LIFE. OH, THAT TO ME TAKES IT TO A GREATER LEVEL THERE, AN UNDERSTANDING THAT GOD HAS LOVED US. AND WHAT SHOULD WE DO? WE SHOULD LOVE HIM ENOUGH TO KNOW - TO HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE THAT OUR LOVE WOULD GROW AND GROW. THAT WE WOULD GAIN MORE WHAT? KNOWLEDGE - SO THAT BY THAT KNOWLEDGE WE CAN DO WHAT? WE CAN RIGHTLY DISCERN - NOT SOME THINGS - BUT THAT WE MIGHT RIGHTLY DISCERN OR JUDGE ALL THINGS. IT KINDA MAKES ME THINK OF WHAT PAUL ALSO SAID TO THAT EVANGELIST TIMOTHY WHEN HE WAS TRYING TO CHALLENGE HIM TO UNDERSTAND JUST HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WE GROW AS CHRISTIANS. DO YOU REMEMBER THERE IN SECOND TIMOTHY CHAPTER 2 AND VERSE 15? HE SAYS THERE BE DILIGENT. SOME VERSIONS SAY STUDY WHICH IS THE DILIGENCE, THE COMMITMENT OF GROWTH. BE DILIGENT TO PRESENT YOURSELF APPROVED TO GOD. A WORKER THAT DOES NOT NEED TO BE ASHAMED RIGHTLY DIVIDING WHAT THE WORD OF TRUTH. WELL, WHAT'S HE SAYING? HE'S SAYING THE SAME THING. THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GROW IN WHAT? THE KNOWLEDGE - BE DILIGENT, STUDY - THAT YOU MIGHT BE APPROVED TO GOD. THAT IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT YOU MIGHT RECEIVE THE REWARD, THAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO FIND YOURSELF BEARING THE FRUIT OF CHRIST. BE DILIGENT TO THAT DAY. HOW ARE WE DILIGENT PAUL? WE ARE DILIGENT WHEN WE FOCUS ON THE WORD OF TRUTH AND THEREFORE RIGHTLY DIVIDE IT. SO THAT'S THE LOVE THAT GOD HAS GIVEN US, THAT HE GAVE US WHAT WE NEED FROM HIM DIRECTLY TO THE HOLY SPIRIT. THAT WE MIGHT HAVE ALL THINGS THAT WE NEED, AS PETER INDICATES, THAT PERTAIN TO LIFE AND GODLINESS. THAT WE MIGHT, AS PAUL SAID HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE THAT ALL SCRIPTURE IS FROM GOD. THEREFORE, IT IS PROFITABLE - PROFITABLE IN EVERY WAY; COMPLETELY THOUROGHLY FURNISHES US, ACCORDING TO SECOND TIMOTHY CHAPTER 3 VERSE 16 AND 17. YOU SEE BRETHERN, WE HAVE A GREAT BLESSING FROM GOD AND THEREFORE THE SERIES THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN IS REALLY ABOUT US ANSWEING AND DEALING AND FOCUSING ON THAT QUESTION OF: HOW IS IT THAT, ACCORDING TO AS PAUL SAID IN HIS EARNEST PRAYER, THAT HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO WHAT? PRAY THAT THEIR LOVE WOULD GROW MORE AND MORE, WOULD STILL INCREASE MORE AND MORE IN KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM. <br> <br>

