What if the only true measure of spiritual maturity is love—and not the easy versions? We bring our series on mental models for missional discipleship to a close by naming love as the plumb line that aligns everything: discipleship, mission, leadership, and daily life. Not the Hallmark fuzzies, not constant affirmation, not Midwest nice. We look to Jesus who had grace and truth in full measure, self-giving at the cross as the standard that straightens what our culture and our churches often bend.
Together we build a thicker vision of “God is love.” Love isn’t one attribute balanced against holiness, justice, or power; it’s the very nature through which God expresses all of them. That reframe changes how we read the Bible, how we think about divine power at Christmas, and how we set goals for our churches. From hospitals and universities to abolition and peacemaking, we celebrate the quiet, steady legacy of cruciform love. Then we tell the truth about our failures: empire-chasing politics, us-versus-them religion, judgmentalism, and scandals that misuse God’s name and wound the vulnerable.
Finally, we get practical. We share simple practices to receive before we try to give, because loved people love people. Try a daily examen of love to notice where God met you and where love flowed through you. Then, each morning, choose one person to intentionally love with words and actions calibrated by grace and truth. Over time, these small, steady moves align our lives to the straight edge of Jesus-shaped love and deepen our witness in a world hungry for the real thing.
If this conversation challenged or encouraged you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review so others can find it. What’s one way you’ll measure your day by love this week?
