God on Unconditional Love

liturgy

Living in God's True Love

Author

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 2:8-9, Luke 15:11-32, Romans 5:8 , 1 John 4:10, Titus 3:4-5 , Psalm 103:10-12, Isaiah 49:15-16

Gracious Father, too often we base our worth on our performance. We believe if we do well, your love grows, and if we falter, your love lessens. Our God, how far this is from the truth. We confess our...

liturgy

Accepting Divine Love Over Desires

Author

Laura B. Murray

Keywords

Scripture

Hosea 11:1-4, Deuteronomy 7:7-9, Romans 8:38-39, John 3:16, Psalm 51:10-13

Our God, you love us unconditionally and with great sacrifice, yet we reject your love in search of another love other desires. We have make harmful decisions while on this search rather than acceptin...

Quote

Author

C. S. Lewis

Scripture

1 Corinthians 13:, Matthew 5:44, Luke 6:32, John 15:9, Romans 5:8, 1 John 4:19, Hosea 2:

Love may forgive all infirmities and love still in spite of them: but Love cannot cease to will their removal.

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Author

Irenaeus of Lyon

Keywords

Scripture

Genesis 1:26–27, Exodus 19:5–6 , Isaiah 53:4–5 , John 1:14, 2 Peter 1:3–4, Psalm 8:4–5

Because of His measureless love He became what we are in order to enable us to become what He is.

Quote

Author

Henry David Thoreau

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 5:44, Romans 12:20-21, 1 Peter 4:8, 1 John 4:7-8, John 13:34-35

There is no remedy for love but to love more.

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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 .” ...

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What God Do You Believe In?

Author

Timothy R. Jennings

Keywords

Scripture

Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 3:17-19, Philippians 4:8, 1 John 4:16, Romans 12:2

In The God-Shaped Brain , medical doctor Timothy Jennings various aspects of our God-given brains, how they function, and how they can be optimized for a full-life. In this excerpt, he describes the ...

liturgy

God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: You

Author

Richard Herman

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 139:7-10, Romans 8:38-39, Matthew 11:28-30, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Isaiah 40:31, Luke 10:25-37, John 11:32-35

God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: You are always and forever for us: We can’t run away from Your presence; nor out-sin Your amazing grace and forgiveness. We can’t exhaust Your unconditional love nor ...

liturgy

God's Love: Our True Guide

Author

Laura B. Murray

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 64:8, Micah 6:8, Matthew 22:37-39, Romans 12:2, Psalm 51:10

O Holy God, we come before you in humility, recognizing we have resorted to competition rather than compassion. We have doubted the depth of your love for us, and in turn have been unloving to our fam...

liturgy

Confessing and Embracing Divine Love

Author

Laura B. Murray

Keywords

Scripture

1 John 4:7-11, Matthew 22:36-40, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, John 15:12-13, Romans 5:8, Luke 19:1-10 , Ephesians 3:17-19

All-loving God, we confess our motivations are often not influenced by your love. We act according to what will bring us the best outcome. We love ourselves before we love you. Help us to grow deeper ...

liturgy

Faithful Love in Difficult Times

Author

Laura B. Murray

Keywords

Scripture

Hosea 3:1-5, Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 12:1-2, Romans 8:31-39, Psalm 34:4-7

Gracious God, we have lost our ability to love for the long haul. We give up, lack follow through, and withdraw when things get difficult. Yet you call us to a loyal, never-ending love towards other...

liturgy

Prayer of Adoration Father: You know us

Author

Richard Herman

Keywords

Scripture

Hosea 3:1-5, John 21:15-19, John 11:33-35, 1 John 1:9, Psalm 51:10, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, Jeremiah 31:3

Prayer of Adoration Father: You know us and love us from eternity. Jesus: You love us enough to die for us and be rise again to give us eternal life. Spirit: You pour out love to us every day, in...

liturgy

God's Love: Our True Strength

Author

Laura B. Murray

Keywords

Scripture

Genesis 13:8-9, Exodus 32:30-32, Philippians 2:3-8, Mark 10:42-45, Psalm 23:1-4

Almighty God, nothing is more powerful than love, yet we live as if your love is weak and doesn’t last. We confess our self-sufficiency and our pride. Help us live and grow in you, that we might disp...

liturgy

Adapted from 1 John 4:7-16

Author

Austin D. Hill

Keywords

Scripture

1 John 4:7-16

“Dear friends, Let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God…. This is love: Not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his So...

liturgy

Adapted from 1 John 4:7-15

Keywords

Scripture

John 4:7-15

Beloved, Let us love one another; for love is of God And everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this God’s lov...

liturgy

Seeking God's Presence and Love

Author

Laura B. Murray

Keywords

Scripture

John 3:16, Psalm 16:11, John 15:4-5, Romans 8:32, Luke 10:38-42, Luke 15:20-24, Hebrews 10:24-25

Loving Father, we often come to you to get the most from you. You remain incredibly generous, even though we neglect the greatest gift you give – yourself. Forgive us for ignoring you. Help us to enj...

