Choosing Love: Transforming Our Lives and Community

Oct 06, 2025

Devotional

Day 1: The Upside-Down Kingdom of Jesus

Jesus’ kingdom stands in stark contrast to the kingdoms of this world, not built on power, dominance, or exclusion, but on a radical, upside-down ethic of love, humility, and compassion. Rather than aligning with the false fundamentals of political or religious power, Jesus invites us to imagine a new way of living—one where the first are last, enemies are loved, and the marginalized are welcomed at the table. This kingdom is not about escaping the world, but transforming it through the true fundamental of love, challenging us to set aside our assumptions and approach God’s ways with curiosity and wonder. [41:14]

John 18:36-37 (ESV)
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

Reflection: Where in your daily life do you see the values of Jesus’ upside-down kingdom clashing with the “kingdoms” of this world, and how might you choose love over power in one specific situation today?

Day 2: The True Fundamental—Love

At the heart of Jesus’ teaching and life is the fundamental of love, not doctrine or dogma, but a love that is patient, kind, enduring, and never fails. This love is not reserved for the powerful or the perfect, but is poured out on the weary, the broken, the gentle, and the merciful. To follow Jesus is to choose, again and again, to align ourselves with this love, even when it is difficult, even when we fail, trusting that love’s endurance and hope will carry us forward. [01:06:02]

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a (ESV)
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. Love never ends.

Reflection: Who in your life needs to experience the patient, enduring love described here, and what is one tangible way you can show that love to them this week?

Day 3: Compassion for the Marginalized

Jesus’ life and ministry reveal a deep compassion and advocacy for the hurting, the voiceless, and the marginalized—those whom society often overlooks or blames for their suffering. He teaches that whatever we do for the least among us, we do for him, calling us to fundamental compassion and to see the face of the divine in the face of the stranger, the refugee, the hungry, and the imprisoned. This is not a passive feeling but an active, courageous choice to stand with and for those in need. [49:52]

Matthew 25:40 (ESV)
And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Reflection: Who is someone on the margins of your community or city that you can reach out to or advocate for today, embodying Jesus’ compassion in a practical way?

Day 4: Curiosity and Wonder in Faith

Rather than clinging to rigid certainties or false fundamentals, Jesus invites us to approach faith with curiosity, wonder, and a willingness to ask “what if?” This posture opens us to new perspectives, deeper understanding, and the humility to learn from others, including those who are different from us. It is in the questions, the listening, and the honest wrestling that we often encounter the heart of God and the truth that transforms us. [46:20]

Luke 2:46-47 (ESV)
After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

Reflection: What is one question about God, faith, or life that you’ve been afraid to ask? Take time today to bring that question honestly before God, trusting that curiosity can lead you deeper into truth.

Day 5: Choosing Love Again and Again

Living in Jesus’ upside-down kingdom is the hardest good work—it means choosing compassion, tenderness, grace, and love, not just once, but over and over, especially when we are weary, discouraged, or tempted by cynicism. We will not do it perfectly, but we are called to encourage one another, to return to the true fundamental, and to wonder together: what if today we try again? In the swirling confusion of our world, we are invited to lean into our incredible goodness and choose love, again and again. [52:18]

Galatians 6:9-10 (ESV)
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Reflection: When you feel weary or discouraged in doing good, what is one small act of love or kindness you can choose today to keep your heart aligned with Jesus’ way?

Sermon Summary

In a world that often clings to rigid rules and false fundamentals, there is a deeper invitation to live by the true fundamental: love. The story of Jesus before Pilate is not just a tale of political intrigue or religious conflict, but a profound contrast between the kingdoms of this world—built on power, exclusion, and fear—and the upside-down kingdom Jesus embodies, rooted in compassion, humility, and radical inclusion. When Jesus refuses to define his kingdom in the terms Pilate expects, he invites us to imagine a way of being that is not about escaping the world, but transforming it through love.

This love is not abstract or sentimental. It is seen in the humility of Jesus’ birth, the vulnerability of his family as refugees, his curiosity and openness as a child, his compassion in moments of scarcity, and his righteous anger at injustice. The truth Jesus reveals is not a set of doctrines, but a way of living that blesses the weary, the gentle, the merciful, and the brokenhearted. It is a truth that calls us to see the divine in the face of the stranger, to choose empathy over indifference, and to act with courage and tenderness even when the world’s systems push us toward cynicism or complacency.

To follow Jesus is to continually set aside the false fundamentals—those beliefs and practices that masquerade as essential but only serve to divide and oppress—and to return, again and again, to the fundamental of love. This is not easy work. We will falter, grow weary, and sometimes lose our way. But in community, we can remind each other of what is most true, encourage one another to try again, and wonder together: what if we chose love, today and every day? In doing so, we participate in the ongoing work of God’s kingdom—a kingdom not of domination, but of blessing, compassion, and enduring hope.

