Many Ways to Say I Love You
Not missing the message of Mr. Rogers
Ministering the gospel
Finding unique ways of communicating God’s love
We are all called to minister
2 Corinthians 5:17-20 (NIV)
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
Thinking there’s only one way to minister
There are
1 Corinthians 9:20-22 (NIV)
To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.
Not just what we say but how we say it
Discovering your own ways of saying I love you
1. Be What You Want to See in the World
When we are confronted by evil, lies, problems, injustice
Our first instinct is to point it out, condemn and protest
When the only tool you have is a hammer, everything starts to look like a
Fred’s solution to television violence
A colorful cast of characters
Luke 5: 27-32 (NIV)
After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Francois Clemens, From singer to police officer
A chance to embody change
What if we chose to
2. Quiet Acts of Kindness
When we encounter cultural division
Our first instinct is to say things loudly, impressively, big demonstrations
Black and white side by side
Jesus washes the disciples’ feet
John 13:3-5, 12-15 (NIV)
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
Sometimes the quiet voice speaks the
Crossing cultural divides
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
What if we crossed dividing lines with small, quiet acts of
3. Leading with Love
When we encounter disagreement and resistance
Finding the balance between truth and love
Ephesians 4:14-15 (NIV)
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
Our first instinct is to lead with truth and put love second
What if we led with love?
Gen Z is
Confusion when experiencing resistance and rejection
Earning the right to be heard
Fred Rogers taking a stand on tough issues
Years of laying the groundwork through love in action
Real, authentic care
1 John 3:16-17 (NIV)
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
How would people respond to us?
What if we took the
Please won’t you be my neighbor?
Genesis 33:10 (NIV)
“If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God…
Action Step: Finding many ways
Being the change
Quiet kindness
Leading with love