Growing in Love: A Journey of Spiritual Transformation
Summary
We are all on a journey of growth, and just as we love to measure the progress of our children or the milestones in our lives, our spiritual journey also invites us to consider how we are growing. The journey of following Jesus is a lifelong process of being reshaped and reformed by the Holy Spirit to become more like Christ. This transformation is not accidental; it requires intentionality, discipline, and practice—much like learning to play an instrument. While attending church, reading Scripture, and listening to teaching are valuable, they are not enough on their own. True spiritual growth happens as we actively partner with the Holy Spirit, practicing the way of Jesus in our daily lives.
The most important marker of our spiritual progress is not knowledge, religious activity, or even the miracles we witness, but love. Jesus himself taught that the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Love is the defining characteristic of a follower of Jesus, the “sharpie mark on the doorframe” of our spiritual lives. It is not merely an inward feeling or a private decision, but something that must be expressed outwardly in our relationships and actions.
Defining love can be challenging, but Scripture and the wisdom of Christian thinkers help us see that love is a commitment to be present with another and for their good. This is how God loves us, and how we are called to love God and others. The Bible is, at its core, the story of love—because God is love. In Jesus, love was revealed most fully, as God gave his Son so that we might live through him. We are “loved into loving,” made in the image of Love himself, and called to reflect that love in the world.
To grow in love, we must intentionally center our lives on Christ, practicing habits that draw us closer to him and to others—prayer, meditation on Scripture, worship, community, service, and self-examination. This is not always easy, as true love often comes at a cost and runs counter to the self-centeredness of our culture. Yet, as we yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit, we are shaped and molded into people who love more deeply and authentically. The questions we must continually ask ourselves are: Am I becoming a person of love? Am I more loving today than I was before? And what can I do to partner with God in this ongoing transformation?
Key Takeaways
- Spiritual growth is a partnership between our intentional choices and the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. Just as learning an instrument requires practice and discipline, becoming more like Jesus demands that we actively engage in habits and practices that shape us over time. Passive participation or mere exposure to Christian activities is not enough; growth requires our ongoing, willing cooperation. [46:05]
- The truest measure of our progress in Christlikeness is love—not knowledge, religious activity, or even spiritual experiences. Jesus made it clear that loving God and loving others are the greatest commandments, and this love is the defining mark of his followers. If we want to know how we are growing, we must honestly ask whether we are becoming more loving people. [52:38]
- Love is not simply an emotion or a vague ideal, but a concrete commitment to be present with others and to seek their good. This kind of love mirrors the way God loves us—faithful, sacrificial, and for our benefit. It is a love that must be practiced and embodied in real relationships, not just talked about or admired from a distance. [57:03]
- Our ability to love flows from the fact that we are first loved by God. The source of all true love is God himself, who revealed his love most fully in Jesus. As we receive and abide in this love, we are empowered to love others—not out of our own strength, but as a response to the love that has been poured into us. [01:03:49]
- Growing in love requires intentional practices that center us on Christ and open us to the Spirit’s shaping. This includes prayer, meditation on Scripture, worship, community, service, and even removing distractions that hinder love. It also means being willing to pay the cost of love, which often runs counter to the comfort and self-focus of our culture. [01:06:59]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[02:42] - Becoming a Hope Partner
[05:59] - Opening Prayer and Worship
[40:30] - The Reality of Growth and Milestones
[41:18] - Measuring Progress in Life
[42:29] - Spiritual Growth as a Journey
[43:35] - The Process of Spiritual Formation
[45:05] - The Necessity of Practice and Intentionality
[47:18] - The Limits of Passive Participation
[48:10] - The True Metric: Love
[49:45] - Jesus’ Greatest Commandment
[52:01] - Love as the Mark of Discipleship
[53:44] - Outward Evidence of Love
[55:39] - Defining Love: Insights from Scripture and Thinkers
[57:03] - Our Working Definition of Love
[01:01:07] - God is Love: The Source of All Love
[01:03:49] - We Are Loved Into Loving
[01:05:20] - Practices That Shape Us in Love
[01:06:59] - The Cost and Challenge of Love
[01:07:52] - Reflective Questions for Growth
[01:10:06] - Closing Prayer and Surrender
Study Guide
Small Group Bible Study Guide: Growing in Love
---
### Bible Reading
Matthew 22:36-40 (ESV)
> “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
John 13:34-35 (ESV)
> “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.”
