LifeTalk Podcast
LifeTalk is the official podcast of LifeHouse Church MOT. Our heart for this podcast is to help our church grow and to go deeper here at LifeHouse. We’ll be interviewing staff members & hearing their testimonies. We’ll be discussing various topics such as parenting, marriage, day-to-day functions of the ministry and so much more from a biblical perspective. Our goal is to help equip our church to glorify JESUS in every area of life.
LifeTalk Podcast
Love That Acts
Love that never costs you isn’t love at all. We press into agape—the biblical love that acts, gives, and endures—and connect December’s focus to the whole arc of a faithfully different life. From the birth of Jesus to his determined walk toward the cross, we see how God’s love moves first, tells the truth, and changes how we live with family, friends, and even enemies.
We unpack the difference between eros, phileo, storge, and agape, and explain why that clarity matters for modern relationships. Then we get practical: what does “love in deed and truth” look like in a home, a marriage, a church? We talk about praying on the spot, serving without fanfare, and choosing presence over performance. We also wrestle with boundaries and stewardship—helping real needs quickly and generously while refusing to enable destructive patterns. Love isn’t silent when harm is near, and it isn’t harsh when truth must be said.
Along the way, we keep the focus on the Spirit who empowers what the flesh can’t. The Great Command calls for our whole selves; the Spirit supplies the strength. Unity becomes visible when a church greets the stranger, cares for the vulnerable, and speaks truth with humility. In a divided culture, that kind of love becomes a credible witness. If you’ve wondered how to make love more than a slogan—how to move from sentiment to sacrifice—this conversation gives you handles you can use today.
If this resonated, subscribe, share with a friend who needs courage to love well, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Then tell us: what’s one tangible way you’ll practice agape this week?
New episodes every Monday
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Intro music by Joey Blair
What's up, Life Talk family? Welcome back to the Life Talk Podcast. We are excited to be coming to get to you today for another great episode getting into the month of December. Wow, how did that happen?
SPEAKER_02:Believe it. I know. 2025 is coming to a close. It is. It is unbelievable. Time flies.
SPEAKER_01:It is. But a new month means a new and our final this year, faithfully different themes. So I'm joined by our lead pastor, Pastor Mark. How are you doing today? What's up, Life House? Yeah, good to have him. So I think this is, you know, we're keeping score. You know, we got Cody, Jason, Mitch. I think this is two or three. So we'll have to get you get you back on this. It really is. Thank you for having me. Uh, we appreciate you making some time for us today. And so you'll be bringing us the word, or brought us the word, I guess, at this point, uh, for we love. And man, it's just been a year journeying through a lot of topics, but maybe you can just kind of share, you know, your heart and why this is, you know, our final topic as we're wrapping up the year within.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. I mean, our theme for this year has been faithfully different. Like our heart, our desire, first and foremost, is to be faithful to our God, who is always faithful to us. His steadfast love endures forever. He's faithful even when we're faithless. He is faithful. We want to be faithful to him, to serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. And just by nature, if we are going to be faithful to the Lord our God, we are going to be different than the lost and dying world that we live in. And so, yeah, we've had and and focused on uh several different themes throughout the year, I guess 11 thus far. But this is kind of the summary month. Uh, we love is the theme for this month. And really, you could say that this kind of speaks to all the themes, you know. I mean, the reason we invest in the next generation is because we love the next generation. The reason that we go with the gospel is because we love the world, you know, that God sent his son to die for. And we want them to know the truth of the gospel and thereby be saved. We love, so we go. And we could really say that that's kind of the motivation and inspiration behind every aspect of us living our lives in faithfulness to our faithful God. And so I'm excited uh this month specifically to focus on that. I mean, uh December, we celebrate the birth of Christ. Again, the motivation behind God sending his son, the motivation behind Jesus coming, the birth of Christ was love. Jesus was born to die. He was born, he came like motivated by love to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. Jesus came to die. He went to Jerusalem. And this is what inspires me. You know, I mean, there's a verse in the Bible that says, We love because he first loved us. Our love is a response to the love that we have been confronted with in salvation. And I'm telling you, and I say it often, that one of my favorite uh just when I picture and and read through the gospels and so often come across where it it speaks of Jesus