THE WORTH AND WONDER OF HIS LOVE
BREAD
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:16-18 (NIV)
9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:9-11 (NIV)
21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. Ephesians 1:7-8 (NIV)
18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. Ephesians 1:18-21 (NIV)
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31-39 (NIV)
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3 (NIV)
14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (NIV)
BUTTER
“To know God and love God always produces a longing to know God and love God more. It’s inevitable. For if we really know him in some measure, it implies that he has made himself known to us (Luke 10:21-22; Matthew 16:17). And if we really love him in some measure, it implies that he first loved us (1 John 4:19).” Jon Bloom
“God’s motivation toward people is love. God’s love is not limited to a few or to one group of people but His gift is for the whole world. God’s love was expressed in the giving of His most priceless gift—His unique Son.” Bible Knowledge Commentary
“The nature and person of God doesn’t give us earthly assurances that we will have no nights of weeping. But in Christ, God does give us final assurance. The night will end. Morning will come. Joy will be the final note.” David Mathis
“God’s love for us is higher and deeper and broader and longer than anyone can imagine. He loves us with an everlasting love and He rejoices over us with singing. He leads us with cords of kindness and we rest secure between His all-sufficient shoulders, finding repose in His shadow. His eye is ever on us for our good and His glory never one surpassing the other. His way is the best way even though oftentimes extraordinarily, breath takingly difficult. In love, He meets our needs – not necessarily our wants – as He is always in the process of conforming us into the image of His Son AND He uses everything in our life towards that end as Jesus was to be the first among many brothers. This is taking hold of life that is truly life btw. How are we to respond to this great love? The psalmist rightly proclaims: ‘25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.’ Psalms 73:25-26 (NIV).” BHY
“Unconditional love is the source and foundation of the human transformation that makes the sweetness of conditional love possible. If God did not love us unconditionally, he would not penetrate our unattractive lives, bring us to faith, unite us to Christ, give us his Spirit, and make us progressively like Jesus.” John Piper
“He longs to speak with us as one would speak to a friend. And He longs for us to talk back to Him in never-ending conversation. Don’t miss out on connecting with the ultimate Lover of our Souls.” Chrystal Evans Hurst
“The trials that come from God are sent to prove and strengthen our graces and immediately illustrate the power of divine grace, to test the genuineness of our virtues and to add to their energy. Our Lord in His infinite wisdom and superabundant love sets such a high value upon His people’s faith that He will not protect them from those trials by which faith is strengthened. You would never have possessed the precious faith that now supports you if the trial of your faith had not put you through the fire.” C. H. Spurgeon
“To be intimate with God is to know his mercy, grace, patience, love, faithfulness, and forgiveness, and it is to know God’s severity and wrath against sin with reverent fear.” Jon Bloom
“Believer, rest assured that the heart of Jesus cares about your lesser affairs. The breadth of His tender love is such that you may resort to Him in all matters; for in all your afflictions He is afflicted, and as a father pities his children, so He pities you. The humblest interests of all His saints are all borne upon the broad bosom of the Son of God. Oh, what a heart is His that not only comprehends each one of His people, but also comprehends the diverse and innumerable concerns of each of those individuals!” Charles H. Spurgeon
“To encounter the living God is to get a glimpse of the Source of all joy and pleasure (Psalms 16:11), all hope (Romans 15:13), all power (Job 42:1-2; Luke 1:37; Revelation 1:8), and indestructible life (Hebrews 7:16; John 3:16). It is to get a glimpse, in the words of C.S. Lewis, of ‘the place where all the beauty came from’ (Till We Have Faces, 86). And to get such a glimpse, a taste, an apprehension of this magnitude of glory can’t help but leave us longing for more.” John Bloom
“O Christian, is not this a singular comfort; that the Lord reflects with an eye of love upon your thoughts, upon your desires, upon your tears, and upon your groans? The Lord casts an eye of love upon you.” Thomas Brooks
“All we have is in His loving, capable, Hands and His heart is as tender as His arms are strong. We can trust Him with our lives and the lives of those we love. Convert fear into faith. How steady is His Hand to guide me through this world. My needs shall be His care. Make your faith a defiant response.” BHY
HEART SAVOR
• God loves us with an everlasting love. To know Him and love Him produces a longing to know and love Him more.
• His motivation towards us is love – always.
• He casts His eye of love upon us for our good and His glory.
Beth Yoe's Sharing Bread 