It's Sunday, May 1, and 'The Love Dare' has begun at Trinity Bible Church. (Yes, we stole the title from the book by the same name. We give Stephen & Alex Kendrick and B&H Publishing full credit for the concept. We're even using their book.) I don't know how this will turn out. I don't know how many will participate with us. I don't know if the dare will be easy or hard. I don't even yet know 'who' I want to love on. My wife will certainly be one, but I'm thinking I'd also like to identify some folks from other circles as well - maybe a neighbor or a casual acquaintance who I see regularly - maybe even somebody who I will meet during the course of this dare! God is pretty broad when He defines the people He wants us to love - everybody from ourselves to our enemies. One of Paul's prayers was that the Lord "would cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people" (1 Thessalonians 3:12). That's pretty inclusive, and it gives me a big pool of people to choose from in selecting my love targets.
I'm putting this in a blog in order to help me live out Hebrews 10:24, which is one of many places where God expresses His desire that His followers love one another. But Hebrews 10:24 adds an additional twist. It says this: 'Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love...' It's not enough for me to love somebody. My goal, in Hebrews 10:24, is to love someone else by stimulating them to also love someone else. I haven't succeeded, by Hebrews 10:24 standards, until my friend is also loving people. In other words, Hebrews 10:24 is an exercise in walking together toward a God-given goal. That's why I chose it as the opening verse for this blog. This is TrinityTogether.
Is there anybody out there who would like to go on this journey with me? Would you be willing to share some love-stimulating ideas, experiences, or stories right here? This isn't my blog, it's OURS. It's TrinityTogether, and we're trying to help each other 'love one another' and 'all people.'
I'm putting this in a blog in order to help me live out Hebrews 10:24, which is one of many places where God expresses His desire that His followers love one another. But Hebrews 10:24 adds an additional twist. It says this: 'Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love...' It's not enough for me to love somebody. My goal, in Hebrews 10:24, is to love someone else by stimulating them to also love someone else. I haven't succeeded, by Hebrews 10:24 standards, until my friend is also loving people. In other words, Hebrews 10:24 is an exercise in walking together toward a God-given goal. That's why I chose it as the opening verse for this blog. This is TrinityTogether.Is there anybody out there who would like to go on this journey with me? Would you be willing to share some love-stimulating ideas, experiences, or stories right here? This isn't my blog, it's OURS. It's TrinityTogether, and we're trying to help each other 'love one another' and 'all people.'
