In this last message in a series on 1 Corinthians 13 we think about the words, love "does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.” Rejoicing in wrongdoing is most likely talking about rejoicing when someone else falls. Rejoicing in wrongdoing then – by gossiping, slandering or secretly celebrating someones wrongdoing – reveals an unloving, vengeful & twisted heart & therefore our deep need to be filled withe the love of Christ. Such love is never on a mission to spill the beans on someone because it “always protects.” Such love never celebrates another’s falling into sin because it covers a multitude of sins. Such ‘love is not gladdened when someone else falls’ becasue it is too busy celebrating the gospel which can redeem people from the fall.

Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; Luke 7:36-50

Often the most powerful thing we can do is to simply sit with awareness of the presence of God's Spirit & with our Bible open meditating on the love of Christ. That we might be able to comprehend something more of the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. Until we feel our hearts widen & soften towards even our enemies. Until we desire to do good to even those who make our life difficult. Until the limits we place on our love disappear & we are filled with all the fullness of God. This message is all about reflecting on the scope of the love of Christ so we comprehend all the more deeply our call to love others as Jesus loves us.

Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; Ephesians 3:14-21

This message explores the depth & breadth of gospel-kindness.The whole story of the Bible could be summed up as God’s extraordinary kindness towards us. Kindness can inlcude the small significant things we do for others or that others do for us, but it is also big enough to summarise all God has done for us. Also, God shows kindness to us simply because he is merciful & kind, not because we are righteous or deserving. Likewise we should show kindness to others, not because they are deserving of it, but simply because we are Christians.  

Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

The portrait of love in 1 Corinthians 13 simply opens with the words “love is patient & kind” & then list things which stop us being patient & kind with others. So according to these verses we could say there are two sides to loving like Jesus. On one side we have patience & on the other side we have kindness! In this way the love being described reflects the mercy & grace of God. This message looks at the first side of loving like Jesus – love is patient. 

This message opens a new series called Loving Others As Jesus Loves Us. The series is based on 1 Corinthians 13, the famous love chapter. One of the interesting things about these heart searching verses is they say more about what love is not than what love is. This is becasue their aim is to help remove the things in our hearts that stop us loving others as Jesus loves us.