Curtis Brown Curtis Brown

How to love like Jesus

Welcome to Sermon Rewind, a 5-day devotional based on each week’s Sunday sermon. Feel free to subscribe for updates and resources! 

Of all the fruit of the Spirit, love comes first for a reason. It's the foundation from which all other spiritual qualities grow. But the love described here isn't just warm feelings or romantic notions—it's the radical, self-giving love that Jesus demonstrated throughout His life and ultimately at the cross.

This love costs something. It requires sacrifice. It means putting others before ourselves, even when it's difficult or inconvenient. It means loving those who may seem unlovable by the world's standards.

When we struggle to love others, we're often trying to manufacture this love from our own limited supply. But the beautiful truth is that we don't have to generate this love ourselves. The Holy Spirit produces Christ's love in us and through us as we surrender to Him.

Think about how Jesus loved—He washed the feet of His disciples, touched those considered untouchable, forgave those who betrayed Him, and ultimately gave His life for us while we were still sinners. This is the kind of love the Spirit wants to cultivate in us—not as something we achieve, but as something we receive and then pass on to others.

Bible Verse

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." - John 13:34-35

Reflection Question

Who in your life seems difficult to love right now, and how might seeing them through Jesus' eyes change your perspective and actions toward them?

Quote

The kind of love we see Jesus exhibit—that we’re to emulate—is self sacrificial, self giving love. It's the kind of love that actually costs you something.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, Your love is so much greater than mine. Fill me with Your Spirit so that Jesus' love can flow through me to others—especially those I find difficult to love. Help me to see others as You see them and to love sacrificially as Christ loved us. Amen.

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Curtis Brown Curtis Brown

How to begin growing spiritually

Welcome to Sermon Rewind, a 5-day devotional based on each week’s Sunday sermon. Feel free to subscribe for updates and resources! 

When we look at the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians, we often see it as a checklist of virtues to develop. But what if we've been looking at it all wrong? What if these qualities aren't a to-do list but rather a portrait of someone we already know?

The fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—is actually a description of Jesus Christ himself. Each characteristic reveals an aspect of His perfect character. When the Holy Spirit works in our lives, He isn't trying to make us better versions of ourselves; He's transforming us to reflect Jesus.

This changes everything about how we approach spiritual growth. Instead of striving to be more loving or patient through sheer willpower, we're invited into a relationship with the One who perfectly embodies these qualities. As we spend time with Jesus, we naturally begin to look more like Him.

Just as an apple tree doesn't strain to produce apples—it simply does what it was created to do when properly nourished—we don't need to force spiritual fruit in our lives. We simply need to stay connected to the source of that fruit: Jesus Christ.

Bible Verse

"Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." - John 15:4-5

Reflection Question

In what areas of your life have you been trying to produce spiritual fruit through your own efforts rather than through connection with Jesus?

Quote

The fruit of the Spirit is not a to do list of things to do to make yourself a better Christian. The fruit of the Spirit is actually a portrait of Jesus Christ.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, forgive me for the times I've tried to produce spiritual fruit on my own. Help me to remain connected to You, the true vine, and allow Your life to flow through me. I surrender my striving and invite Your Spirit to transform me from the inside out. Amen.

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