      WELL, ONE OF THE GREATEST THINGS THEN THAT WE MUST KNOW, THAT WISDOM THAT WE MUST HAVE IS THAT GOD IS. GOD IS. WHAT WILL A GROWING LOVE CAUSE ME TO DO? KNOW GOD. GOD HIMSELF IS DESCRIBED AS LOVE. IN FACT, IF YOU GO OVER WITH ME TO THE BOOK OF FIRST JOHN CHAPTER 4 AND CHAPTER 4. DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT JOHN TOLD THE SAINTS OF WHOM HE WAS WRITING THERE IN VERSE EIGHT? HE SAYS, “HE WHO DOES NOT LOVE DOES NOT KNOW GOD, FOR GOD IS LOVE!” YOU SEE THE REASON THAT WE GROW IN LOVE IS BECAUSE GOD FULLY ENCOMPASSES ALL THAT LOVE IS. GOD IS LOVE! GOD IS LOVE. WELL, WHAT DID GOD DO? GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. GOD MADE US. GOD BLESSES US AND CARES FOR US AND PROTECTS US. GOD IS LOVE! HE'S THE BASIS, THE FOUNDATION, GOD IS LOVE IN SENDING HIS SON TO DIE FOR OUR SIN. OH, GOD IS LOVE IN SENDING THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE TO GROW IN LOVE. THAT TO ME, CERTAINLY HAS TO BEGIN BY UNDERSTANDING THAT GOD IS LOVE. AND AS GOD IS LOVE, HE HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT LOVE TO US IN SO MANY WAYS TIME AND TIME AGAIN. THAT I THEREFORE THEN NEED TO RECIPROCATE BY WHAT? LOVING GOD! YOU MIGHT RECALL EVEN IN THIS VERY SAME TEXT THAT HE NOT ONLY MAKES THE DISTINCTION THAT THOSE WHO LOVE GOD ARE BORN OF GOD; VERSE SEVEN, BUT THOSE WHO DO NOT LOVE AS GOD IS LOVE ARE NOT BORN OF GOD. VERSE EIGHT. BUT THEN HE GIVES US A CLEAR EXAMPLE CONTINUING IN VERSE NINE. HE SAYS, AND AGAIN WE'RE IN FIRST JOHN CHAPTER 4 AND VERSE NINE BEGINNING, “IN THIS THE LOVE OF GOD WAS MANIFESTED TOWARD US. THAT GOD HAS SENT HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON INTO THE WORLD THAT WE MIGHT LIVE THROUGH HIM.” AND THAT IS LOVE. AND WHAT IS LOVE? THAT GOD SENT HIS OWN SON. WHO AMONGST US WOULD GIVE OUR CHILDREN FOR EVEN OTHERS WHO ARE RIGHTEOUS? WHO AMONGST US WOULD WANT TO GIVE ONE CHILD FOR ANOTHER CHILD? AS PARENTS WE DON'T THINK LIKE THAT. THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE WANT TO DECIDE. WE LOVE. GOD LOVED HIS SON AND GAVE HIS SON TO DIE FOR YOUR SINS AND FOR MY SINS. AND THAT IS LOVE. THE GREATEST OF ALL LOVE. ACCORDING TO WHAT JESUS SAYS, “THERE'S NO GREATER LOVE THAN A MAN BEING WILLING TO LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR A FRIEND.” HE CONTINUES THERE IN VERSE 10 WHEN HE SAYS, “IN THIS IS LOVE, NOT THAT WE LOVE GOD BUT THAT HE LOVED US AND SENT HIS SON TO BE A…”WHAT? “A PROPITIATION FOR OUR SINS.” YOU SEE, THE REALITY IS IN RELATIONSHIP TO LOVE, LOVE IS NOT ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WE STARTED OR THAT WE DO FIRST OR THAT IS IN EXISTENCE BECAUSE OF HUMAN NATURE. LOVE EXISTS BECAUSE OF GOD. GOD IS LOVE! GOD LOVED FIRST. THERE WOULD BE NO HEAVENS OR EARTH. THERE WOULD BE NO US IF GOD DID NOT LOVE. GOD LOVED. GOD LOVED AND HE WANTED A CREATION TO SHOW THAT LOVE. THEREFORE, HE MADE MAN AS WELL AS THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. YOU SEE GOD HAD A DESIRE TO SHOW THAT EXPRESSION OF LOVE, THOSE THINGS THAT BIND US TOGETHER IN RELATIONSHIP TO LOVE. AND HE WANTED THAT TO BE RECIPROCATED BY THOSE WHO WOULD DO WHAT? WHO WOULD LOVE HIM IN RETURN. THEREFORE, IT SAYS THAT GOD IS THE STANDARD OF LOVE. GOD IS THE STANDARD.<br> <br> 