making his way to Jerusalem, like starting with his birth, even at Christmas, when we focus on that in particular, but just you know, his face was set like flint, like knowing exactly what would happen to him when he got to Jerusalem, knowing that he would suffer. I mean, Ephesians tells us for the joy set before him, he endured the cross. Why? Because he knew what it would accomplish for us. Why? Because he loves us, right? He loves his sheep. We are his sheep. And so, as someone who has received that love, been made aware of that love, like, man, I love him back. And because I love him, I love what he loves, and I love who he loves. And this, in essence, what the Bible communicates, Jesus communicates, and Paul and in the epistles, we see it all throughout scripture. Like, as the people of God, I mean, God is love. Yep. We're his people, like we are his children. We're to be marked by love. Like, we are that that's to be our identity. Like the lost and dying world should not be confused about who we are. They should see love expressed in tangible ways, right? Uh, in first John chapter three, we're told to love not just in word. It's not a wrong thing to express I love you, to say I love you, or to sing I love you. We do that every Sunday when we sing songs. But but what John the Apostle says is, no, let's love indeed and in truth and sincerity. Like actions speak louder than words, and we want to impact the world. We want to reach the world that that God is sending us out into for his glory and for the advance and furtherance of his kingdom. And our motivation behind all of it is not fear or the wrath of God, right? There's no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, but because we love the world that God loves, the people that God loves, we see them. God has given us eyes to see them. We can't not see them, right? We see them as Jesus in Matthew chapter 9, as harassed and helpless, a sheep without a shepherd. And we can't be indifferent to what we see with the Spirit of God in us gives us the eyes to see. Like we, we, we should be compelled, right? That the love of Christ compels us, the love for Christ, the love we have for Christ compels us to go, to do, to be faithful.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I think, and great, great point you make, and I think that'll segue a little bit. You said love indeed. You know, like when you actually say I love you, you're kind of you got to back that up. You can't just say it and then do nothing about it. You can't say I love God, but then I don't pray or I don't love his people or I don't read his word. You can't tell your husband or wife I love you, but yet we never go out to dinner or spend any time or do anything together. I don't do anything for our relationship. So I think especially saying that I love you then almost kind of writes a check that you got to cash through. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, and actions speak louder than words. You know, what's the saying? Talk is cheap. That's right. So show me the money, so to speak, right? You know, I mean, like really put your money where your mouth is, uh, and where your treasure is, there your heart will be also like, and so yeah, I mean, I think it is a good thing to say and to express verbally. I love you. I tell my wife, I'm very free to do that. I love you. We're a fan. I know that there are families that are different, and it's not really part of their culture or their personality to kind of express or say those things. I I would say, even beyond my family, though, I remember uh kind of a unique experience here. There is a dear couple who uh senior couple, Larry and Lou Brakefield, who have since moved. They they went to Georgia, they went back and moved to their roots to be with family, and we missed them desperately and significantly. Like they were such a part of what God has done and was doing here. Um, but they were in our life group, our connect group, and they're from the South, right? The Bible belt. And I I Larry used to and used to make me feel uncomfortable. Like he would say when he would leave, or or just love y'all, you know, and he meant it though. Uh and it was really impactful to me. And the thing about it is, as a as a pastor, church planting pastor, early on in Lifehouse's history, like I remember feeling such deep love for the flock, for my brothers and sisters in Christ, but so intimidated to actually say what I felt, especially to my brothers. You know, it's easy to say it to kids and stuff, but yeah, like Nate, I do. I love you, man. I do. But and it's so easy for me to do, but I would say Larry, as an example, really just knowing how it impacted me and how much I appreciated him saying that, really, I remember one day just deciding, like, I don't care, you know, if if it's awkward, you know. I think it is awkward at first, and now it's just so comfortable for me. And I do, I say that I I I was actually kind of chuckling because uh I'm a regular at the YMCA here in Middletown, and I love seeing so many people from our congregation there. And I know it's probably so weird for the other people exercising, but when I see my brothers and sisters in Christ, they're often I'll say love you, you know, to them. And I know these people are thinking, well, that dude's weird. But we do, you know.
