The Four Loves of the Collective

Love God. Love for yourself. Love One Another. Love the World.

There are the four loves that stand at the center of God�s great dream for humanity. They ring true in our hearts as the full expression of life and encompass the essence of Jesus� message and living in the way of revolt. When these four loves find a home in a people, history is forever changed for the good. As an ordinary rag-tag group of friends we have made it our goal, our joy, and our vow to love in these four directions because they allow us to know Him more fully.

After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.� (John 17:1-5)

1. Love God:

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. We love because he first loved us. (1 Jn. 4:10; 16;19) Come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. Your face, Lord, I will seek. (Is 55:3; Ps 27:8)

2. Love Yourself:

Jesus said, �Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.� The second is this: �Love your neighbor as yourself.� There is no commandment greater than these.� (Mark 12:30-31)

The second commandment could be rephrased this way: "As we love ourselves, so shall we love our neighbor". As we live out the first commandment of loving God, He reveals His heart for each of us. It's out of this relationship with Him where He shows us how much He loves us all individually and uniquely, that it shapes and forms how we love one another and love the world locally and globally.

3. Love One Another:

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:12-13) For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. (Matt. 6:14) Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs. (Eph 4:29)

4. Love The World:

As you go, share this message: �The kingdom of heaven is near.� Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. (Matt. 10:7-8) Pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ; pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. (Col. 4:3-5) If you spend yourself on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness (Is 58:10). (Also Eph. 6:19-20)

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Read First:
Going Inward
� The Four Loves
� Prayer & Fasting
� Worship & Justice Collide
� MLK Jr. on Non-Violence