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Blog 5 sermons on god’s love, 5 sermons on god’s love.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16 (ESV)

Justice and Love (Isaiah 53:1-12, Romans 3:21-26) —  Listen | Download MP3

God is perfectly loving, and He demonstrates this in His mercy. It is also true that God is perfectly just, and He demonstrates this in the fact that He cannot let sin go unpunished. These truths may seem completely opposite and incompatible, yet they are not. In this study, Alistair Begg teaches us how God demonstrates both His justice and love in the cross of Jesus Christ.

How Deep the Father's Love (Luke 15:11) — Listen | Download MP3

When confronted by the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus told a compelling story about a father with two sons. One son ran off to a distant country to lead a wild life, while the other stayed home and harbored bitterness and anger in his heart. Alistair Begg presents a fresh perspective on this familiar parable of the prodigal son, drawing parallels that illustrate our desperate situation before receiving the undeserved love of our heavenly Father.

Loved by God (1 Thessalonians 1:4-10) —   Listen | Download MP3

Paul wrote to encourage the church in Thessalonica with the conviction that God works powerfully through His Word and His church to further the Gospel. Alistair Begg reminds us that genuine conversion always results in radical change. When Christians display transformed lives and proclaim the Word that we have received wherever God has placed us, the Gospel advances to the glory of God.

In This is Love (1 John 4:10) — Listen | Download MP3

Looking back in his old age, the apostle John reflected on the cross of Christ and the love of God. At Calvary, Alistair Begg teaches, Jesus satisfied God’s wrath, which stood against us. We must understand this in order to rejoice in God’s mercy. By nature, we are estranged from God and exposed to His judgment, yet through the cross, God loves sinners without compromising His holiness. Now God looks on us without displeasure, and we can look on Him without fear.

A Study in Luke, Volume 9 :   Amazing Love (Luke 15:1-32) — Listen | Download MP3 (71.2mb)

In volume nine of this series, Alistair Begg unpacks Jesus’ well-known parable of the prodigal son. Featuring a cast of characters with whom the strictly religious and brazenly sinful alike can relate, this story movingly depicts how God the Father seeks reconciliation with both. As we consider the broken bonds between the parable’s father and his two sons, we learn that God desires restored relationship with all on the basis of His great kindness in Christ.

Listen to more messages about the Love of God.

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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The Temple, An Evidence of God’s Love

Can I begin by telling you that Jennifer and I love you. We love being with you on this special and sacred and set-apart campus. [1] We stand in awe of the way that you live the gospel, the way you strive to keep your covenants, and the way that you build and lift those around you. Our mission at this hallowed university is to develop disciples of Jesus Christ. We feel your discipleship and goodness as we see you in the temple, on campus, at your performances, and at activities. Time and circumstance do not allow us to be with each of you individually, but please know that we love you.

More importantly, I hope today to emphasize that God loves you. He loves you purely, profoundly, and perfectly. [2] He loves you beyond measure and without condition. Of all truths in the grand universe, that is the primary one. God loves you! President Jeffrey R. Holland expressed it this way:

My brothers and sisters, the first great commandment of all eternity is to love God with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength—that’s the first great commandment. But the first great truth of all eternity is that God loves us with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength. That love is the foundation stone of eternity, and it should be the foundation stone of our daily life. [3]

There are many manifestations of the truth that God loves us, the greatest of which is that He sent His Son to earth to atone for each of us.

In last month’s general conference, President Russell M. Nelson invited us to consider some other manifestations or evidence of God's love. He said:

“I invite you to consider carefully the following three statements:

• The gathering of Israel is evidence that God loves all of His children everywhere.
• The gospel of Abraham is further evidence that God loves all of His children everywhere. He invites all to come unto Him—'black and white, bond and free, male and female; . . . all are alike unto God.’
• The sealing power is supernal evidence of how much God loves all of His children everywhere and wants each of them to choose to return home to Him.” [4]

You will note that the temple plays a significant part in each of those three pieces of evidence.

In light of what President Nelson invited us to ponder, and considering what Jennifer has beautifully shared with us today, I would invite you to consider this: the temple is evidence of God's matchless and eternal love for all of His children.

Temples are a physical reminder of God’s love for us. When the Salt Lake Temple was finished in the early days of the Church, President Wilford W. Woodruff said, "With the completion of the temple in Salt Lake City, whose very appearance is a symbol of purity and peace, whose existence is a witness of the favor and power of God, the work of temple-building by the Saints does not cease." [5]

He said that the existence of the temple is a witness of the favor and power of God.

The physical beauty of temples can remind us of God’s beautiful love for us, and the proliferation of temples throughout the world today can remind us of God’s boundless love for us.

And as beautiful as the temples are, and as exciting as it is to witness the growth in the number of temples, we will be blessed as we focus more on what happens inside the temple and inside the hearts of those who attend the temple. Elder Ulisses Soares said:

The ongoing and accelerating building of temples will continue to excite, inspire, and bless us. Yet more important, as we change our preparation to enter the temple, we will change our experience in the temple, which will transform our lives outside of the temple.

We can also feel God’s love as we go to the temple and receive power, peace, and divine direction. [6]

If you are like me, there are times in life when you just need an extra dose of divinity. Sometimes the tests of mortality just feel heavy. Some of you here today are dealing with weighty things, really difficult things. Please know that Jennifer and I are praying for you, and we love you. Also, know that the temple can be a place of refuge, a place to recharge, and a sacred place to feel God’s love.

Elder Neil L. Andersen recently asked, “Why is the Lord now bringing hundreds of His temples closer to us? One reason is that amid the turmoil and temptations of the world, He has promised to strengthen and bless His covenant Saints.” [7]

Years ago, one of our sons, who was in fourth grade at the time, came home from school and asked me, “Dad, how much money do you make?”

I replied, “That’s a very personal question. Your mom didn’t ask me that until the third date.” (I’m kidding of course. She asked me lots of questions, but not that one.)

I asked him, “Why do you want to know?”

He explained, “At school today, we learned about income. So what is yours?”

I said, “I tell you what. I will give you one guess, and I will tell you if my income is higher or lower than your guess.”

Without hesitation, he quickly responded, “OK, $47,000.”

I responded, “That’s a pretty specific guess. Why did you guess $47,000.”

He said, “Well, we learned that the average income is $45,000 . . . and I thought you were a little above average.”

There are times that I feel I do not even measure up to average, much less a little above average. Most of us experience, at some point, what could be called the Ds of the devil: doubt, discouragement, despair, despondency. If you ever feel those Ds of the devil, go to the temple. In the temple, we can be reminded of who we are, that we are children of a loving God. We are also taught that He has a plan of happiness for us. I find that the temple does not take away my challenges or feelings of inadequacy, but the sweet whisperings of the Spirit felt in the temple remind me that I am not alone and that God is anxious to bless me.

We can also receive loving, heavenly direction in the temple. President Nelson has repeatedly taught us that “the temple is a place of revelation.” [8] The temple has been referred to as the Lord’s university, so when you go, prepare to be taught.

When Jennifer and I are in the celestial room, she frequently asks me two questions. First, “What did you learn from the presentation of the endowment?” Second, “What impressions did you have, what revelation did you receive, about us and our family?” When we go to the temple with the intention to learn, we will be taught.

The opportunity to do work for our deceased ancestors in the temple is evidence of God’s love. While this type of work is mentioned in the New Testament, [9] in our day, this belief and practice is unique to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Early in the Savior’s ministry, He taught that ordinances were essential. He said to Nicodemus the Pharisee, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” [10] The teaching is clear: baptism is essential to the salvation of all who have lived on the earth.

Because He is a loving God, He has allowed for baptisms and other ordinances to be performed by proxy in the temple for those who have died.

Performing essential ordinances for deceased ancestors in the temple reflects the truth of God's love being extended to all His children, regardless of when or where they lived. As Elder Patrick Kearon said, “God is in relentless pursuit of you. He ‘wants all of His children to choose to return to Him,’ and He employs every possible measure to bring you back.” [11] The work for our kindred dead is an example of Him employing every possible measure to bring His children back to Him.

