FaceTime With Others Week 3

This powerful message challenges us to reconsider what we truly understand about love by examining it through the lens of Scripture. Beginning with the profound truth from 1 John that God IS love, we're reminded that authentic love cannot be fully grasped apart from understanding who God is. The sermon walks us through three biblical examples that reveal what love is NOT: Jacob's pursuit of Rachel driven by physical attraction and selfish desire, the disciples' abandonment of Jesus when following Him became costly, and Jonah's refusal to extend God's mercy to those he despised. These stories expose how easily we confuse love with lust, self-preservation, or comfortable religion. The climax comes at the Mount of Transfiguration, where Jesus could have remained in glory, basking in divine radiance alongside Moses and Elijah. Instead, He descended toward Jerusalem and the cross, demonstrating that true love is sacrificial, unconditional, and others-focused. This isn't just about romantic relationships but extends to all our connections with family, friends, and even strangers. We're called to love as Christ loved: not when it benefits us, not when it feels good, but especially when it costs us everything. The question becomes: are we willing to love people who don't make us happy, who aren't convenient, who might even be our enemies?