SPEAKER_01:But I think that brings in a great point of how we define love, you know, because it feels awkward because I definitely think in this theme, our culture, our society, the English language in general, for those who've been following our Monday videos, we've been kind of telegraphing that this was coming because if we get the definition of love wrong, then that's what can create a lot of, I think, like the fear of thinking that it's this romantic love, like, oh, people are gonna think the wrong things. And I think one, the English language, so maybe you can talk to some of like the Greek is so much deeper when it comes to how to express love. So maybe you can talk about a couple of those definitions for those who haven't heard those and the Bible are.
SPEAKER_02:And it's fascinating, you know, not to get too nerdy when it comes to this, but many different words in the Greek that are translated with the word love in the Bible. So there's Phileo, which is brotherly love. It's where we get the word like Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love. I mean, so that's kind of interesting. There's Eros, which is kind of where we get the word erotic, you know, and so like uh sensual love. We make love, Eros love. Um, there's storge, which is kind of familiar, familiar love, but then there's agape love, you know, and that's what we're talking about when we love. We're not talking, you know, we say love, we love pizza, we love puppies, we love chocolate chip cookies. We're not talking about that kind of love. We are talking about the the love that Christ demonstrated, that that God demonstrated that when we were still sinners, Christ died, Romans 5.8, right? Sacrificial love, not self-seeking love, uh, sacrificial love, love that that acts, right? And so that's the type of love. I don't know if that's you we could get into and just specifically talk about the nuances of those different words, but you're right. We're talking about a very specific type of love, a deep love that demands demonstration, right? That that cannot stand by when made aware of a need. Like, like seeing a need because of agape love, it it's just like a response, you know, it's it's active.
SPEAKER_01:And I would even say reflecting on some of those, like eros is almost like more of a self-centered love. Like it's an erotic, like I'm trying to experience pleasure, or you know, the romanticism, which again in our society very common. And then I would say phileo is more of a mutual, like we have a friendship, like you're not gonna phileo somebody who you know you're you're gonna expect kind of a a relationship there. Whereas agape is, like you said, a sacrificial love, expecting nothing in return, just willing to lay down, willing to it's a truly stuff by definition gives. Exactly.
SPEAKER_02:Yep. A love that by definition gives, and even willing in sacrificial ways.
SPEAKER_01:Yep. Yeah. So that's pretty key, I think, for our listeners, and again, yeah, in 2025, you know, United States, American culture, like love. Like you said, people will sometimes throw it around too loosely, you know, just loving puppies, ice cream, you know, like, okay, well, what does that really mean that you love that? You know, is what kind of relationship, or that it can just be about feelings, you know. Too often, you know, especially later this month, we'll have some great testimonies as far as some parenting and and marriage as well, but you know, that love has to come with, you know, something of ourselves that we put into it, I would say.
SPEAKER_02:At the end of the day, it is a love that is empowered by the Holy Spirit. I would say that it's a love that is not natural to us in its fullest sense. You know, I think that we can comprehend what agape love is apart from Christ. I think non-believers can comprehend what agape love is, but to the fullest extent, and when it is actually experienced, it is a work of the Spirit of God. It is a divine love. And uh Yeah, I mean, it's interesting. We are commanded, so the great commandment, right? Uh, and again, remember Jesus, it's King Jesus, it's the Lord Jesus Christ, and all authority in heaven and on earth have been given to him. He doesn't make suggestions, he gives commands. And the great commandment is love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, with all your strength. And the second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself. You know, I mean, this is the great commandment, and the second is like it, and impossible for us to do in and of our own selves, in our own in and of our own strength. And let's just be honest, like, we're not quite there fully. Like, if we're honest with ourselves as I pray, search my heart, O Lord, like speak to me. You know, I don't love God with all my the flesh is still in the mix, like the battle is there in opposition to the spirit that's leading me in that love. And I do love God more today than I did yesterday. I'm growing in my capacity to love. And in fact, the more I understand and comprehend how much God loves me, the more I love him back. And so that's a natural thing response. But it is by the spirit. We're given commands not just to love God and our neighbors, but Jesus says that we're to love our enemies. Like, what? Yeah, like how do we do that? And again, only by the power of the Holy Spirit, but it is possible. Like with man, it what's impossible with man is possible with God. And he enables us to do that. You know, we're in Ephesians 5 commanded by the Apostle Paul, ultimately by God through him, to love our wives, husbands, right? As