so reads our theme verse for this year:

“dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves, has been born of God and knows God.” (1st John 4:7)

Such a lofty ambition, it is, to love.

So many definitions of (this crazy little thing called) love.

Every so often we stand at a point we imagine to be maturity. I’ve sacrificed, I’ve gone the distance, I’ve been hurt and yet I’ve loved. I do something special for a friend, I let myself be stepped on, I am patient and I tolerate, how could you say I don’t know love? And so we tell ourselves we know it all. We’ve learnt to love, we know the tricks and how to hold out for a friend in need.

And then some more.

For everything I’ve done, there is somemore.

For all the talk about understanding love, and learning to love, we have not seen it all.

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.” (Philippians)

What has love got to do with knowledge and discernment? Where stands its bearing upon sincerity and purity?

Love is not just an action. Love is not something we try to prove. Love cannot be distributed as we hop from one person to the next, and love is not easily dispensed.

Love is far larger than that, love is far greater than that. Love is a response to Christ’s death on the cross. Love’s feeling Christ’s heart for the lost. Love’s exchanging your minute worldview for the vastness of His glory. Love brings you to your knees. Love shatters your heart because you see, for the first time, that you mean everything to Him. Love’s seeing that it hurt Him, it pained Him, to love you.

We love, we can love only because, we experience His love, because He first loved us. All attempts at love fall short, if we try to love in our own capacity. It’s no use deciding and willing yourself to be loving. It’s futile trying to be a vessel of love. Love comes, (and it can only be this way), as a flood. It overwhelms, it engulfs. Love stops you short in your tracks and freezes you in your spot. It’ll scar for life but you’ll know you’ve been touched by the God of love.

And then there’s no more try.

No longer will you try to generate love. The only way to love is to first look to God, and to understand his character and his passion for you. Get to know the God of love, and in that world that’s turned upside down, love will not seem a chore of a command. Love will be the commonplace. Anyone who loves, who truly loves, is born of God and knows God. All of love, begins at God.

contact groups are small groups that meet for a time of worship, prayer and fellowship (and dinner, of course)!

CGs (in arts) meet on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday! Each session lasts an approximate of 2 hrs once a week.

For more information or if you are interested in exploring this as an option, please email us.