Relationships and Community on Steadfast Love

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Heavenly Father, You shower Your love

Author

Keywords

Scripture

1 Samuel 1:9-20, Acts 2:1-4, John 4:1-26, Luke 15:11-32, Psalm 23:6, Galatians 5:22-23

Heavenly Father, You shower Your love on us throughout every stage of life. We praise You for Your steadfast love. Through Your Son we see the extent of that love while through Your Spirit we experien...

liturgy

Create in us a clean heart, O God.

Author

Austin D. Hill

Keywords

Scripture

Hebrews 10:22, Luke 15:11-32, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ezekiel 36:26-27, 1 John 1:9, Psalm 51:10-12

Create in us a clean heart, O God. Please cleanse us from our sins and iniquity. Restore to us the joy of salvation that comes from you. Have mercy on us according to your steadfast love. Renew us wit...

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Author

Henry Drummond

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 15:11-32, Matthew 22:37-40, Revelation 21:1-4, Mark 10:17-27, John 3:16, Romans 8:38-39, 1 John 4:16

We know but little now about the conditions of the life that is to come. But what is certain is that Love must last. God, the Eternal God, is Love. Covet, therefore, that everlasting gift.

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Wound With Mercy Round and Round

Author

James Bryan Smith

Keywords

Scripture

Romans 8:38, Psalm 139:7-10, Luke 15:11-32, Isaiah 54:10, Psalm 103:17-18, Lamentations 3:22-23, Jeremiah 31:3

Nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate us from God’s love. St. Paul reminded the Romans of this when he wrote, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things p...

liturgy

Adapted from Ephesians 3:18-19

Author

Austin D. Hill

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 3:18-19, Acts 2:42-47, John 13:1-17, Luke 15:11-32, Psalm 103:11-12, 1 John 3:1, Romans 8:38-39

I pray that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and heig...

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Even as we eagerly await your return,

Author

Bud Thoreen

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 24:1-12, Luke 15:11-32, Acts 7:54-60, John 21:15-19, Matthew 25:1-13, Revelation 22:12

Even as we eagerly await your return, Lord Jesus, we must confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart, with our entire mind, nor with all of our strength. We have loved our rituals and our...

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Author

W. H. Auden

Keywords

Scripture

Colossians 3:13, Luke 10:25-37, Luke 19:1-10, Luke 15:11-32, Ephesians 4:2, 1 John 4:19, Romans 5:8, Matthew 22:37-39

You shall love your crooked neighbor with all your crooked heart.

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Author

Donald Grey Barnhouse

Keywords

Scripture

John 8:1-11, Psalm 113:5-8, Romans 5:8, Philippians 2:6-8, John 13:14-15, Luke 15:11-32

Love that reaches up is adoration. Love that reaches out is affection. But love that stoops is grace.

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The Costly Love of the Father: Sermon Illustration Tuesday

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 15:11-32, Psalm 23:null, John 21:15-19, Luke 19:1-10, Genesis 45:4-7, Psalm 23:5, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

In the old American South (and in many places in the American North) a European American who invited an African American as a guest to an expensive restaurant in a white section of town would subject ...

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The Love Song

Author

John Ortberg

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 49:15-16, Luke 15:11-32, 1 Samuel 1:, Genesis 22:1-19, Deuteronomy 6:6-7, Ephesians 6:4, Proverbs 22:6

Richard Foster wrote once of a father walking through a mall with his two-year-old son. The child was cranky; he kept whining and wriggling and complaining. The father struggled to remain patient. …[...

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Author

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 10:38-42, Ruth 1:16-17, Luke 15:11-32, 1 John 4:16, Hebrews 13:14

Where we love is home - home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.

Quote

Author

Brennan Manning

Keywords

Scripture

1 Peter 4:8, Acts 7:, Luke 15:11-32, Ephesians 4:32, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Jesus said you are to love one another as I have loved you, a love that will possibly lead to the bloody, anguished gift of yourself, a love that forgives seven times seven, that keeps no score of wro...

blog

Moving the Fence: A Sermon Illustration

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 9:9-13, James 2:13, Mark 7:24-30, Ephesians 2:13-14, Luke 15:1-7

In the Second World War, a group of soldiers were fighting in the rural countryside of France. During an intense battle, one of the American soldiers was killed. His comrades did not want to leave his...

liturgy

Give us, Lord, a clear vision of the

Author

Caryl Mickelm

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 15:11-32, John 4:7-26, Acts 9:1-9, Matthew 14:28-31, 2 Kings 6:15-17

Give us, Lord, a clear vision of the truth, faith in your power, and confident assurance of your love.

