Beloved: Abiding

This message confronts one of the most profound tensions in our spiritual lives: we intellectually know God loves us, yet struggle to feel and experience that love. Drawing from 1 John 4 and Romans 5:5, we're invited to explore why this disconnect exists. The sermon identifies three major barriers: our broken experiences with love in this fallen world, the rising cynicism of our culture that steals our hope, and unconfessed sin that distances us from intimacy with God. But here's the beautiful truth—God's love isn't just an abstract concept. It was made flesh in Jesus, born into our world so we might have life through Him. The key phrase 'through Him' reminds us that spiritual life isn't self-generated or self-sustained. We don't tap into an impersonal force or earn our way to God's affection. Instead, we live through continuous dependence on Christ, who mediates every facet of our relationship with the Father. The practical pathway forward is refreshingly simple yet deeply challenging: immerse ourselves in Scripture to discover the God of love, pray not just for things but for the experience of God Himself, and participate in His love by serving others sacrificially.