Love: The Core of Christian Discipleship

Devotional

Day 1: The Highest Mark of a Believer is Love for God and Others

True biblical proof of loving God is obedience to His word and loving people, regardless of who they are or how they treat us. Love is not just a feeling or a word, but an action that reflects the very heart of God. You can do all the right religious things—give, serve, fast, worship—but if you do not love, none of it matters in God’s eyes. The world will know we are Christ’s disciples not by our church attendance or our knowledge, but by the way we love. Let your life be marked by a love that is not contingent on others’ behavior, but rooted in God’s love for you. [01:09:30]

Mark 12:29-31 (ESV)
Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall 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: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Reflection: Who is one person in your life that you find difficult to love? What is one practical step you can take today to show them Christlike love, regardless of how they respond?

Day 2: Begin and Continue in Love—Don’t Let Your Love Grow Cold

It’s easy to love when people are loving you back, but real love is tested when you face criticism, betrayal, or heartbreak. The Bible warns that in difficult times, the love of many will grow cold, but we are called to let brotherly love continue. Loving well is not a one-time act but a daily decision to abide in Christ’s love and let it flow through you, even when it’s hard. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you love beyond your own strength, and make your home a home of love, no matter what comes against you. [01:17:42]

Hebrews 13:1 (ESV)
Let brotherly love continue.

Reflection: Think of a recent situation where you felt your love for someone start to “cool off.” What would it look like to intentionally “continue in love” with that person this week?

Day 3: Loving Yourself as God Loves You

You are called to love your neighbor as yourself, but you cannot love others well if you do not have a healthy, Christ-centered love for yourself. The world and the enemy will try to attack your identity, making you feel less than or unworthy, but God made you intentionally and loves you deeply. Your value is not in your appearance, your gifts, or your family, but in being made in the image of God and loved by Him. Reject both pride and self-hatred, and let your self-view be shaped by God’s truth. [01:28:20]

Romans 12:3 (ESV)
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

Reflection: What is one negative thought you often have about yourself? How can you replace it today with a truth from God’s Word about your identity in Christ?

Day 4: How We Love is Our Witness to the World

The way you love—especially when it’s hard—shows the world who Jesus is. It’s not enough to say you love; your actions, your responses to offense, and your willingness to bear others’ burdens are what point people to Christ. Jesus gave a new commandment: to love one another as He has loved us. This love is the evidence to all people that we are His disciples. Let your love be visible, practical, and consistent, so that others may see Christ in you and be drawn to Him. [01:41:23]

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.

Reflection: In what everyday situation (at work, home, or in public) can you intentionally demonstrate Christlike love today, so that others might see Jesus through you?

Day 5: Rely on the Holy Spirit to Love Well

Loving people is not easy, and you are not expected to do it in your own strength. The Holy Spirit is your helper, empowering you to love beyond your natural capacity, to forgive, to set healthy boundaries, and to reflect Christ even when you are hurt or tired. When you are squeezed by life’s pressures, let Christ come out of you. Be humble enough to admit when you fall short, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you grow in love each day. [01:52:30]

Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Reflection: When you feel your patience or love running out, what is one way you can pause and invite the Holy Spirit to help you respond with Christ’s love instead of your own strength?

Sermon Summary

Love is the foundation of everything we do as followers of Christ. It’s not just a core value for Faith Church, but the very evidence that we belong to God. Jesus made it clear that the greatest commandments are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Obedience to God’s word and genuine love for others are the true marks of a believer—not just our acts of service, giving, or even our worship. Without love, all our good deeds and religious activity are empty.

Loving others isn’t always easy, especially when we’re hurt, betrayed, or dealing with people who are difficult. But Jesus modeled a love that goes beyond what’s comfortable or deserved. Even on the cross, He forgave those who wronged Him. We’re called to love not just those who are like us, or those who love us back, but everyone—including those who oppose us, those who are different, and even those who have hurt us. This kind of love is not a suggestion; it’s a commandment and a witness to the world that we are Christ’s disciples.

To love others well, we must also learn to love ourselves in a healthy, Christ-centered way. Our value isn’t found in our appearance, achievements, or the approval of others, but in the fact that we are made in the image of God and deeply loved by Him. When we accept God’s love for us, we can extend that same love to others without falling into pride or self-hatred.

Love must be more than words—it must be shown in our actions. It’s easy to say “I love you,” but true love is patient, kind, and forgiving. It bears with others, even when it’s hard. We must be willing to unlearn the world’s ways of holding grudges, seeking revenge, or cutting people off, and instead let the Holy Spirit help us respond with Christ’s love, even when we’re under pressure.

How we love is our greatest witness. The world is watching—not just how we worship on Sundays, but how we treat people every day, especially when it’s difficult. Our love should be so consistent and genuine that it points people to Jesus. Let’s be a church known for loving well, reflecting Christ in every relationship, and opening the door for others to experience God’s transforming love.