The blessings associated with our personal temple ordinances and covenants are also evidence of God’s love.

In the temple, we make covenants with God and in doing so, experience His love in unique ways. President Nelson said: “All those who have made a covenant with God have access to a special kind of love and mercy.” [12]

He went on to say: “Once you and I have made a covenant with God, our relationship with Him becomes much closer than before our covenant. Now, we are bound together. Because of our covenant with God, He will never tire in His efforts to help us, and we will never exhaust His merciful patience with us.”

I am particularly grateful for temple marriage. Men and women who are sealed in the temple make covenants with not only the Lord, but with each other as well. I am grateful for the knowledge of a God who loves us so much that He has made it possible for us to be together forever with the people we love so much.

I also witness of the eternal nature of our lives and what that means for those who may not marry in this life. Elder D. Todd Christofferson said: “We recognize that in the imperfect present, [a temple marriage] is not the reality or even a realistic possibility for some. But we have hope in Christ. While we wait upon the Lord, President M. Russell Ballard reminds us that ‘scriptures and latter-day prophets confirm that everyone who is faithful in keeping gospel covenants will have the opportunity for exaltation.’” [13] That is yet more evidence of God’s love for us and His desire for each of us to have eternal happiness.

Most importantly, the temple points us to Christ, who is the greatest manifestation of God’s love.

Scripture teaches, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” [14]

President Nelson highlighted how the temple provides access to the enabling power of the Atonement of Christ and teaches us of Him. He said, “The temple lies at the center of strengthening our faith and spiritual fortitude because the Savior and His doctrine are the very heart of the temple. Everything taught in the temple, through instruction and through the Spirit, increases our understanding of Jesus Christ.” [15]

Elder Andersen said, “There are many different ways to see the face of Christ, and there is no better place than in His holy house.” [16]

As you go to the temple, look for Christ, and let Him and His Atonement be a reminder of God’s love for you.

I feel as Nephi did: “I do not know the meaning of all things, nevertheless I know that God loveth his children.” [17] I witness of that “first great truth of all eternity” that “God loves [you] with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength.” [18] I testify of His son, Jesus Christ. We are led by a living prophet in Russell M. Nelson. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

[1] Elder David A. Bednar referred to this campus as a “special and sacred and set apart place” (David A. Bednar, “Brigham Young University-Idaho: A Disciple Preparation Center,” BYU-Idaho Speeches, August 31, 2004).

[2] See D. Todd Christofferson, “The Love of God,” Ensign or Liahona , Nov. 2021.

[3] Jeffrey R. Holland, “Tomorrow the Lord Will Do Wonders among You,” Ensign or Liahona , May 2016.

[4] Russell M. Nelson, “Rejoice in the Gift of Priesthood Keys,” Liahona , May 2024.

[5] Wilford Woodruff, The Contributor , 1893.

[6] See General Handbook , 27.2.

[7] Neil L. Andersen, “Temples, Houses of the Lord Dotting the Earth,” Liahona , May 2024.

[8] Russell M. Nelson, “Think Celestial!,” Liahona , Nov. 2023.

[9] See 1 Corinthians 15:29.

[10] John 3:5.

[11] Patrick Kearon, “God’s Intent Is to Bring You Home,” Liahona , May 2024.

[12] Russell M. Nelson, “The Everlasting Covenant,” Liahona , Oct. 2022, 6.

[13] D. Todd Christofferson, “The Sealing Power,” Liahona , Nov. 2023.

[14] John 3:16

[15] Russell M. Nelson, “The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation,” Liahona , Nov. 2021.

[16] Neil L. Andersen, “Temples, Houses of the Lord Dotting the Earth.”

[17] See 1 Nephi 11:17.

[18] Jeffrey R. Holland, “Tomorrow the Lord Will Do Wonders among You,” Ensign or Liahona , May 2016.

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Verses on God's Love in the Bible

• God is Personal , Love , God is Love , The Bible

The God who created the universe, the most powerful being ever, loves you personally. Try to wrap your mind around that. He loves you — not just people in general, but you as a person. He cares about your life and wants to be part of it.

The Bible is a compilation of the words God gave so that people could know more about Him. The Bible says God loves you whatever state your life is in.

These verses from the Bible are reminders of God’s wonderful, extravagant, amazing, unstoppable and unconditional love.

If you are struggling to believe that God loves you as you are, take some time to think about these verses. You could  pray  after reading each scripture or  journal  about one verse each day.

The following topics are covered in this article. Click on the topic if you prefer to go straight there:

Part I: God’s Love Is Incredible, Infinite and Unfailing

Part ii: god’s love for you is personal, part iii: god loves you just as you are, part iv: god’s love helps you grow and improve.

• Part V: When Things Are Difficult, Cling to God’s Love Because He Cares About You
• Part VI: God’s Love For You Should Inspire You to Love Others

Part VII: Next Steps

1. god’s love is perfect and is a model for how to love..

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

Can you imagine being loved like this? It would change your life. The truth is this is an accurate description of God’s love for you.

Though this passage is often read at weddings, humans cannot love perfectly as God does. But it makes sense that people strive to have their love for one another reflect these qualities.

Everyone needs this type of love , but if you expect it from another person, you will be let down. God is the only one who can love you perfectly. And when you have a relationship with God and experience His love, it empowers you to love others the way God loves you.

2. When you fully experience God’s love, you have nothing to fear.

Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced His perfect love. (1 John 4:18)

When you understand that God loves you no matter what, you no longer need to be afraid of your failings causing Him to love you less. If you could only truly know the depth of God’s love, you would have nothing to fear.

God already knows about the wrong things you’ve done as well as any you will do. He still chose to love you.

3. You are secure in your relationship with God: Nothing can separate you from God’s love.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? ... No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow — not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below — indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35, 37-39)

God is more powerful than anything in heaven or on earth. When you accept Jesus’ invitation to begin a relationship with God, you are secure in His love forever. There is nothing powerful enough to separate you from God’s love. Even when things are difficult or you feel far from God, it’s not because God stops loving you. The truth is that God will never stop loving you, no matter what you do.

4. God’s love is too great to fully understand.

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. (Ephesians 3:18-19)

God’s love is so great that we, as mere humans, cannot fully understand it. Humans’ love for one another often depends at least partly on the behavior of the person being loved. God’s love for us does not.

Do you long to be known and loved for who you are? God is the only one who can truly do that.

5. God’s love is a shield surrounding you and keeping you safe.

But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread Your protection over them, that all who love Your name may be filled with joy. For You bless the godly, O LORD; You surround them with Your shield of love. (Psalm 5:11-12)

God’s love is so much more than the warm fuzzy feeling often associated with the word love. His love is a powerful force, protecting and comforting us. Being in God’s love is a position of not just joy but also safety.

When you run to God for protection, He surrounds you with His shield of love. Think about that image for a while. Experience the security you have because God’s love surrounds you. Let His love flood your mind with a sense of peace and comfort.

6. God will not let you down because His love cannot fail.

Your unfailing love, O LORD, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, Your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O LORD. How precious is Your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of Your wings. (Psalm 36:5-7)

You have probably been hurt or betrayed by someone you love at some point in your life. Maybe you have experienced this more than once. Loving and trusting other people is risky. Once one person hurts you, it becomes harder to open up to others.

In contrast, God’s love is truly unconditional. He never fails you or betrays you. You do not need to hold back in your relationship with God, because He is totally trustworthy .

When you feel let down by people, read these verses and remember this: Though people may let you down, God never will.

7. God calls you His child.

See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know Him. (1 John 3:1)

You are a child of God. You may have heard this phrase many times before, but take some time to let it sink in. God, your Father, calls you His child.

When you begin a relationship with God , you don’t just become God’s friend, you become His child. God delights in you and wants the best for you. He wants to fill your life with joy and blessings.

8. God chose to adopt you because He loves you.

God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure. (Ephesians 1:5)

You can have a child by accident, but you cannot adopt a child by accident. When you adopt a child, you choose to love, cherish and care for that child for life. When God adopts you, it’s not an accident. He chooses to love, cherish and care for you forever. He does it because He loves you and wants an eternal relationship with you.

