" LOVE edifies "

" LOVE covers all transgressions. " God delights to show mercy! He does not forgive grudgingly, but is glad when we repent and offers forgiveness to all who come back to him. Today you can confess your sins and receive his loving forgiveness. Don't be too proud to accept God's free offer. With false teaching and loose morals comes a particularly destructive disease - the loss of true love for God and others. Sin cools your love for God and others by turning your focus on yourself. You cannot truly love if you think only of yourself. " Greater Love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13). We are to love each other as Jesus loved us, and he loved us enough to give his life for us. We may not have to die for someone, but there are other ways to practice Sacrificial Love: by Listening, Helping, Encouraging, and Giving. Think of someone in particular who needs this kind of love today. Give all the love you can, and then try to give a little more. Speaking...Teaching Love... Question, have you lost your Joy? Paul sensed that the Galatians had lost the joy of their salvation because of legalism. Legalism can take away joy because (1) it makes people feel guilty rather than loved; (2) it produces self-hatred rather than humility; (3) stresses performance over relationship; (4) it points out how far short we fall rather than how far we've come because of what Christ did for us. If you feel guilty and inadequate, check your focus. Are you living by faith in Christ or by trying to live up to the demands and expectations of others? Think about it. Until Next Time... Jim,