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Does God's love flow through you?

by Mike Vandermause on February 14, 2018

Is your love like a reservoir or a fountain?

Guest speaker Kristin Ashley asked that question during her message on 1 John 2 on Sunday, Feb. 11 at Community Church.

A reservoir is a contained body of water and doesn’t have a continual source. It has boundaries and is not being constantly renewed. A fountain, meanwhile, has a source and will spring up and bring life and love.

That leads to the topic of how you are showing love to people around you. Do you show it with whatever is comfortable or convenient or easy? Do you put boundaries on your love, like a reservoir?

Or are you truly listening to what God is calling you to do, which is to put aside the boundaries. God provides a continual, unlimited source of love that renews us so we can offer it to others.

Jesus said (John 7:38): "Whoever believes in me…rivers of living water will flow from within them.” It’s a promise. He provides living water and will continually fill us.

When we think about truly loving others, will you set boundaries and do what’s comfortable, or look around and let love spring out? This is not simply taking on an attitude of love — there’s an action to go with it.

Here are more key points from Kristin’s message:

*Part of being connected to God is obedience. We’re called to obey the commands Jesus has for us. God established rules because He knows what’s best for us.

*We are called as believers to love God and love others as Christ loved the church. Out of obedience we are going to follow his commands. When we step into the light, it reveals the commands and the sins and what we are called to. The more we are in the light the more we are going to want that. When we step out into darkness it becomes confusing.

*John reaffirms to believers (children, fathers, young men) in 1 John 2 that their sins are already forgiven, they already know the Father, they have already overcome the evil one, and the word of God lives in them. As believers today we need to claim these truths and realize that He already has given us the strength to overcome the darkness.

*We are told not to love the world or anything in the world. He’s exposing our hearts here and isn’t just referring to things we consider evil. Loving the world can mean loving the busy-ness and distraction of our lives so much that we can’t slow down enough to hear His voice. It can mean crowding out spiritual disciplines such as prayer and bible study. We love the world by putting our money or family or friends above God. Tim Keller put it this way: Sin is not only doing bad things. It is making good things into ultimate things.

*It’s one thing to know and memorize and study scripture, But until you sit quietly and let it wash over you and let it sink into your being and really believe it, it doesn’t mean anything. It has to go deep, it has to go inside of you.

*We can approach God confident and unashamed because Jesus has paid the penalty for our sins. We must fight the tendency to feel inadequate, the feeling of not being enough. The fact is, we are not enough, in and of ourselves. But God has a different story line, one in which our souls are content and we are enough not because of our actions and deeds but because of the work Jesus did on the cross.

*God chooses to use people who are flawed and broken. We need to stop trying so hard and simply rest in His strength and power. If you don’t measure up, that’s OK. In fact, it’s necessary. We need to recognize our place in light of the cross.

 Discussion questions

How can you practically express your love more like a fountain than a reservoir?

What do you think it means to truly love others?

What are some things that distract you from serving and honoring God first?

What will it take for you to stand confident and unashamed before God?