God loves His children as a proud Father. If you have begun a relationship with Him , you are God’s child and He delights in you.

Take a minute to think about how the God of the entire universe loves you personally and chose you to be His child.

9. God loves you so much that He sacrificed His Son for you.

For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

It’s hard to understand if you’re not a parent, but the love parents feel for their children is possibly the deepest love one human can have for another. If you talk to any loving parents, they probably cannot imagine any reason they would willingly let their child die.

They would much rather die than let their child die, because their child’s life is so much more important to them than their own lives.

But God loves you so much that He was willing to let His Son come to earth, be mistreated, and ultimately die for your sins so that you could become His child too. That is love that’s beyond understanding.

10. God loved you enough to die for you when you were still rebelling against Him.

But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:8)

No matter how much you have messed up or how far you feel from God, He still loves you and wants a relationship with you.

Parents love their children, no matter how the children behave. If a child says, “I hate you!” it hurts. But loving parents will still love their children even when they say hurtful things or rebel. Even when you were still rebelling against God and saying, “I hate you,” He replied, “I love you” by choosing to die for you so that He could have a relationship with you forever.

You do not need to change or reach a better place before you come to God. He will help you change and get to a better place. All you need to do is accept His sacrifice and say yes to being in a relationship with God.

11. You could never earn or deserve the love God offers you.

But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) (Ephesians 2:4-5)

You do not deserve God’s love. No one does. But the amazing news is that He loves you anyway.

This is grace: God loves you so much that He paid the price to offer you the gift of eternal life. No one deserves it based on their own actions or how religious they think they are. God’s love is a precious gift to be treasured.

12. God’s love allows you to change and grow into the person He wants you to be.

Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

God loves you just as you are, but He also loves you enough to not let you stay how you are. He wants to see you grow and change for the better . He sent Jesus to die for your sins so this would be possible. When you receive God’s forgiveness and accept God’s help, you can begin to work toward positive, lasting change.

This is another way God acts as a loving parent toward you. Parents love their kids as they are, not just as they want them to be one day. Even if they have a toddler that never listens and regularly has meltdowns in public or a teenager on a rebellious streak, parents still love their kids. At the same time, they want to see their children grow, learn and make good choices in life. Good parents love their kids enough to set limits, give them guidance and walk beside them through the good and the bad.

God does this for you. Once you choose to begin a relationship with God, you experience His forgiveness. This allows you to let go of negative aspects of your personal history and move toward positive change. You also receive His Holy Spirit, who guides you, gives you strength and is present with you every day.

13. God gives us the Holy Spirit because He wants us to be filled with His love.

And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love. (Romans 5:5)

Have you ever had someone in your life you loved so much that you wanted to be with them all the time? God feels that way about you. Not only does God love you and want a relationship with you, but He wants to be present in every moment of your life.

When you begin a relationship with God, the Holy Spirit comes into your life. He is with you through the good and the bad. You can choose to ignore the Holy Spirit’s influence, but He will never leave you. He is always waiting for you to turn back and seek His comfort, wisdom and guidance.

The Holy Spirit can help you experience and have a deeper understanding of God’s love for you. His presence in your life means you are never on your own.

14. God disciplines you to help you learn — because He loves you.

My child, don’t reject the LORD’s discipline, and don’t be upset when He corrects you. For the LORD corrects those He loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom He delights. (Proverbs 3:11-12)

Though people often associate discipline with punishment, this verse shows us that God’s discipline is more about training and teaching. That is why Jesus’ followers were called disciples, or people who follow a teacher.

When you follow Jesus, you become His disciple. In the process of learning from Jesus, some lessons will be hard or even feel like punishment. But God is not out to punish you or hurt you. He is trying to teach you. Your choices have consequences, and God usually allows you to experience those consequences. Facing hard things and overcoming them is one of the best ways to learn.

Don’t let yourself get dragged down by hardships or isolate yourself from God and others. Instead, turn to God for help and discover what He is teaching you in the process.

Part V: When Things Are Difficult, You Can Cling to God’s Love Because He Cares About You

15. god cares when you are suffering because he loves you..

I will be glad and rejoice in Your unfailing love, for You have seen my troubles, and You care about the anguish of my soul. (Psalm 31:7)

When things are hard, it can be easy to feel alone or like no one cares. But God cares. He cares about your sadness and hardships. He cares about your suffering . Why? Because God loves you.

Even when things seem hopeless , you can still hope in God. God does not promise He will fix our problems in the immediate sense. We will experience pain and suffering and sorrow. But He does promise that one day, everyone who has a relationship with Him will spend eternity in His presence, where suffering and sorrow will be gone forever.

But God is not just telling us, “It will get better later,” and leaving it at that. God hurts when you hurt because He loves you. He is always there to comfort you with His unfailing love as you bring your struggles to Him.

16. Even when things seem hopeless, you can hope in God because He loves You.

I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. (Lamentations 3:20-23)

Even if you are in the midst of a difficult time or are grieving a great loss , there is still reason for hope. Everything around you may feel like it’s falling apart. Everything inside of you may feel like it’s falling apart. But God’s love and mercy will never fail you.

Ask God to give you hope because of His never-ending love. Ask Him to fill you with His peace that is more powerful than all of the hard things in your life. Every day is a new opportunity to receive God’s mercy and love.

17. God is loving. He does not want to harm you but to show you compassion.

Though He brings grief, He also shows compassion because of the greatness of His unfailing love. For He does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow. (Lamentations 3:32-33)

When you experience difficult things or see suffering in the world, you may be tempted to think God dislikes you or that He enjoys seeing some people suffer. This is not true. God created a beautiful, perfect world, but people brought imperfection into it.

God is hurt when He sees how much people suffer. He has allowed people to make a mess of the world for a period of time, but He will not leave it that way forever. God will make things right again because He is compassionate and loving.

Part VI: God’s Love for Us Should Inspire Us to Love Others

18. jesus’ love is an example of what it means to sacrifice and serve others out of love..

Jesus knew that the Father had given Him authority over everything and that He had come from God and would return to God. So He got up from the table, took off His robe, wrapped a towel around His waist, and poured water into a basin. Then He began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel He had around Him. ... “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” (John 13:3-5, 34)

On His last night with His disciples before He was crucified, Jesus emphasized loving others. He demonstrated what loving others looks like by washing His disciples’ feet.

Washing someone’s dirty feet may seem like a gross enough task today, but during that day, people wore sandals and walked most places. So their feet were much, much dirtier. Washing feet was usually the job of a lowly servant.

Later, one of Jesus’ final commands to His disciples was to love each other as He had loved them.

This passage begins by telling us Jesus knew He had all of God’s authority and power and would soon return to God in heaven. But He showed His disciples He loved them by stepping down from His position of power to take on the role of a lowly servant.

Loving others often requires being willing to step down from your position of power and serve.

19. God is love, so our love for others points them to Him.

God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love — not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and His love is brought to full expression in us.” (1 John 4:9-12)

Loving each other gives people a glimpse of God because God is love . It can be difficult for people to understand God, but by loving others in His name, they experience a taste of His love.

Sadly, sometimes Christians are known more for judgment than for love. If you want to help other people know who God is, you can share the message of God’s love and then help them experience it through your love for them.

20. Because God loves us so much, His love should overflow from us into others.

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! (Galatians 5:22-23)

God’s love should not stop with Him loving you, it should overflow into the lives of the people around you. This is the natural result of constantly experiencing God’s loving presence in the form of the Holy Spirit .

When you allow God’s love to grow in you, it will be like a plant that produces fruit. One of the fruits of God’s love is your increasing inclination and ability to love others. His Spirit also allows you to love with a love greater than you could have on your own.

Don’t keep the love of God to yourself; allow Him to use you to show His love to others.

The beauty of God’s love is that He offers it freely. He wants to have a loving relationship with you forever.

The Bible is full of references to God’s love. Below are some longer Bible passages on this theme.

As you read these verses, think about how they inspire you in your relationship with God. Then let the love of God inspire you to act. There are many ways to do this, and below the verses are some suggestions of things you can do.