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Key Takeaways

1. Obedience and Love Are the True Marks of a Believer The highest evidence of belonging to Christ is not in our giving, serving, or even our worship, but in our obedience to God’s word and our love for others. If we do not love, all our religious activity is empty. This love is not optional; it is the very proof that we know God and are His disciples. [68:41]
2. Love Must Be Unconditional and Persistent Jesus calls us to love not just those who are easy to love, but even those who hurt us, disagree with us, or are different from us. This love is not based on the worthiness of the other person, but on the character of Christ in us. We are to begin and continue in love, refusing to let bitterness, offense, or the world’s ways cause our love to grow cold. [73:17]
3. Healthy Self-Love Is Rooted in Christ’s Love for Us To love our neighbor as ourselves, we must first accept and embrace God’s love for us. Our worth is not found in our looks, achievements, or the approval of others, but in being made in God’s image. Both pride and self-hatred are distortions; true self-love is a balanced acceptance of who God made us to be, enabling us to love others from a place of wholeness. [88:20]
4. Love Is Shown in Actions, Not Just Words It’s easy to say “I love you,” but true love is demonstrated in how we treat others, especially when it’s hard. Jesus modeled perfect love—even toward those who betrayed Him. We are called to let our love be a fixed practice, never letting it fail, and to rely on the Holy Spirit to help us love beyond our own strength. [81:31]
5. Our Love Is Our Greatest Witness to the World The world will know we are Christ’s disciples by our love for one another. Our daily actions, responses to conflict, and willingness to bear with others speak louder than our words or church attendance. When we love well, we open the door for others to encounter Jesus and experience the transforming power of His love. [100:15]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:30] - Announcements and Upcoming Events
[05:31] - Prayer and Worship Introduction
[38:38] - Focusing on Who Jesus Is
[39:24] - Jesus Is Worthy of Our Worship
[41:16] - Engaging in Personal Worship
[43:05] - Prayer for Healing and Freedom
[48:10] - Blessing and Transition
[49:03] - Introducing Karen: Children’s Ministry
[50:38] - Praying Over Karen and the Next Generation
[53:15] - Kingdom Zone Dismissal
[53:48] - Joyce’s Mission Testimony and Support
[56:33] - Faith Church’s Missionary DNA
[58:47] - Praying Over Joyce and Missions
[60:15] - Series Introduction: “We Are Faith Church”
[65:54] - The Highest Mark: Love for God and Others
[71:07] - Begin and Continue in Love
[75:32] - Abiding in Christ’s Love
[78:38] - The Challenge and Model of Loving Well
[81:31] - Never Let Love Fail
[86:32] - Loving Yourself as God Loves You
[94:27] - Identity in Christ Above All
[96:49] - Faith Church: A Loving Community
[98:43] - Love as Our Witness
[100:15] - Jesus’ New Commandment: Love One Another
[105:07] - The Law of Christ: Love in Action
[108:29] - Bearing One Another’s Burdens
[111:42] - Humility and the Practice of Love
[112:30] - Closing Prayer and Final Announcements

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Mark 12:29-31 (ESV) — > Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall 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: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

1 John 4:7-8 (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.

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.

Observation Questions

According to Mark 12:29-31, what two commandments does Jesus say are the greatest?
In 1 John 4:7-8, what does John say is the evidence that someone truly knows God?
The sermon said, “The highest evidence of belonging to Christ is not in our giving, serving, or even our worship, but in our obedience to God’s word and our love for others.” What does this mean for how we measure spiritual maturity? [01:08:41]
In John 13:34-35, what does Jesus say will show the world that we are His disciples?

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus connects loving God with loving your neighbor? What does it look like to love both at the same time? [01:05:54]
The sermon talked about loving people who are difficult, different, or have hurt us. Why is this kind of love so important for Christians? [01:13:17]
What does it mean to “love yourself” in a Christ-centered way, and how is that different from pride or self-hatred? [01:28:20]
The sermon said, “How we love is our greatest witness.” Why do you think our daily actions and responses to conflict matter more than just our words or church attendance? [01:40:15]

Application Questions

Think of a time when you did something “good” (like serving or giving), but your heart wasn’t really loving. How did that feel, and what could you do differently next time to make sure love is at the center? [01:08:41]
Is there someone in your life right now who is hard for you to love? What is one practical step you could take this week to show them Christ’s love, even if it’s uncomfortable? [01:13:17]
The sermon said, “If you squeeze Christians, Christ should come out.” When you’re under pressure or stressed, what usually comes out of you? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to help you respond with love instead? [01:24:37]
Are there any ways you struggle with loving yourself—maybe through negative self-talk, comparison, or feeling unworthy? What truth from God’s Word can you hold onto to help you see yourself as God sees you? [01:28:20]
The world is watching how we love, not just on Sundays but every day. Is there a relationship or situation where your actions haven’t matched your words? What would it look like to make things right or show more consistent love? [01:40:15]
The sermon mentioned that love doesn’t mean letting people walk all over you, but it does mean not letting bitterness or offense take root. Are there any old hurts or grudges you need to let go of? What’s one step you can take toward forgiveness? [01:22:56]
How can our small group be known for loving well—not just inside these walls, but in our families, workplaces, and community? What’s one thing we could do together to reflect Christ’s love this month? [01:36:49]

