Note before sharing the message: I’m not going to say much today. Just, this sermon is very much food for thought. If God allows, I’ll likely refer back to this in future posts regarding insights and thoughts that are coming to mind.
Church 2/8/2026
Offertory scripture:
Remember God; He gives you the power to get wealth.
““And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”
Deuteronomy 8:18 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/deu.8.18.NKJV
Sermon message:
Pastor Tim prays: Physical, emotional, mental situations: God notices and cares.
Be blessed in Jesus name. Be blessed in your body, your mind, your emotions.
Thesis: Understanding God and His love.
Point #1: God is love.
God Himself in His Word is love.
“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”
I John 4:8 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/1jn.4.8.NKJV
That means He’s not hate, mean, or vindictive.
Point #2: God loves mankind.
He loves all human beings.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/jhn.3.16.NKJV
“Whosoever” means human beings specifically.
“But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.””
I Corinthians 2:9 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/1co.2.9.NKJV
“casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
I Peter 5:7 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/1pe.5.7.NKJV
“Where you are right now, I care about you. Cast your care upon Me.” - God
“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.”
Psalms 46:1 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/psa.46.1.NKJV
Why is God there? Because He loves you. And because He loves all mankind, He loves you specifically as well.
Point #3: God wants people saved and people’s joy restored.
“Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’”
Ezekiel 33:11 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/ezk.33.11.NKJV
God takes no pleasure in the wicked dying and ending up in hell.
“who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
I Timothy 2:4 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/1ti.2.4.NKJV
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
II Peter 3:9 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/2pe.3.9.NKJV
“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
John 3:17 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/jhn.3.17.NKJV
The truth is all are condemned without Jesus Christ.
““He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
John 3:18 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/jhn.3.18.NKJV
God sent Jesus to uncondemn us. Jesus never condemns; but without Him, our own sins condemn us. But God still wants to save us.
Our joy can be restored by Jesus Christ after we do wrong and we are trying to do right.
“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.”
Psalms 51:12 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/psa.51.12.NKJV
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
I John 1:9 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/1jn.1.9.NKJV
You can have your joy returned to you.
The joy of the Lord is our strength. The devil will hound us to try to discourage us. But God still says He loves us and will restore us if we repent and return to Him.
The parable of the prodigal son. Jesus was telling this. Focus part is the latter part of the parable. Restoration of joy.
Point #4: God wants us to love each other.
“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”
Ephesians 5:1-2 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/eph.5.1-2.NKJV
“Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.”
Hebrews 13:1-2 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/heb.13.1-2.NKJV
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.””
John 13:34-35 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/jhn.13.34-35.NKJV
Point #5: God wants us to witness to and restore others.
“And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”
Mark 16:15 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/mrk.16.15.NKJV
Every creature, not only the ones we determine as good.
“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.”
Galatians 6:1 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/gal.6.1.NKJV
Don’t turn your nose up at other people. Don’t have a haughty attitude toward others in this way.
Consider Jonah. God took him to task on this. Jonah didn’t want Nineveh to repent and be restored. So God made a point to point out his hypocrisy. Nineveh repented. God was pleased. But Jonah wasn’t. And God had to make it personal to him to get this point across.
“You have had pity on a plant which you have not labored… should I not have pity on Nineveh?” - God
“But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?””
Jonah 4:10-11 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/jon.4.10-11.NKJV
Call to action: decide today to bless and restore others to faith and to joy.
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