Reflect on more of what the Bible teaches you about God’s love: 

1 Corinthians 13

1 John 4:7-21

Romans 8:15-39

John 15:1-17

Discover how you can have a personal relationship with the God who loves you. If you have yet to experience the amazing depth of God’s love, you can begin a relationship with Him right now. Find out how to know God personally .

Do you truly believe that God loves you as much as the Bible says He does? 

If not, think of a way to remind yourself of God’s love for you throughout the day. Write your favorite verses about God’s love on sticky notes and stick them on your bathroom mirror or around your workspace. Memorize a few of these verses and repeat them to yourself when you are feeling far from God.  

If you believe that God loves you, how does it influence the way you live? Do you believe your Father, who loves you dearly, is the most powerful force in the universe? What would look different in your life if you lived in light of this truth?

Are you allowing God to use you to show His love to others? 

Who is one person in your life whom you can show God’s love to today?

Send a message of encouragement to someone you know is having a difficult time. 

Think of a small act of kindness you can do for someone who is struggling.

Stop by to just be with them and listen.

Bring them something special, like coffee or flowers.

Drop off dinner or have it delivered.

If they have kids, offer to watch them for a couple hours.  

Sign up to volunteer at your church or a local organization focused on helping people in need.

Share your favorite verse or insight about God’s love on social media to let people know that God loves them.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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Sermon: Knowing God Loves Me - Psalm 103

This model sermon, based on Psalm 103, uncovers and reminds us of God's endearing love from one of the Old Testament's most stirring passages.

January 1, 2014

Sermon series: Knowing God

Walking by Faith in the Wilderness

Knowing God Loves Me

Is Being Good Enough?

The Character of the Savior

It's a Wonderful Life

Scriptures: Psalm 103

Introduction

Several years ago, a student in seminary class stood to his feet and announced to the professor, "I don't believe in God!" The professor, unraveled, replied, "Describe this God you don't believe in?" After the student had described an unlovely and vengeful God, the professor confessed, "I don't believe in that God either. My God is a God of love."

I. The description of God's love (vv. 8, 11, 13, 17)

How do you describe a rose to a blind person? How do you describe Handle's Hallelujah Chorus to a deaf person? How do you describe the thrill of down hill skiing to one who has never walked? How do you describe the impeccable, infinite love of God to impure, finite humans?

One of the most vivid characteristics of God is that he is a God of love. The Psalmist was descriptive in recording the love-nature of God. He stated that he was "full of faithful love" (Psalm 103:8), "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His faithful love toward those who fear Him" (Psalm 103:11), "As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him" (Psalm 103:13), and "But from eternity to eternity the LORD's faithful love is toward those who fear Him" (Psalm 103:17).

II. The definition of God's love (v. 2)

The point is not simply that God "loves," but that he is love itself. Love is not merely one of his attributes, but his very nature. The Scripture say, "And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him" (1 John 4:16). To say that God is love, is not to imply that love is God. There is a difference like there is a difference in me saying my dog is a girl and my girl is a dog. God is love means that God wants the very best for you. God has your best interest in mind. He wants to give you good gifts and provide you with "all his benefits" (Psalm 103:2, NIV).

III. The benefits of God's love (v. 2)

The Psalmist uncovers all the phases of life that God's love has touched and in turn benefited and blessed the recipient.

A. Spiritually (v. 3, 12)

Spiritually God's love removes the barrier that separates us from him by canceling the debt of our sin so that we can enjoy a loving relationship with him. God's love removes our sins as though they never existed.

B. Emotionally (v. 3)

Much of our physical and emotional illness is due to moral failure. In removing the sin and guilt from our lives God's love brings healing to our emotional life.

C. Eternally (v. 4)

The pit is the pit of death. God's love rescues us, fallen humanity, from our own bent on destruction, and grants us eternal life.

D. Authoritatively (v. 4)

God's love places a crown of royal glory and authority on us. God's love ". . . made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father" (Rev. 1:6). He have been crowned with his love and given a new citizenship on this earth and in heaven.

E. Physically (v. 5)

Like a father he desires to give us good gifts of strength and endurance. Jesus, the embodiment of God's love came enjoying life, and he wants his children to do the same.

F. Judicially (v. 6)

Here we find a major difference between divine love and what so often passes for love among people. Often, love is expressed as that virtue that accepts everything. But, God's love always makes judgment calls. Divine love hates what is wrong and embraces what is right.

IV. The knowledge of God's love

What do I know of God's love?

A. God's love is all consuming

God's love touches every part of our life. Nothing - no calling or circumstance, no adversity or advancement, no pain or promotion, no status or station - escapes the brush strokes of God's love. God's love bleeds into every fabric and fiber of our lives.

The number of times the three-lettered word "all" is used in this text reminds us that God's love is all consuming. His love touches every area of our lives. There is nowhere we can go to escape his love. There is no problem that we will encounter that is not touched by his love. There is no advancement that we will make where God is not already there. Even when our world falls apart, we can say, "God, I don't know why this is happening. I don't understand it, but I'm sure glad to know you love me."

We are like the little boy who got separated from his mother in the mall. He was looking around for his mommy, and getting scared. He began to cry because everyone was a stranger and everything looked so confusing and every store was packed and he didn't have his mommy. But all of a sudden, his mother found him and picked him up. He is eyes began to dry, not because his surroundings were changed, but because of whose arms he was in.

When you have someone who loves holding you, it doesn't matter anymore what everyone else does or what the circumstances are or what the future holds. When you are in the arms of a loving God, when you have been consumed with his love, you share in his benefits. It's all right.

B. God's love is personal

The Bible cuts through all the philosophical abstractions and declares that God is a Person. As a personal being God is capable of loving and being loved. And as a personal being he loves each one of us intensely personally. God's love is not simply for mankind as a mass. It is not a sentimental, vague, diffused feeling - something like Charlie Brown's attitude when he says, "I love mankind; it's people I can't stand." God really likes individual people.

Notice again in Psalm 103 the number of times the personal pronouns "me" and "my" are used.

When Karl Barth, the famed German theologian, visited the United States, a student at a seminary supposedly asked, "Dr. Barth, what is the single most important truth you have learned as a theologian?"

Barth replied, "The most important thing I have learned is this: 'Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.'"

"Jesus loves me" is the central affirmation of the Christian faith and the cornerstone of the nature of God.

When God says I love you, he is saying that you matter to him. You are a person of worth. You are valuable to him. Regardless of what others think, in his eyes you are wonderful.

C. God's love is beyond comprehension (vv. 13-14)

Amazing, isn't it? God knows me and still loves me. God knows that I am a sinner, yet he forgives; I am diseased, yet he heals; I am in a pit, yet he pulls me out; I am ungrateful for his good gifts, yet he gives them anyway; and I deserve justice, yet he grants mercy.

Like a father's love for a wayward and rebellious son that waits anxiously for him to return home so he can grant him a new start, is God's love for us. It is beyond comprehension.

Vietnam veteran and Air Force Colonel John Mansur tells about an eight-year-old orphan girl who was wounded after a misdirected mortar attack. An American Navy doctor and nurse were called. They surmised that the little girl would die if a blood transfusion did not take place. A quick test showed that neither American had the correct type, but several of the uninjured orphans did.

The doctor spoke some pidgin Vietnamese, and the nurse a smattering of high-school French. Using that combination, together with much impromptu sign language, they tried to explain to their young, frightened audience that unless they could replace some of the girl's lost blood, she would certainly die. Then they asked if anyone would be willing to give blood to help.

Their request was met with wide-eyed silence. After several long moments, a small hand slowly and waveringly went up, dropped back down, and then went up again.

"Oh, thank you," the nurse said in French. "What is your name?"

"Heng," came the reply.

Heng was quickly laid on a pallet, his arm swabbed with alcohol, and a needle inserted in his vein. Through this ordeal Heng lay stiff and silent. After a moment, he let out a shuddering sob, quickly covering his face with his free hand. His occasional sobs gave way to steady, silent crying, his eyes screwed tightly shut, his fist in his mouth to stifle his sobs.

