MOVING FORWARD - pastor mike landry

As I’ve been preparing to speak at the Pastor’s Conference of the Southern Baptist Convention next week I’ve been learning a lot more about the importance of love when living “on mission.”

Most of us interpret “being on mission” in terms of being extremely focused and committed to accomplishing the God-given objective of “making disciples.” (Matt 28:19) If we’re not careful we can get so busy that we forget that the mission is ultimately about connecting people to Jesus Christ. I’m amazed at how easily I can get bogged down in the details of the mission and forget the main thing.

Well, this is nothing new to God and He actually introduced his chapter on love with this tendency of ours in mind. Thought I’d share it with you here along with a few of my thoughts since I won’t have time to share it in Louisville.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NASB) 1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

1. Without love, the noises we make only drown out the message we try to share.

1 Corinthians 13:1 (NASB) If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

CONFESSION - I've thought that my creativity and innovation in communication would be enough.


2. Without love, our theological understanding and faith is nothing more than a badge we wear that alienates us from lost people.

1 Corinthians 13:2 (NASB) If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

CONFESSION - I’ve thought that if I understood it and believed it, that it should make sense to everybody else.


3. Without love, our sacrifices can become short-term solutions to long-term problems.

1 Corinthians 13:3 (NASB) And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

CONFESSION - I’ve thought that the nobleness of my sacrifice could be a worthy substitute to an intimate and personal relationship with God.


Our mission is to connect people to the One who is love, Jesus Christ. That is why love must be included in our strategic thinking and purposeful living. May we never forget that the mission is about reconciliation. That is why the Father sent the Son. That is why the Gospel is called Good News.

Labels: 1 Cor 13, Love, mission, missional, reconciliation

Valentine's Day has alway produced a spirit of excitement around here. My house is always redone in reds, hearts, sweets, flowers, and "I love you" cards. We're talking a total makeover. Not my idea but Cindy's. I would never think of decorating like that. We never did that when I was growing up. I'm thinking if you have to go to all that trouble to decorate for Valentines Day, it means you're going to have to also take time undoing it afterwards. Sounds like a lot of unnecessary work.

But I'm sure glad my wife, Cindy, does it. It has proven to be a great investment in my children's lives (as well as mine). It has created a climate of love over the years in my home and has proven to be contagious among my kids. It has nurtured a proactive and caring spirit in my children that was demonstrated this past weekend.

TTK#3 occurred last Saturday. TTK stands for "Tie the Knot". It's a term my kids came up with whenever one of them gets engaged. Last Saturday, my youngest, Michelle, was proposed to. In fact, my son called it, "TTK - The Last Battle" (as you can see, a term of endearment nurtured by many years of exposure to the "Valentine makeover).

I'm amazed at how each of the engagements have worked out. The planning of "the GREAT ASK" has always been a joint strategic effort of all three kids. And this time was no exception. In fact, daughter Beth actually flew down here to help with the logistics while Jason, bound to commitments in medical residency, was limited to audio/visual Skyping before, during, and after "the GREAT ASK". It turned out, as have the previous two engagements, to be a great moment and memory.

I'm discovering that love is not something to just talk about or feel or write about. It must be demonstrated and constant. It's the planning, the sacrifices, the traditions, and the time invested that really pays off. Sure, it's a lot of work to love somebody over the long haul and to be creatively enthusiatic about expressing it...but it certainly worth it. And if Mom and Dad model it, who knows...maybe the kids will pick it up and pass it on too.

Oh yeah. I never said it would be easy. Yesterday, I attended a Chickflick entitled, "Confessions of a Shopaholic." It was a date with my wife and daughter. I had to keep reminding myself that taking them to a movie they'd like to see (as opposed to one I think we'd all like - "Pink Panther 2") was the best way for me to say, "I love you." Yes, I left the movie numb and confused, but the circulation finally improved and I am able to breath again normally. The best part was knowing that my girls heard me say loudly with my actions, "I loved you." And yes, I said those words too.

Labels: chickflicks, engagement, Love, valentine

My last post began identifying the choices we must make if we are to genuinely love someone. Following are the next 8 choices described in the love letter from God.

9. Love does not keep a record of wrongs done unto it. "thinks no evil" 1Cor 13:5

10. Love refuses to gossip. "does not rejoice in iniquity" 1Cor 13:6

11. Love looks for something good to say and then says it. "rejoices in the truth" 1Cor 13:6

12. Love first carries the burden of others before trying to fix the burden. "bears all things" 1Cor 13:7

13. Love sees the weakness but believes the best. "believes all things" 1Cor 13:7

14. Love never lowers God's standard. "hopes all things" 1Cor 13: 7

15. Love is prepared for the long haul. "endures all things" 1Cor 13:7

16. Love chooses to get back up when beaten down. "love never fails" 1Cor 13:8

As you can see, love is never dependent on feelings. Love always involves choices that often conflict with your feelings. You cannot ever trust your feelings because they are so influenced by your circumstances and daily mood. Love, at least in God's opinion, is never optional. Therefore is boils down to our decision to love. It's no wonder the love of God is confounding, unexpected, and overwhelming.

Labels: choices, feelings, Love

Jesus said the second greatest commandment was "to love your neighbor as yourself." He prioritizes our relationships with people above everything else except our relationship with God; which happens to be the greatest commandment.

Some people are lovable and some are not. But our love for people cannot, and should not, be dependent upon whether they are lovable. Love is not to be a response to someone who makes you feel good. Love is so much more than a feeling or returning a favor.

We live in a culture that pressures us to see love as simply a feeling to be experienced and to be paid back. That's one reason why people can so quickly "fall out of" or "fall into" love. It's all based on the emotion of the moment.

But, the biblical definition of love is not dependent on your feelings but rather on your decisions. 1 Corinthians 13 is not a list of feelings you hope to have but rather a list of choices you must make. You are not powerless when it comes to loving others.

I've put together a check list of these choices and hope they help you, as they have me, to better "love one another."

LOVE CHECKLIST:

1. Love gives in to the inclination to forgive. ("love suffers long" - 1 Cor 13:4)

2. Love meets the needs of others. ("love is kind" - 1 Cor 13:4)

3. Love helps others to succeed even if it costs you personally. ("love does not envy" - 1 Cor 13:4)

4. Love refuses personal recognition that puts down others. ("does not parade itself" - 1 Cor 13:4)

5. Love is honest and humble. ("is not puffed up" - 1 Cor 13:4)

6. Love chooses behavior in consideration of others. ("does not behave rudely" - 1 Cor 13:5)

7. Love looks for ways to bless others. ("does not seek it's own" - 1 Cor 13:5

8. Love does not look for a fight. ("is not provoked" - 1 Cor 13:5

To Be Continued.


Did you know? Albert Einstein said, "My passionate sense of social justice and social responsibility has always contrasted oddly with my pronounced lack of need for direct contact with other human beings and human communities."

Labels: choices, feelings, Love, relationships