Key Takeaways

1. The “kingdom” Jesus describes is not an otherworldly escape, but a radically different way of living here and now. It stands in stark contrast to the kingdoms of power, exclusion, and self-interest that dominate our world. Jesus invites us to imagine and embody a community where love, humility, and justice are the true fundamentals. [39:56]
2. The truth Jesus reveals is not a static doctrine, but a living reality expressed in his life: humility in birth, empathy for the refugee, curiosity in learning, compassion in abundance, and righteous anger at injustice. Each of these moments shows that the heart of God’s kingdom is found in the messy, beautiful work of loving others well. [46:20]
3. False fundamentals—those beliefs or practices that claim to be essential but actually distort the heart of faith—are always tempting, especially in times of fear or uncertainty. The call is to set these aside and return to the core: love that blesses, heals, and includes, even when it is costly or countercultural. [43:12]
4. Living by the fundamental of love is not about perfection, but about persistence. We will fail, grow discouraged, and sometimes build new altars to false fundamentals. Yet, the invitation is always to try again, to encourage one another, and to wonder together what it might look like to choose compassion, tenderness, and grace today. [52:18]
5. To be human is to hold both incredible goodness and the potential for harm. The way of Jesus calls us to be clear-eyed and brave, choosing love over cynicism or complacency, and seeking the face of God in the face of every neighbor and stranger. This is the ongoing, courageous work of participating in God’s upside-down kingdom. [50:51]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[16:31] - Bearing the Light: Endurance and Faith
[34:03] - Reflections on Fundamentals
[35:21] - A Dream About Basketball and Faith
[35:56] - False Fundamentals vs. True Fundamentals
[36:47] - The Complexity of Scripture
[37:57] - Jesus and the Powers: The Trial Before Pilate
[39:06] - Pilate’s Questions and Jesus’ Answers
[39:56] - The Nature of Jesus’ Kingdom
[41:14] - Historical Context: Kingdoms and Power
[43:12] - What Jesus’ Kingdom Is and Is Not
[44:21] - What Is Truth? Looking at Jesus’ Life
[45:17] - Humility and Vulnerability in Jesus’ Birth
[46:20] - Empathy, Curiosity, and Abundance
[47:40] - Righteous Indignation and the Beatitudes
[49:52] - Compassion for the Marginalized
[50:51] - The Call to Courageous Love
[52:18] - Trying Again: Choosing Love Daily
[52:59] - Prayer for Compassion and Community
[55:54] - Blessing: Love Never Fails
[70:05] - Announcements: Kids and Youth Circles
[73:37] - Rhythms of Worship and Community
[88:04] - Neighborhood Circles and Welcome
[90:13] - Closing: Find Your People

Bible Study Guide

Small Group Bible Study Guide: The True Fundamental of Love

Bible Reading

John 18:33-38 (ESV)
> So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

Matthew 5:1-12 (The Beatitudes, ESV)
> Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
> “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
> “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
> “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
> “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
> “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
> “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
> “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
> “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
> “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Matthew 25:34-40 (ESV)
> Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Observation Questions

In John 18, how does Jesus describe his kingdom when Pilate questions him? What does he say about the nature of his kingdom? ([39:31])
According to the Beatitudes in Matthew 5, who does Jesus call “blessed”? What kinds of people or actions are highlighted? ([48:45])
In Matthew 25, what actions does Jesus say are done for him when they are done for “the least of these”? ([49:52])
The sermon mentions that Jesus’ life reveals truth not just in words, but in actions like humility, empathy, and compassion. What are some specific examples from Jesus’ life that were mentioned? ([45:17])

Interpretation Questions

When Jesus says, “My kingdom is not of this world,” what does he mean? How is his kingdom different from the kingdoms Pilate and others would have understood? ([39:56])
The sermon talks about “false fundamentals” that can distract from the true fundamental of love. What are some examples of these false fundamentals, and why are they so tempting, especially in times of fear or uncertainty? ([36:47])
The Beatitudes describe a way of living that is “upside down” compared to the world’s values. What does it look like to live out these blessings in everyday life? ([48:45])
In Matthew 25, Jesus identifies himself with the hungry, the stranger, and the prisoner. What does this teach about how we are to see and treat others, especially those on the margins? ([49:52])

