Playlist:

playlist Go to the Neighbors (topic) playlist

Filter by Categories

You Shall Love Your Neighbor (Part Three)

CGG Weekly by John O. Reid

We learn to love God by first loving our parents. Our first lessons in loving our neighbors happen within what should be the friendly confines of the family.

Be a Good Neighbor

CGG Weekly by John Reiss

Some have wondered, 'How far should we go in helping someone who is not in the church of God?' How does the Bible respond to this question?

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.

Our Closest Neighbors

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

We cannot have peace on a grand scale until we make peace with those closest to us. Without loving our brother, it is impossible to take on God's image.

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.

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 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.

Jumping Into the Shallow Pond (Part Two)

'Ready Answer' by Charles Whitaker

Communism presents itself as high-minded in its redistribution of wealth, producing prosperity for all. However, reality belies collectivist theory.

Have Mercy

Sermonette by Hunter D. Swanson

When we become fixated on past resentment, we will never find opportunities to display mercy, enabling a repentant brother to move forward.

No Real Love Without God

Sermon by John O. Reid

God's love is the true essence of what the world desperately needs, a love that brings peace, harmony, joy, happiness, fulfillment, purpose, and brotherly unity to all mankind. This love, defined as agape, reflects God's willful direction toward humanity, involving His desire to do what is best for us, even when it differs from our own desires. As John 3:16 reveals, God so loved the world that He gave His Son as a sacrifice, not to fulfill human wants, but to meet our deepest needs, offering justification through repentance and access to His Father. God's love is characterized by benevolence, a disposition to do good, marked by kindness, sympathy, and generosity in individual dealings, while His overarching plan is philanthropic on the grandest scale, aiming to elevate mankind to participate in the Kingdom of God. This love originates from God Himself, reflecting His Spirit in us, and as we exhibit it, we take on the nature of our Father. Those who reflect God's love show they are born of Him, while those who do not, regardless of their knowledge, fail to truly know Him. The proof of God's love is evident in the world He has provided, where rain falls on the just and unjust alike, in His patience toward us, and most profoundly, in sending His Son as a sacrifice to reconcile us to Him. Even when we were ignorant of His ways and opposed to Him, He loved us and sought our ultimate good. As I John 3:16 states, we perceive God's love because He laid down His life for us, and in like manner, we are called to lay down our lives for others, perfecting His love in us through active application in our relationships. This love is not our own but God's love within us, and as the Father and Son love, so must we strive to love our fellow man. John emphasizes that we love Him because He first loved us, underscoring that true love is reflected in our way of living. If we harbor hatred or resentment, we lack God's love, but if we actively love others, even forgiving as He forgave us, we emulate His nature and grow toward perfection. Perfect love casts out fear, granting us boldness to stand before Him, as we become like Him in this world. Jesus Christ taught that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, submitting every faculty to His will and devoting ourselves to glorify Him. The first four commandments demonstrate this direct love for God, ensuring no idols or other gods stand before Him, honoring His name in all aspects of life, and keeping the Sabbath as holy time to refresh spiritually and honor Him. The second great commandment, to love our neighbor as ourselves, extends this love to all around us—family, friends, countrymen, and even enemies—by seeking their good, denying ourselves if needed, and refraining from harm, even when their actions do not warrant kindness. Attaining God's nature and love requires keeping His commandments, not as a burden, but as essential boundaries that train us to become like Him. True love produces a desire to live God's way, and obedience to His Word perfects this love, establishing an intimate relationship with Him and His Son. If true love exists in the heart, it will be reflected in our actions, showing that we belong to Him and uniting all aspects of His calling in us. Above all, we are to put on godly love, forgiving others as He forgave us, cementing the understanding of His laws and opening His mind for us to emulate.

Jumping Into the Shallow Pond (Part One)

'Ready Answer' by Charles Whitaker

In an age when globalism is a reality, when immediate contact with far-flung peoples occurs every day, answering 'Who is my neighbor?' is a vital necessity.

'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.

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.

The World (Part 2)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Our intimate fellowship should not be with the world, but be concentrated upon God and those who have made the Covenant, loving them as we would ourselves.

What Does God Really Want? (Part 3)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The Good Samaritan parable teaches that unless one practices doing good rather than just knowing good, his faith will be severely compromised.

The Beauty of God's Law

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Keeping God's Law brings bountiful blessings, harmony, and profound peace (Psalm 119:165), while the 'cheap' grace brings guilt, anxiety, and pain.