How's Your Love Life?

ill.--lady in church was so negative, everyone agreed not to invite her to the church picnic. She caught wind of it and was really angry. They felt convicted and went to her to apologize. "We would like you to come." She replied, "It's too late...I've already prayed for rain!"

You wonder how some people can stand to live with themselves.

It can be a tough few minutes being in the presence of a person w/ no love in their life, but imagine BEING them. Think of all the time they spend w/ that person looking back at them from the mirror!

Conviction is your position. Affection is your disposition. We need the balance of getting both right. If your love life is right, it will affect your disposition.

Love is action. It makes you do things. It leads you to serve. The happiest person is the giver.

ill.--a person gets a case of stinkin' thinkin' and turns against his church, the pastor, a policy, etc. He decides to leave the church. I've noticed that usually when that happens we don't have to contact ministry leaders about filling the hole, because they weren't doing anything. We were already missing them in a lot of services, and almost without fail they didn't participate in offerings. The bad thing is that Satan takes opportunity in this and the guy takes others with him, and many of them are innocent, were involved in the ministry, and just get caught up in the wake of one who didn't obey v. 10.

If you are self absorbed it will make you bitter rather than better.

ill.--Senior saints can sometimes get the reputation of being cantankerous. Well it's not true if your love life is right...you'll get better with age, not bitter. We've got some of the sweetest seniors on the planet and love made the difference.

conviction, affection...

3. Enthusiasm.

v. 11 It's the God's business he's talking about. The church seems polarized today. You're either excited about God or not...no middle ground. I don't understand how some can sit in church looking like they just had a bowl of persimmons for breakfast!

I think it's hard to have too much enthusiasm [en theos = in God = enthusiasm!]

ill.--a bee stinger is only 1/16th of an inch long...the rest of what you feel is enthusiasm! And you may not feel like you've got a lot to offer, but you can be enthusiastic and fervent in spirit! Zeal for God is da bomb!

ill.--our teens come back from camp with zeal and enthusiasm, and I say what happens at camp shouldn't stay at camp! But I get the feeling some adults are saying, oh let 'em be, they'll get over it soon enough. Well I made the same decision they did, and it has been nearly 30 years, and I still have not gotten over it!

How's your love life?

ill.--a little girl told her mommy about her dollies: I love them and love them, but they never love me back. Does God feel that way?

ill.--orphanage worker saw orphan girl put something in the hollow of a tree. She went out later and it was a note: To anyone who finds this...I love you!

2,000 years ago God put His own Son on a tree, and the real sign written there said the same. People walk by and don't even notice, but God points to that tree and says, to anyone who finds this, I love you! Will you love me back?

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