      SO AS PAUL TOLD THE PHILIPPIAN BRETHREN THAT HIS PRAYER WAS THAT THEY WOULD GROW STILL MORE AND MORE IN THE LOVE. WOULD BY LOVE GROW AS GOD DESIRES IN KNOWLEDGE. WHAT DO WE NEED TO KNOW? THAT REALLY LOVE IS AT THE HEART OF ALL THINGS. LOVE IS THE FOUNDATION OF ALL THINGS. FIRST CORINITHIANS 13:13 - LOVE IS GREATER THAN ALL THINGS. FOR LOVE IS THE HEART OF GOD AND WHO GOD IS AND GOD'S CREATION. THEREFORE, WHAT IS OUR CHALLENGE? THAT WE LOVE AS GOD HAS LOVED. AND THAT'S WHY THROUGHOUT THIS SERIES WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO FOCUS ON IS THIS CONCEPT OF UNDERSTANDING THIS IDEA OF HOW WE GROW IN LOVE MORE AND MORE IN SPECIFIC AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE BY LOVING MORE AS GOD HAS LOVED. BY LOVING IN THE WAY THAT GOD HAS LOVED.<br> <br> 

      SO, NOW WE MAKE THAT APPLICATION. HOW THEN HAS GOD LOVED? WELL, GOD HAS LOVED ENOUGH THAT HE WAS WILLING TO, NOT ONLY CREATE US, BUT AS WE HAVE SAID GIVE HIS SON FOR US. OH, WHAT KIND OF LOVE IS THAT? WHAT KIND OF AN EXAMPLE? AND THEREFORE, DOES THE BIBLE NOT TEACH US THAT WE SHOULD BE WILLING TO LOVE IN THE SAME WAY? THAT WE SHOULD BE WILLING TO MAKE THAT SAME TYPE OF COMMITMENT? THAT WE SHOULD BE WILLING TO GIVE OUR OWN SELVES FOR GOD AS HE HAS GIVEN HIS OWN SON FOR US. OH, THE GREATEST EXPRESSION OF LOVE. DO YOU SEE? THE ABILITY THAT WE HAVE TO, NOT ONLY KNOW WHO GOD IS AND THAT GOD IS LOVE AND THAT WE MUST LOVE GOD, BUT THAT WE MUST LOVE AS GOD LOVES. OH, THAT'S A DIFFICULT THING. IT'S A DIFFICULT THING WITHIN THE IDEA OF OUR HUMANITY BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE ALLOW THE THINGS OF THIS FLESH AND OUR DESIRES TO KEEP US REALLY FROM PUTTING ANYTHING BEFORE OURSELVES. WE ARE SELFISH. AND THEREFORE, WE WANT TO SATISFY WHAT WE WANT, WHAT WE DESIRE AND NOT GOD. BUT REALLY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE LOVE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A TYPE OF OFFERING, A COMMITMENT, THAT MEANS I'M WILLING TO DO ANYTHING AND ALL THINGS FOR GOD JUST AS GOD HAS DONE EVERYTHING FOR ME! THAT'S THE LOVE THAT WE'RE SPEAKING ABOUT. THE LOVE THAT THEY SHOULD GROW MORE AND MORE IN UNDERSTANDING THE KNOWLEDGE. IF WE CAN COMPREHEND THE LOVE THAT GOD HAS HAD AND SHOWN AND THE LOVE THAT HE HAS, THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT WOULD DO TO MOTIVATE US TO HAVE A GREATER LOVE. I LOVE THE EXPRESSION MYSELF AS TO WHAT PAUL SAID TO THE EPHESIAN CHURCH AS HE WAS TRYING TO HELP THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE DEPTHS OF LOVE. BECAUSE AGAIN THE REAL QUESTION IS HOW DO WE REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT TYPE? WELL, HE SAYS THERE FOR INSTANCE IN CHAPTER 3 OF EPHESIANS THAT THERE IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY OF LOVE, VERSE 17 BEGINNING, “THAT CHRIST MAY DWELL IN YOUR HEARTS THROUGH FAITH; THAT YOU, BEING ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN LOVE…” THEREFORE MIGHT BE ABLE TO WHAT? ( VERSE 18 ) “COMPREHEND WITH ALL THE SAINTS WHAT IS THE WIDTH, THE LENGTH, THE DEPTH, THE HEIGHT - TO KNOW THE…” WHAT? “THE LOVE.” IN FACT, I LOVE WHAT VERSE 19 AS WELL SAYS HERE, “TO KNOW THE LOVE OF CHRIST WHICH PASSES KNOWLEDGE.” YOU SEE, THE LOVE OF GOD. A LOVE OF GOD THAT IS BEYOND REALLY HUMAN COMPREHENSION AT LEAST FULLY BECAUSE IT HAD DONE THINGS WHICH DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO THE FLESH OR THE MIND THAT IS IN THE FLESH. HOW MANY OF US ARE GOING TO LOVE OUR ENEMY AS GOD LOVES AND HAS LOVED HIS ENEMIES? HOW MANY OF US ARE GOING TO ALLOW OUR CHILDREN TO DIE. WHILE, ROMANS CHAPTER 5 SAYS WHILE THE WORLD WAS STILL ENTRENCHED IN WHAT? SIN. JESUS DIED NOT NECESSARILY FOR THE RIGHTEOUS, BUT FOR WHAT? FOR SINNERS - THOSE WHO WERE STILL IN SIN. AND YET, TO UNDERSTAND THE LOVE OF CHRIST, TO UNDERSTAND THE LOVE OF GOD, TO UNDERSTAND THE LOVE OF OUR FATHER . 

