Thursday Dec 10 – Love Lavishly

The love chapter in I Corinthians 13 is often read at weddings and is rarely quoted at Christmas. But love is at the center of Christmas. Mary birthed the Son of God who was LOVE. We believe God is love, and He sent Jesus to the world, because of love. We are to love with His same kind of love. These descriptions of love should be how we treat others on a daily basis. Here’s a reminder from I Cor. 13:4-8 of the kind of ways we show love to them:
By operating in patience
By being kind
By not being proud, boastful or envious
By not being rude
By not being self seeking (or selfish)
By not being easily angered
And not keeping a list of wrongs
By not being happy when evil happens to others
But rejoicing when truth prevails
We protect, trust, hope and persevere for those we love

When we act that way, love will never fail. Love is not just something that we say; it really is something that we do. What a great truth, if you love God, you will do something – (I John 3:18). Well, since love is our focus during this week of Advent, why don’t you do something about it! And then try to do something about it, every day of the year. Love lavishly! We believe because of Jesus, that is what we are on the earth to do.

Mary Did You Know? By Buddy Greene, Mark Lowry

Verse 1
Mary did you know
That your baby boy
Would one day walk on water?
Mary did you know
That your baby boy
Would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
That your baby boy
Has come to make you new
This Child that you delivered
Will soon deliver you?

Verse 2
Mary did you know
That your baby boy
Would give sight to the blind man?
Mary did you know
That your baby boy
Would calm a storm with His hand?
Did you know
That your baby boy
Has walked where angels trod
And when you kiss your little baby
You’ve kissed the face of God?
Oh Mary did you know?

Bridge
The blind will see
The deaf will hear
The dead will live again
The lame will leap
The dumb will speak
The praises of the Lamb

Verse 3
Oh Mary did you know
That your baby boy
Is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know
That your baby boy
Will one day rule the nations?
Did you know
That your baby boy
Is heaven’s perfect Lamb
And the sleeping Child you’re holding
Is the great I Am?
Oh Mary, oh

Word of the Day: I John 3:18
Song of the Day: Mary Did You Know? By Buddy Greene, Mark Lowry