Receiving God’s Love

“It takes time to understand what love really is.” – Pastor Kenneth Bryant

God continues to choose us even when we don’t choose Him.

“Sometimes there are things in us that interfere with the frequency with God’s love.” – Pastor Kenneth Bryant

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THREE POINTS THAT BLOCK PEOPLE FROM RECEIVING THE LOVE OF GOD

POINT 1: How People Treat You is Not an Indicator of God’s Love

• Jesus was betrayed by Judas, ridiculed by religious leaders and abandoned by disciples
• The Father was still well pleased with His son (Matthew 3:17)
• How people treated Jesus was not an indication of the Father’s love
• How people treat us is not an indication of the Father’s love for us

Restoration:  “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

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POINT 2:  What Happens to You is Not an Indicator of God’s Love

• If suffering were evidence of God’s absence, the cross would be the ultimate proof the Father abandoned His Son
• But three days later — the tomb was empty
• The resurrection reveals the crucifixion was never the whole sentence — it was a chapter
• The Declaration: Don’t stop reading mid-paragraph. Your current chapter is not your conclusion.

Restoration:  “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

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POINT 3:  What You’ve Done Does Not Determine God’s Love

• Christ died for us while we were still sinners
• God’s love was not conditioned on performance before salvation — it will not be revoked by failure after it
• The story of the prodigal son is a perfect depiction of God’s love.

“God does not wait for you to clean up. He runs toward you while you’re still on the way.” – Pastor Kenneth Bryant