Learning to Love Ourselves

Sunday 29th October 2023

You are welcome to worship in person this Sunday at 10.15am.  Hand sanitizer and masks are available if you would like to use them.

We are also live streaming of our services.  The service can be seen each Sunday morning commencing at 10.15am.  Here is the link to our YouTube channel to access the live streaming: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHEm1fJeADpcP6gO1BsBKcg 

Matthew 22:34-40, Learning to Love Ourselves

In today’s gospel reading, the Pharisees ask which commandment is the greatest and Jesus responds with Judaism’s most fundamental passage known as the Sherma: “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Deuteronomy 6:5). However, he does not leave it at that.  He adds that another scripture, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18).  

In putting these two commandments together, Jesus is able to condense the 613 Hebrew Laws and the Ten Commandments into two laws. These two laws summarise his ministry on earth and tell all those around him what is important. Those who love God, must love what God has created – ourselves and others.

Love of God and love of neighbours are connected. We cannot love God rightly if we do not love our neighbours, especially our fellow Christians, and we cannot love our neighbours rightly if we do not love God (1 John 4:20). As we grow in our sanctification, we must find ourselves loving both God and neighbour more and more. If we lack love, biblically defined, for either God or neighbour, we are not living a life that pleases our Creator.  IL-WOONG.

Our Mission is to
Connect with people in Jesus;
Build each other up in faith; and to
Become Like Jesus.