      YOU SEE, THAT IS WHY WE NEED TO FULLY STUDY IN DEPTH OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS AND MONTHS. THE TRUE LOVE THAT WILL GROW IN OUR HEARTS AND MINDS THAT WE MIGHT KNOW GOD, KNOW AND HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THAT WE MIGHT UNDERSTAND THAT THE LOVE OF GOD THE FATHER HAS BEEN CLEARLY EXPRESSED. AND IT HAS BEEN CLEARLY EXPRESSED IN ALL THAT GOD HAS DONE. BEFORE CREATION, DURING CREATION, THROUGHOUT THE PERIODS OF TIME SINCE CREATION, AND AS WELL EVEN TO THE POINT OF THE GIFT OF HIS OWN SON HIMSELF. YOU SEE, THERE'S NO WONDER WHY OUR GOD IS CALLED OUR FATHER. FOR HE LOVES AS OUR FATHER. HE CARES AS A FATHER. HE PROTECTS AS A FATHER. HE GUIDES, HE NOURISHES. HE DOES EVERYTHING THAT A FATHER WOULD DO BUT EVEN BETTER FOR HE IS GOD! AND ALL POWERFUL AND ALL KNOWING AND ALL CARING GOD WHO ALWAYS MAKES SURE THAT WE HAVE THE THINGS THAT WE NEED AND THAT WE'RE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THE TASK THAT IS BEFORE US. <br> <br>

      SO MY PRAYER FOR US BEGINNING TODAY AND THROUGHOUT THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS IS THAT WE MIGHT AS WELL HAVE THE ABILITY TO ALLOW OUR LOVE TO GROW STILL MORE AND MORE IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. TO KNOW GOD, TO KNOW THE LOVE THAT GOD HAS SHOWN, AND THEREFORE TO SEE HOW WE MUST LOVE IN RETURN AND WHAT WE MUST LOVE. THEREFORE BEING MOTIVATED TO BE FAITHFUL IN THE SIGHT OF GOD KNOWING THAT THE FAITHFUL RECEIVE THE MANSION IN THE END. <br> <br>

      

      CLOSING COMMENTS<br> <br>

      THANK YOU AGAIN FOR CHOOSING TO BE WITH US TODAY, AS WE GAVE THIS TIME TO GOD. IT IS ALWAYS A BLESSING TO HAVE YOU WITH US.  WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US EVERY SUNDAY MORNING AT 7:30, AS WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO DOING THE THINGS OF GOD IN HIS WAY!  <br> <br>

      IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN HELP YOU WITH?  LET ME ASK YOU IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT TODAY’S LESSON?  MAYBE, YOU WOULD LIKE A FREE TRANSCRIPT OR A CASSETTE TAPE OF THIS PROGRAM?  POSSIBLY, WE COULD ASSIST YOU WITH FREE BIBLE MATERIALS OR CORRESPONDENCE COURSES?  NO MATTER WHAT YOUR NEED IS, PLEASE CONTACT US AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:   <br> <br>



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      MAY WE ALL REALIZE DAILY JUST HOW MUCH WE ARE LOVED BY GOD.  OUR CREATOR HAS CERTAINLY PROVED HIS LOVE FOR US IN EVERY WAY. THE QUESTION IS, “DO WE RECIPROCATE BY LOVING GOD AS WELL?”  MAY WE TRULY LEARN TO LOVE GOD AS HE HAS LOVED US!

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