Christ loved the church and gave himself up for the church, like we're to give ourselves, be willing to lay down our lives for our wives, and as first uh John chapter 3 says, for our brothers, right? Like to put our pride, our desires aside and even be willing to die if necessary. You know, I think of testimonies throughout the ages of believers willing to die. And I, you know, I'm a lightweight. Um, I I wonder and I pray, oh Lord, if I was ever in that situation, I would have to trust that you would give me the strength, the ability to be faithful to you. I know that I can only be faithful, faithfully different, by his power and his strength. Like Jesus says in John 15, 5, apart from me, you can do nothing. Right. Uh Jesus says in John 5, uh during the Sermon on the Mount, Blessed are the poor in spirit. Like by God's grace, I'm I'm poor. I know that like I'm bringing nothing to the table except for my weakness, my need, my inability. God doesn't want our inab our ability, he wants our availability. And so that's what by grace I'm saying. Like, here I am, like, use me, but help me be faithful. Like, I want to be able to love my enemies because that's what you want me to do, Lord. So help me do that. I want to be able to love my wife. And he gives me the ability to do that, and not in a way that's burdensome. This isn't like pull up my bootstraps and do what I don't want to do. This is like, Lord, help me. And as we obey, like there's blessing. God blesses obedience. There's joy found in obedience. Like there's I think about you know, loving indeed, and I the the principle of pouring yourself out, like like giving it all, giving love in tangible ways, being generous, uh, meeting needs, going the extra mile in the strength and power of the Holy Spirit. Like, you know, when you pour yourselves out, he fills you up. Like God gives you the ability and the capacity to love. That's that's who we are, that's what we do. We're to be marked by love. I think the world is so confused today about Christians because we're not what we should be in this regard.
SPEAKER_01:The church don't show that love, and that's what brings that accusations of intolerance and that being unloving in so many ways, which I know we can talk about the truth and love aspect, but I think you know, some things you said there, especially marriage parenting, are probably uh it was a great quote going through one of our marriage studies recently. Like, you learn more about the love of God through marriage and parenting than you will in a century in a monastery. Like you want to experiencing and having to pour out and sacrifice to lay yourself down for your wife, for your kids. Like you can't be a good parent without sacrificing, right? You know, like you just can't. So that's where you have to actually act out that love. And then I think, like you said, the filling up as we act out, then the spirit fills us up. The feelings, a lot of times we say, like, well, I'll do it when I feel like it. And I think, like you said, even in those challenging times, are we ever gonna feel like, you know, like those sacrificials? Like, no, our flesh is gonna be like, I don't want to do this. This is uncomfortable, this is hard, this is painful. It's love that will drive us to those actions to live that out.
SPEAKER_02:I think the spirit will lead us to do that. That's why we got to keep crucifying the flesh with its passions and its desires. Like we want to walk with the spirit, by the spirit, bearing the fruits of the spirit, which are love. For one, joy, peace, and the list goes on.
SPEAKER_01:And I think that's was it love, faith, and hope. I think a good thing I heard one time is of the three of those, which will be in heaven? Love. Yeah, you know, we won't need faith or hope because we'll be sighting. We will see God, we will be in his presence right there. So but love will still be there. And I think also you might speak a little bit. This is why the Trinity is very critical doctrine, because you know, like, well, how does God even, you know, how is God love? How does God know if God is not three and one? You know, I think that was something that really strengthened my belief in relinity. Yeah. That God is a relational God. So he the love that is within God, why he can define himself that way and express himself that way, and where that even comes from. I don't know if that kind of speaks to that of why sometimes we don't buy in, you know, I want to buy in, but people don't stand on that doctrine as much as I could. That's good.
SPEAKER_02:Uh thanks for mentioning that, because I agree. And I think that that does give insight into the importance of love. I mean, even just because it's tied to unity, you know, as a church, you know, uh we're not just to love one another, even though, like in 100. Chapter 3, like Jesus says, even in the Gospels, a new commandment I give you that you love one another. Um, this is how you will know my disciples by your love for one another. But because unity and love, agape love in this way, is is impactful. It's a witness. Um, Jesus prayed in John chapter 17, the high priestly prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, Lord, make Father, make them one, referring to the church, the disciples, and those who would believe as a result of their gospel ministry, make them one, as you and I are one. You know, you know, and so yeah, love facilitates that type of divine, glorious unity that testifies to the lost and dying world that that is a mark that is easily recognizable and identifiable as different from what the world has to offer.
