NPFCC

Jesus said the greatest commandment is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength.” In the Shema, those words call us to much more than simply believing in God or feeling affection toward Him. We are invited to love God with our whole inner life, our entire embodied existence, and everything we have—our whole “muchness.” God is not meant to be one relationship among many, but the relationship at the center that properly orders every other love in our lives. And this love doesn’t begin with us trying harder to love God; it begins with receiving the love He has already given us. As His love becomes more central in us, it should increasingly reshape the way we love our spouses, children, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and everyone around us.

For more information about our church, visit npfcc.org

To help support the ongoing work of NPFCC and our mission partners around the globe, you can make a donation at npfcc.org/give

For more information about our church, visit npfcc.org

To help support the ongoing work of NPFCC and our mission partners around the globe, you can make a donation at npfcc.org/give

For more information about our church, visit npfcc.org

To help support the ongoing work of NPFCC and our mission partners around the globe, you can make a donation at npfcc.org/give

For more information about our church, visit npfcc.org

To help support the ongoing work of NPFCC and our mission partners around the globe, you can make a donation at npfcc.org/give

For more information about our church, visit npfcc.org

To help support the ongoing work of NPFCC and our mission partners around the globe, you can make a donation at npfcc.org/give

For more information about our church, visit npfcc.org

To help support the ongoing work of NPFCC and our mission partners around the globe, you can make a donation at npfcc.org/give

In Matthew 7:15–23, Jesus warns that correct beliefs, spiritual appearances, and impressive ministry accomplishments are not the same as truly knowing him. False prophets may look like sheep, and destructive fruit may appear good from a distance, but a person’s true character is eventually revealed by the fruit their life produces. The Christian life is not about earning God’s approval through religious activity; it is about abiding in the love of Jesus and allowing his Spirit to form genuine love, joy, peace, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control within us. Jesus’ words, “I never knew you,” are both a sobering warning and a gracious invitation to stop performing, surrender our striving, and rediscover the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.

Scripture References: Matthew 7:15–23; John 15:4–5, 9; Galatians 5:22–23; Philippians 3:7–9; 1 Corinthians 13:1–3.

Sources: Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount; The Gospel of Matthew by William Barclay; teachings from Tim Keller; BibleProject; A. W. Tozer on abiding as “habitual, conscious communion” with God.

 

For more information about our church, visit npfcc.org

To help support the ongoing work of NPFCC and our mission partners around the globe, you can make a donation at npfcc.org/give

For more information about our church, visit npfcc.org

To help support the ongoing work of NPFCC and our mission partners around the globe, you can make a donation at npfcc.org/give

For more information about our church, visit npfcc.org

To help support the ongoing work of NPFCC and our mission partners around the globe, you can make a donation at npfcc.org/give

For more information about our church, visit npfcc.org

To help support the ongoing work of NPFCC and our mission partners around the globe, you can make a donation at npfcc.org/give