Application Questions

The sermon challenges us to set aside “false fundamentals” and return to love as the core of our faith. Are there beliefs or practices in your life that you’ve treated as essential, but that might actually be getting in the way of loving others? What would it look like to let go of them? ([36:47])
Jesus’ kingdom is described as one of compassion, humility, and radical inclusion. Where in your daily life do you see opportunities to embody these values, especially when it’s difficult or unpopular? ([39:56])
The sermon gives examples of Jesus’ humility (his birth), empathy (his family as refugees), curiosity (as a child), and compassion (in moments of scarcity). Which of these qualities do you find most challenging to practice, and why? ([45:17])
The call to love is not about perfection, but about persistence. When have you grown weary or discouraged in trying to love others? What helps you to “try again” and keep going? ([52:18])
The sermon invites us to “see the divine in the face of the stranger.” Is there someone in your life or community who is easy to overlook or avoid? What is one concrete step you could take this week to show them empathy or kindness? ([54:20])
The Beatitudes bless those who are gentle, merciful, and peacemakers. Which of these blessings do you most long to see in your own life or in your community? What is one small way you could move toward that this week? ([48:45])
The sermon says, “To be human is to hold both incredible goodness and the potential for harm.” How can you be more “clear-eyed and brave” in choosing love over cynicism or complacency in your relationships or in response to the news and events around you? ([50:51])

Closing Prayer Suggestion:
Invite the group to pray for courage to choose love, for eyes to see the divine in others, and for persistence in living out the true fundamental of Jesus’ kingdom.

Sermon Clips

“I have this theory that when Christian folks are getting ready to share false fundamentals, they begin their sentences with something like, the Bible is clear about this and such and fill in the blank, right? And I would argue that the Bible is a lot of things, but clear it is not. It is rich and it is beautiful and complex and nuanced and poetic and even sometimes terrible. If you joined us for our texts of terror, behold service in March of 2023, you know what I'm talking about. And so when we look at our scripture for today, we have to be willing to dig in, to wonder, to be curious, to maybe use a new perspective or a different filter to turn the gem a little bit, to get to the beating heart of the passage underneath, to get to that true fundamental that underpins it all.”

“As we know, in his ministry, Jesus pushed against the status quo. He pushed against religious rules. He noticed and listened and omg, ate food with folks on the margins. He touched the physically and emotionally wounded. And all of this made the powerful people of his day really, really uncomfortable and super mad.”

“But lately I have been learning that I can set down false fundamentals and set aside expectations and assumptions that Scripture is clear and instead approach the Bible with curiosity and wonder. So I like to ask, what if? What if Jesus isn't talking necessarily about the afterlife here? What if he is saying to Pilate that his kingdom isn't of this world because it's an upside down, unexpected fox, first shall be last, love your enemies kind of empire? What if the juxtaposition Jesus is drawing here isn't between heaven and earth, but between two wildly different ways of living in the world? What if he is talking about the difference between our kingdoms that are defined by the false fundamentals of power and greed and his kingdom that is based in the true fundamental of love? What if.”

“His kingdom is not like Caesar's Rome or Pilate's Judea or Herod's Galilee, or dare I say it, our America. His kingdom is not based on the false fundamentals celebrated and embraced by the political rulers or the religious fundamentalists, then or now. So through our digging we can see that Jesus is telling us a lot in this story about what his kingdom is not. And I believe he is also telling us a lot about what it is.”

“In answer to Pontius Pilate's questions, Jesus says his sole purpose, his one job, was to reveal and bear witness to the truth. Pilate asks, truth, what is truth? It's actually a good question, Pilate, and maybe you meant it rhetorically, who knows what you meant. But I think trying to answer this question provides a great opportunity to do a little thought exercise, to do a little wondering. Because if Jesus says that his life reveals fundamental truth, maybe if we spend some time looking at Jesus's life, we can gather some answers.”

“So what is truth? Here's truth. Humility, Vulnerability. Our scriptures don't tell us much about the years of Jesus life between his birth and the beginning of his ministry at 30 something. But we do have a couple of stories. For instance, in Matthew 2 we read of Jesus deep distrust of refugees and his oppression of strangers and immigrants, his support for forced deportation and separation of families. Right? No, no. These verses tell the story of Jesus, his own family forced to flee their home for fear of what their government might do and to live as refugees in Egypt. So what is truth? Here's more truth. Deep empathy for the stranger, the foreigner, the refugee.”

“Okay, so let's look at the story in Luke 2 where we read about 12 year old Jesus visit to the temple where he sought out the leadership and demanded to be recognized as the Son of God, right? No, no. These verses tell the story of young Jesus delighting in study and learning at the feet of the wise ones in Jerusalem's temple. All right, so there's a bit more truth, curiosity, wondering, listening.”