SPEAKER_01:Yep, definitely so. So I think hopefully everyone's picking up. Like the idea of love is, like we started, so foundational. Why it is so critical to all of the themes we've had in 2025 is love is what drives the work, the investment, the going, even our love for God. Why we pray, because we love God and we know He first loved us, why we love His Word, because He's spoken to us like that all comes from a love of God, a love of neighbor, like you said, that that flows out from that. And I even say this too, like we we could do whole episodes on worldview, but kind of like the Christian worldview of you know, everybody says, Well, how is you know everything that's wrong with the world, how will things change? We're in such a dividing society. The only way it's gonna change is getting that definition of love and caring, like you said, for our enemies, for those we disagree with, all of those kind of things is only gonna come, you know, it can be cliche that you know it's through love, you know, but let's get the definition of love right, and that's why I think as Christians we have to model that love in in a very tangible way if if we're gonna be faithfully different, like you're absolutely yeah, and and I do think that uh the world may not int interpret our loving deeds as loving.
SPEAKER_02:You know, I I think about and I say it all the time here at Lifehouse Church, that one of the most loving things that you can do is to speak the truth when you know the truth. Yes. You know, the world tells us, this is being faithfully different. The world tells us sit down and shut up, you know, like don't make it things uncomfortable, like you know, like coexist and you know, let everyone believe what they want to believe. But no, because we know what we know, because we know that apart from Christ, men will be condemned, they're condemned already because we know that salvation is only found in the Lord Jesus Christ. Like, and we we we can't like stand by and not speak the truth when we know the truth. Like it would be unloving to not speak the truth when we know the truth. And so the world may interpret uh our loving acts in proclaiming the gospel uh and going in Jesus' name to the ends of the earth as unloving, you know. But we know in our hearts before the Lord, like that's the motivation, the inspiration for for going, for doing all the things, for preaching, proclaiming the gospel, even when it makes things uncomfortable and it shakes things up.
SPEAKER_01:I agree. And yeah, it's I think it was a good thing I heard one time. The opposite of love is not anger, but it's actually hate. And really the ultimate form of hate is indifference. Yeah, the unwillingness to tell the truth, to actually be honest with somebody. Like, how much do you have to hate somebody to see them destroy themselves and do nothing? You know, how much do you have to hate somebody to know the truth and not tell them? You know, so like a lot of times people are like, Well, I don't want to tell them they're a sinner, or I don't want to, you know, tell share my faith. Well, you know, that would be a lack of love. It just would be in those cases. So, like you said, telling the truth is the most loving thing you can do. Now, you express the truth in a loving way, where not too many people come at it like with a sledgehammer, you know, just I'm gonna beat you over the head with truth. Well, that's not a love, all truth.
SPEAKER_02:And I think that there are people that like to argue and they like to just want to debate, and so they'll preach the truth and they'll be like, hey, I'm just being a Christian, I'm being obedient. I really do think it's important for us to search our hearts when we speak and and how we speak, like and make sure that the motivation and inspiration for what we're saying and how we're saying it is love. You know, even you know, to the down to disciplining our children, right? You know, and I know there's all kinds of ideas and philosophies and theories about the best way to parent, you know, whether you should spank or not spank, you know, and all those different things. Ultimately, like how you speak and when you discipline your child, love should be the motivation behind the actions, the words, all of it. You know, and again, kind of tying back to what we talked about in sharing the gospel, our young child may not interpret our discipline as loving. But as parents, we got to know, like, like that that the reason we're disciplining is because we love our child. Like we're we love them too much to leave them the way they are. We want to train them, to prepare them, to be adults and to strengthen them and and equip them. And that that comes like no pain, no gain, you know, in essence. And so we want to make sure that that though the motivation behind what we're doing is loving, despite how they may or may not, you know, interpret it.
SPEAKER_01:And that's even biblical. God disciplines those he loves. You know, like to not discipline your child or to not speak the truth to somebody who you see is like really headed down the wrong path, is like really on a path of self-destruction. You you don't love that person if you're not willing. Now, again, you're not doing it in such a way that it's like you said, check your heart. Like, why am I doing this? Because too often, like you say, some people want to win an argument or you know, they want to sound superior, you know, or put themselves up rather than humbly say, you know, and a lot of times as Christians, we can say, I used to be where you are. So I'm telling you the truth. Like, hey, I've been there, you know, so I'm sharing the love of what God has done for me in my life, sharing that same love with you.
