Our anchor verse was Matthew 22:33, where God declared that His commandment to love him completely and love others as completely is the hinge from which all of His other commandments hang.

For those who want to go deeper on the subject, here are two documents with the verses in the New Testament that are about love.  As you study them, look at the context.  As you meditate on the verses ask what are they teaching us about God and about ourselves.

Love Word Study (New Testament as a Verb)

Love Word Study (New Testament as a Noun)

What can the Food Network teach us about being Christians?

Find out this Friday as we gather together for Friday night fellowship.  We will have a little fun this week as we watch one of my favorite TV shows.  As we watch it we will look at what it can teach us about being a Christian.

Food Network?  Being a Christian?  Whoa, that’s a stretch.  Yep, but it should be fun!

See you Friday.  Dinner starts at 6:30 p.m.  We’ll start watching the show at 7.

This is the time of the year that many of our well-intentioned resolutions are starting to slip.  Oh, yes, its just a couple of short weeks ago that with all our might we resolved to lose weight, exercise more, not get made at people in traffic.  So, how’s it going so far?  Well, you’re not alone!

Psychology Today tells us that the reason that resolutions fail is because some combination of a so-called “false hope syndrome” or the cause and effect that the success (or lack) does not change the way that you think of yourself.  They contend that we must fundamentally change the way our brain functions which will lead to desired behavioral changes.  Hmmm, interesting.  To read the entire article and the significantly scaled back suggestions for what realistic resolutions should be, click here.

But, Christ calls us to a higher standard.  His standard.  His graciousness not only calls for this higher standard, but then He gives us all the tools necessary to fundamentally change the trajectory of our lives.  Namely, the Holy Spirit takes up residence and we are a “new creature” entirely.

This new creature allowed Jonathan Edwards to write and commit his entire life to the relentless pursuit of God and of godly living.  Just take a look at number 25 (of the seventy): “Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.” Click for full list.

So, what shall we do then?  Resolve to lose some weight or be nicer to people?  Or, should we set our sights on loving God will all our heart, mind, and strength?  Which will you choose?

Jesus

“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS” (Luke 1:31, NKJV).

The angel Gabriel was sent to announce to a virgin, “you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son” who was in truth the eternal coexistent Son of the Highest (Luke 1:32). He was coming to earth in human form as the Son of Man. To emphasize His true humanity his parents were instructed, “you shall call His name Jesus” (Luke 1:31; Matthew 1:21). He was in fact both Son of God and Son of Man, undiminished deity and true humanity, God and man, but one person, God/man. The name “Jesus” stresses His humanity and His identity with the human race. He is Jesus.

Jesus spent thirty years in His father’s carpentry shop. He experienced work. He can identify with us in our work-a-day life. He understands what we face in that world. He is Jesus.

He knew what it was to be forsaken and rejected even by His “familiar friend.” He experienced the emotional stresses that we can experience. He understands our loneliness from experience. He is Jesus.

He knows what it is to be tested. He confronted the tempter in the wilderness who employed the three means at his disposal to test Jesus: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). So trying was the conflict that when it was over “angels came and ministered to Him” (Matthew 4:11). He understands our need when we are tested and tempted and is able to provide help because of what He went through. He is Jesus.

We can say with assurance that there is no need we have, no test we endure, and no experience that comes to us that He does not understand. For as truly human, He has experienced them all. “We do not have a great High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted (tested) as we are” (Hebrews 4:15). He is Jesus.

There is added significance to the name Jesus for it is the Greek counterpart of the Hebrew Joshua, the one who succeeded Moses and led Israel out of their forty-year wilderness experience into the rich blessings of their inheritance in the Land of Promise. Jesus, as another Joshua, will bring Israel into her covenanted land to enjoy its blessings. He is Jesus.

In order to provide salvation for sinners, the accumulated debt sin incurred must be paid in full. This required that either the guilty must pay their debt, or it must be paid on their behalf by a substitute. The substitute must be identified with those for whom He is a substitute. To meet this requirement the Son of God took to Himself true humanity so as to pay sin’s debt as one of us (2 Corinthians 5:21). Had there been no Jesus, there would have been no death to pay our debt. We have a gracious salvation offered to us because the Son of the Almighty became JESUS.

EXALT THE NAME OF JESUS

— Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Bible Exposition, Adjunct Professor in Bible Exposition

Click Here for the teaching.