As we’ve stepped into a brand-new year (as I shared at the members meeting yesterday) I want to talk to you about something that’s been on my heart—a theme that I believe God is calling us to embrace in 2025. It’s this simple but powerful idea from Philippians 1:9: “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more…”
Paul’s words here aren’t just a nice sentiment; they’re a challenge. A call to grow. Paul was praying for a church that was already loving, already generous, already committed to Jesus. But he prayed for more. Why? Because love isn’t something we check off a list. It’s not something we say, “Well, I’ve done enough of that.” Love is meant to grow, to stretch, to abound more and more.
This year, let’s lean into this as a church—to love more deeply, more intentionally, and more like Jesus than ever before.
Why Love?
Why make this our theme? Because love is the mark of a Christian. Jesus Himself said it in John 13:34-35: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Think about that. The way the world knows we belong to Jesus isn’t through what we say we believe or how often we go to church, but through the way we love.
And here’s the reality: Loving people isn’t always easy. It’s messy. It’s uncomfortable. Sometimes it’s just downright hard. But if we’re going to be the kind of church God has called us to be—a church that reflects Christ to our city and beyond—we have to grow in love. Not just stay where we are, but abound more and more.
What Does This Look Like?
So, what does it mean to love more and more? Let me break it down into three areas we’ll focus on growing this year:
1. Loving God More and More
Everything starts here. Before we can love others well, we have to love God deeply. And loving Him isn’t just about feeling something—it’s about pursuing Him. Spending time with Him in prayer and His Word. Delighting in His presence. Trusting and obeying His commands, even when it’s hard.
So let me ask you: How’s your love for God? Is it growing? Or has it plateaued?
This year, let’s commit to loving God more. Let’s make Him the center of everything we do, not just on Sundays, but every day. Because the more we love Him, the more His love will flow through us.
2. Loving One Another More and More
This one hits close to home. Jesus said the world would know we’re His disciples by the way we love one another. That’s not always easy. People can hurt us. They can be frustrating. Loving each other often means forgiving offenses, being patient when it’s hard, and serving even when we’re tired.
Paul gives us a beautiful picture of love in 1 Corinthians 13. Love is patient. Love is kind. Love doesn’t envy or boast. It isn’t proud or rude or selfish. Love never gives up.
What if this year we really leaned into that? What if we became a church where every single person knows they are seen, valued, and cared for? That’s what loving one another more and more looks like.
3. Loving Our Neighbors More and More
And then there’s the love that spills out into the world around us. Loving our neighbors—those outside these walls, in our workplaces, schools, and neighborhoods. The people we don’t agree with. The people who might never step foot in a church.
This love looks like serving those in need, standing up for those who are overlooked, and sharing the hope of the gospel with those who are hopeless. It’s love that doesn’t just stay in our hearts or our words but shows up in our actions.
This year, let’s ask God to open our eyes to the people around us who need His love. Who is He calling you to love more?
How Do We Grow in Love?
Here’s the good news: This isn’t something we have to do on our own. Paul didn’t say, “Try harder to love.” He prayed. Because growing in love is ultimately God’s work in us. It’s the Holy Spirit who softens our hearts, who stretches us, who gives us the strength to love when we don’t feel like it.
So, this year, let’s make this our prayer: “Lord, help us to love more and more. Help us to love You with all our hearts, to love each other with grace and patience, and to love our neighbors with the same love You’ve shown us.”
A Challenge for 2025
Let me leave you with this challenge: Don’t settle. Don’t settle for where you are in your love for God or for others. There’s always more. Let’s ask God to stretch us this year. To grow us in love that is real, sacrificial, and overflowing.
Imagine what God could do through us if we really lived this out. Imagine the impact on your family, our church, and our community.
Let’s make 2025 the year we love—more and more.
Closing Thought
We love because He first loved us. The love that flows out of us is just the overflow of the love He’s poured into us. Let’s keep our eyes fixed on Jesus this year, and let’s trust Him to grow us into a people marked by His love.
Here’s to a year of abounding love—together.