From the time that I have arrived at Village Green Baptist Church, I have been preaching from the book of 1 John. Now, John is writing to a specific audience with a specific purpose. He writes a lot about love, but keeps his application focused on Christians loving other Christians. This is important, and necessary. However, we may need to be reminded that God calls us to love more than just our brothers and sisters that we meet at church. Luke 10 offers a great reminder of the witness we are called to be. “On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” [Jesus] replied. “How do you read it?” He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Jesus tells the man that he has answered correctly, and then goes on to describe who our “neighbor” is. He teaches through a story that our neighbor is anyone who may need compassionate love, the kind of love that 1 John 4 teaches us that God demonstrated to us first. In another place in the Gospel books (Matthew 22), Jesus tells us that loving God with all that we are and loving our neighbor as ourselves are the two greatest commandments. Not only that, but Jesus goes on to say that those two commandments summarize all the writing of the Old Testament. It is imperative that we remember, even as we focus on loving our Christian brothers and sisters, as we study 1 John together that we not neglect the call to share love with those outside the family of God as well. You never know when the love you show to someone who doesn’t follow Christ will be the very thing that sets them on a new, life-long path, of following our Lord. There are many needs in this world, and you have just the right means to meet some of them. You can give your money to organizations that provide food and shelter to the homeless. You can donate your time, or your food, to a local pantry. You could help engage the refugees that meet at Village Green in English. You have valuable skills and resources that will speak love to others. Love your brother, and love your neighbor. Volume 8, Issue 3 March 1, 2016 The Newsletter of Village Green Baptist Church Life on the Green PAGE 1 LIFE ON THE GREEN VOLUME 8, ISSUE 3 ~Jeremy Straus
Transcript
From the time that I have arrived at Village Green Baptist Church, I have been preaching from
the book of 1 John. Now, John is writing to a specific audience with a specific purpose. He writes
a lot about love, but keeps his application focused on Christians loving other Christians. This is
important, and necessary.
However, we may need to be reminded that God calls us to love more than just our brothers and
sisters that we meet at church. Luke 10 offers a great reminder of the witness we are called to
be.
“On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what
must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“What is written in the Law?” [Jesus] replied. “How do you read it?”
He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with
all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Jesus tells the man that he has answered correctly, and then goes on to describe who our
“neighbor” is. He teaches through a story that our neighbor is anyone who may need
compassionate love, the kind of love that 1 John 4 teaches us that God demonstrated to us first.
In another place in the Gospel books (Matthew 22), Jesus tells us that loving God with all that we
are and loving our neighbor as ourselves are the two greatest commandments. Not only that, but
Jesus goes on to say that those two commandments summarize all the writing of the Old
Testament.
It is imperative that we remember, even as we focus on loving our Christian brothers and sisters,
as we study 1 John together that we not neglect the call to share love with those outside the
family of God as well. You never know when the love you show to someone who doesn’t follow
Christ will be the very thing that sets them on a new, life-long path, of following our Lord.
There are many needs in this world, and you have just the right means to meet some of them.
You can give your money to organizations that provide food and shelter to the homeless. You can
donate your time, or your food, to a local pantry. You could help
engage the refugees that meet at Village Green in English. You have
valuable skills and resources that will speak love to others.
Love your brother, and love your neighbor.
Volume 8, Issue 3
March 1, 2016
The News let ter o f V i l lage Green Bapt i s t Church
Life on the Green
PAGE 1 LIFE ON THE GREEN VOLUME 8 , ISSUE 3
~Jeremy Straus
~Village Green Baptist Church~
PAGE 2 LIFE ON THE GREEN VOLUME 8 , ISSUE 3
Annual Business Meeting— March 6 The next business meeting will be Sunday,
March 6 at 6:00 p.m. The agenda for the night
will include Annual Reports
from Village Green’s many
ministry teams. Please mark
your calendars and we will see
you there!
PRAY FOR OUR MINISTRIES
Staff —Christy Watkins, Worship Ministry Director
Leadership— Don Conrad, Facilities Team
VGBC People — Jim & Nancy Erickson; Pete &
Christine, Tyler, Jacob, and Allison Foster; Bill &
