1. LOVING GOD Talk No. 5: The Christian Ideal:

2. The First and Greatest Commandment One of the scribes, when he came forward and heard them disputing and saw how well he had answered them, asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” Jesus replied, “The first is this: ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ Mark 12: 28 - 30

3. What it means to love God with all our heart. 1.First understand what Jesus meant by heart. HEART: the seat of intelligence and decision 2. To love God with all our heart is to be TOTALLY COMMITTED TO HIM. 3. How do we put the Lord first in our Life? a. It requires a decision to obey Him. - Jn 14: 15 b. We need to develop a personal relationship with Him. c. We need to spend regular time with Him. In Prayer. In reading the Bible.

4. What it means to love God with all our mind. 1.When God created us, He enabled us to think. He did this so we can figure out how to love and serve Him. 2.To love God with all our mind means to serve Him with the use of our mind, or simply to make available our minds for His purposes. 3.Using our minds can have incredible consequences for society. 4.How do we love and serve God with our mind? a.Keep your mind clean and holy. b.Use your mind according to God’s truths and not according to the ways of the world. c. Let your mind be preoccupied with the things of God. d.Protect and preserve your mind from unholy influences so that God can use you for His purposes. e.Use your mind actively for God purposes.

5. What it means to love God with all our strength. 1.This means giving God all our resources – time, money, energy, possessions, gifts and abilities. 2. What are the concrete ways we can love God with our resources? a.Money - Develop proper attitudes towards money. Mt 6: 21 - Concrete steps we can take Tithing. Mal. 3: 7 – 10 Almsgiving. b. Time - Have the proper attitude. - Concrete applications.

6. Loving God is a very high ideal. Jesus showed us the way. Jesus is our model in loving God. 1.He was dedicated to accomplishing his mission. Jn 4: 34. 2.He was obedient unto death. Lk 22: 42. 3.He was constantly seeking the Father’s will. Mk 1: 35. Mt 14: 23. Conclusion. 1.Loving God is not as vague and impractical as you might think. Rather, it involves specific, practical actions, decisions and commitments. 2.But you cannot do it merely by deciding to do it. What will make it possible is the power of the Holy Spirit.