The medical team was concerned. Something was obviously very wrong. At this point, a Vietnamese nurse arrived to help. Seeing the little one's distress, she spoke to him rapidly in Vietnamese, listened to his reply and answered him in a soothing voice.

After a moment, the patient stopped crying and looked questioningly at the Vietnamese nurse. When she nodded, a look of great relief spread over his face.

Glancing up, the nurse said quietly to the Americans, "He thought he was dying. He misunderstood you. He thought you had asked him to give all his blood so the little girl could live."

"But why would he be willing to do that?" asked the Navy nurse.

The Vietnamese nurse repeated the question to the little boy, who answered simply, "She's my friend."

That's a glimpse of the kind of incredible, incomprehensible love God has for us.

"No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). If you want a visible definition of love, look at what God did for us in Christ. "But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us!" (Rom. 5:8). If you really want to understand love, don't listen to love songs, or people who throw the term love around. If you want to get to the depths of what it means to love and be loved, look to the cross of Christ, because there God's love came to mankind. The cross is the ultimate expression of God's incomprehensible love to mankind.

If you ever wonder if God loves you look to the cross. The cross is God's way of saying, "I love you this much," with his arms outstretched. God's final words to us are etched on a Roman cross. They are blood red. They scream to be heard. They say, "I love you."

Rick Ezell is the pastor of First Baptist Greer, South Carolina. Rick has earned a Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Master of Theology in preaching from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Rick is a consultant, conference leader, communicator, and coach.

Knowing God’s Love

The more we dwell on the goodness of God’s love, the more firmly we’ll stand during hardships.

July 8, 2021

Ephesians 3:8-21

One of the first things children learn in Sunday school is that Jesus loves them, and they are quick to believe it. But as we get older, the hardships and disappointments of life may cause us to doubt this truth. We wonder how a gracious God could allow the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, a financial crisis, or a painful terminal illness.

But we cannot judge God’s love on the basis of circumstances. Hardship is a certainty in life (John 16:33), and it does not reflect the depth, breadth, and height of God’s love for us. This is why Paul urged the Ephesians not to let his tribulations discourage them (Eph. 3:13)—he knew those hardships were part of God’s plan. And the same is true for every believer. Through our trials, God works powerfully within us to do more than we can perceive or imagine (Eph. 3:20).

The Lord wants you to believe that His love for you is steadfast—and that it can ground you in the difficult seasons of life. Are you seeking to grow in your comprehension of His love? The more you dwell on divine grace, the more firmly you’ll stand during trials. Begin by asking God to give you a deeper understanding as you mediate on His love as described in His Word.

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Bible Verses About Love

The Bible has a lot to say about love. The word "love" is mentioned over 500 times in the Bible, with many verses that speak to love's power, importance, and beauty.

Here, we have gathered a compilation of Bible verses about love for marriage , among friends , and even loving your neighbors and enemies. 

The Bible says that God is love , which makes the Word of God the perfect source to know what true love means and how we can love others as God loves us. Bible verses about love reveal that our world has skewed the meaning of real love, but God's Word remains the steadfast source of divine knowledge and wisdom. 

Download your  copy of these beautiful Scripture quotes HERE . Print these beautiful Bible verses to keep by your bed, at work, or anywhere you need to be reminded of the power of God's love in your life.

Popular Bible Verses about Love

Read and meditate on this list of scriptures about love from the Holy Bible and begin seeing the change in your heart and mind that comes from pursuing selfless love! Here are some of the most inspiring and beautiful Bible verses about love:

1 Corinthians 16:14

Let all that you do be done in love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Colossians 3:14

And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

1 Corinthians 13:13

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

1 John 4:7-8

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 Peter 4:8

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

Ephesians 5:25

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,

Ephesians 4:2

With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

Find more Bible verses about love by categories below:

Table of Contents

• Bible Verses About God's Love

Bible Verses About Marriage

Bible verses about relationships, bible verses about loving your enemies, a prayer to love, christian resources on love.

First, we have gathered some of the most famous and popular Bible verses about love. These scriptures on love are well known for their simple yet powerful message of God's love and the love we should share with others.  Read and pray with these Bible verses about love:

Let all that you do be done in love. - 1 Corinthians 16:14

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. - 1 John 4:8

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. - 1 John 4:18

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins . - 1 Peter 4:8

And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. - Colossians 3:14

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

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. - John 15:13

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. - 1 Corinthians 13:13

We love because he first loved us. - 1 John 4:19

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. - Proverbs 10:12

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

Bible Verses About God's Love

If we want the perfect example of love, it is in our creator God. Often, God's love is referred to as agape love which is the highest form of love that is selfless and sacrificial. It is steadfast, unchanging, and unconditional. Below are a few Scripture examples of God's great love for you! May these Bible verses about the love of God inspire courage and compassion.

Dear friends, let us love one another , for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. - 1 John 4:7-8

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. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. - John 4:9-12

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. - 1 John 4:16-18

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. - John 15:9-10

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  - John 15:12-13

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16

Now therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations. - Deuteronomy 7:9

But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. - Psalms 86:15

God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8

God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved. - Ephesians 2:4-5

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. - 1 John 3:1

God created and instituted marriage . Bible verses about love show us the importance of marriage and how to be a loving spouse through commitment and appreciation. The Bible is the true source for the definition of marriage and the roles of husband and wife. Whether you are looking for Scripture to include in your wedding vows during the ceremony or looking to renew the love in your marriage, this collection of Bible verses about love will provide excellent encouragement and inspiration.

Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church - for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. - Ephesians 5:22-33

Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. - Colossians 3:18-19

He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD. - Proverbs 18:22

I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine. - Song of Solomon 8:3

I found the one my heart loves. - Song of Solomon 3:4

Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. - Genesis 2:22-24

May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer— may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love. - Proverbs 5:18-19

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. - Proverbs 31:10-12

Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If one were to give all the wealth of one’s house for love, it would be utterly scorned. - Song of Solomon 8:6

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. - Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one s-eparate.   Mark 10:9-6

As Christians and followers of Jesus Christ, the Bible tells us that the world will know us by our love. The greatest testimony that we can be is to love those around us - whether family, friends, or strangers. The below Scriptures about love will guide you in choosing to "put on love"! May we know the love of God and share that love with others throughout our life.

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. -  1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Love is patient , love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. - 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. -   Romans 12:9-10

"The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these." - Mark 12:29-31

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. -   Romans 13:8

A friend loves at all times. -   Proverbs 17:17

Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. -   Romans 13:10

Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find? The righteous lead blameless lives; blessed are their children after them. - Proverbs 20:6-7

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. - 1 Corinthians 13:13

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. -   Ephesians 4:2-3

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. - 1 Peter 4:8

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. - 1 John 4:7

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. - 1 John 4:11

And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. - 1 John 4:21

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. - Colossians 3:14

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. - 1 John 3:16-18

Do everything in love. - 1 Corinthians 16:14

The idea of loving and forgiving our enemies sounds completely ridiculous at times. It is our human nature to want to defend ourselves and fight back. However, if we are called to be like Jesus, we are called to forgive those who hurt us. Loving your enemy is less about reconciling a relationship and more about the condition of your heart! Here is a collection of Scriptures about love that will bring you peace and encourage forgiveness for those who trespass against us.

But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you." - Luke 6:27-31

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. - Luke 6:35

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect". - Matthew 5:43-48

On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." - Romans 12:20-21

Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs. - Proverbs 10:12

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. - Proverbs 3:3-4

Dear God, Thank you that you are a loving, gracious God. Thank you that you’ve offered us forgiveness and the gift of new life in you. Thank you that your love is perfect, it never fails, and that nothing can separate us from your love.

We pray that our lives would be filled and overflowing with the power of your love so we can make a difference in this world and bring honor to you. We ask for your help in reminding us that the most important things are not what we do outwardly, it’s not based on any talent or gift, but the most significant thing we can do in this life is simply to love you and to choose to love others.

Lord thank you that your love is patient . Help us show patience with those around us. Lord thank you that your love is kind. Help us to extend kindness to others. Lord thank you that your love does not take into account a wrong suffered. Lord help us not to hold grudges, but to choose to forgive, even when it’s difficult.

