Ep. 56 - Focus on Love: Faith, Hope & Love but the Greatest is Love

We are nearing the end of our 1 Corinthians series with just 3 chapters left after the teaching today. In today’s episode we are studying 1 Corinthians chapter 13. How fitting it is right after Paul mentions Spiritual Gifts in chapter 12 and right before he goes into his teaching on tongues in chapter 14 that he would give us a chapter all about love - it’s so Paul!

We use several of these verses at weddings and other ceremonies today it’s universally known as the “love” chapter but Paul was not teaching this in the context of a wedding ceremony or a romantic love story. Paul was using this in his teaching to the Corinthian church because they were struggling to get along with each other.

Have you been there? Have you ever struggled to love somebody? In the day we live in today it can be very hard at times but it doesn’t take away the fact that scripture tells us above all spiritual gifts were given the greatest gift is the ability to love. To love like Jesus did and that should be the love we’re showing everyday! As Christians we are to love differently than the world loves because we have the spirit of God inside us. If we all loved like Jesus loved it would change the world! Let’s start striving to be the difference this world needs.

Listen Now to find out more about love and the reason Paul is teaching on it.

Scripture Read:

1 Corinthians 13

1 John 2:16

2 Timothy 2:22

James 1:14-15

What’s the Purpose?

What was happening in the Corinthian church is still happening today - Things that we expect the world to do, was infiltrating the church.  Love was misguided and immature.  Grown men and women were behaving like children - they were selfish, they were celebrating sin, they didn’t want to listen to truth and were seeking their own desires.  So the purpose for the Corinthian church and for us today, is a call to grow up!  Quit acting and behaving like children, arguing and always seeking to serve yourself.  Through their dsiagreements and through our disagreements we should always approach everything we do with mature LOVE - and what is love NOT - it’s NOT rude, it’s NOT jealous, it doesn’t have to have it’s way all the time.

Lysa Terkerurst said “Love isn’t what I have the opportunity to get from this world.  Love is what I have the opportunity to give.”  And that’s the purpose of this lesson today!

What’s the Challenge?

The challenge for today is to always err on the side of love.  You don’t like what someone said to you or how they said it, err on the side of love.  Your pastor forgets to call you or check on you, err on the side of love.  Someone hurt your feelings, err on the side of love.  Someone pulls out in front of you, err on the side of love.  And then if a time comes when you need to speak up about something in your family, in your church, with your friends, do it with and out of love!

For a more in depth study on love check out our Fruit of the Spirit episode - Link Below

https://www.purposefulwomenofgod.com/podcast/episode-20

God Bless from out Hearts to Yours,

Tabitha & Ashlee