Faith’s Measurement
28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “ You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions. —Mark 12:28–34
Big IDEA: The primary measuring stick that God gives to assess our spiritual growth is LOVE.
35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” —John 13:35
True love is not just an emotion, it is an all-encompassing internal state leading to external action, all concerned for the benefit of the beloved.
Defining Love - 1 Cor. 13:1-8
Loving God requires all that you have
- Heart (Kardia) – Matt 6:21, Matt 13:15, Matt 15:8-11, 17-20
- Soul (Psyche) – Matt 26:38, Luke 1:46-47, Matt 10:28
- Mind (Dianoia) – Luke 1:51, Eph 4:18, Romans 12:1-2, Phil 4:8
- Strength (Ischyos) – Eph 2:10-11, Eph 6:10, 1 Peter 4:11
We cannot call ourselves “mature in the faith” if we do not love well.
1 This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. —2 Corinthians 13:1
If this seems impossible, that is exactly where God wants us…
One Missoula Church gives back to God through sacraficial giving that we use to help others discover and strengthen a relationship with Jesus Christ. We’ve removed every barrier and inconvenience to make this sacrificial act as accessible and simple as possible. At present, here are the avenues avialable to us:
- Sunday Morning - offering boxes on the communion tables at theback
- Snail Mail - postage-paid envelope included in the handout
- Text “1MSO” to 888-364-4483
- Online at https://onemissoulachurch.com/give
- Via the One Missoula App under the “Giving” tab
