All you need is love? Da-da-da-da-da-da....

The other church I visited was on Long Island, North Shore Community Church, where my friends M&C attend.

I arrived at the launch of their '40 days of love' series created by Rick Warren...the guy who also wrote 'Purpose Driven Life', which made it's way around Sydney christian circles some time ago.
The series is based on the 2 most important commandments (Mark 12:29-31) 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength....Love your neighbour as yourself'.

Why is love the primary objective in life?
Rick Warren refers to the first few verses in 1 Corinthians 13 - If I don't live a life of love:
Nothing I say matters (v1)
Nothing I know matters (v2)
Nothing I give matters (v3)

Pastor John and Rick Warren advise against hopping on 'the love train' and 'trying to love' better as this is not the point. It is something much deeper and a call to follow Jesus and model His love.
Pastor John asked some people from the congregation to share who in their life is the best model of love (besides Jesus) and in one sentence what would they say about how to love. Some of the answers were 'not to judge a book by it's cover', 'see people through the eyes of Jesus', 'don't hold onto 'grudges' and 'give whenever you can'.

Pastor John shared how recently his congregation took spiritual gift surveys. Some people are more people oriented whereas others are task oriented. He advised that the task oriented people will probably find it harder over the next 40 days, compared to those who are people oriented due to how relational loving can get. Although, he did say maybe some of the people oriented will need to just sometimes roll up their sleeves and get dirty to action a task in love!

It will be interesting to hear how my friends and their church go after being guided through 40 days of love. Pastor John is expecting testimonies at the end of this period.
How aware are we and how seriously do we love ourselves and others?