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How
the Body Works
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Equipping
the Saints How the Body Works - Unity in Diversity How the Body Works - A Look at the Gifts How the Body Works - Love is the Best |
THE MATURITY OF THE BODY Love
Enriches (vs.1-3) Love gives the gifts the power. Ministry without love cheapens the ministry, and also those who are touched by it. (1 Thessalonians 4:9, 1 John 4:19, John 13:34-35, Romans 5:5) Love
is patient. It waits a long
time. It may well be that every prodigal that comes home may have a praying grandparent or parent to thank for it. My mother and father prayed for me for 38 years before I gave my life to the Lord. There are people in this church who have been praying for revival for years and years. We need to be patient with people. All too often we give people one opportunity to do things right. If they offend us once, they are out of here. This is not love. Love is patient. Love
suffers long. Sin often brings savage disorder to the lives of people. Sometimes it takes a long time for them to get over that and come to wholeness and healing. It's not always glamorous and pretty. People are broken, and sometimes we just have to be long-suffering. Love
is kind. God has demonstrated kindness to us in many ways. Many times we have had people demonstrate kindness to us. Can you remember what an impact it had to know that someone would be kind to you? Many people are afraid to approach a church because they figure that it will only make things worse if they go there. We need to be kind. |