God’s Love is EMPOWERING!

Dear Foothills Family and Friends,

This week we continue the teaching series entitled: “The Love of God Is…” and Caryn Shoemaker will guide our thoughts into the deep reality that God’s Love is EMPOWERING!

We don’t often hear messages that remind us that God has given us the gift of self. You and I are created in God’s image, fashioned in the likeness of our Creator. This gift is accompanied by the ability to love ourselves. Tragically, many people do not love themselves—that’s a problem.

Jesus said the two greatest Commandments are to “love God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength. And love your neighbor as we love ourselves.” We need a healthy dose of self-love in order to be able to love others.

Too much self-love is pride, conceit, arrogance and self-absorption. Too little self-love and life becomes unfulfilling and has no meaning.

In John’s Gospel chapter 4, we see an encounter between Jesus and a Samaritan woman. Jews and Samaritans didn’t mix. More than that, men and women didn’t mingle in public.

Most people who knew this woman’s story treated her like dirt. But not Jesus. He treated her like a real person who had value. She recognized that He thought enough of her to actually offer her unconditional love and respect.

All Jesus asked for was a drink of water, and then he offered her the water of life.

In truth, Jesus allowed her to love herself once again.

John says “We love because God first loved us.” Our lives find their strength and power and purpose through God’s love. Through God’s love expressed in Christ, we are empowered to love ourselves as God loves us!

Hope you can join us this Sabbath for this special message as we continue to learn more about God’s love!

Duff