Love One Another

In a world that is desperate for direction and affection, what can Christ-followers possibly do? Jesus gave us the answer! We can set the example for our world by following His command to “love one another!” 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35.

Jesus didn’t command His disciples to be known for their theological insight or their biblical knowledge; He didn’t tell them to be known for their hard work ethic, their powerful preaching or their fishing skills. Jesus made clear that the defining characteristic of His disciples must be their love for one another.

That is a message that resonates for us! At Watermark, we are committed to making an impression and leaving a mark for Jesus Christ. One of the best ways we can do that is by building a community of Christ-followers fully committed to Christ’s vision of loving one another. I’m sure there are many who live just minutes from Watermark Church who are looking for an authentic community of caring, loving, God-honoring people where they can connect and engage. Watermark is that church!

Just before Jesus shared His expectation for His disciples to love one another, He set a powerful and shocking example of what that means. He actually washed His disciples feet! (John 13:1-9) You may have heard this story many times, but have you thought about how unusual this was? In fact, as Dan pointed out on Sunday, it was truly shocking!

Slaves washed their master’s feet; but a teacher never washed the feet of his disciples. Why would Jesus do that? Because He wanted us to understand that humbly serving one another is a beautiful expression of the kind of love He calls us to. There is nothing more meaningful than having another serve you in a caring, generous, compassionate, kind, humble way.

You may never wash the feet of another person; in fact, you would get a weird look if you tried! But there are lots of ways you can love others by humbly serving them. Our life group ministry gives you a great chance to engage with others and show them some love. Anchored Sisters and Secret Sisters are excellent opportunities for women to connect, love and serve one another. KidsPort is a chance to serve, love and disciple children at Watermark. Our Marketplace ministry and Serve Saturdays give us the chance to go beyond our church walls to show Christ’s love.

We just launched a new Care Package ministry to take food bags to folks in need in our community. What a great way to serve others!

With Easter just a month away now, consider the most beautiful expression of love ever displayed as Jesus gave His life for us, paving the way for our salvation. His sacrifice was the ultimate expression of love. The kind of love He showed us isn’t cheap, or easy, or meaningless; it is world-changing! He is the eternal example of love and He calls us to be known for our love too.

How can you serve others in your church family? How can you spread His love to others where you work, go to school, work-out and hang-out? Will you allow His love to permeate every aspect of your life so that when people get to know you, they say, “That person is a disciple of Jesus!” When you are known in that way, you will make an impression and leave a mark for Jesus Christ. And you will be a light in a dark world desperate to know and experience authentic, loving community.

For much more, click here to listen to our guest speaker, Dan Roseman’s message: Part 12 - Four Shocking Observations.