Some Quotes on Love

Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion. -Brennan Manning 

Some people care too much. I think it’s called love.” -A.A. Milne 

When you stop expecting people to be perfect, you can love them for who they are. -Donald Miller 

Love is a choice. -Gary Chapman 

Love is the expression of the one who loves, not of the one who is loved. –Søren Kierkegaard

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. –Romans 8:37-39 

Most of us were taught that God would love us if and when we change. In fact, God loves you so that you can change. –Richard Rohr 

To love another person is to see the face of God. -Victor Hugo 

The human heart tells us that we are more alike than we are unalike. -Maya Angelou 

Love is not a because of, it’s a no matter what. -Jodi Picoult 

Love is God, and to die means that I, a particle of love, shall return to the general and eternal source. -Leo Tolstoy 

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. -Romans 5:8 

At the end of the day people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel. -Maya Angelou 

Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can. –John Wesley 

Look for God. Look for God like a man with his head on fire looks for water. -Elizabeth Gilbert 

A good relationship is where both people feel like they’re getting the better end of the deal. -Anne Lamott 

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear. -Martin Luther King, Jr. 

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. –John 15:12 

When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace. -Jimi Hendrix 

To cheat oneself out of love is the most terrible deception; it is an eternal loss for which there is no reparation, either in time or in eternity. -Søren Kierkegaard 

Because God has made us for Himself, our hearts are restless until they rest in Him. -Augustine of Hippo

Christmas Eve Sermon - Video

For God So Loved the World

John 3

Frederick Buechner writes on Nicodemus:

Jesus told Nicodemus that unless you got born again, you might as well give it up. That was all very well, Nicodemus said, but how were you to pull a thing like that off? How especially were you supposed to do it if you were pushing 65? How do you get born again when it is a challenge just to get out of bed each morning?

Just then, in the midst of them talking, a gust of wind happened to whistle by, making the dying embers of the campfire burst into flame, and Jesus said that being born again was like that. It wasn’t something you did. The wind did it. The Spirit did it. It was not something you do. It happens.

“How can this be?” Nicodemus said; and that’s when Jesus let him have it. Maybe Nicodemus had six honorary doctorates and half a column in Who’s Who, Jesus said, but if he couldn’t grasp something like this, he’d better go back to kindergarten.

“I’m telling you like it is,” Jesus said, “I’m telling you what I’ve seen. I’m telling you that there are people on Medicare walking around with the love-light in their eyes. I’m telling you that there are ex-cons teaching Sunday school. I’m telling you that there are undertakers scared silly we’ll put them all out of business.

I’m telling you that God has such a thing for this loused up planet that he’s sent me down here so if you don’t believe your own eyes, then maybe you’ll believe mine; maybe you’ll believe me, maybe you won’t come sneaking around scared half to death in the dark anymore but will come to, come clean, come to life.

What impressed Nicodemus even more than the speech was the quickening of his own breathing and the pounding of his heart. He hadn’t felt like this since his first since his first child was born.

In verse 2, Nicodemus went to visit Jesus in the dark. He was ashamed others might look down on him because of his spiritual seeking.

• When have you been embarrassed or ashamed by your faith or by seeking more faith?
• Do you worry about what others think of your spirituality?
• If this is an issue for you, take a few moments and pray to God for strength in being open and honest with others about your faith.

Verse 6 continues the theme of new life. Review your responses from January 1 and 2.

• What is working well about becoming “new”?
• What isn’t working so well?
• What adjustments are you going to make?

Verse 16 is the most well known verse in the Bible. For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. The Greek word for world is cosmos. It means everything, including you.

How does being loved by God make a difference in your life? Pray for the ability to accept God's love and to let this love transform you into the person God wants you to become.