Help us to love as you love. Fill us with your Spirit so that we can choose what is best. We are weak Lord, but we know also, that even when we are weak, you are strong within us. Thank you that it’s not all up to us. Thank you that you equip us to face each day with the power of your love, your forgiveness, and your grace. In Jesus' name, Amen. 

- Debbie McDaniel

• Love Quotes - Read quotes and verses about loving others, your enemy, God, and even yourself.
• 8 Simple Ways to Love and Encourage Your Husband   - There’s hope for us all, and all we have to do is commit to making an effort. So, if you’re wondering how you can start loving and encouraging your husband better, here are eight ways to get started (eight ways that are husband approved, I should add!)
• What Does the Bible Say About Marriage? Today’s view of marriage seems to teach that marriage is based on your happiness and can be temporary. I’m worried that I’m not prepared for how God wants me to view marriage. What does the Bible say about marriage?
• 10 Things You Should Know About the Love of God
• What to Do When You Fall Out of Love - Here are a few practical steps you can take to bring love back into your marriage
• A Prayer of Love

Speeches > Rollin H. Hotchkiss > God Loves You

God Loves You

Rollin h. hotchkiss.

Associate Chair of the BYU Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

December 8, 2009

I testify that God, our Heavenly Father, loves each of you. He knows your name. He knows your circumstances. He hears your prayers and wants to bless you in every righteous desire through His Son, Jesus Christ. Like Alma, “I testify unto you that I do know that these things . . . are true. . . . They are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God” ( Alma 5:45–46 ). I know these things because of my own journey. And if Heavenly Father loves me and knows of me—since He is no respecter of persons—He loves you as well.

My purpose today is to share with you five facets of my testimony that show God loves us. These are simple and quite personal. I pray that your testimony of God’s love for you will grow as you think of your own experiences and that together we may receive the “word of truth” through the Holy Ghost ( D&C 50:17 ). I hope that as I speak, you will contemplate the many ways that God loves you. As I conclude today, I will ask you a question: “So what are you going to do?”

First: I testify that God loves us because He grants unto us the revelator known as the Holy Ghost.

It was October of 1972, a clear and sunny Sunday. I was a freshman at BYU. I rode my bicycle up Provo Canyon to Upper Falls. There I contemplated what in the world I was doing here. You see, I came to BYU as a nonmember. Why? Well, several friends at high school were going to BYU, and they simply invited me along. I applied to BYU, and when my parents and I visited campus, coming from smoggy and dry Southern California, we were sold. I knew very little about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints except that they didn’t smoke or drink.

I had arrived on campus a week or so early to attend a late summer honors program. There I met my first roommate, Rahn Price. After a long day we were ready to go to sleep in our room in Deseret Towers (may they rest in peace). Then something unusual happened. Rahn rolled out of bed, knelt at his bedside, and prayed silently. I didn’t know what to do. I was quite astonished. I finally said my own prayer:

Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep;

Should I die before I wake,

I pray the Lord my soul to take.

I was done well before he was. Much later, Rahn said that was the most awkward prayer he had ever said. However, I’m grateful that he did say that prayer.

As the semester began, I learned about agency from a Book of Mormon teacher named Bruce Hafen. I learned of the Atonement. Although I had grown up in a Christian church and was raised by “goodly parents” ( 1 Nephi 1:1 ), these concepts were certainly deeper than the wading pool of doctrine I had grown up with.

Once the semester began, my friends in Helaman Halls invited me to church, but I respectfully declined. They did not pester me or make me feel out of place. On Sundays I would just do my own activities, limited as they were by a bicycle.

I found that agency—a topic I had been learning about in my Book of Mormon class—was interesting as presented in the dorms. It was fast Sunday (whatever that meant), and when my floor went off to church, I went down to the Cannon Center for a casual breakfast. But there was no breakfast because it was fast Sunday. I hadn’t planned to fast, but it appeared that I would be fasting even though I hadn’t planned on it. This was in the day when you didn’t have refrigerators and microwave ovens in each dorm room. There was no food there. I was suddenly faced with my own mortality—I knew I was going to die. I figured I had just enough strength left to make it to some local restaurant. Der Wienerschnitzel was the closest. All I needed was a little food to tide me over until the obligatory fast Sunday concluded in the dorms. So I ordered about a dozen hot dogs. I’ve been grateful to Der Weinerschnitzel ever since.

But thankfully I matured. With the help of Rahn, my other friends, Brother Hafen, and my own budding awareness of the beautiful doctrines of the gospel, a seed had been planted. And on that October Sunday morning at Upper Falls, I actually asked Heavenly Father a question—something I was not taught to do growing up. Like most, I was taught that you can ask for blessings. It had never really occurred to me to ask Heavenly Father a question, because that implied you expected an answer—that you expected God to actually hear your prayer and acknowledge it with some sort of communication. It wasn’t even a question about the Church I had at that time. I wasn’t ready for that just yet. It was a question about me: “What wouldst thou have me do?” For the first time in my life I felt what I knew in an instant was the Holy Ghost, that unmistakably distinct and identifiable feeling in my bosom that has since guided me in all matters spiritual and most temporal: a warmth—not alarming or acidic, but peaceful and calm—that gave me clarity and resolve. Like the answer cited by Sister Matsumori in October’s general conference: “It felt like sunshine” (Vicki F. Matsumori, “ Helping Others Recognize the Whisperings of the Spirit, ” Ensign, November 2009, 10).

What was my answer? That I had a special mission to perform. I had no idea what that meant. It didn’t matter at that time, because what I had found out that day was that God lives, that He knew who I was, and that, whatever He was doing at the time, He had answered my prayer through the Holy Ghost. I’ve been grateful ever since and have tried to demonstrate that gratitude by serving Him. My view of the world had changed: from peering through a keyhole at life to having an eternal panorama opened to my heart and mind’s view.

If God loved me enough to answer my prayer, I know that He loves each of you.

Second: I testify that God loves you because He restored the priesthood, and the Aaronic Priesthood in particular, to the earth. I testify that His love is manifest through the gift of the ministering of angels that can protect us and comfort us as we learn more about Him.

Since that day in October my heart was prepared to receive the gospel. I learned by study and also by faith. I noted that Rahn held the Aaronic Priesthood and was a priest in that priesthood. Through sacred experiences we had together, I know that the Aaronic Priesthood encompasses the power of God and the keys of the ministering of angels. I know that such keys are a gift to young men in the Church who love Him. It is something to be desired. At the time, I identified with Simon, the sorcerer of the New Testament, who said, “Give me also this power” ( Acts 8:19 ). Although Simon spoke of the Melchizedek Priesthood, I was desiring this Aaronic Priesthood. I know that the priesthood—Melchizedek and Aaronic—is God’s love made manifest to us to protect and serve. When you return home soon and see those gangly young Aaronic Priesthood holders in your ward, you might remember to thank them for carrying the power of God within them.

Third: I testify that Heavenly Father loves us because He blesses us so much as we try to serve Him. He meets us much more than halfway when we act on the smallest seed of faith. He blesses us all along our journey back to His presence when we incline our ear and heart toward Him.

December 2, 1972, was a clear and crisp day. It was the day of my baptism. All the guys on my floor in Helaman Halls were up early getting ready for the service. But of course nobody said a word to me. It’s a guy thing—like baseball players who don’t want to jinx a pitcher who goes into the seventh inning with a no-hitter. I was both amused and impressed.

Who but Rahn Price baptized me? I received the gift of the Holy Ghost, which spirit had led me to the place I was at that time (see D&C 6:14 ). I received the priesthood and felt the whole armor of God. Thank you, Rahn. A few months later I was ordained a priest in the Aaronic Priesthood by Norm Nemrow. (You might know him as Professor Nemrow here at BYU.) Thank you, Norm.

