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CURRENT RADIO SERIES Portraits of Enduring Faith   CURRENT TV SERIES Life Together

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” --John 13:34-35 You’re probably familiar with the Ten Commandments. But did you know there is another commandment that can transform your life? It’s Christ’s command to love others. When we really love through the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, we not only impact the world around us, but we can transform our own lives from the inside out. When you and I love others as Christ loves, we will see the world differently and we will react to others in a different new way. The personal benefits are incredible! That’s why Jesus said that when we abide in His love and obey His commandments, our joy will be full. For instance, when you and I love others like Christ, we become healthier psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually. We develop strong and lasting relationships. And we get the fulfillment of living beyond ourselves. Anyone who’s ever spent any time and energy helping and loving others can attest to this! For me, I know some of the most memorable moments of my life have been spent teaching a child how to throw a baseball, hammering a nail into a Habitat house, serving food to the hungry, or just being a friend to someone in need. Jesus challenges us to love from our hearts with how we live our lives. In the book of John He said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” When we follow Christ’s command and love others, we can change the world. Yet at the same time, loving others also changes us. What a bonus! How can you demonstrate Christ’s love for someone in your life today?

Building on the Rock

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.”
Luke 6:47–49

Because of the frequent earthquakes we have here in California, the design and material of a foundation is critically important. Each time we have built a new building for the church or the college, we have had architects and engineers do careful planning to ensure that the foundation is laid in such a way as to withstand the shaking of the ground that comes with an earthquake. It would be faster and cheaper to just start building on the surface rather than dig into the ground, pour concrete, and reinforce it with steel. But taking the shortcut is a recipe for disaster.
The same is true in our lives. It requires effort, sacrifice and commitment to obey the commands of Christ. It means giving up the temporary pleasures sin offers and rejecting short-term expediency for the sake of eternal reward. It means that we value the things of God over the things of the world. It means that we stand for and do what is right even if no one else is willing to do so. This kind of commitment is the foundation for a life that withstands the storms. The storms come to everyone—the difference in response and outcome is found in the foundation.
 

Today’s Growth Principle: 

The only way to succeed as a Christian is to base your life on the foundation of obedience to Jesus Christ.