LESS IS MORE                                                                    EAST BAY FELLOWSHIP

(Series, #1)                                                                                                 August 6, 2006

LOVE – THE MOTIVATION FOR MORE

TEXT: 1 Cor. 13:1-7

INTRODUCTION

· Less of me equals more of God.  Less of my ways equals more of His.  Less of the crowded commandments of the church and the world around me equals more of God’s love.

· I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.   John 10:9-10 (NKJ)

1) LOVE IS AT THE HEART OF EVERYTHING

· Spiritual gifts and deep-dish sacrifices are not synonymous with God’s love.

· There are no substitutes for love.

· And I know it is far more important to love him with all my heart and understanding and strength, and to love others as myself, than to offer all kinds of sacrifices on the altar of the Temple.   Mark 12:33 (TLB)

2) LOVE COMES FROM THE HEART OF GOD

· The truth is we are all still growing in our belief in God and some of these characteristics of love don’t fit into our box.

· For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.   Deut 4:24 (NIV)

· Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire."   Heb 12:28-29 (NIV)

CONCLUSION

· 90% of all people who fail in their life's vocation fail because they cannot get along with people.   The Carnegie Technological Institute