12/8/07 - Life Journal - The Message is Love

But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion.
1 Timothy 1:19

Everything Paul did was out of an authentic love for the people he was reahing with the Gospel. Whether encouraging, teaching or verbally disciplining the foundation was the same love he received from Jesus.

So much of what I see in "popular" ministries today seems to be characterized by competition and arrogance instead of the love discussed above. It's as if we are in it for ourselves, running a race to tally up numbers, prove our methods and bash anyone who does things differently, subsequently destroying any unity between followers that is ultimately needed to complete His vision for us. With a solid doctrine and Christ as our focus, methods are secondary with the primary being love for our community!

Father, we've forgotten the importance of love and the simplicity of the message. Lead us back!