1 Corinthians 1313 says,

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three.

But the greatest of these is love.

The greatest of all aspects of the Christian life is love.

Love is to be at the foundation of all we do, all we are, and all we hold on to.

If we focus on love and allow the Holy Spirit to strip everything else away,

what will be left is a life of blessed simplicity, rooted in face-to-face relationship with our Heavenly Father.

As we spend time this week looking at the simplicity of love, I pray that all the weighty, frivolous things of the world that rob you of an abundant life fall away in light of the glorious goodness of God's unconditional and wholly available love for you.

Welcome to the First 15 podcast. Our scripture for today comes from 1 John chapter 4 verse 19.

Scripture says, we love because he first loved us.

The fact that we are pursued by the creator of the universe is an unfathomable truth,

perfectly illustrating the amazing love our Heavenly Father has for us.

Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8 says,

for by grace you have been saved through faith.

And this is not your own doing.

It is the gift of God.

Those of us who have believed in

and accepted the free gift of salvation, have been lifted out of the

world's foundation of works-based living, and ushered into a new standard of grace. By grace alone,

we have wonderful, restored relationship with the God who passionately pursues us

in every season of life.

And by grace alone,

...