SPEAKER_02:So maybe I'm gonna open a can of worms here. Uh-oh, but you know what? Somewhat controversial, how much time we got here. So something that comes to my mind is just the I think misconception. I think that as a pastor, one of my burdens early on, when presented with so many, not just spiritual needs, but physical needs. I mean, we always say when you put people in the mix, you put problems in the mix. I mean, just plethors of problems. It's just just it's a reality. And so oftentimes people say, Well, you're the church, like, meet my need, love me, like bring it, you know. And there's kind of this expectation, if you will, and an entitlement, if you will, to receive from God's loving people, right? You know, like you have, I need. So, you know, give. And and so I remember feeling so liberated by what Paul writes to Timothy, and I think it's 1 Timothy chapter 5, when he writes about widows. Sure. And so I can picture Timothy, relate to Timothy as a young pastor at the time, probably in the same way, all these widows, and again, in that in that day and context, widows were destitute in a way. You know, they just didn't, women in general didn't have the opportunities men had. And then if widows had no husband to vouch for them, to protect them, to provide for them, like they were really in dire straits. And so, you know, true religion is this caring for the orphan and the widow. People have probably heard that communicated from James. And so they're like, I'm a widow, like, pay up, like I'm in need. But the apostle Paul told Timothy, really kind of categorized these widows. And he said, Listen, if a widow has a family that can provide for that widow, in essence, if the widow has sons, you know, and family that can take that widow in and provide and protect for her in the way that her husband would have otherwise, like let the family be responsible for her. Don't feel like you, as the church, have to be responsible for her. And then he speaks of widows who are were self-indulgent. I think that's the word that he uses specifically, that had, you know, they could care less about God. They didn't fear God, they were going to do what they wanted to do, they just wanted more. And so they're holding their hands out to church saying true religion is this, caring for the orphan and the widow, like pay up. Paul says, let them be self-indulgent. Like, don't feel responsible, or like you have to enable, in essence, their sinful actions by providing for them.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I think you bring up a great point that we want to make sure to clarify is everything we're saying doesn't mean you get taken advantage of.
SPEAKER_02:Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01:I think that's where you're going with that. Is like love doesn't mean we just gotta like anytime we're presented with a need, like we don't want to enable.
SPEAKER_02:And in fact, like even there's another category. Uh, there were widows that were young enough to get married again. Like for whatever reason, maybe their husband died on the job and they were young enough. And Paul said, encourage them to get married, you know, to find a husband that can protect them so that the church won't necessarily feel and and be responsible for them. So, in essence, if if someone can help themselves at the end of the day, that's how I interpret that. Let them encourage them to help themselves, like don't necessarily enable laziness or apathy, you know, like you know, you know, help them get on their feet and help themselves. But when they're, and Paul says, when they're truly a widow and in need, that's when you should help them and feel the obligation and responsibility to help them. And we should, as loving brothers and sisters, as people of God who have received the grace and provisions of God, if we have the ability to help people, we should feel the responsibility to do so. Not in a way, though, that enables sin and sinfulness, I would say. So it's not just like this legalistic statement Christians should not feel the responsibility to in every circumstance you know, give.
SPEAKER_01:And I think that's yeah, like spiritual needs versus physical needs, too. Like we should always be loving spiritually. I think the unity you communicated, speaking truth to people about spiritual needs. Then when it comes to physical needs, that's a tangible way that we express love, but to your point, we're not called to be taken advantage of. We're not called to, you know, well, we're called to be good stewards.
SPEAKER_02:Exactly. I mean, of the resources that God has entrusted us with. And it's not necessarily being a good steward of those resources if you're enabling sin and sinfulness. That's right.
SPEAKER_01:You know, but that that love maybe look like helping them find work, helping them train, you know, not just giving them a fish, right?
SPEAKER_02:Teaching them to fish, in essence, rather than giving them a fish. Absolutely. But at the end of the day, again, so so guard against the legalistic thoughts. Uh whether you feel them yourself or people come at you with them. But at the end of the day, like, yeah, be loving. And when in doubt, do it, I would say. Like, er on the side of love, you know, and pray about it. Grace. Like we've been, we've received grace. So let's show grace to people. We who have received mercy, let's show mercy. Like uh Jesus commanded that, expects that, right? Um, so that's all tied to loving. If we if we don't have love, right first Corinthians 13. All we are is a noisy gong and a clanging cymbal. God forbid that that would be us. Yep. You know, we want to be a sweet sound to the Lord's ears as we sing but as we act, a fragrant aroma to him.
