Playlist:

playlist Go to the Enemies, Loving (topic) playlist

Loving Your Enemy

Sermonette by Clyde Finklea

Scripture speaks of helping an enemy and "heaping burning coals of fire on his head." This seems to imply revenge, yet the Hebrew idiom indicates otherwise.


'But I Say to You' (Part Seven): Love Your Enemies

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Many scriptures direct us to show kindness to strangers and even our enemies who persecute us. With God's Spirit, we override the fight or flight response.


Love God, Love Neighbor

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The outgoing concern toward other beings begins with God the Father to Christ to us. How much we love our brethren may be a good gauge of how much we love God.


Love

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John O. Reid

God appreciates when we show concern for others, developing the maturity to overlook the slights others have made to us. Love sets an example for others.


Our Part in the Sanctification Process (Part Two): Cultivating Love

Sermon by David F. Maas

The opposite of selfishness is not self-hatred, but mature self-love, loving ourselves as a responsible, caring parent would (or should) love a growing child.


Love Thy Neighbor (Part 1)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Jesus set the bar very high when it comes to love. We no longer live for ourselves, but to Christ, who commands us to love everyone, including our enemies.


Love's Emotional Dimension

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Love doesn't become 'love' until we act. If we don't do what is right, the right feeling will never be formed; emotions are largely developed by our experiences.


Thou Shall Love Thy Neighbor

Sermon by John O. Reid

We are obligated to show compassion and mercy to all, refraining from gossip, exercising righteous judgment, forgiving others and applying the Golden Rule.


The Fruit of the Spirit: Love

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Love is the first of the fruit of the Spirit, the one trait of God that exemplifies His character. Here is how the Bible defines what love is and what love does.


Love Thy Neighbor

Sermon by John O. Reid

As the Good Samaritan took pity on what normally would be his adversary, we are obligated to be sensitive to the needs of those around us, enemy and friend.


John 3:16: Does God Really Love the World?

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God does not love everybody equally. Nowhere does He tell us to prefer the ungodly world. Though He tells us to love our enemies, but not to be affectionate.


Love's Greatest Challenges

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

An irrational fear of loss prevents the development of agape love — we fear that keeping God's commandments will cause us to lose something valuable.


The Absence of Love

CGG Weekly

Paul fought against discord by reminding the brethren that the church is united in Christ, and that He requires His followers to show love to each other.


Go and Do Likewise

Sermon by Bill Onisick

Without the gift of God's Holy Spirit, it is impossible to understand the kind of love which Christ commanded of His disciples.


The Purpose of Relationships

Sermonette by Ryan McClure

The marriage covenant was designed to bring incomplete components of the God image together in one flesh, from which other relationships developed.


By This Shall All Men Know You

Sermon by John O. Reid

A native practice involves leaving a young man on a remote island with only a bow and arrows until he learns to become a man, and God does something similar.


The Second Greatest Commandment

Sermonette by Clyde Finklea

Jesus said the greatest commandments were Lord toward God and neighbor. There is no connective between the first and second clauses; they cannot be separated.


River of Life

Sermon by Bill Onisick

I Corinthians 13 describes the assaying instrument to detect the purity of love. Our need for love never ends as we move through the sanctification process.


Just What is Mercy?

Sermonette by Clyde Finklea

It is impossible to become perfect without having mercy or compassion. Jesus' command to become perfect includes showing compassion to our enemies.


Parable of the Good Samaritan

Bible Study by Martin G. Collins

This well-known parable describes working compassion as contrasted to selfishness. It also clarifies just who is our neighbor.


Hitting the Mark

Sermonette by Bill Onisick

One definition of sin is 'missing the mark,' as hamartia denotes. Unless our righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees, we have failed to reach our goal.


The Tongue: Our Tool of Power

'Ready Answer' by Staff

Our hurtful words can create scars that last longer than any physical scar that sticks and stones may cause. Christians must harness the power of the tongue.


Vengeance is Mine

Sermonette by Bill Onisick

Christ counsels us to love our enemies in order that we may be children of God, demonstrating not only His mercy but also our sonship by being peacemakers.


Listen To The Lamb's Voice

Sermon by Mark Schindler

The movie Ben-Hur captures the essence of the time and ministry of Christ. By letting go of anger and hatred, we take on the yoke of Jesus Christ.


Offerings (Part Five)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

We give peace offerings today through living sacrifice, keeping God's law out of love and to glorify Him rather than just to perform duty.


Deuteronomy and Holiness

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

God has provided the God-plane marriage relationship to teach us how to submit to one another, sacrificing our self-centeredness for the benefit of our spouse.


Do Unto Others and Reap What We Sow

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Reaping good fruit does not happen immediately. If we feel we are not reaping, we must consider that we might be reaping some negative things we have sown.


Blessed Are the Meek (2014)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

In Paul's listings of virtues, meekness always appears near the end, reflecting its difficulty. Meekness is the gentle, quiet spirit of selfless devotion.


Reach for the Goal

Sermon by John O. Reid

Similar to the way people pull together in times of crisis, we must also have a goal, a vision of the finish line, in order to overcome and grow.


Forms vs. Spirituality (Part 3)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God's holy law gives love its foundation, stability, and evenness, preventing it from degenerating into a sappy, sentimental feeling.


Should a Christian Go To War? (Part 2)

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

God alone has the prerogative of giving and taking life. As ambassadors of God's heavenly Kingdom, we do not take up arms on behalf of any nation on the earth.


Philippians (Part Two)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

Paul both appealed for unity among the Philippians and offered encouragement, reminding them that their relationship with one another was through Christ.


Carrying Water for Jesus Christ

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Ted E. Bowling

The parable of the Good Samaritan depicts a way of life God intends all His called-out Saints to follow.


Prayer and Persistence

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Persistence in prayer does not mean an incessant pestering God into action. God always looks at our petitions from the vantage-point of His purpose.


John (Part Twenty-One)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

The humble attitude exemplified by Jesus in footwashing shows the mind of God. God expects us to follow Christ's example of loving others, flaws and all.


Humble Service

Sermonette by Ted E. Bowling

Jesus modeled the practice of foot-washing to demonstrate the need to be submissive to one another, to serve one another, including those who betray.


Is the United States a Christian Nation? (Part Seven)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

When the U.S. Congress wanted to put 'In God we Trust' on currency, the Seventh Day Adventists objected, arguing that the U.S. has never been a Christian nation.


John (Part Twenty-Two)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

Jesus encouraged His disciples by promising to send the Holy Spirit to empower them for the challenges of the Christian life, making us sensitive to God.


Matthew (Part Seven)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Jesus, showing the spirit of the law, warns against rash divorces, taking oaths, invoking God's name frivolously, realizing that a covenant is binding.


The Two Great Commandments: First Principles

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

God made male and female in His image and has determined that the binary metamorphize into unitary in order to accomplish higher Spiritual purposes.


Biblical Principles of Justice (Part Three)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Though the Old and New Testament are complementary to one another, the emphasis of justice in the New Testament switches from national to personal in scope.


The Sixth Commandment (Part One) (1997)

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Our society is becoming increasingly violent. The sixth of the Ten Commandments covers crime, capital punishment, murder, hatred, revenge and war.


Psalm 23 (Part Three)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

The valley-of-shadow imagery symbolizes the fears, trials, and tests needed to produce character, quality fruit, and an intimate trust in the shepherd.