“In John 2, we have the story of Jesus first public miracle where he stops a party underway and makes everyone sit down and sober up and stop dancing for the love of God, right? No, actually this is the story of an anxious mother, a loving son and a request for help. It is so utterly human, this story. Ultimately, it is the story of Jesus responding to scarcity with abundance. So what is truth? Here's some compassion for the humanity and the humans and their desire for community, overflowing goodness.”

“Here's a good one. In Matthew 21, we see Jesus going into the temple and seeing how the fundamentalists have set up a system that completely oppresses the poor. He shrugs cynically and says, capitalism, Am I right? No. This is the story of Jesus moral outrage at seeing faithful folks tyrannized by false fundamentals in the name of religion. So here's a bit more truth. Righteous indignation in the face of inequity.”

“This is the sermon in which Jesus lays out what we've come to know as the Beatitudes, the fundamentals of Jesus Wild upside down truth infused kingdom. So what is truth? Here is beatitude. Truth. Blessings on the weary and the empty and the gentle and the merciful. Blessings on the ones who choose goodness and who choose peace and keep on working at making more of them. Blessings on those whose hearts are broken in grief and the ones who turn the fullness of their hearts toward love.”

“As Jesus neared the end of his own life, we read in Matthew 25:40 about how we realized it was time to really double down on his own importance, to celebrate himself for once and remind his followers that sick and hungry and imprisoned people only have themselves to blame. Right? No. Jesus, in a culmination of all of his upside down kingdom teaching as he prepares for his own death, tells his listeners that however they offer love to the most vulnerable among them is how they offer love to him. So what is truth Here is fundamental compassion and advocacy for the hurting, the voiceless, the marginalized. What is truth Here is fundamental truth. Love.”

“In her book Original Blessing, Danielle Schroyer writes, to be human is to be capable of both incredible good and terrifying evil. And if we deny either side of that potential, we are living unaware. You guys, I am convinced that right now we don't have the luxury of complacency on the one hand or cynicism on the other. We must be clear eyed and brave as we choose now more than ever to be followers of God in the way of Jesus true fundamental of love.”

“What if now more than ever we choose to align ourselves with the fundamental truth of Jesus? What if we choose compassion over cruelty? What if we choose openness over isolation? What if we choose humility and empathy and blessing? What if we choose above all love to live like this, to choose love as our fundamental? This is the hardest good work of living in Jesus upside down kingdom.”

“And let's face it, we will not do it perfectly. We will sometimes screw it up. We will grow discouraged and distracted and we will get weary and oh my goodness, will we get outraged. And in the midst of it all we might even find ourselves building altars to a new of set of false fundamentals. And when we do, when we lose our way, we can encourage one another, we can remind one another and we can wonder again, what if? What if today we try again the way of the fundamentals of compassion, of tenderness, of grace, of love?”

“My friends, let us lean into our incredible goodness. Let us choose again and again and again the fundamental of love. May it be so.”

“Blessed are you who bear the lightness. Endurance amid the unendurable, who bear witness to its persistence. Blessed are you in whom the light lives, in whom the brightness blazes your heart. Deepest night can be seen the fire that shines forth in you in unaccountable faith, in stubborn hope, in love that illumines every broken thing it finds.”

“So while Pilate was in charge of one part of Judea, Rome also appointed and elevated local Jewish leaders to help govern other parts. The Herods that we read about in the Gospels were a father son duo of this latter category. When Jesus was born, Herod the Great was known as the King of the Jews. And he was a complicated figure, beloved for the renovation of the second Temple and reviled for trying to murder every baby boy in his kingdom.”

“So this afternoon, let's do that together. Let's dig in. These verses in John that we heard a few minutes ago tell the story of a group of religious fundamentalists colluding with a political leader to solve a pesky problem known as Jesus.”

“If Jesus says that his life reveals fundamental truth, maybe if we spend some time looking at Jesus's life, we can gather some answers. So let's have a look, starting at the beginning. Pretty soon, if you can believe it, we will once again be celebrating adventure and we will remember Jesus birth story and how he was welcomed by the powerful and the strong and the noble and adored by the religious elite, right? No, no. We will commemorate Jesus birth to an unmarried teenage girl in a cave tended by animals and shepherds and eventually visited by astrologers from Asia. So what is truth? Here's truth. Humility, Vulnerability.”

“To be human is to be capable of both incredible good and terrifying evil. And if we deny either side of that potential, we are living unaware. You guys, I am convinced that right now we don't have the luxury of complacency on the one hand or cynicism on the other. We must be clear eyed and brave as we choose now more than ever to be followers of God in the way of Jesus true fundamental of love.”

Ask a question about this sermon