Sunday 13th February 2022

If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love. Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, Doesn't have a swelled head, Doesn't force itself on others, Isn't always "me first," Doesn't fly off the handle, Doesn't keep score of the sins of others, Doesn't revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end. 1Corinthians 13:6-7 (The Message) Tomorrow is Valentine's Day (& someone's birthday...hmmm...trying to remember...) where it traditionally is a day for celebrating love in relationships or would-be relationships...yet the verses above seem to reveal a deeper kind of love than what we usually get fed through various media channels. This is the kind of gritty, practical, love-at-work love that we're invited to display to those around us. Praise be to Jesus that his love IN us enables us to do just that. God's love through us is what we aim to show the world. We have a 9am service at church this morning for families, where we will be thinking about different kinds of love in action followed by a service at 10.30am where Nigel is preaching on us being courageous with those around us...again, love in action. Neither service will be live-streamed. The Prayer Topics from Richard Cracknell can be found by clicking here May you know the Lord's love for you in a deeper way this day and in the days to come. Blessings, Dave

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