02/03/2026
This past Sunday we had the pleasure of the message brought to us by Walt Doud. Unfortunately, due to unforseen circumstances we couldn't record it. Below you will find his sermon notes and be able to read the sermon. Praying this blesses you!
-- Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience. — Anonymous Duty is ours, results are God’s — John Quincy Adams --
The Greatest Of These Is… LOVE!
As you all probably know by now, one of my most favorite and recited verses in the Bible is 1st Corinthians 13:13, which says: “Meanwhile these three remain: faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of these is love.” (Good News Translation).
Two years ago, I watched as my Dad’s mortal body failed, and he went home to be with Jesus. Then, last year, I watched as my Mom’s mortal body failed, and she, too, went home to be with Jesus.
As I have reflected back on the parents that they were, I stand here today to testify that they truly understood that the greatest thing IS love, God’s love, and how very critical it was to exemplify it in their lives as an example to their family and the others around them.
I saw it in the countless selfless acts that they did for their parents, their children and friends, sometimes even just acquaintances.
I’m not sure that I saw it then, but looking back, I see it in retrospect in many things: In the concern they had for the friends that I kept, the places that I went, the things that I saw, read, and heard, and their insistence that I be in church on Sunday morning… oh and Sunday evening youth group.
They were the “sowers” that Jesus talked about in Matthew 13. They didn’t know whether the seed would fall along the path where the Enemy would sn**ch it away, on rocky ground where it would spring up then wither away quickly, among the thorns of worldly materialism that would choke it out, or on good soil where it would flourish and bear fruit. However, they made sure that they had sown the seed, and that they watered it whenever they could.
They were no more perfect than you or I, but they understood that God’s love is the most important thing, and they did their best to fulfill Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and will for his abilities and talents], Even when he is old he will not depart from it.”(Amplified Translation)
I cannot say where I might have ended up, had I not had their foundational love and teaching. Nor where I might have ended up save for God’s love and His divine intervention in my life… often at times when I was not doing a good job of following Him. I believe that God blessed me even during my times of wandering, due to the prayers of my parents. It was their love through their prayers that they lifted up to Jesus on my behalf, that I was delivered from things I can only imagine could have happened, but didn’t. How can we ever know all of the things that the Enemy might have inflicted on us, that Jesus or his angels prevented because of the prayers of others out of their love for us?
As I mentioned at the beginning, Paul wrote: “The greatest of these is love”! Unfortunately, he neglected to include, “the HARDEST of these is LOVE!!!”. Why did God have to make the HARDEST thing a commandment!?!?! In John 13:34, Jesus explicitly says, “I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too are to love one another.” We won’t have any excuses when we stand before Him. Jesus made it very plain. It is so opposite of our own human nature… which is WHY it is the hardest thing to do.
I recently read an account of 21 Coptic Christians that were martyred in Libya in February of 2015. These men were taken hostage by Islamic radicals that beheaded them for their refusal to deny Christ. The thing about this particular account that really hit me powerfully was that the author of the article, towards the end, pointed out that the leader of the Islamic radicals wasn’t all that much different from Saul, before his conversion on the Damascus road… and that we should all pray that God would reveal himself to that leader such that he, too, could become a “Paul”. I have to admit that that was not the first thought that came to my mind when I read the account. How much do I fail at this, even though Jesus told me what I should do!!!
Then there is the excruciating instruction to speak the truth in love. Speaking the truth without love is usually perceived as judgment and self-righteousness, and leads to anger and strife -- which is fruitless. Speaking with love but without truth is also fruitless… it leads people astray. If we are to do as Jesus instructed, we must not abandon truth.
Ephesians 4:13 says, “...speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ”. So if we are to become a mature “body of Christ” spiritually, this is an essential aspect of our daily walk.
The only way we can hope to fulfill this commandment is to keep ourselves reading God’s word daily, praying daily, and joining together in fellowship with others of like precious faith. You can’t do something once a week and become excellent at it. 2nd Timothy 2:15 says, “Study to show thyself approved, rightly dividing the word of truth”. Imagine if you took a college course that lasted 30 minutes, once a week. Do you think that you could ever become a great surgeon? Or mathematician? Or if you only read the news for half an hour once a week… would you be well informed on world events? Or aspire to play in a professional sport, but only practice 30 minutes a week? All of those things sound ridiculous… and yet many people don’t make time to study God’s word. Ask me how I know… OK, maybe you have already guessed that, during my wandering years, that maybe I wasn’t listening to God’s instruction very well. I knew better, but I didn’t make it a priority. So I would encourage you to set aside time DAILY to read His word. Psalms 119:11 says, “Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee”. Reading the Bible once a week surely wouldn’t seem a good way to accomplish this goal. How exactly does studying the Bible benefit a person? First and foremost, it does give us the knowledge of Gods instruction, which prevents us from sinning against Him. Secondly, it comes back to our mind in times of trials and difficulties, to give us strength and peace, Thirdly, it teaches us HOW to succeed in growing in our faith. And fourthly, by becoming intimately familiar with God’s word, we can use our knowledge to lead others to Jesus. Have you ever asked an “expert” questions in their field of expertise, only to find that they didn’t have the answers, or that they had the wrong answers? 1st Peter 3:15 says, “ Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect”. You can’t be prepared to answer if you haven’t studied…
There is a quote whose origin isn’t 100% certain, that states, “If you fail to prepare, you’re preparing to fail”. Let us NOT fail God, by failing to prepare!!!
In closing, I would ask you to think right now about a time that would work EVERY DAY when you can read your Bible… whether it’s for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, a chapter, whatever you feel is doable.