SPEAKER_01:And I think as we kind of bring it to a close, we could talk love. Oh, we could go on and on, man. Like you say, we could relate it back to every single month we've been through, but hopefully for the Life Talk family, getting the idea, and I think appropriate, you know, wrapping up both foundationally as well as heading into the Christmas season, you know, the gift of God's son that love involves giving, sacrifice that we've talked about, you know, just in so many ways. But as a church, you know, when people come in on a Sunday morning or or interact, you know, what would they say? Would they say that was a loving church or not? You know, do they feel that love and that comes from going out of your way to greet somebody you don't know or you know, talk to somebody or or make effort rather than just come in and you know, if we're all just kind of in our own little bubble, that's not a loving congregation that people are going to experience. So if we want people to experience the love of Christ, that should be something that marks us really all the time, but especially like Sunday mornings in our gatherings as a church body, there should be that difference that is tangibly expressed. And and you'll feel it, right? Like you'll kind of feel that whenever you go. You know, if it's a hot church or a cold church or a lukewarm church, like it's really gonna come to that level of how is that love of God playing out amongst us?
SPEAKER_02:Absolutely. And just I I know we have to close, and I'm really I'll be honest, I'm frustrated that we have to close because there's so much to be said. But one more thought that just kind of came to me as you were speaking is um love does just not love does not merely respond. You know, when we see a need, we respond. Absolutely we should. Sure. But I would say love pursues proactive. Proactive. Like let's be on mission looking for needs. Not just like if I mean there's times when because you know I'm I'm a slow learner, the Lord just like literally knocks me upside the head or puts something right in my face because I'm like, I didn't see it, you know. But we should actually be looking, seeking for opportunities to give, seeking opportunities to be generous, seeking opportunities to pray, seeking opportunities to go, like with our eyes open, looking, you know, being aware of we live in a you don't have to look far. That's true, but actually look, seek, you know, and you will find. I I believe it, you know. But but so just just the idea is don't just sit merely respond when given an opportunity, do but I would charge beyond that to actually pursue opportunities, be a blessing. You who have been blessed, be a blessing to someone. Like pray, Lord, who can I be a blessing to? That's right. That's a prayer that God will answer. I have no doubt. He will show you who you can be a blessing to. And it may not necessarily be financially, it may be just do writing a card, it may be just giving someone a hug, sitting beside them, speaking to them, sharing truth with them. I mean, we could go, there's just so many different ways you can do that. It's not just we're not just talking about giving financially, meeting financial needs, but practical needs.
SPEAKER_01:Uh give time, give attention. You know, even like you say, we could go on, but like whether it's parenting or you know, marriage, like it ain't about buying them stuff, it's about giving them your time. Too many families, parents are like, I just they have everything they want, but they don't get my time. So, like you say, there's so many different expressions that need to be considered, and you can show love in a lot of different ways. Again, I think like you're saying, that's we have kind of a materialistic society, so sometimes that's again, we get that definition law wrong that it has to be some kind of monetary or material thing, but that's also not true, which again we could dive way into even more. And and we will in some of our upcoming episodes this month of expressions of love that are not just related to giving uh true love praise. That's right.
SPEAKER_02:You know, I mean you can't, if you love people, not pray for them, you know, knowing that prayer is profitable. That's right. We're saying I'll pray for you and not pray.
SPEAKER_01:Let's pray right now. You know, that's true. Love praise. Can I get an amen? Amen to that. But well, Life Talk family, thanks for joining us. Pastor Mark always appreciates your time, and we look uh forward to journeying this month. Thanks for your message on We Love and and just I think this year's been a blessing. So we look forward to wrapping it up this month. Amen. All right, thanks, uh Life Talk family for joining us. We'll see you next time. Thanks for tuning in to the Life Talk Podcast. If this episode encouraged you, please be sure to like, comment, subscribe, and leave a review so others can find this content as well. And we'll look forward to seeing you next Monday for another great episode.