I was soon called as a home teacher. I was excited to serve with this Aaronic Priesthood that I had so much desired. One evening I had a particularly vexing physics homework assignment to do. I also had home teaching appointments. For the first time I faced a test of my new faith. What to do? Up until that time intellect had been the king of my hill, my lofty aspiration. But now? How did faith work once you were baptized? Would Heavenly Father turn His attention elsewhere now that I was within the Church? I went home teaching. When I returned to my dorm room to tackle Physics 121, all I can say is that Heavenly Father magnified my efforts in a very personal and significant way. I had not known that the Holy Ghost could teach physics. I’ve never forgotten that lesson of being blessed beyond what I merited at the time. I was strengthened, confirmed in my faith, and encouraged.

King Benjamin put it this way:

I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.

And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.

And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him.

And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast? [ Mosiah 2:21–24 ]

Heavenly Father blesses us so that our seeds of faith can grow all of our lives to produce a harvest of happiness as we put the kingdom of God first and allow everything else to follow (see Matthew 6:33 ). The Lord said, “I will go before you and be your rearward; and I will be in your midst, and you shall not be confounded” ( D&C 49:27 ). I agree with Nephi, who said, “My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep” ( 2 Nephi 4:20 ). Each effort I make, no matter how small, is blessed greatly. God is truly generous with His love.

My faith was tried more seriously as I considered what to do about a full-time mission as a convert to the Church. I testify that as I exerted my faith, Heavenly Father strengthened my heart and melted the hearts of my parents, who had been adamantly opposed to my serving. But Heavenly Father went before my face and softened their hearts. I was able to serve with their blessing, and in giving back some of the love I had been given, as I served, I received, as usual, more blessings than I deserved.

I know that God will support you as you look to Him in every good thing. He’s got your back! Selfless service at any time increases our gratitude for God.

Fourth: I testify that God loves us because He wants us to have everything that He has; He puts no limits on how much we can learn, grow, and progress. Our friend Stephen Covey calls it an “abundance mentality” versus a “scarcity mentality.” Heavenly Father calls it the “plan of happiness” ( Alma 42:8 ), the plan that can “bring to pass [our] immortality and eternal life” ( Moses 1:39 ).

I remember when I walked upstairs in the original Harold B. Lee Library that in the stairwell I was confronted with the scripture “Seek learning, even by study and also by faith” ( D&C 88:118 ). I was initially shocked at such a thing, but after my October experience and others like it, I came to know that there is no limit to how much we can learn, love, and live. William W. Phelps put it this way in verses 4 and 5 of his hymn:

There is no end to virtue;

There is no end to might;

There is no end to wisdom;

There is no end to light.

There is no end to union;

There is no end to youth;

There is no end to priesthood;

There is no end to truth.

There is no end to glory;

There is no end to love;

There is no end to being;

There is no death above.

[“If You Could Hie to Kolob,” Hymns, 1985, no. 284]

President Uchtdorf recently summarized:

Our Father in Heaven has given us, His children, much more than any mortal mind can comprehend. Under His direction the Great Jehovah created this wondrous world we live in. God the Father watches over us, fills our hearts with breathtaking joy, brightens our darkest hours with blessed peace, distills upon our minds precious truths, shepherds us through times of distress, rejoices when we rejoice, and answers our righteous petitions.

He offers to His children the promise of a glorious and infinite existence and has provided a way for us to progress in knowledge and glory until we receive a fulness of joy. He has promised us all that He has. [Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “ The Love of God, ” Ensign, November 2009, 22]

We’re really tested with this concept as parents. Our oldest daughter has borne the brunt of much of our learning. (Come to think about it, though, our other three children didn’t fare much better.) But as an active teenager, she would ask if she could go do this or that with her friends. Her requests were always reasonable, and she reminds us often that we were lucky that she even asked. But I remember once telling her no. She, of course, wanted to know why. I said, “Because I’m your father, and I figure every once in awhile I should exercise that right and just say no.” Well, how silly that was! Heavenly Father doesn’t do that because He doesn’t exercise such capricious constraints. She and I talked for quite awhile that night because she justifiably called me on my section 121 violation (see verses 39–46). So I let her go and demonstrated my love and trust for her.

In addition to Heavenly Father not constraining us capriciously, I know that He loves us because He is anxious to impart all knowledge into our hands:

Of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land; and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms. [ D&C 88:79 ]

The knowledge that comes by the Holy Ghost through faith and prayer could be very useful to you in the upcoming days.

Fifth : I testify that God loves us because He sent His Son to atone for our sins and for the sins of all humankind everywhere. This is the most powerful manifestation of all. I felt it first as I prepared for baptism and now each week as I prepare to receive the sacrament.

The Atonement has been written about for centuries by prophets both ancient and modern, but is it written in our hearts? The Atonement is not an academic abstract that is learned like the multiplication tables. If we are prepared, like Nephi and Enos, the Atonement can sink deep in our hearts and fill us with wonder (see 1 Nephi 11–14 ; Enos 1:3 ).

The manner of receiving the teaching of the Atonement is illustrated with the examples of Nephi and his elder-in-age but younger-in-spirit brothers, Laman and Lemuel.

Nephi, in seeking an interpretation of his father Lehi’s dream, had a discourse with an angel:

And it came to pass after I had seen the tree, I said unto the Spirit: I behold thou hast shown unto me the tree which is precious above all.

And he said unto me: What desirest thou?

And I said unto him: To know the interpretation thereof. . . .

It’s interesting that the angel didn’t just tell Nephi the interpretation. As a matter of fact, the angel could have made a nice spreadsheet of the vision, with the symbols across the top in columns and the explanation in the next row. But instead:

It came to pass that he said unto me: Look! . . .

And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white.

And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou?

And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.

And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God?

And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.

And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.

And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying: Look!

And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.

And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?

Well? Had the angel made a spreadsheet? No! Nephi experienced the answer:

And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.

And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul. [1 Nephi 11:9–23]

The love of God is the most desirable and joyous to the soul. Later Nephi testified:

And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world. [1 Nephi 11:33]

The Atonement had sunk deep into Nephi’s heart.

Contrast this with Laman and Lemuel’s experience. They had dismissed the visit of an angel (see 1 Nephi 3:31 ), did not believe the words of their father (see 1 Nephi 2:11–12 ), and found “the truth to be hard” ( 1 Nephi 16:2 ). When they asked Nephi about the interpretation of each element of the dream, Nephi simply gave them the spreadsheet explanation. Although the Atonement had taken root in the fleshy portion of Nephi’s heart (see 2 Corinthians 3:3 ), the hardened hearts of Laman and Lemuel remained unchanged (see 1 Nephi 16:22 ).

The Atonement is a gift from Heavenly Father through His Son that we especially need to remember at this time of year. It was the ultimate gift of both the Father and the Son: of the Father because He allowed His Son to suffer; of the Son because of what He did for us. Even football fans know the most famous scripture of all:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. [ John 3:16 ]

A glimpse of our Heavenly Father’s anguish came to me several years ago during a high-adventure trip with my oldest son and several members of his priest’s quorum. We had gone to the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington. One of the activities the boys wanted to do was ride their bicycles on the paved road down from the top of Mount Constitution. I’ve done a bit of riding in my life, and I encouraged the boys to first ride up the mountain so they could remember where the gravel, the cracks in the pavement, the tightest turns, and other such potential hazards were. But of course that was too hard. So we took all the boys and the bikes to the top and all started down. I came down last, and I helped pick up each boy as each crashed at a different location. My son, for example, had entered a hairpin turn going hopelessly too fast. He had a choice: go over the railing or lay the bike down. With brakes tightly squeezed, he laid the bike down and skidded for some distance on the asphalt. His T-shirt rolled up his back, and he received quite a road rash, including embedded bits of small gravel and tar.

Like any unprepared Scout troop, our only cleaning agent in the first-aid kit was alcohol. As I watched his friends begin to clean the wounds on his back with the alcohol, I simply could not bear to watch. The pain must have been excruciating, and I could not stand to see my son suffer.

I know that Heavenly Father hurt at the sight of His Son’s suffering. I know that both Heavenly Father and His Son love us.

President Uchtdorf summarized God’s love for us this way:

Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God’s love encompasses us completely.

He loves us because He is filled with an infinite measure of holy, pure, and indescribable love. We are important to God not because of our résumé but because we are His children. He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken. God’s love is so great that He loves even the proud, the selfish, the arrogant, and the wicked.

