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