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The Three Most Longed-for Words

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Scripture

Jeremiah 31:3, Isaiah 1:18, Exodus 16:4-15 , John 3:16, Luke 15:11-32, Psalm 23:5, Mark 14:22-26, Luke 22:14-23, 1 Corinthians 11:23-25

Mark Rutland humorously recalls a survey asking Americans which words they most long to hear. As expected, the top response was, “ I love you. ” The second was, “ I forgive you .” ...

liturgy

O God, your mercy is infinite and in

Keywords

Scripture

John 13:1-17, Luke 15:11-32, Acts 9:1-19, Matthew 26:36-46, Romans 1:16, Zephaniah 3:17, John 14:27

O God, your mercy is infinite and in your will is our peace. We learn your way so slowly; we choose your will so reluctantly. In this season of learning the limitlessness of your love, help us throug...

liturgy

God of grace, love, and hope: Your

Author

Richard Herman

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 5:3-5, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Micah 6:8, Philippians 1:6, Luke 15:11-32

God of grace, love, and hope: Your grace comes when we least expect and don’t deserve it. Your love comes when we can’t comprehend why but we need it the most. Your hope comes at just the right time t...

liturgy

God of grace, wisdom and hope—Father,

Author

Richard Herman

Keywords

Scripture

1 Corinthians 4:14-17, Ruth 1:16-18, Mark 10:13-16, 1 Chronicles 29:19, Luke 15:11-32, Genesis 12:3, Joshua 24:15

God of grace, wisdom and hope—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—from whom every family in heaven and on earth gets its true name. You created us in Your image, making us for relationships, giving us meaning...

liturgy

Loving God, you show us grace and

Author

Chip Hardwick

Keywords

Scripture

Micah 6:8, Hebrews 12:28, Ephesians 2:4-5, Colossians 3:13, Lamentations 3:22-23, Luke 15:11-32, Jonah 3:1-10

Loving God, you show us grace and mercy, again and again and again. You shower gifts on us that we could never earn, and you are slow to punish us when we most deserve it. All too often, we forget to ...

liturgy

Everyone: Holy God, we live our lives

Author

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church

Keywords

Scripture

Romans 5:8, Luke 15:11-32, Luke 10:25-37, John 4:1-26, John 3:16, Ephesians 4:32, 2 Timothy 1:9

Everyone: Holy God, we live our lives struggling in our own burdens and failing to trust You with all the things that hold us down. Leader: Your Scripture says, "Come to Me all you who are wear...

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Author

John Stott

Keywords

Scripture

John 8:1-11, Luke 15:11-32, Luke 10:25-37, Luke 19:1-10, Luke 2:1-20, Titus 3:4-5, Romans 5:6-8

Grace is God loving, God stooping, God coming to the rescue, God giving himself generously in and through Jesus Christ.

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Love Songs All Address God

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 42:1-2, 1 Samuel 1:9-18, Psalm 63:1, Luke 15:11-32, Lamentations 3:19-24, Romans 8:22-23, Exodus 2:23-25, Hosea 3:1, John 20:11-18

In 1998, Nick Cave*, an Australian rock/pop artist, was asked by the Vienna Poetry Academy to give a series of talks on the nature of song-writing. A year later he gave a slightly revised version of t...

liturgy

No Record of Wrongs, Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:5

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Keywords

Scripture

1 Corinthians 13:5, Genesis 45:1-15, John 8:1-11, John 21:15-19, Luke 15:11-32, Isaiah 49:16, Romans 8:1

Love keeps no record of wrongs. We keep to-do lists so we don’t forget We check them twice We carry them in our pockets Holding on to the pain The disappointment The failure Re-viewing the wrong Poi...

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Author

Eugene Peterson

Keywords

Scripture

Galatians 5:22-23, Luke 10:38-42, Luke 15:11-32, John 21:15-17, Luke 22:54-62, James 4:6, Philippians 2:3-4

And yet I decide, every day, to set aside what I can do best and attempt what I do very clumsily--open myself to the frustrations and failures of loving, daring to believe that failing in love is bett...

Quote

Author

G. K. Chesterton

Keywords

Scripture

Mark 1:40-45, Hosea 1:3, Luke 19:1-10, Luke 15:11-32, Colossians 3:12-14, Ephesians 2:4-5, 1 John 4:19

There is the great lesson of “Beauty and the Beast”; that a thing must be loved before it is loveable.

liturgy

Father: Thank You for always being

Author

Richard Herman

Scripture

Psalm 34:14, Luke 15:20, Hebrews 4:14, Romans 6:4, Acts 1:8, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Psalm 25:4-5, Matthew 11:28-30, Isaiah 41:10, John 14:13, James 1:5, 2 Corinthians 9:8, Habakkuk 3:2, Isaiah 6:8, Matthew 28:19-20

Father: Thank You for always being ready to welcome us and listen to us. Thank You for sending Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Savior: born like us, experiencing all that we experience yet sinless, who d...

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Wanted by God

Author

Lisa Sharon Harper

Keywords

Scripture

John 10:10, Jeremiah 31:3, Luke 15:11-32, Psalm 147:3, Isaiah 43:1

Lisa Sharon Harper shares a powerful testimony in her book, The Very Good Gospel. Her story is that she grew up the child of a single mother after her parents divorced. After the divorce she and her ...

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Author

John Ortberg

Keywords

Scripture

1 Peter 4:8, 1 Samuel 18:20, Luke 15:11-32, John 4:1-26, Jeremiah 31:3, 1 John 4:16-18, 1 Corinthians 8:3

To be fully known and fully loved is the most healing gift one human being can give another.

Quote

Author

C. S. Lewis

Keywords

Scripture

1 John 4:19, Luke 19:1-10, Luke 15:11-32, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Philippians 1:6

The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.

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Author

Augustine of Hippo

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 15:1-7, Matthew 18:10-14, Psalm 139:1-4, 1 Kings 19:, Genesis 16:, 1 Peter 5:7

You are good and all-powerful, caring for each one of us as though the only one in your care.

relationships and community on Steadfast Love

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