There are days when I am sure I know why God made LOVE the centerpiece of the gospel. It is the centerpiece of all that we know of His ways and His plans for us. We often think that being "right" is enough or being "smart" is enough (or being "spiritual") to make things work. I have found that love is what is essential to end any argument, calm any disagreement, fix any broken thing. Love is what God used to create everything so it will be love that He uses to repair and restore it. LOVE is what holds anything and everything together!

If we consider that God IS love, then He is only pleased when we can be loving toward one another. We accept the fact that we cannot earn righteousness, but we also do not earn God's love by what we do. Since we already have it by virtue of who He is, what we can do is model the love He shows to us. When we can experience God's love then we can express that love to others. That is what keeps us together and causes us to please Him as a BODY. LOVE is the glue that holds not only the gospel but the people of God, together.

Don't believe that? Then look at the scripture more closely.

The only thing that explains all that God has done for us is His LOVE for us. Not only do we ask, 'why would He be willing to die for us', but 'why would He kill His only begotten son in the process?' Why would He clothe us in the garden instead of making us be humiliated by how naked we really are? Why would He save us out of our contempt for Him, while we were sinners separated from Him? He planned to save us! You cannot explain His actions toward us without understanding His love for us. By the same token, you can't walk after Him without LOVE in your heart in your expressions toward others.

Today's church can get lost in so many issues and pursuits while losing track of two very essential things; 1) God's love for us, and 2) our love for Him through others. God tells us that He loves us and then He tells us how to return that love...by loving others. Our lives are only fulfilled when we find ways to love people and that love fills us up to the point of overflowing. We all need to see that being "spiritual" is in fact being loving.

Paul said it best, when he said; 1 Corinthians 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

"You cannot explain God's actions toward us without understanding His love for us!"

Our Confession in Prayer!

Join us in the following prayer of unity under God:

"Heavenly Father, we know that you are love and that love is precious to us. It is like the air that we breathe and it is essential to our health as children of yours. If we are to be truly spiritual we must hold ourselves accountable to being the loving people that you would be pleased with. Let us chasten our own hearts and look at how we handle the hearts of others as a true test of our faithfulness to you. May we strive to release the bonds that hold us back, make us hurtful, and cause us to become self-righteous. In doing do, let us know your love so deep that we express that love so routinely and we do it to everyone we know. Thank you for your love!

In Jesus' name we pray, Amen!"