“I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.”

As Paul comes to the crescendo of his “fool’s speech,” distinguishing himself from these false apostles, this sentence is a mic-drop. None of these “super-apostles” would ever have said something like this. This is how parents speak to their beloved children, not how “spiritual influencers” speak to their “subscribers.”

This is how those who know how much they have been loved then love. In preparation for this week’s message, take some time to slowly meditate on these passages and ask the Lord to make us people who love (1)  because he first loved us and (2) in the manner in which he first loved us.

1 John 4:19 “We love because he first loved us.”

1 John 3:16 “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.”

Romans 15:2–3 “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself.”

Ephesians 5:1–2 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

This Sunday Erik Thoennes will be preaching 2 Corinthians 12:11-13:4 and Kenny Clark will be leading our sung worship. Would you pray for each as they prepare? And we can turn each of those passages above into prayer for one another this week.

We will be concluding our morning services with the Lord’s Supper, proclaiming Jesus’ ultimate example of spending himself for our souls.

See you Sunday, Grace. Come hungry!

 

Song Link of the Week

King of Love by Steven Curtis Chapman

With the hands that formed the world You washed our feet
Kneeling down, You laid aside Your majesty
And You said for us to go and do the same
So we serve for the glory of our King