Love That Gives
- dd28379
- Feb 12
- 5 min read
Key Texts
John 3:16 (NKJV) — God loved, so God gave.
1 John 3:16–18 (NKJV) — Love is proven in deed and truth.
Mark 12:30–31 (NKJV) — Love God; love your neighbor.
Ephesians 5:15–16 (NKJV) — Redeem the time.
Introduction
Church, we say the word love a lot. We sing it. We preach it. We post it. But Heaven doesn’t measure love by vocabulary—Heaven measures love by movement.
Love is not just what you say. Love is what you give.
And I’m going to say something plain tonight: If you do not possess a passionate desire to give, think twice about calling it love. Because love, when it is real, leans outward. Love doesn’t just receive—love releases.
1) God Defines Love by Giving
Let’s start where Jesus explained love in one sentence:
John 3:16 (NKJV)
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Notice the order: Loved → Gave. God didn’t love and then keep. God loved and then gave.
So if I want to know what love looks like, I don’t start with feelings—I start with Calvary. Love is not merely a sentiment. Love is a sacrifice. Love is a gift.
2) Exchange Is the Evidence of Business, Not Love
Now let’s bring it home for the whole church—not just marriage.
Many people treat relationships like transactions:
“I’ll be kind if you’re kind.”
“I’ll serve if I get noticed.”
“I’ll show up if I get appreciated.”
“I’ll forgive if you admit you were wrong first.”
“I’ll be faithful as long as it benefits me.”
That’s exchange.
Exchange says: “What’s in it for me?” Love says: “What can I give because God has been good to me?”
Church, when our Christianity becomes exchange, we start doing ministry like business:
We give only when it’s convenient.
We love only when it’s returned.
We serve only when it’s seen.
But Jesus didn’t die for us because we could repay Him. He died because love gives.
3) The Proof of Love Is the Desire to Give—In Deed and Truth
The Bible doesn’t leave love in the clouds. It puts love in your hands.
1 John 3:16–18 (NKJV)
“By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.”
Let’s make it plain:
Love has eyes: it sees need.
Love has hands: it responds.
Love has feet: it shows up.
Love has truth: it doesn’t just talk; it acts.
So the question is not, “Do I say I love the church? ”The question is, “Do I have a desire to give to the church—my time, my help, my strength, my prayers, my resources?”
4) The Greatest Gift You Can Give Is Time
Now hear this: money is valuable. Service is valuable. Encouragement is valuable. But the greatest earthly gift God gives is time.
You can get more money. You can replace possessions. But you cannot get yesterday back.
So when you give your time, you are giving a portion of your life.
Ephesians 5:15–16 (NKJV)
“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
That means time can be wasted, stolen, and mismanaged.
And the enemy loves a church that is:
too busy to pray,
too distracted to listen,
too rushed to love,
too consumed to serve.
But uncommon love invests time.
The proof of uncommon love is the investment of time.
5) A Healthy Church Is Built on Self-Giving Love
Jesus told us what the whole law hangs on:
Mark 12:30–31 (NKJV)
“And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
A strong church is not built merely on talent. A strong church is built on love that gives:
People who give mercy.
People who give forgiveness.
People who give encouragement.
People who give prayer.
People who give service.
People who give generosity.
People who give time.
And the church becomes weak when we become consumers instead of contributors.
6) What Love Looks Like in the Whole Church
Let’s move from preaching to practice.
Love Gives Time
Time to pray for someone who’s hurting.
Time to call, check, visit, and encourage.
Time to show up—not just for worship, but for people.
Love Gives Compassion
We don’t step over people. We stop like the Good Samaritan.
We don’t gossip about wounds; we pour in oil and wine.
Love Gives Honor
We speak respectfully.
We don’t tear down leaders, members, or families.
We refuse to weaponize words.
Love Gives Forgiveness
Ephesians 4:32 (NKJV)
“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”
You can’t have revival in a church full of unpaid emotional debt. Forgiveness is love paying what the other person cannot repay.
Love Gives Generously
2 Corinthians 9:7 (NKJV)
“So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”
God loves a cheerful giver because cheerful giving looks like God—He gave willingly.
7) The Root Issue: You Can’t Give What You Haven’t Received
Some people struggle to give love because they are empty, wounded, guarded, or bitter.
But you cannot pour from an empty cup.
That’s why the first love we must receive is God’s love.
When His love fills you:
you stop keeping score,
you stop demanding repayment,
you stop loving only those who love you back,
and you begin to love like Christ.
We give because we received.
A Church That Loves Like Jesus
Church, imagine what happens if we stop doing love like business.
No more:
“They didn’t speak to me, so I won’t speak to them.”
“They didn’t help me, so I won’t help them.”
“They didn’t show up for me, so I won’t show up for them.”
Instead we say:
“God showed up for me—so I’ll show up for you.”
“God forgave me—so I’ll forgive you.”
“God gave to me—so I’ll give to you.”
Because the proof of love is the desire to give. And the proof of uncommon love is the investment of time.
If we’re honest, some of us have been loving from a distance—loving with words but not with sacrifice. Some of us have become transactional, easily offended, easily withdrawn, easily cold.
Tonight, God is calling the whole church back to first love—and love that gives.
Prayer
Father, in the name of Jesus, forgive us for transactional love. Forgive us for keeping score, for withholding, for being too busy to care. Pour the love of God into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Teach us to give like You gave—time, compassion, forgiveness, service, generosity. Heal what has made us guarded. Restore what has been broken. Make this church a living witness that love is not talk only, but deed and truth. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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