What this means is that, regardless of our current state, there is hope for us. No matter our distress, no matter our sorrow, no matter our mistakes, our infinitely compassionate Heavenly Father desires that we draw near to Him so that He can draw near to us. [See D&C 88:63 .] [“The Love of God,” 22–23]

In conclusion I testify that God our Heavenly Father loves each of you. He knows your name. He knows your circumstances. He hears your prayers and wants to bless you in every righteous desire through His Son Jesus Christ.

I’m grateful to have had the opportunity of attending BYU those many years ago. I’m grateful for the Spirit that is here both then and now. I truly am.

So here is my question: What are you going to do? I pray that you might feel inspired this season to use Heavenly Father’s love for you as a verb. And I pray that what you need to do will be revealed to you through prayer. The Primary children have it right:

I know my Father lives and loves me too. The Spirit whispers this to me and tells me it is true, And tells me it is true.

[“I Know My Father Lives,” Hymns, 1985, no. 302]

I add my testimony that it is true, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

© Brigham Young University. All rights reserved.

Rollin H. Hotchkiss was associate chair of the BYU Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering when this devotional address was given on 8 December 2009.

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Bible Verses about God's Love

What does the Bible say about God's Love?

The Love of God is frequently mentioned in the Bible through stories and proverbs as divine, true, and everlasting. In fact, the Bible says that God is love! God loves everyone. God's love is so great that He gave His only Son to die for our sins and be resurrected. This bold fact alone is important evidence of God's love for his children.

We hope these Scripture quotes will help you understand God's love for you. He is not a ruling dictator in heaven looking to punish us when we do wrong. His love is characterized by grace and forgiveness and is eternal and unconditional!

The Bible is full of verses that remind us of God's love for us. These scriptures can bring comfort and encouragement in times of need. Here are some of the most popular verses about God's love:

Top Bible Verses about God's Love

John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Romans 5:8 - "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

1 John 3:1 - "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"

Jeremiah 31:3 - "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness."

Zephaniah 3:17 - "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

Ephesians 2:4-5 - "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved"

1 John 4:19 - "We love because he first loved us."

John 15:13 - "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."

1 John 4:7 - "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God."

Psalm 86:15 - "But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness."

Discover the best Bible verses about God's love in this collection of scripture quotes! 

Let's say this prayer of thanks for God's love today:  Father, we praise You for Your consistency. Thank You. Though we cannot be consistently good, loving, and righteous, you are those things for us... Forgive us for our inconsistency, and bless us, that we may know Your love for us never changes. You are always loving, and for that, we give thanks. In Jesus' Name, Amen. (by Meg Bucher)

 Photo credit: Getty Images/kieferpix

John 3:16 NIV

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Read John 3

1 John 4:7-8 NIV

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Read 1 John 4

1 John 4:9-11 NIV

9 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. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

1 John 4:16 NIV

16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

Romans 8:37-39 NIV

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Read Romans 8

Isaiah 54:10 NIV

10 Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the Lord , who has compassion on you.

Read Isaiah 54

Romans 5:8 NIV

8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Read Romans 5

Galatians 2:20 NIV

20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Read Galatians 2

Psalm 136:26 NIV

26 Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.

Read Psalm 136

Ephesians 2:4-5 NIV

4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved.

Read Ephesians 2

Psalm 86:15 NIV

15 But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

Read Psalm 86

Zephaniah 3:17 NIV

17 The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing."

Read Zephaniah 3

1 John 3:1 NIV

1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Read 1 John 3

John 15:13 NIV

13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.

Read John 15

Deuteronomy 7:9 NIV

9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

Read Deuteronomy 7

Romans 12:12 NIV

12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Read Romans 12

Galatians 6:9 NIV

9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Read Galatians 6

Romans 8:25 NIV

25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

Philippians 4:6 NIV

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Read Philippians 4

Psalm 37:7-9 NIV

7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. 8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret-it leads only to evil. 9 For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

Read Psalm 37

Today on Christianity.com

Speech on Love Of God

The love of God is a profound and beautiful concept. It’s like a vast ocean, endless and deeply comforting. You might have heard about it, felt it, or even questioned it.

It’s an idea that touches every heart, irrespective of age or beliefs. Now, let’s explore this fascinating topic together.

1-minute Speech on Love Of God

Good day, everyone! Today, I want to talk about a wonderful feeling we all can experience. It’s about the love of God. This love is like a warm blanket on a cold night. It wraps us, protects us, and gives us comfort.

The love of God is like the sun. Just as the sun shines on everyone, God’s love is there for all of us. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, or what you’ve done. His love is always there, waiting for you.

God’s love is like an endless ocean. It’s so big that we can’t see the end of it. It’s so deep that we can’t reach the bottom. And the best part? It never runs out. No matter how much we take, there is always more.

God’s love is like a parent’s love. Just like our parents teach us to walk, God guides us on the right path. When we fall, He helps us stand up. When we’re lost, He shows us the way.

God’s love is like a friend’s love. He listens when we talk. He’s happy when we’re happy. He’s sad when we’re sad. And just like a true friend, He’s always there, even when we can’t see Him.

So, let’s open our hearts to this wonderful love. Let’s let it fill us and guide us. Remember, God’s love is always there, waiting for you. All you have to do is accept it.

2-minute Speech on Love Of God

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let’s talk about the love of God, a topic that is as vast as the universe itself. Imagine the largest, most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen. Now, multiply that by infinity. That’s how much God loves each one of us. It’s a love that is bigger, deeper, and stronger than anything we can ever imagine.

God’s love is like the sunshine. Just as the sun shines on everyone, without choosing who is good or bad, God’s love also flows to each one of us equally. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, or what you have done. God’s love is always there for you. It is a love that does not judge us but accepts us as we are, with all our flaws and mistakes.

Now, let’s think about how we know God loves us. Look around you. See the trees, the flowers, the rivers, the mountains. Isn’t it amazing how everything works in harmony? Every sunrise and sunset, every bird’s song, every raindrop that falls, they all are signs of God’s love. God created this beautiful world for us to live in and enjoy. This is one of the greatest signs of God’s love for us.

God’s love is also like a parent’s love. Just as a parent wants the best for their child, God also wants the best for us. When we are in pain, God feels our pain. When we are happy, God shares our joy. God is always there to guide us, protect us and help us. Just like a parent, God is always there for us, even when we can’t see Him.

How can we show our love for God? By loving others. When we show kindness, when we help those in need, when we forgive, we are showing our love for God. This is what God wants from us – to love each other, just like He loves us.

In conclusion, the love of God is a beautiful, amazing thing. It is something that we can’t fully understand, but we can feel it in our hearts. It is a love that is always there for us, guiding us, protecting us, and helping us. So let us let this love fill our hearts. Let us show this love to others. Because in doing so, we are showing our love for God.

And remember, no matter what happens, no matter how tough life gets, God’s love is always there for us. It is a love that never ends. So let us trust in this love, and let it guide us in our lives. Thank you.

• Speech on Love And Pain
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Bejoy Peter's Public Speaking ®

Destroying stage fright since 1996 ®

God Loves You! The 1 Minute Speech You Always Wished to Hear!

God loves you!

You might feel like giving up. But hold on ; for he will not give up on you.

You might want to hide from him. But he knows all about what you did already.

You might count yourself a failure. But he looks at you and sees what you can be.

You might think you are unlovable. But he came to touch the untouchables.

You might think you are of no worth. But the cross where Jesus shed his blood and died says that you are worth dying for.

You might have your doubts; but the love of God never fails. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Today, you failed. But trust in God; tomorrow you will be firm and immovable like a rock.

Yes, my friend, God loves you. It is an undying love; an everlasting love. He loves you not because you deserve his love; but because he decided to love you even before you were born.

What greater love do you know than you being called a child of God! It is true. You became God’s child when you trusted in him.

Love has been lavished on you.

You might say you have sinned against him much. Let that be true. But the greater truth is you’ve been forgiven much.

Will you love him less?

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!”

–Romans 5:8, 9 Bible NIV

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