In this episode of the Weekday Podcast, Pastor Bobby explores the concept of sacrificial love based on Colossians 3:14. Unlike cultural portrayals of love as a feeling or transaction, biblical love is an intentional action that prioritizes others without expecting anything in return. True love requires slowing down to see others' needs, staying connected to Jesus as the source of love, and engaging in community to practice it. Bobby encourages listeners to look for opportunities to love sacrificially, emphasizing that fulfillment comes not from receiving love but from giving it. Ultimately, as believers grow in love, they become more like Jesus and experience the joy He promised.
Well, hey friends, welcome back to another edition of the Weekday Podcast. We're thrilled you're here. If you don't know, we're on Instagram, so give us a little search for Weekday Podcast, give us a follow, and as always, always, if there's any topic that would be helpful for us to talk about, feel free to DM us or drop us an email at podcast@sugarhillchurch.com
Well today I want to think about moving beyond comfort. Colossians 3:14 says, beyond all these things, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Now when you think about love, love is not about what you get. Love literally is about what you give to the people around you. When you think about what true love is, true love isn't about convenience. It's not what we can get from others. It's actually about sacrifice. It's about putting other people first without asking what's in it for me.
Now, the longer we walk with Jesus, the more we should become people of love. The kind of sacrificial love that isn't natural. It requires us to slow down, it requires us to stay close to Jesus, and it requires us to embrace the community around us.
I think a lot of times our culture portrays love as a feeling or as an emotion, something that just happens to us. But biblical love is an action, it's a choice, it's a commitment that often goes against our natural inclinations. It's the kind of love that Jesus demonstrated when he washed his disciples feet, including the feet of the one he knew would betray him. It's the kind of love that puts other people first even when they can't or won't reciprocate.
This sacrificial love requires three key things. Number one, I would encourage you to slow down enough to see other people's needs. Number two, stay connected to Jesus as the source of love. And then number three, be in community where you can practice this kind of love. When we're rushing through life, we often miss opportunities to love. When we're disconnected from Jesus, we try to love out of our own natural limited resources. When we're isolated, we lack opportunities to practice sacrificial love.
Now, here's the beautiful thing that's a paradox is that when we give love sacrificially, we often find ourselves more fulfilled than when we seek fulfillment from others. As we become people characterized by love, we become more like Jesus and we experience the joy that he promised. So today I want to encourage you look for an opportunity today to love someone sacrificially. It might mean giving up your preferences, your time or resources for someone else's benefit, but we can only give this kind of love when we first received it from God.
So today, what does this kind of love look like for you? And how might your relationships change if you focus more on giving love than getting it? Is there something you can do today that demonstrates this kind of love?
Have a great day. We'll see you back here soon.
