God's Love on Intimacy | The Pastor's Workshop

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God Hinting

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Scripture

1 Corinthians 7:1-9, Matthew 19:3-12 , Psalm 139:13-16 , Genesis 2:18-25, Song of Solomon 4:1-16, Proverbs 5:15-19, Genesis 2:18

James Nelson describes sexuality as the central clue to what God is up to in the world. While this might seem a little over the top, when you think about it, sexuality factors integrally in our relati...

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Maundy Thursday

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

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Scripture

John 13:1-17, 31b-35

This guide has been updated and expanded. Our Maundy Thursday guide for 2026 on John 13 incorporates this material along with additional commentary, illustrations, and discussion questions. Check ...

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Author

Mother Teresa

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"To be alone with Jesus in adoration and intimate union with Him is the Greatest Gift of Love - the tender love of Our Father in Heaven.

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The Love of God Wrapped About Him

Author

Thomas Kelly

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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...

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Author

Frederick Buechner

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Scripture

John 13:

Neither the hair shirt nor the soft berth will do. The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.

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What Matters Supremely

Author

James I. Packer

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Scripture

Isaiah 49:15-16, Galatians 4:9, John 10:14-15, Matthew 10:29-31, John 17:9-10

What matters supremely, therefore, is not, in last analysis, the fact that I know God, but the larger fact which underlies it- that He knows me. I am graven on the palms of His hands. I am never out o...

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Ephesians 3:17-19 "May Christ may dwell in your

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Scripture

Ephesians 3:17-19

May Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height...

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Author

Philip Kenneson

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Cultures like ours encourage us to consider all aspects of our lives in terms of self-interest. How do we cultivate a life marked by God’s love – a love that is always directed toward the needs of oth...

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The Sap, the Strong Bond of Love

Author

Daniel Bourguet

Keywords

Scripture

John 15:1-16, Luke 19:1-10, John 4:7-26, John 21:15-19, Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 3:17-19

The strong bond that unites the vine and the branches has to do with the sap that flows through them. Jesus does not here use the word “sap,” but nonetheless gives a lengthy excursus on love in a way ...

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Author

Timothy Keller

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Scripture

Genesis 1:26-27, Deuteronomy 7:7-9, Isaiah 43:7 , John 17:24, Ephesians 1:4-5, Psalm 8:3-5

The only reason God would have had for creating us was not to get the cosmic love and joy of relationship (because he already had that) but to share it.

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Author

St. Thomas Aquinas

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Scripture

1 John 4:10-11, John 13:1-17, Ruth 1:16, Luke 10:25-37, Romans 12:9-10

To love is to will the good of another. .

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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...

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Desperate for Attention

Author

Ashley Hales

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Scripture

Genesis 16:13, Exodus 33:14, Isaiah 49:15–16, Matthew 18:3–4, Luke 15:20–24, Psalm 139:1–3

We’re little children wandering the aisles of the internet because we’ve lost the presence of our loving parent. We are desperate for the attention of a good Father who sees us. We have no idea how to...

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He’s Quite Fond of Me

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 43:1, Hosea 11:3-4, Zephaniah 3:17, John 15:9, Romans 8:38-39, Psalm 103:13-14

Brennan Manning recounts the story of an Irish priest traveling through a quiet countryside when he comes across an elderly peasant kneeling in prayer by the roadside. Struck by the man’s devotion, th...

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Holy Spirit, open our minds

Author

Cody Sandahl

Keywords

Scripture

1 John 1:6-9, Ephesians 4:15, 25, John 4:24, John 8:23, Hebrews 4:12

Holy Spirit, open our minds to the truth that hurts and the truth that heals. Open our hearts to the love that challenges and the love that embraces. Amen.

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Author

Brennan Manning

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Scripture

Matthew 9:9-13, Luke 23:39-43, John 8:1-11, Acts 9:1-19, Titus 3:4-5

My deepest awareness of myself is that I am deeply loved by Jesus Christ and I have done nothing to earn it or deserve it.

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Shadowed by the Illusory Person

Author

Thomas Merton

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Scripture

Genesis 27:18-29, Exodus 3:11-14, Ecclesiastes 2:10-11, Luke 15:11-32, Matthew 23:27-28 , Psalm 139:23-24

Thomas Merton once said, “Every one of us is shadowed by an illusory person: a false self, This is the man I want myself to be but who cannot exist, because God does not know anything about him. A...

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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...

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All: Lord God So often our love feels

Author

Jacob Traeger

Keywords

Scripture

1 Corinthians 13:8, 1 Corinthians 13:12-13

All: Lord God So often our love feels shallow We act out of love But then expect something in return We are impatient We envy We boast We are slow to forgive Fill us with your Holy Spi...

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Make Me Your Love

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Keywords

Scripture

John 13:1-17, 31b-35, Ephesians 5:1-2, Acts 1:8, John 3:16, Romans 5:8, Galatians 2:20

Son of God Savior Sacrifice Your love is Fierce and Forever Abounding and Intimate Generous, Goodness, and Grace Fill me with your Spirit Make me your love It is your command It is your way It is ...

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Author

William Blake

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Scripture

Isaiah 55:8-9 , Matthew 5:43-48 , 1 John 4:7-11, Romans 13:8-10, Psalm 36:5-7

And we are put on earth a little space, That we may learn to bear the beams of love.

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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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Prayer of Confession for Trinity Sunday

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Keywords

Scripture

John 1:1-3, John 14:26, 2 Corinthians 13:14, John 17:21

Holy Trinity: Creating Love Saving Love Sanctifying Love You welcome us to your unity Your community You do not condemn but make the way to new life, true life, eternal life with you Halleluj...

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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 .” ...

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...

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Overcoming Fear with God's Love

Author

Laura B. Murray

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 43:1-3, Lamentations 3:22-23, Hebrews 10:22-23, 2 Timothy 1:7, Psalm 27:1-3

Heavenly Father, we have forgotten your generosity and kindness. Believing you hold back from us, we have held back from others and from you. Gracious God, hear our confessions , and make us mindfu...

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Third Sunday in Lent

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Keywords

Scripture

John 4:5-42

AIM Commentary Ancient Lens What can we learn from the historical context? The Samaritan Woman in a Male-Defined World In the ancient world, your place as a woman was defined by your connection...

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Author

Fred Sanders

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The boundless life that God lives in himself … is complete, inexhaustibly full, and infinitely blessed.... The good news of the gospel is that God has opened up the dynamics of his triune life and giv...

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Author

Henry Blackaby

Keywords

To be loved by God is the highest relationship, the highest achievement, and the highest position in life.

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Author

Henry Drummond

Keywords

Friendship is the nearest thing we know to what religion is. God is love. And to make religion akin to Friendship is simply to give it the highest expression conceivable by man.

gods love on Intimacy

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