Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1–2 (NIV) One thing that was very apparent in my dad was his love for Jesus. Just mentioning the name Jesus would cause his face to light up, and he said Jesus’ name like it was a term of endearment. He loved God with all his heart. His work as a pastor was a labour of love. He pastored for decades and never let go of his passion and joy for the ministry—loving and sharing Jesus with people everywhere he went. How did he do it? He developed his love …

When you love others, you complete what the law has been after all along. Romans 13:8–10 (MSG) If you’ve given your life to Jesus Christ, you are born again. Jesus lives inside you. But this Christian life will be hard if you do not develop your love walk, because you’ll be trying to obey God out of law instead of love. When you try to obey God out of law, you’ll tend to look for where the line is so you can stay just under it. “What can and can’t I do?” you’ll ask. “Is it bad to swear? What about the odd white lie?” You’ll be focused on figuring out all the rules. People who love don’t need a whole bunch of rules. Because …

In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome. 1 John 5:3 (NIV) When you love someone, you want to make them smile. Years ago parents used to arrange marriages for their kids. In an arranged marriage, families would choose a spouse for their child to the best of their ability. Of course, at rst the couple wouldn’t be in love, but the idea was they would develop love for each other. If they developed love, that marriage would thrive. Without love, it was hard. You see, a loveless marriage becomes centred on roles and rules rather than relationship, which takes all the joy and passion out of it. The same is true of your relationship with …

If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 (NKJV) We all want to grow and mature in God. But do you ever wonder how? There are plenty of measures of spiritual maturity out there, but I’d like to simplify it with one statement: Grow in your love walk. If there’s one thing I’d like to see in my life and in yours, it’s to develop and grow in love. As Christians, this love walk is a choice. It doesn’t happen automatically just because you’ve given your life to Christ. Love for God is rarely like love at first sight. It’s a love you develop. You …

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. Romans 8:5 (NKJV) Why do Christians live according to their fleshly, selfish desires, even though they’ve been made new in Christ? According to today’s verse, it’s because they set their minds on the flesh. But the good news is we can live according to the Spirit by setting our minds on the things of the Spirit! What does this mean in the context of everyday life? Well, in every situation you can choose your focus. No matter what you’re facing, you can choose to set your mind on God’s Word, His promises, His presence, and …