Let Love Define Your Life: Embrace, Envision, Express

We’re living in a cultural moment full of competing definitions of love—often sentimental, self-referential, or transactional. But Scripture gives us something deeper and truer. John 3:16–17 shows us that God is love, and that love is selfless, sacrificial, and action-oriented for the well-being of others. Love doesn’t stop at affection; it moves into embodied action. In Jesus, God stepped into our sin, death, and darkness—not to condemn, but to save—so that we might have eternal life and a new way to live now.

So here’s the invitation: let love define your life. Not merely knowing the definition, but being personally defined by it. Embrace God’s love—move from information to encounter. Keep saying yes to God’s invitations, not as a one-time prayer but as a daily posture that forms identity. Our purpose is to be loved by God and then to return that love to Him and to others. This is the call to our “first love.”

Envision God’s love—put on the lens of love. Our world trains us to see through self-interest, advantage, tribe, and outrage. Jesus reshapes our vision: God is love, God loves the world, and we are called to love. The Christ hymn (Philippians 2) becomes our corrective lens—humility over self-promotion, service over status, cross-shaped love over control. Repentance is not mainly about bad feelings; it’s about learning to see as Jesus sees, so we can live as Jesus lives.

Express God’s love—move from posture to practice. Love becomes concrete in honoring God and honoring others. We overcome evil not by mirroring it, but by doing good, showing mercy, and serving the well-being of those who can’t repay us, even enemies. This is not weakness; it is the strength of the kingdom. Stories like Dr. King’s embodied mercy remind us that love is the most powerful force for reconciliation, justice, and true change. Today is a fresh chance to step into that love—embracing it, seeing through it, and expressing it—so that our lives and our city are shaped by the love that changes everything.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Let love define your life Love is not a mood but a cross-shaped commitment to another’s good. When Jesus becomes the measure, love moves from sentiment to sacrifice, from words to action. Being defined by love means receiving God’s love personally and allowing it to reorder identity and practice. Definition becomes transformation. [43:41]
• 2. Keep saying yes to love A one-time “yes” begins a lifetime of “yeses.” Identity deepens as we repeatedly respond to God’s invitations—in prayer, repentance, forgiveness, and obedience. Keeping first love first guards us from activism without adoration and knowledge without communion. Formation happens one surrendered yes at a time. [53:54]
• 3. See through the lens of love Repentance reframes vision: God is love, God loves the world, and I am called to love. This lens disrupts self-interest and opens space for humility, listening, and costly mercy. Vision determines direction; love gives sight for the path we otherwise miss. [67:39]
• 4. Honor is love made visible Honor is how we treat image-bearers when it costs us—especially in speech. To bless rather than curse is to recognize God’s worth in another and to worship God with our words and deeds. Honoring people is not separate from honoring God; it is one seamless act of kingdom integrity. [77:27]
• 5. Love your enemies without return Kingdom love moves toward those who oppose us, not because they deserve it, but because Jesus did so for us. Lending without expecting, blessing those who curse, and extending mercy is not passivity—it is courageous alignment with the cross. Such love breaks cycles of retaliation and opens the door to redemption. [75:09]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [35:50] - Celebrating Pastor Mel
• [37:20] - Kingdom Culture and Advent
• [38:59] - John 3:16–17 and Prayer
• [41:42] - “Inconceivable”: Rethinking Love
• [43:41] - Love Defined: Selfless, Sacrificial Action
• [48:05] - Embracing God’s Love Personally
• [50:48] - Testimony: Encountering God’s Love
• [59:12] - Envisioning Love as Our Lens
• [65:09] - Christlike Humility Shapes Vision
• [67:39] - Reframe: God Is Love, We Love
• [77:27] - Honor God by Honoring People
• [80:04] - MLK: Mercy in Action
• [82:19] - Response and Altar Call
• [94:06] - Benediction and Sending

1. In John 3:16–17, what specific actions show God’s love, and what is God’s stated purpose for sending the Son?
2. “Love is the selfless, sacrificial, action-oriented commitment to the well-being of others.” What parts of that definition stand out as different from how love is commonly used or felt? [43:41]
3. What does verse 17 add to verse 16 about God’s posture toward the world, and why does that matter?
4. It was said that honoring people—especially with our words—is a way of honoring God. What kinds of speech or habits were called out as inconsistent with this vision? [01:17:27]

1. If God sent his Son not to condemn the world but to save it (John 3:17), what does that imply about how followers of Jesus should approach people caught in sin, failure, or darkness?
2. Identity deepens as people keep saying “yes” to God’s invitations over time. What kinds of invitations might those be (prayer, repentance, forgiveness, obedience), and why would a lifetime of “yeses” form someone differently than a one-time decision? [53:54]
3. Reframing vision with the “lens of love” (God is love; God loves the world; I am called to love) suggests repentance is a change of sight. How would using that lens change how someone reads the news, makes workplace decisions, or navigates family tension? [01:07:39]
4. Loving enemies without expecting anything in return sounds risky. In what ways is this not passivity but courage, and how does it mirror the cross-shaped power of Jesus? [01:15:09]

1. Let love define your life: Where has “love” in your week mostly been a feeling or convenience? What is one cross-shaped action you can take for someone’s good—costly, concrete, and for their well-being—before next Sunday? [43:41]
2. Keep saying yes: What is one clear “yes” God is inviting you into right now (forgiving someone, confessing something, obeying a nudge, starting a prayer rhythm)? When will you do it, and who can you tell for support? [53:54]
3. See through the lens of love: Think of one person who is hard for you to love. Walk through the simple reframe: God is love; God loves the world (including them); I am called to love. What one next step would that lens prompt this week—listen, serve, bless, or pray? [01:07:39]
4. Honor is love made visible: Identify one speech habit that dishonors (sarcasm, gossip, harsh posts, self-contempt). What is one practical swap you’ll make—blessing instead of cursing, a text of encouragement, a public thank-you, or silence instead of slander? [01:17:27]
5. Love your enemies without return: Who feels like an “enemy” to you right now (at work, online, in family)? What’s one way to do good or lend without expecting return—anonymously if needed—so you break the cycle of retaliation? [01:15:09]
6. Overcome evil with good: Name one conflict you’re in. If you refused to mirror harm and chose mercy, what would you actually do differently this week (tone of voice, timing, generosity, advocacy)? [01:17:27]
7. Move from posture to practice: After hearing the story of embodied mercy, what is your version of that kind of courageous love in our city—one specific action you can take in the next seven days for someone who cannot repay you? [01:20:04]