Love-based Obedience

God is the perfect parent. He is unlike anyone we’ve ever known, and his love is unlike anything we’ve experienced before. Imagine knowing your parent loved you perfectly, and that their intentions and motives behind giving you direction was literally perfectly loving? That’s how God is with us. His wisdom and direction is something we can trust implicitly because he can trust his heart toward us, and that truth makes obedience a joy. As we explore love-based obedience today, may your heart be open to the goodness of your loving Father. Our Scripture for today comes from John 14:21 , and today's worship is Authority by Elevation Worship. -- When you trust Christ as your savior and Lord, you begin a relationship that extends into eternity. However, eternity doesn’t start in heaven, and you don’t have to wait until then to experience a full life in Christ. The truth is that we as Christians are called to invest in our relationship with God in this life as well as in the life to come. And that means becoming more like Christ every single day. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus provided a systematic ethic for how to be his disciples. It was a relatively short sermon, but God’s truth in that message has never stopped reverberating throughout the world. Our latest book, The Path to Purpose delves into the timeless wisdom of Jesus’ most famous sermon, the Sermon on the Mount. St Augustine described the sermon as “a perfect standard for the Christian life.” While we may doubt ourselves from ever achieving such “a perfect standard,” Jesus’ central message in his Sermon on the Mount helps us see that standard not as a burden but rather as a source of freedom, purpose, and a guide for living beautifully. To know more about God’s calling on your life, request your copy today of The Path to Purpose: Christ’s Vision for Your Life in the Sermon on the Mount, at supportfirst15.org.