1 John 4:7-12 (ESV)
> 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. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
---
### Observation Questions
1. According to Jesus, what are the two greatest commandments, and how are they connected? ([50:58])
2. In John 13, what does Jesus say will be the defining mark of his disciples? ([52:01])
3. How does 1 John 4 describe the source of love and the reason we are able to love others? ([01:01:07])
4. The sermon compared spiritual growth to learning an instrument. What are some specific practices mentioned that help us grow in love? ([46:05])
---
### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does Jesus place loving God and loving others at the center of what it means to follow him? How does this challenge common ideas about spiritual maturity? ([49:45])
2. The sermon says that love is not just an inward feeling but must be expressed outwardly. What might this look like in everyday relationships? ([53:44])
3. The phrase “we are loved into loving” was used. How does understanding God’s love for us change the way we approach loving others, especially when it’s difficult? ([01:03:49])
4. The sermon mentions that true love often comes at a cost and runs counter to our culture’s focus on comfort and self. What are some examples of this kind of costly love? ([01:06:59])
---
### Application Questions
1. The sermon asked, “Am I becoming a person of love?” If you were to ask the people closest to you, would they say you are more loving now than a year ago? Why or why not? ([52:38])
2. Think about a specific relationship where it’s hard for you to be present or committed to the other person’s good. What is one small step you could take this week to practice love in that relationship? ([57:03])
3. The sermon talked about intentional practices like prayer, Scripture meditation, worship, community, and service. Which of these do you find most challenging, and what could help you grow in that area? ([01:05:20])
4. Are there any distractions or habits in your life that make it harder for you to love God or others? What is one thing you could remove or change this week to make more room for love? ([01:06:59])
5. The idea of “partnering with the Holy Spirit” was emphasized. What does it look like for you to actively cooperate with God in your spiritual growth, rather than just being a passive participant? ([46:05])
6. When you think about the cost of love, is there a situation where you’ve chosen comfort over loving someone well? What would it look like to choose love, even if it’s uncomfortable? ([01:06:59])
7. The sermon defined love as “a commitment to be present with another and for their good.” Who in your life needs you to show up for them this week, and how can you do that in a practical way? ([57:03])
---
Closing Prayer Suggestion:
Invite the group to pray for God’s help to become people of love, to be shaped by the Holy Spirit, and to have courage to love others as Christ has loved us.
Devotional
Day 1: Spiritual Growth Is a Lifelong, Intentional Journey
Spiritual growth does not happen by accident or simply over time; it is a lifelong process that requires intentionality, discipline, and partnership with the Holy Spirit. Just as learning an instrument takes practice and commitment, becoming more like Jesus involves daily choices, repeated actions, and a willingness to be shaped and transformed. This journey is not about instant change but about steady, faithful progress as we allow God to reshape us into Christlikeness. [47:18]
Romans 12:1-2 (ESV)
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Reflection: What is one small, intentional practice you can begin today to partner with the Holy Spirit in your spiritual growth?
Day 2: Love Is the True Measure of Spiritual Formation
The clearest indicator of spiritual maturity is not knowledge, religious activity, or even spiritual experiences, but love—love for God and love for others. Jesus taught that the greatest commandments are to love God with all our being and to love our neighbor as ourselves. This love is not just a feeling or belief but is meant to be visible and tangible in our actions and relationships, serving as the true “mile marker” of our progress in becoming like Christ. [50:58]
Matthew 22:37-39 (ESV)
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Reflection: If someone close to you were asked, would they say you are more loving today than you were a year ago? What evidence would they point to?
Day 3: Love Is a Commitment to Be Present and for the Good of Others
Love is more than an emotion or a fleeting feeling; it is a rugged, persistent commitment to be present with others and to seek their good. This kind of love mirrors the way God loves us—faithfully, sacrificially, and for our benefit. It is a love that costs something, often requiring us to move beyond comfort and self-interest, and to intentionally choose the good of another, even when it is difficult. [57:03]
1 John 4:7-12 (ESV)
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. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
Reflection: Who is one person you can intentionally be present with and seek their good this week, even if it costs you comfort or convenience?
Day 4: We Are Loved Into Loving—God Is the Source and Model of Love
Our ability to love comes from being loved by God first; we are made in the image of love Himself. God’s love is not just a concept but a person—Jesus—who demonstrated the ultimate act of love by giving Himself for us. As we receive and experience God’s love, we are transformed and enabled to love others in return, reflecting His character and heart to the world. [01:02:40]
1 John 4:19 (ESV)
We love because he first loved us.
Reflection: How can you intentionally receive and rest in God’s love for you today, allowing it to shape the way you love others?
Day 5: Practicing Love Through Spiritual Disciplines and Community
Becoming a person of love requires ongoing, intentional practice—centering our lives on God through prayer, Scripture meditation, worship, and active participation in community. These practices help us to re-center on love Himself, to be shaped by His presence, and to express love in practical ways through service, generosity, and self-sacrifice. The journey is not always easy, but as we practice, we are gradually transformed into the likeness of Christ. [01:05:20]
Colossians 3:12-14 (ESV)
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
Reflection: Which spiritual practice or act of service can you commit to this week to help you grow in love and reflect Christ to those around you?
Quotes
Chatbot
-
I'm an AI bot trained specifically on the sermon from Jul 30, 2025. Do you have any questions about it?