The Christian Ideal:Loving God

“As Christians, loving God is our highest ideal.”

Different ways of loving God:

1. Psyching up pious feelings. 2. Humanist or philantrophic

endeavors3. Acts of pietyThese are not wrong actions, but they are also not adequate expressions of loving God.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and

with all your soul and with all your mind and with all

your strength.”-Mark 12:30

“Love God with all our Heart”• What Jesus meant by

heart?• To love God with all our heart is to be totally committed to Him.

How do we put the Lord first in our life?

• It requires a decision to obey Him.• develop a personal relationship with Him

• spend regular time with Him

“Love God with all our Mind”• When God created us, He

enabled us to think.• serve Him with the use of our

mind• Using our minds can have incredible consequences for society.

How do we love and serve God with our mind?

• Keep your mind clean and holy. • Use your mind according to God's truths and not according to the ways of the world.• Let your mind be preoccupied with the things of God.• Protect and preserve your mind • Use your mind actively for God's purpose.

“Love God with all our Strength”• giving God all our

resources• What are the concrete ways we can love God with our resources?

1. Money2. Time

Loving God is a very high ideal.• He was dedicated to

accomplishing his mission.• He was obedient unto

death. • He was constantly seeking the Father's will.

• Loving God is not as vague and impractical as you might think. Rather, it involves specific, practical actions, decisions and commitments.• You cannot do it merely by deciding to do it. What will make it possible is the power of the Holy Spirit.”

May God bless us all!