Quote

Author

Julian of Norwich

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 42:14, Isaiah 66:13, Hosea 11:4, Isaiah 49:15, Deuteronomy 32:18, Numbers 11:12, Luke 13:34, Psalm 36:7, Psalm 57:1, Psalm 63:7, Psalm 91:4, Matthew 23:37, Ruth 2:12

A mother’s service is the most intimate, willing, and dependable of all services, because it is truest of all. None has been able to fulfill it properly but Christ, and he alone can. We know that ou...

liturgy

God's Protection and Unfailing Love

Author

Laura B. Murray

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 5:35-40, Luke 10:30-37, James 2:14-17, Isaiah 1:17, Romans 12:13 , Micah 6::8 , 1 John 3:16-18

Our God, we have been slow to stand and slow to act. We have been unmoved in the face of wrongs. Rather than welcoming others, we have put up walls. We have served this god of self-preservation. But ...

illustration

The Love of God Wrapped About Him

Author

Thomas Kelly

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 4:1-3, Psalm 30:5, Romans 8:28, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Psalm 34:18, Isaiah 43:2, Psalm 23:4, Job 1:, Job 2:, Job 42:, 2 Samuel 11:, 2 Samuel 12:, Genesis 37:12-36, 1 Kings 17:8-24, Daniel 6:, Psalm 34:18

The sense of Presence! I have spoken of it as stealing on one unawares. It is recorded of John Wilhelm Rowntree that as he left a great physician’s office, where he had just been told that his advanci...

illustration

Surrendering a Daughter to God’s Care

Author

Trevor Hudson

Keywords

Let me share one more lesson I am learning about daily surrender. It concerns the way we relate to others. Daily we encounter people who express views opposite to our own, hold values with which we ca...

Quote

Author

D. A. Carson

Keywords

Scripture

Leviticus 19:18 , Ruth 1:16–17, 1 Samuel 18:1–4 , John 13:34–35, Luke 7:36–50 , Psalm 136:

The new command is simple enough for a toddler to memorize and appreciate, profound enough that the most mature believers are repeatedly embarrassed at how poorly they comprehend it and put it i...

liturgy

Ubi Caritas

Keywords

The Love of Christ has gathered us as one. Let us rejoice and be glad in him. Let us fear and love the living God And in purity of heart let us love one another. Where charity and love are, there is...

liturgy

Embracing God's Persistent Love

Author

Laura B. Murray

Keywords

Scripture

Hosea 2:2-5, Luke 15:11-24, Romans 5:6-8, Luke 15:11-32, Psalm 103:8-14

Our gracious God, you repeatedly move towards us, even when we pull away. You are not deterred by our rejection of you nor our running away from you. Your love is persistent. We confess our distrust o...

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Putting us in our True Place

Author

M. Basil Pennington

Keywords

The fact is there is nothing that we are doing that God could not raise up a stone in the ﬁeld to do for him. The realization of this puts us in our true place. Though, lest we get too knocked down by...

liturgy

Jesus Christ, the love that gives

Author

Hildegard of Bingen

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 3:17-19, Ephesians 5:25-27, John 15:15, 1 Corinthians 12:27, John 1:1-2, Genesis 2:7, Romans 8:11

Jesus Christ, the love that gives love, You are higher than the highest star; you are deeper than the deepest sea; You cherish us as your own family; You embrace us as your own spouse; You rule over u...

liturgy

By grace, through Jesus, God calls us

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

1 John 4:9-10, John 21:15-17, 1 John 4:21, Matthew 22:36-40, Luke 10:25-37

Leader: By grace, through Jesus, God calls us His children so that we might become more like Him, living as holy people who fear the Lord and serve one another in humility and love. When we honestly...

lectionary

22nd Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 22:34-46, Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Leviticus 19:18, Luke 10:25-37

Preaching Commentary A Clash of Kingdoms Just as with the lectionary passage next week, our text takes place in the temple courts during Holy Week. Jesus’ Kingdom of God is now clashing head on wit...

liturgy

God's Love: Greater Than All

Author

Laura B. Murray

Keywords

Scripture

Hosea 3:1, Romans 8:38-39, Luke 15:4-7, Jeremiah 31:3, 1 John 4:9-11, John 54:10, John 15:12-13

Gracious God, your love is greater than anything we can imagine. Yet, we are quick to run to other loves and forget about you. Forgive us for turning away from you. Help us to remember your relentless...

Quote

Author

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Keywords

Scripture

Colossians 3:12-14, Acts 3:1-10, Mark 5:25-34, Galatians 6:9-10, James 2:14-17

To abide in love means to have open eyes, to be able to see something that only a few see, namely, the outstretched, begging hands of the others who are along the way, and now not be able to do anythi...

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Beloved: The Truth About Yourself

Author

Henri J. M. Nouwen

Keywords

Scripture

Jeremiah 31:3, Psalm 139:13-14, Romans 8:38-39, Isaiah 43:1-2, Deuteronomy 31:8, 1 John 3:1, Zephaniah 3:17

Every time you feel hurt, offended, or rejected, you have to dare to say to yourself: “These feelings, strong as they may be, are not telling me the truth about myself. The truth, even though I cannot...

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