How can you demonstrate love practically in your community this week? The Call to Tangible Love “Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.” (1 John 3:18) John is crystal clear: love that never steps out of the mouth and into the street isn’t real love. Genuine affection for Christ overflows into measurable help for people right next to us. Seeing the Need • Walk your neighborhood, office, or campus slowly and prayerfully—needs pop out when you’re not rushing. • Listen more than you talk; unmet burdens surface when someone finally feels heard. • Keep a running list of names and situations so no one slips through the cracks. Simple Acts You Can Do This Week • Deliver a hot meal to a shut-in or a new parent. • Write a handwritten note of encouragement to someone battling illness or discouragement. • Offer childcare for a single mom so she can grocery-shop unhurried. • Pick up trash on a neglected street and leave it cleaner than you found it. • Pay for the coffee of the person behind you and include a short verse card. • Spend an evening at a local shelter—serve food, clean tables, talk with guests. • Visit a nursing home resident who hasn’t had company in weeks; read a Psalm aloud. • Volunteer to tutor a child who’s falling behind in math. • Bring fresh groceries to the food pantry—protein items are often most needed. • Invite a neighbor for dinner; listening over a home-cooked meal beats a hundred social-media likes. Roots in the Word • James 2:14-17—faith without works is dead; love without deeds is the same. • Galatians 5:13—“serve one another in love.” • Matthew 5:16—let your light shine so people glorify the Father. • Proverbs 3:27—don’t withhold good when it’s in your power to act. • Luke 10:33-35—Good Samaritan: compassion travels the dusty road and pays the innkeeper. • 1 Corinthians 13:4-7—love is patient and kind; those traits translate into daily decisions. Keeping Motive Pure • Guard against performative charity; love flows from gratitude for Christ’s sacrifice, not a need for applause. • Give anonymously whenever possible (Matthew 6:3-4). • Measure success by obedience, not by thanks received. Making It a Lifestyle • Schedule weekly “love appointments” on your calendar; spontaneity is great, but planning keeps love from being crowded out. • Invite others to join you—good deeds multiplied shape the culture of a church and a town. • Review each week: where did love stretch you, and where can it grow next? Small, steady choices pile up into a reputation for Christlike compassion. Love doesn’t need to be spectacular to be supernatural; it just needs to move from lips to hands before the week is out. |
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