VIDEO: 9-13-20 Sermon "CHRISTIAN CHARACTER IN THE AGE OF COVID-19: Love”

 As we worship together "from house to house," we are grateful for your love.  Your love fills us.  Your love forces us to love others.  Your love completes us.  Your love overwhelms us.

If you cannot join us this Sunday, we invite you to sing along with the worship videos.  We encourage you to take the Lord’s Supper.  In this way, we can take communion together even though we are apart.  Pray for one another.  Watch my message CHRISTIAN CHARACTER IN THE AGE OF COVID-19: Love.  Respond to the invitation.  Enjoy the bonus video.

WORSHIP

COMMUNION

Read ‭‭1 John‬ ‭4:7-12‬ ‭NIV, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”

‬‬  Here is a possible communion prayer to say before you take the bread and the juice, "Father, as we have been born of you and know you, we choose to love our neighbors.  As you have loved us, let us love the world with the same sacrificial love you demonstrated toward us.  May they see You in us.  In Jesus' name, amen."

Take the Lord's Supper.

PRAYER

Pray for God’s guidance in loving a world that does not understand love.  Pray for the witness of God’s church that we might demonstrate His love by our actions toward one another.  Pray for our own hearts as we desire to love God more.

MESSAGE

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. 

But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:13-26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

CHALLENGE

Shower someone with love this week.   Pick someone who is having great difficulty and help them understand the love of God by your actions of love.  Proclaim the love of God as you are actively loving them.  Overwhelm them with the love of God.

INVITATION

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word at Kenwood Church.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, I encourage you to speak with me via phone (248-476-8222) or an email (toddlackie@kenwoodchurch.org).  I would be honored to speak with you about what God is doing in your life and try to connect you with a community of faith in your area.

Bonus Video