Sermon Clips

He's trying to show us a love that's far greater than people. It's about him. I'm telling you guys, I can relate, but I can only relate in the flesh. In the flesh, somebody smacks you. You say, okay, I'm going to smack them back. In the flesh, somebody do you wrong. You want to do them wrong. And Jesus is saying, I don't want you to live by the flesh. He says, if you live by the flesh, you'll get death. But those that live by the spirit, he's trying to teach us a new way of living. [01:07:34] (30 seconds) #LiveBySpiritNotFlesh

It's easy to love well when people are loving you. I promise you it's easy to love well. It's easy to love people well. Pastor Herb, we love you the best. Oh my goodness, I love you. Man, I can't stand Pastor Herb. It's a whole different ballpark. Criticism starts to pull on that. Come on, y 'all better talk to me. Betrayal starts to pull on that. Heartbreak starts to pull on that. False accusations starts to pull on that. People that told you they'll always be there for you and then you turn around and they're not there for you. People that said, hey, I got your back. And then you call them and they don't have your back. People that you thought, okay, they're going to really go down with you. And all of a sudden, it starts to pull on that love. And so we got to begin and continue in love regardless. [01:12:54] (41 seconds) #LoveThroughTrials

Jesus is saying abide. We talked about this a few weeks ago. The word abide, it means to dwell, it means to stay. He's saying abide. He's saying make yourself at home. He's saying live in this place of love. He's saying live in this place of love. Make yourself at home. Abide in his love. And I'm telling you guys this because I know I've seen good Christians get beat up and feel like, okay, I can't love anymore. And I'm telling you that you don't have to love from your own strength. You love from God's strength. But you got to make the decision. I'm going to make my home a home of love. [01:16:00] (30 seconds) #AbideInGod'sLove

If you squeeze Christians, Christ should come out. And so when people are pushing your button, let Jesus come out. And you don't have to do this in your own strength. This is where you ask the Holy Spirit to help you. Holy Spirit, you see this person get on my nerves. Holy Spirit, you see that they're attacking me. Holy Spirit, you see this. And I refuse to be a victim. I refuse to be a puncher back. May Christ be glorified in my life. And so let them push the buttons. Let them call me. Lord, may Christ be glorified. [01:24:37] (26 seconds) #LetJesusShineThrough

Both of those are enemies to the image of God in you. From the garden, from the garden, the garden of Eden, the enemy has been trying to attack image. From the garden. Has God really said that you, if you eat this, you'll be like God? Wait a minute, they were already like God, and so he's attacking who they are. And he did the same thing to Jesus, Matthew chapter 3. If you're the son of God. If you're the son of God. It's image, it's identity. He's attacking that. And Jesus refuted the attacks of the enemy with the word of God. So we have to do the same thing. When the enemy tells you that you're not enough, when the enemy tells you nobody wants you, when the enemy tells you nobody cares, when the enemy starts to whisper the lies to you, your response has to be the word, it is written. [01:35:54] (47 seconds) #DefendYourGodlyIdentity

How we love is our witness. This is important because, especially for parents, it's easy to come to church and worship and lift your hands and sing the songs and then go home and throw plates at your kid's head. Not y 'all, the live stream people. But what are we teaching our kids? Our kids need to see the witness of our love. Because the witness, when they say, man, why? Dad, that person just flicked you off. Why did you pray for them? Not you flicked them back off too, and you got little kids in the back of the window flicking people off. [01:38:39] (33 seconds) #LoveIsOurWitness

By this, all will know. I said this before. Nothing in the scriptures is not thrown together. They didn't run out of words to put in there. And they said, okay, no. By this, all will know. Not some, not the people that are kind of spiritual. It says, by this, all will know that you are my disciples if you love one another. [01:40:58] (19 seconds) #LoveIsTheTrueDiscipleship

Loving people is not an option for the believer if you don't want to love people fine you don't have to be a believer we're not going to force you believe or die we're not doing that but if you're going to believe you better love and if we're going to be the faith church that says our core value is love the first one that we got is love we got to love well we got to love well people that smell bad we got to love them well I'm serious because some of us I remember we went on a mission trip one year and I had one of my youth leaders I told her we're going to go on the street and we're going to minister to the homeless people and she said I'll do whatever Pastor Herb I just don't want nobody to touch my hands we get there y 'all the first thought that we make we tell people we want to pray for them and this homeless person put their hands out like boom and I'm like that's just like God to get you Old Testament taught us that if you touch something unclean you become unclean Jesus taught us that whatever touches him becomes transformed I want to walk in that. [01:45:59] (61 seconds) #LoveIsNonNegotiable

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